Coye 5.5 (Patreon)

Chapter 5 - Blind Faith

Another day passed with Byng spending time alone at her camp doing nothing beyond attempting to figure out where she was going with her life. Lazing about wasn't her intention, but it kept happening regardless. The huntress was cathartic- a feeling so foreign to her typical self that it ate away at her day by day. Every second she hadn't yet solved the problem was another second spent in this torturous frame of mind. Byng thought about seeing what Coye or Suzette was up to, but the day was already over before she knew it, and she'd lost her chance.

The sun had set and the night sky overtook the world, twinkling stars hanging overhead as the moonlight illuminated her humble camp. Byng sat at her campfire wearing a loose deerskin nightgown she crafted a while back, trying to ease her troubled mind by carving a little figurine from a large Direwolf. Again and again, she slowly dragged her carving knife across the surface, whittling little slivers off the surface until it took on a lazy shape.

The intent was to sculpt a familiar insect from her Homerealm, a Hrargher, something she hadn't told Coye about yet. Byng hadn't ever attempted carving one before, but there were plenty of moths flying around her fire to use as reference. They were similar enough to their tremendous Grurguhrohkan cousins to suit her purposes.

A problem arose when Byng tried texturing the figurine's abdomen to make it all fuzzy-looking. Her frustration got the better of her. The knife scraped far too much off the abdomen, cutting off the entire bottom half. This was a rookie mistake, one Byng never would've made if she were in a better state of mind.

"Fucking stupid piece of- RGH!" Byng cursed, tossing her ruined figurine into the fire. The flames crackled around it but otherwise remained indifferent, uncaring. Even her hobbies were starting to become affected by her dour mood.

If things got any worse, she couldn't hide the extent of what she was feeling from Coye much longer. Byng didn't want to drag him down with her bullshit if she could help. They'd just started their relationship, and it was going better than she had ever hoped. Sadly, that only made her feel worse. Everything was going great for her. Byng had everything she'd ever wanted, so what else was left?

She was a huntress without anything to hunt. There were no goals she wanted to work toward, nothing for her to prove. Byng's only halfway decent pursuit was her decision to start grinding quests to catch up to Coye's ranking at the Guild. Byng didn't want to be left behind whenever he eventually ended up graduating to Gold-rank, but even that was more of a hollow endeavor. It didn't have any personal meaning for her.

It hurt Byng that there was no one she felt she could talk to about this. Coye was supportive, but she didn't want to drag the mood down and make him worry about her more than he already was. She didn't know Shayla well enough to confide in her, and although Byng trusted Suzette, she doubted the older woman would be able to relate to the things she was going through.

Byng wished that there was someone from her own culture who could help and relate to her predicament. Most of the Orcs who lived in Cransmere were from families who emigrated to Karnalle several generations ago, and the few who were fellow migrants like herself knew better than to ever go anywhere near her again. It was their fault for presuming she was a Gengaggi who conformed to the old ways, but such misunderstandings were quickly solved by the business end of her ordoghite knife.

If only she could somehow talk to her parents. Her Dazhak would surely break off a piece of his stern wisdom for her, while her Mazhak would talk her through her problems and offer creative, if not outlandish solutions. Byng missed them both, but she would've even settled for the chieftain of her tribe or even any of their shamans if it meant they could help with what she was going through.

...Shamans, huh? Byng gazed into the fire, her fists propping her cheeks out of boredom.

Now there was a thought. The flickering flames she stared at brought to mind someone who might help if it hadn't been for the fact that they had never answered her before. Byng couldn't imagine they'd start now. She was disillusioned with her God ever since the Zurgarrah. It was the most important day of her life, and everything that could go wrong did. It didn't matter that she still got what she wanted in the end, Byng was just petty like that. All of the prayers, rituals, and offerings she'd made in the Lord of Hunt's name over the years felt like a waste.

She wondered what her Dazhak would have thought of her current spiritual conundrum. He was more stern and religious than she ever was but full of love despite his severity. Byng was confident he would tell her it was no wonder she didn't feel like hunting when Kuhrkakk was absent from her heart.

