A deer's POV

...

Something tore me from sleep forcefully. At first, i merely thought it was yet another of the shapeless nightmares i used to have for a little over ten years now, but then i felt it. A wave of chilling cold, a faint breath of death, wafting through my lair.

This corruption! Someone sacrificed, i just knew. Not simply a chicken nor a cow, but a sentient thing. Which in turn meant, that said person tried to gain the favour of a dark creature, maybe even summon it.

As keeper of the forest, i couldn't allow that. Corruption had to be purged, right away, before it could take a hold and bring disaster. Speaking from experience, gifted to me by my long life, it was improbable that there would be no bloodshed involved. So i had to fix it, before the body count reached the tree tops, so to speak.

I peeked outside. It was early in the day, the sun’s red morning glow bathing the forest before me in a warm light.

Sighing, i stood tall on my four legs and started trotting towards the general direction the chill i felt had originated from.

Wasn’t there a small human settlement over there? I pondered my memory while running.

Yeah, i think their shaman even requested my help once, five years ago, for the sake of a little girl.

Right. That girl.

That girl, with a fate that was hidden, stashed away, behind a veil even i couldn’t see through. She was but an innocent little girl though, so i didn’t see the need to investigate further.

In hindsight, what if the shaman.. wasn’t he a blood-binder? .. grew desperate enough to call a spirit of war?

While i didn’t know for sure, the events started correlating in my mind.

If that was what happened, part of the blame might go to me. You can’t expect a short-lived mortal to see the bigger picture, but one as i should at least have a faint concept of how fate used to play itself out.

The closer i got, the stronger the chill in my heart grew. Like a slither of ice, lodged into my core, spreading ever so slowly. I got a bad feeling about this.

After an hour or so, i had reached the first fields of that village and stopped for a brief moment, to consider my entrance. Eventually, i opted to act as the imposing lesser divinity i was. So i ignited my antlers in a blue flame and cast a spell that enchanted my voice so that it carried a sliver of my might. Then i walked on, slowly, determined.

Soon, the first farmer spotted me and fled towards the settlement, with a worried cry.

...

Alira's POV

...

Galdir somehow looked like he felt massive pain. Not that i cared.

I guess he did expect this course of events as much as i did ... he didn't, at all.

Well, at least i got some information now. I wasn't human, for example. That should have made me feel confused and panicked, for a second it actually did, but then the new side of my personality took over yet again.

I stopped for a brief moment, listening to my own mind, feelings and all. There was only a cold silence. No feelings, none at all. Just objectivity, and slight annoyance. About what, i couldn't say. That should make me worried, but to be honest, it was satisfying somehow. Like i was superior to the world. Calm, collected, strong. Except i had no idea what an Eternal Shade was. Was it really like this? Supreme in might? Or were those delusions, created by my own subconscious, to protect me from the trauma that would follow, were i to keep thinking in human terms?

As i was pondering the matter, a commotion made way to my parent's doorstep. There were excited shouts, too muffled to understand them, but clear enough to know something unusual had happened. Besides the whole Galdir mess, i mean. Father and the shaman had opened the door by know, having a quiet conversation with whomever had arrived.

Back when i was younger, i made a game out of pretending i had super powers, including extreme hearing.

Why not? I thought. Out of an unspecified whim, i pretended to understand the words spoken downstairs, a dozen meters and a few walls away.

"..a beast has arrived in the fields, shaman. The smith knew that you were here, so we ran over as fast we could." (A young man, slightly out of breath)

"What does it look like?" (The shaman, calm with a hint of worry)

If my new me was capable of feeling shocked, i would be shocked right now. Instead, the satisfaction in me rose by a few feet. I understood them clear as day, as if i was standing between them.

"Like a deer, his antlers made of a blue fire." (Another man, middle aged, with a more even breath)

That certainly was news, i thought. Waiting for the story spun downstairs to continue, Galdir disrupted my concentration by speaking up.

"I think, i know what it is, master." Galdir seemed slightly nervous, barely enough for me to notice.

The unrelenting anger that suddenly drowned my mind, anger towards Galdir for interrupting my interests, made my face distort for a split second. Enough for Galdir to see, apparently, as he hopped a step back from his position next to me.

Thing is, he didn't calculate for the bed to be too short, and he stumbled down, flapping with his wings in an, albeit desperate, attempt to stay afloat. It looked hilarious, dissolving most of the momentary anger i felt towards him.

Calm again now, i asked him in a demanding tone.

"So, tell me, then. Before i lose my patience." Why i appended that last sentence was a mystery to me, but it felt good to underhandedly threaten him. Which raised a few questions about my new personality, i would have to answer for myself sooner or later. Not now though, burning deers were far more interesting at the moment.

A little taken aback by my sudden mood swing back and forth, Galdir answered, his molten eyes flickering in deep shades of orange. Mesmerizing, somehow.

"To this one, it sounds like one of Gaia's children to me. So called peaceful protectors of nature." The last sentence, Galdir almost spat in disgust.

Aha, clearly not one of his friends then, i concluded the obvious. By association, not my friend then either, was it?

The anticipation of battle made me shudder in excitement.

Oh, oh. I really needed to analyse my new character. I never even had one physical dispute in my life, and yet now, all of a sudden, i wanted to inflict endless pain and dance on the graves of my enemies.

While i thought a cautious “Oh, oh", i didn't feel the fact behind that, for i couldn't bring myself to really care. Violence sounded like a promise to me, not like something that should be prohibited. Only the stubborn principle, that was the result of my upbringing and education, rung the alarm bells somewhere deep inside my mind, though i didn't plan to heed their call at all.

It was clear now, what had to be done. My face, that recently felt like a mask, designed to hide the vile inside, distorted into an eager smile. Well, to others it would look demonic, not eager, i was sure.

"Dear crow of mine, how do you feel about teaching a lesson, that nature apparently has forgotten?" The lesson was simple. Peace was heresy to the true gods. The black gods. Or should i call them shadows?