《The Monsters Inside Me》 Chapter 1 - Dreams (R) =Varith= (12 Cycles later) I¡¯m running, surrounded by corpses and scenes of battle. Horrid abominations of mismatched limbs and flesh move towards me, their wet flesh rippling with each movement. Desperate I swing my sword, fending off the putrid beings. But they swarm in a mass of flesh. Unable to keep them at bay I backpedal, trying to escape them, my training all but forgotten. One flings itself at me in speed inhuman to even my enhanced eyes. Off balance and with my sword out of position I close my eyes, waiting for death. Only to be blinded by a blaze of light so bright that even my closed lids are unable to fully block it out. Blinking bright spots out of my now open eyes and am met by a field of smoldering flesh lit by ethereal flames that burn hungrily. I catch sight my brethren scattered around the now empty field. In the distance a black spot in my vision moving, twisting around inhumanly as a star of blue chases. With a small prayer of thanks I regroup with the rest of my unit. My visions ripples and bends another scene coming to light. I¡¯m flying, twisting through the ranks of blue cloaked men. I Rip them from their positions and comrades, returning them in a less whole state. Soon enough my overt actions catch his attention. The Wraith Lord. He streaks over trying to catch me to stop me. I laugh at the thought. I¡¯d been waiting, growing for millenniums, all for this battle. Clashing with him I make use of my incorporeal body to avoid his strikes. I stretch my limbs around him and attack from all sides, overwhelming him A point in my vision catches my attention, a black smudge. Curious I focus on it and with that it grows covering my field of view until I can see no more. Now I am floating in a void empty by myself. Lost in scenes of slaughter that I had witnessed and the emotions that had been forced through, it takes me a second to reorient myself. [A dream, this is a dream] No matter how often I¡¯d been forced into such scenarios by my slumbering mind I¡¯ve never grown used to it. Never once have I been able to differentiate them from reality while in the midst of one. In the middle of my reverie I see something in the distance. There, a light blue smudge moving across the void, a sharp contrast to the black that surrounds it. Interested I will myself closer, to probe it. It seems to sense, hastily switching directions to escape, but this is a dream and they are places of absolute territory. I will it to stop but it resists, sending waves of energy towards me that prickles the my skin. [It hurts...] I reach out, grasping at whatever in me forces these dreams onto me and demand for it to respond. It does, quickly. The reality of my dream rips as limbs even darker than the void forcibly enter, shielding me from the rest of the smudge¡¯s attack. Now it turns, baring its fangs at the source of the danger to me, snatching it. Grasping firmly it forcibly drags the smudge before me, allowing me to inspect it. I was a small gathering of slightly glowing haze with nothing visibly holding it together. The insides were constant flowing in small complex currents that twisted around each other. Wherever the shadowy appendages dug into it, it would spark periodically, giving me the idea that the two did not go well together. As time went on the glow got weaker, the currents slower and the sparks appeared less often. It was dieing. Even so, with my curiosity peaked I was unwilling to let it go and continued to observe it. Entertaining myself with thoughts of what it was or where it came from I watched it slowly weaken until it disappeared completely. It¡¯s ¡°death¡± didn¡¯t bother me, after all this is just a dream. == My eyes snap open and am met with the familiar sight of my room. Wide awake I sit myself up, stretching my arms to the side as I do so. Waking up from these dreams always tended to be a bit abrupt. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. [Strange.] Usually that wouldn¡¯t be too strange since I did get a full night of sleep, but my dreams usually left me feeling tired and drained. The complete opposite of how I feel right now, I felt fully rested, energetic even. I¡¯d go as far that I didn¡¯t feel hungry either. Changing out of my nightclothes I make my way downstairs. There I see my mother busily cooking with Svere hanging over her shoulder. Hearing my footsteps she turns to me, surprised at my presence. ¡°You''re up awfully early aren¡¯t you? Did something happen?¡± Eyes twinkling she brushes back a strand of her red hair. Father and I both tend to sleep late and only awake when drawn by the tantalizing scent of food. ¡°Just had a bad dream.¡± Not a lie. ¡°Mhm, go wash up then. Breakfast will be done in a little while.¡± Nodding I go outside, closing the door behind me. Outside I make my way to the well that we use for any water related needs. Pulling up a bucket full of water I can¡¯t help but stare at my own reflection. Skin was so pale that I couldn¡¯t spend more than an hour outside for fear of sunburn. The black strands of hair that hung over my forehead were a startling contrast, and then there were my eyes. I hated them. They were dark blue, nothing like the hazel eyes of my mother or the slate grey of my fathers. Without a doubt they were what stood out the most about me. Well, thats if you only went skin deep but still, I hated it all the same. I¡¯d tried asking my parents where¡¯d they come, where it¡¯d all come from, only to get a tight, awkward smile in return. After cleaning up I start to make my way back indoors, but stop halfway. Rested as I felt I had an urge to let it all out. [I¡¯m not hungry anyways.] =Calibro''s Wraith= I can only watch as they drape the white cloth over his body, drops of red staining the pristine cloth. His chest still rose and fell but the look in his eyes was by no means one of a living body. I can only clench my fist and grind my teeth at the sight. [Damn it¡­.] To lose a Wraith as old as him is always a blow to the Order, but to lose him while he was in the middle of a spirit walk? That hinted at much bigger, more dire problems. "Calibro explain the situation to me.¡± ¡°According to the witnesses, he was in the middle of a spirit walk patrol in the kingdom of Reld when he had all of a sudden¡­ started keening. Not a minute later he started to convulse and tear at himself like a madman. Eventually he just....... stopped, and well you can see the results.¡± Calibro, my spirit whispered over my shoulder.[/i] "What about his contracted spirit?" ¡°Gone, no sign of it along with the Wraith¡¯s soul.¡± A body without a soul might as well be dead, common knowledge to any Wraith. Spirit Walking did involve removing said soul from the body, but it did still leave behind a tenuous connection, one that I currently didn¡¯t see on his body. Still, we need to keep the body alive just in case he¡¯s still out there somewhere. [Have we finally ran out of time?] I turn towards the guards at the door. ¡°Make it known that no one is allowed to spirit walk anywhere near the Kingdom of Reld until further orders.¡± I face the other. ¡°Send messages via Spirit Walking to the rest of the Council, we need to meet." == PR: Leon Das Chapter 2 - Minds (R) =Calibro¡¯s Wraith= Walking down the hallway of clean cut stone I listened to my steps echo off the walls in the darkness that flows around me. Calibro followed behind me, his own gentle glow drowned out by the light of the torch. [Gods, this passage is too long. ] Tripping over a loose stone I¡¯m reminded exactly how much I envy Calibro and his incorporeal body. ¡°Remind me why, Calibro, that we must do this for every damn gathering?¡± I say while picking myself up. As indistinct as his features are I can almost feel his smirk. ¡°Stop complaining, you¡¯re well aware that this is one of the few ways into the Garden.¡± Deciding that this was a losing battle I continue on without a word. After another 10 joyous minutes of walking we finally come to our target location. Before us stands a wall of silvery metal that emits a slight blue gleam. Calibro and I separate to either side, me on the left and him to the right. Syncing our movements we both reach out, tapping it with our fingertips as the center ripples form in the middle, they roll outwards until meeting in the middle stopping wherever they meet each other. When the metal finally calms down again a long unbroken line is formed down the middle. Soundlessly, it glides open revealing an empty stone room. An Antechamber to the Garden, one of seven in the entire world. Passing through the now open door I take one last look at the pearly doorway, the Garden, Antechamber and the entrance all came from times before the first Wraith Lord. [Shame we can¡¯t reproduce any of it.] We head to the middle of the room, extinguishing the flame of torch as we reach the center. Calibro touches the door a second time, reacting to his spiritual energy it swings shut behind. Sitting down in the center of the room, I close my eyes and turn my focus inwards. With practiced ease I find my soul and wrap it in spiritual energy. Once I am sure I have a tight hold on it, I signal Calibro. A moment later I feel a slight tug, not even a full breath after it began it turned into a wrenching feeling. I opened my ¡°eyes¡± once again, and am dazzled by the bright surroundings. Gone is the dark and dreary room, in its place are bright swirling lines that hum with power. The door now blazes with shifting colors behind us. Below us sits my now vacant body. I can only shiver thinking of the earlier Wraith while eying the thin blue line that tethers me to my body. At the best of times I never felt comfortable spirit walking and that was before I saw that. Now¡­ Well, I just tried to avoid thinking about it. Calibro, holding my soul, moves towards the front of the room. All of the energy gravitated towards a single point in the room creating a pseudo whirlpool of turbulent energies. Walk- no floating towards it, we got about a foot away from it before I began to feel the telltale pull. Bracing myself for what came next, I wrapped my energy even tighter around me. Calibro stops resisting and lets us be pulled in. Reaching the very center of maelstrom I felt the energies tearing at my thin shield and myself. I realized what came next was necessary, but that didn¡¯t mean I had to like it. Feeling it pierce my shield I clenched my non-existent teeth... I burst, my soul separating down to its basic elements. Millions of me floating around, each made up of a single facet of what made up myself as a whole. Thankfully, Calibro was prepared for this. He took the surrounding energies and skillfully weaved it into a container around me (or us?). Back in the physical world Spirits have the barest of control over spiritual energy, and are only able to filter it for us Wraiths. Here though in the Garden spirits had complete control, making us Wraiths obsolete as long as we were here. Slowly Calibro rebuilds me, allowing me to take stock of our surroundings. Seeing the thick mist that shined to my senses and the outline of six other figures I breathe a sigh of relief. The Garden, as we called this place, allowed us to hold conversations as if we were face to face across entire continents. Messages relayed by spirit walking were fast but not instant like this, too bad only the strongest are able to survive the transition. ¡°I ask that the representatives identify themselves!¡± Calibro shouts, finished putting me back together. In the Garden the spirits are the ones who do the talking. ¡°Do you not think it is rude to demand names when you have yet to give your own?¡± A lilting voice yells from the right. [Calibro, must you argue with her like this everytime?] Ignoring me he continues, ¡°I am Calibro of Tor-Nundo, and again I ask, who are the present representatives?¡± [Well damn, guess you do.] ¡°Jeywin the one to join you from Divel.¡± For all her complaints the melodic voice is the first to speak. ¡°Soldat representing Cass-Vinda, Not that you¡¯d forget I¡¯m sure.¡± A voice dripping with arrogance. ¡°Zorn the speaker for Querin.¡± A quiet whisper. ¡°Sp?her. Urtonlo.¡± Short and sweet that one. ¡°Stefues of Eolin.¡± Unexpectedly normal, that guy. ¡°J?ger of the Yorv Land.¡± A deep gravelly voice from the left. Not recognizing the last one I quickly give Calibro a mental poke. Picking up on it he turns to address the last voice. ¡°J?ger of Yorv Land, what has befallen your last representative?¡± ¡°An ailment known as death, not a very uncommon thing within our ranks no?¡± Calibro nods accepting his response, ¡°Moving on. Has everyone has received the outline of the Wrai-¡± ¡°Surely that is due to a foolish mistake on the Wraith¡¯s part, not because of Revenants with levels of power we haven¡¯t seen since the previous Wraith Lord? The next Wraith Lord hasn¡¯t even appeared yet! We should still have some time left!¡± Soldat interrupts. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Calibro snaps back, ¡°We don¡¯t, It¡¯s been nearly ten thousand cycles since we and the Revenants nearly decimated each other. That''s plenty long enough for the Revenants to rebuild their strength, and we have yet to do so.¡± ¡°What. Mean.¡± Sp?her asks in it¡¯s own special way. ¡°Sp?her is right, There are tens of thousands of Wraiths stretched across the seven regions. A number unimaginable just after Wraith Lord Hathis¡¯ disappearance, surely you jest.¡± Jeywin, though her voice had lost the musical cadence. ¡°Just like Soldat said, a new Wraith Lord has yet to appear and without him¡­.. I dare say even we wouldn¡¯t be safe.¡± ¡°Stop with this foolishness. We are the seven, the most powerful and oldest Wraiths that walk the Earth. Even if there are Revenants that spent the entire time the last decimation to now, we would not be so helpless against them.¡± A gravelly voice from the mist. Calibro hesitates, ¡°We aren¡¯t, not against them. Tell me though, do you think that we completely wiped out the Revenants during that battle?¡± No response. Calibro starts again, almost whispering, ¡±What I fear are beings much older. You¡¯ve all read the records of largest battles, and about that single being of black jade. One that was able to fight the Hathis toe to toe, do any of you think you could face an opponent that a Wraith Lord struggled with?¡± Silence follows, broken only by a different, even quieter voice, ¡°We will take your words to heart Calibro. We shall renew our efforts on finding the new Wraith Lord, and we will support you in anyway we can to capture this ''Spirit Walk'' capturing Revenant of yours.¡± Calibro nods, ¡°Then we shall contact our base in the Reld kingdom and ask them to start a sweep of the whole land in search of the threat.¡± =Varith= Running, bounding through the forest, stepping side to side to avoid trees by the barest margin, heart beating in my chest. With each stride I flung myself farther forward, a trick that I was only able to accomplish because of my strange weight. Exhilarated, I push myself faster, losing sight of my surroundings. Focusing purely on the run I immerse myself in my body, too late though I notice a road right in front of me. Bursting through the trees I see a carriage no more than an arm''s span away from me. Panicking, I cross my arms in front of my face and pull myself through the carriage. Everything slows, becoming a muted grey as I hurtle through the carriages side, likely startling the passengers inside. Sadly, because I covered my face in a reflex I am unable to survey the inside, even if I am in slow-motion. Would have been nice to see their faces. Passing through faster than a galloping horse from their point of view they likely only saw a dark blue blur. Unless, of course the coachmen caught sight of me beforehand, but even then I''m confident I would be fine. While in the middle of my musings I slam into a tree about thirty steps past the carriage in the forest. Luckily I went far enough that the trees should be concealing me. [Damn it, why can''t I just phase through everything. ] I¡¯m not able to phase through the ground or natural, uncut rock. People, living plants, and animals are a no go. [That¡¯s enough for today, gotta get home or else mother will freak and father....] I can only shiver at the thought of the torture he disguises as training he would make me do. Going at my top speed it only takes 10 minutes tops before I make it back to our two story cabin I call home. Smelling something delicious wafting from the kitchen I recklessly pop out of the bushes, making my way towards the open door. Only to see a similar blue smudge standing in it, and by its size, its Gafrin, my father''s spirit. [Trap!] I turn trying to escape my fate only to be met with a solid wall of muscle, also known as my father. Sensing danger I kick myself off his legs, sending me into a shallow leap backwards by almost 20 paces skidding on the ground a bit due to my low weight. I catch the training sword that had been tossed to me. [Why fight when you can run?] I turn and run, after all Gafrin wouldn''t be able to stop me. Only to pause at the sight of my mother in the doorway. Feeling my father coming up behind me, I kick off the ground flinging myself onto the roof. I turn to gloat of my glorious escape only to be dealt a crushing blow by my mother. ¡°Either you fig- I mean train with your dad or no dinner for you.¡± I can only gasp, shocked that they would stoop so low. I immediately fall through the roof all the way to the ground floor, and while still phased launch myself forward through the wall legs stretched out behind me. Coming through the wall I see him ready to beat me down. This time I pulled. You see, as I''ve grown older I''ve realized that some of me seems to just naturally stay on the other side (probably why I''m so light). So now I try pulling myself here taking all of me from the other side. This had the effect of immediately raising my weight. With such a sudden spike in mass my body dropped, stopping right before my dad hit me. This caused his swing to miss me completely, allowing me to nonchalantly tap him on the chest with my training sword tip. Unfortunately, they''re not surprised a bit by the new trick, they after all have been dealing with my quirks the whole time they''ve raised me. You know, things like falling through my crib or using some non-traditional methods of moving around as a baby, that may have involved a ladle and a pot. To add insult to injury I''m the one that''s surprised by my usually silent father''s next words. "Tomorrow I¡¯m going to town, come with me" With that, he turned and walked off inside with mother. == PR: Leon Das Chapter 3 - Experience (R) =Varith= It''s just me and father walking on a dirt road that leads to Garten, the nearest town. Mother had stayed behind to keep an eye on the house. Neither Svere or Gafrin came as father didn¡¯t want them to run into the local Wraith that was posted at the town. Father had also told me I had to stay in my ¡°heavy¡± state (normal state for normal people). Apparently because that makes me look normal in the eyes of spirits, at least that''s what they he told me. They had never even told me that I looked different to them in the first place. [Slip of the tongue?] Whatever the complications this was a good chance for me to learn more about the world in general. Honestly, it''s pretty pathetic how I only know the very basics, actually, I don¡¯t think I can claim to even know that. My parents haven¡¯t really taught me much about the world in general, but they¡¯ve been strangely in-depth when it comes to the Order, Wraiths, and Revenants. [Do they want me to be one when I¡¯m older?] I know that Wraiths are pretty much the only ones capable of fighting Revenants evenly, which is what their job is, so I guess that works out. Also that they all come from the Order. The only organization in the world with the knowledge and means to make someone into a Wraith. The entire extent of my knowledge really, makes me wonder if my parents just want to keep their freak son away from the world. I never even seen a map that goes beyond Garten. That''s not a depressing thought at all. They told me the reason they stay so far from town is for the privacy but¡­. How they drag me inside whenever a traveler or merchant comes by. Always being careful to keep me away from town and other people. Makes me question whether or not they''re telling me the truth. While thinking about it I lift my face, taking a glance at my father. I get a face full of kicked up dirt pleasure, from yours truly. I grimaced and spit the grime back onto the dirt road. I turn my eyes upwards, lazily tracking clouds across the sky as we continue our steady walk. [Why? Why are they going to such lengths to isolate me and why now are they suddenly taking me out?] I pull my cloak''s hood further over my eyes, mulling it over. [I wish they wouldn¡¯t hide so much from me...] == [Crowded...] I struggled through the crowd,my food I¡¯d bought cradled in my arms, protected against the crush of bodies. I made my way over to a fountain in the middle of the packed square, I sit down, holding up my precious cargo. My father once we had gotten into the town had tossed me a silver bit and left, leaving me to my own devices. A little perturbed at his abruptness and willingness to ditch me like, I decided to make full use of my new found wealth. Having skipped breakfast I had of course decided to attend to my grumbling stomach licking my lips I take a bite into it, I spit it out the next moment a rancid taste flooding my mouth. [Disgusting.] At first I thought that I¡¯d been tricked, but looking at the same stand I saw many other customers walking away happy, none showing signs of revulsion as they would have if theirs had tasted as mine. [I¡¯m probably just not used to the area¡¯s food. No, we may not live in town but we¡¯re so far as to have developed a different palette.] Tossing the unfinished food to the side I eyed the copper bits dangling at my belt. [Never realized how much a silver bit really was.] Even buying a pouch for all the change hadn''t put too much of a dent in it. [I could at the least buy one of everything from the stalls with the amount of money I have left, surely they all wouldn¡¯t be terrible. They all can¡¯t taste terrible.] Thrilled by the idea of more, less repulsive food, I too rise intending to make my way to another stall. Suddenly a shrill scream echoes through the square startling me. The entire crowd shifted, moving towards the source. [Shouldn''t we move away from the screaming?] My interest peaked, I started to move with the crowd, making my way to the front of the group. Taking advantage of my small size I struggle through the press and stench of sweat covered bodies. Moments later I stumble at the lack of resistance, finally having managed to break through the crowd. In-front of me is an uncovered wagon, on top of it lies a cage of iron. The cage glows with incandescence veins that wrap around the bars. [W-what is that?] The color, the feeling was similar to Gafrin¡¯s and Svere¡¯s, marking it as something sprit related. The web seems to emanate from a man who sits crouched atop the cage. His features and figure are obscured by a light blue cloak that trails behind him as the carriage moves. Not wanting to lose sight I follow alongside, just a step away from the crowd that seems intent on staying exactly five steps away. I can even see six strands floating through the air, each one attached to a guard. Each guard, no their armor, seems to shine with the same light as the cage. Intrigued as I am, I notice that it¡¯s not the light show that everyone''s interested in. In fact everyone seems completely ignorant of it, and are fully focused on the contents of the cage. I turn my attention to the cage insides and freeze. A bubbling mass of flesh sits in the middle of the cage. Continually it shifts, melts and reforms faster than I what I¡¯m able to follow. Limbs, organs, and even faces flash by as it continues to change, never stopping. Maintaining the general shape of a human being. [T-that looks just like those ¡®things¡¯ in my dreams.] A strange deformed creature kept ¡®trapped¡¯ by a Wraith. Even with my limited knowledge I know that it can be only one ¡®thing¡¯. