The Sherry in Shadow

Chapter 16: Trojan Moose

Dawn's glow crept over the mountains, bathing the Alexandrian stone buildings in warm hues. Sherry sat at a cafeteria table, luxuriating in the sheer bliss of her breakfast. Each bite of syrup-drenched pancake felt like an earned victory for her successful stealth operation the night before. Reveling in the hospitality of her unsuspecting enemy, her satisfaction was both intense and faintly perverse.

While savoring her pancake, her gaze would occasionally flit to the cafeteria entrance. The doors swung open and closed, offering momentary glimpses of the Shadow statue beyond. The early morning had already brought a small congregation of women to worship the statue, their numbers swelling as breakfast drew to a close.

Each one was blissfully unaware of the doom they were hastening towards. Sherry's mind began to entertain visions of their empire falling apart and herself standing proud as the architect of their downfall. All she had to do now was play the waiting game. An impish smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Hehehe," she chuckled quietly.

"Enjoying your syrup soup, 720?" came the teasing voice of 719. The twins, 718 and 719, rounded the corner, breakfast trays in hand, and took their seats opposite Sherry.

"Eh? Oh, I- I was just..." Sherry suddenly felt bold, "...reminiscing about a story I've read recently."

"Oh, really? What story?" 718 asked.

"The Trojan Moose by Natsume?" Sherry replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

719 shook her head. She then gave a quizzical glance to 718, who nodded. "I've read it. It's a good tale." 718 confirmed, then turned to 719 to explain, "It's about a group who breached a city's defenses by hiding inside a colossal wooden moose."

"Exactly!" Sherry's face brightened, excited that at least 718 has read the story. "The Trojans were so oblivious to the danger that they welcomed the moose into their city. They even celebrated it with a feast!"

"Haha," 719 chuckled. "Just the idea of people celebrating a giant moose is pretty funny."

"Right?" Sherry agreed. "And the best part is that the people of Troy were so oblivious that they ended up getting slaughtered in their sleep!"

"Ouch," 719 winced. "That got a bit dark."

"Well, I mean-" Sherry tried to explain, thinking maybe she was the only one to appreciate that part. However, 718 interjected.

"It's a sound strategy," 718 approved. She then addressed 719. "Do you think the Cult deserves any less? If anything, killing them in their sleep is a mercy."

"I guess..." 719 replied. "You've killed before, right, sis?"

"Yes, I have," 718 replied bluntly. She then addressed Sherry as if to explain, "As part of my leadership training I shadowed a few missions. Once I saw what the Cult did to the people they captured... I didn't hesitate."

Sherry arched an eyebrow. "What did they do?" She had assumed the Cult was a fabrication of Shadow Garden, serving as a vehicle for tricking their members to do their bidding, and a weak attempt to justify their actions to the public.

"They tortured them...," 718 replied, swallowing. 718 pushed her plate away. "Sorry, I lost my appetite."

"Sorry..." Sherry instinctively replied. 718's reaction was unexpected, and Sherry wasn't sure what to make of it. As 719 rubbed 718's back in comfort, Sherry caught another glimpse of the statue; about a dozen members seemed to be worshipping it now. Sherry bit her lip, trying to hold back her excitement.

"It's not your fault," 718 replied. "Sadly, you'll probably see such horrors yourself soon enough."

Sherry shook her head subconsciously. Sherry wasn't so sure about that. For one, she still didn't believe in the Cult – Shadow Garden was adept at playing mind games, so 718 likely saw whatever Shadow Garden wanted her to see. And two, Sherry wasn't planning on sticking around that long.