Frost coated the open fields of the province and the chill in the air was enough to send shivers down the spine. Thankfully as a goddess I didn't actually feel the cold, which was a weird feeling to say the very least. Due to the change in weather I did at least change outfits to be more in line with the imminent winter season. Now my body was covered in a puffy fur longcoat with muffs on my wrists and thick fur lined boots. On my head was a big fluffy hat that had a squarish shape, with my galaxy pin attached to my hair inside it. For whatever reason I couldn't take it off. My whole outfit was filled with whites and blues with only a little yellow.
At the moment I was helping the town of Vemdelen with various winter related things. Mostly getting their roads beaten down enough so that in the winter they wouldn't turn into frozen mud. Really all I had to do was stomp on the roads a bunch to really pack down the earth and make it much more ridged. The constant earthquakes were probably pretty annoying but everyone was thankful regardless. This would have taken them months more to finish. Why were they behind? Well there were some bandit problems earlier in the year which delayed them. This was before I had been around of course.
Just as I was finishing up another area I noticed something strange. All of a sudden I was getting lots of prayers from the people of Doovlin about Miya of all people. They were prayers for her safety and that she would return soon. What in the world is this about? I have to investigate.
Using my handy portal travel I began teleporting over to the village, choosing someone on the edge of the village as my target to avoid accidents as usual. The portal opened above my head and quickly dropped down over my body and in Doovlin appeared me out of thin air. The whole process for me was like stepping through a door. The mana cost wasn't very high either which made it the ultimate convenience. I loved my life after discovering portal travel.
No one seemed startled by my appeared as I stepped into the world again, making sure not to step on the house that was directly underneath me. However the instant I appeared several people came running over with great concern on their faces. Whatever was going on worried them quite a bit.
"What's going on here?" I asked down to them. "Why is everyone praying about Miya?"
One of the men who had ran up to me looked up and replied with worry in his voice.
"Great Goddess! Miya's gone missing! She hasn't returned for almost two days!"
That can't be right can it? Now that he mentions it I haven't heard any prayers from her for about that long. Have I just been complacent for not noticing this before? Where was the last time I saw her?
I crossed my arms and frowned. "Where and when was the last time she was seen?"
Another man spoke up this time. He looked like one of the lumberjacks.
"She was up in the mountain forest. There was a horrible monster that she saved us from. It was like a bear, an eagle, and a deer all combined!"
"I think I remember this" I said thoughtfully. "Its called a petrieon. No... A peryton! Its a mythical beast that's supposed to be very dangerous. I remember wrapping some animal up in vines but don't recall specifics so that must be it."
Having such a fantastical creature around along with the huge serpent means this world is more fantasy-like then I first gave it credit for. What other wild monsters are there going to be lurking around?
The man waited for me to finish before continuing. "Yes goddess. Miya defeated it easily but then something happened to her. She collapsed!"
My eyes lit up and I glared down at him in concern. He wasn't worried I was mad at him though it did cause his heart to skip a beat.
"What happened then? Did you pick her up?"
"No goddess" he said shaking his head. "There was a woman from Yuvoghen who offered to help carry her back. My friend's leg was hurt pretty badly and so I carried him home." He then looked down in shame. "I'm so sorry goddess... This is my fault for trusting that woman."
My left hand clenched into a fist and my body began heating up in anger. The emotion got so intense as I grit my teeth that my left hand caught fire. Orange flames burst forth from my fist and engulfed it, licking up my arm as my eyes blazed with the same fire.
Everyone around became quite nervous as they've never seen me actually angry before, and at this moment I was furious. It wasn't this man's fault however. It was mine. That's what pissed me off the most. My failure has put Miya in danger.
"It wasn't your fault" I said down to the man through gritted teeth. "I'll find Miya and make this right don't you worry. You did nothing wrong understand?"
"Y-Yes goddess..." he replied meekly.
I then bent down quite quickly which made everyone flinch. Gently I reached out and touched the man on the chest, reading through his memories and finding the location Miya was last seen it. After that I stood back up again with determination in my eyes. He didn't know what I just did but all that mattered was I got what I needed.
"I'll be gone until I find her." I said sternly. "Not to worry though as your prayers will still reach me. I want anyone who sees Miya to pray to me immediately and let me know."
With the agreement of the villagers I turned and stomped off into the forest. Oh I'll find Miya and I'll find who's responsible for kidnapping her too. They'll be sorry I'd make sure of it.
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The day on the mountainside had turned into evening and the evening had turned into night. All day I had ran around the mountain and surrounding forests searching for Miya. Into the villages and towns I went searching, even to the lord's city I traveled. With all the teleporting around and running I was even getting tired. My shouts went unanswered and no prayers came to me from my priestesses. There in the middle of the pine forest I stopped and crossed my arms across my chest to think.
