Leoy’Shaah starved for nearly a decade before a villager mustered the courage to sneak into the dungeons and free her. Leoy’Shaah was suprised to find that this villager was none other than Nisha.

All the guards had been mobilized to defend the rest of the town, and the prisoners were left for dead, all except her.

Her time in prison had forged her mind with the mistake of man.

The rooms grew quieter every day since her imprisonment. With her only social interaction being that of the wailing pleads and cries of the imprisoned, all out of view. They had been talkative with Leoy’Shaah initially, but the knife of death had slowly pried their soul from their bodies. Slowly, these voices died out, and in their place came the smell of rotting meat. By the time she left, her untrimmed hair had grown to almost her feet, and her stomach, an empty pit.

Needless to say, the first words to come from Nisha’s mouth were ‘I’m’ and ‘sorry.’

“I haven't seen you in quite a while,” Leoy’Shaah said, as she slipped on a garment.

“The ax shattered…” Nisha muttered.

“What was that?” Nisha looked away.

“Oh.”

“I am surprised you still remember that day,” Leoy’Shaah replied. I hear whispers of war through the roots of the dying trees. What has happened here?”

“The Unbon attacked us, just like you said…”

“Just like any person would be able to predict!” Leoy’Shaah snarled.

“Haah… I don’t know what to tell you… I had no idea where you could be! But things have changed greatly since your imprisonment.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The Unbon have brought their god to bless this town… but in return we must give sacrifices,” They first demanded my husband. He was a brave man–”

She stopped.

“I want you to bless him, Leoy’Shaah… Please.”

“Get out of my way,” Leoy’Shaah hissed. She no doubt wore a snake’s shedded skin in her voice. Her voice rattled like the venomous reptiles of the harsh plains.

“I know you have your next steps in mind… If God has really bestowed you with these… abilities, perhaps we can combat their mad god as well!”

Leoy’Shaah looked out into the bitter cold, “And who is their mad god?”

“The same name as the tribe bears, Unbon. He is strong and fast, they say.”

She stopped, as did Nisha. Before them laid a sight of destruction. Many of the houses burnt and destroyed.

“Unbon is rumored to be the god of Brash… And… Well, they call him that. But we call him the menace.

Leoy’Shaah frowned. “Are those banners?”

Nisha sighed. “A lot has changed while you were gone, I am sorry.”

Leoy’Shaah stared at the banners. “Who put those here?”

“People from a kingdom in the north came and put these here. They said that this village was part of their territory. They are the Kwnuollans.”

“Ah.” Leoy’Shaah had heard of these people before, but only in brief eavesdropping of nobles.

“I find that quite preposterous!” Nisha added, “The Unbon have been relentless.”

“So, who is the new chief?” Leoy’Shaah said.

“There is none.” Nisha said.

Leoy’Shaah stopped again. “Then who is in charge?”

Nisha looked sheepish now. “That would be governor Kazezne.”

Leoy’Shaah pondered for a moment. Nearly a decade ago, she had been told the turh about everything by this prisoner. He had passed away not long after she had arrived. What if she had been jailed later? She couldn’t help but wonder if it had been luck, or if there was a higher power at play.

She hoped for the latter.

As one could imagine, telling someone such a monstrous, life-shattering truth would be met with denial, madness, and utter shock, along with a plethora of other emotions. Leoy’Shaah’s calm demeanor was not to be mistaken for indifference. Shortly after her only source of social interaction disappeared, she began to go insane. But at the end, she was so drained of energy and will, that she refused to

A monstrous building laid in the center of the town square. It was not the only of its kind, as it was surrounded by similar monolithic structures, but what made the center one monstrous in particular, was its shadow. Just when you would think the roof could not reach any higher, its curved wedge of a roof split down the middle, forming a pincer-like design. Leoy’Shaah had not been sure as to what sort of thing compelled the architect of said building to create such an oppressing structure, but she knew the effect it had on the area. Plants within the shadows wilted, the suns treating it as their plaything. Leoy’Shaah could see the terror behind Nisha’s calmness. Still, the building was silently killing any will in these people.