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. [A Revenant, and it looks just like the ones in my dreams. How is that possible?] Coincidence, it has to be. Glancing to my sides I can see many struggling to hold their food in, some unfortunately don¡¯t seem able to in stark contrast to my stoic observations. [I have been seeing them, fighting them even in my dreams for years.] While my reaction is much milder than others I still feel my stomach turn at the sight of such a monstrosity. Curiously, and perhaps impulsively, I reach out and touch one of the bars, a small spark emitting at the contact. It¡¯s looking at me, even without a visible set of eyes I can tell, I can feel its attention. The constantly shifting flesh seems to slow down, faces appearing all over its body. Five, ten, thirty the number just keeps going up, and for the first time it horrifies me. Men, women, the olden and even children¡¯s faces are all gathered on its body in a gruesome amalgamation, competing for space on the Revenants body. All at once their expressions seems to twist, their mouths hanging open like a snakes. It screams, and oh does it scream. A thing of absolute terror, a myriad of voices, every single one of them holding a soul tearing quality to it. Even the soldiers with their weapons and the Wraith''s power back away to the edges of the crowd, or where the edge would have been had people not been tripping over each other to get away. Still I feel it''s attention, that this is all directed towards me, a challenge. Then I feel it, a deep stirring behind my belly button, and it''s angry, very angry. It boils upwards its own emotions bursting through my veins, drowning out any rational thought. It rears up at the challenge. It grabs control, forcing me forward towards the cage to make up for the ground I lost when I backpedaled. Both of my, it¡¯s arms reach forward grabbing onto the cages bar, ignoring the angry sparks that it spits at us. My arms are laced with a dark light that pulses in time to my heartbeat, an idle thought crosses my confused mind. [Is my whole body like that?] A sound then cuts through the Revenants own wail, crushing it under the sheer volume and power it contains. That''s when all hell broke loose. =Wraith= ¡°haaah.¡± Sighing I continue to circulate energy through the iron cage and nearby armor of the troops, a very tedious task. Should I stop for even a second I risk letting the Revenant loose. That would be bad. "Stop complaining and lets finish this job." Faad, my spirit, says, or rather thinks from behind me. Sparing a few thoughts from my task I think back to the news we had received at through a normal messenger. What was this? The stone age? ¡±Really slows down communication when no one¡¯s allowed to spirit walk.¡± ¡±Would you like to be the one to risk getting eaten even if we could?¡± ¡±Well no.... still¡­.¡± While I haven¡¯t heard of any similar incidents a rumor seems to be going around. Some even whisper that Revenants from before the last decimation have reappeared. Although that one is not received as well by the general Wraith community, those that believe it are all being labeled as paranoid fools. ¡±What ever it is I¡¯m happy as long we¡¯re not the ones to find it.¡± A disturbance, a twitch in my senses. [Something just touched the cage. A second later the Revenants wail sounds out. A small smile crosses my face at the crowds reaction. [Hmmm?] I focus on the lone figure who stands by the cage looking everything but scared, seemingly unfazed by the current events, alone now as everyone else had moved far away at this point. "A kid? He¡¯s tiny, how old is he? Nine, ten cycles?" I remark looking at his small size. "However old, he is, he¡¯s got more balls then mo-¡± Like a flood his spirit flows outwards from his body suffocating me, crackling against my barrier that suddenly seemed very thin and then I heard it. A sound of rage and pure certain hate, a promise of destruction and ruin should I not heed it. I lose control unable to keep my bearings amidst such a thing. The Revenant chose then to make it¡¯s escape slamming into the cage. With none of my power feeding it the cage is no obstacle for it as it hits a second time easily parting the bars; destroying the cage. ................... ................... ................... ................... ................... ¡°Uurghh¡­. My damn head.¡± Groaning I sit myself up, blearily trying to shake off the haze that seems to have descended on me after the fall. Looking around seeing the broken cage and no Revenant in sight. Thinking to the strange aura of the child earlier I start to stand only to stop at the sound of a second roar, similar to the first. Startled, I turned to see the child still standing there, flushed and panting. [Is t-that all spiritual energy?] Seeing the pure energy that he exudes I¡¯m amazed, that''s not an amount even a mid-level Wraith like me would be able to put out. [It seems strange though¡­¡­ dar- oh shit, where¡¯s Faad?] Thankfully he seems to have already taken shelter in my body. If he hadn¡¯t this much turbulent energy would have ripped him apart. It¡¯s then that the bo- ¡®it¡¯ notices me. == PR - Leon Das Chapter 4 - Confusion (R) =Varith= The ''thing'' inside of me retracts, leaving me to face the wreck it had created. New sensations and feelings flood me. Different ''scents'' twist through the air, each with its own flavor and texture. Some, like a fine delicacy, stimulating and intoxicating, overshadow the rest. The world took on new dimensions with this sudden shift, I question everything as a new level of perception embraces my reality. Each member of the crowd vaguely registers in my consciousness. I can taste them. I catch movement out the corner of the eye. The Wraith, that was on top of the cage, was now lying on the ground looking my way, fascination in his eyes. The Wraith¡¯s expression shifts to one of terror as I lay eyes upon him.. The thick, intoxicating haze pours out of him. Involuntarily my tongue flicks out, gliding across my lips. [More] I move closer, but he scrambles away, the scent cloud thickening. Heedless of his efforts to avoid me, I follow after him, savoring the scent that he continues to emit. Gibberish falls from his mouth as he''s too scared to speak properly. [More...] -plink- A thrown rock narrowly misses me and bounces past on the cobblestones, coming to rest in a crack.. Annoyed at the intrusion, but excited at the prospect of more of the scent, I whip my body around, ready to pounce. I''m stopped though by a small, chubby hand blocking my sight. ¡°Bad!¡± A little girl no more than three or four cycles stands in front of me. ¡°Bad! Bad!¡± Again and again she repeats it, beating my chest with her open palm as if drive the point into me. Too young to sense the danger, as the adults do, she continues to stand there, a smile on her face. Proud that she ''punished'' the big bad monster. [Monster] The thought hits me like a bucket of cold water. Surprised by a high pitched wailing, I drag my eyes off the girl and into the crowd. A woman sits collapsed on the ground being restrained by the crowd, reaching for the little girl. The masses believe the child a lost cause. The rest of the crowd stands still, everyone''s gaze focused on me, only me. I realize what the scent is. [Fear] Spurned on by the crying woman, the guards that had fled with the crowd come to their senses. The guards unsheathed their weapons, none of it carrying the previous incandescence. "...R..un..." A distant whisper warns. I burst into a sprint away from the recovering guards, readying myself for a leap over the crowd. Reinforcements burst through the crowd, fortunately none of them holding a piece of that glowing gear. At first, I ignore them, thinking that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hinder my jump, but ¡®it¡¯ tugs again at me once more, directing my gaze towards the roofs behind the reinforcements. [Archers] Instead of jumping up, I pounce forward, hurtling feet first towards the lead guard. I pull my knees to my chest as if readying for a dropkick. The guard pulls up his shield in a panic. As the soles of my boots are fully pressed against the shield, I push off with all the force in my body flinging myself in the direction I came from, over the guards who were pursuing me. I was supposed to land within the crowd, but they snap out of their daze as I landed among them, stampeding away from me. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I roll forward on impact and am up on my feet running within a breath of landing. The crowd parts around me as I make my way towards the nearest alley. Again I feel ¡®it¡¯ extending thin tendrils of control all over me, forcing me to bend forward mid-run. A sword flashes overhead. I pivot, throwing myself into the alley. I pull myself through the stone wall and fall backwards against it. From my pursuers perspective, I¡¯d disappeared into thin air. Left in sudden darkness, the thump of my heart resounds throughout the room. Weariness, bone deep, consumes me. I relax, the weight of my body multiples, my back slides slowly down the wall. A wet warmth, drips down my neck. [Too much¡­ too much has happened.] My breathing becomes ragged. The Revenant.. This ¡®thing¡¯ inside me. My new senses. This...... this hunger. How I¡¯d nearly been killed. ¡°Oh no....¡± I whisper, a sudden revelation making itself known in my mind. [The Revenant¡­ the Revenant¡­ THE REVENANT] [How many will die because it escaped?] A groan falls from my lips. [How many?] A sob. ¡°How many? Dead, dieing...my fault, my fault¡­HOW MANY?¡± The thoughts swirl through my head, tightening into a tight ball of guilt in the pit of my stomach. Amidst my hysterics, I feel ¡®it¡¯ stir. ¡°What do you want!? Why are you even in me!?¡± I scream at it, hoping, praying that it will just go; that it will just leave me alone. Its only response is another movement. I feel ripples spread throughout the darkness around me. I begin clawing at my chest in a panic, leaving bloody scratches on my chest , desperate to get this thing out of me. ¡°Get out get out get out get outgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetout!¡± I¡¯m surprised when the feeling of ¡®it¡¯ within me disappears. A rippling in the shadows, vaguely shaped, but unmistakably human in form. I scrambled backwards trying to escape, to get away from it In my pathetic state, it is much faster than me. It lunges toward me and grabs me with an iron grip.. I scream at it. I beg, threaten, demand, -- anything for it to just let me go from its cold grasp. Ignoring my cries, it brings me closer and holds me to its chest, hugging me similar to- no exactly like my mother would do when I was little. It even caressed me in the same way, from brow to nape, over and over again. At this unexpected act of warmth I surrender to its embrace, losing my last bit of self control. == That''s 5 out of 22 Chapter Revamps done Wooo! On another note I''ve acquired and editor, Lecompte! Don''t forget about my PR Leon Das either! Both of them are absolutely awesome guys who without I would never be able to reach this level of quality. Chapter 5 - Questions (R) =Varith= After what seemed liked hours of sobbing into the gloom, I manage to calm myself down. Extracting myself from the ¡®things¡¯ embrace I scoot back a bit. I give ¡®it¡¯ a complicated look as I struggle with my emotions. What was I supposed to think of this, this ¡®thing¡¯. One moment it¡¯d forcibly seized control of my body, releasing a Revenant [Accident?]. The next it saved my life twice and comforted me while I¡¯d had a mental breakdown. Worry. The emotion seemingly came out of nowhere, a sudden intrusion in my conscience. Yet it wasn¡¯t indistinguishable from my own emotions, it felt¡­ foreign. ¡°Is tha-¡± It reaches forward tapping my forehead with an icy digit that held none of the warmth it¡¯s earlier embrace had. With each successive tap, bits of information and hazy images appeared in my mind. Unused to¡­ whatever this is, it took me a while to understand its intent. ¡°Is that you I feel?¡± Confirmation ¡°Can you ta-think in words?¡± ¡°H...ar...d......le...a..rn..¡± Does that mean he¡¯ll be able to, given time? ¡°W-where did you come from?¡± Confusion [He doesn¡¯t know?] ¡°What are your earliest memories?¡± Lethargy, followed by a hazy image of¡­ myself? ¡°Sleeping and me? Is that it? Your Earliest memories are of me and sleeping?¡± Confirmation ¡°Alright¡­ then what woke you? Suddenly every emotion with a negative connotation attached to it seems to flood me. Behind them they drag a parade of broken memories made of muffled sound, and indistinct images. ¡°Stop, sto-ENOUGH!¡± Abruptly the emotions that threaten to drown me out, stop. Taking a great breath I let out a long exhale, trying to ignore the mixed emotions that had rose to the surface once the slideshow from hell had stopped. ¡°....Who are you?¡± Confusion [Again? Maybe if I phrase it differently...] "What are you?" A cold tap to my chest. "Me? You''re..... Me?" Confirmation. ¡°Wh-what the hell do you mean by that!? No. nononono, you must be lying. Yeah........ yeah thats it, your trying to torment me, make me miserable so you can soa-¡± Conviction Rage Faced by the intensity of his emotions I cower. My mind flashed back to the ferocity it''d shown against the Revenants a scant ten minutes ago. ¡°I¡¯m.... I¡¯m sorry, I-I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± With my apology the feelings subside. Once again, I had to take a minute to steady my shaking nerves. I was tempted to end my inquisition for now, but my curiosity got the better of me. [The way he reacted to the Revenants ''challenge'', his emotional instability... He''s like a small child.] ¡°Do you have a n-name?¡± I lick my lips nervously, worried that I might somehow anger him again. Confusion ¡°I''ll ask again. Do you have any memories? Of anything at all? Your name even?" Denial ¡°.......Cor.¡± I, myself, didn¡¯t understand the sudden urge, the impulsive need to name him. Questioning ¡°Thats your name now, Cor.¡± Contentment ¡°Cor¡± I startle, surprised that he''d spoken. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.¡±Glad you like it.¡± I pause for a minute in my thinking, not wanting to face the next problem. [i][The Revenant..... it¡¯s not like I can do anything to it anyways, best I can do is scare it off with Cor¡¯s help. Even then it¡¯s not like I can follow it along all night and scare it off whenever it attacks someone.] I lick my, cracked lips. [They still have the Wraith, surely they can take care of it. Yeah...... it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t get in the way.] I wipe at the drying sweat on my forehead as I stand , we¡¯ve already spent too long here. I straighten my shirt and dust off my pants. I suspect my feet are going to have blisters as my shoes are tight on my growing feet. I lighten myself and jump up through the roof, landing back on it once I¡¯m fully through. Squinting through its bright glare, I check the sun¡¯s position. [Father will not be happy.] He hadn¡¯t given me a specific time to meet up, but I¡¯m guessing dusk is a little late. Luckily I¡¯d been wearing my cloak earlier so no one should be able to recognize me without it. Unclasping the front I started to remove it. But I couldn¡¯t. At the thought of being in that crowd without it, anxiety gnawed at me. I felt that they¡¯d somehow know that I was different from them, that I was a freak. It scared me. Frozen by indecision, I stood there in a trance like state, broken only by the feeling of something slithering up my leg and across my chest. Without even noticing I¡¯d retreated back into the empty warehouse. It had been Cor that I¡¯d felt, his body had melted down and had flown up my leg, wrapping himself around my chest in a form fitting shirt hidden under my normal shirt. A small, black tendril snaked up the side of my neck onto my face and began to run itself over my head from brow to nape, over and over again. With each stroke I felt a bit of my fear washed away. [i]¡°Cor¡­¡± Once again I find this strange creature that I know nothing about, comforting me, helping me. I tugged my cloak off my shoulders, tossing it into one of the many dark corners of the room. I didn¡¯t even want to risk carrying it around with me. Once again, I jump to the roof, this time scoping out the alley that I¡¯d originally entered the building from. [Empty, I shouldn¡¯t worry about them recognizing me without the cloak, but the Wraith...] The Wraith had been plainly different to my eyes. I worried that I seemed the same to his. [I¡¯ll have to be careful about avoiding him.] Satisfied I drop down, broken glass crunching under my feet as I land. I walk out to the street and into the flowing crowds. An hour later I find myself again at the northern gate. Seeing father on the other side I follow the rough, grey stone of the interior wall away from the gate. Satisfied, I go through the wall into the outside forest and start making my way back to the gate through the brush. The distinct image of my father¡¯s brown trousers and yellow stained shirt comes in to focus as I near. He impatiently paces to and fro in the middle of the hard packed dirt road, waiting. The guards, with their pikes and chain hauberks, are fidgeting nervously due to his intimidating presence. Their weight shifts from foot to foot in anxiety, but they don¡¯t have any recourse. I walk out onto the path, making sure to place him between me and any of the guards sight lines, you can never be too careful. When he see¡¯s he frowns peering at my. My hands itch to pull a cloak¡¯s hood over my face. ¡°Where have you been?¡± He booms, causing the guards to jump. I give him my sweetest smile. ¡°I was playing tag with some new friends. I had so much fun that I didn¡¯t notice the time." He scans my face. Then grunts, seemingly satisfied with my answer and trudges off onto the path, back towards home. Chapter 6 - Suspicion (R) =Varith= Once beyond sight of the Garten¡¯s walls, father sped up to a jog. Sacks of food and other necessities bounced on his back. The rest would be delivered later. His sudden haste worried me. [Does he know about what happened? There''s no way he could know that I was involved. Is it that he¡¯s worried about mom, with a Revenant so close by? Even so she, is also a Wraith, so he shouldn¡¯t be that worried about her. Then is he worried about us? We¡¯re probably much closer to the Revenant then she is and, without Gafrin, my father wouldn¡¯t be able to fight at his best. It could also be something else entirely, but I have no way of kno-] ¡°...A..sk..¡± ¡°.................¡± ¡°fath-FATHER!¡± Hearing my yell he slows down, allowing me to pull up even. ¡°Why are we in such a rush?¡± ¡°A Revenant, captured by a local Wraith, escaped but what I¡¯m really worried about is what helped it escape.¡± That surprised me, enough to stumble a bit, setting me a bit closer to him. ¡°What helped it escape?¡± I asked, a little panicked at the thought of being found out. ¡°They say a Revenant, in the form of a child, came from the crowd and released it.¡± He eyes me cautiously as he speaks and, veers away, increasing the distance between us. [They must have seen me under the cloak, or my size gave it away.] ¡°Why is that so special?¡± I jog closer to him. . ¡°Even if they change their shape, it could never be to the level where they are able to fool someone, even wearing a cloak.¡± Another five steps, increasing the gap further than the last time. ¡°But then how was it able to hide in the crowd?¡± Abruptly, my father comes to a complete stop. The stop is unexpected and I stumble trying to fast. I sniff the air, trying to sense his emotions. The wind is blowing his scent in the wrong direction. ¡°Possession. They can take over someone¡¯s body and use it as a vessel. They¡¯re even able to access their victims memories.¡± [Possession¡­ Cor¡¯s definitely not possessing me.] ¡°Can a Revenant and the victim¡¯s souls coexist in the body?¡± ¡°Impossible. Revenant souls are just too different from a human¡¯s. The conflicting energies would destroy the body.¡± [What does that mean? That Cor¡¯s not a Revenant?] ¡°Fath-¡± I intended to ask another question, but he resumed jogging just as abruptly as he¡¯d stopped. =Calibro''s Wraith= ¡°Sir! We¡¯ve received an emergency missive via spirit walk from the border of Reld.¡± Currently embroiled in Council paperwork I gave the messenger a tired look. Calibro hanging over my shoulder floated forward a few paces. ¡°Emergency, you say?