Anguish
There had been no time to don his boots, the booming echo over Cochon was enough to send Lumi running. Mido nor Ennui had time to even address the source of the sound before he took off. His bare feet trample through the snow, the cold biting deep as he barrels forward. Ennui races behind, shouting his name and curses. Khimi. It is the only thing in his mind as he rushes through the snow, the snowdrifts burning against his skin. His feet, already reddened from the cold, sting with every step on the ice. A fire along the harbor can be seen from along the manor, and the pain Lumi feels in his heart is overwhelming.
Past the iron gates, Lumi rushes through the forest, his breath clouds before him as the frigid air burns like fire in his chest. Khimi… please. Minute after minute the path grows wider, drawing near the city. The surrounding conifers grow thin and figures appear along the treeline. Who are the– His thoughts screech to a halt as he sees Augustus swinging the lengthy blade, above the snow. Khimi lays in the snow, his shoulder pushed forward, his hand over his neck. He had never seen Khimi look weak or in pain. Khimi, his stalwart shield, his promised guardian. The cold no longer touches him. Everything other than Khimi is inconsequential.
“Khimi!” Lumi calls in anguish. The sound echoes through the forest.
“Lumi?!” Augustus shouts in a panic. “Lumi— I can’t!”
Lumi does not answer and slides through the snow, landing on his thigh beside Khimi. His fingertips race along Khimi’s features, trembling as he touches his cold lips. In the shades of gray Khimi looks as if he had been sleeping, his expression is soft, and his lips are nearly smiling. Lumi brushes his cheek against Khimi’s, feeling for his breath. His lips caress Khimi’s as they pass over them. The soft warmth of his own presses against Khimi’s stony, cold lips. The breath is faint but present, the warmth from Khimi’s body had largely faded.
Warmth floods through Lumi as he presses his hands against Khimi’s neck. Augustus’ calls and pleas are ignored beyond Lumi’s focus. The slick, warm blood gushes against his bare hands while he pushes his palms against the wound. A necrosis had formed around the mark on his neck, the skin around the wound is dark and hard to the touch.
The heat flows from Lumi’s hand and into Khimi’s body, the blue healing tendrils press into the wound and illuminate the veins through Khimi’s neck coursing into his cheek. Lumi stares, mesmerized by the life-pulsing light running beneath Khimi’s skin. The tendrils run through Khimi’s chest, caressing his reluctant heart.
You promised…
Again, Augustus calls out, his shouts falling on Lumi’s ears without response. His eyes are transfixed to the light glowing around Khimi’s heart, that warm blue light filtering just below his skin. His breathing halts as his concentration narrows. Steel scrapes against steel, the clashing of swords in the darkness. Lumi closes his eyes, pouring himself into creating an open space for him to focus. As Rashid had told him, he creates a void, an area that is empty for his mind to escape the surrounding chaos.
You promised me…
Finally, he finds it, his calm. An area void of anything, he listens, pushing past the sounds of the fighting. He finds it, faint at first but growing louder by the moment, like the beating of his own heart in his ears. That steady drum, the heart he had grown to love from the very first time he had heard it. The tired muscle pulses slowly, and Lumi can feel it growing weaker. Heat flows into Khimi through Lumi’s hand, and the heartbeats grow more robust.
You promised me that we’d always be together.
A gasp bursts from Khimi’s lips, as if he has been born anew. The rush of warmth fills Khimi and envelops him with a life-giving embrace. The tension in Lumi’s shoulders slackens, but he continues to hold onto the sound of Khimi’s heartbeat.
Cackling laughter bursts through the clearing, and Lumi’s fragile concentration shatters. His eyes flit open and find the source. A woman in tight black trousers stands just a few feet from them, her blouse is charred and burnt, revealing a soft pale bosom. Bits of her face are burnt and scorched, a meaty strip of red flesh hands from her cheek. Her steps through the snow feel purposeful, malevolent even.
Augustus trembles and pushes himself between them. “Lumi… is he alive?” he asks, the fear clear in his eyes as he turns back to look at them. “I did everything I could.”
“Augustus…” Lumi mutters and lowers the back of Khimi’s head into the snow. “He’s resting.”
“I can’t see anything,” Augustus says anxiously.
Lumi whispers an incantation and a small orb of pure light illuminates the clearing. The figures surrounding them back away, skulking to the fringes where light meets dark.
The woman cackles again and clears her throat, drawing attention to her horrific features. She stands before them, amused. The burnt edges of her lips flake as she begins to speak. “It all makes sense now.” She surveys the surroundings. “I didn’t expect such a spirited man to be fawning over something like this… what are you? A feline?”
Lumi steadily rises from the snow and steps in front of Khimi, trying his best to sound brave. “Who are you?”
