Sanu Nepe’s journal

  The harvest season ended quickly enough, my acolytes laboring as the corn, amaranth and many other crops that grew around and within those fields were harvested as the wet season was brought to an end. The watery reservoirs of heaven closed. There was a somewhat noticeable dip in quality in our little project, but they still fulfilled their duties. I could still bring the deity into existence.

  I clearly remember the day I finally finished that deity's creation, not in body but in mind. Everything was set in place, it was an orderly structure where once it had been but a pile of sludge. A shred of a dead god's corpse. It was beautiful. The most beautiful thing I’d beheld in a very long time and emotion gripped me as winds do a ship on the high seas. How all the parts fitted closely together to create a mockery of a person. All work from my brilliant hands.

  “Well, it seems like someones happy,” such words were spoken by a voice, Huse Napasa’s, that sharply cut through my laughs and joy, “Make some progress on your project?” I responded to that only with joyous laughter. “No,” I eventually mustered out between laughs, “No. I’m done with this. It’s made! All I’ve got to do is provide it with a vessel. A proper one.”

  The beast remained quiet for some time, and I could see it was shocked by the words that left it, “That was awful fast.” I snapped, “And I am awful good.” The spirit soon continued with a far more cheerful tone, joyous and glad, “Well my friend! This is good, very good. We’ll both benefit from this in due time.”

  I only shrugged at that. Silence reigned over us even if my spirits were still high and pleased,

  “Well, a friend of mine has a human upon whose disappearance she would be quite pleased. I recommend we go there; it’ll be cheap. The money will only go to keep his family quiet.” I only nodded at that, “Well, my friend! See you soon. I’ll be accompanying you on your trip.” It quickly vanished from sight. I had guessed the spirit would follow after us, but it was good to receive actual confirmation. I was still distrustful of it, but I knew full well it couldn’t be avoided.

  That’s fine, perfect really! I’ve formulated some plans, and the spirit will be vanquished soon enough.

  …

  “We’re going on a little trip,” I said to them both the night after that conversation with Huse Napasa. Pipo and Relino looked at one another and appeared less displeased by this than most of my plans. “It should be fine,” Relino further mused, “People are going on pilgrimages again after Qejonu’s death. We could hide under that pretext.” We all remembered how important providing some kind of reason for travel is. Human suspicion is a mighty powerful thing and we were driven out of many towns due to it.

  I nodded and smiled widely, “Can either of you guess the purpose of the trip?” Neither of them appeared entirely sure, not enough to answer. I didn’t leave them hanging and bellowed out to them both, “It’s done! I figured out that last flaw and the rest was finished over the course of a couple of hours. Our project is complete!” Sheer shock gripped both of them, all signs had pointed to two weeks or more of work. But that was not so now! Pipo was the one who asked, “Father, what-what do we do now?”

  My eyes glinted in glory and arrogance, “We will, empty-brained buffoons, be on our way to rob a man of his useless life.” I was quite pleased with myself but both Pipo and Relino appeared displeased by that. Pipo had a look of mild disgust while Relino looked, above all, tired. I gnashed my teeth, “Buffoons, neither of you realize what has to be done. Where would we be without me! A vessel is essential for this all..” I sighed in frustration and asked the both of them, “But I trust you will do what has to be done, without you I can’t obtain this sacrifice.” Before any of them could say anything I added, “You don’t even know this man, so quit that mood! And grab the wealth Huse Napasa gave me.”

  While none of them shone in even pretended happiness, both of them nodded and steadfastly said, “Yes, father.”

  …

  The morning of our leaving was uneventful, the cool air filled the entire town with its slothful strength. Prior days had been employed in some harvest festival, I avoided as many as I could but was still forced to go through the uneventful boredom of one. Pipo and Relino played all sorts of the local and foolish games and in the process won us some useless bones.

  “Tomorrow,” I had said to them the prior night, “Tomorrow we do this.” Neither of them had argued against me. Now Pipo shook me awake and whispered to me, “The sun has risen. Best not to waste his light.” I grumbled and said, “Fine. Bring me breakfast.” He did as he was told with a nod and gave me the same coarse and miserable fare. I couldn’t even muster the energy to verbally complain about its quality. “Everything we need is packed,” said Pipo to me, “We only need your word, all is ready.”

  I chuckled at that. How much closer did my goal seem? I thought it fitting to ask, “You have the treasures with you?” He nodded, “Concealed within ordinary goods, just as you asked.” I chuckled once more at that. We found ourselves ready to leave, agile as the winds, soon enough.

  The road opened itself before us alongside the light of the newly risen sun, his face benevolently looking at us all. We walked through the remains of the prior festivities which still lingered on, and would for some time more. I entertain myself with wild fantasies of grandeur, some which I could not repress with all the emotion within me. “Good to see you, Relino, Pipo!”

