Foes, Not Friends
''Again... Again... Again...'' it echoed through the greyish void between the Neragua and the Island as Cueraça and Ameena made their way back to what the latter now would permanently call home.
Cueraça was furious. He had tried the best he could to court that stupid kid of an Ameena, yet she'd rejected his request to visit Mze. As if her not wanting to meet the God of All Gods wasn't bad enough already, she'd also insisted on him bringing her home right away.
She didn't want to be involved with the misdeeds of malicious creatures, she'd told him.
Apparently, the Religious Rollback would never see life.
The portal to the Island finally opened after what had seemed like half an hour travelling through emptiness - though it couldn't have been more than fifteen seconds. A vast expanse of sand came in sight and Cueraça released his tight grip of Ameena.
The girl was pushed up by some strange force and got launched at least five meters up in the air to be thrown down in the concrete, cold sand.
She landed flat on her belly and for a moment, it felt as if all oxygen was being pressed out of her lungs. She tried to gasp, but her ribs felt as if broken. Breathing was almost too painful.
Using her last strenghts, Ameena managed to roll and sit on her rumps. She could see the God of Death now. A devilish, sinister-looking green light had appeared in his empty orbits, and a vicious chuckle thundered through the air as the enormous skeleton slowly approached her.
Out of defense, the girl pulled her legs up and groaned when her tighs touched her aching stomach. Tears burnt in the eyes as the girl quietly wheezed: ''Please. Please, Cueraça, don't hurt me...''
The deity's mask furrowed in a grin, as its wearer said: ''Ameena! I told you I would not hurt you, and I am a man of my word! Why do you always doubt the intentions of the Gods?''
''I-I...'' She didn't even know what to say anymore.
The God had just sworn not to hurt her, yet he looked more imminent and cold than she'd ever seen him during their short friendship. Whatever he told her, he was upto something, something bad, that was for sure.
She should've known, but during their trip through the Neragua, she'd started to trust Cueraça. Feeling her faith in him falling apart hurted more than her bruised ribs and painful lungs.
''You...''
''Do not worry, Ameena! I will leave you in one piece, despite you being a filthy, despicable little rat...'' Cueraça huffed.
Ameena felt her heart break. ''I thought we were friends...'' she sighed. ''I genuinely thought that, despite you being an evil, malicious taker of souls...''
''Well, that was very stupid of you to think then!'' the God of Death grinned as he feasted off Ameena's aghast grimace. ''I am glad you are not on our side,'' he added to make the girl feel even worse. ''You are mentally retarded, dumb, sugercoated, naive and ignorant. How could I even think you would be one of us? Ha.
Afoti was right. You were a lost case from the start. Thou, Ameena, are a trainwreck! You do not have a future, neither a past, you are a softy! You will never put your amazing, enviable powers into practice...
By rejecting the place I offered you among the Gods, in the Neragua, you have ruined your future.''
The look on the deity's mask had become bloodthirsty, malevolent and just frightening. The grin he wore as he conjured up a scythe predicted no good.
''A-are... are you going to kill me?'' the upset girl asked in a small voice. ''P-please...''
''As I have told you before, STUPID, I will not even touch you!'' Cueraça undead voice clamored through the entire Dessert Desert.
When the sound of rage had faded, and only the sound of fear - Ameena's shuddering - was audible in Piñata Island's biggest sandbox, Cueraça added, in a shrew, keen tone: ''... Fortunately I know someone who is more than happy to take care of you, Goddess of Denseness...''
Ameena's spine froze. ''Who?'' she asked, her troat almost too dry to talk.
''Someone you told me you wanted to meet... Afoti Abeçu.''
Ameena couldn't believe it. ''Afoti Abeçu?'' Her own ancestor? Would she be killed by her own ancestor?
''Yes, the lovely Afoti. She should have been here by now... I hope she has not forgotten her little festive meal... I hope your blood is salty, Ameena. Afoti is dote on salty blood...''
Even before the God of Death could finish his sentence, a yellow portal appeared and Ameena knew all too well what that meant.
A thin, bronze Goddess wearing the most terrifying Sarsgorilla mask ever, stepped out of it. ''Hello Ameena!'' she sneered in a voice that could have been sweet if it hadn't sounded so bitter.
''Afoti...'' Ameena choked.
''I have been watching you,'' the deity snorted. ''It was boring.''
''For how long?'' Ameena asked flabbergasted.