“She’s dangerous, stay back,” Augustus whispers. “Keep away!” he shouts as she steps closer.
“You can call me Eve… I’m just one of the many new residents of this provincial little town,” she teases, licking at the flaking skin.
The blood pumping through Lumi’s ears almost renders the woman’s words inaudible. “W-who are you?”
She rolls her eyes and snorts. “Are you hard of hearing or just deaf—”
Eve’s words die in her throat, cut short by the whistle of steel. The dagger lodges deep, it’s hilt quivering against the pale column of her neck. She staggers, fingers scrabbling at the blade buried in her flesh, her lips parting in gurgling laughter. Blood spills over the curve of her chin, dark and glistening. Her wide, glassy eyes dart between Lumi and Augustus, her trembling hand outstretched. Lumi follows the thread of her gesture, his breath hitching as his gaze locks onto a pair of glowing crimson eyes. Ennui steps forward, unfurling from the gloom and it is as if all the creatures surrounding them slink away in unison.
“Get him back,” Ennui announces, her eyes set with rage at Eve. “You’re no woman. Are you?”
Eve tries to laugh, the dagger still jammed deep. She fumbles back and forth in the snow, choking. Though the blade is reluctant to leave her mouth, but she manages to raise her hand back at them and snap her fingers.
Along the edges of the light, the creatures descend upon them en masse. Dozens with glazed-over eyes break into the circle of light rush in around them. Some with weapons and others with their bare hands. There is no time to stop and tend to Khimi, no matter how bad Lumi wishes he could take him and run. Without Augustus’ help, there is no way for him to carry him.
Lumi’s fist smashes into a man’s face as Augustus’ blade swings in a wild, wide berth. Ennui moves swiftly through them, unsheathing the rapier and cutting down foe after foe, leaving a trail of sickly bodies behind her. Unlike normal, she moves without regard for her own safety, her expression unreadable. The figures that surround her are quickly waylaid in short bursts of slashes. She fixes her gaze on Eve and moves with purpose.
The tips of the trees shake and from behind them, Mido shouts an incantation. A howling gust of wind presses through the area and knocks over a handful. He then mutters an incantation similar to one Lumi has used dozens of times. A shotel, similar to the one he had carried at his side before, appears in his hand. The blade glows with a faint aura, and Mido rushes to Augustus’ side. Lumi yearns for his spear, for a weapon to put distance between himself and these creatures, but he knows he should save his energy.
Mido swings his blade and another powerful gust blows flurries of snow past them. Augustus rushes to Khimi’s side and starts to lift him, shouting at Lumi for aid. Without a word, Lumi flies to Khimi’s side and drapes Khimi’s arm around his shoulder. Together they begin to drag him through the snow, Khimi’s weight is unbearably heavy and Lumi uses all of his strength to keep from falling beneath him.
“Hurry,” Mido says as he and Ennui circle them. “Get him back to the manor,” he adds, wearing a mask of bravery in the light of the orb.
Without a second thought, Lumi pushes forward. The sound of shouts and screams behind him encourages him to look back, but he continues onward through the silence of the forest, the orb of light fading behind them. Augustus’ face is more pale than normal, and his cheeks wet with tears.
“What happened?!” Lumi whispers through clenched teeth. “Augustus!?” he snaps, demanding answers.
Augustus pants and forces Khimi’s arm further behind his shoulder. “L-later. S-save your breath until we’re safe.”
Lumi remains silent and closes his eyes. Even though he knows his feet are frozen, he doesn’t feel them. The only thing that matters is that Khimi’s body seems to grow warmer the closer they get to the manor. You’ll be alright, Khimi. I’ll take care of you—
The rush of feet behind them scares Lumi into lifting Khimi higher over his shoulder. There is no chance for him to turn around as Ennui’s shouting rings out behind them. Mido shouts an incantation, and spikes of earth erupt from the snow behind them. Despite not being able to see anything, the forest behind them feels haunting, oppressive even.
“Get him to the manor! Now!” Ennui growls with a pained expression on her face. “That bitch won’t die… I stabbed her in the face. She fell over and popped right back up like a weed.”
With the gate in sight, Lumi hurries as Augustus begins to stumble. “What’re we going to do?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Mido grumbles as he catches up to them. “We have to figure it out.”
Passing the gates, Ennui and Mido each slam one of the gates shut and stand behind it. The figures begin to appear from the wood line and make their way towards the gate. Lumi and Augustus pant more heavily with every step they draw near the manor, their adrenaline fading. The gate behind them begins to rattle, and Lumi closes his eyes as he hears the sound of Eve’s laughter breaking across the courtyard.
“I can’t, Lumi,” Augustus breathes as he falls.
