My hound is fast. Gods, it feels so fucking good to run. We dodge through the trees and jump over rocks, running wildly through the distance as I inspect thend that is now apparently mine. I’ve never had much that I’ve considered mine before, and it might be the underworld, but it is beautiful in its own way. I’m quite surprised when Ie upon what looks to be a vige of sorts. There are buildings made out of trees and mud, little fires lighting up the area around, and…creatures of all sorts that stop what they’re doing to gawk at us. One by one, they start falling to their knees, heads bowed deeply out of respect…or maybe that’s fear. I shift back to my human form as a green scaly looking woman drops the pot of food she was cing over the fire and send out my mist to catch it before it spills. She doesn’t look up from the ground as I approach her. “Stand, please,” I say softly, and she does, but keeps her head low. I hold out the bowl in her line of view, but she doesn’t take it. “Please.” I push it a little more forward, and her hands shake as they rise slowly to take it.
“Thank you, my Queen.”
“I didn’t mean to disturb you all,” I say softly, still trying to get her to look at me. “I was just out for a run when I noticed this ce. I didn’t know there was life outside of the castle.”
“We are the forgotten, My Queen. We have served our punishments and were granted the freedom to live out here.”
I look around the makeshift vige once again. Other creatures still stay on their knees, not daring to move. It really doesn’t look like much, and I can’t imagine there would be many resources out here to survive with. I know that it is hell and all, but if they’ve done their time…
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Eleeba Toranik, My Queen.” She says softly. I quickly materialise my tablet and search for her name. She lived in the mortal realm over 3000 years ago. Lived for 23 years and died by asphyxiation at the hands of her husband after she killed his mistress. She served 2500 years in the basement before being released out here, bing part of the forgotten. This new revtion updates in the system, and I can see a section full of creatures that are in the forgotten now.
“Where do you live, Eleeba? Can you show me?”
This makes her look up, finally. Her green eyes were shocked as she looked at me with her mouth open. I give her a friendly smile,
“You want to see my home?”
“Yes, please.” I see a few others raise their heads slightly, but I don’t make a show of knowing.
“Oh, okay, of course, My Queen.” She ces the bowl on the ground, and I follow her through a few rows and stick and mud houses before she reaches one and gestures for me to enter. When I do, I’m shocked.
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“Do they all look like this?” I ask, looking around the tiny space.
“Mostly, yes.” There’s a bed made of old, dead leaves on the floor, a small fire in the corner, and a few items that must have been scavenged from somewhere, like bowls and clothes. “Where does the stuffe from?” I point to the little collection of things.
Eleeba pales, shaking violently as she covers her head and cowers down onto her knees.
“I am so sorry, My Queen! We stole from the pce when thest King and Queen were ill! We were desperate for just a few things! I am sorry!” She wails.
“Hey, whoa, woah, hey, calm down. Shhh,” I get down to her level and take her hands from her face, holding them in my own. “I’m not going to hurt you, okay?”
“W-why?” She stutters.
“Because, like you said, you served your punishment. I can not fault you for wanting to survive out here. In fact…” I turn around and make her leaf bed disappear, recing it with a real bed, a simple single bed with a frame, sheets, aforter, and a pillow. Eleeba gasps loudly, and I smile. I put little ss windows in the holes that were carved out and a door as well. I finish it off with a little table and a chair, and put her fire in a small brick firece with a chimney.
“Much better,” I say, pping my hands and turning back around to her. She’s still crying, but this time, I think, or I hope, they’re happy tears.
“Come on,” I say, holding out my hand for her. “I think it’s time we made some changes around here.”
When we exit the house, creatures begin to scatter from where they were clearly crowding around the
small hut.
“Wait!” I yell, and everyone freezes, dropping to their knees again. “Oh my gods.” I run my hand along my face. “Okay, everyone with me,” I order and lead them back through the huts towards the centre of the vige, where there’s an open space. I make a little stage and step onto it. “Is this the only vige of forgotten people?” I ask no one in general, but stare into the small crowd.
“No, my Queen, there are many,” Eleeba speaks.
“Hmm, okay then, we will just start with this one. We’re making some changes around here, and I don’t want to regret this, okay? I’m going to give you all some things that might make surviving out here a little bit more manageable. In turn, one of you can report to me weekly about any issues that might have arisen, or if you need more supplies or anything really. Think of it like a little government. Do you have a leader of some sort here already?” One guy steps forward; he looks to be a vampire.
“What is your name?”
“I am Ss Decallory.” I quickly search up his information, and I motion for him toe up with me.
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“Does anyone object to Ss being your appointed leader and Eleeba as his second?” When no one objects, I quickly make a note of the group, the location, and the appointed leaders. “Okay, Ss, here’s what I’m going to do. You will each get your huts upgraded to the basics, as I have done with Eleeba’s. Windows, doors, beds, fireces, and such. If there are no reported issues within the week, then I’ll continue to supply things that your vige might need. To start with, what would make living here easier for the
group?”
He looks at me warily before replying. “We could use some fresh water and livestock.”
“Done.” I make a series of taps that will supply endless fresh water and a fenced area behind with a group
of chickens.
“What else?”
This work, Goddess of the Underworld by Sheridan Hartin, is an exclusive intellectual property legally contracted with NovelSnack. Any reproduction, distribution, or upload outside NovelFlow, AnyStories, NovGo, and Readink is unauthorised and constitutes copyright infringement.
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2:55 pm
Goddess Of The Underworld.