We… stole her?
She’s so tired.
From the Master.
It’s almost done.
Are we going to be punished?!
So close...
She was no longer aware of the sting that the cold mountain air lashed her with as she watched the beast before her. The blood that had once drenched its head now clumped its fur together in crimson ice. Its movements were sluggish with a sense of discoordination and force as its razor-claws tore through the frozen ground. She watched in a perfect stillness as she took shallow breaths to avoid angering her injuries while her numb fingers mulled over the skull in her hands. After a few moments, the beast halted its digging and looked to her. She nodded her head before the beast obediently trailed off, and she moved to the hole it had dug before carefully moving on to her knees. She placed the skull with its empty sockets watching the world in front of the mountain before she began refilling the hole with its displaced earth.
She’s so cold.
Reena, stop and make a fire.
She doesn’t even notice.
Has she given up?
Does she want to die?
You can do this.
The snow gnawed at her numb digits until she had finished, and she slowly staggered to her feet, clenching her teeth. She took a moment to compose herself before turning to follow the beast, but a flutter of air brushed past her face, and warmth began to seep against her left cheek. Slowly she raised a hand to it before looking to her fingertips that were now painted red.
THE HUNTER!
RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!
IT’S HIM!
GET OUT OF THERE!
THE HUNTER!
EVADE!
Her eyes widened as she stumbled to the side with an arrow flying by her. Her heart began to shred against her ribs while her vision darted through the trees.
“I finally found you." his voice was unforgiving.
Reena. Run.
She’s going to die. Heh heh
It’s not safe!
Call the beast back!
It’s too late!
Useless.
“I di-”
“SHUT UP!" he shouted, making her flinch as her eyes found his of gold. “You are a goddamn monster!" he growled as her eyes shattered with tears, and he dropped his bow to draw the short sword from his back. “You will pay for the crimes you have committed, Necromancer!”
Necromancer?
He won’t even say her name… Pathetic.
He turned his back on you, Just like everyone else….
Past, present, and future.
It will never be different.
End him. Finish the barrier.
“Don’t make me do this." she whimpered while holding a shaking hand out in front of her as she stepped backward.
“I never should have believed in you." he growled while stalking towards her, and she drew the sword from her hip.
“Please!" she begged, flaring his rage.
“WHY SHOULD I SHOW YOU MERCY WHEN YOU KILLED HER!?" he roared as his sword slashed down at her, and she managed to block it, but he planted a swift kick to her chest, knocking the air from her lungs before she crashed into the snow with her sword thrown. “Out of all our futures..." he growled with a deep pain in his eyes that brought tears to them as he planted his foot on her chest, “I never foresaw this one." he added with such disdain that her heart shattered again while he rose the sword over her head.
GET OUT OF THERE!
She’s trying.
HE’LL KILL YOU.
She’s not going to make it!
She’s trying so hard to reach her sword! Hehehehe
Retribution. Are you prepared?
She gasped for air with her fingers desperately clawing at the snow, trying to reach her sword while his sang of her death through the air, hurtling towards her until a dark figure barreled into him.
She’s free? She’s free!
Run! You won’t get a second chance!
What is she doing?!
She’s taking up the sword?!
Don’t fight!
Just run, Reena!
Reena used her sword to lift herself from her knees and onto her feet before a yelp sounded. Her eyes flew to find the figure of the hound that rescued her about to be impaled.
“Akuji!" she cried with a burst of adrenaline pushing her forward. She dropped her sword and rammed her shoulder into the attacker to save the hound from the blow.
She staggered for a moment before catching herself while he fell into the snow, and she looked to the hound that had righted itself.
“Run." the hound growled as she glanced to the attacker, “NOW!" it barked, and she took off as it fetched her sword before running at her side.
That’s it! Keep running!
You’ll never escape him.
Hurry! There’s others joining him!
Hmmmph… She’ll never make it.
Howling…?
They are coming for you.
The hound quickly led the way to create an easier path for her to travel as they made their way up the mountain. She could hear shouting from behind her as tears bit her cheeks with frost and her heart pounded in her head, ringing in her ears, but she focused on her faithful hound.
