Chapter 14: ~Food chain.~ (2/2)

Chloe doesn't listen at first, but when we are joined by Quianna, Chloe's attention is pulled towards my little sister. Her whining always weakens our mother's resolve. In the end we are allowed to watch the fight, but Chloe keeps holding our hands, ready to make a run for it any moment.

“Why is it attacking us?” I ask. I was speaking more to myself than anyone particular, but Chloe assumes it was directed at her.

“Normally we reside deep in the desert where bigger monsters don't venture. We already told you that there are creatures out there in the world who can endanger a god. Since we are now at the south-western fringe of the desert, we will frequently have to deal with such attacks. The monsters of this world sense beings like us and attack them when they venture into their vicinity.”

“Beings like us?” Quianna asks.

Shawn grimaces and places a hand on his heart. “People who have a soul. We don't know the reason for it, but the native lifeforms of Dedessia are out to kill everything that has a soul. They aren't half as aggressive towards each other as they are towards us. It is as if we don't belong here. We think that monsters like that stone spirit down there are actually higher immortals who never regained their identity.”

“But wouldn't that imply that they were born like us?” I mumble.

Chloe shakes her head. “Not really. Who says that a soul always has to be caught by a body which can support intelligence? There are spells to hold souls inside inanimate objects and there is a lot of wild magic in Dedessia. Far in the east is a zone which is littered with storms of raw magical energy.

“Sometimes creatures of unimaginable power are born in those storms and they venture out into the world. We think that all of Dedessia's native life was created in such a way. It's entirely possible that the process by which these creatures are born is also able to capture a soul. It's the only explanation we have for their strength and their skills.”

As Chloe finishes her explanation the creature opens its mouth and shoots a stream of fire at one of the eleven immortals who are fighting it. Suddenly I recognize the long, green hair of the person who hides herself inside a bubble of green energies. “Is that Titho? The Dryad who visits Doreen so often? But she is a higher immortal.”

“All of the eleven people down there are higher immortals. If we send lows and mids against that thing we would have to expect many deaths,” Shawn answers with a grim voice.

Eleven gods are having trouble dealing with one of this world's creatures? How strong is this thing? I watch as the golem is showered in all sorts of attacks and spells. The explosions and shock waves are shaking Yggdrasil like a twig, but the creature barely takes notice of it. When its club comes back up from another swing he actually manages to hit one of the immortals and sends him off towards the horizon on a ballistic arc.

It looks entirely too much as if the golem just swatted a fly in mid air. Titho immediately follows the immortal to aide him with her healing magic while the other gods double their efforts.

One of the fighters fires a continuous white stream of energy at the golem's face, blinding it. Normally I would expect for such a spell to cleanly take off its head, but the beam of energy simply splits and sheers off.

The opening gives the other immortals time to focus their attacks on the monster's arm with the club. Bits and pieces of the thing fly away until the entire arm is cleanly taken off. The monstrosity howls and starts retreating while the guards continue firing, but I recognize that they don't have their hearts in it. They are much more interested in cleaning up the creature's swarm of minions, ensuring that none of them stay behind.

“Why aren't they killing it?”

Chloe pulls me back into the house. “They don't want to tire themselves out for nothing. The thing has learned its lesson and won't return until it forgets that we can defend ourselves. And maybe it gets killed anyway when it runs into another spirit. It will need some time to heal and regenerate. Do you understand now why we prefer to live deep in the desert? Coming close to the habitable zones means that you regularly have to deal with those creatures.”

Quianna focuses her gaze at Chloe. “What if we are attacked by two? Or a stronger beast?”

Chloe bites her lower lip, but says nothing.

“Then we all have to fight. And maybe a lot of us will perish.” Shawn answers the question without mincing matters.

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