A whimsical play of wind danced alongside streams of stardust. Forest leaves joined the symphony, twirling and sweeping from one forest edge to the next. The ground marked their interlude, but a zephyr's birth renewed the tumbling act, imbuing the dying green with one last burst.
Leef hopped on the fallen leaves, their demise expedited by the child's fun. His ruffled hair flopped from a vengeful gust. Yet, his energy propelled him forward as he weaved around trunks and under flourishing branches.
Isla watched him conjugate sounds with matching movements. He echoed the chirps of birds, the buzzing of insects, and even the howls of beasts.
She suppressed a smirk at his performance. "Does he always do this?" Isla asked while walking beside Rydin.
He chuckled and shifted the leather satchel he wore across his shoulder. "Leef entertains himself plenty."
She nodded. "With the weather like this, who could blame him."
The luscious treetop canopy thinned, ceasing to shade their travel from the peeking star. Another minute and they transitioned from looming trees to mild-mannered grass fields. A calm breeze circulated the scent of lilacs intermingled with fresh mint and damp grass. Beyond the grassland, a village sprouted forth, framed by pure white clouds and smooth gray stone. The wooden thatched rooftops gleamed wet beneath the evasive sunlight, flashing their traveling party.
"Can we stop here real quick? I need to inform the Elder we're heading to Lutenberg," Rydin voiced.
"That's fine." Isla yawned and rubbed her ear. She shadowed her eyes from the fleeting sun, peering at the village's defenses.
Well-constructed wooden watchtowers rose to the village's skyline. From afar, each cardinal direction had a guard post with soldiers stationed at multiple locations. Blunted metal cheval-de-frise lined the village's perimeter to create a fortification hoax. Considering Detra's poverty-stricken core, the village spouted considerable defenses. Still, the entrances contained neither gate nor blockade.
"Not enough," Isla murmured.
"What?" Rydin questioned.
Isla pointed at the guard towers. "Their defenses against Demons."
"They're for bandits. The Gods protect us against the Demons," he explained.
She snorted. "You shouldn't rely on the Gods. Didn't you learn from your parents that they won't always protect you?"
"I mean they aren't perfect, no one is, but when we call for their aid, they come. They have before. The communication crystal allows us."
She shook her head. "You haven't seen the rest of Detra. Look to the west. Half of the village is burned asunder. A small price they've paid."
"Villages can be re-built. Without the Gods, we would have nothing. What other choice is there when magic is scarce?"
"You don't realize." Isla sighed and swallowed the bile her words created. "Slaving yourself to the Gods is far worse than Demon attacks. The Gods attack more frequently. That damage you see, do you believe the Demons really caused it?"
Rydin chuckled. "Gods attack? I've never heard of that before."
"People don't voice the horrors of their self-proclaimed protectors."
"Come on, Isla. What would they gain from attacking us? They'd lose their source of income."
Isla clenched her jaw and refrained from arguing further. Rydin had Detra's mentality. He was blind.
Castions yielded before the Gods. In their minds, Demons were evil and Gods were good. How wrong they were.
Unlike other worlds, Detra was unlucky. Located on the spatial border nearing the Chaos Realm, this world reeked of fear. The rain shrouded the luscious forests and plentiful streams inhabiting the land. Add the island swallowing phenomena plaguing the outlying islands, and the richness was lost. The Gods dominated their culture and absorbed their resources from protection, but protection never arrived soon enough. Explain reality to the residents and you were branded a heretic. Fun stuff.
A single leather chested guard acknowledged their arrival. "Ye back," he spoke in a heavy rough accent. "Who's that?"
Rydin deliberated, squinting her way. "A friend," Rydin replied as he watched her before veering his gaze back. "I need to speak to the Elder."
He crossed both arms, his sword shifting and bumping his elbow. "Oh? What for now?"
Rydin straightened his stance with his body compact. "Nothing, Sir, other than informing him we'll be away."
A quick grin softened his scar-riddled face. "Ah, leaving ye say." He glanced over his shoulder, scratching his jaw. His gaze wandered between their party members. "I'll be nice this once, ha'e care of the village center. Not a place for the children."
"What's going on?" Isla intervened.
The man sighed, heavy and deep. "The Gods be here."
"Rydin, we're skipping your plans."
"What? Why? So what if the Gods are here Isla. They don't mean us harm," Rydin chuckled.
"Gods?" Leef added, pulling on his brother's shirt. "Can we see them?"
