Tread Lightly – Among Monsters And Men

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Wyatt 'Wendigo' Graves

 

"Pautuhm. Now!"

 

I inwardly scream at Blodwyn mere moments after losing Lily in the scuffle. I didn't even get the chance to shoot this bastard. The force of my shout inside my mind feels as though it pops a blood vessel or two on my face. But I can't retreat or hesitate.

 

Virgil's life is dependent on whether or not I win. And... even if the chances of victory are slim to none, that doesn't mean I give up.

 

I have too many things to do.

 

And another man to avenge.

 

Gritting my teeth, I force the spear of flesh even deeper before sensing another presence in the vicinity. I twist my head slightly as this creature does the same. This... I don't even know what to call it. I've never heard of a monster like this thing before.

 

A Halfway. Something about the word fits. It seems to be part human and something else. It almost seems like it's been corrupted by these sands. It might have been some hidden Angel, one that didn't want to partake in the battles of humanity. It's not impossible, yet I find it hard to believe.

 

The Halfway and I gaze at the group of four observing us at the exact same time. As I do so, Blodwyn does as I ask, covering my skull and eyes with his flesh, bone, and viscera, dying my eyes red.

 

I take only an instant to recognize the beings. Two demons, a Pygmy, and a Nahullo, stand at the edge of the sands, staring with wide eyes through their various defenses.

 

The magenta chains that wrap around each tell me all I need to know. For a moment, I expect them to join, to do something to help me, but they don't. The one in the lead, the Pygmy in armor, shouts over the roaring sands before turning tail.

 

"Not our fight. Run. Now!"

 

Their Ether, powerful enough to combat the shivering sands, pivots on a dime as they nearly instantly exit my vision. Inhaling a deep breath to prepare myself, I glance upward as I leap off the Halfway. My foot slides against a broken and jagged scythe embedded in her flesh, but my boot prevents me from being cut.

 

A brief moment of indecision seizes me as land, weighing the prospect of joining forces with those four against this monstrous Halfway. Yet, before I can make a decision, the creature's focus returns to me from the other four, and she delivers a punishing blow that sends me tumbling through the sand.

 

I have just enough time to bring my right arm to bear, positioning it between my skull and the fist.

 

I can feel my frame crash and bounce across the sands, bones crushed and broken, but the pain propels a heartbeat within my core. With added strength, I reach out, regaining my balance and swiftly putting myself back on my feet. With only one arm remaining as Blodwyn is covering my face, I refuse to surrender.

 

The Halfway glares at me as if surprised I've survived a half-dozen attacks from it. I crack my neck as I allow Blodwyn to take reign of my internals. Pautuhm is not yet a Dzil. But... we can't be that far from it.

 

A dark warmth surges through my veins, ramping up my heart rate to an astonishing rate, mixing together with Marshall's creation. In but a moment, the organ goes from a steady heart rate to beating over five times per second. Each resounding heartbeat, like a war drum, pulses with defiance. Painsforge. It is a perfect teammate to Pautuhm.

 

"More."

 

I plant my feet firmly in the crimson sand while Blodwyn pushes himself further, tightening the bone around my skull. With every rhythmic thump of my heart, power courses through me, filling my being with unparalleled strength. I can't help but clench my fist, warping the metal of the prosthetic back into shape.

 

My vision narrows from the blood flow and bone mask, but my other senses sharpen to a razor's edge as I prepare to face the charging monster. Every hint of movement within the range of the sands I could see prior is at my fingertip.

 

I can feel every footstep the Halfway takes, the way it crunches the granules beneath it, the way it bleeds the same color sand, and even the way it licks its lips at my frame.

 

It comes closer and closer, approaching me with that hunger, and I simply increase the tightness of my muscles. This thing isn't wholly serious yet. Somehow, it still thinks of me as an average human. I need to keep it that way as long as possible, even if it is hard to comprehend.

