Chapter 31: Harrowing Nightmare (3)

“Wait a second, aren’t you mistaken here?” Albert crawled backward with his hand until he hit the rock formation behind him. There was nowhere else to run.

“You said anything in exchange for me saving you. Therefore, it makes sense for me to ask your life in return.” Nephilas said coldly.

“Why would you even need my life anyway?”

“I need a vessel for my presence. This current body is merely temporary because you wished for their death. Once our pact is concluded, I would have to give up this body and find another.” Nephilas stared at Albert.

“You don’t mean….mine???”

“We made a pact. I actually don’t need your life but the process of taking over your body usually means the death of the original owner so that is it. Since your life was already forfeited, I believe this is a fair deal.”

“Are you some kind of evil god?”

“Evil is relative. Humans tend to call the things they don’t understand evil. In the end, it is defined by the laws made up by your society. If it conforms with the rules, it is ‘good’. If not, then it is ‘evil’. Don’t you agree?”

“But…but this kind of pact is not fair.”

“Not fair? Why?” asked Nephilas.

“I ask you to save me, so you have to save one life at the end of our deal. But if you take my life, then there is none. In the end, only you benefit from the deal.” Albert argued.

“What about these lives that I took?” Nephilas pointed at the dead bandits.

“Hum….It wasn’t me who asked you to kill them. I only asked for you to save me. Their lives don’t count.”

“….Is that how things work?” Nephilas puzzled over what Albert said. “Hum…he does have a point. But I still need his body in the end…Maybe I should just kill him and take it? No no, the vessel has to be willing….hum hum another predicament.”

It seemed that Albert’s argument was working on the creature. Thankfully, Nephilas was not just a mindless killing machine. As someone who has watched these mortals for eons, Nephilas has developed a sense of sympathy for these inferior beings. They lived their lives in fear of an impending death, always under pressure of the strong and bound by the rules. The Elder God pitied them. Like a stranger encountering a pup under heavy rain, he occasionally listened to their prayers and granted them what they saw as miracles. But these supreme beings were whimsical and their senses were twisted. In most of the case, what were seen as miracles and blessings by the deities turned out to be a curse.

As for Albert, he was gambling with his life. Despite showing some guts by arguing with this creature, he was actually terrified inside. What if it made the thing angry and it decided to kill him outright? Seeing what it did to the bandits, who knew what kind of things it would do to him? But Albert wasn’t just scared for his life. He was worried about his dear sister too. Since he already bargained with this monstrous creature, there was no turning back. If it demanded his life as a compensation, he would make the best use out of it.

“I have a proposal.” Albert spoke. “My village was under attack and my sister was captured by the bandits. If you can save her too, then this time, I will give you my life with no further conditions. A life for a life. How does that sound?”

“Interesting. Is this what you humans call fairness?” Nephilas spoke coldly.

“…Yes.”

“Very well then! But what if your sister is already dead? Then I get nothing out of this.”

“If my sister…is dead, kill the bandits then I will give you my life.” Albert said bravely. His voice however trembled in fear, not just for himself but for the safety of his sister.

“Let’s not waste time then!” Nephilas picked Albert up in his hands. “Show me where your village is! Oh yes, before that…” Nephilas turned to the corpses. With a swing of his hand, all the crimson fluid inside their bodies flushed out and merged into Nephilas’ body, becoming a part of him.

Terrified, Albert still asked. “What are you doing?”

“It would be a waste to just leave resources lying around.” Said Nephilas.

“But blood?”

“Power lies deep within one’s blood. Our kind gains strength through consuming the blood of others. Besides, depending on the individual, the taste can be quite exquisite.” The Elder god explained.

“What about theirs?”

“Disgusting. But enough for me to regain some part of my power. Now show me the way!”

* * *

Location: Frontier Village of Nightpoint

“It…it is all gone.” Albert uttered in despair.

From the hill that overlooked the village, Albert stood motionlessly. Once, the entire village could be viewed from here. It was just like any other village with stony houses and wooden barrages. The place was peaceful, almost boringly so. Nothing ever happened aside for the occasional encounters with the bandits. But it has never escalated this far. Now, the village stood in ruins. The houses were burnt down to ashes and its residents either dead or missing. There was no survival, not a single sign of life, only ashes and fire. Bodies of men, young and old, lied lifeless. But those were not yet the worst. Among the corpses, there were a few young women with torn clothes. Some had their throats slit. Others held daggers in their own hands with a wound on their bodies.