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. While transporting a Revenant for study, it seems the transport was attacked.¡± ¡°Casualties? They damn well be catastrophic for you to bother me about something so simple.¡± ¡°N-none Sir. The Revenant was freed and...¡± ¡°What? Spit it out man.¡± ¡°The Wraith that was in charge of the transportation is..... unstable.¡± ¡°Elaborate.¡± ¡°He refuses to leave his room. Even his own spirit is having trouble communicating with him.¡± [To shut out his own Spirit¡­] The Contracts that bound man and spirit are an intimate affair. So much so that it tended to interfere with other relationships. ¡°Did they get a clear look at the attacker?¡± ¡°Yes sir, apparently it was a child, and from what we can tell it was possessed.¡± ¡°A Revenant possessed child?¡± ¡°Yes sir. Eyewitness testimonies seem to support it.¡± ¡°Strange. What sane Revenant would possess a child¡¯s body?¡± Calibro pondered from behind me. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°There are no ¡®sane¡¯ Revenants, Calibro. You are correct though, for a Revenant to handicap itself like this¡­¡± I grabbed the report the messenger had been holding out the whole time and started to read. ¡°Managed to incapacitate the Wraith and, after turning into an alley, disappeared without a trace. It¡¯s acting too rationally. Must be an older Revenant.¡± Only the oldest Revenants didn¡¯t behave like wild beasts. ¡°Yes, it seems so, but it¡¯s still strange. Since when have Revenants bothered to help one another? Intelligent or not, they¡¯ve never given a shit about each other.¡± Calibro gave a mental sigh, irritated at the irregular puzzle pieces. ¡°Strange, and to happen now of all times¡­ It must be connected with the ¡®anomaly¡¯ Revenant,¡± I reply telepathically to Calibro. The timing is just too coincidental. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Apparently it left a clear trail of spiritual energy behind. The spirit of the Garten¡¯s Wraith is requesting another Wraith to track down the possessed child.¡± ¡°It left a trail? If the Revenant is as old as we thought¡­ Either we¡¯re wrong, or it¡¯s a trap.¡± Calibro voices his opinion from behind me. ¡°We¡¯ll have to be careful then.¡± After a minute of thought, I give my response. ¡°Pull four Wraiths from an outpost on the border and send them in as replacements.¡± ¡°F-four, sir? ¡°Did I stutter, Wraith?¡± ¡°N-no sir, I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± =Varith= Due to our fast pace, it only took around an hour until we caught sight of the familiar two story cabin that that is home. I make way indoors enjoying the aromatic smell of the food in the air. ¡°Mother, we¡¯re home!¡± I shout, trying to catch her attention over the crackling of the fire. ¡°Ah, your ba-¡± She had turns from her cooking, making as if to embrace me, only to freeze in her tracks as soon as her eyes catch hold of me. For a brief moment, a now familiar ¡®scent¡¯ had grabs my attention, but it disappears as quickly as it appeared. [I-It must have been my imagination¡­] ¡°Why don¡¯t you go out for a wash, the city can be a dirty place.¡± ¡°Ah, yes mother.¡± I move to leave, quickly finding the room suffocating. Not without noticing that she forewent the hug. Outside, I dowse myself in freezing well water. I couldn¡¯t help replay the scent. Concerns over what it meant surfaced and circulated in my mind. Fear [Does she know? Can she sense Cor? No, no, father didn¡¯t¡­. right?] I feel a tinge of fear at the thought, my mind flashing back to the steps father had taken away from me. [No...I-I can¡¯t do this anymore. I need to tell them. M-maybe they¡¯ll help. Yeah¡­.. once they understand..] A weight has been lifted off my shoulders, a burden I was allowed to put down. The decision to tell them, to share what was happening, gave me an energetic kind of glee. Humming I wring out my damp shirt, and put it back on starting my way inside. They sat on the same side of our square wooden table, leaving one chair available on the other side for me. It left them a bit wanting for space. My happy mood was quickly being crushed by my parents subtle avoidance. [...I¡¯ll tell them tomorrow.] After a rather somber meal that tasted sour in my mouth, I trudge upstairs without another word and prepare for bed. Laying down, I can¡¯t help feeling a bit lonely. Editor: Lecompte PR: Leon Das Chapter 7 - Changes (R) =Varith= I find myself in the void. It feels like the kind of darkness that consumes all light and energy and leaves... Nothing. This time, though, there is a luminous mist all around. The contrast against the endless void is almost blinding. In places, the mist undulates with an irregular pattern like the beat of a broken heart. In others, it twists around itself forming into loose, elaborate knots. Even after studying them, I fail to find any rhyme or reason to their complex patterns. ¡°Another dream? I wonder if I can control it...¡± I try to manipulate my dream, as I have in the past when realizing I was dreaming. My efforts are futile. ¡±Is this a nightmare? What is going to charge out of that endless nothing?¡± I drift, without control, unable to manipulate the dream. I hang, waiting for the nightmare to truly begin. It never does. A creeping restlessness overcomes me. I impulsively seek solace from the being within¡­ ¡±...COOORRRRRR!¡± My inner voice cries out in desperate loneliness. The fabric of my dreamscape is disrupted as an indistinct blob forms out of fathomless oblivion. I recoil, then remembering the familiar, blobby, shape, I find comfort even in my recollection of memories I would rather forget. ¡°Cor please... that form anything but that.¡± I feel his confusion at my discomfort. Even so he acquiesces my desires and opts for a more human shape. Feeling slightly more comfortable, I start to examine the area once more. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡±Spir....its¡± ¡°Spirits?¡± Curious, I reach, touching the haze with my mind, like I¡¯ve been doing with Cor. Like tiny waves I could feel them, thousands upon thousands of thoughts and emotions lapping up against me. Over and over they come, non-stop, overwhelming me. Cor senses me grow distraught at the flood of information and presses toward me protectively. He gives off a growl that I feel vibrate in the innards of my bones. The consciousness¡¯ and their touch pull back all at once. Faster by far than they had onset. They remain far at the periphery of my consciousness , a bear whisper of their previous roar. Looking at the indistinct haze with a more cautious gaze I send Cor thoughts of gratitude. He twitches in response to my gratitude and feelings of glee leak from his side of the connection. [Like a child...] The thought lacked the exasperation it held last time. Cor keeps the rampant energy at bay as I float. I let myself slip away, trusting Cor. =Cor= [Varith] He was floats a few strides away from me buoyed by the spiritual energy around us. Even I felt myself relax, an impressive feat, with all that swirls within my mind. [Memories] I know that¡¯s what they are, but that doesn¡¯t get me very far. Blizzard like, they are flurry.roken images, distant sounds, flashes of touches and scents long past. But, just like snow, they never stop moving. Dancing through my mind in random patterns, and gathering into jumbles of nonsense. [Overwhelmed] It¡¯s not just background noise either, all of it demands attention, slowing down any other attempt at thought. Something else has been growing since I¡¯ve awakened, a desire strong enough to eclipse the icey whirlwinds that are my thoughts. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. [Hungry] A deep ache, one that Varith had noticed, but didn¡¯t understand. He thought it was a hunger that could reach satiation with food. It wasn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t know yet, but he would, eventually. Until then I would take care of it for him. It was a burden he didn¡¯t need to bear. I work my way around his body, seizing control of his limbs. As disconnected as he is right now he won¡¯t notice. Carefully I raise myself off the bed and make my way to the door. Halfway across my room my body started to shiver. [Cold] Even in the house, it is freezing. I can¡¯t bring his body outside like this. I¡¯d forgotten how inconvenient having a body was. have I ever had one? I can¡¯t remember. It took a bit of searching to find a cloak and don it. Warmer now, I make my way outside, lightening Varith¡¯s body to reduce noise. Softly, I shut the door behind me. Walking forward, I inhale deeply, then hold my breath. I expel it and with it, I expand my senses. Knowledge concerning this had been one of the few memories I¡¯ve been able to pluck from my cluttered mind. Varith had already started to utilize this same ability, but nowhere near the level he could. The knowledge stretches, expanding well past the clearing, past Garten even. Around me the world comes alive. The dark forest had become as bright as day. Each individual plant casting its own light. The very air glowed, drowning out the stars own light. Although beautiful it wasn¡¯t sight that allowed me to ¡®see¡¯ so far. Feeling the eddying currents of energy, and how they interacted with something, I was able to gain an accurate understanding of what it was on a spiritual level. [Fast] I¡¯d thought it take at least an hour or two to find someone who could provide reasonable sustenance, but I¡¯d been wrong. Anguish Like a wave it smashes into my senses, my hunger, rising up violently at its touch. Emotions were not needed in order for Varith to feed. But something inside of him calls out for them, yearning to taste such emotion. It seems especially attracted to those of the darker variety. [Hatred] My body twitched out of surprise at the sudden change. My hunger though is undaunted, and continues to pound at me, forcing me to go. At my speed, it isn¡¯t long before I reach the origin. I creep closer as, with closeness, the smell changes to a stench. I wrap the cloak tighter against the night¡¯s chill. Finally close enough I part the brush in front of me. A scene of murder, no, slaughter meets my eyes. Corpses all around, flung around as if they had been played with by a child. Ripped apart like they might do to a sister''s favorite doll. One lies right in front of. Face caved in, the broken gristle of the nose poking holes through the ruined skin. Eyes popped like grapes inside their sockets, ears plucked off and thrown who knows where. Arms twisted until only their, now stretched, ligaments hold them together, knotted in on themselves. My gaze travels to the torso that is now a hollowed out cavity, the insides scooped out and flung around. I feel a drop of water, expecting rain I look. Only to be met with the site of entrails strung up in a haphazard manner. The hunger pangs hit me again, reminding why I¡¯m here. [Girl?] Notices and Maps (will be updated and new ones made) (http://s12.postimg.org/5new9d419/Tor_Nundo_Maps.png) Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. 1. Asvani 2. Eldor 3. Valstat 4. Reld 5. Bashaar The Floating City 6. Scathis Desert Maps are subject to change. Chapter 8 - Movement (R) =Cor= A girl. On the other side of the clearing, about fifty paces away. She lies slumped against a tree, no more than fifteen cycles. Next to her, fidgets a Revenant. No, the Revenant, the one that dared to challenge Varith back in town. I can¡¯t see what it was doing with its back to me. Pulling shadows closer, I circle around the clearing. Creeping towards her. She has lustrous, golden hair, with hints of carmine. Her frame, small, childlike even and skin white enough to rival the gossamer spirit manifestations of those unlucky souls in the other world. Her posture is relaxed. Her back has an unnatural bend in it which belies her languid posture. I am next to her now. I can see that the beautiful red in her hair comes from the blood splattered about her person, and continues to leak out of her orifices. I sniff the air, looking for what I desire. I move even closer to the girl, until I¡¯m up against the tree she is leaning against The tree obstructs the line of sign between the Revenant and I. Keeping the position of the Revenant firmly in my mind, I shifted around the tree, getting closer to the girl. Nothing She smells like nothing, like an inanimate object. The body was just a shell at this point, devoid of a consciousness. Yet it still breathed. Did the Revenant not fully drain her? Why didn¡¯t he, and why is she still in one piece, unlike all the others? Slowly I creep around the tree towards the back of the Revenant, the night flowing around me. Still eating, it fails to notice me. I watch, listening to it slurp wetly at its meal. I reach forward, still cloaked in darkness. My arm stretches, reaching through its shifting flesh until I almost touch its stationary core, a sorry imitation of a soul. My hand slowly closes around the core. Before it can escape, I clamp my grip and yank fiercely, tearing it from the creature. The Revenant crumples, its flesh falling apart and pooling on the ground. I alternate my gaze between the lump of emotions in my hand and the now lifeless mound of meat. It''s core starts to break down in my hand, being absorbed by my gloom clad. Shard by shard I absorb it, each filling me with energy. It swirls through me, quieting the craving that has pushed me so far. Slowly, I arise from my crouch. After one last look at the girl¡¯s supine form, I speed off towards the domicile Varith naively calls home. I¡¯m barely able to make it before the predawn light rises over the tree tops, causing the shadows that cover me to fizzle and pull back under its harsh rays. Stolen novel; please report.I clean myself of the filth that clings to me at the well.. After removing evidence of my escapades, I relax Varith¡¯s body and recede into myself, relinquishing control. It is time for a long nap. Taking control of his body for so long, so completely had been tiring. =Varith= I sit up and let out a yawn. ¡°Hm?" The sun¡¯s rays nearly blind me as it climbs up over the horizon. [I¡¯m outside? Did I sleepwalk?] I turn my attention inward, intending to ask Cor what happened, but he is in a state of sleep. His conscious deeply buried. [Didn¡¯t even know he could sleep.] I make my way inside, intending to change out of my nightclothes and cloak. =Thirve¡¯s Wraith= ¡°Come on, we gotta go now, orders from HQ.¡± I groan as I raise myself off my bed while Thirve, my spirit, nags me. ¡°Alright, alright I got it, lay off a bit. You''re loud.¡± ¡°I have to be to wake your sorry ass up.¡± The little bastard says, smirking. ¡°So what is it anyway, what could be so urgent?¡± Complaining as I threw on my clothes. ¡°There¡¯s a Revenant in the Garten region that the bosses want tracked. Four Wraiths are assigned to track it, and we are one of them.¡± That makes me hesitate, ¡°Did you say four? For a single Revenant? Why can¡¯t the local Wraith deal with it? ¡°They say he refuses to, doesn¡¯t want to get near it, and yes, I did say four. Apparently this ones supposed to be a little special.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t say. Just told us to be careful.¡± ¡°Hmm¡± ¡°It seems like an emergency, so we¡¯re going to hurry there. The other three are already waiting by the stables. They¡¯ve planned to travel fast and be there by nightfall so get your ass up.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m going.¡± I make my way outside, heading towards the stables. ¡°Apparently we¡¯re not allowed to spirit walk within or through Reld.¡± ¡°What? The hell would they do that for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but my bets on the Revenant we¡¯re hunting.¡± [/i] Chapter 9 - Decision (R) =Varith= The sounds of opening drawers and feet being stomped in to shoes starts to leak through the walls followed by the opening and closing of doors. The individual sounds devolve into usual morning clamor that announces the beginning of the day. While pulling on a shirt I catch sight of my fingernails and notice a large buildup of crud beneath them. [Where did all of that come from? I don¡¯t remember them being that dirty. I¡¯ll have to wash them before I go down to eat, or else my pare-] Parents, at the thought of them I remember yesterday''s decision. [...Thats right. Today I need to tell them everything. This.. this is just too much for me alone.] Still, I hesitate, thinking about that careful distance they¡¯ve maintained, and how Svere and Gafrin have been mysteriously absent. [I-I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand if I explain right? They¡¯ll know what to do, who to talk to about such things. They have to.] They will be able to fix it, with such thoughts in mind I preceded to head downstairs, full of resolve. I¡¯m met with the familiar sight of my mother and father, already sitting down and eating porridge, a bowl set aside for me. For a moment I just stood there, preparing myself. Inhale Exhale ¡°M-mother, father.¡± My mother, upon hearing my voice, looks up. Noticing my expression she places her spoon back onto the table. Father continues to eat, trusting her to take care of the problem. ¡°Yes, honey?¡± She asks worriedly. ¡°W-when I was in town with dad I saw this Revenant and it screamed a-and this thing in me screamed back and I-I couldn¡¯t stop it mom! Because of that it got free and it might be hurting people now a-and its still insi-¡± ¡°Honey.....HONEY!¡± I stop, startled by her sudden yell, noticing that my father is now paying attention. ¡°Slower okay? We can¡¯t understand you when you panic like that. Please, explain it again.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± So I start again. Telling them about how I had been drawn to the Revenant. How it had acted against the Revenant, letting it go by accident. Telling them about how Cor, had acted and claimed it was a part of me. About my new senses, even going as far as to describe how each emotion felt to me. By the end of it they had adopted skeptical expressions. ¡°Well for now honey, let me see this ¡®Cor¡¯ you talk about.¡± [Ah, finally, I won¡¯t have to go through this alone anymore.] She moves closer and places her hand atop my head. I tear up, realizing that she had finally crossed the imaginary distance she placed between us. That relief, was short lived. Almost the instant she had placed her hand on me her face began to twist in disgust, and she leapt back twice the original distance. ¡°M-moth-¡± I stutter as I take a step towards her, only to be stopped by her shout and out stretched palm ¡°STAY THERE!¡± She turns to my father. ¡°Go, get Gafrin and Svere now!¡± Seeing her expression he nods, sprinting out through the door. ¡°Mother wha- what''s going on?¡± ¡°Shhh it¡¯s okay honey, we¡¯ll get that ¡¯thing¡¯ out of you right away. Then you won¡¯t have to worry about it any longer.¡± ¡°But what will happen to Cor then?!¡± Her mouth twists in response, as if tasting something bitter. ¡°It¡¯s nothing that you need to worry about, that ¡¯thing¡¯ will disappear and you¡¯ll never have to worry about it again.¡± ¡°W-wait Mother! What do you mean ¡¯thing¡¯, what is he?¡± ¡°A Revenant, a blood monster.¡± I froze. [Cor¡¯s a¡­] ¡°N-no¡­ Y-you¡¯re wrong! H-he can¡¯t be¡­¡± However my thoughts run contrary to my own words, flashing back to the shape he¡¯d taken in my dream. My mother see¡¯s my conflicted expression,¡±He¡¯s a Revenant, Varith, he¡¯s using you for his own gain. You said yourself he freed a Revenant.¡± ¡°H-he was trying to protect me! All he¡¯s ever done is keep me safe, helped me! E-even if he is changing me he¡¯s not doing it on purpose! Please, please can we do something without killing him!?¡± My mouth seems to move on it¡¯s own, surprising even me. Her only response is a stare full of pity. A stare that dismisses me as a delusional child. The door slams open behind me, my father making his way in with Svere and Gafrin close behind. Both of them are staring at me in wide eyed terror, able to see what my mother had caught a glimpse of. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. My father seems to absorb Gafrin, his whole body giving off a faint glow. He grabs me restraining me from behind. I hear his deep voice in my ear. ¡°This will hurt but bear with it. Trust us as your parents.¡± I struggle in his iron hard grasp. Unable to move, I can only watch as my mother moves closer, moving her faintly glowing hand to my chest, giving one last encouragement. ¡°Trust us.¡± Then she touches me. == [Geh, the sun is too bright.] I shade my face with my hand looking up into the sky. Bored of gazing at the forest that we¡¯ve been riding in through since morning. ¡°Haah, why do I have to do this anyways? Couldn¡¯t they have picked fewer people?¡± Thirve glances at me from his position besides me, annoyance ripples across his face. ¡°Stop complaining. They told us to do it so we¡¯re gonna do it.¡± ¡°Mmmm¡± I lean forward farther on the horse, trying to find a comfortable enough position to sleep in. ¡°Hh for.... if you put half as much effort into training as sleeping then you mi-¡± He stops, all of sudden diving into me. His entrance shocks me in to wakefulness. I look around, alert for whatever caused him to panic. I notice the other Wraiths are also giving off that trademark glow. ¡°Dammit Thirve, what scared you and the rest so badly?¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°Thirve!¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± As irritated as I am I quiet down, waiting. Slowly he starts to emerge, his eyes darting all around the place, as if searching. ¡°Thirve, what was that about? Why did all of the spirits freak out?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know....¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?!¡± ¡°We felt something, it came from over by Garten! It was only for a moment but...... but it was no normal Revenant!¡± ¡°......What do you mean?¡± ¡°I DON''T KNOW DAMMIT!¡± He pauses, taking a deep breath. ¡°Wha-what ever it is, it makes me damn grateful that there are four of us.¡± == Pain. I scream. And scream until nothing but dry coughs come out, speckling my mother in front of me with blood. Still, they continue, determined to save me. I feel her pouring herself into me, reaching for him. Weakly I resist, trying to hold her back, trying to protect the still sleeping Cor. [Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?] [........Isn..t...it.....?] [For someone else to make the decision for me?] [....I......did....] [For them to remove the problem?] [....ye.....ah.....