NOVEL NEXT Chapter 373: Lamias And Leviathans
It was already night by then, the moon hanging high above them like a silver crown, its glow spilling faintly over the quiet road. The air was cool, carrying the smell of grass and earth after the day's chaos.
All four of them were back on the road again, leaving Noah and the others behind to deal with the aftermath, for the job was done, for now.
But tonight, one of them was truly out of commission.
Cassius, who had carried the weight of fire, blood, and speeches earlier, was now nothing more than a weary man slumped against Skadi on her horse.
His arms were loosely wrapped around her waist, his head tilted forward, resting on her shoulder. His breathing was soft, steady, and clearly he had drifted into sleep, completely trusting her to carry him along.
Skadi was overjoyed. Her tail swished behind her in barely contained delight, her cheeks glowing as she giggled under her breath.
Every few minutes she would poke his nose with a fingertip, or brush her hand gently over his face, as though testing to see if this was real, if her master, this untouchable figure, was actually leaning against her so helplessly.
Sometimes she even rubbed her cheek against his head, humming happily to herself.
Behind them, Aisha was fuming. Sitting astride her horse with Julie, she had her arms folded tight, her ears flat with irritation as her eyes burned holes into Skadi's back. At last she snapped, pointing with one clawed finger.
"Hey, Skadi! Stop touching him like that! You're going to wake him up! Just let him sleep, for god's sake!"
Skadi harrumphed loudly, tossing her hair back with pride and flashing her a victorious grin.
"Oh, shut up, Kitty. You're just jealous." She snuggled Cassius's head closer against her shoulder, smirking. "Look at him, leaning on me, holding me like this. If Master wakes up, it won't be because I touched him, it'll be because you're screeching like a banshee."
"...So go ahead, keep yelling, maybe you'll wake him up for real."
"You—!" Aisha bit her tongue, growling low in her throat, her nails digging into the reins.
She wanted nothing more than to ride up and yank Cassius away from her rival, but she forced herself to stop, glaring daggers while her tail lashed behind her.
Skadi, triumphant, went even further, rubbing her cheek against Cassius's hair deliberately, like a cat showing off her prize.
Aisha's teeth clenched audibly.
Meanwhile, Julie, who had been watching this spectacle with growing disbelief, finally rubbed her temples and let out a heavy sigh.
"Will you two just stop it already? Honestly, it's like watching children fight over a toy. He's asleep, for heaven's sake."
Both demi-girls pouted but fell into silence, though their glares at one another did not cease.
Julie decided to change the subject before they really woke Cassius up. Her eyes shifted to Aisha.
"Tell me something, Aisha...about what happened back there, do you think it'll affect our plans? The commotion must have spread by now. Surely word will reach the cult."
Aisha's ears flicked, her gaze thoughtful. After a moment, she shook her head firmly.
"No. Don't worry, Captain. Cassius already accounted for that."
Julie blinked. "He did?"
"Yes." Aisha replied, her tone steady. "The place we're headed to, the ritual site, he informed me saying it's too important for them to abandon."
"It's a fixed point, tied directly to the blood moon. When it rises, the energy will converge there stronger than anywhere else on the continent. They can't move it, and they won't risk relocating."
She looked toward the distant horizon.
"That's why they've sent so many reinforcements there already. Every cult member is converging at that spot. It will be infested with cult members by the time we enter."
Julie exhaled slowly. "So they're locked in place."
"Exactly." Aisha nodded. "And Cassius also left a false trail. He arranged things to make it appear as if we were heading out on a completely different campaign, on the Holyfield family's orders. If the cult has spies sniffing around, they'll think we're going elsewhere."
Julie's brow furrowed. "Wait, when did he even do that?"
Aisha gave a helpless shrug.
"I don't know. He just...already had it set up. Somehow." She looked back at the man sleeping peacefully on Skadi's shoulder, her voice softening despite her earlier jealousy. "He even deciphered the evidence I gave him, the coded messages, the fragments to discover that they won't be able to move."
