We Are Taking Down the Goddess

Elm Woods

The dark woods were wrapped with the voices from beyond. The countless nocturnal entities moved swiftly with the wind, merging with the hug of grey. The light of the shining moon grew dimmer. The obnoxiously tall trees and thick mist wouldn’t let a single ray of light reach these places. As if the area was completely secluded from the outside world.

A young girl reached for the entities that moved about. Their velvet bodies brushed against her skin as they passed. Their forgotten voices soothed her soul. She felt their cries, worries, and anger. Some longed to meet their loved ones. Others wished for a second chance. While the rest cried for revenge. There was a gentle brilliance in the way her hands moved, a stunning confidence. The girl felt comfortable around spirits as if this was her second nature.

-        “Paige! What are you doing? Move! We are running out of time!!!”

A man’s voice pierced the echoes of the dead. She felt his strong grip around the back of her hand, pushing her towards him. Those hands spoke of unyielding determination. His broad fingers strengthened by battle. His knuckles toughened up from all the fighting. But, no matter how hard he pulled, she immediately released herself from his grip.

-        “Wait.”

The man stopped in his tracks. If these woods were calling out to her, then it has to be something important. The man focused his gaze on the oncoming ghosts. They were swarming the place by the dozens. The girl reached for their delicate bodies once more. But, this time the entities rubbed against her neck, embracing her gentle skin.

-        “Tell me. What do you see?”

-        “They are coming.”

-        “They are here.”

-        “They know you came.”

-        “They don’t wait. They never wait.”

-        “They hunt.”

-        “The hunt has begun.”

The voices of the dead echoed around the forest. They were so loud even the man could hear them. He just stared at the unreal scenery. No matter how many times he has seen it, it can never fail to surprise him. Her magic. It was just unearthly.

Then, the spirits went from whence they came. Their noises disappeared into the mists. Though the forest was silent, the man felt a pungent scent.

-        “We will kill them here, Tihrak.” – the girl declared.

-        “Understood.”

The moment the man sunk his feet deep into the ground, an iron pendant popped out from under his leather tunic. A couple of triangular pouches hung around his waist. He took out the hug rawhide shield and long spear that he always carried with him and maintained a defensive position right in front of the young girl.

-        “Don’t do anything stupid, Paige.”

-        “I won’t!”

-        “Good.”

Tick-tick-ticking noise reverberated. As time went on, the ticking subsided. Until it was no more.

-        “Now!!!”

The girl yelled. Although there wasn’t a single enemy in sight, the man swung his spear, and out came a strong wind. The power of the spear took down the nearby trees, sending forth a mighty energy. A loud thumping sound emerged, followed by a thick pool of blood. Before the man even realized it, he had killed five creatures.

These monstrous humanoids resembled a cross between a wolf and a human. Their coarse black fur with a hint of a brown coat took Tihrak by surprise. But, the moment he noticed one of the creature’s claws twitching, he immediately stabbed it once more. The spear went right for its dark eyes and came out the other end. This time to make sure it was dead.

Then, there it was. Another one of those ugly beasts staring right into his eyes. Tihrak could feel its nasty breath. Because of how close it came, it was difficult for the man to take a good look at the beast’s distinctive features. The only thing that captured Tihrak’s attention was the look in its eyes. Devoid of any discernible emotion, just like any beast should. But, there was something different. Something he had never seen before. His reflection… it was upside down.

Moments turned to seconds. Seconds became a minute. Time somehow changed. The creature stretched its long tongue dripping in blood from its previous prey. This savage beast. It was two times taller than the average human. With hands stretching all the way to the calf muscles. Its claws long and rancid. Feet and legs similar to that of a dire wolf. But longer. Strained even.

Though it walked upright, it didn’t even slightly resemble a human. It possessed a bestial cunning, a cruel demeanor. It enjoyed seeing the look on his face. Tihrak was trained not to show fear. Yet, he couldn’t help but freeze in front of this ungodly being. There was something about this beast that trapped his mind. He couldn’t quite figure out what it was. The only thing he was certain of was that his body was no longer his own. 

A blast of unholy energy went right for the creature’s eyes, melting them to smithereens. The beast screeched, then fell to the ground. While it rolled on the floor, struggling to cope with the pain, dark magic corrupted the bottom, causing decay to form underneath. The decay extended through every layer of its skin, exposing its back muscle, and leaving irreparable nerve damage. It burned its fur to crisp.

That’s when the man realized. It wasn’t that time had passed. But, that every fiber of his body fell under the beast’s spell. If it wasn’t for Paige, he would be dead. Tihrak immediately regained his senses and charged the creature. His spear landed a menacing blow, toppling one of the few trees that were left nearby. This move, it had just the right power to erase this thing from existence. Yet, when the dust cleared, the body of the creature disappeared.

-        “Impossible! It can’t move that fast with that wound.”

-        “It didn’t.”

-        “What?”

-        “Look up.”

The man raised his head. The creature that was about to receive his deadly blow was now in the sky, with over a dozen repulsively long tongues holding it in the air. As soon as Tihrak faced his target, its body turned to shreds. Thorn and consumed by its own kind. When the creatures were done gobbling up the rest of its flesh, they leaped into battle.

-        “Buy me some time.” – the girl mumbled.

-        “Leave it to me.”

Without hesitation, the man faced the creatures head-on. Now that he could see them, he was finally at an advantage. He slammed his shield into the first oncoming target, smashing and deforming its already repulsive face. Then came a powerful Serpopard. This unusual being that the man summoned had the body of a leopard and head of a snake, adorned with countless ancient Egyptian ornaments. It was as agile as it was terrifying. It cut through those who would stand in its way.

