16 The Hunt?

Prime continued to act like a spoiled kitten as she was buried in Lady Iroko's hug.

Her innocent childishness was loveable in every way. She then looked at Iroko, seemingly pondering about something, "Lady..."

"Hmmmm?"

"Can I ask, why did you make the mortals?"

Everybody looked at her with anticipation because unlike them, Prime had always asked from the simple things up to the immensity of heaven and earth like she was just asking about the weather. Prime was ignorant of this esteemed priviledge that other deities have placed on her. On the other hand, deities from Micah's generation, except for guardian deities[1], have grown accustomed to only question the Lady and the Lord if necessary.

The Lady looked unperturbed, she gave an even more gentle smile. "Hmmmm, it's not about making. You see the Lord and I, parts of us are formed, and it becomes what you call creation. The Lord and I are very special, you see. You may just feel, but for us, it would bring about a being. Thinking as well brings about being. We can create entities with our feelings and thoughts."

Prime looked at the celestial beasts that were visible, "So, what are you thinking now?"

The Lady giggled, "Prime, it isn't like that, we still have the control as to whether this feeling or thought could come into existence."

"Hmmmmmm" she nodded as she hummed.

Suddenly Prime pouted, she stared alarmingly at the hand of Iroko that was coming near her cheeks. "Why the face?" The Lady asked as she stared at her alarmed look.

"Are you gonna pinch my cheeks again?"

"Do you want me to not pinch you?"

"I don't know..." she replied in an unsure manner, "I feel that when my Lady squeezes my cheeks, there is love that I can't explain, all I know is it's good love, I guess... and compared to when other deities pinch me... I don't snap and slap your hand away because you don't squeeze like they do..." Prime explained.

"So, why are you apprehensive with my hand?" Iroko asked as she lavished in the interesting analogy of her young deity.

Prime then looked at the other deities, "They pinch me hard on the cheeks, my arms, sometimes even on my legs!"

Everybody's eyes twitched, such an open accusation.

Iroko's left brow raised, "Haaaahhhhh..." she then glared at the deities who had pinched her hard. "I see. Do you want me to pinch them in the same manner?"

Prime blinked her pretty innocent eyes, she then shook her head.

"Why is that?"

"It hurts" she said while her voice groaned.

Everybody could not help but to mask their amused faces for this young one really thought of them dearly, thinking in their position regardless of past pranks (could even be called a childish enmity).

Iroko tried to lessen the amusement showing in her smile. She then spoke in a doting manner, "When I made you, I was reminded of the beginning of the world, when everything was not yet what it was and at the same time I also considered what it is now." She let go of Prime as she walked towards the riverbank.

The wind became colder as she stood there, there was a hint of loneliness and omnipotence. Her voice then echoed with the wind, "At the same time, thinking of you made me weary that I can no longer create Deities the same way I did with Micaheil's generation. You are the same as them, but also entirely different..." She looked back at Prime, the Lady's eyes had many emotions shifting so quickly that they could not tell what she felt. The deities kept quiet as their gaze never left her.

"You are very special, Prime... so special that what Nike said is true..." there was a hint of solemnity in her words, she then looked towards Micaheil. "She is..."

"We understand." Micaheil nodded, as if to stop the words that would follow.

Iroko smiled an unusual smile.

"Ladyyyy! You haven't answered my question yet." Prime nagged.

Iroko laughed a melodious laughter that caught Prime unprepared, she subconsciously looked at Iroko in a dazed manner.

"You little kitten, curious... very curious..." Iroko sighed as she looked at her in an unabashed way, "I made them to see how a creation so powerless, would walk on this land and live with what already exists. And to see you, my firstborn children..," as she said this, her gaze swept all of creation present, "...how would you live with these short lived creation?"

Everybody took in those words, trying to understand the simple answer, but it seemed to have a subtle complexity which they could not fathom.

"Lady, I don't understand..."

"Prime, how has your training been?" Iroko cut her off, no longer planning to answer the question.

"Training, well Lady, big sis says I need more training..." she said while looking down and fidgeting. Forgetting their previous discussion, her attention fully centered on the though of her training. She didn't like talking about her training.

"I have something to tell Micah, Egon, and Lucien. Come, let's take a walk by the riverbank." She smiled as she started to walk. Her words were gentle, but all deities dared not refute nor clarify Prime's question about the mortals. The three deities walked behind her.

As they walked, the clouds started to surround the Botanischer and the humid air was consistently moving vertically. The path the Lady had chosen was now overcast with dark clouds.

