I'd severely underestimated Brody.
I mean I'd heard rumors that he had the most raw strength in the whole of camp but I was still unpleasantly surprised by how hard his attacks were.
It was unlike when I'd fought Hylla and Bloodfang where I could still be on my feet after taking hits from them.
This was different.
Brody's first hit—a heavy punch aimed at my chest—sent me crashing through three different staff residential houses.
The very worst thing I hated about being a Hollowbound was the fact that I could still feel every pain inflicted on my body even when I was being possessed.
I was fairly certain Brody had created a crater in the middle of my chest with that hit.
If I'd been in control of my body, I would have tapped out right there and then but that wasn't the case.
The parasitic presence instead forced my body back up, completely ignoring the aching pain in my chest. Not that it cared anyway. It had a mission to fulfill with my body and it didn't matter if I died in the process.
And even then, I knew I was not close to being done. The Harbinger had ordered me(should I say us?) to fight and kill Vektor.
Would I then be released from its control if that happened?
I quickly tried to push that thought out of my mind. I did not want to become a murderer for that stupid Harbinger, no matter what. I thought of how Hylla would feel if I murdered Vektor. She'd be devastated and will hate me for eternity.
Probably might even kill me…
By the time I got back on my feet, Brody was already waiting for me, ready to pounce on me again.
Shit. He seemed a little too eager to beat me up. Perhaps he saw this as payback for that one time?
I expected the presence to use me to try to attack Brody but instead, my body took off, running…in the direction of Vektor and Hylla.
I heard Brody cussing and started chasing after me but I didn't pay him any mind.
The presence had one goal.
KILL.
KILL.
I wanted to kill Vektor.
With my supernatural speed, I made it there in seconds.
Hylla was nowhere to be seen but Vektor was ready for me.
He let out an unearthly roar and dove at me like a wild animal, hands stretched out in front of him, ready to rip me to shreds like ribbons.
Then from nowhere, Hylla appeared from the right and body slammed him midair, just inches away from me. They both tumbled away, tangled and crashed in the ruin of an abandoned house.
I went after them, in a bloodthirsty frenzy.
This time it was my turn to charge at Vektor to rip off his face but thankfully Brody came from behind and tackled me to the ground, pinning my head down.
I growled in a very unZephan-like way.
I could feel the dark presence in me riling up in rage. It didn't like being held down.
It wanted to rip apart Brody limb by limb.
Meanwhile Hylla was having her own difficulties while trying to keep Vektor down.
Vektor was moving in a very inhumane way, turning and twisting out of Hylla's grip anytime she tried to grab hold of him.
It was like trying to hold down an angry tiger.
All while this was going on, the storm picked up, coming in strong waves, ripping down houses around, brick by brick.
I wonder if the Harbinger was just trying to blow Hylla and Brody away.
Brody was very strong but even he was finding it difficult to hold me down in the storm.
Above us, the Harbinger loomed, a floating ghost face at the center of a hurricane, grinning down at us.
The dark presence started raging more angrily, as if in reaction to the Harbinger's presence. I tried to fight it like I usually did before but I couldn't seem to get a grip on it.
It was like its leash had snapped all of a sudden.
Few feet away, Hylla and Vektor were now trading blows. Hylla had probably already given up on trying to restrain him and was trying to knock him out.
But she was barely able to keep her footing due to the strong winds. She kept swaying drunkenly whenever she tried to land a punch as the wind slapped her in different directions.
It wasn't much of a distraction, but that was enough for Vektor. He found an opening and aimed a kick at her chest, sending her flying, then immediately charged at me.
Brody grunted, "Sorry Zeph." He raised his massive fist and brought it down hard on my elbow, dislocating it.
I screamed in pain. My eyes watered. I would have cussed Brody out if I could. But I understood why he did that. I knew a broken arm would at least slow me down no matter what. But now I couldn't defend myself if Vektor came charging.
Through a haze of pain, I saw Brody now engaging Vektor in battle. Hylla was on Vektor's back, her hand and legs gripping him like a backpack strap.
Despite the pain, I could already feel my body rearing up to attack. It was like my broken arm was merely a minor hindrance.
I rose to my feet, my right arm dangling uselessly by my side as I dragged myself to the commotion.
Brody and Hylla didn't notice me approaching since they already had their hands full restraining Vektor.
The wind howled as if egging me on.
Kill.
Kill.
KILL VEKTOR.
I tried to fight it but it was a waste of time. My mind could barely even stay conscious from the pain of a dislocated limb.
Vektor's black eyes fixated on me while still straining with Brody and Hylla.
They still hadn't noticed me coming.
Two strong gusts of wind slapped Hylla and Brody away, leaving Vektor free.
At that moment I knew I was done for.
Surely now I stood no chance against him with a broken arm.
He dove at me, slamming me on the ground with some much force, the ground cracked.
He wrapped his hands around my neck and squeezed.
The wind roared louder, now spinning around us, keeping us enclosed in a tight tornado—a wind cage.
A crushing overwhelming evil was in the atmosphere. In that state I felt completely not human, not even in the usually still-humane part of my brain.
I was losing myself completely.
I was merging.
The dark presence did not feel so foreign now. Instead it felt like…me.
It was like the opposite of having a human conscience. It was like having a gentle nudge…in the wrong direction.
Suddenly, killing Vektor did not feel so bad after all. Maybe he just deserved to die.
I was like a cornered animal—desperate, aggressive and scared.
Kill or be killed.
Was this what the Harbinger wanted? Us fighting to the death by giving us a little nudge?
Was the same thing happening to Vektor? I couldn't tell.
As Vektor squeezed my neck, starting to crush my windpipe, I clawed at his face and neck with my one good hand and I realized I was suddenly back in control of my body.
Was I being given a choice to fight for myself and make my own decision?
This would have been good news if I wasn't already at death's door and one of my hands wasn't dislocated and limp. Damn you, Brody.
I was starting to drift in and out of consciousness. Vektor was going to kill me if I didn't do anything.
I could faintly hear Brody and Hylla calling our names from outside our windy cage.
They couldn't do anything from out there. They'd already done their best.
My mind drifted to Meg and how she was tossed away like nothing and it fueled my anger.
Anger and desperation surged—an animalistic instinct—I clenched my fist and thrust it through Vektor's chest.
Yes, right through his chest.
His body went rigid with shock, blood filling his mouth as the black faded from his eyes.
He gave me a bloody grin and managed, his voice sounding human again, "Glad you had the stomach to end it. Make this count."
And with those final words, he collapsed on my body.
Dead.
The windy cage dispersed into the atmosphere, the storm dying down with it.
The Harbinger looming high above me in the clouds gave me what looked like an awful grin in its ghoul face and boomed, shaking the whole camp "Praise be to Vorthul The Infinite."
And with that, the Harbinger dissolved into the sky, breaking apart the storm.