Together they fall forward, their bodies sinking into the crisp snow. Lumi adjusts Khimi’s face, turning his head to the side before checking Augustus. Augustus’ cheeks are red and hot to the touch, a thin veil of cold sweat drips over his brow as he gasps to draw in breath. On his knees, Lumi turns back to his friends, who stand in front of the gates. Along the length of the iron spikes, those under Eve’s command rattle and shake against the fence line, their fingers wrapped around the iron. Yet they do not push past or pursue them any further.
The crowds disperse as the scarred and nearly faceless Eve makes her way to the iron gate. She stares them down with a bloody smile. Ennui’s blade had left a hole where an eye had been, and her body is riddled with cuts and gaping wounds. She places a hand on the metal gate; her hand sizzles at the touch. Undeterred, she holds her hand against it, then brings her face to the bars. Her lips curl as the metal singes her flesh.
“Hallowed ground?” Eve chuckles hysterically. “Really?!” Her hands cling to the metal, shaking the fence, testing its strength.
Ennui crosses her arms and smirks. “I had thought it might be.”
Mido scoffs and glares at Ennui in disbelief. “Did you!?”
Ennui’s voice drops to a whisper, “Had a hunch.”
Eve pushes against the gates, shouldering into them. They rattle at her touch. “I could send an army of thralls in there to rip you limb from limb…”
“You should, you dumb bitch,” Ennui growls, brandishing the rapier. “I’ll tear them apart.”
Mido once again looks at Ennui, exasperated. “Stop taunting her.”
“Listen to your cur,” Eve shouts through the gates. “Besides… if or when the tall one wakes up… things won’t go well for any of you.”
Lumi moves faster than he has time to think, his feet carry him through the snow. He bounds against the gate, reaching his arms through like a caged animal. “What did you do?!” His voice is sharp, filled with anger. His eyes shift, hosting a crimson flare in them. “What d-did you do to him?!”
Eve laughs and steps back. “Just had a little taste, that’s all,” she says, wiping her lips tauntingly. “You’re really missing out, he’s delicious. Never had anything quite like—”
Lumi’s fingers curl into a fist as he utters the word the gods had provided him. Ignis. The flaming sphere forms over the woman and engulfs her, the blaze illuminates the forest as the woman’s silhouette burns within the inferno. Unbridled anger courses through Lumi, a low growl rises in his throat as he reaches further through the fence. Burn…
Eve bursts from within the sphere, her clothes burning as she rolls through the snow, dousing the blaze. The dark lengths of hair are burnt and patchy, frayed from the fire. Her frustrating laughter has finally ceased. She looks up from the snow with eyes filled with dark intent. The burning sphere stalks her, hissing through the snow as it zips around with Lumi’s hand movements. Words even he doesn’t know the meaning to leave his lips as the orb swallows her once again. The thralls, as Eve called them, stand around the light, waiting with wide eyes as their master is devoured by the flames.
The blood pumps through so loud in Lumi’s ears, he can hear nothing else. His nails dig into skin and a trickle of warm blood drops into the pristine snow. Steam rises where his blood touches, melting through the snow. Another guttural shout rises from his gut, and the flames erupt into an incendiary pillar before fading into the sky. He unclenches his hand, his efforts leaving him drained of stamina. Eve’s crisp corpse lies in the snow.
With labored breaths, Lumi coughs. “Gotcha,” he whispers as he begins to laugh at the crisp corpse.
Ennui rushes to Lumi’s side and pulls him away from the fence. “Careful… I’ve already done this song and dance.”
Mido scurries to their side and places his arm beneath Lumi. “She’s right. That woman isn’t like anyone I’ve ever seen. She’s a monster… a real—”
Eve’s body sits up with an unusual rigidity, her charred features are difficult to make out. The tufts of hair that remain are little more than fragile strands. Her face is dark with soot and the skin is cracking, revealing the red meat beneath. The remaining clothing is torn and tattered, her bare form partially exposed. Smoke trails from her burning skin as she begins to rise from the dirt, her stark white teeth showing through her torched features.
“You… can’t kill me—”
The light burns in Lumi’s eyes, his panicked screams of anguish bound throughout the courtyard. He breaks away from Ennui and Mido, pressing his forehead against the fence and shaking against them, shouting curses at the woman.
“You can try to kill me… but I won’t die,” Eve says, turning away from the manor. “I can’t die.”
Lumi shouts through the iron bars and holds his hand out. “Coward!” he shouts, his fangs sink into his lips as he snarls. “Fucking coward!”
“Lumi,” Mido whispers. “We need to regroup… let them go.”
Eve doesn’t reply to Lumi but raises her hand, her thralls following behind her.
