Another crack rang out, and something struck the fiend in the chest, prompting him to instinctively cover the wound with his hand. However, there was no discernable injury or impact to his flesh. More projectiles struck the fiend in the head and chest, but though they didn’t appear to be damaging him, he still flinched and jerked in surprise, feeling something that wasn’t there.
"Noah," Valia said with a small smile. "Zodiac: Teez!" Trusting her instincts, Valia activated her magic and enhanced her cutting power, wrapping her sword in mana. She then attacked the distracted fiends, beheading him with ease.
Off in the distance, Noah watched her fight, not with his spyglass but with a scope. He was holding an illusory sniper rifle, a weapon he was intimately familiar with from past lives. Though it was utterly intangible, his body remembered its weight and feel in his hands as though he was holding true metal instead of just air.
Like the rifle, the scope was an illusion, but it showed him the same view a material scope would produce. Staring through it, he focused on one of the fiends and pulled the intangible trigger. The sound of a gunshot echoed out as a bullet, made of mana, was propelled from the end of the barrel and crossed the open air before hitting one of the fiends in the side of the head.
Despite the illusory bullet’s lack of mass, it still drew a strong reaction from his targets whenever they landed, because though it had no effect on the physical body, it did affect the soul. Noah had tested this power on himself during experiments, and rather than cause pain, each impact produced a splash in his consciousness. Powerful ripples moved through his mana from the point of impact, bouncing back and forth in his body, not unlike the shockwave of a real bullet tearing through flesh. It shattered his focus and left him dazed, with his soldier instincts telling him he had just been shot despite the absence of a wound.
Even the fiends, drunk on power and madness, felt like someone had stepped on their graves every time a bullet struck them, and their subconscious would scream that they had been wounded. They’d look down to check, expecting to see spurting blood pouring from a hole in their body, and in that moment of distraction, Valia separated head from neck.
Once the battle ended, he rode over with her horse in tow. Before arriving, he dismounted and walked the rest of the way. From what he had read in Sylphtoria, speaking to a member of the horse tribe while on horseback was a great insult. He reached the scene of battle, where Valia was helping tend to the wounded. The centaurs accepted her help gratefully, but when Noah appeared, they retrieved their weapons.
"Stop where you are!" the group leader shouted, aiming his bow at Noah’s heart.
He and his fellow warriors were garbed in various forms of armor, from leather to plate mail, and wore pack saddles on their equine backs to let them carry whatever they needed. They all had dark hair, beige skin tones, narrow eyes, and horse ears to match their lower bodies. Like their leader, the other centaurs readied their weapons to fight once more, several repeating the order in another language.
"I come in peace."
"Relax, he’s with me," said Valia.
"Elves are rare in these parts, but humans? All too common. Are you from Uther?"
"We both are," said Valia, pushing his bow away from Noah’s direction. "Where we come from does not matter. What matters is that we are here, having just saved your lives."
"And why would the pawns of Uther do that?"
"Because we share a common enemy," Noah said. "The politics of Handent and Uther have no bearing on our presence. My companion and I are here for a single purpose: to erase the source of these abominations. We assist Uther simply because it is Uther that asked for our help. I am Noah, the Wandering Spirit, and this is Valia Zodiac. We are your allies in this fight against evil."
"It is Uther that set these demons upon the land! The kingdom of man has angered the spirits, and they are punishing us!" another warrior shouted with a thick accent.
"It is Uther that is fighting against the demons. Like he said, we share a common enemy," said Valia.
The lead centaur raised his hand, and those under him lowered their bows. "I am Nord, of the Petosic horse tribe. Thank you for helping me save my brethren," he said to Valia.
"It was the right thing to do," said Valia. "However, your men still need tending to. Noah?"
"I’m on it."
Noah approached the wounded centaurs and began administering potions and bandages. The warriors all glared at him with distrust, but their closing wounds dulled the sharpness in their eyes. After healing the centaurs, Noah began examining the corpses of the slain fiends. After his experience in the Anorvan Forest, he wore gloves and a mask for protection.
Even with their heads cut, their organs spilled, and their limbs removed, their flesh refused to accept death. Wounds were slowly closing, and tendrils grew from the stumps of dismemberment, trying to reattach the lost limbs. Moreover, with his magic active, Noah could see the mana in their deformed bodies. A dark, evil miasma was flowing through their flesh.