“I don’t believe in their God,” Nisha said, “And I don’t think I’ll believe anyone anymore.”

“Good. Nisha, I have something I have to tell you–”

“Leoy’Shaah!?”

Leoy’Shaah froze; She had heard that voice years ago.

Before she could decide what to say, a young man ran up to her in disbelief. “She’s alive! I told you she was the messiah!” He was not the only one to come. At least three others, one of whom Leoy’Shaah recognized as Sohee and Hayden. It had been Hayden’s voice she had heard, but she was surprised by a boy nearly a head smaller than her. He jumped out excitedly, “Yes, yes! She looks exactly like she did when I first saw her!”

“How do you do, Miss Alexandra?” He asked chivalrously, extending a hand that was obviously shaking.

Leoy’Shaah eyed this boy with curiousity, but also concern. She eyed him for a few seconds before ultimately rejecting his offer.

Wait… that smell…

Leoy’Shaah was practically drooling, but she didn’t realize exactly how hungry she was until she saw Sohee’s basket. The rich aroma tore through her nostrils, and she could not hold herself back. She lunged at Sohee, who dropped the basket and squealed. Leoy’Shaah tore off the basket to find a vibrant assortment of food: Cheese, bread, fruits, and potatos. She ravaged it all, leaving not even the smallest of scraps behind. When she finished, she doubled over to clutch her stomach, which had an extreme reaction to the abrupt introduction of food. Mushy strawberry and potato oozed from her mouth in digestive defiance.

Hayden’s expression was unwavering, even bearing witness to one of Leoy’Shaahs lowest moments, he still plastered a smile on his face. One that, admittedly, twitched with concern.

By the time Leoy’Shaah recovered, which only took a minute or two, she rose, invigorated, and almost matched the boy’s excitement.

He was ecstatic, but Leoy’Shaah completely ignored him for the time being yet again. She greeted Hayden, having the words already preloaded under her tongue, ready to release into conversation, “Hello Sohee, apologies for *ahem* taking that delicious basket, and hello again, Hayden.”

In the almost ten years of her imprisonment, she had quite a bit to formulate thousands upon thousands of plans, conversations, situations, and complications. All of which she had neatly played out and resolved in her mind.

Yet she forgot much of it not long after she opened her mouth.

“Hayden… I… I don’t know what to say…”

That was the thing. She had said quite a lot of things to Hayden while biding her time away from the suns, but the voice in her head was easily satisfied by her fabricated episodes, so it did little to prepare her for his reactions and responses.

“So… I want to be blunt with you, miss… Leoy’Shaah. Where did you get your powers?”

“I got them from a god-like entity. He claimed he was the creator himself, but I am unsure of that.”

“I knew it!” The boy leapt up, before falling silent to await Leoy’Shaah’s response. Leoy’Shaah trembled with anticipation, unsure of where the conversation might lead. She hoped they would not return her to whence she came.

“So… Is it really you then? I don’t know what to say… But, Leoy’Shaah, we’ve spent quite some time trying to find you.” He sighed, “Listen Leoy’Shaah, I know this might sound strange, horrid things have been happening to this town. And I think you might be capable of helping us.”

“Will you join us in getting rid of the Unbon with your witch powers!”

Leoy’Shaah finally had to ask: “Who are you?”

“I am Wylent!” The boy puffed up his chest. “I am the one who reminded everyone of your powers. These two here assumed you to be merely a witch, to which I say, nay. You are far stronger than that! You are a god's vessel! A soon to be leader!”

“Leoy’Shaah nodded. And why would you think that?”

“Hah! I’ve dreamed of you! I never forgot that day! That day where I saw you break an axe, survive an avalanche, and walk on fire! Everyone ran that day! All ran, including my own parents, but not me. I knew you were not a witch to hurt us! You were a savior sent from the heavens! You are a vessel that will lead us to victory!”

