A few minutes before Lorian and Perseus arrived at the Village entrance,
An unsettling silence fell over the forest clearing. The leaves rustled softly, and shadows twisted unnaturally in the dim light.
A green snake slowly slithered from the underbrush, its scales glistening with an eerie sheen. It moved with deliberate caution, its forked tongue flickering as it approached the village gates.
Hiss~
rustle...!
The snake navigated past the oblivious guards, slipping through a small, hidden hole in the village wall. The air inside the village felt heavy, laden with an oppressive stillness. The snake avoided the villagers, its movements silent and predatory, until it reached the dark, damp sewers. The faint sound of dripping water echoed ominously as it slithered through the tunnels, finally emerging within the newly built temple.
Inside, a dim light flickered, casting long, wavering shadows. "You have come," a voice intoned from the darkness. The source was a Priest, seated on an iron throne at the center of the Cathedral. His eyes gleamed with a sinister light, and a few villagers stood nearby, their eyes lifeless and dull, like the vacant stare of zombies.
The green snake approached the throne and began to speak in a voice that dripped with malice. "Perseus sssaved the man you talked about.... I didn't need to.... intervene." The snake let out a chilling giggle. "You wanted to create goodwill... by sssaving him from the Behemoth..., didn't you? Looksss like your plan failed,... old man."
The Priest scoffed, a cold, mirthless sound that echoed in the cavernous hall.
"The two ...are currently on their way here..... Asss per your ordersss..., I have released the Behemoth horde you provided. The attack... on the village will... commence sssoon," the snake continued.
"Then I guess it's time for us to move and warn the villagers about the attack," the Priest said calmly, his voice carrying an unnerving confidence.
"Quite a hero you are..., creating the problem yourssself... and providing the ss-solution," the snake remarked sarcastically, its eyes glinting with dark amusement.
"Did you retrieve what I asked you to?" the Priest questioned, his tone turning stern.
The snake coughed out something metallic, which clinked as it hit the ground. It resembled a chess pawn, but there was something sinister about it.
"Good," the Priest said as he reached to pick up the pawn piece.
Hisss~~
The snake hissed menacingly, almost biting the Priest's hand. It's body coiling around the metallic token.
"Asss per our deal..." it spoke, its voice dripping with venom, "provide me the knowledge I asssked for, then... you can have it."
The Priest scoffed again, a dark smile playing on his lips. "I won't renege on my promise. I did give you power and made you an individual entity. However, now is not the time." He glanced around at the lifeless villagers seated around the cathedral, their eyes reflecting the dim light like empty voids. "For now, you can eat all of them. They are after all sacrifices to you"
With that, the Priest took the metallic pawn token and began walking away from the cathedral, his footsteps echoing ominously through the silent hall.
The snake watched the priest's retreating figure in silence, its eyes flickering with a tumult of emotions. Distrust and suspicion mingled it's being as it's scales quivered slightly.
Suddenly, the snake's eyes shifted, transforming from cold calculation to a ravenous hunger, like a beast unfed for days. Its body began to swell, scales stretching and expanding as it grew larger and larger. The air filled with the unsettling sound of its transformation—a series of wet, cracking noises that echoed through the cathedral.
In an instant, the snake pounced on one of the lifeless villagers, its form now grotesquely enormous. The villager let out a brief, strangled cry before being engulfed entirely. The snake's body coiled around its prey, crushing and swallowing the unfortunate soul whole. Its form continued to expand until it was an enormous, monstrous creature capable of consuming a person in a single, horrific gulp.
The remaining villagers remained eerily still, their eyes vacant and unseeing, as if unaware of the gruesome fate that had just befallen one of their own. The only sound that broke the silence was the snake's grotesque feeding, a series of sickening gulps and crunches that filled the cathedral with a chilling reminder of the lurking danger.
----------------------------------------
At the present,
Lorian’s eyes widened as he stared at Perseus' tattoo, his mind racing.
The intricate design mirrored the pattern on his graduation gown. His breath hitched, and he took an involuntary step back, a chill crawling up his spine. He furrowed his brow, eyes narrowing as he struggled to comprehend the bizarre coincidence. Memories of that day flashed through his mind—the ceremony, the gown, the pattern. How could this tattoo, etched into Perseus' skin, mirror something so personal and specific? A sense of foreboding settled in his chest.