''Long enough to know you are not from the same mold as my siblings and I. I told Cueraça about you being no good before he went on that ridiculous tour through the Neragua with you, let that be clear. While he cared enough to give you a try, I have never believed in you, Ameena. You are a waste of flesh and magic.'' The Goddess spat on the ground. ''It might be better if I take the first from you...''
I really end up eaten by a screw loose deity? Ameena thought in despair. That's not exactly how I wanted to see it end...
''Listen, Afoti,'' she brought herself to to say. ''You can have my magic if you want. But not my flesh. I don't want to die yet!''
''How dare you to dispute with me?'' Afoti sputtered. ''I could not care less about what you want, no-good. If I could, I would have taken your magic a long time ago, but no God in the Universe is powerful enough to do such a thing.
You will die tonight, that is just how it is, I will devour your flesh while Cueraça will feast on your soul...''
''That is true,'' the skeleton man agreed.
''Now... let us knit an end to this,'' Afoti grumbled. ''I like my meat roasted!''
Ameena could dodge a well-aimed ball of fire right on time. She gasped when she saw Afoti reloading her energy.
''Please,'' she begged the older woman. ''I don't -''
''You should be grateful, baby girl,'' Afoti mocked. ''I could think up many more painful ways for you to die...''
With those words, she released another sphere of flames which was even harder to evade. Ameena felt something scorching just past her tigh.
''This ain't right...'' she cried.
''Correction: this ain't dodgeball. Do not try to avoid my firey friends, you only make your suffering and terror last longer...''
For a moment, Ameena considered following up the Goddess' advice and just jump in front of a fireball. It'd be over sooner. What was the point of wasting time like this? It wasn't like, a team of heroes would mysteriously appear out of nowhere to safe her from these merciless monsters...
''Pshh, Ameena!'' the girl suddenly heard.
''Hm?'' She had never heard that voice before, but it sounded friendly. Reliable.
Oh, great, they're playing mind games with me now... she thought aggrievedly. Had she ever done anything so bad she deserved this ending, not even being able to trust her own brain anymore? No...
Suddenly, a gigantic Sherbat flew over Afoti's head, to flutter in front of Ameena's face as if to protect her. Was that coincidence, or..?
''I, am the powerful Kelele Chief Chamkele!'' the huge piñata exclaimed in the voice that apparently wasn't made up by Ameena herself.
''Idiotic bat!'' Afoti huffed. ''Do you not know that interfering with the business of the Gods is a deathwish?''
''You two are not the True Gods, even though you like to call yourself that!'' the purple Sherbat snapped. ''Only Jeimiña, Suelos, Platia, Dastardos -''
''For once I agree with me winged friend,'' another, smug voice sounded.
Afoti and Cueraça turned their heads to see a short, thin emaciated stature float a few centimeters above a small dune. It was slightly overgrown by weeds and wild flowers, which indicated an oasis being nearby.
''Dastardos!'' Cueraça growled.
Dastardos? Ameena thought in awe. The bat was obviously on her side and the piñata reaper had just called him his friend, so despite what Dastardos' body had tried to do to her that traumatizing night a few months ago, she could probably consider him an ally this time around. After all, it hadn't been Dastardos' intention to kill her, he'd been possessed by a savage demon originating from the place where these monsterous Gods came from and where she would have wanted to stay if she hadn't heard the horrifying tale of Mze's shadows... The Neragua.
''That's me, Dastardos, the taker of piñata souls!'' The reaper gave his predecessor a scornful smile. Then, he let his smile fade to make place for a serious frown and said: ''You didn't bring Ameena home before sundown, as you promised, Raça. That was a very stupid thing of you.''
''Was it?'' Cueraça jeered. ''Truly? I am the Almighty God of Death, you are just a caricature of me - a rip-off! - therefore there is nothing you can -''
''Ey, just giving you advice, Thy Almighty.'' Dastardos shrugged mockingly. ''I'm sure you were aware already, but special forces is making their way to this specific place in the desert...''
The news filled Ameena with relief. She would return home, safely, breathing and in one piece.
Her falicitation didn't last long, though. It had cost the Gods some time to fully realize what Dastardos had just told them, but when they came to their senses again, they burst out in cackling laughter.
''An army of Revolutionists does not mean anything to us,'' Cueraça hissed, sounding slightly amused. ''They might cause some delay, but trust me, we can take them on easily.''
''Indeed,'' Afoti added, ''this does mean we have to slay the little bitch before those blunderheads arrive, though. I want to see the devastated expressions on their masks when they see their fairy princess convulse in a puddle of blood...''
Another ball of fire was shot in Ameena's direction, which meant the resumption of what would turn out to be one of the most epic battles in Piñata Island's history.