“Shit shit shit-”
“The fuck do we do?”
As the three possessed quickly came to in their puddles of black tar, the rest scurried over to fallen Ryke. In a panic the rest could only kneel next to him, while Maximus continued to silently wage war with the beasts making their way over. The Warhammer in his hands would swing back and forth through the air, crushing skulls and sending the body straight back to the ground. His figure afforded the rest time to dread, but not for long.
Ryke smiled quietly, applying pressure to the wound and pressing the flesh against the axe blade to seal it. Circulating his vitality quietly, the cool waves made their way to his abdomen and dispersed into his flesh, soothing the pain. He hardly noticed what his comrades were saying, let alone what they were doing next to him. Fully occupied by the burning pain searing through his body, he just did his best to keep the foreign object from moving.
“We either have to set up a camp or head back.”
“Someone would have to carry him, heading back is too dangerous-”
“So, camp it is.”
“Cave or den?”
The party’s voices mingled together in an indiscernible mess while he did his best not to drift off. One hand slowly searched his own body for something while the other remained pressed to his wound. The smile on his face turned gently when he felt an additional force against his stomach, and he saw Fromir placing his stone paws against it to replace his roaming hand.
As his companions planned, he quickly found what he was looking for. The lighter flipped open and a flame blazed with just a click. The Leviathan’s blood burned hot. Knowing Fromir was helping, he pulled the axe head out with a grunt, heated it’s blade with the lighter and pressed it against the wound. The sizzling sound rang out amidst the group and the smell of burnt flesh disgusted them.
“I can walk, but not fight. Lead the way.” Speaking through bouts of pain, Ryke looked back up to his friends. “I trust wherever you bring us.”
Staring blankly at the wound seared shut, just below the chestplate of Ryke’s armour, the group nodded in a stunned silence. They split off to help the recently possessed get back on their feet, with the rest helping Maximus defend them all. Only the golden eyed boy stood there silently, waiting for his group whilst he leaned against the glaive. He’d need to sharpen it.
It wasn’t long before they were darting through the forest once more, looking for a den or cave to hole up in for the night, if not longer. The Devil Remnant warded off most creatures of considerable strength, but as its pressure faded so too would its deterrent effect. When that happened, they had no doubt that the bodies would lure things beyond them. It wouldn’t end well if even a Second Ring Fera showed up, let alone a Third Ring.
Ryke pushed through the searing pain of the wound, the dull ache that pulsed from the burn as he ducked down to enter the den. A cave with an entrance barely big enough for any of them to enter when ducking, it opened up into a rather large space. Enough room for well over thirty people. The yelping quickly caught his attention though, his gaze drawn to the small cluster of animals in the corner.
“A family of Shie.” Lycus walked up behind him, sighing. “Didn’t know they had ‘em down here, too. Though they’re grey here.”
“They’re above ground too?”
“Aye, just.. sand coloured.”
Long feline bodies with hare-like ears, their legs hid scaled flesh beneath the fur and talons like a bird. Even then, the creatures looked at them with fear more so than anything else. None of them had the ability yet, but Sigmar had told him most animals can instinctively sense vitality. A brief sorrow overcame him when he thought of the sight, but he just shook his head.
“Leave them be, they won’t harm us.”
“Right.”
Lycus turned around to help the rest, while Ryke slowly cleared a patch of ground from dust and grime to sit down. Laying against the rough stone wall, he gestured for the Stone Taura to sit down in his lap while he rested. He might have received the least number of wounds, but his by far might have been the heaviest. The rest received minor cuts, bruises and what not, their armour handling the rest. Only he ‘took’ an attack without thinking of defence.
Silently smiling at the group while they put the camp together, the boy slowly drifted off while he pet Fromir, his finger slowly trailing against the stone. Soon enough, he entered a quiet dream. No fighting, no screaming, no blood. Just warmth. The gentle sound of waves and the chime of a swaying tree was all that remained.
----------------------------------------
“Look over there..”
“What?”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Look!”
Hushed whispers surrounded the campfire, the remaining few still awake cooking and talking over the fire. In between the crackling flames and their not too discreet intrigue, the sound roused Ryke awake just a little bit. Enough to feel the increased weight and pressure on him. It was incredibly warm.. And comfortable.
