Subject 27

by Phyrexian

Basically... Run

Chapter 34 - Basically... Run

“Darkness may you keep a watchful eye while we’re under your protective vail. May you embrace us with your sweet presence as you silence our actions. Please grant us your blessing this glorious night as we may be the shepherds for the unfortunate souls that do not worship your beauty.” I give a quick prayer to the majestic night before we embark, but I wasn’t expecting S.K to say anything afterwards...

“What was that all about? Don’t tell me that you get turned on when you’re outside while the moon is out.” Her remark ruins my stride.

“I didn’t know demons could be poetic... There’s much for me to learn about your kind.” The kid’s statement throws me even more off balance.

“It’s something I do, the night, she’s always been good to me. It seems that I’m the only one who respects the night and her true beauty.” I look up and only see the dark clouds as they block out the moon, I give a light sigh as my tail pokes me in the back of my head.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. We better get moving while the night is still young.” S.K. and the kid both stayed silent as we left for our mission.

We crept through the jungle. The night-life was quiet and dead; not even the wind was blowing. S.K and the kid only stepped where I stepped, making sure not to make a single noise; it felt good to be working my profession again. The further we snuck into the jungle, the stronger the aura got. Both S.K. and the kid don’t seem to be affected by its strong presence, but every new step I take makes my soul want to go hide in a very dark place.

“Dem-.” The kid tries to speak, only to be interrupted by my tail as it wraps around his mouth.

“No talking unless we need to.” I whisper loudly to him as my tail unwraps itself.

“Horr-.” My tail cuts S.K off as it presses its tip against her beak, silencing her before she could speak.

“What is it that’s so important? I don’t see zebras around here, the only thing I can feel right now is this dreadful aura.” The horrified look on their faces only become heavier as they just simply stare at me.

They both of them are petrified stiff with fear as their eyes just become wider and wider, the kid finally musters up the strength as he raises a hoof and I turn my head to see where he’s pointing at. The trees seemed to be moving without making a single noise, if I looked directly at them they seem only to look like normal trees, but out of the corners of my eyes I can clearly see them moving. The aura only seems to become stronger as we stand there, the trees seem to be possessed by some kind of trickster spirit.

“Do you two still not feel this aura?” They only manage to shake their heads as they’re still fixated on the trees.

“This is not good, if we stay here any longer then these trees might become a problem, whatever spirit is causing this will eventually get bored and start coming after us.” I drop down to all fours, my tail lifts S.K. on my back and then grab the kid by the barrel.

S.K. wraps her front legs around my neck as she holds onto me, her body feels good against mine; my mixed feelings come boiling back up to the surface, I’m tempted to change our positioning and take her for a ride. I push these urges back down and kept on walking, only out of the corner of my eyes I can see the trees slowly start moving in. S.K. leans in and whispers quietly into my ear as I kept my pace.

“Trees aren't suppose to move like this... What should we do?” The trees moved in closer with each step I took.

“Basically... Run...” One of the branches from a tree comes swinging down at me, I take off into a sprint as I dodge their attacks.

My speed increase with each new step I took, the trees moved in faster and faster, their branches raining down on me like a hail storm. I easily dodge each attack as S.K tighten her grip around my back, my tail lowers close to the ground and keeps the kid out of harms way.

“FASTER! I DEMAND TO GO FASTER!” S.K. yells in my ear as she is swept up in the moment, her commands forces my body to go into overdrive.

My heart rate starts to increase exponentially, my blood courses through my body like a rampaging flood. The trees eventually stop moving but I didn’t, I just kept on charging through the forest. We break through the trees, only to be met by a cliff, I throw on the brakes, but its not enough as we slide off the face of the cliff.

S.K. is now nearly choking me as she tightens her grip, she expands her wings to their full length. My body becomes illuminated with a dark red glow, the kid focuses hard as he tries to lighten S.K’s payload with his levitation spell. Our descent becomes more like that of a gliding rock, I just hope S.K’s wings can handle this stress. As we near the ground S.K. starts to cry out in pain as my weight becomes too much to bear, my tail places the kid on her back.

“S.K. drop me! I don’t want you to reinjury your wing again!”

“No! I can handle this!” She yells back at me.

“Its only a fifty foot drop! I can survive the fall! Do it!” She lets go of me, the kid’s magic implodes around me as she does.

Fade’s power runs through me, my scales stand on end as they start to vent out the frozen black smoke, the vein tail pulses with Fade’s icy power. As I reach the canopy of the tree tops, my tail grabs a nearby branch. The sudden change of direction causes me to twirl around, but mid swing the branch breaks under the strain and my momentum sends me flying through the sea of leaves. My tail dips down into the sea and grabs another branch, swinging me around and loosen its grip and sends me rocketing towards the ground, only for it to grab another branch and twirled me around and launches me off of it.

