They started padding towards him; no rush or circling like he had seen the others do, just a small progress, heads leaning forward with quiet curiosity, sure, as if they already knew what they were looking for.
And Brill's smile was frozen into place.
'Ok, they're coming! What pose should I take?'
His mind ran through everything Idemay had ever said, every ridiculous suggestion, every ridiculous "pose like this" or "tilt your head like that", all of it slamming against one another until it made no sense whatsoever.
He lifted one hand.
No, higher than that.
Chest up.
Chin up.
Wait, no, it was the chin slightly angled that she'd mentioned, hadn't it?
His other hand attempted to follow, stopped half way because he hadn't had a clue where to put it, and he found himself with one fist raised awkwardly in the air over his head, as if in celebration for something, his body twisting enough that his entire posture was off.
And he put on a fake smile too, all heroic-like.
'I've messed this up!'
The Divine Beasts stepped closer, its breath hitting Brill's face and filling it with the scent of stone after a rain shower.
They looked right at him, and for a second, Brill felt his chest expand so fast that it almost ached. Then, one of the beasts tilted its head, its mystic-looking eyes settling squarely on the right side of his face.
The black veins. It was them the beast was looking at.
Another set of divine beast eyes followed to see the veins, then the others. That quiet curiosity altered, no longer just interest.
It didn't contort into disgust or any other obvious emotion, there was no obvious flinch or a hiss or anything clearly signaling dislike, but something changed in their bearing, subtle but unmistakable nonetheless.
So, they stepped around him, one by one without any sort of hesitation; they wanted nothing to do with him.
Brill's fist remained in the air for a second longer before falling.
'What the…?'
He turned, watching them pass by him as if he'd never even been there.
The group stopped again, but this time, before another person.
A girl.
About Brill's young age, perhaps; it was impossible to be sure with how rigidly she held herself still. Her long, black hair hung down her back, strands plastered together where dried blood had caught and held it there. Two black horns stood up from the base of her hair, and her light grey eyes were blank and unreadable.
Horns on her head? Yeah she was definitely a Palta. Horned humans who are descendants of those who dwell in Hell, those who carry demon blood. Usually known for their intelligence, surprisingly, helping humans in wars against enemies, they are considered nobles, and one wouldn't find a Palta in poverty.
But this certain Palta, her clothes were hardly clothes anymore; Torn and dirty, the stains on them fading out but still apparent.
She didn't flinch when the beasts arrived before her, and she didn't even reach out to them or make a sound.
But the beasts saw her, and didn't care about her either, moving past.
"A pity." The girl said as she walked forward.
She continued past the space they had occupied without looking back, her eyes finally meeting Brill's as she brushed past him, an intense gaze locking onto his. They held it for a second, just one.
Long enough to feel that something should be said, but nothing was, and she kept going.
Brill watched her go, thinking:
'Obviously she couldn't be chosen; look at the mess on her. But then, the other beasts just walked past me too…'
His fingers traced over the black veins on his cheek.
'Is it this…?'
He dropped his hand quickly, shaking it as though to dislodge the thought. His mouth formed into another wide smile, though it didn't sit right anymore; it was definitely forced.
'It's alright. Everything's alright. I just need to be patient.'
He resumed his movement further into the field, and pst other beasts.
A ring shaped beast floated above him, the symbols merged into its surface constantly changing to form new patterns. Underneath, a cluster of children surrounded a stout, six legged animal, its body a smooth stone, its legs tapping a rapid rhythm against the ground as it selected a child and a light glowed around their outstretched hand, sealing the pact and bond.
A tall, winged beast with dozens of wings that folded into themselves like fans presented one appendage to a boy encased in glittering show-off armor, the metal tinkling as he hesitantly stepped forward, his eyes wide and his breath halting in awe.
Nearby, a girl giggled as an arm-sized creature with shifting, branch-like limbs hopped onto her shoulder, tiny flowers blooming and fading across its body with each step.
They were all being chosen, but no matter how many times a beast's eyes brushed over Brill…it moved on.
One paused a second longer than the others, its many eyes focusing on him before blinking away. Another began to approach him, then stiffened, retreating fully without making a sound.
Brill kept walking, and kept smiling.; The pressure in his chest grew with every passing minute, a suffocating weight.
The hell was going on?
Time passed, so much time, about 2 hours. The sky was unchanged, though many more had now passed through the Gate, only to exit as they got what they came for.
At some point, Brill stopped, there weren't that many people left now. Twenty, perhaps, or less.
He lowered himself onto a rock, his uniform crinkling uncomfortably beneath him as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, lacing his fingers together automatically.
'I just have to be… patient. That's it. Don't give up!'
He looked up.
Across the field, a small handful of beasts stood still, watching him. His chest felt light for a moment, maybe they found him interesting!
Then they turned, walking away. One, then another, then another, all of them turning away in unison, as if after careful consideration, they had all come to the same decision.
The smile on his face faltered for just a moment, but he plastered it back on.
"Yip!"
From his right, an adorable sound cut through his ears.
It was a bark. A small and bright bark, and Brill turned his head.
A little distance away, a puppy stood looking at him. It was small against all the enormous forms filling the field, its fur a mix of black and far red, the latter somehow appearing impossibly soft even from this far away. Its dark red eyes were fixed on Brill, intense unlike anything else in the vast landscape.
Its tail wagged rapidly behind it, bouncing its whole small body as if it were a jumping bean, and it let out another sharp bark.
"Yip!"
