when Raizyx exits the transport tree, he begins to stretch in the morning sun as
"Why are we here so early again?" Raven puts a hand to her mouth as she yawns.
"Whim," he replies. "I wanna see what else this world has to offer."
Raven looks at him while leaning to her left and placing her hand on her left hip. "Oh really now. I'm surprised that our last visit didn't dissuade you."
Raizyx swings his arm around like a water wheel as he prattled. "It's whatever. You meet difficult people all the time. It's a part of life. I'm not gonna let that one incident spoil the rest that this world has to offer. Besides, we didn't get to fully explore that town yet. I heard there was a laboratory there and we also didn't get to do much of anything in the royal city. Maybe I could pay both of them a visit to find out the intricacies of this world. Like money and stuff."
Raven follows Him walks out onto a cliff that overlooks a portion of the forest.
"Funny enough, I thought you hated higher-up personnel like bishops and royals and stuff?" Raven verbalized
"No that's the snake. Not me." Raizyx responded
"Snake eyes?"
"No. The other snake. The less likable one."
"Oh, you mean Shiraneko's master?"
"Yeah. And it's not that I dislike higher-ups it's just that I dislike most high tiers. And it's only because most of them act like pompous jerks and all of them are incredibly dangerous. But who knows, maybe this time things will be different." Raizyx clarified
"I doubt it. Your track record isn't looking too hot right now. The first person you met tried to kill you 3 times." Raven notes while holding up 3 fingers
"Well, that first person was a pompous jerk that was also incredibly dangerous."
"Yooouuu Kinda just shot your reasoning in the foot there Y'know." Raven comments,
Raizyx rolls his eyes before pulling out a leaf and throwing it out as it enlarges. It passively creates an updraft below, allowing it to Levitate.
"We can talk about this on the move," he suggests while hopping onto the enlarged leaf
"Well don't mind if I do. It's quite tiring flying on your own power for long periods of time." Raven smugly remarks as the bird wattles up to the leaf and uses the updraft to hop all the way up to Raizyx's head, nesting in it.
"Seriously." He responds
"Did I ever tell you that you have a cozy head of hair," she comments.
"sigh a simple yes would have sufficed y'know."
"What can I say. I'm feeling chirpy today."
"Yeah right. Why did I ever pick you as my summon?"
"Hehe because you had no other choice, Hero," Raven said mockingly as she gently nipped at his hair, Rearranging it to best suit her position.
The leaf then shot up into the air just like a magic carpet, beginning to glide. It curved and slid with the wind that it generates. The current formed a sort of invisible railroad or tube that twisted and turned just like a roller coaster as Raizyx rode the leaf as if he would a skateboard. Once he got to altitude, he sat down and gazed out across the horizon. He could see across the ocean where there appeared to be islands several knots away. He saw a cluster of snowy mountains. He even saw the silhouette of a castle in the distance.
"That's the queen's castle. I wonder if she's still stressed out?" Raizyx commented.
"You're worried about her now huh? or is that a cover-up for your excitement?" Raven chirps smugly.
"Yo, what!?" He exclaimed
"You don't have to lie to me. It's okay that Queen Noxara is someone that you are so excited to meet. If you play your cards right you might be able to see her sooner than you think." Raven replied sleepily as she was curled up atop his head. "Then again, knowing you, that meeting will go oh so smoothly. Just like it did the first time." She teased
"I could do without the sarcasm Y'know."
"You haven't compensated me enough for that."
"Either way. It's not that I'm excited. It's more like I'm intrigued."
"Well, of course, you are intrigued. All boys go through this at your age." Raven slightly chuckled
"Shut up. It's not like that. Besides, she's a queen. That means that she's probably old like you."
"Excuse me!" she yelled
"Don't give me that. You're mad old!" he declared.
"I'm as young as I feel." Raven defended herself from the insult, lifting her beak and turning it away.
"But even older than you look. now does that work?"
"Divine favor that's how! Now do me a favor and show your youthful elder some respect." Raven pecks his head repeatedly as Raizyx tries and fails to grab her after several attempts.