“These women…they killed themselves.” Nephilas concluded from his observation.

“Why?” Albert asked in shock.

“Probably out of shame. From the state they are in, it is likely that they have been violated by the attackers before their death. It is not uncommon for this to happen. Considering this, your sister most probably….”

“No, I don’t want to hear it. She is fine. She must be.” Albert denied stoutly.

“Turning your eyes away from reality won’t change it.” Nephilas said bluntly.

“…..” The boy was speechless. The reality Nephilas spoke of, Albert saw it too. He just didn’t want to look at it. The horrifying image of his sister being defiled by these barbarians made him want to throw up. It was too much for a simple youngster like him. With dark thoughts, the boy continued walking, passing through the remains of a macabre nightmare. Until he reached a familiar part of the village, his home. Although there was nothing that remained but a pile of rubbles and ashes. A dreadful thought came. He quickly sifted through the ruins, desperately trying to find something while hoping he would not find it. His sister was not there. Should he be happy about it though? Earlier, he passed by where they were separated but she was nowhere to be found. The likelihood that she escaped was too small to even consider it. That left only one possibility.

“She must be at the hideout of the bandits.” Nephilas blurted. “If she is still alive that is.”

“How am I supposed to find her now…?” Albert fell onto his knees, hopeless.

“When you find yourself lost, best to ask those who know the way.” The Elder God approached a corpse lying against a pile of ruins. A purple aura englobed his hand as Nephilas pulled out a dark grimoire with metal clasps and an ominous face on its cover. “Archives of the Dead, let me borrow your power! Grant this vessel an ephemeral taste of life once more!”

The face on the book breathed out a deep dark blue smog that quickly entered the corpse. “Where did the bandits go?” Nephilas asked. Immediately, the corpse raised its arm and pointed toward the woods straight on. “Thank you, you can rest now!” The smog exited the body, leaving it lifeless once again. Following the direction he was pointed to, Nephilas moved on without wasting any time.

“Wait for me!” Albert, anxious about what just happened, had no choice but to follow the skull head man into the woods.

It appeared that the corpse was right. There were trails of a large group of people passing by, along with a few other corpses of women. Supposedly, they must have struggled too much and angered the wrong crowd. Whatever the case was, Nephilas was in the right direction. Deep into the dark woods in the southern direction of Nightpoint where no one really paid attention to, there was a hidden grotto. Made from a number of tunnels, it was turned into a natural fortress by fugitive criminals which has eluded the authority. Today, they gathered here and formed one of the most notorious bandit groups of the area. Because of the complex landscape, no one has been able to find their hideout…until today. The Nightmare has come and it demanded blood.

“Hey, who is there?” Two bandits shouted the figure approaching. At first, the person looked like a sorcerer or a scholar with their black gown and strange golden motifs. However, as the person walked out of the shadows and showed their face, it sent shiver to those who laid their eyes upon it. A large skull with two antler-like horns trailing toward the back. A pair of glowing red eyes shined from the empty eyeholes of the skull.

“” The two bandits blew up into piles of gore, splattering all over the entrance of the cave as the crimson fluid gathered around Nephilas. “Let’s go!” The skull head scholar turned to the wimpy kid behind him. Out of all the terrible things Albert has heard of in his entire life, nothing scared him more than the thing in front of him right now. This creature to whom he asked for help, it had no compassion, no feeling. True, the victims were all bandits who have probably killed their fair share of people and deserved to die. However, Albert could not shake the image of how they were all killed so easily. Most of all, their killer displayed no remorse nor disgust, only indifference. Still, the boy pressed on, knowing what terrible fate awaited him at the end of this road.

