NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30 - A Price
I could accept Leith's delicate hand and accept her offer. All it would cost is giving her the seed and forfeiting the quest.
Naiad's body was still in my arms. Views were insanely high, and all these people watching me, and I had to make the best choice.
Or I could run past her where the totem stood. The entrance to hell was on the other side, the wall that blocked the minions of hell a quick sprint away. Only twelve seconds on my mud face mask remained. I wouldn't make it, but I could push myself to avoid the call of Kujira.
"No." I told Leith.
Each step was exhausting, and on my seventh, I was still too far away from the wall. I took another step, leaned forward, and felt the air moving around me. I stopped moving, and so did the flying aulley or imps. The colorful lights of orange, blue, black, purple, and gold shimmered around.
The goddess of Leith sauntered over in front of me, her dress rippling in sync with the surrounding magic. She pointed to the totem and the wall. "I've always hated that divide. Such an ugly thing that blocks me, but not my minions, or Kujira's. They can travel through that barrier, and will get you."
She walked right up to me and I couldn't reply. I was stuck in this stasis she put around us. Once next to me, her golden iris darted around my face to study me. Her oily black hair glistened with a light of its own and she smelled of ash and licorice.
"You won't make it, just like me. Kujira's job is to make sure we are stuck. He's so organized, his secret is being minimalistic, bare-boned." Leith chuckled at her own joke. She grabbed Naiad's braid, undoing it. "You want the best for your children. I'm the same. I want to give them the world, so they aren't stuck."
Silence filled between us for a second. I watched her braid my daughter's hair, then put it down, and pat her cheek. "You don't want them held back. I had to freeze you the moment the holy mud wore off. I can't let you take my daughter."
Even though I was stuck, my rage boiled. The moment I broke free, I would tell Naiad to throw holy dirt mud pies at this woman.
Naiad stirred in my arms, a gold light glowing around her braid and out from Leith's fingers. She couldn't talk, but I could now.
"This is my family. I'm not giving her up." I growled.
"And what you carry is mine." The goddess gently spoke back, not intimidated by my pitiful level eleven.
The rest of my body couldn't do anything. I couldn't run to the hills and get out of this hell. Leith wanted to talk and force me into accepting her offer.
I hated gods and their broken power.
Leith continued blabbing on. "Because of your actions, every single one of them since the start, you've been a thorn in my side, threatening to ruin everything. Your son's bomb ruined the mushrooms. He takes after you that mischief one. Then I watched you at the bakery. You are just so sweet. Like your daughter here."
Her hand danced from Naiad's face, up to my chest, over to my collarbone, resting it there to twirl my hair.
"Stop." I ordered.
Leith's hand lifted from my neck and traced along my jawline and off my face. "I think I understand what you two want now. We want the same thing. But there is only one reward, one guardian. One singular seed. But if you grow it under the right conditions, you could harvest multiple."
"Are you saying I have to plant this seed?"
Leith drew in close enough I could feel her body heat. She blinked and grinned, her round eyes like a frog's. "Well, now that's not something I thought of, and you do such a great job of nurturing." She touched Naiad's arms, folding them into the child's lap, so they stopped hanging.
I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic. This was the information Chiliam needed, and I could finish two parts of this quest. But Chiliam also wanted the seed back and plant it. I gave her my answer. "Fine. I'll plant the seed if you let us get out of here. Both of us."
At least Triangle was safe in Fanamel and not part of this bargain.
"Deal, but only if she takes this ring." Leith used her sharp, pointed nails to cut off a small lock of her black hair, tying it around Naiad's finger and transforming into a small golden band.
Leith hummed a sorrowful song. "A daughter for a daughter. Plant mine, keep her hidden and safe from the gods until fully grown. If you don't, I will call your child back to me."
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[(Item, mythical) A Goddess's Promise: This bearer will receive demonic protection in hell, but only if the demon follows Leith. A life must be traded if either party breaks the promise.]
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"We could've done that without the ring," I told her. My foot descended, and my grip on Naiad tightened, signaling my body control was returning.
"The mortal realm has burned too me many times. I suggest you sprint to save the daughters. Hide them from the heavens and hells."
"How will I keep it hidden from the rabbit god?" I questioned, my eyes never leaving the ring.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Of course, he only misses Lady Branchelot after he lost her. You'll need to sneak back and grab dirt from here to cover the seed. It will hide her presence from him."
I could feel my fingers fidget. "Make me wear the ring."
"No. A parent's love makes them do desperate things, like hide a secret from the gods."
"You're not giving me a choice to save my daughter."
"You must fix what you ruined for me. The ring is bound to her hand. We'll talk soon."
Time resumed around us, and Leith stepped to the side and raised her hand. The tenderness she had held in her voice earlier was gone as she turned to face the battle. She pointed up in the sky at the whale skeleton, Kujira, and ordered. "Stop them, my minions."
My stamina was full, but the status effect of the mud was completely gone. I heard Kujira's call out to me, vibrating through my soul again. It felt freeing of my body, but my soul would not leave because the heavy burden in my arm anchoring me down.
Naiad squirmed, "Put me down!" She snapped back at full energy, deep lines grew on her face from her anger.
We were only one thousand feet from surpassing the wall and reaching safety. Two sets of muddy footprints left a path toward us.
"No. I need you and I found our footprints," I told her. But Naiad was hitting me and screaming over me.
"Why! You can't do this. You let her do this." Naiad smacked my chest with the ring, and I continued moving to the exit.