After a few minutes of this playful banter, they see a small town hidden by trees.
"There it is. This is the place." Raizyx says before maneuvering his leaf down towards the tree line. He hops off of it, bouncing off several branches to get to the ground. He Catches his leaf as it shrinks and floats down with him.
Raven gracefully descends towards the ground. Yawing and banking around leaves and branches with ease. She passes the last canopy as a bird and comes out human, landing with a noticeable amount of force before standing up and flicking her long wild black hair back at the height of her stance.
"How did you even-? Alfheim vision." Raven voiced when she turned to face him. Raizyx's smug smile causes Raven to frown before saying "I hate you."
"Mini-maps are nice. They give you almost all the information you need about the geography and topography." Raizyx cheekily answered.
"Grr that's so unfair!" Raven stomps past him in a small fit of frustration. "You get my Odin vision through our bond so Why don't I get yours!"
Raizyx laughs behind her. "Ah haha! I Dunno. I don't make the rules, I just bend them."
"Cram it, you snarky runt! God, you're so infuriating!" Raven crosses her arms and pouts as she walks.
Raizyx skips along to catch up to her. "Yeah, I know. But you gotta face the facts. you're stuck with me and you know it."
"Why you little-! C'mere you little brat!" she malevolently smiles as she begins to painfully pinch and pull at his face. "So you think you can make a joke outta me and get away with it, huh small fry? Let's see how you like it!"
"Hey wait stop! Haha. I didn't ask for this. C'mon Raven, you know I had to!" Raizyx tries to get her off of him but fails due to his laughter and his eyes being shut.
Just then another middle-aged woman with blonde hair and dull blue eyes encounters them. "Umm are you well?"
The two look at her while their hands were still all over each other's faces.
Raven is the first to speak up. "Yes! We're fine."
As she quickly takes her hands off of Raizyx, who starts to rub his cheeks soon afterward.
The woman speaks again. "Oh well that's good I didn't know if it was child scolding or something else. Honestly, with the day I've been having, I don't know what to think anymore."
Raven then replies. "Oh, you know how boys can be. Although we love them They can be quite frustrating to deal with. Right Raizyx?" Raven then forcefully pulls Raizyx near her bosom in the form of some sort of side hug to show her affection to the lady. In reality, this hug was anything but affectionate as Raizyx let out a sub-audible. "Ow." as he was smushed in between Raven's left arm and armpit.
This stranger didn't seem to notice the harmful implications as she prattled on. "I don't know about that. I for one am quite tired of men. Especially after today." The woman closed her eyes while tilting her head to the side.
"What happened today?" Raven asked.
"Oh, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." The woman said as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, waving off the comment with her right hand.
Raven looks down to Raizyx in inquiry. He returned her gaze. He appeared to be dawning the same expression although much of his face was still sandwiched in her side.
"You'd be surprised," Raven answered
The woman then looks at them then smiles warmly. After That, It soon transitions into a big ole grin. "Oh if you insist."
She began walking and talking back into town almost absentmindedly. Raven and Raizyx followed close to hear the story and to make sure that the lady didn't run into anything.
"So it all began when I fell through my foot today," She said.
"Wait what? Fall through your foot? How does that work?" Raizyx questioned.
"Oh well, you know. When you get older your body stops doing what you want it to do."
"Wait what? You can't just fall through yourself! That doesn't make any sense. How can you fall through your foot when it is the lowest part of your body and when it's attached to you!? Not only that but you seem far too young to be having skeletal or muscle problems like that."
When they enter the town. They are greeted with quaint birch timber houses and running children. A couple of them run-up to the woman escorting Raizyx and Raven. She caters to them for a moment then motions them off with a smile. She then turns back to Raizyx.
"Oh no, it's not my foot itself. It's the part that connects my foot with my leg." As she feels her left ankle. "It is quite prone to moving and breaking in the worst possible way. When that part goes, it's like my leg just falls into my heel. It's quite painful."
