Morning is met not with birds chirping.
Not an alarm clock. Not his mother nudging him awake. Not with sunlight.
It is met with the clamor of the ill.
Sirius wakes on the dusty floor. Hacks and wheezes sound throughout the building. He props himself up using the wall and exits the facility.
Last night swallows his thoughts. Strangely, he hardly feels tired.
-Where do I go from here?
Between Aureole revealing he's here for a hidden reason and Pholy saying she'd never try to hurt him, he's a mess.
-Was Pholy telling the truth? But what is Aureole hiding? Pholy said she's unable to feel loved... does that play into it somehow? Or is it something with Rawlin, and Aureole is trying to protect me?
...
Too many questions. And I can't bring myself to find the answers.
I'm scared to.
...Why?
Time passes, as it does eternally.
Sirius stares at ruptured floorboards.
He purposely avoids gazing at others.
That much is easy. Almost second nature. The struggle comes from who stands in the corner of his eye.
Three bodies down, Aureole is positioned. She forcefully holds herself with elegance. She too attempts to avoid.
...
King Bora sprawls across the shattered throne, heaving haggard breaths.
This is meant to be a strategy meeting. The final one meant to set in stone how they are to deal with the hoarbanes and their mother.
Instead, it feels more akin to a funeral. Or the king's deathbed.
"Your majesty..." a fearful guard speaks out. "Perhaps you should rest, you don't seem fit for this-"
"Nonsense. I will carry out my duty-" A parade of coughs stomps from his throat. "I will carry out my duty as your king. Now please, does anyone wish to give their suggestions?"
"I implore you, your highness," Lord Rawlin steps forward. "Give my offer proper standing."
"An outsider such as yourself should not concern yourself with these matters. And we do not wish to put your lordship in harm's way."
"With all due respect, your highness, you have already placed three of my servants in harm's way. While they may have accepted on their own volition, tossing another's servants into battle does not give you any merit in declining my proposal. I beg you reconsider."
"Hm..."
"Your majesty," another guard cries. "Please... we need all the help we can get. This man, while unfavorable, will be useful."
"Unfavorable...?"
"...Lord Rawlin. Are you certain your blessings will prove effective?"
"Without a shadow of a doubt. You may place your faith in me."
cough cough
Aureole is the one to hack.
"...Very well," the king agrees. "You may join the battle. Along with the ember and Witch Spawn."
-Huh??
Sirius, who has not been paying attention whatsoever, is caught off guard.
"You will not regret this. Trust me."
Rawlin bows and backs into place.
"...There is only one issue now. While you all may be prepared for battle, the fact remains we are unable to penetrate the hoarbane's skin. Let alone the mother's. Until we overcome this hurdle, I fear you all stand little chance."
"Oh-" Sirius slips.
"Hm? Sirius? Is there something you wish to say?"
"Maybe. I don't know if it's true or not."
"This is no time to keep to yourself. Please share."
"...After the attack I saw two hoarbanes. While they were retreating, one of them clawed at the other. When it did, the hoarbane's claw broke through the other's skin."
The king's mood seems to lighten if only slightly.
"You're saying hoarbanes can harm other hoarbanes?"
"I think it's more that their claws can puncture their own skin."
-I think it follows along the lines of Mohs Hardness Scale. Mohs scale measures a mineral's resistance to scratching. A 4 for example can be scratched by a 5. A 4 cannot be scratched by a 3 and have an effect. The hoarbane's skin must have a lower ranking than their claws.
Obviously, that's just my geology brain talking. And we're talking about piercing not scratching. And living creatures rather than rocks.
"Can you confirm this theory is foolproof?"
"...No."
"Hm..." King Bora collapses into thought. Quilo makes sure the man remains upright.
The guards and warriors begin to clamor and converse. Everyone is speculative.
"Can we really risk it?"
"We can't just run in there and rip off one of their claws."
"Kynn might've been able to."
...
An idea sparks in the ill king.
