"Gluttony? As in the one that Branded me? The Sin Gluttony?" I asked the same question multiple times but I couldn't help it, what Lula just said was like a small bomb that that imploded my head. This means that she was one of the Guardian races like me, Was this a coincidence? Or am I getting lead along on a string by someone?
"Vexsus, I didn't want to say anything because my family is long gone. They died a long time ago and I alone am the last remaining one. I still have the Brand but I don't offer anything to her. I just eat whoever disturb me then I go back to sleep. You told me you were a part of the Pride Guardians but you were branded by Gluttony and it confused me. When my family was still alive and active every member would get branded upon birth and from there would live their life and offer to the god."
"But there is the problem, Everybody nowadays fear and even call the branded ones 'Sin Holders' and band together to crucify them like some kind of plague or catastrophe. If they were meant to be guardians to protect from the Shadow Eaters then why are we treated like this now?" I asked her but Lula only shook her head and shrugged.
"I don't know, This world has a whole new way of thinking compared to how it was before I became a hermit. Best guess? I'm guessing a someone got a little to cocky and caused a huge problem with the world and the gods themselves, then using that as a reason, they stopped branding everyone except the special cases. But since not everyone can be special the masses became used to nobody being branded but still passed down the stories of the 'Sin Holder' that Caused a catastrophe. I don't know for sure but when we go to the next town if they have a library I will go do research into it."
Lula nodded as she made up her mind, and the one thing I was thinking of was how this crazy firecracker was perfectly fine with turning into a librarian and researching something like history or legend.
"I can tell what that look is honey, our new sister here is apparently quite studious when she isn't causing mass mayhem or succumbing to her tsundere tendencies. But nevertheless, if it means less work for me than by the gods I am perfectly fine with it. I'm heading to bed, I think it would be a good idea if you and LUla chatted for a bit longer then join us ok honey? Love you." Kitsoma said with a smile as she came over and hugged my arm and planting a kiss on my cheek before heading off to the tent for the night.
Mara came over and did the same to my other cheek before chasing after Kitsoma, I yelled out that I loved them to then turned back to Lula with a serious face. "How long have you been in that cave really? you told the girls 200 years but you told me that you lived longer than some of my people, so which is it? are you the 200+ ancient Bearkin woman or the 5000+ ancient Bearkin woman that has been around since longer than some of these kingdoms have been mere dirt huts?"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe looks at my eyes as if she could stare directly into my soul, for a few minutes we sat like that and by the end I was starting to believe that she actually could.
"Huhhh, for one, I'm actually just 2029, this year I'll be turning 2030, so fuck you for that 5000 remark I'm not some old hag you dick. As for the reason I lied to the girls, well that's because I just didn't want to explain any more until I got a better grasp on who you people actually were, for all I knew you could be adventurers looking for a big bounty on my head or maybe looking to sell me off to the highest bidder for some evil organization, I need to look out for myself right now ya know?"
I nodded a little as I understood that. "If that was the case then why tell the secret of your last name? That seems kinda like something you shouldn't tell someone you don't trust."
"That's because if you were to betray me than I can eat you and strengthen my brand and gain more power. I could easily take it now but then I would have to kill the others and they are innocent in this or atleast so they seem at first glance. I don't know what you have told them but it looks like those girls and the others are pretty honest and caring people so I won't endanger you guys just for a small power boost."
I was sweating bullets when she said she could just eat me and gain power, Something like that at night, with no one around, kinda puts a chill down someones spine no matter how strong that person is. Then top that with the fact that the one saying it was actually a huge bear in the form of a cute girl and the threat she so non chalantly threw out makes it all the more real and terrifying.
"So besides that.... Do you know the reason why Gluttony is so weak right now? Is it because your tribe is gone?"
"Again I don't know, I do know that I felt the connection weaken over time and eventually my brand only held a small amount of power that barely held a connection, but I couldn't actually talk to the god or anything or find out anything as for most of the time I was asleep and alone." She looked at me with a look of exasperation but then a thought passed through her head.