*] [Then why am I struggling?] [...........] [Let them kill him. You know they¡¯re right, that he is a Revenant.] [...........] [Don¡¯t you trust them?] [....I...do¡­] [Then why?] [...Be....cau...se....] [Why?] [Because......] [.............] [Because he feel¡­.!] [Joy] [Anger] [Worry] [What ever they say he¡¯s only tried to help me, to protect me! so what if he¡¯s a Revenant? He done nothing, but help me.] [Didn¡¯t you say you trusted them] [So I can¡¯t.....] ¡°...Cor...¡± ¡°..Cor... wake...¡± He stirs. ¡°....Please.... wake.......up....¡± Exhausted, racked with pain, I whisper my final words. ¡°....r....un....¡± Chapter 10 - Problems Sleep is for the weak! No seriously though, I''m tired and I''ll fix any errors tomorrow. Goodnight =Cor= ¡°........run.......¡± ¡°.......?!¡± The second I¡¯m roused from my slumber I¡¯m assailed by feelings of pain and desperation. Him, they¡¯re hurting him, the one who created me. The ones doing it are the two he calls ¡°father¡± and ¡°mother¡±. I can feel ¡°mother¡± forcing her powers through him. I move deeper inside, away from her encroaching power. Why? Why are they doing such a thing to him. I can feel it the love they both hold for him and his for them but yet..... How dare they. How dare they betray his trust like this, hurt him like this. No. I need to calm down. Whats important is getting him out of here, away from them. The problem is how. With her powers saturating our body I won¡¯t be able to take control of it. My shadows though are a different story. I reach out gripping the closest shadows available to me. Within direct sunlight they¡¯ll fall fall apart almost instantly. Since sunlight is coming in through the window I¡¯ll have to be clever. It will only be a small distraction but if done at the right moment..... So I sit and wait. Watching her intrude further and further into my domain, until her power is power is almost touching me, when she¡¯s focusing on it the most.......Now! Needles, thousands upon thousands of them burst out from under my shirt. I¡¯d drawn this idea from one of his memories of a strange animal, a porcupine it had been called. Most of them of course dissolved in the light once they had punctured the shirt, but some hadn¡¯t. The ones that hadn¡¯t had been the ones puncture ¡°mother¡¯s¡± hand and all of ¡°father¡¯s¡± front. Inside their bodies they were shielded from the full effects of the sunlight, the puncture wounds would usually allow light in, but as they were touching me my own body covered them up. ¡°Mother¡± jumped back with a gasp, cutting off the power that she forced through me abruptly. Quickly I seize the moment, grabbing back control of the body. ¡°Father¡± though behind me just gave a faint grunt. Now in full control I wriggle around in his grasp, damaging him further with the needles, shielded from the light by our bodies. Finally he drops me, giving out a weak gasp and grasping at his now bloody chest. Knowing that I can¡¯t face them directly I immediately make my escape, sprinting through the still open doorway, ignoring their cries. Once outside I ran, checking behind me for pursuit. None. Likely looking over ¡°father¡¯s¡± injuries, the needles had been only about as long as a fingernail,but I probably mauled him pretty badly with them when I had started to wiggle around. Once I¡¯m far enough I stop, taking look at the bodies condition inside and out. On the chest was a hand shaped burn mark, where she had forced power into our body, luckily that was the only external injury. On the inside though, things were a little worse, when she had cut off her power from him suddenly the power that had been left behind inside of him had started to flow out, taking some of his soul with it. I need to heal him but how? I can¡¯t use energy to fill in the missing gaps in his soul, while it would ¡°fill¡± them per say, he would be missing large parts of himself, like replacing a torn out page in a book with blank paper. Could I use another soul? Two complete souls that are incompatible won¡¯t be able to stay in a body toegther, nevermind combine and blend. What about pieces? What if I took pieces of another¡¯s soul and put those in? small enough pieces so that they don¡¯t have a sense of ¡°self¡±. Would they reject each other then? But if pure energy is a blank piece of paper then a piece of a soul is like a page from a completely different book. What effect would that have? Would it create two separate ¡°selfs¡± in him? Warp his current one? Stop! It doesn¡¯t matter, if i don¡¯t do something he¡¯ll die, and this is all I can think off. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. But where will I get one? I don¡¯t have enough time to hunt someone down. It¡¯s not like somebody¡¯s just laying around for me- The girl. Would she work? At the time I had ignored her, thinking her a husk but....... she had been breathing. A soul can¡¯t live without a body, and a body can¡¯t live without a soul. Both would die on their own. Something had to be left! But still....... I don¡¯t know, I just don¡¯t, but she¡¯s my only hope, so I have to, he don¡¯t have much time left and if she is alive she won¡¯t be for long like that. So I run, combing through my memories to find the way there. After what seemed like hours of desperate running I finally find it again. panting I come up to the edge, making sure nobody is nearby. Looking in a get a second look at the scene of carnage. The entrails that used to hang from the trees now lie on the ground, unable to hold their own weight in on the tree branches for long. The corpses have yet to rot, it has only been a couple hours. None of the fear that had once covered area remained, only the stench of spoiling meat remained. I dart my gaze over to the tree she had been left against, and still is. I dart over , dried blood crunching underfoot. Kneeling down beside her I hover my hand over her mouth and nose. A brush of air, barely perceptible. She¡¯s still alive. With that confirmation I move my right hand to her forehead, praying that theirs enough of her left to heal him. At first nothing, empty like a corpse would be. Where? Where is i- A spark, at the very edge of my ability to sense. I stop, straining for it again, unable to feel it I again move around the empty space that used to be the girls ¡°self¡±. Another! I narrow my search area, straining once again for that faint feeling. I repeat the pattern until I finally find it. Shining like a jewel in the darkness to my senses. A small fragment of her soul. A crystallization her ¡°bare bones¡± self, the summary page of a book you might say. This one though had much less energy, almost none. The Revenant must have missed it, after all he had a lot more filling meals lying around. Slowly I gather the fragment up, using the utmost care in it¡¯s handling. Slowly I wrap it in energy, dragging it out her body and back into mine and Varith¡¯s. Slowly I unwrap it, careful not to damage them any more then they are. Slowly I take one, moving it over to one of the damaged areas, trying to connect them. Trying again. And again. And again No matter what they won¡¯t connect. Does this mean that no matter how little ¡°self¡± is posses they won¡¯t connect if not compatible No... At this rate he¡¯ll die. Where? Where can I find a compa- Me, I could use myself to fill the gaps. Yes..... that will work, even if I disappear I have to save him. But.... he¡¯d be alone then, could I leave him like that? No........ but I have to..... their is one thing I can do....... maybe it will help. I go the girls small crystallization of self, pouring a small amount of pure energy into it, enough to start it up again. ¡°Please........ please keep him company.¡± With that I start to heal Varith, pouring my energy and self into all of the gaps in his soul. Don¡¯t stop pouring energy. Don¡¯t stop no matter what. Stop What? Pouring energy into him. Why? He needs it. For what? ........I don¡¯t know, but don¡¯t stop. Stop what? Pouring....... Pouring what? I-I don¡¯t know but don¡¯t stop Don¡¯t............ stop. Do....n¡¯t....st......p......... ..........do....... ..................... ...................... .................................. ............................................ ..................................................... Side Story: The Girl =Girl= * He¡¯s a bit late......* I paced around, struggling to keep my hands form fidgeting. Awaiting the news of his return. My lover, and the man I was convinced was my soul mate, Vaus.My heart skipped a beat simply thinking of him. I straightened out imaginary wrinkles in my dress, once again checking myself in the mirror. Met with the exact same sight that I had seen in last couple of checks. The same slightly pale complexion, prone to sunburn. The same hazel eyed gaze attached to a heart shaped faced, framed by golden locks. I combed my hair with my hands, checking and checking again for any imperfections only to move my inspection onto another aspect of my appearance, not leaving anything out of place. But of course this wasn¡¯t enough to distract me from my real worry. The Revenant that had escaped. Not one person hadn¡¯t known about it¡¯s escape and the child monster that had freed it. of course the part about the child monster had been met with suspicion by all who hadn¡¯t seen it themselves. A rumor had even been spread that the Wraith, the one who had gotten closest to the child refused to come out of his room, even to eat. People had remained suspicious of it until the news that four Wraiths were coming as back-up. That had certainly allayed the suspicion to an extent, after all they would not send four if it was just a single Revenant. They¡¯ve even had some full color poster¡¯s of him made and have been hanging them around town. From the poster¡¯s he looked to be only around 10 cycles old with black hair and dark cerulean eyes. With the Revenant and the ¡°possessed child¡±, as some call him, many refuse to leave their homes for anything but the shortest excursions, even fewer willing to venture outside the cities boundaries, even with the increase in the guards activities. You¡¯d think that Revenants wouldn¡¯t scare people as much, as they are always around, somewhere. Fortunately for our little town though, that somewhere is usually around bigger cities, places with larger populations. Their were even a couple of stores, apothecaries for example, that were paying good money for others to go out and gather items for them, inside and outside the city boundaries, thats just how scared some people are. The brave few willing to take up the jobs had taken to going out in groups, which was what Vaus had done. Although I stilled worried, after all, it was common sense that no ordinary man could fight a Revenant, unless of course they used infused armor. Even then though it would still take a group. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s going out, risking himself like that for a bit more money. He by no means needs the extra money enough to risk his life for it. He does after all a job as an apprentice at the tanneries. *Is he maybe trying to save up for something? Hmm, I''m curious but he insists on being so secretive about it.* I took a glance outside the window, looking at the sunless sky. *He said he would be back before nightfall. Yet he still has yet to return and the sky¡¯s have been dark for awhile now.......* Dark thoughts started to surface. *No, he¡¯s fine, he has to be. After all no one from his group has returned and I doubt none of them would be able to escape should something have befallen them. I¡¯ll go wait at the towns outskirts for him, to give him a scolding for being so late.* I moved quickly, grabbing a white shawl from my dresser to keep back the cold of the night, making my way out of my room into the connecting kitchen that had a door that led to outside, grateful that my parents were already asleep. Shivering at the sudden exposure to the cold air I shut the door behind an set off at a brisk pace down the empty streets. Usually it was not advisable to for a young women such as myself to go out at night, but with the increase in patrols, specially nightly ones, crime, or whatever passes for a crime in a small town like Garten has drastically reduced. Not to mention that the few criminals our small town holds likely have also taken to staying inside with the Revenant and Possessed Child about, likely the wise thing to do. Taking all of that into consideration I¡¯d decided that it would be safe enough. The actual odds of the running into Revenant also had to be relatively low, especially in town, I¡¯d have imagined it would escape into the forest for safety. After all, even if the local Wraith was inactive the town did posses a couple sets of infused armor, enough to even the field with the Revenant. Something that it would be well aware of after being captured as it had been. Feeling a change under my feet I glanced downward, noticing that the fitted cobblestone pathways of the city had ended, dumping me onto a dirt path that went the last few hundred paces to the towns outskirt. Frowning and bemoaning at the dirt that would be sure to dirty my shoes I continued on until I reached the edge. Rubbing my hands at a desperate attempt to keep the cold away.. *Perhaps this was a tad rash......* Glancing into the inky darkness of the night I couldn¡¯t help but regret my decision a bit. Worry though for Vaus kept me stubbornly rooted to the spot, waiting, twisting the ends of my shawl. Long enough for the moon to start it¡¯s descent as I listen the moans and shrieks of the wind as it blows through the forest. *Wait, a was that......* I strained my hearing, listening for the sounds again, and they sound again mere seconds from the first. *People?* A third time. Louder now. *Is someone hurt?* I stood there, fidgeting with my shawl once again. *s-shouldn¡¯t I go help them?* Still I hesitated, thinking of the Revenant and the possessed child. Even if the possibility of it being them was low..... *What if it¡¯s Vaus?* That single stray thought alone was enough to get me moving. i ran towards the source, almost sprinting. Even if it¡¯s was only a random thought with no evidence behind it the mere possibility of it threw me into action. Closer and closer, low hanging branches whipping me as I ran by until finally I burst through the shrubbery into a clearing and sa- Immediately I threw my weight backwards, face a furious shade of red. I back pedaled trying to get away, only to be stopped dead by a mass behind me. Startled I inhaled deeply, readying a scream, only to feel a hand clap over my mouth. I struggled vainly, trying to escape the arms that held me. ¡°Shhhh, Clarice its me! Vaus!¡± Hearing my own name and recognizing his whispering voice I immediately calmed down. Once I had though I turned right on him. ¡°Why ar-¡± He put his fingers up to my lips, his green eyes flashing with amusement, making a shh gesture with his own. Hooking his thumb in the direction of the clearing I had just been in, causing me to blush fiercely, grateful that he couldn¡¯t see it in the dark. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Taking my hand he led me over to a second clearing that had previously been concealed behind the dense thicket about 50 paces away. I Watched his brown medium length hair sway behind him. Suddenly he stopped, turning to face me, his eyes stern. ¡°What exactly, are you doing out here? ¡°I-I was worried about you, you said you would be back by nightfall!¡± He gave a sigh and scratched his cheek, softening his eyes a bit. ¡°Yes I realize we¡¯re running a bit late and I¡¯m sorry about that. That though, is still no reason for you to be out here, ain¡¯t safe for a girl.¡± Again the stern look. ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry.¡± A second sigh. ¡°It warms my heart that you worry ¡®bout me so much...... but please, don¡¯t go out alone during the night, even if their ain¡¯t any Revenants about. Then I can¡¯t help but worry¡± He drew me in for a hug, running his hand through my hair. I couldn¡¯t help but blush again, thinking of what I had seen in the clearing. After a moment he ended the embrace, pulling me towards the clearing. Entering it I could see I could see a few around in it and around the edges gathering herbs and other items, likely the group Vaus had come out with. One of the men that was close to the shrubbery we had entered the clearing from gave a snort. ¡°And what flower exactly did you pick her from?¡± A man to his right gave a chortled. ¡°Was more¡¯n likely pickin her flower.¡± That got a laugh from anyone within earshot, leaving me flushed for the third time. ¡°Stuff it Gand, she followed me out here, was worried about me.¡± The first man who had spoked looked up again giving me a look. ¡°Aye, I can understand that. Why don¡¯t you walk ¡®er back. Don¡¯t worry about the pay, you¡¯ll get your cut.¡± Vaus gave a grateful nod. ¡°Thanks Yave, that would be-¡± Abruptly a scream resounded through the forest, freezing everyone in their tracks. Yave who was looking behind, suddenly paled. He started to scrabble to backwards, trying to get away from something. Before I can turn around to see what it was I feel the a soft breeze, without warning Yave shots backwards crashing into a tree, a resounding crunch sounding throughout the clearing. In his place now stood a monster. A mass of bubbling and seething flesh, that took the shape of a man. The Revenant Nobody moved, fearing to attract it¡¯s attention as Yave had. The Revenant stalked towards his unmoving body, grabbing him and dragging him across the clearing, crushed in face open for all to see. Puke started to feel its way up through my stomach, before it could make it¡¯s way up Vaus slowly yet urgently placed a hand over my mouth, forcing me to swallow the bile. We all stood and watched as it tore his Yave¡¯s corpse in half. We stood and watched when he started to throw his entrails around like a kid playing with ribbons. We all stood and watched as it took out each of his organs, inspecting each and every one carefully as if seeing them for the first time. Vaus kept his hand over my mouth, forcing me time and time again to swallow my vomit as not to attract that things attention. I trembled. *Is this where I die?* *Is this where it all ends?* *Before I¡¯ve even turned sixteen cycles?* Tears and snot ran down my face, sobs held back by only Vaus¡¯ hand. My legs were weak, no longer able to support me with out Vaus¡¯ help. I saw a flicker of movement out the corner of my eye. Gand had shoved down another man near him and started to run, likely hoping the man would distract the Revenant long enough for his escape. It didn¡¯t work. Like a switch somewhere in it¡¯s twisted body had been switched it went berserk. Blurring to Gand, ripping him limb from limb faster than I could blink. It didn¡¯t stop their, it went from person to person, delivering to them all the same fate. Then it blurred towards me, far faster then I could track. I screamed in my mind begging for death to wait even a second longer before it claimed my soul. It answered my prayers. Twisting Vaus threw me to the side, away from him. The Revenant struck. Instead of ripping Vaus to pieces however it seemed to lose it¡¯s vaguely human shape, turning into nothing more then a blob. Enclosing itself around him. I sat their uncomprehending as the blob continued to twitch and pulse, Vaus no longer in sight. ¡°Va...us?¡± I whispered ¡°Vaus.....?¡± I asked ¡°Vaus!¡± I pleaded ¡°VAUS!¡± I screamed now crawling towards the mass, headless of the blood that drenched the ground. Reaching it I attacked it. Hitting it, scratching it, anything. It continued to ignore me unconcerned. Beyond reason I screamed. ¡°VAUS! PLEASE, ANSWER ME VAUS!¡± Feeling drained I slumped against it, no longer caring. ¡°Oh....hic......gods..ah....Vaus.....why....¡± A feeling started to bloom within, something strange and unfamiliar. Rage I broke, started to tear off pieces of it, using my mouth even, it¡¯s foul taste staining my tongue. Strength I felt it rush up in, pushing me to continue, to destroy what has taken from me. The Revenant recoiled, surprised by my new ferocity only for an instant though. Quickly it came back to itself smacking me across the clearing into a tree as you might a fly. Surprisingly the impact brought no pain, I got up ready to attack again. Only to slump back against the trees, the my ferocity leaving me. The Revenant stalked over, snaking a single thread of flesh over to my body. The second it touched me my already tired state worsened, and indescribable feeling of just weariness seemed to overpower me. The world darkening around me. *I guess my extra times up now.....* *..............Va........us..................* ................................................................... ........................................................... ....................................... ¡°Please........ please keep him company.¡± == I thought I did a really good job on this chapter, so give me that feedback! Help me inflate my ego even further! Also, tell me if you like this length more then the one I usually do, if you guys absolutely want to have them this long then I''ll do so. But the releases will take a bit longer to come out, so take your pick. Thanks for reading! Chapter 11 - Heir =Varith= The moon was the first thing I saw upon opening my eyes. A beautiful sight with its pale light shining down on me, made even better by the night sky that framed it. Something I would have happily gazed at for hour on end, had I not caught wind of of the stench that surrounds me. An unfamiliar smell, metallic and rusty, like how my dads tools would smell when he left them outside during a storm by accident, I can feel it knocking at the back of my mind, as if locked behind something. *What is that?* Reluctantly I tear my eyes away from the picturesque view of the moon and attempt to rise. But I can¡¯t, my arms are unmoving besides me, despite my unconscious commands. My legs spread out, limp and loose, unable to even promote a twitch of my listless body. *Oh......ah.....hi...ha.....