When the trio emerged from the tunnel it was like they had entered a strange new world. Houses made from debris littered the landscape. Some of which reminded George of the villages that he would see in the old countryside. Ladders made from bone and metal towered above them led up to wires filled with lanterns that stretched across the whole village. He was surprised how advanced the structures were.
So much for just a bunch of dumb cultists... He thought, following Blaire and Rupert for a bit before running off on his own. Blaire sighed as they watched him run up to the nearest house, begrudgingly following him, while pulling out a couple of cloaks from their bag.
"I swear does this kid know even know the meaning of stealth?" They asked Rupert as he sighed as well taking one of the cloaks and draping it over himself, lifting the hood.
"I'm surprised that he even lasted out on his own." He answered as the two of them met up with George, who was currently knocking on the door as loudly as he possibly could.
"What in the name of Jorn are you doing?" Blaire asked trying to keep a hushed tone.
"Hey, if we need to talk with their leader, they why don't we just ask some of the residents. It's the quickest way." George responded as the door suddenly opened to reveal a small child with long dark yellowish hair.
He flashed his best non-threatening smile as he said: "Hello!" The child, who looked no older than 7 or 8, took one look at the three strangers at her door and promptly shut it in front of them.
Great...This idiot just cost us our entire mission. Blaire thought as they put one hand to their head.
George looked back at the two with a smirk on his face. "Cmon, it'll be fine! Just watch.."
After a few moments later the door opened to reveal a larger man with a bushy crimson beard. From behind the small child peeked out saying: "Unkie it's the people from my pictures!"
The man let out a small chuckle before opening the door more. "Well then Mimi, why don't we show these nice people inside?"
The inside of the cabin was moderately furnished, with a few simple chairs, a table, and a fireplace. The man, whose name was Bine, showed George and the others around the house. Bine's wife, Paneer, or as Mimi put it Pan-pan.
When the three of them got comfortable, Bine sat them down at the table. Meanwhile Mimi was scribbling on what looked like rudimentary paper with a strange looking pencil.
"So, what brings you folks to our here village?" Bine asked, a jovial grin hid itself behind the hair.
"We were sent here to speak with the leader of your community…" Blaire said, omitting the part where they were tasked with killing them.
While the rest were talking Mimi looked up at George and took his hand. "Follow me!" The two of them walked to a room off to the left of where the others were.
Inside pictures of George and the others lined the entire room. There were images of George eating the rat, the three of them falling into Big Mama… what alarmed him was how vivid the drawings were. Did a child really draw this? He asked himself as he picked up a piece of paper on the ground. It was a drawing of the three of them standing in front of the cabin's door with George flashing a smile and Blaire and Rupert standing off to his side.
"Did you draw these?" He finally asked to which Mimi nodded wildly.
"Mhm! I draws them for a looong time! You wanna draw?" She asked as she handed George his own sheet and pencil.
"Well," Bine said, stroking his beard. "You and your friends can try and catch him at the festival tomorrow. That'll be your best bet."
"And what's this festival about?" Rupert asked, shifting in his seat.
"Oh! Why, we call it the Festival of Sainthood Restitution! It's a celebration of gratitude towards our guardian deity and honors the acts of the chief Saint."
Blaire put their hands together. Let's see how much information we can get out of him while we're here… it might prove useful when we try to get close to our target… They looked over at Rupert. "What else can you tell us about the Festival of Sainthood Restitution?" They asked.
"Well, what I can tell you is that our village is lucky enough to hold the Restitution ceremony." Bine stroked his beard with delight, and a slight bit of smugness. "One lucky member of our community will be granted the pleasure of tending to one the many sacred offspring that our deity laid."
"If you ask me, I think our dear Mimi is a shoe-in for that role.." Paneer said, sticking her head out from behind a door. After a moment she came out fully holding an axe over her shoulder. "Isn't she just too precious?" She said with a smile.
"Have you folks eaten yet? We've got plenty of room here after all."
Blaire and Rupert were almost thrown off by how kind these people were. Certainly, they almost didn't fit the role of fanatical cult members at all. Almost, as Bine smiled at them from across the table, behind him sat a fairly large statue of the grotesque creature that called the stone wasteland at the surface home. The beady holes that it calls eyes stared back at Blaire. No matter how kind these people were, the fact didn't change that they were part of that horrific cult. They shook their heads and Bine got up from the table. "Well then I'll get started on dinner."
As Paneer called for dinner, Mimi shot up from the floor, jumping up and down. "Is dinner! Is dinnertime!" She said with a brilliant smile stretching from ear to ear. George looked over at the child's most recent drawing before he was dragged away slowly by the small child, who was insistent that he follow. "Come onnnnn!" She whined, pulling at his tattered sleeve.
