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Alright, it’s time. Gather the coals and light their cores. Come, now, around the fire, for I have plenty lies to tell. What? You want a truth? Though I know more lies than truths, I do know some truths (how fortunate for you).
So come round the fire, for I have a truth to tell.
There are few truths that all demons share. One such truth is that they are chaotic darkness in mortal flesh with power seeping through their seams like a man of great weight wearing a cloth much too small. Another is that they cannot lie.
Though speaking honestly (and vaguely) has brought more pain and misery than any lie can.
The one truth about all demons share, a truth that is carved into their very bones, is that all demons would devour anything if the desire was strong enough. Even if that meant devouring another demon or itself.
One day Citra, a demon in the mountains, woke up in her home craving a greedy man. Her craving was so strong, Citra felt she would die if it was not satisfied. Unable to bear it, she ran from the mountains and to the jungles where her brothers dwell.
When she reached, Citra screamed, “VAAS!”
And the world became still.
But instead of Vaas, stood Jason, her brother’s wife, who greeted her. He was outside, feeding the fires within a huge stone, seasoned meat sizzling on the stone’s top. He glanced at her and turned the meat, “Vaas is not here”.
Citra sighed.
And the world continued to turn.
Jason offered her a slab of meat and Citra ate it with glee. It was tiger’s meat (her favourite) and it made the gnawing her stomach lessen. Jason sat beside her and ate with her. As they licked their fingers clean, she asked
“Where is Vaas?”
“I had a craving for a man-eating bull shark” Jason replied, handing her another piece of meat. “So he went to get one for me”. She ate it and he ate another. “What do you need, sister?”
“I have a craving for a greedy man” she answered. “I fear if I do not satisfy it, I will die”
Now Jason was very fond of Citra, and also very clever (one had to be, to be a demon’s wife) so he said to her, “I will get you a man so greedy that he is willing to give his family’s heads then offer his very own”.
Citra was overjoyed and asked what he would need.
“Give me four gems from your mountains, each more beautiful than the last.”
So Citra ran to her mountains and handed Jason four large gems, such beauties they were! The gems were as large as his head and shined so brightly in the sun that he had to look away. Jason took the gems and took up the fur of a golden tiger that was drying in sun. He wrapped it around his shoulders, he changed his face and kissed Citra good bye.
Jason left the jungle and past the village where his parents lived. He past many villages more until he reached the end of the island.
xxx
Now as you know, Rooks Island was made of two islands, the North and the South. The Northern Island was made of villages, large enough to call towns, possibly but still villages. The island was denser and more dangerous than its sibling, but had the most varied game. The land was harder to till and few were able to farm, so almost all of its villagers consisted mostly of hunters and fishermen.
The Southern Island was different. It consisted of three kingdoms, ruled by different people. Its inhabitants could hunt but its game was limited. The had mountains which they mined and plains in which they could farm and as such, almost all its residents were traders, miners and farmers.
So an alliance was made, the two islands traded with one another. Northern would take Southern’s produce and Southern would take Nothern’s game.
Despite being siblings and their trade agreement, the islands tolerated each other more than anything else. Northern did not understand how one would give an individual so much power to rule over many while Southern could not understand how one could NOT do so.
The two did not understand each other’s lifestyle but in truth, they did not bother to try.
xxx
Jason took a fishing boat and went to the Southern Island.
When he reached, he came to the first kingdom. Its fields were full and ready for harvest, its people fat and happy. Their faces flush and full, their laughter and chatter filled the air. It was ruled by a queen with hair of gold, though young, she ruled with intelligence and kindness thus was loved by her people.
Jason would not find his greedy man here.
He continued to walk until he came to the second kingdom. Its fields were bare but its people was fat and happy. They chat and they laughed, spoke of a bountiful harvest and their old king. Their king was an old man with a queen and a princess. He was wise and a healer, creating medicine with his wife. The princess was learning from her parents, so she too may help their people. The royal family was most cherished.
Jason would not find his greedy man here.
So he continued to walk until he came to the final kingdom. Its fields were bare and its people gaunt and sombre. They spoke in hush tones and wept softly in their rags. But their king was fat and happy with his queen and children of three.
Jason smiled and went to the market. He spoke to its vendors, he bought a large rug and five shawls. He spread the rug out in the middle of the square. He sat down on it and placed one gem in front of him.
The gem shone so bright, it pierced the gloom of the market.
