13th Fragment: -SLITHER-
Lucy’s azure eyes quietly settled on the horizon, watching vigilantly for any movement. She had not seen Sam and the Disciple ever since they left the house – which could either be good news or…
“Control yourself, girl. There’s no need for any negative thoughts right now,” Lucy whispered to herself.
“Yo, Luce, is this deep enough?” Rupert called out, prompting Lucy to turn around to see her brother inside a human size hole.
“It’s good enough. Now, help me carry the guy down,” said Lucy, her focus shifted toward Earl’s body which was now enveloped with thin white cloth like a cocoon.
“Before we do that,” said the elder Nightingale as he climbed out of the hole with a shovel in his hand. “I still don’t get it. Why don’t we just leave him out here to rot? It’s not like we know him very well, and he’s…one of those bad guys, right?”
“Look at him. Is he a threat to us?” Lucy gestured her hand at the corpse in front of her.
“…No?”
“Why are we having this conversation then? So, hurry up and give me a hand.”
Without further question, Rupert reluctantly picked the body up with his sister and carried it toward the hole he dug earlier. “Ugh, this guy stinks like the sewers,” the elder Nightingale grimaced as the pungent smell of vomit stung his nose.
“Don’t you dare throw up in my face,” Lucy warned, baring her teeth at her disgusted brother.
Despite that, the siblings managed to bring and drop the cadaver into the hole. Rupert swiftly buried the corpse – his sister, on the other hand, scooped some of the black sands into her hands and murmured something into them.
“What are you doing?” asked Rupert, curious at his young sibling’s strange demeanor.
“A prayer – for his body to be accepted by Mother Earth,” Lucy retorted before tossing the sands back to the ground. “It is done.”
“Who taught you that?”
“Mom did,” said Lucy as she dusted her hands and clothes. “She taught me when you were out fishing with Dad.”
“Huh, no wonder I never knew about it.
As soon as she heard her brother’s childish response, a tiny smile appeared across Lucy’s face. However, her eyes started to flicker after noticing a ball of white flame floating in the distance.
“What’s the matter?” Rupert immediately spun around and saw the unidentified object which slowly drifted away from them. “Now, that’s new.”
“No, that’s trouble,” Lucy corrected. “And I think it’s heading toward Sam.”
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
Sam drew out his katana as the entire desert began to roar. Soon after, another piercing scream broke the nightly silence; this time, he could hear it rushing from the direction they were heading. "Oh, this is bad. Really, really bad," Sam mumbled before he shuffled past Keith – making sure the Disciple was behind him.
“Whatever happens, don’t get left behind,” Sam remarked.
"H-How big is this Sandcreeper, exactly?" said Keith, with an anxious look on his face.
"It depends. Usually, it’s as large as a camel but some can grow up to the size of an adult elephant," Sam replied as he finally discovered the source of those eerie noises. Right in front of his eyes, he saw a large mound of sand slithering down the hill -- briskly making its way toward him. "Though, I would say this one might be bigger."
BOOM!
A giant lizard-like creature suddenly emerged from the ground, dispersing a cloud of sand everywhere. In that same instance, Sam's katana burst into flame -- causing the monster to howl in pain as the blaze stung its eyes. As a result, the fearsome beast quickly clawed its way back into the sand, and the black desert became quiet once again.
"That'll hold it off for a while," Sam muttered as he turned around, only to see Keith sitting on the ground staring at the fiery blade in horror.
"You’re…the Flame Accursed. The Scorcher of the World. He of the Crimson End," spouted the flat-nosed man, "But, you're supposed to be a myth."
Ignoring the Disciple’s blabbering, Sam swiftly pulled the man up to his feet and said, "We need to go. Now!" However much to his chagrin, Keith was still transfixed with his burning katana.
“For God’s sake…” Sam grumbled before flicking the man in the forehead.
"OW!"
“WE NEED TO GO! NOW!”
**qs******************************************
[In the meantime…]
Cindar grunted repeatedly as his feet sunk into the sand, allowing the color-changing gravel to annoyingly sneak into his shoes. He twirled around, expecting a ride or something to pop out from one of the dunes at any moment. But all he saw were mountains of sand and nothingness, bathed under the gloomy moonlight.
