"My faithful servant, I could never despise you," Razaranje replied with a warm smile, putting a comforting hand to the priestess's back that caused her to shiver. "Now please, explain to me what these 'passion gems' are."
"R-really, Lord Razaranje?" Oakina whispered nervously, looking embarrassed. "Well—the passion gems are these rare jewels that usually sell for high prices in shops. They're magical artifacts that are said to be revered by even the gods! If someone gathers 3 of them in one place and then prays to a specific god or goddess over them, that deity will be forced to our world to fulfill the prayer."
"So these gems pretty much turn prayers into wishes?" Raz asked through clenched teeth as the pair continued on behind the other Cloudians, trying to contain his anger as the temptation to destroy welled up inside him. "Lovely…we gods are reduced to wish-granting fairies for you mortals."
"Only if the ritual is properly completed! And I had my doubts that this would even work, so you can imagine my surprise when you showed up in front of me!" the priestess continued. "I guess it can only be done once, though, as you fell right onto where I had the gems positioned."
"I see, I see," the god sighed, rubbing his temples while shaking his long, grey hair. "Look, I get that your feeble mortal mind thought that this was a good idea, but do you have any idea how much you've inconvenienced me? I'd just proposed to a goddess I've loved for a long time, and now I'm stuck here!"
"I-I'm sorry, My Lord," Oakina whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes as she choked back a sob. "I just…I just…I just wanted the god that I worship to save us."
With that, the priestess burst out crying, her bare shoulders shaking as she stopped to hide her face in her hands. Halting, Razaranje rolled his eyes as he watched the young woman's purple robes curling around her body while she crumpled onto the ground, her world apparently falling to pieces as she sobbed loudly whilst rolling onto her side. Ahead of them, some of the soldiers turned to look in shock, but didn't dare reproach the god.
"Okay…okay, calm down," Raz groaned as he knelt next to the inconsolable woman, gently putting a hand to her quivering hip. "Stop this crying. I might be annoyed, but I can't blame you for what you did. I mean summoning the mighty god of destruction? Who wouldn't do that if they had the ability to? So relax, I don't hate you, and I'm…glad that I was able to help you."
"Really?" Oakina sniffled, her watery eyes peering through her fingers.
"Yes. Now please get up," Razaranje sighed through a smile. "I need you to tell me more about this world. You said you'd be my guide, after all."
"I did, and I'd still be happy to," the priestess smiled back, before blushing as the god offered her his hand.
Yanking her back to her feet, the god had to briefly look away as he caught himself admiring the mortal woman while her hefty chest bounced beneath her robe, and especially as her deep eyes stared longingly into his. Before they could resume their conversation regarding politics and war, however, the army ahead of them abruptly halted, and many of the soldiers began to yell and assume defensive positions. Taking a miniscule interest in the commotion, Razaranje glided up to the troops and made his way to the front, where Corporal Silverbell was seated at the head of one of the supply wagons. Oakina wasn't far behind, becoming breathless chasing after the god.
"Why did you all stop?" Raz asked, sensing something large up ahead.
"Just our luck…it's a collector," the gnome replied with a shudder. "This is what we get for taking the forest road, there are all kinds of beasts lurking in here. It's okay, there should be enough of us to take it down."
Around a few hundred meters away, moving slowly through the trees, was a massive dark shape, its growing stature indicating that it was headed towards the Cloudians. Its grotesque form emerged into the light moments later, the beast resembling a massive blob of brown fur that looked to be the size of an elephant. Slinking across the forest floor, a large, white face that appeared to be made out of stone emerged from the front of the mass of fur, its hollow eyes staring into the onlookers before it.
"Spleens…spleens…spleens," the creature hissed through a shrill, echoing voice.
"What a horrid creature…they only speak the name of the body part that they collect," Oakina explained.
"You should stay back, Lady Oakina," Silverbell stated as he hopped off the wagon and readied his spear. "These things can take out a dozen men before being felled. Watch out for the limbs, my soldiers, once it has you it's all ov—"
The gnome's voice trailed off as he watched Razaranje casually walk towards the beast, shocked at the spectacle despite having witnessed the same god destroy an army hours ago. Oakina squeaked at the deity to be careful, but even she fell silent as the shirtless man stepped closer and closer to the monstrous creature.
"SPLEENS SPLEENS SPLEENS," the collector screeched excitedly as it watched Raz approach, where about 20 skinny, bony arms emerged from its mass of fur to reach towards the lone figure.