 

As the colossal creature hurtles toward me, I wait until the very last moment, my body crackling with a ferocious intensity. Then, with inhuman agility, I dart out of its path, my ankle nearly breaking from the force of the Arbalest that narrowly avoids its devastating crash.

 

My second second is even more precarious than the first, and I fall from the sheer whiplash of moving so quickly. Slightly dizzy, I compel my body to move again, chasing after the bastards who simply left me. Before I leave this small warzone, however, I gaze deeply at Virgil's unconscious form.

 

I need to be able to find him again.

 

Insight blooms as my right eye focuses on his well-being, imprinting his location within my mind as I dart away from a dangerously close explosion of dust.

 

"Awful fast, birdie. C'mere!"

 

It's starting to realize something is up.

 

Guess the jig is up. Sprinting away, I exhale all my pent-up frustration, exhaustion, and pain at once. It converges into a thunderous scream that matches the intensity of my heart as I curse the cowards who ran away. Sure, they have no business fighting monsters. They aren't even human. But what was that look on that Pygmy's face? Terror? Pitiful. And they think themselves better.

 

"YOU AIN'T LEAVING ME TO DIE!"

 

I will not be abandoned to this merciless wilderness. I will not die to some random monster who has decided to hunt me down. I will not roll over and give up. And the best way to do so is to make a little chaos.

 

With the towering creature hot on my trail, I push my damaged body to the limit, determined to survive. The sands may obscure vision, but with Blodwyn's help, I don't need sight to track these bastards. My sense of smell is plenty, let alone the temporarily shifted sand left by their swift movements.

 

Each step that I take, my speed accelerates, first rivaling that of the Nightmares from way back, then that of the fastest I've ever run, a dozen times faster than a gust of wind, and then finally, I can feel myself shift the air as the steam train did. Yet, even at that pace, I don't stop. The relentless pursuit of the four figures ahead fuels the Ether I force into all my skills from Strugglers Gasp to Release. My whole arsenal is being thrown away to catch up to this group of Angels. In the worst case, I can use Burdenless and reset my Ether saturation. If I can divert this fucking thing's attention, I might have time to run back to Virgil.

 

So, I urge my Ether into tighter flows, faster columns, and more purposeful actions to better influence my body. Blodwyn groans in pain as the mask on my face twists from him keeping Silence active. I hope the remnant effects will last a while for Virgil. I'll come back after dealing with these four's bullshit.

 

The group is just barely out of my senses, somewhere beyond the fog of sand, and I can almost taste the grit of the dust that follows in their wake. Their tracks, those tiny imprints they leave behind in the shifting dunes, guide me through the desolate wasteland. I stay focused, almost entirely ignoring the hulking brute behind me.

 

On my heels, the mocking and giggling monster persists. It pulls a wicked cleaver from its back, causing the wound from the blade to gape wider and dripping more of the crimson sand. The sight is odd and only visible due to this weird sight that Blodwyn can gift me, which is how the artifact himself sees.

 

"You ain't normal, birdie! I think I found myself a golden one!"

 

With a murderous intent, the monster hurls the cleaver at me, a massive spinning knife aimed for my life. I have no choice but to dive to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade that slices through the air and so deeply into the sand before me that it sinks to its hilt.

 

But I don't hit the ground lightly.

 

Crashing haphazardly, I flip myself upright, feeling a near-crippling pain in my leg that I can only ignore. The pain makes me glance backward, only to see the Halfway laughing as she yanks a scythe from her flesh, still running at the same pace.

 

I roll to my feet, my heart pounding, and with forced determination, I dart forward once more with an Arbalest to jumpstart the process, each stride carrying me closer to those who abandoned me. I won't let them slip away.

 

A scythe pierces into the sands behind me as I narrowly avoid it, and neglecting the draw and raw agony that using too much Ether bestows, I Liberate my mind.

