Heavy breathing echoed through the empty land filled with snow, so white that looking at it you could burn your eyes from the sun reflecting its stunning light on it. Two figures were traversing on this pure field. Both underdress for the weather, doomed to fall victim to the cold wind and harsh ground. Yet only one of them was showing these signs, the other walked without a care, such determination, or could it be something else driving him?
"Max! Slow down a bit you're going too fast." Ryan said while hardly standing his ground, his legs were twitching, his muscles moving slowly from the ice growing inside. He was growing tired, the merciless environment was growing on him, and there was nothing he could do but continue. His eyes felt like they were covered in a thick fog, and his mind was hardly stable.
Max rolled his eyes and frowned, but he slowed down at least. He turned to see the walking corps behind him. 'If we slow down well night will come, and I don't want that to happen, it's too dangerous.'
Ryan sighed, knowing he wasn't going to convince Max anytime soon. He was too determined to arrive at his destination. The place where the best blacksmiths are settled, a black where he could test the zombie's skills.
Looking in front of him, he only saw sand, it was endless. Like a loop, there was nothing in sight but snow, and a small bush full of color... wait.
Ryan blinked twice, and then his eyes filled with joy, this was just what he needed. As soon as he realized it he began running to it. His feet smashed the snow with greater force than ever before, the snow flying in the air from under his feet. "Max look, there's berries here!'
Max slowly turned to him, yet his eyes remained the same. Do wolves not like berries? He let the air he had trapped inside his cheeks out, and slowly started walking to where Ryan was. His mind was more caught up on how the bush itself got there, how did it still have its green color. It looked grown, so it had to have been here for some time, and there was no way the snow wouldn't have colored it in with blinding color.
But as he got closer, still deep in thought, a way of relief and calmness covered his entire being, it was... warm? It felt amazing, how did this happen. Well, he didn't care how, he only cared to eat the berries of this mighty bush. His eyes relaxed, some of the light that resembled his determination was slowly fading. A calm smile grew on his face, this was the best!
Reaching the berries, the warmness intensified, he could have stayed there forever, enjoying the warm waves. He looked at the blue berries, their color was amazing, so exotic! He couldn't wait to devour them all, their juices going down his body.
He grabbed a handful, just seeing them made him drool from hunger, they were so hypnotic! Yet deep inside, he felt some sort of familiarity whenever looking at them. But it was probably not important.
"Don't they seem a little familiar? When you read about how ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■?"
He stopped for a second. Who was talking to him, and what was he trying to say? I mean they seemed familiar, but he had seen many berries so what was so different about these?
He shrugged his shoulders and was about to put them in his mouth. His cheeks were red from thinking about the satisfaction that was about to come after letting them enter his body, his organs, and blood streams, surely that wouldn't cause anything bad.
"I see, to be expected. Your senses are blinded by its presence alone, I didn't expect you to fall so quickly. So pitiful, didn't you say you want to ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■? How are you going to do that if you fell for this? Truly Max I'm disappointed. This lonely trick was able to fog your eyes and trick your nose. Is it whispering in your ears? Does only the thought of enjoying yourself eating them make you drool all over you like a dog?"
He frowned, hate was quickly growing for this mysterious being who was not letting him savor this delicacy! And not only did he disrespect him, but he also went for the bush! How could it?
"Why do I even try? How pitiful, forsaken your life should be after this disappointment."
His eyes widened, and some of the light in his eyes grew stronger again. 'Forsaken?' He mumbled to himself, there was something to that word, he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Oh? I see your brain wasn't fully consumed." The voice grew louder like it was whispering in his ears. "Does it remind you of something? Forsaken, don't think of its meaning, think about what it means to you."
His brain was starting to hurt, it was like someone was drilling into his thick skull. It felt horrible, his eye started to twitch from the pain. He let the berries fall on the cold snow and grabbed his head with his hands. He tightened his grip, his nails piercing his skin, letting the blood escape from his head.
But his actions were stopped by a hypnotic smell. It was coming from the berries he dropped on the ground, he let go of his head and grabbed them from the ground. Blood flowed from his head on the ground. But he didn't care, all he cared about was finally eating these amazing-looking berries.
"Look at that, your blood is flowing on the field of snow."
Field, forsaken, berries? His eyes widened, as his eyes regained their light. He clenched his fist, his muscles tensing up in a second. He quickly threw the berries away then with great force he started stepping on the evil bush, his face was tense, like he just escaped a life-threatening situation. His veins were popping out as his blood was racing through his body.
He continued stomping until there wasn't anything left of the once bush. Only then did he stop. He began breathing the air, that had turned back to its original cold taste. He wiped the sweat off his face and fell on his butt.
"I see you're back."
'Yeah, thanks Azel.' A bright smile corrupted his face after successfully escaping the evil creature. He looked at Ryan with the corner of his eyes.
He was still dumbfounded about Max's action. He couldn't understand why he would destroy their only food. Did he go mad?
Seeing his confused expression, Max got up and looked at him.
'Calm down, I did it for our own good. It's my fault, I should have expected it, after all, we are at the border of the Forsaken Field."
Ryan frowned, he still couldn't get why Max did that. And what even was this Field?
"What are you saying? Did you finally go mad?" His words were filled with pure anger, his expression with confusion, and his eyes with madness. What a horrible look for someone you want to trust.
Max looked away 'I did it for our own good. These berries are known for their hypnotic ability. They make hungry travelers eat it, then whenever inside their body, they eat them from the inside out. And with the help of their bones, they grow another piece of themselves. They're usually only in the Forsaken Field, but as we're at the board with it, things like this can happen.'
But as he was looking in the distance, he heard a weird sound. Looking back he saw Ryan vomiting his guts out. His eyes were shaking, and vomit was flowing from the gaps of his fingers that were trying to block any more from coming out.
The thought of such little action as eating a berry could have ended his life in such a horrible life was too much for him. He couldn't handle it, he was rethinking every decision he had ever made. Was the outside always this hard, he can't survive like this!
Max sighed, he felt pity for him. His body had adapted to such a situation, but even he almost broke down when he finally realized the danger he was in. He couldn't think what Ryan was going through right now.
He looked at the sun, which was slowly setting, and let out a deep breath. 'Hey if you're done, I prefer we continue moving. The night is coming.'