Warm Moon / 5 / 1208 A.F.

I’m bundled up in bed again. Ma’s locked me in my room and Da’s boarded up my windows. They aren’t angry. They’re not annoyed… but why? What are they hiding? What are they after? I’m so weak. They have to be planning something. I bet ma slipped some blues in my soup just to get me to quiet down… not that I’d blame her. I’d do the same thing. Right arm is still in a sling. Right shoulder still hurts like a boar jammed its tusk into it. I can’t leave my bed. My legs won’t let me. My body isn’t my own. My mind isn’t my own. This arm… My eyes click towards my left hand. It’s still twitching. Talking. Pulsing. It won’t stop. It won’t shut up. It’s felt heavier and heavier each passing day. It looks so bloated and hideous… it feels so slimy and cold too, but ma and da keep telling me it looks fine… how can they say that…

Rain starts to hit my window again. It’s the fourth time this week. Each time the rain hits my window, I feel like an arrow pierces my cranium and twists into my grey matter.

drop drop drop drop drop

Make it stop make it stop make it stop.

I try to bury my head under my pillow, but it does nothing. I can’t press the pillow against my ear because my left hand refuses to cooperate. No matter how much I try to move it, it refuses to function… but it still just keeps whispering to me. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over!

I squirm and roll under my covers like the worm I am and stare and my left hand. Shut up shut up shut up! I flap my hand against the wall, but it does nothing. It only talks louder and louder. No matter how much pressure I put, no matter how hard I strike it against the wall, it’s no use. It won’t leave me alone! I should be better by now. I should be out hunting, but I can’t because this useless appendage refuses to leave me alone! “I SAID SHUT UP! DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT! DON’T TALK ABOUT MA LIKE THAT!” I slap my hand against my desk and hear something crack in my hand and bubble in my mind.

“Okay o-okay! Sorry! I’m so so sorry… Please… I didn’t mean to yell at you…” I fall to my knees and cradle my left hand to my chest as if it were my child. “It’s okay… it’s okay…” I kiss my fingers. “I didn’t mean it… You’re right… You’re right. Mmhm. What? No… No no no!! That’s wrong!”

Ma knocks on my door. “Astrid… are you okay? Do you need another dose?”

My mind feels cooler, but just for a moment. “Yes, ma… sorry. Just talking out loud. I’m practicing a stage play idea I had.”

“If you’re certain…” Ma sighs. “Do you need more food? I can get you some tarts from the bakery if you want.”

“T-thank you, ma… I would really appreciate that…”

“I’ll send your da to get them. Can I listen to your play idea when you’re done?”

“Of course.” I lie down on the floor and stare up at the ceiling. “Wake me up when he gets here… I’m going to take a nap…”

“Will do, sweetie. Please get some rest. I love you.”

“Love you too… ma…” My eyelids slam shut and I drift off to sleep faster than I ever have.

zzz

zzz

zzz

I awaken in a pure white space. No people. No ground. No sound. No smells. Only me. My wounds are healed and I look like I just got out of a shower. I’m just floating in nothingness naked. Wait… wait… I squint my eyes and focus my sight. I can see a figure in the distance… Looks male. Pale skin. I can’t make out his face. Looks like it’s obscured by mist. “Hey!” I wave with my left arm. “Who are you!?”

The man chuckles. “Oh come now… don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already?”

The environment turns dark red and decades worth of words come flooding back into my brain.

Nothing like that… Just... thank you for everything. Never change… Always with the sand in the eyes! Quit it! You promise to take it easy for the day. Oh, come on. Tea’s good. WITH PLEASURE!!! I thought you were dead! What the crap were you thinking! You’re going to the infirmary whether you want to or not. You must live a very flavorless life. Thought about getting in some late night training! Just... thank you for everything. Never change. If you can stand, you’re good. Living’s hard… I’m glad I could die for you… I’m so proud of you… Give ‘em hell...

