Eladon powers along, his worm like body tunneling into and breaching out of the uneven terrain. Next to him, a dryad with elongated arms easily keeps up with him, Celestia only stares forward, her fake flower dotted hair waving in the wind. Eladon's many eyes look everywhere, taking note of the terrain they pass by. He is never one to leave his corrupted land unless he's on business trips to meet with their lord, or to settle a quarry with his past enemies of the hallow, which have been thankfully sealed away long ago, so their putrid colors of the rainbow can never be seen again.
The change of scenery, oak forests and below summit mountains, are a change, but at least its not a jungle, mostly green and brown colors dominating the landscape. Smells of the wild slowly get replaced with filthy human ones, random tree stumps start to become more common. The two gods approach the edge of a human settlement whose name Eladon couldn't care less about, its a rather dense population of the creatures here, one of the bigger towns in the world. This certain settlement is human dominant, where other races are not allowed. To Eladon, they all taste the same, and put up as little of a fight as a bleating sheep.
Celestia stops suddenly, Eladon turns hard, in a circle, to slow himself down. Celestia's arms fold over themselves, reverting back to five finger hands. Eladon shrinks himself, silk clothes return. Celestia clears the rest of the way on foot, slowing herself to stand at the edge of a cliff. Eladon joins her, both of them look out, finding the terrain ahead covered in primitive housing. Noises of busy humans reach their ears, their stench is overwhelming. Buildings constructed of wood dot the area, with some stone and even brick houses sticking out every once in a while. Fields of crops and orchards mark the end on the town, fresh produce bing fed by irrigation systems coming from a rather large lake sitting in the middle of it all, boats sailing on its waters, most likely fishing.
Celestia speaks up, her form changing, a thick coat wraps around her shoulders. She puts on a wide hat, one designed to keep out the sun.
"Come on then, lets find ourselves a cult."
Eladon scoffs, only Celestia's head turns, nealry spinning 200 degrees around to look at him.
He's startled, but the silly getup makes her creepy movement hilarious.
"Something funny?"
Eladon points a shaky finger.
"Are you seriously deciding to go into town looking like that?"
Celestia looks at her coat, before looking back at Eladon.
"You cant go and criticize me, with such flashy colors."
Eladon acts hurt.
"Hey I like blue, it reminds me the most of home without looking like a rotting grape."
He turns the small talk back to his point.
"Its just, black really isn't your color."
Celestia twists her head back to straight, before heading down the hill toward town.
"If a human has a problem with it, then I'll just kill then."
Eladon messes with his hat, before following her.
"I guess that's fair."
The two gods pass by builgings, rivers, businesses, people. Lots of people. Its a bustling town, with humans of different colors, genders, ages, and political standings. They all have their own small and useless lives to tend to, not may pay attention to the oddly dressed newcomers. Merchants shout out from their makeshift stalls, screaming about deals and new products. The clinking of copper to gold coins landing on wooden tables sounds out everywhere, deals are made quickly. The main street is full of traveling carts, being drawn from a plethora of horses. Fountains, paintings, and billboards set up everywhere, the infrastructure of the town and the design of the houses points to first come first serve on the land, many alleyways branching off the main road lead to smaller buildings set up between the larger ones, all vying for space.
Celestia draws her face close to Eladon's ear, shade from her hat blocks out the sun above.
"Now, if you were a secretive cult aiming to resurrect a dead tyrant, where would you hide?"
Eladon thinks about it, two small children run by, nearly colliding with him as they chase each other. He cant tell if Celestia is asking a rhetorical question, or if she genuinely doesn't know.
"Have any ideas?" Eladon tries, hoping to play it safe.
Celestia gives a random passerby a blank stare, the man speed walks away uncomfortably.
"It would be someplace secretive, out in the open, but hidden."
Eladon looks around, trying to spot for any shady people hiding in the shadows. Nothing jumps out as obvious.
"Underground mabye?"
Celestia dances on the thought, she continues the thread.
"People here could accidentally dig down for ores and stumble into them." She touches her chin thoughtfully, arcing her head to look up at the sun. "No, it would need to be under something they cant walk over."
