Chapter 13 - Sword Swinging Anthropoid

I woke up to a dark dusty mold infested ceiling with extreme pain in my chest and a throbbing feeling in my right arm. I didn’t remember anything that happened from the moment my epic fight with the Ogre ended. Hopefully someone had saved me or the monsters are keeping me for a snack.

Barely rising, I noticed I was in a makeshift bed made from dry leaves, grasses and some leather. I was in a small warm room with dusty walls that looked like they had been charred from a fire. The windows were covered with some newspapers and the sunlight barely lit the room. I was lying close to ground level and near my head were some bottles of water and a basin with some more warm water. At least now I know that I had been saved. Hopefully Wong brought some fire power and took pity on me. I noticed I was in a sheet that looked as bad as the bandages that dressed my wounds. It kept me warm, so I should be grateful. I was naked underneath, by body wrapped in bandages like a mummy. Is this Alvin’s prank again? My savior was nowhere to be found, hopefully scouting the area for threats or bringing something to eat. I am starving. How long was I out?

I tried getting myself up and sat up against the wall to take a better look at my surroundings. Yeah, this is some old house that might have caught fire during the chaos. Is there a bathroom here? I may want to pee by myself at some point.

The two things that caught my attention almost immediately were the flintlock gun, which I used to blow up the Ogre, fine shooting if I say so myself and the can of soda, which was open and possibly empty. My savior must have been thirsty to drink my refreshment. It’s not like I was looking forward to a drink after killing the fucking boss.

I found a piece of stick which I used as a cane to stand myself up. It’s so comfortable. I still felt some pain and my ached all over, but it was not as severe as the ones I felt after the Ogre wiped the floor with me. I no longer felt the blood gushing into my chest or ribs cracking. If I had to guess, the bones had mended and a complete complicated full body surgery had been performed leaving me energized instead of being fatigued. Something beyond our technology did this.

My mind flashed the image of the humanoid creature that was there when the Ogre died and I passed out. Did that thing save me? What does it want with me?

My mind scrambled and evaluated my options of flight or fight. Fighting in this condition is useless, however, I have the gun here. Why would it leave the gun here if it meant harm? Surely it saw what the gun did to the Ogre.

Exhaustion took over me and I extended my hand towards the gun. Damn, that soda better have something left.

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I came about the second time and noticed a young woman, may be in her twenties, humming some tune I was not familiar with. Is she my savior? What happened to that other thing?

Lots of questions buzzed in my mind like how she managed to save me amidst the monsters, what was she even doing there. More importantly, how did she manage to patch me up this good? I tried voicing out and noticed, I couldn’t speak. My throat was dry and every word I tried to say brought more pain.

I extended my hand towards the bottle of water and sure enough, it tips it off informing my savior of my rouse. She turned and wow, she is gorgeous, she is so my type, looked at me with her gentle eyes.

“Rest, yes” [Woman]

“Hmm..”, moaning with a grunt, I tried to say, “wa..te..r”. Before words escaped my mouth, my hands had already signalled her that I needed some water. She brought the bottle to my mouth, lifting my head slightly and poured it in sips.

“Drink. Slow. More. Bad. Yes” [Woman]

She spoke one word at a time like a kid speaking for the first time hardly conveying its meaning.

I couldn’t voice out anything and only nodded in gratitude. I slept soon after listening to her humming and in relief knowing that I am being well taken care of. A beautiful woman taking care of my every need. A dream come true.

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I don’t remember how long I was sleeping, but I was dreaming about Trevor. I awaited for his visit in my dream space, since I had killed a monsters five times my size and at least fifty times stronger than me. That should be considered transcending, right?

Trevor gave me two treasure chests and I managed to pull two items from my dream space, coincidence? I don’t think so. I had somehow summoned my treasure chests when I was close to death and made use of whatever I was given. Definitely transcending. So, why was he not here yet. Should I make a wish?

One would think that the alien ball pounced on every opportunity it got in scaring the shit out of me like a haunted halloween house. But no. Not this time. It looked it deliberately avoided meeting me. Or I could just be making up things.

