The Devil's Smile

Chapter 10

“What's that?” I asked pointing I wasn't asking Red or Sarath in particular just whoever answered me first.

Godville Academy. Red was the one to answer her eyes bright her cheeks flushed. It's exactly how they described it.

The Academy grounds contain more than just the Academy itself Sarath adic watching the peak with us. The temple of the creator is inside those walls and the sacred sands arena.

We stood as the barge slowed I grabbed my bag before anyone else could think of touching it. The large water vessel eventually came to standstill and we moved to the with the rest of the dwellers heading to get their seat on solid ground again. They hurt it us towards the path carved into the side of the mountain and we climbed right to another setup gates. 2 more Demi Gods stood guard just as they had been at the entrance of Godville. I looked up at the top of the wall and caught another demigod face briefly appearing over the edge.

“This everyone?” One of the guards grunted at Sarath.

We had managed to draw to the front of the long procession during our walk up but it wasn't because we were particularly braver stronger faster among the other jewellers please stop it was because Red was particularly braver wrong stronger and faster than the other she had been great she was standing there now not a single wrinkle in her expression as she brushed her hair over her shoulder and stood straight for the inspection of the guard. I was wheezing my hands on my knees the guard also expect something like me and he inspected me a small sardonic smile on his face before running his eyes down to the end of the procession.

“Go on in,” he announced jerking his head to the side and moving out of the way.

This was it. I was stepping into what would be Red zone for the rest of life and that was going to be my home for probably the next of half a day maybe even one day all I needed to do was stay away from fire tower sharp things pointy things serrated things hot things breathing things living things and secret things next time I paused my feet stalling my eyes flying white. We had stepped into a courtyard with a multi huge stones under foot and a giant ancient oak tree standing in the middle breaking the cobble stones with its thick papery white gnarled roots pull stuff it figured that it was twice the size of the ancient tree back home and there were several more that I could see spread around the winding cobbled pathways leading between the Academy building school. it wasn't the tree that had surprised me though. It was the guy tied to the tree and the guy standing before him holding up a crossbow. He was blindfolded and the guy tied to the tree was laughing. They were clearly Demi gods because they were bigger than normal dweller men. Bigger even than what I would expect of demigod one time to the tree looked a little older than me his eyes bright sparkling with laughter. I wanted to draw closure and see what colour his eyes were or to confirm that his hair was actually the stunning melt of golden black that it appeared from the disc he glanced over as the dwellers behind us also came to your stop and he started to laugh even louder and harder

“Turn!” He shouted.

The guy with the crossbow raised his arming the whole directly at the dwellers.

Turning to face us the dwellers and Sarath made a groaning sound but nobody did anything to stop the crazy Demi God. He had the same golden tarnish to his hair as the one time to the tree though it was more gold and Red and his skin was a shade more tanned. He was also built like he told her trees from the ground for fun hobby. The blindfold over his eyes seemed to mask his face more than just his eyes and I could still make out the info finite shemales mark twisting his lips.

Stop! The one tied to the tree shouted. The crossbow and the guy holding it posed. The bold figured and everyone turned to stare at me because now it was pointed directly at me.

“Don’t mind them,” Sarath consoled.

“Are you seriously saying that to me while you are moving away from me?” I hissed out loudly.

“Those are the Cursor brothers or 2 of them are anyway. Cronas has a gift for pain and torture and Silas has the gift of Trickery.”

“The one that has the gift for pain—is he the one holding the bow by any chance?”

“Yeah..”

“Really?” I groaned even though my heart was kicking up a riot inside me and my eyes were fixed inside to the annoyingly still crossbow bolt. “I did not even last one step into Godville.”

As the words left my mouth, Red kicked out a leg knocking me into the ground hard on my ass. I felt the air brush past my face, something tugging against my hair and then I heard the telling thunk of a crossbow bolt embedding itself into the wooden gate behind us. A gate that had obviously been nudged shut at some point, to protect the dwellers congregating around the entrance. I stared at the bolt my mouth dropping open and my brain short circuiting and then I looked back to Cronas who had ripped off the blindfold and strolled a few steps.

He had bright green eyes, smoking to a dark colour around the edges of the pupils and I now noticed that the colour of his hair actually burnt Red with only a few gold strands. He glanced at me on the ground and then frowned and then wandered away with the crossbow over his shoulders.

Silas who had been left at the tree, struggled out of his ropes, jumping over the base of the tree and sauntered towards us.