* Panic starts to cloud my mind, warping the once bewitching night into something more sinister. The itch in my mind now turns into a scratching, pain flares in my temples, breaking apart what few thoughts I had. My body itches, as if ants are crawling under my skin, thousands of them pricking me like a needle with every step. I struggle, trying to move my still inert body, to think through the haze of pain. Trying to clench my teeth to distract me from all that assails my body and mind, but even that is not within my reach. The smell still lingers, catching my attention besides everything else that assails me. Like a sirens call it beckons me, waiting through the air, asking me to answer. *What is it?* The knock turns to a hammers, urging me to answer. The ants under my skin start to burrow, digging tunnels of agony throughout my body. *What is it?* With each beat my teeth rattle,incessantly, as if demanding that I answer the question. *What is it?* Blood It all stops. In it¡¯s place a flood of memories, thoughts, feelings, emotions, all flowing at once, creating a turbid mix. My mother singing me a lullaby. The time I awakened from my slumber. The first time me and father had spared. When I had been named. When I¡¯d gone with father into town. My first hunt. They fill me, intertwining, breaking apart and fusing again. Creating an unintelligible mess of self within me. ¡°Who am I?¡± =Thirve''s Wraith= ¡®¡°aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh¡± I couldn¡¯t help but groan as I set my weary body down on the bed, tossing my cloak onto the wooden floor so standard for inns. I blow out the candle that one of the workers likely lit, letting the dark of the night engulf my room. ¡°You do realize we¡¯ve only been traveling for a day right? We didn¡¯t even have to spend the night in the woods.¡± ¡°Shut it Thirve, they said that we can get a couple hours of rest before setting out and thats what I¡¯m going to do.¡± He hovered above me, a glow in the dark, exasperated, but with a hint of something else. *Anxiety?* I shift on my bed, trying to find a comfortable position. ¡°......How......¡± ¡°Hhhhm?¡± ¡°How are you not scared? Or even nervous?¡± ¡°Why would I be?¡± His spectral body flares, a sign of anger. ¡°You know damn well why! Tell me, how many times have you ever heard of a Revenant being sensed from half a days ride away!?¡± ¡°Hmm maybe that one ti-¡± ¡°NO YOU HAVEN¡¯T! That''s unprecedented, at least in our long lifetime.¡± I¡¯m sure if he had any teeth he¡¯d be clenching them. ¡°Even if their are four of us.......¡± He hesitates. ¡°So tell me........ why aren¡¯t you worried¡± "Theirs four of us Thirve. We got ahh...uhhhh that tall guy with us and aaaah the slightly shorter guy.......¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even bother to learn their names did you?¡± ¡°My point is, Thirve, is that sure the Revenant may be one of the most powerful in the last couple hundred of years, but theirs four of us!¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°I¡¯m sorry but what is your ¡°point¡± exactly?¡± I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all be fine tomorrow. Now just let me go to sleep.¡± ¡°.............I just hope no one dies.¡± =???????= Now able to move I sit myself up, not even bothering to glance at my surroundings, I already know where I am. I breath deeply, trying to clam the maelstrom of memories within my head. *Think, focus on the most recent memories.* My confession to my parents and the following pain. *After that....* My escape and desperate gamble to heal...... myself? *No..... I-I don¡¯t know.* I bury my face in my hands. *I can¡¯t tell the difference anymore, is this the side effect of the healing? Am I Cor? Varith?* *.....Neither....?* I turn my face upwards, gazing again at the moon, still bathing me in its pale radiance. *Maybe, or I¡¯m just a warped version of Varith or Cor.* I sigh, exasperated. *Would that even count as one of them? This isn¡¯t some physical change or one in personality, this is a complete change in self. When you mix red and blue you don¡¯t think of it as red-blue, no you think of it as purple, a completely different color, something else.* I can¡¯t help but give a short bark of laughter, a grating thing even to myself. *So what am I? Red-blue, or purple? I have both their memories but I don¡¯t think like either of them........ who am I though to judge tha-* *.....Wait......* *Why does it matter? Cor was only a day old, a small child, and Varith.... I think his old life¡¯s over now. He¡¯s wanted in town, and his parents...... I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll accept him now that he¡¯s completely merged with Cor.* *Is that it? Wouldn¡¯t it just be easier to say I¡¯m a whole new person and be done with it? Less painful to start anew then to recognize their losses as my own?* *Maybe.......... maybe thats best, it doesn¡¯t matter who I was what I had because..... I-I¡¯m some one new, a completely different being.............right......?* I shake my head vigorously, trying to throw off that final thought. *It dosen¡¯t matter anymore. I need to get out of here, the farther the better.* I start to stand, taking my eyes off the night sky only to pause. *...........to where exactly? I need information, more then Varith or Cor both have. Where can i get it? Town? No, I¡¯m wanted there, I don¡¯t even have a cloak to hide my features anymore, not that that would help hide me from the Wraith.* I grimaced. *Neither of their memories contain anything about other towns that I could go to. Could I steal from travelers? Certainly they would at least have a map. If I target those traveling to town then they won¡¯t be on the lookout for me or the Revenant. Which would certainly make it easier to sneak in.* *I should do this quick, before it becomes day. After all, I don¡¯t know how long I have until Varith¡¯s parents start to pursue. I can only help they go to the town and ask for help instead of coming directly after me.* Now fully standing I look around and sniff the air, checking to make sure the coast is clear. Naturally my attention wanders to the corpses and gore that litters the clearing, making me feel somewhat quesy. Knowing their there is one thing, seeing is another. *I guess I can thank Cor¡¯s influence that I¡¯m not freaking out. I feel queasy though, so that¡¯s Varith¡¯s. Is all of me a mix between the two? Some at the very least, this is proof of that. Those are thoughts for later, I need to do this before daybreak.* I lighten myself, bounding off at full speed. *The road that runs by my house doesn¡¯t have much traffic, almost none from what I¡¯ve seen in Varith¡¯s memories. Probably wouldn¡¯t be my best bet at finding travelers. If I go to town and circle around I should be able to find another.* == EDIT: Whoooooooooooooooooo! 100 followers and 19 favorites! I love you guys! Chapter 12 - Mysteries ¡°.......a........p¡± ¡®¡°.....ak.....up...¡± ¡°WAKE UP!¡± At the sudden sound I jerked awake, tumbling off the bed into an unruly pile of sheets and man. ¡°I¡¯m up I¡¯m up, calm down.¡± I yawn, throwing my gaze around the room groggily. Seeing the mud stains my boots had left on the bed I couldn¡¯t help but grimace. *Whoops* ¡°Hurry up! We gotta go now!¡± Hearing that I redirected my attention to him. ¡°What happened? Did I oversleep?¡± ¡°Some retired Wraiths came in saying the possessed child had been by their home. The others left already, probably deciding that your lazy ass would be worthless.¡± *Retired Wraiths? Here?* ¡°How old did they look?¡± ¡°At least 40 cyc- that doesn¡¯t matter! Go!¡± I flinched at his sudden volume. I grab my cloak up off the ground, re-fastening it around my neck before pushing the door. Usually inns were a lively place at night, but with the Revenant and possessed child about the main room was eerily quiet, the main fireplace cold. I hurried through to the door that led outside, throwing one last longing glance at the kitchen. Throwing open the door I sprinted, trying to ignore the cold bite of the night air. Deciding that the possessed child had posed a greater danger we had already tracked it to the southern road. I ran, my footsteps echoing dully through the empty night, Thirve following slightly behind me. Finally reaching the gate I slowed down to a jog, recognizing my cloak the guards let me through silently. Past the gate now I slow down even further, carefully scanning my surroundings. ¡°What are you doing?! Hurry!¡± ¡°Calm yourself, if they left as fast as you said they did then it¡¯s unlikely we¡¯ll catch up to them.¡± ¡°Well we can¡¯t just sit on our asses like this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to, if we can¡¯t catch up then we might as well look around instead. It might¡¯ve circled back. Who knows, we might find something.¡± ¡°Ahhhh fine, whatever, gimme a sec to focus.¡± Seeing him stop and focus I move off to the side, searching comfortable spot to lay down. *Now for a nap.* ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± I froze mid-step, one foot slightly above the ground. ¡°Wha..? What do you mea-¡± ¡°Shit it¡¯s fast, we gotta get moving now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no wa-¡± ¡°GO!¡± ======================================= Currently I was bounding along, parallel to one the roads I had found while circling around the town. I¡¯d have to make it quite the ways from town if I wanted to catch someone while they were sleeping. With only my blurry view of the forest and the oppressive darkness to keep me company my thoughts quickly wandered to other matters. *I didn¡¯t even consider this earlier but I got both of their powers. Well, at least Varith¡¯s, I have yet to attempt Cor¡¯s. It seems like that would be the natural outcome, but who knows what could have happened, even with Cor¡¯s memories I don¡¯t claim to be an expert on this.* *Where did Cor even get what knowledge he has about it. No matter how hard for the source of it just seems as if he always knew about, as if he simply knew it all by instinct. Is it something that all Revenants have? Even if it was knowledge that all Revenants hold I¡¯m still not absolutely sure thats what Cor is. *He¡¯s definitely similar, no scratch that, everything he¡¯s done so far seems to point to that conclusion. Yet I¡¯m hesitant to declare him as one for one simple reason. The fact that he can feel emotions like a normal human being, albeit a bit warped.* *Talking about identity Varith too, is up in the air. Where did his strange powers and constitution come from? Was it because both his parents were Wraiths? Then theirs the question of where Cor came from, and why exactly was he in Varith.* I can¡¯t help but grind my teeth in the darkness. *ahhhhhhhh damn it all. To many questions so little information. I doubt any random traveler would have this type of information on them. Looking at Varith¡¯s memory Wraith¡¯s are the only ones who would know this type of stuff, not that I¡¯m able to ask them directly. I can only hope theirs some other source of information I don¡¯t know abou-* Terror Catching the familiar scent I increased my weight, killing my forward momentum. It¡¯s faint, almost non-existent, so much so that I almost disregard it as my imagination. Slowly I circle the surrounding area, making sure to test the air every few feet. Terror Again, muted and vague, but there. I track it, but only after an hour and several failed attempts am I able to pinpoint it¡¯s source. A child, only about 6-7 cycles old, an older man nearby, his father I presume. Both of them are asleep, the boy on some blankets laid down on the ground while his father is about 10 paces away slumped against a tree, a pack beside him. Dieing embers of a fire lie between them. The older man seems to be sleeping peacefully but the boy jerks around, moaning weakly. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. *Nightmare?* While creeping forward the aroma of fear seems to strengthen, enticing me. Recalling the pleasurable feelings from when Cor had devoured the Revenant I couldn¡¯t help but shiver. *Would a human be even better?* Realizing that I¡¯m already standing over him I stop, shaking myself. Trying to ignore the growing feeling of hunger in my gut. Slowly I tear my eyes from the boys pale sweating face and make my way over to the man. Luckily the packs about an arm length away from him, so I don¡¯t have to get to close. It''s large, with plenty of pockets, and seems to be filled to the brim with all kinds of necessities. *I¡¯ll need this and more if I do plan on traveling but......* Looking at the bulky pack I couldn¡¯t help but doubt my ability to lift such a thing. Not to mention doing so soundlessly. *I wish I could get the rest but I¡¯ll have to settle for only a map like I¡¯d originally planned, that is if they even have one.* Silently I search the pack, pulling out items one at a time for easier access. I plan to be long gone by the time they wake up so hiding the burglary is not a huge worry. At first I focus on collecting anything made of paper, figuring that they may provide useful knowledge. After searching the insides for almost 5 minutes I sheepishly realize that the map is more likely in one the side pockets for easier access. Like I¡¯d thought I only had to search one or two before finding it. Double checking it¡¯s contents I fold it and the rest of the papers up and put them into my trouser pockets. Standing up from the hunched over position I had adopted to search the back. I turn to survey the younger boy. The hunger had continued to grow, turning into a feeling of want that seemed to pull my whole body towards him, only held back by one simple thought. *Could I sate my appetite without killing him?* Regardless of my hesitation the feeling of want continued to grow, edging into the territory of a need. Even now I struggled to hold my place, my consciousness warring with itself. *A small taste....... No, I won¡¯t be able to stop.* *It¡¯s dangerous to suppress it...... more so to follow it blindly.* *I¡¯m not Cor...... but neither am I Varith.* No matter how many times I denied the thought it kept resurfacing, grabbing my attention, putting me a step closer each time. Now standing above him, shadows creeping up my body I have to admit it. That this is something I have to do. Something I will do. Something that I can¡¯t stop from happening. Something that I won¡¯t stop. ============================== Having already merged with Thirve power overflowed from inside me. Using it I was able to run significantly faster, but somehow our quarry was even faster. If it wasn¡¯t for Thirve¡¯s tracking we would have lost him long ago. ¡°Thirve, you sure it¡¯s him?¡± ¡°No doubt about it, matches the residual energy left in the square.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t he be someone a bit, you know, slower.¡± ¡®¡¯Shit! Stop! Stop!¡± Alarmed I stop, skidding for a good distance before I¡¯m able to stop completely. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°He stopped, at this rate we¡¯ll never catch him if he runs. So lets try sneaking up on him, and for fucks sake cut your power, can¡¯t sneak up on him with you glowing like that.¡± With that he detached from me, leaving me creep forward in the dark. In the dark without any spiritual energy coursing through me I¡¯m as blind as any normal human. Relying on Thirve to guide me, I silently creep through the darkness, straining my meager senses in the darkness. ¡°Stop, he¡¯s about 50 paces ahead of us.¡± ¡°Close enough.¡± Signaling him that I¡¯m ready he floats over and merges with me. Feeling the familiar energy blossoming in my breast I waste no time. Near instantly I throw myself into a dead sprint, towards our quarry. Joined with Thirve as I am right now I have no problem sensing him in the inky night. The distance disappears rapidly, putting me within 10 paces of our target before he even notices our approach. Close enough now that the dense forestry doesn¡¯t block my sight I catch sight of our target, a vaguely human shaped shadow, seemingly intent on the little boy before it. 5 paces from contact I kick off the ground with my left foot, spinning me clockwise. I bring my right foot out and focus nearly all of my spiritual energy into my heel, smashing it into the thing¡¯s temple with full force. It drops, not even making a sound of protest. Flushed with adrenaline and watching it lay on the ground as the shadows covering it dissipate I can¡¯t help but feel disappointed. ¡°Are you absolutely sure Thirve?¡± ======== Hey guys, hope you liked it. By the way can some tell me how to do the chapter link boxes? Chapter 13 - Muddled Things =Varith/Cor= *........wha....?* Slowly I awakened, my thoughts battling to free themselves of the muck that covered my mind. My head thumped, as if someone was kicking it to the beat of my heart. Slowly I dragged my eyelids open, I soon regretted doing so. Light lanced through the darkness, too bright for my present senses to handle. I slammed my eyes shut, trying to ward off the wave of pain that the light had brought with it. Deciding that opening my eyes was to big of a challenge for now I diverted my attention to the rest of my body. My legs felt weak and rubbery, as if supporting their own weight would be to big of a challenge. My arms laid flaccid underneath me, numb from being in such an awkward position. With a twitch being the most strenuous of activities I could complete now it was beyond me to correct the position. My stomach stomach seemed to twist and contort, drawing dry hacking coughs from my cotton filled mouth. I felt tired, so tired....... Through the still present haze of my mind I tried to survey my surroundings with my damaged senses. My ears rang incessantly, providing no useful information. I tried to inhale through my nose, only to find it blocked, sending me into another coughing fit. Thankfully my sense of touch still worked, though it was useless in my immobile body, only gaining me the information that the floor was made of a cold metal. With my senses failing me, I focused, trying to clear the filth that seemed to cloud my mind. Looking for something, anything. *..m...o......ti.....o....n..?* Faintly I could feel it, the pull on my body that indicated movement of some kind, a slight rocking motion that pointed towards a carriage or wagon. I laid there trying to piece together what meager information I had in my slowed mind. ¡°H-have to think....... have to..¡± ¡°Shhhh.....¡± ¡°But I¡¯m tired.....oh so tired...¡± ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay.¡± *I wish to rest........ for awhile¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, go ahead.¡± ¡°B-but......¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch over you, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Thank.......you....¡± I let go, letting my consciousness sick into the quicksand that my mind had become. Falling into the comforting darkness I only had one thought. *........nice........lady.....* =Thirve''s Wraith= Looking at the prone form lying in the cage I couldn¡¯t help but worry. *Shit.* It looked like it could die at any point. It was prone, unmoving except for when the wagon bounced it around. It hadn¡¯t moved at all since I¡¯d hit it. Usually that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Killing Revenants is our job. But looking at this being, this child shaped monster and the power that seemed to pour out of it I¡¯m sure that we all have the same thought. *This is something special* The Order emphasized learning, expanding their knowledge of everything spiritual, it was considered second only to Revenant extermination, and this thing, was something more than an aberrant Revenant or a possesion. No, it was something completely different, something that not one of the four of us have seen before, and for Wraiths that was saying something. We have to bring this thing back alive, even if it meant bringing in a healer for it. ¡°It¡¯s strange though, looking at the energy that just seems to pour off of it I can¡¯t help but wonder. Why was it so damn weak? Why was it injured so easily? A normal Revenant might not have shrugged off such a hit, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡± Thirve gave voice to the thoughts that echoed in my own mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know, what ever this is it¡¯s different and that¡¯s all we know about it........ Still nervous Thirve?¡± ¡°Asshole¡± =Varith/Cor= Fine. I felt absolutely fine, no pain at all. Slowly I moved, testing out my limbs. No throbbing aches or annoying ringing sound. My stomach has also seemed to calm down and my mind seems to have cleared. *That¡¯s all nice and cheery, but where am I?* Slowly I open my eyes, a feeling of relief welling up at the lack of pain. I turn, surveying my surroundings. Only to have my vision blocked by a haze in every direction. Annoyed I try to walk out of it, but my legs find no purchase, flailing in what felt like open air. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. *Move!* Immediately, as if responding to my thoughts my body started to float downwards. Surprised but not alarmed I left my body to it¡¯s strange descent, the haze around me thinning with every passing second. * I guess that confirms it¡¯s a dream.* As I break through the bottom of clouds I catch sight of what lies below. A dense blue fog, like the one that Varith had seen in his dream. Unlike in Varith¡¯s dream it¡¯s seems thicker, more there, easier for my eyes to detect. Through it I can see a few bright lights. Two seperate groups. One unmoving, showing only minimum movement with five lights. The other moving at what seemed like a fast clip, heading towards the first group with four lights. *What are they?* I watch the second group inch closer to the first until finally they meet. Bored and slightly tired I continue to watch the groups intermix and mingle. *Hmm?* The fog around them suddenly started to move strangely, curling and twisting around their position. Suddenly the whole thing bursts, the fog seemingly forced outwards leaving the area around the lights void of it. As if to pull me into the excitement I feel a pull slightly above my belly button. Slowly at first it starts to drag me towards the group of lights, speeding up as it goes along. Closer it pulls me, unrelenting. Confusion =Thirve''s Wraith= ¡°Finally.