Work Text:
When the world started shaking, Zorya did not panic.
She had no reason to, this had been the fifth shake this week.
The rest of her village, however, had no such logic. Ever since the first shake, they have all been sobbing about vengeful gods and angry spirits. Zorya can't walk 2 steps without seeing someone praying on the side of the street.
Her mother was worse than most, burning sage everywhere possible and holding group prayers every other day.
The hysteria was starting to get on her nerves. She has never been a big believer in superstition. Just the concept of some god actively trying to hurt people seemed ridiculous to her. They are gods, do they not have better things to do for the rest of eternity?
Maybe not.
This shake, however, was different. It was longer, more aggressive.
The last thing Zorya had expected was the ground to swallow her whole.
Zorya was falling.
A scream ripped from her throat.
After what felt like hours of falling, Zorya was almost convinced this was just a bad dream, and that she would wake up in her bed any second now.
She didn’t wake up in her bed.
She did wake up on rough ground, though.
It was sharp, digging into her skin, not enough to draw blood but enough to be painful.
She staggered to her feet, wincing as the ground pinched at her skin as she pushed herself up.
Zorya looked around, examining her surroundings. It was… strange. The ground, Zorya now realized, looked like grass, except sharper and the colours were all over the place. The sky was a mix of blues and purples, swirling around each other. If she stared long enough, Zorya swore she could see movement in it. There was mist curled around large structures that shot up into the air. They seemed to shift, never quite staying in one shape. Her eyes ached from looking at it.
Zorya closed her eyes, praying that this all was some terrible, awful nightmare, because there was no way this was actually happening.
She hears a noise.
Zorya flinches, eyes opening as she turned towards the source of the clicking sounds.
In front of her, there’s a… well, Zorya doesn’t know what the hell it is.
She stands, frozen in fear as the creature stands tall before her. It looks normal, almost human, at first glance. It wears a long white dress, with moss sprouting out of it in some areas. Its skin is a milky white, smooth and almost soft looking. Over its head, it had a wide brimmed hat resting on its head. It was beautiful, almost angelic.
It also didn’t have a face.
Zorya screamed, scrambling back away from it. She tripped over her own feet, landing in the painful not-grass.
The creature raised a hand. “Hello, human.”
Zorya screamed again. How the thing could speak, Zorya would never know.
It stared at her, obviously waiting for some sort of response. “Hello?” she responded, unsure.
“So you are capable of language. The others would only make noise.” It had a strange accent, there was something ancient to it. Zorya paused halted train of thought as she processed what it just said.
“What— okay, where am I? And who are you? And why don't you have a face? Is this a prank, because it's not funny—”
“Stop speaking,” The creature ordered. Zorya’s jaw fell slack. “We have much to do.”
“You know, cutting people off is pretty rude,” Zorya joked, trying to ignore the fact that she was definitely shaking.
“We have more important matters to address. First and foremost, how much do you know of Eostrovar?”
Zorya froze. Eostrovar… the elders often spoke of it. A place that mirrored our own, supposedly full of horrors beyond the imagination… “Wait, don't tell me this is Eostrovar?”
It stared at her, unspeaking. Zorya took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around herself in a poor attempt to comfort herself. “This is… this can’f be happening. It can't,” She stressed helplessly. “Why am I here? Why did you bring me here? I want to go home.”
It shook its head. “You cannot. Not yet. Soon enough, there will no longer be a home you can go back to.”
“What does that even mean?”
It lifted its head, looking past her. “A new god was created by the Nameless One,”
“Hold up, there are gods now?”
“Please, you must listen. I am trying to help your people,” It pleaded. “The god goes by Vh’utlo. They were created to test your kind. But they have no intentions of letting you last. They want to destroy every last one of you.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Zorya asked, feeling desperate.
It paused, pondering its answer. “Despite your stupidity, I have grown fond of humanity. I would be displeased to see you destroyed.”
“Okay,” Zorya said slowly. “But why me? I’m not exactly 'saving-the-world’ material.”
It shrugged. “You are not special. I have been pulling living beings from your world until I found one that was competent enough.”
“How am I even supposed to do this? I'm not the most physically fit. Actually, I am quite weak.”
It reached out its hands. Zorya stared in confusion, but before she could ask what it was doing, there was a dim glow coming from its hands. The glow got brighter, almost blinding. Zorya shut her eyes firmly.
The light disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, but when Zorya opened her eyes, she noticed what it was holding.
It was… a stick?
No, it looked more like a small staff. It was wooden, and at the top golden leaves sprouted from it. You could say it looked like a small tree.
