Peril Harbor
Hellcage and Marik walked slowly through the night. Hellcage strolled calmly and unhurriedly, occasionally tapping his walking cane against the ground. All his movements showed how full of vigor and good spirits he was.
Marik walked beside him, taking in the stiff streets. He found it strange because it wasn't that late at night, and people were usually still returning from work or leaving for fun at this time.
Yet, even though he could feel the life behind the windows of the houses, the streets were empty and quiet. It gave Marik chills as he felt the hidden glances, but he wasn't really afraid. Living with Hellcage and the kids had hardened him, and things didn't scare him as much anymore. Right now, they were in a remote part of the Low District in First Boss, Baron Niche's territory. Baron Niche was in charge of everything related to the entertainment industry—gambling, combat matches, prostitution, and the like. Not everything was confined to his territory, but all businesses of that nature were under his control.
As night fell, Hellcage and Marik left Ellar and the children and made their way to the Wendigo community that Hellcage had discovered. Hellcage said he watched them for a few days before he learned enough and considered if they were good enough for recruitment.
"Do you think they'll agree?" Marik asked Hellcage, who was walking beside him.
"There's a good chance," he replied.
Marik looked at him. "Could they attack us?"
Hellcage thought for a moment. "They probably won't. They value their lives too much for that."
Hellcage looked around briefly. "The Wendigo must strictly regulate their numbers. There are no more than twenty families in this community. Birth rates are also regulated, and so are food rations. But they have managed to hide among the humans quite well, even if they are not as free as they might think."
Marik scratched his beard. "Isn't that good? I mean, as creatures that are man-eaters, if they ran wild, they'd probably be wiped out quickly."
Hellcage chuckled. "Of course. It's good. When you look at it from a human's perspective. But what about from their side? Do you think it's a satisfactory way to live?"
Marik paused and sighed. It was hard to try and understand the life of monsters. As a human, he was naturally glad that the Wendigo lived quietly and didn't bother humans too much. However, if he were to take it from a human perspective, it would be a hard way to live, restricting oneself in everything. Marik understood that, sure, but he had no desire for that to change. If the Wendigo lived as they wanted, wouldn't that mean a lot of people would be killed?
"So you want to lure them into a promise of a better life?" Marik guessed what Hellcage was planning.
Hellcage laughed briefly. "And isn't that the best way? Giving them what they want?"
Marik paused and jerked a little when Hellcage suddenly tapped him on the shoulder with his walking cane. "Tell me what you know about the Wendigo. Just general knowledge," he asked, and Marik didn't hesitate to answer, though he wasn't sure why he wanted him to do so. As far as Marik knew, Hellcage knew a lot more about the Wendigo than he did.
"The Wendigo first appeared about seven thousand years ago, along with Poppy Island. Poppy Island was divided into two parts: the poppy fields and the deep forest. The Wendigo lived in the forests, and the Butterfly People lived in the poppy field. The Wendigo monsters were constantly at war with the Butterfly People, hunting each other for unknown reasons. When Poppy Island was discovered by our folks, they sided with the Butterfly People and managed to suppress the monsters, the Wendigo. Poppy Island was dedicated to the God of Harvest and Plants. The Wendigo are large, terrible beasts that are said to look like a cross between a human, a wolf, and a deer and feed on human flesh." Marik paused, but this was the rough information he knew as an adventurer. He probably knew more than the average citizen but not a lot more than that.
Hellcage nodded as if agreeing with what Marik had told him and then looked up at the sky, where a half-moon glowed in the night sky. "And what happened to the Butterfly People?" Hellcage asked again, and Marik's lips twitched in irritation. The way Hellcage asked told him that he knew, so he didn't understand why he wanted him to talk about it.
"Butterfly people are a rare race. Most live on Poppy Island under the protection of the Temple of the Harvest and Plant God. However, some serve in its Temples, but they are not commonly seen among the Sea States." Marik replied, staring at Hellcage and hoping he would explain why he was asking.
