Walking around the bend, Jarel heard the sound of water splashing and he sighed. He had spent the day fixing the outer fences with the sun beating down on him, since his hat had gotten torn the day before when a young buck had tried knocking him over. He had just wanted to come up to the little pond that was fed by a spring further up the mountain to cool off, he didn’t want to deal with the Veed boys again, they were almost in their asesh and should know better. He tried breathing a few times to calm himself, but as he came round the brush in front of the pond, he felt Dezelder pounding his head.

“I’ve told you kai enough times already to keep away,” he yelled, “you’re soon to be men and I ought to treat you like it.”

He slapped his walking stick in his hand and stomped his foot down. It wasn’t any of the Veed children, they all had the same tattoo over their Mark, but the kai in the water had elaborate markings all over made by the ritual dye. It was dark red going onto purple, nearly done before it started to fade away. As he stood up and turned around, Jarel could see the pattern covering his whole body except his face.

Jarel was going to yell at this boy too, but their gaze met and he felt like he was looking into the eyes of a heitesh. They carried the weariness and wisdom of one who’s experienced an entire lifetime. He lowered his walking stick.

“I’m sorry, priest, all the local children like coming up here even though they shouldn’t.”

“That’s quite alright, you can call me Aldinur, may I have your name?”

“Jarel,” he said, as he walked closer to the water and set down his stick, sitting on a rock near the edge, “you can go ahead and use the pond.”

Aldinur nodded and sat back in the water, combing his hair back. Jarel took off his sandals and set his feet in the cool water. He splashed some water on his face before resting his arms on his knees.

“Is this your land, Jarel?”

“No, it belongs to a noble of the House, one of the reasons I try to keep the kids away, I know if they came to inspect their land they would call them poachers or something and enslave them.”

“Cruel, I suppose then I can forgive you for threatening some kaisesh if it was only meant to scare them away.”

Jarel looked over to Aldinur, his expression was stern, almost frightening, but he then smiled and looked just like any other boy.

“Why are you here then if this is House land?”

“I herd sheep, have to give them most of the wool, we have a small house and barn not far from here.”

“May I stay at your house for the night?”

“Of course,” Jarel said, pulling his feet out of the water, “we can prepare one of the lamb for our meal tonight.”

Aldinur held up a hand, “no, no need, just whatever you would normally eat.”

“You’ll be our guest, I think it’s only right.”

“I don’t eat very much, please don’t waste anything on me, sleeping inside will be treat alone.”

Jarel frowned slightly, unsure. Lacing his sandals back on, he said, “alright, my wife won’t think it’s proper.”

“Which way is it?”

Jarel pointed, “I’ll take you there.”

“I only just got here, I’ll finish washing up and make my way over.”

“Right, I interrupted you, I’m sorry. There’s a big rock covered in speckled moss, if you reach that, you’ve let the slope guide your feet too much, just head straight up in that case and you should be able to see the barn not long after.”

“Thank you, Jarel, I will see you.”

“See you then,” Jarel paused for a moment, should he tell a priest of another god the Tribune blessing? It seemed too odd, so he turned around and made his way home.

–

Sen, the old bitch who still ruled their pack, snapped her head up quickly and started barking. A few of the younger pups joined in but were obviously looking around for what they were supposed to be barking at.

Jarel then saw a figure coming up the hill. They seemed short but had a long walking stick that dwarfed them. As it approached, he recognized the face, it was the priest of Widukios and it was only his face that was visible, he had some kind of covering on under his hood that wound tightly around the edges of his face. All the markings he saw earlier were covered up by this, gloves, and wrappings on his legs and feet.

Sen stopped barking and stood in front of Jarel growling as he drew closer. The priest stopped at the edge of grass where the beaten down area in front of their home started and he stared at the old dog. Sen’s growl turned to a whimper as she took a step back and leaned closer to Jarel. He had never seen her back down from anyone or anything.

“They aren’t used to strangers,” he said, taking a step down and walking towards the priest, “welcome to my home, Aldinur.”