"Kynn..."
"..."
"Yes, that's it! Kynn!"
"Your majesty?"
"Sirius!" The man is suddenly bursting with energy.
"Y-yes?"
"Kynn is currently staying with our outpost's shepherd. I've been told he has been studying the hoarbane he helped capture. Would you mind sharing your theory with him? See if you can get the beast to harm itself. And if you could, Kynn is our finest warrior, would you be able to convince him to help us fight?"
"Oh... sure. Are you sure you want me to-?"
"With all due respect your majesty," a guard interrupts. "Kynn just lost his mother. He's not in the mindset to be able to comply."
"I agree," another guard says. "We should leave him time to be alone."
"Hm," the king is irritated. "Time is a costly matter. If we dawdle any longer, we risk being attacked once more. Besides, would having a friend speak with him not help him overcome his grief?"
-A friend? Does he mean me?
"I don't know..." a warrior comments.
"Are we sure?"
The warriors and guards are hesitant. They seem to care deeply about Kynn.
"Sirius," King Bora roars. "Do what you feel is right."
"...Right..."
Sirius slowly steps back and looks around the room. Rawlin's blindfolded gaze stands amidst a sea of worried eyes. His lips curl into a trusting smile.
Sirius leaves the room with his head held low.
-The king is right. Time is a costly matter.
My memories are waning. Bit by bit they're falling apart. I'm crumbling into nothing. How much time do I have left? I've been sitting at this outpost doing absolutely nothing. Did I forget why I'm here in the first place?
I need to get the map.
While Rawlin could be negotiating, I don't think the king will hand it over until the hoarbane situation is over. If I want any chance to get my memories back, I need to hurry. If I need to knock Kynn onto his feet to do so, I will.
Relationships with others are futile. While others may see us as friends, I'm incapable of feeling that way. People mean nothing to me. All I need is myself. That's how it's always been.
Right now, I need to focus on me. I decided what to do with my life. I won't let my memories slip. It's not like anyone is trustworthy here, so stop getting so hung up on them.
...
While heading toward the outskirts, he finds himself near Kynn's home. Or what's left of it, at least.
Despite Sirius' wishes, he can't help but be dragged toward the ruins.
He doesn't know what he's looking for. He feels as if something needs to be found. He's just not sure what.
Sirius lifts loose boards and rubble, searching for a nameless object.
Suddenly, out from underneath a board, Sirius finds something.
A guitar.
Kynn's guitar.
The strings are torn and the wood is dented, but other than that it remains in tact.
Sirius grabs the guitar's neck and stares at it for a moment.
...
-Why do I feel so sad?
Sirius brushes off the feeling and heads off toward Nola's place.
Sirius makes his way to the outskirts. For the most part, they remain unharmed and damage-less.
Nola's lone stable stands firm.
Everything seems unchanged, apart from the lack of bippies inside the fence.
Sirius makes his way to the front door. He hesitates to knock but forces himself to do so.
...
He awaits Nola to open the door.
But it's not her who does so.
It's Nuray.
...
"Ah, it's you," her face is chalked with sorrow. "Do you need something?"
"The king sent me. I'm here to check up on him."
"...I see," she stares off into nothing. "Sorry, I don't think he wants visitors right now. I think it's best if we leave him be for a while. Thank you for coming by-"
Nuray attempts to shut the door.
"Oh, wait! Here, I found this in his home." Sirius offers the girl Kynn's guitar.
Her face lights up, though only briefly.
"Thank you," she accepts the instrument.
"Is your sister here?"
Nuray sighs and turns around.
"Sis! Can you come over here?"
"Coming!"
Nuray turns back to Sirius and gives him a shallow wave. She clutches the guitar tightly and walks out of view.
A couple moments later, Nola stumbles to the doorway. Her eyes are red, and sleep deprived.
"Sirius! How have you been?"
"I'm alright. I had a question for you."
"If it's about Kynn, I don't know if it's a good idea to see him."