"Where the hell is that bastard?" he gritted his teeth out of frustration.
At that exact moment, he was reminded of the time when he was dragged into the Council of Eight, especially when he saw the disappointment written across Thomas’s and Markus’s faces.
Who are they to judge him for choosing his own path? Markus begrudgingly thought. He had done everything they told him to without question and all he wanted was a little reward for his deed – a reward that he was denied.
Soon after finishing his inner monologue, a gust of wind slapped him across the face -- strong enough that it caused him to fall on his back. He moaned as the pain in his body returned – not to mention the sand grinding between his skin and clothes.
'You are late.'
Cindar jolted to his rear after hearing the toneless, breathy voice -- his droopy eyes settled on the shining black orb floating in front of his face. "Just a minor setback, that's all. I thought we'll be meeting in person this time. So, what's with the change of plan?"
‘You are the change of plan, and do not speak as if we are equal, Jack Cindar,' the orb chided. 'Compared to your former superior, our master does not tolerate incompetence. Therefore, proof to him that you are capable of finishing the job, or there will be consequences for your failure.
The orb proceeded to disappear into thin air, leaving Cindar growling to himself. "That son of a bitch really needs to learn how to loosen up a little bit," he muttered.
The man stood up to brush off the sand from his hair before hearing a demonic shrieking on the other side of the dunes -- followed shortly by a familiar crimson glow.
****qs****************************************
The two men ran across the desert with their eyes and ears open. It wasn't long until they heard the guttural scream behind them, accompanied by an approaching sandstorm.
"What the-?! It can do that?!" exclaimed Keith, after taking a hurried look over his shoulder.
"JUST GO!" Sam lashed back. Then, the Sandcreeper sprung out from the sand behind them with its jaw wide open - revealing rows of sickle-shaped teeth.
"So much for conserving energy," Using his left leg as a pivot, Sam turned around to face the monster head-on. With the flaming katana raised over his head, he could finally see the Sandcreeper's features more clearly: its ash-grey scales resembling the bleak color of the desert, its menacing, golden eyes, and more importantly, the rod-like appendage sticking out of its horned head. "Go, Keith! I’ll hold it back!"
"Wait, what?"
"GO! NOW!"
The flat-nosed man reluctantly bolted away from the scene, leaving Sam alone to deal with the creature. "So, you can control the sandstorm, huh? Then, how about this!" he murmured before swinging the sword downward -- flinging a massive fireball that hit the Sandcreeper in the face. The lizard staggered back, wailing in pain as the flame blackened its snout. But, Sam knew it would take more to completely subdue the monster.
'I need to finish this quick,' thought Sam as he noticed the scowl on the monster's scaly face -- not to mention the cloud of sand behind it. He steadily ran his hand along the burning edge, extinguishing the flame while at the same time turning the entire blade bright red. Without a sliver of hesitation, he charged toward the infuriated Sandcreeper, who also seemed to share his idea.
"Oh, crap!" Sam quickly dived to the ground when the lizard suddenly pounced on him. He could feel the air ripping over his head, followed by a prickling sensation on his back. Brushing aside the dull pain, Sam immediately jumped to his feet after hearing the creature landed behind him. As he turned around, the Sandcreeper was already rushing toward him, fervently snapping its burnt jaw together. Sam stood his ground, waiting patiently for the monster to come nearer.
"That's right," he whispered, "Just a little closer."
As the Sandcreeper opened its mouth, Sam leaped to his right -- just before the monster slammed its mouth shut. With the lizard briefly bewildered by its prey's disappearance, Sam drove his glowing blade into the Sandcreeper's foreleg -- causing the latter to yowl.
"Urgh!" Sam gasped after the lizard's massive tail smacked him squarely in the chest -- sending him flying away from the giant. The man slammed into the sandy ground -- his entire back throbbed excruciatingly from the rough landing. He lifted his head, watching silently as the Sandcreeper slowly made its approach. But then, its left foreleg began to twitch uncontrollably, stopping the lizard dead on its track.
"Got you."
The scaly skin around the gash slowly turned black as if they were charred by an invisible flame. Overcame by panic, the lizard thrashed around as the scorch mark rapidly spread to the rest of its torso but soon realized it was all for naught. The Sandcreeper collapsed on its belly, breathing heavily as the burnt mark reached its neck.