If Miya wasn't even praying to me that meant she was either unconscious or dead. I prayed she wasn't dead! But it had to be the first one: she would either be sleeping or knocked out. It would make sense if someone was kidnapping her that they would use some kind of drug to knock her out. Then they probably carried her off somewhere that I couldn't sense her. She wasn't appearing on my goddess zone map for some reason which was extremely odd. I could still sense her mind as I could reach out with telepathy, though of course there was no answer.
The only reason for anyone to kidnap her in the first place was to get to me. There's no reason to take a farmer girl even if she did have abnormal powers. I mean wizards were a thing in this world and while uncommon they weren't some shocking thing. It was Miya's connection to me that made her a target. I gritted my teeth in anger. I've been running around making a lot of people angry I'm sure. But who and why?
As I stood there thinking a strange feeling entered my mind. It was a chorus of voices echoing as if from some far off place. They were chanting something I couldn't quite understand. Then suddenly I heard Miya's voice! It was faint.
"Goddess Jenna..."
Immediately I dove into my goddess zone and scoured the map. To my great relief Miya's soul signature appeared clearly on it. It was a great distance away from me deep on the far side of the mountains. She appeared to be laying down on some kind of table in a cave. I could vaguely detect several people around her, about two dozen of them actually.
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"I'm coming Miya!"
Leaping back up into control of my body I opened a portal to her location, even reaching up my hands through it above my head to pull myself through it faster. Fire was in my eyes literally and fury was on my face. My hair and eyes were glowing brilliantly besides which lit up the night around me. As I started appearing near Miya I could get a better view of the location.
She was being held in a large cave on the side of a rocky mountainside. It was like a big open air theater with a stone roof and chamber going a fair distance back into the earth. The opening was also at least thirty feet off the forest floor below and tall pine trees surrounded us. This was clearly deep in the wilderness.
The chanting! I hear it again now!
There within the cave was a large group of about two dozen people, maybe more. They were all dressed in dark crimson robes which hid their faces. All of them were standing around and behind a large stone slab on which Miya lay. This was an alter! This was a ritual! How was I able to hear it from so far away though? What was going on?
The entire scene was set up like a set from a low budget horror movie with their outfits and the location. Everything was lit by torches in open braziers and set up stakes, the flames dancing among the shadows on the stone walls. Then as if to finish the horror shtick standing there in front of the alter was some young blonde woman holding a long and wicked looking knife. Miya herself was tied up in some kind of glowing purple chains.
Miya looked up and saw me, a mixture fear and relief in her eyes. She cried out to me.
"Goddess Jenna!"
I was halfway through emerging from the portal when the unthinkable happened. The woman plunged the knife down into Miya's chest, the entire blade slipping in as one would into butter. Miya convulsed and started choking up blood and a quick twist of the knife would ensure her death within moments.
"What have you done?!" I shouted.
My booming voice caused everyone to stop their chant and cover their ears in pain from the volume. To my greater shock they recovered quickly and began praying something again. Was my auto translate not working?
As I finished stepping out of the portal my boots thundered down onto the forest floor below. If I could just touch Miya I could still save her! All I needed to do was reach out and- A sudden and crippling pain overtook me. My body doubled over in agony as my heart and head began throbbing. Barely keeping myself from falling over my left hand went up to hold my head and my other arm covered my stomach.
"Ohhhh..."
The chanting stopped. Finally there was peace. But as I stood there hunched over I saw Miya's life vanish from my radar, her soul no longer immediately detectable. She was dead.
All at once a unimaginable fury overtook me, one I'd never felt before in my life and didn't know I was capable of. It didn't stay how however and was quickly supplanted by a pure unadulterated rage. The pain in my body either began fading or my rage overpowered it. I began standing up straight as both hands erupted into flames, running from my fists to my elbows. My eyes ablaze with light and fire, my hair glowing brilliantly in the night. Above me the clouds began to twist and swirl, the starry sky blotted out by pitch dark clouds. As even deeper darkness fell upon the cave the people within began looking up with clear fear.
"What... Have... You... Done..."
My voice was dripping with vengeance and I spoke slowly. I still towered over where they stood by at least one hundred and fifty feet if not more. The only light came from myself and the flickering torches below.
They would all pay. I would make them suffer. At first I didn't even notice that I was losing control of my own body. Something was taking over my mind, this rage was so overpowering that the thoughts that entered my mind seemed not to be my own. What was happening to me? I craved blood... I'm thirsty...
As if I was a passenger in my own body I saw myself moving. Slowly I crouched down and reached out both hands. Almost taking a backseat in my own head I focused as hard as I could on a single thought: protect Miya! The blind fury and rage was creeping up around my mind like a closing vice, the bloodlust fueling it doing its best to defy my resistance.
My left hand reached out and gently grasped around the stone slab Miya was on, ripping it from the cave floor and lifting it into the air. My right hand plucked up the blonde woman who held the knife. She dropped it on the ground as my fingers pinched her and lifted her into the air.