"I was wondering about the hole. Is that hoarbane in it?"
"You sure love your holes, huh?"
"You're one to talk."
"Hehe, yeah, Kynn is out back studying the thing. He won't take his eyes off the thing... We all have our own way of coping with things... but I don't know if what he's doing is healthy."
"..."
"We're worried about him. I mean, we've always considered him family, but now... he has no one else to turn to. I just wish we could help him more."
"..."
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to depress things. Why were you wondering about the hoarbane?"
"The king wants me to test a theory. If it works, we could be able to wipe them out."
"Ah..." Nola ponders to herself. "If you must... you could try and approach him. Just please... don't push him too far. Nuray might kill you."
Sirius nods.
He makes his way over the gate and through the empty snowfield. He rounds the corner and enters the secluded area with the hole. And Kynn. Sirius quietly shuts the gate behind him.
Kynn is squatting and peering down into the pit. A ravaging hoarbane squirms inside.
His eyes are empty and cold. He stares unmoving, devoid of life and emotion.
Like he's lost.
"What are you doing here...?"
His voice is distant, as if he's somewhere else. He doesn't remove his eyes from the beast.
"..."
"Please... just give me time to be alone."
Sirius takes a couple steps closer.
"...That's what everyone else said to do. But... I don't want to wait any longer."
"What do you want? To make me feel better?"
"...No. I don't think I'm suited for that."
"Then why?"
"The king needs your help."
"...Tell him I'm sorry. I don't feel like going anywhere right now. I wouldn't be able to help anyway."
...
"...What are you doing?"
"Wandering."
"..."
"Sorry. I just feel a little lost right now."
"...Don't apologize." Sirius gets beside the boy and squats down. "I get it. Feeling lost..."
...
...
"Have you ever lost someone?"
"...No. Not that I remember."
"Then you wouldn't know what this feels like... My mind is all mixed up."
...
"You're right, but... I do know that it's better to get it off your chest." Glimpses of Korlin flash through Sirius' mind. "You don't need to bottle everything away."
For the first time, Kynn's expression changes.
"You hypocrite. You're the last person I'd expect to say that."
"..."
"You don't seem like the type of guy to worry about others."
...
"...You're right... I'm not. I don't think I'm capable of that."
Kynn places a palm over his face. He chuckles meekly into his hand.
"Yet here you are..."
"..."
Kynn closes his eyes and draws out a sigh.
"I didn't just lose my mom. I lost my purpose too."
"..."
"I lived for my mom. Everything I've done throughout my life has been for or because of her. I wanted her to be happy."
"..."
"When she got sick... I promised myself to save her. To cure her. And make sure she spends the rest of her life happy and herself. But...I couldn't do that. I failed."
"..."
"I'll live with that regret the rest of my life. I know that. But the question I have now is...
Where do I go from here?"
"..."
"What will I do with my life? My life's purpose is no longer possible. I've spent my whole life around my mom. What am I supposed to do without her? I've never thought of an existence without her. It never crossed my mind, I was so sure I'd be able to save her, and yet...
Here I am living in it."
"..."
"What do you do when your life's goal is no longer achievable? I could go and find something new but... I don't know..."
Tears roll down Kynn's cheeks.
...
"From what I can tell," Sirius finally speaks. "Those two sisters are awfully fond of you. The whole outpost seems to love you. I can't give you an answer... but maybe they can."
"I know that. Nuray, Nola, all of them, I love them too. The people here are my family. I know that. I have people who will support me and help me move on... I'm grateful for that. Yet still... I can't help but feel lost. My life just feels a little distant right now."
...
-I can't relate to having a loved one die. But that feeling of being lost... I know that all too well. For as long as I can remember... I've never felt close to anyone. I've distanced myself from the world and possible relationships.
When Aureole first brought me to the mansion, I thought maybe, just maybe, that I finally found somewhere. That I could have that connection. That I could have people who will support me and help me.
