Chapter 28 - The Reconnoitering

When the fight ended I felt almost fine, rush of a while kept me going, but it didn’t last for long. I barely had time to finish off the brigand and destroy the bowstrings when irrational wave of conflicting emotions engulfed me - a sense of achievement, for persisting against all the odds, and a bone deep weariness, which was followed by a realization of defeat.

I did not know how was it possible for me to continue for so long, but my dimming vision and sudden sensation of hitting the ground made me aware that I have used up all I had.

-’ In the end, I didn’t make it… too far gone for the food to save... ‘ Last thought passed through my mind while nothingness engulfed me…

* * *

I found myself in a perfect darkness.

-” Hrhrhrh... “ Suddenly, a loud snoring pierced the nothingness. -” Hrhrhrh... “

-’ What’s going on? I am sure that I died... ‘ I thought frantically while trying to get my bearings, but absolute void, which surrounded me, made me feel lost.

I tried to move, but couldn’t. My limbs didn’t listen to me, or rather, I didn’t feel them at all.

-” Haalllo. “ I tried to say that normally, but lack of feeling made it sound awkward, and loud.

-” Huh? I knew there was someone here! “ The snoring ended abruptly and a familiar voice exclaimed. -” Come out! Or face my wrath! “

-” What are you doing here? Wasn’t you supposed to be in my bag? “ Instantly, I tried to take over the initiative while trying to figure out what was going on.

-” You… you? You?! Dare to contact me after all this torture? “ Somehow book’s voice was both deep and shrill at the same time, it was also furious. -” This is worse than being blessed! Show yourself so I can rip you to shreds! Or, wait, I will skin you alive first… “

I was taken aback by the sudden outburst, book seemed to forget the original point and focused on a gory details. -” ...then salt, lots of salt… Yes! Muhahaha! And then branded irons, and that’s only for a start! Then, after fifth day… “

Self fueling spiral of voiced delusions continued while I thought frantically. -’ Ok, somehow I am here, with a psychotic book, but how did I get here, wherever here is… “ A bitter afterthought came. -” ...after dying… ‘

I shook my head and concentrated on the facts. -” Hmm, I have died, but from what I read online I should be forced back to the lobby and blocked from logging back in for a time… This certainly isn’t lobby... ‘

-” ...Quartering! That’s the thought… “

-’ Wait… ‘ A sudden thought came over me. -’ Don’t tell me this is related to being bound with the book… if it actually stopped me from respawning... ‘ I shivered at a mere thought, which was really unsettling. Somehow, I didn’t feel like re rolling. -’ Being in this body somehow grown on me... ‘ I banished the thought. -’ ...am I masochist or something? ‘ I quickly banished that thought too.

A sudden scream interrupted my introverted venture. -” How could I forget? I need to fit nail plucking too! “

-’ Hmm, I need to figure something fast… that damn book will recover soon. ‘ I closed my eyes, or at least I tried to, I saw or felt no difference. -’ Hm, facts, facts… I am stuck with the book and can’t resurrect, I need to find more details from the book… though its homicidal… How can I play it? ‘

-” Hummm, goood, gooood… also cutting off… that little tidbit…what was it... “ Book’s depictions of gruesome torture grew too unsettling even for me…

-’ At least it made me realize that it can’t actually harm me... for now...’ An unwelcome thought followed.

I tried to sigh, but couldn’t tell the difference. -” I am glad you had your fun… in that delusion of yours, though it seems that there isn’t much reality to it… “ I spoke as calmly as I could.

-” Grrr! Where are you?! Show yourself and I will quickly show you… “ It lashed with anger, the thing seemed surprisingly easy to manipulate.

-” Stupid. “ I interrupted calmly, which brought out a litany of curses from the book. -” You still seem to misunderstand who has an upper hand here. “

-” ...nerves sizzling in pain! “ My last remark must have hit a sore spot, as the book suddenly stopped spewing its cruel promises and hissed in anger. -” Hrssssshh! Damnation! Powers from beyond let me have that half bred bitch for just a second! “

Book seemed to grow thoughtful, I prayed that my plan to rile it up so much that it will actually try to do something doesn’t backfire. -” At least powers from beyond seem to be disinclined to intervene. “ I concluded in disinterested voice after a moment of silence.

-” Just you watch, I will get to the bottom of this... “ Book responded hatefully.

-’ I really do hope so, also please do not forget to include some details for me too. ‘ I thought in satisfaction.

-” ...and then you will wish your father would have spent the coin on ale rather than your mother! “ Book finished in satisfied voice, and fallen silent as if waiting for something.

It apparently tried to rile me up, though, unfortunately for it, it was totally off the mark, but in contrast to the book I had already found a spot to aim for. -” Please pay me no mind and continue, I find your impotent threats amusing. “

-” Humph! “ It gave out a disgruntled sound and fell silent.

I waited in anxiety, which was really hard to bear. I felt nothing, saw nothing, smelt nothing, patient wait for something to happen was a hellish exercise in self control.I wanted to bite my fingers, or scream, just to have something, anything, happen in the sensationless void.