She of course was screaming and struggling but somehow I held her without crushing her. She looked familiar somehow but I couldn't place it, just holding coherent thoughts was difficult enough.
Miya and her stone slab were placed on the forest floor a distance to the side as I turned my body around. Gently I settled it down. Seeing her lifeless body reigniting my anger and I felt myself losing the battle against this intrusive rage. After putting it down I turned back towards the cave and stood up to my full height, lifting the woman to my face.
"You're the leader of this cult aren't you?" I said venom dripping in my voice.
It seemed those gathered below were frozen in fear and awe. Whatever they were up to it didn't seem to be going exactly as they planned. The woman between my fingers was shouting something but I couldn't even hear anymore. All that my ears could hear was my own boiling blood.
"I'll make sure you suffer." I said wide eyed. "Die in a nightmare of agony inside me..."
Those words were ones I wanted to say but the action I took next appalled me. After speaking I lifted the young woman up closer to my face and opened my mouth, moving her over it as I tilted my head back. Was I really going to eat her? This is so wrong! But I couldn't stop myself. Its like I wasn't in control anymore. Besides... She deserved to suffer. And she had blood inside her.
The woman screamed in fear as I dropped her inside my mouth. The taste was bitter on my tongue and she flailed around in blind panic. I almost felt bad for her, almost. Within seconds I closed my mouth and swallowed, her body being pushed down into my throat and sucked down into my body. I felt her struggling all the way down my esophagus until she landed in my stomach. After that I could still feel her, like butterflies in your stomach. This was a living person however.
I could only imagine what kind of terror she was feeling right now. Just the fact that I had eaten someone alive was making my stomach turn and I felt like throwing up. It felt so good though! It was so wrong though! What have I done?
After this punishment had been mettled out I looked down upon those still below. They were in a panic now and the instant my gaze landed on them they began to scatter. I wasn't allowing that to happen. A single thought entered my mind now and overpowered everything else: Kill!
Kill Kill KILL!
Perhaps in an effort to cope I tried to retreat into my goddess zone. I couldn't. This rage it was as if it was alive. Certainly I had given in due to Miya's murder but this bloodlust was so unlike me. I could only helplessly sit back and watch what I did next as a prisoner in my own body.
Crouching down my left fist flew out and punched down into the crowd. One of the people was hit directly, their body smashing like a grape. The bloody mess splattered out from under my fist and other the wall and the people around. It was a sickening feeling taking a human life. I had just done it and for some reason liked it.
My other fist smashed down on the back of the cave and collapsed the only tunnel that would allow them to escape me. Now there was no way out except through the towering and angry goddess looming above into the cloudy night sky. The light of the moon had now been obscured by the swirling dark clouds as well leaving the night lit only by my glowing rage.
As the people paniced and scrambled for whatever cover or escape they could I stood up again. This time I brought my right foot to bear. With a swift stomp I brought it down on two people unlucky enough to be standing where it landed. Their deaths were instant and messy, the crunch of their bones like the sound one heard when stepping on a cockroach. They were about the same size as one. I didn't want to think about it. I couldn't think about it. Any thoughts I tried to have were quickly swallowed up.
"Die! Die! Die!"
I shouted into the night as I went absolutely berserk. My fists and boots smashing down upon the cultists and the mountainside itself. The cave they had felt so safe in performing their ritual was now their tomb. My strength made such short work of the stone cave that it might as well have been made out of Styrofoam. My hands and feet covered in blood and gore as I smashed anyone who entered my sight. The stone crumbled as the cave collapsed in on itself burying the carnage beneath tones of rock and earth.
There were no survivors. My rampage was a force of nature. Even after the cave was no more I continued pounding at the pile of broken rock, kicking and screaming as I sent derbies flying in all directions. My howls of rage echoed out across the mountainside like the winds of a hurricane.
After what seemed like minutes I eventually stopped. I stood there gasping for breath, my hands and boots dirty with blood and dirt. The overwhelming bloodlust and rage was quickly fading from my mind and it definitely felt like an outside force releasing its grip on me. The result was the same however: I began regaining control over my body.
Immediately I bent over and vomited, puking up bile onto the ground as I choked back something solid. Realizing what it was as it settled back into my stomach made me dizzy. The full impact of Miya's death also hit me square on as my emotions returned. Tears flowed down my face and I began to cry. I was so tired though... I'm so tired...
Before I really had a chance to cry I stood up again, feeling myself teetering around like a spinning top about to falter. With the last few conscious thoughts I looked for Miya's body and saw it where I had left it on the forest floor. She was alright still.
My legs gave way, the fatigue of the whole ordeal too much for me to handle. Down I went as I collapsed in a faint, the last act I was able to influence being to ensure I fell next to Miya instead of on top of her. Above me the clouds began to clear away and my hair's glow began to fade. The flames licking at my arms went out as I thundered to the ground.
Darkness took me.