"Damn," Deanna muttered under her breath. "Shit!"

All hopes of order and calm were dashed. Half of the tribe ran wildly in all wild directions, while the other half huddled tightly together, and she feared that the little ones wouldn't be able to breathe. Save them, God's word ringing in her head over and over again.

Save them, and I will untie the cord to which you are tied. Just an hour ago, she felt bold. Bold and wise, but not anymore. She's going to panic, and that's the worst. Panic is a pain.

Deanna forced herself to calm down. If she loses her mind, she can't save anything. Evil ghosts surged around her, attacking the tribe in such numbers that she could feel them passing by like the wind. Their whispers turned into excited and buzzes. But she can't panic.

She took a slow breath to relax herself, and then looked around for Pepper, but the stinking little toad was hiding again. He kicked the circle, let the evil spirits deal with them, and then vanished. That's exactly what she expects from that evil giant's child. That's not to say she can blame him; Not exactly. He's right about a lot of things. About her. About Sesh's people. They are all self-inflicted.

Deanna knew what she had to do. She was the only one who did so. "Natuak !listen. No, stop! Look at my face, you old fool! Listen. Gather them here. Get them together. No, no problem! Help me fix them. Now!"

Before waiting to see his reaction, she turned her back to his stupid face. He looked angry and confused. The old man lost his mind. He'd better find it quickly. Deanna rushes to the nearest demon she can reach: a young couple clinging to each other and their toddler, who are more likely to fall than to go anywhere as they try to escape. Their tails were tangled and the woman was yelling. Their clothes were pressed tightly by invisible hands, moving unnaturally.

Deanna grabbed one of the horns of each of them and made them look at her. "Go back! You'll be safer together. Get back! Now!"

For a moment, they just stared blankly, their eyes blank, for the shock of the moment stole their minds. Deanna shook their horns to loosen their brains, and they blinked, trying to notice, trying to break free. She held them tightly. "Go back!"

When she let go, she stared at them with the most ferocious eyes until she saw them begin to turn around. Then she ran to the next person, a middle-aged man, who had fallen into the snow and was struggling, trying to chase away the unseen shadow. She kicked it in the stomach, and it stopped flagging its tail everywhere.

"Get up!" Dya

A shouted. She reached out and grabbed his shirt and patted him on the cheek. "I'm talking!" Go back!" She let him go and kicked him again. The man scrambled to his feet, then turned and walked back as she pointed.

Deanna sent them back one by one. An old woman who is old but runs fast. Three boys, only a few years younger than her, cried in despair, holding hands and walking blindly. A woman with three small children brandished a knife in the air, urging them to move forward, as if it was useless to do so.

Natak didn't leave where she left. He looked around; It's not that he's at a loss, it's that he's given up. His eyes reminded her of her father, who was eventually affected by their flames and burned him to death. Resigned to fate, calm, if not truly peaceful. He looked at her, and their eyes met, but there was no exchange.

That's the end for Natak. "Chili! She shouted, but the boy was gone. There was no doubt that he was nearby, most likely at her feet, but she would never see him. Where else could he go?

But she didn't have time. Others are left on their own. The Nightmen began to fight each other, shouting, shoving, and waving their claws. A few people lowered their horns in warning: Stand back.

"Hey! Listen! Stop, all of you! Listen to me! Everybody looks ......!" Deanna shouted, clasping her hands to her lips. But no one listened. Some tilted their heads, as if noticing her, but no one was interested in what she had to say, not even the ones she had to send back.

She dragged through the dirt until she found two fist-sized stones. She gathered a bit of her essence to strengthen her arms, then slammed them together with all her might, hard enough to turn them into a cloud of sharp sand with a deafening sound that silenced even the giant ghost chorus. Faced with a sudden emptiness, she said, "Listen. Do this sign. Hopefully they leave. Point away, point to the dirt, like this. ”

Deanna raised her hand to signal the horns, a gesture as old as the ocean. She waved her horns in the air before entering the ground, ordering the ghosts to leave. Only a few demons tried it at first, but she walked straight up to them and started shoving people, forcing their fingers into place.

