Kyne Updates

## Meeting People

Walking with a guy I had met on my way south, we approached a building. More than a building- it was a mansion, a castle even. I almost drooled from just looking at it. God, it was majestic. Shaking off my jealousy, we walked up to the entrance, examining the door to see if anyone was home. I threw up the idea of breaking in to my new acquaintance, whos name was Ice, but he strongly disagreed. What a loser. I rung the doorbell a few times but there was no answer. Starting to get annoyed, I reached into my pocket to try and find some type of small knife. But as I was doing so, an angry looking teenager burst out through the trees.

*"If you don't leave in 5 seconds you're dead."*

He suddenly took out his weapons menacingly, counting down as if we were children. Laughing, I leaned up against his front door.

*"Don't worry man, we just wanted to see who's place this is. Put the damn sword down."*

After quick introductions from all of us, he let us in. The guy's name was Valentine, and apparently this place was a newly opened Bed and Breakfast. Just my luck, I needed a place to stay for a few nights. We all talked for a bit, and after the initial tour I got Ice to pay for my stay. ..It was because they thought I looked poor- which is completely wrong, but free is free right? Heading to a bar, we all had a few drinks and talked about our lives. I honestly wasn't listening to them very closely, they didn't seem like too much of a threat. Ice sounded like some nice guy who wanted to do good things for the world and Valentine just seemed like a prick. Neither of them clicked with me. But I suppose I can't count of the first two people I meet to immediately be my best friend. We drank the night away and went back to the B&B in the morning. Spending the day snooping around Valentine's house and doing a bit of writing, I bid farewell to Ice that night and went to sleep. I stayed there for another two days, following the same pattern everyday.

People here are boring, I want to leave.

## Circe's "Execution"

I woke up after my last night at Valentine's and grabbed my things to leave. But as I was about to head out the door, the man himself stuck his head out of a door to tell me he had something to tell him. Turning around I stood, ready to hear what he had to say. To my surprise, there was supposed to be an execution today, of a girl named Circe- one of the most wanted criminals nearby. Although I thought it was stupid of them to get caught, I was always in to watch an idiot get killed. Telling him I'd meet him at the arena when the time came, I went back home.

I made it back and had a quick drink before I reorganized my backpack and headed out to the show. Getting there in the nick of time, I went to sit near Valentine and his crew. I didn't take the time to meet any of them- though I probably should've. I moved around a bit to make sure I had a good view of everything and ended up choosing the ledge. They started with a speech from some King sitting on the other side of the guillotine from us. Three of them sat there, all relaxed upon gorgeous thrones. I started to feel my mouth water but sucked it back in, I can't do that in public. Zoning back into the voices, I realized he had stopped talking. Looking around to see what had happened, I noticed a cyclops looking creature walk into the arena. They had dark skin and red hair, with a grin larger than anything I'd ever seen. They started talking, insulting tens of people while giggling. Damn, this girl really was insane, no wonder everyone wants her dead. I watched intently as she walked up to the death machine, seemingly as calm as ever.

And before I could blink, I heard her laugh disappear. The crowd stood up immediately in a panic. The King who had spoken earlier yelled at one of the managers to go find the girl. The guy scampered off and almost half the audience followed. I watched in awe as everyone ran out the front entranceway. I didn't follow of course, I almost wanted this Circe girl to win. Maybe they weren't as much of an idiot as I'd once thought. I smiled and hopped out of my seat, calmly walking back home.

## Thoughts

I smiled into the mirror brightly, slightly flashing my teeth before blanking again. God this shit is tiring. How do people do this all fucking day? Shaking my hair back into the right position, I slipped the coat I had hung on my door and walked into the common area. It’s nice to be back home- though it still doesn’t feel like home.

For the past few days I’d crashed at Valentine’s Bed and Breakfast, a giant mansion owned by a teenager, most likely build through daddy’s money. There’s no other reason a kid like that would own so much. He was a little too uptight for me, but I knew it would be good to keep connections with someone like him. I should ask him to go to the bar again sometime.

Leaning down I picked up a half empty mead bottle I’d passed out drinking last night. The addiction wouldn’t be going away anytime soon huh? Despite wanting to put it down, I took a giant swig and wiped my mouth with my sleeve. It was the only thing that reminded me of the nether- warm and comfortable.. physically at least. But I couldn’t go back there- society was in the overworld. The good people at least. Chugging down the rest of the bottle, I slammed it on a nearby table. It’s going to take so much fucking time to get to my goal. Meeting people. Becoming friends- augh. What a chore.

## Meeting the Celebrity

I silently organized the books cluttered across the floor in the attic, groaning to pick each one off the floor. Dropping one I groaned even louder- I hate cleaning things. But as I went to pick it up again, I heard glass cracking downstairs. The hair on the back of my neck rose as I stood there; unmoving for a moment. I turned around slowly and made my way down the spiral stairs. Poking my head out from the steps I see Circe. *The* Circe. Just for a moment, my entire body went rigid with shock; there was no way the person who's head almost got cut off the other day was standing at my doorstep. Trying to contain my shock and excitement, I let her in, bringing her to my common room for a drink. She took it from me and we talked, asking each other basic questions about one another. She ended up noticed the cleaned skull I had placed on my counter top and asked about it. I didn't give her much intel on why it was there though- for all she knows it's just something I found exploring. She told me about some of her crimes and even confessed to cannibalism. CANNIBALISM? I get she's a cyclops and everything but augh that's just vile. Even for someone who's been around cyclops since when they were a kid.

As we spoke, the more and more I came to the realization how useful this person sitting across from me could become. I happily let her know I'd gladly help her with her troubles and after a firm handshake, she walked straight back out my door and disappeared into the trees. What an odd interaction.

## The Kidnapping

I leaned down to pluck the weeds out of the garden in front of my home when I heard footsteps behind me. Quickly turning around, I smiled to see Circe walk up to my doorstep. I invited her in, letting her sit in my living room to talk. She didn't seem well so I urged her to tell me about her recent life when I found out she had gotten.. publicly humiliated. I didn't believe it at first- there was no way *Circe Pheonix* out of all people got humiliated. After giggling for a few seconds, I look up at her to see genuine seriousness.

*"Wait you're not kidding?"*

*"No Kyne, this bird bitch made me get on the floor and apologize to him."*

Trying to push the image of Circe on her knees away, I got up and grabbed the wooden pole to go back downstairs. Leading her back to the waystone at my front door, I gave her a quick game plan.

*"We're going to make that little birdy regret it, just follow what I do."*

Smiling at her, I pushed my hand into the waystone to travel to Valentine's Domain. Shaking the initial dizziness from the teleportation away, I shooed Circe to watch from the distance. Keeping my usual slouched stature, I walked over to where this bird kid and Valentine stood. I watched as the kid, who was getting called Otu, say his thanks to the mansion owner. I followed them not too secretly until they got out of the perimeter's of Valentine's land. And as soon as he did I ran up to Otu, quickly introducing myself. He seemed to not like me very much, so to make him more comfortable, I chased him. Twisting and turning underneath the dark foliage of the trees, I finally caught up to him.