  I was pulled out of my high thoughts by the voice of Qasipeqi. Relino and Pipo exchanged greetings, saying cheerfully, “Nice to see you in health!” The three of them exchanged handshakes with their brown limbs. “Where are you going?” He said that after looking at our clothes, they were clearly made for pilgrimages. I was the one to respond, “Nowhere all glamorous. Simply the Imperial city of Pajuhunura. Heard it had a nice relic, and I would like to test some of the salt that marks its name.”

  I held the tiniest and most unbefitting semblance of nervousness within my heart but the young man didn’t think any of it. “Who can say?” he chuckled, “You shouldn’t have much trouble. A friend of my father told me things have calmed down there since Qejonus' death.” All of us nodded at that. Pipo and Relino joked, “Let us hope you don’t lose to a snail in a ball game again.” He shook his head, “One time, one time I trip while attempting to avoid stepping on one of those creatures and now that’s all you two say!”

  Still, it seemed to me that the whole thing was in jest since they all hugged each other and whispered some blessings to one another. “Hurry on up,” I said to them in an indifferent manner, “Wouldn’t be good if we wasted the sun's light.” We didn’t receive any interruption afterwards, the whole town was still drowsy from prior days of festivities. Some people had left for their own pilgrimages the prior days, but it appeared none joined us at that specific time of day.

  Better for us.

  …

  The journey was somewhat rough, it brought back unpleasant memories of wandering through endless forests, mountains and plains through rain and drought all the same. Of ever gnawing hunger, the kind which isn’t so much slain when one feeds, but kept alive to provide endless torture. I was a miserable man now, but back then, I was less than a man. I was like the most meager of beasts.

  At least this time we had plenty of food to go around, though it may be coarse and in all ways rather unpleasant. Yet, just as my hunger was kept alive back then, so my mind is always unsatisfied even as my body thrives as much as its joints will allow. Never to forget.

  As Pipo began to say something I made him be quiet with the movement of a finger. “We are being watched,” I nonchalantly said as we stopped to provide ourselves some nourishment, a strange and coarse mix of corn and wheat crackers, “That I know.” The others were eating as well, seeming to find more pleasure in the miserable meal than I had, so damaged were their palates, “Huse Napasa?” So questioned both Pipo and Relino, almost simultaneously. The beast was sneaky, I could only barely make it out. I nodded, “Her and others. There’s no point in trying to communicate between lines. She’s listening even now.” Relino was the one who launched the question this time. I suppose he always thought in a slight subconscious manner that the conversations in our native language were somehow private. Impressed, he commented, “I still can’t believe she learned our native language just by listening.”

  I snorted, “It is not very impressive, not for a deity.” I looked up to the wretched spirits that looked to us above, “How many of you even are there? Come down; speak.” None came down. One spirit attempted to speak from an insignificant lizard's body but it soon found itself pierced by an eagle's razor beak. One of her puppets I assume. For a single brief moment it seemed as though the canopy was at war with itself as it moved in a strenuous manner. The straining beasts soon responded, “We acquiesce, we acquiesce! Let us watch; that is all we will do.” And calm reigned once more

  The spirit cheerfully said to us, “I apologize; it was necessary. Some people just need a little pain to come to their senses.” I was entirely unimpressed and simply said to it, “Keep it down. I can’t have you ripping off an officer's face once we reach one of those places that host this mockery of civilization.” As is so often so easy for spirits of all kinds it cheerfully responded, “Of course, friend Sanu Nepe, of course!”

  The rest of the rather short journey to Pajahunura was rather uneventful. We saw a few people on our path, our momentous journey, but they weren’t urgent affairs. We weren’t a pair of kindred ships exchanging letters to send to the home nation. A short greeting and that was all. Most Mexihuacans looked at our Culiqaquist robes with either fear or disgust. It was short yet the elements of sun and rain attacked furiously. Yet it meant nothing for us as members of the Necromancer caste are resilient to such things, as much as is possible in our fleshy constraints. The spirit didn’t speak with us much, rather uncharacteristically, lest I prompt it.

  I obtained some worries, but I was confident I could unravel that former deity's secrets fairly easily. By Relinos expressions I have reason to believe he continued communing with that deity back in the town. Troublesome. Still, all things considered; I see a bright future awaiting me.

  …

  The so-called Imperial city of Pajahunura is rather quaint. Its overlord may not deserve the title of emperor. But I liked the wooden palisade thrown around its center, the mountains where some mines jutted out, and the quaint little homes, fields, and well-ordered fences. It seemed, above all, planned. At least the most visible parts of it. Entirely in contrast to our hodgepodge village-town.

  “I can’t follow you,” Huse Napasa had said to me. I jokingly mocked her, “Why, is it not good enough for you, its overlord, too lowly? Doesn’t he technically rule this whole land?” She clenched her beak and barked, “None of that! I am loyal to him!” I heard her whisper to herself, “It is what the master would have wanted.” It continued soon enough, “But a ducal deity, Nolina, rules over the city as a patron. I abhor her. You’ll be alone. Stay safe” I clenched my teeth at her, “I’ve survived much, little spirit. I will not die so easily.” It had only nodded before vanishing into the rustling leaves toyed with by the galloping winds. I hosted some pleasure within me, I could probably communicate without her wretched interference. She most likely wasn’t lying.