Somehow, she doubted the answer was that simple.

It did get her thinking, though. Maybe it was part of why she'd felt so out of it. Byng was never overly pious, but she worshiped often and followed the teachings more faithfully than most. Perhaps cutting out that part of her life so suddenly contributed to her listlessness. Without all the praying, worship, and sacrifices, Byng was left with considerably more time on her hands than she was used to.

She felt like testing to see if involving religion in her life again would ease her level of discontent. It wasn't as if Byng expected anything to come of it, but she was desperate to stop feeling so sorry for herself, and she didn't have anything else going on that night, anyway. Might as well ask the Lord of Beasts and Arrows to gift her guidance when she had none.

Byng rose from her campfire and entered her main tent, lifting up an enormous wooden crate fashioned from the trees of the forest. Opening up the container revealed a myriad of modular totems that stood roughly as tall as she when constructed. There were four of them in total, each topped with a different animal skull. Byng placed them all around the firepit in a circle, creating a ritual altar the way her Dazhak taught her when she was a little girl.

The next step was the messy part. Byng retrieved several water skins full of the blood of her prey, pouring them onto the ground beneath her feet in Grurguhrohkan tribal patterns meant to invoke the power of the Beast God. Typically these rituals called for the blood of specific beasts from her Homerealm, but it should suffice so long as it came from something she killed.

After that, it was time to seal the deal. Byng went back into her tent, rummaging through her many piles of clothes to find what appeared at first glance to be just another one of her many sets of furry bikinis. Looking closer would reveal that this garment was made from the pelt of a beast you would never find in Karnalle and had Orcish glyphs stitched into it on its breasts and the front of its panties.

This was no simple piece of lingerie. It was a kuhrakkha- a ritualistic garment worn by Kuhrkakk's feminine followers when praying to their God. It was crafted from the pelt of Wahlvoks and itched like nobody's business. Byng rarely wore it, but her Dazhak made it for her before she left home, and it wasn't like she could turn down a gift like that. She'd only worn it three times in her years away from Grurguhrohk. Once shortly after she arrived in this strange land to ask for blessings on her future hunts, a second time after first meeting Coye to ask for help on a very specific hunt, and lastly right before her Zurgarrah.

Like everything else she did to earn the God's favor, Byng felt it didn't help with anything other than blessing her with an itchy crotch. Still, she was going all out tonight. No half measures, not even if she was doing all of this out of boredom.

She set the kuhrakkha to the side and poured another water skin full of blood into a bowl. Byng produced a small brush for her to use, then stripped out of her current outfit to perform the last step required before changing into her religious bikini. She couldn't help laughing and cracking a smile as she imagined how Suzette would react to her painting herself with smelly beast blood, scribbling intricate patterns across her face and body. It sucked that she would have to rinse off after this, but at least Suzette had given her a bunch of assorted soaps after their time at the bathhouse.

Once her paint had dried, Byng donned her kuhrakkha and moved on to the final step- the one she hated the most. She stepped into her food tent and started piling up loads of the choicest preserved meat she had stored. Even when she was a little girl learning how to track and shoot, Byng was always upset whenever her Dazhak insisted she offered the best portions of her kill to the Lord of Hunts. Kuhrkakk wasn't the one who did all the work. Why should he get the best part? Such talk had earned her more than a few punishments until she resentfully stopped bringing it up.

Whatever, she had more food than she knew what to do with right now, anyway. Byng brought out several animals' worth of offerings and piled them up beside the fire. When she saw the roaring flames surrounded by the totems Byng erected and the way their light glistened against her painted body, it hit her suddenly how absurd this all was.

"Why the fuck am I doing this?" Byng grumbled and sank her shoulders. No one would answer prayers. Kuhrkakk probably couldn't even hear her, let alone offer her the guidance she sought.

The huntress made up her mind with a heavy sigh. If this last attempt at spirituality failed, she wouldn't bother anymore- aside from shouting Sherge's name while in the throes of passion.

