NOVPUB
Chapter 406: 406
The first creature emerged from the mist, its eyes fixed on him. It moved with a speed that defied human comprehension, striking with a series of lightning-fast blows. The guard managed to parry some of them, but he was no match for the creature’s unnatural speed and strength. A sharp pain shot through his leg as the creature’s claw raked across his thigh, sending him crashing to the ground.
The creatures, their task complete, let out a series of guttural shrieks. They grabbed the unconscious guards, their talons digging into their armor, and began to drag them towards a section of the alley wall that seemed perfectly solid. As they approached, however, the wall shimmered and dissolved, revealing a dark, gaping maw that led into the earth. It was as if a hidden door had opened into the very bowels of the city.
One by one, the creatures pulled the unconscious guards through the opening. The last to be dragged through was the guard who had discovered the idol. As he was pulled into the darkness, he briefly regained consciousness. He looked back at the alleyway, his eyes wide with terror, before the wall shimmered again, sealing the entrance behind them. The alley was once again silent, the only evidence of the struggle the scattered weapons and the lingering scent of blood and dark magic.
Deep beneath the city, in a place the guards never knew existed, a vast cavern opened up. Torches flickered on the walls, casting long, dancing shadows that revealed a disturbing scene. The cavern was filled with grotesque statues depicting the bird-like creatures and other monstrous figures. In the center of the cavern, a crude altar stood, stained with what looked like dried blood. The unconscious guards were unceremoniously dumped onto the cold stone floor. Their captors, now fully revealed in the torchlight, were even more disturbing than they had appeared in the alley. Their faces were avian, with sharp beaks and glowing red eyes. Their bodies were lean and muscular, covered in dark feathers. They were not human, not entirely, but something far more sinister.
These were the zealots and listeners of the gods counterpart. From the appearance of these believers, it can be seen that Crepuscular counterpart has the most influence on them.
For the gods watching, this was a sight all too familiar and sadly they could do nothing but watch as the zealots act. Jaws counterpart seemed to have shared his experience as the gods counterpart now steer clear of what could prove them to act.
As for why they haven’t been found yet, the captain and guards are about to find out for themselves.
The cavern air hung heavy with the stench of damp earth and something else, something acrid and unsettling. The bird-like creatures, their task completed, began to undergo a disturbing transformation. Their feathered forms rippled and shifted, the beaks receding, the talons retracting, and the feathers melting away to reveal human skin. In moments, the monstrous creatures had become ordinary men and women, dressed in simple clothing.
The change was not merely physical. A subtle shift in their demeanor also occurred. The feral gleam in their eyes softened, replaced by a chillingly serene expression. These were no longer ravenous beasts; they were calm, composed, almost... pious.
the transformation complete, the former creatures moved among the unconscious guards. A low murmur rippled through the cavern as they began to recognize the faces before them.
"Father...?" a young woman whispered, her voice trembling as she looked at one of the transformed human.
"Sister..." a man groaned, his face contorted in disbelief.
The murmurs escalated into cries of shock and horror. Among the fallen guards were not strangers, but people they knew intimately: fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, even respected leaders. The realization struck them like a physical blow. These weren’t random disappearances; their own loved ones had been actively hunting them.
Sadly, their cries for answers were met with only cold, emotionless stares as they were dragged before the crude stone altar. No words were spoken as their armor and clothing were stripped away, leaving them naked and vulnerable.
From the shadows emerged more zealots, each holding a wickedly sharp sacrificial knife. They knelt before the captured guards and their captain, their faces set in an almost pious expression. Without hesitation, they began to carve into the bodies of the screaming guards.
The knives, honed to razor sharpness, sliced through flesh with terrifying ease. As more cuts were made, a horrifying pattern emerged: the zealots were meticulously carving the flesh and blood of the sacrifices into the shape of a crude, avian-like creature, mimicking the forms they themselves had briefly taken.
From where the beak of the crude sculpture would be, a pulsing, raw opening of flesh emerged. This grotesque orifice hungrily absorbed the pieces of flesh and blood offered to it. Slowly, painstakingly, the mass of flesh began to take shape, forming a rough square with jagged, uneven edges. It was clearly incomplete, a grotesque mockery of a true form.
But the zealots saw something different. They knelt before the bloody effigy with fervent devotion, their eyes shining with religious ecstasy.
One of them, seemingly their leader, spoke in a low, reverent tone, "Our part has been done. Share the good news with our brethren as we await their good news." A chilling smile spread across their face.
The other zealots nodded in unison, their gaze fixed on the pulsing, bloody square. They seemed to believe that this crude offering, this horrifying act of mutilation and sacrifice, was enough. Enough to appease their dark gods, enough to solidify their twisted faith, enough to herald some unknown, but undoubtedly terrible, event.
The silence that followed was broken only by the dripping of blood and the ragged breathing of the soon-to-be-dead, sacrificed guards. The night gave way to dawn with unnatural speed, as if the darkness itself was eager to flee the scene of such horror. It didn’t take long for the disappearance of the patrol to be noticed. The absence of the guards at their posts, the lack of any report, sent ripples of unease through the city.
A search party was quickly organized, a grim and hurried affair. Ironically, the search party was led by one of the very figures who had orchestrated the attack on the guards. This individual, now cloaked in an air of concern and urgency, expertly guided the search. Familiar faces could be seen amongst the searchers, each wearing a look of fear of the unknown, as if they, too, were genuinely terrified by the disappearances. This facade of fear was expertly crafted, the truth remained hidden, buried beneath layers of deception and carefully constructed lies.
The leader of the search party, the zealot who had participated in the ambush, spoke with a grave tone, his voice laced with false concern. "We must be thorough," he instructed, his eyes scanning the faces of the searchers. "These disappearances are becoming far too frequent. We must find them, for the safety of our city."
The search party fanned out, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets. They searched alleyways, questioned late-night tavern keepers, and even checked the homes of the missing guards, all to no avail. The trail had gone cold, seemingly vanishing into thin air.
While the humans, reamied oblivious to the happenings around them, the godlings meanwhile were secretly gearing up for a fight as the gods relayed the news to the demigods. From the observed actions of the counterpart, the gods can say with certainty that the demigods were being targeted and their time of ascension was the moment their counterpart will choose to strike. As for how they will do that, they don’t know but it was enough that they know how to prepare.
Somewhere above the sea some distance away from the eastern continent. A never seen before craft can be seen moving so high up in the sky that it looks like a black dot.
A closer look at the craft will show a huge airship, covered by a magical shield where nothing can be seen from the outside.
Beyond the magic shield, a scene that respects the nightmare of most mortals can be seen with the ship filled with inexplicable fog.
Walking on the deck of this ship were the incorporeal figures of women holding on to chains with tall men in armour following right behind with a resentful and lustful look on their faces.
They know the ship quite well as each figure went ahead to do their part. While doing their part, they sometimes steal glances at a female figure not far away with light that penetrated through the magical shield casting itself upon her like a spotlight.
Incorporeal like them but she has no chain and she was taller than most of the women around. Nothing exceptional except for her figure and distinct facial figure that most would find ugly.
This female figure was with a smile on her face as he spoke to the empty air around her like someone was there with her.
