NP: Killer by The Ready Set
"What?" Vincent smirked. "Daddy came to rescue his favorite sons?"
Pilgrim looked paler since I last saw him. He must have lost some weight. There were dark circles around his eyes, made prominent by the hollow of his cheeks. None of these made him any less daunting though. His mere presence was still enough to make anyone cower in fear. If anything, it made him more... deathly.
Pilgrim sighed, waving a hand at Cairo who obediently handed him the Master Scythe. For a second, Pilgrim tested the scythe's weight on his hand, seemingly unmindful of the distraught faces moving on the surface of the blade.
I could almost hear their pleas, their mournful lament, the grinding of their teeth.
"Vincent, Vincent," Pilgrim hushed, his voice frail. "Always the black sheep of the family. Always seeking for attention."
Vincent tilted his head, blinking as if to agree. "That so? Then let's see if this gets your attention, Dad."
He drove his lance just below Cyrus's shoulder bone. As the boy began moaning in pain, he twisted and thrust it deeper.
"What about now, Dad?" he scoffed. "This is exactly what you made them do to me. Aren't you proud of me now?"
Before his father could answer, he pulled the lance out of his brother's body, the curves of the spines tearing flesh as they came out.
Cyrus croaked and passed out. Darius quietly cried beside him.
As I watched those young boys plead for their lives, I somehow pitied them. They were just boys. They were Vincent's brothers.
"Go ahead," Pilgrim said unblinkingly. "Kill them. See if that makes you sleep at night for the next... let's say-eternity."
That seemed to hit a major angry nerve in Vincent. With a furious yell, he swung his lance down.
"No!" I shouted at him.
Vincent hesitated, stopping himself with the tip of his lance a hair's breadth shy of Darius' eyeball.
"They're your brothers, Vincent!" I begged him, wiping the tears from my face. "No matter how cruel and twisted they are, it doesn't change that fact. You start killing family; you wouldn't walk out of here the same."
Pilgrim laughed a laugh that made my knees tremble. "You can't do it, Vincent. You're weak; that's what you are."
Vincent's gaze shifted from me to his father. His eyes told me how confused he was, how this was messing him in the head.
"Damn you!" Vincent glared at Pilgrim, running a hand through his hair as he did.
"Don't listen to him, Vincent!" Warily, I approached my master, shaking my head gently. "You're many things. But I know weak isn't one of them. You're strong. That's why you won't do it."
"Go on," Pilgrim cut in. "Listen to a lowly familiar. Be the spineless, sniveling coward you really are."
Closing his eyes, Vincent shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Shut. Up!"
Vincent stomped on Darius's hand. The boy's scream made me wince. Without even blinking, Vincent aimed the lance onto his brother's heart.
"No, Vincent!" My voice cracked in all the wrong places. "It's not who you are!"
Hesitance flashed on his eyes. "I... don't know who I am anymore."
"I-I hate them too. You know I do. B-but you're better than them."
"Maybe, I'm just like them." His voice was paper-thin.
"You always hide your pain. But I think I always knew how much you hurt."
I slowly stepped towards him, preventing a gasp from escaping my lips when I heard the sizzle of my flesh the moment I held his arm.
"Let go," he growled, tugging his arm. "I said, let go!"
Tears streamed down my cheeks but it wasn't for the searing pain on my palm. They were for him.
"I'm here now, Vincent. If you just let me, I'll bear your pain too. I can't promise to take it all away. But... I swear you would never have to suffer alone."
The red in his eyes slowly diminished, retreating back into his slit-like pupils. As he blinked, his eyes had reverted back to their normal silvery gray color, mellowing as he let his weapon falter. The crimson scales on his skin gradually disappeared, evaporating into red smoke.
He removed my hand from his arm and longingly stared as the blisters on my palm began to heal.
"You never listen," he whispered, brushing the tears on my cheeks with his thumb. "As long as you're next to me, I think I... I can bear it all."
"How very touching," Pilgrim appeared in front of us, the Master Scythe in his hands. "Such a shame we would have to cut your very dramatic skit short. Now that that's over with, let's get to business. First, I'll need the girl, please."
Amyr hurried to us and assumed a defensive position.
Smoke kept coming out of Vincent's skin. He stared down at himself, panic evident on his face. He dropped on all fours, gasping for air, eyes rolling upwards. He was going into spasm.
"What's happening to him?!" I asked Amyr, hunkering down beside Vincent.
"I dunno!" Amyr hissed, sparing me a glance. "Must be the transformation thing using up a lot of his life-force."
As I looked up, Pilgrim and Cairo were already in front of us.
Amyr was trying to look brave, but sweat dotted his forehead. His lips quivered when he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Stop right there," he warned, pointing his sword at the two.
Pilgrim put his hands up, gesturing at Cairo to stay behind. "We both know how this ends, familiar. You don't really expect you'll defeat me."
"No," he admitted, shrugging. "But I'll try to rip your spine out before I go down."
Gasping sounds came through Vincent's tightly clamped teeth. His hand was cold as ice, his chest barely moving.
I clamped my fingers around his hand and willed my life-force to him through the Transference link.
Soon, he could breathe again. He stopped seizing. His wounds had started to close. Smoke wasn't coming out of him anymore.
"It's work-"
Before I could rejoice, Vincent's eyes flew open. What once were metallic gray orbs had become pitch black, spreading all over the whites of his eyes and to his lids, meandering outwards to his face like dark veins. Wheezing, he curled sideways, clutching his stomach. He covered his mouth with a hand and coughed his lungs out.
As the fit stopped, he stared at the black liquid on his hand.
"Is that... blood?" I mumbled, about to help him up.
"Don't," he said. Another coughing episode had him doubling over. "Look."
