Tread Lightly – Among Monsters And Men

The urge to look behind me is too strong, and as I turn, I see Aniwye skewed by hundreds of serpents, from small venomous creatures to massive pythons; they all enter and exit her body in innumerable amounts. Blood falls like a waterfall from her enormous body, dyeing the entirety of the water around her crimson.

At the current distance, it’s hard to see what’s happening, but I can vaguely see the tiny figure suspended by serpents fall to the ground as all the snakes holding him up turn into motes of Ether that dissipate into the air. And when he hits the ground, for a moment, I think Kai Vinson will catch himself, my heart beating in anticipation that the Rougarou Hunter has not yet fallen, but alas, that is not the case.

 

He splashes into the water like a sack of sand composed of only deadweight. The man is entirely still in the waters of Sinscreak as he floats on the surface. My eyes turn to Aniwye, who is still far away, for the blood falling from her is incredibly worrying, especially as the serpents Kai somehow created serpentine their way into her body.

 

Was that charge earlier not his Power? No. No, it was not. It’s a bit hard to understand and comprehend all the Ether he was using, but from his thoughts, that charge was a simple skill made by the hardship of one man. A skill that quickly reaches the standard of an Angel’s Power. He moved so fast that the air broke, leaving behind spirals of sound in the air that broke trees and shattered rocks. Had Aniwye not had two different artifacts created from the death of two Angels, she’d be dead. Of that, even I am sure. But she could slow him down long enough to infiltrate his mind and put him down.

 

But even then, the tenacity of humankind shows through. Kai left behind one last thing as a testament to his strength and man’s potential. Guilt wracks through me as I see his limp body.

 

“Go! Now! Human Powers spike in efficacy as you step through the gates. I’ll need at least a year to heal from this, even with Yakwawi’s Heart! The serpents are twisting my insides and stagnating my Ether! I will find you again, Wyatt! I need to go back and recover before I am found by anyone else!”

 

Aniwye’s mental voice reaches me, full of pain and hurry, as her significant form moves and grabs Kai’s body by the leg. Then, she stumbles away westward through the swamp, blood falling from her constantly, even with the beating heart in her other hand. I can hear the unsaid part in her voice as she runs away, her feet stomping through the marsh.

 

She underestimated Kai. For such an intelligent Ogre focused so heavily on the mental, how could she underestimate an opponent? Or maybe, she didn’t. Maybe Kai, indeed, was a shining example of humanity, one far more powerful than we have any right to be.

 

He was taught by Marshall Travis, right? Hah… Maybe… maybe Johnny should have left me to die. I listen to the Gunfighter retell what happened while I was out, and that thought only grows. If not for me, Kai would have had his wife to help protect his mind.

 

Sure, she was only a 6th Sigil, but any amount of protection could have saved the man back there. He was so close… so close to winning—just feet from doing so. And if Johnny had let me die, then there would be no reason to wish for his death as he wouldn’t wish for ours.

 

But if he had won, that’d mean Aniwye would be dead. Do I want that? I–... I don’t know.

 

While these thoughts spin throughout my mind, out of nowhere, I feel a slap to the back of my head. Turning around, I yell out to whoever hit me.

 

“What the hell!?”

 

Johnny stands behind me, arm raised.

 

“I can tell what you are thinking. I know you well enough by now. This was not your fault. None of this was. You were unconscious, and you were barely alive. This is no one’s fault but mine. I made the choice. I will live with it, okay? And you want to know something, Wyatt?”

 

I shrug my shoulders at his question directed to me, and he just continues despite my apathy.

 

“In the end, I traded a young man brimming with potential for a man who has likely reached the edge of his. Cards were drawn, bets were placed, and it was not for us to truly decide the winners. If you want to truly do something, Wyatt, prove that you can fill in the gap created by Kai’s death. The moment you become powerful enough to do what that man did, shake the sky, the earth, and the waters with one strike, I will no longer feel at fault. The doyen bears the weight, not his men, alright?”

 

I let the words sink in as I resaddle the Ghosthorse and move. Silas’ horse makes it much easier to maneuver with wounded, mainly because it doesn’t tire. But Johnny leaves me off with a final phrase as everyone else listens closely.