After, they left the populated area. Iroko made her pace slow, more slow than it was originally. "Micah, speak." she said lightly. The chilly wind ruffled her attire and even her hair making her look more ethereal.

"My Lady, what did those Soul Piercers mean about Prime?"

Iroko looked at the sky ahead of them filled with dark clouds. High up, the rumbling of the thunderclouds could be heard. Pondering for a while, the Lady looked back at the three deities behind her. "She does have a piece of his soul."

"I know my Lady... But what about the fact that they said she had pieces of some deities soul?" Micaheil went straight to the point, she felt that this answer could not be delayed.

Lightning started to create crevices in the sky as if it will tear open a space like never before and at exactly the same time Iroko turned and faced them. "She has a piece of you. The other pieces, let's keep it a secret. Until she wakes them up."

As if her answer was a hard pill to swallow, they asked in unison, "What do you mean, my Lady?"

"I cannot answer all your questions, it will regress your growth." She interjected as she no longer looked at them and walked forward.

Egon and Lucien who kept quiet all this while, frowned at the Lady's answer, Lucien especially. The answer was too vague. The weather was to obscure. The Lady seemed like she was not one wanting to talk but she dared talk about the topic. A Frustrating plight.

"By the way, I almost forgot the purpose as to why I called you out."

Micaheil had an inquisitive look, the three followed the Lady diligently.

"My general, many deities are being attacked by the Mortals. How will you fix this?" she said as a matter of fact, then holding some of her stray her and rubbing it gently. Her nonchalance made her question seem like it was not of importance.

The wind brought cold and humid air, comforting and irritating. The weather's unpredictable change made Micaheil feel more emotions than the usual. "Lady, as much as possible we would like peace between mortals and deities... but if they don't stop these guerilla tactics of theirs... killing off our own... I will have no choice but to choose, even if it means choosing a violent path. Naturally, we will fight them." there was this confidence with a hint of elegant frost surrounding Micaheil as she stood there while the wind blew across her. She stood under a passing cloud, the shadow enveloping her created an eerie scenery.

Subsequent to fixing her strayed hair, the wind blew and dispersed Iroko's hair. Abruptly, she said at the same time as the lightning struck and the thunder rolled, "Then what if I tell you that they can catch her scent?" The lightning lasted more than five seconds.

All three stopped at their steps.

Micaheil clenched her fists.

Egon's eyes constricted.

There was a deadly coldness in Lucien's gaze.

Iroko sighed, continued walking, and said indifferently, "His death was a death by choice. But what about your sister?"

Lucien regained his calm amongst the three of them as Iroko talked about Prime, he queried, "What do you mean catch her scent? They can track her?"

Iroko's lips formed a small smile, "That woman... she is starting to feel her presence. She'll be able to tell where Micah's sister is... soon... Just give it a few more years."

Lucien looked at the Lady with great apprehension as she walked leisurely while the storm brew, unusually, no rain fell, "Why would you allow that?" he asked in a somewhat irritated manner.

"It's not a matter of allowing. He gave his life and power to her. It is not our will to stop our creation from giving a part of themselves, even their whole self to whom ever they please. Especially, if it is given to their lover, and considering the fact that, that was what he wanted.. how could I deny him of that? "

Lucien sighed as he brushed his fingers on his itchy face, exasperation in the tone of his voice. "Love... Love? Look at what his love has brought upon all of us!" he shouted.

Iroko looked up at the sky, breathing in the familiar scent of her creation, "I never thought you'd blame him." melancholy could be seen in her eyes as she analyzed his perspective.

Undisguised spite could be seen in Lucien's overall demeanor, "He may be the deity that I have greatest affinity with. But his choice was too selfish, far selfish than I imagined. This is nowhere near the original plan!"

"hmmmmmm, point taken." The Lady still walked, the air current changing drastically. All of a sudden, great thunder bellowed from the sky almost masking Iroko's words, "They are near here..."

The three pair of eyes opened wide in shock.

Egon hastened his steps, he stood behind the Lady, he asked, "Why didn't you tell us in the first place?"

Lightning again striked, but bedazzlingly, it struck right in front of Lady Iroko. The goddess touched the edges of the lightning as if caressing a child as she serenely threw back a question for a question, "Why, it's not like they can enter here? For now, that is... they cannot." The lightning was strong, but as it was touched by the Lady, it seemed to have been nothing more than satin falling off from the clouds.

As if woken up from the dreamy weather, Egon could not help but retort coldly, "Lady, I'm beginning to think you enjoy our misery."

"No, not at all." She replied in a calm, unmoved manner. "I'm just warning you. Take her away from here... or else his lover will find her."