Each word shatters my skull and incinerates my mind. My body thrashes helplessly like an abused puppet. My left hand crawls up my shoulder and wraps its fingers around my neck. My windpipe is instantly crushed. My eyes are bugging out of my head. In just a few more moments… I feel my neck shatter under my own hand…

My eyes shoot open and I awaken on the floor of my room. It's still raining. Ma isn’t making a sound. I don’t smell any pastries. My left hand is wrapped lazily around my neck. That won’t do. I start shuffling through everything. My drawers, bed, sheets, rug, everywhere and anywhere I can find something sharp. No good. Nothing. Couldn’t find any salvation. Ma had already cleaned every weapon out of my room. She even found the hatchet I keep under my pillow. No no no no no. Pale white markings begin forming at my left fingertips and start spreading down my palm and onto my arm. No no no no no no no. “Shut up… please… shut up… I’ll do anything…” I start to weep. “Anything to get rid of you…” I roll over onto my stomach and arm, open my mouth and place my teeth right under my wrist… Time slows down. The rain shuts up. My hand shuts up. Suddenly my fingers resume wiggling and thrashing about like worms in a fresh carcass. It’s too late.

chomp chomp chomp chomp

CRUNCH

Hot blood flows into my mouth and down my cheeks. Tastes… good… really… really good. Best meat I’ve ever had… It’s just another hunt. Just another hunt. Just another hunt. Just think of it like any other pathetic animal.

CRUNCH

I spit out some bone, swallow my blood, and continue. My brain feels light. Functional even. My entire body hasn’t felt this mobile in weeks. All pain evaporates from my mind. My once burning, mucus-drenched throat is now warm and soft. I feel so full. I feel so whole.

CRUNCH

CRUNCH

CRUNCH

There… we’re even… The voices are gone. It’s finally left me alone. No longer will its whispers violate me. I am free. I look down at what used to be my hand. Damn thing still has the audacity to twitch like it has a chance… I hold my wrist to my side and stand up. It’s a little hard to stand straight after having such a full meal… but I gotta do it… I lift my foot and start stomping on what used to be my hand.

I stomp and stomp and stomp and stomp until there’s no more bone to crunch. By the time I’m finished, there’s just bonedust and what looks like rotten tomato paste on my carpet. It’s finally over. Everything’s quiet.

“Astrid!” Ma bursts down my door with a basket of tarts. “What are yo- DEAR HEAVENS! ASTRID! WHAT DID YOU DO!?”

I look down at the paste, then my wrist, then Ma. “It’s… a long story…” I point my wrist at her. “But I do feel a lot bett-” My legs give out and I collapse on the floor once again.

Ma slides down and catches my head before it can hit the ground. She gets a small survival kit out of her pocket and begins wiping my mouth and wrist. “It’s okay, Astrid… It’s okay… we’ll get you help… You’re okay… We still love you… It’s not your fault… You’re not weak...” Ma puts some gauze around my stump and hugs me tight. “HEY! CALL THE MEDICS!”

“YES HONEY!” Da’s voice rings through the house.

For some reason… I start crying. The last thing I remember before bleeding out is my ma kissing my forehead and crying… I’m so pathetic… She doesn’t deserve this...

Wander Moon / 22 / 1218 A.F

I scream myself awake and I’m lost in mist once again. Can’t see anything. Can’t hear anything besides my own breath and my own heart. My hand and feet are blue and a layer of frost forms around my cheeks. I start running as fast as I can, but my body moves like it's stuck in thick honey. No matter how much I thrash or move, my body is always two seconds behind my thoughts. I try to scream, but the mist flows into my mouth and freezes my vocal chords shut.

What are you running from?

The Matriarch chimes in.

Isn’t this what you wanted?

I shake my head violently.

There’s no use lying to me. I could hear your inner voice in the Boundary… Even now, I can hear every single one of your thoughts.

I continue trying to run and scream, but nothing happens. Some force contorts and stretches my body beyond my comprehension.

I can feel everything inside you. Your hatred. Your despair. Your emptiness. I can grant you the oblivion you want, so why do you run?

My legs contort in positions I didn’t think possible and my neck begins to bloat like a frog’s.

You can’t keep running. I know where you are now. Always.

Two small, cold things pierce my forehead and begin tearing it apart. Little by little, I feel my cranium split open. Tears stream down my face and burn deep into my skin. My eyes light ablaze and my body twists and bulges until I can no longer recognize it as my own.