He looked down at the Fromir lying quietly, curled up in his lap. Next to the stone beast were nearly a dozen others, small fluffy critters that sat quietly against or on him. Some even crawled up his clothes and hung from them as they slept. Nearly a dozen lives sat quietly, comfortably around him. The sight was baffling. It also warmed his heart.
That didn’t stop him from sending a quiet plea to his companions for both help and explanation, though it seemed they only wanted to give him the latter. Maximus shrugged as he ripped a piece of meat from a kebab and stuffed it down his mouth next to the campfire. It took a few moments for Ravi to finally explain.
“They started cuddling with you not long after you slept.. the Shie, that is..”
“Cuddling?”
A collective shrug rippled through the rest. They clearly didn’t know why either. All he could think of was the vitality he was channeling through his body, but even then it didn’t explain why the vitality lured them over. Either way, he didn’t have the heart to move the creatures off of him. They were just so cute. They immediately scattered though the moment Maximus threw a flaming hot kebab at what seemed like mach speed straight at them, sending the Shie into a fright as they skittered off the stone and hissed in their direction.
Finally allowed to stand, he carried Fromir over in his arms while scarfing down the meat that was thrown at him, only to devour a few more skewers the moment he sat down at the fire. His vitality felt drained, even as it was now passively generated in the cycle his organs created. Most of it went to healing his injury and speeding up the process of recovery. Though not by much.
“What’s the plan?” He asked between bites of Fera meat, his hands covered in grease. “We still have the third mark to go to-”
“You’re the leader, you decide.” Kievra interrupted him with a short glare, her gaze piercing his flesh no less than her axe did.
“Yes, but-”
“No buts. You decide.”
He looked to Maximus and Ravi for help, but only saw the sides of their faces as they turned the other cheek, scratching aimlessly at their heads in a very telling silence. With a wry smile, Ryke nodded.
“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll think about it. How’s everyone holding up?”
“Drisnae, Caius and Kievra are fine.” Ravi spoke gently, looking at the Shie that slowly approached Ryke again from behind. “The rest of us received only minor wounds. Scrapes and cuts that’ll heal in a day or two. What about you?”
“Best estimate?” He looked down at his stomach. The flesh was dark red and inflamed, but overall he seemed fine. “A week or two? Less if I break through again..”
“Again?”
“Hm? Yeah, I completed the four organ cycle. I’m on the senses now..” Ryke spoke mindlessly while he ate, not noticing the expression of anger Kievra showed, or the simple awe on the other too. “What about you guys?”
“Caius, Lycus and Kievra are on the last organ. The rest of us are still making the pathways to it. How are you so fast?”
“Is it fast? I’m barely ahead of the three of them..”
“They just started on theirs.”
“Oh.” Ryke bit into another piece of the skewer, before lowering his hand to allow Fromir some of the food. It opened up it’s stone maw and then chomped down, leaving a big, clear cut bite mark out of it that he didn’t mind. “I just.. do as the scripture says.”
“Really?”
“I eat alot, too? And my body was stronger..”
“Right, Blacksmith’s son.” Ravi laughed, and then looked over to Maximus, someone who’d clearly grow into being a mountain of a man and born with an innate strength beyond others. None of them believed that to be the big reason.
“Well, affinity then? I might just really match my scripture.”
“Didn’t think it mattered much beyond if the scripture matched the element.”
Ryke thought about it briefly. The Endless Tide Scripture did match his element, but it also matched the things he’s learned and ingrained into his body for years before. The rhythm he used when forging with a hammer was no different than the rhythm of the waves, and the momentum applied the same way. The wave of vitality would slam into the blocked Vitae pathways and then recede, only to come back higher and stronger. He did the same both with his glaive and the forge hammer. He blinked suddenly, and he looked over to the group.
“Maybe I can try to help figure out what qualities you guys might want in a Scripture? It.. might be more than just the element you should worry about.
The small group of three sitting across the fire looked at each other, thought about it for a mere moment, and then nodded. It was something they’d overlooked, but it wasn’t too late to still turn it into an advantage. Turning back to look at Ryke, the three had a fire in their eyes that terrified him. A quick shudder ran through his body whilst he lowered his head to keep eating, complaining inwardly.
“I’ve created monsters.”