One by one, the bandits fell. The chimes to alert the presence of intruders within their hideout have been rung. Yet, it became more like a dinning bell for Nephilas, signalling the arrival of more foods. These helpless bastards could never see it coming. Perhaps it was karma. Perhaps it was retribution. Whatever the case, the creature cared for nothing but his feast. Despite so, he did not forget the only reason why he came here. It was not to replenish his strength but to rescue Albert’s sister. But it didn’t stop him from having some snacks along the way. Finally, they arrived at the deepest level of the grotto where the remaining bandits have cornered themselves into. Coincidentally, it was where they kept the hostages, most commonly the women they kept for entertainment purpose. Unfortunately for the bandits, the natural complex tunnels and the landscape made this grotto a fortress but it also halted all possible escape routes should they be attacked head-on. That was the one weakness of this grotto. It made one wonder why none of them ever thought of securing an escape route. Perhaps they never thought it would come to this. After all, who could think that such a being seemingly from hell itself could come for their lives?

Stomping down the metal fence, the only thing that stood between them and their goal, Nephilas entered the inner lair of the bandits’ hideout. Lit by some torches on the walls, the room was filled with a humid stench. Droplets of water fell down from the stalagmites in the ceiling. Stuck to the walls were some old rusty chains and cuffs. At the other end of those chains were unconscious broken young women in half naked clothes. The lifeless looks in their eyes, along with the bruises, almost made Albert want to puke. And there it was, his sister, lying near a pile of haystack at the bag, behind a few bandits and an ugly looking man who seemed to be their boss. The young woman appeared to be alive but those eyes she had, those were the same eyes devoid of life as the other women. Her clothes were shredded with little to cover. At this point, Albert knew.

“BASTARDS!” the boy cried out. His tearful eyes screamed of hatred toward the ones who did that to his sister.

The desperate scream echoed loudly, waking the young woman from her illusion. Her mind has shut itself off to protect herself from going insane after all the horrible things done to her. But the voice of her brother has found its way to reach this broken woman, bringing her back to reality. “Al…bert…” She muttered quietly.

“Who the fuck are you? Why did you attack us?” the boss shouted, pointing his sword at the two.

“Your death!” Nephilas pointed at the bandits one by one and snapped his fingers. In an instant, they all exploded into gore, leaving only their boss quivering behind. As Nephilas turned his finger toward the remaining bandit, Albert stopped him.

“Wait! Let me kill him!” the boy said.

“Are you that eager to die, boy?” Nephilas spoke.

“He sullied my sister. He burnt my village and killed my friends. Let me kill him!” the boy said.

“No…no…Albert…stop…” the sister muttered but her voice could not come out. She wanted to move but her body refused to do so.

“…If that is what you want.” Nephilas dropped his hand and retreated, watching the scene from the entrance.

Albert grabbed one of the swords left behind by the bandits. This weapon probably claimed many innocent lives before. Albert trembled at the thought. What would it feel like to take another’s life? How could these people commit such atrocious acts and live with it? The foreign concepts escaped the boy’s understanding. He never practiced any martial art nor was he gifted with magic. He was just a farmer boy trying to live his life. But now, these people have taken everything from him and ruined his sister. They must pay. Finally found the courage he needed, Albert took up the sword and bravely charged at the last remaining bandit.

But he missed. Since the very beginning, it was impossible for someone untrained like him to be able to do anything to a veteran bandit whose job was to rob and kill people. The bandit boss quickly evaded the second strike. No matter how much he tried, Albert’s attacks were too reckless and predictable to the point it hurt to watch. Meanwhile, the Elder God calmly watched indifferently. He already knew how this would end.

Thinking it was his chance, the bandit dodged for one more time and finally changed to attack. The whole time, he was not even bothered by Albert and his audacious attacks. One look of the boy could already tell it was his first time with a sword, or any weapon actually. The thing that posed more problem was that mysterious creature with a skull on its head. But it appeared to be doing nothing despite the boy’s struggle. So, to reduce his enemies, the bandit decided to finally counter-attack. Unable to defend himself, Albert took a thrust right in his belly, impaling him through the other side.

“Argg!” Albert coughed blood and collapsed to the ground, quivering in pain.

“ALBERT!!!” The sister used all of her remaining strength and screamed.

“DIE YOU BRAT!” The bandit approached to deal the finishing strike.

“That is enough.” But his sword broke instantly. Out of nowhere, Nephilas manifested in front of the bandit and plunged his creepy hand into the man’s chest, clutching his heart. “I still need him to be alive…for a little longer.” The creature pulled out the heart and crushed it before the eyes of its very owner as the poor soul collapsed, lifeless. Then he turned to the bloody boy. “The deed is done. I have completed my end of the bargain. Your turn!”

