Read Eternal Solitude :: Loveless: Shiryu's Guilt

Crunch!

Munch!

“Agh, I think I just ate a regular stone.” a purple scaly creature grimaces, spitting out some rock fragments

“I guess they’re all stone when you think about it,” he mouths a red gem munching it down,

….

My name is Shiryu Zadkiel

I gave myself that name after merging with a dragon egg when I was a small child,

It would have consumed me if not for the angel Raguel who transferred his energy to me,

Instead it gave birth to the amalgamation that I am now…

Not entirely human, but not a beast either,

I can live off eating magic stones alone, and hibernate for years if I choose to,

Crunch!

Shiryu bites down into one more stone before getting up, he looks across from his small sky isle to an enormous floating citadel,

From the outside it looks like a place of royalty, from it’s tall towers of varying heights flaunting their magnificence down at anyone looking up, to it’s blueish silver aura that could make a rock stare up at it in wonder

Inside however, it was a place Shiryu disliked, slaughtered human heads decorated the bare rugged walls that winded and twisted like a beehive and anthill combined, this was the main hub of the beasts a home to them

(But not for me)

“Hyuh!” he leaps off his isle to another near one,

(It took years alone just for me to be able to jump that strongly,)

It’s the only way across sky isles,

Many beasts call it natural selection,

If you can’t make a jump you fall to your death

That’s the unwritten law here in the bends,

I’ve had to adjust to it from a child, I could barely stand when my body became this, everything hurts it feels like little stones are under my flesh

“Hyuh!”

Every time I move it pains

“Hyuh!”

I think it’s my punishment for being a naïve kid, I could have been living nicely serving under the supreme leader right now and not this solitude,

“Hyyuuh!” Shiryu makes one final leap landing on the sky citadel’s island,

“Snake boyy” a tiger growls upon seeing him,

“Kitty cat” Shiryu waves at it tauntingly

“Why don’t you show me your beast form?” it retorts mockingly

Shiryu ignores it trudging past into the citadel

(Most beasts don’t like me)

Not because of anything I did, but what I am,

You see all beastmen have two forms, a humanoid form and their primal form,

I don’t have that since I’m still human inside

These beasts are just that, beasts, they’re simple minded and flock towards the strongest

They don’t question abnormalities like me, only look down

(I don’t mind either way, I learned a long time ago that being alone is much more desirable)

Grauuhhhhh!

Hskkkkks!

Cawwww!

The citadel is as usual in a messy uproar, the beastmen tend to not get along with each other,

The stronger ‘new breeds’ are the only ones keeping them in check, but they’re hibernating right now hence the chaos,

(Which is a perfect opportunity for me to–)

Whack!!

A stray tongue lashes out unexpectedly grazing Shiryu’s ear,

“Aghh” he spins around in anger

“Your skin tastes weird” a toad-man grins slyly

They are mortal enemies of the snakes,

(And since everyone thinks I am one they are my enemies too)

“Hssskkkk” Shiryu hisses back it lunging forward he lashes out with his claws, that are sharp enough to cut solid stone

That’s how things go around here,

With beasts talking, arguing, debating, it’s never an option they solve everything with violence

If you ever encounter a beast and start talking to you it’s probably a ploy to ambush you with more of their people.

Whack!

A poisonous tongue lashes out again at Shiryu,

He parries with his forearm,

The poison won’t have any affect on the hybrid young man, his skin is tough and scally poison would not be able to penetrate his violet layer of protection,

“Hssskkk!” Shiryu grabs onto the tongue pulling the toad-man to him,

Uelrkk!!

With one strike he guts the creature,

It reverts from it’s humanoid form to a large spiky toad,

(Large spiky dead toad*)

This is a normal day for me, a struggle to survive,

I would have let myself die a long time if not for Raguel, I may not have known that man for long

But he gave up his life for my survival,

(And I hate that)

I was just a bratty kid that was going to be a servant of the supreme leader,

He could have let me die, it wouldn’t have any impact

But no,

(He wasted his life on me)

He was the one with love or whatever,

A family,

A child that is probably orphaned right now,

(What did I have)

It’s been seventeen short years since I became like this,

The memory still haunts me, awake or hibernating

The guilt

My guilt

Because of my naivety….

…..

It’s why I have to complete his request no matter what

(I have to find and free the god’s corpse)

That was his goal for being here and now it’s mine

……

…...

Bing♪

An elevator door opens invitingly

(Made it past those hawks quite easily)

Shiryu darts quickly into the enclosure pressing it shut,

This citadel is the only place on Gaia with working technology this area, they call the Bends is exempt from the technological ban placed on the ring, even so the beastmen themselves don’t use technology the entire bottom floor of the citadel is like a cave system there are no lights furniture it’s like a cave system but hidden at the far back is an elevator shaft,

Guarded by hawk-men no one besides the ‘new breed’ are allowed passage up,

(With my magic I can sneak past….)

Bing♪

The elevator stops on the highest floor,

(If the rumours are true then)

……

“I know you’re there Shiryu” a man calls out just as his door began to turn open slowly, startling the hybrid opening it

(Expecting me?)

Shiryu’s head bobs past the doorway, inside a bright white light shines over a gray room, at the centre is an operation table, the walls are lined with soundproof padding, at the back is a large mainframe computer where a ball headed man sits

“Don’t be so cautious, Shiryu, I have foreseen your arrival a long time ago.”

(He knows my name?

No one knows my name,

I haven’t told anyone my name yet)

“How did do you know my name?”

“I know everything about you Shiryu Zadkiel,

But let’s get formalities out of the way first, shut the door behind you,

Come in,

I am doctor Noah Savage,

Some people know be by the moniker of the Blackmagic dealer”