by The Ranger
Slowly the mace inched closer to the monster's face as its arms weakened and its elbows bent. Richard looked into it and felt fear shoot through his body a moment too late.
A spike grew from the Seeker's elbow and pierced his torso just below his sturdy breastplate. It stretched until it had impaled him and poked out from the other side. He winced when the Seeker recalled the spike, and let him collapse onto the ground.
"Richard!" Edmund cried out, running towards his friend.
"Don't come near," he mumbled, blood on his tongue and pain swirling through his mind.
The young boy jumped between the Seeker and his friend, his small axe held firmly in front of him.
The monster brought his renewed blade down on Edmund, who trembled beneath its strength. All Richard could do was watch as his friend's limbs began to waver.
"N-no," he winced as he raised his trembling hand.
The vines that he had wrapped around the Seeker climbed upwards as he stretched his fingers. The creature absorbed his blade and set its bony hands to pulling the vines away from itself; however, it made little difference. Richard closed his fist, and the tendrils began to tighten around the monstrosity, cracking and splintering its every bone until the Seeker's body shattered and erupted into smoke, its skull rolling across the ground. There was a slight hiss in the air as the darkness receded.
Richard sighed and fell back onto the ground, turning so he could lie on his back. His chest heaved as pain gripped him.
"Hurry!" Edmund called. "I need help!"
"We're almost done here," Eren returned, slashing through a Seeker.
Khora rushed over with a canteen in hand and the girls in tow.
"Lift up his shirt; we need to clean the wound before we can wrap it," Khora ordered.
Edmund lifted Richard's shirt, and his eyes went blank the moment he did so. Khora's hand moved to his torso, and he felt her finger pass over his stomach.
"What's wrong?" he questioned. "How does it look?"
"There's no wound," the young boy whispered. "No blood either."
He sat up and looked at the spot where the monster had stabbed him. His friend had been correct; there was no trace of an injury. He continued to feel the pain of the attack, but slowly it faded away.
"What do you feel?" Khora asked.
The pain vanished as she finished asking her question, and, once again, Richard felt as he had before.
"I don't feel anything," he sighed, rising to his feet.
He looked around and saw that Eren and Aven had managed to cut through most of the Seekers, and very few remained there among them.
"Khora, help them finish the monsters off. The girls are safe— the Seekers are not targeting them," he suggested. "I'm going to help their father get up here."
She hesitated but nodded and dashed towards the others.
Richard trudged over to the cliff and spotted the girls' father standing on the dirt below. His clothes were dirty and tattered, likely from the chase and the fall, and he sported a few cuts along his arms. His black hair was caked with mud and snow, but otherwise, he seemed to be in good health.
"You there, please help me up!" the man called. "I need to find my family!"
"We've found them. Give me a moment, and I can help get you up here," Richard called back.
"Are they safe?" the man cried. "My wife, my daughters?"
Richard frowned and looked away.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "We found your wife; she was killed by the creatures that attacked you."
The man's eyes grew wide, and tears began to flow from them as he sobbed.
"A-an-and my daughters?" he questioned.
Richard forced a slight smile.
"They're safe," he revealed. "They're here with us."
The man closed his eyes and wiped his tears.
"Thank you, Gods, thank you," he cried.
Richard flicked his hand, and a thick vine sprouted near his feet and made its way down to the girls' father. It coiled around his torso and slowly raised him up. He had to measure his strength and be sure not to use too much force. If not, he'd risk breaking the man as he did the Seeker.
Finally, Richard reached out and pulled him onto higher ground.
"Th-thank you for your help," the man muttered, gripping his shoulder tightly. "My name is Cal… if I may ask, are you a wizard, Sir?"
"Of sorts," he fibbed.
"Well, thank you, Master Wizard, I am in your debt," the man whispered.
He looked past Richard, and his face erupted into a wide smile.
"Girls!" he yelled, running towards his daughters.
Cal embraced them, and the three wept as they were reunited.
Khora approached Richard, and the two looked on.
"They won't last much longer on their own," she mentioned. "We can't leave them."
"Well, we can't stay with them," Eren joined, sweat gathered on his forehead. "They'd be in danger if they came with us, and we can't waste our time taking them wherever they're going."
Richard sighed and walked over to the family.
"Cal," he called. "Your mace, I assume?"
He presented the weapon to him, and the man took it happily.
"Thank you, Sir," he nodded.
Richard felt a tad uncomfortable being called 'Sir' by the older man, especially in front of his children, but he ignored the awkwardness.
"Why did you leave Marinia in such a hurry? Are these monsters invading the city?" he interrogated.
"No, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn they're there now," he replied. "A battle erupted over the settlement's leadership, and we were advised to leave once the bloodshed escalated. A ship has been chartered and lies along the shore to the southwest."
"We haven't seen too many of these things in that direction, but it would be unsafe for you three to continue on your own," Richard explained.
He glanced at Khora and Eren before turning back to Cal.
"In a different time, we'd have no problem escorting you to safety, but we have to get home," he said. "Although, I have something that might help you."
