Neytopia › Part 2: Noon › Chapter 23

Manrabbits

The manrabbits took the raven to the high priest and strapped him to an altar. Manrabbits flocked from all corners of the cave, their whispers filling the air. Even the prisoners were taken there to watch. The high priest wore a long ceremonial robe and held a scepter in his left hand. He recited in forbidden tongues as he walked to the altar. After seeing the raven, its mouth opened in a 128 degree angle. Then, without moving it, his words echoed through the caves:

Reveal yourself.

Nothing happened.

Reveal yourself.

The raven started sweating.

Reveal yourself.

The raven began to convulse. The high priest chanted, his voice growing louder:

Reveal yourself! Reveal yourself! Reveal yourself!

The raven’s body shook along with the crescendo. Then it stopped. A black mist poured from the raven’s every pore. A torn voice from within him said,

Boo!

Every light in the cave went out. All the candles, incense and lamps. The manrabbits cowered back and starting shrieking in fear. A shade in the shape of a little girl crawled out of the raven’s chest. The only thing that could be seen in the cave was the ghastly blue halo around her and her deep, burning eyes. Without moving her lips she screamed,

FIRE!

At once all the manrabbits in the room burst into blue flames, the fire then jumping to the walls and the altar. The prisoners untied the raven’s body from the altar and carried him on their shoulders out of the den. Once outside, they ran down the mountain, and found the giant waiting, next to a group of dead manrabbits. The giant pointed at the raven,

I’m with him. Is he ok? Oh dear friend, what have they done to you…

Meanwhile the little girl floated around the den setting manrabbits on fire. With a large knife she slid their throats while they burned. She chased all of them down and killed them one by one, even the children. When she had finished she flew back into the raven’s chest and he woke up, gasping for air. The giant restrained him until he calmed down and spoke,

Where am I? What happened? The fire, the fire!

The raven collapsed. The giant and the prisoners sealed the entrance to the den with rocks. As they were leaving the mountains, they looked back one last time. Nobody said a word about the horror they had witnessed then, and they would never speak of it again.

The giant carried the raven north as he recovered his strength. His band of freed prisoners followed behind them. Some hours later, the raven woke up and spoke to the giant,

Giant, if only you had seen the forbidden city… I was so close to getting the help I needed to destroy her. I would’ve even freed you from your oath.

The giant chuckled.

What?

Nothing, nevermind.

They remained in silence for a while until the giant spoke again,

Look. I know this “oath” thing is serious to you, but not to me. I only stuck around with you because you saved me. Because, well, you are my friend.

The raven said nothing. They walked for hours until night came and they decided to camp. The freed prisoners watched the giant devour a whole roasted goat. While he licked his fingers, the giant talked to the prisoner band,

I’ve spent these last few months with shamans and nomad tribes. They are all worried about the “northern king”.

The only girl that had survived prison asked,

Who’s that?

The shamans claim he’s the incarnation of a powerful spirit. The nomad tribes believe he’s a demon. In any case, his army is large and his territory vast. Nobody knows why, but after centuries holding the north and east he has decided to travel south. His people are tough, you know? Where they come from, your piss turns to ice before it hits the ground.

The prisoners laughed, discovering there was a comedian beneath the giant’s terrifying appearance. The giant continued,

The northern king has filled all his domains with fanatics for some religion where he’s the prophet of some “higher man”. How original.

After dinner, the band told jokes around the fire and laughed. All but the raven, who ate nothing and laid down in the grass. The girl brought some roasted goat for him. She said,

I just wanted to thank you. Without you, I don’t know what they could’ve—

The raven interrupted her,

Don’t thank me. I’m not a hero. I know who I am.

She left the plate by his side, kissed his cheek and returned to the campfire with the rest. He tried to sleep, but he kept thinking about the words from the dark entity within.

I am only a vessel for an idea. My life does not matter. My pain is irrelevant. The little girl must triumph over all others, at all costs.