Jae swiped her tiger claws at the fishmen, grotesque creatures with the upper halves of mutated fish and the lower halves of men. Their slimy, scaly torsos shimmered under the dim light as they wielded tridents and spears with webbed hands.
Sticky joined the fray, splitting into three smaller forms, each darting between the fishmen with eerie precision. The smaller versions of Sticky targeted their foes' vulnerable heels, slashing tendons with sharp daggers and leaving the fishmen stumbling and disoriented.
The battle was chaotic, filled with the animalistic growls of Jae and the panicked screeches of the fishmen.
Jae tore the heads off two fishmen, her teeth morphing into razor-sharp fangs reminiscent of a wolf's.
Meanwhile, Sticky merged back into a single form, leaping forward and slicing another fishman cleanly in half with swift motion.
The duo stood amidst the chaos, surrounded by more of the grotesque creatures in what appeared to be a dimly lit, foul-smelling kitchen. The air was thick with the stench of rotting fish and brine, and the clangs of weapons echoed off the damp, slimy walls.
"Oi! What's with all this bloody racket?!" bellowed a gruff voice, its tone carrying an unmistakable pig-like snort.
Jae and Sticky turned to see the source: a towering pigman standing around 200 centimeters tall. He was clad in a filthy, grease-stained apron over a once-white, now-yellowed polo shirt, and atop his head sat a crooked chef's hat.
His jowls quivered as he spoke, and a thick trail of melted chocolate dripped from the corners of his mouth, staining his already grimy attire. The scent of burnt sugar and raw meat wafted from his hulking frame, adding to the nauseating atmosphere of the room.
"Oooh! Visitors!" the pigman exclaimed with an excited oink, his small eyes glinting with amusement.
Without hesitation, he grabbed a hefty clever from his side and hurled it with expert precision, the blade embedded itself into the chest of a nearby fishman.
"Fuck off, you lousy servants!" he cursed, his voice full of disdain as the fishman collapsed to the floor, writhing in its final moments.
Satisfied, the pigman nonchalantly wiped his filthy hands on his apron, before pulling out a large, dented frying pan. With a practice flick of the wrist, he spun it in his hand and turned back toward the stove, grumbling as he began to cook.
The sizzling of oil and the strong scent of overcooked food filled the air as if the chaos around them was of no concern.
He strolled over to the cutting board, placing a few onions on it before skillfully slicing them with his knife. His movements were quick and deliberate, but his small. beady eyes never left the pair.
"So what's a bloody slime and a human doing in the palace, huh?" he asked, his tone casual but laced with suspicion. His gaze hardened, and he narrowed his eyes at them. "You're not thieve, are ya?" he emphasized the last part with a sharp glare, his knife pausing mid-slice for added effect.
"We're here for the Goddess and our friend," Jae said, her tone measured and her eyes wary.
The pigman snorted loudly, slamming his knife into the cutting board with a thud. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a shark's head and began carving into it with another knife, his movements rough but precise.
"Let me guess," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he continued cutting. "Her Majesty's awakening and her youngest son has your friend. Am I right?" he didn't wait for an answer, tossing the knife aside carelessly before shoving the shark's head into a nearby oven.
The flames inside roared to life as he shut the door with a loud clang.
"I guess, but we don't know who has our friend." Jae replied quickly, her eyes darting between the pigman and his assortment of ingredients.
The pigman casually tossed the chopped onions into a large bowl, adding garlic, carrots, broccoli, rice, and—bizarrely—what appeared to be severed ogre noses. He mixed them together with surprising care before leaning heavily on the counter, his beady eyes fixed on her.
"Well," he said, his voice heavy with grim certainty, "it's safe to say your friend's in the chambers of the second son of the Ocean Goddess. Be careful, though. That bastard's a bloody psycho. And just so you know, he's a demigod. Fighting him?" he gave a low snort. "That's a death sentence."
"What's so crazy about the second son?" Jae asked, her curiosity tinged with caution.
The pigman huffed, grabbing a peculiar bottle of filled with a murky liquid—beer brewed from mermaid blood and infused with thunder wyvern sparks. He took a long swig before beginning his tale.
"Well," he started, setting the bottle down, "when the two sons of the Ocean Goddess were born, there was Kadell, the firstborn, wise and noble. Then came Leviathas, the younger known for his courage and skill."
He leaned back against the counter, folding his arms as he continued, "They were exceptional children, deeply bonded. But that all changed when they reached adulthood, things took a turn. Naturally, it was expected that Kadell would ascend the throne—he was the eldest, after all. But there was one problem: Kadell wasn't exactly the strongest when it came to combat."
"Leviathas of course noticed this and thought that, with his brother's weakness, he might ascend the throne instead. As the years passed, Kadell fell victim to a curse that weakened him so severely he couldn't walk unassisted, let alone fight. Leviathans was certain the throne would be his.
"But then he learned that Kadell was still chosen to inherit it—until he noticed something peculiar: a mark on his brother's chest, shaped like a demon's palm. This wasn't an ordinary curse. It came from a Prince of Sin, specifically Envy, who was draining Kadell's strength and power.
"You'd think Leviathas would help his own brother. But instead, he assumed the curse was meant for him, that Kadell had been cursed because a deal he himself made backfired. It was at that moment we realized the truth: the second prince had been tainted from the very beginning."
The pigman let out a seemingly tired huff before continuing, "We realized that the so-called Daemon Prince of Envy had been Leviathas—since birth." the pigman explained, his voice heavy with disdain. "All the private historians in the palace felt like fools when the truth came to light. After all the Ocean Goddess foretold of a prophecy:
'In the distant future, a catastrophic event will arise when the fate of Altissa is in the hands of the Heir. This catastrophic was supposed have two powerful beings fight against each other, a daemonic leviathan who was the Prince of Envy against the Heir of the Ocean.'
"Looking back at it now, it is painfully obvious. It was even more obvious then," he muttered, shaking his head as he chugged his beer, "But no one wanted to believe in it."
"Leviathas, well the bastard is oblivious to the prophecy." the pigman chuckled grimly, his tone laced with irony. "He bloody thinks he's the savior."
Sticky made soft gurgling noises as he moved atop Jae's head, "Why are you telling us this?"
Understanding the question, the pigman quickly replied, placing a bowl of the meal he had cooked in front of them, "Well it's because you two are quite the unique duo... Not everyday you meet a human who can shapeshift and a slime working together. Especially the shapeshifting part." he said, laughing as he oinked loudly.
Standing up, he gave the duo a tight hug before speaking, "Well, stay safe and don't worry about those servants. They won't be hunting you from now on, but do be careful." the pigman warned, turning back to his cooking.
After leaving the kitchen, Sticky and Jae walked down the hallway. Just before they rounded the corner, Jae turned back and shouted, "Where's the chambers of Leviathas?!"
Without turning his head to look at them, the pigman replied, "Take a right and continue straight, then head left. You'll then find two massive doors chained up... But proceed with extreme caution that room is foul and cursed."
Nodding in response, Jae and Sticky ran down the hallways, following his instructions clearly.
When they reached the room, it had two massive white doors, wrapped in thousands of heavy dark blue chains, a horrific aura seeped out, brushing against their skin.
The overwhelming sensation of dread consumed them instantly. So tell me this, what kind of person could harbor so much hate? Well... a sinful one.