"I see. That explains the slowness of pace and the limp on your left side." Raizyx looks her up and down and then as they pass by a few two-story buildings made of granite and wood. Seemingly more complex than the houses they pass upon entry into the village.
The woman then turns around slightly to acknowledge him. "Well aren't you perceptive. Here I was thinking that I was handling it pretty well visually speaking." She smiles at him half-heartedly then begins to scratch her head in a small display of embarrassment.
"If it's so painful then why didn't you get that looked at or fixed or both?" Raven comments as a newlywed couple passes them in a horse-drawn carriage. Greeting them with friendly smiles and waves.
"Well you see I was supposed to but. Well. Something happened." The woman replied. She stops on the sidewalk as a passing resident greets her with "good morning" to which she returns the greeting.
"So What was that something?" Raizyx asks.
The woman's expression goes from quite content to solemn. "I went to the stead of a scientist that specializes in the workings of living things. But before I could receive service, a very angry and violent woman complained and demanded recompensation."
Raven raises an eyebrow. "Violent woman?"
"Yes," the woman replied. "She forced her way in and threw a man at me. Granted the old pervert deserved it but still, he could have died from his impact with the wall or the impact of the golem servant that she... also threw after him."
"Did this person have a name?" Raizyx looked with a serious expression.
"Um yes, she did-.'' The woman spoke but was cut off by Raven
"hold on kid, why do you care? We don't owe this village anything so what does it matter to us?"
Raizyx then turns to face his companion "Listen we could potentially be dealing with a scientist here. Someone smart. If we quell this little robbery or whatever it is. This person will thank us and probably give us some information on this place and possibly some other goodies too."
"Well, when you put it like that. You can carry on Miss. Who's this problematic entity again?" Raven and Raizyx stare at the woman, awaiting a response.
her dull blue eyes droop while she gives a deadpan expression. "Ahem. All I know is that the golem That was acting as the clerk addressed her as Goddess M." Both of the listeners' eyes widened.
Raizyx then started to walk forward but his speed was increasing steadily. "Raven... take care of this lady please."
"You are not going in there by yourself!?" Raven retorts.
"When you're done you can join me. Whatever you do, you better do it now." Raizyx flips up his hood as his walk transitions into a jog then a run.
The woman watches him exponentially pick up speed as black sparks Protrude off of his person. At that moment, Raven picks up the woman, princess style.
"Let's get you away from here so I can do something about that foot of yours." Raven calmly voices.
"What are you doing!? Put me down!" The lady exclaims.
"Sorry can't do that right now." Raven then leaps from the ground and begins to hop on the roofs of the nearby buildings.
"Put me down! This is incredibly embarrassing not to mention dangerous!"
"Speak for yourself, why don't you!? Listen miss, I don't like this any more than you do so if you could stop...ngh squirming then we will get you to your destination quickly and safely. If you don't then I'll drop you." Raven states as a grim smile edged itself onto her face as the last words exited her mouth.
The woman heard this and immediately stopped squirming. "Yes ma'am." She snuggled into the fetal position out of fear. Raven hears this and then rolls her eyes as she lets out a smirk. "Well, that was easy."
At the bottom of a staircase was a dimly lit room.
This room had cabinets and shelves stocked full of scientific equipment and golem tools all across the right and left walls. At the back of the room was an opening that was barred off by a barrier of ropes. It also had four tables all placed in a column that spanned the center length of the room. There was a chandelier hanging above each table. At the third table from the entrance was a small elf-goblin hybrid woman that was looking at several important files and finishing a golem.
"Ok I just need to put that there and done. Alright, this is good. Even with all of the orders that I've been getting, I'm still slightly ahead of schedule. Just as I thought. The angel doll that Miss Goddess M compensated me with has increased my Efficiency greatly. By my calculations based on the daily analyses, my production has improved by 43%." The small scientist notes after putting the finishing touches on a rock golem.
"Ivy! Can you guide this one towards the storage zone?" She asked. The angel doll, who was carrying a couple of box loads of chemical mixtures and earth material, stopped what she was doing and obeyed the directive.
