34 Beneath Your Skin

I froze in place, my heart stopping. His voice compelled me to stand, but my mind roared at me to stay still. He could be lying, so I stayed seated, resisting the temptation of his voice once more. As time passed, the iron grip of my steeled mind loosened up. Sweat poured down my temples and forehead. Every part of my body screamed out, commanding me to stand and listen to him. His voice was a gun on my forehead, his words compelling me to obey.

Narrowing my eyes, I stayed firm. I bit my lip until blood poured into my mouth. The iron taste kept me together. It reminded me of all the blood outside and just what Yawm may do to me if Elijah found me. Even then, my mind’s dominance crumbled, one piece at a time. As I resisted, mana flooded over Elijah, some kind of aura covering the entire area.

Elijah announced into the sky,

“If I must come and drag you out, you will be punished instead of rewarded. Now come.”

He sounded like a knowing mother, stern yet gentle. It was like I stared at a cliff, and he told me to jump. Knowing it was wrong didn’t change the fact I still wanted to. This demon disguised as an angel promised so much with so little. The tendrils of his voice dug into my eyes and ears. They invaded my mind, tearing me apart as I struggled to stay there.

I faltered, one of my feet pressing into the ground and pushing me up with a slow crawl. With my mouth clamped shut, I screamed in my mind for my leg to stop. It slowed, but I still rose up with a steady crawl. Desperate to escape, I retracted the armor from my leg before taking a deep breath. I sharpened my armored fingertips and dug them deep into my bare thigh. They dug into the meat of my leg, severing tendons and flesh.

The pain passed over with ease, but watching my thigh gush blood sickened me. The muscles in my thigh seized up. With my fingers inches deep, the leg finally stopped pushing me upwards.

Elijah grumbled, "Then I shall grab you myself. A pity considering you’ll gain no rewards now.”

He paced over, a walking thunderstorm. Hopelessness crawled over me, a dread that whittled away at my spirit. A part of me held onto any possibility at life, however. As Elijah’s hand landed on the doorframe, I closed my eyes. I was done for. As Elijah peered over me, a shadow encompassed me from all sides. A warm, comfortable presence turned me invisible, my leaking blood and dripping sweat floating off the ground.

Elijah peered down, and he raised a bushy brow at the ground,

“Strange...I thought I sensed a life force here. A breath, a sweat, and a fear. Now there’s nothing.”

His irises opened wide, a handsome man staring down at me with a gentle smile. Across the cheek, the writhing intestines squirmed and moved under his skin. He peered up, shaking his head. “And I wished to save another one. This moment in time has been one disappointment after the next.”

A tear plopped onto my head, floating on my invisible body. Elijah cried over me, the twisted angel staring forward and shaking his head. He turned, and he flapped his wings. A hurricane erupted across everything nearby. The house’s insides shattered and mangled. Every glass popped. The walls wobbled. The door splintered and tables tore into the walls.

Elijah flew out into the air before gliding out into the distance. As he left, I fell down and heaved for breath. I leaned my head back against the wall, my hands and lips trembling. I pulled my hand out of my thigh. It regenerated, and my armor molded back over the wound. I gasped, wanting a way out of this damn place.

Peering down, Torix’s shade covered me from head to toe still. I turned back towards the blockade behind me. I walked towards the back of the house. From the window, I inspected the defenses. Soldiers paced along the lines of the barricade. Elijah terrified them, his flying form a harbinger of destruction. That left them all alert and ready for action.

Compounding their vigilance, the commanders chewed them out when I busted through the blockade. Considering this infection’s rampant spread, they couldn’t afford any mistakes like that. Unfortunately for them, I prepared to pass by again. Running into the misty city had been a calculated risk, one that blew up in my face. Gaining levels took the edge off that decision, but I never wanted another fight like that bloodbath.