But he didn't say anything as they walked, so Marik decided to be proactive. "Why do you ask that?"
Hellcage looked in front of him again. "It's an amusing thing. I'm looking forward to seeing what our Liege will do."
"What..." Marik didn't understand, but Hellcage cut him off. "We're here. Behave."
Marik fell silent and looked ahead at the house they had stopped in front of. It was a three-story building of solid dark wood that looked only slightly better than the other houses. The doors were tall and arched, and despite the poor neighborhood, they were beautifully carved, showing engravings of the forest with a deer with majestic antlers hiding behind one of the trees.
Hellcage raised his staff and tapped the head on the door before standing relaxed and waiting. As they waited, Marik felt the sights he had perceived disappear, and that was just before the door opened.
Behind the door stood two men in identical clothing—black long coats, black trousers, and light brown vests with rich copper-colored embroidery.
The two men looked completely normal, but only for a moment. When Marik blinked a few times, the human features of the men's faces seemed to melt away, revealing their true appearance—oblong faces covered in fur, black muzzles, orange eyes with elongated pupils, and antlers growing from their heads.
Marik shuddered a little in surprise but otherwise didn't react, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Hellcage, who was as relaxed as ever.
"Emissaries of the God of the Forgotten and Unwanted. We are expected," Hellcage said. The Wendigo men looked them over before nodding and stepping aside to allow them to pass. Hellcage didn't hesitate to go in, and Marik could only follow. He felt the stares again, so he glanced over his shoulder before quickly looking ahead again.
The two Wendigo men were staring at him, and he thought he could see hunger in their eyes. Did they see him as food? Marik didn't like the feeling. Was that why Hellcage was telling him to behave, so he wouldn't get upset by their stares?
Inside the house, it looked like a rich man's mansion. The hall was tiled in an intricate pattern, the velvet red carpet reaching from the front door to the wide landing. Several doors led off the hall, but Hellcage and Marik went straight to the landing they climbed. In front of them were open double doors that led into the great hall.
As they entered the hall, the doors closed quietly behind them. Marik looked around. The hall was lined with wood, and the floor was also covered with a soft carpet. It might have been a ballroom at one time, but now it had been converted to act as a tribunal. Comfortable benches with tables on the sides, each with nameplates, lined the room. These seats were empty. In front was a slightly raised platform on which sixteen suede chairs were placed. All the chairs were occupied.
The occupants were of various ages—old, young, and even a child. Marik knew that they were all Wendigo, but for some reason, they appeared in human form that had not disappeared. Marik wondered if revealing the men's forms earlier was a scare tactic.
Hellcage and Marik stepped in front of the gathering, and Hellcage placed one hand over his heart and raised his top hat with the other, bowing slightly. Inside, Marik hesitated for a moment, but then he followed suit and bowed slightly as well.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Hellcage, and my brother Marik and I are emissaries of our Liege," Hellcage said in his deep voice loudly and without hesitation.
He straightened up and looked at the sixteen people sitting in front of him. In the center stood a white-haired woman in a beautiful knee-length ruffled dress, her narrow waist accentuated by a dark green corset that lifted and accentuated her bosom. If not for the animal ears and antlers, she would have looked quite human.
Also standing next to her was a man in a blue suit, black vest, and white shirt complete with a red tie. He had broad shoulders and a strongly built body, his hair was black, and his chin was covered by a black goatee.
"Welcome, emissaries," said the woman. "My name is Jelen Casopie. I am the head of the first family and one of the leaders of our community," she introduced herself.
The man spoke after her. "My name is Kailam Levito. I am the head of the second family and the second leader of our community."
Hellcage nodded and looked at the others, but they remained sitting quietly. "And these?" asked Hellcage.
Jelen waved her hand slightly. "They are here as witnesses. They are the leaders of the other families, but they will not interfere with our conversations in any way."
Hellcage nodded. "I see."
He glanced around but didn't see a place for them to sit anywhere. He glanced at the heads of the families again, but the two who had been talking took their seats while they remained standing.