I fall the last ten feet. As I land I roll and and come out nearly unscathed. I turn my head to see my tail wagging with pride as it just learned a new trick.

“Who’s a good tail? You are! Yes you are!” My praise causes my tail to wag even harder.

As I stand there, praising my tail for being such a good boy, S.K. flies through the tree top and spots me on the ground and quickly lands next to me.

“I don’t know how you survived that fall, but you just keep on impressing me, Horror.”

“Tail did all the work, little bastard does things even I didn’t think were possible.” If my tail was wagging any harder I’m afraid it might fall off.

“I might be able to show you and your tail a thing or two that will leave your head spinning.” S.K. gives me a wink, her comment causes my tail to come to a dead stop and we both just kind of stare at her.

“Would you two love birds just rut already or something? This is just painful to watch.” The kid finally chimes in as he climbs off S.K.’s back.

I swear, these people are out to get me, I’m left speechless as S.K. bursts into laughter as she walks past me and heads deeper into jungle with the kid in tow. My tail eventually comes back from its paralyzed state of mind and slaps me across the face to wake me from mine; I turn around and quickly catch up with them.

The aura only grows even stronger as we made our way deeper into the jungle, the trees didn’t move an inch; which put my mind slightly at ease. This mission of ours went from a simple stealth one to a more of mind-fucked one, I’d honestly expected the freaking dirt to come alive and try to swallow us whole; but thankfully it didn’t.

I can tell we’re nearing the center of the cultist territory as the trees become twisted and black, some our ablaze with a green balefire, but the fire looked like it didn’t want to spread to the other trees. S.K. slowed her pace down and let me back in front of our little pack; the kid just kept his original pace and stayed by my side. Something feels very off as the aura becomes too powerful for me to withstand, I slow down my pace as my breathing becomes labored.

“Kid, do you know any magical shielding spells?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I know pretty much any spe-.” My tail picks him up by his barrel and holds him over me.

“Cast one that will house you, S.K. and I, I have this feeling that we’re unwanted guests who just walked into the wrong house.” The kid’s horn flares up as a red magical shell covers us.

“How long can you sustain this shield? We might need it for awhile.”

“As long as I can concentrate on maintaining the spell, almost indefinitely. This is just a low level spell so it’s not that taxing on my superior mind.” I’m not even looking at the kid and I can tell he already has a smug look on his face.

“Good, and just remember what I told you about the demons, they won’t hesitate on consuming you if you’re even the slightest bit uncertain about what you want.” I can already feel the lesser demons and spirits swarming the shell that protects us.

‘H-Horror... What are these things?”

“Keep close to me S.K., and be ready at a moments notice to jump on my back again. And these things are lesser spirits and demons, as long as you stay close to me they don’t dare try to possess you and devour your soul.” S.K. closes the gap in between us and is nearly on top of me.

Kid’s shield holds as we walk, not even flickering as more minor spirits and demons try to break it. More trees start to glow with the green balefire flames the further we walked, the aura only intensifies as more trees become alight as though we’re in a infernal’s stomach.

“Horror, are you okay? You’ve slowed down noticeably and you seem to be having trouble breathing.” S.K. runs in front of me and looks up at me with a worried look on her face.

“Y-Yeah, I’m f-fine. This aura is just becoming too strong for me to ignore.” I’m not alright, my soul feels like it’s being torn apart and all it wants to do is go to bury its head in the sand.

“Come on Horror, you’re tougher than this! This aura you keep on feeling should be nothing to you! Now get your ass in gear and start moving!” She puffs her chest up as commanding tone digs deep and forces me to keep on moving.

The lesser demons and spirits parts from the front of the shield as a greater demon makes itself known and slams into the shell, causing it to crack only for a few seconds before kid repairs it.

“Here’s one, now your chance to start questioning it or we can wait, your choice.”

“Who are you!” The kid yells out to the demon, it simply sits there pressing against the shield.

“I don’t know who’s more delicious looking, the little one or this tall chunk of muscle with the tail, let me in and I can be your secret sin.” Her seductive voice doesn’t phase me at all, but the kid seems to be perturbed by it.

“Careful kid, this is the Demon of Lust, her words can turn a strong man stupid if you don’t keep your guard up.” My tail gives the kid a slight jolt, snapping him out of her trance.

“Demon of Lust, if I let you in my body, what would you give me in return?”

“Eternal bliss, you and I can embrace with each other for eternity, doesn’t that sound like fun?” She purrs with pleasure as the kid becomes entranced by her again.

“Kid, keep yourself focused, she can’t offer you what you seek, stay strong.” Another slight jolt snaps him back from his trance.

“Demon of Lust, you only offer pleasure, begone with you! I seek only power and knowledge!” She merely stays silent.

More voids appear in the wall of darkness that is the blanket of lesser demons and spirits as more powerful ones make themselves known.

