Chapter 43. Cindy - the God of Demonic Flame
Lei Ze watched in fascination as the alien fleet rushed toward the demonic flames. Although they took heavy losses, they managed to get the remaining Demon Flame ships into increasing trouble. He breathed a sigh of relief. He never really believed they did it until now. Of course, he was also happy that the Republic had survived the battle and was evacuating to a safe distance. While the damage is obvious, it's still intact and that's what matters.
"This looks good," said Moyan next to him.
"Yes, very good," Noah said happily. "I think the last ship has no chance."
"No," was there sadness in Moyan's voice? After all, his people were dying on three destroyed ships.
Noah looked at him. What was going on in his mind right now? Is he happy with what he did, or does he already regret it? "What's your name?" He suddenly remembered that he didn't even know the other person's name.
"My name is Ear Mouse," Mo Yan introduced himself succinctly.
"Thank you very much, Earmouse. Thank you for helping us," Noah said seriously. Without him, they wouldn't have been able to succeed, despite the original plan coming from the insectoid creature Feiyu. Noah had not seen the creature since the final night of preparation. He didn't know if it was successful or if it became one of the many who died. He hoped not, because they were so grateful for it.
The eared mouse nodded slightly. "A few days after you and your crew came to the mines, something strange happened," he said, seeming to think that was reason enough for him to decide to help them.
However, Noah was touched by these words and it disturbed him in a way he could not explain. His stomach tightened, like he'd been punched. "What do you mean?" he asked dully.
"For example, the evacuation of ships. Normally, there would be eight or nine ships stationed so close to the border. But now there are only three. Guards and security have also been reduced," he explained to the surprised captain, Noah His eyes are getting bigger and bigger.
Noah looked at him in disbelief. It took him some time to really understand the words. "You mean, our escape was not an accident?" He confirmed again.
"I don't know," came the honest answer. "We ordinary soldiers of the Demon Flame rarely know the plans of the Supreme Overlord. Only a chosen few will receive instructions from our gods. Ordinary soldiers will not see the gods. We cannot go near their planet, it is punishable by death offense."
Noah was extremely surprised. It was a day full of surprises. Demonic people believe in God. He had never thought of this possibility before. "Your gods live on a planet?" he was confused. He had never heard of any species thinking this way before. Usually, the gods live in some magical place, and no one knows exactly where it is. Most descriptions are similar to heaven on earth.
"Then where else can they live?" the Ear Mouse asked in confusion.
Noah wanted to explain it to him, but he didn't know how. Besides, it occurred to him that the ancient Greeks did know where their gods lived. The throne of Zeus is said to be on Mount Olympus, in Greece. So why wouldn't it be possible for a space-faring race to place their throne on another planet?
"Where is this legendary planet?" Noah wanted to know. Maybe they could visit these gods. Such knowledge may also be useful for diplomatic engagements.
"I'm not sure," he replied hesitantly.
For Noah, this was a strange paradox. On the one hand, the Demon Yan people are not allowed to enter the world of God, and on the other hand, they don't even know where God's planet is. So how can they ensure they avoid the planet and don't accidentally land there? But most religions have some contradictions, so why is this one an exception?
A quick glance at the screen showed Noah that the battle wasn't quite over yet. But this is just a problem. In a few minutes, Demon Flame will be completely defeated. Until then, he would continue talking to the eared rat. He had to figure out the strange feeling inside him. "Tell me something about your god," he requested.
The eared mouse looked at him hesitantly. Obviously, he didn't like revealing such details to strangers. Then, he started anyway. "It is said that our gods created our empire. Not only that, they also created us Demon Yan people. Just like us today. We Demon Yan were once a small nation, just animals standing at the top of our planet's food chain .We had no tools or anything like that. We roamed the world in packs and hunted wild animals when hungry. We developed a social behavior that transitioned into an attack posture of walking upright. However, we just Insignificant life forms, far from developing intelligence. Then, one day, the gods came. They came to our world and took over it. They built settlements and took over the land. The Demon People had to retreat, and were pursued. Then, it is said, the gods recognized our potential. They improved our genetic structure, manipulated our DNA, and made us what we are today. They made us warriors."
"Of course, if a true believer tells this, it sounds much more poetic. But it's true. For example, our eyes are from God. They believe that with compound eyes, we are in harmony with other species. You will be at an advantage in the competition." He shook his head gently. "Only a few Demon Flamers know the truth. Because of the limited intelligence we possess," he admitted a little sheepishly. "We should serve the gods and fulfill their wishes. That is enough, but we must not have our own thoughts. It only occasionally happens that when a demon flamer is born, his brain is more advanced and he has no idea about the gods. There is no absolute belief in the propaganda. But these Demon Yan people have been living in eternal fear. God will not let anything go. And if they are found to have betrayed the gods, it means death for Demon Yan."
He paused, and Noah almost felt sorry for him now. The Demon Flamers are victims of the invaders. Affected by genetic manipulation and interference with evolutionary development. They could have taken millions of years, but were bred to be what they needed to be. This is a disastrous intervention that deprives them of independent development and autonomous lives. Federal law prohibits this, but most other races don't care. Especially when doing so would benefit them. Noah didn't know what to say.
"How do you know the escape tunnel in the old mine is not sealed?" Ear Mouse asked Noah. "No one knows this. Neither do I. How did you know there would be a space shuttle?"
"One of the inmates told me," Noah replied.
