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Chapter length: 3,837 words

Current novel length: 102,006 words

Chapter 35

One-by-one, the group members wake up in a drowsy state to the sound of drums and people chanting in a language unfamiliar to them. Lit torches and a bonfire are a replacement for light after the sun disappears. Their mouths unconsciously salivate from the aroma of something cooking penetrates their nostrils.

When the group members fully regain consciousness, they immediately realize just how dire the situation is for them. They are segregated into three cages with their weapons, belongings, and anything of value away from them. Bolts, Kaera, Myla, and Sylfinas, are in one cell with two others from the ship. Arven and Irin are in another cage with more people, and Lorna, Merrick, and the remainder are in the last cell. The captor's entire bodies are in dry, white paint with black markings. The women and children wear clothing that hardly does the job of covering their hairy private areas while men are completely naked. In addition to the drums and chanting, some people engage in dancing while wearing serpentine masks. The captives look on in horror at what they see as the source of the smell, a dead Half-Orc on a spit over open flames with two burly men synchronizing their arm movements in turning the spit.

"I'm assuming that's Oris," Sylfinas said.

"You'll be correct. May his soul find peace in the afterlife." Lorna sends a prayer to Kurane to bless Oris's soul and to shield everyone in the cages from the horrors that may come.

The chanting, dancing, and drum pounding cease as a group of five old men appears from a stone pyramid. Unlike the vast majority of the captors, they wear clothing that would be considered adequate in a civilized society. The man in the center speaks in the captors vernacular, and when he stops, the people cheer. He continues his speech, and other men appear from the right, hauling the bodies from their fallen comrades to more crowd cheers.

"Wonder what did that to them?" Sylfinas asked to no one in particular. "They must be recent casualties by the looks of them."

"Clink-clank."

He looks at Bolts with the understanding that it did it. "You did that?"

It nods. "Clink-clank."

"How did you get captured anyway?"

"Clink-clank."

"I have no idea what you just said."

"Clink-clank."

Lorna injects herself into the conversation, "You'll get used to it after spending as much time as I have with it. Bolts is saying that it tried to run back during the ambush after slicing those men over there in a pile, but ran into a trap and got overpowered."

The elder continues his talk. While this and the ovation continue, Sylfinas asks Lorna, "Why can't Bolts break us out of here?"

"Bolts is more speed and agility than brute force. You'll be surprised at how physically weak it is."

"Clink-clank!" Bolts makes the sound with annoyance.

"Oris was extremely shit-faced, and you know it."

"Clink-clank!"

"Laz let you win that one."

"Clink-clank!" Bolts pounds the ground in protest. The guards near the cages are on more alert. Lorna does her best to ameliorate Bolts's mood. "Listen, I made that promise to you that I would find parts to increase your strength and to make you speak. I haven't given up on that, and I don't plan to, but for the shitty situation we're in, it will be a futile attempt from you. You're still useful in many ways."

"Clink-clank." Bolts calms down.

"That's better."

Sylfinas asks Kaera, "Can you bust us out of here?"

"That would not be an issue, but my body is still too drugged to mount any resistance."

"My body is too. I suspect we all are, aside from Bolts. I thought a Fenri's heartiness would allow one to recover faster."

"This drug is powerful. It'll take longer than usual for my body to recover."

"I'm scared. What's going on? Who are these people?" Myla starts to freak out.

Kaera comforts her. "It's going to be ok, Myla. Just stay close to Sylfinas and me. We won't let anything happen to you."

The elder ends his sermon, and he and the four other elders, along with personal bodyguards, walk down the stairs onto the stone road. They end their travel right on the outer edges of the enclosure, and the lead elder inspects his trophies.

He settles his sights on Irin and points at her. "Da'ka alti'qui."

The prison guards open the door, and the captives and Irin try in vain to prevent her capture. The drums and the chants resume. Irin is put on an altar, and the bodyguards restrain her.