Come back to me, Astrid.

His voice clouds my mind.

I’ve missed you so much… we can be together again.

Just as my body is consumed by mist, I finally manage to scream myself awake. It’s dark, but warm. My limbs thrash everywhere, I bang my arm on a nearby tree and my leg crashes against someone’s ankle and sends them crashing to the ground. “YOU BITCH! AAAGHAGGHAGGHHH!!!” My body starts screaming and I can’t stop it. I breathe and breathe and breathe until my head gets light, my lungs feel ready to burst, and my throat grows hoarse and dry.

Half a dozen cloaked figures point polearms and crossbows at me.

I lunge at one, but they deliver a swift hook to my jaw and send me crashing back onto the grassy ground beneath me. My body shoots up again, but someone dives down, wraps their hand around my neck, and pins me down. I look up at my assailant and see an Athesian woman. Dark brown eyes, grey skin, small horns growing out her forehead, and razor sharp canines that stick out under her lips.

“Good…” she tightens her grip over my neck and licks her lips. “Just the reason I was looking for.”

I’ve never felt so much force on my neck before. I can’t breathe. I don’t even know how my neck isn’t broken yet. Her nails pierce my skin and my eyes feel like they’re about to pop out of my head.

“You look real tender.” she opens her mouth and lunges at my throat.

“Mira!” Michael’s voice cuts through the air.

The entourage around me lowers their weapons and the woman eases up on my throat, but keeps her mouth close to my neck. “C’mon, boss. Really? She attacked me!”

“It’s not her fault. She’s not malicious.” Michael walks up cradling a big slab of meat in his arms. “Stand down. You’ll have your meat soon enough.”

“But-” Mira whines, draws her mouth away from me, and stands up to face Michael.

Michael chucks the slab of meat at her face. It’s half as long as her torso and half as thick as her head. “That’s not how we repay favors.”

shlap

It hits her square in the face and she falls on her back. She groans for a moment before devouring the slab of raw meat like a starving lion.

“Do you want to stand?” Michael bends down and offers his hand to me. “Are you harmed?”

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I rub my neck, check my hand, and see a little blood on my palm. “I don’t want to stand...” Upon glancing down at my leg, I see proper bandages and gauze around my wound. My legs are all sticky with some kind of ointment and there’s wet bandages on my shoulders for wounds I didn’t even know I had. “Your friend cut my neck a little…”

“Dammit…” Michael shakes his head before looking up at an entourage member wielding a halberd. “Leon, get her patch up. Now.”

“Yes boss.” the man drops his halberd, fetches a small metal box beside the tree, sits down next to me, and starts cleaning my neck up. Either he’s a good medic or I’m still out of it, cause I can barely feel anything in my neck.

“Please pardon my crew.” Michael puts his hand on my shoulder. “They get a tad… restless when they haven’t eaten. Do you need any drink?”

“Some booze and water would be nice…” I yawn and crackle my knuckles.

“You got it. We also have a stew that’ll be ready in a few if you’re interested.” Michael gets up and shuffles through the wagon that’s right behind us.

“Ooh, what stew?”

“Horse, carrot, and potato.”

“I could eat a whole horse right now.” I groan.

“Heh, then you’ll fit in just fine.” Michael tosses two bottles into my lap and walks in front of me.

The rest of the entourage finally sits down and I finally get a better view of the place. It’s night. Me, Michael, and six others are all huddled around a big campfire with a dead horse roasting on a spit. Michael’s rotating the spit and throwing some spices on the body every few seconds. Everyone else is either munching on raw meat, lying down and looking up at the stars, or quietly conversing in a tongue that I cannot comprehend.

“Where’s David?” I look at the spinning horse carcass and start salivating. The skin is glistening, golden brown, and smells sweet and salty.

“He’s still resting in the wagon don’t you worry.” Michael nods. “We patched him up too.”

“What was wrong with him?”

“Sprained ankle, dehydrated, got some burns on his arms. Mostly first degree, but some second degree over his palms.”

“What about the wounds on his face? Are those okay?” I uncap the water bottle and begin chugging it down. I can feel my withered, dry insides slowly fill plumpen with water. Feels like my insides are getting a bath.

