I Find My Husband Unexpectedly

I was gasping and coughing, dozens of bodies torn in pieces lying at my feet.

I leaned on my spear, spitting out the black blood that had splashed into my mouth, wiping the rest off my face. They really were spineless worms, I kicked a dead monster's torso, the flesh bouncing against my foot. Parts of corpses were hung on chains off the ceiling, monsters impaled on their own weapons against the walls, everywhere I'd walk the ground would SPLAT under my boots.

You are feeding us well, I heard the voices call out from the depth of my shadow, smug. I'm not feeding you anything, I growled back, I had to protect Yumii.

Hahahaha, laughed the voices, fading into the back of my mind.

"Stupid freaks," I mumbled.

The spear disappeared in my shadow, leaving me with a massive headache, my skull feeling like it was about to split open like a piñata. The sudden loss of energy left me stumbling on my feet like a drunk, and I tripped repeatedly as I made my way back to the dead mammoth, its fur now covered in black ink. I ignored the goo as I climbed the creature and checked on Yumii, sighing in relief upon seeing she was unharmed, not even painted by our enemies' blood. I'm glad at least you're safe, I chuckled at the sleeping beauty. 

You should leave her behind, the voices encouraged.

Screw you, I’m not doing that!

I grunted as I got back up, looking around. Now I just need to find my sword… I looked around the monsters' carcasses for minutes, throwing the bodies around in growing frustration as I couldn't find my weapon. I flipped around violently.

"Where is this stupid swo-"

CLING!

My head flicked like an owl's, staring eyes wide at the armor-covered monster behind me. Did that thing move?! I glared at it without a sound for a minute, until I was sure my mind had made up its movement. So if you're not alive, what made this sound? Not finding anything sticking out of the body in front of me, I looked at my hip. My trusty sword was right there, silently attached to my belt.

"There you are!" I cried out. "I've been looking for you this whole ti-"

I shut myself up, freezing in my step. It's been there this whole time? I looked at my hands, drenched in blood. Oh gods, I threw up in my mouth, what did I do? I held my head, grunting as the memories of me laughing maniacally while gutting a zombie like a fish, the feeling of joy and pleasure as I ripped these monsters apart, and the lightheartedness I felt as I sliced through the beasts all came back up in my mind.

No, I gritted my teeth, suppressing the memories, I can't have… That wasn’t me. The voices' mocking laughter echoed in my mind, inescapable. I just need to get out of here, I tried to pull myself together, it'll get better once I'm out of this maddening place. I grabbed the knocked-out faery, dropping her on my back and entered the first tunnel that I came across, legs shaking and stomach rumbling from the lack of nutrition. Just gotta push a little further, I sweated, my eyes rolling back.

I dragged myself across the wall, feeling hot and burning all over. Did I catch some kind of fever…? I felt so dizzy the world kept on spinning round and round, and I lost all sense of direction. The shifting gravity pulled me one way then the next, my body flying through the corridor until I eventually crashed down on the ground.

My mind barely registered the pain, already numb from the sickness I felt. My body got back up on its feet on its own, the ground splashing under my feet. Splashing? I looked down and saw myself standing in a pool of black blood, the liquid filling up the corridor as if its source was infinite. What's going on?! Where's Yumii?! I panicked, the faery having disappeared from my back. Join us, I heard the voices rattle through the empty hallway. I bolted.

The river of blood reached my knee and began running through the unending hallway, trying to kick through locked doors that wouldn't budge. COME ON!! The goo reached my neck, sticking to my skin and clothes like oil, pulling me down underneath the surface. Don't be afraid, the voices comforted me. You won't be alone. No no no!

"Help! Yumii?! Atos?!! ANYONE?!"

I desperately swam, but the viscous liquid was too dense to move through.

"Zoë! Take my hand!"

I heard a voice call out. I looked up, seeing a human hand reach out of a door above my head, the gate as dark as the tunnel I had found myself in. Please don't be a murderous psychopath, whoever you are! I reached out, barely grasping the limb as I felt the black blood reaching out to keep me down. My saviour lifted me up as if I was nothing more than a feather, and I took off, travelling through the door. I smashed onto the stone ground with a loud HUMPH, black liquid splashing all over the floor. Thank the gods, I shook with relief, I thought I was done for this time. I grunted, struggling to get back to my feet.

"Thank you," I panted, turning around to take a look at the one who'd pulled me out of the death trap. The corridor was empty.

"What the hell?" I questioned, taking a step back, my heart skipping a beat.

"Hello, Zo," spoke a calm, familiar voice behind me.

I flipped around, drawing my sword in a flash and lowering it just as quickly, dumbfounded.

"Sam?!"

A smile divided my head in half as I jumped into his arms, my weapon flying to the ground, arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled me into the embrace, a deep, warm chuckle coming out of him. Tears immediately ran down my cheeks as I momentarily cracked. There'll be time for tears later, I pulled myself together, wiping the liquid off my face as I stepped back, holding my husband by the shoulders. He had deep pockets under his eyes, his cheeks hollowed by the lack of food, his hair was messy and sticky, his tunic was torn and covered in cobwebs, dust and jungle vines. So he WAS in Ithaocan, I confirmed before frowning.

"Wait, what are you doing here?"

Sam rolled his eyes.

"Saving your life, duh. So nice of you to ask how I am, by the way."

I smiled despite myself, feeling like a weight had been taken off my shoulder just at the sight of him.

"Gods, I'm so happy to see you," I caressed his face, my voice softening. "Still, I thought you were headed north. How did you find yourself so far south?"

"How did you?" he threw back.

"Hm," I stared at him, "well, I encountered some pirates and made my way to shore."

"Right… Wasn't it hard to see your people again?"

I took a step back, putting some distance between me and 'Sam'. Whatever it is, it sure didn’t put any effort into its disguise other than looks!

"Who the hell are you?"

The man leaned his head to the side, looking at me with darkened eyes.

"Oh? My disguise wasn't good enough?"

"Not nearly," I bared my teeth, discreetly side-stepping towards my sword.

The creature smiled unnaturally, lips reaching ear to ear, purple eyes wide in a stare. Its nails had grown into claws, its skin turning bluer under the braziers' light.

"That's too bad… I was hoping to experience this a little more."

The indifferent, cold tone froze my blood in my veins. My boot lifted up my sword; I caught it and pointed it straight at the thing that stood still in front of me.

"I asked you a question," I threatened, steel blade aimed true.

"Tch," growled the monster, "I was so eager to talk to you. You annoying, misbehaving worm!"

I stepped back, caught off guard by the sudden explosion. What is that guy's problem?

"Excuse me," it said while clearing its throat, readjusting an invisible tie before spreading its arms wide as if saluting an audience. "It’s only manners that I introduce myself properly before I rip you to shreds. I am…"

"I don't care." I shut him down.

It froze, head pointed at the ceiling, its eyes slowly descending until they met mine.

"You what?"

"I. Don't. Care," I gritted my teeth, flipping my sword in my hands, an eager feeling of stabbing surging through my mind, "Where’s my husband?"

My grip tightened around the weapon, knuckles turning as white as my fury. The creature moaned louder and louder, holding its head in its hands,

"No no no no no no!!"

He laughed, smashing his head onto the wall, the stone cracking under the hits. He's not bleeding, I observed with concern.

"You know," it chuckled, "I can't wait to gut your husband like a fish and feed upon his soul."

My blood curled and hurled in my veins, my eyes widened and I instinctively lunged forward, sword screaming for blood.