"Let me go! Get your filthy hands off of me!"

The elder utters a few gibberish, "Aukil at'chak reu'ordh kimmimal."

Irin's clothes rip into shreds as the men forcefully remove them right down to her bare skin. "What the fuck are doing? Stop!

"Aukil at'chak reu'ordh kimmimal." The elder repeats those words before each sprinkle of some liquid of unknown origin. Sparing no inch of her exposed body, he rubs his hands down her body from head to feet. He separates some of his clothing to reveal his erect phallus and climbs on top of Irin.

"What are you? No! Stop!"

“Cux'itgui thioxte iluxim Cro'quatl ilfili!"

Kaera, Sylfinas, and even Bolts shield Myla's eyes and ears while they and the others suffer the sight and screams from Irin as the elder violates her body. The drums and chants pick up in tempo as the elder's member frequently removes and inserts back into Irin's vagina, her voice stopping from the shock of it all. Before he reaches his climax, he stops assaulting Irin and orders his men to dump her into a pit. They seal the entrance and open up another to let the monster out. All that the prisoners can do is watch the shadows of a multi-headed creature consume Irin, and the last time they will ever hear from her is her visceral screams as she is devoured.

Lorna looks at them in disgust after saying another orison to Kurane as they return to their cages. "Fucking savages, you hear me?! You're a bunch of fucking savages! There's a special place in Arlgeon's Locker just for people like you, and I'll be more than…"

The elder shuts her up by grabbing her cheeks and inspects her. "Da'ka alti'qui."

She manages to spit on him only to amuse him further. "Siqxu alti'qui utchenik." He and his men laugh before he gives the order again. "Da'ka ni'vuik alti'qui."

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Merrick stands in between Lorna and the elder.

"Da'ka xiqui alti."

Following the same procedure from Irin, they haul Merrick to the altar. Their process of ripping his clothes off comes to an abrupt end when they start at the arms. The chanting and drumming also cease from the elder's hand gesture. They look on at stupefaction at the markings on Merrick's arm, commencing to bow over and over again.

"Cro'quatl Oxhiqi," they repeat with each bow.

The natives free Merrick from his bindings and haul him inside the temple in celebration. After they put some of their traditional clothing on him, including a makeshift crown, he is on a throne with two people, one on his left and one on his right, fanning him with large leaves. Too many people to use my power on. Can't believe I'm resorting to this option, but it's that or death. Here it goes. Hey Elder Tempest, I'm in danger. Time to use your rampaging, destructive capabilities and help me get out of here. No response from it. Yo Tempest, your Wildborn, Stormblood, is in deep shit right now and is about to die unless you intervene. Same answer as before. Pretty please? Nothing. So, that's how it's going to be, you show up at the most inappropriate times and don't when I actually need you? Thanks for nothing.

Merrick tries asking the natives for the slim chance of someone that knows the common tongue, "Anyone knows what the fuck is going on right now?"

"You're being worshipped," an unknown male voice said.

"Who said that?"

A wiry, bald man with a jewel on his forehead appears right next to the head elder. "I did."

"You know the common tongue?"

"Enough to get by."

"How?"

"People from far away lands landed here many, many moons ago. Most were eaten by us or sacrificed to Loxiq'ula because their beliefs conflicted with ours. Some lived by brandishing a symbol of an eye, marking them as friends. I am a descendent from one of them, and that grants me the ability to talk to you."

"So, what's this whole 'being worshipped' about?" Also, they follow The Soulmonger?!

“Tequcthi Cro'quatl Oxhiqi alti'ur."

Merrick turns to the designated translator, "Explain, please?"

"He said 'You have returned, Cro'quatl Reborn.'"

"Who or what is Cro'quatl?"

"Cro'quatl is the serpent god of storms and destruction. He is our most revered god of all."

"So what does it have to do with me?"

“Uthxqi kri'ka Cro'quatl huqux alti'ur. Oacax teohutu olxi iclan'ki alti'ur. Yixqthi dexun alti'ur."