Remembering the red and decay, my hands shook but not in fear as I expected. They jittered in anticipation, and my armor quivered in hunger. I raised a brow at myself, expecting a terrified trembling in place of brimming excitement. I enjoyed fighting more than I thought.

Either way, fighting through the Force of Iron was a cakewalk compared to the horrors of Springfield. I closed my eyes, thinking of what my old town was like once. Shaking myself out of that, Torix’s shade hissed into my ear,

“Escape.”

It cloaked me in invisibility, and that eased any escapes I’d make. Taken aback, I pondered the shade’s late arrival. If Torix cloaked me earlier, most of the turmoil could’ve been avoided. Putting that question in the back of my mind, I skulked up as close to the trooper’s barricade as possible. I found a thinner part of the barricade within a house’s distance from the soldiers. I built momentum in the house before leaping out of the second story window of a suburban home.

The mana heated my arms and legs, and the guards reacted far faster than before. That proved irrelevant compared to my emboldened strength and invisibility. I blistered over a car, hopping clear over it before jumping over and behind a house. Bullets rained in nearby, but the home blocked me from becoming a lead catching net.

After dashing over a few houses, I found my traversal flipped on its head. Before, I hopped fences with some difficulty. I ran around cars and flipped trucks. It took time to get through a suburbia. This time, I jumped over everything. Not needing to change direction or slow down all the time, I sped up to a respectable tempo, some closer objects blurring in my vision.

That was good, as I wanted to get the hell out of there. I sprinted across the terrain like my feet were on fire and the ground was lava. The shade evaporated my trail’s marks, stopping any pursuers from following me. As I crashed through a blackberry bramble, I checked my messages.

Torix Worm, of Darkhill | Level 1,236 | Unknown - I've told the others of your message. I wish to apologize for my lack of knowledge regarding such a cataclysmic event; this ritual has consumed me. For our safety, Kessiah and I moved the marble plates elsewhere. I've marked the location on your map.

Considering I am already his enemy, I will send this Yawm fellow a message of some sort to derail his efforts. I’ve planted the seeds of his enmity. I shall now reap what I’ve sown. Kessiah escaping this mess takes priority, as she never agreed to handle this chaotic cluster of a situation.

As for your homeworld, we shall defend it. I’ve sent scouts, and they’ve ascertained the scope of this infestation. I sent you extra shades in case any of them are captured. Schema’s speed and power be with you.

Torix Worm, of Darkhill | Level 1,236 | Unknown - The situation has changed. I’ve found reports of other worldly beings with unbelievable levels. You must escape. I’ve sent several shades to escort you out. Hide with all you have as your life depends upon it.

Torix Worm, of Darkhill | Level 1,236 | Unknown - Four of the five shades I’ve sent have been captured and eradicated. Get out of the area, as that being will find you there. If I come, they will sense my presence. I will only make it worse. Please, escape.

Torix Worm, of Darkhill | Level 1,236 | Unknown - I may only pray to Schema that you are alive and not captured.

I smiled at the messages, my assumptions correct. The old necromancer did what he could for me. Brushing up on my status, our team’s base situated itself near the town on the other side of Springfield. Finding a mountain of notifications, I surfed through them. I deleted the useless ones, like level ups or skill ups. I put the better ones to the side for handling other problems.

It reminded me of clearing out an inbox of an email, a little tedious but still productive. A unique message popped out of the bunch.

Yawm’s Arrival(Quest of Survival) - Yawm of Flesh has begun an infestation of Earth. This infestation must not be allowed to spread, so no sentients will be allowed to leave until after the quarantine’s completion. It's up to you and your species to protect yourselves.

From henceforth, you will receive doubled experience against Yawm’s minions, Yawm’s followers, and Yawm himself. Based on experience points earned, you will gain a bonus reward after the quest ends. The value of your reward will be determined based on your points earned.

You may turn in these earned points early for a lesser reward to assist with destroying the enemies. There will be six Sentinels placed near Springfield to assist with containment and an Overseer as well. The point system is as follows:

1 point for Spawns of Yawm and Summons of Yawm.

