Leoy’Shaah had mistakenly thought the axe had missed, but she felt something hard strike her nape. “What are you? Blind!? Do it again, do it <i>right!”</i> Quon’s voice rang out, “Hold her down <i>properly!”</i> There were murmurs among the crowd. Leoy’Shaah blinked. She had not perished yet, but her end would come quickly for sure.The guard protested. “But you did hit her chief–!”


    “Do you take me for a blind man?!” Quon demanded, “I know what I saw with my own eyes! She moved <i>away </i>from the blade! <i>Your </i>folly, not mine!” Quon glared around at the rest of the guards, muttering under his breath, his gaze fell upon the captain.


    “My son, come forth and hold her down for me,” Requested Quon. “With pleasure,” replied Kaqu as he shoved the full weight of his body onto Leoy’Shaah’s back once more. She gasped for air. At this rate, she would probably die from the lack of air than a chop to the head.


    “Damn it, my shoulders hurt. Pray let it be done in one swing.”


    Leoy’Shaah felt the pressure of something slamming into the back of her head. It hurt, bad. But she did not lose her grip on her mortal plane.


    <i>What sort of thing are you tring to do here, Quon? You’ve obviously missed your stri– Wait a moment.</i>


    That wasn’t her voice she was hearing, it was someone else’s voice.


    <i>Something </i>else’s voice.


    “What the– Son, what sort of game are you trying to play here? The axe just missed her head <i>entirely!”</i>


    Captain Kaqu stuttered, “I-I… Father, have my eyes deceived me, or did the blade not cut her skin?!”


    “If you can’t do one simple thing, then get out of my way!”


    Quon seemed to make some sort of prayer that Leoy’Shaah had never seen him do before. At least, one that she never saw anyone else do. His lips moved fast and abruptly, his beard shaded orange in every angle.


    “Oh god, just finish the job already,” Leoy’Shaah muttered. She didn’t know where the confidence came from, she just felt it there.


    <i>Gladly. </i>She thought she heard someone whisper.


    Quon finished his prayer, for he had his arms on the axe.


    “Get up.” He spat at Leoy’Shaah, then he addressed the crowd, “May all bear witness to this day, and may it leave you with a loving kiss rather than a scar. A reminder to never take God''s protection for granted.”


    <i>Oh, how flattering. Why does something feel off…?</i>


    There was the voice again. Was Zayno still around?


    <i>Are you going to let this happen, Zayno? I thought you loved me.</i>


    She was met with bitter silence.


    “Look at me, Leoy’Shaah, may I be the last face you see,” Quon said menacingly.


    “Then let me allow my tongue to dance. <b><i>Phuck you.</i></b><b>”</b>


    Then Quon swung the axe. He was an old man, perhaps only a few strokes from senility, but he had been a warrior in his youth, Leoy’Shaah saw the blade move towards her throat.


    She didn’t close her eyes, instead, she looked him in the eyes and saw little soul left, similar to a stash of meat that had been hidden, but not cleverly enough, from wolves.


    <i>Craakkk!</i>


    <i>Clang!</i>


    The axe handle flew off, shattering in the process and silence became dwarfed by an absence of sound that had yet a word to encapsulate it.


    Everyone gasped again.


    <i>Did you see that? </i>


    <i>It looked like…</i>


    <i>The axe was crudely made… Must be…</i>


    Quon took a shaky look down at the handle of the axe he held. His breath also shook with confusion and… No… A feeling all too familiar to Leoy’Shaah. He stood still. She had no idea what divided him, but she was beginning to suspect something wasn’t quite right with him to begin with.


    Finally, he spoke, “Take this woman to the pit of stones.”


    The guards seemed shocked, “Sir?” They addressed the captain instead of Quon. Kaqu seemed just as shocked as the guards. But he made his decision swiftly, “You heard the chief! Take her to the pit of stones!” The guards hurried and grabbed her by the arms and legs and dragged her through the icy streets.


    <i>What was that!? What happened!?</i> Leoy’Shaah thought.


    Kaqu kept his distance from Leoy’Shaah, as if she might explode any minute, he eyed her with confusion and fear.


    Leoy’Shaah had never had never known the feeling of being feared, but in the times to come, she would find it to flow like the sap of a maple tree. Oh, the horror tht awaited!


    Leoy’Shaah remained quiet throughout the journey, snow began to fall ever more. She could hear more people marching behind her. Quon and the priestesses, and perhaps some of the other villagers.


    The stone pit. An axe had many faces, wood, rock, animal, and of course, human. But this stone pit only served one purpose, not to be mistaken for simplicity over cruelty, for this area had been carefully crafted to seat man as well as death himself. The Pit had been used only once: A legend of a man who had… Transformed into a beast and developed a taste for human flesh and a thirst for blood. He only met his fate when he was crushed ‘neath the stones that fell upon him.