"Hahaha, nice," the god laughed in amusement, stepping out of the way just in time to avoid one of the spindly limbs as it grasped by his head. "What an interesting specimen you are. You're even a little cute!"
"SPLEENS SPLEENS SPLEENS," the collector continued to yell, it's many limbs unfurling in frenzy while Raz became a blur of motion, avoiding each and every clawing hand until the spectating Cloudians couldn't even see him.
"Alright, alright, out of the way, you feisty thing," the god of destruction chuckled as he appeared directly in front of the fur ball and pressed a palm to it.
An explosion followed, sending a shockwave through the forest that blasted the leaves off of trees and sent the Cloudian soldiers instinctively ducking for cover. The creature was nowhere to be found, with Razaranje now standing there alone in front of the empty road.
"W-where did it go?" Silverbell stammered in shock
"You don't see this red mist?" the god smirked, running a hand through what appeared to be a thin, red vapor that was quickly dissipating before him.
The army collectively sighed in relief, with it being abundantly clear that the god among them had quickly vaporized the threatening creature. Fanning her face, Oakina blushed as the shirtless deity returned to the group, a wordless gesture that told the Cloudians that they could resume their journey.
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Meanwhile, miles away, a lone soldier ran panting through the network of fields that led back to his war camp. Wearing a light copper chest plate and sparse leather armor on his limbs, he was a scout from the Grove Republic that had been probing the area behind the unit lead by Captain Linbeak, attempting to spot any Cloudian ambushes. He was returning to base with some rather startling news. Surrounded by a perimeter of log fence, the war camp came into view after several minutes of mad sprinting, where the two sentry guards posted by a front gate watched as the lone man came dashing towards them.
"O-open the gate! I have something urgent to tell the major!" the scout yelled, prompting the guards to stand aside and hold the gate open for the exhausted young solider.
Safely within the walls of the fort, the scout took a moment to catch his breath. Around him were many tents and small buildings, along with many copper-armored Grovan troops who were moving about, doing their daily chores or drills to pass the time. Red trillium banners were hung everywhere, and the smell of fire hung over the camp beneath the late afternoon sun as the cooks prepared to arrange dinner for the troops. After taking a drink of water from a nearby well, the scout proceeded to the officer barracks near the center of the base, a larger, fortified stone building that housed the legion's commanding officer.
"M-Major Barak! I have news from the front!" the scout pleaded as he knocked at the door.
"Enter," a voice on the other side replied.
Swinging inside, the scout stood with his arms to his side while straightening his neck in salute. Sitting at a desk adjacent to the front door was a young man whose spiked yellow hair was matched by a shiny, honey-colored armored tank top that fit tightly over his small, albeit muscular body. His lower half draped in loose-fitting deep blue trousers and brown combat boots, this unassuming figure was Major Barak, commander of the Grovan 12th legion.
"Sir, you need to hear this," the scout began. "It's Captain Linbeack, he and—"
"I hope he didn't try to play with his food again and let the remains of the 4th army run around for a bit," the major chuckled, setting down the fountain pen in his hand as he took a break from the letter he was writing. "I was actually about to write to the General now to explain our triumph over the Cloudians. In a few short months, we whittled an entire army down to nothing. Their north-east flank is prime for the taking! This section of the neutral zone will be ours until—"
"S-sir, about Linbeak," the scout interrupted, closing his eyes as if forcing the information out. "He and the detachment that you dispatched to finish the Cloudians off yesterday—they're completely destroyed!"
The major stared at the young soldier blankly for a moment, before blinking as the information set in.
"Huh?"
"I watched it with my own eyes!!" the scout explained. "I-it was horrible! Every single soldier was consumed in this bright white light. Some mage on the Cloudian side threw something in their direction, and then suddenly that explosion! I've never seen magic like it. Only a powerful mage like a general could compare."
"Captain Linbeak was one of my most skilled and trusted subordinates," Barak scoffed in disbelief. "You're telling me that he and that entire detachment were wiped out?"
"I only survived because I was so far back in the rear, and my location happened to have a good view of the battlefield," the soldier panted, running out of breath at how fast he was speaking. "I assure you, I know what I saw. If you don't believe me, I guarantee that Linbeak will not be returning today."
"I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but let's just wait and see," Barak assured the scout, before grinding his teeth as a few sparks of electricity coursed through his fingers. "But if some Cloudian really did obliterate my troops…then I will make sure that the perpetrator meets the same fate."