“I am the Demon of Chaos! Join with me and you and I can become an unstoppable chaotic force!” He presses his true form against the shell, revealing his twisted nature.

“No! I have no need for chaotic power!” The kid yells out as more and more demons start to appear.

“You may call me Pride, little one. Join with me and you and I can go very far in this world! We can become the kings of this world! I’ll give you the power you seek, only if you grant me my freedom.”

“By your freedom, do you mean control over my body? That you’ll be the dominant one if I allow you in?” There you go kid, reading in between the lines, easily spotting his false truth.

“You’re a clever one. Those other demons can’t offer you what I have, there’ll be a limitless power within us if you and I became one. Take pride into your life and your power will reach toward the heavens!” I drop down to all fours and S.K. climbs on top of me.

“There’s still at least three more demons that haven’t appeared yet, but I’ll tell you this though, so far you’re on the top of the list for candidates.” Those same primal urges boil back up to the surface, this time it’s harder to push them back down.

“You seek power? These other demons don’t know the true meaning of power! For I am WRATH!” This one causes a even bigger crack to fracture on the shield.

“And you would give me true power? Or only yourself true power?” The fracture on the shield doesn’t disappear like the other smaller ones.

“Get ready S.K., we might need to run if the kid can’t keep the shield up.” She tightens her grip around me as I ready myself.

“The power I could bring us would make us into a GOD! No one would be able to stand against us! All I seek is a new body to live in.”

“Why did you start saying ‘us’ instead of you or I? You seek a new host to prolong your life or to escape whatever hell you crawled out from, but when you say ‘us’ it makes me think of you wanting to merge with me.” Wrath’s thirst for a new host only grows stronger as he looks at the kid.

“I am pleased by your wisdom.” He knocks on the shield two times, making the fracture even bigger.

“Let me in, I can taste your thirst for power!” I go from a brisk crawl into a gallop as the shield starts to crack even more.

The second to last demon appears before us, not slamming into the shield or trying to break it down like the others, but merely making itself known to us.

“I may not be as powerful as the others, but I do offer you what you truly seek.” He wears a malevolent grin on his face as he speaks.

“You must be the Demon of Cunning, and if you know what I truly seek, then why don’t you tell me?”

“You seek knowledge, and I can give you unlimited knowledge. Knowledge is power after all.” My light gallop goes into a sprint as the magic shell can no longer keep the demons at bay.

“When the time comes, simply call out my name and I’ll come to your aid.” Is the last thing any of the demons say before the shield shatters around us and I come out of it like a speeding bullet, leaving them all behind.

I come to a sliding stop as we reach a small cave, further inspection tells me that there’s nobody home and that there hasn’t been for quite some time. I take a quick glance over the surrounding area and made sure there was no one else around before I crawled inside and collapse on the cold floor.

“Aww, is My Little Horror tired?” After S.K. says this, Fade’s Lullaby comes to mind.

“W-We should be safe in here, w-we’ll continue on in the morning. I-I just need to rest for a little bit, running like that is too tiring for me to keep up for very long... T-This damn aura is wearing me down to just a nub...” It’s like if this aura is feasting off my strength, draining it the deeper we get.

“Just rest now, you’ve done good tonight” S.K. lays her head against my back, the cold cave floor feels good against my tired body.

“I’ve narrowed down to three demons, Pride, Wrath, and Cunning. Care to put your two bits in on my choices, Demon?” I bang my horns against the ground, all I want to do right now is sleep, but this damn kid won’t let me.

“I’m not going to hold your hoof every step of the way, kid. Pride speaks more truth than Wrath, Wrath is pure power, if you can become the dominant one then you’ll be nearly unstoppable. Cunning though, but what he offered of knowledge would greatly help you, but be careful though; he might be the weakest one of all of them, but he’s always five steps ahead of the rest.” I see the kid tapping his hooves together as he ponder over what I just said.

“I see... Fairly well, I know what I must do. Wrath, Pride, Cunning, I call upon you for an audience! Please grant me this small request so that we may strike a contract together!” My eyes swing wide open as he calls out for the demons, I quickly get to my feet, throwing S.K. off my back.

“YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

Credits

Editor

frieD195

Comments

[EXbronymaster]

oh shit...

[the_sane_maniac]

three daemons at once?

kid, you just fucked up big time. even if you manage to strike a three-way contract, the cost will be above enormous and should he fail to find a contract then they will rip his soul apart.

this fucking kid man, more arrogant then a greater daemon of pride.

[BaronLostHeart]

he's screwed...i doubt the little "braniac" can handle it

[Neon Slate]

Dedz

[Tsujin Rilauco]

Not going to write off what the kid plans to do quite yet.

It sure seems stupid, but, well, anything could happen!

[Dragaen]

that kid...