With only a glimpse, all he could tell was that there was a heart with a ring on what looked like some blobs. He couldn't be sure… huh odd… he thought as he begrudgingly followed Mimi to the table where the others were seated.
George waived at the other two as he sat next to Blaire, Mimi climbing into the seat next to him. Man this takes me back…he thought. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten at a dinner table like this before. It felt warm, that much was for sure.
After the meal, the three were shown where they would be sleeping for the night. The couple asked if they could fetch them any cots but as George went to ask Blaire said: "No, it's fine, we're used to sleeping without them.."
George mumbled underneath his breath. "Well I would have appreciated one…"
As Mimi told them goodnight, Bine shut the door leaving the trio alone in the room. From the window, the lanterns light up the "sky" like stars. George turned to Blaire and said. "See? I told you it would work out…"
"Well don't count your hands before they've been caught.. we still need to eliminate our target." Blaire answered shifting over to their side.
"Cool….any ideas?" George asked, clearly having no intention to sleep.
Rupert was the one to answer this time. "Look George, for now just sleep and we'll discuss this in the morning. Alright?" He curled up into a half circle and draped the cloak over his body.
"Hmph…fine..I'll go to sleep.." George grumbled, upset by their lack of action.
The next day George awoke to the sound of loud banging. Groggily he stood up from the hardwood floor with a hand on his back as he straightened himself..He opened the window at the back wall of the room and the muffled sound of music blew him off of his feet. With a haunting chant accompanying the music he stared at the parade of people dressed in odd looking robes. Some were carrying small statues, others were holding strange looking instruments. They resembled the ones he'd known but only partly, there were too many strings on some of them, and the ones that looked like horns had multiple shoots. As the crowd passed by the window, buff figures were holding up a carriage. Huh, those look like the ones from Historical dramas. He thought, then he caught a glimpse of who was sitting in the chair. It was Mimi.
What's she doing there? He asked himself unsure of what was even happening. When the two locked eyes, Mimi waved at George with a smile. He was hesitant but he waved back a wave of unease blanketing over him. Why does it feel like she's saying goodbye forever? He said quietly to himself as he opened the door.
The crowd didn't pay any attention to George as he pushed past them. It was as if he was too below them for even slight recognition. Soon enough among the crowd he found Blaire and Rupert who were following the hoard wearing the robes they came in. "Hey!" He said, his voice barely enough to get over the shriek of the instruments. "What the hell happened?"
"See, I knew we should've just woken him up.." Rupert said as he looked behind him at the confused George. "Look, we were fine without him before and we can handle things without him now. Just stop taking pity on him and let's finish this!" Rupert continued as Blaire looked back at George.
Blaire turned back as the crowd neared the center of the village. "Oh please, when have I ever taken pity on anyone before? I'm simply making an investment in potential." Rupert rolled his eyes at that comment.
"You can make all kinds of 'investments' that you want, but until this punk proves himself, I won't consider him part of this group." Rupert huffed as the group came to a stop.
Suddenly the people around them turned to face the trio, their eyes were clouded with an inky redness that resembled wax. They seemed soulless and devoid of individuality.
Then a voice spoke from the stage in front of them. "Well, well, well, it seems that we have some visitors. You there! State your reasons for barging in on our most holy of celebrations?" The tall cloaked man bellowed, pointing his long ornate looking staff at the three of them. Bonzai, who hid in George's satchel, watched as the strange people crowded around George and the others and lifted them up, carrying them over to the stage.
The three of them struggled to break free of the many hands pushing them to their leader.
"Hmph your baubles have no value in this kingdom of holiness. Now, you who are blind to the truth, speak and let your worthless voice fall on the deaf." George scowled at the man, refusing to speak. He knew of only two things that would shut him up. Being told to speak and having no mouth. And he still had his mouth.
Rupert grumbled as the man grew impatient with their silence. Who were they to barge into his ceremony? They couldn't possibly fathom the majesty that was his power.
With a huff, the man waved his staff in the air and turned to face the crowd. "Today! We shall witness the rebirth of the next grand chancellor. Their light will be the light of our guardian! Bask in the radiance that is the child of Wrath!" He stepped aside revealing Mimi sitting in an ornate chair, with her hands and feet bound. Another burly cult member carrying a box kneels before the man, opening it.
It wasn't as nearly a surprise as it would have been considering their entire practice but as George looked on in rage as the man stepped towards Mimi, trying to escape her bonds. "No! Gross bug! I hate it!" She cried as the man drew closer, the maggot wriggling in his grasp.