 

Time slows as the drag of Ether begins, but I take it a step further. With the stalled perception of time, I orchestrate my Ether in a hundred ways at once within my left foot, the one that is already hurt.

 

"Blodwyn. Release Silence. Save all you got for healing me."

 

The artifact can't reply wholly in this delayed state, but I know it can hear me. One by one, I create the blueprints for Arbalests in my foot. The drain of Ether is palpable, and a searing sensation envelops my entire skull.

 

Nevertheless, I hold on, forcing myself to go even further.

 

I spend what has to be a full minute to myself simply weaving dozens of Arbalests into the same foot at the exact same time. There is never a better time to test new things than when the Pale Lady is knocking.

 

Closing my eyes, I release Liberation, but at the exact same time, I tug on that slight muscle in the depths of my soul, hidden from reality. I don't feel anything but a sense of lightness as a pale white fog encompasses my form.

 

Then, my vision turns entirely red, and the only thing I can feel is the surreal sensation of my left leg leaving my body.

 

I hurtle through the air with a resounding shockwave, a slight smile on my mouth. I finally did it. I'm not as fast as Kai still, but I'm in the same realm. My surroundings are a swirling chaos of crimson sand, but it's a wild, exhilarating feeling, one that surges through my veins despite the immense danger. I embrace the sensation of soaring through the tempest, my senses alive with every bit of detail.

 

Blodwyn even laughs a little, or at least, I think that's what the bizarre noise coming from him is. But it all ends in an instant as, with a thunderous crash, I land amid the group of four.

 

The air is knocked out of me as I break my spine upon impact, rendering me paralyzed. But as their faces contort in shock, Blodwyn gets to work. Cracks and micro-seizures riddle my form as I gradually move my body, regaining clarity.

 

"What the fuck..."

 

A whisper under the breath of the only male, the demon, enters my ear due to Blodwyn's heightened senses. They aren't speaking my language, but the meanings reach me nonetheless, somehow shifted via Bloodwyn's artificial ears. The four don't move as I cough and beat my chest, struggling to catch my breath, my body battered and broken. However, the mists from Burdenless, the Ether pushed straight out of me, cloaking much of my obviously human body.

 

I spit out bits of my lung as I raise my right hand, pointing to the Pygmy. While I do so, I nearly stumble due to the fact that my left leg is only an ankle right now. The foot is not yet there.

 

"You left me."

 

The Pgymy woman raises her hands as she shakes them animatedly before turning to the female demon with ice-blue eyes.

 

"Sorry, sorry. We assumed you were a human—one of the sad survivors from Desolation's rise. I wasn't aware you were a demon. You know him, Bemola?"

 

Bemola shakes her head slowly while interrogating me with her eyes all the while. I can feel them pierce into me, and I return the gaze with the same ferocity. They think I'm a demon. Or at least they don't think I'm human. I can use this.

 

"Help me kill this Halfway. The spoils can be yours."

 

I try to keep my words short and succinct to not let anything slip, but even still, these four are severely suspicious. Simply not speaking Enochian is suspicious enough, though. The Nahullo, clad in her dense armor, bends over slightly to me while my foot finishes regenerating, leaving me with only one boot. I listen to her as I kick off the only boot on my body.

 

"What are you doing out here? What's your name? Why do you want to kill that thing?"

 

The trio of questions hits me like the steam train would, and I quickly answer, a rumbling beneath my feet. I take bits and pieces from the people I know to spitball lies as fast as I can.

 

"I am called Blodwyn. I'm heading to the waters southbound. That thing is sure to turn into a powerful Arca, but I simply want to kill it as a challenge."

 

Bemola squints her eyes at me, obviously not trusting my words, but it's the Pygmy who shoots me down. They are treating me somewhat as an equal. I wonder if they think I'm an Angel.

 

"No. You can fight that thing yourself."

 

The mists from Burdenless fully fade as she speaks, leaving me in full view of them without any obfuscation. I can see their brows furrow in confusion and then aggression as I threaten them. If they won't ally, then it's every fucking man for themselves from this bitch.

