Ten happy prophets sat around a fire, swaying in unison as they sang the moment away. There was a boiling pot over that small fire, filled with food. The content of the pot definitely could not satisfy all of these people, yet they were all with leaf plates in their hands, singing along and waiting to be served.
One of the Prophets stood up from the logs arranged around the fire to share the meal. His entire body was blue and filled with clouds. He was like the human manifestation of the noon sky.
The eyes of the others followed his charismatic movements as he slid over to the pot and spun back to the seats, sharing food in portions.
Despite their hunger, the rest were not looking at him because of the anticipation they had for the food. They followed his brilliant ensemble only with glints of gratefulness and genuine love. Whoever this prophet was under his disguise, they wished to meet him in the real world some day, even just as friends, if not teammates.
Truly, he was as bright as the beautiful day's sky—
SLURRP!!!
A strange man suddenly appeared, sucking in cold air then exhaling to calm the burning sensation of the food he'd just swallowed. Taking a moment to savour it, he exclaimed,
"Oh! gods!"
He fell on one knee, held his arms out as if to receive a revelation from the gods themselves, a message from the black sky.
"How is this even possible? Such brilliance within the depths of this hellish forest. Is this why you are all singing? There can be no other reason."
The ten Prophets stared at this imposter and then turned to whisper among themselves.
This man was tall and thin, his skin so pale, the red light of the forest seemed like it could even make his body translucent, albeit it didn't. The same could be said about his flowing white hair. By all means, his appearance was plain compared to the different varieties of looks everyone else had.
But what did they know? Those eyes... those sharp amber eyes of his forced them to look away as a chilling aura suddenly escaped his body. They couldn't take the closer look they needed to realise that Ikky's form had not at all been altered by the crimson haven.
"Hey, who do you think you are, poking your hands into our food?" Angered, one of the Prophets spoke up and broke the silence.
"This b*stard!" Another one cursed.
"Cool it guys." The sky man said. I see a lot of food stuff behind a tree back there. He's brought them to us... Didn't you?"
Ikky felt a particular chokey feeling try to go down his throat as the sky man turned his head to question at him.
It was against the rules to kill, yet the sky man was beaming with that intent, like he was planning a mass murder.
Finishing his chant as he whispered, "Come friend, and join this merry feast.", the amber-eyed man stared at his wet soup scented hands and apologised.
"That food was for all of you, yet I stained it. Didn't realise how much I needed to taste something warm. My apologies." He stretched out his hand to the group.
"My name is Equinox Summers. A Seer."
At his apology, the killing intent surrounding the environment slowly faded away.
"We all are." The sky man smiled at him.
"I'll go get the food stuff I need for more stovies. You guys can get started with the introductions in the meantime."
The sky man grinned in anticipation for the heaven sent food stuff. They had just run out, so he was grateful to this heaven-sent helper..
Ikky felt like he should at least ask for something in return for the ingredients, so he was planning to take as much as would satisfy him from the food they would cook.
The group started and finished, but Ikky didn't care for their introductions. His earlier apology was structured clearly so he would gain the more worthwhile information from them in the meantime— they were all Seers.
So was he but, they would be the ones in shock when his wraith had identified every one of their cryptexes within in the area.
'Although, if that sky-man is as Astrid says, this might as well be my last supper. Or is it breakfast?'
'Equinox!' Yaga suddenly cried out. Contradictory to what he had planned, he was the one dead as soon as he had thought of it.
———
A few moments ago, the sky man had run all the way to the food scattered on the ground behind a tall tree.
Taking a required sum out of the cooking ingredients, he turned to walk back to the group of Prophets, when suddenly he heard a voice calling out to him.
"Good evening."
The sky man dropped the ingredients on the ground and stood up right. A strange voice had called out to him from the depths of the red forest. But he could not find the owner of this voice no matter how much he scrutinized the surrounding.
"Ah, no need to be so guarded. I come in peace."
The voice said again, yet the sky man was still tensed for some reason.
"I am a captive of that man you have as a guest. He tied me up in the tall tree behind you."
The sky man slowly turned his head upwards, and saw yellow light peeking from above the leaves.
As his fierce blue eye met hers in a strange frown, Ivan asked, "Was he the one who hurt you?"
'Hm?'
Astrid didn't say anything after, taking too long to give a reply to his strange question. Who told him she was hurt?
Placing his feet on the stem of the tree she was in, the man began to walk vertically upwards to see for himself.
The world around her suddenly didn't matter. The chatters of the group ahead had completely disappeared, the trees had stopped rattling, the wind had frozen in place... yet the sky-man seemed to be able to walk through the frozen air, denying even gravity, of its purpose. Each step he took with his legs up the tree, caused even her to want to gulp in anticipation.
But time hadn't really stopped, neither had the sounds disappeared; the dramatic simulation in Astrid's mind was just an effect she was familiar with.
The aura surrounding the sky-man was just his spiritual essence rumbling. And since that spiritual essence had a distinct taste or feeling, Astrid surmised the man definitely has a True name.
The sky-man's essence spread to stimulate pain in his victims' minds. Even though he'd rather his essence did not do that to people, there was nothing he could do about it. The more immaculate a person's essence control was, the more flavourful that essence, and the more likely people are to be able to sense it when being summoned.
And the sky-man's control over his essence was multiple folds more refined than a crude user like Ikky.
Getting up to the branch where Astrid was, he squatted, still on the side of the tree and then looked down at her current state.
Before he could speak, Astrid explained, "I decapitated myself."
"Why?" His voice sounded shaky as he held her small head in his palm with an incredulous expression on his face.
Although Astrid's head had been cut off, it wasn't bleeding at all. In fact, the bottom of her neck was just flat and white like the rest of her body, making her decapitated head look natural, and supporting her claim. But the sky man could see the rest of her body lying on another branch, and tightly tied in a sack.
She might have cut her head off, but who had made her do it and tied her up? It most certainly couldn't still be her. Her current state was pitiful, and beyond proper explanation.
"Does his well being determine your existence?"
He asked as strid kept quiet.
The sky man elaborated, "Is your life... tied to his?"
Astrid lingered for a while before eventually replying,
"No."
It was that same instant that Ikky found a knife stabbing from the back of his head, out between his eyes.
"Equinox!" Yaga exclaimed.