¡± I take a sidelong look at the being, checking once again for the rise and fall of it¡¯s small chest. Satisfied, I tun my attention back forwards to the approaching outpost. None of the Wraiths come out to meet us, as we had sent a spirit ahead of us to inform them of the situation. Quickly we hurry inside one of the two openings, the other one on the opposite side. I can already see a white-robed healer on her way over, although her gait seems slow, even if you take into account her many years. Finally she reaches the wagon and the cage on top of it. I enter with her, sticking as close as I could should it awaken and attack. At that same snails pace she steps up into the cage, slowly crouching down to inspect its head. She places a hand to it¡¯s wrist, probably to check it¡¯s heart beat. She tilt¡¯s it¡¯s head forward, inspecting the injury with cold eyes. After a couple of seconds she drop¡¯s it¡¯s head and let¡¯s go of it¡¯s wrist. I flinch at the dull sound of impact it¡¯s head makes. Turning her own head to me she speaks, ¡°He¡¯s fine, just leave him as is.¡± Surprised I check the spot I had kicked, thinking that perhaps this thing did have some kind of healing powers. Nope. It definitely doesn¡¯t, I can clearly see it bleeding still, I even catch sight of a couple bone shards poking through. ¡°The hell are you talking about old lady! It¡¯s my teams asses on a platter if this thing dies!¡± I turn to her furious. She sniffs, ¡°It¡¯s still alive, what else could you want?¡± She lifts the same hand she had been earlier, waving it around earlier as if to show me the pulse that throbbed in it. She lets go, letting it drop to the ground. Or tried to. Even after her fingers opened up from around it¡¯s wrist it continued to stay, as if glued to her palm. At first she looked merely curious at the phenomenon, not for long though. Her expression turned to one of horror. ¡°Stop him!¡± I move forward, bring my foot backwards for a kick. It brings it head up, letting loose an ear splitting scream, one that tore at me like a physical force. My senses all seem to leave me at once. Loosing my balance I topple backwards, my body numb. Out of the corner of my eye I can see all the other Wraiths reacting the same way. The spirits though seem to catch the worst of it seeming to dim and flicker. Thirve quickly merges with me, using my body to shield himself. Helpless I can only listen to the sound of it¡¯s feeding. == Thanks for reading! Oh and do you guys think I should get a PR? Chapter 14 - Clear Skies Confusion Panic Feeling the tickle of those two emotions on my my senses I snapped open my eyes, almost blinded by the sun''s light. Finding myself once again within my own body. Now though it positively sung with energy, the earlier pains all but forgotten. My gaze darted around, trying to take stock of the situation. I''m in a cage, within some kind of encampment, Wraith''s twitching on the ground all around me, their usual radiant glow now dull. The single thing that catches my attention the most however is bubbling pool of flesh next to me. It shifts and moves, pulling itself into an unmistakable shape. A Revenant. Surprised I only watched it as it struggles to form. "Go." A whisper on the wind followed by a light push. With it I''m off, bolting through the open door of the cage and using my arms fling myself from the lip of the wagon, lightening myself to the absolute limit. I soar far enough to clear the wooden walls that line the edges of encampment. Past them I increase my weight, dropping straight down through the tree tops onto the forest floor. Rolling on impact I''m immediately up again, bolting deeper into the forest. Relying on pure instinct and reflexes to dodge around any obstacles. Ducking under a branch, a twist off the body to avoid a tree only to bring both legs up in order to avoid a stump behind it. Any other time I would have questioned my sanity to run at such a speed in the dense forest, but I can''t stop myself. The energy in my body sings for release, pushing me to utilize it to it''s fullest. I can feel it thrumming through in my veins, guiding me in this mad dash, further fueled by my desire to distance myself from the Wraiths and the Revenant. "I-I don''t think this will work......." Hearing the androgynous voice I increase my weight gradually, slowing to a stop *Is that......? Now that I think about it, it had spoken to me earlier to before I had fallen unconscious.* Tentatively I reach out to the presence inside of me, "Are you the girl Cor left behind?" I''d forgotten about with everything else going on. "Cor........ i-is that my creators name?" She says, the voice now taking on a distinctly female feel. *Is that just how I''m perceiving or are her memories that far gone?* I ponder a minute before responding, "Yeah, it was" "Do you have any memories, ones of before you talked to me?" No point in explaining things further in that regard. She hesitates, likely asking herself the same question, "N-no...... b-but I do know things." "Know things?" "Y-yeah, l-like how they''re tracking you by the s-spiritual energy you leak." I can only send a feeling of confusion as response. "L-let me show you....." My eyes start to itch intensely, making me close and rub them involuntarily. The feeling disappears after a few moments. Opening my eyes I''m met once again by the sight of the blue haze. Looking behind me I can see a clear trail miasma staining it Even now I can see it coming off of me, corrupting the once clear haze. *My trail?* *No wonder they found me so easily. So this means she isn''t lying then, Cor must have given her his knowledge. Obviously he also gave her some practical knowledge at least as she is talking pretty fluently* I turn my attention back to her, "Do you know anything else?" "......M-maybe......" I can''t help but sigh, "Maybe?" "A-a lot of it is like moving an arm or a leg, i-it''s hard to into words. P-please don''t be mad at m-me." *Did Cor give her all the knowledge he had concerning such things, is that why I have so little knowledge of it? Was he worried Varith wouldn''t be able to utilize it to the fullest or did he want to tie Varith and her together somehow..........? It''s pointless to ponder it, at least now I have another source of information." "It''s fine, just explain what you can." In truth I''m starting to feel impatient. She launches into a hurried explanation probably sensing that. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "A-alright, Spiritual energy, the haze I showed you earlier, is all ways floating around. I-I''m able to draw it from the air, you seem to generate it on your own." *So spirit Esq. beings are able to do that, must be why all Wraiths are accompanied by a spirit. How can I generate it though? Is it because Cor is a part of me? No....... Varith had his powers before that, does that mean Varith was already part spirit in some way? Something else? This just raises even more questions.* "You say you have to internalize it to use it?" "Y-yes." "Then how did you empty the area of it back there?" "P-pardon me but wasn''t it you that did it?" "What do you mean by that?" "I w-was right there. You drained someone of their energy and for a minute you started to overflow with it. Than you Let it out in a burst, drawing the burst back in after you had pushed the surrounding energy away. There were beings similar to me that seemed to be hurt by it." *Had I done that? I remember I was in the dream, being forcefully drawn somewhere and than waking up after that. Did I miss something?* It made me a little uneasy not remembering but their were more important things to discuss. "You said you were watching right?" "Yes....." "Where did the Revenant come from?" A faint feeling of surprise and confusion. " Didn''t you make it yourself?" "............I.........I what? H-how?" "When you sent out the burst some of your energy leaked into the empty body." *I...... I did that to someone......... No, thats not the real problem here. If any of them survive and spread the word that I can create Revenants........ they won''t settle for capture next time. I need to get farther, now.* "Enough of that for now. Tell me, how do I keep my powers from leaking?" "I-it''s like holding your breath." "Thank you, that was very enlightening." "I-I''m sorry." Rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands I mull over the oh so helpful information. *Like holding your breath..........* I closed my eyes, trying to imagine the earlier miasma being absorbed by my body. After a few moments of no noticeable results feelings of frustration well up inside me. "Can you allow me to see the energy again?" Her only response is a slight itchiness in my eyes. Now with a clear view of the growing cloud of miasma I put my arm up and taking a good look at it. Squinting I can just barely make out little black particles leaking through my skin. AFter inspecting them for a while I lower my arm. Closing my eyes again I take a number of breaths, paying special attention to the feeling of the air passing through me. Now I try to imagine that same feeling, but now all over my body, as if using my entire body to breath. While doing so I picture the black particles flowing in and out of me in tandem. Real, or imagined I start to feel a slight breeze like sensation all over myself at each imaginary inhale and exhale. On the next inhale I stop, holding in my imaginary breathe. I can feel it inside me as a steady pressure. I walk from my spot, outside the miasma haze and look behind me. *No trail, good.* I lighten myself and bound off, making sure to go in a different direction then my old trail suggests. == Hey guys, was wondering if anybody would be willing to PR for me? You know, just to point any small mistakes I may have missed. Also I''ve noticed that a couple of people have expressed confusion in their comments in chapter''s 1 and 2. Can you guys tell me if your still confused? If so what''s confusing you? Please tell me in the comments below. Thanks for reading! Chapter 15 - Foundation =Calibro''s Wraith= "This...... this is bad." I move my eyes from the paperwork in front of me to the young Wraith standing in the doorway. He fidgets nervously, shifting from foot to foot. "Are you sure this report completely accurate?" "Y-yes sir. I was there when the message was delivered via spirit walk." "So let me get this right. They found and captured the anomaly, upon doing so they realized it was something more then a simple possession. They transported it in a cage reinforced with spiritual energy and got it all the way to the outpost on the Northern border of Reld and Eldor. Than......" Oh gods how I hoped not talking about it would make it go away. Calibro feeling my turmoil continued what I''d stopped, forcing me to look at the truth. "It made incapacitated every Wraith in the outpost in single move and made a Revenant that went on to kill three of the four Wraiths on the capture team before they or any Wraith in the outpost recovered enough to fight back." Losing three Wraiths is always a problem, but that''s not what''s truly important. Most of the time when someone dies their spirit decays along with the body, returning to the world as pure spiritual energy. Sometimes though, whether it be from powerful emotions or some spiritual intervention, they instead disconnects from the body and starts to wander around. Without the protection of a Link or Body their very soul starts to warp. Twisting into something grotesque and horrible unrecognizable for what or who ever they used to be. The grotesque abominations that come to mind for the common man are what happen when they try to possess a body. They force their way in, damaging the body and causing it to become unstable, hence their appearance. The oldest ones can keep the body together and relatively normal, except for a few small details. Thankfully the process takes a very long time, limiting the amount of Revenants severely. Even the youngest Revenant capable of possession is thousands of cycles old, and the oldest? Immeasurable. *He made one......* That single sentence sends chills of fear down my spine. He made a Revenant from a living human in seconds, a process that takes thousands of years to complete was done almost instantly. "It needs to die Calibro. I don''t know how fast it could make them, but even if it''s just one a day....... at the very least it would be game changing." I turn my attention back to Wraith, signaling for him to write down orders. "Send the following orders to the West Regional Leader Castus via Spirit Walk." [Their is a highly dangerous anomaly within your region, last seen on the northern border outpost between Reld and Eldor. At your own discretion you are to capture or kill it. You are to cease and forbid any Spirit Walking within your territory as the Anomaly poses a danger to any doing so. Keep on the lookout for any area''s with increased Revenant activity as it may be an indicator of it''s presence. You cannot fail, theirs more than your job at stake.] =Varith/Cor= "........Did my crea-Cor give me a name?" "No, not to my knowledge" *Feeling a bit of Deja-vu here.* It''s been hour''s since I''d learned how to keep my energy from leaking out. We''d maintained a steady silence the whole time, until now at least as the sun falls below the horizon. "W-would you name me?" "No, it''d better if you thought of one yourself. I''m sure you''d be able to think up a great name." ".....b-but....." "But?" "I-I want you to do it. " "....... Why?" "B-because it''s you." "But why? Why do you seem to trust me so much? Why are treating me like a friend? You woke up in my head with no memories of your own what so ever, Yet your not panicking not screaming not freaking out, nothing. So I''ll ask again. Why?" Her thoughts fall silent, staying that way for what seemed like hours. I wait patiently, this is a question she needs to answer. If she doesn''t want to I''ll make her. Thankfully it doesn''t come to that. "Because he told me to." "Cor? Why trust him? He stuck you in someone''s head without your permission, didn''t even give you a proper body." "........ because he''s why I exist. Before him their was nothing. Nothing at all, and he gave me something. Asking only that I stay with you. So I will, I''ll stay with you forever, I''ll exist solely for you. So what if I don''t have a body? I exist and have a reason to do so, I can think o no greater gift.........Plus, you feel like him a bit, like Cor." For the first time I''ve talked to her, her voice is steady, showing none of it''s usual weakness. I don''t know if I should laugh or sob. *For Varith!* I cry out silently. *He wanted you to live for Varith, not me!* I try to stifle my thoughts, keeping my inner turmoil from surfacing. *Should I tell her? Tell her that her reason for existence is as good as dead? That she failed to do what her savior asked of her? No, I have to even if she hates me, even if-* *She leaves?* My thoughts grind to halt, unable to cope with the thought. Even if the thought that she could somehow leave me was irrational. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. *Why? Why was the thought so unbearable. I''d been fine alone before she''d came! I''ve only known her for a couple of hours, most of them spent in silence, yet............* *It terrifies me, the thought of being absolutely alone again..... I can''t, I can''t tell her, but I have to. She should know, she deser-* "A-are you okay?" An interruption to my thoughts. *I can''t* "..................." "H-hey?" *I can''t* "Hello?" "Iszith" "Wha-?" "Iszith, that''s your name. Happy now?" She falls silent, but the warm glow I feel is answer enough. *I can''t* =West Regional Leader Castus= "Hmmmm, more than my job, huh." Having delivered the message the spirit walking Wraith next to me blurred off into the distance, likely terrified that the Anomaly will attack him. Winslo my spirit circled around me lazily, "Sounds important. Wonder what''s got HQ so worried about it." "I don''t know but I''ll guess we''ll find out. It''ll be a bit tougher to corner it without the speedy messages that spirit walking provides." Winslo gave a shrug, or as close as he could get without a body, "An old fashioned hunt then." I couldn''t help but grin at the thought. I stand up from the table, happily sweeping the mountains of paperwork off of it. "Fetz! Bring me a map!" "Y-yes sir!" Sounds of rummaging start to emanate from the other room only to stop the next moment and be replaced by the quick tap of his feet on the wooden floor as he makes his way here. Gently he lays the map on the empty table top spreading it out. I study it for a few minutes in silence, turning to Fetz when I''m done. (http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=16921) "Relay these orders to the other three captains." I hand a sheet of paper to Fetz outlining the information and order''s I''d just received. I give him a minute to read them over. "I want Ortef to start moving his patrols further and further north from Reld''s southern border, if the Anomalies still in Reld I want him out. Rehz and Talv are to only increase their patrols of the northern Eldor border and keep an eye out for anything strange." "S-sir? What about me?" I eye Fetz warily. A bright boy, a genius compared to some of the oafs I''ve met, probably why he''s been promoted so quickly but........ "Oh stop beating around the bush, the kids an ass when it comes to fighting." "Yeah....." I move, clapping my hands on his shoulder''s. Dwarfing his already small frame with my gigantic body. "I want you guarding the bridge to Bashaar, can''t have that thing getting into such a valuable place." Not that''ll try to, if it''s on the run it''ll likely go for the northern border of Eldor. "......Yes sir." He seems to deflate a little, like I said he''s not stupid, he realizes what I''m doing. I send him on his way. "What about us?" Winston asks quizzically from behind me. "We wait, react, and hope the damned messages get there in time." "Alright and in the mean time......" He gestures to the paperwork scattered all over the floor. "Urrrrgggg...." =Varith/Cor= "What''s your name?" Iszith cuts the silence a second time, only minutes after the first. "I....... I don''t have one." "................." "Would you like me to name you?" "No tha-" My gently refusal was cut short when I caught wind of her emotions. She really wants to do this. "........Alright." "Vicis." Something inside me seemed to quiver, I like that name, I really liked it. "That was fast, where did you get that from?" "It just felt right........ D-do you not like it?" "........No, I love it. Thank you." Again that warm glow. *I can''t shake this feeling though. It just feels so familiar......... so right. Well its just a name, I don''t need to read into it so much.* == So! I want to ask something of you guys! So far really the main draw of my story is suppose to be the whole emotional and moral struggle going on here for Vicis as I''m sure you''ve all noticed. So I was wondering, how am I doing with it? are the emotional scenes to sudden? To short or drawn out long enough? I want your opinions! If their shit tell me! If you think I''m doing a good job with them tell me how I can improve further! Love to hear any feedback whatsoever! Chapter 16 - Reaching =Iszith= "....Plus, you feel like him, like Cor." Feeling his turbid emotions I worried. *Did I upset him?* Unable to see his deeper thoughts I can only sit and worry. *Is he upset that he''s stuck with me? Did I say something else to upset him? What if he hates me? What if he leaves me? What would I be without him? What i-* "Iszith" "Wha-?" "Iszith, that''s your name. Happy now?" Those few words are enough to calm me. *Oh........ * Surprised I could only sit in silence, stunned by my own sudden shift in emotions. As the it began to sink in I couldn¡¯t stop the feeling of delight that suddenly overflowed in me, drowning out any worries I had held. *That¡¯s the third¡­¡­* No matter how joyful receiving such a gift made me, feelings of doubt quickly crept back in, this time for a different reason.. *A life, and a purpose. Two priceless gifts, and two unpayable debts.* I was was deeply grateful for these gifts but at the same time they weighed on me. How was I to repay someone already gone? I simply couldn¡¯t, so they will burden me to death. *Now a third gift, a name.* How was I to repay that? Unable to think of anything and frustrated I try to relax, sinking deeper into his mind as I do, bobbing on his mental currents. I feel a slight quivering, barely perceptible. Knowledge springs unbidden to my mind, as if something is trying to explain the phenomenon from inside me using only vague words and feelings. Fortunately this time the information wasn¡¯t to hard to piece together. When he had asked me to explain containing his energy a jumbled mess of mismatched information and sensations had appeared, leaving me struggling to explain. [A sign of deep emotional instability.] *So he¡¯s troubled over something?* With no other information surfacing from the recesses of my mind I stopped to ponder. *How can I help him?* *............ Him?* Do I even know his name? A little embarrassed I tentatively float a question towards him. "What''s your name?" "I....... I don''t have one." Guilt started to well up inside me. To let him name me when he himself has yet to be......... It was a problem that needed to be amended. "................." "Would you like me to name you?" "No tha-" I redouble my effort, pleading with him to let me do so. "........Alright." "Vicis." It had been the first one I''d thought but it had felt right. "That was fast, where did you get that from?" "It just felt right........ D-do you not like it?" "........No, I love it. Thank you." And indeed he did, I could feel the approval radiating from him. I waited, letting us once again drift into silence. Once his attention had drifted from me I again sunk into his mind. What I found confused me, if anything the quivering had gotten worse. How? He seems so happy so satisfied on the surface? What is it that''s troubling at him? ¡°Vicis?¡± He startles a bit as if being roused from deep thought. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You seem a bit distracted, a-are you okay?¡± I try asking indirectly, trying to not tip him off about my intrusions. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, just deep in thought.