The cultists gathered in the shadows of the trees, covering them from the moonlight. They were noisy, but the jungle was noisier - the bugs and birds would be like a cloak of silence around them. They approached their prey like steady predators, their eyes on the prize.
Yet they were the prey.
The cultists numbered eight. They each had various weapons, crude scimitars or ancient crossbows. Their eyes, though, were sharper than any blade. They flickered to and fro, looking for any signs of life.
Yet they were the prey.
There were rumors of a village forming near New Abraxas. Despite the many dangers of the jungle, it was said that fugitives from Governmorne settled here in the hopes of salvation. They had found salvation in their prayers to a god of blood. The cultists’ mission was clear - hunt them in the name of Darkseid.
Yet they were the prey.
Reggie thought he saw a flash of orange light to his right. He alerted this to Sabrina, who simply said that it was a trick of the moonlight. Thaddeus marched in between them, jealous that the two were spending too much time together. There was a rustle in the grass. Harry and Wenceslas froze, watching for more signs of life. Percy hissed at them to keep moving. They were all interrupted by their orc leader Shalrog, who told them to stay quiet. They didn’t want to give away the hunt.
Yet they were the prey.
It happened faster than anyone could perceive. A blazing blur of orange and red flashed through the crowd. Wenceslas was gone, replaced by a distant scream. Percy grunted as they felt their flesh nicked by something. They looked up, noticing a small sword dripping with blood - no, MADE of blood - hovering over their head.
Percy screamed in pain as the sword abruptly descended upon their shoulder. The others watched the sight with horror. Shalrog stopped to investigate their wound. Thankfully, Percy would live.
But in that time, the red blur returned. It tackled Reggie this time, making him vanish. There was another distant scream, and the subtle smell of ocean water.
“Form a circle!” Shalrog shouted.
The remaining cultists all gathered together, huddled in a nervous circle. Percy stumbled to their feet to try and help. Shalrog looked around nervously, lighting a torch.
“He’s not that fast, he can’t be-”
Then, in a flash, it was him. The cultists gasped at the sight. There was a young pale man standing in front of them, his face covered by smoldering hair. His feet were fully burning, flames rising through the cracks in his toes. Most impressive about him was his weaponry. In one arm, he had equipped a gigantic bulwark of a shield, with three blades protruding at equidistant points. In its center, there was a giant snake head, bearing its fangs. In his other hand was a large crimson sword with a skull for a pommel. Both weapons were rather large for the size of the man, but with how imposing he was, there was no doubt that he could bear them.
“These woods are protected,” Zagreus snarled.
Without further warning, Zagreus whipped the shield forward. It launched forward, a deadly disc of whirling blades. It bounced between Thaddeus and Sabrina, causing them to scream in terror as blood spurted from their wounds. Zagreus, meanwhile, threw himself into a sweeping kick, knocking down Harry. With the same sweeping motion, Zagreus slashed at Harry, cutting his gut. Another bloody sword jammed into Harry’s shoulder, causing him to scream and collapse.
Zagreus’ assault wasn’t finished. He took his shield and jammed it up Wenceslas’ chin. A bout of seawater flashed upwards, knocking Wenceslas high into the sky. Zagreus threw the shield again, causing the shield to bounce between Wenceslas, Percy, and Harry. Percy and Harry collapsed, dead.
Shalrog was the only one who could conceivably defend himself. He took his club and cracked it over Zagreus’ head. The club scattered Zagreus’ defense, making the godling stumble forward. Zagreus snarled unhappily. Shalrog attempted another swing, but Zagreus dashed backwards. In a fit of smoke and flame, he appeared behind Shalrog, tackling him with Aegis, causing another small gust of water to burst forward. Shalrog flew off deeper into the woods.
Wenceslas, who had landed not long ago, took his scimitar and slashed at Zagreus. The godling dodged and stabbed him heavily. It didn’t even take the second blood sword for Wenceslas to die. In another circular slash, Zagreus cut down Sabrina and Thaddeus, who had just approached to strike down Zagreus.
Only Shalrog was left. Zagreus stared him down, blood pouring from the back of his head. Shalrog himself took a single look at all of his compatriots dead and strewn about, and roared angrily.
“So you’re the false god of these woods,” Shalrog snarled, “You defend these petty people with your-”
“And you follow Darkseid. I know you’re not going to listen, so I’d rather we just finish this.”
“Impudent,” Shalrog commented, his tusks crackling with static electricity.
Now weaponless, Shalrog shot his hands forward, causing a lightning bolt to blast out. Zagreus wasn’t prepared, and took it to the chest, flying back. The godling fully broke through a tree from the sheer force of the lightning bolt. He tumbled back roughly, groaning.
“Could’ve warned me about that, old man,” Zagreus said.
Yet there was ample warning now. Zagreus quickly got to his feet and dashed to the right, narrowly avoiding another lightning bolt. He sprinted away, out of sight. Yet Shalrog’s eyes crackled with the storm, and his was the ability to see in the dark. Shalrog blasted another lightning bolt through the trees.
Shalrog laughed victoriously as the godling seemingly fled. But his victory lasted very little time. An arrow whizzed out from the trees, landing squarely in Shalrog’s chest. Before he could react, two more found their place in his body. Shalrog collapsed onto his knees, groaning in pain.
Zagreus returned to the battlefield.
“Gods damn it,” Zagreus chuckled, “I guess they got to you before I could finish you.”
Shalrog looked up to see two satyrs with cybernetic implants, bows slung around their shoulders. Zagreus grabbed his sword and raised it high.
“That’s enough out of you,” the son of Hades said, jamming the blade far into Shalrog’s head.