She looked around. “You don’t seem to be all that surprised by what I said. Please tell me what has happened.”

“Invaders came from the front, back in 1026, not long after you went missing. They were the ones who allowed the Unbon to terrorize us for the past seven years.” Hayden explained.

“Hayden, you wouldn’t happen to be–”

“I am. We currently have two enemies, and Kaqu had no idea–”

“Kaqu is still alive?”

There was silence that followed.

“Yes. He is the captain of the guard unit, and other combatants.”

Leoy’Shaah didn’t know what to think. It had been Kaqu himself who had ordered her to be put in the dungeon in the first place.

“We no longer have a god, Leoy’Shaah. When Quon passed, it appeared that God died with him. The Kwnuollans came soon after. We tried to stop them, but we had no defense. Their god came and did as he pleased.”

“But if what you say is true… You might be our salvation.”

Leoy’Shaah didn’t know what to think. “I–”

Then Nisha spoke. “Our shamans have said that people with gods linked to them have immense power. If you have a god linked with you… Then, we might just be able to stand a chance.”

By now the boy had been trembling with excitement.

“You would abandon your faith?” Leoy’Shaah snapped, “How do you know he isn’t listening to us scheming against him?”

The question was meant to do two things: To uncover Hayden, Nisha, and Wylent’s true intentions, and the second, to explain how the village had fallen so quickly.

In the past, one walking by the village would assume it to be defenseless and unaware of its danger, but this was untrue, as any enemies would soon fall to fatigue, disorientation, and other weakness. Sure, if you incubated one of your own, you would stand a chance, but that chance would be very slim.

Now the village was actually defenseless, and Leoy’Shaah suspected she knew why.

If our god exposed himself to our actions truly, he became one thing and one thing only… His name

Manipu.

“No. It was our faith that abandoned us, not the other way around! You think we would still march to our deaths in the face of betrayal? Why?”

Leoy’Shaah responded with a glare.

“If you’re wondering, Kaqu doesn’t know about you yet. And if you want it to stay that way, you should hear us out.”

“Why should I?” Leoy’Shaah asked. “Why not leave this God-forsaken place?

“Because the head priestess was the one who sent us!” Nisha interjected.

A look of horror and anger spread across Leoy’Shaah’s face. “You mean–”

“Yes.” Hayden approached Leoy’Shaah and stood in front of her in case she were to become erratic. “Listen to me, Leoy’Shaah. The harsh woman we knew is gone. She is not who you remember.”

“She killed my mother. She helped that monster incubate a god,” She seethed, “You don’t know, do you? Quon isn’t even from here! He came from the east!” She jerked her hand to the direction she supposed was east, “He was sent here by a kingdom in the east to take this land, and control us! And that is exactly what he did.”

“We know,” Nisha sighed, “The governor told us everything. At first, we didn’t believe him, we insisted it was a lie, but the truth was soon unveiled. Kaqu’s father was a liar and a false prophet. We know, Leoy’Shaah, and we thought and we schemed. And now we are here. Please help us. We beg of you.”

“Agreed. We have no idea what power you might be capable of. The villagers have also spoken of rumors of a god living among’st them.” Sohee insisted, “Besides, have you ever seen your reflection? You have not aged a day since the last we saw you!”

“I must meet the priestess first.” Leoy’Shaah insisted. I must have a talk with her.”

Hayden gritted his teeth. “No. We must first take you to the shaman who helped us locate you.”

Leoy’Shaah reluctantly accepted the offer.

“I will see where this takes me.”

image [https://i.postimg.cc/W1kPGpzk/kld-ksad-lk-lsdk-removebg-preview.png]

The guard knocked on the door twice. One to alert Kaqu, and the other to inform him that they must answer with haste. The door flew open, and Kaqu appeared in the doorframe. “What be it?” He asked in annoyance.