*"HEY KID! STOP RUNNING I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!"*

It seemed to work as he came to a halt, crouching down a bit before speaking to me. His voice shook.

*"W-what do you want?"*

I tossed him a few health potions and smiled. It took him a while to come close enough to me to take them, but eventually he did. But as he did, a nearby bush rustled and I watched as Circe emerged. *'Shit I'd forgotten she was following us.'*

Otu immediately stepped away from me, fear radiated like flames off of his body. I turned to Circe, spitting some bullshit lines of hatred towards her to try and get on the little bird's side. She put her battle axe down and I winked at her- we'd be going back to my place soon. Watching as she slumped back into the brush, I asked Otu to come to my house for a bit so I could calm him down. He agreed with me, and we went back into Valentine's area to use his waystone. Teleporting again, we landed in front of my door. I led him inside with a wide smile and closed the door behind us. I brought him upstairs for a moment so Circe would deal with herself downstairs, and slowly lured him back.

Circe stood in front of the now locked door, her axe hidden behind her body. Otu let out a small squeak and I suppressed a giggle. Opening a trapdoor in my floor I pushed him in, hearing a splash as he landed in the water at the bottom. Circe jumped in after him, laughing out some insults. But to my surprise, she suddenly sounded scared and I heard the sound of string. I jumped down along with her to check on the commotion to see Otu, holding a giant bow. He shot Circe in one shot before doing the same to me.

By the time I woke up my entire body ached and I looked around to see that both Otu and Circe were no where in sight.

## A Short Recovery

I had gotten out of the basement after a few minutes, digging my way out from the back. Dirtied and wounded, I patched up my shoulder with some old adhesives. Otu's arrow had shot poison into me, but hopefully it wouldn't be too much of a problem. But fuck- how did I not get away with it? I though that kid was weak as twig. Shaking off the thought, I went to go drink my problems away.

## The Infernal Syndicate

Infernal Syndicate

I walked up the stairs and into the bookstore in Xadia. I inhaled the smell of old paper and smiled, I loved it here. However, after taking a few steps in the building, I noticed a wolf standing at the lectern in the middle of the shop.

“Yo, how do I get books?”

I stared at the back of his head. Did he just talk to me without even turning around to look at me? Where does his confidence come from?

“Just trade your money for a book and place it in a barrel.”

“That’s the most stupid system I’ve ever heard of. I could steal stuff from here easily, and they wouldn’t even know.”

Though I honestly agreed with what he was saying. I pushed back, retorting that the shopkeeper would find out one way or another. He kept fighting back, mocking me for trying to go snitch on him to the king. I shut my mouth and beckoned him to follow me outside so I could lead him away from anything valuable.

“What’s your name anyway?”

He hesitated for a moment before telling me.

“Space Bean.”

I stared at the guy, holding in my laughter for a second before letting loose.

“SPACE BEAN? GOD YOU MUST HATE YOUR PARENTS THAT’S AWFUL.”

He asked for my name in an attempt to also make fun of me, but couldn’t seem to say anything when I did. We talked for a bit, each telling a bit about ourselves. He ended up going on a whole tangent about how he thinks towns like Xadia are stupid since they have a King.

“People who live under the control of others are stupid, they’re just mindless husks of people who can’t muster up a single thought or idea by themselves.”

I smiled as he spoke- this guy might not be as bad as I thought he was.

“Would you be interested in joining something I’m starting?”

After a short explanation, I took him to a far off island and showed him around.

“Welcome to the Infernal Syndicate. I’m happy to be taking you as my Co-President Space, let’s get to work.”

## Farewell Ice

I woke up bright and early the next day after parting ways with Space, and headed down to Iuxum to try and talk to Echo about joining. It was a pretty short walk from my home and I ended up getting there fairly quickly. But instead of being met with Echo, I was surprised to see Ice.

“Ice! Man, I haven’t seen you in weeks, how have you been?”

We caught up a bit, and he ended up telling me that Iuxum was having problems with possible invasions from Okuturo and Astos taking over their area. Now under Astos, Iuxum had become a joint nation, and Echo was apparently away discussing next steps with the emperor. I hid my disgust at the news and just let Ice give me a tour. After showing me everything around he told me that he’d be gone for a while to find out more about himself.

“I’ll be sad to see you leave but have a safe trip.”

I nodded at him and left the area, I’d have to come back at some point again.

## Apologies and Lies

I walked through the forest, avoiding the fallen twigs and leaves while I walked. I was planning on heading to the tavern to see if anyone was actually there to serve me this time. But as I trekked across the snow, I noticed a man standing in the distance. A shirtless man. I could barely believe my eyes- how could you be shirtless in weather like this? I quickly hid behind a tree and poked my head out to take a closer look at him. But as I did, he turned around and looked right my way. Cursing under my breath I turned back around, standing still against the tree. Listening to the approaching footsteps the hairs on the back of my neck slightly stood up.

*“Can you stop watching me? I already have someone following me.”*

I apologized, and said I was just surprised by his lack of clothes. Before he could really explain why though, I asked him about his little follower.

*“Oh it’s this bird, his name is Otu.”*

The moment the words came out of his mouth I froze. Craning my neck up to look at the trees, I see him. The tiny little bird surrounded by the falling leaves of the tree he was perched upon. Putting on a face of concern I watched as he floated down and landed in front of me.

*“Hey Otu.. I’m really sorry about the kidnapping. Circe- she manipulated me and I had to do it..”*

He stared at me for a moment and I continued, spitting out lies until he seemed to believe me. Content that my plan had gone smoothly, I took the two to the Grey Pearl. Once we arrived I saw that Valentine was sitting at the counter. The three of us dispersed, and I took a seat next to the soul switcher. We all talked for a bit, and I ordered a few shots of vodka as we did. And as I had imagined, the story about the kidnapping came up.

I was already feeling a bit tipsy, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. When they looked at me for my side of the story, I took a deep breath and started explaining. I added some tears for realistic affect, and apologized for everything again. They all paused after I finished, and one of the bartenders sent me to the restroom to recover. I continued slowly sobbing until I reached the second floor and took a few deep breaths. I fucking hate crying. I was disgusted with myself, but went back downstairs. I got another drink and sat with some other people, getting to know them all. I sat at Alex’s table and spoke with him and a different guy by the name of Rome. They told me my crying wasn’t convincing, but I did my best to reexplain my situation, trying to assure them that it was definitely real. Rome didn’t seem to believe me, but I ignored him and eventually took Alex to my home. I showed him around and let him know he was free to come whenever he liked. Before he left I gave him a flower and wished him well.

A few days later, I went back to the tavern to drink. Unfortunanly, I noticed Otu and Rome chatting at a table when I walked in. I cursed under my breath and sat across from them. We instantly started talking about the other day, and the longer we talked the more eerie Otu became.