And with that, Zagreus turned to the other two. “Alright, who wants to eat?”
Yet they were the prey.
The cultists numbered eight. They each had various weapons, crude scimitars or ancient crossbows. Their eyes, though, were sharper than any blade. They flickered to and fro, looking for any signs of life.
Yet they were the prey.
There were rumors of a village forming near New Abraxas. Despite the many dangers of the jungle, it was said that fugitives from Governmorne settled here in the hopes of salvation. They had found salvation in their prayers to a god of blood. The cultists’ mission was clear - hunt them in the name of Darkseid.
Yet they were the prey.
Reggie thought he saw a flash of orange light to his right. He alerted this to Sabrina, who simply said that it was a trick of the moonlight. Thaddeus marched in between them, jealous that the two were spending too much time together. There was a rustle in the grass. Harry and Wenceslas froze, watching for more signs of life. Percy hissed at them to keep moving. They were all interrupted by their orc leader Shalrog, who told them to stay quiet. They didn’t want to give away the hunt.
Yet they were the prey.
It happened faster than anyone could perceive. A blazing blur of orange and red flashed through the crowd. Wenceslas was gone, replaced by a distant scream. Percy grunted as they felt their flesh nicked by something. They looked up, noticing a small sword dripping with blood - no, MADE of blood - hovering over their head.
Percy screamed in pain as the sword abruptly descended upon their shoulder. The others watched the sight with horror. Shalrog stopped to investigate their wound. Thankfully, Percy would live.
But in that time, the red blur returned. It tackled Reggie this time, making him vanish. There was another distant scream, and the subtle smell of ocean water.
“Form a circle!” Shalrog shouted.
The remaining cultists all gathered together, huddled in a nervous circle. Percy stumbled to their feet to try and help. Shalrog looked around nervously, lighting a torch.
“He’s not that fast, he can’t be-”
Then, in a flash, it was him. The cultists gasped at the sight. There was a young pale man standing in front of them, his face covered by smoldering hair. His feet were fully burning, flames rising through the cracks in his toes. Most impressive about him was his weaponry. In one arm, he had equipped a gigantic bulwark of a shield, with three blades protruding at equidistant points. In its center, there was a giant snake head, bearing its fangs. In his other hand was a large crimson sword with a skull for a pommel. Both weapons were rather large for the size of the man, but with how imposing he was, there was no doubt that he could bear them.
“These woods are protected,” Zagreus snarled.
Without further warning, Zagreus whipped the shield forward. It launched forward, a deadly disc of whirling blades. It bounced between Thaddeus and Sabrina, causing them to scream in terror as blood spurted from their wounds. Zagreus, meanwhile, threw himself into a sweeping kick, knocking down Harry. With the same sweeping motion, Zagreus slashed at Harry, cutting his gut. Another bloody sword jammed into Harry’s shoulder, causing him to scream and collapse.
Zagreus’ assault wasn’t finished. He took his shield and jammed it up Wenceslas’ chin. A bout of seawater flashed upwards, knocking Wenceslas high into the sky. Zagreus threw the shield again, causing the shield to bounce between Wenceslas, Percy, and Harry. Percy and Harry collapsed, dead.
Shalrog was the only one who could conceivably defend himself. He took his club and cracked it over Zagreus’ head. The club scattered Zagreus’ defense, making the godling stumble forward. Zagreus snarled unhappily. Shalrog attempted another swing, but Zagreus dashed backwards. In a fit of smoke and flame, he appeared behind Shalrog, tackling him with Aegis, causing another small gust of water to burst forward. Shalrog flew off deeper into the woods.
Wenceslas, who had landed not long ago, took his scimitar and slashed at Zagreus. The godling dodged and stabbed him heavily. It didn’t even take the second blood sword for Wenceslas to die. In another circular slash, Zagreus cut down Sabrina and Thaddeus, who had just approached to strike down Zagreus.
Only Shalrog was left. Zagreus stared him down, blood pouring from the back of his head. Shalrog himself took a single look at all of his compatriots dead and strewn about, and roared angrily.
“So you’re the false god of these woods,” Shalrog snarled, “You defend these petty people with your-”
“And you follow Darkseid. I know you’re not going to listen, so I’d rather we just finish this.”
“Impudent,” Shalrog commented, his tusks crackling with static electricity.
Now weaponless, Shalrog shot his hands forward, causing a lightning bolt to blast out. Zagreus wasn’t prepared, and took it to the chest, flying back. The godling fully broke through a tree from the sheer force of the lightning bolt. He tumbled back roughly, groaning.
“Could’ve warned me about that, old man,” Zagreus said.
Yet there was ample warning now. Zagreus quickly got to his feet and dashed to the right, narrowly avoiding another lightning bolt. He sprinted away, out of sight. Yet Shalrog’s eyes crackled with the storm, and his was the ability to see in the dark. Shalrog blasted another lightning bolt through the trees.
Shalrog laughed victoriously as the godling seemingly fled. But his victory lasted very little time. An arrow whizzed out from the trees, landing squarely in Shalrog’s chest. Before he could react, two more found their place in his body. Shalrog collapsed onto his knees, groaning in pain.
Zagreus returned to the battlefield.
“Gods damn it,” Zagreus chuckled, “I guess they got to you before I could finish you.”
Shalrog looked up to see two satyrs with cybernetic implants, bows slung around their shoulders. Zagreus grabbed his sword and raised it high.
“That’s enough out of you,” the son of Hades said, jamming the blade far into Shalrog’s head.
And with that, Zagreus turned to the other two. “Alright, who wants to eat?”
1070/2500 words