They have helped me. I know that. But they still feel so far away. It isn't like the relationships Kynn has with others. The connection that should be there doesn't exist. It was all lies.
I did nothing but lie to myself.
...
"...For now," Sirius says. "I'd say you should protect what you have. What you have is genuine. People that care for you. People that love you. People you love... You wanted to protect your mom, right? At least until this disaster is over, you should focus on protecting those you still can."
"What if I fail again?"
"Would you rather do nothing and let them die? If you don't try, there's no guarantee they'll be safe. If something were to happen to them, how would you feel then?"
"..."
"Regret is life's greatest punishment."
Another wave of tears falls. Kynn sucks in a huge breath and lets it out slowly.
The boy removes the hand from his face and chuckles.
"You're right..." Kynn grabs Sirius' shoulder. Kynn gives him a tearful smile. "Thank you, Sirius. Thank you... I owe you one."
An irresistible urge to smile comes to Sirius, and he succumbs.
"...Don't mention it."
...
Once Kynn's tears subside, the two stand and gaze down at the creature with purpose.
"So, you want me to rip out one of its claws?" Kynn asks, puzzled.
"Yeah, if I'm right, we should be able to kill them."
"Perfect."
Kynn suddenly jumps straight down into the pit. His descending foot slams into the bulbous of the hoarbane. The bulbous bursts and splatters the hole's walls.
The hoarbane falls over and becomes immobile temporarily.
Kynn pulls out a dagger and grips the beast's foot. He attempts the saw the claw off, but it fails to work.
"I'll have to pull it out of socket, huh?" Kynn says to himself. A determined look spreads across his face.
The boy brings his fingers down to the base of the nail. He digs his hands as far as he can into the creature's skin. Using all his strength, he pulls on the claw. Veins bulge on his arms and forehead.
He pulls and pulls until his grip slips.
"Damn it," he wipes his hands on his pants. "Hm... Sirius, could you grab Nuray for me?"
"Sure."
...
Sirius goes out and knocks on the girls' house again.
Nola answers.
"Did you need something?"
"Could you grab your sister?"
"Just come in," Nola leads the boy inside and motions him to Nuray's room. The home is cozy and quiet. It smells like a farm.
Sirius knocks gently on the door.
"What do you want?" Nuray asks.
"He wants to see you."
...
Silence is followed by footsteps.
The door flies open and reveals the girl, still holding the guitar.
"Kynn wants to see me?" She is thrilled. And in disbelief.
Nuray arrives with a pair of surgical pliers.
In this world, surgeries and other medical practices are rare and obscure. For the most part, they largely consist of pulling out objects from the body, amputation, and placing things inside the body. Pain killers and sleeping drugs are nonexistent, so they rely on blessings or just have the patients bear the pain while being healed.
In this current case, she is going to extract the claw from the hoarbane's foot. Kynn standbys ready to pop the bulbous.
Nuray crouches down with a giddy grin spread across her face.
"What are you smiling for?" Kynn asks.
"Nothing... just happy to see you in higher spirits."
Kynn's features softens as a smile of his own emerges.
"You ready?"
"Mm."
"Sirius, pry it open."
Sirius rams Kynn's dagger into the base of the claw. He wiggles the blade under a small gap of skin. The hoarbane grumbles but thankfully continues to rest.
Sirius drives the dagger as far as he can and pries the roasted skin just barely upward. Nuray swiftly plunges the large pliers under the flap and clamps it tight.
"I think I got it."
"Good! Sirius, try to carve it out!"
With both the blade and pliers under the loose skin, it's hard to maneuver the dagger. Sirius manages to place the tip of the blade against where the claw emerges. It pokes through the pink substance and draws blood.
Crimson leaks from the creature's claw. Nuray tugs on the nail with all her might. Sirius struggles to carve around the base. Kynn stalks the hoarbane, ready to pounce at any time.
Squelching disturbs the soundscape. Disturbing noises come from within the hoarbane. Squishing blood and cutting flesh aren't exactly relaxing sounds.