“Rotting steps, slow them like corpses." the hound growled as its paw prints greyed the snow. “Keep up, Reena. It’ll only delay them if they use our path, otherwise, we will have to rely on the snow.”
“I-I’m trying." she stuttered through the pain as she clenched her teeth, and the hound looked over its black furred shoulder to her.
“Grace is nearly finished, and I finished my section." the hound barked.
“Alright… Then… then we will have to circle back…" she breathed with the pain disrupting her movement.
“Reena…" the hound slowed to a trot, “You are pushing yourself too hard… Let us fend them off.”
“We are finishing this." she stated with a bite colder than the mountain’s air.
“As you wish." the hound nodded as they continued their way, managing to circle back without the hunter catching up to them.
The hound quickly dug holes as she placed a skull in each one and buried it. Soon the two finished, and Reena stood with what little strength she had left, waiting for the hunter with the hound at her side. The cold hand of the ghost rested on her shoulder, and she placed hers on top of his.
“It’s over, necromancer." the hunter declared as the ghost vanished. Several others accompanied him while he stalked towards her with his sword drawn, every step causing him pain from a wound impossible to see and impossible to heal. “You are to be executed on the grounds of necromancy and murder." his once familiar voice was now only foreign with its remembered vow and forgotten promises.
“Please…" her hand rested over her heart, “I didn’t kill her… You have to know that… Please… Please believe me." she fell to her knees with her strength faltering. “I’ve never used my magic in anything beyond self-defense! Please Ro-”
“DON’T YOU DARE SPEAK MY NAME!" he shouted, “YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A WRETCHED NECROMANCER! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! YOU ARE THE ROT OF EXISTENCE!" he roared while slashing his sword down at her, and the hound lunged.
The cold steel tasted her flesh, forever marking her. She screamed in pain while tears stung her new wound, and her blood fell to stain the snow. The sound of his pain mixed with hers as the hound’s bite rotted the flesh it pierced with a curse.
“FINE!" she shouted as she staggered to her feet with a broken rage empowering her. “YOU SCREAM THAT I AM A WRETCHED NECROMANCER?! THEN- Then I will be a necromancer." she declared as she drew her sword, “I will be The Rot of Existence… And this will be my kingdom." her voice grew softer as she planted her sword with them all looking to her in fear while green flames erupted in a wall around the base of Ossum Mountain. “Life has forgotten you. I have not. I will not forget you." she vowed as a deep power hummed causing the snow to shift, “Awaken and guard my mountain. All those unworthy, and all those with ill intentions will be forgotten by life shall they break your guard." she continued as the snow turned to black ash under the hunters’ feet, “Death’s mark will find every trespasser, and each step of their betrayal will drop a leaf." screams of agony filled the air as the marks were rotted into the side of their necks. “The only kindness left for them will be the fifteen leaves granted to their Arbor Mortis. Shall they leave before the last leaf has fallen, all will be forgiven, but nothing will be forgotten." she warned as he glared at her, and the others retreated, “The curse will be forgotten, but its scar will remain..." she stated while gazing at him with a deep emptiness filling her eyes.
“You really are a monster!" he snapped while clutching his mark of death.
“Leave." she ordered as she began staggering her way back up the mountain before pausing, “When you leave the rot will forget you." she added quietly before she looked back to the mountain, and she bit her lip, making it bleed to keep it from trembling.
She left the hunter in the snow to make his own choice while she ascended the mountain, leaving whatever beliefs she had behind. No longer would she believe in the kindness of others. No longer she would allow them to disrupt her life. Now she will try to forget happiness. After all, why would she want to remember what she simply can not have. The world had forsaken her, and she was ready to be forgotten.
What… what is this emptiness?
She’s broken.
She’s given up.
He took what little she had.
She’s damned anyone who tries to reach her.
What was that?!
A raven!
No, no, no!
Master knows!
Have we been found?!
Reena! You need to run! Far from here!
What is she doing?!
I can’t see!
She’s unconscious!
Reena! Wake up!
She’ll freeze to death!
This is... it?
This is the end.
Unless… The tea man? Can he stop the Master?
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