5 points for Grikes.

25 points for the Unnamed of Yawm.

50 points for any Named of Yawm.

100,000 points for Follower kills. The opportunity to obtain Sentinel rights are given to anyone who slays a Follower of Yawm. Rights are issued with the respective responsibilities.

100,000,000 points for killing Yawm. The opportunity for Overseer rights are given to the killer of Yawm. Rights are issued with the respective responsibilities. Unknown status revoked.

Experience multipliers count toward the points gained. May fortune favor you and your kind.

Current Point Total | 24

I peered at my notifications, trying to figure out when this announcement declared itself. It happened after I handled all of my enemies, but the points rushed in right after. I winced at my experience gains, as they didn’t receive the same bonus. It counted from here on out, however, so I let the loss go.

In a way, this infestation served as an opportunity wrapped in a horrific package. If I killed hundreds of these monsters, levels would fall from the sky. I no longer had to worry about getting enough experience as an endless pit of it spread out before me. It took the form of old friends and my hometown’s corpse, however.

Those thoughts tumbled in my head as I paced out of the forest and onto the grassy, rolling hills North of Springfield. I never explored where Torix set up camp, so everything proved new. The rolling hills sprouted with sparse trees here or there. This place was a series of abandoned pastures, the grass long and wild. Some old timers mentioned pioneers making farms and homes here before the actual midwest was found.

After that, everyone abandoned the area, only staying in Springfield because of the creeks here. Torix’s mark planted down in the middle of this desolate series of fields. Getting up to it, the mark planted down on a cluster of woods bunched up at the center of several grassy mounds.

After crossing the fields, I reached the center of the hills. An old cellar from a frontier home lodged into the ground. It laid out there as inconspicuous as a rotting stump in a field. I almost missed it. I opened the door, bits of dirt falling down before I walked inside.

Freshly made earthen steps carved a path into the ground. Long, winding roots supported the tunnel and room at the basement. I stepped down into the underground home. A glowing pool of water lit the center of the large room. The same cyan glow ebbed off the pool as BloodHollow, giving an underwater hue to the marble plates all along the edges of the hill home.

Torix casted dominion mana from one palm to the other, the energy writhing in and out of his massive book. Roots restructured from the plants above, forming walls and rooms of the cavern. Althea hunched over a work desk lining a wall of the room, messing with some ammo from the Force of Iron. She tied three vials together with a cable, mirroring a tribal bola thrown at people's feet.

Kessiah floated in the pool, casting a shadow onto the room's roof. The mana bended away from her, keeping her floating an inch or so above it. As I got into the room, no one noticed me at first. At least that’s what I thought. Torix finished his incantation before turning towards me. He walked up with his hands interlocked behind himself, “I see you’ve found your way out of that predicament.”

Torix’s eyes flared green, “It is...It’s very good to see you again, disciple.”

I spread my hands, “Hah, it’s good to be back.”

Torix walked up and gave me a hug. Althea turned to me, and she smiled. She hopped over before giving me a hug too. As if being held by a bear, she lifted me with a squeeze, “Ah...It’s good to see you. Sorry about leaving you like that.”

I peered down, and I gasped out, “Did you get them back?”

Althea set me down, letting me breathe. She murmured, “I did, and it wasn’t too bad getting here. You, uhm, did a great job getting on those jeep’s nerves.”

I raised my brow, “More like getting them bloodthirsty.”

Althea scratched her cheek, “Whatever. It worked.

Kessiah turned a head to me, and she frowned, “You gained a lot of levels while out there. Did you take advantage of the new quarantine?”

My expressions turned cold, “You could call it that, if you wanted to. It was more like a bloodbath.”

Kessiah stared back up, looking exasperated, “Yeah, well this is just the beginning. You think you’re tired now? Wait until we’ve cleared everything out and killed Yawm.” Kessiah let out a long sigh, “It might take years. Years.”