"I'm gonna puke!" Nuray shouts.
"Push through it! I think it's working!"
Sirius manages to slice a large portion of skin. The hoarbane groans and attempts to rise. Kynn swiftly shuts his efforts down and drives his foot into its face.
The beast wails and succumbs to sleep once more.
Nuray continues to labor, slowly loosening the nail. With the hoarbane out temporarily, Kynn grabs hold of the other set of pliers. He sticks them inside, clamps them down, and forcefully yanks on the claw.
Sirius cuts another large chunk, over half the base is outlined and weak. With Kynn's support, sounds of ripping tear from inside.
It's coming out.
Sirius carves the last of what he can. Kynn and Nuray combine all their strength, pulling as hard as physically possible.
With blood flowing out and sounds straight from adult videos, the claw continues to loosen. Like a loose tooth, it's able to wiggle. They thrash the claw around in circles, making it gradually slip from socket.
They tug and yank until eventually...
They tear it out.
Kynn and Nuray stumble onto their backs. The hoarbane's claw firmly rests in both their pliers jaws.
The two look over at each other. Sharing a mutual look of astonishment, they begin to laugh. Lying flat against the snow, Kynn and Nuray bring their foreheads together and giggle away.
"We did it."
Even Sirius feels a brief sense of pride. He can hardly imagine how happy this makes Kynn.
The hoarbane remains motionless, blood pouring from its foot. This unbeatable monster just took major damage for the first time.
Kynn and Nuray's laughing fit comes to a close. The boy springs upward and wraps an arm over Sirius' shoulder.
"Nice team work there! You just work great with others, don't you!?"
"Oh no, I'm not much of a team person-"
"Yeah yeah," Kynn pats Sirius' back. The boy turns over toward the lying beast. "I guess we shouldn't celebrate too early, huh? Still need to see if this thing can hurt it."
Kynn removes the bloody claw from the pliers grip and holds it in his palm. Kynn, in a total contrast of tone, approaches the hoarbane full of determination. He kneels beside the beast and raises the claw up high.
He takes in a painfully long breath.
He lets it out and grits his teeth.
Kynn slams down his arm and drives the claw straight into the hoarbane's stomach.
It pierces through.
The skin punctures and the beast's impenetrable flesh tears apart.
Everyone is left speechless.
Kynn's mouth falls to the floor. The spilling blood infinitely enchants him.
Tears build up in his eyes.
"It... it worked." The biggest smile ever seen streaks across his face. Tears roll down his cheeks as he tries to think of words. "It worked."
Nuray rushes over and wraps her body around his. She squeezes him tightly, as if to never let him go.
"It worked."
...
With those two simple words, Kynn breaks down in Nuray's arms.
Before he can stop himself, Sirius smiles at the sight of them. It reminds him of Aureole and him.
...
Without saying a word, Sirius leaves the pit and gets Nola.
Nola sprints out the door and trips over the snow. She enters the pit area and looks down the hole. Witnessing her sister and Kynn, Nola is ravaged by relief. She giggles to herself.
"I knew my hole could do the trick," Nola says, full of unwarranted pride.
"You really love your hole, don't you?"
Once Kynn lets it all out, his light is sparked tenfold.
"Alright! Let's test this out!"
Kynn grabs the claw sticking out the hoarbane's body and drags it down. He anchors the claw through the skin, cutting open the entire stomach.
"Oh Alsi- I'm actually going to puke now," Nuray turns away.
"Let's see what you're made of," Kynn says, ripping the hoarbane in half.
The hoarbane splits into two separate pieces, spilling an ocean of blood. But something is off. Instead of dying, the hoarbane starts to wakes up.
"It's waking up?" Nola asks.
"That shouldn't be possible..." Kynn says. The hoarbane groans as it shakes its head. The beast rolls over its torso-and-up half, trying to move. The rump-and-back legs half also begin to wobble. "Hm..." Kynn goes to its head and explodes the bulbous on its head.
