Chương 2: Silver Blood
Karos watched as the silver blood poured out of its body and formed a small puddle beneath it. The creature continued to ignore it. He knew he needed to address its wound, but the thing would not let him get near it. It seemed to be intelligent, yet its reckless actions proved otherwise.
"Listen, Ake. Unlike before, you cannot lose so much blood and survive. That wound on your side needs bandaging and sealing," he urged. A scoff only came from it making Karos become stifled with anger.
"Aniya, Aniya byuna. Geishi wanui mo Quao."
It held its hand out while pointing to its bare chest. A small hole. The creature's gaze brimmed with anger and resentment. It huffed and puffed under the dead silence he was giving it, but Karos could not understand. There were many "holes" in its body and it only worried about that small one decorating the side of its chest.
There was an uplifting feeling coming from his arm. Soon the light-headedness disappeared along with the nauseousness that came with motion. He looked at the beast in complete awe. Somehow, the creature had healed his arm. The infection could still be felt, however, it was making its gradual disappearance.
"Ake." The beast snorted not bothering to answer him. Despite the attitude the creature was showing, it had done so much for him. He owed it his life even though it was the one that threatened it.
"... Thank you."
Before it could respond, Karos heard the clamoring footsteps of men, the metal clanging through the deep cavern with each step. He hastily stood ignoring the slight dizziness that came with the sudden movement.
His men were still alive, he thought, beaming. The happiness he felt only lasted a couple seconds before he realized the beast was still in the cave, injured and unable to speak a word of Ganish. He limped over to the beast stripping off his shirt and handed it over to it. "Take it. They are coming and they cannot see you like this."
Karos watched as the beast slid his shirt over its body with ease making more questions rise to the forefront of his mind. Yet, he knew now was not the time.
"Give me your hand."
The beast eyed his hand like it was something disgusting.
"Take it. Now. We have no time for this!"
He saw the reluctance in the creature's eyes, yet it outstretched his hand and he helped it stand on its two feet. Karos simmered down the pain coursing through his arm and leg as the weight added pressure to his wounds. He was not fit enough to move or carry another person's weight. After finding steady footing, Karos exited out of the darkened cave with nothing but his sword and a burden. His instincts were telling him to leave the beast in the cave, but his values as a soldier overpowered them.
In less than a second, after stepping out of the cave and into the light, arrows dispersed from the sky. The beast ducked down and pushed Karos to the side of the rocks before an arrow could pierce through his arm. Another came his way and he tried to roll out of the line of fire. However, he was not quick enough and it nicked the side of his arm causing him to hiss.
Before another could meet his heart, the beast had the arrow snapped in half as it climbed over him. Karos flipped them over just as another one penetrated his back causing him to let out a cry of pain. He snatched the arrow out of his back biting back the pain that came with it.
"Stop the arrows! We are unarmed!"
Karos' breath came out in labored pants. His eyesight was becoming blurry. He stared down at the beast and saw nothing but anger in its blue eyes.
"Listen, Ake, if we both want to stay alive we must work together," he mumbled in a hushed voice as he heard footsteps coming closer. Ake only stared until a smirk plastered all over his face.
As soon as the footsteps stopped, Ake pushed him off of him and into the nearby grass. Karos watched as it plunged the broken bits of the arrow into the unsuspecting man's throat. The soldier's mouth opened trying to get in the air that was not coming. He watched as the man choked and gurgled on his own blood until he laid lifeless in the sea of rocks.
Without another word, the beast stripped the boots and trousers off of the dead man as if it did this a million times. There was no hesitation or even a slight hint of remorse in its demeanor. Everything it had done was cold and calculated.
It turned to face Karos. Soon, it helped him up with unabashed eyes. It had no problem taking away human life. It had done so on a scale of hundreds on the battlefield.
To have ever thought this creature held the human capacity to feel an ounce of guilt should have never crossed his mind. It was a beast from the depths of damnation. It mattered little which form it took.
"Killing him was unnecessary," Karos muttered on deaf ears.
Ake paid him no mind. He knew the beast thought little of him and his existence. Yet, the actions of it said otherwise. Time and time again, the beast had saved his life.
By the number of footsteps, he could gather over five men clad in armor would be upon them in less than thirty-seconds. A simple gaze at the beast showed that he realized the odds were against them. With both their strength depleting, there was no possible way they could overcome them.
"We need to surrender ourselves."
Karos dropped his sword stained with the blood of dragons and men alike. He grabbed the beast's arm and forced him down to the ground.
"Drop all of your weapons! Hands to the sky!" The commander's voice boomed across the little distance separating them. Karos did as the man said and nudged Ake to do the same. With a hiss and growl, the beast did and followed his command.
"We are survivors of the battle, 'Incarceron'. We took shelter in the cave from the beasts that now roam the skies above."
"Well, Gods be damned, Karos, you are alive!"
Karos looked up searching for the face with the familiar voice. The search ended once his gaze landed on a young man with a dented metal helmet gracing his sides. His body armor, decorated with dents and claw marks, had a sea of silver and red blood littered across it.
"Andel!" Karos sounded exasperated but joyful.
One of his comrades had made it out alive. He wondered how. A fleeting thought. Just as he was about to rise, the men took notice of the dead man that laid in a pool of his own blood. They looked from him to Ake and soon all friendly gestures of brotherhood disappeared.
"Who is that with you? He is not from our battalion."
"Andel, the man shot me with arrows and would not relent. It was his life or ours. This man here saved my life." Andel approached Karos like an unfamiliar object. Chains wrapped around his arms next causing Ake to scoff.
"This is unnecessary!"
"Just precaution." Another one came and wrapped chains around Ake's wrists. By the expression written on the beast's face, it was more than livid.
"Aniya byuna." Karos' eyes widened as he heard the beast's whispered words.
Ake jumped, swinging its arms underneath itself. With the slightest movement of its hands holding his head, Andel's neck snapped. His head turned backward until it was lolling to the side of his spasming body. By the time Ake let go, it hung on to his neck by a thread of muscle. Karos' mouth was agape as the beast repeated the same process to the other five men.
Blood squirted and drizzled out their limp bodies in droves. The entire bed of rocks became soiled in red. Some of their heads were draping down to their arms. Others were rolling down the rocks catching with the tide. It left Karos voiceless. It was a monster, he realized through the silence.
Blood speckled its face, clothes, and arms. It licked the remaining blood off the palms of its hands down to its fingertips. It continued to eye Karos with the same enmity found in its moss green eyes yet again. This time, there was a vicious smirk crossing its blood coated lips.
Far too late.
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