Lumi’s eyes shake with rage, his blood boils until he feels the pressure building behind his eyes. You can’t leave. The fire within Lumi’s eyes return; flames chart through the snow, creating a wall surrounding Eve and the thralls.
“Lumi!” Mido shouts. “I don’t think—”
Ennui pulls Mido back by the hair, cutting him off. “Let him.”
“Those people… they’re not—”
“Let him!”
The wall of fire rages around Eve and her thralls. “What is it?” Lumi questions, his focus still on the flames. “What were you saying, Mido?”
Mido knocks Ennui’s hand away and rushes to Lumi’s side. “They’re under her control… they aren’t willing. I saw some of them were reluctant to fight when you and Augustus ran to the manor.”
“I-I… can’t let her leave,” Lumi whispers. “What did she do to Khimi?”
Mido places a hand on Lumi’s shoulder. “We’ll find a way to help him. He’s still alive… everything is going to be alright.”
“It won’t be alright, Mido…”
“Wh-what?”
Lumi clenches his jaw and closes his eyes, his hand waivers along with the flames. “They have to see…”
“They have to see what he can do,” Ennui finishes from behind. “They’re just as vile as the woman they serve, Lumi.”
Make it a show of force. Y’sol’s words had never been more clear in his mind than now. Yet, as Lumi looks across the confused and lost faces, he allows his concentration to dwindle. The flames die down before Eve, and she turns back, her figure silhouetted by the dwindling light. A cruel smirk crosses the seemingly perfect rows of white teeth.
“See you soon,” Eve says, her words echoing with a lisp through her burnt lips.
“Lumi!” Ennui groans in disbelief. “You should have burnt the wench!”
“I-I don’t think I could have done anything to stop her…”
Mido stares through the fence and watches them vanish. “We’ll be ready for them once we have Khimi and—”
“You stupid little dog,” Ennui shouts, grabbing Mido by the collar. “Do you have any idea—”
“Stop,” Lumi mutters, his gaze set on Eve vanishing into the distance. “I don’t have the energy for this…”
Ennui pushes Mido away and grabs Lumi by the shoulders. “Lumi, listen to me. That woman can’t be allowed to live… I heard what she said. Whatever she did to those people she likely did to Khimi. Whatever it is. It is far beyond the scope of your abilities.” She pauses and turns to Mido. “Far beyond either of your abilities.”
Mido croaks, “You don’t know—”
“I do!” Ennui shouts and grabs Mido again. “A priest was here… a real cleric. A man of the Faith who subdued a devil. Sent him back to the hells. If a creature like her is here, then she is more powerful than him… or she defeated him. And you had her, Lumi! You could have killed her!”
“I didn’t have her,” Lumi grumbles as he brushes past them. “She was toying with us… showing us.”
“Showing us?” Mido asks, tilting his head at Lumi. His ears stand up on point. “What do you mean?”
“Showing us how little we could do to her. Khimi burned her. You stabbed her through the throat, then through the eye… and I set her on fire! But she was… smiling. Laughing at us!”
Ennui’s tail whips at the snow. “She was there, Lumi. I have seen the light fade from enough creatures to know when they are there. You were on the cusp. The brink. Just a bit more and she would have been dust.”
Lumi ignores them both and crosses the yard in silence. Khimi’s body rests over the snow, his body twisted from the fall. Augustus still has not moved either, his body, partially beneath Khimi’s is still. His chest rises and falls with shallow breaths, his cheeks, red against the snow. Lumi kneels beside Khimi and brushes his hair from his face. Even in his unconscious and disheveled state, he had never seen anyone so handsome.
“Khimi,” Lumi whispers as he begins to stroke his fingers through his hair. “She’s gone… I scared her away. So you’ll be okay now,” his fingers draw along the line of Khimi’s jaw. “When you wake up, we’re gonna leave this place and go see Gilbert, alright?”
“We need to get them inside,” Ennui says as she tramples through the snow. “Before they freeze to death.”
“When we see Gilbert,” Lumi continues to whisper, “he’s gonna tell us what we wanted… we’ve always had. That everything is going to be alright. We didn’t even need to make this journey. Then when we go back to Rhaz… or Sidi. And year after year we’ll be laughing about this, alright?”
Ennui kneels on the other side, meeting Lumi’s gaze with a somber look. After a brief pause, she moves to lift Khimi from Augustus’ body. Together, they haul him from the snow and drag him toward the manor. His body is limp, but warmth lingers at his core, and the steady beat of his heart offers some relief. As they stagger up the stairs, they nearly lose their footing near the top. Lumi slams against the wall, straining to keep Khimi from slipping until Ennui can steady him. Once inside, Lumi leans Khimi over the bed while Ennui lifts his legs, pushing him onto the crimson sheets.