"If I may ask, Nord, these fiends, how many of them have you and your men encountered?" Noah inquired as he worked.
"We’ve killed scores of them, animal and man alike, all transformed into abominations. However, I’ve never seen them like this before, able to talk and use weapons."
"Well, well, well, I think I’ve found the true weapon right here," said Noah as he pulled open one of the fiend’s tunics, revealing a creature latched onto its chest. It appeared to be a black flatworm as large as Noah’s forearm. It reacted to his presence, quivering and releasing a threatening hiss, and as his hand approached, a mat of sharp quills grew out of its back.
"My friend fought a wolfman with one of these attached. He won, but he didn’t walk away in one piece. These parasites appear to be the source of the corruption, as well as a source of immense power. I don’t suppose anyone in your village has one?"
"We would never allow it."
"If you were aware of it, you mean. From what I’ve heard, it’s now possible for hosts to control at will. I imagine these slave-traders were such a case. Valia, would you mind assisting? I have need of your steel body."
Valia cast her endurance-enhancement spell and circled around the corpse, looking at the parasite with unease. "You look like you have things taken care of here."
"Just grab it and pull. I need to study this thing."
Valia took a deep breath and hesitantly grasped the creature, causing it to hiss and flap its sides. However, its spines could not pierce her skin. She tried to remove it, but it was holding on tight.
"It’s not letting go."
"Feel free to get a little rough if you have to. There’s plenty more where this one came from."
She took a deep breath, reaffirmed her hold, and gave another hard pull. Slowly, it began to come up, letting Noah see the horrors underneath. It had an inverted mouth, extending from within its body like a proboscis, and was hooked onto its host’s flesh with numerous teeth. Though Valia was able to overpower the creature and detach its mouth, she had to stand all the way up and pull with great strength to finally separate the parasite from its host, which had a dozen thin tentacles hanging from its underside, each one almost a meter long and burrowing into the corpse like roots.
"This creature is revolting," Valia said with a grimace as the worm flailed its body and tried to bite her with its extending mouth.
"Agreed, but also resilient. It should be screaming in agony in this sunlight."
Noah poked around the tentacles with his knife, careful not to get too close. They branched off like arteries, each end secreting black fluid, which strangely smelled familiar to Noah, though he didn’t know why. Upon exposure to the sunlight, the fluid ignited and burned with dark flames. Noah pulled his hand away, and Valia dropped the parasite, the two narrowly avoiding injury. It writhed on the ground and screamed as the fire moved up its body, which was rapidly disintegrating.
"It appears feeding on the host’s blood gives it the endurance to withstand the sunlight, but it burns through it rather quickly, pun intended."
"The Profane are just supposed to smolder under the sun, not burn with cursed fire," Valia hissed.
"Their venom burns like this. These parasites must produce it in exchange for the blood they take, but nothing I’ve read said that the venom needed to be applied consistently like this." Noah retrieved the fiend’s severed head and pried the jaws open, revealing a wall of jagged teeth with four long fangs. "Interestingly, the lower fangs are hollow, but the upper ones aren’t. From what I’ve read, the Profane use their lower fangs to drain their prey’s blood and use their upper fangs to inject their venom."
"The Profane multiply through corruption instead of procreation. If they can’t use venom, they’re basically sterile."
"These things aren’t just sterile, they’re fake. They aren’t legitimate fiends, they’re artificial hybrids built upon a symbiotic relationship with the parasites. Though weaker and unable to pass on their strength, they can survive in sunlight, which is fatal to the true Profane."
As he spoke, Reynolds and the soldiers arrived and immediately butted heads with the centaurs. "Put down your weapons! I’m warning you!" Reynolds shouted as he and the soldiers readied their swords.
Rather than lowering their bows, the centaurs pulled back the arrows even farther. "You are not welcome here! Leave this place or die!" Nord warned.
Both sides were itching to battle until Noah produced an illusory handgun and fired three rounds into the air. The loud, foreign noise shocked humans and beastmen alike and drew their attention back to him. "Sir Reynolds, though I appreciate your dedication to your mission and our safety, your rudeness is unbecoming. You will all dismount and greet these men properly, as though Prince Lupin were standing beside you."