I peered at Kessiah then back to the others. I spread out my hands, “You’re staying to help against Yawm? I thought you wanted to leave?”

Althea’s shoulders slumped and Torix’s eyes flared red. I messed up. Kessiah made snow angels in the mana water as she simmered, “Apparently, Torix’s magic isn’t working. I’m trapped, and I can’t leave. I’m stuck fighting Yawm with you guys. Great. Just great.”

Disappointed she’d stay, I crossed my arms and said, “What happened to warping her out?”

Torix coughed into a hand, "Ahem...I had believed that I couldn't finish the summoning ritual because of your mana signatures. I obviously shouldn't have doubted myself. I believe it was due to Schema's requirements for this 'Quest of Survival.' That and-"

Kessiah leaned up by pushing up with her hands. The pool of glowing water bended under her while she shouted, "You couldn't get it to work because you’re washed up. Worn out. Done for, old man."

Torix’s fire eyes narrowed, “My ritual has worked hundreds of times before. I’ve augmented it since our arrival here, and it still doesn’t work. I’ve told you this time and time again, but my ritual isn’t the problem. Schema has sealed this world off for some reason, even to illegal means.”

Althea peered down, not wanting to be a part of the conversation. I raised my brow, “Is it the quarantine?”

Torix shook his head, “It most certainly is yet isn’t. Schema’s performed a rather unique operation that I’ve merely read about in historical texts. The AI rendered this planet locked off from any methods of escaping it, even illegal warping measures from unknowns. In that manner, Schema pinned us here on Earth, forcing us to fight against Yawm.”

I rubbed my temples, looking off in a random direction, "But, you're not using Schema's normal transport right? You could just warp out or, I don’t know, fly a spaceship, right?"

Torix’s eyes dampened, "Schema requires special permissions for unknowns to warp. We must face Yawm or watch this world be consumed and us along with it."

My eyes hardened as flashes of my fights flamed in my mind. I gave him a slow nod, “Huh...We’ll have to fight him. Again, huh? That’s...That’s not good.” I closed my eyes, “It is what it is then. We’ll do what we have to do then.”

Althea peered up at me, "Hey...Uhm, think about it. We’re getting extra experience, and a lot of Yawm’s soldiers are unknowns. That's quadrupled experience points. That puts us in a great place to level up, you know? Your armor can change too, while Kessiah and Torix are already really strong. They can guide us, so it’s not all bad.”

Althea tried cheering me up, but her words failed to do so. She didn’t understand what we’d be running into soon, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her. However, the fact she even tried to bring up my spirits, that brought a reluctant smile to my face. I gave her a sad smile, "We...We can catch up. No big deal, right?"

Althea’s eyes brightened, “Exactly. We got your friends too."

Remembering Michael and Kelsey, I frowned, “How are they?”

Torix frowned, "They are stable...But I should warn you, they are both slowly dying. The Force of Iron has inspected the surroundings near the quarantine and anyplace downwind of the infection sights. It is truly unfortunate, but your friends were caught in the initial infection radius.”

Steadying myself, I closed my eyes. I opened them at Torix, “So...Can we save them?”

Torix turned to face a wall, tapping his sides with his hands. He let out a long sigh, “I...I honestly don’t know. They’ve been infested with numerous of the, hm, petal bugs, I suppose you can call them that. If it were one, then perhaps we’d have a chance to cure them. As is, they’re turning despite the stasis pods and my cooling magic.”

Torix placed a hand on my shoulder, “I know it’s difficult having all of this sink in at once, but-”

I nudged his hand aside, not out of refusal but to show my strength, “Thank you, but I’m fine. Let’s talk about options to save them and what we can do right now. I don’t have time to absorb everything that’s happening, but I know that I’m not what’s important about this situation right now. Getting them back and our current situation is what really matters.”

