The Akhapost Conspiracy

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Barry silently pursued the sacrificial party until they reached the shadowed surface of the mountain face. The closer they came to the end of the path, the more the mountain face seemed to haze, and eventually, the image of the mountain face dissolved, replaced by the torchlight that revealed the cruel edges of what appeared to be a rocky maw - an entrance.

A hidden cave, giving off spooky evil vibes? Guess that checks out. He thought.
 

Barry paused at the entrance, torn between the safety outside - especially with the monster that was Akhapost somewhere inside - or getting the answers he so desperately needed. After a moment’s hesitation, he did what he knew to be the right thing and continued after the party. It was dark, and all he had to guide him were the lights of the torches that were his guide, faint as they were.
 

Deeper they went, or at least it seemed to be deeper - it was getting hard to tell where they were going. Eventually, the progression came to a halt. For a brief few moments there was nothing but silence, as if Barry and the others were suspended in nothingness.
 

From the lofty cavern ceiling or, perhaps, the spaces in between, countless eyes blinked open. Varying in size but sharing an eerie luminescence, they formed a web of vision. Barry, however, suspected there were fewer eyes than appeared: counting them made him light-headed and left a nagging sense of deja vu.
 

As the eyes blinked down at the procession, a humming chorus arose, characterising perfectly the feelings that arose in Barry as he witnessed the stellar dance of the eyes. It wasn't overtly menacing, but sent shivers down his spine.
Seeing this as their cue to leave, the guards turned on their heels. Echoes of conversation filtered down to Barry; it appeared the prospect of unsightly monsters and sacrificing children encouraged conversations on dinner. The sacrificial child looked around furtively, and in that instant took to their usual form - that of Random.
 

“Open up the gates; the coast is clear,” whispered Random, the echoes bouncing off the walls and into Barry’s ears.
The gates obliged, washing the room in a kaleidoscope of colours.
 

“Oh, and Barry, do get out from there and come with me.”
 

Barry stumbled out from his hiding place, tripping on a rock and falling over. Random watched him with a wry smile and waited for Barry to pick himself up before walking through the gate.
 

Their surroundings shifted abruptly. Clusters of blue iridescence extended like pillars in a chaotic yet coordinated crystalline network; a forest of shifting light. It gave the impression of a colossal wave frozen mid-crash.
 

Yet, amidst this apparent stillness, the network pulsed with life - the movements of the crystals were accompanied by the gentle tinkling of chimes. It was an alien realm within Akhane, exuding an eerie tranquillity foreign to the outside world.
Calmness, almost tangible, wound its way across his body. Barry brushed it off and averted his attention from the scenery because he had questions that Random had answers for!
 

"Random, what was with the disguise? Why’d you offer yourself for the sacrifice? He demanded.
 

Random gave a cocky grin. “Well it all started when my mum met my dad. It was a lovely spring day-”
 

Barry shot him his most unimpressed look. Random sighed.
 

“Alright, fine. I was one of the children the government had selected as a sacrifice. After I arrived here, however, I was instead given a new life where, because of the change of environment, I realised I had an incredibly rare gift - I could morph, change my appearance at will."
 

"Morph? That's incredible!"
 

Random continued, “Akhapost realised that my gift could be used for several benefits, but mostly that I could assume a new identity for each month's sacrifice. We could make it so no actual children would be cast out.”
 

“I thought Akhapost ate the children, why would they want to save them? Where are they then?”
 

A burst of laughter and the sound of children running filled the subterranean wilderness. Barry couldn't fathom it. The sacrifices - the children - here they were, all this time.
 

“What? I don’t understand, why are the children not…”
 

"Dead?" Random finished his sentence. "Well Barry, maybe because we have an iota’s iota of humanity to us. Don’t you?”
 

“Then what of the monster, Akhapost?” asked Barry, in a shivering voice.
 

“Akhapost inspires a lot of feelings - fear and an urge to pick one’s nose among them - but labelling it a ‘monster’ would simply be incorrect. Akhapost transcends these simple and common characteristics, you’ll see this for yourself very soon. Come on, they have requested an audience with you, now.”
 

****
 

Following Random, Barry noticed a familiar pattern of synchronised hummings. His eyes darted to the roof of the cavern, meeting the dizzying stares he had experienced earlier. A string of sounds entered Barry’s mind, wholly unrecognisable, and yet he understood the meaning intuitively.
 

“Greetings Barry, the mortal who has most recently stumbled into the region of Ahkane.” spoke the Voice.
 

"Stumble is an understatement," Barry muttered, unimpressed.
 

Undeterred, the Voice continued, "I shall answer your questions thus. The first: what I am. Magic saturates this realm, a potent tool heavily relied upon. I am its source, the keeper of magic. I monitor its flow and ensure its balance. This realm is named for my being."
 

“The folks at the Agency regard you differently, to put it lightly. Why?” Barry asked nervously, feeling he was on the very confusing cusp of understanding.
 

"The ones who brought you here conceal their intentions. They seek to seize my power, aiming to rule Akhane indefinitely. Yet, they fail to understand that even with my power, they would upset the balance, leading to Akhane's destruction."
 

“And why are the sacrifices still alive?”
 

“Despite the magical capabilities of the Agency, they are still as superstitious as they were epochs ago. Traditions, misunderstandings, and artefacts from an Akhane long gone, persist with great strength. It was them who decided sacrifices were the answer. I have chosen to shelter these rejected children, forming a community as the ages pass.”
 

“Then it’s true. I have been lied to.” Barry’s stomach lurched in anticipation of further revelations. Not quite recovered from his shock, he said, “They have tasked me with utilising science to create a weapon, one that will rid them of you, perpetually.”
 

“Then we must defeat them first.” responded Random, as he re-entered the conversation with daring passion. “The Agency is powerless without your science. We need to ensure more people like you aren’t visiting us anytime soon.”
 

After being rejected and banished from the outside world, Akhapost had been content to let the people live on in their delusions. Akhapost didn't need prayers of thanks to continue their job of providing magic to the world.
 

Alas, being content would no longer be sufficient. The Agency was going too far now, and had made themselves a serious threat both to Akhapost and their whole realm.
 

The blinding lights of the cavern, accompanied by the echoes of laughter, stopped Barry from finding any extended moment of peace. This was what he should've been fighting for.
 

It was time to make things right.