  We walked in our peaceful robes towards the city's walls, multiple haughty doors being placed around the wooden barricades, great things made from wrought iron treated with fire and the corpses of cut trees. They were manned by a bunch of lazy-looking men. One of them appeared to be falling asleep while another looked at some meaningless text.

  “Some guards they are,” I muttered to Pipo and Relino bitterly. In a far more cheerful and respectful tone I loudly proclaimed, “Greetings! We desire entrance into this most glorious Imperial city. Long life in the great house of Jalapepano!” My words pushed the sleeping one awake while the other continued ignoring us. They whispered some things to one another. The formerly sleeping one said to us, “I suppose you can come in. Culiqaquists?”

  I had equal abhorrence for both of this land's major faiths, but they were physical things in the end. I wasn’t to be held to the same moral standards as the lower castes. “Indeed! ” He chuckled and arrogantly asked, “Still believe that little lying demon? His ridiculous tales! If he’s the moon, I’m the duke!” I wasn’t capable of answering as the two men shared some laughs with one another. He didn’t even appear to care about the fact we didn’t exhibit great reaction. “You should be grateful the great emperor is so merciful, even though you dogs deserve none of it. The only cost is twenty cigars per person.” The man reading a book said, “You zealots ought not be trusted with property, beasts that you are. A proper worshipper of the Ojotillas wouldn’t even have to pay one!”

  I didn’t care about any of those words, they all passed through me. I thought both Culiqaque and the Ojotillas were lying, each in opposed yet equally insidious ways. Only to us had the One true Emperor revealed the secrets of the cosmos. I only bowed and tipped my straw hat with my dark brown hand, “Of course, glorious be any shred of wealth that goes to the grand emperor!” The money was passed without much difficulty and we soon entered the city.

  …

  The city was quaint on the inside. I whispered to both Pipo and Relino, “It’s quaint, but rather small. Wouldn’t have counted as a city back in our homeland.” I pointed at the census of less than ten thousand, carved on massive tablets of wood and hung upon a massive temple to the great deities of the city, a statue of them and Qejonus' sister and killer all the same, that ducal deity Penani Nolina, shaking hands. Both of them only nodded.

  We arrived rather late, so I thought it best if he procured a place. The rainy season appeared to be over, but you never knew. We, as I had guessed, were rejected from a lot of places on the basis of the Culiqaquist religion. But these gods were cunning, they knew each town's smell and any liar who didn’t wear the robe of pilgrimage but smelled like a Culiqaquist would find himself massively unlucky. We stayed at a small run-down place. Some other Culiqaquists were seen there as well, from small settlements but they all banded together with those from their native settlements.

  I reminded myself as I fell asleep that I would transcend even the bonds of humankind.

  …

  “Find anybody we can sell these trinkets to?” It was, of course, not befitting for the likes of me to go around as a boy selling a bag of peanuts to find buyers. That as my acolytes, my sons in spirit and in practice, duties, “We have.” Pipo said as they shared with me some Tamales, doughy contraptions filled with beans and some local spices, “A few actually. We ought to get a decent prize.”

  I nodded, “We don’t need too much. Only enough to keep a family content after a death..” We ate quietly for a little while. “It’s good. Rather good,” I said between bites, “By these barbaric standards at any rate.” Neither of them argued against me, only nodding. They always did that. At times it pleased me and at times I wished that they would stop.

  “We’ll see to it. Let's go after the sun has calmed down a bit.”

  …

  The store was run by a calm-looking old woman, her skin sagging and a pair of spectacles on her round face. Clearly worn by the ravages of many decades of time, slowly sapping at her strength. She sat in a shed, it didn’t appear to be a proper store. Just a place to store merchandise that her grandchildren would sell.

  We came in and bowed in a chivalrous manner, “Ah, fair lady, we came here for business.” She nodded at that and chuckled, her mouth lacking in countless teeth. From there came her nearly unintelligible accent.

  “Of course,” she said, absent-minded and unfocused on us. I smiled and opened the bag, leaving all the precious materials the spirit had stolen and given to me bare for her to see. She nodded upon seeing it, “Good, good.” She gave us what appeared to be twelve Kilograms of tobacco.

  I did my best to stand up straight and with an utterly authoritative tone said to her, “Wretched woman! This is worth twice that at the very least!” She snapped at me, “Why, young man, are you truly so miserable you need to scam the helpless? Shame on you! Nine kilograms.” I clenched my teeth in rage but before I could say anything Pipo and Relino intervened, “Please old woman, these are all the things our entire village could gather.” As Relino finished, Pipo continued, “Be merciful.”

