“You're probably right, Destare. I sometimes forget that none of us are allowed to take it easy,” spoke the other figure, while dangling his feet, relaxing by the side of the colossus. It was young man who dreamily looked up to the night sky, with beautiful, black locks, which only helped to emphasize his dark complexion and deep blue eyes.
He wore black leather strap boots, while dark silk pants graced his legs complete with two stylish suspenders that were strapped over his white shirt. The most striking features were his two rusty cufflinks, barely sparkling at his joints, with the words 'Ravellre' engraved on them.
Barely covered in some of the remaining shadows the giant took off his helmet, “is something bothering you?” the rough voice asked with compassion.
“Do you think she was right with what she said?”
“Leandro, you know I'm not here to judge you.”
“Yes, yes I know… it's just that we've been on the move for a while, and I feel that we are going nowhere.”
The giant huffed, before eventually putting his helmet back on. The knight stood up and extended his hand towards the human.
“Leandro, I will be at your side until the very end. Whether you find the answers you're looking for or not.”
“Thank you, Destare. I could've never imagined that I'd be this disappointed by my first encounter with another human. This place deeply disturbs me,” he whispered.
Out of nowhere, a loud clapping noise resounded in the area, which seemed to be coming from one of the trees.
“Marvelous, my beloved friends,” proclaimed a jolly voice. “That's how the people envision an aspect and his human partner, right? PERFECTIÒ HARMONIA!”
“Who the fuck is there?!” Leandro switched to an overly aggressive tone while addressing the stranger.
“What do you mean? I'm right here in front of you.” After the voice, full of life, said these words, the moonlight magically seemed to move towards one of the trees that were hollow on the inside. Thanks to that, it appeared to be almost twice as large and imposing as the others, yet what made them swallow their tongues was what followed after.
As if Leandro was stuck in a never-ending nightmare, he was overcome by nausea, as he saw that the inside was filled until the brink with a mountain of skulls, stacked on top of each other, as if it was some sort of cruel monument.
On top of the mountain sat a strange looking man, calmly fiddling with his top hat, and the porcelain mask he was wearing – smiling down upon them.
“Hi there,” he waved at them in a relaxed state with his white gloves.
“LEANDRO, STAY BEHIND ME! We should've been more careful,” yelled the knight-like giant, as he protectively built himself up before Leandro. A deep roar resounded inside of his armor, and he whispered something to himself.
“Khiron Arteus.”
Miraculously long spikes were bursting out of the holes on Destare's body, like a ferocious animal protecting its offspring. The spikes grew bigger and bigger, while blood started to pour from the openings. Destare, who previously was only about two heads taller than Leandro, had now grown almost three times in size, impersonating a true colossus.
“Bravo! Bravo!” The strange figure clapped. “Unbelievably impressive. I'm always astounded how unique the abilities of the varying aspects are. No wonder you are still alive in these parts of En’chatal’s forest.”
“Be prepared,” the aspect declared somewhat nervously. “I will not go down without a fight! I'll protect him, even at the cost of my own life,” the knight called out the man in the top hat.
“Truly marvelous, but I believe that won't be necessary,” the masked man smilingly wagged with his index finger. “I believe you can tell the immense differences in our strength. Also, it would be quite a bummer, if I had to kill such an interesting human right from the start.”
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Leandro agitatedly interfered.
“The preparations for the big festival are already undergoing, and I'm still out here gathering my actors for the grand play. This is unacceptable,” the masked man moaned. “And that is exactly the reason why you will follow the path to the west, leading up to a grand city, Magnus - the City of Pride. Which I'm sure you'll welcome with open arms,” he paused. “And maybe you'll have a few surprise encounters on your own, who knows? Maybe even a revelation, or maybe a poisonous apple brought by a reptile from the forbidden tree of knowledge?”
Both of them stood in silence, as not sure what to do next, before being talked to again.
“I know you're contemplating a few things, but you should really do what I tell you to – otherwise it might get very ugly,” the grin seemed more sinister this time, even though he was still wearing the same smiling porcelain mask.
“Leandro,” the aspect spoke to his partner worryingly, “if he is willing to let us go, we should take it. This is not a fight we can expect to win. You probably don't like it, but this might be our only chance. I’m sorry, but your safety is my sole concern.”
“Are you kidding me, Destare? Of course I don't mind,” the young man smiled
“I trust you, and if you say he is too much for you to handle, then this truly might be our only shot.”
“Spoken like a true friend, bravissimó. I hope you're continuing to be this fantastic, and don't disappoint me,” the masked man started to point to the west where a way had been carved through the forest. “I prepared a little something for you. If you would be so kind and be on your way now? I still have many things to do, and I don’t like getting rough with my actors,” the woozily man rejoiced, before vanishing into thin air, as if he had never appeared in the first place.
“Let's go, Destare,” Leandro said with a determined look on his face, as to not waste any more time. The aspect cautiously extended his giant arm towards Leandro, so that he was able to climb it after he had finished pulling in his spikes.
“This just keeps getting crazier and crazier,” the young man let out a sigh. “But for now we don’t have a choice. Be ready Destare. We will wait for our moment to strike.”