"You are Cro'quatl in the flesh. You will guide us to a new world after you purge the old one. All our sacrificial rituals were for you."

_Great, I have a cannibalistic death cult as a fanbase. _"Well, as Cro'quatl Reborn, I order you to free the people from the cages."

"We'll see what can be done. In the meantime, enjoy these gifts." Five nude women replace the departing elder and the translator.

"What's with these women?"

The translator speaks from farther away, "They are there to satisfy your needs. Feel free to go as rough as you want though with those five, I suggest very rough."

"Wait! No! I didn't sign up for this!"

"Ukilthx quixi," one of the women said in a seductive voice.

"I hate to break it to you ladies, but I'm already engaged, so I can't be… ah!" Merrick couldn't finish his sentence as he feels his member coming free from his pants and go in between multiple breasts into a woman's mouth. He is also amazed at their strength despite not looking muscular and can't break free. One of the women kisses him on the mouth, and he notices that her eyes are not human, but what he would find in a snake.

After much stimulation, Merrick showers the three women down by his shaft in his sexual fluids, covering their faces, mouths, and breasts. They smile and work on removing all of his bottom clothing, freeing his gonads in the process, while the other two females continue to kiss and unbuttoning his shirt.

"No more, please! I'm ordering you!"

The women ignore his pleas. One of them forces herself on top of him and plunging her hirsute vagina onto his penis. I'm begging you, storm guy, get me out of here. His entreaty goes ignored.

Back in the cages, everyone inside is wondering what just happened. The effects of the drug are wearing out, and their strength is returning.

"Anybody find it peculiar at the abrupt vicissitude between these people and Merrick?" Sylfinas asked.

"You better repeat that in Common, or else I'll blow your brains out," Lorna threatened.

"You don't have the capabilities to do that. Remember?"

"Ah dammit!"

"But since you asked so kindly, does anyone find it odd that they started to treat Merrick like he was some sort of god?"

"Much better, and after the kind of day I'm having, I don't know what to fucking think anymore. Maybe that's what they do, sacrifice someone, then treat another as a god."

"I find it odd. They were following the same steps they did to poor Irin when they changed suddenly," Kaera said. "Wonder what they saw in him?"

"It's those marks on him most likely. What else could they see on him?"

"Marks? What marks?" Lorna asked.

"Oh, just tattoos that he thought would look good on him, so he got it," Sylfinas lied.

"I imagine he's enjoying himself living the high life right now," Arven said. They all hear the scream from Merrick in the temple. "I stand corrected. Anyone else feel your strength coming back?"

"Yes," everyone said one after another.

Everyone covers their ears from the sudden high pitched whistling sound as a fireball soars over them and explodes on a stone structure, sending men on top and rocks flying. A second fireball explodes and engulfs a group of natives in a fire.

They sound the alarm, "Oxchi! Auqil eq'thix! Oxchi! Auqil eq'thix!"

"What the hell is going on?" Arven shouted.

Lorna has the widest grin on her face. "There are two people in Illyria I know of that are pyros and love explosions."

Two Gnomes, a Giant, and more men appear from the jungle. Dagobert pulls out a necklace with five orange beads. "Kind of late in asking but, permission to use Scatterbox, Captain?"

"Permission granted, you fucking maniacs."

"Woo-hoo! Let's go, Evorul!"

Evorul pulls out his necklace with seven orange beads instead. "Right with you, brother!" The Gnomes cause mayhem and destruction as they run around tossing beads at random locations while laughing. When they pull a bead off and throw it, it morphs into a fireball and behaves like one.

After the explosive entrance by the Gnomes, the Giant liberates everybody from their cages. With one massive motion of both hands, he then sunders the upper and lower half of three charging natives with a greatsword that, due to its size, only he can wield with ease.

"Nice to see you're still alive, Captain," the Giant said, turning around to face her.