Marik felt the atmosphere was a little strange, but he couldn't determine what was going on. He was an adventurer, after all, and subtle manipulation was not something he was good at.
Hellcage startled him a little as he suddenly laughed lightly. "I do indeed appreciate your efforts to gain the upper hand over us, but I'm afraid it won't work. Instead, you seem rude when you don't even offer your guests a seat. Very well, I will ignore your bad manners for now, but know that my patience is not unlimited."
As Hellcage finished speaking, his shadow moved and rose into the air. The black mass expanded and writhed. All sixteen Wendigo tensed in their seats, and their eyes began to glow.
However, the materialized shadow suddenly steadied and quickly took the shape of two black chairs on which dozens of red eyes opened. Hellcage calmly sat down on the black chair and looked at Marik.
Marik managed to keep a straight face, but the sight also made him nervous. He had no idea Hellcage could do this!
But then, he actually got scared. Is he supposed to sit on that chair covered in eyes?! Marik cast an unhappy look at Hellcage, but then he slowly sat down as well. He leaned a little to the side, afraid of some of the eyes bursting under his weight.
When the sixteen Wendigo heads saw that nothing else was happening, they relaxed again, but not as much as before. The show of force by Hellcage caused them to be more alert.
Jelen took a breath and spoke. "For what reason have you come to visit us?" she asked.
Hellcage rested his hands comfortably on the back of his chair. "To offer you, of course, to get the blessing and follow our Liege, the Goddess of the Forgotten and Unwanted."
Kailam crossed his legs and laced his fingers together in his lap. "We have never heard of your goddess. Is she an Evil God?"
Hellcage had to laugh at the term 'Evil God.' "Oh yes. She has recently awakened. Yet she is quite capable of giving you what you desire."
Jelen frowned and looked at Hellcage and Marik obliquely. "And you know what we need? From what you've seen, do you get the impression we're lacking something?"
Kailam spoke up as well. "I'm afraid you came here for nothing. Our nature and reputation make it impossible for us to shield ourselves under a new and weak Evil God. The risk of being trampled by the other gods is too high."
Jelen swooned for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "As Kailam says. Since no one has heard anything about your goddess, we knew she was a newly born Evil God. We accepted you to show some respect, but that's all."
Marik had to frown when he heard that and mentally snorted. Naturally, they had to accept them. Still, even though their Liege was weakened for now, she was still a goddess. No one could just mess with her. But why did it sound like they were doing them a favor?
Marik had already had a bad impression of Wendigo before, but now his impression was even worse. These monsters were turning up their noses at their Liege? He blinked. And since when did he care so much that it pissed him off?
Marik looked at Hellcage expectantly, thinking he would have an overreaction to the fact that they dared to disparage their Liege like that. However, it only took one look for him to know that Hellcage was annoyed. Marik turned away again so he wouldn't have to look at the eerie, elongated smile that shone on Hellcage's dark face.
"Let's see that. If you're not lacking something? As someone who is familiar with your past, I can tell you're lacking everything. Look at you. Stuffed into tight clothes, squeezed into small houses, restricting yourself to food and offspring, hiding from the eyes of people, hiding from the eyes of the world. In my view, you look like destitute, abandoned children who have been robbed."
As Hellcage spoke, all the Wendigo began to frown, their expressions showing indignation and anger. Jelen, who was the short-tempered one, sat up and pointed at Hellcage while her eyes were glowing, the hand she was pointing at began to become lightly covered in fur. "It doesn't matter if you're an emissary of some poor god! How dare you!"
Kailan stood up as well and grabbed Jelen's shoulder to calm her down. "Don't be hasty, Jelen."
Hellcage took no notice of the young Jelen's outburst and stood up himself. The chair he had been sitting on sank back into its shadow, but Marik's remained in place. He hesitated whether to get up or not.
"How dare I? As an elder, how can I not instruct you young ones?" Hellcage said, twirling his walking stick. He twirled it around repeatedly and ever faster, making it look blurry. The Wendigo watched it with a wary expression.
