. . .
"What the fuck is going on here?" Knives asked in sheer bewilderment. "Why the hell are you in the floor? And whos- Oh, gah, friggin kids again..."
Noble sipped his drink. "First of all, language."
"I hope you drown."
"Second, this is... Well, it's the person I was instructed to nab, presumably."
"Hey." The girl staring out the window said with a half-hearted wave.
"As you can clearly see, she is currently not captured. If you don't mind, I'd be most grateful if you helped me out of this little predicament so we can actually do our damn jobs. Pardon my language."
"Sure, whatever, but how'd you even manage to get in there, ya friggin idiot?" Knives said, carefully walking over to help up his companion.
"Floor sucks balls." The girl said.
"Look at what you've done, now she's using vulgar language, too. For shame, you sorry brute."
"Shove off."
"Yes. At any rate, do mind the floors. It would be most embarrassing if either of us fell in a second time."
"You say that like almost like you're not THE ONE THAT FELL IN, FRIGGIN IDIOT."
"Well, no need to get defensive about it."
Knives rolled his eyes as he finished pulling his companion. "Anyways, girlie, I dunno who you are, but you're comin' with us whether you like it or not, and I AIN'T ASKING TWICE." He said, brandishing a knife pulled swiftly from his jacket.
"Good. Save your breath." The girl responded.
"Ah-"
"Ooh, walked right into that one, big guy. Maybe if you-"
"Gah, we don't have time for this." Knives said, putting his knife back. "C'mon, idiot, let's just go."
"Wait, what? Really? What about her? The boss-"
"Change of plans. Boss said we can't take anyone back if they don't wanna. Said not to hurt anyone, either."
"What? My, that's certainly unlike him. Wait, why are you out here, anyway? I thought you were keeping watch?"
"Well, I'm obviously not doing that anymore, you friggin idiot. Boss said he wants everyone back at base, told me to bring you lot, along with any of them idiot townsfolk as we can grab. 'Cept we can't 'push too hard' or hurt any of 'em."
"What? So he expects them to just... Follow the lions into their den? What, because we asked? While I'm sure they're largely uneducated simpletons, surely not even you'd be that stupid. Especially after our previous companions did, presumably, harm them."
"Dunno. Didn't ask. I think he said... He wants people to watch."
"Watch? Watch what? Him pleasuring himself?"
"Nah, ya friggin idiot. Think he's fighting... Fighting..." Knives breathed deeply, as small beads of sweat began to form on his head. "I think it's... That thing."
"Oh, please, not this again..."
"YOU WEREN'T THERE! YOU DIDN'T SEE IT! IT WAS REAL, DAMNIT! I fought it, I saw it bring forth darkness itself against me, shattering my friggin face, I stared right into it's cold, unfeeling eyes, and when I woke up, I was halfway across the damn country. Do you got an explanation for that, wise guy?"
"You're insane." Noble said, plainly.
"Gah, I'm g-"
"Wait, hold on." The girl said, her gaze drifting towards the windowsill. "Describe that again?"
"What? Oh, uh... He had these... Eyes. Cold, unfeeling. You could skin someone in front of 'im, doubt he'd even blink. And, when he swung, he swung with actual darkness... It was broad daylight, but it was as black as coal... He moved so unnaturally, appearing wherever, as if he was the ground itself... It's, I-I-I-I-"
"Did he have, uh, what is it... Sickles, or something?"
"Sickles? Sickles... Yes, yes! It did! I remember, it was holding sickles!"
"Sickles? That's a rather impractical weapon, is it not?"
"You throw acid at people." The girl pointed out.
"Hm. Fair enough." Noble said as he took a sip.
"How- how did you know that?" Knives asked the girl. "Have- have you seen it? Have you met it?"
"Something like that. Anyways, when was the last time you saw him? Is he at your base now?"
"Y-yeah, I saw it on my way out."
"Aha. Well, in that case, change of plans, I am coming with you, after all."
"Are you sure? You don't have to do this." Noble said. "I must inform you, there is a very real possibility-"
"Don't care. Let's get moving." The girl said, turning over towards them.
"S-seriously? D-do you-" Knives began,
And then he saw her face.
Almost a spitting image.
"oh fu-"
I was pretty confident there wasn't anything other than us down there in that ruin. 'Course, if there was, I'd prolly be in trouble, but we were thorough. Almost certain there wasn't anything left.
