10 Chapter 8: Queen and God

CHAPTER 8

"I can smell her scent! Your highness! She is not with the priestess!" the young vampire's eyes opened as soon as he smelled the scent of his prey.

"Is she? Now isn't she fearless. Am I right zizter?" Jonah swiped his tongue across his sharp fangs and faced his sister.

"Should I rip your neck? I told you your french accent is embarrassing! Stop it. We're not even french you lunatic bastard." said Jeddah. Jonah's older sister.

"Excusez-moi, my zizter. I quite like this french accent." Jonah said.

Her sister threw him a death glare and he froze. There is nothing more fearful than her sister Jeddah. Jonah may be the king but the family power passed down to her sister. She puts anyone to her leash, even him.

"Ah. There is nothing more fragrant than a chosen one's scent. I feel, what's the word? Victorious." Jeddah's eyes turned emerald green as two horns emerged from both sides of her temple.

"Now that she's out of the priestess' circle. We can start our, game. She's in the spirit world now. We can't chase her through Legba but I know a way." She arched her eyebrows as a sign of confidence. Jeddah became the most powerful vampire after their parents perished. Killed by the famous vampire slayer, Mergara.

"Sister. We can finally get our revenge of our parent's death. We can kill that bitch now. Along with his husband. The priestess is hiding her daughter very well and now that she voluntarily came to our platter. This will be very easy." Jonah let out a chuckle.

"Calm my brother. Great Rolly is gifted with a vision. He already knew we're on them. Uncle is waiting for this moment. Everything is according to the plan." Jeddah's fangs showed its glory when she smiled from ear to ear.

Mergara killed both of their parents during a battle between the vampires and the priestesses. Mergara has been hunting them for years and she finally got a hold of them, she conspired with the priestesses and killed the king and queen of the vampires. That left poor Jeddah and Jonah alone as orphans until their uncle kept them. Jeddah was only 15 when her mother died on her arms. Her rage and fury fueled her grudge to seek revenge.

"Uncle. All is going well." Jeddah, even the most powerful bowed to Elir. Her mother's only brother. A white haired man limping with a scar on his left eye strolled the floor towards Jeddah. He kissed her niece's forehead. And all the vampires bowed to him.

"Jeddah. You have been a great servant to your people. And tonight it is on you to finish this. You need to finish the priestesses and the one who killed your parents. Let the vampires rise!" All cheered to Elir's statement. Jonah howled as a sign of his respect and then the rest howled.

Sera and I were walking for almost an hour now. My feet hurt and all we see is white fog.

"Where are we heading Ro? My feet hurts. Uh shit. I need to work on my cardio." Sera chased her breath.

"I'm thirsty. I gave my water to Papa Legba. Why didn't I think of bringing more water?" She pulled her hair out of frustration.

"Oh hail mighty and meek Adjassou. Grant us clean water to drink. I offer you these bamboo shoots for your kindness and generosity." I overheard Sera chanting something and called someone.

"Hey. What are you doing?" I asked her.

"I'm dying of dehydration Ro. Adjassou is a goddess of spring water, she loves bamboo shoots and maybe she can grant us a safe water to drink." she said.

We heard a small flow of water not far from where we stand. The fog lifted and showed a bountiful forest with many fruit bearing trees, fresh air and green pastures. More like a perfect description of the Garden of Eden.

We saw a running clean water came from the space between two big rocks and a basin shaped rock that is obviously for drinking. Sera left the bamboo shoots in front of the rocks and we both bowed and thank the goddess for granting us safe water.

We drank our hearts out and satisfied our thirst. Sera took a bamboo container and fetch the water in.

"That fruit looks delicious. Wait here, I'll get some--

"No Ro. We need to ask Loco for his blessings. He is a god of wild vegetation. From fruits to herbs. Herbs used for killing and poisoning. Loco is a intelligent trickster. One wrong move and you die out of poison. According to the legend, Loco is a generous god. People who is devastated by natural phenomenons came to his gardens and asked for vegetation. To start a new life, a reborn. He gave seeds, seedlings to people to have their own source of food. Soon, dark sorcerers and people with bad intentions came to Loco to ask for herbs that are harmful to human, Loco declined them and but instead gave them baskets full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Those people robbed and destroyed his garden, he became furious and angry. After that incident, Loco lost his empathy and trust to humans. Those who are worthy of his blessings will be blessed bountifully." Sera said.

"We need to pack food. We don't have much to eat. These will give us protein and calories to kept us going. How do we ask him?" I know we are here for good intention. I am not here for the harmful herbs or to steal anything. We are merely asking for food. I'm not afraid if I know what I'm doing is right. Yes. There is nothing to be afraid of.

"Wait. Let me think. Try pulling one of the fruit from the trees. But don't eat it, okay? We want him to see the impression of us stealing but we are not definitely stealing. He don't usually come on people praying or asking for something. His trust to humans is gone. So we need to somewhat provoke him." I feel nervous. But I'm ready.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked her.