Ennui clicks her tongue and turns back to the door. “Light the hearth and make sure he stays warm. Get him out of those wet clothes.”
“Ennui—”
“You need privacy,” she whispers, turning on her heels and slamming the door shut behind her.
Not even muttering the incantation, the hearth roars to life with Lumi’s will. He sits on the edge of the bed as places his fingers just beneath Khimi’s nose. The gentle, warm breaths bring are encouraging. The fire crackles in the hearth as he unties the knot of Khimi’s waist scarf and places the shamshir on the floor beside their bed. Standing over him, there is a familiarity to the process of removing his clothes. He closes his eyes and turns his head at the thought. Rashid had been unclothed after his death similarly.
“You have to live, Khimi…”
Lumi’s fingers tremble over the buttons. One by one he works down the trail of buttons and pauses at the last one. There had been no other wounds that Lumi could see, but still, he fears for the worst as he continues. He rips back the parka and stares at the blood smeared across the inner linen shirt. Though the blood is dried now, there is so much that he feels squeamish. What did she do to you? He sits Khimi up and works his arms through the sleeve as he crawls over the bed and straddles his waist. His hands slide beneath the hem of Khimi’s linen shirt and push the thinner fabric back over his head as he works his arms through. His hand clasps over his mouth, his eyes swell with tears.
Khimi’s scarred and perfect body is coated from neck to navel in dried blood. A dark blotch stains his neck, shrouded by the veil of blood. He sobs Khimi’s name as he pushes his face against his chest, his arms wrapped around him.
“Khimi,” he sobs. “W-what did she do to you?”
Lumi’s lips quiver against Khimi’s as the tears stream down his cheeks. His body curls in on itself, his tail swings between his own legs. He pushes his hands beneath Khimi’s ears and holds his face in place, pressing his lips to Khimi’s with desperate fervor.
I love you.
Lumi peels back, remembering the task at hand. He moves his body down Khimi’s and pulls the wet trousers along Khimi’s thighs. Instinctually, his lips push against Khimi’s abdomen and kiss along his body as he does, pausing in the bed of coarse hair above his groin. Khimi’s scent is alluring as always, and it draws him in. With his finger still at the waist of Khimi’s trousers, he presses his lips over the softened cock, his tongue gliding over the covered head. He pulls back and tilts his head to the ceiling. What is wrong with me… ? His nose pinches as the scent of rust rushes back to him, and with haste he slides from the bed and rolls Khimi’s trousers down his legs, where his fingers tremble over the wraps of Khimi’s boots.
Ennui peeks her head through the door and mutters, “How’s he doing?”
Lumi keeps his eyes focused on the boots and begins to remove the wraps. “He’s still breathing. His heart is strong. I-I dunno what else I can do.”
“Can you communicate with your friend? With the saint? Saint Nina?”
Lumi shakes his head as he slides the first boot off of Khimi’s foot. “I can try, but it almost never works for me.”
Ennui sighs. “Well then, if you need me, you know where to find me. Augustus is fine, he’s just exhausted. He woke up momentarily before he fell back asleep.”
“Tell him thanks for me?”
“Tell him yourself,” Ennui whispers as she closes the door.
Lumi drops the first boot to the ground, then the second, before tugging the trousers off of Khimi’s legs and over his feet. Every bit of Khimi looks perfect, from the soft soles of his feet to his sable black hair. He indulges in a moment of admiration, his hand glides along Khimi’s leg, the dark hair curling at his touch. Reaching past Khimi, he takes the bloody linen shirt and begins to dab the wet shirt along Khimi’s chest, wiping away the blood smeared on his chest and neck. Over each scar, he lingers, remembering the stories Khimi had told him of how he earned those wounds. You’re so proud of who you are…
Khimi groans in his sleep, tilting his head to the side. Lumi exhales sharply as he dabs the shirt along Khimi’s neck and clears the wound of blood. The dark necrotizing wound still remains, almost pulsing with a dark energy. His fingertips trail around it in a circle, the bite, not unlike ones he had left on Khimi in a few deeper moments of passion, had pierced something vital. He closes his eyes, allowing the warmth to flow through him once again, the bluish tendrils reach through the wound and wriggle beneath the skin. Khimi’s chest rises as the light fills him and moves slowly throughout his body. Lumi sighs and allows the light to fade, the light receding back through Khimi’s body. Steadily, he climbs over him and pulls the heavy blanket over them both. He tucks himself in the crook of Khimi’s arm and nestles himself in, his rounded ear pressed to Khimi’s chest.