"I think I'm being rather moderate, considering how unkindly you spoke of my Liege. You haven't even properly listened to us, and you're already refusing. You are so short-sighted that your eyes need to be opened," Hellcage continued, snapping his fingers with his free hand.
A blue light began to emanate from beneath the glove he was holding and twirling the walking cane in, and it transferred to the walking cane, which burst into blue flame. Along with the snap, his shadow began to expand, quickly covering the entire room.
The Wendigo quickly rose from their seat, and their human appearance fell away, revealing their true animal forms. "This is the first time you'll see this, little adorer. See well what power our Liege has granted me," Hellcage said to Marik.
Darkness covered every surface of the room. Wendigo didn't have time to do anything; everything disappeared, and they found themselves in darkness. Even the emissaries had disappeared, and the only thing that provided any light was a spinning circle of blue flames.
"That looks like some kind of illusion. Everyone calm down," Kailam said, being the more thoughtful one. He looked around cautiously before approaching the spinning circle of blue flames. As soon as he did, he blinked, and the flames disappeared.
He found himself in complete darkness for a moment before it too grew lighter, and suddenly he was standing in the middle of a foggy forest at night.
Kailam gingerly touched one of the trees, and it looked very real—the bark of the trees, the lichen that grew on it, and the moisture that clung to the bark due to the fog. But his hand passed through.
"As I thought. An illusion," he muttered, turning to see that the other heads of the families had begun to appear in the forest as well.
"All to me. It's an illusion, but we don't know how damaging it can be. We'd better stick together," he called to them. They all began to flock to him, Jelen's face was grim; she was angry that they had fallen into this trap.
Kailam looked at her and sighed. "That's why I told you not to act hastily."
Jelen showed her sharp teeth in a snarl. "So it's my fault?"
Kailam was about to reply when he heard footsteps. "Silence," he ordered, turning at the sound. They all looked in the same direction, only to see an approaching yellow light.
A middle-aged man slowly walked along the forest path, holding a lantern. He was wearing brown leather clothes that were no longer the latest, with a sword slung at his waist and a bow with a quiver and arrows on his back.
The man was oblivious to the small crowd, and probably couldn't even see them. He walked calmly through the forest, but his eyes were sharply scanning his surroundings.
"What the..." Jelen started to speak, but Kailam hissed at her to be quiet.
All sixteen Wendigo watched the peaceful scene, but their hearts were not so calm. They began to pump their blood faster in an unfamiliar sense of expectation.
Crunch
The sound of a twig snapping swept through the forest, and the man turned sharply, raising his lantern higher and drawing his sword with his free hand.
The lantern's light reflected off a pair of eyes that stared at the man from a nearby thicket. "Ahh. Damn animal," the man muttered as he realized it was just a deer staring at him.
The man turned away and continued on his way. The deer watched after him and came out of its hiding place. But he wasn't the only one. More silent deer began to appear, watching the man. After a while, they began to follow him.
After a moment, the man must have sensed something was wrong and looked around again. At that moment, he saw a scary scene with a herd of deer just a few meters away. The deer instantly stopped as soon as they saw the man looking at them.
The group of Wendigo that had been watching followed silently, some panting softly as the blood rushed through their veins, and they felt a sense of excitement.
A drop of nervous sweat trickled down the man's forehead. "What are they doing...?" he muttered softly, but his voice still sounded too loud in the silence of the forest, so he preferred to keep his mouth shut. He took another step, but his pace quickened, casting suspicious glances behind him at the herd of deer that had once again begun to follow him.
The man was obviously becoming worried; he did not let go of his sword and carried the lantern high to illuminate as much of the area around him as possible. He walked a few yards, but the herd of deer still followed him. Maybe if it were daytime and if the animals weren't so quiet, it might even be cute. But right now, it just looked scary.