The faceless creature held the wand out to her. Zorya grabbed it, running her fingers along the smooth wood. “So… what do I do with this?”
“You will figure it out, in time.”
Zorya stared at it. “What. So, I'm just supposed to… do it myself?”
It nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, if you want me to save everyone, that sounds awfully counterproductive—”
“You must go down to the bridge,” It interrupted. “There, you will meet Clyrm. If he wants to let you through, he will. Convince him. Now go, you have a long journey ahead of you.”
“Okay,” Zorya nodded, unsure of herself. “Before I go though, what’s your name?”
It paused, looking down at her. “I have many names. You may call me Rytris.”
And without another word, Zorya turned around and begun her walk down the hill.
Eventually, she found what she assumed must’ve been the bridge. It was a straight line, made from some sort of icy green structure. It was long, and underneath it was a ginormous cavern.
She approached the bridge. The entrance didn’t seem to have anyone guarding it, which was strange considering there was supposed to be.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Stop!” Something yelled at her.
Zorya turned to the source of the noise.
There, stood a small creature. His skin was a rough and ugly green, with long ears and pointy ears sprouting from either side of his head. He even had a tail, that swayed side-to-side.
“What do you think you're doing?” He asked angrily.
“Are you Clyrm?” Zorya asked instead.
He huffed. “Yea, and you are?”
“I’m Zorya. I, uh, need to cross your bridge.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Zorya? Sounds human. Humans aren't supposed to be here. Who sent ya here?”
Zorya shifted on her feet nervously. “Rytris did.”
Clyrm sighed. “Of course it did… well, I’m not gonna let you pass. So, shoo.”
Zorya blinked at him. “But… but I need to cross.”
“Too bad,” Clyrm hissed. “Don't care. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, human.” He spat the word ‘human’ as if it were something bitter on his tongue.
She clutched her staff tighter in determination, pointing it at him. “Listen, I have a quest to do, so let me pass.”
Clyrm barked a laugh. “No, I don't want to, and I don’t care. Get lost.”
Zorya scowled, waving the wand at him. “I’m not going anywhere so—” Her staff started to glow, a beam of light shooting out of it.
Zorya yelped, stepping back. She looked to Clyrm and saw him frozen in place with a look of terror on his face, looking down.
Zorya slowly moved her gaze downward and saw what caused Clyrm’s reaction.
Clyrm had a hole in him.
Zorya was now also frozen, looking back at up at his face. Clyrm stumbled back, hitting the ground. He put a hand over the hole, a silvery substance spilling out of it quickly. “What— what did you do?!”
“I- I don’t know! I’m so sorry, Jesus Christ…” Zorya tore her gaze away forcefully. She couldn’t stay here. She couldn't watch him die.
So she ran.
She went across the bridge, trying her best to ignore his screams.
When she finally made it across, she finally stopped running. With shaky hands, she kept her grip on the staff impossibly tight she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself.
She just murdered someone.
“Holy crap…” She muttered. Zorya took one more deep breath before looking down to see what she was standing in.
It was… water?
It looked like water, except it was darker. And for some reason, not wet.
She was tempted to reach down and touch it. Before she could follow through on that thought, a loud, deafening shriek tore through the silence.
Zorya covered her ears, digging her nails into her head as she grimaced.
The shrieking stopped, finally.
Zorya was disoriented, swaying. The ground started shaking violently, in the distance she saw something rip from the water. It curled in the sky, looming over everything. It was almost like a snake, except bigger and deadlier. From here, it was impossible to make out its face, but it was clear there wasn’t just one. There were faces all over its body, all making noises from simple clicking to a low growling. The head on the top shrieked again, staring directly at her.
It slinks towards her at fast speeds. Zorya screamed, stumbling in her disorientated state. She sat in the water in fear. Before she could get up, something else sprouted out of the water, wrapping around her waist and pulling her down.
The air left Zorya’s lungs, terrified as she tried to struggle against it.
It dragged her all the way down to some sort of underground cave, before finally letting go.
Zorya’s chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. She stumbled upwards, examining her surroundings.
She didn’t get to process much, however, as something caught her eye.
It was a figure standing not too far away from her. What caught her eyes were the mass amounts of tentacles floating around the… whatever the hell this was. She had pale skin, with blotches of it that looked scaley and fish-like. Her eyes were large empty, with only two slits as pupils.
Zorya held back a scream as she took several steps away from the monster in front of her.
The monster stared at her intently, before letting out a shrieking laugh. “Wow, you're terrified! Take a breather, I just saved you, silly human. How’d you get here anyway? There's no way Clyrm let you through.”