 

“Lennox and Wyatt, you two might not understand, but I know you do, Blake and Silas. The world will change after today. Sinscreak will fall unless the Prime miraculously stands up or another Pillar is willing to abandon their safe Territory inland for danger. Of course, there is always the chance Lennon Hull or someone similar emerges, but that chance is slim. Even the strongest mortal wouldn’t dip his toes here. So there are only two ways this goes, both bad for humanity. Either a Hindrance takes Sinscreak, or a demon does.”

 

Johnny then focuses on Blake, his eyes softening despite his blindness.

 

“Blake, I’m truly sorry. I never expected your homeland to fall because of us coming, but it will, and there is no way around it. A Pillar has fallen, and we do not have someone to replace him. Thousands will die. Perhaps tens of thousands. Thankfully, Sinscreak borders only other Territories with a Pillar of their own, but the effects will remain for a long time. The best we can do is get stronger, make our own Territory, and keep it safe. Remove the strings above that conjured this scenario. Make sure things like this won’t happen again, okay?”

 

We all nod at Johnny’s words, but I see Blake tearing up heavily, drops running down her face as she sniffles. The woman turns and looks around at the swampland before straightening her back and moving forward with the rest of us.

 

I call out to her and ask if she’s okay while we move.

 

“You okay, Blake?”

 

She laughs a little bit at my question and sniffles heavily.

 

“No. My home will soon be gone. B–but at the same time, it was never really a home. Just the place I came from. The people I met here were more of a home before I lost them. I–I should be asking you that, though. You’re the one who almost died. Is your mind alright? Any lingering effects?”

 

I nod to her, a small smile emerging at the fact she’s not as heartbroken as I’d imagine. Of course, my home being destroyed by the invading demons hurt quite a lot, but Ma, I mean, Aniwye’s Persona’s death hurt me way more.

 

“Yeah… Aniwye said I’d be more aggressive, survivalistic, and hungry. Speaking of, do you have any food? I’m fucking starving.”

 

A small giggle comes from her as she pulls a toad from her bag and holds it up to me. I shake my head at her. I don’t want to eat a raw toad. But, even if I’m starving, I wonder to what extent these changes will change me.

 

At least I can hold back the hunger now, completely unlike how it used to be. It consumed me for months, eating away at me for every moment. Only now can I ignore it? I’m unsure if that’s because my mind or my body is more resilient. Not that it matters, though.

 

Aniwye mentioned that the effects of my coma would remain even if I got the Bloody Palm out of my mind. I can’t notice anything right now, but I know it’s there, the effects simmering on the edge of my mind. They are just waiting to lunge out feverously.

 

At least I’m a bit over the whole childhood thing. Not entirely, but enough to not get furious and, looking back at how I acted in the Underworld, suicidal just by thinking about it. I had many opportunities to do things without getting hurt and chose the dangerous path almost always. Never again. I need to be highly conscious from here on out. I’ve thought this before, but I make an oath to myself this time. One just as serious as my promise to kill Alexos.

 

I will find a path other than just using my body to create a way forward. More like Johnny. More like Earl. More like Elizabeth. Sure, raw power matters, but the three of them have all shown me that how you use that power is just as important. That, and this Metamorphosis, has improved my original skill of Ether so drastically that I need to think about how to use it. How that silver flame came to be from Johnny’s thoughts is beyond me, but I figure it has to do with Insight itself.

 

The skill lets me see through other people’s eyes, and that was before my trip to The Cabin improved it. I didn’t know it was possible for so long, however. Back then, I could only see through their eyes and get rough sensations of what they thought or felt, but now it’s so much more. It indeed wasn’t all that helpful before, but I can tell that its range and scale have increased. From relatively short distances to however far I can see, the situation with Kai is a perfect example.

 

I can read thoughts, and emotions and basically understand that person for short periods. The capabilities of this are massive. I remember what Edmund told me all those days ago when he first heard about Chain Eyes. He said I’d make a good scout. Boy, did he have no idea? Though, neither did I.

