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arn

been a while huh

I had a free period at school yesterday forgot to post

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Prompt from:@oc-tober2023

[ I am not following the same order ]

CW: A little creepy chase, something stinks of death, all in the fashion of halloween I suppose (I am very bad at summarising CWs, I’m so sorry.)

~Saviour

You woke up with a start.

Something that months of running for your life did to you, is being attentive to any kind of noise around you - even when you sleep.

You did not dare make any hasty movements, if whatever is making those noises is human or animal, it might not see you, if it's not… you don't know what else to do but run.

The trees rustled ahead, it was dark. You realised, you were alone. She did not return. Why did she not return?!

A sudden stomp right next to your shelter made you snap out of the sudden panic. It was close, right next to you behind the twigs and leaves built to hide you beneath. 

You held your breath. Another step, slower this time, as if it was searching. You heard it moan and creak like bending a bark. Not human!

The Underfolk can see you. It can see through the leaves and twigs, you knew you should run, but something was rooting you to the spot. You couldn't move.

You heard it bend forward, its close, confused by the barrier it cannot see. Clumsy hands started to pat around your shelter. It won't hold. What are you doing! Why can't you move!

Your heart beat rapidly, you think you forgot to breathe entirely. Another stomp and it blocks the entrance now. You stare at the cold and dark legs, like the pitch black night itself, it looked boney and … dead.

Just then, its smell reached you. Rotten and foul, you had to stop yourself from gagging by slapping a hand over your mouth to not make a sound. It's no use, it can see you anyway - your mind tried to tell you as you stared at its legs to see the exact moment, it lost its patience. You need to run! Why won't your legs move! It will break through easily.

Then, a sudden tickle runs up your arms and legs, as you look down you see the shadow of something crawling up your limbs. A bug!

Suddenly your legs work! You sprint to your feet, break through the roof of your shelter and without further ado, turn and run. You hear the creature scream surprised, a voiceless, breathless shout. They no longer have a voice.

You don't wait to hear what it tried to say.

Stomp, stomp, stomp. 

It was quicker than you, you knew that from experience. Your mother always slowed it down with the power of her god. You had no god. Only your legs.

So you ran around trees, stumbled through the darkness, over hatches and moss. Your breath was cold but your hands were warm when you held onto the cold bark of a big tree. The Underfolk was on you in a second, so you slid behind the tree, knowing from experience that it can't see its surroundings very well.

It somehow always sees you however. 

You heard its gaze snap towards you in an instant, a painful crack of its stiffened neck. Then it ran and that fast, you slid down the tree, closing your eyes, waiting for the impact. It didn't take long and you felt the shattering of the creature hitting the tree. It wailed, a quiet scream - then you heard it stumble disoriented, boney legs slipping over wet leaves.

Then it shuffled away and you heard it run back into the forest. Only then you allowed yourself to breathe. It was gone for now, but it found you once, it can find you again. Your mind instantly shifts back to your mother still out there.

What if it finds her?

You sat there for a moment longer, knowing its not wise, but you needed a moment to calm down. The leaves of the trees above rustled with the wind and you felt a small breeze pass you by. Then suddenly a tickle up your arm. Looking down, you saw a small beetle, it was crawling up towards your hand and this time you lift it up and look at it with relief.

"Thank you for waking me out of my stupor." You say to the little thing, "You are my saviour. Without you I would have probably been dead or well, sick with the Rot by now. So, thank you."

You gently place your hand down onto the forest floor so it could scurry away, but somehow, it remained. 

"You don't want to leave?" You can't help a little smile, everyone always leaves you behind, how stupid to expect a bug to stick around. "I'm sure you have better places to be than stick with me."

You try again, placing your hand onto the ground, but the very moment your hand touches the ground, a bright light pops up in front of you and you have to shield your eyes.

It is not by my choice, just to make that clear.

An ethereal voice spoke to you and slowly you lower your arm from your face. There in front of you, was a bright light, floating and blinding. 

Bramble chose to help you.

"Bramble?" You did not know who or what was speaking to you, but it sounded annoyed.

The Rose Chafer in your hand calls himself Bramble, because he likes it so much. Why he likes you, I cannot understand.

You blink, looking down at the back of your hand, where the small green shimmering beetle was still crawling merryly over your hand, wiggling its antenna.

He misses the warmth of the sun. He said you are as warm as its shine. The voice scoffed, but you could not hear any real malice behind it. 