"I’m not going to get off my horse and bow my head to—" Reynolds was cut off as Valia loudly cleared her throat, making him pause. "Men, dismount." He and the soldiers put their weapons away, climbed off their horses, and then greeted the centaurs with a military salute. "I am Sir Reynolds, serving under Prince Lupin of Uther. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
The less-than-genuine greeting from the men of Uther failed to comfort the warriors, but seeing their short leash at least got them to lower their bows once more.
Noah turned back to the centaurs. "Nord, I have been tasked with finding the source of this evil and erasing it, and to do that, I need all the information I can get. With your permission, I would like to speak with other members of your tribe about their experiences with these monsters. What did they look like? How did they act? Any pattern or detail your fellow warriors might have noticed would be invaluable."
"Under no circumstances would we allow a group of Uther soldiers into our village."
"Of course you wouldn’t, that’s why they’ll be obediently waiting outside of your territory while Valia and I ask our questions. Once we have the knowledge we seek, we’ll bid farewell and resume our journey, aided by the information your tribe has given us."
"Sir Noah, I’m supposed to be taking you to Welindar. With all due respect, we don’t have time for this," said Reynolds.
"I’m doing exactly what Prince Lupin wants, I’m investigating the parasites, and I’d like to arrive in Welindar with some answers. So, Nord, will you consider letting just Valia and I into your village to talk?"
"As you are the ones who saved our lives, you have earned the right to ask for our trust. You may follow us to our village, but your soldiers cannot follow."
"As you wish. Sir Reynolds, you and your men are to wait for us here. We’ll be back by this time tomorrow."
"Sir Noah, it’s my job to escort you to Welindar! You’re asking me to forgo an order from Prince Lupin himself!"
"I’m doing this to get answers for the prince. While I’m gone, however, I have a task for you. These fiends were taking prisoners, and I want to know why and where. They must have a camp nearby. Find it and search for clues, collect everything. There may even be some captured innocents in need of rescuing. Do this for me, and you’ll be helping the prince."
Reynolds gave an angry sigh. "Very well. Don’t make us wait."
Noah and Valia returned to their mounts, and though some of the centaurs gave them dirty looks, nothing was said. They followed Nord and his party out of the ravine and onto the plains. Several centaurs still weren’t fully healed, so they traveled at a modest speed. After hours of traveling, a settlement appeared, a forest of yurts emitting puffs of smoke from cooking fires.
Before arriving, the group stopped so that Noah and Valia could dismount. The display of etiquette was enough to soften the expressions of the stern-faced hunters. Noah also adorned the green cloak given to him by Elisandra. Though the natives wouldn’t know the details of its significance, it showed that he was an ally of the elves, someone they would hopefully rather speak to than just another human from Uther.
As they walked through the village outskirts and entered the fold, Noah kept his head on a swivel in search of enemies and to examine the tribe members in their daily lives. He wanted to see if they were as the books he read described. The men, women, and children typically walked on two legs rather than four, but they still retained their horse ears and tails and could assume their centaur forms whenever they wished. Their clothes were made of wool and animal hide, yet no sheep were being kept, or any kind of livestock or pack animal for that matter.
The horse tribe was just one of several nomadic communes roaming the Petosic Steppes. Despite their migratory lifestyle, Nord and his tribe owned no livestock or pack animals. Beastmen had unique relationships with animals and followed the teachings of various ancient philosophers, such as the doctrine of Ram’dal, in which no animal could be kept as a pet, livestock, or beast of burden. During travel, Nord and his tribesmen carried all their worldly possessions on their backs or pulled them in carts and on dragging sleds.
As he walked, Noah watched the women of the tribe digging up wild potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, and harvesting herbs, wheat, and other plants. They had all been planted during previous migrations and allowed to flourish and spread. While gathering, the women planted seeds so that one day, they could return and gather their crops. These food highways crisscrossed the landscape, made by the roaming tribes, in a tradition that went back over a thousand years.
While the women gathered, the men hunted, for though they did not believe in owning animals, they weren’t above eating meat and using leather under certain circumstances. As per the teachings of Ulntakka, beastmen with herbivore totem beasts could not eat other herbivores, regardless of species. However, hunting predators and all manner of carnivorous animals was allowed. Their yurts and clothing were made from the leather of wolves, big cats, and other meat-eaters.