At him, as if it had been waiting or like it was glad he was finally there to see him. The puppy didn't flinch or try to run away when Brill looked at it as if it had no business existing in a place like this.
It was just standing there, tail wiggling back and forth in small, fast movements, eyes locked onto Brill with a happy concentration.
It had no reservation, no uncertainty, only the same bright interest like it had already come to a decision and wasn't going to back down.
Brill squinted at it, fingers twitching at his side before he let out a sigh and bent down, all of his ludicrous clothing bunching around his legs as he reached a hand forward.
'A puppy? In here? Did it wander in here? The way it looks at you though, not a normal looking pup at all. A Divine Beast maybe?'
The puppy practically melted into his hand, nose buried in his palm, snuffling quickly before giving out a small, happy yelp and bouncing slightly in place like it was about to explode.
Brill almost laughed…almost.
His lips twitched, but his eyes slipped back past it to where other creatures were moving, things of a certain size and stature that took up all the space around them without even trying, their wings spanning widely or horns reaching the endless sky; Their forms carried a weight that the ground seemed like it should bear if not for some hidden resistance.
Brill's hand fell, and he stood, flicking his fingers against his trousers like they needed cleaning from something.
"I'll keep moving. I don't actually want a puppy to be my Familiar..."
The puppy blinked once, and barked again.
"Yip!"
And then followed him, and Brill took a step, pretending not to hear.
A second step, a bit faster.
"Yip!"
The soft padding of the puppy's paws remained close behind him, and Brill broke into a light run, dodging a creature lying resting who barely noticed him, then skirting around a group of people still watching the formation of their own contracts, his breath coming a little quicker as the silly animal kept pace with him without any issue.
"N-no! I don't want a puppy!"
The puppy only barked in reply, a little louder this time like it strongly disagreed with his notion.
Brill pushed forward, his legs pumping with his clunky attire hampering his movements, some part of him getting snagged on his shoulder or his knees, the puppy sliding between everything like it had been designed specifically for this.
As an 8 year old boy, he wasn't in the wrong.
He had watched people leave there with Divine Beasts that made everyone in the vicinity turn their heads to look, things that seemed to command their space simply by existing, and now he was supposed to be leaving with a thing that yipped and had short little puppy legs? It wasn't something he'd even imagined, not in the slightest, and the idea of going back to the town of Cassady with it attached to his side made something in his chest constrict in a way that he didn't really want to analyze.
A Caretaker appeared right in front of him as if conjured, stopping him so abruptly that his feet caught under him as he halted himself.
"Why do you refuse the Divine Beast that wishes to bond with you?"
Brill's mouth opened before any thoughts could be properly filtered.
"It's...it's not as cool as the other ones. It's kind of small, and it probably has cutesy powers and I'll be laughed at, just like I always am...."
The words spilled out, tumbling one over the other.
"I want something cool, so people will be interested in me...I'm not diseased or anything, but people and even Divine Beasts still avoid me and stuff. I don't really like it."
He fists clenched in his sides, fingers pressing hard against his palms, thoughts flying to what was always happening back home, the looks people gave him, the way they seemed to leave more space than necessary around him, how even here the Divine Beasts took one look and continued on with their lives as though he was utterly unimportant.
Brill exclaimed to the Caretakers, "I'll wait here until something amazing chooses me! I-"
The Caretaker made no argument, It simply lifted its weapon and tapped him lightly once on the forehead.
And everything changed, the ground beneath him flickered, then changed color and texture. The air changed too, and the space itself seemed to shrink, becoming smaller, more familiar, the enormous doors of the Gate slamming shut as if they had never been open at all.
He was thrown outside the Gates.
Brill landed on the grass outside, catching himself with his hands, his breath caught somewhere between bewilderment and something else that was very hard to recognize.
Idemay stood a little ways off, a posture that was always unnaturally relaxed but her eye carefully tracked him, taking in the emptiness beside him, the lack of anything following, and she didn't ask a question because it was completely unnecessary.
'Brill…my son….'
Brill pushed himself up, limbs shaking slightly as he straightened up, and said:
"I want...a Divine Beast!"
He immediately sprinted directly back towards the Gate. The Caretakers posted there instantly raised their weapons, golden blades pointing at him in unison as he sprinted towards them.
"You have been dismissed from the Ephilm Gate. Re-entry will be granted in ten years from now. Do not persist, or you will die."
He kept running, he didn't slow down at all like he didn't give a damn about anything that was said. The closest Caretaker was already moving, its blade swinging toward him in a perfect downward slash aimed directly for his head.
Brill's body reacted before his brain could, his knees collapsing as he ducked under it, the weapon passing scant millimeters above his skull.
It didn't follow through, and Idemay was there.
Her hand had clamped onto the mid-swing of the blade, fingers wrapped around the metal, her hand darkening, turning stone-like and had red veins that seemed to always lie beneath. She held the hostile blade steady as if it weighed nothing.
"Hey," she said, her voice carrying an unmistakable threat. "He's just a kid. My kid. He'll come back here in 10 years. But if you try to kill him, so help me by my deceased husband I'll slaughter you all."
The Caretaker didn't respond as a human might. It paused and began assessing.
Brill stayed crouched for a beat , his fingers digging into the cool, damp grass, his mind racing and stuck, oscillating between what he had just turned away from and what had nearly decapitated him because of it. And blood was already running down his nose and head, showcasing the power of the Caretakers, even when their weapons didn't even touch him.