  She shook her head, “Fine. Fifteen kilograms; that’s what I’ll give.” The three of us thanked her profusely and left the place soon enough, just as another child, this one seeming some three years younger than my acolytes, came with tobacco and asked his grandmother for merchandise to sell.

  It’d say it went rather well, could’ve been a lot worse at least.

  …

  We stayed for the rest of the day in that settlement, even though we had the thing we had come for, and soon had to that wretched village once more. I said to Pipo, “Go, buy us supplies. Food and the like.” He nodded without argument and went to do so. Relino was about to do so but I smiled widely and said to him, “No. You come and walk with me. We've got some things to discuss.” He appeared somewhat nervous, but nodded and ame along with me without further prompting.

  We walked by the cobblestones, the many quaint buildings towering above us. Some were made of adobe, yes, but many more had bases of brick or stone and arching walls of wood. The temples and the palace, of brick and stone, towered in the distance. “We’re close to our goal,” I whispered, “I can’t believe I made deities every few months.” I chuckled, “How distant those days are now.” Although Qejonu was of considerably higher quality than I usually used.

  We walked together and he asked me in the politest tone he could muster, “Is that what this is about, your musings? That’s why you pulled me away from helping my brother?” I made a dismissive gesture, “He’s not a child. He can handle this. You know that.” After a little while I said to him, “You two never even stayed long enough to complete all the sacraments. You aren’t related by blood and only tenuously by spirit. Your true bond is to me.”

  Truly, only the fact that every region was bad at differentiating the faces of people from a place only a month's walk away meant we could go along without being asked questions. While normally good at controlling his emotions Relinos face twisted into genuine emotion, consumed by burning anger. His teeth gnashed and his fists grew clenched as if preparing to punch me, himself, or something else. It vanished quickly but I found it rather funny.

  “So that’s that.” He didn’t ask another question, “I need you to do something.” He nodded and attempted to distance himself from his pior rage. At least it seemed that way to me. “Very well,” he asked me, “ What do you need me to do?” We kept walking. I looked up at the heavenly sun, dimming but still glaring in the afternoon light. “I know you have kept in contact with the wild spirits.” He only nodded at that, freezing for just an instant, and then continuing though nothing happened.

  “Indeed, I never really thought you would stop.” I shook my head, “My wild outburst that day came from the heart not the mind. It would take more than that to stop you.” He nodded at that and we kept moving. The ambient tone was soft and quiet, and the streets were none too crowded in the little corner from that hag of a merchants hideout. “You ought to find out the true plan that wretched Huse Napasa has for us.” I shook my head, “She is planning something.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  He snorted, “That is clear.” I nodded, “You’ve a greater contact with the others than I do. And she observes you less than me. I tell you this; whenever you can, communicate with one of them. In a kind of insinuation perhaps. She’s told me how she brags to her brethren; I hope she lets slip some of it.” He nodded at me and in a curious tone asked me, “You do know she will most likely find out about this, the others aren’t the type to withstand her serious questioning.” I smiled widely, “I only need to know before her; what made her change her plan. I am close, I can make changes and destroy any plan she may have. We can communicate later; through our project.” I know it doesn't have access to that. It may think it does, but that is its unchecked arrogance talking. It’s never bothered to try.

  We went by quietly the rest of the journey, until we reached the place where we were staying. I whispered to Relino, “I didn’t want you communicating with them in case you got any ideas.” I pursed my lips and before he entered said to him, “You seem to care for Pipo, but I have cast off all empathy, useless traits. I am older and wiser than you. If you try anything to interfere with my plan; I will make him wish he was dead. Pain will never leave him alone. Understood?” Once more, I saw him try to repress his emotions. It wasn’t as bad as last time, he only went entirely blank as I had seen him do before. He spoke in a hopeless manner.

  “Understood.”

  …

  We left in the morning quickly enough, decked out in the robes of wandering pilgrims as we walked through the city. It was a quaint little thing, even if still naught but a mockery of the glory of my bountiful homeland. Nothing would ever rival the glory of our homeland. Two guards stood around the gate. I bowed before them, as did Pipo and Relino. I joyfully let out, “Ah, good to see you in health! Blessings be to this city, our stay was wonderful.”

  The man snorted and said to me, “Of course it was. Now scram; we don’t want to take our chances with you nutjobs.” We bowed low before them and continued on our journey. We continued through the dirt path for some time more, the drying earth with its ever-hardy weeds and aged trees clearly visible. A voice cut through the silence, “All done, eh?”

  I saw Huse Napasa, in the form of a pigeon, perching on a tree, a good one. I only nodded at it. It let fly chuckles, “Very well. Follow me; I’ll guide you to the town. It isn’t too far from here.” We followed it with shuffling footsteps. A sort of silence hung between me and Relino, but it was so slight that I think it flew unnoticed between Huse Napasa and Pipo. All for the best.