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“They say the girl has returned!”

“You would have to be more specific!” Kaqu barked, “You wouldn’t mean that one we locked up years ago, would you? Do those people really still think she is holy? She had been merely a witch as most. But she was human nonetheless. Perhaps they found what remains of her?”

The guard now looked visibly disturbed.

“I thought I had informed Marak of this poisonous fantasy these people hold so dear. They still want to believe God is with them. I saw him leave my father to death. There is no god watching us, soldier. We are but at the mecry of other men, and whatever chaos throws at us, and whatever we may inflict upon ourselves. Remind these people of who made the choice to spare them.” Kaqu began to close the door, but the guard put his foot between it.

Kaqu glared at this man before seeing the change in his behavior. The human shimmer in his eyes was gone. Kaqu was stunned.

“That I have treated you with all but respect, as you deserve, ser. But might I remind you that I dine from the larger plate and not the smaller one? Marak sees this as only trouble for the future. And might I add that it was only when we had been brutally crushed ‘neath the boot of our adversaries, and relentlessly ambushed and pillaged by those barbaric Unbon, did you finally surrender us to their clutches?” The soldier’s strange tone held both despair and pride, as if two men were molded into one form, one that both reveled and suffered in a single breath.

“I hope you understand, that if Marak sees you in your times of weakness, he shall strike, and he has a quite venomous bite.” Then the soldier left. Kaqu kept the door open in utter confusion.

Maraks mind altering techniques proved fearsome once more, and Kaqu knew this was only but the beginning. He wasted no time rushing back to change into his armor, then he headed out.

Before him, paced a crowd of people as always. The tradition of village announcements had been kept. But Kaqu knew he could not speak freely, for his keen eyes spotted several men who were undoubtedly Kwnuollan agents. Still, he spoke with vigor, and he would persuade these people with every word he spoke, that they were to ally with him, and not them.

Still, he felt his influence becoming smaller.

Should a god still linger, I would have found him and used him to do my bidding, not as father had allowed it an advantage. Nay, I would have a sword to his neck.

Another figure caught his eye. A young man with a dark grin on his face. He wore a cloak that brimmed with malice, from whence it came, Kaqu could not imagine. But the man’s features were frightening. A sadistic smile that seemed only to grow with Kaqus attentive gaze, fitted accordingly with yellow teeth, all perfectly aligned and straight, yet all the same hue and shade as one another. He had not one missing.

His presence almost beckoned confrontation, but Kaqu knew better. This man was defiant in his own right. He dressed the same, and held the same value of Kwnuollans, yet he stood out solely for his utter avoidance of like-minded people.

Yet Kaqu ultimately felt that he recognized this man somewhere. He was a mixture of many things, but Kaqu could sense that somewhere inside that man was a familiar individual, but he could not put his finger on it.

Kaqu ended his speech early. If things went well, perhaps the Kwnuollans would finally put an end to their horrendous alliance with the unbon.

Pray their god forsake them. Kaqu thought bitterly. He looked back at where the mysterious individual used to be. To no surprise, he was not there when Kaqu returned his gaze.

After he ended his speech early, as there was no news other than what he spoke, he returned to his home. It was grand and overlooked much of the village, having been built into the mountain that loomed over all.

He sighed deeply. He was the last one. The very last. The horrors he discovered nearly a decade ago had not escaped him, as a matter of fact, he remembered the day as clearly as day. He had come home to find a bloody masscere. All had been slaughtered, Quon’s wives, and all of his children had been brutally killed.

The only body he did not find in the house was that of Abeer, the youngest wife. Kaqu suspected initially that she had gotten lucky, and fled, as Kaqu hadn't found her anywhere in the village. Or maybe she had been killed, and was simply lying somewhere in the village.

But as time passed, a horrid possibility crept upon Kaqu, presenting itself from the dark part of his head. Abeer had committed this atrocity herself.

It nigh made sense, she had been a bitter, indifferent, and envious woman.