Sam, who was already on his knees, peered into its frail yellow eyes before they closed -- this time, permanently. A huge wave of relief instantly washed over him as the sandstorm also subsided -- until he caught a glimpse of a tiny crack on his blade.
"Shit. Should've seen this one coming," he exhaled, "Should have requested more Spider Core metal during the forging."
"Woah. You actually managed to beat it."
Sam looked over his shoulder to see Keith staring at the Sandcreeper's carrion in awe. "Didn’t I tell you to run?" the Faceless replied as he sheathed the sword. "Why did you come back?"
"I...don't know," Keith shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe because it doesn't sit well with me to just abandon someone to their death."
"Is that so? Not trying to offend you or anything, but I find that difficult to believe."
"Okay. You might be thinking I'm trying to pull something here, but I'm not. All my life, I was told that the Faceless slaughtered the Distorted and normal people alike. But maybe, the people who told me that were wrong about you. About all of you.”
GRRR!
"Wait, something’s not right," Sam interrupted after hearing something moving in the sand below. He shifted his attention back to the Sandcreeper, which was still lying motionlessly in front of him. Then, without warning, he heard Keith shouting behind him, followed by a hefty shove on his back.
BOOM!
The ground exploded, and another Sandcreeper popped out, sinking its teeth into Keith's left thigh. The man screamed and desperately scratched the creature's snout, hoping for the monster to release him.
"NO!" Sam cried out. Before he could brandish his katana, the giant lizard crawled back into the ground -- mercilessly dragging its unwilling prey along. Panic-stricken, Sam instantly dropped on all four -- fruitlessly digging through the sand with his bare hands.
"Damn it!" he uttered. Curling his fingers into a fist, Sam vented every last drop of his anger by pummelling the ground. A moment later, he sat on his rear with a shaky breath and a grazed knuckle. After calming himself down, he recalled a piece of advice Markus used to tell him.
"Focus, Sam. Focus, and never...hesitate."
After uttering those words, Sam hesitantly straightened himself up and reached for his earpiece.
"Lucy, Rupert. Come in," he said, "I have some bad news."
13th Fragment: -SLITHER-
Lucy’s azure eyes quietly settled on the horizon, watching vigilantly for any movement. She had not seen Sam and the Disciple ever since they left the house – which could either be good news or…
“Control yourself, girl. There’s no need for any negative thoughts right now,” Lucy whispered to herself.
“Yo, Luce, is this deep enough?” Rupert called out, prompting Lucy to turn around to see her brother inside a human size hole.
“It’s good enough. Now, help me carry the guy down,” said Lucy, her focus shifted toward Earl’s body which was now enveloped with thin white cloth like a cocoon.
“Before we do that,” said the elder Nightingale as he climbed out of the hole with a shovel in his hand. “I still don’t get it. Why don’t we just leave him out here to rot? It’s not like we know him very well, and he’s…one of those bad guys, right?”
“Look at him. Is he a threat to us?” Lucy gestured her hand at the corpse in front of her.
“…No?”
“Why are we having this conversation then? So, hurry up and give me a hand.”
Without further question, Rupert reluctantly picked the body up with his sister and carried it toward the hole he dug earlier. “Ugh, this guy stinks like the sewers,” the elder Nightingale grimaced as the pungent smell of vomit stung his nose.
“Don’t you dare throw up in my face,” Lucy warned, baring her teeth at her disgusted brother.
Despite that, the siblings managed to bring and drop the cadaver into the hole. Rupert swiftly buried the corpse – his sister, on the other hand, scooped some of the black sands into her hands and murmured something into them.
“What are you doing?” asked Rupert, curious at his young sibling’s strange demeanor.
“A prayer – for his body to be accepted by Mother Earth,” Lucy retorted before tossing the sands back to the ground. “It is done.”
“Who taught you that?”
“Mom did,” said Lucy as she dusted her hands and clothes. “She taught me when you were out fishing with Dad.”
“Huh, no wonder I never knew about it.
As soon as she heard her brother’s childish response, a tiny smile appeared across Lucy’s face. However, her eyes started to flicker after noticing a ball of white flame floating in the distance.
“What’s the matter?” Rupert immediately spun around and saw the unidentified object which slowly drifted away from them. “Now, that’s new.”
