Both me and Zee got dragged all the way to a living room that had many fancy and expensive items. We were then forced down to our knees and I looked up only to see hair that was half blue and half gold. When they went to grab a cup and drank the red liquid within it, I saw their skin. Their skin was pale, but covered in scars from their fingertips all the way up their arm. While I was analyzing the person in front of us one of the guards spoke.
“These two are responsible for killing citizens of the city of freedom, my goddess.” He said sternly.
As I looked back at her she put the cup down and got up. She walked behind the couch to get a good look at the both of us. Her eyes had a symbol in them, as her outfit was a black crop top that had a strap over her right shoulder, blue military pants, with black leather boots and gloves to match. Zee clicked his tongue to get my attention then spoke so low to where only I could hear.
“This isn’t the god of torment. The real god of torment hails from the nation of Love and lust meaning her outfit is inspired by that of a dancer. She also tends to wear a veil over her face at all times to where not even her own child is aware of what she looks like.”
I already knew Zee wasn’t very happy with me right now so I didn’t respond to him when he told me that. However, since he told me that the goddess doesn’t like to dress as a military woman, then who is the person in front of us and why are they pretending to be a god? After she stared at us for what felt like forever she finally spoke.
“You have the nerve to kill a family of four from the nation of freedom? How can you even live with yourself knowing that you did that? You tore a loving family apart without even thinking of how it would affect you or those they are close to.” She said angrily.
It’s true that I didn’t think about the people it would affect once I killed the mother of that family. Why would I? She was suffering already because she saw her entire family's corpses on display like they are fucking toys. However, if I told her that lives are nothing more than toys to me it wouldn’t help my case, she would only suspect even more that I killed the family when in reality I only killed the mother. I killed her due to my own jealousy. I was jealous at the fact she had a loving family, I was jealous at the fact she was able to feel the pain of losing someone, but I was mainly jealous at the fact that she was able to cry. Something that I have been trying to do my entire life and yet she had the nerve to cry in front of me.
“Answer me!” She yelled.
I swear if this bitch wasn’t a god I would’ve broken these damn restraints and ripped her tongue out of her mouth.
“You yell at me one more time I will make sure you won’t be able to fucking speak ever again.”
“You dare to threaten a god?”
“A god? Don’t make me laugh. I already know damn well that you're not the actual god of torment.”
“What on earth are you talking about? Of course, I am the goddess of torment.”
“The goddess of torment hails from the nation of love and lust. I also know that she enjoys dressing as a belly dancer. You do not give off the vibe of someone who is in love nor do you give the vibe that you are lustful. Also, why would the goddess of torment decide to show her face after hiding it for however many years? Makes no sense, now does it?”
Neither the guards or the woman in front of me and Zee said anything about her being a fake goddess. They all stood there in silence for what felt like hours, until one of them finally spoke once more.
“I… am well aware that I am not the goddess of torment.”
“Then why pose as her?”
“Because my mother…. My mother has been stripped of her power and has been getting tormented by the goddess of freedom…”
“Why is she being tormented by the goddess of freedom?”
“I have no idea… However, her daughter said that she suddenly went mad one day.”
“Miss, I am well aware that each nation has a prophecy of some sort, would you mind having me hear this prophecy?”
“We don’t have a prophecy though. However, I can tell you about the deal that the goddess of freedom made with the elemental king.”
“Oh? I thought only the goddess of torment knew all that.”
“She does, but she told me since I was her daughter. And the Aeon of the path of cruelty.”
I have the urge to ask her what an Aeon even is but right now isn’t the time to ask her questions.
“I already know that the deal between the goddess of freedom and the elemental king was something to save the entire harpy race. I also know that the deal was doomed from the start but I have no idea how it was doomed.”
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“I see, you basically know the whole story beside that one part huh? Very well I shall tell you that one part of your information.”
“Please do.”
The woman sighed heavily as she got the guards to stand both me and Zee to our feet as she sat down circling her middle finger around the rim of the cup.
“The elemental king never had any intention of fulfilling his sister’s wish of saving the harpies in the first place. The deal he made with her was if she tamed her brother's beast that she killed, the harpies would be safe. In return for ensuring their safety she must have a child of her own and show him the happiness that she experiences with the harpies.”
“But how does that make the deal doomed?”
“I already told you. The elemental king had no intention of saving the harpies. He sees us harpies as a class that has no value. In the elemental king’s eyes, if you are not useful in any way shape or form then you do not deserve to live. Before the goddess of freedom tamed the revived beast, the elemental king put a spell on him to make sure that us harpies were eliminated once and for all. The spell was unknown even to the goddess herself. It was a spell that made the beast go into a blind rage if the harpies weren’t didn’t live up to his standards.”
