Waiting for the Wendigo
Geron and Skadi had finished preparing the feast and were waiting for the Wendigo. Warm fur clothing, hearty stew packed with meat and vegetables, alcohol, various breads, and dried fruits were all ready... but why hasn't he come yet??
"Lady Skadi. The spirit lord is later than expected. Shall I send out the warriors?"
Geron expressed his concern to Skadi. He didn't think the Wendigo had run into any real trouble somewhere. Rather, he worried that he might be caught up in some problem they didn't know about, suffering needlessly.
Skadi smiled and shook her head at Geron's words, born of his overflowing loyalty.
"Your thinking isn't wrong, Mr. Geron, but even if the warriors enter the forest, it would be hard for them to find Lord Wendigo. Ordinary senses can't detect his presence."
"Ah... I was short-sighted."
Finding the Wendigo in the forest, a being you could only notice if you saw him with your own eyes, was no easy task. Naturally, sending warriors in would just mean they'd suffer for nothing. Hell, even if he passed right by them, they wouldn't notice if he wasn't visible.
Skadi calmed Geron with a steady voice.
"Don't worry too much. If you're really concerned, how about inspecting the village? Sometimes keeping busy eases the mind."
Geron was impressed by her attitude, which revealed such firm faith. Was it that unshakeable belief that allowed her to contract with the spirit lord?
Lady Skadi isn't worried, so I've been making a fuss. Right, better to prepare even more thoroughly so we don't cause any trouble.
Geron nodded respectfully and headed back inside. Once he was far enough away, Skadi grasped the ice necklace—a symbol of her romantic(?) encounters with the Wendigo.
If something had happened, he'd have contacted me, so it must be fine.
Skadi smiled as she fiddled with the ice necklace. Unlike Geron, she wasn't worried thanks to it. She believed that if the Wendigo faced any issue, he'd reach out to her first. With this necklace, his message would surely reach her anytime!
Though... he hadn't used it since she escaped her hometown...
He probably just hasn't needed to.
Skadi brushed it off. The Wendigo could handle most problems without much trouble anyway.
How long had she been stroking the ice necklace and waiting?
"!"
Skadi's eyes flashed at the familiar mysticism she sensed.
Moments later, the Wendigo emerged from the forest, carrying a cocoon made of roots on his back.
"Lord Wendigo!"
"Why wait outside? It's cold; it'd be more comfortable inside."
Skadi rushed to his side. She noticed signs of life from inside the cocoon, which piqued her curiosity a bit... but she decided to ignore it. There must be a reason if it was Lord Wendigo!
Does the cocoon not bother her? No, Skadi probably trusts me enough to overlook it.
Unaware of Skadi's mad devotion, the Wendigo simply thought fondly of her.
As the Wendigo arrived at the front, Ivan's group began appearing one by one. The people marveled at the surprisingly spacious village, the sturdy wooden palisade, and the subtle warmth permeating the air.
"It wasn't like this when we came before."
"The snow here hasn't frozen over. They already cleared it all?"
"Feels a bit warm, too."
While most chatted about the village, those skilled in farming took interest in the soil, kneading it between their fingers. Moist, deep black earth. This was...
Black soil?
"Black soil in this forest? How has land like this stayed unknown?"
"Father taught me it's only found in the warm empire lands—rich, fertile stuff..."
The village's unexpectedly fine state began to blur the anxiety among the people.
The Wendigo realized this was the perfect moment to win their hearts, and Geron felt the same. Geron appeared from somewhere and shouted loudly.
"Come on, everyone! Follow me! The spirit lord has prepared clothes and food for you all!"
"The spirit lord?"
"Uh... can we really accept that?"
Geron's words confused them, as the very idea of a spirit doing something for them was strange. Especially...
"H-he won't chop our heads off later for being irreverent, right?"
"Heads? We'd be lucky if it's not freezing us to death."
Recalling the Wendigo's brutal aura in the forest brought worries bubbling up. They knew he was kind despite his appearance, but fear was fear.
The Wendigo felt a twinge of regret as they glanced warily. Should've fought a bit more gently!
It's not like I want to fight that way...
The Wendigo wasn't some pervert who enjoyed ripping out organs or hearts. He just let instinct take over once a fight started... and by the time he snapped out of it, his body had disassembled the enemies' limbs. What could he do?
Growling inwardly, he worked his mouth diligently.
"How could I not honor those who endured this harsh winter? I'm only sorry that clothes and food are all I can offer."
"N-no, spirit lord! We doubted you despite your warm heart!"
"Let's go in, everyone! He personally drove off the wolves for us—how can we doubt him?!"
As the saying goes, one who knows good meat eats it well; moving hearts worked the same. The Wendigo's kindly voice eased them, stirring and shame. To suspect such a humane being just for killing some wolves!
"Living in the forest, you gotta kill a wolf or two sometimes."
"Yeah, but he kills people too... Mmph!?"