 

"You can help me, or you can fight the Halfway after I lead it to you all and die. I believe I've proven my speed enough to catch up even at a disadvantage."

 

I almost bite my tongue with every word that leaves my mouth. I embody Virgil's chill nature and effortless lies that I've seen him spit with every inch of my body. I'm sure I have a thousand flaws in this hasty plan, but it's the best I've got.

 

The Pygmy raises her hand toward me, enveloped by Ether, as if to attack me, but before she can, the male demon covered in radiant light shouts at her.

 

"Stop, Timemi! The Halfway is here!"

 

Chaos descends upon us as the monster closes in, launching a frenzied assault all at once on the group of four and myself with its sands, scythes, and cleavers. The immediate clash of powers sends ripples in the air in every direction.

 

Bemola reacts swiftly, conjuring fortress-quality ice walls that shield and protect her from the monster's onslaught. She catches the Halfway in its tracks, wrapping in its frost as her aura, filled with ice, causes the sand to freeze in its tracks, dropping harmlessly to the ground. Only a moment later, however, the Halfway rears back its arm and slams into the front wall of ice, shattering it ruthlessly. Glancing to my side, Bemola slides back as blood trails down her nose. I retreat a single step as Timemi makes her move.

 

Metal shards dance through the air with bewildering speed, birthed and controlled by the Pygmy in armor. They whirl like a deadly storm, a lethal orchestra that rivals the sandstorm's own fury. The blades sink deep into the Halfway's flesh, but the creature simply groans in minimal pain.

 

As if this weren't enough, an eleven-foot-tall knight in imposing armor charges the monster, her towering figure a formidable sight to behold. The Nahullo produces an earthquake with each step, the ground trembling beneath their titanic clash. She collides with the Halfway, stabbing her greatsword into its chest, seemingly a lethal blow.

 

But not all things go so smoothly.

 

"You found some friends... little birdie. Time for some real fun!"

 

I struggle to regain my balance, the wind suddenly picking up as the Halfway howls into the sky. Squinting, I see the sands falling from her wounds join the air, twisting with the other tiny insects that flow through it. Only now do I realize the true extent of this monster's power.

 

The crimson sands, already deadly, become ten times more lethal, slicing through the air. As if to prove their deadliness, a line is cut across my throat without warning. It's a searing, agonizing pain, and I fight to stay on my feet as I stumble back.

 

Holding my hand to my neck, I land beside the male demon as he watches the ongoing battle. But he's quickly forced to join as Timemi threatens to slice off his member if he doesn't.

 

Blodwyn takes only a moment to seal the opening in my neck, but I can tell the artifact is at its limit.

 

"Stop it all before you get hurt, please. Including Pautuhm. It was only needed for the chase."

 

The artifact does as I beg, and I immediately feel the effects. Sands swarm me, digging toward my flesh as I flex my muscles and pull my clothes in tighter.

 

But by the time I glance forward to rejoin the fight, I find the Nahullo woman on her ass, a scythe through her chest as she tries to stand. And beside her is Timemi with a hole straight through her armor that sand is flowing inside like a leak in a dam.

 

Bemola is struggling to keep her ice flowing, creating wall after wall. The demon seems to excel in defense, but the roaring sands, which have tightened all vision to the length of a hand, hold no mercy.

 

I step forward, attempting to help, only to be swept off my feet. Falling to my hands and knees now that Blodwyn has returned to his place, I try to regain my balance, but I simply fail again.

 

Screams fill the air as I realize just how much I fucked these four over by bringing this being here. I look all around, searching for anything I can do to help, but find nothing.

 

Until a voice enters my mind. Then a second.

 

"Wyatt!? Wyatt! Stay still! We've almost found you!"

 

"I thought you said you couldn't hear him!"

 

"Yeah, that was until I could!"