"You know what he says?" You pull the small beetle closer to you, trying to inspect it, and see its tiny antenna wiggle in delight as you do.

"What did he say now?" You wonder, fascinated by the little thing.

You hear the voice mumble something under its breath, you only catch single words like 'humans', 'annoying', 'ungrateful'.

When you look up towards the light, you see it shift from left to right, almost like it was pacing.

He says I should help you and listen to your concerns, despite him knowing that I do not converse with humans.

You blink, looking closer at the shining light, floating in front of you.

Are you talking to a god?

[ 1.059 words ]

Next Part?➜

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ARN ARMUNDSON

Prompt from: @oc-tober2023 [ I am not following the same order ]

~ Ritual

"Are you Ulgrim, the god of Mountains?" Even if you did not perform a great hunt yet, could the god have noticed your fight with the Underfolk? Was this your chance to prove yourself? To be of help to your mother? No longer be a mere burden?

You only further prove my point as to why I do not lower myself to the likes of you. Insulting me, is not doing you any favours. 

If its not the god of mountains you are speaking to, then who is it?

You see the little beetle turn towards the shining light in your hand, it wiggles its legs and tentacles wildly and exasperated now, as if chastising this… god?

Well, fine. That will be the last favour I will do for you, Bramble. Will you waste it for a mere human?

The beetle gives a small assertive nod.

Then let me introduce myself to you, human. It spat the last word and you doubt this will be a pleasant conversation, I am the god of Nothing, I am everywhere and nowhere, I am everything and I am nothing. Is that clear for you now?

You look at it for a moment, never have you heard of the god of Nothing before. What do they do?

As if sensing your questions, you saw the light flicker in annoyance, before it continued.

I am the wind surrounding you, tingling your skin, yet you cannot see me. I am the father of all the crawling insects you know and do not know about. I don't care what my siblings are spending their time on and I do not care for mortal affairs. They are petty at the least.

I do not have a name but the one my creatures give me from time to time and I do not have an appearance, because I see no need to be perceived. The insects know I am there without using their eyes. Humans do not, but I won't do you more than this. Speaking to you is already more than I would do for your kind.

"I-" you are speechless, a god of insects hating humans and they speak to you because of a favour from a Rose Chafer. Perhaps you were never meant for the god of mountains, perhaps this meeting was not by chance, but by Fate. "Can you hide from the Underfolk? If you are nothing, can you be invisible to other humans as well?"

The light flickers, a scoff. I just told you that I showed myself for your pity's sake alone. You wouldn't have even known of my presence otherwise. 

"And the Underfolk? Can you hide from them too?" You sat up, now eager to question this being in front of you.

It did not answer right away, instead it floated to the side, a little further away from you.

You felt the beetle tickle in your hand as it spoke to his god.

I am not-! The god snapped at Bramble, before taking a moment to calm down, You have a lot of questions, human. I promised Bramble to help you, but not to answer all your foolish thoughts.

Well, at least you know they could hide you from the humans hunting you and when you are bound to a god in any form, you could deal with the Underfolk yourself too. You could help your mother, you could have her stay.

"Then be my god! Let me perform the ritual and choose you."

The light stood still, no words were echoing through the forest, no rustling of the leaves ahead - no wind. You almost feared it would leave, so you lift the little beetle still in your hand and spoke to them:

"Bramble, tell them if they want to help me, they need to accept me in the ritual. I am of age, all I need is for them to say yes too."

The beetle tippled along your hand, a moment of hesitation as well, before they turned towards the glowing light standing still in front of you. At least you can read the beetle's reaction.

It spoke, you couldn't understand it, then the light prickled as an answer, but you did not hear it speak. Bramble spoke again, inching closer to the edge of your outstretched hand.

Then the light poofed and disappeared. You felt your heart sink, seeing your only chance gone.

"Where did they go? Did they agree?" You frantically look around, not yet giving up hope. It doesn't have to mean anything.

You watch Bramble stomp his little feet, he too seems displeased with his god, but then he pushes himself upwards and with a loud buzzing noise, sours into the air.

Fearing he is going to leave you too, you instantly spring to your feet. As you jog after the green shimmering beetle, you wonder where your mother was. What will she think when she returns and finds your shelter shattered? You shouldn't roam too far, or she might not find you, but you can't let this chance pass by either.

Making up your mind, you steer your eyes upwards, following the shimmer of Bramble, determined to not let him out of your sight. You will have this god as yours and do as any young boy your age should do - fulfill the ritual. [ ~ 893 words ]