When he looked back again, he dropped the lantern in fright. "Gah! Monsters!" he shouted, turning to face the herd. Only gone were the deer. Instead, there were several tall monsters that looked like a cross between man and beast. The man could now see with his own eyes some of the remaining deer transforming at a rapid rate into monsters with large, hairy bodies and large antlers on their heads. Their eyes glowed orange and red in the darkness, revealing sharp teeth in eager smiles.
The Wendigo who watched the whole scene couldn't help licking their lips, swallowing their saliva, knowing that a feast was about to begin.
"Monsters! Stay away! My blade is made of silver!" The man threatened, but his words lacked certainty. He was alone, and against him was a horde of monsters.
The monsters stopped and gathered, looking at each other when they heard the man's words.
"Hehehe."
"Hahaha!"
"Phuhaha!"
One by one, they began to laugh mockingly. The man nervously retreated a few steps. The largest of the monsters then raised a paw with three long fingers and waved it as if summoning something.
Something flashed through the trees and flew quickly from the side towards the man. The man automatically moved his hand and attacked the thing coming towards him before he could see it, but the creature immediately changed direction and circled behind him before charging at him again.
Two gentle arms wrapped around the man's body, and he felt a stab in his neck, a numbing chill spreading through his body. The man moved his eyes and saw the apparition of what had attacked him.
The group of Wendigo who were watching everything gasped in surprise. "Butterfly people!" came several shouts that sounded half annoyed and half shocked.
A beautiful person who looked androgynous was glued to the man, holding on tightly to the stiff man. Its mouth was open, and instead of a tongue, it had a long insect-like snout that was buried in the man's skin, sucking his blood rapidly. As it sucked and sucked, its belly swelled up like a bellows full of water.
The Butterfly person had short blue hair with a few antennae sticking out of it, his body was graceful, muscular, and covered in pieces of tight-fitting clothes, and on his back were large black wings from which, on closer inspection, fine powder was sprinkled.
When the Butterfly person was finished, the man had completely lost his color, and his cheeks had sunken in. As soon as he let go, he collapsed to the ground, barely breathing. The Butterfly Man pulled his snout into his mouth and patted his bloated belly. "Had enough?" The largest of the monsters asked.
"Hmm... yes," said the Butterfly person, looking satisfied.
"Good. Go back home. We'll finish up here," the monster said and waved at the others, who eagerly rushed forward at the nearly dead man.
The butterfly person remained hovering next to the largest of the monsters and scratched its face. "There's a new village nearby," it announced. The monster nodded without stopping to watch the young ones begin to feast. "I know. They're starting to encroach on our territory."
Kailam, who couldn't stand to stay still, rushed forward to hear clearly what the two were talking about. His eyes were still wide with shock, but his instincts told him this was important.
"Humans are getting brazen. We won't tolerate any more disruptions. Besides, your brood is due to hatch soon, and we'll need plenty of food. Those greedy bastards need to hunt almost every day. The animals would be gone soon, and we can't move now," the monster growled angrily.
"If we run out of food, they'll replace it with our own meat," he finished after he stopped snorting angrily.
The scene began to fade away, which annoyed Kailam. "No! Wait! I haven't heard everything yet!" he called out, but everything went black again.
The Wendigo began to blink, and her gaze began to brighten. They reappeared in the house, in the hall, where Hellcage was once again sitting in the black chair next to Marik, who bulged his eyes almost as much as the Wendigo.
Some of the Wendigo were still confused, surprised, and some were even drooling as they still had the feast before their eyes and the excitement of the hunt in their hearts.
Jelen was annoyed at the way the two sat there calmly, as if nothing had happened. "Explain!" she shouted, but Kailam immediately clapped a hand over her mouth and looked at the envoy of the Goddess of Forgotten and Unwanted. "Can you explain what we just saw?" he demanded more politely than before.
*****
Divine Domain God of Harvest and Plant
Anyone who could look above the clouds could see the misty shimmering of the air. Anyone who could look through the faint shimmering of air could see another space.
In the hidden space above the clouds was the Divine Domain, in this place resided the gods who looked down on the earth with their divine eyes.