Zorya sucked in a breath at the mention of Clyrm, the thought of his fate making guilt pool into his stomach. She didn’t respond, averting her eyes.
The monster gave another strange laugh. “Well, whatever, you're here now. My names Halita. Now, I just saved you. And I am willing to get you past the big guy safely, you just gotta give me something in return.”
Zorya gulped. Something about Halita was… off-putting, maybe even uncanny. “I don’t have much, what did you have in mind?”
Halita’s eyes glistened mischievously. “Oh, well that's great! You see, all you gotta do is give me three years of your life span!”
Zorya stared at her incredulously. “Three years of my life span? Is that something I can even give?”
She giggled. “Of course it is! I just need your consent and a prick of your finger.”
Zorya hesitated. This was definitely a risky trade. At her uncertainty, Halita sighed heavily. “And here I thought you wanted to save people. Well, I guess you humans will never change.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Zorya’s eyes narrowed.
She grinned at the human wildly. “It means you're all selfish cowards.”
Zorya huffed. “Fine. I’ll do it,” she lifted up her hand.
Halita’s grin got impossibly wider. She grabbed Zorya’s finger and stuck it in her mouth, letting her sharp tooth prick it.
Zorya yelped, trying to pull back, to no avail. The sea monster kept the finger in her mouth for a moment longer, sucking some of the blood, before letting go.
Zorya winced, trying to wipe her finger on her clothing. “That was disgusting.”
Halita licked her lips. “You know, it's been a while since I’ve had human blood. No matter, I made a promise, and I never break promises! Goodbye, Zorya.”
It was only after Zorya had, once again, finished falling when she realized she never told Halita her name.
Zorya hit the ground with a thump, groaning. “You've got to be kidding me…” She muttered to herself. Zorya looked to where the staff had fallen, reaching out to grab it.
There were many things Zorya wasn't expecting find in this… new location. Feathers didn’t even make the list. And yet, they were everywhere. They were a soft white, with the tips coloured a golden colour.
Zorya got up, bemused. Suddenly, she heard the sound wings flapping.
It was only then did she notice the birds.
There seemed to be hundreds of them, all surrounding her. What was standing not too far away from her was no bird, however. It was a tall figure surrounded by large wings. It was difficult to see specific details past the large wings that seemed to envelop the creature. And perhaps that was for the best, because from the cracks between the feathers all Zorya saw was a blinding light.
Zorya stood frozen, staring at the creature.
It made a noise, high pitched and deafening. It was so much worse than the sea monsters’ shrieks, causing her blood pressure to rise as she collapsed on the ground, tightly covering her ears. Once it stopped, Zorya’s ears were still ringing.
Disoriented, she blindly reached out for the staff, feeling the familiar wood against her fingertips.
And so, Zorya did the only thing she truly knew how to do at this point.
She ran.
She ran through the feathered bodies and sharp talons, stumbling over feathers. The beat of several wings not too far away, getting closer and closer.
Zorya trips over something stiff, stumbling down a feathery ditch.
This is it, she thought fearfully, closing her eyes tightly and holding a death grip on her staff as she waited for her demise.
However, it never came.
When Zorya opened her eyes again, she was greeted with a horrifying site.
The birds were screeching, flailing around each other as they dropped to the ground. Their feathers turned black as the same silver liquid Clyrm has slipping out of him coloured the newly black feathers.
The winged monster from before was worse, sharp talons scratching at itself as it screamed in agony, before dropping to the ground and being reduced to nothing but a pile of broken wings. The light that once shined under it no longer shining.
Zorya stared agape, utterly mortified.
She looked to the staff she was clutching in her arms and noticed the dim light shining from it, soon diminishing. The same light that appeared during Clyrm’s death.
“How…” She muttered under her breath, before getting up and trying to see if she’s injured. There are some small, shallow cuts in her skin, tearing at pieces of clothing.
She takes a deep breath, trying to block out the horrors around her as she continues her way.
Zorya walks, holding her staff tightly, shoulders tense.
Eventually, she sees light. She now also noticing the black feathers on the ground starting to lessen. She figures she must have made it.
There is an exit, hole leading out of the cavern she has found herself in. There are feathers drooping down from it. Zorya pushes them aside, squinting at the bright light.
Her eyes adjust, and what she sees makes her freeze.
There is another creature. This one is different from the rest, however. It is tall, taller than Rytris was. It holds its hands in prayer position, and looking closer, Zorya noticed that its hands were detached from its arms. Its eyes are golden, with the same golden liquid dripping out of them. Its body is disorienting, thin and slender. Something about the way it holds itself is uncanny, making Zorya’s skin crawl.