Byng wasn't even sure what a successful attempt would entail. Did she expect Kuhrkakk to descend from on high and converse with her? She'd seen miracles performed in his name before, but never anything more than that. Maybe the best she could hope for was some subtle sign that somebody was listening and looking out for her? It was a low bar for her chosen deity to meet, and with those lowered expectations in mind, Byng got started.

With another skin full of beast blood clutched in her hand, Byng stood over the fire and upended the red liquid onto the flames. It sizzled, thick steam crackling into the air. In the rough tones of the Orcish language, Byng began her prayer. "Hear me, stalker and protector, the hunter and the hunted, first arrow and last beast. Let my words fly true as they fly to you. I call upon you, Kuhrkakk, to hear the voice of one among your herd." She reached for one of the pieces of meat she'd piled up and held it into the sky. "Take what I have taken, for it was yours and belongs with you."

As Byng repeated the last part of her prayer, she tossed the first offering into the fire. Bit by bit, she piled on everything else until there was a small tower of smoke and the smell of flesh rising from the flames. It encompassed the area, invading Byng's nostrils with the nostalgic scent of the tribal cookfires from her childhood.

Now that Byng had finished reading off the script, then came the part where she voiced her personal thoughts and said whatever she wanted. There was a particular way one was supposed to go about doing this, primarily with brevity and respect. Byng didn't see the need for either, and she spoke to her God the same way she would anyone else.

"What's up? Haven't checked in a while. Not sure if you noticed since you probably got so much other shit going on, but hey. It is what it is, y'know? I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm kind of lapsing. This might sound petty, but I really wanted my big day to go well. I did all the junk you're supposed to do to beg for your favor, but things still went crappy. Even before then, I always questioned the lengths I went to worship you. Call me a blasphemer or heretic if you want, but it never felt like you were the reason all my shots were landing. I'm pretty sure I had a bigger hand in that than you. Dazhak always said that arrows fly only with your blessing, but here in Karnalle, the people have never even heard of you and their arrows work just fine..."

Byng sighed and collected her thoughts. She had a lot to say for someone who wasn't even sure why she was doing this. It was just one of those little things about religion, she supposed. Even if you weren't positive anyone was listening, it felt nice to unleash your thoughts on someone who would never tell you to shut up.

"In light of that, I haven't followed your teachings as much as I used to. Haven't felt like going off on any huge hunts. Been suffering with motivation. Feeling aimless. It's probably foolish to even think you'd bother helping me, but I thought I'd try and reach out one last time because of how badly I need help through this. I keep trying to think about what I should be doing with my life, but nothing worthwhile ever comes up. I need a goal to strive toward because if I don't have one, then..."

She closed her eyes as the memory of Coye saving her from the Ravenous Boarman replayed, along with recollections of their last adventure. He showed so much potential as a warrior, even if he was sometimes wracked with self-doubt. As dumb as he could be, he had sharp insight and made extraordinary split-second decisions in the heat of battle.

Honestly, Byng was scared he might one day move so far beyond what she was capable of as a tricky archer, and that was before it looked like he would be acquiring magical Fairy powers in the near future. Everyone else was skeptical about that development, but Byng didn't need confirmation. Her intuition rarely served her wrong, and it told her that Coye would be magic before too long.

The thought of it made Byng laugh.

"Dammit, I went and told him I didn't want to be defined by him, yet here I am worrying about whether or not we'll always be equals. Then again, why is it so wrong to be worried about that? Part of me just knows he's going to be something special one day, and it's not that I'm hyping him up because he's my man. I thought this even when I was hunting him early on. Some people just have this... gravity to them, y'know? Like you can take one look at them and tell that eventually they're gonna get wound up in some crazy shit, and it's gonna be one hell of a ride, gahaha! When I think about my future with him, I think about how I want to be there for him when things are hard. What I don't want is to be 'just an archer' who he has to constantly worry about protecting. I need to be stronger than that, but... I don't know where I would even start. I need to find my own way. Although... I guess asking a God for help with that wouldn't really make it my own way, would it?"

In the absence of an answer, the fire remained silent.