All stopped to look at it, to see this source of light and beauty. They crowded Jason, too awestruck to speak. One woman shook herself and spoke,
“How much for this gem?”
Jason looked at the woman, he looked at the jewels in her ears, the cloth she wore and the rings on her fingers. He shook his head.
“Much more than you can afford”
The woman was offended but as she stared at the gem, she could only agree.
Soon crowd became larger and larger, it became so large that the soldiers of the palace felt necessary to warn the king. The king’s name was Hoyt, a cunning and cruel man. His queen suited him and their children were just like him both in cruelty and cunningness.
King Hoyt went to the square, forcing all to part a path for him. He walked to Jason and when he saw the gem, he jumped in surprise.
“How much for this gem?” he asked, wiping the sweat of his neck. Jason looked at the king, he looked at the full face, the large jewels around his neck, in his ears, in his crown and on his fingers. He smiled.
“This gem comes from my homeland, a gift from a demon of great beauty. A thing like this must be paid by something of great value” Jason said softly.
“What do you want?”
“Give me the head of your youngest”
The crowd was horrified but the king was not. Children were not hard to come by, his wife was still fertile and he had two more if anything. He shouted at his soldiers to bring his youngest son and when they did, King Hoyt demanded they chop his head off right then and now.
Jason wrapped the young man’s head in one of the shawls he bought and the King took the gem.
The prince was only nineteen.
The queen was most upset when she found out but one look at the gem and all was forgiven.
xxx
The next day, Jason went back to the square. He spread out his rug and sat in the middle of the square. He took out a second gem, more beautiful than the first. It shone so brightly, it cut the gloom of the town and market.
All stopped to look at it, to see this great source of light and beauty. They crowded Jason, too awestruck to speak. One man shook himself and spoke,
“How much for this gem?”
Jason looked at the man, he looked at the jewels in his ears, the rings on his fingers and the chain around his throat. He shook his head.
“Much more than you can afford”
The man was offended but as he stared at the gem, he could only agree.
Soon crowd became larger and larger, it became so large that the soldiers of the palace felt necessary to warn the king.
Again, the king went to the square, forcing all to part a path for him. He walked to Jason and when he saw the gem, his knees became weak.
“How much for this gem?” he asked, wiping the sweat of his face. Jason looked at the king, he looked at the full face, the large jewels around his neck, in his ears, in his crown and on his fingers. He smiled.
“This gem, like the first, comes from my homeland, a gift from a demon of great power. Twice as beautiful as the first and as such costs twice as much” Jason said softly.
“What do you want?”
“Give me the heads of your two children”
The crowd was shock but the king was not. He shouted at his soldiers to bring his son and daughter and when they did, King Hoyt demanded they chop their heads off right then and there.
Jason wrapped the heads up in the shawls and the King took the gem.
The princess was twenty-four and the prince was only twenty-two.
The queen was most upset when she found out but one look at the gem and like before, all was forgiven. But she said to her husband,
“Do not go back to that man.” she scolded, shining the first gem in her hands (he would not allow her to touch the second one.) “I feel he will bring about our ruin”
xxx
The next day, Jason went back to the square. He spread out his rug and sat in the middle of the square. He took out the third gem, more beautiful than the first, three times more beautiful than the second. It shone so brightly, it cut the gloom of the kingdom, the town and the market.
All stopped to look at it, to see this amazing source of light and beauty. They crowded Jason, too awestruck to speak. One person shook themself and spoke,
“How much for this gem?”
Jason looked at the person, he looked at the jewels in their ears, the rings on their fingers, the cloth they wore and the chain around their throat. He shook his head.
“Much more than you can afford”
The person was offended but as they stared at the gem, they could only agree.
Soon crowd became larger and larger, it became so large that the soldiers of the palace felt it necessary to warn the king.
Again, the king went to the square, forcing all to part a path for him. He walked to Jason and when he saw the gem, his lungs lost all air.
“How much for this gem?” he asked, wiping the sweat of his chest. Jason looked at the king, he looked at the full face, the large jewels around his neck, in his ears, in his crown and on his fingers. He smiled.
“This gem, like the first two, comes from my homeland, a gift from a demon of great power and beauty. Twice as beautiful and more flawless than those that came before it and as such costs more than those two combined” Jason said softly.
“What do you want?”
“Give me the heads of your wife”
The crowd was terrified but the king was not. Women were not hard to come by, though none would suit him like his wife did but that did not matter. He shouted at his soldiers to bring his wife and when they did, King Hoyt demanded they chop her head off right then and there. But the soldiers could not, too fearful of the cruel woman.