  …

  The rest of the journey was uneventful. Even when we didn’t hear it in plain sight, our senses picked up the presence watching us. It was impossible to know if it was the arrogant deity, or if it was some other spirit. At least it truly guided us as I told it.

  The journey wasn’t long at all, in the grown afternoon Huse Napsa said to me, “You should reach it before sundown. ” I had only responded to it with annoyed and cutting words, “My feet are growing tired. Must this continue-” Huse Napasa retorted, “You can do anything, but look over there.” It pointed me to a trio of armed men looking at us three in a hostile manner. We passed them prior but they were still in eyesight, “What of them?” I asked without care.

  “What of them?” The beast repeated, “Why, they looked to rob you. They delight in doing so to foolish pilgrims and peddlers. They’d have beaten you and stripped you of all things.” I didn’t particularly care about that, but it would make things an awful lot less convenient. No bribe money, only raw strength. Seeing this Huse Napasa eagerly said, “Am I not an excellent friend? I won’t let you die, but I don’t have to protect you from all things if you chose to be like this. Do as I say; I know best, Necromancer. ” I looked at it as it vanished. It clearly had a plan, but all other details vanished before me like mist. That fumed anger within me.

  Before the sun set Huse Napasa appeared to us for the final time. It chuckled and said, “This is the place. I spoke with the local deities.” I looked at it, “So we will not have trouble.” Huse Napasa chuckled, “She won’t harm you a lot.” It spoke brightly to Pipo and Relino, “Cheer up. You should arrive back in your town by the morning of the next day.” By my judgement that appeared to be roughly correct.

  The small town was entirely like what we expected. We’d seen similar towns before coming here, truly little more than villages. The people appeared to look at us distrustfully, with an unsteady mixture of fear, hatred and disgust. They warily eyed the great knives on us, some Pipo bought earlier in the city, silent warnings to unarmed peasants such as them. None of them dared approach us. I heard rustling behind me before I could make out the figure. A terrible mass of flesh and sinew, of poison and hide, of twisted intellect, that stood behind me.

  It bared the spurs on its poisonous legs and wings, as well as its mouth, and tail all the same. It was, clearly, a wyvern. The destitute men appeared to recoil in fear of it, even just its view. It hissed at me with varied sounds, from a bubbling pot to the movement of a carriage wheel. I smiled at it, and bowed before it. Pipo and Relino soon followed my lead. “Grand being, we acknowledge your authority,” I said to them, “Give us your message.”

  Upon seeing our submissive gestures the creature appeared to relax while remaining wary. It spit out a message, leaving me unclear knowledge of how much of it it truly understood. As wyverns do, “Come and see me, that empty goddess spoke of you. Only the three of you.” I nodded and said to the wyvern, which had so perfectly recreated the deep, grumbling voice of a female wyrm without understanding a word it said, “We’d be honored.”

  We followed it through the roads of simple dirt until reaching a central building at the town's center. It was decorated like the local fearsome temples, palaces. We found a pair of wyverns at the entrance of the building. They arched their backs as a cat does when they encounter a fearsome creature. They communicated with curious sounds once more, and greeted one another with familiarity. By their look, and truly the general organization of the species, I am led to assume they were siblings. Wyverns didn’t take too kindly to those outside their hives.

  I entered the building alongside Pipo and Relino. A great and mighty mass lurked inside, a terrible and fearsome serpent. It had an aged kind of look, made clear by its great size. “I suppose you are Sanu Nepe, and those are the ones who follow you.” It let out a great chuckle and approached me with a great angled serpentine face. It opened its maw exposing great teeth which while clearly used for the purpose of chewing leaves and straw could easily rend flesh from bone and crush my being.

  It chuckled at us, much like that deity and commented, “She is awful excited about you, but I’ll get the final choice about you lots worth.” I eyed it warily as when cued laughter erupted from four people dressed in curious clothing, each sitting in one of the wall's cardinal directions. I stood proudly and said to it, after bowing, “Aged wyrm, mighty dragon, we only wish to take one of your people. You tell us who, we’ll settle for any.”

  It let out a humming noise and prompted the man facing the west into taking out a musical instrument, an ocarina, which he soon began to play. “Do tell me,” It said as it dragged its great body towards mine, “What do you want with it?” Relino and Pipo bowed all the same. Relino explained, “Grand being, mortal god, we have duties to attend with the spirits of the field and wood. That’s why.”

  I snapped at it, “Did Huse Napasa not tell you.” The beast turned back and curled in upon itself. “No,” it mused, “It said nothing. That’s just how she always has been.” It continued like that for some time before I calmed myself and asked, “Now, grand being, who must we kill? Who do you dislike?” It hummed to itself once more, the musical tone changing once more as it battered a wall with its tail as a cue.

  “I abhor many within this age,” it mused to itself, “People really aren’t as loyal these days.” I sighed at which point one of the men, an aged man, cried as it made a click with its tongue. I thought I saw a smile from its cavernous mouth. “Look how they agree with me! At any rate, kill an old man. By the name of Rile Hiruna. He’s got an unmistakable noble kind of look. Been causing a great heap of trouble for us.”

