Amender lost sight of the wolf demon. What he gained, were the sounds of a battleground just beyond the darkness and trees. He stood still and listened.
Roars and gruffs, lumber being smashed, ground quaking with combat. It occurred how could he faze through the one log his body lay on, but these other trees he had to dodge? More fighting and bodies thunking into trees. Marching armies of ghoulish trample fodders? Could giant dead things be running amuck?
Extravagant sounds of rapid bangs and light escaping the spell of darkness shot out from the direction of the commotion. A seed of light accompanied by a pow! sent off and whizzed past Amenders head, a shot missing his ears just inches.
In a gasp that a strange oncoming light nearly hit him, the kit decided to play it safe in a bush. He ducked and hid, acquiring a piece of safety in mind.
There was rustling just feet away from where he was behind a tree. A low growl accompanied by sniffing of a hungry creature.
“Oh no-!” Amender shut his mouth with a hand and froze. There was a flash bang of a light red creature suddenly leaping on top of him! It was blind and looked like it should walk on fours, but only had two legs. Amender dropped his heart as it grounded him, pinning the kit by the chest and barking. Amender could smell it of rot with a maw full of sharp teeth. The beast monster opened its jaws to attack his soul!
A force plowed the beast off him in a swoop, following the sound of bone crushing. The kit scrambled to his feet, picking his heart up. He saw Kyah devouring this beast monster, mouth expanding and eating it whole, chomping on it every gulp. Her head was lifted high up in the air, the beast dead in her clutches. A few more chomps and the foe beast was gone. It was as if the thing disappeared into nothingness! Gross!
“Tasty!” Kyah walked casually over to Amender. “It should try eating monsters. Just open your mouth wide and try one!”
Cauliflower fluttered over holding fairy magic; a seemingly advanced piece of technology equipped in both hands, grips contoured where they were held, barrels with sights on them aiming down at the ground. “Him? Eat monsters? I’m not sure if he can, the way you do I mean.”
“Thanks for saving me, that monster almost had me.” A few questions plagued Amender’s mind. “Also, how can I go through trees? I remember when I saw my body I backed up and went through the log. But these other trees...” Amender reached out and touched one. “...seem physical to me.”
Cauliflower said, “You have to believe you can go through a tree. Since you’re dead, you can pretty much go through everything. You went through that log because you didn't know it was there, so there was nothing to stop you. If you had known that log was there, you would have stumbled backward on it.”
“I see...and, what are those you’re holding?” He pointed at Cauliflowers weapons.
“Plasma pistols. Simple fairy tec-magic.” The guns went poof! Then disappeared.
“This fog...I can hardly see anything in it. Why is it so thick, I can barely see six stones ahead of me?” Amender put a finger to his chin.
Kyah started to lean sideways. “It cannot see far, but other things can see it. A problem? Of course, senses are dull after death. Why, when I eat a critter I don’t want it moving around in mah belleh...or maybe I would, would it tickle?” She scrutinized her stomach, giving it a free poke.
“Basically what Kyah said is true.” Said Cauliflower, “Death with limit the senses, So you see a dark fog in front of your vision. But also are hearing and touch dulled as well. But don't worry, it should be back to normal after we bring you back to life.”
“You mean after I turn into a hideous flesh devouring monster of the dead?” Amender looked nervous, was he going to push himself to be a tormented piece of the demons army knowing nothing but pain and fire?
“Ah! Okay! Fine! I’ll get the thingy out.” Cauliflower poofed a flat rectangular device. “You seem so distraught over becoming a monster, let’s see just what’s going to happen if you accept the dark gift, shall we? Name!”
“W-what?” Amender looked at the seemingly simple device. “What’s that thingy going to do?”
“Name!” Cauliflower repeated herself.
“Uh-Amender!” What gives? She already knew my name...
The fairy was pushing into the device with her thumbs, swiping it side to side. “Amender...Amender...I don't see any Amenders. What village or province?”
“I hail from Corhagen.”
“Corhagen...” Again, the fairy was pressing onto the device and swiping it side to side. “There is one resident who goes by the name Amender. His real name says it’s Angelo Nerman Mender. Is that you?”
