The Heartstone Journey

Book 4 | Ch. 4 - A Side We've Never Seen

"What will you do~?"

Zack blurted out with tears diving onto the wooden floorboard.

"He requires.. blood."

Zack's eyes widened coming to the realization of what would happen next if he allowed it.

Now it made sense as to why he asked for him, he wanted his permission. We all watched him lower his head trembling filled with so many complicated emotions bottled up. In a stutter he nods his head with clear disagreement but goes along with it all to survive.

"Y-yes~... m-my crew won't perish in vain as long as even one of us is still standing."

"*Sigh*... I know this is hard for you but you have my thanks."

Hunter commented wanting him to know his sincerity.

Moments later we all could hear Zack's weeps firing away uncontrollably making the rest of us all the more gloomy from his wails. One by one Hunter lined the three of us up hesitant but listed the various things we had to do, horrific was the word that expressed how we all felt.

"Boys.. I have no choice but to do this. I'm sorry."

He expressed with a low tone for once actually apologizing for something, yet it was for what he had no control over.

"We must... pile the corpses together, don't let the blood get on you. Use your aura to act as a layer of clothing."

It was almost inhumane what he said, Cloudy couldn't help but shake not from freight but anger of not being able to do anything. Nick seemed aware of what had to be done, not surprised as we were. One by one we entered the bottom decks to collect the bodies around us, mangled and torn apart by what flew outside. The first few corpses we had to carry away sent a terrible stench down our nostrils, sending us on the urge to make a run to the edge of the boat to hurl. After lining up fifteen bodies our sense of smell was beginning to numb, or clog it was quite difficult to tell honestly. I was starting to fear for the worst of everything with the amount of corpses we escorted upstairs. Eventually there were thirty human corpses lying before the chimera oozing saliva from its mouth hardly able to contain its hunger. Sweat and the smell of blood covered us all attempting to pry open our mouths and vomit our insides away. I could tell Cloudy was the one having the most difficult time looking as if he was about ready to lash out at the beast. I patted his shoulder, shaking my head at him.

"Don't do anything rash."

I whispered to him.

"Mhm~."

He nodded with power and anger in his gesture.

After thirty minutes the final area was left, inside the barracks where the worst of the combat lay. All of us but Hunter and Nick went inside leaving the two up with the hybrid. It was quiet, humid, stuffy and terrible inside with hardly any space to move around without losing your balance somewhat. Corpses lied in our wakes with markings on the floor creating unstable footing. Cloudy walked further in while I took care of the closest bodies near the door until I stopped catching Cloudy paused frozen in time.

"Cloudy?"

I wondered what made him hesitate.

Only until I saw it for myself. Two headbands rested upon a single hand on the floor, I approached slowly in disbelief shaking my head with pent up grief. I screamed with horror holding onto my mouth as if it would bring back those I bonded with. Cloudy fell to the floor on his knees, reaching out for the two bands with his hands quivering immensely. I glanced down seeing what happened to Sami and Winn. It was far too much to even describe their injuries. Sami held onto Winn as if to protect him, there was a gaping hole inside both aligning them as one. Their faces were deformed but still displayed terror, I couldn't bear to continue the sight of them and walked out ready to avenge their deaths. I knew at the time once again my face was not of joy, nor dull, it bore and harbored what I kept locked away, my wrath.