So King Hoyt did it himself.
Jason wrapped the head up in a shawl and the King took the gem.
The queen was the same age as the king.
xxx
The next day, Jason went back to the square. He spread out his rug and sat in the middle of the square. He took out the final gem, more beautiful than those that came before it. It shone so brightly, it cut the darkness in the hearts of all that gazed upon it.
All stopped to look at it, to see this breath-taking source of light and beauty. They crowded Jason, too awestruck to speak. No asked about its price, they all knew they could not afford such a laudable jewel. Only the gods could grasp such a thing.
Soon crowd became larger and larger, it became so large that the soldiers of the palace felt necessary to warn the king.
Again, the king went to the square, forcing all to part a path for him. He walked to Jason and when he saw the gem, his heart stopped for a moment or two.
“How much for this gem?” he asked, wiping the water from his mouth. Jason looked at the king, he looked at the full face, the large jewels around his neck, in his ears, in his crown and on his fingers. He smiled.
“This gem, like the first three, comes from my homeland, a gift from a demon of great power and beauty, who rules the southern jungles of my island. Such a thing requires a hefty price, more than anything you have ever paid” Jason said softly.
“What do you want?”
“What do you have left?”
“I’ll give you back your three gems!” the king shouted. He sent a soldier to his castle and the soldier brought all three back. The brilliance of all four gems were almost as blinding as the sun. Jason looked at the three on his rug and shook his head.
“Not enough”
“I’ll give you my castle?”
Jason scoffed, “Not enough”
“I’ll give you my kingdom!”
“Not enough.”
No matter what the king offered, Jason would not take. Soon the king was on his knees and clutching at the ends of Jason’s fur.
“I’ll give you my head!”
Jason smiled, a smile so sweet that all who looked tasted sugar on their tongue. He replied, “Then give me it”
The crowd was mortified but the king was not. Too lost in his desires to see reason or logic, he shouted at his soldiers to chop off his head. When they hesitated, he did it himself.
Jason wrapped the king’s head in the last shawl and his body in the rug. He took the four gems and left. No one stopped him, not the soldiers, not the nobles and certainly not the peasants.
No one wanted to do anything with that man and his cursed gems.
The people lost their king but they did not mourn their lost for both him and his family were cruel beyond reason.
Jason went home, leaving a kingdom without a king. That kingdom may have been better off or worse off in the long run, who knows but that matter very little to Jason.
He got what he came for after all.
xxx
When Jason came home, his husband was most upset.
“Where were you!” Vaas shouted, hugging his wife and placing kisses on his face. “Do you know how long it took me to hunt that fucking shark only to come back to Citra eating your tiger!” He rest his head in the crook of Jason’s neck,”You smell of blood, love” he purred. “Did you have fun without me?”
Jason kissed his husband deep and slow. “I went to get a greedy man for Citra” he said.
“Fuck Citra- ow!”
Citra threw another stone at Vaas, still hot from the pit it came out of. She was stirring a large pot over the fire pit and Jason could smell the shark meat, simmering in the seasoned water.
“Vaas, if you dare to get between me and my meal, I will devour you”
He peeled himself out of Vaas’ arms (ignoring his grumbling husband) and laid the five heads and the corpse before her. Citra was most happy and kissed her brother on his cheek.
Citra ate the princes and princess’ heads. But her craving still ached and her stomach still screamed.
Citra ate the queen’s head. Her craving still ached and her stomach still screamed.
Citra ate the king’s head. Her stomach stopped screaming, and her craving became a dull ache. She devoured his corpse and all at once, her stomach became silent and the craving was gone.
Full and content, Citra fell asleep at the fire, leaving the pot simmering on the pit. Vaas, who did love his sister (despite her need to be a pain in his ass), carried her inside and left her sleeping in a cot.
Jason sat down and yawned, exhausted but hungry for he had not eaten for days.
Vaas shared a bowl for his wife and then for himself. They sat down together and ate. Between the two of them, the pot was soon empty.
“Do you want anything else?” Vaas asked, for despite being a savage thing with very little soul, he was a doting husband. Jason shook his head and leaned against him.
“I am quite content” he said.
And just like that, my story ends! I hope you enjoyed my truth for I will share no more. For the sun is here and there is no time for another. So out that fire and go back home. I’m starving and I want to spend this gold.