"Will they go?" Don't ask, command! Go away, go away! Command them with this gesture!"

How many times did she do this when she was a girl, and whenever the flames of the night summoned not an ancestor, but some wandering liar who came into the world with lies and malice? The whole tribe immediately recognized such people and drove them out. Hundreds of times? No, too much. Is that really the case? There are a few weeks... Never mind.

"Order them to go away!" She shouted again. Even children. She won't keep moving unless she asks everyone around her to do the same. They can protect each other. Too much for one person, but the whole tribe, resisting them from all directions? The evil ghost stands no chance.

Screams of pain diverted her gaze, and less than twenty paces away from her, a man threw a woman in front of an adult and grabbed her chest with his hands, as if to tear her chest open and eat her heart. Everyone else hurried back, and Deanna ran up and kicked him in the shoulder, sending him flying to the side.

After a while, the woman grabbed Deanna's leg and climbed up, her eyes wide open, her mouth wide open, and she cursed wordlessly, spitting all over the floor. She tried to dig into Deanna's thigh, but failed to pierce the skin. "Hate you! The woman screamed, her words more of a beast than a man.

"Please stop her!" The man said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "She wants to kill the children!"

Oh. Oh, it's horrible. Deanna looked down and finally understood the truth of the matter. The woman was lost and insane. A shadow hung over her. Is that the dead demon outside the circle like that, that old scout? Does Pepper have to resist?

She is several years older than Deanna, but is still at the peak of her health and beauty. Plump breasts suggest a child, perhaps a small child. The skin is smooth and the muscles are firm. Her black hair is long, slightly wavy, and exudes an enviable shine, like her slender, feminine horns and tail.

The woman also tried to bite off Deanna's kneecap. If she had been given more time, maybe she would have been saved. Perhaps the shadow of evil can be lifted out of her and her mind can be repaired. But not now, not when there is no time. Deanna frowned, hard-hearted. Her eyes were moist and her throat choked. Then, she stomped on the back of the woman's neck and knocked her to the ground. Deanna crushed the bones in the skull with her heel, separating them. The woman died before she could breathe.

Deanna looked around, her eyes full of tears and a heavy heart, but no one pounced on her for revenge. If anything, they seemed to be faintly relieved that they had seen everything but the corpses. However, the fear of the dead still holds them firmly; They stand stiffly, or huddle together, wrap their tails into ropes, or hold their relatives tightly so that they don't panic.

However, the strangest thing they worry about is injury. Waving his bandaged wrist was enough to bring tears to the eyes of those around him. The wounded seemed to be clutched tighter than the others, and there seemed to be another sense of desperation.

There was another commotion on the other side of the tribe, and Deanna rushed over to find three adults suppressing a young man whose horns had not yet grown a good point. He laughed and spat at them, wanting to bite them; His teeth had turned red from his previous success. A fourth man jumped in to help, holding his horns while the others held his limbs.

A woman knelt beside him, clutching a bloody wound on her collar in one hand and holding a knife in the other. She cried shamelessly, grabbed the knife with both hands and stabbed the young man three times in the chest. He screamed, hissed, and struggled in the last moments of his life, and thankfully, this moment only lasted ten beats.

After a while, the young man's eyes lost their light and went limp, and the woman pointed the knife at herself. The men jumped up to stop her, but it was too late. She shoved it into her chest before they kicked it out of her. Her cries of pain turned unconscious, and she died at an alarming rate.

Deanna's heart breaks when she realizes everything she has just seen: a mother who kills her own child. The terrible feeling was like a physical ache that burned inside her.

This is a repetition of the death of the Deanna tribe. The horrific events she had never thought about were vivid in her mind. Raisa, her intestines are all coming out. Pakyu's head. The little ones rode down on horseback to play. Father, finally allowed himself to be burned in exchange for her life.

The chaos was about the same as it is now, only more brutal. Faster. There is no way she can save her tribe. Father couldn't do it, if it was possible for mortals, he would have done it a long time ago. No, the tide of time came in and washed them away, it was inevitable. But not this tribe. God told her to save them. The god of Aguna, child. This means that there is hope.