Kaqu had run Quon, only to discover he had passed as well, having finally succumbed to his injuries…

Injuries cuase by that wretched Leoy’Shaah.

It filled him with some sort of closure to know that she had been rotting in some dungeon, the location of which, lost even to him. Yes, that sense of relief was what perhaps allowed him to resume his life rather than ending it.

How can I ease my pain when these forces fight me wildly? We have lost all that has given us strength! Our god has left us to fend for ourselves, all the while the blasphemous people cry of oppression. They have all they ever wanted, yet feeble beliefs continue to actuate them against me! I have protected them all these years, and this is what they return to me?

Kaqu didn’t know it – or perhaps he did, but had drowned himself in denial – that the world was changing rapidly, and were the rules as well. A time where God did not touch his subjects, and when he did, he did so tenderly, but that was long in the past. Now there was no longer one silent, watching god. No, there were two, three, four, five! And Kaqu knew that people would speak for another very soon.

Kaqu remembered something else, the time his father told him what the truth really was. Quon was a rebellious man. If you crossed him, he would no doubt cross you back, and deny you which you sought. Quon told Kaqu when he was only an adolescent, the origins of his journey.

Quon had fled from a vile, wretched god in the east, and he had been sent under the guise of a mere mission to establish the spread of this god’s power and influence, but remarkably, this was not very far from the truth. Quon had been in possession of a god of his own. One that had promised him newfound power, unlike any before him. And this power would only amplify with time.

In fact, when Kaqu had been first called to Marak, he found a strange woman in his place.

“If you god ever shall return, the woman had said, “We will feast upon him, and destroy his fibre, until there is nothing left, then we shall build a castle of his bones. Do not fear your god, he has given up his power already… Fear us.”

Kaqu had left, disturbed. He had returned the next day, however, to confront the woman with his wrath, only to find Marak instead, eviscerating his will to swing a sword with his mouth. Instead, he filed it to a blunt edge and conversed with Marak instead. Marak was a small man, but he was surrounded with a punishing aura that evoked a sort of redundancy in Kaqu. The whole meeting was fair and level, but upon leaving, the bitter reality set into Kaqu. He would be replaced swiftly and when that day came, he decided that he would not go down with a fight.

He had been mistaken, that event would not be marked by a day. It would not be abrupt, rather, it would be a slowly burning candle. That candle would indeed go out in a blink, but it would not have had anything warning of its death. It would burn with the same brightness and ferocity as it always did, until it didn’t

And even though Kaqu felt like this, he was not stupid. He knew of the undermining that was taking place beneath him, until the ground enveloped him and he would be put in a casket.

I’ll burn this village to the ground before I let you take this from me!

Strangely, all of this misery could be traced back to a single day: The day that Leoy’Shaah had been imprisoned many moons ago. It kept him up at night. If he had left Leoy’Shaah in the snow to her own devices, he would have perhaps returned in time to save his family from their fate.

I blame you for this, Leoy’Shaah. I hope you are burning in the deepest pits of hell.

image [https://i.postimg.cc/W1kPGpzk/kld-ksad-lk-lsdk-removebg-preview.png]

Leoy’Shaah did not expect to be popular, especially not in a positive manner.

As she entered the town, people began to recognize her. But a few guards came by to protect her from the attention. “Leoy’Shaah! Is it true? Is it ture you survived all the death that you were condemned to?” A man shouted.

“My parents told me of your power!” A girl screamed. “God has returned! And he has brought forth a new vessel!”

One person reached out to touch Leoy’Shaah, their hand was slapped away by Wylent. “You are not to touch her! Only look!”

“Her hair is still singed, I can smell it! Her body stronger than rock, flame and blade all the same!”

Leoy’Shaah felt the attention grace her body like warm water poured down her neck. She found it hard to imagine how men could not go mad over this immense pleasure.

A few agents walked by, shaking their heads in confusion.

