"Speak, human," I commanded as my gaze fell upon the emaciated old man carrying a small injured girl. The child's face and body were adorned with burn marks, and her clothes were covered in ashes. The old man himself was in a pitiful state, his limp noticeable as he approached my court. His worn attire and unkempt appearance were further indications of his dire circumstances. As he turned to my younger brothers who had opened their mouths wide, revealing their giant teeth, it was clear that they were waiting for a command from me to pounce on them
"Hail to the mighty one, my sovereign. I beseech your exalted might to heal my granddaughter, the last vestige of my family."
The old man wept and prostrated himself before me, too afraid to lift his gaze.
"Gaze upon me when you address me, human."
The human raised his head to me, his composure unflinching as he sought not to harm the child in his embrace. I fixed my gaze upon him. There was no trace of enmity towards me, the one who had eliminated his kin and those of others. Within the old man's heart, only one emotion reigned supreme- the desire to save this meager human child cradled in his arms.
With a simple gesture of my right hand, I signaled for one of my younger brothers to extend a tentacle. The old man trembled in fear as the tentacle drew closer to his granddaughter. He seemed on the verge of springing into action to flee with the child, yet something seemed to stay his movement. Perhaps heeding the advice of those who preceded him and faced a similar circumstance, he eventually mustered the courage to gently place the girl in the tentacle.
My younger kin's tentacle showed no regard for the child's injuries as it swiftly carried her to me. To him, she was merely sustenance. With rapid movement, he reached my side, hoping to swiftly be rid of her before his primal instincts could take over and compel him to consume her. a small laugh escaped my lips. My younger siblings remain primitive, thus as their older brother, it falls upon me to guide and nurture them.
The little girl, with a thump, tumbled onto my lap. The sound echoed in the nearly vacant court, followed by the old man's outcry as he rose to his feet, momentarily forgetting his fears, his injuries, and everything else, solely fixated on retrieving his granddaughter from my hold. It appeared as if he had undergone a sudden change of heart, perhaps reconsidering his decision to seek my assistance.
I disregarded the old man, effortlessly lifting the child who was smaller than my palm, and subsequently placed her in my mouth in a single, seamless action. The old man did not utter a word nor did he curse me, but rather collapsed to the ground. From my elevated throne, I could discern that he had died from the shock and despair.
The roars of my younger brothers filled the court, and their eyes filled with eager anticipation as they gazed upon the cadaver. If I had not been present, one of them would have already pounced on the body. I directed my gaze towards one of the younger kin who possessed merely four tentacles. My look signified that I granted permission for him to consume the corpse. As if fearful that I would rescind my approval, he leapt forward and effortlessly devoured the corpse.
An air of discontent arose among the older kin as they, too, longed to partake in the spoils. Yet, they refrained from direct rebellion, instead shooting me angry yet obedient glances.
"All of you, my little brothers, are equal in my eyes," I proclaimed. "I do not differentiate based on the number of your tentacles. Equally valued are you all within this court, and I will not hesitate to take drastic measures if you attempt to defy me."
In truth, this was a redundant assertion, for since my birth, my aloki kin were acutely aware of their obligation to submit to my authority.
A hint of rebellion glimmered in the eyes of my younger kin possessing twelve tentacles. I sought to avoid discord amongst us as brothers, for such strife would surely upset our mother. Therefore, I would ensure they were satiated at a later time.
For the present, I resolved to disregard my brothers and concentrate on the ongoing procedure. The old man woefully believed that his granddaughter had been consumed by me, yet the truth belied such a notion. Instead, I gently placed the little girl within my small stomach lake, thereby allowing her to heal and recover.
It was not the first time I had employed this method of treatment, and consistently, those witnessing the consumption of their loved ones by me experienced a sense of trepidation. Surely, the old man had been informed of the specifics of this treatment, so his dramatic collapse and ultimate death seemed somewhat exaggerated. Perhaps his already precarious condition, having lost his entire family and not having nourished himself in the past several days, contributed to his demise. It was likely that this was the final trigger that pushed his body to its limit, ultimately resulting in his end.
I released a ball of saliva onto the floor, which enveloped the child, who was still unconscious at this moment. Yet, her steady breathing was discernable, a reassuring sign amidst the circumstances. Had the old man been able to endure that scene, he would have been embracing his granddaughter now. I would have considered extending aid to him as well, had he sought it, but now the unfortunate girl, who appeared to be just five years old in human terms, was left as an orphan, bereft of any remnants of her family due to his death.
I rose from my throne, proceeded towards the child, and raised her under the watchful eyes of my younger siblings. Silently, I carried the girl and departed from the court. As soon as I exited, my brothers commenced their protest, clamoring for a taste of the child. I disregarded their outcries and proceeded on my way, headed towards a particular destination.
The human structures were far too diminutive for my brothers and me, hence we bulldozed any obstructing walls or ceilings in order to navigate more comfortably. I subsequently instructed the humans to cleanse the premises of debris resulting from our trail of destruction. Given that Aloki are primarily nocturnal creatures, we did not require roofs to seek refuge during daylight hours since we just move during night only and sleep underground during the day. The previous city hall in the fifth region now stood without a roof, along with numerous missing walls. As a result, the building had been reimagined into a fitting sanctuary for the Aloki.
I exited the grand main structure and strode through the freshly tidied path route to a neighboring building. I issued a stern warning to my younger brothers, commanding them to refrain from approaching that particular edifice, regardless of the circumstances. This precise building was still standing in its original form as constructed by the humans. Two human guards were stationed near the structure, sporting simple wooden spears instead of the sophisticated weaponry carried by the human soldiers.
Indeed, I permitted these guards to stand sentinel and alert me if any of my younger brothers dared to encroach upon this sanctuary. The human race had cleverly devised communication devices, which the guards know how to use in order to notify me. Yet, I refrained from arming them, for I discerned that no amount of armament would suffice to restrain my kin if they were to attack. Thus, the guards' sole duty entailed pressing the call button, thereby invoking my presence and safeguarding both them and the edifice.
it appears that human instinct compels them to lay down their very lives in defense of what resides within this edifice, even though such self-sacrifice ultimately proves to be in vain.
Upon beholding the child in my grasp, the two guards remained silent. They simply averted their gaze to the ground, albeit not before I perceived a medley of emotions in their eyes – disappointment, despair, and a profound sense of helplessness. Silently, they opened the gate, refraining from uttering a word. I disregarded their presence and proceeded through the gateway.
I proceeded further into the structure, the echoes of my gait reverberating throughout. I traversed the corridor until I reached a chamber where the voices of diverse children reached my ears, emanating from within the room.
The door swung open, and a woman emerged, having discerned my approach through the resounding footsteps. Wordlessly, I handed the child, still clad in saliva, into her waiting embrace. The woman appeared unperturbed by the potential stain on her attire. She carried the child back inside, followed by a forceful closure of the door, effectively barring my way.
I disregarded her impolite behavior, for I cared little for such trivialities. As long as the women here attended to the welfare of the children, I would remain apathetic towards their disdain. After all, why should a superior entity like myself harbor concern for weak and insignificant beings such as them?