"You almost fucking killed us!" Zen said.
"That was the intention, outsider."
Dulkha and Zen's team had been attacked by surprise by the Nephto.
"What did you come here for ?!" Asked the tallest member.
"First try to kill us and then ask the questions? It's nice to learn about new cultures" Dulkha said.
The Nephto fired another arrow, grazing Dulkha's hand.
"I wasn't talking to you ... Monster."
"L-Look ... W-We don't have any bad intentions ... W-We're here looking for h-help." One of the scouts said. He was trembling visibly.
The tallest member of the Nephto burst into laughter.
"Help? You outsiders make me laugh! Everyone knows the Nephto don't give or get help. Leave while you still have time."
"We know there are exorcists among you."
The leader of the Nephto burst into another laugh.
"Exorcists?! Yes, maybe. But they are not for you."
Zen instinctively placed his hand on the handle of the broadsword.
"So, you want to keep the exorcists for yourself while the whole world goes to hell ?!"
The leader of the Nephto stared into Zen's eyes, who was staring back at him in anger.
"And did the 'world' care about us when we needed it? When, many breaths ago, our people lost their roof, they were forced to emigrate ... I emigrated for a long time, too long, and no one welcomed us, NOBODY! And now you ask me to help you? The Nephto help no one. The Nephto live alone and will die alone. "
Ten seconds of silence followed.
"Then die alone." Zen said. "They won't help us, let's go away."
"W-Wait ..." a team member said.
"Do as he say. And take that abomination covered in bandages away with you."
Dulkha said nothing. The Nephtos stared at them with eyes filled with pure contempt and madness. They had grief embedded in their souls. An eternal mourning, a grudge that would not cease to exist until the end of time.
"B-But what are we going to tell the Head of Division ...?"
"We'll say we tried." Dulkha said.
In the moment of turning around, something rose from the dark waters of that island and sank violently on the Nephto. The archers of the Nephto opened fire in vain. The creature resembled a huge dark snake covered in twisted-looking masks. The creature mowed down the archers and sent them out to sea. He swallowed one of them, and after a few seconds a new mask came out of his skin.
"Should we help you?" Dulkha asked.
"They must die alone, right?"
...
While the whole city slept, Oskah followed the Division Chief.
She didn't look back even once, as if she knew the whole city was under her control. She entered the town tavern.
Oskah stood dangerously near the ajar door. He managed to eavesdrop.
"Where is she?" The Division Head asked.
"She is sleeping." She put away the middle-aged owner.
"You know the time has come, I warned you a week ago."
The owner of the tavern hesitated for a moment before replying: "I know ..."
"I told you not to get attached to her, you chose to take care of her until now. I granted it to you, because you were sorry, but you have to respect the agreement ..."
The middle-aged woman did not answer.
"Think of the good of this city. Look what happened because of you, because of your pointless selfish procrastination."
She began to sob.
"It is useless for you to cry, there is blood on your hands."
"Wh-When…g-g-g-g-g-go on ..." she said sobbing the owner of the tavern.
"Tomorrow. Try to enjoy your last few hours with Feja ... And then you say I'm a monster."
"Y-You are ..."
The Division Chief snorted sarcastically.
"The real monsters are out there. The only reason that little girl, and others like her, existed, is to keep us safe."
The conversation ended. Oskah, too engrossed in the conversation, forgot he was ridiculously close to the front door. Like a bolt of lightning he shot to a hidden corner, forgetting his fracture. The pain was excruciating, but nothing but invisible curses came from his throat. The Division Chief looked around, then she continued going in the opposite direction to Oskah's.
"Feja ...?"
...
"We saved you, can you help us now?" Dulkha said.
"y-you s-say it -aas i-if h-hadn't been n-nothing ..." S-S-Stammered one of the fellow scouts said.
"Actually I did it all," Zen said, "Will you help us now, asshole?"
The Chief of the Nephto wore an inexplicable look. He was pissed. Around him lay the remains of the snake sliced by Zen's sword, along with some of its wounded members. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Okay. I could help you. But I don't do it out of gratitude. Never. I do it because you two could be very useful in our latest war."
"A war?" Dulkha asked. "Yes. On the other side of this island, on the great mountain, creatures live ... They are creatures similar to Ahri, but they live on the surface. At first, we got along well, they helped us, teaching us exorcism techniques we didn't know ... But then, without us noticing it, they began to hate us. They have been aiming at our life for many years ... They send creatures ... they perform strange rites. That ... thing that's attacked us now is probably their doing. I'm sure."
"What do you want us to do?"
The Chief of the Nephto hesitated for a few seconds before speaking.
"You have to go there and kill them all."