Mirk

Vague light. A blurry image of a ceiling composed of brown timber. The walls developed, whitewashed and smooth, and then the dark wooden headboard. He was lying on a mattress, it was soft and downy. The warmth of a comforter and the feeling of a pillow adding to the surrealness.

Didn’t I die again?

A snickering smile.

Maybe I’ve been transported into the body of some terminally ill patient, and this is my last luxury before some gruesome fate takes me once again? Will it be suffocation like the last time, or maybe I’ll get lucky, and chance will think of giving me a new nightmare.

“So, you’ve awakened.” The voice that spoke was strange, seeming to project into his mind rather than speak aloud.

“Who’s there?” His own words spilled into the room in the same unfamiliar voice he had used what seemed like only seconds ago.

“I am called Mirk, that is the name my master bestowed on me. And you, what are you called human?”

Human? Master? What kind of place is this?

He tried to sit up.

“Do not move human. My master’s body is still weak and your connection to it is flimsy, it would take little effort on my part to dispel you. If you wish to remain, you will stay as you are and answer my question.”

A hard swallow dried out his mouth as a pressure spread across his body drawing pain from the myriad of wounds, he was only just aware it had.

“My name is Yuji Valentinov.”

“And from where do you hail?”

“America.”

“America, such a place does not exist here. It is possible your transient soul came from another world. What was your purpose in America?”

“My purpose?”

“What did you do? What was your family line? Surely these are common enough questions.” The curling masculine voice slithered uncomfortably around in his head.

“I didn’t do anything really; I mean I was an office worker. I worked for a tech company in H.R., or Human Resources. And… uh, as for my family their just normal people. Average. My dad works for the school district, and my mom is a Japanese translator. She’s second gen and her parents spoke it a lot so…”

“Second gen? Explain.”

“Second generation American, her parents came from Japan, she was born in the States, or rather America, that would make her a second generation American.”

“I see. And the purpose of H.R.?”

“Its purpose?” Yuji scrambled for an answer when his brain drew a blank. “It’s to manage things for the company and make sure everyone’s happy and everything’s running smooth… or something like that.”

“A company? So, you manage a group of men.”

“No, no, no. Um… Company, where I come from, can also mean an organization, a business. We- we sell um, information, and equipment.”

“So, you work in arms dealing and spying?”

The pressure on his body grew worse.

“No, no, no, I don’t, I swear I don’t.”

They must have limited tech here, so then I have to think about how to describe this in a way whoever this is will understand before they kill me.

“My company sells functional furniture that makes people’s lives easier, and the information is how to use it and make it work right.”

“I see.”

The pressure subsided and as it left a short period of calm followed. The momentary respite gave birth to a gloomy vacant sensation. The mention of his family reverberating back, touching a sore spot. Everything had happened so quickly, until now Yuji had yet to really have a moment to think how they might be reacting. He could imagine his mom and dad’s responses, she would cry, he would pretend to be unaffected as not to upset her more. They would call his older siblings Haruto and Mika and tell them the bad news. How would they respond?

The pressure returned in a hot wave, pushing him into the mattress.

“Are you listening to me Yuji Valentinov?”

“I’m sorry, I got distracted.”

“Rise and face me. I must assess you and decide if you are worthy.”

The pressure again relaxed allowing Yuji to struggle into a seated position. The heavy downy covers pooled at his lap, leaning forward he amassed it to help himself remain seated, every nerve in this body screaming for him to lay back down and forget how to use them. Vision and mind struggling to endure against the firing pain receptors.

On a great chess set at the end of the bed sat a mongoose with golden yellow fur and eyes of red rust. Though it was small there was something about the creature that frightened him, an aura near visible that floated like a fog dancing, fluctuating haphazardly.

“You’re Mirk?”

“I am.” The creature’s mouth appeared to form a harsh smile. “Are you not impressed?”

“No, I am. Animals don’t talk where I’m from. Some do use buttons, but they can’t communicate like this.”

Nor do they have strange power to use the force on people.

“You do recall human, that you are at my mercy? That I, a small animal, have the power to dismiss you from this body and send you properly to the other world.”

“I get the strong feeling that it’s not outside of your abilities.”

That and you’ve threatened me with that once already, about five seconds ago.

“Then you will not dare lie in your answer to my next question. How did you come to be within my master’s body?”

The question caused an involuntary pause as Yuji went over the events of his transmigration. The ground giving way on the hiking path as he was trying to sit on a log near the edge near its border. The quick, bouncy, and brutal descent where a tree root stopped his fall while also sealing his fate. The sense of finality. The gradual loss of feeling where even pain would have been a welcome reminder of life, and then the river, running, and arrows.

“I don’t know. I just woke up here. I don’t even know how I’m alive right now to be honest. I’m pretty sure I was poisoned.”