“Warm blessings upon your hearth and family,” Alidnur said with a disarming smile. He looked just like a silly boy in a weird outfit. “You were right about the slope, I came to the stone you mentioned.”

“It happens,” Jarel said smiling, “the elders say the spirit of the mountain likes to trick travelers. Many tend to go missing when they come here.”

Aldinur nodded, “I heard similar warnings when I was in the village in the foothills.”

Jarel motioned towards the door, “my wife is almost done cooking, don’t worry, just what we’d normally eat. The kids are excited, they are kei still, the youngest thinks you are Jensze coming early… sorry if they give you trouble.”

“Don’t worry,” he let out a laugh, “I’m used to that, thank you again for your hospitality.”

“My pleasure,” Jarel said and led them inside, none of the dogs tried to follow them in.

—

Barking woke him up, or maybe he had dreamt it, as now all he heard was the splattering of rain. Jarel leaned up, the clouds covered up the moons’ glow, he saw the shadow of his wife asleep. Must have been a dream then, he was the heavier sleeper.

He got up and checked the next room, the kids were all asleep. His eldest’s feet were sticking out of the blanket, almost a kai now, he’d have to make her a separate spot to sleep soon.

Jarel gently crept to the door, not wanting to wake the dogs. He slipped out and went to the edge of the porch. The rain was coming down pretty strong, he didn’t want to have to walk out to the spot. He lifted up his robe and peed over the edge, the rain would wash it all away anyways.

Once he was done, he almost went back inside but took a look out to the barn, remembering their guest. He should be pretty warm out there, he had fixed up the roof a few months ago so sheep would be okay. It was hard to see in the rain, but it looked like the door was open. Jarel frowned and went back inside to grab a lantern, he’d have to get wet after all.

“Sen!” He let out a loud whisper after he was back at the door with the lantern, summoning the dog. She must have been sleeping on her good ear, he waited a few moments then left without her.

The rain pelted him as he crossed the yard, holding his robe up to shelter the lantern. The door was open and he held it up high as he entered.

“By the gods,” he breathed out, having to look twice to make sure. Sen laid on the ground next to some of the sheep, their intestines all pulled out.

“Get down!”

Jarel looked to the back of the room to see where the voice came from, then felt himself get knocked backwards out into the rain again. The lantern went out with a sizzle. A large shadow emerged from the barn, he could feel it surrounding him, blocking the rain.

He shivered, his muscles began aching all over, and his breath puffed in front of him. There was pressure on his stomach that was building up, making him yell out.

A bright crescent came into the shadow. Jarel held his ears against a loud screeching. The shadow moved away and the rain fall on him again. A warm shiver moved through him as something pressed against his stomach.

Aldinur knelt next to him, his large staff loomed over, the wood glew lightly. He took his hand off of Jarel and looked up, scanning around.

“I think it’s gone.”

“What was that..?” Jarel started to get up, “Sen!”

He rushed back into the barn and knelt down next to her, holding her head in his lap. “Oh, old girl, Argryn got you in the end.”

Aldinur brought the lantern back inside and lit it, setting it down to Jarel before squatting next to him.

“I’m sorry, Jarel, I didn’t wake up in time. She tried to protect them.”

“What was that thing?”

“A kind of corruption,” Aldinur stood up and looked out into the rain. “I followed it up to the foothills.”

Jarel looked up, in the light he could see that all of the priest’s tattoos had changed colour. He had bruises on his arms and torso. “Have you fought it before?”

“Yes,” he looked back at Jarel. “I’ve only seen it attack kei, I was told also it went after unmarked kai and asesh as well.”

“The house!” Jarel was going to get up, but Aldinur put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, when I was playing with your kei, I put a protection on them and the house.”

“Thank you, Widukios be praised.”

He looked to the sheep, “it must have needed to feed and went after the animals.”

“It doesn’t look like it ate anything, just tore at them.”

“Sen interrupted it, eventually it would eat all the organs and drink most the blood, just a shell of the body left after.”

“Awful, how many children has it taken?”

“At least eight, but I suspect many more.”