“Do you remember that time in Rhaz?” Lumi starts in a whisper. “Before we went to Betset? When you had to pretend like everything was okay? Like the whole duel with Omar never happened? Well, I remember how much I learned about you, I learned how much you enjoyed mint tea… how you snore when you sleep on your stomach. How when the light touches your eyes they look like the deep blue sea… and how you turn your nose up to the sky right before it rains. How every morning when you open your eyes, you would smile the moment you saw me. H-how… everyone looks up to you. Everyone in Rhaz talks about Khimi Zeybek!” He chuckles softly against Khimi’s arm, sniffling as he wipes his eyes. “I… learned to tell when you were annoyed with people. I learned how great you are at pretending to be happy around all of those people that made you miserable. I learned… just how much you loved me,” he whispers, “even if you couldn’t say it to me. I always knew it.” He pauses, and smirks as he nuzzles closer. “Then I learned how when we were together… Your eyes would close right before you came. How your leg would shake as you were…y’know, coming. And how your hands would squeeze me like you wanted to be buried in me.”
Lumi’s ear twitches against Khimi’s chest. “Tell me what I need to do, Khimi,” he whispers. “Tell me that you’re gonna be okay.”
The pain in his own body still had not subsided, the numbness from the cold fades slowly, and Lumi tucks his feet beneath Khimi’s leg. The bloody marks on his palm had nearly stopped bleeding, but his thoughts remain solely on Khimi.
“When we go back, we’ll get married like you wanted, we can have a big ceremony for Aleyna and invite everyone in Sidi.”
The silence is deafening, only broken by the sudden crackle of the fire. Lumi whispers against the pit of Khimi’s arm. “I need you, Khimi… Do you remember when we were in Dolmas and you promised that you would be my guardian? Well… Y’sol had once told me that the gods were powerless to alter our fate. She said that we were destined to be together, that our pull to one another was so great that no matter what happened, we would always find each other. Khimi, my soul yearns for you, every part of my being seeks you.” He sits up and looks down at Khimi’s peaceful expression. “When we’re together, I-I feel like I can be myself. It’s the only time I have felt like myself, and I know you feel the same.”
Lumi presses his lips against Khimi’s, feeling the warm breath sweep across his lips as he whispers. “My soul dies with yours, Khimi. I can’t do any of this without you.”
After hours of silence and listening to Khimi’s steady heartbeat, Lumi rises from the bed to feed the embers. As he does, a glint in the window catches his eye, a reflection. He turns to face the apparition and finds himself staring into Isha’s burning eyes.
“I once loved a minos,” Isha whispers as she turns and faces Khimi. Her fingers push the hair from his brow as she looks at him with a softening expression. “They make the best lovers, you know? No one will ever love you as hard or as passionately as a minos. Despite their ‘bullish’ nature, they are wont to please everyone else before themselves. Though they will tell you otherwise,” she whispers, a fragile smile on her lips. “It’s not too late for him; he can still be saved.”
Lumi stands across the bed with Khimi between them. “He looks like he’s fine. His breathing is normal, his heartbeat is fine—”
“It’s a curse,” Isha whispers. “When he passes from that bite. And it’s not if—but when. Because he will die from this wound. He will awaken as a servant of the creature who did this to him, a servant of the undead fiend who drained him of his vitality.”
Lumi’s head hangs; Khimi’s hand is warm in his own. “What can I do? There has to be something! What, a single bite and they own him? How the hells is that fair?”
“The world isn’t fair, Lumi. These creatures of the night are the natural-born enemies of the Gods of Light and Fire. It has and will always be our duty to purge them of—”
“But what can we do? What can I do to help him, to stop him from turning into one of th-those things!”
“Kill the one who caused it in the first place, kill them before he fades. I suspect that you can keep his ailment at bay—at least until it grows beyond your capabilities. Then it will spread through him, until it reaches something you won’t be able to heal with the little experience you have.”
“But you can heal him, you’re a god. You can use my body as a vessel, it’s simple, right? It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” Lumi pleads, his fingers gripping tight around Khimi’s little finger. “You’re a god, right?”
“I am a god, but there are things even beyond our control. This curse is formed through dark magick, a bond so evil and ancient that it cannot be broken with normal healing,” Isha whispers, her voice hangs.
“Then what? What am I supposed to do then?”
Isha turns her gaze to the window; her brow wrinkles as she closes her eyes. “It is, as I said. You must eliminate the creature responsible. Soon. Before it’s too late.”
Lumi’s grip tightens. “I am weak,” he mutters through clenched teeth. “I can’t stop someone like her, she won’t die! I tried! Ennui tried! She even stabbed the woman right in the face!”
“Night creatures… vampires in particular are resilient. But you are their natural-born enemy. You only need to show them the light, Lumi,” Isha replies as she sits on the edge of the bed. “During my lifetime… I sought out these creatures. Hunted them down, cleaved them from the Dolman Jungles. I thought I had exterminated them, but they always return. This time they appear in the north and rally under a single lord.”