-” Argh! Damn void! “ Suddenly the book exclaimed.

I wanted to cry in relief at the meager stimuli in this otherwise empty place. -’ I was here for a few minutes and I already want out, wikipedia’s descriptions of this being a torture can’t be taken lightly! ‘

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

-” How can I get you? You certainly came here for something… “ The book spoke its thoughts aloud, probably it was more unsettled by the void than me, after all it spent quite a lot of time in it. -” ...or have you. Why didn’t you just pull me out of the bag… That’s it! Muhahaha! I got you now! “

Silence fell, and I tried my best to keep myself silent, I didn’t want to give the book any clues or confirmations.

-” Yesss, that must be it. Tell me, have you been eating properly… “ The book took on a sickeningly sweet tone. “-” A mushrooms maybe? Red ones are tasty from what I have heard… but you can eat them only once! Muhaha! “

The book made a slight pause, then continued. -” Hmph, still silent I see, but it won’t change the fact that you almost died due to something and your soul is mine! How is it to be trapped with me? “ I could almost feel its wicked glee and satisfaction. -” But fear not, I won’t let your body die. I will keep you here until I find a way to pay you back for all the woes you have inflicted upon me, and I will pay them tenfold! “

-’ Phew. It was a close call. ‘ I thought and tried to relax, but the lack of feeling made it surprisingly difficult. Then an alarming thought struck me. -” Wait... “

-” Muhahaha there will be no mercy now, too late to beg for it! “ Annoying book interrupted my question and I snapped, I had to know the answer.

-” Shut up retard, and answer my question! “ I screamed intransigently. -” If you did what I think you did and animated my body with some sort of necromancy… “ I could practically feel nonexistent tears of anger streaming down my face. -” ...to rot… “ I wanted to take a deep breath, but couldn’t. -” I will leave you sealed here for all eternity, or until I find something worse! “

-” Don’t worry, it isn't dead… “ The book answered in a playful, laughing voice. -” ...yet. Enjoy my company here while your body lies out there and waits for something to eat it up. I have plenty of stuff to talk about… “

For a moment I stopped registering the book, a deep and alien feeling of molten fury descended upon me. It was first time in my life that I felt something with such crystalline clarity. -” Talk to yourself then. “ I spoke out intransigently, the tone of finality in my voice stopped the book’s boasts. -” I leave for an hour, when I am back I want your full cooperation in saving my body, or I will leave you here for all eternity. “

-” Hehe, stop spewing nonsense, you can’t leave, your soul is bound to me… “ Book’s cheerful words, while my body was dying and possibly becoming undead, made me seethe in anger.

-” Make that three hours, and pray that nothing happens during that time. “ I spoke out quickly and used forced logout option.

* * *

I exited the capsule and awkwardly went downstairs, to the kitchen. I tried to make a coffee to calm myself, but my shaking hands made that simple task surprisingly difficult. Finally, a loud buzzing of the coffee maker resounded.

I looked at the clock and tried to stay calm. I was anxious. -’ What if brigand boy comes back, or a wolf… ‘ I didn’t want to think what could happen to my body. -” Damn book, it would be so much easier to deal with death! “

I retrieved the coffee and took a sip. I looked at the clock, only a minute had passed.

I started pacing anxiously.

-” Argh, now what do I do? “ I bit my fingers while thinking. -’ Getting turned into undead aside, I still need to deal with starvation. “ I closed my eyes. -” My body probably looks like a sack of bones… “

-’ Wait, why am I so upset? It’s an avatar’s body, not mine… “ I tried to think rationally, but that resource, on which I relayed all my life, was in surprisingly short supply at the moment.

I looked at the clock again, hands of the clock barely progressed.

I wanted to return, but couldn’t. I had to wait, otherwise the book wouldn’t cooperate and all would be lost. Still, thinking calmly about it didn’t stop the gripping fear and painfully slow passage of the red hand of the clock, that marked seconds.

I went upstairs and tried to busy myself with my PC, but all it achieved was that I now waited for the number, in the right corner of the screen, to change.

The wait was painfully long, and under it there was another unsettling thought, one which I tried to bury deeply within my soul. -’ Why did I think about avatar’s body as mine? ‘

I shook my head to banish the thought and drank the rest of the coffee.

I found myself watching the clock again, it was twenty minutes since I logged out. Initially, I planned to return in real world time, to make better impression on the book, but that plan was abandoned.

The twenty minutes that had passed, marked an hour of in game time. I still had to wait twice as much.

I prayed that the long time spent in the void taken the toll on the book and it would be susceptible to my coercion… If it didn’t work I even thought about bargaining with it.

Desperate thoughts during desperate times spent waiting for the hour to pass…

And then, it was time to return… I took a deep breath, to steel myself. -’ If I play this wrong and show my desperation… “ I didn’t want to think about the outcome…

The capsule’s lid closed…

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Hey~, Author's here~

Today's chapter was intense, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did ( half as much would be acceptable too :P ). I will try to make another one soon as we have grown some back log.

Cheers,

Mea

NEXT CHAPTER: Chapter 29 - The Bargaining

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