บท 13: 13. Shade

During this whole commotion, Lukas had snuck off from the group to inspect one of those blobs of flesh. Getting real close in the process. Driven by innate curiosity, but not wanting to touch it, he pulled his knife from its sheath. Lukas was currently looking very closely at the blob, noticing the purplish veins sticking out from it, seemingly pulsating at random. His knife got closer, and closer. He wondered what would happen if he poked it just a little bit.

Nothing. Nothing happened when he poked it just a little bit, deciding to get a bit more daring, he plunged the whole knife into the flesh, tearing it apart. Now, Lukas is a small child, he didn't know about blood pressure. A torrent of thick, purplish liquid flew out of the blob, drenching his whole body in it. Some even got in his mouth, nose and eyes. He screamed in fear. Steve, whose attention had been drawn by the happenings at front, looked behind himself and paled in fear. Who would have thought that in the small amount of time that he'd turned around, this child would go ahead and do something stupid like that? Kicking himself for not paying attention, he ran forward to see if he was alright. But he had to stop as he couldn't touch him without getting that liquid all over himself.

"Lukas! Are you alright?" He shouts. Lukas is currently drenched from head to toe in some kind of purplish liquid, but it didn't burn or anything like that, in fact… It tasted rather sweet.

"Yes! Am sorry, I was just so curious!" He shouted back. Steve smiles at that, moves closer and wipes the liquid off of his face. Too preoccupied with everything that is happening, neither Steve nor anyone else noticed that for a split second, Lukas eyes flashed purple. The moment they all learned that these blobs of flesh weren't any dangerous, they decided to instantly destroy whatever they were, because something hideous like that could never be anything good. At that moment they all heard an enraged shout. "RAGNAR! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Looking at the front, you could see Ragnar standing with a sword, seemingly ready to impale Rick. Everyone in the room looked on in horror as the man was about to murder a child. Looking around himself, Ragnar sighs. "Harold… Can you not see.. Rick, Is already dead. He's become a breeding ground for a monster. If we try to cut him out of this rock, he'll lose so much flesh he'll die regardless… There is no winning here, Harold" Harold clenches his fist at that, knowing that it is correct. But, still, everything that is happening is so new. Who is Ragnar to say that Rick will actually die after the process is finished? What gives him the right to take his life? No one. "Step away, Ragnar. If he's a breeding ground or if he is not. You're not getting to decide his life or death. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Harold pulled his own sword from its sheath, pointing it at Ragnar. Ragnar's deep, dark eyes glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes.

"Very well, Harold. You get to choose how this child dies. I wanted to spare him the misery, the torture of his existence, but these matters are in your hands now. Regardless, we have to leave. Are you staying behind to look after him or coming with us?" Sheathing his sword, Ragnar moves away towards the exit, noticing the slowly deflating blobs of flesh. Earlier hidden by the size of the things, now there lies animal fur on the ground around each one. Deciding not to mention it out loud, he gives a nod to everyone present and immediately leaves. Lukas goes to open his mouth, but sees Steve shaking his head. There were a few people exchanging glances, none of which were keen to stay behind to see the results of whatever experiment Harold was doing, immediately following behind Ragnar on his way out. Hesitating slightly, Grace stands there for a moment

"Harold… He's dead, you can't help him" From his kneeling position in front of Nick, Harold looks back at her with tears in his eyes. It breaks her heart, as she's never seen him this sad before.

"I.. know. But, I have to try, if i don't, I will hate myself forever." A rough, calloused hand moves to remove the hair out of the boy's eyes. "My boy… My dear boy. How could this have ever happened to you?" Sobbing, Harold sits there by himself, no sign of moving. Sighing, Grace turns around.

"Do as you wish.. Harold. I can't help you any more. Take care"