Still, there was something deeply concerning about being alone, down there in the ruins. Maybe it was the silence. Maybe it was the darkness that resided just outside the light of our torches. Maybe it was the monsters that once roamed this place. Maybe it was the loneliness itself.
Whether it was all of that, just some of it, whatever, I was unnerved as I stood there in that stoney hallway.
I wouldn't be able to honestly say how long I spent down there if I tried. Somethin' about it, it felt hopelessly long yet impossibly short at the same time. I was lost in the company of me, my thoughts, and the ever-dwindling firelight.
Firelight's not as friendly as the sun is. Not even as friendly as the moon. Those things'll stay a while and listen. Fire prefers to keep to itself, 'till it dies in the same way. Unless it decides it wants to explode and wreak havoc. Either way, it dies the same. No matter how shining, how vibrant, how explosive, it all becomes ash or less after some time.
Everything dies.
I died long, long ago.
This isn't livin'. From the day I was lit, I was already halfway out. Now, I ain't burnin'. That's been done long time. Now, I'm just a pile of smokey ash.
I think I feel asleep at some point. Or maybe I didn't. It's hard to tell, since I wasn't really sure if I was even awake in the first place.
Anyway, pretty sure I woke up at some point, as I heard familiar footsteps comin' from behind, from the main area.
The nearby torch was about halfway burnt out, from the looks of things. Did I relight it? I don't remember.
The boss was coming my way. At least, his lower two thirds were. As far as I knew, that top part didn't exist at all.
"Change of plans." The boss said. "It's almost time."
"T-time for what?" I asked.
"They're coming. Where is everyone?"
"What 'bout the kid? What happened with 'im?"
"He won't be bothering us anymore. Now, answer my question."
"Uhm, well, they're all still out... If I had to guess, they been out for a while, so freak with the wand and the coat's prolly run. Pinkie prolly did, too, but she'll be back in a bit. Doubt Noble ran, but he ain't back yet, either. As for the mutt, I ain't even got an idea."
"Hm. Well, regardless, bring back everyone you can."
"J-just like that? What about the crap out in town?"
"Bring as many of them back as you can, too."
"The townspeople? B-but if someone's comin', are we gonna be able to hold that many prisoners? Won't we have our hands ful-"
"Not our. My hands will be full. You will not interfere."
I thought my heart would explode as he said that. "O-okay-"
"And not prisoners, no. I've no need for that. Heck, if they don't want to come, don't make 'em. Definitely don't hurt 'em, and make sure not to push too hard, either."
"A-are you sure? That's-"
"Do you have a complaint?"
"N-n-no- but... Why? Is it a ransom? A sacrifice? What-"
"No. Nothing like that. I have no need for something like that. No...
Bring me an audience."
Eh- Ah- Ehk-
Something within really doesn't like that word. Something inside me is fundamentally opposed to that word. Somehow, that word's making my stomach flip. I... I can't explain why. Thinkin' about it, that's one of the most tame orders he's ever given.
Yet... Somehow, it was the most terrifying thing he'd ever said to me.
"Now, go. They're almost here, I have some things to set up, and I don't want you running into them. And be quick about it. We won't be kept waiting."
I tried saying something through my heavy breath, but all I could muster was a nod as I ran past him, far beyond and outside, into the arms of the ever-burning sun once again.
My legs carried me out of the woods, not immediately towards town, but towards that one lone house, where Noble was s'possed to be. Guess his situation concerned me the most.
Despite that, I stopped in my tracks pretty quickly, as almost as soon as I left the place and entered the trees, the bushes, and the mutilated squirrels, I heard something behind me.
Two sets of boots hitting the ground as if they'd fallen from a tree just a short ways away, followed by gentle whispering and steps working through the greenery, heading towards the ruins.
I hid amongst the bushes and the trees and peered out. Is this what the boss was talkin' 'bout? The thing 'es all weird about?
Ah, friggin kids again. Couple a brats, one flushed lookin' bastard covered in tan and bits of white, and the oth-
Eh-
Oh no.
nononononononononononononoono AHGAH-
NOT AGAIN, NOT THIS, NO, NO, NO-
My legs started moving me backwards. Slowly, at first.
Then, I swear... The one clad in tan... He turned to me. Briefly. I saw an eye on me. It was just for a second, half a second, but I swear... He smiled at me.
After that, I guess I started running.