Micaheil who kept quiet all this while couldn't take it any longer, "What can we do? Take her away? Be on the run? Explain to her how she was made to replace a deity, who because of his selfish desire... she was made to fill the gap he left?" her voice started to become raspy, a hint of irritation started to swell in the way she spoke, "Would you like for her to solve the problem he made just because he can no longer be responsible and HIS responsibility is now on her shoulders? Why does that woman even have a right to feel his remaining presence, when she never gave him anything in return?!" Micaheil's cheeks were scarlet with anger. She always acted cold towards her sister, but she was never immune to the child's charm. Loving someone, but knowing the inevitable danger they will face someday and being incapable of giving protection for this loved one can make someone go crazy sometimes...

Iroko stopped. She slightly turned her head, just seeming to look at her side. "That woman has yet to understand what she's looking for. An aimless hunt... a hunt for deities to devour, a predator looking for its real prey, but that prey has constantly evaded her. Staying here will make her aware of Prime's existence... other than the deities that she and her people seek to devour. Can you bear the consequence if it will allow her to find out about your sister existence, or worst, if she met face to face Little Prime on your way out as travellers?"

The wind howled as all three of them kept quiet, the truth was unsettling but the Lady's answer cut off whatever questions they had and their indeterminate disposition was clearly steered to the option of escape. Micaheil could not hide her foul expression, 'Deities, on the run just because of a mortal?'

Iroko knew her thoughts, "He was on equal footing with you in every way. That woman received his everything... The three of you may be able to kill her and all those other soul piercers, but that will be the first blood drawn from either side in such a large scale... Are you willing to let her grow in the bloodshed between mortals and deities?"

Micaheil closed her eyes, controlling her emotions, she said mechanically, "We will leave at once. My Lady, I only ask that you allow Egon and Lucien to accompany me." Micaheil immediately decided her next move.

The wind grew fierce and when the Lady spoke her words "Allowed." It seemed hazy, like the sound of ones voice inside a cave echoing but disappearing and coming from all sorts of direction. As if it was all a dream. Just like the Lady, who disappeared with the wind.

The three immediately went to where they left Prime. Upon reaching the spot, Micaheil's heart lurched at her throat...They noticed she wasn't there.

"Where is she?" Micaheil asked, there was this alertness to her voice.

Nike answered her, "She stood up suddenly, and started to walk out, she seemed to have heard someone calling her. She kept asking if we heard that."

"That?" Egon repeated with a hint of puzzlement.

"We thought it was the Lady calling her. We let her be." she remarked casually, unaware of how high strung the three were.

"But we came from that direction." Egon pointed at the riverbank they took their walk at.

Nike also realized that something was wrong. "She went to the edge of the cliff in a daze."

The three disappeared from their sight, seemingly incapable of waiting as the wind grew fiercer.

~What happened earlier with Prime~

"What is here?" A woman's question suddenly popped out of nowhere in a whispered manner. Prime looked at everybody else searching for whoever asked that question. After asking around, she realized that she was the only one who heard it.

The question she heard belonged to the voice of an adult female. The words reverberated in Prime's mind. Her heart started to beat strongly and loudly. It came to her like someone whispered behind her and for some unknown reason, her heart recognizes this voice. Unaware of her own desires, her heart yearned to see whose voice it belonged to.

Immediately she went in a somewhat reluctant manner towards the edge. Her mind told her to stay, but her heart told her to go. She has never felt this conflicted before. Lightning struck and thunder echoed from the direction the Lady and group took. Her eyes looked absentmindedly at the lightning. Her spirit seemed to have been in a trance, regardless of the danger she felt, she still moved forward disregarding the lightning she saw.

Looking towards the narrow path and the mountain range, she chose to travel through the mountainous terrain. She felt danger as she took each step. Trying to find assurance for herself, she made sure she was at a place where she could hide. The dense forest of the mountain was the best place to hide at.

The training Micaheil imprinted unto her rung close to her heart, 'When your instincts tell you a situation is dangerous, make sure to choose all the advantageous options. Do not be hasty. Observe from afar and then roughly estimate the possible outcomes of each option. Observe the enemy, see for yourself whether the roles of prey-predator could be reversed, if not... and most especially if you are the prey, YOU MUST ESCAPE. No Buts.'

Prime's steps were heavy and the thunders drummed heavily in response to her pounding heart. The closer she was at the edge, the more she felt that something was outside, something unfamiliar but also familiar. "How queer..." she whispered. There was a scent which she could not recognize. Her mind started to throb, her vision became blurry and it somewhat moved on its own. As her steps staggered and she was about to fall, a hand caught her by the waist.

