Monster Blood

[Ürei]

***
A fence.
Chain-link, red; dripping blood.
Running forever on in each direction.
Not an obstacle,
An attraction.
Behind the fence, a field.
Flowers, white, endless,
Tranquility, serenity, calm.
Before the fence, darkness,
Fire, death, souls, uncountable atrocity,
Morbidity, fear, horror, pandemonium.

Reaching forth, Aneb tried to touch the fence. To reach across would be to enter Paradise.

Paradise…

Was Paradise truly possible? Where is it? No. When.

A scream shattered the air, echoing forever inside his empty mind. Bodiless, without form, he could not touch the fence. There was no gate. Then it hit him.

It was his scream.

***

Waking with a scream, Aneb was sweating profusely as he looked around the room quickly. Everything was normal again, nothing out of place. He lay in an uncomfortable bed with his sword set to the side. Though it had been Grimoir that had rented this horrible room at the inn, it was Aneb that woke to occupy it. He hated Grimoir for what the cruel man did to his soul. All for the pursuit of science, his assistant had told him. Temporary, the bald old man had said. Painless, the fool had muttered; all lies, all deceit!

I hate you, Grimoir Dirgeon. I hate you with my heart, my soul, and my eternal essence.

Beset with an unusual serenity, the normally blood-lusting swordsman stood an grasped the sheath of his sword. Careful not to touch the hilt because of the curse, he lashed it to his back and reached for the raven-feathered coat. It was a sign of Grimoir’s control that he kept the coat with him when he was in control. Aneb hated the thing, but the scientist had an ounce of influence on his actions and stayed his hand every time he attempted to rid of it. Instead of picking it up, however, he tossed it on the bed and cursed at himself. Reaching for his sword, his hand become paralyzed just before touching it; word of that wicked creature that called himself a man echoed though his head, Dare not!

“Damn…I hate you…”

Leaving the room Aneb turned and locked the door, ensuring that the coat wouldn’t be stolen and that he could return to it when he came back to this tavern. Staring at the door, the swordsman delved into his own mind, feeling the ghost of the line that Grimoir loved controlling. From his side, the weaker soul, he could not cross the line and force a change. He was stuck for the entirety of the day, and possibly longer. Leaving the door and continuing down the stairs he unbuttoned the vest and left it open, showing Grim’s muscular and rather handsome chest. He was a rebel, a swordsman, and destroyer. Neatness was not part of him.

With a fling of his hair he pushed out of the lobby of the tavern and into the open streets of Taure`Onya, a lumber town near the edge of the Red Forest. It was in the east of Raiaera, bordering on the eastern mountain range. From this town caravans often traveled through a well-worn path through the Red Forest to avoid the mountainous terrain and then head north to Anebrilith. Grimoir had come here because he had received rumors of a strange and previously unseen monster roaming the forest and ambushing every caravan that tried to use the path. Even escorted caravans never returned. None of them even reached the checkpoint tower on the other side of the path. Grim had intended to research the monster, but Aneb had other plans.

Heading to a building being used as a headquarters for mercenary recruitment, Aneb entered and signed up. They were hiring people to escort a fake caravan into the forest and hunt down the monster. The Raiaerans had become so desperate that they were willing to hire outside help, which is amazing. Then again, they say it is a new age in Raiaera after the crisis with the necromancer has ended.

Since they were still looking for mercenaries, Aneb left the building and visited the nearest apothecary. He bought five cork-able bottles, matching corks, and a tool belt so that he can carry them without notice. Aneb had other plans indeed, but did intend to kill this beast. Putting on the belt and positioning it that the bottles were under his unbuttoned vest in the back, the swordsman left the shop and re-entered the mercenary headquarters just in time to hear a review of the plan.


I hope this works...