"Wait... Can you? Holy shit! You can talk to Gluttony can't you!" She exlaimed as she shot up from her seat.
I quickly raised my finger and shushed her before looking around incase someone was nearby. "Shut up would ya? Yes I can, I can also talk to Wrath. Gluttony is very weak and she says that it's because the others are attacking her and trying to kill her. I don't know for how long this has been going on for but I plan on helping her however much I can, If you have the same brand than I want your help."
"Fine, but only if I can talk to her aswell."
"How the fuck am I gonna do that? It's not like she can possess me or something and you can speak to her. If you're lucky and do your best than she might bless you with a stronger connection. But right now if she is fighting than we need to help her. If she dies than guess what? We are left powerless in the best case, worst case.... We die to!"
"Yea I know that dumbass but I want to know what is going on and where she has been this whole time?"
"Why does it matter Lula? Why do you want to even figure that out? The only thing that matters is that She gets better and stronger."
Lula looked at me with anger on her face slowly sprouting and taking over and before I know it it exploded as she yelled at me.
"IT'S BECAUSE SHE LEFT US TO DIE OK! MY TRIBE DIED ALL THE WHILE PRAYING FOR HER PROTECTION OR HELP BUT SHE DID NOTHING! NOW I FIND OUT SHE'S WEAK? FUCK THAT SHE'S A GOD AND I DESERVE ANSWERS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS HAVING MY FAMILIES LAST HORROR FILLED MOMENTS TERRORIZE ME!?"
She stood there huffing and puffing as tears started to pool in her eyes before falling down her cheeks like a waterfall. She started to fall down to her knees but I flashed forward and caught her and carried her like a princess in my arms. She didn't fight me and instead pushed further into my chest, her tears made my chest wet but I just held her and comforted her silently until her crying turned into silent sobs.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"I didn't know you had this problem Lula, I won't promise everything ok but first things first is that even if Gluttony could talk, she is so weak that she can't use her powers for much else besides her own survival. We are her source of sustenance right, so once we get to a certain point I will ask her if we can figure something out."
I looked down at her with a smile on my face and placed her down, I gently grasped the sides of her face and wiped away her tears while looking into her eyes. I know we haven't even known eachother for more than a few hours but using eye contact for sincerity is a must when being serious. I truly did want to help her and so good thing is that what she wants right now falls in line with what I told Gula I would do for her. Gula needs food and Lula wants to talk, Gula needs energy to talk and this way Lula can work in the present and work off some of that rust she had while in that cave.
"Hehe thank you Vexsus, I'm sorry I cried on you but when you said you could talk to Gluttony all those feelings just became to much all at once.... If you say this will help her and that I can atleast try to talk to her, then I will help you."
Lula looked up at me and smiled before shaking her head and wiping away a tear that threatened to leak. I only shook my head with a smile on my face at this crazy little chick in front of me. Yea she might be dangerous but the more I talked with her, the more I discovered just how much she missed out on and how young she was at at heart. She might have been around for a long time but she hasn't exactly been all that experienced.
"Let's go Lula, I'm tired and we have to get going on our journey tomorrow." I held my hand to her and with that same smile she nodded and took my hand as we walked to my tent. I didn't want to do anything naughty and when we opened up the tent the girls were already asleep on the bed and to the side there was a smaller bed that fit one person.
"Hehe, looks like the girls haven't fully accepted me."
"Yea.... to be honest it was a bit fast for me too. Let's take it one step at a time, my heart and mind go at their own pace so who knows what happens from day to day but we only met tonight so for now goodnight and I'll see you in the morning." I let her go and then crawled into the middle of the girls and was immediately assualted as they suction cupped to my body and cuddled into my sides with moans of comfort as they fell into a deeper sleep.
"Goodnight Vexsus." Lula said as she laid on the smaller bed and rolled over.
"Yea same to you." I looked over at her for a few seconds but soon looked up at the ceiling, in my head I was still asking myself a question when my brain had nothing else to do.
"Just who was it that spoke when I talked to Gula?" I whispered before closing my eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep.