=Varith=

The sounds of opening drawers and feet being stomped in to shoes starts to leak through the walls followed by the opening and closing of doors. The individual sounds devolve into usual morning clamor that announces the beginning of the day. While pulling on a shirt I catch sight of my fingernails and notice a large buildup of crud beneath them.

[Where did all of that come from? I don’t remember them being that dirty. I’ll have to wash them before I go down to eat, or else my pare-]

Parents, at the thought of them I remember yesterday's decision.

[...Thats right. Today I need to tell them everything. This.. this is just too much for me alone.]

Still, I hesitate, thinking about that careful distance they’ve maintained, and how Svere and Gafrin have been mysteriously absent.

[I-I’m sure they’ll understand if I explain right? They’ll know what to do, who to talk to about such things. They have to.]

They will be able to fix it, with such thoughts in mind I preceded to head downstairs, full of resolve. I’m met with the familiar sight of my mother and father, already sitting down and eating porridge, a bowl set aside for me. For a moment I just stood there, preparing myself.

Inhale

Exhale

“M-mother, father.”

My mother, upon hearing my voice, looks up. Noticing my expression she places her spoon back onto the table. Father continues to eat, trusting her to take care of the problem.

“Yes, honey?” She asks worriedly.

“W-when I was in town with dad I saw this Revenant and it screamed a-and this thing in me screamed back and I-I couldn’t stop it mom! Because of that it got free and it might be hurting people now a-and its still insi-”

“Honey.....HONEY!” I stop, startled by her sudden yell, noticing that my father is now paying attention.

“Slower okay? We can’t understand you when you panic like that. Please, explain it again.”

“O-okay.” So I start again.

Telling them about how I had been drawn to the Revenant. How it had acted against the Revenant, letting it go by accident. Telling them about how Cor, had acted and claimed it was a part of me. About my new senses, even going as far as to describe how each emotion felt to me. By the end of it they had adopted skeptical expressions.

“Well for now honey, let me see this ‘Cor’ you talk about.”

[Ah, finally, I won’t have to go through this alone anymore.]

She moves closer and places her hand atop my head. I tear up, realizing that she had finally crossed the imaginary distance she placed between us. That relief, was short lived.

Almost the instant she had placed her hand on me her face began to twist in disgust, and she leapt back twice the original distance.

“M-moth-” I stutter as I take a step towards her, only to be stopped by her shout and out stretched palm

“STAY THERE!” She turns to my father.

“Go, get Gafrin and Svere now!” Seeing her expression he nods, sprinting out through the door.

“Mother wha- what's going on?”

“Shhh it’s okay honey, we’ll get that ’thing’ out of you right away. Then you won’t have to worry about it any longer.”

“But what will happen to Cor then?!” Her mouth twists in response, as if tasting something bitter.

“It’s nothing that you need to worry about, that ’thing’ will disappear and you’ll never have to worry about it again.”

“W-wait Mother! What do you mean ’thing’, what is he?”

“A Revenant, a blood monster.” I froze.

[Cor’s a…]

“N-no… Y-you’re wrong! H-he can’t be…” However my thoughts run contrary to my own words, flashing back to the shape he’d taken in my dream.

My mother see’s my conflicted expression,”He’s a Revenant, Varith, he’s using you for his own gain. You said yourself he freed a Revenant.”

“H-he was trying to protect me! All he’s ever done is keep me safe, helped me! E-even if he is changing me he’s not doing it on purpose! Please, please can we do something without killing him!?” My mouth seems to move on it’s own, surprising even me.

Her only response is a stare full of pity. A stare that dismisses me as a delusional child. The door slams open behind me, my father making his way in with Svere and Gafrin close behind. Both of them are staring at me in wide eyed terror, able to see what my mother had caught a glimpse of.

My father seems to absorb Gafrin, his whole body giving off a faint glow. He grabs me restraining me from behind. I hear his deep voice in my ear.

“This will hurt but bear with it. Trust us as your parents.”

I struggle in his iron hard grasp. Unable to move, I can only watch as my mother moves closer, moving her faintly glowing hand to my chest, giving one last encouragement.

“Trust us.”

Then she touches me.

==

[Geh, the sun is too bright.]

I shade my face with my hand looking up into the sky. Bored of gazing at the forest that we’ve been riding in through since morning.

“Haah, why do I have to do this anyways? Couldn’t they have picked fewer people?”

Thirve glances at me from his position besides me, annoyance ripples across his face.

“Stop complaining. They told us to do it so we’re gonna do it.”

“Mmmm” I lean forward farther on the horse, trying to find a comfortable enough position to sleep in.

“Hh for.... if you put half as much effort into training as sleeping then you mi-” He stops, all of sudden diving into me.

His entrance shocks me in to wakefulness. I look around, alert for whatever caused him to panic. I notice the other Wraiths are also giving off that trademark glow.

“Dammit Thirve, what scared you and the rest so badly?”

“.........”

“Thirve!”

“Shhh.”

As irritated as I am I quiet down, waiting. Slowly he starts to emerge, his eyes darting all around the place, as if searching.

“Thirve, what was that about? Why did all of the spirits freak out?”

“I-I don’t know....”

“What do you mean you don’t know?!”

“We felt something, it came from over by Garten! It was only for a moment but...... but it was no normal Revenant!”

“......What do you mean?”

“I DON'T KNOW DAMMIT!” He pauses, taking a deep breath.

“Wha-what ever it is, it makes me damn grateful that there are four of us.”

==

Pain.

I scream.

And scream until nothing but dry coughs come out, speckling my mother in front of me with blood.

Still, they continue, determined to save me.

I feel her pouring herself into me, reaching for him. Weakly I resist, trying to hold her back, trying to protect the still sleeping Cor.

[Isn’t this what you wanted?]

[........Isn..t...it.....?]

[For someone else to make the decision for me?]

[....I......did....]

[For them to remove the problem?]

[....ye.....ah.....*]

[Then why am I struggling?]

[...........]

[Let them kill him. You know they’re right, that he is a Revenant.]

[...........]

[Don’t you trust them?]

[....I...do…]

[Then why?]

[...Be....cau...se....]

[Why?]

[Because......]

[.............]

[Because he feel….!]

[Joy]

[Anger]

[Worry]

[What ever they say he’s only tried to help me, to protect me! so what if he’s a Revenant? He done nothing, but help me.]

[Didn’t you say you trusted them]

[So I can’t.....]

“...Cor...”

“..Cor... wake...”

He stirs.

“....Please.... wake.......up....”

Exhausted, racked with pain, I whisper my final words.

“....r....un....”