"Who is it?" Ear Mouse asked without hesitation. "Theoretically, no prisoner should know this. Who told you? What did he look like?"
Noah suddenly felt suspicious again. Why does the ear mouse know this in such detail? Does this matter now? Is the entire jailbreak plan just to find loopholes for information leakage? Admittedly, this is a somewhat drastic method, but maybe that's what the Demon Flame Tribe does. More or less sacrifices, they may not care. and softened him with some weepy tales of their god and the poor victim character of the Demon Flame Tribe. "It's an insectoid," he answered anyway, trying to read any reaction on the eared rat's face. But this seems impossible. "But I haven't seen it since."
"Is it very big?" Mo Yan continued to ask.
"Yes, about the same height as me. And he walks upright."
"Cindy" said the eared mouse slowly. "Our God."
"What?" Noah felt that he heard wrongly. Cindy is no stranger to humans either, but they are just a mysterious legend. "No one knows if they really exist. Only Captain Gulleron had one contact with them more than 100 years ago, but soon lost contact. Since then, no one has encountered this mysterious creature again. Race. Now they are actually the gods of the Demon Flame Tribe?"
"Yes, Cindy is our god," the eared rat confirmed. "They give us instructions and we serve them. There are also rumors that God has brothers like us."
Noah barely stopped listening. His mind was racing. If all this is true, everything takes on a whole new light. He wanted to answer something, but events outside interrupted his thoughts. The last demonic ship was exploding in a dazzling fireball. The battle is over. he thinks. But he didn't know yet what the crew of those strange ships had planned for them. After all, they are the real winners. The Republic ship was unable to defend itself against the remaining six enemy ships as it had been severely damaged. And the shuttle itself cannot fight. So they are helpless and completely dependent on the kindness of strangers.
"Captain, an unfamiliar fleet is calling us," said the pilot in the cockpit.
"Okay, show it on the screen." Noah pointed to the monitor he had been using to watch the battle.
An elderly face appeared on the screen. His face was lined with worry lines. It looks generally human, but with hair extending down to its eyebrows. The ears are also covered with a layer of fur, giving him a somewhat cat-like appearance.
"I am Kasapa, Commander of the Royal Fleet of Kabulan. Please confirm your identity and explain why you are here," he said in a familiar military tone.
"I am Captain Noah, the captain of the Federation Fleet Republic spacecraft. We were once prisoners of the Demon Flame Tribe, but we managed to escape."
"Escape?" Kasapa repeated, as if he didn't know the meaning of the word. Doubt showed on his face. "No one has ever been able to escape from the Demon Flame Clan."
"We did it. But we couldn't move forward without outside help," Noah said. He knew what was coming. He must seek help from Kasapa. Although he didn't want a strange race to take care of the refugees, he had no choice. The Republic ship could barely support everyone anymore.
"Captain, I don't know if I can trust you. There's a demon sitting next to you," he pointed to the eared rat as well. "He may force you to tell you what he wants to know."
"Yes, that's right. But this demonic flame helped us escape. That might explain why we were able to escape," he said, trying to allay the commander's worries.
But Kasapa still didn’t seem convinced. He has had too much contact with the Demon Flame Clan and now he has become very wary. Noah wasn't angry. His crew also initially fell into this situation through an emergency call from a refugee. It seems like a long time ago, but they helped Charles.
Suddenly, Noah understood. "It's a trap," he said in horror. Everything is carefully planned. They are the bait, and Kablan's fleet is the ultimate prey. "We have to get out of here right away."
Earrat and Kasapa looked at him, obviously not understanding. They looked more confused than worried.
"It would have been a bad trap if three ships were sacrificed," the fleet commander responded, now seeming to have serious doubts about Noah.
"This is a credible trap," Noah insisted. "Everything looks like a victory. We have been asked to stay here for a long time to decide what to do next. In the meantime, a fleet of demonic flames is approaching your home. The Kablan fleet is here. Now, they can enter the Kablan system without any hindrance. Earrat, you yourself said that the security measures and stationed ships have been reduced. There are people to help us escape. This all sounds like it is far more complicated than our escape. ” This sounded so logical to Noah that he could hardly imagine that he was wrong. All of this is just a distraction plan and nothing more. They are all pawns sacrificed to cover up other actions.
Kasapa's face was filled with doubts. He seemed to be thinking about how to respond. But concerns for his home were clearly greater. "Okay," he said at last. "I allow the Republic and the shuttle fleet to follow us. But we will not return to the Kingdom of Kablan." He wanted to be safe.
"Okay." Noah was satisfied with this. He just didn't want to stay in this exposed place.
"Follow us," Kasapa ordered, then disconnected.
After a few minutes, they set sail. Noah noticed that they were moving away from Demon Flame's territory and towards the direction of the Federation. He was relieved about this. Things can only get better now. As long as King Kabulan gives them their freedom. Considering the threat of the demonic flames and the possible support from the Federation, it was impossible for Kasapa to deny them freedom. Eventually, everything will be fine.
After a two-hour flight, which seemed like a lifetime in the crowded shuttle, the ship ended its hyperspace transfer and returned to normal space. Soon after, they entered the orbit of an M-class planet. Noah was happy that the flight was over. The freed slaves were packed into the shuttle, which was very crowded. Noah held Tiny in his arms and she had been in his arms for two hours. No one could move an inch. But that will change soon. Kasapa ordered them to land on the planet. Now the crowding will be over soon.