As the maggot hovered over her open mouth, George felt that indescribable rage bubbling within his chest as his nail sharpened cutting the feeble rope that bound him. "You motherfucker…" He said as he lunged at the priest, jaws open wide.
The man staggered backwards dropping the maggot into George's mouth, his claws glinting in the lantern light.
"George! Goddamnit!" Blaire cried as he fell to the ground.
The man huffed as he stood, clearly shaken. "T-that serves you right for daring to partake in our holy guardian, you Cretan." He said as he kicked George's body.
"Noo Gerge!" Mimi said, wailing.
The man turned back to the crowd after properly disgracing the nonbeliever. "This is the divine punishment of the great Queen of Wrath! All who stand in the way of her spread will be vanquished. Now watch as the heathen is devoured and becomes the soil for which our guardian will blossom from."
While the preacher spun his long winded monologue, Bonzai crept out of the bag. Skittering towards Blaire and Rupert. Blaire knelt down to his level, a kind smile between their tusks. "Hey Bonzai….can you get me the gun? The gun it's in my bag."
Bonzai caught notice of Blaire calling him and skittered down to the clump of bags, opening up George's bag and trotting back holding a rat in its jaws, the creature wriggling inside.
"No Bonzai, the gun.. the metal thing?" They asked their eyes darting over to the preacher and back to the pet.
Bonzai trotted off happily to retrieve the metal item that was requested.
If their hands weren't tired then Blaire would have them flat on their forehead as Bonzai came back, not with the gun but with the transmission disc that they were given. "No Bonzai, grab the long silver metal thing."
Bonzai tilted his head to the side as he promptly trotted away for the third time. At last Bonzai returned with their trusty silver pistol. On the end of which was a small serrated blade to use in melee combat.
The blade made quick work of the rope, the marks left by the rope stinging their wrists. As Blaire began to check their gun, Rupert pulled his wrists in separate ways, breaking the rope. "Well it seems like we'll have to go with plan A anyway…" They said as the rat from earlier skittered across the stage bumping into Goerge's body, which jerked to life, causing the rat to move the other way.
Just as the Priest turned around to see the glorious sight of the brand new larger child of Wrath, he was taken aback when instead he saw George standing before him, his right hand fashioned in the shape of a rather large version of the Maggot's mouth. Smoke dripped from the corner of his mouth as he stumbled towards the Priest.
The only thing going through the priest's mind was fear. He stumbled over to the edge of the stage as Both of George's mouths opened and let out a resounding roar.
Blaire kept a steady hand as they followed the head of the priest.
"Oh ye who shall devour the heavens, have mercy on me!" The Priest cried out as George lunged forward.
With his monstrous hand, George grabbed hold of the priest's arm as Blaire's pistol resounded across the village. Within seconds the screaming head of the priest was silenced for good. As the body fell in a slump on the stage the crowd turned their gaze to the assailants.
George heaved a heavy sigh as he grabbed the rat from off of the ground, and with his monstrous hand swallowed it whole. He felt no pain as it twitched, hungry. He walked towards the terrified Mimi behind him and lifted his head, revealing the same smile he gave her when they first met.
He used one of the teeth of the maggot to cut her bands. She fell into his arms, crying. George was careful enough not to use his right hand when hugging her.
"Hey, Mimi, it's okay…I've got you." He said softly as he rested his left arm underneath Mimi, cradling her. She just nodded as she sniffled against his chest.
He looked up at the rest of the cult members and then over at Blaire and Rupert. The three made eye contact and George looked back at the crowd.
"You all disgust me! Trying to sacrifice a child?! How dare you!" He shouted, while Mimi covered her ears, still afraid.
The crowd did not answer as they stared blankly until a voice from the back spoke up. "You filthy heathen! How dare you kill the Grand Priest Fanry!"
George looked on as the crowd began to get more aggressive, starting to make their way to the stage.
In preparation of this event Rupert grabbed all of their bags and ran off the stage, Blaire following after. Bonzai hopped inside of George's bag, with the disk still in his mouth, the blue light flickering as they ran.
"Hold on tight, okay?" He said to Mimi, trying to soothe her.
George followed soon after as Mimi clutched tightly to his shirt.
The crowd chased after them like a bull with mad cow disease. Arms stretched out, grasping at the wisps of George's hoodie like a tsunami of bodies. He didn't bother to look back at the massive hoard behind him as he jumped towards the mound of flesh between Blaire and Rupert, his new hand spinning violently. He wasn't sure if this would work but he had to try.
Chapter 18 [No party like a Wrathling party!] end.