Eventually, They arrived at a gate which led to a house with rocks surrounding it. The guards pushed back the people and closed the gate behind them, proceeding to accompany the group into the building.

Inside were not many. There were people, but they were not dressed in a fashion that suited the building they lived in. They wore armor and looked at Leoy’Shaah nervously. She glared at them, wanting to intimidate them further. They looked away.

“Down, please.” A guard said, pointing to a staircase that led down to an underground room, hurriedly introducing himself as Lencen, making the long rest of the march down quite the awkward one; They all went down as a group, losing a few guards behind in the process. Wylent made sure he was close to Leoy’Shaah, as did Nisha. Hayden walked in the back, placing himself between the squad of guards that trailed behind. Suddenly, Nisha ran forward.

A man chatting with some other younger women turned around to greet Nisha, he wore bird feathers and a crystal necklace. Two knives decorated his chest. He was certainly well dressed for a shaman.

Yet there was something off about this man. He was not alone.

Not spiritually, no…

“Ah, this is the girl.” The shaman said.

Leoy’Shaah resisted the urge to step away from the seemingly non-threatening form of this shaman. Shamans were completely harmless, in that they had only a single purpose, to scan the soul, and perhaps cleanse it of corruption. Corruption, not evil. If the corruption was evil, a shaman would not touch it, as a soul was self-containing. A Shaman would let the man or woman walk, and they would walk until they died.

Nisha looked anxious. “Is this him?”

The shaman gave a nomal smile. “No, it is a lizard dressed in a man’s skin!”

Nisha recoiled.

“Ahaha… they pose not a threat to us anymore. At least, not compared to what I’ve dealt with.” He responded, “Leoy’Shaah is it?” Leoy’Shaah had that feeling of fear return to her. And to think I was rid of you! Damn it!

The man approached and beckoned her forward, but Nisha stepped in.

“How can we trust you? You are from the farlands.”

“Not every man from the farlands is an untrustworthy one! Tell me, do you mistake trust with peace? Have you ever trusted the men who come and force themselves on your people?

“Now… How long have you been locked up dear?” The man said soothingly, caressing her hand.

She took a glance at Wylent, who’s bitten upper-lip trembled with reserved action. She couldn’t help but tell his hands were put close to the blade on his hip. She returned to look at the shaman; had it been any longer, it would have been plainly obvious.

“For a bit shy of a decade.” Leoy’Shaah replied, to which the man leaned in and cupped her hand. “Forgive me, your skin is quite a bit lighter than your people. Have you not soaked in the rays of the stars above?”

As if on cue, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Nisha, Wylent, and Hayden all looked down at their arms, as if they would have suddenly forgotten their color.

“Hehehe…” I have had many people like you, I can sense your power through the palm of your hand, and I can see it is very strong indeed…” He closed his eyes, rubbing her hand.

She shook her head, trying not to remind herself of the countless years spent in a wretched hole, waiting to die. That day never came, and in its place, was only her release from captivity.

Now she was here.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back to the reality in which she was afraid and did nothing. How comforting it was!

Just then, the shaman twitched, then he shot up, for his head had been drooping for quite a bit now, and his eyes widened. “Oh! Oh my!”

“What?” Hayden demanded, “What, what is it!?”

He pushed her hand against her hest very strangely, as if it werent even attached to her body and she would have to hold it very dearly with her other hand, and whispered: “Keep this close to you, It is all that holds you together.” He turned back to group, “Yes, Leoy’Shaah certainly has a strong connection to somewhere.”

“Somewhere?” Hayden asked, obviously displeased. “You don’t know where her power comes from?

“No… I’m afraid not.”

“Don’t think it would be helpful to look further for answers?” Lencan asked.

“What more convincing do you all need?” asked Wylent, impatiently, “There be no satisfying those beliefs of yours, no way!”

He turned to Leoy’Shaah, “Please, I have looked for a purpose in my life. I want to serve a small god and watch him grow. Please let me be your first follower, I will serve you to the end!”