“No, that’s trouble,” Lucy corrected. “And I think it’s heading toward Sam.”
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
Sam drew out his katana as the entire desert began to roar. Soon after, another piercing scream broke the nightly silence; this time, he could hear it rushing from the direction they were heading. "Oh, this is bad. Really, really bad," Sam mumbled before he shuffled past Keith – making sure the Disciple was behind him.
“Whatever happens, don’t get left behind,” Sam remarked.
"H-How big is this Sandcreeper, exactly?" said Keith, with an anxious look on his face.
"It depends. Usually, it’s as large as a camel but some can grow up to the size of an adult elephant," Sam replied as he finally discovered the source of those eerie noises. Right in front of his eyes, he saw a large mound of sand slithering down the hill -- briskly making its way toward him. "Though, I would say this one might be bigger."
BOOM!
A giant lizard-like creature suddenly emerged from the ground, dispersing a cloud of sand everywhere. In that same instance, Sam's katana burst into flame -- causing the monster to howl in pain as the blaze stung its eyes. As a result, the fearsome beast quickly clawed its way back into the sand, and the black desert became quiet once again.
"That'll hold it off for a while," Sam muttered as he turned around, only to see Keith sitting on the ground staring at the fiery blade in horror.
"You’re…the Flame Accursed. The Scorcher of the World. He of the Crimson End," spouted the flat-nosed man, "But, you're supposed to be a myth."
Ignoring the Disciple’s blabbering, Sam swiftly pulled the man up to his feet and said, "We need to go. Now!" However much to his chagrin, Keith was still transfixed with his burning katana.
“For God’s sake…” Sam grumbled before flicking the man in the forehead.
"OW!"
“WE NEED TO GO! NOW!”
**qs******************************************
[In the meantime…]
Cindar grunted repeatedly as his feet sunk into the sand, allowing the color-changing gravel to annoyingly sneak into his shoes. He twirled around, expecting a ride or something to pop out from one of the dunes at any moment. But all he saw were mountains of sand and nothingness, bathed under the gloomy moonlight.
"Where the hell is that bastard?" he gritted his teeth out of frustration.
At that exact moment, he was reminded of the time when he was dragged into the Council of Eight, especially when he saw the disappointment written across Thomas’s and Markus’s faces.
Who are they to judge him for choosing his own path? Markus begrudgingly thought. He had done everything they told him to without question and all he wanted was a little reward for his deed – a reward that he was denied.
Soon after finishing his inner monologue, a gust of wind slapped him across the face -- strong enough that it caused him to fall on his back. He moaned as the pain in his body returned – not to mention the sand grinding between his skin and clothes.
'You are late.'
Cindar jolted to his rear after hearing the toneless, breathy voice -- his droopy eyes settled on the shining black orb floating in front of his face. "Just a minor setback, that's all. I thought we'll be meeting in person this time. So, what's with the change of plan?"
‘You are the change of plan, and do not speak as if we are equal, Jack Cindar,' the orb chided. 'Compared to your former superior, our master does not tolerate incompetence. Therefore, proof to him that you are capable of finishing the job, or there will be consequences for your failure.
The orb proceeded to disappear into thin air, leaving Cindar growling to himself. "That son of a bitch really needs to learn how to loosen up a little bit," he muttered.
The man stood up to brush off the sand from his hair before hearing a demonic shrieking on the other side of the dunes -- followed shortly by a familiar crimson glow.
****qs****************************************
The two men ran across the desert with their eyes and ears open. It wasn't long until they heard the guttural scream behind them, accompanied by an approaching sandstorm.
"What the-?! It can do that?!" exclaimed Keith, after taking a hurried look over his shoulder.
"JUST GO!" Sam lashed back. Then, the Sandcreeper sprung out from the sand behind them with its jaw wide open - revealing rows of sickle-shaped teeth.
"So much for conserving energy," Using his left leg as a pivot, Sam turned around to face the monster head-on. With the flaming katana raised over his head, he could finally see the Sandcreeper's features more clearly: its ash-grey scales resembling the bleak color of the desert, its menacing, golden eyes, and more importantly, the rod-like appendage sticking out of its horned head. "Go, Keith! I’ll hold it back!"