My eyes hardened, “Right now, I’m a body, and I just have to move. That’s it.”

Althea reached out with a hand, but kept it at a distance, “You sure? It’s your hometown and your friends. I can’t imagine what that’s like.” She stared at her hands, poking her fingertips together, “And not just because I don’t have friends or a hometown...It’s just like, like a lot to take in. For me even. And it hasn’t even happened to me. That’s not to compare the two things, but uhm...You get what I mean...Hopefully.”

I smiled at her, “I do.”

Torix gave me a nod, “Hmm, if you’re able to persevere, then by all means, do so. The realities are as such: first, the Followers overlevel us immensely. We’ll need to kill them before Yawm arrives. Second, this quest dramatically speeds up both of your progressions toward fighting Yawm. Third, after Yawm has awakened, other, powerful sentients will arrive. They may ease our burden regarding the killing of Yawm himself.”

Kessiah pulled herself out of the pool, jerking herself up and out with a single hand. She raised both arms overhead and stretched, "What the old sack of dry skin is trying to say is that I'm going to be taking you both out on raids. It’s going to be boring for me, but we’ll get you both leveled up."

I raised an eyebrow, "Raids, huh?"

Kessiah rolled a hand in circles, "You know, when people go out to kill tons of monsters."

I shrugged, “I’ve never been on one.”

Torix flaming eyes flickered, "Why, I believe that’s the only kind of outing you’ve ever had. Semantics aside, there’s many details to discuss. Come, we’ll sit there.”

Torix pointed at the wall wide desk that Althea sat at. I sat there myself. Before I arrived, Torix summoned curled up roots from nearby grasses, making a surprisingly soft seating. I leaned onto the crafting table, "So, what kind of raids are we going out on?"

Althea bounced on her heels while walking over, “Torix and I talked about it. So, like, we’ll be sneaking past the Force of Iron’s barricade, killing some of those things, then coming back-" Althea noticed a change in my face, and she deflated, “Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

I numbed while staring forward, “If it’s to survive, then that’s what we’ll do. What I think or feel isn’t a part of the question.”

Kessiah leaned back, "What happened to Mister Bloodlust? Sheesh, what a downer."

I frowned, "Kessiah. It’s my hometown. I grew up here. It’s gone now."

Kessiah walked over and placed a hand onto the wall beside me. She narrowed her eyes, "But like, you have a home, so there’s that. Why so sullen about it? You had something to lose, so you could be grateful about that.”

I expected to get in her face like before, but before I could Althea walked up to Kessiah. The remnant loomed over our sniper, a head taller than her and wider still. Althea stood up to that and snapped,

“I know you don’t want to be here, but back off. I never had a home either, but that doesn't mean I don’t understand how hard it must be to watch it crumble. So, er, give the guy a break. He’s been through a lot...Er, please.”

I glanced around, shocked at Althea’s outburst. Kessiah and Torix shared my sentiment, each of them rendered speechless. I gave Althea a nod, “Huh...Thank you.”

Althea put her hands on her hips, “Uhm...No problem.”

Kessiah tilted her head, and Althea shrank down. Kessiah’s brow furrowed before she laughed. The remnant put a hand on Althea’s shoulder, and Kessiah relented, “Hah...Ok, ok. I know I can be an ass sometimes. I didn’t want to fight here, and-” Kessiah looked away while waving a hand, “I just wanted to go back to my mercenary work. I was hitting a real hot streak before coming here.”

Kessiah stepped off, spreading her hands, “But, Torix can’t get me out of here, and neither can I. I’ll try to make the best of this situation and see where it goes.” Kessiah looked at me, “And sorry for always putting pressure on you. Something about you just rubs me the wrong way. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll try to get a handle on it.” Kessiah smirked, “Emphasis on try. No guarantees here, little man.”

I stated, “I don’t expect anything from you at this point.”