“Wake.Yes” [Woman]

I groaned and woke up looking at the beautiful woman at my bedside with porridge or some sort of a soup in a bowl and a spoon in her hand.

“Yes, I am awake”, relieved finally that I can talk again. [Allen]

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She adorably blew away the hot vapor from the porridge and fed me which tasted better than the gooey mess I tasted in the store. We had canned foods in the store, so why was I eating gooey shit from a plate?

I gulped down every spoon wolfishly, sipping water intermittently and even ravenously gulped a second serving.

Once she was done feeding, she wiped my face with a clean cloth soaked in warm water and sat me up against the wall. For a second, I thought she wanted to give me a sponge bath. Not that I am complaining.

She then went to her make-do kitchen and started humming the tune. The tune was melodious and had a sad rhythm to it. It gave me a feeling of something tragic happening in front of me and all I could do was watch, unable to interfere. Somewhere along the hum, I started crying and I felt for the first time in my life, helpless and vulnerable.

The woman shushed me in quiet whispers, held me to the pillow and hummed me to a tranquil daze. I drifted into a deep slumber soothed by her hum, like a baby in a cradle rocked by a mother’s gentle lullaby. I don’t remember my mother. Dad told me she died when I was two. I imagined if this was how I would have felt when she was with me. I missed my mom terribly.

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I don’t know how many days have passed, but I was finally hale and healthy to move about. I helped myself to the porridge that previously my savior spoon fed me. I didn’t think I would say this, but I miss her feeding me like a baby. I think it was dusk when I woke up. I couldn’t hear any sound other than my savior humming the same sad tune. I think I am growing fond of it

I mustered my courage and decided to ask her about everything that I had missed during my nursing.

“I can eat that myself. Thank you. May I know your name? And how did you find me?” [Allen]

“You. Kill. Bravos. I. Elana.**@@**” [Woman]

I barely made out the last part of the conversation. So her name is Elana. I killed Bravos? Is that the name of the ogre. How did she know that?

She held her hands like a fist and bumped my chest. “Hurt. But. Strong.” [Elana]

So, she helped the unconscious me and nursed me back to good health. She is like mother teresa. Still doesn’t explain why she knew the ogre.

Then a piffany out of nowhere comes to me. “Are you from the same place as Bravos?” [Allen].

She let out an aura of intimidation and stared at me. It was like someone looking directly into your soul. A sweet chill ran down my spine and I feared the next moment would be my last.

She relaxed and with a slight nod continued in a deep voice, “Bravos. Kill. My. People. I. Swear. Vengeance. You. Kill. Bravos. I. Grateful” [Elana]

Multiple flags triggered in my head while I put together what little I had learned. Bravos killed her people and she wanted her vengeance. I killed Bravos and she felt she needed to repay me back. That explains why I am still alive. Has she killed humans too? Is she going to kill me for taking her prey?

I swallowed my fear and asked her, “Were you there when Bravos died?” [Allen]

I wanted to her to tell me, although I had already figured it out. She was the creature that walked up to me in awe, looking at the dead ogre. How did she look like a human now? Did she shapeshift or is it magic? Is she a witch? I read witches can glamor? Is she like a 300 year old cronie like from Game of Thrones?

She said in an excited voice. “Yes. I. Saw. You. Kill. Bravos. With. Magic” and she handed the flintlock gun and encouraged me to take it. Does she want me to shoot again?

“I. See. No. Mage. But. You. Different” [Elana]

I would have been extremely happy hearing that I had used magic, but I remember nothing. I know I had shot that ogre and it blew into pieces. There was no magic. May be she comes from a civilization where guns were advanced enough to be magic. Look here, I am a sorcerer. Bam bam. Cowboys would be legends.

I sensed no hatred from her, so I continued my line of questioning.

“How long was I out? And thank you for taking care of me. I wouldn’t have survived without you”. I genuinely expressed my thanks to her. However, I have to go to my friends. I don’t know how long I was out or what the situation is in the store. I needed to know.