"I am so glad to see you, Laz. How did you know to rescue us?"

"The short story is we were considering it rude that you didn't invite us to a party and wanted to crash it. The long story will have to wait. We have company." Laz contorts his face at the sight of the natives transmogrify into snakes; some having both legs and arms and some with only both arms and a serpentine lower body. "What the fuck?"

"Hey Laz, is it too much to ask if you can protect us? We don't have our weapons."

"Can do. Where's my hot babe, Irin?"

Lorna's face goes solemn, "They killed her."

"She's dead?"

"Sorry, Laz."

"Motherfuckers are gonna die tonight. Let's go, crew! Give them hell!" With Laz and the armed men charge at the natives, the disarmed search the battlefield for their weapons. Having no initial luck, Arven, Kaera, Myla, and Sylfinas meet up and start having a discussion under the fight's chaos.

"Any luck?" Kaera asked.

"No," Arven answered, "I believe none of us know. They took our gear while we were drugged."

Sylfinas points at the temple, "If I had to hazard a guess, our gear would be in there as treasure."

"Or they can be over here!" Multiple gunshots ring out as heavily armed Lorna comes guns blazing out of a stone structure across the street from where they are, dual-wielding her revolvers with fresh smoke flowing out the barrels and flashes of gunpowder appearing with each squeeze of the trigger. Avoiding skirmishes along the way, Arven, Kaera, and Sylfinas sprint towards her and Bolts and rearm themselves.

"Where the hell were you, Sylfinas," was the first sentence Sariel said when she and he reunited.

"In a cage guarded by cannibals."

"In case there is any hint of doubt still in you, feel free to fight."

"With what I witnessed within the past few hours, time for colloquy and diplomacy with them went out the window. I appreciate the reassurance from you."

After grabbing her greataxe, Kaera said before charging out, "Let's hurry up and save Merrick right now!"

"On our way," Arven responded.

"Bolts and I are coming too!" Lorna shouted as she fired her last shot and switched to dual-wielding rapiers. "That the name of the guy that sacrificed himself for me? Either way, I'm repaying him, and technically I'm supposed to protect you and him, or else I don't get paid."

"Clink-clank."

"I just said I need to repay him for taking my place!"

"Clink-clank."

"I don't know why you're thinking like that. I'm totally not interested in Merrick at all."

"For whatever your justifications are, we're contented that we can use you in our endeavor," Sylfinas said.

"You need to use less advanced words, or else I'll fucking blast your kneecaps. The old man said I need to get you to your destination alive; he didn't say anything about no injuries."

"We're happy that you're helping us."

"Much better."

"We better get going," Arven said, "Kaera's already at the steps."

Sylfinas turns to Myla, "Stay close."

"I will," she responded.

Back inside the temple, Merrick finishes squirting his seed into the second of the five women and barely gets enough rest before the third has her turn. Warriors in their snake form rush out of the room, but the women aren't alarmed and continue to satiate their carnal lust on him. Explosions outside send tremors that rain dust and other small particles to the surface below.

Merrick fights through the stimulation to say to the females, "Please… no more. Must… leave." They ignore his pleas and maintain their current objective, performing sexual acts on each other and him while the third woman has his entire shaft in her. I need to get out of here. It's going to cost most, if not all, of my magic to get these women off me, but I can't take this anymore, and maybe I'll run into Arven, Kaera, and Sylfinas and gain protection. I need to be fast when casting Witch Bolt and escaping.

Instead of enveloping his hands in lightning, Merrick's entire body discharges it, and the women fly backward in random directions; a couple of them hit hard against a wall. That worked way better than expected. Was that you, Tempest? The Arcanis Majus remains silent. You and I need to talk at some point. _Thank you, by the way, if that was your doing. _Merrick seizes the opportunity and escapes through the same door as the warriors, taking brief pauses to get his clothes to straighten out.

The outside entrance is within Merrick's view when the translator and his personal security in snake form obstruct his movement.