After a few minutes enduring his aura I got up to go outside. I quickly removed my overcoat, throwing it onto a nearby hay bale before readjusting the bandages on my shoulder. I wasn’t taking too well to the poison, and I grimaced to see it had spread more than when I’d looked at it this morning. Trying to forget about it, I threw on the jacket and rushed back inside.

*“Long trip huh?”*

I looked at Otu and just nodded.

*“Poison bothering you? I noticed how much you’ve been touching your shoulder.”*

*“It healed already, I’m fine. But I’ll be heading out for tonight.”*

Smiling at the bartender, I walked out. My walk soon turned into a jog and then a sprint as I hurried back home. Slamming the door shut behind me I panted, and went upstairs to rest.

Falling asleep rather quickly, I awoke to a heavy knocking on my door. I walked downstairs and opened a door to a giant man.

*“Hello? Can I help you?”*

He stepped in my door, barely giving me time to process what was happening before he started to speak.

*“You shall repent, or I will personally break all the bones in your body.”*

Who the fuck does this guy think he is? I stared at him in shock for a moment before replying.

*“Repent? For what and to who?”*

*“Repent for your actions to Otu.”*

God not this fucking shit.

*“Y-yeah sir, I’ll repent I guess. Who are you anyway?”*

He gave me some egotistical extravagant name and title, which seemed a bit over the top. ‘Cypress, king of Xadia’ was all that I needed. I hare stupid monarchies and authority. I stared at him for a bit and went outside to “repent.”

*“Okay man, who am I repenting to?”*

Cypress turned his head and nodded to something. I looked towards where he was facing and saw.. Otu. I almost shook in frustration, but kept it to myself.

*“I sincerely apologize for acting in cruel ways towards you Otu.”*

*“I don’t believe you. Say it again on your knees.”*

HE WANTS ME TO GROVEL AT HIS FUCKING FEET? THIS, THIS IS WHAT CIRCE WAS REFERENCING? Taking a big breath, I got on my knees, and looked up at the bird.

*“Head down.”*

*“I’m extremely sorry for acting in violent ways towards you, it will not happen again.”*

He accepted the apology, and left the scene. Cypress just nodded and did the same. I stood back up off the ground and clenched up my fist. How dare he humiliate me like that? How dare he look down at me with his dull yellow eyes. As I stood in anger, there was another knock at the door. Otu.

*“What do you want.”*

*“You lied to me six times, Kyne. Don’t think you can get away without some pain.”*

I started backing up, feeling for my knife in my back pocket. But it was gone. I ran upstairs, trying to trap myself up in the attic, but Otu stayed right on my heel. He cane closer to me, lifting up his arm.

*“It shouldn’t hurt too much Kyne.”*

He smiled and stabbed me in the gut. I screamed, immediately toppling over. I watched throufh blurry vision as he casually walked away. My heartbeat sounded loudly in my ears, while I heard yelling downstairs and footsteps stomping up to where I lay. Looking up, I saw Alez and the bartender, Ethamia. They stood over me, panicking. I coughed up blood into my hand and panted. They were talking to wach other, one sounding more stressed than the other. After a moment, another voice joined the conversation. I recognized the deep monotone voice as none ither than Cypress.

*“HELP HIM CYPRESS, HE JUST GOT STABBED.”*

*“It’s outside the borders of Xadia, and it is not my responsibility.”*

*“THE KIDNAPPING WAS OUT IF THE BORDERS TOO.”*

*“That is my decision.”*

I heard him turn around and lumber back down the stairs and out the door. I was upset, but I could barely focus on my feelings through the burning pain coming from my stomach. Ethamia started questioning me about the crying from days earlier, assuming I was lying like everyone else.

*“I swear I’m not lying.”*

I choked through a step by step explanation, telling her everything that had happened. But as soon as it looked like she believed me, she crouched bext to me and whispered something that sent a bolt down my spune.

*“With your height, there’s absolutely no way you’re a lightweight. The crying was fake, and I know you’re lying. I’ll keep this between us, but I won’t be healing you.”*

And with that, she turned around and disappeared. I looked up at a defeated looking Alex.

*“Kyne, I don’t know if you’re lying, but I’ll heal you this once. Just don’t tell anyone.”*

I thanked him, and he silently left.

I stood up slowly, wiping the blood off my hand onto a cloth and wrapping it around me as a fake bandage. I stayed in the same place, sucked into my thoughts, without noticing that Otu had gotten his way back into the attic. Someone must have left the door open. I stared at him.

*“What now?”*

*“I only got you for one of your lies. You still have five left.”*

*“Otu- no.”*

*“Would you like me to knock you out first? It’s be easier for you.”*

*“No please- I’ll owe you, I’ll do anything-“*

He just stared at me and giggled,slowly approaching me. He stopped after a moment, and took out his bow. I winced as I watched him pull back the bow, and before I could say another word, I was gone. Knocked unconscious I was dragged into the middle of nowhere by Rome. I woke up from a sharp pain in my chest and looked down to see my shirt soaked in blood. Giving my all, I stood up and started to stumble away. I needed a mirror, a lake- something to see my reflection. My entire body ached like never before and my right eye had clouded over. I did my best to run but the pain just got worse with every step I took. And just when I thought nothing worse would happen, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. I stopped running and stood still. I already knew who it was.

*“Someone is waiting for you at home Kyne, let’s get you back.”*

I heard the string of the bow get pulled back for the second time today, and I felt my legs give out from under me as I started falling, into the dust and then into the void. I finally woke back up at my house, and opened my eyes to Valentine, who had just given me a kick in the gut. I coughed a bit and stood up again, quickly taking a few steps back. Valentine in front of me, Rome behind me, and Otu switching from left to right. I was stuck.

*“You know Kyne, I don’t like people who pick on people weaker than them.”*

*“How many times do I have to tell you all that I’m innocent?”*

*“You meant everything you did. There’s no way in hell Circe was smart enough to come up with an entire plan to kidnap someone.”*

I hesitated for a moment, but he continued talking before I could say another word.

*“I better not see you around any of my friends, or around any people I know.”*

*“And how am I supposed to know who you know and where you go? Do you expect me to keep tabs on you at all times?”*

*“No of course not, but now you know. Kyne I know everyone. There’s no one in all of Interra Gloria I’m not connected to.”*

Otu cut him off, shyly telling him that it was enough. Why did he have to talk like that? Act like he’s all innocent when he’s actually more violent than I am. He gave me a book for me to sign, and I did since it didn’t seem to have any double meanings. And I watched as they walked away from my home. I slid down the tree I was standing by and just broke down. Everything went wrong- all within the span of a few days.

## A Talk With A Past Lover

I took off my jacket, and headed down to the water. The night sky sparkled, and I took a short breath before leaning over the lake. Looking down at myself I could barely believe the person that stared back at me. One of my eyes had glossed over, the bright yellow pouring over the border of my iris. I ripped my shirt off myself, making sure that I didn’t have any more injuries. As I did, I looked back at the person in the water. Multiple gashes were displayed on my torso with the word “LIAR.” etched across the middle of my chest. Below it were five tally marks, all jagged and crooked. The stab wound was as obvious as ever, and the poison infection on my shoulder had spread. Was this real..? Reaching my hand into the cold water, I splashed the reflection away. It was a lie- this was all a lie. I fell back and giggled, there was no way I looked like that. There was no way that bird had made me look this wretched. I watched the lake become still again from where I sat and looked up at the sky, focusing my attention on the moon.