"I'm warning you," Isla retorted while glaring.
"Come on, Isla. They can't be that bad. Let's go see." Rydin strolled ahead with Leef beside him.
She growled at his retreating back, startling the man next to her. He shrugged her warning off and dashed into danger. What a fool.
Isla clenched her hands, pivoting on her feet to continue her journey. Rydin was the easiest option for travel to Arcadia, but why risk her life for him? She tapped her foot, weighing her choices. Gods were here. Forget Arcadia, if they ran amok, she would be forfeiting her life. Her quest to strengthen her seal could take eons.
"The fool," the guard muttered.
Without further debate, Isla swiveled back on course, her pace quickened to reach the two idiots.
She stalked behind and reached their halted states. Her eyes surveyed the silent crowd, their tense backs spoke volumes. Gods—nothing good came from their presence.
They stood at the masses fringe, a comfortable distance to subdue Rydin's sightseeing. He didn't know. He never encountered Gods before. If he did, rushing to partake in their appearance would not transpire.
Isla directed her attention to the circle's focal point. Two Gods, one male with golden blond hair traversing his back alongside a short black cropped female. Both wore snug long robes that flaunted their toned bodies and permitted quick movements. Their well-groomed appearances failed to conceal the malignant air their bodies secreted. Malicious, heavy and cold—even without her seal released her body grasped their aura.
The woman stepped forward, pulling a kneeled man by his whitened hair. She dragged his trembling form across the brick streets to her compatriot.
"This," she shouted and released the man, "will be a lesson." She kicked his fallen torso, drawing a howl. "Remember who are. We are Gods. Your protectors. Your saviors."
The gold-covered God materialized a sword from light. He lowered the blade to the shivering man's neck. Smut riddled his white beard and both of his palms were torn asunder. Yet, his condition didn't stir the hearts of those witnessing his sacrifice. Not a single word of protest or fury originated from their mouths.
The male God shook his head, his voice strained as he lifted the silver imbued sword. "We're saddened by your actions. Not once, but twice you've failed to pay your dues. I'm afraid that comes with a cost."
The crowd shifted, and a woman rushed from the inner throngs. "Please, have mercy," she cried, groveling beside the man. Her dull brown dress covered the entirety of her plump body. "Give us a chance, please!"
The female God chuckled and stepped forward. With a quick swipe, she backhanded the frail woman, the force sending her across the pavement.
"Silence," she commanded her lungs exuding force, causing the air to quiver.
Muffled cries ruptured from the crowd. Yet, their murmurs muted with a single fierce glare.
She picked her ear. "Don't test me."
Her thin lips twisted as her comrade's sword sliced clean through the man's neck.
"No!" wailed the fallen woman. Tears staining her scraped and blood scarred face. A loud, gut-wrenching sob tore from her body and she wheezed into a sullen mess.
Two village men hurried to her, hoisting her vulnerable state from the ground. They turned to retreat, but the female God's words petrified them still. "Stop." She grabbed the dead man's head, carrying the half-bodied corpse, a bloody trail behind her. "He hasn't changed much. Why do you abandon him?"
Rydin jolted Isla from the unfolding scene. "Isla," he whispered. "Can't we do something?"
Isla scrutinized him. "No. They're dead."
His mouth dropped, but no protest emerged. He averted her gaze and his face paled. But his appearance altered as the truth dawned; his jaw tightened and his brow furrowed. He gripped Leef's shoulders, pulling him close.
"What's wrong?" Leef asked, peering upwards. "What's going on?"
"Quiet, Leef." Rydin patted his head and the tousled blond hair bounced back.
Ferocious growls synchronized around the village center. The source drew into sight, the azure luminescent forms of magic created beasts. They stood, paws clawing the wooden roofs and manes streaked obsidian-black. A blue-tinted stripe patterned down their backs diverging into three.
"What's going on?" Rydin voiced. His concern mirrored the shifting and restlessness of the crowd.
"Nothing good," Isla responded.
The golden God clapped once and the fiends halted their outrage. "Quiet now. You won't want to miss my next words." He waited for the townspeople to cease their shuffling and murmurs. "In honor of your fallen leader who bore the blame and defended all of you admirably, we've decided to lighten your penalty. These beauties standing before you will be your judges. Try to live."
"Rydin. Leef. Run, now," Isla instructed, swinging around and racing towards Bartez's exit.
