Why should I keep going? Why am I running in the first place? Just let me rest. Standing in the middle of an open stretch of sand, Anecus slumped looking to the ground.
His body turned fighting itself as it did. 'Why is my body not listening?' In the end his mind won making himself turn to his mother and father.
"Can I go home now?"
Malice couldn't contain its sadistic coated excitement letting his form waiver. "Yyess, sw-weety just come give m-me a hug." long jagged arms of obsidian and silver liquid reached out for a hug.
Taking slow steps to my mother, I found myself not wanting to look up. 'Huh, that's strange how come I don't want to look at her? Whatever it won't matter whence Im home, bundled up in a blanket with Naia and Cassia.'
Unable to think straight todo it long awaited prey in it grasp Malice made the mistake in thinking Anecus's subcouncious was fully subdued.
"Y-es Naia m-misses you. She is waiting for you."
Anecus's body stopped his eyes became focused again the illusion broken... 'did I say that part out loud?'
The contradiction broke the mind trap. 'Where am I why did I stop running? Looking up slightly Anecus remembered. I was being hunted by something that mimicked voices and read thoughts…Malice.
"Anecus?"
My body tingled with fear so pure I felt it crawl up my neck and cradle my heart. looking up Anecus stopped the moment he saw what could only be described as feet.
They were shoeless with toes long that came to a point sharper than any blade he's seen.
Its 'skin' looked like black gems, held together with this silver liquid. It was oddly beautiful.
A profane sickening beauty but beautiful nonetheless.
His mind raced faster than when he was running as he tried to keep his immediate thoughts about home, about Naia at the forefront. While at the same time trying to keep his deeper intentions hidden.
Not knowing if it was successful Anecus stepped forward.
When within arms reach of this thing he made sure fear didn't tense his body. His finger kept loose over the 'grip' of the weapon still in his hand, shifting the weight to the balls of his feet, shoulder loose.
"So mother…father you'll bring me home?" My eyes went unfocused as I fell into a state of thoughtless awareness. Letting my words flow without guidance.
"Yes my sweetheart, now come give us a h-hug"
Taking a deep inhale rather than exhaling I didn't step forward, I leaned. Letting gravity do the work this strike had to count, I'd be a foolish to think this opportunity would present itself more than once.
But it also had to be something I could do. Standing fully it seemed I only came up to its waist.
'So the knee.' It was in reach and it was vital for this things movement…so I hoped.
Leaning forward I brought the obsidian sword up with both hands letting the blunt end rest against my left forearm. Lifting it close to shoulder level needing all the weight I could get.
Anecus's idea of splitting his thoughts worked because the depraved beast did not react in time as It was still in its coaxing phase when the obsidian edge sliced into whatever was considered flesh, digging deep into the silvery mass until hitting something solid.
Prepared to lose my weapon it I let go leaving it imbedded and while the beast screamed in pain I tried to dish out one last attempt to damage it. Kicking off the blade to gain distance it caused the blade to twist shattering Malice's leg.
Unfortunately my last effort gave it enough time to strike down at me, it sliced into my retreating leg hitting a tendon slicing it clean. "Fuuc!" I wanted to scream from the pain.
The need to survive override the pain Anecus stumbled to his feet and started running toward a cluster of obsidian. Thanking the enhanced physicality of being an accursed the sliced tended hurt and made running difficult but not impossible.
I could hear loud shrieks and wails of pain and anger, mixed with the voices of my loved ones all mixing into one string of eerie pleas.
"W–why! Son!...How cou-uld you do this to your m-moth AARR!"
"Don't look at it." I reminded myself. While fleeing and with all this happening Anecus found a smile forming. "So it does feel pain that's good to know."
His leg gave out. "aghk!"
'I need to find someplace safe.'
More than halfway across an expanse Anecus noticed something, color. There was a blue light near the cluster of rocks. Whatever it is can't be worse than being out with that thing.
'I just had to say that.'
Dragging himself across the sandy wastes Anecus reached the cluster, one could describe it as foreboding. It was the first and only obsidian formation that had signs of life still intact. There was a lantern giving off a pale blue light while below that was a carved archway…'with stairs leading down.'
"Well this isn't a bad idea at all." Anecus said while looking into the pitch black staircase.
'SHreeek!'
hearing the banshee screams of Malice as it was closing in Anecus found a moment to sigh. Taking a step into the archway under the blue light the air was different. "its stale and cold"
Fractions of a second later Malice approached showing no hints of being hurt thankfully though Anecus noticed its presence stopped coming closer.
It just sat there, waiting.
I stupidly dared to peak around the arch way glimpsing Malice. It was no longer in any form. It was formless, like a floating cloud of spiraling silver, translucent on the edges like it bled into its surrounding.
My head hurt and I felt my soul quake.
Anecus didn't know why but he got the feeling that looking at a formless…soulless being was not something humans should do.
"That was a terrible idea."
It was worth though I had gotten information. Malice had stopped at the very edge of the blue lights radious wanting to come closer 'but couldn't, wouldn't?'
All that mattered to him was that thing stopped chasing him and he could rest...
"Anecus…come on out. Please, you hurt me…why?" Naia's voice sweetly uneterd his ears.
A long breath escaped his mouth.