14 Chapter 11: Curse of The Oni (1/2)

The next morning I awoke to a slight headache.

Sitting straight up at the edge of my bed I swear it felt like something tried to go through my skull. Had to much to drink maybe? No, that couldn't be it...

As I sat there on the edge of the bed, worried about my headache the pressure slowly ebbed away as I fell on my bed with a sigh of relieve stretching my entire body.

For some reason Christine was nowhere to be found so I exited The Sleeping Mistress, thinking that going our seperate ways was for the best. I had to make my way through the forest and back to Sharoo. Thinking Amaris could help me with my exhaustion I had to make my way to the guildhall.

Entering the forest it felt like entering another world. Nothing like I was used to at home.

It was the same with the night before, everything had a magical glow to it. The trees were tall enough to block out most sunlight. Yet the moss on the barl had a dimly greenish glow to it. On my way through I noticed some area's where the light was able to slip through.

Plants and animals alike enjoyed the warm rays as they lay there peacefully.

Birds chilped in the distance as the wind gently weaved the trees, bushes and plants weaved left and right creating a pleasant shadow.

This revealed their luminescent nature giving of an other worldly glow. As I had to pass by them I made sure not to startle or alarm them.

The ponds and river in the area were thriving with life as the wombats, cats and other creature I had never seen before relaxed near the water. Thinking this was a good place to catch my breath I sat down against one of the trees with a view towards one of the ponds.

Sitting there a fox closed in on me, maybe it found me a curious sight to behold?

Or maybe it just wanted to play? Not knowing why I welcomed the company of the little creature. It happily turned its head and jumped towards my hand as if it wanted to try and catch it. Lifting my hand the little fox looked up trying to reach my hand with it's small paws it was now standing on two legs and crying out to my hand.

”Okay... okay, here... you wanted my hand right?”

I lowered my hand gently as not to startly the little creature. It sniffed my hand gently bumping its head against it. I petted it for a bit, seeing as it twirled it's two tails it must have liked the scratching behind the ears.

Just then I felt a breeze and I heard a sharp and lasting tone that I couldn't really place being carried by the wind.

Startled the fox ran away. ”It must have heard something alarming in its presence.”

As I enjoyed the cool breeze that rustled through the forest, unaware of the dangers this world brought with it I was totally unguarded.

Something without a physical form closed in on the tree I was resting against, approaching me, hiding in the shadows. All the creatures felt its presence being alarmed like the fox they all ran away.

Feeling as the air around the area became colder I had no idea why all of them ran away and decided it was my que to continue towards Sharoo.

Before standing up I felt a piercing pain in my lower back as if something pierced right through my spine, but seeing as the pain quickly ebbed away I shrugged it of and went on my way.

I didn't have to venture far before finding the entrance towards Sharoo. Walking through town something felt off... But I couldn't put my finger on it. As if for some reason my body felt just the slightest bit heavier.

Arriving at the Guildhall I saw a few familiar faces. Aqua was talking to Ivy, I went to greet them seeing they had something to discuss together.

”Hey Aqua, how did your evaluation go?”

Aqua turned hearing a familiar voice and greeted me with a smile.

”Hey Michael, that's just the thing Ivy and I were discussing. You see...

It appears they want to give me special training at the Fighters and Magic Guild.

In my results it appeared that I was wel suited for combat with a blade as well as having high mental strength. I hope I say this right... According to Ivy here I have potential becoming a Magic Swordsman.

I couldn't hold back my excitement as I was really happy for Aqua.

”That's so cool! For me they don't know what would suit me best yet.

But it appears they are testing all of us to see if we can acchieve something in this world?”

I wonder what it might be.

Aqua twirled around happily showing off her new equipment.

”How do I look? I found this gear for a cheap price at the market. We could take a look together later on if you want. Maybe there's something for you too.

Aqua smiled at me grabbing my hands.

As she grabbed my hands a sheer pain shot through my head, making my headache worse it now felt like I had an splitting headache.

Holding my head not knowing what to do I noticed two small bumps.

The slightest touch made the pain shoot straight through my body intensifying it even more...,

as everything slowly turned dark I could have sworn I heard someone yelling my name. Right at that moment my legs gave in and I crashed to the floor completely collapsing. Not knowing where I was I couldn't see a thing. I was swallowed by complete darkness.

”Anybody there?”

Nothing but silence filled the dark void I found myself in. I walked around hoping to find something, something that could tell me where I was.

But to no affail as it was just me and the pitch black emptiness around me. Sitting down trying to figure out what had happend as I tried to collect my thoughts.

As I finally calmed down a bit I decided to look around trying to make sence of where I was again. This time noticing a dim light in the distance. I stood up and went to investigate. As I slowly made my way there step by step my mind flooded me with questions. Where was I? What was the light? Could I get home?

As the dim light piqued my curiosity I made my way to the light. Closing in a warm feeling filled my chest getting warmer the closer I got.

The light gave of more warmth as its the dim glow appeared to be a green flame. A flame that danced in this space of eternal darkness.

I sat down observing the flame, a few moments passed as the flame gave me a familiar feeling... a feeling I knew from long ago... a feeling like home... a feeling like me. As I sat there I heard a silent wishper calling out to me.

”Michael... We finally meet... Come... Take me in...”

I recognized that voice anywhere... That one voice... as it was my own. Facinated I asked a question to the voice as I realized what the flame could resemble.

”You... are you my conciousness?”

”Yes” The voice answered.

”Come... Touch the flame... As we... Will... Become one... But beware... The Darkness...

Is... Always... Watching...”

I felt I was not alone in this space anymore as the warmth suddenly fanished and the air around me became cold. Almost chilling even.

The feeling of warmth, peace and home fanished with the cold as I saw a silhouette forming like a shadow behind the flame. The flame spiked up as it creeped closer ever so slightly. Formless gliding towards the flame a feeling of dread creeped in slowly filling my body with terror. Frozen in fear I stared at the silhouette, the silhouette tried to take form as the shadow rose from the ground. Playfully sweeping left and right, the shade was even darker than the space itself.

Silent as the night it kept coming closer and closer as a piercing bone white mask slowly formed on eye height of the shade as if it,

it looked sharp with holes in it.

The mask slowly began cracking.

*crrr* *crack* *crrr*

As the mask kept cracking the shade began making unnatural movements twitching the mask ninty degrees. While the shade creeped closer to me ever so slightly I noticed Black ink like slime dropping down and slowly spreading from its seemingly formless body.

As the shade was now next to the flame in front of me it manifested dark violet glowing eyes, the unpure evil shadowy eyes stared right at me.

Just then the mask broke in two as it leaked ink black flames through the middle. The creature fell flat to the ground. Frozen in fear I stared at it unable to do anything.

The Inklike formless shadow began spasming on the ground, growing arms, legs, horns... even claws. The shade lifted it's head locking our sight together.

As it tried to lift up it's lifeless form it sumbled and creeped closer and closer. When finally uttering words of unkown tongue in my head.

”Gagash Varishna... Gragnu Dorim... Kerishu...”

The shade was now in front of me readying its claw to strike.

Unable to do anything about it the shade layed its claw on top of my head,

the moment it touched me my head got struck by an immense pain, unable to move I screeched in agony as it felt like it was trying to take over my mind.

”Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!”

I jumped up in fear as I awoke in a room with an unkown white ceiling drenced in sweat.

At the corner of my bed Aqua sat there together with Amaris, Christine and Ivy all having a worried look on their face.

”It's okay Michael, Christine will get the priest, they will look into what was wrong.