“Sa….ve…my…sis….” the bot muttered. His mouth clogged with blood. The life was escaping his eyes.

“It is already done. The bandits are gone. There is nothing that will stop her from exiting this place. She is ‘saved’. Now it is your turn to die!” Nephilas said.

“…..what…will you do…with my body?” Albert asked.

“I need a physical vessel for me to inhabit. So I can complete the wish of another.” Nephilas spoke coldly. The boy has lost too much blood. He would die within minutes.

“ *cough cough* This person…are they your friend?”

“…I don’t know. Friend is not a concept we Great Ones have. The notion of needing another to conform our needs is nonexistence between us.”

“I…see…then…I hope that you…make a friend with my body.”

“…It is time.”

“…..”

Nephilas crouched down to his knees. Holding the boy’s head, he pulled off his own skull and placed it onto Albert. At that instant, the darkness left its current host and transferred all into its new vessel, leaving but a dried corpse of the bandit from before. But unlike the previous body, this time, it was different. Nephilas’ new appearance was that of a young boy instead of a grown man, just like Albert. The face also once belonged to the boy. However, it was now covered by that large skull over his head with only the eyeholes that could be seen through. The black gown was the same in term of design but smaller to adapt to its new body. Finally, Nephilas had now a pair of glowing violet eyes that shined within the darkness. His hands were also that of a human instead of a monster. In short, he now possessed a young male human body while still wearing his usual attire and a skull over his head.

With his new vessel, Nephilas stretched out a bit as he grew accustomed to the control. He finally got hold of a proper vessel this time. With this, he would be able to gain his power back, little by little.

“Albert?” Nephilas nearly forgot, he was not the only one in that room. Albert’s sister, in rags with heavy bruises, was slowly walking toward him. She saw the entire thing. If he left her to live, she could warn the others of him, attracting unnecessary attention and probably hindering his quest. A logical conclusion would be to kill the young girl.

“Albert is no longer here.” Nephilas bluntly said. Unlike the ugly humans, the Elder God did not share their belief in deception and lies. Furthermore, in his eyes, the girl was nothing more than a bug, something not worth his attention. Thus, she posed no direct danger to him. But what about the chance of her telling somebody else? “He died.”

As for the girl, she knew what she saw. The monster that accompanied her brother let him die. He did nothing when he needed its help. Now, it has taken hold of his body. It was not so different than it killing Albert itself. That was what all that mattered. Indeed, that was all that mattered.

“Give him back! Give my brother back!” The girl broke down.

“He is already gone. Even if I give him back, all you have is a dead corpse.” Nephilas spoke in Albert’s voice.

“Stop using his voice, you monster!”

“Simone, don’t be unreasonable!”

“What? How do you know my name?”

“Why, I search his memories of course. Else, it would be difficult to call you without knowing your name.”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! MONSTER! EVIL! I will kill you!” Simone took up the sword and charged at Nephilas.

“Foolish child!” With a simple swing of his hand, Albert’s sister was brushed to the side and fell down to the ground. She was completely powerless before him.

“Give him back! Give him back!” Unable to do anything else, Simone could only cry and beg.

But her tears were for naught. Leaving the woman’s behind, Nephilas proceeded to the exit, unfazed by the voice from within. First, it was just the desperate pleas. Then they turned into insults, curses and threats. Driven mad by the monster, Simone gave out one last scream before falling unconscious.

It was only until later that a group of officials who received the report about the attack at Nightpoint discovered the grotto. Inside, they found a group of young women in extreme poor state but alive amidst what appeared to be a massacre of the kidnappers. All the witnesses claimed to have seen nothing, except one who seemingly was too traumatized from the dreadful experience she had to go through. That woman was later transferred to one of the abbeys of the Angelic Faith in Angel’s Crown as one of the many victims so that they could find peace. The case however came to a close with the conclusion that there was an internal fight between the bandits which resulted in their deaths. But, needless to say, Simone was not satisfied with the investigation. After leaving mysteriously one night, it was said that the young girl was last seen heading toward Scyentia. Her purpose was unknown but witnesses claimed that the girl spoke of a man devouring monster and that an angel would help her take her revenge.