*“If only you were here Ceray.”*

I had promised him. I’d promised him I’d show him the moon. And here I am now, alone. The image of his face played over in my mind. His scream as he fell off the path. I had considered jumping off behind him when it happened. But I knew he’d want me to see it again.

*“You deserved to see it. You should be the one sitting here, not me.”*

I covered my face with my hands as tears rolled down my cheeks.

*“Is what I’m doing wrong? I just want equality Ceray. I’m not a bad person- I SWEAR I HAVE MORALS.”*

I screamed into the night, watching crows fly out of the trees from my ruckus. I sat and sobbed for a few minutes before looking back up at the moon.

*“I’m tired of authority, I’m tired of bosses, I’m tired of living by someone else's rules. I don’t mean to be violent, please forgive me.”*

I got up slowly and went inside my home to bandage myself before packing a bag and heading away. This wasn’t a safe place to stay.

## Moon Child and New Housing

A few days passed since the incident, and though I was nowhere close to being healed, I knew I couldn’t sit around and continue hiding. Yesterday I spent the day making a black wig, using squid ink as dye. It had been a tedious process, especially securing it on to myself. But after a while, I figured it out- and it was pretty tight. I also dug through my wardrobe for the first time in months, finding some random outfit to hop into. The cuts Otu had given me were taking time to heal- every time I moved the wrong way they’d instantly open up again. This morning I got to work carving a skull I had into a mask. By the late afternoon I was set; a new look and a new alias, Dolion.

Thinking of all the things I had to get done I let out an exasperated sigh. I’d have to go talk to Space again soon. Shifting away from the thought, I clipped the mask into place and started taking the walk to Iuxum. It was closer than I remembered and as I entered the territory, I was instantly met with a woman. She told me her name was Echo and I smiled, just the person I was looking for. I explained to her how I’d heard of Iuxum and how I wanted to move in. I accidentally mentioned that I need a place since I was moving out, but it’s fine.. right? She was super sweet and offered me a tour around the place. Of course, I had already gotten this tour from Ice a few weeks earlier, but I gave new reactions, pretending I’d never seen this place in my life. She showed me to a house, and told me I could move in there. We sat at the common area for a bit, and I asked about Astos. She told me a similar story as to what Ice said, but added on that her and Circe used to be great friends. Circe had manipulated Echo into helping her. She seemed almost said about it all, I could tell her feeling about Circe were conflicting. I left it be, instead turning the attention to the rising moon.

*”You know, the moon looks really nice today.”*

She nodded, and quietly told me about life on the moon. Apparently she was *from* there. I listened to her speak and nodded along. After a while, we smiled at each other and parted ways.

## Wrong Move, Wrong Path

Meeting up with Space in my new house at Iuxum, I gave him a quick rundown on my disguise before starting to unpack the boxes I had scattered around the main floor. But as soon as I started opening the first box, I heard a knock at the door. Opening it slowly, I saw Ice, who was here to greet the ‘newcomer.’ Nervous and not as willing to keep up my disguise, I rushed him out to the forest with Space. I exposed myself for everything- my new alias, outfits and lies. Ice seemed a bit shocked, but I brushed it off. Quickly changing the course of our conversation, I tried asking him about his journey and why he was back so soon. He kept everything vague, telling me that he had to come back early due to unseen circumstances. I wanted to dig deeper, but stayed quiet since he seemed to not want to be bothered. Unsure where to go from there, I stood quietly. A few seconds of awkward silence pursued until Space spoke up.

*”This idiot is too scared to say anything, but we want help with getting Circe out of prison.”*

Before Ice had any time to retort, I started going off about all the troubles we could run into with Azorc and other kings.

*”That won’t be a problem, Mainard, Dannet and Azorc were all taken into custody by Jyego for the attempted kidnapping of Cypress.”*

I stood staring at him for a moment, bewildered.

*”So you’re saying almost all the powerful nation leaders are GONE?”*

I glanced at Space, who’s grin was wider than anything I had ever seen before. The timing has never been better- god, I’ve never had so much luck on my side in my entire life.

The three of us spoke more to solidify our plan. Ice and I would be going to get Circe while Space went to find the robot Jyego. Shaking hands, we all went our separate ways.

## Emotional Exposure

After watching Jaybird’s gruesome scene, I ran out to continue looking for Otu. The sun was going down and I was about to give up when I heard a small rustle in the trees. Looking up, I saw him huddled up against the leaves. I beckoned for him to come down, and silently backed off when he reached the grass. He started to quietly apologize for his actions, and I quickly shut him off. I didn’t want apologies.

*”I’m actually planning to turn myself into prison as soon as Cypress is found.”*

His overbearing aura of fear was a stark contrast to the darkening sky behind him. It was hard for me to understand what he said for a moment, and all I could do was stand in shock. As soon as I gathered myself again, I spoke up.

*”For what? You’re not a criminal..”*

*”Kyne I’ve done so much- you’re going to die because of me, Azorc and Mainard got hurt because of me-”*

He teared up as he spoke, the words rushing out of his mouth as quickly as he could get them out. Remembering that Jaybird had embraced him when he cried, I inched closer to the bird. A hug- it felt weird to me. Something I shouldn’t give to someone unless I’m incredibly close to them. Even then it felt almost taboo. Pushing my own opinions away, I wrapped my arms around him, lightly at first. He softly leaned into me and I tightened my grip, lifting him off the ground and holding him at my height. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have even imagined doing this to him. The overbearing amount of anger I felt at any mention of him wouldn’t have let me. I sighed into his feathers- maybe hurting people wasn’t all that I had made it up to be. There was no reason for me to go hurting innocent people for no reason other than to make myself feel better. I’m nothing more than a monster for it.

*”Otu, don’t turn yourself in. Stay safe okay?”*

He didn’t give me an answer.

*”I know you don’t trust me, but I’m going to keep you safe. I’m going to make sure no one hurts you. And I have a few things I need to do first, but I swear to you I’ll make sure you’re not affected.”*

I put him back down on the fresh snow and crouched down. Smiling, I patted his head and walked away.

That night, Kyne went back into the nether, taking the journey back to his old hut. He’d been there a few times in the past few weeks but the nostalgia of it never got any better. He dusted the floors and emptied the old chests, adding some new decorative vines around to make it cozy again. Eventually, he settled down in a corner and huddled up, knees to chest.

Why did he care for that bird so much? What changed? He pulled off his shirt and ran his finger across the scars. The poison had seemed to spread more, causing little black vines to run around the cuts. His skin cracked in the affected areas which caused blisters.