    Leoy’Shaah then turned her attention to the stones that laid above. No mistake for nature, it had been manipulated by men who aimed to turn death’s whim of life into a killing mechanism.


    Quon’s voice boomed, with another voice echoing behind his: “Throw her into the pit.” If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    In a flash, she was discarded into the hole in the ground like a deer carcass that had nothing left to provide to its hunters. She tumbled in, hitting rocks and sticks as she bounced down. Only the strongest of people could survive their stoning. That was why the fire was much preferred.


    That was why Wanu was killed.


    That was why Leoy’Shaah knew of these horrific practices.


    Because Wanu told her.


    When the rolling finally stopped, Leoy’Shaah raised her head, shaking and cold, catching a glimpse of Kaqu handing her raccoon coat to one of the guards.


    <i>Bastard…</i>


    She rose up and realized that everyone was here already, looking down at her with worry and pity. And she saw a man out of the corner of her eyes that she recognized: Hayden. He had shoved his way through the crowd to get a good look at Leoy’Shaah. The look on his face was one that Leoy’Shaah dared to look at. Foundation built upon lies came crashing down, and rightfully so.


    <i>Gretel. </i>He mouthed.


    She looked away from him, really anywhere to set her eyes upon. Yes, Quons eyes would suffice. She would not look away, even in death.


    Quon seemed to struggle with every breath. But he glared at Leoy’Shaah with bitter hatred she didn’t understand. She had done nothing of harm to this man. She had been but a thorn in his boot, a small inconvenience that he chose to ignore. Why now…?


    <b><i>“Bring down the stones!” </i></b>Quon shouted. May this demon perish where she stands!”


    The sound of crumbling and crashing came from above. She looked up, watching what appeared to be small pebbles, though she knew them to be boulders the size of houses, bouncing and crashing down the steep slope they had rested upon the cliff of. And they seemed to accelerate with every breath taken. They barreled towards her with lightning speed.


    She tore her gaze away from the chief and set it on Hayden. He had a look of horror and despair on his face. Upon seeing Leoy’Shaah mirror his emotion with a refraction of anger ‘neath, he came to be the one who looked away. He could not bear to watch another human perish, even one he barely knew.


    She glanced back at the rocks. The rumbling had melted away in her mind in place of clear thought.


    Then, she took one last look, a survey if you will, at the crowd. The last thing she saw before death''s hand took his spear, was an entity standing in the crowd. She could barely make out its face, or its sex. It had male features, but its face twisted and turned into variations of wrath. Its face ceased its transformation when it saw her, as if surprised that she could even see it. In a blink, it was gone, and the rocks came to her.


    “It is done,” Quon said to himself under his breath, “It is done.”


    Kaqu turned and vomited. “Apologies, it was simply bad food,” he explained to the people who surrounded him. But none really showed any sign of reception. They stood frozen like that of a statue. The stone pit had not been used in their lifetime, and they had not expected it to be used. The priestesses, especially the head priestess, were beyond shocked, and maybe even revolted.


    Meanwhile, Quon stared off into space, trying to get over what had happened earlier. Had the axe truly missed like he had assumed. It had to have been


    “Done like a true coward,” The entity spoke, “Now, what do you plan to do with the Unbon?”


    “Is now really the time?” Quon hissed under his breath, “I suppose it is. We need the people to forget of–”


    Quon suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and fell to his knees.


    <i>I sense she is still alive. How was I wrong? I have neven been wrong! I blame you–-</i>


    “Who…?” Quon sputtered.


    And there she was, standing as if nothing had happened. She perched upon the magnificent boulders like a hawk upon the tallest trees. Her eyes filled with nothing but the will of God.


    “How is she still alive!?” Quon seethed to the entity, “<i>How?! </i>Is this your doing? Do you intend to mock me–?”


    Quon looked over at the entity. He wished he hadn’t. The thing was twitching and seemingly having some sort of erratic episode, it stumbled and rolled and made retching sounds, then it crawled into a fetal position and clutched its face.


    Its head and body began to solidify into a coherent form. It was a man… And his features became more defined by the second. His chest inflated and compressed.


    <b><i>The light! The darkness! The Black Sky! The Black Sky is coming after me!</i></b>


    Quon took a step back


    <i>I made a deal with the devil! God, what is this that I witness!?</i>


    <b><i>“DON’T SAY MY NAME IN VAIN!” </i></b>The entity rose and shook the world with his booming voice, <b><i>“YOU HAVE NO WAY OF COMPREHENDING MY NATURE!!! YOU HAVE NO POINT OF REFERENCE FOR POWER; NONE STAND AGAINST ME! NONE EXCEPT YOU. FINISH THE JOB! KILL HER!”</i></b>


    Quon did a double take down at Leoy’Shaah, who cocked her head in defiance. Quon closed his eyes.