“Who?”
“Emil,” Isha says as she places her hand atop Lumi’s. “He appeared shortly after my time and has had free rein in this territory for hundreds of years. He is far more powerful than any I have fought and has dozens of powerful vampires under his control.”
“Isha…” Lumi whispers, his eyes hidden behind feathery hair. “I can’t kill all of those people, they were forced—”
“Those people are only shells of their former selves, in time that will fade. That bit of hesitation they feel will fade, and they will soon follow every word, every whisper and whim their masters utter. If you do nothing, that is what awaits Khimi.” She pauses and places her hand over Khimi’s eyes. “When he awakens, it will be as though his time has come and gone. The Khimi you loved will be no more, just a shell of the man, just as those in her servitude.”
“I-if I kill her, will they all be freed?” Lumi asks, glancing up, his voice filled with hope.
“No,” Isha whispers. “Those who succumb to the curse are gone, but Khimi still has time before it’s too late. Lumi, time is of the essence. You cannot dawdle, you must act.”
“S-she’s immortal. I’m not—”
“They are not immortal, they sought a form of immortality but failed. What they found keeps them drawn to the darkness. They will fear you, Lumi. You must—”
“And do what?! There are so many of them!”
“Lumi, lay down your inhibitions. Those are not people, you mustn’t think of them as such. Those creatures use them to hamper your strength. They know your heart is filled with kindness, and they will prey upon that. Treat them as you would any other fiend, they are gone. Turned. They are not worthy.”
“But–”
“Stop,” Isha says, the words sharp and short. “Lumi, I have already lived through what you’re living now. I have tried to save those who have been turned by these fiends. There is nothing. Nothing within my knowledge, or the knowledge of the other gods that can save them. You must destroy them… purge them of this world. You can become a beacon of hope for the north, for the people of this world. Start your sainthood here, here in Cochon.”
“They don’t look evil,” Lumi says softly, “They look just like everyone—”
Isha lifts her hand to Lumi’s cheek and stares deeply into his eyes. “If things become dire, you may call my name, but I will offer you this warning. Should you call upon me, I will not guarantee your safety. When you utter my name from the depths of your soul. When my being takes over your body… you may not survive it.”
“I don’t understand… what do you mean?”
“You’re not strong enough to accommodate a godly being, not for long anyway. There is a chance you may not survive the ordeal.”
“I’ll die?”
“Your soul may not return to your body.”
“So… I’ll die?”
“Yes.”
Lumi glances down at Khimi, a grin tugging at his lips. “Promise me. Promise me that you’ll make sure that Khimi lives. Promise me that, and I’ll do anything.” Khimi’s head lolls to the side at Lumi’s touch. “Anything.”
“My warning still stands. I believe you’re capable of slaying a vampire without my aid, but you must free yourself of their fiendish maneuvers. Only then can you handle a creature so vile.”
“H-how can I find her?”
“Call to it. Vampires are proud creatures, if challenged, they will appear,” Isha whispers as she stands from the bed. She takes a moment to straighten her crimson tunic, then offers Lumi a nod. “While the other gods squabble amongst themselves, I have watched you, silent and hopeful. Do not allow my hope to fade, Lumi.”
Lumi swallows hard and nods. “I am thankful for your faith.”
“Should you succeed… you will have my faith. You somehow captured Y’sol’s heart. But your deeds will show the others your resolve. You show promise, more than the many who have come before you.”
The fire crackles and within a blink, Isha vanishes before Lumi’s eyes in a flash of embers.
Her words echo in his mind. Do not fail me, Lumi.
The words are spoken by Isha and echo deep within the depths of his mind. He leans forward, his hands ripping into the blanket. His body shakes as he growls from the depths of his throat.
“Don’t die on me, Khimi! I will be back soon… so stay alive! Okay?!” His words shake from his lips as he rubs the tears from his eyes. “I-I can’t do this without you…”
At the foot of the bed, Lumi nudges his feet through the leather boots and brings the wraps around the top, tightening them with all of his strength. Looking over the bed once more, he takes a moment to utter a prayer. His hand rests on top of Khimi’s foot, pressing his fingers between each of his toes. Khimi’s head rolls to the opposite shoulder, a subtle groan passing through his lips. You’re gonna be okay. Tenderly, he pulls the blanket up past Khimi’s chest and presses his lips to his forehead. A damp heat meets Lumi’s kiss. I’ll make sure.
After feeding the fire, he rushes from the room. The stairs creak as he leaps down the stairs, taking them three and four at a time. In his haste, he lunges through the door, slamming into Mido just beyond. Lumi’s head clangs like a bell against Mido’s, and he stumbles back and forth as he regains his footing.