He thought back to what Otu had said at the tavern again. ‘There’s no cure to the poison Kyne, you’re going to die.’ Kyne giggled to himself for a while- he was going to die? The giggles soon turned into cries and soon he was sobbing into his arms. There was no one to blame and that made it worse. He couldn’t blame himself, he couldn’t blame Otu, he couldn’t blame Circe. While trying to think of his next steps, he slipped into unconsciousness.

…

I woke up in a daze and looked around. I was floating in the air above a bridge. A handmade bridge, stretching across a large pool of lava. Squinting, I noticed myself. I was walking steadily across the bridge, watching as Ceray placed rocks behind him to keep ourselves alive. My eyes widened as I realized the scene I was about to watch.

Everything suddenly slowed down, and I stared while a different version of myself nudged Ceray off his feet. I screamed from where I floated, trying to move, trying to do anything I could to stop what I was witnessing. But alas, there was nothing I could do. I gaped in horror as he lost his footing and started his descent to death. As everything unfolded in front of me, Ceray’s body became Otu and it soon registered that my current self had pushed the bird off the ledge. Unable to blink, I gazed at my copy’s face. It leered at Otu, sadistically watching as he fell. Otu’s wings spread, trying to keep him from falling into the magma, but it didn’t help. I was forced to watch and forced to listen to his screams as his life came to a close.

I continued to float above the bridge. Seeing all of this was like torture. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t help- I couldn’t even shout out a warning. The scene repeated and the screams seemed to become less and less human the longer I watched. I tried my best to move, struggling to get out of this awful nightmare and

…

He woke up with a jolt. Catching his breath, Kyne dusted himself off and peeled himself off of the floor. Throwing his shirt back on, he ran back into the overworld; he had to go protect Otu.

## A Home or a Prison

Instantly feeling the snow hit my head after exiting the portal, I headed towards the tavern. It was late at night- so late that no one would probably be there. But I still had hope. Quietly sprinting through the dense forest, I slowed down as the roof of the tavern came into view. Looking around a bit, I noticed a feather in the snow. I picked it up, stashed it in my pocket and continued my search. Luckily, I found Otu quicker than I thought. I engaged in conversation with him, asking if he was still planning on turning himself in.

*”I have to do the right thing Kyne.”*

I tried to reason with him for a few minutes, giving my all to try and get him to see why this was all a horrible idea. He’d be in prison for months- years even. No one would feed him, no one would talk to him, no one would care for him. My voice got louder and louder, more and more frantic as I started to come to the realization that Otu would do it no matter what I said.

For a moment I hesitated. This was his life; his decision to make. I had no control over what he wanted to do, I could only give advice.

But he could die.

He could wither away with only himself to keep him company.

Maybe if I took him away.

Maybe if I was the one to seal him from the world-

Coming to a conclusion, I grabbed the bottle out of my pack.

*”I’m sorry Otu, I swear I’m not going to hurt you.”*

Splashing the potion onto him, I dragged his limp body down through the nether and all the way to my old home. Finally setting him down on a soft blanket, I let him rest for a bit as I sat across from him. He woke up after a while, obviously shaken up from everything that had just happened. I gave him a quick rundown about what I had done. He had an entire small house to himself, along with food and a place to sleep. I’d try to visit at least two times a day for company as well. He nodded, looking a bit teary eyed. I gave him a nice tight hug and left for the day. Hopefully he’d be safe there. No one would go to the *nether* for him.

## An Awaited Explanation

Last night Otu had told me he was a new employee at the Crows Nest. Knowing I couldn’t leave the owner without a worker, I decided it would be best to go tell them that Otu would be away for a while. I teleported to Xadia with a stone and walked towards the bookstore. As soon as I opened the door, the smell of wood and paper hit me. Voices stopped and I was met with a curious stare from a man with white eyes. Standing next to him was a blue eyed.. Elf? Didn’t matter- they were both equally as intimidating. I smiled as best as I could and approached.

*”Hey uh- I just wanted to let you know that one of your employees won’t be coming in for a while, they’re um sick.”*

The white eyed one, Aris, stared at me for a moment before speaking.

*”My only other employee is Otu. Who are you?”*

Their tone of voice was sharp, and I immediately knew that I would get my cover blown. Deciding it would be best to quickly rip off the bandaid, I answered quickly and honestly. The elf looking one instantly took out her weapon, pacing towards me as if I had done something incredibly preposterous.

*”Woah woah Ri, no weapons in the sho-”*

Aris tried to get her to stop, but Ri seemed to have no intent on doing so. I stood silently as she asked me where Otu had went, angrily telling me that he’d been missing. I spoke the truth, well.. Half the truth.

*”He’s safe”*

She seemed unwary of everything, trying to get more answers out of me. But at that moment Jyego walked in with Jaybird and Ethamnia. I cursed to myself under my breath- there was no way I had just gotten a whole party around me during an interrogation. Ri told them what’s going on, and my face dropped as I watched Jaybird start to tremble in anger.

*”YOU DID WHAT?”*

He also came at me with a weapon, but I just hung my head and backed up. Everyone was yelling at me to give them answers- god, I could barely hear one question over another half the time. Finally, Jyego stepped through and calmly asked me to lead them to where Otu was. Knowing there was no other choice, I took them into the nether. It was a long journey; especially since I was going with people unaccustomed to the atmosphere. After around an hour, we reached the shack. I unlocked the door and went in first to talk to the bird. He seemed shaken up, I’m sure a whole group visit wasn’t anything close to what he was expecting. Ri and Jaybird barged through me and went up to him, crouching by his side and whispering comforting words in his ears. Just how it always is.

The next few hours were long- I explained what I had done, why I had done it and that I was sorry I had taken his own free will from him. Eventually the topic moved onto what Otu had done to me. I obviously tried to glaze over it all and reassured everyone that it wasn’t as bad as he was making it out to be.

*”Take off your shirt Kyne. Show them.”*

A shiver went up my spine and I twitched. I couldn’t show the spread- it was just.. too bad. I looked around me, trying to find someone that would understand, but I was only met with 6 pairs of unwavering gazes. So I took it off. I took it off and stood in my corner.

A synchronized gasp echoed around the hollow house. The poison injected in my shoulder had spread down my upper arm and torso and the scars across my chest were visibly textured. The veins in my arms were dark, with black vines of infection thinly snaking down to my wrists.

*”You- Kyne you’re going to DIE.”*

I nodded, unemotionally telling them that it would soon kill me. Otu passed the poison he used around the group, telling us he got it from his therapist. Ethamnia told me that she’d talk to a scientist about finding a cure, but wasn’t sure if it would work in time. I just smiled, showing my appreciation for their concern. I think they could tell my honesty. They wouldn’t be this caring if they didn’t. For once in my life I felt like I had people looking over me- even if they were the same ones accusing me just hours prior.

After a few minutes of hushed talk with one another, it was decided that Otu and I would be staying under the watch of Jyego. We all came to a silent agreement, and I started to lead them out of the nether.

## A New Beginning

A few days after the kidnapping, I boated back to the island to talk to Circe and Ice. The last time I’d seen the two of them Ice had been captured in the newly made cells, infected and slowly withering away. It was a bit of a amusing sight especially with the knowledge he’d betrayed her somehow. She’d explained everything to me, but I wasn’t really listening.