The scientist then looks at her progress. "Hmmm. I seem to be running out of space. If I calculate how many I have in each row and how many rows in general then I can only fit in one more row of ten. Maybe I should start delivering them in increments. That way I can free up some of this space an-."
"Girl!" Upon hearing this outburst, the scientist jumped up in surprise and turned around only to see a very familiar but malevolent figure.
"Ah. There you are. Did you miss me, child?" Misery said in a much calmer tone as she gradually descended down into the lab. Her magnificent black dress gently glided down the stairs.
"Oh goddess M. It's so good to see you again but I'm curious as to why you have returned so soon?" At this point, the scientist took off some of her equipment revealing many of her physical traits.
"That's none of your concern." Goddess M retorted, running her left hand across the tables as she approached the elf-goblin hybrid. "Let's just say that plans have changed and I feel like moving them ahead of schedule. I hope you have my golems ready."
"You want all your golems now?" The scientist raised an eyebrow at this comment as she went to check her tools.
"Yes, I do believe that's what I meant when I spoke. You should have been able to figure that much out just by listening to my previous words, scientist." Misery remarks folding her arms beneath her bosom walked towards the balcony at the back of the lab. She gazed out over the stockpile of over 900 monolith beings all primed and ready for their directives.
The sarcasm-filled sentence singed as it naturally oozed from her mouth. The scientist's gaze narrows in a tinge of annoyance but scoffs immediately afterward.
The clerk's golem finally makes her way into the lab. "Maria are you okay!?"
"Yes I'm fine although I could be better." Maria responded, with a more passive aggressive tone towards the trailing end of her statement.
Misery then waltzes back to the pair. "So I'll be taking them now."
"I told you that I'm not done. The time frame that you've given me hasn't expired yet. What happened in between now and then that would push you to want them no-." Maria objected
"Don't ask questions that are above your standing girl." Misery interrupts.
Maria begins to show signs of irritation.
"You know I can't just do that right!? I can't just hand out an incomplete order! That would be bad for my reputation! Not to mention all of the paperwork and transport accommodations an-."
"Silence!" For two seconds Misery's voice boomed throughout the complex. The malevolent deity gazed down at Maria and Kireina, her eyes glowed a brilliant crimson as she stared apathetically into their souls. "I absolutely could not care any less about your worthless reputation mortal. You will do what I say without question. If you don't then I will find someone who will."
Kireina then steps in between them carefully pulling out her needles as a subtle threat to get Misery to back off. "My goodness, by whatever do you mean by that?" She says with a smile on her face although this smile is very poorly hiding the rising tension just below it. Misery could see it clear as day as she narrowed her scarlet eyes towards the golem.
"She made you somewhat intelligent right? It would be a shame if those smarts were to go to waste." Misery uttered ominously. The words weighed heavily over both the golem and its creator.
Maria's temper flared. "Now you listen to me! Don't threaten her like that! I don't care if you're a goddess or not! you don't have the right or reason to-!"
Within seconds Misery lays her eyes at the unexpecting scientist, she levitates her into the air with forces that the tiny half-goblin's body could barely handle. Her throat was constricted as her words turned into scattered shallow gasps. Immediately Kireina takes out her Blades and lunges for Misery's throat all with a smile on her face. On a dime, Misery's magenta eyes effortlessly shift from Maria to Kireina as the needle bounces off her neck. She then drops Maria, stepping on her abdomen as she raises her other hand to Kireina. The granite golem was then lifted into the air as the goddess spoke.
"So I allow you to aid me in a most important task then you have the nerve, The Gall, to turn your insignificant little mouth and flimsy toothpicks against me." Her eyes lay on Kireina. "And you. To think something as lowly as dirt could even think to defy me. Or even think at all for that matter. Honestly speaking. Worm food like you shouldn't even have the privilege of having the concept of life associated with you in any way!"
Her soft condescending tone rose exponentially as she flung Kireina across the darkened basement.