"I worked myself sick over them and couldn't put it all together, but he...he just glanced at it, thought for a moment, and then figured out the truth."
Julie followed her gaze, watching Cassius's calm face in the moonlight. A faint smile touched her lips.
"That's Cassius for you. Don't try to compare yourself to him, Aisha. You'll only get a headache. He's...an enigma. Always has been, always will be. Best we just follow his lead."
Her eyes then scanned the road ahead before she asked.
"Speaking of the ritual site...we're close, aren't we?"
"Yes." Aisha confirmed with a nod. "Half a day's journey at most. The ritual itself won't happen until the blood moon rises in a few days, so we're early."
Julie brightened a little. "That's actually good. Better to arrive ahead of time and scout the place than to stumble in late. Gives us room to breathe."
Her lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"Besides...if we've got a little time, we might as well look around the area, don't you think? I heard there's something worth seeing near here."
"...Supposedly, this is where the largest lake on the entire continent lies."
Aisha's ears perked at once, her irritation toward Skadi forgotten for the moment.
"Oh, that's true! Jhutan Lake." Her tone carried reverence as she spoke. "It's just a short ride from here. They say it's the widest lake in all the lands, and the deepest too. So deep that no diver, no magic, no creature has ever touched its bottom."
"...Legends say it was formed long ago during a great catastrophe, when the earth split apart."
Julie's eyes widened slightly, interest sparking in her expression. "A catastrophe that created a lake like that, huh? Sounds like something worth seeing."
Aisha's excitement increased, her tail flicking with energy, her voice taking on a tone that could only be described as nerdy enthusiasm about talking about ancient history and myths.
"Oh, it's not just the lake, Captain." She began quickly, leaning forward on her saddle as if she couldn't hold herself back. "The catastrophe that happened here thousands of years ago not only created this massive body of water, but it also gave birth to an entire race—the lamia."
Skadi blinked, tilting her head with surprise.
"Lamia? You mean those snake-people? The demi-human race with a snake-like lower half and a human upper half?"
Aisha smirked, clearly enjoying the chance to show off her knowledge. "I'm impressed you actually knew that. I didn't think your dumb little brain had enough room for more than chasing squirrels and barking at shadows."
Skadi's ears shot up, her cheeks puffing as she growled. "Why you—!"
But Aisha ignored her and continued eagerly, her voice animated.
"According to history, this lake is where the lamia race first emerged. They treat this place as sacred ground. Their ancestors came from these very waters, and the name 'Jhutan Lake' itself comes from their ancestral god, Jhutan. For thousands of years they lived here, surrounding the lake, protecting it as holy."
Julie, intrigued, tilted her head.
"That's surprising. I always heard the lamia clan was located farther west in the desert region. They've got a reputation for staying put in one place and not mingling much with other races."
"...Because of their appearance, people tend to fear them."
Aisha nodded firmly. "That's true. They do live farther west now where it's all sunny and desserts. But it wasn't always like that. Roughly a hundred years ago, another catastrophe struck this place."
"The earth shook, and the lake, already enormous, expanded even larger. At that time, their clan leader, Thalamios, interpreted the disaster as a divine sign."
"He feared something worse would come, so he ordered the entire clan to relocate. They abandoned their holy ground and resettled in the west. They've been there ever since."
Julie frowned, her brows furrowing. "A catastrophe...what kind of catastrophe?"
Aisha's tone lowered, almost hesitant. "They say...a Leviathan appeared."
Julie's jaw dropped. "Wait, Leviathan? You mean the Leviathan? The same one that's said to rival an ancient dragon? The mythical sea beast people whisper about in tavern tales?"
Aisha's eyes gleamed with seriousness as she nodded.
"Exactly that. A massive serpent-like creature, with venom so potent it could melt the strongest metals. Its scales were said to be unbreakable, harder than any forged armor...A cataclysmic beast."
"About a hundred years ago, it rose from the depths of Jhutan Lake and devastated the lamia who went against the clan leader's words, not believing him...Entire settlements were annihilated."
