The human

I run into the fog heading in the direction of the voice. It is too real to be an illusion. I know this because I’ve been through it before. It is something I never want anyone to experience. Especially if they just awakened into this world and have no idea what is going on.

As I get close, I can hear something moving away from me extremely fast, and the voice going with it.

“IT HURTS, PLEASE STOP. SAVE ME. NOOO!!” It sounds like is being dragged away.

“I’M HERE, I’M COMING TO SAVE YOU!”. I scream.

I’m running as fast as I can and the voice is getting closer.

A gust of wind clear up the fog and I can see it what’s in front of me.

A tall, lanky figure stands there from where the voice is coming from. It turns around and we make eye contact.

“Help me...” The voice quiety says.

Before me, a towering, skeletal creature with pale, stretched skin, glowing eyes, and elongated limbs ending in razor-sharp claws, its lipless mouth frozen in a permanent, monstrous grin.

I’m frozen in place. The voice is coming from its mouth. Was it that thing that was calling for help. Is that the human?.

“That is not human.”

“Please run.” It says but its mouth doesn’t move.

It is like is coming from inside of the creature.

“GET AWAY FROM ME, PLEASE!” It screams, but its lips aren’t moving.

The human lunges at me. I barely have time to put up a blessing shield.

It’s strong.

Its pushing me back effortlessly.

I activate monster strength, powering myself up and try to stand my ground. I stop going backwards and use Bed of Nails, summoning spikes form the shield.

The human jumps back, dodging my counterattack. And prepares to attack me again, running around the stone structures on all four, using its extremely long limbs to move around like a spider.

I hear Juni and Lafanda, screaming all the way back in the thermal pools and I glance back at them.

The human makes use of this moment of distraction and makes his attack. I can barely dodge out of the way and he slashes my upper left arm and my cheek making clean cuts on both.

I grunt in pain as I feel my blood ruining down my body.

“Dawn Flame!”

I use to opportunity of him getting close to attack with fire and shoot a fireball on his shoulder.

“ITS BURNS! OH MY GODDESS, MAKE IT STOP! IT HURTS.” It cries in pain.

My stomach sinks. I feel like throwing up. It wasn’t like this back with those slumberwalkers before.

(Can I understand them because they are also of human kin?)

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to do this. Please forgive me!” The human keeps crying but doesn’t stop attacking.

All I’m doing is dodging its attacks with my enhanced speed or blocking with shields.

I can’t think straight. The screaming doesn’t stop. The begging. The crying.

I want to help it. I really do. More than anything. But what do I do to stop it?

It lunges once again, and I don’t have time to dodge or block.

“Holy Nightmare protection: Partial Transformation!”

I feel Umbravar influence. Colder than ever before.

I turn my two arms back into their monster form and grab his two arms too and we begin to wrestle.

I fall with my back on the ground, and it gets on top of me.

Looking at both of our arms holding each other like this, they are indistinguishable. This is what I am. If I transform fully into my primal form, am I going to become like this? If I lose control, am I going to cry and beg like this?

I don’t want this. If there is one thing in the world that I don’t want is to turn into one of these things.

“I’m sorry! It hurts! Please do something!” It sobs with its motionless mouth right in front of me.

It tries to bite my face off, but I use my legs on its chest to stop it from getting close.

I can feel its claws sinking into my hands as we grapple.

“HELP ME PLEASE!” It screams right in my face.

I remember Gora’s advice. To not let the fight drag on. I get it now. I’m exhausted. I don’t want to this.

But there is no other way.

“DAMN IT ALL!!!” I scream from the top of my lungs. “DAWN FLAME ARROW.”

I aim the fire arrow at its nape. As it makes contact, some of the blazes also hit me and I can feel the burning. But its grip on my hands gets loose, I use this opportunity to kick it off me.

I don’t give it time to react and run towards it.

“IT BURNS!” It cries.

(I know it does.)

I summon another shield and use it to bash it away from me so I can get more room to act.

I hit it with full force and using my hands I push it several meters away from me.

“IT HURTS!” It cries.

(I KNOW IT DOES!)

I use the shield as a focus and use it to create a light blessing, blinding the human.

“MAKE IT STOP!” It begs.

“I WILL!!!” I scream in rage.

As it flails around with its eyes closed I run full speed ahead towards it. My arms are still in their monster form. But my claws aren’t sharp enough to cut its skin.

I’m getting closer and I want to end this right now. Not a second later. It has to be now.

Right. Now.

“SONALA PLEASE!!!” I aim at its throat. “HOLY DREAM BLESSING: DAWN FLAME SPEAR!!”

I set my claws ablaze with the orange and white flames I can feel my hands burning as I piece its neck.

My fingers pierce through, all the way to the back of the nape and I can feel the inside of its throat. With my fingers inside I can tell the attack destroyed its spine.

The body goes limp and I can hear it gargling and choking on its own blood.

“Thank you…” It softly speaks its last words, before the white eyes roll back and it dies.

I remove my hand from its throat as it falls to the ground motionless.

Dead.

I killed it.