'What the hell is going on?... How in the world...? Is it just a coincidence?' His mind reeled with questions as he looked around, the oppressive silence of the village amplifying his panic. He clenched his fists, a deep sense of failure gnawing at him, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts.
“What is the meaning of that tattoo?” Lorian asked Perseus, his voice tinged with surprise and panic.
Creak~
Before Perseus could respond, the village gates creaked open, the sound slicing through the quiet morning air. A group of armed guards marched out, their footsteps thudding in unison, creating an imposing rhythm that seemed to make the very earth tremble. Each guard was poised and ready, gripping various weapons with practiced ease. Leading them was a stern-faced Priest, his presence commanding and severe. Flanking him were a few other villagers, their expressions just as formidable, their eyes cold and unyielding.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
The priest stepped forward, his presence suffocating like a dark storm cloud rolling in. His face was stern, each feature carved with the precision of a sculptor’s chisel, creating an air of severity that demanded attention. His eyes, cold and calculating, gleamed like shards of broken glass, reflecting no warmth or mercy. They pierced through anyone who dared to meet his gaze, leaving a trail of unease in their wake.
"Well, well, well, isn't this a surprise," he remarked, his gaze shifting to the bowing guards and then to Perseus. His voice, when he spoke, was a low, rumbling growl, like distant thunder promising a coming storm. Each word was enunciated with a deliberate menace, dripping with the weight of his concealed intentions.
Suddenly, the necklace around Perseus' neck flickered and vanished.
From behind, another man emerged, lingering in the shadow cast by the Priest's imposing figure. His eyes, a storm of bitterness and rage, made him look older than his years. The lines on his face, like a map of his internal struggles, hinted at a life weighed down by burdens. Around his neck hung a purple necklace, eerily similar to the one Perseus had worn moments ago.
"Rise up," the man commanded with authority. Instantly, the guards who had been bowing to Perseus and Lorian stood at attention.
"Village Chief Holmes," Perseus whispered, almost to himself, his voice barely audible.
"Perseus, why return now? The village has no use for deserters." Chief Holmes spoke, his voice filled with rage. However there was a gleam in his eyes that betrayed his tone, his muscles a little more relaxed.
Holmes' attire, though once meticulously groomed, now bore the signs of neglect, with stray threads escaping from the seams of his coat like clues left unsolved. His posture, usually erect with the confidence of a man in control, now sagged slightly under the weight of his diminished stature, as if the burdens of the world pressed down upon him.
Perseus locked eyes with Holmes, memories flooding his mind. He felt a pang of nostalgia mixed with a bitter recognition of the man Holmes had become.
One lazy afternoon in the hazy glow of childhood summers, they lounged beneath the shade of an ancient oak tree. Holmes, with his sharp wit and keen intellect, posed a question that would ignite a playful rivalry.
"Hope! Who do you think is stronger? Perseus or me?" Holmes grinned mischievously, his eyes sparkling with youthful enthusiasm.
Hope, her cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment, glanced at Perseus, who lounged nearby, seemingly indifferent to the conversation. "Definitely Perseus!" she exclaimed with a giggle, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer than necessary.
Perseus, his cool facade momentarily faltering, shot a playful smirk in Holmes' direction, silently accepting the challenge that had been unwittingly thrown down.
"Huh? Wanna go one on one??" The young Holmes shouted as he looked at Perseus with a hint of rage and envy. The lines of time blurred as Perseus looked upon Holmes, the image of the carefree boy seamlessly melding with the aged visage of the man standing before him.
"Where is Hope?" Perseus asked in a cold and detached manner.
"Hope ventured into the forest in search of you. Now look at the mess we're in." Holmes's voice held a quiet edge of frustration, insinuating that Hope's quest for Perseus had led to her vanishing, leaving behind a hollow where optimism once flourished.
"Who is he?" Perseus demanded, pointing directly at the Priest, his voice laced with urgency and confusion.
Chief Holmes’ eyes flashed with bitterness and resentment. "That is none of your concern," he replied sharply, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"The village is about to be attacked by a behemoth," Perseus said yet again.
"We know" It was the priest that spoke up with a smile. His eyes fixated on Lorian for a long while, his grin remained unchanging.
"Good" Perseus responded with a slight bit of anger.
The discussion was abruptly interrupted by a bone-chilling roar. The ground trembled as a solitary Behemoth, a monstrous embodiment of negative emotions, emerged from the clearing.