Richard looked over to Aven and Edmund, who were both sitting on the ground with Ranger nestled between them. He trudged back towards Khora and motioned for Edmund to follow.
"Did you need something?" the young boy asked.
"Have you still got that sack Rahm gave us?" Richard asked.
"Yes," Edmund answered, rifling through his bag.
"Khora," he turned. "I want you to put a quarter of our repellant into it, we can't go with them, but that should be enough to protect them."
"Of course," she agreed.
Richard met Eren's eyes.
"Are you fine with that?" he inquired.
Eren shrugged carelessly at the question.
"We'll just have to all huddle by the fire," he smirked.
Edmund held the sack open while Khora shoveled some of the dirt-like material into it. Richard felt a slight irritation just by looking at it but ignored the discomfort. Once they were done, Edmund tied the opening closed and held it out for him.
"Oh," he muttered. "I forgot you can't-"
"It's fine," Richard grumbled.
He reached out and gingerly gripped its edge with the tips of his fingers, making sure not to touch any of its contents.
He returned to Cal and handed him the bag, waiting until he firmly held it before releasing his grip.
"Here," he said. "Press that into the edges of your wagon. If you need to stop for the night, sleep within it. That will keep you from being caught."
Cal smiled and gripped Richard's shoulders tightly.
"Thank you for everything you've done for us," he cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"There's no need to thank me," he mumbled. "We'll escort you back to your wagon, but that's as far as we can go."
"Of course, Sir, lead the way," Cal nodded.
Richard and the others helped the family back to their wagon once they recov
ered Margaret's body. Aven managed to find their horse— it had wandered into a nearby ditch, and he led it back as the rest of them turned the wagon onto its wheels.
Alice and Andrea clung to Khora as they said their farewells, and Richard could tell that his companion was moved by their gratitude. However, she was sure to wipe away any tears the moment Eren pointed them out.
With a dozen more words of appreciation and a few waves of their hands, Cal and his daughters were gone, journeying to safety.
"I feel that's the only good thing to happen in some time," Khora murmured, leaning on her spear.
"We should appreciate it while the feeling lasts," Richard suggested. "You saw what happened."
"I did," she frowned. "These Soul Seekers may be more intelligent than we anticipated."
Richard nodded.
"I'm afraid this is just the beginning of what we'll learn from them," he lamented.
She slowly reached for his arm, hesitating for a moment before setting her hand on it. She squeezed him slightly and met his eyes.
"Then we'll learn the rest tomorrow," she replied, pulling back her hand. "Come, it's time to make camp."
"It's still light enough to travel," he protested.
Khora turned back at him, a curious expression in her eyes.
"Aren't you exhausted?" she questioned.
Richard looked past her to see the rest of their companions strewn across the ground as they complained about their aches and pains.
"No, you're right. We should rest," he accepted. "I'll see if I can use some vines to form a shelter against the snow."
"Excellent," Khora smiled, walking away towards the others.
As Richard pulled on the earth around him, his mind wandered. After everything that had happened, he didn't feel an ounce of fatigue or pain. It hadn't occurred to him until then, but he had not slept since before they arrived at Tala's domain. He had assumed the first night was due to his restlessness, but things seemed clearer now. He had been saddened by the way some of his companions looked at him, yet he began to realize that they were right. He could very well have become something less than human.
Chapter Six
Eren
Eren slowly opened his eyes to see that snow had gathered heavily around their camp. It also appeared he had rolled around in his sleep, as he was much closer to the edge of their encampment than he had been the night before.
"What's this?" he muttered, gripping the sheet that hung over his shoulders.
Eren was quite accustomed to sleeping in the cold, and he was also the sort who could fall asleep seconds after closing his eyes. Therefore, when he realized he had nothing to cover himself with overnight, he simply laid next to the fire and closed his eyes. It seemed that after he rolled away, nearly into the snow, one of his companions threw their blanket on top of him. A kind gesture, he quickly realized.
Eren saw Ranger was lying next to him when he sat up and scratched the beast's head. He looked around the shelter Richard had managed to make; fifteen thick vines coiled each other tightly and tied around the base of a thick tree on either end. It caught most of the snow that might have fallen on them and, Eren speculated, trapped some of the fire's heat. Not once throughout the night did he feel the cold's bitter touch.
He turned to see Edmund and Richard sitting near the ashes of their fire, with the former poking at the embers with a stick.
"Good morning, you two," Eren yawned. "Whose blanket is this?"
"Aven's, I think," Richard answered.
Eren brought it up and around his head like a hood.
"Where did he and Khora go?" he questioned.
"Aven's gone hunting for a fresh meal, and Khora went off to… have a private moment," Edmund revealed.
"Squatting in the bushes, eh?" he laughed.
"Speaking of bushes," the youth mumbled sheepishly. "Richard, do you think you could come with me while I…"
"I don't sense any Seekers near here," Richard established. "You should be safe on your own."
Edmund pouted a bit, his hand clenched around his axe.
"Fine," his friend agreed. "Let's go, but hurry."
The two disappeared into the forest, leaving Eren alone and unworried within the concealing circle.