“Poison is no threat.”

“Sorry, I don’t understand what you mean.”

“It is simple. My master’s body contains a mutation that causes him to be resistant to toxins, much as I have myself, though in a greater sense more advanced. It is near impossible to kill him with the use of poisons, he would simply go into stasis while his body delt with the lethal substance.” There was visible arrogance in the way the creature described his master’s superiority.

“Then why did I feel like I was suffocating to death?”

“Because your soul has not bonded with my master’s body. It interpreted the toxins as more deadly than it actually was.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.”

Yuji dared to glance around the room. Other than the bed and the chest, there was a fireplace with a roaring fire, a chair near the bed, a nightstand, a desk and chair near the door. Arched gothic windows all around the room let in early morning light, and a huge imposing door painted red with large metal studs hid what could only have been a hallway or stairwell.

“Where am I?”

“In my master’s bedchambers. In Bastion Fortress. How did you come to be poisoned?”

“An arrow grazed my leg; I think the tip was poisoned. Does your master have a lot of enemies?”

“Of course he does. Someone was shooting at you?”

A stiff ache in his back forced him to shift.

“How can you say that so casually? You make it sound like having enemies is a natural thing.”

“Within this world it is quite natural to have enemies, my master is very talented and comes from a noble and affluent family. It is far more likely that he would have enemies then he wouldn’t. Now answer my question.”

“Yes, someone was shooting at me, or him? Honestly, I don’t really know how I survived. I just seemed to dodge the arrows without thinking.”

“Muscle memory remains with the body. My master trained diligently.”

They were interrupted when the door opened, and a woman entered. She couldn’t have been older than twenty and yet there was an air about her that could almost have made an observer doubt that fact. She was fair, with long red hair pulled away from her face, braided with gold ribbon. Her curving frame was silhouetted by her long hunter green embroidered tunic gown drawn in at the waist by a thick red plaited cord. It would have been an injustice to call her anything besides beautiful, though it was a sort of beauty that reminded of a poisonous snake or predatory animal.

“You’re awake.” She looked at him with honey in her smile, her voice cloying. “I am surprised. Darcus had put great energy into seeing you would rest for at least another week; your wounds have hardly had time to heal.”

“Stay your shock Yuji Valentinov, you must pretend you know her. There is no one here, besides me, it is safe to betray your situation to. This woman is Lady Dagney; my master was raised alongside her… she is his betrothed. Their relationship is not close, and you needn’t look concerned she cannot hear me.”

She took a seat on the chair near the bed and in response his body stiffened and in response every muscle in his body gave an aching cry that made his head swim.

“You seem to be managing your pain well. I am surprised you can sit as you are. It is a wonder you are alive you know. The fracture of your skull and the damage to your body suggested a fall from an incredible height. Most would have perished.”

Yuji was overcome with a desire to move away from her.

“I guess I have a high pain threshold, either that or leprosy.” Yuji couldn’t help a smile, which slid from his face the moment he saw her expression.

“Leprosy?”

“It was a bit of dark humor.”

Mirk moved irritably. “My master does not partake in levities, be mindful least you put his body in danger before we discover if he might be restored to it. Coldness is how you should proceed.”

Expecting perfection when I don’t even know the guy I’m trying to pretend to be.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m myself yet.”

“I should say not. You should try to rest. It might serve you well to pretend with others that you haven’t awakened. You haven’t forgotten how to play dead now have you? You used to play at it so well when we were children.”

Swallowing hard, Yuji laid back as she suggested trying to decide if she was flirting or being sarcastic. The look in her auburn eyes conveyed nothing, there was an unreadable hardness to them that created an impenetrability he wasn’t used to.

“Sarkis is making trouble again. I imagine it won’t be long before he tries to get your neck in his master’s noose. Be careful and do as I say. Mirk, you must ensure that your master goes undetected for at least another few days. I will tell them you’re still asleep when I report on your condition.”

Her lips were soft, like a feather. When they retreated from his Yuji couldn’t recall the feeling, only the sense of pins and needles itching across his skin.

“Rest well my love, I will be back to look in on you shortly. I leave him in your care Mirk, I expect you will not be a disappointment this time.”

The mongoose bristled. “I should tear her eyes out.”

The door closed; the room returned to silence as they listened for her steps to fade.

“Who is she exactly?” Yuji whispered after a long period of silence.

“That is of no concern. She is right though, you should rest.”

“But if something is going on here…”

“I will clarify tonight. Let my master’s body rest. For now, I must go and look into something. Do not argue Yuji Valentinov, do as you’re told.”

Mirk jumped from the chest and went to the door. It appeared to open of its own will and then close again leaving Yuji lying alone in the growing warmth of the coming morning.