Damballah, Divine Dogs, and a Warning in the Market
The day began like any other in Zantrayel: sunlight filtered through the misty trees surrounding Nouvo Lakay, workers filled the streets, and citizens moved with purpose… until the Bureau of Order quietly brought in their strangest "arrest" yet.
The Arrest of Lwa Damballah
No shackles. No force.
The officers said they escorted a man down the main avenue. He wore flowing white robes, walked barefoot, and didn't speak. He moved like mist over water—and every time one of them got too close, they forgot what they were doing for a moment.
"Why did we bring him in?" one officer asked.
"We… I think he wanted to come?" said another.
"He smiled," whispered the third, still wide-eyed. "I felt like a child again…"
Zion arrived at the station only to find half his guards stupefied, others crying softly or staring into space.
"What in all the blessed names of the Lwa happened here?" Zion demanded.
A priestess stepped forward reverently.
"My King… Lwa Damballah wishes to take residence in the temple."
Zion blinked.
"So… he arrested us?"
"Yes. Respectfully."
Damballah Takes Residence
After Damballah moved into the temple, the air felt different.
More peaceful. Heavy with calm.
Snakes began appearing near the sacred pools—harmless, glowing white serpents that coiled like water and vanished when touched.
The temple staff stopped arguing.
The fires burned low and steady.
And every time Tijan Petro tried to prank someone, something went wrong—his soup boiled too fast, his dramatic wind gusts backfired, or a chicken turned back into a statue.
"I hate him," Tijan Petro muttered from his corner. "Too serene. Too clean. Even the snakes don't bite."
Rumors of Divine Pups
While the gods settled in, rumors began to swirl.
Three children reported seeing a trio of puppies at the riverside—black, white, and golden. The dogs licked their hands, wagged their tails, and ran into the jungle.
Later, adults claimed to see giant hounds sprinting through the hills that same night, glowing with spirit light.
"The black one howled, and I swore my bones shook," said a hunter.
"The golden one vanished into mist," said a merchant.
"The white one stared at me," said a guard, "and I remembered every lie I ever told my mother."
No one could prove anything. But the sightings kept increasing.
Zion didn't bother investigating.
"At this point," he muttered to his council, "if Papa Loko shows up riding a giant rooster, I'm just going to wave and say welcome."
A Surprise in the Market
It was midday when Zion decided to walk through the market himself, craving normalcy. He blended in with the people—barely—trying to enjoy the smells of fried plantains, smoked fish, and fresh herbs.
That was when he spotted her.
She wore a red scarf, her eyes sharp as fire and full of knowing. Her laughter made two vendors freeze mid-bargain.
Erzulie Je Rouge, wild sister of Erzulie Freda, smiled as she ran her fingers over a basket of ripe mangoes.
"Zion," she said without turning.
"Lwa Erzulie," he replied cautiously. "Which one are you today?"
"The one with warnings and teeth."
He paused.
She faced him then, red earrings swaying.
"Hurry. Make the rum."
"What?"
"Make. The. Rum," she repeated, poking his chest. "The gods are gathering, and spirits need offering. No more wine. No more sweet juice. We want fire in a bottle."
She leaned close and whispered:
"Something old is waking. Something watching. If you want Zantrayel to stand… brew what Earth taught you."
And just like that, she vanished.
Zion turned to the vendor.
"Did you see where she went?"
"Who?"
"The woman with the mangoes—red scarf?"
"I haven't had mangoes today," the vendor said, confused. "But I do have cassava bread."
Zion stared, sighed, and rubbed his temples.
"Great. Another one. Fire in a bottle it is…"