The Seven Deadly Sins

Chapter 3

Griffin and I continued on through the Bayou, the marshlands sinking underfoot with each step.

As the Bayou grew denser, the trees began to glow this bluish hue. There was some sort of glowing plant that coated the bark, and covered the leaves. The grass would ombré into glow in the dark colours and the lakes had glowing plants at the bottom or floating on top.
It all seemed very tribal. Especially when we heard the rhythm of drums.

"Alien," Griffin snapped at me, and I paused and turned around.
"The trees are moving," he mumbles to me, his voice growing cautious.

I look around to find what he's staring at.
"Not trees," I conclude, "people."

In the high branches of the hanging trees are dark Figures, covered in glowing colours.
All the Figures wear clothing that hang like drapes, tinged with paint and glowing beads.
Blue, green and pink swirl across their skin, spiralling across their bodies.

I find it extra creepy when they blink, because they all have bright green glowing eyes painted on there eyelids.

I realize also, that they carry bows and knives. And are currently circling us in a very threatening way.

"I can blow this joint," Griffin says, and when I look back to him I notice his fists are a dark purple and black.

"Comforting," I tell him, "but no. I'm here on a job."

"Alien. You're going to get yourself killed," Griffin warns me. I almost chuckle at him, finding his choice of words sickly funny.

"Been there, done that."

I open my bag, never taking my eyes off their movements. I tense up as they jump from tree to tree, swinging on vines and rushing into the tall grass.
They're silent as the wind.

"Hold this," I throw Griffin my backpack after taking out a bottle of pills.

The Supernova gives me a look, "you should probably take your Aspirin after they beat the shit out of you."

Ignoring him I pop open the cap and swallow a small round pill before chucking Griffin the bottle to put back in the bag.

Finally, I choose to speak.
"We mean you no harm," I tell them, but to my ears it sounds like, 'bedoel ons jou geen kwaad' and to the Bayou people, it will sound like their language too.
That's the effect of the pills, its a translator to the individuals ear.

"I only wish to speak with Sy'Rai," I tell them. Again it comes out in my native tongue and to the people who live here, it will come out in whatever they speak.

They begin to whisper to each other, and I stare cautiously as they deicide on their next move.
It was ironic how much they sounded like the wind dancing with the leaves. Something so deadly just couldn't be compared to something so careless.

Eventually, they all leap to the ground.
The moon takes it chance to peak through the swamp, shedding light over the people. Their hair, all dark and woven into extravagant braids and cuts. Their clothing ranges from baggy to very tight, revealing and completely covered.

"W-what the hell are they?" Griffin asks, he's taken a step behind me and I realize the Supernova is actually afraid.

"Voodoo's," I reply, "their more Human than you, Donavan."
He remains silent, and we stand frozen as a woman parts from the rest of them. Her hair is long and tangled, beaded messily and travels below her waist. She wears a dark black skirt that has three claw marks that ooze a glowing blue. Her top is a simple wrapping that covers her chest and reveals her stomach and the bottom of her ribcage. She looks early thirties, but she's probably hundreds if not thousands years older.

"Bow," I direct to Griffin, taking a knee and tilting my head down in respect.
"She's the clan leader. This is a form of dominance."
Griffin looks suspicious but he bends a knee as well and follows suit.

"You know much," the woman tells us, her voice is hoarse and rings with a foreign accent. Her words are carefully pronounced in the English language, "and Sy'Rai is only wisdom." She draws her head in, almost like a snake sizing its prey, her locks draw across her dark cheeks. "So why do you seek her?"

I do not respond, for suddenly there is a battle cry and the people of the bayou are jumping from the trees and onto us. They pounce, using their fists and feet to stomp us to the ground, binding our hands and ankles together.
I struggle as hard as I can, lashing out and hurling my fists. But there are suddenly dozens of them, all leaping out to capture Griffin and I.

I'm struck across the face, and thrown against the ground. They pile on top of me to the point where I can't breathe.
I look through the haze of bare feet that surround me from the ground and see Griffin a few feet away.
He's on the ground too, yelling and fighting. He shoves his shoulders and hollers at them to back off.
They take him by the neck and pin him down. He turns to look in my direction and I realize that his eyes are wide and are filled with an endless mass of crimson and purple. No pupils, no Iris', only pure colour.
He was going to explode.

We made eye contact and I clawed at the dirt for something, anything.
Instantly I grew tired, and I wanted to fall asleep. My eyelids seemed heavy and my breathing became frantic.
The Devil was calling me I realized to late, telling me to go back to my slumber.
He knew I was about to die.
He was going to pull me out of the job.

"Griffin," I yell, painfully grinding my teeth together. "Control it!"

A fist connects with my jaw, and my vision blurs, but I still catch Griffin's hands starting to grow that purple hue.

I try to reason to him, "if you explode now we all die!"

He howls in pain, and I realize that the pill has worn off, I'm speaking in clear English.
There is no way to tell the bayou people to stop.

"And so what?" He replies, pain and struggle so evident in his voice. "I should have done that hours ago!"

My voices catches in my throat, and someone's foot snags my neck.

The clan leader places her glowing nailed fingers over my mouth, mumbles a mantra and I black out.

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End of Chapter