7. CARN Conspiracy

Feria should not have looked. She should have resisted the temptation and instantly sought out Ardex, but she was weak. No, she was the Goddess of Nature. So she visited all areas on this side of the world, all areas where Darus’ helpers would “safely deliver” the planteaters.

And everywhere she found the same.

Some animals had immediately been devoured upon arrival. The others had fled and didn’t even dare leave their hiding place for Feria, no matter how often she promised they were safe. If we hadn’t interfered … if we’d just let these animals run away themselves …

Of course the helpers had disappeared into thin air. Belly filled for the foreseeable future, they had fled over the Impossible Wall of Darus. Away from Origina, away from the gods. The gods knew there was a world behind there—Feria had advised exploring it many times—but they had never seen it. This time, too, Feria didn’t follow, because she had to stop all the remaining “helpers”.

This had to be the Fleshfeaster nest. Their origin. They had bloomed and expanded out of her sight, until they find a way to cross into new territories.

No, no, that wasn’t it. They had been in the water for centuries. How could it be that not a single meat eating squid washed ashore before? That Feria had not seen a single dead body float on a river?

Feria considered it, again and again, as she ran back to the Green Path. What was she supposed to say? Did Darus know? She gave him the benefit of the doubt. In fact, she thought Darus would be utterly devastated if he heard the truth. His helpers, whom he trusted, had done this. Should she even say anything?

Yes, she had to. Feria was stern and formal, but only because she wanted to be honest and efficient. Eeris always talked around everything and wanted to keep the peace. Well, well, see what you get!

How many animals were now in danger? How many were currently being attacked by Fleshfeasters? And then the Nightriver, where this whole legend started, where the water was always—

Where the water was always black and opaque.

Impossible to see through.

So you couldn’t … couldn’t see what happened below the surface.

Cursed heavens! This was all part of a greater conspiracy. For years, creatures had fooled her—successfully. Meat eaters must have existed for a while, but out of sight, hidden. And her own family had something to do with it. She could not believe Darus had bad intentions.

But who would?

She stormed at Ardex and Eeris, engulfed in dust clouds, as her siblings tried to keep a large spiky Fleshfeaster under control.

“Stop! Now! Everything!”

“What?” A startled Ardex let firebreath escape.

“Darus’ helpers are not helpers at all! They are Fleshfeasters! They eat everyone we give them!”

She studied the reaction. Eeris seemed to shrink to a size insulting to a giraffe. Ardex stood still as a statue.

“Did you know?” she yelled at him.

“No!” he yelled back. “Of course not! We must capture them all and—”

“Send them to a secret place? Only you know?” Feria gave him a challenging stare.

Ardex blew another firebreath. “Why are you so eager to know the details of this place? What does it matter? I’ll gladly tell you, but—”

“Tell me.”

The eldest demigod, with bright stripes across his tiger body, seemingly became a little boy. “The Mayfill.”

“A lake? You throw animals who can’t swim anymore into a lake?”

“That’s where the first one came from! We wanted to bring them back where they belonged! The lake is well-contained, hard to escape from, and—”

“Is deadly dry and empty half the year. Wait—that’s where the first came from?”

The Fleshfeaster in Eeris’ vines growled, shook, and almost bit through her plant cage. She yelled: “The other gods didn’t know?”

“Didn’t know … what?” Eeris looked at Ardex questioningly.

Ardex stepped back. “Cosmo and I did what we found wise,” he said defensively.

“Wise?” the Fleshfeaster screeched. “For a hundred thousand years, Ardex has been killing every Fleshfeaster he meets! He pushes us back into the ocean! He brings us all to that … that … place!”

Feria sunk through her legs. Her own brother and sister, whom she admired, had captured and sentenced to death meat eaters for centuries. And all a secret, hidden from her, the one Goddess who was supposed to make these decisions.

“You are revolting, Ardex,” she spit at him. “And Cosmo too. I will not forgive this!”

The Fleshfeaster just laughed. “Ah. Let the gods devour each other.”

“Oh, get off your high throne, Feria.” Ardex created smoke with every word. “Not long ago, you proposed the exact same thing. Exterminate all Fleshfeasters.”

“I proposed it. I did not secretly do it.” Feria turned her back. She had to reach the Nightriver. The nest had to be there. She could still save lives there. And, maybe, find a better way.

“Fleshfeasters appear everywhere,” Ardex said loudly. “Once in a while, a new animal is accidentally able to consume meat. And that animal survives, because eating meat is easier than digesting plants, and gives more energy. So Cosmo and I decided to keep the world balanced and contain new meat eaters. Without the CARN mission, our entire world would have been nothing but dead bodies years ago, Feria.”

CARN. Cosmo, Ardex, Nightriver. Feria did not want to hear it. “There is an origin. There must be something that turns animals into Fleshfeasters. Like Hanah’s Soulsplitter helped us create the first plant eaters from scratch. I will find it and take it away, so we don’t have to make these terrible choices.”

Darus arrived and approached his family with tail between his legs. “I have news from all over the world. Bad news. I fear most jungles and forests have already been eaten away.”

Feria studied Darus with pity. He did not know the truth about his helpers yet. Ardex would have to tell him.

She sprinted to the Nightriver.