V3 Incline 2: Nin

A groan leaves me as I wake up, the kind that is typical of someone who wants, but mostly needs, a little more time in bed...

"This... This isn't Rose's tent..." I find myself saying as I sit up on the source of comfort I had been inexplicitly placed upon. Strangely as well, despite knowing how confused I am, I can't seem to find the capacity to express it. Everything feels blank and irrelevant, on the outside especially. Staring down at my two human hands, my mind starts to slow.

My hands, my actual hands!

"Ok, seriously, gods hear me, what's going on, what happened?" I pointlessly ask as I fail to force my memory through the blackness currently occupying it. Why can't I remember anything up to a very specific point? I remember doing a thing of importance with Rose, giving her what she wanted so I could safely get Dandelion out... No, that's not important, why am I in a wooden building with no idea of how I got here?

Looking around the neat, but simply decorated room, my head comes to a stop as I spot a creature. With four legs and a coat of darkness, this thing made of shadows moves its head. I blink uncaringly at the sight as my mind acts the exact opposite, and again, I cannot figure out how to be openly shocked. The creature's tongue rolls out as it pants with what seems to be a smile on its long face.

"Shadowy creature... You are one of Undwote's?" I guess as I clench the quilt tighter with something I once knew only through murals and stories staring me down. If I am able to see this creature, then that means I am dead. Then, where is the rocking chair I know the God of Death has, where is the smoke and mist? I can't be dead if these things aren't also around, right...?

Rose must've given me something strong and Vapooliar had to have dragged me somewhere. This is just some creature native to these awful, strange lands. Simply inspiration for Undwote's myths. I am staying in someone else's home by the grace of their charity.

I'm going to get up, go out that door and find Vapooliar, Vadei or Dandelion lingering around!

This lack of care for my situation is concerning, but I can't seem to be anything but this way towards it. Maybe this is for the best, I seemed to have had a good night's sleep as nothing is damaged. The bed is fine, not a mess at all. Got over those nightmares pretty quick and easy, then.

Would like to smile at this, though...

Shaking my head as I stand up, my mind passes over the fact I am in my old work attire. Boots, overalls, it's all here and all nice and clean. As if nothing bad ever happened to me. Hm.

It was all a dream and I just woke up from it? Vapooliar, Vadei, the bugs, they're all not real? I guess this place makes sense for a room from a somewhat modestly high floor. However, that does not account for the creature in the room, nothing like this has ever existed in Tobaballe.

Reaching for the doorknob, the creature somehow emerges from the crack in the door and I quickly look back to its prior spot. Then, looking down as the thing nudges me back into the depths of the room, I try to push it away. Yawning or something, it then lays down to block the door. Kneeling down so I have an easier time reaching, I start to rub its great long belly.

"Do you want me to wait?" I ask as the shadows making it up reveal their soft texture to my curious palm. Must be a magical feature of the animal, but, again, why is there a magical creature in Tobaballe? The golden liquid I saw Iishar drink, of course!

Getting up, I head back to the bed and sit down on it as I hum out my thoughts. A decent amount of time just goes on by before the shadowy creature picks up on the muffled noise heading this way. It responds with vigorous barking and shoots up to bounce about. Watching the door open, a variety of additional shadowy animals walk in along with a strangely, albeit well-dressed child.

Short, white hair that reminds me of snow. I rub my arms as a chill unrelated to my thoughts takes hold.

"Ah, you are awake, that is good. I can only apologize for your current situation, you poor thing." the boy says with a tone that sounds way more refined and dignified than a child should have. Doesn't sound like he gets to have much fun, must have quite strict parents. He takes out a smoking pipe, but, I do not move to take it from him. Odd, so very...

My hand slowly reaches for the back of my head as he sits down in a simple, four-legged chair by a small table.

"No, keep him like this, it is probably best until we can explain the situation to him." this boy says to literally no one before he takes a puff from his pipe. The chair is now somehow a rocking chair and it is going back and forth. One of the shadow things rubs against his legs. It looks a bit like a sausage, curiously enough, what, with its long belly and all.

"Who are you?" I ask the boy as I continue to watch the odd behaviour of the smoke coming from his pipe. It's rising up like normal, but it's all cloistering in the upper corner of the room into what looks like a dense web.

"Me? I am your caretaker." he answers with a small smile and an expression that seems to hint at currently ongoing frustration. I tilt my head as his words repeat in my head.

My caretaker... My caretaker, what does that even mean? Is he the son of the man who owns this room? I'm not a bloody invalid.

"Never had one in all my life, certainly don't need one now." I retort as he glances my way, then towards the corner as if someone is there. Is he the kind of kid with an imaginary friend or something?

"See, that's the thing, you don't have one anymore, you are dead." the boy speaks matter-of-factly.

"What...? I am clearly alive." I nearly want to laugh out even though I cannot.

The boy shakes his head, a tint of sadness in his eyes, "No, Young One, you are dead... And once we are done here, I have a duty to put you to rest in the proper manner."

"No... I am clearly alive." I assert in denial even though I seem to know that this boy is not lying to me, somehow. I've only just met him, how in all of the divine names can I simply feel that he is trustworthy? How!?