"Whatever," she laughed again. "It's crazy, but this helped much more than I thought it would. Maybe I was right and still kind of needed this whole religion thing. Otherwise, I might not've been able to straighten my thoughts. Don't know if I'm gonna go through all the hassle of setting this junk up and sacrificing to you again, but, hey. Thanks for giving me an excuse to talk out loud to myself. Really puts things in perspective, almighty Kuhrkakk. Hey, not sure if anyone's told you this, but you have a really unfortunate name in the common tongue. Here in Karnalle, the 'kakk' part of your name sounds exactly like-"

The fire no longer remained silent.

A terrible wind blew, tearing through her camp. So many of her crafting stations, exsanguination racks, tanning racks, and everything else that wasn't nailed down were knocked around. The ferocious gale blew down even some of the outer walls keeping her camp safe.

"My fucking camp!" Byng shouted as the sudden cyclone whirled around before centering on the fire in the middle of her home. The wind slashed at the flames, creating a tempest of sparks before those became mere embers in the night.

As the embers died, so too did all the stars in the sky. Byng looked up in horror, seeing blackness in every direction. She couldn't even see the lights from Cransmere off in the distance. The only illumination came from above as the moon grew red and heavy above her.

"No way..." Byng recognized the signs. The wind, the darkness, the moon... "This can't be fucking happening," she laughed.

Off in the distance, Byng heard a familiar cry. It was the snarling scream of a Wahlvok, its long snarl calling out in pride. Then, there was the whirring and chirping of Bukurburk birds. Small, yet deceptively dangerous. One by one, other sounds Byng had heard in the wilds of Grurguhrohk resonated around her. She listened to the stampeding of hooves, the sound of claws rending flesh, the flapping of wings, and the whistling of arrows coupled with the sorrowful song of those the arrows pierced.

All these sounds came directly in front of her from her fire pit. Byng stared at it in disbelief, stepping back before the fire inexplicably roared to life. The flame was not of this world. A pale green color shimmered, illuminating the world in its sickly shade. It was the color of animal spirits, those who stalk the Hunting Lord's undying planes, and the color of his eyes.

The meat Byng offered to her deity was burnt to sparkling ashes one after the other, and these ashes floated into the smoke above the flame. She watched as these ashes met, congregating into one growing mass of fire. The larger the form grew, the more its shape became clear. It grew into a towering skull of an antlered beast that Byng didn't recognize. It didn't stay this way for long, as the skull morphed from one beast to the next. Some of these creatures she recognized, while most were only ever dreamed of.

The manifestation towered over her, and within the hollow of each skull's eyes was a simmering flame. At that moment, Byng felt a sense of fear. As if the fire in those eyes belonged to every beast she'd ever slain, and they were now looking down upon her in solemn judgment. There wasn't any malice or hatred, that was just how it worked in the wild, but Byng was consumed by a panic nonetheless. As she took another step back, she tripped and fell on her back. This did nothing to stop her attempt to flee. She tried crawling away, terrified of what precisely it was that floated above her camp beneath a blood-red moon and a starless sky.

"Be still," the vision spoke in an echoing, hushed voice, gentle yet firm. Byng could hear animalistic qualities within the voice, the yowling of cats, the barking of dogs, the chirping of birds, and so much more she could never hope to place. "You asked for guidance, did you not?"

"Oh, great. It's talking to me now..." Byng shivered and forced herself to sit up, rubbing her eyes deep and hard in the hopes that when she opened them next, whatever this was would be gone. There was no such luck. The gigantic morphing animal skull was still exactly where she had left it, and this was her new reality. "I, uh, asked for guidance, yes. But before we just dive into that like it's the most casual thing in the world, let's establish some basics here. You are-"

"I see no reason to repeat that which you already know, young huntress. I am who you believe me to be and so much more."

"So... Kuhrkakk?" Byng asked in total disbelief.

"I have as many names as there are species who run within my herd. To the Orcs, I am Kuhrkakk. The Wahlvoks proclaim me Vrakkaghar, the Ravragahr, Hrashrassa, and so on and so forth."

