Riley patted his horse's neck. It had been a journey from Klain to come so far Southwest in search of the proclaimed threat. Made more arduous by the need to pack barrels of water to keep the army supplied, the military had replenished their supplies at every clean stream they encountered along the way, knowing each one might be the last they encountered.
Once they passed beyond the realm of safe waters, things became even more difficult as they stopped to build a bridge over each stream. It would not do for the wheels of their supply wagons to dissolve and break in the acidic waters, nor for their horses' hooves to be wounded as they forded them.
Still, he and his scouts had leapt over the streams instead of waiting. He wanted eyes on whatever had come from the sea as soon as possible. The rest of the army could catch up later.
Maybe, whatever this thing was, it could be reasoned with, like the giants. Roland and he had discussed it in private before his departure, and though he held little hope in his diplomacy, he felt the attempt had to be made.
So when the creature came into view, he took out his horn and blew it, summoning his half dozen men closer and drawing the thing's attention. This seemed like a potentially terrible idea, but sneaking up on it would just put him closer in its range of attack should it prove to be instantly aggressive.
At least at this distance he could judge its motives a little better.
One of its many heads turned toward him, and he gulped. What an ugly thing! Absolutely horrible to look at. And kind of rude, as well. Did he only deserve the attention of one of its heads?
He glanced in the direction that the rest were looking, and his eyes widened. The giants! The giants were here, in this world!
Did Roland know that? Surely not, or at least not before Riley left. That would have been worth mentioning.
"A servant, a new servant," The head staring at him sang, and the others turned in unison to look at Riley.
"Good day!" Riley shouted with a grin and a slight, but not subservient bow. "I am no servant, but a General, come to inquire as to whether you mean this world and its occupants harm."
"No! No harm!" The heads chimed in perfect harmony.
It was stupidly creepy. Why did such a thing exist? Riley hid his revulsion behind a polite smile.
"What is your purpose here? Did you come by accident? Do you require medical aid?" He inquired. One of the heads looked grossly injured.
"My purpose is to rule all. Serve me, or die." The heads bobbed enthusiastically.
"I'm afraid we've already got a King-slash-Commodore-slash-Emperor-man," Riley hung his head, "but we have an opening for a strong ally if that job interests you?"
"All will serve Beast, or die." The heads insisted.
"I thought we were supposed to serve you? Or are we doing that weird thing where we refer to ourselves in the third person?" Riley chewed the inside of his cheek, "Because I have to say, General Riley finds it pretentious and a little ridiculous."
He grimaced. His diplomatic skills were lacking. Roland should have sent Lysander if he wanted peace with this weirdo freak of a sentient being. Or beings? Was this Beast only one, or was each of his heads a different personality? They spoke together often enough to be sharing one mind.
Beast sneered. "The humans in this region already serve me, and through me, my Master, who gives me power over all."
"Master… that sounds a bit odd. You're like an apprentice evil dictator who threatens to kill everyone that doesn't follow you? I didn't know you could do something like that. I assumed all evil dictators were self-taught. Is it a paid apprenticeship or unpaid? Are there benefits?"
"Enough of your wordplay. It does not amuse," Beast sneered. "Will you serve?"
"I serve the people of Klain as their General, and the king as a subject," Riley shrugged. "I'm sorry there's no room for you in the hierarchy, but you know what they say: first come, first served."
Underneath his snark, he was mentally panicking over the fact that the Beast already had human servants. They had to be Cetoan survivors of the disaster that were now under the thumb of this Beast.
Where were they being kept? How could he help them escape?
"I'm also going to have to ask you to release your human prisoners as well. I'll just take them back to Klain with me and you can rule over whatever lives in the ocean. That's where you came from, right?" He prodded.
"I came from your sky riding on a star," The Beast leaned forward. "I am worthy of your worship."
"That escalated," Riley shook his head. "First you asked for servants, now worship? Seems a little sketchy to me. I'm not on board with religious fads. They fade so quickly!"
