BEYOND 3A: BloodRed and ScaleBlack

The Forty-Ninth Feather: The Gross, The Strange, And The Hopeful

Jake couldn't get a moment of peace since that day, he kept himself in hiding, along with Corna's head, which he wrapped in bandages he stole. Today, however, was the day he decided to take action. He snuck into the elementary school to which she used to go, and searched for a particular ally.

In the newspaper club, Imogen was sitting on her usual plastic throne, both feet on the table, and going through social media for any recent happenings.

He transformed into a bird and flew in front of her when she was by herself. She said: "Oh, it's you, Jake. Then, surely, Corna's with you right? Where have you two been?"

Jake: "Bark!"

Imogen: "How do you still bark in bird form? That's freaky."

Jake "Bark!"

The boy tried to clue her in on what was happening, guiding her attention to the exit. She asked: "You've got something to show me? Alright, I'm down."

Then, Jake led her to a bush a short walk away from the school and revealed the head to her. She exclaimed: "Holy shit! Oh God, that's a head! Oh, fuck!"

Jake: "Bark!"

Imogen: "Why are you showing me that?!"

Jake: "Bark..."

Imogen realised that the situation was much deeper than it appeared, once she shook off her initial reaction, and went back to look closer at the head. She peeled off a few of the bandages and immediately understood what had happened. She muttered: "Holy shit... Is this... Corna?"

Jake: "Whimper..."

Imogen: "My God, she really died so anticlimactically, huh? This is... So gross and yet... so intriguing! How did this happen?"

Jake: "Bark!"

Imogen: "Oh, right, you can't talk."

Looking for a way to communicate properly with Jake, Imogen rolled back her left arm's sleeve, revealing the Wound, which was inactive. She tapped him a few times, waking him up eventually, and he quickly shouted: "Hoho! Tell me, American! Is it true that in capitalist America no one's allowed to eat jumping-contest frogs?!"

Imogen: "Yep."

The Wound: "FASCINATING! I heard all the tragic news and I must say to you right now, Jake, I am very sorry and I apologise... for the inconvenience of me enjoying the FUCK out of that birdie's death!"

Imogen: "No one asked. Now can you translate?"

The Wound: "Oh yes, I can. But he won't tell you anything I don't know about."

Imogen: "Then why didn't you tell me that Corna died?"

The Wound: "That was more of a... personal victory for myself and many people like me. I just had to savour it privately, even though for someone like murmur, death is like a slap on the wrist. But hey! Myself and the other unfortunate suckers like me will take what we can get!"

Imogen: "Good lord, what did she even do to you people?"

The Wound: "For most of us, her previous incarnation was the one who trapped us in our horrific bodies. I used to be quite a handsome young man a few decades ago."

Imogen: "You'll have to tell me more about that later, for now, what is Jake trying to tell me?"

The Wound: "He wants to bring Corna back to life."

Imogen: "Is that even possible, though?"

The Wound: "Normally, yes, when a Hylic Beyonder's vessel dies, they go on their marrie way and possess another corpse. But Corna's case is very particular. She's a special case simply because she can bypass the one law of reincarnation, memory loss."

Imogen: "And?"

The Wound: "Well, for one, I suspect that Murmur's energy still has its effects on that head's brain, so if it were to be revived, Corna will come back to life as an average, feeble human being."

Jake: "BARK BARK BARK BARK!"

Imogen: "What is he saying?"

The Wound: "He's just excited. Unfortunately, it's much easier said than done, because you have not one, but two forces you gotta worry about."

Jake: "Bark?"

The Wound: "The M.I.S.S.I.O.N organisation, since you'll be screwing with them again, and... Murmur herself."

Jake: "...Bark?"

The Wound: "Like I said, Murmur is very different from your average Beyonder. Her powers allow for countless exploits in the system. I'm sure you've noticed that the rest of her body was missing, right? Well, one of such exploits is the ability to puppeteer her own acephalous body by messing around with the concept of muscle memory. She's a threat to your quest, my boy, because the only one who'll be able to survive a one-on-one fight with her is someone who's on the same calibre as her, including a head formerly belonging to her. Plus, if the cards are right, something very interesting will happen."

Imogen: "...Okay? I'm not too sure about what you said, but let's say that's all true. What do you suggest he could do to revive her?"

The Wound: "Come on, you of all people should know exactly who is needed for the job."

Imogen: "...Ah! I get it! Raphael is the key! The Beyonder who revives is still in the Texas prison! Surely that's the solution!"

Jake: "BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK!"

The Wound: "Yes, it is indeed a spot of hope for our intrepid hero, but this is a solo task for you. Consider it a test given by your fate. It's now you and only you who can bring her back to life. Are you up to the challenge?"

Jake: "WOOOF!"

Forty-ninth Feather:

Plucked