Byng was overcome with many conflicting emotions as she listened to the fire which proclaimed to be a God. There was the majesty she felt from encountering the divine, the disbelief, confusion, and uncertainty as to why this was happening. Others might've been overcome with intense religious devotion upon such a meeting, yet Byng was of a different sort. Her mind was abuzz with questions, and all she could do was indulge in them.

"Okay, but why?" Byng asked. "Why are you here now of all times? I've prayed to you my whole life, and nothing ever came of it. Are you here the second I start doubting whether or not you care just to scare me into obedience or what? Because if that's what you want, then-"

"You mistake my intentions. You asked for guidance and a path to walk, while I have a path that needs walking. There is much to discuss."

"Yeah, no doubt," Byng rolled her eyes at the giant flaming skull. "I'm sure I'm just full of interesting conversation to a literal God like yourself."

"Much can be learned from even the most humble of creatures, and you, young huntress, are anything but humble. I find intrigue in you, more than you might think."

"Sure, but I'm not intriguing enough for you to ever answer my prayers," Byng crossed her arms as her emotions got the better of her.

Kuhrkakk regarded the girl in silence for what felt like a painful amount of time to Byng. Then, the wind stirred, and the lower jaw of the flaming skull started to flap up and down. A gentle laughter swept over the area. "Few mortals of any species have spoken to me in such a way, and yet you do so like it were only natural. Here I am, the manifestation of a God, and you talk to me as one might a casual acquaintance."

"Hey, don't get me wrong here," Byng threw up her hands. "I'm pretty damn close to pissing myself from fear. Honestly, there might've already been a drop or two, but thankfully, I got good bladder control."

"Even so," Kuhrkakk stressed. "You are interesting, child. You wish to know why I never answered your prayers, is that right?"

"Well, yeah?" Byng pulled herself off the ground and sat beside the magical God fire on the stone bench. "I mean, I don't think I can really have any meaningful discussion with you if we don't at least broach the topic, y'know?"

"The answer is simpler than you think,"

"Wait, wait. If you're about to tell me the power was inside me all along, then I'm going to snuff that fire right fucking now."

The fire was silent.

Then, it continued as if Byng's interruption had never happened. "Why would I grant your prayers? Ever since you were young, you've clawed your way forward like a Whardergar stalking the treetops of Ghighamorgha. You drank the knowledge of those who came before you- improved upon it- taking your sharp mind and crafting answers to any obstacle in your path. Everything you've ever wanted, you took. You wanted a safer home, so you crossed the void between Realms. You wanted an ideal mate lover who fit your tastes, so you hunted him until he was yours. Not once have I ever guided your arrows, Byng-Hrakkarh Golgharra. They only shot true because they were shot by you."

As she listened to Kuhrkakk's words, a sense of comfort enveloped Byng. His speech was gentle yet harsh, reminding her more than a little of her Dazhak. There was warmth from this God, true warmth. She sensed a genuine fondness for her coming from him.

"Okay," she nodded, still taking it all in. "That's... cool. Even though you are just telling me that the power was inside me all along."

"I tried making it sound more eloquent than that."

"And you did it in a way that stroked my ego, so as a favor, I'm not gonna put out the fire. It still would've been awesome to know all the prayers and offerings I made to you over the years were for fucking nothing, but whatever. I guess that's just how Gods are. I'm not about to go digging into how you do things, but I want to know why you would want me of all people to walk this path you mentioned? I'm not your most devout worshiper, and I'm not about to change that just because we're chatting all of a sudden."

"Your level of devotion means little. The words of many a God are twisted by the ravages of time. They become distorted, containing slight pieces of truth hidden between false narratives and agendas added by mortal hands. Ask yourself, young huntress. Do you truly believe a God doesn't have better things to do than smiting any Orc who can't figure a good use for a Frahkaldurr's pinky bone? Nonsense. All I've ever asked is that hunters honor those they take from my herd and treat them with respect."

Byng raised her eyebrow at that. "So what you're saying is that everything I was taught was all a bunch of lies?"

"Not everything," Kuhrkakk countered. "Few Gods dislike the smell of a good offering."

Byng laughed. "Yeah? Well, good for you. Guess I should at least hear you out now. Tell me what I could possibly do for a God, and I'll let you know what I think."