I risked looking at the stream stats, better than my old days had ever been. Naiad and I were going to be legends - or I was going to be an idiot if I didn't get us out of here.
Lightning struck right in front of me, searing my eyes and deafening my ears with a powerful crack, the smell of ozone filling the air. The ground shook hard enough to cause me to stumble over and lose Naiad, instantly regaining Kujira's debuff back.
Leith's protection was garbage. This is why I hated working with gods and their finicky rules. The deal was crap, and I had to protect my family, Leith's dumb seed, and get myself out - with nothing from her.
Imps, minotaurs, and fowls of all sorts came near us as we both stood up. Leith's army was physically smaller and losing.
To move faster, I put Naiad on the ground and pointed to the hills and wall. "I found the way out."
I grabbed her hand. The feeling of being weighed down occurred, and her ring glowed. Naiad fought my hold, but I held her. She had the protection from Leith and I didn't. I had to make sure we got out together.
The legion of Kujira descended on us while goats and frogs hopped on their backs. Screams and croaks surrounded us. I yanked Naiad back and brought my shield up just as an aulley fell on us.
Naiad tried to pull an arrow out, but because I held her hand, she couldn't shoot.
"Let go!"
I didn't reply. Instead, I yanked her and ran forward. We needed an area of attack damage. We needed Triangle and his bombs.
Naiad shoved her way out of my shield and handhold. She pivoted and shot an arrow at the aulley. She pulled out a scroll, the green weave gathered around the arrow charging the spell. Precious seconds I didn't have, I had to be touching her. I knelled down in front of her and blocked thrown skulls and stones coming at us while she charged the spell. I shifted my foot on the ground, making sure I contacted with Naiad's ankle.
Imps howled as they got closer, scrapping at the ground. This was stupid. We should've kept running.
"Shoot already!" I ordered.
"Shh," she hissed back at me.
Again, I felt annoyed having to choose between protecting her or clearing the path out of hell. This wasn't a moment for sitting around for charging spells.
I had to get away from Naiad to save her.
With my axe and shield, I ran toward the last pillar blocking us and exit, calling for the imps' attention with a loud roar that burned my throat and clanged on my shield. Precious seconds of no protection against Kujira.
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[The gods of hell hear you. Their curse or blessings may fall upon you.
You get to roll a number - hope you're lucky.]
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Oh Jeez. My loud mouth just screwed me over.
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[The Goddess of Leith smiles in your direction. You got lucky!]
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"I didn't need stupid notifications. How many times do I have to turn them off?!" I complained.
During my distraction and recklessness, I brought over a collection of imps, but not all the monsters of hell. The skeleton whale god moved down the pillars, its rib bones clicking and scrapping as it descended. It was getting too close to Naiad and her slowly charging spell. My screaming failed.
I put the shield away, admitting I didn't know how to tank. I equipped both axes and took a breath and designed my own area of attack- the spin to win.
The game said I was lucky.
With a tight grip on my axes, I knocked five imps that stood between me and Naiad. I laughed as an aulley missed me during my pirouette moves and lost a wing. Leith's frog magic sent another group of the hungry monsters flying and reducing their numbers.
"LEITH!" Kujira raged out, interrupting his song. "YOU BETRAYED US."
Leith cackled like a witch in response. "We needed a bit more chaos to turn the tides. Thanks for the Helitical Shrooms."
They battled in drum beats and chirping, lighting and thunder, the cockney of music worse than any Avant-garde. It kept my soul grounded.
It was the music of chaotic and fun battle. I spun around, keeping my grip on the axe tight.
Five imps went down right away, making me laugh. Next a goat, that caused a break in round about pattern, for a moment. Those that hungry approached initially were now backing off. Round and round I went, but my energy drained as I struck the monsters.
"Spin to win!" I laughed, getting high from the fight and experience points.
The arrow hissed over and struck the next wave of prey coming off from the side. The vining spell branched out and lashed down on anything within a ten meter radius. Climbing the mob as if they were trees, and rooting them in place.
"Stuck it to them!" Naiad cheered. The smile vanished instantly as the shadow of the death whale approached both of us. "Crap!"
"Throw holy dirt and run!" I instructed her.
The whale bellowed out, "I shall devour you!"
"You don't even have a stomach." I taunted back at Kujira while waiting for Naiad to pass me. "Get to the totems and to the swamp."
She glowered at me as she took off. No time to demand a thank you because I couldn't think of a plan. We had to find the portal home.
Running behind her, I explained, "We'll have another challenge to face."
Naiad was panting only feet from the wall. "I've two arrows left."
Crap.
"It'll be fine," I summoned the most assuring voice I had. Dad's always say it will be fine. No matter what. "Throw the dirt and go."
Naiad grimaced and tossed a handful of dirt at the crowd. Its silver glow illuminated the moment it hit the Kujira's spiny teeth, and all the creatures of hell.
She scowled at me. "I got an achievement called Holy Dirt! And the announcer sounded like you."
"It probably was. Holy dirt, smite away!" I ordered, and she did another toss at the monsters. We were doing great getting through this risky situation, and were one step closer to the legendary reward.
We were close enough to see the intricately carved fur on the totem pole, its texture seeming almost soft, and then we crossed the low, weathered wall. Lungs burning and panting, we dragged our exhausted bodies past the welcoming skull pile.
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[Debuff removed. The fog lands hide you from the dead.]
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We were safe, but I paid a high price for the reward of this quest. The gold ring glistening on Naiad's hand was going to be a constant reminder of that.