My scathing words bounced right off Kessiah, and she clapped her hands, “Good. So, I really want to be the one that kills Yawm. Getting rid of my unknown status would open up a lot of doors that have been shut for a long time. Any ideas on how to make that happen?”

An edge lingered in her voice, one of the few times she exposed any vulnerability. I calmed myself down, not biting at the opportunity. We’d be working together for a while, so I might as well establish a decent relationship if I could. I stood up, "Althea and I will level up in the raids. We’ll amass our abilities until we become sizable threats.”

Torix swung a hand, “And I shall be whittling down the majority of Yawm’s forces. My summons and tactical knowledge shall prevent any unwanted run-ins with Yawm’s troops in those circumstances. The Followers are particularly important in that regard.” Torix gave Kessiah a nod, “If you’d like to, I don’t mind you taking Yawm’s head. I know the unknown status weighs on you far more heavily than it does me.”

Kessiah leaned back, "Oh...Uh, well...Thanks."

I raised a brow, "When's the next raid planned?"

Torix waved his hands, "I’m ascertaining the location of Yawm’s Followers as we speak. I’ll then create distractions for when you go out on your raids. Just as well, I assumed you'd need some rest when you came back. It was a difficult outing from what I could gather."

I shook my head, "I'll be fine. We can go whenever."

Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Look, tough guy, you don’t have to pretend you're made of stone.”

I raised my hand, the armor shifting, “I’m not. I’m made of metal.”

Kessiah glared at me, but I glared back. She crossed her arms, “Hm...Ok, do whatever you want. I’m going back to the pool.”

I shrugged, "Whatever you want. Does anyone know where Michael and Kesley are? I just want to check on them."

Torix tapped the edge of the table, uncomfortable as someone with a rock in their shoe. I frowned, "Are they worse than you let on?

"We’re working towards a solution, but my understanding of human biology is limited, as is my understanding of the petal bugs. For now. They’re in that room...In the back."

Hopping up, I walked back into the recesses of the dirt cavern. Torix grew roots to support the walkways, each of them intertwining into elegant arches. At the back was a small, earthen room where the two containment tubes leaned against the wall. Mana crystals powered the pods, keeping them stable. Someone removed the metal plates, exposing all of Kelsey and Michael floating in suspended motion.

For a while, I watched them bob up and down. I paced up and sat on a bed of moss on the opposite end of the room. I leaned onto my knees as I stared at them both. It was a weird feeling. On the one hand, I controlled nothing about the situation. They fought my help off and set themselves up for failure. On the other hand, I might’ve been able to save them.

I stared down at my armored palms, the runes jagged. Keeping these two alive would take a lot out of me. Finding a cure in time, keeping myself alive, and saving a few townsfolk required every bit of my attention from here on out. If anything, I stretched myself thin as peanut brittle, ready to snap at any time and any moment. To handle what I wanted to handle, I’d need to stretch even more.

Most of that came from how complicated the situation became. I preferred things when they were simple. See bat? Smash bat. See giant hivemind? Smash giant hivemind. Keeping these two alive meant working with a few more variables, so it wouldn’t be so straightforward. I peeled back my armor from my face before standing up. I was dwelling on the situation, and that changed nothing.

Anytime I spent too long thinking, I ended up depressing myself. I walked up and tapped the container, sending a ripple through the tube before leaning against it. The stasis pod tugged at my mana as I closed my eyes for a second. I gave it a slight tap with a fist, grimacing at the two old friends.

Michael’s eyes hollowed out like a man hanging from a noose. Black veins reached out of the side of his neck, down his arms, and up his abdomen. Kelsey’s mouth broke apart, a metamorphosed tentacle crawling out of her mouth. Some skin split in her fingers, and from the gashes, claws reached out. Ice shards splintered their skin in several places, Torix’s magic stemming an otherwise unstoppable tide.

I took a deep breath, and I murmured,

“What am I even supposed to do?”