"That's simple. You desire power and a purpose, while I desire to increase my sphere of influence over the Realm you now reside. Karnalle is the center of all Realmspace- the most important land of all. It is a nexus, a converging point of cosmological importance. Every God of every Realm desires to gain a foothold there, and I am no exception."

"Sorry," Byng smirked and nervously scratched the back of her head. "But if you want me to give up my life and become your priestess, your shaman, or wherever the heck this is headed, then count me out. I'm not about to start traveling the lands and trying to convert people."

"What I desire is no shaman. It is a champion."

"Champion, huh?" Byng's ears twitched, and she crossed her arms, trying miserably hard to not appear interested. "Well, that does have a better ring to it..."

Her restrained reaction amused the mighty God, who chuckled softly, pale flames dancing as his lower jaw bounced up and down. "Within the Realm of the Twin Goddesses of Light and Dark, few praise my name. As you know, the members of my herd are not limited to Orcs and Gengaggi. The land itself sings my name, as do the beasts who prowl it and the birds who fly among the clouds. By and large, the men of Karnalle care little for foreign deities, and I care equally as much for them. Expanding my influence would mean reaching out to this Realm's wildlife and teaching them my ways, not its people."

"Damn it," Byng shrugged and pounded her fist into her knee. "You're really not making a great case here. You almost had me a second ago, but now you're telling me I'd have to go around whispering to animals and shit? You know me, right? Most animals freak me out. I respect them, but I'm not that cool with hanging around them..." her mind recalled the faithful steed she and Coye had rented from Any Neighs, and she offered a quick correction. "At least not anytime soon."

"Your habit of jumping to conclusions misleads you."

"Yeah? Well, your habit of saying things in the vaguest, most flowery way possible steers me to jump to misleading conclusions!" Byng pointed at the giant flaming skull, which now resembled a dumbfounded stallion.

"...Very well, I will phrase my demands more transactionally. You wouldn't be dealing with beasts in the way you're thinking. Every so often, I would send you on a specific hunt in my name. You would be given a target, which you must slay using a divine arrow blessed with my power. My magic would then convert your fallen foe into a spirit of the land upon its death, who would then protect those lands and teach my ways to the beasts of Karnalle. Was that less 'flowery' enough for you, young huntress?" The God teased.

Byng was feeling on edge, and not because of any fear. His words excited her. She was fidgeting in her seat, a sense of adventure stirring inside her heart that had been missing from her life as of late. Kuhrkakk was speaking directly to her greatest desires, but it wasn't in her nature to go along without seeing if she couldn't score a sweeter deal.

"I suppose it was," she clicked her tongue, sounding unimpressed. "I'll admit. We could have something here if we fleshed it out a bit more, y'know? Giving me guidance and a purpose that excites me is nice, but what kind of tangible rewards are we talking about here?"

"Tangible? Are the glory of the hunt and the honor of facing insurmountable odds in my name not enough for you?"

"Uh, no?" Byng snorted. "This is some real life-uprooting shit here, and I have a comfy life here in Karnalle. I still want some kind of purpose, yeah, but it doesn't have to be yours."

There was another long silence as the morphing skull of flames considered where it stood. "I have not held accord with a mortal in many moons. Mortals thrive without their Gods, and my attention has been gifted primarily to the beasts who can do no such thing. In words you'd understand, I'm trying to say my negotiation skills are... rusty."

"You don't say?" Byng never thought she'd get the opportunity to fleece a God, but her smirk faded when she realized he could probably hear what she was thinking. "Uh, okay. Right. Let's start with the basics, then. Yeah? Make an offer, and we'll go from there."

"Very well. Like many heroes chosen by the Gods before you, you will be given abilities representative of my powers."

"And?" Byng tilted her head.

"That wasn't enough?"

"It's a start, but if I wanted magical powers, I live in a Realm where I could just pop into any old mage's shop and walk out with a ring that shoots laser beams or some shit, y'know? They might not be as fancy as what a God might offer, but they'd get the job done."

"If you desire powerful artifacts, I can gift these as well. Trinkets and weapons crafted by myself, ones well suited to your natural talents."

