Roxy's POV
I couldn't believe it. A Shifter changed the terrain of a whole village? This was more bizarre than the hypnotic Shifter. Or were these people just blaming their unhygienic practices on Shifters?
"What makes you think we will believe that? The Shifter we were sent to slay is causing all this? Why should we believe it's the Shifters than you?" Cyrus asked. The villager seemed...nonchalant. Like he knew we'd question their village anyway.
"Come," was all he said. He rose on his staff, legs weak and bony but stable. He burst out of the poop laden house, walking on maggot infested streets in the heavy downpour.
"Come." He said once more over his shoulder. Well. Nothing to lose. So I followed him first. Akira, Gena and Cyrus joined later.
Holding the stinky, sticky torch each, we followed the man deep into the jungle. It was an eerie place. Eerie-er sounding, with all those stupid shoebills and roasty loons. Ugh...I wanted to have duck soup so badly.
We descended into a cave. Gena and Akira were shaking, as usual. The sounds seemed amplified in here, sonorous even.
"This cave is made of pure quartz. No wonder." Said Cyrus, touching the walls of the cave. Whoa...it was so freaking cold to the touch!
"The story...isn't fantasy. It is our reality," the villager said, turning around.
Suddenly, a huge animal hide covering a painting was pulled. That was the end of the cave.
Waves of fire shined on it as it read a ...story.
A man being chased till his legs tore off. The humongous beast behind him? A shapeless Shifter. There were fumes over it. Its jaw the size of a boulder.
"This beast has been haunting us. We live in its wretched territory." Said the villager.
"Thousands of years ago, it seized our land. Made sure we all lived, never chased us. But...it lived off of our agony. The stench...fresh and toxic...was its curse. Kamia Village became its home." He said, voice choking at once. My brows scrunched, not with confusion but with worry.
"Was it a male or female?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't say the worst one...
"...female."
Eyes shut tightly. 'Shit...'
"So it's true then..." Gena, expert of such, stepped closer, touched the painted wall, "Shifter females CAN REPRODUCE..."
Chills ran down our spines.
I've been on earth for so long. It has only been my hunch that they could reproduce. But boy...it turner into reality so quickly.
"She lays a million eggs every year. Two or three hatch. All others die." He said.
"What does she do with all the other eggs then?"
"She eats them, one by one in her nest. Comes to our village to..." his face grew uncomfortable.
"She excretes on our village pathways every once in a while. Claims the streets as hers." He said, the rotting description making everyone's stomachs churn!
Gagging sounds soon filled the little quartz cave. Gena and Akira threw up. Cyrus and I were on the verge.
"We need to kill it as soon as possible." I announced.
"This Shifter is weakest when giving birth. It is almost that time of the year for her. She is bigger than you think...like a dragon." He warned.
"Pft! I've slain way worse. I'd just have to control my breath around it." I said, folding arms over my chest.
"It is not an easy target, even at its most vulnerable. It gathers way too much energy but the stench is a thousand times worse than its nest...our village."
"Oh...shit.."
Shit is the right curse word, Gena.
"We will be prepared. We have to get rid of it." Cyrus stepped forth, valorant.
"Hmph...we have tried. Several, several times. It's all in this cave..." the old villager said. Our torches crept lights on walls, paintings age old and new narrated the same story.
"No one survived its attacks..."
Gena said softly,
"They perish right before reaching its nursing nest? Absurd...unacceptable!" Akira's rage bubbly finally burst. He was filled with determination.
So, the next day, when the night was freezing cold and kept all microbial activity lesser, we were told,
"IT IS TIME, OUR SAVIORS...
SAVE US FROM THIS MENACE!"
AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT THE SIGNAL...THAT THE SHIFTER HAD ENTERED ITS MOST VULNERABLE STATE.