“One of them reopened a little, but we managed to patch it up again. The kid will be fine.” Michael smiles.

I empty out the water bottle and hear water slosh inside me. “That’s good stuff… wait.” I pat my back and realize my trunk isn’t there. “Where’s my trunk!?”

“Relax, relax.” Michael chuckles. “It’s sitting nice and tidy in the wagon next to your boy. Looks banged up, but whatever you’re carrying is still inside.”

I look into the wagon and indeed find David wrapped up in some blankets next to the trunk. Only the upper half of his face is revealed, but it looks so broken and aged.

Michael stops spinning the horse corpse, starts pouring stew from a container under the horse into some bowls, and begins distributing fresh stew to everyone. “How did you two end up in the Mediterranean anyway? I thought you guys were going through the Free Range.” he takes out an impressive-looking knife from the wagon, puts it over the fire for a few seconds, and begins slicing into the horse.

“Long story…” I accept the bowl, sit down by the fire, put the bowl to my lips and begin chugging stew down as fast as I can.

“Hey there.” Michael points the knife at me with a warm smile. “Don’t eat so fast. I haven’t even added the meat yet.”

“I haven’t eaten in-” I lick some stuff off my lips. “How long was I out?”

“About two days.” Leon tightens something on my neck and puts a bandage over it. “You’ve got quite the tongue when you sleep.”

“I haven’t eaten in two days. I’ll eat however fast I please.” I pull a potato chunk out of the stew and begin chewing it.

“Fair enough.” Michael shrugs and begins walking amongst the entourage distributing chunks of horse meat into our bowls. When he gets to mine, he looks down and sees that it's already empty. “Oh my. Seconds?”

“Please.” I hand him my bowl and he returns it seconds later full with stew and steaming chunks of horse meat. “Thank you.” I take another hearty chug of stew, lick my lips, and clear my throat. “How did you find us anyway?”

“The north end of the Mediterranean’s been experiencing frequent avalanches this week.” Michael sits down next to me and slurps some stew. “My buddies and I wanted to investigate. We usually find some pretty good loot whenever there’s an avalanche. Weapons, metals… meat.”

Mina chomps into a thick piece of horse. “Yeah we found a bunch of Lombard soldiers dying in the snow yesterday. They were good, but a little too gamey.”

“I see…” I take a deep breath and glance up at the sky for a moment. Haven’t seen this many stars in a while. I feel so small, so helpless against the berth of the cosmos. “So you were looking for a meal and just happened to find me?”

“Well,” Michael rubs the back of his neck. “I heard you way before I saw you and figured I could help you out.”

“Why?”

“Corrupted gotta take care of each other.” Michael smiles. “And I always repay my debts.”

“Don’t tell me…” I poke my forehead and rub the sides of my jaw.

“No no. Relax.” Michael chuckles. “You don’t have any horns. Yet.”

“Good…” I take a deep breath and help myself to more stew.

“Don’t know how though. Most clean folk don’t last more than twenty minutes in the Mediterranean without turning.”

“I don’t know either then.” I shake my head. “Maybe David’s magic’s got something to do with it.”

“Magic?” Michael’s eyes narrow.

“Relax. He’s one of the good ones. He can exorcise mirages and clear out small pockets of Boundary.”

Mira and Leon look over to the wagon. “Boss, if he tries any of that, can we eat him?”

“He won’t.” I glare at them. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“But what if you don’t?” Mira grins.

“Then you’ll have to eat me first.”

“With pleasure ~” Mira licks her lips.

“That’s enough.” Michael groans.

“Oh come on, boss.” Mira rolls her eyes. “That was just a joke.”

Leon sighs. “You and I both know that’s a lie.”

Mira points her nail at Leon’s throat. “I’ll lie all over y-”

“MIRA.” Michael’s voice nearly puts the fire out.

Mira lowers her hand, head, and voice. “Sorry, boss.”

“Very good.” Michael nods and eats some more stew. “Anyway. Astrid, you said you were going to the Monastery, correct?”

“Yeah.” I yawn. “Can you take us there?”

