OPEN my melancholy blues

[METEOR]

METEOR

As part of his assessment of the ecological damage, Meteor had been investigating the mainland-facing side of the island. Fortunately, the wind and water systems had prevented embers from spreading here… but the earthquakes had toppled many trees. There were hills where there used to be flatland. And flatland where their used to be hills. However, the beach’s black sands—perhaps because the beach was already a fairly desolate landscape—had survived.

But, by Requiem and Vayu, where the fuck had those obsidian stepping stones come from?! The weirdest fucking ecological damage he’d seen thus far.

Therefore, Meteor didn’t even notice Montgomery until he stepped closer to the stepping stones and spotted the dog. The canine’s white fur popped out against the black stones and sand, but maybe it was the dog’s miserable posture. Clearly, the visitor hadn’t enjoyed hopping across the stepping stones.

“You.” Meteor ‘greeted’ as he approached the dog, then squinted and sniffed.

“Montgomery, isn’t it?” Meteor’s golden eyes narrowed. Perhaps, as one cult leader to another, he should be more courteous. However… Montgomery was an idiot, because he seemed to truly believe in the fiction he peddled to his followers. But what Meteor couldn’t forgive was his inefficiency. They lived in a frozen hellscape, and, as a consequence, Meteor had witnessed Montgomery beg Valerius for food. If Valerius was inefficient because of his sadism, then Montgomery was inefficient because of his inadequacy. A leader provided for his followers. Even sadistic narcissist Valerius could provide.

“If you’re hoping for Valerius, my father is recently deceased, and I am the new pharaoh.” With a flick of his tail, Meteor gestured to the devastated forest behind him. “As you can see, I’m in no mood for generosity.”