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The casual lie hurts more than any blade. Faced with his apparent unwillingness to discuss whatever''s eating at him I drop the subject, feeling confused. *Why won¡¯t he discuss it with me? W-what do I do? I¡¯m suppose to watch over him, to support him but¡­... what do I do if he doesn¡¯t let me? No, I-I¡¯m sure I¡¯m overreacting. Surely he¡¯ll share it with me when he¡¯s ready.* =Vicis= Slowly the sky started to darken. When I¡¯d started running the sun had been halfway across the sky, now although unable to see the setting sun in the forest I could see the orange glow of dusk in the sky. *I¡¯ve been running for hours at least.* Yet I hadn¡¯t seen a single road or even path the whole time. I was undeniably lost, the map of Reld in my pocket useless without any landmarks. *Not to mention I have no idea whether I¡¯m still in Reld or not. Maybe it¡¯s time for some vertical movement.* Looking around I bound towards the largest tree nearby, one that seems to dwarf every other tree in the forest. With my light body I have no problem climbing up the branches or even shimmying up the trunk need be. Once at the top I survey my surroundings looking for something that¡¯s well, not a tree. Even at the very top, where the branches bent under even my light weight, I couldn¡¯t make out anything besides the forest. Struck by a sudden idea I crouch, tensing my muscles. ¡°VICIS N-!¡± With as much power as my little body can generate I leap straight up, giving me an even better viewpoint of the surrounding area. *There* To the north at the very apex of my jump I can just barely make out some roofs in the distance. Feeling the shift that indicated the start to my descent I twisted my body to face towards the ground. Feeling the air slip past at increasingly fast speeds I started to realize my mistake. *It seems like I¡¯ve overestimated my body''s lightening.* Trying to keep calm I shoot out my arm towards the first branch that comes in reach, hooking my arm around it. The next moment though I feel a jerk followed by a horrific popping sound. My arm goes numb, slipping off of the branch allowing my body to start falling again. ¡°Shit!¡± Gritting my teeth in pain, only now do i truly start to panic. I fling my only usable arm out trying to find purchase, even kicking my legs out against the trunk and branches in an effort to slow down. Feeling the ground grow closer below me I curl up into a ball, my useless arm trailing besides me. I squeeze my eyes shut, tensing up my body in expectation of impact. =Iszith= Sensing his intent all thoughts are immediately blasted from my mind, focusing completely on stopping him. ¡°VICIS N-¡±My words come too late to stop him, already he¡¯s launched himself clear into the air. Almost doubling his total height. stuck as a spectator in his mind I¡¯m only able to watch his desperate attempts to stop himself. *No¡­¡­..No, not again!* *I can¡¯t watch him die!* *I can¡¯t lose him again!* So I reach. ========================================= Whoo! Finally done! Sorry it took a little bit longer for this one, had a couple busy days. Yes, I realize it''s pretty short but like I said I had limited time and I wanted to get something out there. Haven''t seen any ratings lately. OK, now that I''m done whining I just wanted to mention a friend of mine called Leon Deas. He''s helping me to proofread even though he''s working a novel of his own so a big huge thanks to him. Alright guys, thanks for reading! Chapter 17 - Sacrifice Edit: just changed up the summary, love to hear your thoughts on it! =Vicis= As tense as I was I almost didn''t notice the frigid tingle at the small of my back. It spread, quickly encompassing me and numbing my whole body. I could feel myself slowing down, as if I had met great resistance. Heart beating erratically, blood pumping furiously and my mind on edge I waited. Waited for the sudden impact that would signal my death, that would end my own short life. No matter how long I waited I felt only numbing cold and the needles that danced across my skin. *Dead, I must be dead.* Flashes of my body inert on the forest floor kept flashing through my mind.Limbs splayed unnaturally, a growing pool of blood beneath me. My body so broken, so torn that it''s unable to even feel anymore. I willed my eyes to open, to face whatever horrific truth awaited me, but they remained stubbornly closed. A second sensation began to emerge, once again from the small of my back. It expanded, pushing back the tingling and cold that engulfed my body gaining speed as it went. Finally free of the oppressing sensation my body seemed to drop, followed by a heavy thump enough to knock the wind out of me. Finally, I opened my eyes, only to be met by a complete darkness. =Iszith= *I hope it worked..." It¡¯d been the first time I had tried putting myself outside of his body, the first time I¡¯d tried to influence anything besides my own small existence. The effort had exhausted me, depleting me of what little energy I had. Without it, I was left blind, my consciousness floating throughout a void of nothingness. I didn¡¯t even know if my efforts had amounted to anything. I could feel the slow trickle of energy from the surroundings reviving me, but it would be a while before my senses returned. Until then only my thoughts would keep me company. *It had to work, it had to. If it didn''t...* Gruesome images ran through my mind. *...He''d be dead... He can''t, he can''t die. I can''t lose another.* *...Another?* The word caught my attention. I''d been referring to Cor but...... Still...... it sat at the edge of my mind, looping over and over again. *I was talking about Cor......right?* *Yes...... I had to be, he''s the only one I''ve lost. I must be mistaken.* =Vicis= Pure black was what met my now open eyes. Panic started to rise up on me, but slowly my other senses made their presence known. The soft brush of the wind, the springy and dewy grass beneath me. Looking around I could see the forest around me, yet above me theirs was only the oppressive black. On my back, I rolled to the side, propping myself up with my good arm. An orb made of oily black suspended over where I''d been, it was a good bit bigger than a full grown man. Above it I could see the trail of broken branches from my fall. *Did I fall through that?* Standing now I reached towards it, dragging my fingers through it. It had a consistency similar to sludge. A familiar cold started to sink into my fingers, but no tingle this time. I pull my fingers out with a wet plop. *Must have broken my fall. As fascinating as this is I need to check my arm.* Taking off the tattered rags that used to be my shirt I braced myself and took a look at the damage. *Wha-?* The shoulder was still out of its joint. My shoulder low and distanced from my torso, the skin stretched taut around it. It didn''t feel painful but I was unable to move it. Even the numerous small scratches from my flight had been healed. Although it seemed to have leaves its own marks behind. Lightly peppered around my body were black spots with mirror like surfaces. There was a particularly tight cluster around my distended shoulder. Looking at my chest I caught sight of the hand shaped burn mark, it too had been transformed into that black mirror like surface. *Did this thing heal me?* From the incident in the outpost earlier I know absorbing someone will heal me, but I''ve done nothing like that between now and when I dislocated my shoulder. Looking at it though while healed in the wrong way it was certainly healed, like I''d broken it months ago and never set it. Lightly tapping my teeth together I worried. *I can''t leave it like this.....* Looking back forth between my arm and the orb. Heaving a sigh, and shuffling my bare feet I came to a decision. *Before I do that though I''m going to make sure.* I brought my thumb up to my mouth, placing the pad between my canines and but down hard. Flinching at the pain I uttered a curse and stuck my thumb into the oily darkness. I felt both the cold and the tingling sensation this time. Mere seconds later the tingling ceased. I pulled my thumb out to find the cut now replaced by black reflective skin. I prodded the spots on my body expecting them to be hard. Unexpectedly they felt just like the rest of me. *Was it only a visual change? No, I don''t know that for sure.* Again my teeth clacked. *So many changes to my body, there are probably ones I''m not even aware of. Enough, now that I''ve checked I should get it over with.* I leaned over resting my right hand, the hand of my lame arm, on the ground. Placing my foot over it I took deep breaths trying to pump myself up. Doing this halfway would only make it worse for me. *Alrig-* Suddenly as if trying to surprise myself I jerk myself upwards, keeping my feet firmly planted. Grinding my teeth I tried, and failed to hold in my scream. Eyes watering I staggered towards the orb doing my best to put my shoulder as close to where it should be. Hopefully the orb would take care of any slight adjustments. Thankful this time for the numbing cold I let my arm sit in the orb until the tingling finally ceased, this time taking almost a full minute to heal. Pulling it out I at first took a look at it. It seemed to have worked this time, healing in the joint correctly. No weird protrusions or the like. Although the spots around my shoulder seemed to have multiplied, forming a ragged ring that encompassed it. Putting my tattered shirt back on I felt a grimace stretch across my face at the exposed marks. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. *I¡¯ll have to cover those up somehow. Besides that where did this come from?* My gaze drifted to the orb that patiently floated in the air. I tried to manipulate it like my shadows but it kept slipping through my grasp. My efforts produced nothing more than a few ripples in the surface. *Not mine, Iszith¡¯s then. Didn¡¯t think she had this much power. Speaking about her she¡¯s been awfully quiet.* Turning my senses inward I tried to contact her, curious and worried about her silence. *Hmm?* I scanned myself a second time, taking care to be much more thorough this time. *N-nothing?! No, no that¡¯s impossible! She would have some kind of presence even if she¡¯d......she''d.....* Died I take a shuddering breath, trying to calm myself. *.......... Even if she had died I imagine there would be some kind of residual presence like Cor had. So what? What happened to her?* Deep in thought my gaze drifted, only to be caught by the sight of the orb once again. *Moved¡­.. could she have moved herself? Possible, Cor had moved her from her original body to mine, question is if she could do that herself. Only way to know is to check.* I moved my now healed right arm, bringing it up to chest height. Slowly I plunged it into orb. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit nauseous at the feeling of it¡¯s parting around my hand like a thick slime. This time I sent out bursts of my own energy inside of it trying to scan the contents. *Is that her?* The presence was so small that I hesitated to identify it, unable to fully scan it in such a reduced state. *It has to be, I don¡¯t sense anything else. she must have exhausted herself doing this.* Having found her I pulled my arm out, flicking it by my side as if it were wet. So now what? Leaving her here was not an option. I guess I had to sit and wait for her to recover enough to move back to me. Patiently I waited, for about five minutes. Already fed up with waiting I got up and started to pace. After my first circuit I turned around only to find myself face to face with the orb. Surprised I hopped back a step seeing it move forward to follow me. Jumping and even sprinting it managed to follow close behind me the entire time. *Well then.* Ready to go I set off full speed north. == ¡°This might be a problem¡­¡± Mumbling under my breath I stared at the still present orb. Long ago I¡¯d made it to the town, as Iszith hadn¡¯t awakened yet I had no choice but to sit and wait for her to before entering town. The sun had started to set once more but it has yet to show any changes. *This is taking too long for my taste.* I moved to it, plunging both my arms elbow deep. I try directing my energies through the orb to her fragile spark. *Earlier she¡¯d said that she gained energy by filtering it from the surroundings. She¡¯d also told me that I seemed to create my own, in that case maybe if I feed her some of mine it will at least speed up the process. I¡¯ll take it slow, wouldn''t want to mess with it too much.* At first I supplied only a trickle, gradually increasing the flow of power as I realized she could handle it. Almost an hour later the orb started to squirm, the insides moving around on invisible currents, and the shiny outside undulating to a indecipherable rhythm. Moments later it roiled. No longer holding a recognizable shape it twisted and shifted, never holding still for longer than a moment. Growing to violent for me to comfortably stand next to it I had ceased my ministrations, taking a few steps backwards. *Did.... did I break it?* Watching it uneasily a feeling of guilt started to well up within me. What would I do if I had? What if I had killed her? Turned her into something unrecognizable? *I should have left it! Idiot! Why would you mess with something unknown to you like that?!* The lack of movement catching my eye I refocused on to the now still orb. *Huh?* My body ached and ears rang with the sound of distant thunder. Pushing myself off the floor that seems to have appeared from nowhere I look around, realizing that I was almost 50 paces from my original spot. *It¡­.. it exploded?* A crater had formed with myself at the very edge. The crater was deep enough that if I had walked to the center the lip of the crater would come over my head. *No way¡­..* Everything within the crater had simply disappeared. The edges and floor of it were impossibly smooth. As if someone had painstakingly cut it into the ground and sanded it to perfection afterwards. Nervous sweat trickled down my back at the thought that I could have been caught in that. *Iszith.....* On the edge I stood shakily making my way down. *Iszith* I sped up sliding along the smooth surface of the crater. *Iszith!* I stumbled to a stop at very center, where the orb used to be. Legs shaking and body trembling my eyes fell upon a familiar shape. == Sorry for flaking on you guys for a couple days but ah I got some words for you. Witcher 3. Level 15. Please don''t hate on me to much. As an apology I tried making this chapter my longest yet, besides the side story that is. As always thanks for reading! (PR was done by Leon Das, he even came up with the chapter title this time!) Chapter 18 - Turning Point =Vicis= *What is that?* I stood at the center of the crater, focusing on the glassy lump on the ground below where the orb had been suspended. Unconsciously my hand moved to my right shoulder. *It''s just like the marks.......* Silently I watched it, inspecting the surface before finally my thoughts caught up to me again. "Iszith!" I dropped to my knees, shuffling closer to the glassy mass before me. Unconcerned about any danger it might pose. I shot my hands forward, expecting it to have the consistency of the orb. Surprisingly my hands met immediate resistance. Not giving up I ran my hands over its surface trying to inspect it with bursts of energy, noting that like my marks its appearance belies its soft pliable texture. I could feel how it brimmed with power, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn''t find her small spark. " Iszith! Please Iszith!" I sent wave after wave of energy through it, desperately crying out for her, reaching for her. Numerous failed attempts later I leaned forward, resting my head on top of it. "Iszi-" Pain blossomed from my nose, forcing my head back. I stumbled backwards, warm blood overflowing my nostrils. Pinching my nose to cut off the flow I''m met by a strange sight. It had started to open up, no, unfold. Arms, legs, the longer I watched it the more that it revealed. Until at last it resembled a human, it''s edges precise and defined. Although the features and surface of it stayed as perfectly smooth and flat as before. Now at its full height it stood almost a fort taller than me. One step. Another. I moved closer and closer reaching out my hand to her. "Iszith?" =Iszith= My thoughts swirled, asking me the same question over and over again. [Is there no one else?] *There is no one else!* No matter how many times I denied it and tried to ignore my thoughts again and again settled on that single question. [Is there no one else?] *No one...........* Slowly I started to falter, doubt coloring my thoughts. [Is there no one else?] *......They-they ar-* [Truly?] *.....¡­¡­¡­¡­* The question danced around my mind dragging my thoughts around with it. Poking, prodding them. [Is there truly no one else?] *I......I-I......* [Is there truly no one else?] *I don¡¯t know so please¡­¡­ please just stop¡­¡­* I shrunk my presence, trying to escape, trying to ignore the doubts and confusion that pressured me. Farther and farther I shrunk, receding into my own consciousness. [Is there truly no one else?] No matter what I did the questions followed, wearing me down. Each taking a small piece of me with it as I cowered. That''s when he reached for me. =Vicis= She nearly flung her new body at me, gripping me with trembling arms. My guilt intensified seeing her like this. "I''m sorry, so sorry." I apologized over and over again. I returned her embrace, caressing her. "I''m sorry....." We stayed like this for a few minutes until she broke the silence. ".......Why did you jump?" "It was an impulse, a stupid one." ".¡­¡­Don''t do it again." Her arms tightened around me. "I won''t." == Separated now we sit across from each other in the dark. "Do you have to go into town?" "I do Iszith. I need some clothes and information, another map preferably. Also....." My hand drifted down to my stomach, the running alone had started to wear on me, not to mention all the energy I poured into her. ".....I need to feed." ".......w-what about me?" "As you are now you''ll stand out, even at night." She looked down, as if noticing her body for the first time. "I want you to test it out while I''m gone, see what you can do." "..¡­......" I rise, dusting dirt off myself. "I''ll be back before dawn. Move away from the crater and stay out of sight." With that I take off, making my way to the nearby town. Within minutes the wooden walls come into sight. Leaping I easily clear them, landing just inside the town I roll as I hit the ground. Leaping as I come out off it on to the nearest roof. Crouching I survey my surroundings. *Are those¡­. drums?* A faint rhythmic beat floats through the air. Leaping from roof to roof I make my way farther into the town, the streets getting denser with people as I go. Their clothing getting more colorful and body paint more plentiful Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. *A festival?* The closer I got to the main square the more people I saw who seemed to be in a festive mood. Dancing, drinking and¡­¡­ I blushed, hurrying away from an alley filled with intermixing shadows. The surroundings grow noticeably brighter with clusters of torches appearing more often as I go on. Now the faint beat from before has become a steady cadence, shaking the air with note. Finally I make it to one of buildings neighboring the main square. *Whoa.* Almost double the size of Garten¡¯s square it¡¯s an impressive sight, but what impressed me even more was the sheer volume of people it contained. A mass of people, cloth, alcohol, food stalls and more. Everything blending into a muddled colorful mass that my even my acute eyes had trouble picking detail from. Within that mad storm of humanity there laid an island of calm. A stage lay in the middle of the whole thing an especially colorful group of individuals setting up strange equipment on it. Finishing all but one leave the stage. Too far to hear anything I can only watch, trying to decipher his wide energetic movement. A roar rises from those closest to him, the rest of the square joining in even if they only heard about as much as I did. Then he¡¯s off, flinging colored packages into the crowd much to the delight of the children, others of his group mount the stage. They flip and tumble color cloth streaming behind them, behind them the speaker continues to move around gesturing as if narrating their act. More cheers. The number of performers keeps increasing, some bearing poles to fling themselves through the air. Others walking the lines they had stretched over the strange. They start to pull on each others streamers throwing themselves and others off balance. Even so they all recover smoothly, tumbling or rolling, not even pausing in their act. ¡°Kh¡­..khahahahahahaha.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the display, while I knew that it must have been a part of the act the sight of them trying to trip each other up cracked me up. The crowd below me vocalised their approval along with me. The show seems to come to a climax. Each of the performers are now gripping one of their fellows streamers, they lean away from each other pulling it taut making a symbol that I don''t recognize as anything appear. From the crowds wild cheers though it seems to be one of importance. Clapping and yelling along with them it takes me a minute to realize my position. Without thinking I¡¯d moved from the roofs shadowy center onto the brightly lit edge, my legs hanging off of it. Still I don¡¯t pull back, enjoying the atmosphere and the ambient emotions floating in the air. I doubt I¡¯d attract much attention in a crowd like this. Alarm Terror Dismay Like a hammer these emotions strike my senses shattering my festive mood. Instantly I¡¯m up and scanning the crowds edge. A flash of movement in an alley to my right. With the entire crowd focused on the stage no one had seen it. Clicking my teeth I hesitantly make my way over, gaining more confidence as the scent grows stronger. On top of one the buildings that made up the alley I crept the edge, lightening my body to avoid making any noise. Below I see a man with greasy black hair tied back into a ponytail, in his arms obstructed by his body I can just make out a child with short blond hair. He continues to drag the child backwards into the alley holding a knife his neck, mumbling as he does. Listening I can only make out a few words. ¡°Money¡­...enough¡­.debts¡­¡± Unaware of me he continues on. *Well I need to feed anyways but¡­..