Its face contorted into a horrendous expression, reptilian features twisting as it realized it couldn't harm me, or anyone else within the zone.
The other Flayers realized this too. They pulled back, tails lashing in frustration—but as they turned away in dejection, their predatory gaze fell upon the scouts.
As if guided by some ancient instinct, they recognized that these humans weren't under the protection of the domain. The transformation was immediate. Like water flowing downhill, the Flayers redirected toward the new prey—the easier prey. They moved with terrible purpose, low to the ground, silent now except for the scrape of scales against earth.
I watched their disciplined formation tighten as they approached the scouts. Five creatures, five points of a deadly star, converging. The scouts fumbled, and their hands shook too badly to be effective. They had been trained to subdue rebellious humans, not face monsters. Their power lay in their touch, in breaking the spirit, not in physical combat.
Besides, the overgrown lizards didn't fight for pride. They hunted for hunger.
"They're going to be slaughtered," Veraque whispered beside me, horror etching lines into her face. Her fingers twisted the fabric of her sleeve.
"Just trust me, Veraque," I said without meeting her eyes. My stomach knotted at what was about to happen, but I kept my expression neutral.
The first lizard struck with blinding speed, claws raking across one of the scout's legs, sending him sprawling to the floor. Dirt and blood sprayed in an arc as he fell.
The man screamed—a sound of pure terror that cut through the air like a blade. The Flayer loomed over its first prey, jaws opening wide to reveal the pink void of its mouth as its tongue lolled forward, glistening with saliva.
"No, I can't allow this!" Veraque exclaimed indignantly, taking a step forward. "I'm going to expand my domain."
I put my hand on hers, feeling her trembling beneath my touch. "No. Don't. This is the only way we can send a message. Just trust me."
The tongue of the first Flayer extended as the others encircled the remaining scouts, drool falling from their jaws as they salivated over their meals. The scouts huddled together, backs to each other, faces drained of all color except stark terror.
Veraque's face twisted with righteous disbelief as the first Flayer's tongue scraped across the scout's shin, peeling away skin to expose the red muscle underneath. Blood welled up immediately, dark against the pale flesh.
A sharp scream pierced the land, echoing across the plain before slowly reducing to shriveling shrieks of pain and helplessness. The other scouts began to back away, but found themselves surrounded.
"Now," I said, my voice hard. Veraque didn't need to be told twice.
She extended her arms, her forehead scrunched in determination as she extended the domain. Sweat beaded on her brow from the effort, her jaw clenched tight.
The domain expanded like an invisible tide, washing over the ground until it reached the Flayers.
The creatures froze mid-attack, their tongues and claws suspended inches from their prey.
The scouts lay trembling on the ground, one clutching his mangled leg, the others staring at the monsters with wide, terrified eyes.
"Keep it steady," I said to Veraque, my voice calmer than I felt. The weight of what I'd just orchestrated settled over me, but I pushed it away.
There would be time for regret later. "Kuti, help me."Kuti stepped forward, her face hard as stone.
Together, we approached the now-frozen tableau of scouts and Flayers.
The scouts' eyes darted to us, then back to the monsters hovering over them—paralyzed but still very much present.
"Get up," I said to the bald woman who seemed to be their leader. "We need to talk."
She struggled to her feet, eyes never leaving the Flayer nearest to her as they inched backward in even more frustration as Veraque came closer. "What do you want?"
I gestured to the wounded scout.
"Your friend needs help. I can ensure you leave safely to get some help in your domain, but first we need an understanding."
"Understanding?" Rage flashed across her face. "You used these... these *things* as weapons against us!"
"No," I said, the lie coming easily. "I didn't bring them here. Tav was being chased. But now I'm offering to save your lives.
"Veraque's hands trembled slightly as she maintained the expanded domain. "Bon, I can't hold this forever. Whatever you're planning, do it quickly."
The scout captain looked between us, calculation replacing some of the fear in her eyes. "What kind of understanding?"
"Simple. You leave and never return. You tell Domitia Praxis that this group has its own protection now. And that we will not bow down to her flawed humility."
"Or what?" she challenged, though her voice lacked conviction.I stepped aside, giving her a clear view of the Flayers.