He took my hand off his wrist and showed it to me. My fingers left black vein-like markings that slowly crept to his arm.
"Oh God," I gasped, pulling away from him. "I'm... poisoning you."
"Calm down, Aramis," he rasped, his face contorting with pain. "W-we'll get help, okay?"
I was crumbling from the inside. Of course, he would say that even if the truth was screaming at his face.
"Aramis," he struggled to meet my eyes. "We'll figure this out."
I forced a nod. It was the answer he wanted.
"You two get out of here!" Amyr yelled, keeping his eyes on Pilgrim and Cairo.
Pilgrim made the first move, draughting towards Amyr, swing the Master Scythe. Amyr deflected it and leaped out of hacking distance. He jabbed at Pilgrim's stomach and hit air. As if expecting that, Amyr lowered his stance, closing in on Pilgrim from below. He jammed the pommel of his sword against Pilgrim's chin. Then, he twisted and swung.
Just when I thought Amyr had landed a serious blow, Pilgrim leaped back, his ripped cloak falling off of his shoulder and flitting with the wind. Besides a lacerated wound on his arm, he looked okay.
"It's been a while since I have seen my own blood." Pilgrim fingered the wound and stared at the red stains on his hand, grinning. "You will regret that."
Pilgrim rocked back and forth on his heels and draughted. In one blink, he was already behind Amyr, swinging his scythe. Amyr was quick to wedge his broadsword in between the Master Scythe and his neck before he was sent flying across the courtyard, bouncing and rolling to a stop.
Before Amyr could try to get up, Cairo was already onto him. The boy had his Cataclyst out, wasting no time to close it around Amyr's neck. Cairo yanked him to his knees until his face turned ashen, his lids fluttering.
"Not him! Please!" I cried out, mustering the courage to face Pilgrim Reaper. "Just take me and let them go."
"W-what... the hell are y-you doing?!" Vincent wheezed.
With a loud groan, my master forced himself to his feet and stumbled in front of me, clutching his chest as he did. The black discoloration in his eyes had been slowly subsiding, but he was struggling to keep his ground.
Rolling his eyes, Pilgrim struck Vincent with the flat of his blade. My master tumbled a few yards away.
"No!" I screamed.
"That was easy," Pilgrim commented. "Now you come with me."
"A-aramis!" Vincent rasped, desperately crawling to me.
Pilgrim snatched my wrist.
Anger twisted my insides just at the sensation of him touching my skin. My blood boiled, seeing Vincent crawl on dirt because of him.
"How dare you..." I mumbled quietly.
As he began to drag me away, I planted my feet on the ground and tugged.
He turned to me, using the blunt top of his blade to lift my chin up. "You keep testing my patience girl and you will know what pain really means."
I clenched my teeth and glared back at him. Then, I looked at his other hand-the one that was restraining me.
"My soul's a part of you, right?" I demanded.
He considered it for a moment and smiled. "Good. You're starting to see things my way." He touched my cheek. I fought the urge to cringe. "Yes, we are connected. You are a piece of me, Aramis. Quite precious one, if I say so myself."
Closing my eyes, I tried to feel his soul. It was a gnashing, wretched entity wanting to suck me in until I was nothing but an empty husk. Just the glimpse of it stabbed me with years and years fear and pain and surprisingly, reprieve. It was as if it was urging me to let go of everything, to forget, to lose meaning.
So this is Death.
I opened my eyes, out of breath and with my free hand, reached for his face. "Then, I'm all yours."
Patches of black appeared from where my hand touched his face, spreading outward and fast until it reached one of his eyes. Dark blood suddenly trickled from his nose.
His eyes widened as the black liquid dripped down his pristine shirt. "W-what are you-"
Choking sounds came out of his throat as the poison spread down his neck. He grabbed my hand in an attempt to break free.
I placed my other hand on his face. I held tight, with all intent of pouring every last drop of my tainted life-force to him. Soon, stupor began to claim me. I felt faint and nauseous. All I wanted was to get it over with.
We both fell to our knees. Soon, black liquid oozed from Pilgrim's eyes.
"Don't cry," I sighed, fighting to keep my eyes open. "This is what you want, right? You were even willing to kill Vincent for this."
"Y-you can't... k-kill me. You... wouldn't," he gurgled, blood trickling from the sides of his mouth.
It must be the wooziness but I actually chuckled. "Maybe. But I can try. I could care less about what would happen to the rest of the world when you're gone. So you die. All your sons die. But Vincent?"
When I saw the look on Pilgrim Reaper's face, I couldn't help but laugh like a lunatic. My arms and legs were turning numb. It was getting harder to breathe. Everything blurred and swayed. But I didn't care.
I leaned close to his ear and whispered. "Yes, Grandmaster. I know your little secret. The devil told me."
A pair of arms slid from behind me and hauled me away from Pilgrim.
"That's enough, Aramis," Vincent said, his ragged breaths playing on my neck.
My chin fell on my chest and I saw his arms starting to turn black. I tried to contain the flow of my life-force. It wasn't happening though. I couldn't stop it from leaking out.
With what strength I had left, I got away from his hold.
"Don't come... near me," I breathed out heavily.
"I'm okay," he said, hands up. "Everything's going to be-"
"Just stop!" I snapped.
I wanted to believe him. Every strand of me wanted to believe there was hope. Just looking at his clear earnest eyes, I almost did. But I was tired of everything. I just wanted to be done with it all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know I said I'd update yesterday but I wanted to announce something with an update so here it is:
Reapers - Thirteen Brothers is officially released under Summit Media PopCloakFiction! For all of you there in the Philippines like me, it's available in bookstores. It's also available in Buqo! Get a free preview by downloading the Buqo App :) Enjoy!
ps. credits to PopFiction for the picture :)