 

But Insight also has one final part to it. I feel connected to the silver flame tattoo on my arm as we move through the swamp. I can feel a direct link between it and the Sigil deep within the recesses of my mind. The double-sided Sigil is built of one Metamorphosed Sigil built of three condensed into one intricate eye of partially broken chains and the other with a single resplendent Philosopher Sigil made of an eye with unbroken chains. And that connection between the silver flame goes directly to the former, showing that Insight’s ability to turn thoughts into reality comes from that portion of the Sigil.

 

As I focus deeper within, I get a feeling. I feel that Insight has a limit, that only a little more can be turned from a simple thought or dream to an actual method of struggle. So I can likely only do that thing once or twice more. I don’t even know what to call it. I can feel the ability to dispel the tattoo of a silver flame, but I know better. I finally have an advantage against the Bloody Palm, and I’m not wasting it. Not a single part of it can flow beyond those flames except for its healing capabilities, which leaves the palm barebones and almost entirely separated from me.

 

I wonder, could I use this to learn other people’s skills? Or, at the very least, replicate them in some fashion? I have no clue what that silver flame actually is, but it is unreal. Even looking at the tattoo still on my arm gives me a feeling that it shouldn’t exist, as if it breaks a thousand and one laws of physics. There is truly only one word that can describe such a phenomenon.

 

Madness.

 

Aniwye was right, for a bit of madness is needed for greatness. Kai had it. I could feel his pure devotion toward Marshall Travis bordering on indoctrinated madness. That devotion gave him strength and acted as an anchor for his power. Aniwye certainly has it, even if she doesn’t realize it. Although, I could just be biased because she’s a demon. Iva had it, without a doubt.

 

We ride further and further as I continue to think about my abilities, and I even test Madness some more, the extension of Insight. I find out very quickly that I cannot use my own thoughts. No matter how hard I try, I cannot pull out the unreal from my own mind. Perhaps that comes later, and for now, I have to rely on others’ thoughts to build my world before I gain the power to do so with my own.

 

Instead, I read into Lennox’s mind with Insight as he speaks to Blake. The shift is jarring, to say the least, when my mind enters his wholly. I try to stabilize myself and find a thought to latch onto with Madness to pull to reality.

 

*********************

 

“What are you doing?”

 

The pretty lady sighs as she turns to me, but I find her breath funny. I can’t breathe, so I like to see other people do it.

 

“We’re running, Lennox. You know that.”

 

Yup. I did. I just wanted to know. I no longer have to take turns talking, so I like to talk. Johnny told me that. And Wyatt is ignoring me. Meanie. His eyes are closed like he’s sleeping, but I know he’s not. I can sense his Ether moving. Us Stoneclad is sensitive to Ether. Very sensitive. Johnny said that’s why I got a Sigil so quickly. And Soldier is the best! I’m stronger, faster, and tougher!

 

I guess I’m not as tough as that other guy was, though. Man, was he fast. I couldn’t even see him move! I’m going to ask Blake if she could see him move. I want to know what it was like.

 

“Could you see that fast guy move? He was so fast!”

 

She breathes in deeply again and answers me. I would ask Silas, as he is the strongest here with eyes that work, but he doesn’t like me very much. I don’t want to make him angry.

 

“Barely. Only Johnny could see him clearly; if only he wasn’t blind now. Johnny’s eyes are some of the best in the world, y’know? That man, though, Kai… He’s the best that’s ever been in Sinscreak. Even his predecessor Ivan, the Salacious Claw, was nowhere near as strong as him. So it’s a sad day to see him gone. And without anyone to fill in for him, the Pygmies and demons will fill in quickly as everyone tries to escape to Timberlands for Eli’s web of safety or to Vallens for Marshall’s indomitable wall.”

 

I just nod along with her words. So cool! Since we came up from the Underworld, everything has been fantastic, the sun being the coolest by far. But, I wonder, could I reach it? Put the sun in my hands? I’m a Stoneclad, right? So, can my hands handle the heat? Surely! I’m made of stone!

 

*****************

 

I break out of the Insight, hinging the entire weight of my mind on a single thought. Of course, the skill only requires an idea, not a complete overview of one’s mind, but I was simply curious about what the little guy was thinking. And it’s pretty adorable, even if domineering.