"Getting there," Byng smirked and cupped her chin. "But you're still holding out on me."

"Perhaps I was wrong. You don't speak as if I were an acquaintance, but a common merchant." The flames roared with what Byng hoped was amusement.

The girl held her hands up defensively, stating, "Hey, it's not my fault you played your hand right at the start of our conversation! You said upfront that you hardly have any power here in Karnalle, so it sounds like you need me more than I need you."

Kuhrkakk's flaming effigy stared at her in silence that filled Byng with dread the longer it wore on. When he finally broke the quietude, his words had weight behind them, "You are correct, young huntress, but you forget yourself. While I may be unable to smite you from afar, Clan Hrakkarh and Tribe Golgharra are another matter. Tomorrow, your people will be crossing the wastes of Khalladorgah. Beneath the dune sea sleeps the long-dreaming Vrakkado, the burdened beast of burning sand. Twas I who willed the behemoth to its slumber, and I could just as easily wake it from its hateful dreams as those you left behind pass overhead."

Byng clutched her fist and shut her eyes, panic brewing in the pit of her stomach. She felt fear in his implications, remembering with every fiber of her being that this was a God who could do everything he said and so much more. However, before any God, being trusted her instincts first and foremost. Her instincts told her to try praying to Kuhrkakk one last time, and now, they told her to press on.

"You're bluffing," Byng opened her eyes and met the fiery manifestation with her full attention.

"Am I?"

"There's a reason you contacted me of all the Grurguhrohkan immigrants in Karnalle, isn't there? In fact, don't even answer. You slipped up and told me yourself. You said few praise your name in this Realm and that it'd been ages since you approached anyone like this. For whatever reason, anyone else you've tried roping into this scheme has turned you down. Maybe because they just escaped that shitty Realm and don't want to go making their lives any harder? Dunno. My point is I'm still pretty weak- definitely not what I'd call first choice material. Killing everyone I know and love isn't gonna win you a champion. Giving me what I want, though? That will get you somewhere."

After the silence Byng had come to expect, the fire roared in bombastic laughter, joined by the calls of a thousand beasts. "Even in the face of such a threat, you still didn't lose one bit of impertinence, tenacity, or grit. I'm glad to see that. Indeed, I was only testing you. You should be proud of yourself, young huntress. Compared to the others I've extended this proposition to, you undoubtedly would be my first choice."

Byng sighed out of relief and then clutched her heart. She was so comforted that she couldn't even process the extent to which a God was praising her. "Oh, thank fuck... I was pretty scared there for a sec. I wasn't sure whether I was onto something or not. My Dazhak always told me you were a God who didn't kill without reason, so I'm glad to hear that not everything was a lie..."

"It is so," Kuhrkakk confirmed. "Needless death only disturbs the balance in nature."

"So... why did everyone else turn you down?" Byng cocked her head. "If you don't mind me asking."

"For the reasons you assumed. Many who leave Grurguhrohk lose touch with the old ways. They become native, adjusting to a less dangerous life and fully integrating into Karnallian society."

"Can you really blame them? Grurguhrohk sucks massive Wahlvok dong."

"No. I don't begrudge those who've gone native, nor do I have any use for them. You are a different matter. For two years you've resided in Karnalle, and these lands have failed to change you. You keep the old ways, living as you always have. You refuse to be anything but yourself, and for that, I would be honored to have you serve my interests. If there is anything specific you wish from me, you need only ask."

"Yeah? That's great to hear because I'm not trying to bleed you dry or anything. I just wanted to see what I could get away with. There's really only one thing on top of the powers and the magical artifacts I want, anyway."

"Speak, and if it is within my power, then it is done."

Byng swallowed nervously and took in a deep breath. "Could you start, um... maybe start blessing my tribe with good hunts and possibly see that they have an easier go of things from now on?"

"Ah," the flames regarded her with respect. "You still feel guilt over those you left behind."

"Wow, you really are a God," Byng chuckled and rolled her eyes. She pictured her immediate family and all her friends back home. Though she never wanted to return to those harsh, unforgiving lands, the people of tribe Golgharra were always never far from her thoughts.

