Rye quietly sneaked off to explore the area. This was not going the way he'd intended. After finding a place where he could be alone, he pulled a small golden bowl from under his robes and placed it on the ground. He reverently poured water into it from a flask, then bowed as he felt a presence emerge.
"My liege, I have no idea what I'm doing."
"Your bluntness is appreciated, servant. Remember our bargain. Eternal life is not something I give without proper compensation. If you fail to pay our price within three days..." The disembodied voice laughed in an evil fashion. "A grim fate awaits you, Rye."
Rye tried to push that thought out of his head. "Are you sure this place even has ANYTHING to do with sacrifices AT ALL??? From what I've seen, it's just a friendly, if suspicious, group of people."
"It matters not, servant, but your tone does. Do not speak this way to your master. You will give me blood, and I have no issue with it being your own. Now go, and find a sacrifice for me. Try to integrate yourself into their society."
"Apologies, master. Thank you for your generosity. Farewell." The water in the bowl suddenly quivered, then evaporated into steam, briefly forming a skull before puffing away. Rye sighed and began walking back to the group, hoping no one had overheard.