"Please follow us for your own safety, Cro'quatl Oxhiqi. It is imperative that you need to relocate further into the temple."

"Going to have to pass on that, Snake Dude. I know what's best for me, and it's right there outside."

The jewel on his forehead glows. "Blood Nature: Puppeteer!"

Merrick's body tenses up when he is halfway to freedom. With simple hand and finger motions, the translator manipulates Merrick's legs, forcing him to change course.

"So nice of you to take up on my offer," the translator said, "and I'm Kixo, not Snake Dude."

Kaera appears at the adit. "Merrick!"

"Kaera! My body is hijacked! I can't control myself! I found out they may be followers of The Soulmonger!"

Kixo sneers at Kaera and issues a command to the bodyguards. "Ilka alti'quira! Elxoko unx ap'amamo perix olnax!" Without much choice, Merrick follows Kixo further into the temple.

"Kaera!" his voice echoed.

Expelling air using her diaphragm, Kaera growls in rage at six obstacles her path. "Who wants to die first?"

Arven and the rest of the group arrive at the bloody carnage in time to see Kaera kill the last opponent by decollating. She suffers injuries also; however, they don't faze her whatsoever.

"You take your part of the oath very seriously," Arven said after inspecting the corpses.

"Less talking, more saving Merrick." Kaera chases down Kixo with Arven, Myla, and Sylfinas trailing behind.

"You could've saved one of them for information!" Lorna shouted to deaf ears. Or at least spared a few for me to kill. A gurgling noise leads her to one of Kixo's personal bodyguards, still barely clinging on to life. "Well, well, well. Looks like you are the lucky one that gets to deal with me." She grabs him by the throat. "Who the fuck are you, and what is going on here?"

"Uhx'quila thuknax." He spits blood in her face.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" Lorna pulls out his tongue and places her dagger too close to it. "Who the fuck are you, and what is going on here? You better answer in Common and not in that bullshit you call a language unless you want your last meal here on Illyria to be your own fucking tongue. Speak now!" She presses her dagger harder on his tongue in preparation to lacerate. When all she hears is more of his language, she follows through on her threat. "May your spirit find whatever shithole you call heaven, cocksucker. Let's go, Bolts."

"Clink-clank."

Kaera's pursuit ends in a massive circular chamber with a throne in the middle of a circinate moat filled with stygian black liquid. Kixo is by the throne restraining Merrick to it when he becomes aware of her presence.

"You're very importunate, though I must commend you for getting this far," he said while facing away from her, not breaking eye contact on the task he is executing.

"So you know the common tongue?"

"I am one of very few."

"I'll be taking my friend back right now."

Kixo looks at Merrick, "This man right here? I'm afraid I must refuse. He's too significant to give up."

Kaera moves closer to the throne. "What makes him so important to you?"

Kixo finally turns and faces Kaera. "He is the key to a whole new life for us, the Serexi."

"The Serexi?"

"That is what we call ourselves. Scratch that, that was what our creator called us."

"Who was your creator?"

"You're friend said his name right before I dragged him away, the Soulmonger. He deemed us failures as sentenced us to live on this island, our land of birth, by leaving without us. We survived, then thrived, instead of dying. A great serpent cloaked in storm clouds appeared to us one day, saying that we will be saved by bringing us a messenger someday and promised us that we will rule the new world. It gave us instructions, and we followed right down to the letter. Your companion is one of the crucial pieces to all that we've achieved thus far."

"Is there not a single thing positive of being a Wildborn?" Merrick complained. "Where's the elder? Isn't he the head of this entire operation?"

"Elder Kixke made the ultimate sacrifice to bring the Serexi one step closer to victory."

"Unfortunately, I'm going to cancel your plan. I'm not leaving until I get Merrick." She is closer to the moat

The jewel glows again. "You're right about not leaving but not for the right reason. Blood Nature: Lacerations!"

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