“Dear little dirt dwellers!” he sang, raising his arms and grinning as the gate creaked open again.” Welcome to Godville and to the beginning of the rest of your lives! Try not to get in the ay when my brother thinks that he is bored.”

“Or when you decide that you are bored!” Sarath muttered under his breath.

Silas walked the rest of the way over holding his hand out to me. I didn't want to take it. I really didn't. Red cleared her throat though her eyes were full of panic and I quickly grabbed his hand. He hauled me to my feet with far more ease than that was really necessary to display to everyone and I accidentally stomped on his foot he didn't seem to notice. He brushed off my shoulders as I tried not to get distracted by the green gold team took his eyes. They were lighter than his brothers were just a stunning. Did all Demi gods have said stunning eyes?

He almost had you killed! His eyes sucked. He had sucky eyes. And so did his brother.

“See you around rocks,” he said sweeping his gaze over me before turning and jogging down the path that his brother had taken.

Rocks? I managed as the guide started assuring the other dwellers inside again.

Everyone was trying pretty hard to pretend that nothing had happened but with the nervous expression on their faces and the sympathetic looks they shot on their way. They were wasting their energy. s**t like this happened to me all the time. Maybe not honest sacred Demi God of Godville almost murdering me for no reason whatsoever scale but close.

Red chuckled under her breath which means she had worked out my nickname.

“What?” I looked at her. “You dropped like a bag of rocks.”

“It wasn't that funny.” I scowled.

It was a somber sweaty crowd that made its way into the last few yards of the inner domain of Godville. Are first introduction to the gifted Demi gods had been enough for all of us to realise that the sheet had just gotten real. Really real. Being a dweller in the village might be lowly unfortunate live but we were all pretty equal there. Here we would know every single day that we were the dirt beneath the blessed feet of the blessed demigods.

Dirt dweller.

Punching a demigod in the nose was probably frowned upon in Godville. I reminded myself to check the rulebook on that one later right after all I learned how to punch. I should probably just stick to tripping and need them in the groin since that was one of my specialties. Maybe I could throw some tired on them. I was pretty sure that Silas and Cronas wouldn't be so confident if they had to shave off all their pretty hair.

Follow me Sarath reminded his voice loud enough to be heard over our panicked and rapid heartbeats. There is no time to settle in you will find your bunk dump your bags and then get assigned your norms classes and other duties. These were all decided long before you reach to Godville by the dweller relations committee so don't bother arguing so you won’t get any special reassignment unless the demigod requested. No special circumstances.

Well great.

Sarath who had somehow slipped into leader mode---and was definitely letting the power go straight to his head---was waving everyone forward. “Hurry up. There is no time for your slow village backwardness right now.”

We were roughly assured through the small dark archway which somehow ended up in the corner of the beautiful building and then down some dark wooden stairs. I could see that the staircase also went up but apparently they wanted us far from the gods as possible.

Sarath voice drifted back through the narrow stairs. This is the dweller stairway. You will use these back stairs as much as possible to move around Godville. The Demi gods like their privacy. They want things done right but without having to see or smell you

I decided that chatting leaders are what was the least favourite of all Sarath's and he was so much more fun when he was silent and spraying Demi gods with street water.

It was dark and kind of damp in this section. I preferred wide open spaces and less elbows in my ribs. Also the sweaty nerves thing was really becoming a problem to my olfactory senses. The Demi gods should probably cross off the not smells thankful stop that just wasn't going to work. Finally after climbing down four million and fifty stairs we reached to the dwellers section. There were no natural light in this part we were clearly far far underground.

“Did anyone tell them about things collapsing on me? Someone should have warned them.”

She shook her head before her hands naked around to cover my mouth ,”we are one floor down charm, you are going to be fine.”

One! Was she in same? Those stairs had been never ending!

“Female dorms are to the left and male set to the right.” Sarath was actually waving his hands now. “Whatever chill he had been channelling on the way he was long gone. I will be waiting for you back in the main for your. You have until the bells ring for the next class.” He was gone then back up the never ending stairs.

And Red was in the mood to get s**t done. She had her arm around my middle the entire time and was barrelling through all the poor dwellers who thought they were getting the first pic of beds. From what I saw in our dash through it looked like the dwellers underground bunker was a small doll room. Rocks under feet and above our heads wheel homefield to it with what and all lack and dust of natural light.

“Are all the dwellers here?” I asked trying to not breathe in the second hand air. There was nothing fresh down here that was for sure.

“Nope this is just for the newbies. all though there a lot of newbies since Demi gods aren't very gentle with their play things.”