I went down the stairs and reached the lowly lit room below the island. I scanned the area for Circe but she was nowhere in sight. I looked into the cell room as well and to my surprise- Ice was gone. A little panicked, I turned around to try and start looking around but instead ran into Space. I told him that Ice was missing, to which he seemed as irritated as I was. To our luck though, Circe burst through the door at that moment. I sat us all down at the table and demanded her to tell us what happened. She acted as if she did nothing wrong and calmly said that she’d released him back to Iuxum. Space and I were rightfully shocked. Why in fucks name would she release someone that she’d tortured and who had *all* our information BACK INTO SOCIETY? Space immediately pulled me aside to chat, rapidly telling me it’d be in our best interest to let Circe go. It wasn’t safe for us to have such an irresponsible person in our group. I agreed with him. We had an obnoxious back and forth on who should turn Circe into authorities and who should go and kill Ice, but the answer didn’t matter. Circe had heard everything.

Instead, we came up with a new plan. Circe would be more careful with the things she did and she would go kill Ice to make up for her mistakes. Space would continue to help with Cypress’s search party since he somehow got roped into it, and I would go and infect Echo to cause the initial spread. It was simple, there was nothing that could possibly go wrong.

## A Mission

While mining in the nether for various gems I ran into Otu. I wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing there- but I didn’t feel the need to ask. We stayed together for a bit and mindlessly chatted until we met Abraham. As someone who I’d met at the tavern a while ago, I say hello and watch while Otu shyly introduces himself. We group together and head to Xadia, calling the nether a day. Once there we make our way towards the bookshop, ignoring the giant spore flower on the way. I grimaced seeing it but there was nothing I could do.

I interrupted the conversation coming from inside abruptly as I swung open the doors to the shop. To my dismay, Circe stood there along with Ri. Everything in me told me to turn around and run, but it was too late now. She immediately led me outside. I followed her into a house where she closed the door behind us and started questioning me.

*”Why were you with Otu?”*

I started making up bullshit lies, doing my best to berate the bird so Circe would still think that I hated him. Though there wasn’t an ounce of belief in her eyes, she eventually sighed and took me back to the store. She quickly left after that, and I immediately started defending myself- that I’d meant nothing I said. I knew they were all listening, especially with the glares they gave me as soon as I’d come back. They seemed to hesitatingly accept my apologies which I was grateful for. That ended up leading to conversation about the spore itself and how what we could do to get rid of it. I strongly suggested keeping away from it and that there was absolutely nothing that could be done to end it early. It was a nether virus for fucks sake- it couldn’t be \*that\* bad in the overworld. Aris joined us after a while, claiming that Circe wasn’t as bad as we made her out to be. Idiotic honestly- she was the worst of the worst.

We eventually decided it would be best to go to the library to try and find information on the flower. Ri was the first to volunteer to go but I quickly stopped him- he was extremely susceptible to the infection, there was no way in hell I’d be sending him out. I took the responsibility of it, to which Aris seemed to agree.

*”Kyne’s already going to die, it wouldn’t matter if he got infected.”*

The statement felt like a stab to the chest but I tried to ignore it.. He was right afterall. However, as I was about to take my leave, Otu chimed that he’d come with me. I didn’t want him to but decided it’d probably be best since he’d be under my supervision. He got a stern talk from Ri that I may not be trustable, but he kept his decision and we went on our way.

*”Do you promise me you’ll stay away from that flower?”*

*”I promise.”*

I gave him a quick pat on the head. *“That’s a good boy.”*

We explored the vast room of books for a few minutes until heading back to the forge for the night. I suddenly stopped while we walked. The red grass that was in front of me had disappeared, replaced with a gaping void. I didn’t feel like I was myself anymore- invisible bugs crawled under my skin and wild animals feasted on my organs. I frantically turned my head around, looking for someone- anyone that could help me. Circe appeared out of mist, then Space and finally Otu. They stood just steps away from me, on the edge of the ring of the endless black. Looking down, I fell. I jerked my neck up and my eyes landed on the three again. Circe and Space stood behind Otu, horrific and inhuman smiles drawn across their faces. The bird stood in the middle. His expression was something I can barely describe; twisted, afraid and in utmost agony. I stretched my arms up with a screech, but it was too late. I’d sunk too far. I watched in horror as Space tore off the bird’s wings.

*”Nowhere to escape now.”*

My vision blurred a bit, and I woke back up. I was still standing in front of Jyego’s forge, and I had unconsciously slapped Otu’s hand off of my shoulder. I immediately apologized, and he accepted. Hallucinations from his poison. And they get worse day by day.

## Time

I walked out of Jyego’s forge, unable to get a blink of sleep. After making sure Otu was still in his room, I headed outside. I took a cigarette out of my pocket and quietly lit it. I’d never been a smoker before- but since drinking makes my anxiety worse, smoking was my only option left. It’d help if I wasn’t drunk all the time anyway; my listening and hiding skills had faltered since I moved here. If I was going to protect the people I cared about, I had to stop being so goddamn attention seeking. Everyday it seems like more and more people are getting sucked into my mess. And fucking hell the infection? The flower seems to be growing larger by the day and at this point I’m afraid it’ll cover entire nations.

I leaned back against a rock and took a long drag of the cigarette I held in between my fingers. It was getting shorter, and I continued to move it around so I wouldn’t burn myself with the end. A game of time.

I still have to go find immunity armor for Otu; I just can’t trust him to genuinely keep away from that thing. Or knowing him, he’d give a hug to someone infected and then wither away. The mere thought sent a shiver down my spine. Everyday it grew. Everyday people get infected. It’s only a matter of time.

But I suppose we’re all infected in one way or another. Just like the infected, everyone seems to have that one thing that’s dragging them down to their demise. Whether that be loyalty, trust, friendship, sacrifice or fear. Whether it be quicker or later than the people around you, we will all die. It will come with time.

I wallowed in my own spirits, not even realizing the burning cigarette had reached my skin. The end pushed against my finger, snuffing itself out. I looked down at my hand to see the burn mark and smiled. The infection would end. Though it would leave a lasting scar on society, it would end.

## Icarus

Icarus

I looked up at the clock at the clock on my wall; five past two. Otu’s shift should have ended hours ago. I paced around my room for a bit, worried, but not wanting to bother. He has his own life- there’s nothing I can do to stop him. …But it’s been *hours.*

Unable to keep calm, I swiftly rose out of bed and rushed through the maze of Jyego’s forge. Finally getting out of one of the walls, I headed out, scythe in hand. Even before I made it to the front, I noticed the heavy snowfall. Fucking hell- if this continued for any longer it was ought to become a blizzard. I continued my pace, stepping out onto the cold grass right outside the forge. My left eye shined through the thick fog, creating a sort of light beam. Noticing something in the corner of my eye, I turned to my left, and almost passed out. Otu laid unconscious on the ground, a giant pool of blood surrounding him. He was covered in at least an inch of snow, meaning he’d been out here for a while. I immediately crouched down next to him, whispering in his ear to try and wake him up. My heartbeat quickened, beating out of my chest as I uncovered the bird from the snow. Gently picking him up and setting him on the floor I cleaned him up. He had a long gash across his neck which went down through his shoulder and arm. I worked like a mad man, ripping my jacket into parts to try and desperately stop the blood flow. After about an hour, I had him all wrapped up. Sitting him between my legs, I used a towel to dry his off feathers. After a few minutes his breathes became shallow, and he started to lightly snore. Unable to move, I sat there with him, occasionally adjusting the makeshift bandages.

