"Uncle!"
"Fourth Uncle!"
The two little snails immediately ran over when they saw their elder, hid behind him, and began making faces at the traveler they had never met.
Their movements were so swift and decisive, their decisions so quick and resolute, that they had clearly done this several times before.
But since their entire bodies were black, Nox could not tell what expressions they were making.
"Ah, children, you've certainly brought me quite a surprise."
The Snail Shaman looked at them fondly. Once a youngster himself, he was now fulfilling his duties as an elder.
"Children, you shouldn't do something like that to a traveler for no reason. Apologize."
"But, Uncle (Fourth Uncle)..."
"I said you need to apologize."
The mischievous children clearly did not want to give in so quickly, but their elder's stern tone forced the little snails to yield.
So the two snails, one very small and the other slightly bigger, emerged from behind the Snail Shaman and bowed respectfully in apology.
"We're sorry. We shouldn't have dragged you into the mist for no reason."
"Or used those corpses and the Red Crystal to scare you, even though it didn't work at all..."
The last remark was added in a tiny voice, but Nox heard it anyway.
But bringing it up now would probably only make things more troublesome, so Nox chose to ignore it.
"That's more like it."
The Snail Shaman nodded in satisfaction. These children still had much to learn, and today they had learned another lesson.
"Now you should go review today's lessons. I'll be coming to check what you've learned in a little while."
"Yes, Uncle (Fourth Uncle)."
The two little snails obediently slipped away through a small tunnel that Nox could never have fit through at his height.
But at the