  I genuinely asked, “Why didn’t you get rid of him sooner?” The men around the four directions appeared genuinely fearful for a moment and I beheld a flash of terrible rage within the great wyrm. “Such insolence,” it hissed out, “He has other spirits on his side, and our own god is an absolutely useless buffoon. More interested in pulque and women than in his duties! But with Huse Napasa they’ll keep quiet.”

  It now unmistakably grinned as it pulled back its lips to reveal furiously strong teeth, “That’s why. Hand over the tobacco Huse Napasa talked about. Any questions?” We bowed before it and only said, “Of course not. We are ready.” Once more it unmistakably grinned at us. We handed it a good amount of tobacco which the men assured us would go to keep their family from causing further trouble. Looking before us, it said,

  “Excellent.”

  …

  The actual endeavor wasn’t much too difficult to carry out. The man we found was doing nothing worthwhile, sleeping in the coarse ground and grass. The weather of this land was warm and so such an endeavor was possible at any point of the year. The man was aged, still alive but clearly in the later portion of life with sagging and wrinkled brown skin. Overpowering him would be achieved easily.

  And indeed it was. Pipo and Relino with fearsome strength held the man down as they struggled to keep his mouth clenched shut. They managed to do it before he could do anything. I paced around him, relishing in the power and saying to him, “Now, my good friend, you ought not be upset! You will be the final link in the inauguration of something much greater than yourself!” I looked down at him, “Smile, yes, that is what you should do!”

  At the same time I said, “You do what we say, and you will go through this with as little pain as possible.” The man attempted to struggle and was painfully struck with a wooden rod, a muffled scream leaving him. I am sure his mind was filled with countless profanities, yet all of them would remain locked within him with great and endless strength. Pipo finished the orders, “We don’t want to do this, but we must. Forgive us.”

  The man didn’t stand up against us after a few more attacks with the rod. Humans by their very instinct are creatures fashioned by the mighty gods. Pain is the thing which teaches the young not to touch the fire or cut themselves with shimmering blades. It was what kept our delicate mechanisms alive in a world of dancing winds, prideful rocks, and terrible weapons of wretched creation.

  He followed us soon enough, spirit crushed easily enough. We sank into the edges of the dark woods easily enough, wading through paths with our superior senses as the old man struggled with his steps. “Try and keep up,” I arrogantly said to him and chuckled. Within his eyes a look of utmost hatred was seen. But that was fine; I was no inquisitor, Mexihuacan or Imperial. The one true empire, not this sorry mess. I didn’t desire to delve into his innermost minds. I only needed to exploit the machinery which kept him running.

  We continued like this for some time. Once we were far enough from the settlement as the moon shimmered above I absentmindedly said to both Pipo and Relino, “Ungag man. It is no longer necessary. Only the wild spirits and beasts will hear his screams.” I had a morbid sort of curiosity as to what the man would say to us, as if there was one thing I was certain about here it was that he would most definitely not remain silent.

  They did so with only a nod as we continued wading through the endless grounds. The man didn’t immediately respond to me, to us, simply slowed and breathed strongly with jagged gags like a bushy dog struggling for breath. “Keep him going.” Pipo didn’t respond with words, but simply used a terrible stick to hit the man. The man quickened up his pace soon enough with a sharp yelp of pain.

  After a few more steps, while his pace didn’t slow he began to speak. It was naughty but curses at first, “Wretched useless piles of dog slop! Dishonorable bunch of dirt, not even mud, that’s what you are! Most disgusting and miserable! Deer hearted-buffoons, scrawny dogs! More dishonorable than wolves! The great Mejolo Migeru will never allow any of you to drink her precious blood! Disgusting worms!”

  Such things did he speak, although he ended up slowing down after a bit. I chuckled brightly, rather entertained. “Oh, you are simply silly!” I said to the old man with a dismissive gesture, “Truly, you are the blind worm here. Be jolly! You have been chosen for greater purposes!” The man snarled at us both, an illiterate peasant, and said to us, “I don’t care if the great Tamer of the Flame himself gave you fools an order! Have you no respect for polite, civilized society? Ordering elders around-striking them with sticks as though we were children! All your bloodlines will surely face eternal wretchedness!”

  I chuckled at that, which seemed to bring him great rage. In a cool and icy tone he said to me, “You think this is funny, eh? You delight in this, do you? You don’t even have the proper manliness to face me, you send those boys of yours to strike me!” I only smiled at those words as we continued on walking, as I said to the man, “Perhaps I do delight in this. Just the smallest amount. That feeling of authority.” I chuckled once more, and with a gesture from my hand Pipo and Relino struck the man. Once more the old man produced a great clenching of teeth .”At any rate, antiquated relic,” I said before he could interrupt me and proclaim some of his own words, “I care nothing to engage in a beastly brawl with a barbarian. I am of a higher caste-It is time that it shows.” I laughed uncontrollably this time, not the controlled chuckles of before. “Oh, I am oh, so happy. I don’t suppose you understand.” The man appeared as though he had been struck by a momentous bolt of lightning. He looked at me as if I was a foul thing he had found crushed at the sole of his foot, and seemed to prepare to say something.