It seemed that I had dozed off as well, and I woke up to the sound of footsteps echoing against the forge walls. I looked up to see a concerned Ri, staring down at the two of us with the most pissed off look I had ever seen on someone's face. I was of course first accused of doing this to Otu, but he shook his head and defended me. We sat in the corner and talked to a while, and Ri ended up getting Otu to admit that Circe had done it. Of course it was Circe. Of course it was.

We ended up heading to Otu’s room for more privacy to continue our conversation. But as soon as we got there, I was cornered by Ri with a knife up to my throat.

*”You aren’t on Circe’s side are you? You’re not secretly working with her?”*

*”No.”*

My answer was short and curt- Ri deserved nothing more. His momentarily frozen looking eyes dimmed a bit and he backed up. He believed me. We all continued to speak as if nothing happened, and I sat silently in a corner as always. Ri ended up telling us about what had happened the past day.. which was awful to say the least. Abraham had gotten abused by Circe, and Aris had gotten taken away. None of knew exactly where Aris may have gone, but I told them he might be at [REDACTED.] It was an unsure answer among us all, but we all agreed it was better than nothing, even though it would most likely be a trap. Ri and I would set sail tomorrow, while Otu stayed in the forge with Jyego.

The old mention of Ri’s possible effect to the spore popped into my mind at that moment. And considering we were going to [REDACTED]... it wasn’t unlikely that either of us could get infected. Or just Ri- I had supplies. I stood there nervously, knowing that as much as I could do, it was up to destiny on whether we would get killed or not. I quietly opened the backpack I had taken off a few moments prior. Potions, armor, rings, and some of the plant itself. Carefully taking out the bottles, I handed some to Ri.

*”Take a few of these, you might need to defend yourself with them tomorrow.”*

He seemed a bit confused for a moment, even wincing when the bottle touched his hands. He questioned me on what it was, which I answered promptly. A bottle brimming with infectious poison, ready to throw at any second in time. Ri moved it around his hands and after observing it, gave it back to me.

*”They.. burn a little.. I’ll leave that up to you-”*

Nodding, I set everything back in its proper place. But instead of the bottles, I handed Ri {REDACTED.] He seemed taken aback first, but I just stepped back. It was best for them to take it. The room filled with a bit of silence. Ri silently went up to Otu’s side and started doing some.. magic looking shit. I heard him whispering about how it would hurt, but the bird seemed alright with it. I’d looked away, and after a few seconds of silence came a scream. Ri had done his job, and everything was fine- thank god. I awkwardly fidgeted with my hands, still standing against the same wall. I didn’t really want to interrupt Ri and Otu, but it didn’t really seem like they were having much of a conversation anyway.

*”Kyne, you should take this..”*

I looked at the bird shyly pull out a bow, holding it in my direction. *The* bow. I stiffened and my eyes darted between him and the weapon in his hands. The weapon that has poisoned me.

*”I’d rather not, I can’t wield bows anyway.”*

*”No please- it’ll help you tomorrow.”*

I looked at it for a few seconds, staring down the shining purple grip, and then moving my eyes towards the arrows the featheren had laid out beside him. I didn’t want to wield it, I really didn’t. But Otu gave me such a pleading look that I couldn’t help but agree. Stepping towards him I took the bow and arrows, swiftly tying it to one of the belt loops on my jeans.

*”Then I’m off for the night, I’ll see you tomorrow.”*

Turning around briskly, I went downstairs. As soon as I had gotten out the door of the room, I went a little farther and stopped by a wall. I stood there in silence until Ri came down. I watched him almost pass me, completely unaware of my presence. Stepping out from the shadows, I pushed Ri’s shoulder into the opposing wall behind him. My eyes sparkled from above him and I quietly took out my scythe.

*”I swear if you pull a knife on me in front of Otu again, you’re never seeing the light of day again”*

The scythe seemed dull next to Ri’s throat, but the look of fear on his face made up for it.

*”Understand?”*

He just nodded, and I smiled. I slid the weapon behind me and backed up, beckoning for him to go. Making sure he left, I turned back around and went up to Otu. I opened his door quietly, and smiled to see he was still awake.

*”Hey, I need you to take something.”*

He seemed puzzled. Ignoring his expression, I reached into the backpack from earlier and pulled out [REDACTED.] Otu’s eyes widened and he immediately shook his head.

*”No- Kyne, I can’t take that.”*

*”You will take it, and you will use it.”*

*”But then you- won’t..”*

His voice trailed off. I closed him in a tight hug and laid a peck on top of his head.

*”Just stay safe for me okay?”*

Without waiting for a response, I walked back out his door and slid down. Reaching the ground, I let out a silent sigh- I was close to dead. Pushing my anxieties away I fell asleep against the door.

## A Meltdown

I woke up on the ground, the door I was leaning against for most of the night had been kicked open. I heard yelling from the main area of the forge, but couldn’t necessarily make out any of the words. I sat there for a few minutes, circling my finger across the patterns in the cold white floor. But then the yelling stopped. Almost as if there was nothing there in the first place. I got to my feet and made my way out- I had to make sure whatever skirmish had occurred was settled peacefully. Getting to the commons, I looked up to see Otu and Ri having a hushed conversation a few floors above me. I clambered up the stairs and looked at them. The conversation instantly stopped as both of them turned to me. Otu’s expression neutral, Ri’s stone cold.

*”So what petty argument happened up here?”*

Ri sharply looks away and I giggle.

*”Awe what? Did Otu threaten you or something?”*

*”What did you do to Ri, Kyne?”*

Oh what a fucking snitch. I give him a small threat and suddenly he’s crying alllll over Otu.

*”I gave him a warning, that’s all.”*

*”Bend down Kyne.”*

I stared at Otu for a second- did this man just tell me to *bend down?* Unsure on exactly what he wanted me to do, I folded at the hip, letting my hands brush the floor as my upper body swung from the momentum.

*"...No, but this will work too”*

I paused for a moment when Otu smacked my neck. Sharply standing back up, I yell at him.

*”WE DON’T DO THAT ANYMORE KYNE. NO MORE THREATENING RI LIKE A DICKWARD.”*

He stood as tall as he could, lengthening his feathers to try and look intimidating as possible. My previous offended posture relaxed as I watched the small featheran take a stand. Straightening myself up, I leered down at Otu for the first time in ages, smiling widely as I lightly shook to try and contain the laugh that was about to burst out through my lungs.