“We can take you until we reach populated areas.”

“Why only till there?”

“C’mon. Look at us.” Michael points to his horns. “People don’t want us around and I don’t need Mira eating anyone. Plus my steed would earn the immediate ire of any humans who laid eyes on it.” Michael reaches behind him and pats the side of his steed’s tough belly.

“Hey!” Mira groans. “What’s wrong with eating people? That’s what Corrupted are supposed to do! We can’t live without feastin’.”

“I know…” Michael stares into the fire and clutches his cloak. “I just want to preserve my dignity as long as I can…”

“Ghdjakal ghrf bajfkl.” Mira shakes her head.

“What?” I feel my heart drop.

“Mira, you’re doing it again.” Michael laughs.

“Ah, shoot.” Mira shakes her head. “I said dignity’s for losers.”

“She’s not wrong, boss.” Leon shrugs.

“Quiet.” Michael sighs.

“How’d you know that certain mirages can’t leave the Boundary?” I chew on some diced carrots. “Been mistwalking for ten years and I’ve never heard of that.”

“We have two friends who have corrupted past a certain stage. They can no longer exist outside the Boundary. Mist is like air to them at this point.”

“I see…”

“So we figure the same principle applied to that woman and we were right…” Michael takes a deep breath. “Truth be told, even I’m starting to feel a little light-headed…”

“Nngh…” David whines. “Astrid… who are these people?”

My spine straightens, I stand right up, and I look into the wagon behind me. David’s leaning his head over the railing looking absolutely miserable. Sunken half-open eyes, lips drained of all happiness and enthusiasm, and skin marred by wounds, dirt, and sweat. His arms are covered in bandages laced with sticky ointment and his gaze looks unfocused. “You’re awake!” I pick a bug out of his hair and chuck it behind me. “How do you feel?”

“Am I dead?” David’s voice is hoarse and dry, as if someone dumped a bucket of sand down his throat.

“Nope.” I chuckle and pat his head. “You’re still stuck with me.”

“Good…” David leans his head into my hand and turns his neck over to the stew. “What is that?”

“Horse stew. Want some?”

Tears start rolling down David’s face, but his expression remains unchanged. “Poor horsey…”

“What’s wrong with him?” Michael asks.

“Vegetarian.”

“Oooh.” Michael stands up and begins shuffling through the blankets. “We have something for you then.” he pulls his arms out of the blankets and presents some carrots and potatoes to David. They look a little bit banged up, but recently cleaned.

“Thank you…” David retrieves a potato from Michael’s grasp and begins eating. Slowly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Michael asks.

“It hurts to move…” David takes a deep breath. “And it hurts to not move…” he winces and whines every time he chews.

“Then just listen.” I get Michael to refill my stew bowl a second time. “We’re in Lombard territory right now, these nice people are going to take us East, and you’ve been asleep for two days. You’re all caught up.” I slurp down some more stew. “Any questions?”

David looks down into the campfire with a blank expression. “That could not have been the Matriarch… right?” he pleads.

“I dunno.” I shrug. “Seemed like she was the real deal to me.”

David starts to cry again with a chunk of potato in his mouth. It sounds like dried phlegm trying to crawl up a sand pit while a baby mouse is tumbling down the same pit. He keeps crying and sniveling until he collapses back into the wagon. He tries to thrash and punch about, but he runs out of energy after two kicks and just stares up at the sky cursing unintelligibly.

“Hey.” I tap Michael on the shoulder. “Get him some water.”

“Right. I would imagine he’s parched.” Michael digs around in the blankets for a little bit before rolling a canteen over to David. It’s roughly as tall as his head and sounds like it’s half empty, but it’ll do for someone his size. “Here you are, son.”

David reaches for the bottle, sits up, and begins nursing it. “Thank you… are…” he sneezes. “Are you the man from Serenissima?”

“Indeed I am.” Michael smirks.

“Sorry…” David rubs his eye.

“All water under the bridge.” Michael laughs and ruffles David’s hair just a tad too roughly.

“So, David.” I look down at him. “Anything you want to ask or talk about while our lives aren’t in immediate danger?”

“How long until we reach the Monastery…?”