She forced herself to act again, ignoring the hot mercy as much as she did any other pain. Be strong, she told herself. Father's daughter. She ran through the crowd, looking for familiar faces, looking for anyone who might talk to her in the midst of such a great panic.

Deanna found Shez's parents holding him in the middle, outside the large group of the tribe. It looks like dad is thinking about running away with mom Nemua in an attempt to pull them back to the other kids.

"What happened?" Why has everyone lost their minds? You're only going to make things worse," she said, shouting accidentally. She took a deep breath, trying to regain some dignity, but to no avail.

Sheth's mom grabbed Sheth tighter and continued to try to pull them back into the crowd. "If souls can enter our hearts, they will torment us," she said. If we were to go back to the tent, it would be too conspicuous! We need to avoid being discovered!"

The father replied, "If we stay here, our own people will take us away!" You saw what just happened in Tun, Nimu!"

Deanna said, "Listen, if you calm down, a soul like this won't be strong enough to hurt you. They're basically harmless, it's—"

The father turned to her and said in a truly vicious voice, "They are not harmless to us."

She thought it was panic itself. Fear. Mentally overwhelmed. She's seen people do strange things in extreme situations, and it makes sense that an evil shadow takes advantage of that. But it's all an overreaction! How could they not know? She asked, "Why can't we calm down and fix the circle?"

Nemua said, "The elders will do it at any time. When he returns, we'll be safe. ”

"How many more people will turn into vampires?" The soul has come, Nemua. They probably have more than fifty more people, and they will turn around at any moment! Will we stand next to them when it happens?"

"Really? What if you were the only target, Chihiba, and all the shadows were coming at you at the same time?"

"If we're not here, they can't do it!"

“Kishpa ! Stop and tell me why you're so afraid of these shadows? I know they're scary, but you're giving them strength by doing so! Deanna said, grabbing their sleeves to attract their attention.

"Deanna, we don't have time to pay attention to you!" Dad Kishpa said.

The two of them never stopped trying to pull each other where they wanted to go, and in the midst of them, Xie Si was not happy. From the glimpse that Deanna could catch, the poor little creature was so frightened that he couldn't move with his eyes and mouth closed. A wet triangle on his coat indicates that he is soaking wet.

The real problem is madness, not shadows. But this frenzy won't stop until the shadows are gone and everyone feels safe. She tried again and said, "Ghosts can't do anything to you unless you let them do it." They can't easily defeat you - you have to give them strength first, either be afraid or willing. I know what this looks like, but it's not like this! A poor dead little soul can't jump on you, and one breath after another, you start trying to kill everyone around you!"

'For us, Deanna, for our people, that's it, especially when we're hurting. They can get in. Daddy Kirshpa said. That's why we're safer where no one will hurt us!"

"How did this happen?" That's not...!" Deanna roared in frustration. "So why doesn't that happen every time you shave your knee?"

Mom Nemua said, "Because the dead are avoiding us. They hate us as much as we hate them. We don't know why this is happening, until we figure it out, we're safer with other people!"

Deanna concluded that there was no way to convince these people. They don't have experience in this area, unlike her. Why argue with idiots? No, she had to do something. She could never convince enough people. Well, there are two problems to be solved: one is to let the spirit go down, and the other is to take care of those who have already been defeated. Maybe she can explain the ghost's way of preventing it from happening next time.

Deanna reached between her parents and patted the little boy on the head. She asked, "Xie Si, can you see the curtains?" Can you see ghosts?"

He covered the lantern's eye with one hand and cautiously opened the other hand to peek at her. "Only my eyes know." He said meekly, so low that it was barely audible, for the nightmen were shouting and the dead were roaring.

Kishpa finally relaxed a little at his wife's insistence and said, "He can see them." He saw them rush in like an invading army, screaming so loudly that half of the tribe ran over. ”

The answer began to take shape in Deanna's mind. "Sephie, can you see them when they're in someone else's body?" Or on them? Can you take a look and try it?"

The little boy trembled and did not remove his hand. He turned his head away. A wave of guilt began to form in her heart. Did she really understand what she was asking him to do? What did the deceased look like? What if they were terrible, nightmarish things that would haunt his memory forever? But is there an alternative?