“Who are you?” It asks, voice holding the same ancient accent Rytris’s did.
“Zorya,” She responds after a brief moment of hesitance.
“I am Vh’utlo. Do you know who I am?” It asked. Zorya went still, now understanding why it was so off putting to her. She was standing before a god. “Ah, I see, you are what my beloved sibling summoned to defeat me.”
Frozen in her fear, Zorya doesn’t have the courage to ask you guys are siblings? “Hm. Well, go at it then. Try.”
Zorya gulped, looking down at her staff. Slowly, she raised it directly at Vh'utlo.
They both stay silent for a few awkward seconds.
“Well?” Vh’utlo laughed. “Oh dear, you don't even know what do with that, do you?”
Zorya flushed with embarrassment. Vh’utlo chuckled. “Well, then. My turn.”
It begins to glow. The light is soft at first, before abruptly becoming violently blinding. Suddenly, she’s surrounded by eyes. They are unblinking, watching with curiosity, maybe amusement.
Zorya stumbles back, feeling small as she trembles. Tears start to form in her eyes, because she can't do this. She can’t fight monsters, or gods, or whatever else is crawling in the dark.
Vh’utlo got closer to her, kneeling down to look her in the eyes. “Tell me, are you scared? Do I frighten you, little one?”
Zorya sucked in a breath. She supposes it doesn't really matter whether or not she can, but that she has to for the sake of humanity. She raises her staff once more, staring back at Vh’utlo.
Vh’utlo smirks, reaching out.
Suddenly, her staff starts glowing. Just as it did with Clyrm, and the birds.
Except, this time, it’s different.
The golden leaves start to grow, arms branching out wide and large. Zorya lets go of it with a yelp, watching as her staff firmly planted itself into the ground.
Vh’utlo scowled, turning its attention to her. “What did you do?!”
Zorya simply stared, speechless. Roots started growing around them, a few latching onto Vh’utlo.
It struggled against the roots. “Let me go this instant!” A retched roar ripped from its throat as the roots squeezed it tightly.
Zorya heard movement behind, turning around to see who else could have stumbled in here.
To her surprise, it was Rytris.
“You did wonderfully,” Rytris praised, patting her on the head. She turned to Vh’utlo. “Did you miss me?”
Vh’utlo hissed. “You. Of course it’s you. The Nameless One warned me of you. They said you had gone off on your own, wanting to save the humans.”
Rytris nodded. “They were right.”
“Can't you see I’m trying to help? The humans are destructive, and have been running freely for too long. The Nameless One has made me to eradicate them all!”
Rytris lifted its head higher. “You are a fool, Vh’utlo. You are simply a test. The Nameless one never has clear intentions or motivations. You are not as important as you have deluded yourself into believing.”
“You are wrong! I am needed, and I—”
Rytris cut it off. “You will do no harm. It’s unfortunate we couldn't come to an agreement. I do not want to do this.”
Zorya stared up at Rytris in curiosity. “What do you mean?”
The roots lunged at Vh’utlo, completely wrapping around it. They started to compress on Vh’utlo, its screams muffled. It kept squeezing until it was the size of a golfball.
The roots unwrapped themselves, the staff getting smaller and retracting in on itself. All that was left of Vh’utlo was a tiny orb of light.
Rytris stepped forward, picking it up in its hands. It put the orb into a small wooden box with strange symbol's engraved into it, locking it with a golden key. Rytris handed Zorya the box and key, before placing its hands on her shoulder.
“You have done well, Zorya. However, it is not over. It is your responsibility to keep this box safe against all harm. If Vh’utlo breaks out, it will be catastrophic. Move somewhere secluded, teach yourself how to properly use the staff, and be ready. Can you do that?”
Zorya hesitated, but nodded with determination. “Yes, I can.”
Zorya thinks if Rytris had a face, it would have smiled at her. “Good. I will send you home now. Farewell, Zorya. Do not disappoint me.”
Before she could say another word, she was stumbling into grass with a flash of light.
She looked around, noticing that this definitely wasn't her village. The area didn’t look familiar at all.
There was a cottage, not too far away. She walked towards it, getting ready to knock on the door before she noticed the note that was sticked to it.
A gift for your bravery
—Rytris
Zorya smiled, opening the door to her new home.
Somewhere far, far away, a nameless deity observes the little human's adventures with amusement.
“I wonder what else I can send her way…” They say with a chuckle.