“What is the idea of being useful to the elemental king?”
Her eyes then turned rageful red as well as the guards and snaps and they ended up grabbing both me and Zee pushing us further into the mansion. That bitch didn’t even answer my question. What the fuck has gotten into her all of a sudden? After an hour of constantly getting pushed around in the mansion we were then thrown into a cell. I sat there on the ground and sighed heavily.
“That fucking bitch. She could’ve at least answered my question before she decided to throw us down here.” I said annoyed.
Zee said not a single word to me and it has already been four days. Ever since I pinned the blame on him as to why I killed the mother of that family, he’s only talked to me once today. Though I hate to admit it, I actually feel really uncomfortable whenever he isn’t talking to me. Ugh, I feel like a puppy trying to get its master’s attention when they are doing something completely different. No, it’s more like I crave his attention more than anything else. I just don’t understand this though, why was I completely normal when it came to that woman, but when I was around Zee everything changed?
Wait a minute…. An acolyte is someone who can return what the Nirigamo lost. My anger, the sadness I was deprived of at birth, my sight, my sense of touch…. I can feel them all. I grit my teeth and clench my fist as I stood up and punched through the solid cement wall, then when I pulled my hand out it came crumbling down. Zee looked behind him and was shocked when he saw the wall completely in shambles. I then growled at him and stood there breaking the chain to the cuffs.
“Let’s go to the nation of freedom and save these dumbass goddesses so I can go home and never see you again.” I said angrily as I left through the giant hole within the wall.
Zee soon followed as there was already an alarm going off about our escape which didn’t really bother me or Zee until guards saw us. Ugh, I am in no mood to deal with this shit right now. I then soon ran as Zee quickly followed behind me and the guards were right in front of us. Zee then grabbed my gun from my holster and shot both of the guards in the head killing them in the process. Since this jail is a cramped space these harpies are unable to use their wings. All they could do was chase us and as a result they would get killed as a result. It was only when we got outside did we have to worry about the flying ones.
Arrows came flying at us in groups, meanwhile spells were being shot at us to slow us down or take us out. The problem is that Zee took my only weapon and I have no idea how to use these dumb powers that I have obtained from that damn statue. As a result of that every time an arrow would hit me in one part of my body I would take it out, and just throw it so hard to where it would impale one of the archers wings making them unable to fly anymore. It wasn’t until me and Zee took cover from the ones that were chasing us on foot. I was bleeding heavily from all my wounds but I was too high on the chase to even care about that, and Zee on the other hand wasn’t really any much better. He had arrows sticking out of him, a stab mark in his arm and a cut on his face.
“Why the hell aren’t you using your power to restrain them?”
“Motherfucker, I used these powers under the influence of that damn statue that took me earlier!”
“I don’t give a shit! It’s not that damn hard to figure out how to use your powers!”
‘Well what do you suggest I do smartass-”
I was so caught up in this ridiculous argument to where I didn’t even see the woman behind coming up to stab him. When I did see her it was already too late, she had already stabbed Zee in his chest just barely missing his heart. When she pulled the sword out he fell to the ground bleeding out and I just stood there in shock. However, my shock didn’t last long as I soon then resorted back to my original personality. Seeing Zee bleeding out killed my happiness, and in that very moment I figured out how to use the power that the statue gave me. I clicked my tongue and that restrained everyone that was after both me and Zee.
I then looked through the boxes and found some bandages and took off Zee’s shirt wrapping his chest up. He was still breathing which was good but before he even got stabbed in the chest he already wasn’t in good shape. I then quickly bandaged up the other wounds he had and picked him up. He was sweating and breathing heavily in my arms as I used the chains to make me higher so his feet wouldn’t be dragging on the ground. I then walked up to the harpy who stabbed Zee in the first place and stared her dead in the eyes, as the black torment symbol within my eye turned blood red.
“Answer me this one question. Where is the border to Libertara?”
It was clear that the woman was scared so she answered me without giving me a hard time.
“The border to the main city is a few miles away.”
“If you’re lying to me I’ll kill you.” I glared at her then started walking away.
After hours of walking I have reached the nation of freedom. Zee was still alive but he hadn't opened his eyes once. Though it was understandable, it was late and there wasn’t much I could do at that moment. I then walked into the nation of freedom and I was greeted by a loud roar. I looked up and saw a griffin flying around which made me quickly find a place to hide. I then came across an abandoned house and I set Zee gently down on the dusty bed.
“Jesus christ, For nearly getting Zee killed and for making me find my acolyte I’m gonna beat the shit out of that elemental king and these damn goddesses. I’m in no mood to be dealing with a goddamn griffin.”