In this Divine Domain stood a huge golden greenhouse. Through the crystal glass, one could see a large number of plants that were grown in the greenhouse. The air inside was a bit humid, but it smelled of incredible fragrances that enriched the spirit and mind.
The plants were of all kinds, some edible, some ornamental, fruiting trees, but also ordinary spruces, exotic, mystical, common meadow flowers. All the plants were carefully arranged so as not to interfere and were carefully tended.
Many Butterfly People, children and adults, flitted about the greenhouse, some lightly dressed others completely naked. Their wings were vibrant and sparkled with different colours.
Yet they all had one thing in common. Each of them had a golden gag in their mouths that prevented them from speaking or opening their mouths in any way.
In the center of the greenhouse was a gold-framed lounger with a handsome man lying lazily on it. His hair was long and slightly wavy, as green as fresh grass; his eyes were a bright emerald, and his eyelashes were the long color of moss. His lips were full and pink; if not for his bright masculine features, some might have taken him for a woman.
He wore golden tight trousers and a loose flowing robe of a pale blue color, revealing a muscular body, almost entirely hidden beneath golden chains and necklaces.
The man raised his hand, and a pretty naked woman with a muzzle in her mouth placed a glass containing a pale green liquid in it. Without looking at her, he brought the glass to his mouth and drank while staring into space. His body contorted slightly as he tasted the liquid, and his gaze returned to the present.
Leaning forward, the man spat out the liquid before angrily flinging the glass to the ground, shattering it and splashing the liquid. The smell of grass suddenly grew stronger, but the man ignored it and grabbed the butterfly woman under the neck.
"You useless insect!" the man yelled angrily. He ignored it as the other Butterfly people stopped their work and watched the scene with fear in their eyes.
"You only have one job, and you can't even do that properly!" The man grabbed Butterfly Woman's wings with his other hand.
Riiippp
"Make..."
Riiippp
"...it..."
Riiippp
"...pure!"
With every word the man uttered, he tore off a piece of the Butterfly wings. Her wings fluttered, and a light powder fell from them. Before the man threw her off, only the shattered pieces of wings that were barely moving remained on her back, and the woman began to slowly crawl away, tears dripping from her eyes.
The other Butterfly People averted their eyes and returned to their work.
The man snorted in annoyance before running his fingers through his hair and tossing it back in an arrogant manner. "Fucking bastards..." he growled angrily before turning his head and flopping back down on the lounge chair.
He wiped his powdered hand on his clothes before his vision blurred again and focused on something invisible. In his mind's eye, he found himself in a dark space filled with many golden points, some shining brighter and others barely flickering. A muffled muttering sounded in his ears, which he ignored and focused on the dimmest points.
"'Kind God of Harvest and Plants. I report that our activity has most likely been detected by an unknown force. Three of our Harvesters have been lost," the Harvest and Plant God Arzen listened to the prayer of one of his high priests.
He frowned and made contact with him. "You're telling me this without more information?" he replied sternly, but his voice lacked the previous anger. "My God. This humble servant is already investigating the whole matter, but I felt I should inform my lord."
Arzen snorted inwardly at the incompetence. "Very well. Inform me of the results," he replied before cutting the connection with his worshiper and frowning. "Where is it? Peril Harbor, huh? What's the problem with that shithole all of a sudden?"
The wounded Butterfly Woman crawled away from the God of Harvest and Plants, who no longer paid attention to her as if she were the insect she was to him.
Though the woman had tears in her eyes, the golden gag hid her smile. The other two Butterfly People flew over to her and began to prop her up to at least help her a little, but the woman was quickly losing her vitality. As with normal butterflies, if the Butterfly People lose their wings, their life is doomed.
The dying woman discreetly placed a small object in the hand of one of them. The golden key that had previously hung from the golden chains of the God. One of them nodded understandingly before they took the woman in their arms and flew away with her.
Nearby, a child of about ten years old was flying in the air, staring toward the God with anger in his eyes.