Tsugi furrowed her brows, her gaze dropping to the baby still wailing on her chest like it knew – it knew this thing was going to come for it as it clung onto the front of her shirt not wanting to let go.
“Of course it’s a baby.” She glared at the creature, hands tightening around the hilts of her daggers prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the helpless child from this creature before her.
It cackled amused. “Give it to me and I will show you.” Leaving one hand on the ground to support its body weight, it raised the other, opening its long spine-chilling fingers, revealing a giant tooth filled mouth in its palm. Its long black nails waved through the air in a petrifying come-hither motion.
Tsugi frowned and managed to take another step back. “No.”
“Very well. Suit yourself.” It snapped its fingers and Tsugi felt some kind of invisible force had bound itself around her. She was unable to move – to speak. The creature reached a long finger and thumb forward and plucked the screaming baby from her chest. Dangling the poor infant from its ankle, it tossed the baby across the field like a rag doll.
And Tsugi could do nothing but look on in horror as the infant landed in the dirt and grass and dead fallen leaves. She couldn’t move a muscle, even the movement of her eyes proved to be difficult. Her heart wrenched in her chest, but still – she could only watch.
The creature prowled over, its head tilting to the side as if it was confused. It picked up the baby by the ankle and once again, tossed it over its shoulder. The baby landed with a thud right by Tsugi’s feet. The body laid contorted and still – so very still. There was no blood, but also – no movement, not even the gentle rise and fall of breath.
Tsugi struggled against the invisible bond but only tears were able to escape, rolling down her cheeks. If it wasn’t for the invisible force holding her up she would’ve collapsed to her hands and knees. She could do nothing but watch on as the poor defenseless baby was tossed back and forth again and again.
It’s dead! She wanted to scream, but couldn’t even move her lips. It was already dead.
As if it wasn’t already bad enough, her heart lurched into her throat and made it even more unbearable to breathe – to even swallow and wet her parched throat proved difficult.
Once more the creature tossed the baby over its shoulder with a loud thud as it landed on the floor and rolled over like a sack of potatoes.
And then – movement.
Tsugi’s eyes flared as she watched the infant push itself up to sit and – giggled, waving its arms through the air like it was having the time of its life, like a toddler.
“There you are.” The creature drawled, grinning from ear to ear, cocking its head slightly.
Floating back over, it grabbed the baby by the ankle and the opposite wrist, ripping it apart as easy as tearing parchment. Blood poured onto the ground along with guts and strings of tissues and ligaments – its spine dangling from its back.
The creature tossed each piece to opposite sides of the fire, landing with a splat and strewing blood onto the surrounding dirt and grass. Once again the legs sat up and the upper body pushed onto its torso as it laughed gleefully, similar to that of a child being tossed into the air.
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And there – emerging from the baby was something more menacing, so spine-chilling that Tsugi’s body was covered in goosebumps, her eyes wide with horror.
“Now you see it –” The black creature drawled, opening its large mouth and slammed down on it, engulfing it before it got any bigger. It licked its lips – if that’s what one would consider lips – and turned its worm-like body around to face Tsugi. “– and now you don’t.” It grinned and snapped its fingers, releasing Tsugi.
She collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. “What the hell was that? What the hell are you?” She glared up at the creature.
“Me? Well, I’m the guardian of this forest. I make sure things like that don’t ever get to leave this place.” It prowled back over to Tsugi. “Things in this forest are not what they seem. That thing was feeding off of you. It will turn itself into anything that seems vulnerable, to get close to you. It’s managed to consume many souls before, hence its ability to hide from me.”
“It wasn’t feeding off me.”
“Oh?” Malice filled its face-splitting grin as it crouched down. It reached its long black nail toward Tsugi’s chest. “Look again.”
Tsugi felt a sore aching pain and pulled open her shirt to look down at her body. It looked like something had latched onto her shoulder and the top of her breast, sucking away her blood and her insides like a poisonous leech. Red and yellow vein-like webs were stretched from the wound.
“What the hell did it do to me?”
“It was slowly feeding off of your soul.”
“My soul?”
“You smell –” The creature prowls around her, sniffing – assessing. “So that’s how you were able to move.” The creature hummed. “I knew there was a reason why I felt drawn to you. You have more than one soul with you.”
Tsugi glanced down at her daggers and at the necklace around her neck – Ruzo.
“Mmmm, how delicious.” It licked its lips just as Tsugi raised her daggers in response. It cackled in amusement. “Appeasing, but I’m not the one you need to worry about. You will be the reason for my full stomach today.” It grinned. “Oh, you can’t see them can you? I’ve been holding them back, because they want you.”
“Who?” Tsugi shrouded herself in her dark magic and then she saw it – saw them.
In a wide dome around her were all kinds of monsters and wraiths, trying to break through an invisible barrier. Tsugi flinched when she saw the black creature next to her. It looked even creepier like something that could haunt even her nightmares and make them scurry to the dark corners of her mind. “Your real form is –” Tsugi shuddered.
“Oh, so you also have the ability to see!” Its grin reminded her of Yamo – of the elation in his eyes. “You are full of surprises. Why don’t you just stay here with me and keep me company?”
“Uh – thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I need to get out of here.”
“Awe, that’s too bad.” It frowned. “How about this – you help me take down these guys –” it gestures to all the rabid creatures drooling all over the forcefield. “– and I’ll make sure you get out.”
“How can I trust you?”
“Oh don’t worry. Fortunately for you, I can’t kill you. Being a guardian, I’m not allowed to kill the living – the ones that still roam these lands in flesh and blood. Though if you perish – now that’s another story.” It drawls, grin growing wide.
Tsugi turns her gaze from the creature before her to the hundreds that are frantically clawing at the invisible wall, teeth snarling, eyes starving mad.
“So does that mean, you’ll let me get killed by these creatures?”
“Not that I’ll let you be killed – it’s how much you’re willing to survive. Either way, this wall will come down. So you can die and stay here with me for eternity – or you fight your way out. It’s your choice.”
“So you’ll let me out of this forest if we defeat them?”
“A bargain is a bargain. You help me take these souls, and I will show you the way out.”
Tsugi turns her gaze to the creature, still bound to the woman that stood stock still in the distance, her lips seemingly moving with the creature – with each breath – each word. “If they get to you, they will get stronger by consuming the souls you possess. So help me help you.”
Tsugi sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Not like I have much of a choice either way – deal.”