Riding on a star, from the sky. Did that mean he part of that mountain that fell through the portal and poisoned the water? How did a creature, even one so odd as this many-headed thing, survive such an impact?
"I see the question in your eyes," Beast sneered. "I am worthy, and I demand it of you. Magnanimously, I will give you time to take a message to your so-called 'king' so that he may submit you all to my rule."
"I mean, I can ask him, but it seems pretty doubtful. Otherworldly creatures have come here demanding the same thing before and left disappointed. I'd hate to get your hopes up on this. Say, are you acquainted with the Void? Also known as Tamas or Titania?"
Riley tried a charming smile, shooting a glance at the giants, who were whispering amongst each other, seeming to be in some kind of argument. The name Tamas seemed to catch Jarnsaxa's attention, and she held up a hand to hush her husband as she listened to Beast's answer. The creature studied Riley, many of its eyes calculating, some amused, a few burning with irritation. Several of its lion-like mouths sneered at him.
"Master is the Dragon, the greatest Sorcerer." Beast intoned.
Jarnsaxa visibly tensed at the declaration, and Riley wondered at it. There hadn't been dragons in this world before.
"Is your Master here, or coming soon? Is he 'The Sorcerer' or like, a regular one?" He tried to phrase it as a polite inquiry. Surely 'the Sorcerer' who Finn said created everything wouldn't send this sort of strange creature to rule on his behalf? A wriggling of doubt nagged at the back of his mind.
"I rule in my Master's stead until he comes," Beast's voices grew tense. "Take the message to your king, submit, or die. Service guarantees you will be protected and provided for in the difficult times ahead."
"Difficult times… could you be more specific?" Riley's eyes narrowed. Did the Beast know more of what was to come? Perhaps the Final Battle the Fae had told Roland about involved fighting this Beast?
"Your water is poison. I can clean it. Disease will ravage your people. Starvation, famine. I can heal you, feed you, care for you. I can do for you what you cannot do for yourselves. Rely on me for your salvation through these troubled days." Beast's many mouths smiled.
"I WILL SERVE YOU," Jarnsaxa's husband declared. Riley couldn't remember the giant's name, and right now wasn't feeling particularly guilty about that fact. Traitor.
"YOU WILL NOT!" The giantess boomed at him. Her face was crimson with fury, but the man waved her off.
"I WILL NOT BE SUBJECTED TO STARVATION AGAIN. THE REST OF YOU DO WHAT YOU WILL." He said flippantly.
"I WILL GO WITH YOU," The younger giantess stepped forward. The young male, Jarnsaxa's son, looked conflicted.
Enraged beyond words, the giant queen slapped her husband across the face, the sound of it making Riley wince to his very bones. A strike like that would have reduced him to a smudge on the ground, but the giant seemed unfazed and merely shrugged at his wife.
Her eyes filled with great tears and she stormed away in a fury. The younger male hurried after her, his steps shaking the ground as he jogged to catch up. Riley stared, unable to fully grasp that not only were the giants now a fractured force, but half of them were now in the service of this seven-headed monster.
Something caught the corner of his eye, and Riley peered into the forest around him. A shadow moved, and six eyes stared at him from the dim filtered light beneath the trees. A timid wave sent his eyebrows up.
Shayn, and that librarian, Simone, riding… that couldn't be Roland's old friend, the crazy spear-tailed enormous cat? Shayn pressed a finger to his lips, and Riley turned his attention back to the monster.
"I'll let you three get acquainted better and go see about delivering the message you requested," Riley nodded at Beast. "I'll get back to you about the whole service and worship thing."
"Sir," One of the scouts behind him kicked his horse's flanks. "I'm staying."
"No you're not, Ben." Riley shook his head. "We're all going back. Though I admire the bravery in wanting to stay and surveil the Beast, it's too dangerous."
"You don't understand. I'm staying. I'm following it."