The God in flames gave Byng another few amused chuckles. "Indeed I am. Consider it done. Rarely do I ever give my favor to entire tribes, but such is the importance of the task at hand that I will make an exception. So long as you are in my service, your people will want for nothing, and they will find that the beasts of Grurguhrohk will protect them from raiders and all other threats."

"Holy shit," Byng's eyes went wide. "Er, sorry."

"Fear not and rejoice, young huntress," Kuhrkakk laughed. "I am not a God so easily offended."

"It's just... that's way more than I expected you would do for them. Their lives are gonna change so much!" Byng felt warmth spreading through her heart. Never again would her people be awakened in the night by a horde of Vagrkun raiders, and no longer would they have to leave their elders behind during times of scarcity.

If that didn't make up for ditching her family to go hunt femboys in Karnalle, nothing would.

"When do we start?" Byng asked, now fully on board despite a few questions remaining in her mind. Then, her excitement got the better of her. "Also, do you have any sign-on bonus you can give me? You know, any payment upfront? I want to see what kind of fun shit I can expect in the future."

"If it were in my power, I would gladly gift you a boon here and now. Unfortunately, the limit of my power over Karnalle is the ability to converse with you as we are now. Until the first task is completed, I won't be able to gift you anything."

"Figures," Byng shrugged. "But hey, that just means you'll give me cooler and cooler presents the stronger you get, right?"

"That's typically how these things go, yes."

"Dope. So, about that first task-"

"Continue on with your life until you hear my call again. Polish your skills, take on challenging hunts through that Guild of yours and continue enjoying the relationship you fought so hard to earn. You may even bring your mate along to assist in the hunt, so long as you strike the final blow."

"Oh, cool," Byng imagined herself going off on a vast adventure issued by the divine Kuhrkakk to slay some powerful beast with Coye and Shayla by her side. Granted, it wouldn't be that different from her current life, but the scope would expand significantly. It sounded fun, and she couldn't help her growing smile.

Then, she started to laugh. "You know, it's funny. I've asked you for shit my whole life, only for you to ignore me and then rope me into some huge spiritual quest after I have everything I ever wanted. Almost makes a girl think you Gods are more trouble than you're worth."

Byng expected a laugh from the good-natured God, but he only regarded her for an uncanny amount of time. She was starting to grow unsettled, thinking she'd offended him, but he spoke before she could apologize.

"Before we conclude our talk, I must share one small piece of advice with you."

"Yeah?" Byng shifted around in her seat uncomfortably. "Go on, then."

"Should you ever find yourself in the presence of another God, I hope that you dare not speak to them as casually as you did with me. Very few deities would tolerate the near-comical disrespect you've shown, and I am only a minor God in the grand scheme. I could not protect you from the horrors they could sentence you to experience."

Thoroughly terrified, Byng scratched her upper arm. "Oh. Um. Alright. Got it, chief. You, uh, don't think I'm going to have to meet any other Gods... do you? I don't really know how to show respect to, like... anyone, so..."

"Probably not," the flaming skull seemed to smile. "I was just... hm, what was the Karnallian expression, again? I believe you're rather fond of it... ah, yes. I was merely busting your balls."

And with that, Kuhrkakk's manifestation let out one last laugh as the winds picked up and flickered the pale green flames out of existence. The light of the moon lost its blood-red sheen, and one by one, the stars pricked through the inky blackness of the night sky until Byng could once again see the faint light of Cransmere in the distance.

It was rare for Byng to feel so bewildered, confused, and one-upped. Her thoughts were all a jumble, unable to determine whether the night's events had even happened or if it was all some hallucination. How the hell was she supposed to explain this to Coye and the others? She'd need to pick up Suzette in the morning and bring her over to his place so they could all have a long talk, so Byng resolved herself to wash up tonight and clean up her camp.

As she did, Byng found herself feeling comforted and warm inside. The fire inside her had been reignited, and it now burned pale green with anticipation. Before anything else, though, she needed to change out of her stupid bikini. The crotch itch was becoming real.