Jarel looked back down at Sen, his children would be devastated. His wife too, likey, though she complained about her barking, he saw her give the biggest scraps to her.

“What can I do to help?”

“Let’s clean up and get some rest.”

—

Surprised by his own tiredness, Jarel took a deep breath and kept pushing. The walking stick took on more weight as they went on. Aldinur seemed to have the same unending energy of any kai; they had been hiking since dawn. He regretted now not taking up the offer to rest when it rained earlier, Aldinur blazed forward like it was a clear day.

Jarel brought one of the pups with him. One of Sen’s descendants, though he wasn’t sure who the father was. It was quiet and well behaved though, sniffing out a few things that the others missed. At this point though, he even heard it let out a whimper. Jarel looked  back and saw it trailing behind. He stopped and waited for it to catch up, picking it up.

“We’re in for a long day,” he said, picking up his pace to close the distance with Aldinur, “can’t let ourselves be left behind.”

Aldinur had stopped next to a few large boulders, when Jarel caught up to him, he asked, “shall we rest and eat a bit?”

“That’d be appreciated.” Jarel sighed and set down the pup. Learning against one of the boulders, he pulled some scraps and threw them for the pup. Pulling out a hard biscuit after, he broke it in half and offered it to Alidnur.

“Thank you,” he said, eating it slowly.

Jarel ate his in a few bites and washed it down with some water.

“Priest, may I ask some questions? I’ve heard a great deal of rumour and stories regarding you since I was a boy.”

“About me specifically?”

“No… just about Widukios’s priests. Do you really live forever or are stolen away?”

He smiled and tucked the rest of the biscuit in his pouch. “I can only speak on my own circumstance. You saw the henna markings, I was being prepared by my village, high in the mountain like this, to sacrifice to the ancestral spirit.”

Jarel spat, “dark rituals.”

“Yes. Usually an outsider is sacrificed, lured to the village, however, due to an avalanche the pass was blocked. My parents had succumb to disease when I was young and I never received my Mark.”

“You’re Markless?”

“We all are.” He said, looking away. “Widukios came then at the end of the ritual and snatched me away, swapping me with a swine.”

Jarel said a quiet prayer to the Tribune while the other was looking away. All of the priests were markless? He did not know what to think of that. The sermons say they’d all end up impure and corrupted. Here he was though, fighting it.

Aldinur looked back, “let’s carry on.”

—

The pup whimpered as they got further into the cave, Aldinur had insisted that Jarel wait outside, but he wanted to help. The corruption had to pay for Sen, the sheep and all the children.  Jarel held up a lantern high while walking behind Aldinur.

The walls glistened with a green film and Jarel felt the damp in his bones. A scratching sound grew as they went deeper into the cave. Terrible smells came at Jarel’s nose, they noticed bodies of dead bats on the ground, torn open.

“It’s almost feral,” Aldinur said, looking around and waving his hand, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

He continued moving on before Jarel could say anything. Their pace quickened, Jarel’s skin began to bump and the pup whined frequently. The walls narrowed, Jarel couldn’t avoid the slime from getting on him.

Aldinur stopped and motioned for Jarel to lower the lantern as they came to a larger opening. He loosened his robe and knelt down, whispering to his staff. Like the night before, the top end and all his henna markings began to glow. Aldinur took out his long knife and held it out. The priest whispered to it as well, making it glow slightly.

“If I tell you to leave, you must.” He held Jarel’s arm, looking into his eyes. “I think it has changed again, I’m not certain as to what we will be facing.”

Jarel nodded. He looked down at the pup, “Stay.”

It looked at him and whimpered, sitting down. Alidnur stood up and walked through the opening, Jarel followed.

The light carried further in this chamber, looking up Jarel noticed a fissure that was letting in a soft glow. In the middle of the room was a ball of shadow, swirling like smoke. It seemed the same as what surrounded him the night before. As they drew closer, it began to fade away, as if a strong breeze had come through, revealing what was within.