"Please Seffy. You have to watch, even the tiniest moment. Can you see them when they're in the human body?"

He muttered a few words that Deanna couldn't hear.

Deanna asked.

"I don't want to go!"

She pleaded, "Please, Sephie, it's important!" Please, can you help me? Only once?"

He glanced at her, the most hateful look she'd ever seen, and if it were any other circumstance, she would have laughed. Not this time.

"Please."

Xie Si's hand slowly slid down, revealing his closed eyes. He looked at the crowd outside with his normal eyes, then opened his lantern eye. In bright sunlight, it is almost impossible to see the light. He pointed to a scrawny old man, then closed his eyes again and turned to hide his face in his mother's pants.

The man Xie Si pointed at me hugged him tightly, his muscles trembling, and he stared at the dirt. His mouth moved quickly, as if he was talking, but no one nearby was listening. At first glance, he does look like a man who has lost his mind.

Deanna felt a rush of excitement, and the guilt of letting him do so soothe her emotions a little. But it's doable!" She will save everyone. You're all right. Stay here, stay away from them, but not too far away. I'll be back right away!"

She ran to where Natuk was kneeling in the dirt and kicked him sideways. Don't push him, just throw him off balance. "Where's the salt?" She asked.

He looked up at her, a faint hatred glinting in his tired eyes, which was all their lives. "It's right there, on the ground."

"I know you've got more, you old fellow. Where is it?"

"I used up everything I had, and we quickly collected everything. Nothing else. ”

"Well, I'll find it myself. You say you're charismatic? Or no, you say you can't make enough money in time. Do you have one?"

"I have some, but now they are not good for us."

"Go find them." Deanna commanded.

His eyes were smoldering, watery and old, but still burning. He didn't move.

"Go get it, or I'll kick you," she said.

"Who do you think you dare to order me like this?"

Deanna reached out to help him stand up. He didn't move, but looked away. "You half-dead coward!"

He looked up at her again, his eyes more vibrant and angry. He lowered his horn in her direction, but she ignored it. "Kid, I've been fighting longer than you think, and I've given more than you think. Go find someone to lie down and bring your own children in, and don't try to trick our children away. ”

She reached out more resolutely. "I'm really going to start kicking you, Elder. Go get your charm or token, or whatever. ”

Deanna twitched his legs, and he winced. After a while, both of them realized that he had lost, and the defiant look on his face softened. He took a deep breath, sighed, and took her hand as she helped him to his feet. She didn't yell at him to hurry up for good luck.

With her legs strained, Deanna started at almost full speed and ran towards the tent furthest from the circle, where there was most likely salt. However, when she stopped to check on a car, she rediscovered how dangerous the mud was, so she slid a full ten steps before crashing into the baffle and rolling in. She rolled all the way and slammed into the far wall, causing the tent to tilt and shake violently, and she was sure it was about to fall on top of her.

But the stand was still holding, and she stood up and began to rummage through whose tent it was, looking for a jar of salt. She turned almost everything inside out, from baskets and bags to piles of clothes, except for the salt.

Deanna made everything into a muddy mess and rushed to the next one, roaring like a typhoon. Once they see what she does to their stuff, they won't be happy, but that's their problem, not hers.

There was no salt in the second tent either, but there was in the third, along with some ragdolls and wooden game weapons, which intrigued her. She had never seen the children of the Nightman with toys, but then again, she barely saw them.

She picked up the jar of salt and came back much slower than when she came, because she didn't want to slip in the mud and spoil the salt again, especially if the whole tribe was watching her. The fights and panic seem to have slowed down as they seem to have noticed how fast she was running and they were all watching her. At least for now, no more of them are in the process of losing their minds.

Deanna quickly finds the place where Pepper kicks the salt line and uses her fingers to draw a new groove that she must strengthen with essence to compensate for the lack of claws. She sprinkled salt in the furrow and refilled the circle.