She readjusted her gaze. A chuckle could be heard, "Darling, Prime."

The voice was quite soothing and strong. The strength from which she felt from the hand that kept her from falling was well controlled. She did not feel much pressure being pressed on her waist. Slowly, she steadily stood erect. She whispered weakly, "Lord."

The Lord hummed. The moment she could steadily stand, the Lord let go of her.

The Lord was as bedazzling as the Lady, he also had a youthful physique which could fool anyone. He was wearing a gaucho attire with an ankle length gaucho pants. His height was quite remarkable, his physique[2] was enviable underneath his thick clothes which could now be seen... for the fierce wind blew the gaucho and it seemed to not be bound by gravity as it strongly swayed at different directions. It would seem that the Lord was highly alert for his body was like an unsheathed sword in the midst of the turbulent weather.

He smiled in a stiff manner for he was refraining himself from laughing at the way Prime tried to act like there was no problem even though the weather was already starting to develop in a menacing way, "What seems to be the problem, child?" he said as he walked forward.

Prime blinked, she realized that she should just tell the Lord what she felt. "Lord, a voice is calling me, a very familiar voice. But my mind says that it's dangerous to go there. As I came closer to the source of this feeling, I felt oddly dizzy." As they were at the mountainous edge, the air here was more humid and bland for the storm was brewing closer at the mountain top.

She noticed a different demeanor surrounding the Lord before her. Prime looked at the Lord, there was something odd about him. She couldn't tell what was different... and she could give it too much thought because she was feeling different, her attention fully on whoever was the source of that voice. Whatever is on the other side, it's calling unto her.

"Will you venture to the source of that voice?" the Lord said languidly.

Prime was shocked, "You heard it too?" she snapped.

The Lord turned back, nodded, cocked his head to the left, then shook his head. Seeing the unusual answer the Lord gave, she was flustered. The Lord clarified what he meant by saying, "I know all things, I did not hear it like you, I just knew. I knew what you were talking about"

Prime nodded to ascertain her understanding of his explanation. She then spoke with conviction, "Lord, I will go. I need to know what's there."

The Lord blinked a few more times than the usual after her remark. He then looked at her straight in the eyes asking, "What if I can tell you what's waiting for you?" Lightning also struck strongly from behind them as these words fell, the direction it hit strongly was somewhere near the riverbank .

Prime was stupefied, she looked at the Lord in a detailed manner as if to assure herself that she wasn't hearing incorrectly. She also looked at the strong lightning behind her. After some thought, she asked, "Lord, what is there?" she pointed towards the direction she thinks the voice came from totally disregarding the dangerous lightning.

The Lord gave a smile that eclipsed the fierce beauty of the storm that was starting to wreck havoc. He chuckled and gently walked towards Prime, patting her head when she was at arm's length to him. "There are mortals there."

Prime's heart leaped out after hearing the truth. She couldn't help but question the Lord, "How come, shouldn't they be elsewhere?"

"Their leader is looking for something." The Lord said passively.

Prime's brows scrunched together in thought as to what could be their target. She looked at the Lord after deliberating internally and coming out with nothing. She pouted her lips and inhaled deeply.

The Lord could not help but laugh at her comical reactions of wanting to ask but could not seem to have the guts to ask expression. He raised his left brow inquisitively.

Prime caught the meaning of his facial expression and finally had the courage to ask, "What, Lord... what are they looking for?"

"They are on a hunt."

"Are they the ones attacking the sirens?"

The Lord hummed in response to her question. He whispered, "You heard their discussion..."

Her brows furrowed together. She looked earnestly towards the location of that probable source of a whisper. Unaware of the whisper the Lord said.

The Lord tapped her forhead again and asked, "Do you want to go to the edge and see them, they won't see us anyway since we are inside the seal."

Prime blinked twice before absorbing the Lord's words, she then nodded.

They walked for quite a while, the birds of the mountain seemed to have travelled elsewhere for there was only the sound of the wind and the rustling of the leaves. The Lord still looked regal and magnanimous as he walked ahead of Prime. Had she been in front of him or walked at least by his side, she might have caught the uncanny look he had.

After walking, they stopped at a certain point of the edge. They were at the mid-range of its mountainous terrain near the cliff's edge, hidden behind the foliage of the tall trees. Prime peered intently at what lay underneath the cliff. The view from their spot showed them a vast plain of grassland and at the forefront of it was a group of mortals. So close, yet so far.

