Lightning Doesn't Strike Twice!

Episode 54

When we went to the Chief's Hut and found the information in the manuscript, Cailian had not had a chance to discuss everything that had happened to his grandmother with his village. When we left the building, Cailian gathered the village people and told them all that had happened. He left out the part where his grandmother had worked with the bandits. He didn't want to tarnish their image of their loving chief and fear for people not understanding. 

Late at night, we had a small bonfire and shared stories of the chief as a memorial. Given everything that had happened, I understand her concerns and why she didn't make some of the best decisions. 

Come morning, we all got up and proceeded to take the twins to the neighboring Village. Becky stayed behind to care for Josh, who was still not fully recovered but was finally up and eating. 

They transported us into a wagon so that we could travel lightly with the twins. Walking through nature was very peaceful. The ball was slowly closing in as some of the leaves were just starting to turn color. 

There are more leaves on the ground from the cool breeze that has been blowing in. The sound of a horse's hooves and a wagon wheel crunching the leaves is. We walked along the side of the river so you could hear the water running and the occasional fish jumping. 

I laid my head back in the wagon and started to drift off to sleep. The calm nature had finally brought peace to this land. 

"Kaysi... Kaysi... Time to wake up, sleepy head." Micah said as she shook my shoulder." And you need to get up; you have too lazy bones. She said I should kicked Evan's shoe. Somehow, he had fallen asleep and was lying on my lap. It's kind of weird. I remember falling asleep on a young boy's lap once. I had gotten sick on the field trip, and we had to return home early. At that time, I was waiting for my mother to come and pick me up. 

Whatever woke up, he stretched and wiped his face, then turned and looked at me. He is still barely awake, and his eyes are still cloudy. I keep as much awareness of what is going on as possible. When he realized he was drooling while he fell asleep, I could tell he started feeling embarrassed. But it wasn't so bad as when he noticed the small wet spot on the pants of my thigh where he had dozed off. His expression is hilarious as his entire face and ears got red. The cart had barely had a chance to stop when he jumped out the back. 

As he jumped off the back, Evan said, "You heard that right? They said we were here." He seemed to be trying to play it off like he had done nothing. 

Micah and I laughed at Evans's reaction and embarrassment. 

When he got to the village, it was nothing like Keetoowah's homeland. The buildings and many of the people adapted to some modernization. They had shops, casinos, and little markets. Some roads were established, as well as mild forms of electricity. This was nothing like the modernization of our homes in the city, but it was very much different from the Humble for the other village. 

"The sister village is part of the reason why my grandmother started to agree with some of the bandits. That was working for the government. She saw all the advancements and how the sister village has been thriving and was tempted to take part in changing our customs on the reservation." 

"She knew that changing our customs also came with the price of meaning more outsiders coming and more changes until they no longer looked like our former selves. Some of our families in the sister village got used to a life of luxury and pampering. It weakened their senses, and they no longer partook in our old traditions, making them numb to the spirits and the calling of the Keetoowah people. The lack of connection caused our villages to drift apart." 

Once we got into the village, we started to unpack some of our stuff from the wagon and hook the horses up at the hitching post outside the local tavern. This village seemed much busier and more chaotic than the simple living of Keetoowah. 

I'm starting to head to the twins' house to drop them off, and I hear a loud cry from an older man yelling, "Help!" 

"Help, a goat demon has taken my daughter. And is running wild in the village." A man said, screaming at the people around. 

It was strange that none of the people there reacted. They just went into the buildings and hid. Things sure were different for them, being relatives of the other village. The other village people would have gone attacking head first. 

"What does she look like?" I asked him.

"She is about my height, blonde, and about 18 years old.

"Oh, she is an adult, okay? Thank you for the information we will look for her.

Thankfully, this demon was not very smart. It jumped from house to house and did not run in one specific area. I just bucked around wildly.

The girl was hanging on by the horn as if she had accidentally been picked up.

This demon did not act like the other demons or look like any regular demon.

I leaned over towards Baby and asked her a question: "Is it possible for animals to be possessed by demons?"

"Yes, of course, it is, and that's what this demon looks possibly to be." 

Baby walked over to the demon, who stopped in its tracks, jumping from around frantically, and stood there. I met her gaze. 

"Cast you out, demon, from this creature by his holy name!" She waved her hand as a dark force came from the creature, and she slashed it with her claws." 

The girl was released, and the Goat sat calmly on the ground with its mind intact. 

The man who was screaming about his daughter being kidnapped by the goat came running over and picked his daughter off the ground. 

"WITCHES ALL OF YOU!" The man shouted. 

"EXCUSE ME! Micah said. What the hell are you talking about? We just saved your daughter!" 

"You just came here and ripped that thing out of the goat monster. You don't expect me not to think that you may have brought it in. You acted like you were the master of that thing." 

"We literally just destroyed the demon that was possessing the goat. It looks to me like it came from one of you guys by all your funny behavior. Micah said as she started getting puffed up and approaching the man." 

I jumped between her and the man. This is not what we're here for. 

Cailian stepped around from behind our party and approached the man. 

"CAILIAN!? This is part of your company's doing coming here! I should have expected as much. You're the ones who are always infested with demons. You probably brought it into our village." 

"Hold your tongue, cousin Ray. We came here on a business matter and had just arrived when we heard your wailing and screeching begging for help. None of your people around here seem to be making any effort, so we stepped in." 

"We are only distant cousins by marriage. What business do you have here." 

"The twins that you sent over got abducted by a tiger demon. He was powerful and somehow had mutated with human DNA. Nothing like we have ever witnessed. We saved them and have brought them back home to the village. This was only after a large group of demons took over our people and destroyed a lot of our properties. We got our people back, but we need to rebuild." 

"Where is an elder chief grandmother? She should be the one making these orders." 

"I am the new standing chief because, unfortunately, she passed away after being used for blackmail by the bandits." 

"That's quite unfortunate, but I can not help you or your people." 

"Ray, your people seem to need assistance as well. If we lend a hand to your village, then you will help my people rebuild. Our villages are sisters, so when one of us is weakened, so is the other." 

"We don't..." 

"Daddy," the girl said. The people have been complaining about the demon domains that have stopped them from returning to their homes." 

"Be quite stupid, girl. That is none of their business!" 

"Well, there you go. You seem to have a little demon infestation yourself. These people that you tried to call witches are actually Waymakers sent to us by the divine. However, they're only here for a short amount of time, so why not take advantage of that?" 

"Your present here will probably attract more demons. Child, they are not to be trusted." 

"Okay, have it your way," Cailian said as he walked back to the wagon. The commotion had gathered a crowd, and they had heard half of the conversation. 

Sister Villager 1) "Mayor Ray. A couple of the village people protest. You have done nothing to help us get our homes back, and now we have the opportunity, you're going to let that go." 

Sister Villager 2) "We want our homes back." 

Sister Villager 3-4) 3 - "I can't wait until the next election. I'm definitely not voting for Ray. "4—Yeah, neither am I." 

The mayor was getting nervous and sweating at the people starting a revolution. 

"Oka...okay. I hear your voices, people. I will let them exterminate some of our demon pest problems. You will regret it because these people are demon magnets. But I'll let it be and let you be the judge." 

Sister Villager 2) "Better than what we have to deal with right now." 

Cailian smiled. He must have figured that if the problem was as serious as Ray's daughter was saying, the people would not sit back and let things go.