He struck his hand into the snow and scooped a small mound into his palm. He formed it into a ball and chuckled as he schemed to throw it on whoever returned first.
"You see this, Ranger?" Eren grinned. "This is a golden opportunity for a bit of amusement."
The dog stared back at him lazily before closing his eyes once again.
"Don't look at me like that," he frowned. "It's an innocent enough little-"
"Hello," Aven whispered, materializing behind him.
Eren was startled by his companion's sudden appearance and dropped the snow he had gathered.
"G-good morning, Aven. I was— I was just chatting with Ranger," Eren replied, looking at the dog. "Same as usual: the weather, the meals, Khora's sharp attitude."
Aven smiled and sat down next to him. A little too close to him, he felt.
"Thank you for lending me your blanket," Eren said, scooting away slightly.
"Of course," he smiled.
Eren was made uncomfortable by his friend's lingering gaze and quickly moved his attention towards another topic.
"Did you catch anything?" he asked, looking back towards the woods.
"Unfortunately, I didn't," the young man sighed. "Food is getting scarcer these days, so we have to be a bit more open-minded in how we catch it."
Eren could have sworn Aven sniffed the air near him, and he swiveled around to face him.
"You're a little close, don't you think?" he spat.
"No…" Aven whispered, drawing closer. "Do you?"
Eren frowned, but the discomfort vanished when he saw Khora reappear between the trees. He smiled as she approached them.
"Ah, good morning Khor-" he began.
She gripped Aven's scalp and swept her dagger across his throat, splitting it open. He grabbed his wound tightly as blood flowed through his fingers and down his chest.
"Have you lost your mind!" Eren screamed, attempting to help his friend.
He placed his hand over Aven's neck and searched around frantically for something he could use.
"I need— I need some-" he tried to say.
Aven's clothes and skin began to deteriorate, transforming into a thick white paste that sloughed off his form and dripped onto the ground. Beneath it, there was a thin, translucent flesh that allowed them to witness the twitching muscles within it. He looked up at the thing's face, only to see its glassy, reptile-like eyes glaring back at him. They were as empty as an infinite abyss.
"Ah!" he yelled, nearly leaping away from it.
"It's a skinchanger," Khora casually revealed.
"How did you know?" he asked, tapping it slightly with his foot.
"None of us like you enough to sit that close," she huffed.
Eren looked up at her, dumbfounded. He sat there silently as she reached down and lifted up the skinchanger's arm. There were five thin fingers at the end of its hand, each topped with a few inches of razor-sharp claws.
"The monster's hand reverted to its true form. It was about to kill you," she explained. "I thought I might prevent that."
She let it fall back to the ground and shifted her eyes to Eren's shoulders.
"I assume you don't need my blanket anymore," she mumbled, reaching towards him. "Can I have it back?"
He wordlessly passed the linen back to her and stared as she trudged away.
"Is this— are these the things Lyla warned us about?" Eren questioned.
"I hope so," Khora sighed. "They can be disabled the same way you might kill the average man, which is simple enough, and I've got a silver dagger that can provide a more permanent end."
Eren looked back at the monster lying a few feet away and touched his own throat gingerly.
"What a horrible way to go," he whine
d.
He turned to see Edmund and Richard return to camp, with the latter of the two stretching out his arm to signal a stop.
"What happened?" he yelled.
"Skinchanger," Khora returned. "It's a type of shapeshifter."
"I know what it is… is it dead?" he inquired.
"Yes, can't you tell?" she questioned.
Richard let his arm fall to his side and shook his head.
"I couldn't even sense its approach. I'm not sure why," he answered.
Richard whipped around in time to catch Aven creeping up on him, a curious look on his face.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked, his eyes quickly darting to the monster's corpse.
"We've got skinchangers on our trail, apparently," Eren announced, rising off the ground. "So it's probably time we get back on the road."
"Skinchangers… of course…" Aven murmured. "I couldn't find any animals, no matter how closely I looked; even deer, which should be extremely active now, have abandoned this area. It almost feels as if they've been driven away by something."
"And you think it's the skinchangers?" Edmund poked.
Aven turned to look at his friend, a dark glare in his green eyes.
"We should leave," he urged. "Now."
The sun began to shine brightly as they started on the road home once again. Even the crisp wind started to warm, casting a veil of serenity over the travelers. While this was much appreciated by most of them, Eren was not entirely happy with the change.
"I don't like this one bit," he complained. "I feel like I'm starting to sweat under my arms."
He scratched at himself frantically, fighting an invisible itch.
"You prefer the cold… it makes sense," Aven replied, staring at him as he scraped his arm wildly.
"No — well — yes, but not the extreme cold. I suppose what we had earlier was ideal for me," Eren mumbled. "I enjoy the cold and the rain and the winds, not what we've been served now. I usually don't mind, but this is just… uncalled for."
He scratched at his neck and spotted a bit of dust gathered atop his shoulder. He slid his finger through it and brought it to his eye. Its texture matched that of grounded charcoal and was similarly colored, except for a few specks of brown and green mixed in.