Destare swung Leandro on his broad shoulders, and they ventured forth in the direction the figure pointed them toward. Not knowing what would lay in wait for them and who they'd meet on their journey.
Chapter 8 – The Sin of Man
“Seems like we're almost there,” said Delirias whose black-green coat flitted through the forest with a tremendous pace. Gwyn rode piggyback against his will, on their way to the lit up domes in the distance. Eventually, Gwyn warmed up to the idea of riding on his aspect’s back after he had witnessed the speed he gained from jumping through the air – getting closer and closer to the laughter and music they started to hear.
“Buckle up, kid!” shouted Delirias and went even faster, as they catapulted through the branches into the air, and near the edge of the giant light dome.
As they were flying through the air, they were able to catch a glimpse of what awaited them inside. Everything was lit by a warm light coming from the surrounding domes, with a vibrant atmosphere engulfing the place. Scrimmaging inside were countless buildings, corridors, and wooden bridges, which connected different platforms with each other. It almost seemed like whole districts were on another surface level than others. Flower decorated wooden planks and even spiral stairs were all scattered throughout the apparent city.
The plants matched the colors of the different lights from the domes and were overall very pleasant, almost intoxicating to the eye. Just like the view from above, where it seemed like a flower bouquet, it had just as much synergy going on inside the city, with each and every one of different levels connected.
While getting closer, the sounds of the contagious laughter, clapping, happy growling, and music made themselves even more apparent. It was almost as if that place had been inhabited by other humans. A possibility that excited Gwyn the most. His eyes began to sparkle when he thought about not being alone anymore. The anticipation almost ate him up inside, a
s he couldn't wait for the landing.
With an even more intense landing, both of them smashed into the first wooden planks and pathways near the entrance, stirring up enough dirt to create a huge dust cloud around them.
“Phew, I almost thought I didn't put in enough strength. After all, first impressions are very important, kiki,” giggled Delirias, as Gwyn was still trying to get rid of the dust, wobbling, and coughing.
Indeed both of them were met with strange looks, when the townsfolk stopped their festivities, staring into their direction.
“Alright Delirias, calm down. We don't want any more unwanted attention,” Gwyn said thoughtfully while recovering from the landing, but it was already too late. Delirias had just left his side and started to exuberantly greet the wondrous people without a care in the world.
After only a few moments, the aspect had gathered a circle of people around him. Even little children were plucking at his coat in wonder.
“We have no time for your jokes,” Gwyn rolled his eyes and pulled Delirias out of the crowd.
“Hey! I was just greeting our new friends.”
“I'd rather have you explain a few things first,” the young man demanded.
“What do you mean? Are you telling me that you’re more of a shy type? And I haven't even noticed after all these years…” A little tear had built up under Delirias’ eye, as he grabbed the hands of Gwyn with a saddened face.
“Enough! Who are those people? They look human, but I bet there is some sort of sick twist to it…just like that little girl from before.”
Delirias crossed his arms and didn't seem particularly impressed. “Does it even matter? I don't have a clue myself, but it does look nice here, doesn't it? So why bother with any of that?”
Both of them had a good look around, and indeed it seemed almost more familiar to Gwyn than he wanted to admit. All around there were bars and other festive looking localities at every corner. Every establishment was filled to the brink. Everywhere the people were sparsely clothed or in loincloths, hiding only the most intimate parts of their bodies. They danced to the sounds of their music, kissed erotically, laughed in each other's arms, licked over their companions bodies, drank, and ate together.
To Gwyn, it felt like the city was in a constant state of ecstasy. It didn't matter whenever he saw men or women with each other, multiple men who stole fruit out of each other’s bellybuttons, or women licking each other’s bodies.
Everything was acting in harmony, whereas the smell had the same effect on him as the view from above – intoxicating. It was uncomfortable at first, but Gwyn wasn't against any of it.
“You stared long enough, kid. Let's sit down,” Delirias urged him to move, as he was still standing there taking in the view.
Both of them found a lovely looking market, also surrounded by bars, delivering beverages and huge amounts of food to the tables inside the marketplace. As Gwyn took in more of the culture and climate, he felt as if he had been taken to the past. Back to a more carefree time where he visited his old friends in the summer with Tyr barbecuing in the sun of the endless days of summer.
His mouth watered every time someone was bringing extravagant food his way, only to walk right past him to another table. Enjoyable folk music was played all around them, whereas everyone was sitting closely to each other at the benches and tables.
While finding the ideal spot to sit down, he went past increasingly half-naked people, deeply in touch with each other. Gwyn allowed him to be fascinated by one of the pairs being more forceful and passionate with each other before he absentmindedly bumped into one of the neighboring tables. “Oh, my bad. Excuse me,” said Gwyn in a friendly manner.
“Hae?! What's the matter with you lad?! Do you want trouble, HUH?!” he was snarled at by a malicious looking warrior. Just as the situation was about to escalate any further Delirias had already embraced the hand of the man, forcing him to his knees with a feisty handshake.
“Oh, it's so nice to meet you. I don't think we've been introduced yet.” His supernatural white grin was getting wider and wider, his green eyes glowing with a threatening expression.