Nothing happened. No obstacle rises to replace the previous one. She could not hide the anger and disappointment that filled her, almost completely replacing the hope that had previously inspired her. She cursed under her breath and looked around to see if anything else had been broken. There are no other breaks.

"Why don't you work?" She said it out loud, almost to herself. Her tribe never used salt, as all the souls they wanted to protect often came from the ocean. Why salt? What elf would be afraid of dry waters? If she hadn't seen it work, she would never have believed it. They need proper guardianship, like a rope loop with the eye of the High Walker or the hand of Abu.

She patted the ground in frustration, trying not to listen to the growing muttering of the tribe, or to the subtle screams and laughter in the shadows. It's irritating! This made her very angry and tears welled up in her eyes. What should she do?

"Have you purified the salt?" Bless it? Natuk asked, returning with a couple of necklaces in his hand.

"Nope. Do you have to go?"

"You must let the night sky purify it, and before it can protect its people, offer sacrifices to Galishek to bless it."

"Well, we don't have enough time. Is there any other way?"

Natak pulled out the necklace, which hung a small flat piece of wood with a symbol she didn't recognize. There were four of them. "Choose who lives, Deanna." He said gloomily. "Although there are still some people alive."

At that moment, the man she had seen, trembling and talking to himself, raised his head and laughed loudly and lightly. When he lowered his head again, predator's joy flashed across his face. Before he could attack anyone, one of the young men stabbed him in the back with a thin metal spear.

Teshwa

Is it? Is that the young man's name? She doesn't remember, but that's probably it. As the dead demon slipped off his spear, she could almost see the young man's last hope dashed. He is younger than her and has a strange charm peculiar to a boy who is slowly growing up. The pale expression of death and emptiness on his face almost shook her resolve.

Almost. A thought occurred to her. She's here because God made her come, so shouldn't he be willing to do his part? She stood up and shouted to the sky: "Patos, god of Aguna and Andlocles, guardian of orphans, you called me to save these people!" I heard your voice, you God, so I knew it was you! Come and purify this salt!"

Nothing happened. Deanna didn't want to lose this opportunity, she turned around and asked Natuk, "How do you call God?" How do you do that?"

He looked at her blankly, as if he didn't know how to answer the question. "Don't you know the gods?"

"We worship gods, not gods. We have no relationship with any god. ”

Natuk sighed, and Deanna could tell that he was considering whether it was worth explaining to her. Finally he said, "Do you know the prayer of this God?" Do you know what offerings He accepts, His feasts and dates? Do you have any sacred place to burn incense for him? Are you his priestess, that he may listen to your words? I don't know anything about Pepper's gods, and I can't help you. ”

She was filled with frustration. She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream, laugh or cry. She's just that! One more thing, and then Shes will be able to point out the ghosts, and it's all over!

Deanna stood up, took three steps away, and looked at the circle from another angle. But that didn't help. She just couldn't sit still. In her ears, the whispers, laughter, and howls of the shadows around her began to sound like doom. Now it sounds like something scary. Not because they say anything, but because they exist. Little ghosts like this don't hurt anything, and being afraid of them makes her feel less and less like a child of her own tribe. What will Chang'an say when he sees her now? Nothing. He and the rest of the people, along with all that they had been and all they had believed, were gone forever.

She hoped that she would continue to follow the idea and mourn. But she couldn't. Her people need her. It's just her, it's just her. Only she can help them.

focus. of God. Palthos。 How could she get his attention? Natak had mentioned the sacrifices, maybe she could find something. She began to pace nervously, trying to pretend to be something. As if she had other plans.

The souls of ancestors wanted what they liked while they were alive. The Great Kupati was summoned with yam wine and silk, and the mother was summoned with fresh bread and nursery rhymes. And, of course, chants and slogans. And fire and holy smoke. She has nothing, what would the God of a child want? A puppy?

Toys are a good guess. Without saying a word, she ran back to the tent where she was grabbing salt. The little rag doll was right where she left, partially buried under the overturned shards of linen.

She picked it up and thought it through. It was a dilapidated car, probably old. The dye had long since run out, and if it had been dusk blue at first like the Night Man, it had now turned mottled brown and gray. One of the horns was missing, and the yarn of the hair was mostly worn out. The tail is long gone, but the little dress looks very well maintained. or update.