She glanced behind as screams wrecked the morning stillness. Rydin grabbed Leef's hand, dragging him along. Behind him, the magic creations pounced on the townspeople. Their bites torched their prey alive earning shrieks and the acrid smell of burnt flesh.
They rounded a corner and a black cropped man sprinted ahead. Yet, his escape died as a beast pranced across the rooftops, pouncing from above. He collided with the streets, face bloodied before flames engulfed his form.
"Isla!" Rydin called as another creation raced across the rooftops behind them.
"Get down," Isla shouted.
Rydin ducked, and the beast dove over his head. Landing with graceful ease, the creation turned, teeth bared.
"Can we stop it?"
Isla drew her sword and rightened her stance. "Yes. Either the aura runs out or we inflict enough physical damage. Chill its feet."
"On it." Rydin crouched beside her, his hands planted against the ground.
The beast lunged forward, but ice traversed the ground, striking its feet mid-leap. He rooted both hind legs with the ice encasing the front paws.
Isla darted towards the creation, dodging left as blue flames swirled past. She tilted her blade, slicing into the magic, the metal sinking. The wound regenerated as she removed her weapon. Yet, the magic fabrication howled and staggered.
Without pause, she continued her onslaught of attacks. The resistance diminished with each strike, one more caused the body's constitution to quiver. The aura sustaining the creation faded and disappeared like a puff of smoke.
"Isla, in front."
She turned, spying the first beast ripping the man's burnt corpse. An orange beaming gaze peered upwards, connecting with hers. The creation's snout puckered, showcasing sharp white teeth and a snarl reverberated from its throat. Prowling forward, the beast pranced left to right, the oscillating steps swinging against the tail's direction.
"Same thing," Isla voiced, positioning her blade forefront and ready.
Roots ripped from the ground, flicking and twisting. They extended towards the beast, following its escaping form.
But the magic apparition learned quick, flames fanning from the beast's mouth, incinerating the chasing roots. Yet, the quantity overwhelmed the creation and it flailed for freedom.
With the beast immobilized, Isla unleashed a fatal blow and watched the creation depart.
"Should we go back?" Rydin wheezed with hands on his knees.
"No, we can't take them on."
"But what about the others?"
"Would you like to join them?" Isla snapped.
"Isla..."
She sighed. "I'm speaking the truth. We go back, and the Gods will kill us. Look at yourself, a few spells and you're exhausted." Isla paused, clearing her throat. "Without magic, we stand no chance."
Leef yanked his brother's cloak. "Rydin, can we go? Please," Leef whined.
Rydin grasped his brother and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
They escaped the village, their back's heated by the blazing blue furnace scorching the land. The one day without rainfall and death befell them instead.
Isla glanced at Rydin, his shoulders slumped and the ground transfixed his vision. A moment more, and he peered upwards, gazing from her to Leef. "Leef, look forward."
"What happened?" Leef peeked at his brother through long golden lashes. "Was that a Demon?"
Rydin patted his head. "No. Don't worry about it."
Isla winced. Did Rydin intend to conceal the horrors of the world from him? How foolish. Raising a naive child will get him killed. He would be like her, devoid of life's truth until his heart freezes and shatters. The pain would be quick and unbearable. She watched Leef stroll ahead, kicking a lonesome rock forward.
"You're judging me, aren't you?" Rydin mumbled.
"I didn't say anything."
"But you're thinking my choices are poor?"
Isla exhaled. "I have no right to comment on how you raise your brother."
"I see," he murmured, musing over her response. After a pause, he continued, "Those in Bartez were like that. Always ready to judge." He ruffled his hair, scratching his scalp. "Sorry. It seems I overlapped you with them. There's been too much already for today. But really, why attack innocents? How can I explain this to Leef when I don't even understand what just happened?"
"Don't think too much about it."
"But then I'll be living the life of ignorance," he mumbled.
She glanced at him. "What?"
"Earlier, you talked about the Gods and their evil. I didn't believe you."
"What's the point in caring? Detra isn't alone. And you aren't alone in thinking the Gods are almighty and just. "
"Why should I care? Because I should never be happy with being ignorant. There has to be some reason. An explanation for why they do that..." Rydin trailed off, his brow scrunched.
He could search unending for an answer to explain the Gods actions. But he joined her conundrum, logic didn't describe the Gods, just manipulation and greed. A desire to dominate and to show their strength. Pathetic.