"Kireina! Aagh!" Maria could do nothing but watch as her creation crashed into the potion-filled shelves and cabinets. A tinge of satisfaction etched itself on to Misery's face as she heard the beakers, viles, and bottles shatter when they hit the ground. She then turned her head to gaze sinsterly at Maria.
"Aww. What's the matter, girl? Does this rock Concern you? Perhaps you should have thought about that before you spoke out of Turn, hmm?" Misery proposed.
"Maria I-..." Kireina weakly responds with.
"Now who said you could speak?" Misery quickly retorts as she proceeds to telekinetically drag the golem across the room.
She is forced into the rest of the equipment-filled compartments on the right side of the lab. Then she is thrown into a table of golem parts, knocking the entire thing over on its side. She is then hoisted into the air with tremendous force, crashing into the ceiling and destabilizing the chandelier before plummeting down towards the table in front of Misery as the chandelier smashes on top of the golem's head.
The resulting debris bounces off of Misery's body as she leans in to say. "Did that feel good little stone? I hope you had as much fun as I did. I also hope that you learned your lesson."
Kireina, battered and chipped, was slow to respond.
"Well that certainly was eventful. I cannot say whether it felt good or not since I cannot feel pain. What I can say is that it definitely wasn't fun due to all the damages that were caused. I apologize greatly for that Maria. As for a lesson. There is no lesson to be learned here for Maria and I. That lesson... is for yourself. And it cannot be learned through destruction."
Maria then looks at Misery with rage in her eyes. "You left her go you... you... monster!"
Misery's eyes widened upon hearing those words. "Monster?.. am I a monster... am I just a monster to you mortals?.."
Kireina gathers up enough strength to lift her head to see Misery seemingly staring off into space. As Maria continues to voice her frustrations.
"You might as well be! Look at what you've done! You barged into my home! Broke my gear! Harmed my assistant! And demanded something from me that was not in our contract! Only after placing a nigh-impossible task on me on short notice in the first place!"
"Um Maria." Kireina said but Maria was too angry to listen.
"You can't just go against a professional agreement that you yourself agreed upon! Especially if you can't give your client a legitimate reason as to why you're doing so! If people did that all the time then nothing would get done! Only a monster would do such things! Neanderthals in an uncivilized world!"
"Maria..." Kireina could see that there was something very wrong and tried to obtain the half goblin's attention but to no avail.
"You are not the only one that I had contracts with! Professional obligations! But I had to put most of those obligations on hold just to try and get this impossible order done and This is how you repay me!? You break my equipment and damage one of my golems only after assaulting me! Unbelievable! Never in all of my days have I had to deal with a customer as problematic as you! I honestly thought you were better than this. To think that someone in the marketplace would even think to break a binding legal agreement is blasphe-!"
"Maria! You have to stop! Now!" Kireina yelled. Her unease reaches a fever-pitch as she begins to catch on to what was happening with their so-called client.
Misery began to shake violently as her long scarlet hair fluttered up and down. Her eyes beamed a bright crimson as her body became engulfed in a dark aura.
"Uh oh," Maria whispered nervously as she witnessed this frightening sight. She then remembers the first time goddess M got angry after both her and Locke, a wandering mercenary, insulted the goddess and she also remembered the consequences that followed immediately afterward. These thoughts only served to further their fear. Misery, without noticing, had lifted her foot just enough to where Maria could crawl out from under it. As the scientist was escaping, Kireina slid herself off of the table. The two regroup behind said table before Misery blows it apart with a burst of black fire. Maria and Kireina are launched into the railing on the other side of the room. The same railing that overlooks the army of golems that they have been working on.
Ivy, the angel doll that Misery gave Maria as advance payment, looks up to the source of the ruckus. She sees that her new master and co-worker are in trouble and rushes to their aid. Maria slowly gets up only to notice that Misery is approaching them. Before Maria can make another move, Kireina steps in front to protect her from impending harm.
"Kireina? What are you doing?" Maria asks in disbelief.
"My job ma'am. What else would I be doing?" Kireina replied
The two exchange some words until the wrathful goddess gets close enough to speak.