"Defend the village!" Chief Holmes shouted, brandishing his weapon.
The villagers, bracing for the attack of a single Behemoth, scattered to their defensive positions. Each creature loomed like a living nightmare, a towering symbol of dread, fear, and despair. Lorian’s heart pounded as he felt the weight of the impending doom.
"Positions!" the Priest shouted, his voice slicing through the chaos. "Defend the village!"
The Priest’s eyes darted across the scene, rapidly assessing the threats. The colossal Behemoth of Darkness advanced, its shadowy tendrils stretching out to devour everything in its path. Village Chief Holmes raised his sword, his voice steady and commanding. "Activate the Luminous Barriers!"
The village guards began to move when suddenly a "wait" echoed from the side. It was the priest's voice.
At the Priest's command, the guards halted. "Let the Behemoth get close enough," he added, his tone resolute.
Tsk... Chief Holmes' face flushed with fury as his men obeyed the outsider Priest. He clenched his fists, his bitterness palpable, yet he bit back his words. He shot a furtive glance at Perseus, hoping his old rival hadn't noticed his plight.
'What is happening? Why did the men stop?' Perseus' face was a mask of shock as he watched the scene unfold. 'The village guards must follow the chief's command at all costs. No one can override a command from the Chief himself...'
Roar
The Behemoth of Darkness drew dangerously close to the village walls, its malevolent presence threatening to obliterate their defenses.
"Stop this madness and attack!" Chief Holmes screamed, his voice raw with desperation. Yet, the guards remained immobile.
The Behemoth's tentacles were inches away when the Priest's voice cut through the air, "Now! Cannons!!"
Boom Boom Boom
Multiple cannons fired simultaneously at the Behemoth's lower body, each cannonball glowing with a brilliant, luminescent moonlight.
The Behemoth of Darkness howled in agony as the luminescent cannonballs tore through its shadowy form, causing it to stagger and lurch towards the village walls.
"Now! Activate the Luminescent stones!" The Priest commanded, his voice unyielding.
Luminous stones embedded in the village walls began to glow, emitting a powerful, steady light that pushed back the Behemoth’s dark tendrils. The creature shrieked in torment as the light pierced its form. Before it could collapse onto the village, the light disintegrated its shadowy body instantly.
"It's dead?!!" The few combat-ready villagers and guards screamed in disbelief, their voices mingling in a chorus of astonishment.
"So quick!" Some of them exclaimed in surprise.
This Behemoth was far stronger than the one that had chased Lorian. Typically, the village would use the Luminescent stones to keep the Behemoth at bay before attacking it from a safe distance with flaming arrows until it disintegrated. The Priest's method, though risky, proved astonishingly effective.
"You endangered us all!" Chief Holmes bellowed, his pent-up rage erupting. "What if the Behemoth hadn't disintegrated? What if it broke through the wall? What if it attacked us??"
"Your flawed strategy endangered the village," the priest retorted, his grin mocking. "Your approach would have kept the Behemoth of Darkness at bay, but what about the other Behemoths?"
"What other Behemoths??" Chief Holmes shot back, his anger rising.
"Those," the Priest replied, his smile widening as he pointed towards the forest clearing.
"....That..." Chief Holmes' eyes widened in horror.
"..So many..." One of the villagers murmured, his voice trembling with dread.
"Gods above, look at them all!" Another villager gasped, panic evident in his tone.
"We're outnumbered. We're doomed." The guards clenched their teeth, the fear of certain death reflected in their eyes.
Even Perseus' jaw tightened as he surveyed the advancing horde, his eyes narrowing with a mix of determination and fear. He felt the weight of his past failures pressing down on him.
"This scale of an attack has never happened in the village's history..." Chief Holmes muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
Countless monsters of various shapes and sizes emerged from the forest clearing in an overwhelming horde. The sky darkened as they approached, their roars echoing through the forest. Villagers hurried to reinforce the barricades, their faces pale with fear. Perseus stood at the forefront, his heart pounding. He glanced at Uncle Linden, who was directing the defenses with a determined but worried expression.
'What?' Lorian whispered, his voice filled with shock as he stared at the approaching Behemoths. His mind reeled, struggling to process the unfolding nightmare. He noticed a translucent black smoke rising from every person except the Priest, the ominous tendrils coiling towards the Behemoths. At the center of the horde, the smoke coalesced, forming something surreal.