“Three. Moons. Two. Suns. Welcome.” [Elana]

She was pleased with herself when she counted her fingers. There were five fingers, three moons and two suns, does that mean it was five days? Or just three days. Vague and unclear. She is so adorable.

“How do you speak our language?”. It’s just been five days even if I go by a conservative estimate. So how did she learn english? [Allen]

She pointed to the can of soda and said, “I. You. Mate” and coyly smiled.

What the fuck? Did she rape me while I was in coma? And what does that have to do with my soda?

“What do you mean?”. Give her the benefit of doubt, she only learned not long ago. She might have misspoke. [Allen]

“We. Shared..”, she thought long and hard about what to say next and decided to go with, “Drink. We. Mate”.

Oh, is that how it is? You drink my juice and you become mates? Like friends? I meant my soda you perverts. It doesn’t look too bad then. I always wanted an alien friend who was totally my type and sang songs to me. Fucking bull shit.

I didn’t want to pressure more out of her, since she looked like she struggled finding proper words expressing what she meant. “Do you know what happened in the grocery store?”. I imitated the “foods organic” store as much as I could and asked, “Did you see anyone come out or go in?” [Allen]

She said with pride, “Another. Go. In. No. Out” [Elana]

That means wong made it in, which was good news. Now they would know an attack might be coming anytime. And from what Elana said, no one came out or went in after Wong.

“How did you save me from the other monsters?”. I was sure more scouts or even parties of other monsters would have investigated a loud noise. So, what happened to them?

She pointed to a corner where a sword and a shield laid. She fisted herself in her chests and said with pride, “I. Kill. Them. I. Stronger” [Elana]

Damn girl. She is totally my type. She is beautiful, she can cook, sing and beat the crap out of monsters. What is not to like about her? Except may be she is an alien? Hello?

Waving off my thoughts, I continued. “My friends are inside the store. I have to tell them I am safe” [Allen]

Seeing me trying to get up, she stopped me and said, “You. Weak. From. Fight. Stay. Rest” [Elana]

I know, but I have to get to them. “I have to tell them about ..er..an attack”. I didn’t know if I could say monsters to her. It could be the one taboo that destroys all our jubilant rhapsody.

Elana shook her head in disapproval, “Eat. Rest. Take. You. Next. Moon” [Elana]

“No, we have to go today. It’s already night. I need to tell them I am safe”. I think I might have gotten used to this whole feeding me situation that I even acted like a stubborn child who wanted his candy immediately. [Allen]

I think she understood that I wouldn’t change my mind so she said with a sweet seductive voice, “Sleep. I. Take. You” [Elana]

How lovely, she is going to take me. Hah, if only those meant very different things. Something forced me to my sleep as I heard her hum the tune like a lullaby, one last time.

I swear I heard her say, “Rest. Allen”. How did she know my name?

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Somehow, I felt everything was going to be fine. And then this happens,

“Hello Allen. How are you feeling?” [Trevor]

Like this ball gives a shit about how I feel. If he was another person, I would have hugged and said ‘I missed you buddy’. I was that desperate for human contact.

“Nothing much. Just chilling in my dreams, you know, doing stuff” [Allen]

“Well, well, well. I see that congratulations are in order” [Trevor]

“Yeah man. I mean, that bravos guy was like wham and I was like bam motherfucker. It was a party.” I reenacted the fight scene and was looking at Trevor with how well I had done for myself. “So, have I transcended?”[Allen]

“What, no. It was a good fight, but that’s not why I am here. You have found yourself a mate. I wanted to congratulate you on that” [Trevor]

Like my friend? Are we on the same page? “What mate?” [Allen]

“The Elfeen girl you were with. Elana **@@**. She is your mate for life. Didn’t she tell you?” [Trevor]

Guy fights a monster, falls into a coma, wakes up to find a girl, she becomes his mate for life. Fuck my life. Fuck that ogre.

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