  He never got the chance, for a vibrant voice echoed from the four cardinal directions, “How good to see this, friend! Yes, how very, very good.” I looked up yet did not stop walking, replying dryly, “Uselessly theatrical as always, Huse Napasa. I suppose I should thank you for figuring out something with that serpent.” The old man attempted to struggle, the sudden moment making Relino beat him again as I instructed him prior. He, in a more subdued manner in movement if not in voice let fly, “Great Goddess! You served Gigo Rrere, you must understand the righteousness of my cause.” It seemed as though he would cry, ridiculous on such an old man, “Why do you side with that arrogant worm, why do you help her destroy me with this madman? She is an outrage to all the rights tenants have under the sacred system!” He calmed himself, not willingly, just having tired himself in the same way a child does when he cries too much. He’d run out of tears, “Why?” He asked in a hollow, lifeless tone, like an empty shell robbed of life.

  The spirit remained silent for some moments. It responded in the same cheeky tone it always used. Despite that, a dark and bitter undertone hung interlaced between its words, “Ah, there is your mistake little man! Your struggles are, for now, unimportant to me. I am dreadfully sorry; I can promise your grandchildren's grandchildren will see some benefit. But for now, I am not under the law's glory. ” The man continued, eyes darting to the fearsome beating sticks both Pipo and Relino carried before asking, with curiosity and bubbling rage rather than the desperation which had previously possessed him so strongly, “Then why do this? At least kill and devour me honorably, not whatever sick thing these three lunatics have for me.”

  She responded somberly, reflecting to herself, “I’ve never liked tearing humans myself, always delegating that to others. Even though I’ve always craved their flesh, few times have I put them to death." He appeared to just be coming to terms with his situation. Huse Napasa continued before the man could make a response, with a forced sort of cheerfulness barely kept together, “Oh, but death doesn’t await you! Be happy; you’ll become an Idol! This quaint little spirit will hollow you out and twist its tendrils into you as I have this bird's fleshy bodies. Isn’t that honorable?”

  We kept walking in silence for some moments. The old man appeared emboldened by some words said, immortal like a stubborn pest, and proclaimed, “May I ask a question?” I mockingly agreed in Huse Napasas stead, “Of course you may ask her anything! I am sure she would be happy to answer.” I got closer to it, and asked it “Wouldn’t you, my oh-so dear friend?” I desired nothing more than tearing all that deities' stolen idols apart, establishing my creations triumph over that fat bird's corpses. I would become an object of devotion, and in due time, a god. It appeared to wish to keep composure and replied cheerfully enough. “Of course.”

  The man eventually managed to get out, “Whom?” The spirit responded to him soon enough, “What does it matter?” He muttered something to himself and loudly repeated, “To whom.” Huse Napasa appeared reluctant to answer but once more built up a shaky veneer of cheerfulness. Did it get like this any time it faced a Mexihuacan with such heavy topics? “Why, you’ll be the vessel, the idol, of one of the Qese Rilu! A most shameful mockery of them at any rate.” The man looked at her with a look of utmost disgust. If he looked at me like a foul thing he stepped on, he looked at the spirit as though it was half a worm he found wriggling in a bright fruit. He held himself up in an air of arrogance, a truly godlike posture of imposing authority as we walked even with his shameful bruises and wrinkled, sagging flesh.

  “You disgust me,” he snarled to her, “Sinking to such lows. If only the great Gigo Rrere could see this, oh I am sure he’d spit, he’d vomit in your wretched face.” His face was full of disgust, of arrogance, and more. I made a signal to Pipo, a small one, and the man was beaten. I hadn’t liked his tone, but I regretted doing so at seeing the way Huse Napasas host appeared to freeze and then quiver with rage. He saw this too and emboldened went back to a more painful and miserable poem but continued, “That’s all I’ve to say to you. Propping up the grandest of Infidels which Gi-” He was cut short by the terrible claws and beaks of horrible, both to sight and ear, mockeries of birds which tore his flesh. Some of his blood glutted the dark earth full of its cheerful mind and bodiless spirits winding around endless roots.

