《The Monsters Inside Me》Chapter 13 - Muddled Things
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=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.”
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“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.
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*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!
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