"You're thinking under the lake?
Celestia walks without answering, her dark coat sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the wooden walls and hanging vines they pass by.
"Good, they're interested now."
Eladon gets puzzled, he twists his head to look directly at Celestia.
"What?"
Celestia plays with her hat, watching a vibrant pot of flowers sitting in a windowsill far ahead. Her voice drops lower.
"Don't react, but we are being followed."
Eladon feels a chill run down his back. He wants to pinch himself for being so foolish, thinking humans are a threat. But the news is alarming, even if the pursuers cant do anything to harm them.
Eladon drops his voice to match, he sticks a small eye out of the back of his ear, trying to get a look at the road behind them.
"This is news, how long and how many?"
"Their scent has been behind us for quite some time, maybe around six individuals."
"Should we kill them?"
"No, while that sounds fun, it'll be easier if they take us to their leader, instead of spending the next few hours digging under a body of water."
Now that Eladon thinks about it, there is nobody around. The sound sounds and sights of merchants have gone silent. Nobody passes by them, the windows on nearby houses are barred shut. They walk alone, only their footsteps and chatter make noise.
Celestia stops, Eladon does the same a second later. A noise of stretching fiber resonates from somewhere inside Celestia's coat, she arches her back. With a random blur of movement, she spins around, whisking out her arm. Three needle thin spines zip through the air, each aiming at different shadows between the buildings behind them. Two hit their mark, cries of pain sound out in the alleys. The last is deflected by a dagger, the blade is sent flying out of the pursuers hand. Eladon spins around, prepared for combat.
Almost in unison, four cloaked individuals leap out of unseen areas, long and jagged daggers flash out in the sunlight. Eladon lets one of his arms loose, his skin turning a pale purple. Long talons stick out of his fingertips, a revolving mouth opens in his palm. His arm stretches out, grabbing one of the figures by the neck. Teeth dig in, hooking him. Eladon swings his arm around, slamming the figure into a wall. Celestia rushes forward, throwing her coat in a hooded figures's face. She grabs onto the individual, sharp spines stick out of her chest, stabbing into the victim. Their cries are muffled, as if they are wearing masks.
Eladon drops the corpse on his hand, reaching for another one. This figure dodges around the mouth, dragging their dagger across the extended arm. Eladon grits his teeth, green blood seeps out of the wound. The figure closes in, their stained dagger aiming for Eladon's throat. He whips his arm inward, looping around his assailant. The figure seems to realize whats about to happen, they try to leap oit of the way.
Eladon snatches the figure midair, constricting them tightly. They let out a muffled cry, losing their dagger, letting it clink against the cobblestone ground. Eladon extends out his other arm, looking to wrench the figure's head off.
"Wait!" "Let him live."
Eladon stops, a grinder like mouth inches away from the figure's hood. Eladon looks over to Celestia, finding her finishing off the fourth assailant with multiple thorns sticking out of their body. The figure in Eladon's grasp struggles to free themselves, jerking about. Eladon relaxes his arms, the assailant falls to the ground, collapsing from a lack of air. They cough, before trying to reach for their dagger. Celestia moves at a quickened speed, yanking the figure off of the ground. She holds him by the neck, tilting his head around. His hood falls off, revealing the man to be wearing a black mask, shaped like tree bark. Celestia's fingers turn green and extend, ripping the mask off, revealing the pitiful human underneath.
The man gags, his legs kick around under him. Celestia smiles.
"Take us to your leader."
The man sputters between shortened breaths, his voice is strained.
"To hell-with-you."
Celestia slams him into the ground, making his cough.
"I've already been, quite the boring place."
She gets closer to the mans face, her hair moving like its alive.
"Ill ask you to help us, in exchange for your life."
Her eyes turn a glowing red, staring straight into the man's eyes.
"Take us to your leader."
The man's struggling slows to a halt he stares paralyzed in Celestia's gaze. His emotions of shock and struggle go away, his voice goes to monotone.
"Yes, your grace."
Celestia's eyes turn back to their original color, she loosens her grip on the man's throat.
"Good boy."