“Well, hm… hold on. Let me see if I still have my map.” I fish my map out of my satchel and roll it out onto the wagon. “We’re somewhere around here.” my finger circles over an area east of the Mediterranean cloud in the center of the map and west of a cluster of little house drawings. There’s no rivers for miles, but Lake Virtue looks no more than a week’s journey to the Northeast. We can restock on water there if need be. “Michael said he’d escort us until we reach any major settlements… So it’ll take about ten days to reach Gaul to the Northeast. From there we take a three-day carriage to the Monastery. Alternatively, we could head East for about a week to the river port city Ostia then go North through the river to the Monastery in about half a day.”

“Whatever gets me into a bed faster…” David closes his eyes.

“River it is.” I curl up the map and stuff it back into my satchel. “Does that work for you and your crew?”

“Indeed.” Michael nods. “As long as we get to stop by Lake Virtue, we’ll be fine.”

“Well that settles that then.”

“Astrid…” David yawns. “Do you still have the big stone?”

“Of course I do.” I open up the trunk and peek inside. “It’s accounted for… but the smaller deposit got snatched.”

David’s eyes widen. “By who?” he sits straight up and stares me dead in the eye.

“The Matriarch stole it…” I rub the back of my head.

“She is not the Matriarch…” David picks up the piece of potato that fell out of his mouth and sticks it back in. “Do not call her that…”

“Then what do you want me to call her?”

“Anything but the Matriarch…”

“Okay then. Mist Bitch it is. Is it bad if the Mist Bitch has the deposit?”

“Yes it is bad!” David’s jaw somehow finds the strength to tremble. “She can use it to grow more powerful and expand… the… Bound...ary…” his jaw grows agap and the mushy potato chunk falls out of his mouth again.

“What are you looking at?” I turn around to face West and feel my heart sink into my ass.

The edge of the Mediterranean has grown visible once again over the horizon. It no longer looks like the benign sea of grey. Instead, it now resembles a raging, violent storm sweeping and engulfing everything in its path. I can even see some clouds in the distance get sucked into the mass and white lightning arc off the edge of the Boundary.

“What are yo-” Michael turns around and staggers backwards. “Huh… can’t say I’ve ever seen the Mediterranean do that before…”

“We need to get out of here.” I down the rest of my stew, shove my bowl into Michael’s hands, and hop into the wagon. “NOW!”

“Right.” Michael turns to his crew. “Everyone get up, pack up, and shut up! We’re hauling ass right now!”

“Yes sir.” Leon and the others begin packing up. Bowls are collected, fire is put out, campfire is extinguished, and steeds are awoken.

Mina takes apart the spit and stuffs her face with the remaining hooves and horse head. Her tongue swirls around the horse’s snout and slides it down her distended, bloated gullet. Her teeth snap and shred the horse’s cranium into a fine dust before swallowing it and licking her fingers clean. Her tongue is three feet long and looks more dextrous and stronger than my arms. It’s both impressive and terrifying. I’ve never seen a human jaw unhinge like that before, though I suppose that’s not even in the top five worst things I’ve seen. Unfortunately.

Within ten minutes, everyone is packed up and ready to go. We stride off Northeast towards Lake Virtue and feel the warm plateau wind dry my face and send my hair into a frenzy. David and I ride in the back of the wagon huddled up in the blankets. Our limbs are weary, I’m still one long blink away from knocking out, and my entire body feels numb… but I’m not hearing voices anymore and we’re out of the mist… Despite everything, we’re still alive. That’s the only thing I can take solace in right now.

David wraps his frail, bandage-covered hands around my left arm and rests his cheek on my shoulder.

I yawn and look back at the wall of mist in the distance and it looks like it’s getting closer. “Hey, Michael! Is sleep going to be an issue for you guys?”

“Nope.” Michael cackles. “I haven’t had to sleep for three months.”

“Must be nice…” I yawn and close my eyes. “Please… wake me up… if stuff starts happening.”

“Aye aye.”

I fall onto my back and feel my body drift off into sleep once more. My left arm is wrapped around David and my right arm is wrapped around the trunk. The last thing I hear before nodding off is David crying again.