Upon Noah and Valia’s arrival, their gazes turned cautious and fearful, and they muttered amongst themselves in another language. Just like the elves of Sylphtoria, guests were rare and unwanted, and considering Uther’s conquering of Welindar and the surrounding lands, their aversion made sense. Nord brought Noah and Valia to a large tent in the center of the village, from which emerged the chief. The sun and wind had lined his face, but age had yet to whiten his hair. He took one look at the newcomers and then spoke to Nord in their shared tongue, so Noah and Valia could not understand what was being said.
"This is Chief Panma, leader of our tribe," said Nord. "He asked what you are doing here and why I have brought you." He then went on to explain what happened in the same language. The conversation bounced back and forth while Noah and Valia waited patiently for their turn to speak, hearing their names mentioned. More and more members of the tribe were starting to gather, curious as to what was going on.
Finally, the chief looked to Noah and Valia. "I thank you for saving the lives of my kin, but I’m afraid what you’re asking for is not a debt we can repay. Though you seek knowledge of the demons, we know nothing about them. You’ve wasted your time by coming here."
Noah stepped forward and bowed his head. "Chief Panma, we simply wish to speak to those who have encountered the fiends. The evil we are witnessing is caused by a toxin produced by parasites created to be used as weapons. Their toxins are like any drug or elixir made by people, consisting of ingredients carefully ***********ed through trial and error. What the afflicted look like and how they act can provide clues as to how these parasites came to be and how their creators are improving the toxin.
Having traveled across these great lands, you and your warriors have witnessed these monsters in different areas and times. You believe you have no knowledge about these creatures, but you have scattered clues that I can tie together. I humbly ask that you indulge our curiosity so that the answer to this problem can be found."
The chief hesitated momentarily, then walked past Noah and Valia to examine their horses. He was respectful with every action, letting the horses lean into his hands rather than reaching out to touch them, and whispered words in his tribe’s language.
"Your companions are very healthy and well taken care of. Are these Sylphtorian horses?"
"No," said Valia, "but we did spend the summer in Sylphtoria. They have been thoroughly pampered."
"I’ve always liked the elves. They understand that animals are to be cherished, not exploited. From that cloak, it’s clear you’ve won their favor. What did you do to earn such trust?"
"I averted a plague and saved the queen from an assassin who wielded one of the parasites."
Panma continued petting the horses and singing softly in his noble tongue, then raised his head. "Shannon!"
A young woman stepped forward. She had the same hair, eyes, and complexion as the rest of her tribe, but they came together with a spark of something extra to produce remarkable beauty beyond the other women. "Yes, Grandfather?"
"I want you to assist these two. Translate our words for them, and convince anyone who refuses to speak." He then turned to Noah and Valia. "The elves put their trust in you and it worked out for them. I shall do the same, and hope that whatever you find here will help you cleanse the land of this evil."
"You have my gratitude, chief."
Shannon approached and bowed her head with her hands clasped in front of her. "I will do whatever I can to help you."
"Thank you. We’ll try not to take up too much of your time. I’m Noah."
"I’m Valia."
"I hope you can end this madness. I pray to the spirits that you are successful in your endeavor."
"Lead the way, and we’ll follow," said Noah.
With Shannon assisting them, Noah and Valia moved through the village, talking to everyone exposed to the fiends. Most of the witnesses were warriors, fighting the corrupted men and beasts out in the plains, but there were times when one wandered towards the village, and the women and children had to flee or defend themselves. Were it not for Shannon’s presence, getting answers from the tribe members would have been an ordeal, but she helped overcome the barriers of trust and language. In each interview, Noah pressed the witnesses for small details about the fiends, like eye color, coordination, and behavior.
"So what do you hope to learn from these clues?" Valia asked as they walked through the village.
"Issues with the fiends can reveal the process of their creators, and map their progress. When it comes to bioengineering, there are plenty of classic mistakes that show up in the finished creation. The way one of the afflicted might turn their head could indicate spontaneous deafness or corruption of the inner ear canals, which can be brought on by improperly modifying genes using retroviral esterification. Stiff movements can be a sign that the bones, along with growing at an extreme rate, are fusing together, which happens when ossifotrametrazol is used without a corresponding inhibitor."