There was no escape from this spear master’s swift blows. He had honed his skills through years of hard work and formidable opponents. Still, there were plenty of these monsters left. One of them used its tongue to grab onto the bloody shield to penetrate his defenses and close the gap between them. Just when its claws landed on the shield, Tihrak’s eyes turned blood red.

For a moment, his fingers were no longer holding onto his deadly weapon. The spear was hanging above ground all by itself. Red magical fragments had embedded its surface, glowing with intense energy. Soon, the world around them turned red. And thousands of spectral flaming versions of the spear emerged out of thin air. Then, they all came crashing down like a deadly hailstorm. Each spear that landed created a fissure in the ground, destroying what was left of the nearby forest.

The creature staggered and immediately backed down. It dodged the onslaught, but the rest of its kin weren’t so lucky. Their bodies were obliterated. The beast ground its teeth as it watched their twitching lifeless bodies bathing in blood. From its quick and calculated movements, Tihrak immediately recognized the leader of the pack.

Without hesitation, he grabbed onto his floating spear once more and bolted towards the beast. This was the kind of movement that was faster than lighting, yet precise through and through. His swipes may have looked random, but they cut the creature with ease.

Although decapitated, the humanoid roared. This scream, it came from the lungs and bypassed the ears of the adventurers that stood nearby. It felt as if the world shook, and brought forth a dark wave. That’s when the corpses of the beasts rose back up again. The cadaver…that soul-spark, it made it feel alive again. Their pitch-black fur turned grey. Even their aura changed. If the villagers were here, they would die of fear. But, the two adventurers never faltered.

Paige took out a thick book, its worn pages gentle to the touch. With each whisper came dark magic, a complete opposite from her bright pink ball gown and long wavy hair, tucked away in a bun. On that cold day, her blush silky gloves came as a blessing. Yet, she didn’t wear them to keep the cold at bay. They were just part of her style. A perfect representation of who she was – a beautiful girl with a beautiful soul.

But, for some odd reason, this lady with shiny eyes, wielded death magic. Magic like that shouldn’t be used by someone like her. At least that’s what everyone else thought, until the moment her eyes showed her true color. After finally casting the entire spell, her irises turned dark raisin, as if a demon possessed her soul. The aura around her slightly lifted her dress off the ground, forcing her platinum necklace to protrude from under all that layers of clothing.

Before the beasts had a chance to move, a demon circle adorned with runes similar to those that were engraved on Aiko’s skin appeared, scorching and marking the ground underneath. Then powerful magic came forth, strangling the beasts and tearing out their damaged souls. The bestial bodies turned to husk and became one with the earth. But, the spectral forms that came out of their mouths left the man dumbfounded.

-        “Such pure souls. What were they doing in such a horrifying body?” – Tihrak gasped.

Paige’s eyes regained their former glow and her menacing aura dissipated. The girl walked towards the demon circle, crouched down, and gently rubbed her fingers between the grass.

-        “I never thought I would see one with my own eyes.”

-        “What are they?”

-        “People called them Aswang. They are one of the most feared mythical beings from my timeline. I just never imagined they were real.”

-        “I’ve never heard of such beasts. But, after everything we’ve seen, I don’t think they surprise me anymore.”

-        “There is something else.”

-        “What is it, Paige?”

-        “We’ve been tracking the fairies for a while now. But, this is the first time we are getting a real breakthrough.”

-        “Did the dead reveal something?”

-        “They didn’t have to. Look.”

The girl pointed towards the runes. She used her sharp and well-kept nails to scratch the soil, outlining a couple of words.

-        “What does it say?”

-        “Fairy blood.”

-        “What?! How is that possible?! We killed only beasts. There were no fairies around! That doesn’t make any sense.”

-        “It does. See this?”

The woman outlined another set of words. Wherever her fingers moved, dark magic followed, forcing the runes to glow.

-        “It says Elm Woods.”

-        “Well, there must be something wrong. The map says Dark Woods.”

-        “You know how the winners are the ones who write history?"

-        “Yes. That has always happened. Ever since the wars began. And I think it is the case for every world. Not just ours."

-        “I picked this forest for a reason. No matter which scrolls I read, only the elven books mention a different name. I just couldn't decipher their language from the old world. Now I know. It makes sense. This is the birthplace of the Elmcup ancestry. The only living breathing being that's left of that bloodline is here. Walking among us. You know...the Elmcup were warriors, charged with guarding their kingdom for eons. These creatures we just fought are their former fairies. Remnants of the Middlemist Red Empire. Most likely their fallen warriors."

-        “How?! What?! No! That’s nonsense!”

-        “It’s not. Think! Those spirits that came out. They look exactly like them! They are fairies. Probably beings that abandoned the path of the light to seek vengeance. They turned into these grotesque things. I just still can’t believe what the fairy kingdom has come to. But, this is our best lead.”

-        “Then, who changed the name of this place?”

-        “Most likely the Vernians. After conquering it.”

-        “Weren't they saviors? Weren't they the ones who teleported the fairies to a different realm to save them from the war?”

-        “I don't know.”

-        “What should we do now?”

-        “Get the villagers to safety.”

-        “What about this? Are we…”

-        “Don’t. The guild mustn’t know. We keep this to ourselves and finish the quest. We need all the cover we can get.”

-        “All right. Just promise me one thing, Paige.”

-        “Yes?”

-        “When it gets out of control, we run. Promise me you will stay safe.”

His reddish-brown skin added a sweetness to his aura. The woman approached, her hand gently caressing his warm cheeks. Her soft lips became steeped in a passion that ignites. It was the kind of sweetness that emitted pure love, enveloping them like a protective cocoon. Although their backs were exposed and their bodies vulnerable to attack, whenever they became one they felt as if they could overcome anything. As long as they were together, they could beat anyone.

-        “I promise.”