There was silence that followed in suit shortly thereafter the boy’s heartfelt confession and plea. It was only broken when the shaman coughed very audibly, perhaps giving the boy an out.

“I believe I have overstayed my time here, I’ll be off then!” He made his way back to the base of the stairs, but the guards intercepted him, forming a barrier with their bodies, to which he responded with a sigh, “Oh, bother. What now?”

“Take not another step!”

An old woman emerged from another room down the hallway, her hair long and gray, with her eyes almost completely white, and her face scarred and damaged.

The first thing Leoy’Shaah felt were many hands on her body. All in different places. On her hips, legs, shoulders, waist, and arms, some stronger than others. The next thing she felt were those many hands pulling her backwards. She did not resist, however. There was simply no need, for her hands were firmly gripping…

Alexandra Leoy’Shaah looked a poor old woman in the eyes as she slowly squeezed the life out of her.

Their voices came in loud panicky bursts:

“Leoy’Shaah, stop!”

“Please, stop it!”

“Let her go!”

“Calm down!”

Suddenly, she felt the strongest of the arms, those around her waist, lift her as if she were nothing and slam her down, hard. She felt something crack beneath her, and before she could put two and two together, she laid face up at a horrified group of people, and a very angry Hayden glaring down at her.

She quickly shot to her feet, having recovered quickly from such an attack, and stormed towards the old woman again curling her fists in anger, Hayden darted forward. She might have had more vigor, but she was not a match for his raw strength, and he saw to it that she was pinned against a wall.

“What's the matter with you!?” He demanded.

“To hell with that woman!” She seethed, “You have no clue the bane she’s been in my life!”

“No!” Shouted the priestess,“Let her do as she must! If it brings her peace… Then so be it I lose my life.”

“Sometimes you really are a fool.” Muttered the shaman, “There’s something in her that not even I can read. And you are nearly blind, might I remind you.”

“How dare you talk about peace!” Leoy’Shaah spat, still struggling with Hayden, “You want to make amends with me now of all times!?”

“Please,” Begged Sohee, “Quon messed with all of our minds, “She is no different!”

“What about when my mother burned at the stake? Did that not break your trance?” Leoy’Shaah demanded, “Whether it did or did not is irrelevant to me. Quon might have controlled you, but that does not mean you had anything to lose to him in the first place!”

Leoy’Shaah sensed Hayden grew tired of holding her back. And this priestess was beckoning her, taunting her to kill her. Leoy’Shaah had never taken a life before. She had watched plenty pass, but none had died to her.

But Sohee was right. Even though Leoy’Shaah now thirsted for revenge, she knew it would do her no good. Finally, she relaxed, slumping against the wall as Hayden eased his pressure. Finally, she sat down on the floor and glared up at the priestess.

“Quon was a wicked man, I could only see it now. I was one of the people accompanying him to this place. But then he began to shift our faith… and before I knew it, I was kneeling before the wrong god. It was too late, he had taken my mind and my body, as he did with the rest of you, even himself. I had forgotten all, even my own name, and had wanted to please my people… but now I realize that a god who betrays his people, is no god of mine.”

“I knew when I saw it nearly a decade ago, It tore a hole through my evil veil, large enough for me to get a glimpse of a second chance. These people have suffered under Quon, and they will continue to suffer under Kaqu, and Marak and his wreched governor! I remember being grabbed by Quon, and he screamed at me like a madman, but I knew there was no man left in Quon, and that was why he perished. He let that monstrous god eat his heart, then it left him to die.”

“But now, we have you. You might be our only hope to restore peace to the mountains.”

“No.” Hayden said, “Don’t you see she just tried to kill you! There is obviously a mad god in her as well!”

The priestess shook her head. “No, that is merely a human emotion. As a matter of fact, If she had seen me and not gotten angry…” She stared at Hayden, “We would know for sure that there was nothing left inside her.”