"Are you done prattling yet? Because I'm done with the two of you." Misery's voice became deeper and had a slight echo to it. It sounded almost otherworldly.
She raised her right hand as a black fireball formed in her palm. Maria's expression went from uneasy to panicked as the fireball grew to the size of her. Just as Misery was about to fire it off, Ivy flew in to rescue the doomed pair. Misery saw this and quickly used her left hand to grab her. With one look, the angel doll was sedated. Sending her a telepathic message she fell asleep.
"Remember who your creator is, child. Never oppose me again."
After that, she tosses the angel doll to her left. Ivy hits the wall, spreading spare golem parts and testing plants everywhere and forming a crater before falling to the ground and having a pile of stone fall on top of her. Upon witnessing this, Maria's blood begins to boil.
"You...You killed her! What kind of creator are you! I thought you loved her! I thought you loved all your creations! How could you do this to her! How could y-!" Before Maria could utter another word Misery turned around and launched the black fireball that she still had in her right hand.
The half-goblin didn't have the time nor the reflexes to dodge such an attack but her creation did. Kireina jumped in front of the fire and grounded herself so that she wouldn't fly back into her creator.
"Kireina!" Maria cried as she watched her most precious creation burn in front of her eyes. The golem only turned her head and smiled as she softly spoke. "I told you. I'm doing my job. And that job is keeping you safe."
"Aww what's the matter? Am I breaking your toy? Say it isn't so." Misery looks at this with a grim smirk on her face.
Maria's rage reaches a fever pitch. "YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUT-!" Misery thrusted forward. She smacks the burning golem out of her way then grabs Maria's throat as she hoists her up into the air.
"I'm sorry. Did you say something? I don't exactly remember. But then again I don't really care."
"I have to get out of this choke-hold somehow. I have to put out the fire on Kireina quickly since It is destroying her stone body somehow. But what do I do? I'm not strong enough to get outta Goddess M's clutches. I need some way to get back on her good side. But that might not be possible unless." Maria thinks until she's forced to stare into Misery's bright red eyes.
Her heart races as she is trying desperately to breathe. Boosted by adrenaline, The half-goblin musters up enough strength to pull her mouth just above Misery's palm and call out. "Wait! The contract! We had a contract!" Maria takes out their Business contract. The goddess apathetically peered at it then into the struggling scientist's frightful eyes.
"Contract? Didn't I tell you that those silly pieces of paper that you mortals wave around mean nothing to me?" She touches the paper with her index finger and it ignites right out of Maria's hand.
"Wha-wha-what! No! You can't do that! You can't-!" Maria panicked.
"Who.. are you.. to tell me.. A Goddess... what I can.. and can't... do!" Misery's eyes narrow as she begins to crush the half goblins skull. Maria screams as her head is squeezed with tremendous force.
"Yes but you still need me for something, don't you!? I'm so close to completion! If you just give me more time and save Kireina! I swear it. Just save her. Please!" Maria desperately pleaded.
"Well well Well. Showing remorse, girl? This is a completely different attitude than from a couple of moments ago. Hmm, i wonder what caused the change?" Misery showed a smug grin as she continued. "Oh well. I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that. Again, you should have thought about that before you spoke out of turn! Now you will pay the price for your Insubordination. Starting with your sedimental pet!"
A black bolt zooms down the stairs to enter the lab. Just as the evil goddess was about to roast her victim alive. She is smacked with the head of a silver hammer axe. The force from the attack knocks her to the right side of the room, releasing Maria in the process. Maria falls to the floor, coughing profusely. When she looks around she sees that Kireina is no longer on fire but heavily damaged. She also saw that Goddess M had just fallen to her knees as a crater had formed in the wall behind her. Maria then looks straight up to see a hooded figure with a star emblem on their back facing the downed threat.
"Who are you? What did you do to her?" Maria says as she slowly begins to move.
"Oh me? I'm nobody special. All I did was knock her out. I think." The figure replies. The open side of the hood turned to slightly face her revealing that there was no face inside of it. Only darkness.
Chapter 3: Sub-Tyrannical Menace - End