He clicks his tongue and the seven creatures rise up and form a regimental line, "Tell me, how many hounds here are made of shadow?"

Looking at the creatures as all seven look directly into my eyes, a non-existent blockage appears in my throat. There is one absurdly bigger than the rest, there's the small and sausage-like one. One is very fluffy looking while another seems to lack a tail completely. Three of them seem to be the same outside of their shades, different tones of darkness.

"Seven..." I answer as a frown firmly settles in. Keeping up with the looking from side to side, I take in as many different details as I can regarding these 'hounds.'

"And who is accompanied by a pack of seven shadowy hounds?"

"Undwote." I answer as something I dismissed instantly comes back to my mind. It's all here, the pack with seven members, the thick-smoking pipe and even a rocking chair from nowhere. Even the clothes this boy is wearing are starting to remind me of the art and sculptures I have seen before.

"Yes, I am Undwote. God of Death first and foremost. I have other duties, yes, but they are largely secondary, though I am more than happy to discuss them with you... Given the uniqueness of your situation right now."

"Wait... If you are Undwote... Why don't I care...?" I ask, confused, even though none of this emotion is being shown. It's scaring me and not even that is coming through. Why is my face stuck straight!?

"My loving and uncaring brother here is keeping you in check emotionally. Thank you for that, by the way. He is doing it so we do not have to worry about any complications your realisation may bring. Given you are a mortal who now knows he has died earnestly and truly. Again, I am sorry but your situation could not be avoided, no matter how hard I have argued the precariousness of it."

"Is this brother particularly small or something?" I ask as I try to find this brother he spoke of to no avail.

"No, he is about the same size as me... When I am not in this state." they answer fine at first before the chewing of the mouthpiece becomes particularly loud. His brow sets and eyes narrow as a bit of the smoke finds its way out of his nose. The boy then turns to an empty spot in the room and I follow his eyes.

"And his name is...?"

"Apahthein."

"The Apathetic One?"

"Yes, that is him, do you believe in him? It is somewhat important you do, Mortal."

"I do...? Never seen much reason not to." I answer with a shrug as I start to blink rapidly. Is something there?

"Keep looking." Undwote harmlessly scoffs quietly. A strange mist clearly forms, with the face of a person hidden within it.

"Hello." it greets uncaringly as it keeps its attention forever on the move.

"Hi... So... Uh... Undwote... Why am I here?"

"That is difficult to explain as there is quite a bit to unpack from the carriage. The insides are as ladened with suitcases as the top, back and sides are, even the driver lacks room. For now, I am going to advise you to just let it slide. Hopefully, you won't have to keep living like this for much longer." he explains nebulously and rather concerningly.

"I'd like to think being alive is rather good..." I say as my hand grips a leg to test the feeling of warmth pumping through it.

"If you never died, I'd agree wholeheartedly. But, you did, sliced into two by one marked by my war-focused brother. Honoured by the concept as he so is."

"No scar?" I ask as I peek beyond the buttons of my overalls.

"No, as you weren't in your body when you died. You turned into an osibindah." he explains, sorrowfully.

"I was turned into a bug...?" I say as I stare down at my right arm, the one that should not be the way it is right now. I guess, this boy is telling the truth, I know my arm turned. I felt everything that had changed and I wanted to get rid of it. There is an odd feeling now, having four fingers rather than half the amount, a thumb being the only constant.

Looking at my clothes again, I frown... I must've died some time ago, before I even left the mountain. Maybe before I even met Vapooliar and the others at the camp.

"I am afraid so." the boy nods as he seems to restrain himself from coming over.

"Why am I not upset over this...?" I ask as I try to force something out. Anything...!

"Apahthein is manipulating your ability to be outwardly emotional, somewhat on the inside as well."

"Can he not!? Not now..." I beg as I turn to the formless sibling.

"Ease up a little, then, Apahthein. Enough so that soft emotion can make its way out." Undwote, the God of Death, says to Apahthein, the God of Apathy.

Tears quickly form in my eyes as the features of my face depress as far as they can go. Tightly clenching the bedsheets, I try to take it all in. My mind fills up with one word and one face. Sorry and Vapooliar's.

It repeats again and again.

That's right, I was right on top of Rose and I was about to... When something happened, Vapooliar would've come in to save the day. She would have seen me become one of them completely. Poor Vapooliar, I know how badly the hive affected you but I...

If she thought of me as a friend and was the one to kill me...

The one who killed me was blessed by Waionr, it had to have been her. Sure, that description applies to any soldier, but, it could've only been Vapooliar. As a bug it would all come out without restraint, this power that saw me lift a towering set of weights into the sky. The mountains I have scarred forever with that strange, spongey rock magic.

"As I am not a mortal, I am not too sure about if it works. But, would you like to move outside of this cabin? My experience with humans and other like-minded species over the aeons I have existed for leads me to believe a breath of fresh air can help calm you down." the God of Death tells me as he gets up and offers me a hand, silly as it might be. A child offering his hand to a grown man who is currently crying with all he has...

Ignoring him, I cover my face as tremors strike my body.