"We need to set out a bait to trap him." she replied.

"Is the bait referring to me?" She's unbelievable.

I rolled my eyes at her and eyed a juicy pink fruit shining above my head, I reached for it and grabbed its body and ready to pull out.

I looked at Sera and I heaved out a sigh.

"Moment of truth." Sera said.

Nothing is happening. The surrounding is still tranquil. Then he must've allowed us to have some of his fruits.

"Oh shit. That's bad." I heard Sera. The look in her eyes screams fright.

"What?!" I sense nothing bad about this.

"Look! The fruit!" The pink color of the fruit is slowly fading into a blackish hue of pink. It feels hot, it's burning hot! It feels like I've been holding a hot coal. I quickly dropped the fruit. It dropped to the ground and the blackish hue color of the fruit spread to the ground like some sort of infection. It spread everywhere! It went to the trees, the bark became mossy and somehow it's like decaying. Leaves are withered and it dried out as soon as it touched the ground. The once bountiful and calm forest turned into a horrible Tim Burton-ish type of forest. Everything is dark and ugly.

I took out my steel batons and positioned it firmly in front of me while gripping its handles tightly. Ready to strike to anyone who is ready to attack us.

The fruit rolled in front of us and it started moving. Wait---what?

It started moving! Imagine having a bunch of worms inside a fruit and the inside is moving. Like an alien baby on a human stomach. Tiny sprouts began growing out of the fruit then it grew bigger and bigger and it's slowly forming into some like a human form. Picture groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. Exactly!

I watched in horror while Sera takes a handful of greyish powder from her container.

"So you dare to steal from my garden!" his voice is enormous and deep. This is the god of wild vegetation. Loco.

He is a tall and well built man. With little sprouts as his hair, long locks of sprouts on shoulder level. His eyes are forest green with eyelashes reciprocating his eyes' color. Different color of leaves enveloped his lower half and creating a gradient down to the ground fading out like an illusion. More like a trail on a wedding gown. Small sprouts popped from the ground whenever he goes.

"We didn't mean to steal. We just want to have some fruits for our journey. Your um. God. ness?" I didn't know how to address him. I'm just spewing out nonsense out of my nervousness.

"Is it hard to just ask for some?" he stared intently at me. He is staring directly to my soul.

"Hey. I've told you we could ask him. This, is all your fault." I looked at Sera and she threw a confused-victim look at me.

"Why me? That is what the legend says that he doesn't goes out when he's called because of his trust issues to the humankind!" She is surely defending herself well.

There is a small pause of silence between the two of us and we looked at Loco and he is infuriating. With anger.

"So you wish to steal from my garden? I will let you get anything you want I don't care! But you need to prove it and earned the right to be judged!"

The ground shook and 3 stumps of wood emerged from the ground. The first one has a purple liquid in a coconut shell with a purple leaves on the side, the second one has a yellowish-colored liquid in a coconut shell with a ginger on the side of it and last one is a pulverized brown powder with a dried leaf and a brown fresh leaves on the side. It seems like we are having a test.

"These three has one antidote, one poison and one medicine. These are wildly use by folk remedies to aid sickness and used by sorcerers to kill someone. They can be an ingredient to a potion or a spell or use for enchantments and it can be an ingredient for curse and used for dark magic. One wrong answer and you will die." Loco introduced the three choices and it is a test. A botanical test.

"I will give you 3 questions and a special question. Pass all of it and you will be granted on what you sought, with an interest." The fortune teller was right, these gods are like businessmen.

"Are you willing to continue or you want to quit? AND SUFFER THE WRATH OF MY ANGER." Obviously we are choosing the first one.

"Fire away. But what if we won? What would we gain? Just some silly fruits? I think it's kinda lame and unfair, don't you think? What if we won and you will give us the fruits and some uh. "Think Ro. Think of something…." and a special gift. You can choose what gift you want but it must be special. Something that you don't usually give to humans. But if we do lose, you can take this bracelet and kill us both. You can start with her." I'm pointing to Sera. She gave me an angry face. I'm confident, I should be taking this an advantage. If we are going to face Kalfu, I need to gather all my best ammunition I can grab. The best of my ability. Please take the bait.

He is arching his brows and smirked. Yes! That's a good sign. He looked at my bracelet and he looked at me. I know this bracelet is something valuable. Not monetarily but valuable to this immortal people.

"Deal!" Yes! He did took it.

"What the fuck are you thinking! How can a mere human like you challenge a god? Are you insane? You are going to get us killed you dumb bitch!" Sera is hyperventilating. She must be startled.

"Relax. I know we can do this. Because you can do it! I'm confident you can answer all this botanical questions. I think." I told her.

"What if I don't? We'll be like a pounded ginger later." she said.

"That is LATER. What is important is the PRESENT!" she looked at me with a killer vengeful eyes.

"If we are gonna come out of this place alive, I'm going to fucking kill you" she punched my shoulder lightly and we face front to Loco.

"First question…"

Please pray for us.

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