    <i>Burn her with fire. Burn her with fire. Burn her with fire. </i>


    He stopped and shot up.


    <b>“Burn her! Burn her with fire!” </b>Quon screamed. The priestesses yelped at the sudden outburst. <b>“Purge that abomination from my sight this </b><b><i>instant!” </i></b>


    The eldest priestess swallowed and approached Quon. <i>“</i>My chief—” She rested her hand upon his shoulder.


    <b>“Unhand me you wench!”</b> Quon shrieked, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her near the edge of the cliff. “Please! My chief, I only wish to see what you see!” She said through labored breaths. He dragged her close to him with the strength he had left. “No. No, you do not!” He then threw her to ground, mere inches away from a fateful plummet, and she promptly scurried over to safety of the others.


    <i>What is that? A… Another god?” </i>Leoy’Shaah thought.


    “No!” Screamed the entity, “Don’t let them look at me Cennend! Let me choose who I want to be! Not them! They don’t know what they want of a god! They don’t know! I do! Let me choose!”


    Quon felt compelled to do three things: Walk away, throw himself off the cliff, and investigate the entity further.


    He felt the strongest of the third. He took painful steps toward the entity.


    “Wrath, lava! Despair! What do I want to be? Let me choose…!”


    “You must have something left to give me!” Quon shouted. The priestesses gazed upon him like the madman that he was.


    “That’s it! Make lava exist from nothing!”


    “N-No!”


    “You are a god, then <i>prove </i>it to me!” Quon shouted.


    “I have no strength left to fight it!” He gasped. His arms steamed and morphed. He screamed in pain. His face finally came into view. But it was a mortal face. Taking the form of a man with orange hair… His skiing came into place as well. Tan. his nose short and his eyes full of hate.


    <b>“How did she become what she became? She did not ask for it! I demanded it!”</b>


    Then his body began to cool. But just as Quon thought it was over, one last transformation happened. His body stiffened. “I know my name. It was to be Manipu!” Then, a thick barb began to sprout from his body. One with many legs, no <i>arms</i> moving about. But his skin flew over it like a cloth and the many small hands disappeared under his skin.


    <b><i>Nrrrhaaaaaaaahhhh!!!  </i></b>


    “Help me! Fill me with the power you gave me before… do it again!”


    <i>I have many children, many children who you may worship… I am the Black Sky, I turn what you understand into something you cannot comprehend… In return, I feed on this world.</i>


    Manipu coiled backward, but just as he was about to jump onto Quon and kill him, he stopped and fear stroked his heart. A woman''s voice only he could hear: <i>Careful my pseudo-brother, you made a deal that you have to honor, regardless of how worthless you are… </i>Manipu wiped his bloodied mouth, “Then your family will pay.”


    But Quon didn’t listen


    Leoy’Shaah stared up at the silent scene that was on full display, but only to her. None of the other villagers paid it any mind. They simply stared at Leoy’Shaah in shock. Some had even fainted. Leoy’Shaah wanted to see what sort of horrors were taking place far above the pit, but she already knew what was going on: Quon was having a conversation with his god.


    Quon jerked forward over the cliff and screamed. <b><i>“SHOOT HER WITH FIRE! DO IT!”</i></b>


    Leoy’Shaah saw dim glows around her, arrows being lit, and logs, sticks and leaves being thrown in. She knew what was about to occur.


    <i>I feel so calm… and yet–</i>


    The air became painful. Not even heat, just pain. As if she were flaying upon the sight of a thousand suns. But she knew that such a grandiose comparison meant nothing if had not the means to comprehend it.


    She collapsed to her knees and cried from the excruciation, her tears simply boiling away. Eventually, the pain became nothing to her. Served a plateful, she could only eat so much. She shakily rose from a blackened spot on the ground. Her clothes had been completely eaten from the flames, and her hair blackened at the ends. She took a step forward, then another step, then another.


    Slowly, she made her way up the curved edges of the pit. Villagers screched in terror and ran away. She marched agonizingly, as the smoke began to clear, she saw three figures. The priestess, Captain Kaqu, and Quon.


    Quon’s cowardice returned. <i>“She’s still alive?</i> Nonsense! Fire cleanses the wicked soul… She is nothing but wicked! There shall be nothing left of h–”


    Then Leoy’Shaah emerged from the shadows, her feet the coals and the ground a pair of feet. She clutched her bare breasts and the wind picked up further, wind trying to reunite fire and ice, Leoy’Shaah melted a path that then smoked. Leaving not an inch to survive the blazing encounter.


    Such an ungodly sight it must have been! But Quon stood firm. Kaqu flinched, as if about to turn and run, but


    (Story incomplete)