Wait, Passos is a boy, right? Would he want dolls? She looked down at the little wooden sword, and a wave of resentment prevented her from picking it up. If he is only the god of male orphans, then he can find someone else to run errands for him.

She ran back, almost to get rid of her fear that this wouldn't work. She quickly knelt on the ground where she had placed the salt and lifted the doll. "Well, Patos, I'll give you this gift!" I... Will I burn it? What am I going to do, Natak?"

However, before the elder could reply, a little girl ran out of the crowd, just a small thing. Younger than Xie Si. She stopped a few paces away from Deanna, pointed to the doll, and said something in muffled baby language that Deanna didn't understand.

"Ah, what's wrong, what's ——!" Deanna was startled, but she kept her mouth shut, not letting herself scream in frustration and not allowing herself to throw the doll at the little girl. What now? Should she return it? Is this a joke?

The two of them looked at each other a few times, and the little girl covered her face with her hands and began to cry; A tired, heartbreaking voice. By this time, her father had already walked up to her and picked her up. The poor child was very sad and fell on his father's body, lamenting over his father's shoulder. The way my father looked at Deanna...... It's bothering.

Deanna jumped up, stretched out her hand, and walked over. She felt uncomfortable. "Look, I'm about to give it back to you. Take it. ”

The father gave it to the little girl, who held it and cried.

"Wow, you're mean sometimes." A child whispered in her ear. As soon as she heard the sound, she jumped away and almost fell. There is nothing there.

Palthos asked.

I just heard that. "I just wanted to see what you would do," the god whispered into her ear, so close to her, she thought his lips would brush over her. Then he giggled and stepped back, the voice full of joy and pleasure, and made her spirit tingle.

The unseen wall reappeared, making the shadows disappear completely, leaving only the frightened gasps of the Night People in the sudden emptiness.

Deanna was so relieved that she almost burst into tears. She had to stare at the ground for a while, blink a few times, and calm her breath before she dared to stand up. Once she did, she ignored the sudden outcry from hundreds of Nightmen. She scanned the crowd, looking for Xie Si or his parents. Over there!

Ten paces away, Xie Si's mother picked him up, and even though his pants were soaking wet, his father was scanning the crowd to see if there was any threat. When Deanna came over, he almost wouldn't let her pass, but she waited a while and let him choose to leave instead of stirring up a dispute.

She put her hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "Xieth, it's your turn." You've got to see who's still in spirit. Come on. You're safe now. Mommy doesn't even have to put you down. All right? You've got to see, Thankss. Open your eyes. ”

Sheth hesitated, and his mother, Nemua, said, "He's shaking, Dya."

a。 He was so scared. Let him be. ”

Deanna tried again, speaking in a tone that was both gentle and urgent. "Xie Si, except for a few people, almost everyone is safe now. You have to tell us who they are so we can save them. Only you can do it, Sephie. Come on. Can you be as brave as Android? Remember when they took you away and he rescued you? Does he have to fight a group of men to do it? It's like that, but even he can't do it. Only you. You don't have to do anything - just tell us who has the shadow. ”

Slowly, Xie Si let go of his deadly grip on his mother and turned to face Deanna. It seemed like the rest of the entire tribe rushed in, eager to see what was going on. She could feel their gaze, their urgency. Her own.

In bright daylight, the little boy's lantern-like eyes barely glow; The sun shone on his face, barely visible. Still, she saw a flash of light as he regained his mental energy. "That's my brave little Sephie!" Grab his hand, Chichipa. He needs dad too. Now it's here! Look at each one and tell us who has the spirit. ”

Strangely, as her gaze swept over the crowd, those who were close enough to her dodged away. She thinks it makes sense because they don't know what she's going to do. Maybe they thought she was going to stab the possessed?

She shouted, "Don't move, everybody! If you walk around, it's just a waste of time!"

Thankfully, it kept them in place, but that didn't take the fear off their faces. She felt sick at the thought of how everyone he knew would feel about looking at him in the same light, but what was she going to do? It's a must-do.