"Wait, what?"
"GO! NOW!"
The flat-nosed man reluctantly bolted away from the scene, leaving Sam alone to deal with the creature. "So, you can control the sandstorm, huh? Then, how about this!" he murmured before swinging the sword downward -- flinging a massive fireball that hit the Sandcreeper in the face. The lizard staggered back, wailing in pain as the flame blackened its snout. But, Sam knew it would take more to completely subdue the monster.
'I need to finish this quick,' thought Sam as he noticed the scowl on the monster's scaly face -- not to mention the cloud of sand behind it. He steadily ran his hand along the burning edge, extinguishing the flame while at the same time turning the entire blade bright red. Without a sliver of hesitation, he charged toward the infuriated Sandcreeper, who also seemed to share his idea.
"Oh, crap!" Sam quickly dived to the ground when the lizard suddenly pounced on him. He could feel the air ripping over his head, followed by a prickling sensation on his back. Brushing aside the dull pain, Sam immediately jumped to his feet after hearing the creature landed behind him. As he turned around, the Sandcreeper was already rushing toward him, fervently snapping its burnt jaw together. Sam stood his ground, waiting patiently for the monster to come nearer.
"That's right," he whispered, "Just a little closer."
As the Sandcreeper opened its mouth, Sam leaped to his right -- just before the monster slammed its mouth shut. With the lizard briefly bewildered by its prey's disappearance, Sam drove his glowing blade into the Sandcreeper's foreleg -- causing the latter to yowl.
"Urgh!" Sam gasped after the lizard's massive tail smacked him squarely in the chest -- sending him flying away from the giant. The man slammed into the sandy ground -- his entire back throbbed excruciatingly from the rough landing. He lifted his head, watching silently as the Sandcreeper slowly made its approach. But then, its left foreleg began to twitch uncontrollably, stopping the lizard dead on its track.
"Got you."
The scaly skin around the gash slowly turned black as if they were charred by an invisible flame. Overcame by panic, the lizard thrashed around as the scorch mark rapidly spread to the rest of its torso but soon realized it was all for naught. The Sandcreeper collapsed on its belly, breathing heavily as the burnt mark reached its neck.
Sam, who was already on his knees, peered into its frail yellow eyes before they closed -- this time, permanently. A huge wave of relief instantly washed over him as the sandstorm also subsided -- until he caught a glimpse of a tiny crack on his blade.
"Shit. Should've seen this one coming," he exhaled, "Should have requested more Spider Core metal during the forging."
"Woah. You actually managed to beat it."
Sam looked over his shoulder to see Keith staring at the Sandcreeper's carrion in awe. "Didn’t I tell you to run?" the Faceless replied as he sheathed the sword. "Why did you come back?"
"I...don't know," Keith shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe because it doesn't sit well with me to just abandon someone to their death."
"Is that so? Not trying to offend you or anything, but I find that difficult to believe."
"Okay. You might be thinking I'm trying to pull something here, but I'm not. All my life, I was told that the Faceless slaughtered the Distorted and normal people alike. But maybe, the people who told me that were wrong about you. About all of you.”
GRRR!
"Wait, something’s not right," Sam interrupted after hearing something moving in the sand below. He shifted his attention back to the Sandcreeper, which was still lying motionlessly in front of him. Then, without warning, he heard Keith shouting behind him, followed by a hefty shove on his back.
BOOM!
The ground exploded, and another Sandcreeper popped out, sinking its teeth into Keith's left thigh. The man screamed and desperately scratched the creature's snout, hoping for the monster to release him.
"NO!" Sam cried out. Before he could brandish his katana, the giant lizard crawled back into the ground -- mercilessly dragging its unwilling prey along. Panic-stricken, Sam instantly dropped on all four -- fruitlessly digging through the sand with his bare hands.
"Damn it!" he uttered. Curling his fingers into a fist, Sam vented every last drop of his anger by pummelling the ground. A moment later, he sat on his rear with a shaky breath and a grazed knuckle. After calming himself down, he recalled a piece of advice Markus used to tell him.
"Focus, Sam. Focus, and never...hesitate."
After uttering those words, Sam hesitantly straightened himself up and reached for his earpiece.
"Lucy, Rupert. Come in," he said, "I have some bad news."