A creature stood on two long legs, it’s body seemed human almost, but the skin had patches of black chitin, one arm dangled down to the knees, the other it was holding behind it’s back. It looked up at the ceiling where the fissure was, before it turned to them. Its face had a small snout and was covered in the black chitin. Its eyes seem to fade back into the head, Jarel wouldn’t have been able to see them if it wasn’t for a strange glow they had.

Aldinur rushed forward, charging with his staff like a spear. The creature let out a gruesome scream and bore its teeth, all shapes and sizes. Jarel prayed to Tribune to let him walk out of there.

It slapped down the arm from behind as Aldinur neared, knocking his staff away. It was completely covered in the chitin. The other arm swung and Alidnur ducked under it. They moved around each other, dodging and parrying the other’s blows. Jarel’s knife shook as he held it in front of himself watching.

Aldinur landed a blow on its chest, skin blew away, blackened ribs underneath were fused together. It jumped back, snarling. Skin on its shoulder rippled and it spat out a stream of green slime. The priest moved quickly, using his staff to vault him away as the stream followed. The stone sizzled and smoked where the slime had landed.

He charged in again with his staff, while the creature was looking down, slime dripping from its mouth. A clean hit again, in the abdomen, blowing away a large portion of flesh, green liquid splattered everywhere. Before he could step away, both arms wrapped around Aldinur, pulling him close. It bit him in the neck and the priest cried out.

Jarel took a step forward and tightened the grip on his knife. He dashed forward, yelling out, slicing its arm as the creature turned around. The chitinous arm swung and knocked him back, taking the wind out of him. It felt many times worse than the time a ram headbutted him. Aldinur lay on the ground still and the creature approached Jarel.

Small barks came from the entrance as the pup ran out, putting itself between Jarel and the creature. They snarled at each other before it snatched it up, holding it over head, mouth opening. Grimacing, Jarel pushed himself up as the pup whimpered.

“I won’t let you take another one!” He shouted as he drove the knife up into the rib cage. The pup fell to the ground as the creature faltered a step back, the knife stuck in place. Jarel picked up the pup and ran over to Aldinur. His neck and shoulder were bloody, some slime had burnt his skin.

“Aldinur!” He shook his other shoulder and his eyes shot open.

“You should have fled.”

“Didn’t tell me to.” Jarel helped him to his feet.

The creature had coughed up more slime before drawing its attention back to them. Aldinur closed his eyes and put a hand on Jarel, whispering quickly. Jarel felt a warmth run through him then a few painful cracks in his chest. The skin closed up around Aldinur’s neck.

“When it gets close, run to the left.”

Jarel nodded. The creature moved towards them as Aldinur held his staff ready again.

“Now!”

They went different ways, it tried with both arms to get them, leaving itself open as Aldinur jumped over its attack and brought the staff down on its face. As it stumbled back, he went in close, dropping his staff, jumping up. With both hands he held onto Jarel’s knife and pulled down.

It sliced through the rib cage down into the abdomen, when it was free Aldinur swept up quickly, nearly cutting the chitinous arm off. Green slime spilled everywhere as the creature howled, stumbling around before collapsing.

Aldinur did the same, sitting on the ground, arms behind to prop himself up. Jarel came and knelt next to him, letting go up the pup once again.

“A brave pup,” he said, still panting a bit.

“One of Sen’s.” Jarel gave it a pat.

“What’s its name?”

“Haven’t given it one yet. I suppose I ought to. What about Inur?”

The priest giggled.

Jarel smiled. “The kids should like it.”

“They will.”

–

He heard the familiar voices shouting and laughing as water splashed. Inur ran ahead of him, eager to get to the water after spending the day following Jarel around in the sun. He smiled under his big hat, it was nice to get a hard task done.

“Jarel!” The Veed boys yelled out seeing him.

He raised a hand, “it’s alright kai, keep playing. I’ll watch in case our cruel lord comes around.”

“Thank you!”

They resumed splashing and swimming around. Jarel took off his sandals and sunk his feet into the water, smiling. Inur ran around the outside of the pond, barking at the boys whenever they would tackle each other.