34 Beneath Your Skin (2/2)

I said, ”But you're not using Schema's normal transport right?”

”Schema can stop us from teleporting at anytime. Simply put, we are normally beneath his notice. This quest changes that. Now we have to either hide from Yawm until this quest ends, or assist with ending it. I believe our course of action is obvious.”

Althea stood and said, ”I was almost twenty levels over you. This is bullshit.”

I grinned as I said, ”You can just catch up. No big deal, right?”

Her eyes narrowed before she sat down, ”Yeah...I guess so.”

Torix frowned, ”The quest will dramatically speed up both of your progression towards fighting Yawm. Since the quest will no doubt attract other beings towards earth as well, using your runic carvings and other powers will be allowed within a week.”

Kessiah pulled herself out of the pool, pulling herself up and out with a single hand. She raised both hands and said, ”What the old sack of dry skin is trying to say, is that I'm going to be taking both of you out on raids. It's gonna be awesome.”

I raised an eyebrow, ”Raids?”

”You know, when people go out to kill tons of monsters.”

I shrugged, ” I never really played videogames much.”

Torix blinked a few times, ”What a surprise. An offworlder is teaching a native about his own culture.”

I walked up towards the wall wide desk that Althea sat at before sitting there myself. Torix had summoned curled up roots from nearby grasses, making for a surprisingly soft seat. I leaned onto the table, ”I had other stuff to worry about. Anyways, what kind of raids are we going out on?”

Kessiah bounced on her heels as she walked over, ”We'll be sneaking past the steel legion's barricade, killing some of those things, then coming back. It'll be a routine to shape both of you up.”

I made my armor peel off my head and dragged my hands across my face, ”Can we not do that?”

Kessiah leaned back, ”What happened to mister bloodlust over here?”

I frowned, ”I went a little overboard last time I fought them. Plus, getting ambient mana through the zombies is like cannibalism, kinda.”

Kessiah walked over and placed a hand onto the wall beside me. She narrowed her eyes, ”Do you know what a sentinel's rights are?”

I glanced around, shocked at Kessiah's sudden seriousness. I said, ”Uh, no...”

”They let you ignore Schema, and gain a sentinel's protections. That means that Torix and I wouldn't have to deal with all this bullshit anymore. The problem is, killing one of those four followers of Yawm is a tough fucking job.”

She pressed a finger against my chest, pushing my back, ”Torix and I need you and Althea's help for it. Otherwise, we're gonna be unknowns forever.”

There was more passion in her voice than when she was humming the lullaby in the forest. I calmed myself, swallowing my anger. I wanted friends that mattered. That meant doing the hard things I didn't want to do, like kill shambling mounds of zombie. I was done being alone. I'd already given up on Michael and Kelsey. I wasn't about to give up on the only people I had left.

I stood up, ”Calm down, Kessiah. I didn't know what all that meant. I didn't want to fight them cause it was disgusting, but it's important to you guys. That's enough of a reason for me. I mean shit, I have to fight anyway. Why not fight for friends?”

Kessiah leaned back, ”Oh...Uh, well...Thanks.”

I gave her a thumbs up, ”No problem. When's the next, er, raid planned?”

Torix said, ”They were waiting for when you were ready. We all figured you'd need some rest when you came back.”

I shook my head, ”Naw, I'll be fine. Let's go.”

Kessiah glanced around, ”Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I just got a little heated was all. It's ok if you need to sleep or something.”

I shrugged, ”I'm fine, but I'd like to check out Michael and Kesley. See if their safe and all that shit.”

Torix frowned, ”We can discuss it after you've rested...They are in the back room. You may see them if you like, but don't awaken them yet. There's certain measures that must be put in place first.”

Torix tapped the edge of the table, uncomfortable as someone with a rock in their shoe. I frowned, ”Are you alright Torix? You seem jumpy as hell.”

”What? Oh, yes. Of course.”

I tapped the edge of the table behind me, ”Good. I think I'll just look them over. I don't know what I'd say to them anyway. Honestly, I think the steel legion was taking them out of harm's way more than capturing their asses. We may have ran in without knowing enough about the whole situation.”

I tapped my head once or twice with my fist as I continued, ”Eh, I'll see what I can do about it. Maybe I can get them joined up with some other faction somewhere else.”

Kessiah glanced at the ground before grabbing one of her arms against her side. Althea looked away at the wall. Torix reached out a hand before pulling it back. I snapped,

”What the fuck is wrong with all of you?”

No one said shit after I gave them a moment to reply. I glanced around, everyone silent. Frustrated and annoyed, I narrowed my eyes, ”Alright, well you guys can tell me what's going on when you get all your shit together. See all this shit everywhere? Please, get it together.”

I walked back into the back of the dirt cavern. Torix had grown roots to support the walkways, each of them intertwining into elegant archways. At the back was a small, earthen room where the two containment tubes leaned against the wall. Kelsey and Michael just floated in them, suspended in motion. I sat on the ground made of moss on the opposite end of the room. I leaned onto my knees as I stared at them both.

It was a weird feeling. I thought that keeping them uninvolved was the best way of keeping them safe. That wasn't the case at all. Of course, being involved with them might have put them to death. I couldn't have known either way. I stared at my armored palms, the runes jagged. I wasn't used to being so helpless.

Up till now, I focused on making myself stronger. I didn't have to worry about anyone, or at least I chose not to. Keeping these two safe was going to be a lot harder than helping myself. Just thinking about having to watch over these guys made my stomach sink. It was like I had a ball and chain on each leg, and now I carried them around. I couldn't even know if I was helping them, even now.

I preferred things when they were simple. See bat. Smash bat. See giant hivemind. Smash giant hivemind. Now that I was in this wide open world, things weren't quite so straightforward. When handling Michael and Kelsey earlier, I fumbled around like some fucking headless chicken. Now I'm a headless chicken that eats people.

I peeled back my armor from my face before standing up. I was dwelling on a bunch of shit I couldn't change. Anytime I spent too long thinking, I ended up depressed. It was something my dad did all the time, and I hated that about him. There was no point in picking up the habit now. I walked up and tapped the container, sending a ripple through the tube before leaning against it. There was tug at my mana as I closed my eyes for a second.

I laid my head against the tube. A second later, a dull smack sent me tumbling backwards. I stared up, and Michael stared back at me. His eyes were hollow as a man hanging from a noose. Black veins started growing out of the side of his neck. I choaked on my words,

”No. No, there's no way...Fuck no.”

But there they were, infested and hungry.