"Enough, let's head in! The spirit lord has his own business—don't bother him!"
As an oblivious warrior opened his mouth, Ivan hurriedly clamped it shut. The people gave Ivan odd looks but nodded. He was right. It'd be rude to cause trouble when he'd done so much for them!
They followed Geron inside.
Geron will handle the rest fine... time for my own task.
"Skadi. I have business to attend to, so make sure no one approaches my residence."
"...Yes. Don't worry. I'll ensure absolutely no one gets near."
Skadi glanced at the cocoon on his back before answering gravely. She didn't know what he planned with the person inside, but it was clearly something he didn't want seen. And as a shaman, she figured most things a spirit hid from humans were...
Get a grip! Lord Wendigo wouldn't do something like that!
Skadi's passion never fades.
The Wendigo inwardly admired her blazing gaze. He interpreted her self-flagellation as testing her faith as fiery passion. A ridiculous misunderstanding.
* * *
The Wendigo arrived at his residence and immediately manipulated the top of the cocoon. The man inside, who had been unconscious, had come to and was now baring his teeth, glaring at the Wendigo.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
"Such vigor."
The Wendigo removed the root gagging the man's mouth. Since he'd captured him alive, he planned to hear his story.
The man snarled as the root pulled away.
"Damn you foul spirit! I'm not afraid of death—kill me now!"
"I'm not interested in your life. More curious about your backers."
"...I have none!"
"Ah, I see. So you attacked people with wolves, no backing at all. Were you raised by wolves, not human? That might explain the lack of backers."
Unable to bear the insult, the man spewed mad curses. Apparently, his parents weren't wolves.
The Wendigo pondered amid the ignored profanity.
Judging by the mysticism flowing through his body... definitely aided by a shaman or spirit.
The protective mysticism around him like a shield wasn't the man's own. No shamanic aura emanated from him. So, he needed to uncover the backer...
Torture him?
The Wendigo felt troubled. Had he ever tortured anyone in his life? But ideas did come to mind. Modern knowledge offered plenty of methods: waterboarding with a towel over the face, pulling nails, electric clamps on the ears...
But feasible here? Nails are hard to pull without tools. Cutting might work, but...
After running through dozens of options, a decent idea struck. What if he used the thorn boar's and parasite's methods?
That could work.
The Wendigo decided to set the mood first. Most things started with the groundwork.
"Heh heh heh heh..."
"W-what?!"
The man's body trembled at the Wendigo's sinister laugh. But that was just the beginning. The room's temperature plummeted instantly, and a gust from nowhere extinguished the torch. Darkness fell, and cold sweat beaded on the man.
"Foolish. I don't know who aided you, but this is my domain."
The Wendigo's voice echoed from the shadows. The man darted his eyes, searching desperately...
Whoosh!
"A-aaahhh!!! What, what is this?!"
Something writhed before him with a chilling sound. Beyond it, the Wendigo stared with sulfur-fire eyes. The lifeless skull jaw gaped wide, and the man felt his breath catch.
A sinister voice, laced with bitter cold, poured from the Wendigo's maw, tormenting the man's ears.
"If you won't talk, no choice. I'll make your soul and body mine."
"Y-yes?"
The man unwittingly replied politely. Naturally, the Wendigo ignored him.
As the Wendigo's head vanished into the dark again, the man fixated fearfully on the writhing thing before him. Growing accustomed to the shadows, he realized...
"S-seed?"
It was a seed. The problem: a seed with eerily wriggling roots.
It squirmed as if ready to root into his face any second. The man panicked. Too shocked even to scream.
T-this is a seed?!
He couldn't believe this horrific thing belonged in this world. Its grotesquely lifelike movement drained the color from his face.
What is this mad spirit planning?!
Hope this works.
The seed was no fiendish creation of an evil spirit or cursed shamanry... just a seed. Regrettably, the Wendigo lacked the ability to control creatures with seeds like the thorn boar. He'd stolen its origin but not its knowledge or wisdom.
However... wasn't the Wendigo a veteran(?) of tentacles twice over? He vividly recalled their horrific tendril tricks and applied them to the seed.
Fear can be stronger than pain sometimes.
Each tap of the roots on the man's nose and eyes drew shrill screams. Good reaction—time for threats, er, persuasion.
"St-stop!!!"
"If this seed burrows into your wretched body, your soul and flesh are mine forever. Choose: accept my mercy and spill the truth, or the seed..."
"I'll talk! I'll tell you, please mercy!!!"
"...Huh?"
As the root probed toward his nostril, the man pissed himself begging. The Wendigo was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected surrender so easily. The guy had cursed him to his face, so he'd assumed death-defying resolve... but apparently not.
"Uh huh huh ha! Spirit, merciful death please! Spare at least my soul!"
"...Fine, stop crying."
The Wendigo swallowed his disappointment and withdrew the tentacle-seed. This was the man who'd attacked people... yet now he felt like the villain.