  “Don’t you, miserable wretch, dare use that name against me! You think you know my Lord better than I do, eh, arrogant, arrogant, miserable man! You think I do not hate the Culiqaquists, the ones who removed me from my rightful temple and turned me away like stray dogs. Why, even your insults haven’t angered me more than the very memory of their saint just now! But remember, do remember, even though I know you are a brainless worm, lowest of the low, that glorious god’s insolent daughter was the one who struck him down!” With flaming disgust it finished, “That one which I know you worship, useless, useless, useless Nolina!” Huse Napasa calmed herself for a moment. By this point Pipo and Relino had gripped forth terrible weapons, bloodthirsty daggers. It wouldn’t be good if that arrogant goddess slew our man in a fit of rage, pierced a major artery or something of the like. But I thought this a perfect chance and whispered to Relinos ear, “Perhaps you won’t have to sneak information out from the other, lesser spirits. Let them talk and fight, I’ll tell you when to strike it down.” After a moment I added, “Don’t you dare disappoint me.”

  Under shock the old man gripped his wounds, seeing the blood and that now accompanied his bruises. They weren’t lethal if he didn’t get them infected, something he wouldn’t have to worry the slightest bit about once my precious spirit possessed him. He looked at his wounds, as if with a sense of disgust which soon turned into vibrant elation, as though a bolt of lightning had brought him holy knowledge. He soon began to chuckle, “I see what you are doing. You remind me of my brother. You are lying to yourself. Perhaps you’re right, then you ought to realize he wouldn’t even recognize you as one of his if he saw you as you are now. You’re wretched, more than me. If you think it is not so, you never truly were a goddess of this land.”

  She moved back, as though all her empty shells were physically struck. It-she, frankly matters little now, began to mutter loud enough for others to hear, perhaps unintentionally, “It is only temporary. The necromancers spirit-it, will be destroyed soon enough. I only want to build up hope, then snatch it from them. I’ll have some followers. He’ll-he’d like it, he’d understand-his son learned to crucify the infidels from him after all-yes, Qejonu did. I won’t allow his son's corpse to be dishonored for long, I’ll put it to rest. I just-I need to get stronger. He would understand. His daughter must die, yes, she must. I’m loyal to him. Yes, yes.” It kept whispering things like that to itself, its mind stirred into a potent storm by the galloping winds.

  I’d never, not with a thousand jests, managed to turn the spirit into that shrivelling mess. I suppose I never knew much more than the barebone of the story. I was glad though, I know its plan now. I overestimated it- It thought too highly of itself and too lowly of my creations' sheer strength. That would prove expensive for it, for her, yes, very much so. The old man stood up and looked at the shriveling messes in front of him. Seeing an opening he instinctively tried to run but Pipo and Relino struck him with the wooden rods once more.

  He fell in pain, and in between such a thing all he did was look at the rising sun. He appeared to have obtained an epiphany and grinned before calmly saying in a tone meant to incite anger,“You are a fool. Your schemes are useless and dishonorable. If you had the bravery for it, you would end your existence as his last son did.” Huse Napasa appeared to have bubbled into boundless rage, endless sadness, “You useless worm. He would understand everything. I will not, simply can’t let myself die. But you-now, I see why that dragon wanted to kill you. I’ll finish the job for her.” The beast chuckled darkly, and failed to see how the old man's face lit up with naught but the utmost joy. “Now, what organ would you like to lose fi-”

  It never managed to finish its sentence. One of my Acolytes struck the avatar which had uttered such words with the fearsome dagger. It proved accurate, and the mockery of a bird's head was removed clean off. The other one speared another one with the same glimmering steel weapon, short yet deadly. A third I threw a knife through its brains. It was delightful and accurate, and I relished in seeing Huse Napsas other possessed corpses move around like a bunch of headless chicken. The forest shook with fearsome bugs, flying scorpions, bearing poison. I suppose the living corpses which didn’t talk whispered for them outside our atencion. Possessed too where they by the spirit. Our attacks, though, helped to calm it as the fearsome things retreated back into the darkness. I cheerfully said to them both, grinning wildly due to my barely contained anticipation, “My good friends, all of you! Stop with this brutal fighting. It is a cheerful time, a god is about to come into being! Let us be merry and merciful!”

  It was a strange effect, that I said this as I made signs to Pipo and Relino that they beat the old man once more, I delighted in it, and as I choked another of Huse Napasa’s horrible mockeries with a piece of cloth. An aggressive one that refused to stand down. The old man's face shifted into the utmost sadness. I know, for certain, he realized he wouldn’t be leaving this entirely. His soul and mind may be destroyed, but his body would become the puppet of another deity. I felt like a proper master once more. Huse Napasa appeared to recollect what she had said and apologized to me, “Oh, please do understand-I didn’t mean what I said! Those were naught but feeble intrusive fantasies- I adore your plan! I’ll do whatever you plan!”

  I said with the utmost joy the following lies, “Of course I believe you, and forgive you! Are we not friends? All of us have a purpose in my grand plan!” I gestured to Pipo and Relino to continue the walk by beating the elder once more. The man let out a yelp, “Please, have compassion, do you not want the best for your god?” I simply laughed, “Your wounds are nothing, old man. Do as I say, lest my sons beat you once more.” I hummed a merry tune as all this took place, unable to contain my joy, uncharacteristic of me though this all seemed.

  I was simply so wretchedly excited!