Hayden didn’t have any fight left in him. Instead, he leaned against the wall and gave up.

“I feel I must introduce myself to Miss Leoy’Shaah,” the priestess suggested, “I am Yewnie. Now, let's get you cleaned up, you smell like death and sorrow.”

The shaded windows of the large room imposed almost a deathlike feeling of lonesomeness, but Kazezne enjoyed being alone. He oversaw the construction of this very room, to ensure he could work in confort, and solitude. That peace would be interrupted every so often by the boots of scouts. Such trouble! Why must they make their problems his? As if they already aren't a responsibility of mine! He thought. He would have to get around to sound dampening magicraft if he valued his autonomy.

Now, before him stood the only man who he would tolerate the disturbance of: Overseer Marak. Governor Kazezne scratched his beard. “Marak, are you afraid of something?”

“No sir.” Marak said smiling.

“Surely, something must be awry, you have been pacing for the past ten minutes.”

“I am simply worried about my power. I have been growing in strange ways since that dark patch appeared.”

“Pay it no mind, Marak. I trust you will be clean and precise in your incisions.”

“That's just it sir, I have been losing my edge. I need it back.”

“Then pray,” Kazezne replied indifferently.

“Not how it works,” muttered Marak.

“Well what sort of abilities grow on you?” Kazezne asked, without looking up from a scroll, “Surely you can take your problems elsewhere; I called you in to commend you for your tight fist on the mountains, but your woes sour my victory. Bury your worries in a casket seven-foot under, or get out of my sight!”

“I will do both, ser. I will see to it that Kaqu takes his final breaths drowning in his own failure.”

“Like I give a single damn about Kaqu, he has the blood of a serrated blade, like his father, but that blade be only swung by the god that we chased aways with our mere influence! Kaqu is rapidly being undermined even without our sabotage, and let the people do our job for us. This is your obsession, not mine! Seeing you like this almost makes me wonder if you are fit to rule. Kaqu might be a coward and failure, but will commend him for one thing, and that being he has kept his head on tight, in light of all that we have thrown at him!”

“That is exactly it, ser. I want nothing more to destroy this man!”

“You think that we run on ill will? You are sadly mistaken, Marak. A fist knows no emotion, only strength and weakness. Your envy is not your strength, I’m afraid, it is your weakness. Do not ever show your weakness in my presence again, or I will strip you off all your borrowed power, and throw you on the side of the road, and only then will I allow you to tear others down. Do you understand!?”

Marak nodded, “Of course, ser. I always obey my Lord before my mind.”

“Good, glad that you saved your face, Marak. May your influence never waver.”

Not long after Marak exited the building, walking out onto the terrace, he felt a strange sensation, as if someone was watching him. He whirled around.

There was no one.

He sighed and continued pacing on the terrace. Kaqu was not as loved as his father was… No. Marak went to the town to study its culture. Quon had posed quite a threat indeed radicalizing these people in an almost fire-against-fire fashion. But he lacked the power yet, and he passed before he could finish hosting such an entity.

Marak suddenly coughed, spitting up a strange substance. It was green and thick, and went spat when it hit the ground. He stared at it for a moment, remembering he had forgotten to take his herbal tea. The witch doctors had prescribed him such, to ease his tension, and to calm whatever powers he was growing.

Spitting out the remaining saliva, for it tickled his tongue with disgust, he turned back to retrieve it, but abruptly stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he had seen a man in a cloak, with yellow teeth smiling at him, but when he looked, he saw only an illusion. A trick of the light that played with his tired mind.

Enough games, Kaqu. He thought, I only wish I get to have an audience for your downfall.

Marak would re-enter the lower building to his quarters, where he would find a piping-hot cup of tea awaiting him. He had not asked for this tea, nor had he told anyone of his fatigue directly, but he took the tea and drank it anyway.

Behind the teacup, and beyond his vision, the figure in the corner of the room smiled ever wider.