The first Alia was not called Alia. The moniker came much later when countries were established and Ethiopians rubbed shoulders with Romans. The first Alia is only that retrospectively, identified by her place of origin and tales of her extraordinary abilities. When language was primitive, in the time of the first Alia, she was simply called Mou, which meant that she was the mother and protector of everyone who used the moniker. As countries formed and language developed, the female descendents of Mou who manifested her abilities were called Ayana because they were the strongest females around who seemed to have a connection to a plane of existence that was not accessible by the average person. As they interacted with different cultures and peoples, the reputations of these extraordinary women preceded them and they became known as different things to different people. Sometimes a goddess, sometimes a sideshow, other times a witch, the Alia has been called many names.
Fomorn stood next to a window, his hand in midair holding back a curtain as he peered out. He was in a second floor apartment that was owned by the man who sat on the couch between two women, staring blankly forward with a dumb smile on his face (the women had identical expressions). Fomorn was waiting anxiously for Mog to return with the last of his recruits and he looked out the window nervously like someone had caught on to their plan was coming to stop them.
In actuality, Fomorn was nervous about his own plan that he had not told Mog about, and he had to know when Mog would be returning. He had to time everything right or Mog would stop him.
When Fomorn saw Mog crossing the parking lot with his right hand raised like a red lantern and the trail of four people behind him, he ordered the three people on the couch to stand. Then he asked them to curl into tight balls on the floor facing the front door of the apartment, their heads tucked between their knees and legs folded underneath themselves. They looked like large stones and Formorn knelt behind them on one knee, his back straight and his eyes fixed on the door.
As he heard Mog approach outside, Fomorn closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. With each inhale, Fomorn’s head grew like it was an inflating balloon, and when it was bigger than the bodies of the three on the floor in front of him, he started to swallow them whole. When Mog entered through the front door, he was horrified to see the last of them being swallowed by Fomorn. The light at his hand disappeared instantly and the line of people behind him stopped like statues.
“What did you do?”
Fomorn stood slowly and his body seemed to grow, though it did not match the size of his head.
“Saving you,” he said shakily. He could feel the people inside of his stomach settling, and he grew in size slowly but steadily. “Take me outside before I tear this place apart.”
When they were outside, Mog lead his four recruits with Fomorn into a quiet thick of woods near the apartment complex where they could finish their work without interruption. Mog ordered his recruits to sit and then he turned his anger on Fomorn.
“You’re half giant!” Mog screamed up at the man who was almost twice his size by that point, but he knelt on one knee. “This won’t work for you! And you ate them whole!”
“Trust me,” Formorn said and brushed Mog aside easily with a hand. “This was all my fault and I won’t let you become a murderer to make it right.” He grabbed one of the remaining recruits and he swallowed the person whole.
“You’re doing it wrong!” Mog screamed. “This is a waste. I could have brought them back, you can’t now.”
Fomorn ate another of the people and Mog’s hand illuminated.
“Stop or I’ll hit you,” Mog screamed.
Fomorn laughed, “You’re barely strong enough to do that,” and then he pushed Mog with his big hand, then ate another of the people. Then another. He stood and Mog watched from the ground as the man grew taller than most of the trees in their vicinity, though he was not taller than the tallest trees that surrounded them.
Fomorn opened his big hand flat over Mog’s head; his hand was bigger than Mog’s entire body. The red energy that had illuminated Mog’s hand issued in a steady stream up into Fomorn’s hand. Fomorn’s entire body became a glowing red form and Mog stared up at him with legitimate surprise; he had never seen Fomorn grow so tall or shine so brightly. Tears welled in his eyes and he knew that he was finally going home, his ordeal on Earth would soon be over.
“I am sorry for all of this. You were only ever a friend to me, and the greatest gift I can give to you is your death.”
Mog dropped to his knees. “Thank you, friend. I don’t blame you for anything.”
Mog bowed his head and Fomorn squeezed a fist so tight that his hand was white, and then he smashed it down on top of Mog.
There were reports of an earthquake in Charlotte, NC that night, a strange occurrence for the area. There were also reports of strange lights in the woods, some saw red flashes, others blue, white, yellow. Local weather men reported two tornadoes that sprang up spontaneously and the a small town just northeast of Charlotte was completely devastated.
Neither Mog nor Fomorn were ever seen again. It is important to note that early chapters of this story were told in the first person perspective of their first recruit, so it would seem that at least he somehow survived the ordeal.
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