After a while, the river churned, and a monster surfaced from the water. Its face was covered in scales.
The monster's build was mainly like that of a human, though it was unusually tall and burly, with scales growing across its face.
The commoners grew tense when they saw the monster.
"You bring me this little worthless stuff and expect me to bless you with favorable weather? It's far too little."
"At the very least, you must send me a pair of Boy and Girl Offerings every year. Only then can I bless you with favorable weather."
The monster said angrily to the commoners in the distance.
"River God, honored River God, we can give you more cattle and sheep, as many as you want. But Boy and Girl Offerings are truly too difficult."
"They are all someone's children. How could we bear to offer them up?"
The High Priest conducting the ritual gathered his courage and spoke to the River God.
"How presumptuous! You insignificant ritual officiant dare tell this great god that there are no Boy and Girl Offerings?"
"If you do not offer Boy and Girl Offerings, not only will I refuse to bless you with favorable weather."
"I will also bring calamity upon your people and leave you unable to survive. So you had best offer up the Boy and Girl Offerings."
After the monster calling himself the River God finished speaking, he let out a roar and unleashed a blast of Demonic Energy.
It struck the High Priest and sent him crashing to the ground. After falling, the High Priest spat out a mouthful of blood.
The other commoners were terrified and all backed away. Only two bolder young men stepped forward to help the High Priest up.
"I'll give you three days. If you