"...Worse, its very presence poisoned the lake itself. Waters once pure turned venomous and even the last of the lamia had no choice but to flee, leaving the Leviathan to rule over the lake"
Hearing this, Skadi paled visibly, her ears flattening.
"H-Hey...wait a second. If that thing was in the lake a hundred years ago...doesn't that mean it's still there?"
Aisha shrugged, uncertainty flickering across her face.
"No one knows. After causing so much destruction, it disappeared back into the depths. Even the royal family tried to deal with it, and they failed, miserably. Many nobles and knights perished, melted by its poison or torn apart."
"But then, without warning, it simply vanished beneath the waters again. Since then, no one has seen it. Some say it's still sleeping down there. Others say it left. No one can prove either way. For the last century, people have avoided the deepest parts of the lake."
"A Leviathan..." Julie's lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes dark with thought. "If that's true, this lake isn't just a wonder. It's a grave."
Aisha then added, more lightly,
"Either way, people haven't avoided the lake. In fact, now it's surrounded by human fishing villages. Entire communities rely on its waters for their livelihoods. They stake out territory along its shores, competing over fishing grounds."
At that, Skadi's ears perked back up, her mood shifting instantly. Her tails wagged like a dog's as her eyes sparkled.
"Wait, wait! If there are fishing villages, then that means...we can get some delicious fish, right?"
Aisha stared at her flatly, deadpan. "Yes. But do you have to think about food all the time?"
"Of course I do!" Skadi barked proudly. "Good food is the reason I live after all!"
"Keep it up, and you'll get fat." Aisha smirked slyly. "Then Cassius won't even bother with you anymore, he'll find himself a new puppy."
"Wha—WHAT?!" Skadi yelped, her face going red as her ears shot up. "No! Master will never replace me! He loves me!"
She hugged Cassius's sleeping form tighter, puffing her cheeks.
"And besides, I won't get fat! I'm always running around, playing, training...You, on the other hand, are always shoving your face into books and never moving. If anyone's going to get fat, it's you!"
Her grin turned sharp, her eyes narrowing.
"And being fat without any breasts at all, that's really humiliating, isn't it, Aisha?"
Aisha froze, her whole face twitching in fury and their eyes locked, sparks practically flying between them. It looked like claws and fangs might be drawn any second.
Julie let out a weary groan, raising her hand. "Not again…"
But before she could scold them, everything changed.
Cassius stirred.
He had been so still, so peacefully asleep against Skadi's shoulder, but suddenly his body tensed.
His eyes snapped open, sharp and alert, no drowsiness in them at all and he lifted his head, looking around the darkened forest with the intensity of a predator sensing danger.
The girls froze at once, shocked by the sudden shift.
Then, in a low, steady voice, Cassius asked. "Did you hear that?"
They blinked.
"Hear what, Master?" Skadi asked, confused.
"That scream." Cassius said, his voice carrying a chilling weight. "And the splash...something massive moving in water."
A shiver ran through the group.
"No, Master." Skadi said quickly, shaking her head. "I didn't hear anything."
But Cassius's eyes narrowed, his gaze scanning the shadows of the forest.
"No. It was faint. Far away. But I heard it. A scream...and something monstrous."
Before anyone could say another word, his form blurred, then vanished.
He moved with the speed of sound, launching from the horse and into the trees so fast that the wind whipped against their faces in his wake.
Aisha jerked upright, eyes wide. "What—What's going on? Where is he going?!"
Julie clenched the reins, her heart thudding as she forced her voice steady.
"I don't know. But if even Cassius is reacting like this…" She glanced into the direction he had gone, her eyes narrowing. "…Then it means something terrible happened. Something serious enough to make him act."
Her grip tightened. "We'd better follow him...Now."
And with that, they spurred their horses forward, chasing after Cassius into the night with a slight look of fear in their eyes.
If it was something that even made someone like Cassius, who was always so carefree, get serious then they could only what sort of disaster they were charging towards...