"I barely understood any of that."
"I suggest you get accustomed to that confusion."
"Excuse me," Shannon asked worriedly, "you’ve created demons like this in the past?"
"Demons, a rather accurate term. Where I come from, demons are beings that have never walked the earth in mortal form, at least, according to myths and legends. I suspect these parasites are something similar; life forms that aren’t born from any womb, egg, or seed. What I’m curious about is how someone in this world managed to cultivate these parasites, especially when the common man’s understanding of life and technology is close to nonexistent. I can only assume that magic is playing a large part, as the techniques I know of are around a thousand years away."
"But then how do you know of them?"
"That is a very good question, with a long and complicated answer not fitting for the moment."
Once the sun began to set, Noah ceased his interviews, and he and Valia returned to the chief’s yurt, where they gathered around a campfire with Shannon and her grandfather. Dinner was fox meat, with soup and bread made from the wheat, herbs, and vegetables growing around the village. Naturally, there was conversation to be had.
"Chief Panma, according to my findings, these parasites are unquestionably vessels of Profane energy. At the rate they are improving and adapting, we’re all going to be facing some dire choices in the near future. Prince Lupin is already locked in battle with them, and Sylphtoria will soon join in the fight against this menace. When the time comes, I hope that you will do the same. Otherwise, the Profane will devour the scattered races of the land with absolute certainty."
"I thank you for saving my friends’ lives, but the wars of these nations are not my concern. My people have survived monsters and marauders for ages. We shall survive this," Panma replied.
"It’s not that simple," said Valia. "This was my first time fighting the Profane. I’d heard stories about the war, and their power is certainly as frightful as their looks. The enemy of your enemy is your friend."
"What concerns me is their equipment and their objective. These were beastmen hunting down their own kind and taking prisoners," Noah said.
"It’s rare, but not unheard of. We have lost many members of our tribe to the slavers roaming these lands, always searching for something new to capture and sell."
"There is a large slave market in Uther, but historically, beastmen have been averse to engaging in slavery, at least, those who follow the teachings of the philosopher Ram’tal. It’s possible they are taking prisoners not for labor or profit, and it had something to do with those parasites. Maybe this wasn’t a case of slavers using parasites, but Profane using chains."
"What do you mean?" Shannon asked.
"I mean look at all of the afflicted that have been roaming these lands the last two years. I doubt these parasites have just been biting randomly like ticks. I think the fiends are all test subjects, and if your friends were captured, they would have had parasites applied to them. What we saw today might have been a means of recruitment. Perhaps the beastmen we fought wore those chains not too long ago."
"Enough," said Panma. "I appreciate what you have done, and you speak with respect and wisdom, but now is not the time for fear. Our friends have returned home safely. We shouldn’t soil this blessing with dire talk, especially with guests. Let us speak of better things."
"As you wish," said Noah, pausing to finish his dinner. "May I have some more of that soup? This is the best soup I have had in a very long time."
"Coming from Noah, that is indeed high praise," Valia said in amusement, then drinking from her soup bowl. "It is quite delicious."
Shannon tensed up, and her ears started flicking. "Oh, thank you very much," she said bashfully before giving him a second helping. "I’m so glad you enjoy it. The recipe was my mother’s special blend."
Noah emptied his bowl with one large sip and sighed blissfully. "Well the seasoning is utter perfection. I’ve spent years studying the culinary arts, attending various cooking schools, and I can think of at least three former classmates who would be floored by this, and a number of teachers who would rip out their hair in jealousy."
Shannon giggled. "Thank you. My mother would be honored by your words."
"Unfortunately, my daughter was taken from us four years ago in a mudslide," said Panma somberly. "And Shannon’s father and his hunting party were wiped out this past spring. It has been a trying time."
"I’m sorry for your loss," said Valia.
"It is never easy to lose your parents, no matter what age you are," Noah added.
Shannon’s gaze fell, and she spoke with a mournful smile. "It has been painful, but fortunately, I am never alone. And thanks to the two of you, the wives and children of the tribe can celebrate tonight instead of weep. You have my heartfelt gratitude for that."
"And you have our gratitude for your hospitality," Noah replied.
More soup was served, and the quiet night was enjoyed by all.
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