 

Put the sun in my hands.

 

And from Insight, Madness is born. A ball of silver flame appears in my hands, so hot that it burns me instantly. I throw it behind me, and it lands into the now low water of the swamps, turning everything it touches to vapor. I feel a considerable sink of Ether that simply leaves without a trace, not even entering my eyes or mind but disappearing out of nothing and leaving behind a massive headache.

 

Madness doesn’t take any Ether to keep it going, only a colossal consumption to start it, the imagined becoming real with just Ether, focus, and a twinge of madness.

 

A second tug appears on my Sigil as everyone looks at me in surprise. I raise my hands and explain myself.

 

“I’m just testing out the skill from my Metamorphosis. It’s like what is on my arms that pushed back the Bloody Palms assault.”

 

Johnny nods to me and continues, but Lennox turns and stares me in the eyes, positively shaking with enthusiasm.

 

“Did you just make a sun!? Can I touch it!?”

 

I shake my head with a laugh. No one is that strong.

 

“No. And no. The first is impossible, and the second is dangerous. So just stay on the horse and let me practice a bit more.”

 

The Stoneclad deflates a bit and slouches in sadness. I try to just focus on testing the limits of my Madness. And for the next several hours, I do so, taking breaks to let my Ether saturation die out before continuing. I learn three strict rules about the skill while everything else relaxes.

 

However, I want some guidance, so I relay them to Johnny, hoping the man can provide some. Then, finally, I write it all down and show it to him.

 

At most, I can have three figments of Madness active at a time. My Sigil and mind cannot handle it anymore. Whenever I try to make a third, just doing the part of grabbing the thought alone is challenging and makes it hard to exit the person’s mind. An attempt at a fourth almost knocked me out, so much Ether leaving me that I collapsed. The thought can be regarding anything, from fire to a coin, but it will always be silver and will instantaneously disappear if I want it to. It also has to come from someone else’s mind. However, all the things I make are weightless, and it is easy to tell that they are unreal. Weapons are sharp but lack weight, so things like blades are far better than hammers. My Ether limits the complexity, size, and power. So far, I’ve been unable to make anything larger than a short dagger. A pistol is out of the question. As for power, it seems to hinge on the belief in the thought, and the Ether siphoned away to make the imagined thought genuine. Using about half of my Ether before nearly passing out, I can create a ball of fire capable of turning water to vapor almost instantly. Using only a smidge, however, makes it barely capable of burning paper. The more Ether I put into an object, the more I can accentuate a feature like size or sharpness.

 

It’s a skill with seemingly few limits, with the use only truly limited by my creativity. I wonder, had I answered differently to The Cabin, if these rules would differ. If I had said I prefer to stand tall with a perspective of my own, would these thoughts come from myself? And if I had chosen to delve into my dreams, what would that do? Make this a more potent form, but only while sleeping. So many questions that I know I’ll never get answers to.

 

I turn to look at Johnny for advice, but he only shakes his head and points at the journal he gave me.

 

“I can’t help you, Wyatt, but perhaps the words left by Remington can. The man was far wiser than I will ever be.”

 

Grumbling as Johnny steps away, I pull myself out of this testing mindset to look at my most recent creation of Madness. I’ll look at the journal in a bit; my focus now is on a small bullet from Johnny’s thoughts on his ammo. However, I’m unsure if it will work, as the pistol I tried to make off of similar ideas was a complete dud.

 

I put the bullet in my pocket, careful not to break it because of how light it feels. It feels more like a fragile piece of bird bone than a bullet. I’ll try it out later; we need to focus on moving for now. Who knows who is after us? Darkstep could be on our tail, or so could a group of Hunters. The death of Kai and his wife will undoubtedly put a bounty on us, one large enough for the strong to chase. The Draught Of Invigoration is running through me still, but I am still not allowed to run or anything by Johnny.

 

Instead, I sit and read this stupid journal he gives me. I can’t even control time; how is this supposed to help me? All Johnny told me is that it will help me in how I handle Ether. However, I don’t voice my opinion and just read the damn thing.