* Could I do it? Kill someone while in full control of myself? *Ha, who am I kidding. I¡¯ve got plenty of blood on my hands already.* *That Revenant I freed, how many did that kill?* *That old woman that I killed, not to mention I turned her into a Revenant.* *How much? How much spilt blood have I been the cause of? How many have died because of me?* *Who am I to hesitate now? Did I hesitate to release two Revenants into the wild? This isn¡¯t a question about whether or not I¡¯m willing to spill blood onto my hands.* *But rather I¡¯m willing to do it myself. So what if he has family or friends, that child surely has them too.* Movement catches my eye. The man howls whipping the child, boy I can now see, into a wall next to him, angry red marks prevalent on his hand. *The Child or Man?* He presses the boy into wall, lifting him off of his feet. *Leave another to die or will you finally dip your hands in blood of your own accord?* He pulls the knife back behind his head, readying a single killing thrust. *Decide!* The crowd roared. == Aaaaaand done. Chapter 18 is over, few. Like always I look forwards to your guys feedback and opinions! Oh and I changed the cover and summary for the story a bit, tell me what you think about them! Huge thanks to Leon Das for PRing my story and all the advice he''s given me! Chapter 19 - Twisted Feelings =Vicis= I took a deep breath, trying to keep the energy that coursed through me under control. Exhaling, I release the death grip I had on the back of his and pick myself up off his inert body. Picking up his dropped knif-no a dirk I realize on closer inspection. Vaguely through the haze that seemed to envelope my mind I realized I would need to get a sheath for it. In this dreamlike state I surveyed the situation. Sparing a glance at the child, a girl her hair short and ragged, as if the man had hacked some of with his blade. Seeing she''s relatively unharmed I turn around intending to leave. I didn''t trust myself fully when the energy ran through me at its strongest and...... I just wanted to be alone for awhile, let my mind clear. Not wanting her to see my marks or face I tug at the shadows, obscuring my features. Stepping over the body of the would be kidnapper I''m stopped, feeling a slight pull on the back of my shirt. I glance behind me to see the girl grabbing on to my what''s left of my shirt. I can see her mouth moving but with the crowds persistent cheering I''m unable to hear. Not realizing that I can''t hear her she kept tugging at me, trying to elicit some kind of response. Looking at her red rimmed eyes and the way her feet shuffled, as if she wanted to move but couldn''t, it didn''t take much imagination to guess what she wanted. *.........She wants me to lead her back?* I gestured to her that I would follow, heaving a silent sigh once she''d turned around. Looking at her she looked about my age, maybe a cycle or two younger. Younger than my body at least. Soon we reached where the alley ended and where the square began. I stopped before the light of the numerous torches letting her pull ahead. Before she noticed I leapt up onto a nearby roof and started scoping out the area. About a dozen rows into the crowd I saw woman and man who seemed to be searching desperately for something. Taking a stone that I''d grabbed while in the alley I cocked my arm back and launched it at the man. Well, attempted to. It took a couple more tries than that to actually hit him. Finally getting his attention I stood up, waving my arms around. Once I was sure he had his eyes fixed firmly on me I pointed below me with exaggerated movements. Seeing him start to make his way over here I bled back into the shadows and watched. Seeing the way she gripped onto him and his relief I was assured that I had guessed right and loosened my grip on the dirk. Sitting here watching their exchange I felt strangely lethargic. The way he held her while she cried. [Envy] His soft words and caresses as he comforted her. [Anger] How he held her hand as he lead her into the crowd, back to the rest of their family. [Regret] Each action seemed spurn my thoughts on, blasting away the haze in my mind that had given this whole exchange a dreamlike quality, leaving me to endure the maelstrom of emotions that shook me. Finally, I lost sight of them as they disappeared into the crowd. I fled. == Watching the moon cross the night from a roof with hooded eyes, I did nothing. Simply letting my mind drift. Did that man have to die? No, not him specifically. *But I had to feed, someone had to. Better him than others. In fact, I should be happy an opportunity presented itself like that. What about next time though? When there''s no convenient criminal around?* Who? Who would I feed on than? *Maybe¡­¡­ maybe I shouldn¡¯t if it comes to that.* Wouldn¡¯t that be better for all? To just die off quietly somewhere? *No, I can¡¯t, What about those that I¡¯ve already killed, willingly and unwillingly? Would I simply waste what I killed them to obtain?* No, I wouldn¡¯t, even if it meant killing others. I stood, continuing to watch the moon. Slowly though I felt it. I pull in my jaw, a twitch in my cheek. A smile. *Who am I kidding?* A laugh bubbled up, exploding past my lips into the dark. I allowed myself to fall backwards onto the roof. Spread eagle I continued to giggle madly. *I just want to live, and I¡¯ll kill to do so.* == *This will be harder than I originally thought.* I currently was on a roof overlooking busy street. My original plan had been to sneak into and steal some clothes, maps and other necessities from stores that should be closed at this time of night. That¡¯s not going to happen. All the stores are open and thriving right now no matter where I went. No shortage of buyers during a festival like this. Tailors were selling the colorful clothing that everyone seemed to be buying. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Lamenting my bad luck, I watched the mob flow beneath me. *Wait, why am I so fixated on stores? I can just steal from peoples homes instead. Hard to imagine anybody closing themselves up inside their home right now. Be a bit more of a hassle finding the right stuff, but it''s my only choice at this point.* From then on it took about two hours of searching in peoples houses to come up with the correct gear. A couple of shirts that hung off my small frame, pants, underwear, boots, soap, a cloak, a sheathe for the dirk, a pack to carry it all, and a couple of maps that outlined the surrounding area. At least I think they did as I still have no idea where we are. I also grabbed a couple food items that would last a while, wouldn¡¯t want someone to check in my bag and get suspicious over the lack of food. Luckily I also managed to scrounge up a couple of copper bits and a silver one. Checking the moon''s progress across the sky, I realized I still had a couple of hours before dawn. *No harm in looking around some more I suppose.* I started to make my way back to the square where I''d seen the performance, but getting closer I realized something was wrong. *It''s quiet?* The steady roar that had been emanating from the square all night had fallen silent. Worried I sped up, pulling my gray cloak tighter around me. Coming once again to edge of the square I thickened the darkness around me. The square that had been a boiling mess of humanity earlier was now almost entirely still, all of them watching the stage, with only a few people shouting intermittently. "Four gold bits!" "Four gold and twenty silver bits!" Like that they kept shouting, each person naming a higher price than the last. My gaze naturally gravitated to the stage where everybody''s gaze was focused. *An auction? What are they bidding for that''s so expensive?* From here I was able to see that on stage there were 5 people. One extravagantly dressed man parroting the shouted prices. Four were behind him, three of them bound. From so far I was unable to make out their exact features. *Slaves then? I don''t know the usual price but four gold?!* Intrigued, I dropped down into a nearby alley and made sure my cloak''s hood was up. Satisfied, I made my way into the country crowd, people pressing in from all around me. For once my small size came in handy, allowing me to slip through the crowd almost effortlessly. The shouting started dying down as the price was driven higher above what most would be able to pay. Eventually only two voices rang out repeatedly. "Fifteen gold!" "....... Sixteen." The second voices responses came slower and slower as the bidding went on until it stopped completely. "30!" "..............." I reach the front just in time for the bidding to end, closer now I examine the slaves. When I do I swear I can feel my eyes dilating. A man, women and a little boy about five or six and they all share the same trait. Eyes and hair as blue as the sky, a slight glow evident in the darkness. All of them are chained together in a single line. I push my senses to the utmost, focusing only on them. *They feel like Wraiths, and even glow the same way. Dimmer, but they definitely do. I don''t see any spirits though and I doubt they would make a six cycle old child one, So¡­ what are they?* ¡°Sold! The female Banshee shall go to Duke Frun!¡± *Banshees?* I was hard pressed to find a connection between the cowering family onstage and the horrific legends I¡¯ve heard. Watching a second richly dressed man with a dignified gait ascend the stage while surrounded by his entourage my mind was filled with nothing besides questions. After the man who was apparently ¡°Duke Frun¡± took her off the stage the betting restarted. The boy sold for 25 gold to a woman called ¡°Count Darlin¡± and the man for 20 to a ¡°Count Sarc¡±. With the bidding done and the main attractions being taken away the square started to slowly empty out, everyone having lost interest. Taking advantage of the now moving crowd I followed Count Sarc¡¯s entourage, my eyes glued to the so called ¡°Banshee¡±. *Perhaps I can garner a few answers from them, First though¡­..* Looking upwards I watched the sun and its gentle rays break past the horizon. *Iszith¡¯s going to be pissed.* ------ Done! Thanks again to Leon Das for PR and just general help! I''ll try and get another chapter out there by Monday but no promises. Chapter 20 - Subtle Things =Vicis= My new boots tapped the ground as I made my landing, billowing cloak settling to rest on my shoulders. I return my weight to normal and view the smooth surface of the crater, taking two steps forward to it¡¯s edge as I do. *Good, she left like I told her to.* A third step and I was gone, sliding down it¡¯s unnatural sides. I leaned back and placed a hand behind me as I did so to steady myself. I reach the bottom dust myself off. While doing so, I caught sight of my black speckled hands and my many reflections that stared back in each individual speck. *I¡¯ll need to get gloves.* In no hurry, I made my way to the epicenter of the depression. The sun just clearing the tree tops as it had the horizon earlier, throwing their long shadows across the ground. The shadows under my cloak fizzled uncomfortably, but under the cloth they didn¡¯t fully evaporate. *....I didn¡¯t give her a meeting place or a way to contact me did I?* I shrug my shoulders,and wing it. Stretching out my range of sensing I search for Iszith. I parse through the surrounding spiritual energy searching for something. My thinking was perhaps that she now had a body she would leave one behind like I had. I doubted though that I would find anything. She had been the one who taught me how to hold it in after all, but still I made the effort. *Well then.* Within seconds I found a prominent trail of the dark energy about 70 paces to my left. I leaped out of the crater, slipping on a rock when I land. Stumbling I correct myself and continue to follow the residual energy. Following her trail I found that she had circled around to the opposite side of town and then moved deeper into the forest. Not wanting to make her wait any longer I started to move at my fastest speed, the landscape bleeding together into a familiar blur. After a half hour of running the trail ended, leaving me with little else to go on. Scratching the side of my head I could only look around, hoping to find another mark of her passing. *This is just fanta-* ¡°Boo!¡± I launched myself, turning mid-air to face. Upon my landing a girlish giggle sounded throughout the forest, a familiar glossy black women standing before me. ¡°Izwith?¡± *I flubbed* ¡°Mhm, did I scare you?¡± Its then I noticed my crouched position. Clearing my throat I stand up, dusting off my person. Strange, very strange. What happened to her quiet and shy nature? I peer at her featureless face, trying to read it, but of course I can¡¯t. ¡°Are you alright Iszith?¡± ¡°Fine, why do you ask?¡± *To be fair I¡¯ve only been with her a little while.* ¡°...No reason, So you can talk now?¡± ¡°Yep, and¡­.¡± Her body melted and flowed across the grass. Reaching me it flowed onto one of my boots. She then flows up my leg, leaving a trail of cold behind her. She stops at my chest and stretches across my entire body in a thin layer under my clothes. Light, extremely so for something that had been a fully sized person moments earlier. Also, seeing as I¡¯m not suffocating to death she must have added perforations so I could breath. ¡°....t-this....¡± So she can control her form to a ridiculous extent and speak in our usually way when touching. *Now she¡¯s back to being shy.* I stretch my arms out before me, inspecting the lustrous shine of my second skin. ¡°....How did you know we could talk mind to mind again if we were touching?¡± ¡°I-I just knew¡­..¡± ¡°Can always count on you for a thorough explanation.¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­.¡± ¡°By the way...¡± ¡°Yes¡­.?¡± ¡°Did you have to cover my whole body?¡± ¡°...............¡± Something shifts. ¡°Thank you.¡± With that little problem out of the way I continue my questioning. ¡°So, you can liquify yourself and harden since you''re able to keep your shape. How hard can you make yourself?¡± ¡°..s-semi soft¡­.¡± *...............¡­.* ¡°Can you change into a blade or something? I want to test it.¡± She flows, the entire suit collecting into my hand into a simple ball, leaving me once again clad in only my normal clothes. A sharpened tip burst from it and extends, the ball shrinking as it does. At the end I¡¯m left with a simple two sided blade and handle, no cross-guard or pommel. Taking position before one of the many trees I swing the impromptu sword, and am left with utter disappointment. The blade bounced off, even bent when it hit the tree. Bringing it closer to my eyes I inspect the razor sharp looking edges. Taking my finger I touch the blades tip. Nothing, it bends under my finger like a blade of grass. Inspecting the rest off it brings the same results. Just like she¡¯d said it was ¡°semi soft¡±, having a texture similar to skin despite it¡¯s glossy appearance. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°The sun doesn¡¯t seem to affect me as much, although it makes me uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go back to town, I need to talk to someone.¡± The useless sword breaks down, flowing back onto my body as it had been before. ¡°Damnit Iszith¡± == Back in town I stood on a rooftop, observing a manor surrounded by stone walls high enough to match any house. Watching the guards on their patrols, mentally marking their paths throughout the complex. ¡°This place is huge, well, the bigger it is the more ground the guards have to cover. Also means I have more to search." "Y-yeah..." Iszith was still wrap around me in her slightly-less than full body suit. I had followed Count Sarc¡¯s group as far as the manor. I didn¡¯t bother though seeing where they kept him, a fact that I sorely regret. Luckily Count Sarc seemed to live in town making it easy work to follow them. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The wind blows, forcing me to pull my cloak tighter around me. I had waited for night to fall once again before coming, and it had a had a crisp chill unlike the comfortable coolness that the day had held. Luckily the wall doesn''t pose much of a problem for me so getting onto the grounds should be easy. I saw no cages or other such contraptions outside meaning they held him somewhere inside the manor. That made this a tad harder than I¡¯d originally thought. If I wanted to talk to that man, the ¡°Banshee¡±, then I¡¯d have to get inside. That by itself wasn¡¯t hard, I am able to just slip through the walls. I was more worried about how close of a guard they kept him under, anything more than a single person and there would be problems. I don¡¯t know how many I could drain at once but I didn¡¯t want to risk testing it now. With the coast clear I jumped, clearing the wall and putting me halfway between it and the manor. I rolled on impact, weary of a repeat of the tree incident. Running the rest of the way I pressed myself against the closest wall and pushed only my head through the wall. Seeing an empty room I pulled the rest of me in. I went throughout the rest of the building in the same manner, checking it room by room. My worries now seemed unfounded since I didn¡¯t need to go out into the hallways where most of the guards were. As serious as the entire endeavor was, I wasn¡¯t able to stop myself from imagining how I silly I must have looked sticking only my head through the walls. With the slight amusement I felt from Iszith she must have realized the same thing. A few rooms later into my search a muffled scream rang out. *Below?* I phased through the floor dropping myself into a bare room of stone. Directly in front of me stood two men. One¡¯s facing me on his knees and chained to the walls, his bare chest blackened and smoking, the ¡°Banshee¡±. Luckily he had his head down so he hadn¡¯t seen me yet. Before him stood the other, he had his back facing me and in in his hand a glowing piece of iron. A brand. He placed it back into the lit brazier next him and turned around, his face colored with surprise when he noticed me. I hoped and kneed him in the groin, stabbing him through the throat with my dirk. Looking at the abject surprise and pain on his face the corners of my mouth twitched at the irony. It was likely the same face the Banshee had worn when being branded. ¡°V-vicis?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll focus now.¡± Now¡¯s not a good time to be distracted. Iszith withdrew until she was hidden by my clothes, stepping closer to the Banshee, even kneeling his head was level with mine. Crouching I brought my head below his so that I may look up at his face and dull eyes. I uttered seven simple words. ¡°Would you like to save your family?¡± I stumble back surprised at his sudden surge forward. It was cut short by the short chains that held him. Looking at them though for some reason I had no confidence that they could hold him for long. His gaze now burning with a new light, though it dimmed upon seeing what I was. *Does he see a child or a monster?* I had no idea if his sensing capabilities were as good as Wraiths but he surely held some. Whether it would be enough to see what I am was the true question though. It remained though, hope¡­¡­ and suspicion. ¡°What are you?¡± I startled at his deep gravelly voice, one so much like Varith¡¯s own father. I let a wan smile stretch across my face as I tried to purge such thoughts, ¡°A devil looking for a deal?¡± I tried a joke to try and stifle the tense atmosphere, but seeing the way his eyes narrowed it¡¯d obviously failed. *A monster then.* ¡°You know what I want, what do you want.¡± Surely from the outside this must have been a comical scene. A giant of a man facing down a child so seriously, yet to the both of us it was of a matter of great importance. ¡°Information, thats all.¡± ¡°Of?¡± ¡°Certain things.¡± He thought of me as a powerful figure right now and I had no plan of breaking that image by asking what town we¡¯re in. ¡°Deal.¡± A response with no hesitation. I struggled to keep the corners my lips from curling downwards, Varith¡¯s father appearing once again in my thoughts. *He¡¯s not even my father, stop thinking of him so much.* I gave a slow nod, a sudden flash of inspiration overtaking me. Conveying my intentions to Iszith I move my hand over to his smoldering brand, a two stylized snakes wrapped around a staff. She flows down my arm and trickles down my fingers until the entire thing is covered. I let a minute pass before having her retract, leaving behind a glossy black image in the same shape. ¡°Break our deal and¡­..¡± I give another smile. Getting a small nod I reach over to the locks for his manacles, letting Iszith flow into the keyhole. The first one unlocks and releases his hand, he shakes it around to get the feeling back. Suddenly h- ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. == Done! Alright so I tried adding some comedy, what did you guys think of it? Another thanks to my PR Leon Das for his help! Now for an apology, as this will likely be my only pots for awhile, like a long while. I''ve got exams now and unfortunately they take precedent. But, it''s not like I''m won''t b doing anything, looking at spins review on his first page a lot of his points hit home for me. So while I won''t be posting new boaters for awhile I will be working on the old ones to improve them. So I''m going to ask a favor of you guys. Complain. I want you to flood the comment sections of this chapter with absolutely any complaints you have no matter if they pertain to the story, my grammar, or my writing style. Well guys I''ll thank you for your feedback in advance and don''t hold back. I''m expecting a whipping here. Indefinant Hiatus Long story short I''m extremely unsatisfied with the story as it is, even with all the revisions I made. So I''m ending this here, maybe, just maybe I''ll pick it up from scratch again but I wouldn''t hold your breath. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. On the bright side, I''m thinking of starting another (different) story and I intend to do a better job with it. More planning, more details and a better lain plot.