"Or Veraque drops the domain, and we stay inside our protected circle. What happens to you then is... unfortunate, but not our concern."
Her face paled. "You wouldn't."
"We will," I replied quietly. "The Virtue Priestesses used violence masked as Virtue to rule for centuries now."
I took my face closer to hers. "This is not revenge. I had foolishly chosen that when I first woke up. No. This is Retribution."
My revenge had been driven by pride. The pride I carried for myself, for Alfred and everyone else I cared about from the past. That's why I lost. Because it was all about pride. The Virtue Priestesses had sinned greatly over the centuries. What they would receive now was not revenge, but penance for what they had done to everyone.
The weight of the statement hung in the air. Behind me, I could feel Kuti shift uncomfortably.
The wounded scout moaned, bringing us back to the moment. "Captain... please..."
The woman's shoulders slumped. "Fine. We'll go. We'll report that this area is lost."
The Flayers growled in the background, a sharp and throaty sound so deep that I could feel the vibrations deep in my bones. They were angry, but they couldn't do anything to reclaim their meal. Not while Veraque was here.
I watched as they undulated dejectedly, the sharp spines on their back moving side to side as they walked back to the forest to continue their hunt on non-human prey after losing their meals three times in a row back to the forest.
The scouts let a collective sigh as the last of the black tails sank into the greenery of the forest. The threat was gone.
"We will leave." The woman said, arm around the wounded scout with another as support as they began moving back. "But don't you think this is over, Reygir Bondyek."
"Please, don't call me that anymore. I'm no longer Reygir. Just call me Bon." I said nonchalantly. "And no,
"I don't think this is over."
My eyes pierced into hers, and for the first time, I saw something. Fear. Not the one in her eyes when the Flayers attacked. True terror. Even though I was nothing more than a weak shadow of my former self.
She turned around and walked back, along with the other scouts, slowly but surely, they faded from the horizon. And finally, we let out our own sigh of relief.
"We did it!" The man in the black coat, I really needed to learn his name, exclaimed, joy painting his wrinkled forehead and crinkled eyes.
The remaining refugees that hadn't run away cheered softly, but they were happy. Happy that all they had built didn't go to waste.
"You did good, brother." Tav said, placing his hand on my back. Brother. He had called that when he picked me up on the moose.
"When did I become your brother?" I teased, despite all the soreness I felt on my body.
"It feels right." Tav concluded. "And you did it, Bon. You stood up.
Then spoke into my ear quickly, so no one else would hear. "Are you on the third path now? The one where we bring an end to the Virtue Priestesses?"
All this time after the incident with Domitia, I had thought that it was impossible to even think about beating them. But now, I felt it.
I nodded. Veraque stood still, still watching over the horizon like they would come back anytime. Then she turned to look at me.
"I'm not completely sure I support what you did. Weaponizing my Mandate."
My head throbbed. "It was the only way to survive." I replied, justifying my answer. "And I'm not weaponizing your mandate. If I was, then every scout would be dead."
She tilted her head, as if confused with my reasoning.
I sighed. "This is the only way to Peace. The other Virtue Priestesses won't hesitate to weaponize their Mandates. Humility sent out her scouts with blessings to mentally break us. But we? We won't stoop to their level. But we have to use every card in our arsenal. That's why we didn't kill them."
She sighed, a small distant smile tugging at the ends of her lips as the scattered clouds rolled through the sky, the sun splaying over the valley.
"You did manage to drive them off, and save everyone, which is something I wasn't able to do. . ." She said, lowering her head in embarrassment and a little shame. "And without any casualties too. You're kind of incredible, Bon."
It warmed my heart a little, to hear her say that.
"Thank you-" I was about to say, until a wave of exhaustion washed over me.
"Bon?" Someone voiced, their tone ripe with tension. It was probably Veraque. I was falling to the ground, my visioning blurring to black at the edges. I struggled to remember when the last time I slept was, or what was the last thing I ate.
Stress, tiredness, hunger, all of these had taken me to the brink of unconsciousness.
As I felt my lucidity leaving me, I couldn't stop thinking of how I was passing out too much these days. That could not be healthy.