Chapter 12: Despair.*

The next chapter has mentions and suggestions of acts of violence and abuse. Read discreetly.

Perhaps because of its small size, the creature looked exaggeratedly muscular, but its body was strangely disproportionate as if trying to shed any humanoid traits. It had a pair of huge hands, which like its head and torso, disengaged with the size of its body. In addition to its physique, the creature apparently showed traces of intelligence, proven by it carrying a lit torch, which even in its huge hand looked huge.  To Ana's terror, she saw this abomination turn into an alley that she knew pointed directly toward her house. 

Immediately, all the color disappeared from her face. Few creatures were in Ana's mind bestiary, but this was one of them, and unfortunately, it was not part of the pages of a storybook. She knew what that thing was, and she knew it didn't came alone.

Alice just watched as her mother rose quietly and peered through the small gap between the curtain on the wall. Not knowing anything about what her mother had seen, she could only watch as her expression became cold and silent.  Alice walked over and asked. "Mother, what's wrong?"

Her daughter's words awakened Ana from the panic that was forming inside her. She felt part of her soul returned to her body, bringing with it despair.  Immediately, she moved to cover Alice's mouth, seeing those blue eyes staring back at her with nervous doubt, reminded her that she couldn't succumb to fear since she didn't just need to worry about her safety. 

It was then that the screams began to become clearer and the lights brighter. As if reality decided to shake Ana, expecting a reaction. It was no longer one or two creatures that were seen from the window, it seemed that the seconds multiplied them at will. It was then that Ana confirmed what they were, she could see them setting fire to the houses of the neighbors, shooting down with wooden clubs anyone who tried to flee the fire, that behavior was extremely characteristic of a particular creature, Trasgos.

What are these creatures doing so far from the mountains? Who has incited them? What has Palo Verde done to offend them?

She knew the kind of behaviors these creatures had towards people. There were no words that could describe the terror he was feeling at that moment. But for both her and her daughter, Ana needed to be strong, or something much worse than death would await them.

Ana did not have time to think too much about the subject and comfort her daughter because the eve of her birthday and the awakening of her Nexus were interrupted, so she could wait until they were away and safe. She had to find a way to get her daughter out of there before those creatures reached her doorstep.

The flames were accompanied by the screams of struggle, agony, and a vaguer and darker feeling that Ana recognized and filled her with terror for her daughter. 

The quiet and peaceful village of Palo Verde was now tinged by the sadistic creatures that came from the forest bringing tragedy and depravity with them. With torches in one hand and wooden clubs in the other, without any apparent warning cry or incitement, the Trasgos stole the small town's characteristic peace, leaving in their wake a trail of blood and despair.

As if death wasn't punishment enough, someone with time to pay attention would have noticed that the grotesque creatures weren't killing indiscriminately. The selection appeared to be men of all ages and elderly women. Leaving the rest alive, unfortunately. 

Ana knew that death would have been preferable, compared.

The creatures, commonly known as trasgos, were known for their appearances in horror stories. Stories were created to warn young women not to go out at night and not to stray too far from their villages or their bodyguards. The small, but vicious creatures were not very intelligent nor were they very high up the chain of command in the world. However, they were very strong creatures that were governed simply by the basic needs of life: to survive. 

It is well known that traits are an entirely male species and that to reproduce they require other humanoid species. The problem was that they used their low intelligence and violence to force themselves on females of other species and did not take no for an answer. To the point where if you were about to be captured by them, it was preferable to end your own life before ending up in their clutches and being forced into an incubator for their species.

Prisoners of war have better outcomes. The only period of rest is gestation, and it only happens when they are sure that fertilization has passed. Before this are days, constant hours and agonizing moments of being outraged again and again by multiple individuals since they are not so good as to take turns and the only thing that interests them is the perpetuation of their species. It was not uncommon that in the process the victims did not survive, there are theories that this is why there are no longer females of their species.

Ana managed to witness in the corner of her eye 4 of them surrounding a young woman. As much as she wanted to help her, she was insufficient, even if Alice wasn't there. She barely managed to look away when she heard the loud sobs accompanied by moans coming from hoarse voices that drowned out the young woman's screams.

Unfortunately, despite the hatred that these nasty beasts had earned, they had not been eradicated. Due to its vicious but somewhat cowardly nature, stroke attacks were not to be common. Their enormous ability to reproduce with any other humanoid and that their heating period is much shorter than anyone's made them an incessant plague. Plus they were too hard to track.

The people of Palo Verde were helpless in the face of the massacre and the maelstrom of rapes that was unfolding. With no guards or any fighting force, with a decent population of females for breeding, and plenty of food to plunder, the village of Palo Verde was for the Trasgos the perfect prey.

But trasgos are common from deep, lush forests or underground cave networks stretching for miles. It didn't make sense that they were in Palo Verde, it didn't make sense that that was the fate of the young women of the town. Cries of agony surrounded Ana's thoughts.

Ana had never before in her life seen a trasgo, nor any current inhabitant of Palo Verde, although they had heard of them and knew what they were. No matter what happened to her, she couldn't let those things capture her daughter. What was seen beyond the window were the circles of hell on earth, the claws of lust and greed slowly approaching, strengthening Ana's resolve to do anything as long as she could keep Alice safe.