She pointed to a young woman, about the same age as Deanna. It was she who came back on her own, and it was she who got the help of Andrx. News about her spread quickly, but Deanna wasn't really famous. She held her little baby in her arms.

Another young man, a man, jumped in front of her and shouted, "No! You can't hurt her!"

Deanna said, "I'm not going to hurt her. No one is. Turn around and help me. Do this sign. Everybody does this sign! Now!" She raised her right hand and made a horn gesture, which was a protection against all evil. She kept raising her hands and began to stare at the people one by one until they complied.

Once it seems that enough people are following her, she demonstrates how to command the horn and lure evil underground. "We're going to do it at the same time. When we do this, we shout "Go away!" Got it?" Shout it out loud, as you say, and the shade will obey. You ready? I counted to three. One, two, three! It's gone!"

The shouts of the crowd took her by surprise. The voice came in time and louder than she expected. She was sure they would have to try ten times before they decided to take it seriously. But no, that's perfect! She could feel the pressure of their unifying will fill the air.

Deanna turned to Chess. "Does it work?" Is it gone?"

The boy opened his mouth and stared in amazement at something that others could not see. Deanna had seen that look a hundred times. If she asked, she was sure he would go on and on and on, meaningless. She touched his arm and asked again. "Xie Si, is it gone?"

"yes," he whispered hoarsely, then swallowed, wetting his throat.

"You saved her. You saved her life. Now, who else?"

"So many people are out......" he shouted.

"Who else, Sephie?" Check it out. ”

The boy's eyes kept on the empty spot above their heads, and Deanna had to turn his head to make him look at her. "Who else?"

She looked around again, her eyes wide open and fearless. His mom began to take him around the tribe, looking for anyone who might be sheltered or hiding. He watched everyone through, even though Deanna was sure that what he wanted to tell her was always a distraction for him. But she let him concentrate and it was done quickly. No one else.

"Oh, there's one more. A small one, in the ......," Xie Si said, stoking at Natuk.

The elder frowned in disgust and said, "I have no shadow!"

Deanna ignored him and said, "All right, everyone! Again! Make a sign! One, two, three, let's go!"

This time the order was a shout, slapping into the sky like a thunderbolt on a sunny day. If not the entire tribe, it's pretty much the same.

Natuk didn't look any different than before, and his demeanor didn't lighten either.

"Is it gone, Sephie?" Dya

A asked.

Sheth nodded.

Deanna turned to the crowd and said, "Is there anyone he hasn't watched?" Are you sure he's looking at you? If you're not sure, just move forward!"

After about five breaths, no one stepped forward, and the Nightmen realized that they were saved. A burst of cheers rang out, and the oppressive atmosphere disappeared. Deanna almost wondered if the shadow outside the circle had also disappeared, but there must have been only joy inside the circle. Everyone laughed, hugged, and danced, and the scene was so chaotic that Deanna couldn't even tell who belonged to which family.

Natuk walked up to her and reluctantly admitted, "What you have done is impressive, Deanna, but we are not saved. We're just back to square one. ”

"No, you stupid old man, don't you understand? All who are alive will survive. I can make spells, I can do as much as I need. If the ghosts don't leave, we can do something else as well. The hardest part is over. I won!"

He may have sighed as he turned to leave, but Deanna couldn't hear it. Let him stew, she doesn't care! He'll be happy later. Her relief makes her stupid, and she needs to scream to release it. "Patos, I did it!" I did as you said and saved them!" She even started dancing the beet harvest dance to join in the joy of the tribe.

Deanna knew that God could hear her and that he would make good on his promise. Her people were saved, and soon Andrix and his family were saved, and then she was able to find a place to live. Maybe get married, maybe ...... God said He would untie all the knots she tied, and she had the impression in her heart that all her mistakes would be corrected. Like a fishing line full of old knots, it hooks everything and comes back with more frustration than a fish. But what exactly does this look like, who knows?

She wanted to hug Seth, but everyone gathered around him, stroking his horn bumps with their thumbs, which she guessed must be a gesture of affection or friendship. Adults never touch each other's horns unless they are very close, so it must be. Judging by the look of the boy she could see, he was lost in confusion and blissful confusion.