“H-how could it possibly know that?!” Amender dashed up to the device. What other things could it know? It had a screen which lit with light and an undistinguishable writing.
“Oh you probably can't read that can you, here, let me change that.” Cauliflower tapped into the right upper corner of the screen and chose an option he could read. Suddenly, the screen revealed his name and information about him.
“Woah! Fourty-three pounds, three feet, ten inches, the age of ten ...deceased, this thing knows everything about me!”
“Well yes, now I’ll save this information and see what happens when it comes into contact with darkness.” She began typing into the screen. “Darkness...darkness...dark power? Resurrection by darkness? Hmm...” Cauliflower was busy typing into the screen, while Kyah was having fun poking her belly for any beast that would tickle from the inside.
“...Well, the bad news is there isn’t much info on this particular darkness. I’m getting hits about shade and shadows, and something of a dark army from over one thousand years ago. But the darkness we’re talking about isn’t listed in here. It relatively new, so I can't expect information on it. But I’m sure I can try to scan Kyah’s heart...again, and that will identify some of the relations of being revived, and it’s side effects.”
“Oh...”Amenders questions seemed to have been quelled. He looked at Kyah and smiled. She tried mimicking his smile, turning it into an awkward grin.
“Does it want to continue sallying forth to be contaminated by tainted darkness? By that I mean to save yourself and others by allowing the darkness to seed a possible future in freeing us as well?” Kyah tilted her head.
Amender hesitated. “You make it sound kinda evil.”
Cauliflower sighed. “Not all things dark are evil. Didn't Kyah just save you?” She poofed away her pad of information.
“I suppose...yeah, she did save me. But I still don’t like the idea of turning into a monster.” Amender crossed his arms. “Besides, she only saved me because I can free everybody.”
“Not true!” Kyah pointed a finger upwards. “I also saved you because I was hungry. Yummy!”
Amender danced in one spot. “Eww eww eww eww! If I turn into a monster, I don't want to eat other things like that! Disgusting!”
Cauliflower looked onwards in the darkness of the black fog. “We should probably get going. Else something ambushes us.”
Kyah Rubbed her belly. “I want critters to ambush us. Means more food!” She walked into the dark fog, disappearing.
Cauliflower and Amender followed briskly. “You should know Amender, I’ve only survived this long trapped here by sticking with that apex predator. Make friends with the strongest and you’ll survive. Most carnivorous creatures don’t want to tangle with her, so stick close to Kyah. You’re very lucky.”
The fog followed as they caught up with Kyah. “I guess we’re both lucky then?”
Cauliflower hovered in front of Amender. “Especially if that branch that impaled you missed your lung. Wouldn't want to raise you back up only to die again out of asphyxiation. Then again, most undead doesn't need to breathe. But I don't know if you’ll be undead, or resurrected? If it’s the latter, then you’ll want to hope that branch missed your lung.”
“I...haven’t thought about that. The heart is close to the lungs, isn’t it?” Amender looked at the heart that lay dormant in his cupped hands.
Kyah cackled out of laughter, “it’s fun blowing into a critters lungs until it gets really big then pops! Weeee!” She lifted her arms up then twirled around.
“That’s...disturbing.” Said Amender.
“Quite.” Cauliflower agreed.
They pressed forward as Kyah said, sallying forth to get Amender acquainted with the dark side. Their freedom rested on the shoulders of one, as did the fate of all of the Alver. He wasn't sure he wanted the dark power, turning into a monster could have dire consequences. But he’d be alive. Maybe rescuing the lost souls that have died in the forest will rectify his monstrosity? Why stop there? This new power could give him an edge when joining the ranks of the Hopeitanian Knights to do the greater deed of a good thing all around the world. But if they ever found out he was a monster, things could get ugly.
Amender weighed his options carefully, consuming his thoughts as he played follow the leader with the demon wolf. It will only be a matter of time until his decision must be reached. Can he overpower the darkness that promises to revive him, or will he be consumed by the very part of him that will keep him alive? He walked with strong hope, lost, but hopeful.