*"I wouldn't threaten anyone if they didn't do it to me first, SIR. But I'll listen since you seem to get so worked up about it. Now would you two mind filling me in on what the hell you were arguing about? It was so loud it seemed to shake the damn ground- god, I'm surprised the whole forge didn't CRUMBLE."*

*"Seems like the only person arguing here is you. Which makes sense, since Sephtis didn't seem to approve of your scythe at my throat."*

What a little punk. I fucking hate people who don’t know their place in life. Pouting my lip out a bit, I put on my best fake caring voice to answer back.

*"To be fair you did hold a dagger up to mine on the same day. You couldn't have thought I'd let you go free did you?”*

Ri was seethed as he listened to me, their blue eyes sparking with electricity.

*"I had a reason. And you are testing my patience.”*

*"I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I really don't mind if you hurt me- in fact you do know it'd be easy to do right? Might as well release some of that anger! Can't keep it all pent up in your small body forever can we?"*

I try to lean against something while looking at Ri but fail, slightly tripping. Not wanting to look like a complete idiot in front of the man I’d just provoked, I put my weight on the closest thing I could find; Otu's head. The featheran looks up at me to speak.

*”I’m not scared of stabbing you again.”*

I flinch at his harsh words and back away.

*”Okay little man fine- but the yelling from earlier, what the hell happened?”*

*”I heard Ri having a nightmare.”*

The two spoke at the same time, and Ri eventually muttered that it was something that could happen. An ominous statement, especially since I didn’t know what was going on. But at that moment I froze. Ri and Otu’s voices suddenly started to distort as a shiver crept up my spine. It felt chilling- almost even alive.

*He locked eyes with Otu as his mind traveled to the deep past. He was standing in front of the manager of the old nether cafe. The man glared at Kyne, spitting snarky comments at him like he always did. He was back to that day oh so long ago, the day he killed that fucker. The day he tore him to shreds. Kyne slowly drew his dagger from where it was hung on his pants. Sliding his finger across the blade, he smiled. A droplet of blood formed, slowly dripping onto the floor. It hurt, but he didn’t notice.*

*He stared at the owner and listened to him yell- it was a normal thing at this point. It all went right over his head. He wasn’t even aware none of this was real- hell, he couldn’t even comprehend that the noise was coming from Ri and Otu. The anger was all too much.*

*With a lurch, Kyne jumped at the man, tackling him down with one swift movement. And there he sliced him- going over and over the man’s thick skin until he was a mere meat pile below Kyne. He giggled as he pushed his hands into the flesh, picking it up to observe it as if he was doing a science project. He was dead- he was dead. Kyne’s hands moved to the man’s face; the only thing that was still distinguishable. Cupping his hands on the man’s cheeks he smiled. But as he stared at the head, the owner’s complexion softened. His angry glower turned into fear, as his face morphed into Otu. Scared, betrayed, tortured. Kyne screamed and threw the head across the room.*

*His entire body shook. By now he was on top of Otu, dagger in the air, ready to come crashing down at any moment. Before he was able to wake up from the hallucination, Kyne passed out, dropping like a dead weight on the small bird below him.*

After a minute, I shudder awake. Quickly rolling off of Otu, I go and sits against the nearest wall, frantically looking around to see an angry Ri and ..bloody Otu? I jump up to ask the featheran what had happened. He muttered out that I was the one who had done this, and before I could answer, Ri sent a zap up my spine. Falling back to the ground, I thought to myself. I had- gone to the nether.. Though I didn’t know why, I was sure that’s what happened. While sitting, I watch Ri attempt to heal Otu. Some type of electric shock; I can’t describe it. My head was spinning.

*”You. You almost killed him.”*

I looked up at Ri, confused at his sudden interrogative tone.

*”I- I just went to the nether.. for.. someone?? He- I- Do you really think I’d try and kill him?”*

Turning to Otu, I asked.

*”Is this true?”*

*”I-I know you didn’t mean to Kyne.. I’m sorry.”*

He choked up, close to tears. Looking back and forth between the two I could sense they weren’t joking. But I didn’t remember *anything.*

*”Maybe it isn’t the poison! Maybe it’s Chaos! Influencing him! Just like she influenced all the others. Is that what’s wrong with you? Are you possessed?”*

Ri spat at me angrily, his shouts echoing against the walls. I flinched, what was he talking about..?

*”The poison is fine- I’m fine-”*

Otu steps up and gets closer after a few staggering attempts.

*”Prove it then. Has it spread? Tell me the truth.”*

Ri started going off on another angry tangent at that moment when his knees buckled in beneath him. Turning around, Otu whispered a few phrases to him, and got him to go lie down on the nearby couch. Otu then motions for me to get closer, which I do.

*”Do you really not remember what happened?”*

*”I’m not sure why I went but I swear I left..”*

*”Has the poison spread?”*

*”Not a concerning amount for me.”*

*”And how would it seem to me?”*

I just stood there silently, doing my best to avoid eye contact with the small bird.

*“Show me.”*

I smoothly lift my shirt off with one swift movement.  Throwing it over my shoulder I awkwardly look away. Otu comes closer, carefully inspecting the newly spreading vines of poison.

*”Now let me check your eye.”*

I hesitantly kneeled down to his height Lightly brushing the hair away from my face, he looked.

*”It’s gotten quite worse Kyne.”*

Otu moved his cold fingers down to my chin, grabbing it and moving my head to the side to take a more detailed look. Realizing the distance between us. I try to shift away from him. Instead of letting me go, Otu lightly shoves his claws in, keeping me there.

*”See, was it that hard?”*

*”..No.”*

Not sure what to do, I stared at Otu. But Ri broke the silence.

*”Are you two kissing?”*

I quickly tore away from the featheran, scrambling to get back to my high and mighty height.

*”WE WERE NOT KISSING.”*

My voice slightly cracked in the middle of the sentence, my face burning up like lava. Without giving a response, Ri passes out again.

*”Kyne- can I go to bed? I need help.”*

*”Yeah, come on big guy.”*

I pick up the bird with a grunt, throwing my shirt onto Ri as a blanket before starting down the stairs. Otu squirmed around in my arms. Making my way back through the winding halls of the forge, I place him into bed, tucking the covers around his shoulders.

*”Hey could you uh- stay with me until I fall asleep?”*

I smile at the inquiry and happily nod, curling up at the foot of his bed like a protective guard dog.

*”That can’t be comfy”*

*”No worries, it’s nothing I’m not used to.”*

*”There’s plenty of bed for you to fit.”*

*”You need a proper night’s rest- I don’t want to accidentally kick you or anything.”*

Otu only pointed at the extra space on the bed, giving me a stern look. I pause for a second, but get in.

*”Goodnight Kyne.”*

*”G-goodnight Otu.”*

I shook like a madman, stiff like a board. I haven’t been in a bed with someone in- ever. Gaining enough courage to wrap my arm around the bird, I hold him close, I wasn’t about to lose him overnight.