Deanna felt someone tugging at her pants, and she looked down to see a little devil boy, probably eight or ten years old, looking up at her. He wore nothing but a wide belt of pure white, embroidered with fine gold thread, hanging from a thin belt. His long black hair was all combed back to his head, revealing his forehead. His horn tumors were a bit more pronounced than Xie Si's, but it would take a few years for them to grow. He held his whip-like tail politely in his other hand, and his face showed a happy and mischievous expression.

He gave her a strange fatherly smile and said, "I like it when you do this." Well done, Deanna. ”

Then she noticed his eyes—they were deep black, dark as a hollow, filled with white points of light like stars. They contain incredible depth.

She realized she heard him.

“Palthos !” She almost panicked. What should she do? How should people pay homage to God? Fall to the ground like a king? She didn't know, she was too shocked to move.

Some of the people around her must have heard her as they stopped what they were doing and looked at the newcomers. The news began to spread, and everyone fell silent and stared in amazement. He was a kid they didn't know, and that alone was enough to get their attention. But no one, not including Deanna, thought of seeing a night man dressed in such fine clothes. It was unbelievably white, as white as snow. In a tribe where people wore coarse linen and ragged furs, dyed only because of their poverty, such a thing required attention, and it was noticed.

Palthos-the God —— walked up to the crowd, walked among them, and looked at them with great curiosity. They glared at him with the same excitement. After a while, he nodded in satisfaction and came back to stand beside Deanna.

The little god said, "All right, little pepper, come out."

Deanna caught movement out of the corner of her eye, turned around, and saw Pepper standing within reach of her, looking embarrassed. He kept his head down, but more out of embarrassment or nervousness than respect. Was he there all along? It's always been!?

The little prodigy said, "You have nine children, Pepper. One kick can kill a lot of people. ”

The peppers look as if they're about to melt to the ground.

Patos said, "You think I forgot you, do you? Well, I didn't. I won't. You belong to me and always will be. So, are you satisfied? Is that enough to be considered a?"

"Yes," Pepper said. He looked up and glanced at him reluctantly. Deanna didn't know if he felt like he was going to be scolded or if he was just feeling embarrassed or guilty.

"Good. Someday it will be a good story. Before Deanna could react, God turned to the crowd and said, "Listen, children of Kalishek, your gods are gone. His throne is ruined, and what is left of him now belongs to me. If you want to survive as a people, you need a god. If you want God, it's either me or not. No other god would dare to take my toys. Go to my priestess and she will explain the rest. Her name is Aguna. ”

Patos stopped talking, and everyone continued to stare at him. That's it? Is that what he's going to say? And of course there will be more! So why did he show up, even waiting until the trouble was over?

Deanna blurted out, "I saved them as you said." When Patos turned to look at her again, a wave of fear spread through her. He looks harmless, but he's still a god. Not him?

"No, you don't," he replied frankly, smiling a little, and staggering to his feet.

She didn't know what to do. He looked like any other kid, except for the white loincloth, and he was the only one around who looked like he hadn't bathed in a year. He just spoke to her as he normally would, not even with that mysterious riddle, nor with the imperious tone of a great soul. "I ...... Yes, I saw it. I put the circle back up, and—"

"No, they'll be fine. I saved all the people I wanted to save. The result is all the same. "No, I want you to get them out of there." He pointed in a northwest direction, and Deanna turned around and saw a shining star in the daytime sky that seemed to be flying in their direction. She recognized it immediately.

“Wolfsca

You want me to get me from the wolf sca

Save them in your hands? That means ......" her heart was filled with fear. She didn't want to fight with Androx and his family. Gods, please, don't

"No, stupid. Wolfsca

Behind. On the ground. But it's coming this way. Good luck. ”

With that, God went away and disappeared like a extinguished candle flame. The Nightmen began to guess aloud what had just happened, and a quiet and excited whisper rang out among them.

Then they heard a low, quiet tapping. More was felt than heard, and the tremors came from the ground.

Drum. Or many, many footsteps.