“A-a p-pleasure,” moaned the guy in pain, right as he left the table when the aspect let go of his hand.
“WAHAHAHA-HA, What a sight,” a deep voice growled. “I like you two. Standing up for your friends is important – here, have a sip,” a giant man shouted over to the duo, inviting them to his table.
It was a handsome, slightly older man than the warrior from before, and barely clothed as well. He was surrounded by many men and women alike. A bright grin greeted them coming from an expressive, edged face with a mighty black beard. Unlike the other men, he was even more shapely and aesthetic than the rest, but with even wider shoulders and more muscles than Gwyn thought possible. On his giant, bare chest was a red-black tattoo of a beautiful bird. His sun-kissed skin made his body even more alluring to look at. The mans brown, long hair was so long that it had been partially braided and was dangling down even to his chest muscles. Fire red eyes were glaring at Delirias and Gwyn.
“Don't be shy, come on over here!” He waved them towards him while the surrounding people were magnified by his encompassing personality. Both of them cautiously approached him and the group, just before immediately having two big cups of ale dropped in front of their faces. The big guy smiled at them and started to point on his chest in self-satisfaction.
“Hey lads! Nice of you two join us. I'm Passionare! The strongest guardian in the all of Lussuria, BWHAHAHA,” he laughed at the top of his lungs again, almost making Gwyn laugh as well, while Delirias chugged his drink petulantly.
“And who are you two, huh? I saw you flying down from the sky. You lucky bastards, I truly miss those times.”
“No, Passionare! You remember what happened the last time you didn't control yourself,” a man next to him lectured before being interrupted by a powerful pat on the back by Passionare, promptly making everyone cheer.
It felt like a genuine peaceful moment for the first time since Gwyn had arrived.
“H-hey, I’m Gwyn and thi-”
“GET DOWN, KID,” Delirias shouted out of nowhere as he pushed Gwyn’s head down, seconds before something impacted into the marketplace with great destructiveness. Without being able to react he only felt the strong grip of his aspect at his collar, throwing him backward. A big explosion occurred, followed by a blast wave that covered everything in a dust cloud. The people were fleeing, though seemingly calmer than expected as the dust started to settle. Gwyn, irritated by what happened, crawled on the ground, looking for cover behind one of the tables that were knocked over. The people started to gather in a circle, watching with excitement rather than in fear.
Gwyn caught his breath, cautiously surveying the area behind his cover, looking at the destruction. Broken glass, knocked over furniture, and ale that dripped to the ground, remained. The area they sat down upon was in shambles.
“You alright, little fellow?” Passionare spoke to Gwyn, who almost had a heart attack, as he spotted the big guy still sitting at their destroyed table, enjoying his beverage.
“H-how c-can you stay so calm?” Gwyn stuttered since he couldn't believe how much Passionare didn't care.
“Hm? Something like this happens all the time here. Come, sit down and let's have a chat.”, He smiled back at the young man, pointing in the direction the projectile came from. “Looks like your buddy is already taking care of it, so I didn't want to waste the opportunity to enjoy my drink, Bwahahah,” he chortled, as Gwyn was trying to figure out whether he was either very brave or very dense.
Though he had his doubts, it truly was as Passionare said. Gwyn marveled at Delirias, who already took it upon himself to confront whoever attacked them.
Just as he wanted to talk to his aspect, Gwyn noticed something twitching in the rubble. Upon closer inspection, he saw a small black orb with a strange insignia. Without warning an eye opened on the orb, stirring and twitching, as it
caught Gwyn’s gaze. It desperately tried to hide from him, even going so far as trying to bury itself deeper into the rubble “What is going on here,” Gwyn uttered, before hearing his aspect at the front yelling.
“Come out my friend. You could've just asked for a dance, you know? I'm not that shy, though they say I'm a bitch to handle,” Delirias taunted while the last smoke was fading from the field. As Gwyn finally caught a clear glimpse of his aspect, he saw Delirias with two oysters in his fingers, clapping them together in a rhythm. The aspect playfully imitated a tango, as he confronted their attacker.
“ChaCha. Left, right. One, two,” Delirias sang as he jumped from one leg to the other, still clapping the oysters together.
“What the hell happened, Delirias?” Gwyn inquired from the back.
“Fufu, we've been invited to dance, that's all. You got any experience with that?”
“An aspect mimicking a clown, huh? That certainly does make things easier,” a voice resounded, when two characters in black hoods revealed themselves, standing before them. Right when Gwyn tried to take a peek at them, another projectile came flying their way. With incredible speed, it went through the hardwood and another blast wave followed by swirled up dirt in the air.
The surrounding people started to cheer and celebrate, as others were shouting towards Passionare, who seemingly enjoyed the spectacle.
“That's enough, Passionare – stop them! I have many more orders to complete, and my shop is a mess.”
“Bwah, let them be,” the big man growled, followed by a loud burping noise
“Sometimes men have to do things like this and let their emotions explode through their bodies before they can properly understand each other - isn't that right little one?! BWAHAHA,” he laughed maniacally as he watched Gwyn still hiding behind his cover.
My Insanity Page 10