The hoarbane wails and passes out like it normally does. No difference.
"How is it still alive? Did we just duplicate it?" Sirius asks.
"I'm not sure..." Kynn goes back and peers into the creature's insides.
All that inhabits the hoarbane's body is a skeleton, muscles, and blood. There is nothing holding the blood in, it's as if the creature is just a tank of it. There is an apparent lack of organs. What appears to be roots sit near the inside of the creature's head
"What are these things...? It has no organs, not even a heart," Kynn comments. "But," Kynn grabs the claw and brings it up the hoarbane's neck. Kynn plunges the claw into the beast's throat and cuts it open. The claw cuts through the creature's skin almost too easily.
Kynn drags it around the entire neck. Once finished, the hoarbane's head falls off neatly, with a bit of excess blood.
"Gross..." Nola groans.
"What happened?" Nuray asks, still covering her eyes.
"Uh... nothing. Just don't look."
Kynn picks up the dog's head and inspects the inside.
From where the bulbous pops out, roots have entangled the entire interior. The roots, almost appearing as veins, share the same hue as the bulbous. They clump together to form a ball of sorts, spreading out into the skin.
"Is this the brain?" Kynn mutters. The hoarbane's head growls meekly, poison dripping from it's teeth. Still alive. Kynn puts the claw up to the surrounding roots of the cluster. He cuts them away as if he were plucking grass from the ground.
He cuts the final root. As soon as he does, the hoarbane's head begins to shrivel. The other two body chunks follow immediately after.
The beast's skin dries as its limbs curl into unnatural shapes. The hoarbane's skeleton begins to crumble and its teeth fall from its open mouth. The poison dissipates from existence.
The bulbous melts off the beast's face.
It's dead.
...
Kynn holds up the cluster of roots. Having been detached from the body, it too begins withering. A black ash corrupts and consumes the orb. Kynn instinctively drops the ball.
The red roots all collapse into an inky black. The veins soften and melt in a similar fashion to the bulbous.
And after only a few seconds, it's gone.
...
"It's dead," Sirius says.
"Yeah... it is," Kynn grins. "Nuray, you can look now."
"Are you sure..." She slowly begins to turns around. Before she can, Kynn walks up and hugs her once again.
"It's dead... Thank you." He squeezes her with blood-soaked hands. "Thank you."
Nuray is enveloped in bliss. She smiles and starts patting Kynn's head.
"There, there..."
They both chuckle.
"Aw, isn't love beautiful?" Nola asks Sirius, she clearly feels left out.
"Yeah..."
Kynn pulls his arms back and faces Sirius. He peers at his own hands, a proud grin resting on his lips.
"Sirius, you said the king needs help, yeah?"
"That's right. He'll need your help in the upcoming fight. And now that we confirmed this theory, we can make a solid plan."
"I'll do it. We're going after the mother, right? I want to be the one the kill it. I need to be."
"..."
"Actually, I have one condition."
"What's that?"
"I'll do it, as long as that guy isn't there."
"He won't be. He's still in jail I heard."
"Well then, all is good! Lets go make that plan."
"Yeah."
"I'll catch up in a bit, you go on ahead."
Sirius nods and waves goodbye to everyone, they thank him as he leaves. Kynn thanks and says sorry to Nuray and Nola. They're just glad he's back to being himself for the most part.
Sirius makes his way out from the empty bippie stable and treads along the path back to the king. Kynn does exactly as he said he would and catches up.
"Hey! You ready for this?!"
"Damn, you're pumped for this, aren't you?" Sirius asks.
"...Yeah. I can't just sit around a grieve any more. I need closure."
"...Mm."
...
"Sirius."
...
Kynn is suddenly very serious. It's almost frightening.
"Yeah?"
"No matter what happens, no matter how injured you or I am, don't let me die."
"..."
"I'll save everyone. And I promise you... I will avenge my mother."