While surveying the group, a beautiful woman caught her attention. There was this ethereal air about her. Prime couldn't take her eyes away from this woman when suddenly, the voice of the Lord crept up behind her, "You know, they will feel your stare. Especially when it is that intense..." Her eyes constricted when she understood his words but the moment she was about to look away, that ethereal woman looked in her direction. There was even this misconception that formed in Prime's mind. 'Is she... looking at me?'

Seeing her mesmerized state, the Lord inched closer to Prime and his hands about to cover her eyes as a distinct light shone in his eyes. The wind shifted towards their direction and it brought with it the scent of a unique meat being cooked. Prime was about to look for the source of that scent when everything went black and time seemed to have stopped. The Lord had placed his hands on her eyes. With this small action, Prime loss consciousness. The Lord acted as if everything he saw was entirely unrelated to him as he carried Prime[3].

But just for a second...

before he turned around...

he leered at the bonfire,

a hint of disgust and anger could be seen in his eyes.

Had Prime looked further on, the scene she would've seen was of savagery. There was the flesh of a mermaid divided into pieces at the sides of the bonfire in the middle of the camp. Every once in a while, the tender mermaid meat would make crisp sounds because of the heat eminating from the fire. The scent it carried was different from the other edible food that humans usually ate. At the middle of the fire was a mermaid's head[4]. There was immense horror, disgust, and hatred depicted in the eyes of the mermaid as it's head was pierced into a javelin. The javelin stood tall, the fierce wind made the mermaid's hair flutter, it carried with it the scent of death.

Unfazed by the face of the mermaid, some mortals were already eating its cooked remains in front of the bonfire. Eating as if it was like any other food that humans gobbled up.

Eventually, cold winds enveloped Egon's Botanischer Garten and the surrounding areas near it. The mortal's fire was extinguished. The ethereal woman still looked at the spot where the Lord and Prime were previously at. She felt that there was someone or a group of people watching them. The sudden drop of temperature and wind earlier on further alerted her of the possibility of being watched.

The Lord turned his head slightly to the left, he sighed. He then spoke in a stern manner, "Had I not been here, do you really think nothing would've happened to her?"

Instantaneously, the three deities, Micaheil, Egon, and Lucien appeared kneeling on the ground. They all spoke in unison, "Forgive us, Lord. We were careless."

"She would've been easy prey." the Lord spoke gravely as he then looked at them while he walked towards Egon. Egon stood, bowing his head, he then gestured to carry Prime, the Lord willingly placed her in his arms.

Micaheil and Lucien stood. Lucien looked towards the Mortals, his blood boiled at the sight of the mermaid's head. His gaze was arctic as he spit out the words, "So, their hunt has brought them to this holy place!" His left brow raised as he continued sarcastically, "they even brought their spoil from their previous hunt."

Micaheil returned to her rational self, she calculated what could be the best move they can make to punish these mortals who attacked their kind. "Calm down, good thing it's at the grasslands or else, had the sirens caught this atrocious act, they would've attacked. Had it been so, both sides would pay a heavy loss. I prefer if we observe them for now. The three of us will attack at twilight. This will serve as a warning for their previous attacks on deities. Shapeshift, make sure to hide your presence from her. Slowly place things that could easily catch fire on their important carriages. Do not kill them, but make sure the injury you will inflict unto them will not recover until a decade has passed." she ordered nonchalantly, but one could see that there was this fierceness in the beauty of her calm countenance.

Lucien cocked his head to the left as he hummed. "They're on the Hunt, huh?" he scoffed, afterwards he spoke in an ominous, but devilishly handsome manner, "Let's see if they even know the basics..."

Egon looked at the unconscious Prime, he then looked at the siren's head. A bitter smile crept up his face as he whispered, "Lady, the war already began the moment they shed our blood, noticing Prime just added to this blood debt..."

[1] There are seven guardian deities that are responsible for enforcing equality amongst deities and to assure peace amongst all creations. Micaheil, Egon, Lucien, and the deity who gave himself to his lover: All four of them are a part of this seven guardians.

[2] His physique is similar to the younger Jason Momoa, when he was in Baywatch. (fangirling Momoa be like XD) Or when Gong Yoo still had that lean and athletic swimmer's figure. (I'm not bashing him or anything, I just haven't seen his body for a while, so I guess i'll be surfing the net XD). Many deities like Egon and Lucien have already seen his physique, a ripped body, probably the inspiration for deities bodies was his own.

[3] Princess carry style

Mermaid's Head [4] A mermaid's head isn't like the heads of other creations, they remain untouched by time and the powers before it. But the emotions the mermaid last had was etched deeply unto this everlasting face.