Lumi stumbles and mutters hurriedly, “Sorry!”
Mido looks about, his short tail poking through the top of his trousers. “I-i-it’s okay. Wait— where are you going?”
Lumi looks around, his eyes linger on the damp pieces of wood around Mido. “W-wood,” he says, nodding eagerly, and edges past Mido. “We need wood… we ran out.”
Mido stares at Lumi, a look of doubt so clear on his face that Lumi can feel it. “Really?”
“Y-yeah,” Lumi stammers hurriedly. “Tell Ennui where I am, alright? I’m just grabbing wood for our room. Khimi needs more heat.”
Mido reaches up and grabs the fabric of Lumi’s parka. “Lumi… don’t,” he whispers. “I know what you’re thinking.”
Lumi’s face scrunches up, and his tail slaps against his thigh. “I’m just—I’m just—it’s cold.”
“Liar.”
“Mido, please,” Lumi begs, lowering his head. “Just tell them I went to get firewood.”
“Where are you going? Where are you really going?”
Lumi bites his lip, his ears twitch as he paces in front of Mido. “Do you really need me to answer that?” he asks with a glance up the second floor. “I think it’s pretty obvious.”
“Relax, Ennui is sleeping and Augustus only woke up briefly, so tell me where you’re going.”
“Back to the Cochon… I have to, Mido!” Lumi whispers. “D-don’t try to stop me!”
Mido starts to speak, but instead shrugs. He raises a hand to Lumi. “Doubt I could anyway.”
Lumi yanks Mido from the ground. “Well, thanks… for not stopping me.”
“What do you want me to tell Ennui? She’s not stupid, you know,” Mido says, brushing the dirt and snow from his trousers. “She’s going to know, and she’ll know the moment I tell her.”
Lumi eases around Mido, slowly backing away from him. “Well, just tell her that… I’m dumb and I got lost or something. She’ll believe that,” he says with a final glance to their bedroom. “I won’t be long. Promise!”
Mido closes his eyes and sighs. “Lumi, please be careful,” he mutters under his breath.
“I’ve got it all planned out!”
The cold air hits him. A frigid gust blows from the coast, sending snowdrifts launching past him. He gives Mido a final confident grin before he takes off into the darkness.
The Hunt
Cochon is still, uncomfortably so. There is no one around, not a soul in sight. Lumi’s boots click over the stone cobbles, their echo the only sound across the frozen city. The building, which had been designated to be a shrine to the Faith, stands before him, an empty shell of what it should be. He cautiously approaches the building and places his hands on either of the wooden doors, shoving them both open with all of his might. The creak of the door is ear-splitting over the silence of the city. He forces himself forward, one step after the next, as he pulls the collar of his parka past his lips. The snowdrifts blow through the open door and dance across the dark, gray slate.
The shrine is much different than the one he had grown accustomed to back home. The wheel of faith is engraved in the center of the floor similarly, but everything else is different. At the back of the shrine are five statues, each before a painted window. Despite their normal beautiful and otherworldly appearance, the images of the gods displayed before him are hideous, malformed.
Lumi utters an incantation, beckoning a small orb to appear above his open palms. The orb throws its light throughout the shrine, allowing him to see everything in color. The vibrant hues of the painted windows add warmth to the otherwise miserable building. Along the central aisle, small wooden chandeliers hang from lengthy chains with hundreds of unlit candles. Lumi claps his hands together over the orb, creating a wave of light which spreads throughout the shrine. The candles throughout the entirety of the shrine flicker to life, their wicks aglow. He rubs his hands together and blows air through his lips, watching his breath form before him. It’s so cold.
Illuminated by the candles, Lumi takes another look around the shrine. From the top of the shrine, above the chandeliers, hides a grim visage. A priest of the Faith, in their nearly skeletal form, hangs by the wrists along the central joist. The robes they wear are familiar, but he cannot place where he had seen them. The symbol embellished across the stola marks the priest’s order. They had been a part of the Sun Temple. Were you one of the good ones? he wonders, watching the spindly legs clack together in the breeze. The snowdrifts blow against his back; the cold air rushes through the shrine. Am I just supposed to wait here?
Never one for patience, Lumi paces back and forth across the front of the shrine. The light from the candles allows for a more apparent view of the statues. The faces of the gods have been chipped away, flecks of stone and marble sit broken around the bases of the statues. Staring up at the figures, he wonders if it had been done before or after the vampires had taken control of Cochon. The wind whistles through the open doors again, sending another handful of the snow throughout the shrine. As the clouds shift past the moons, the shadows move along the windows. A shiver runs along Lumi’s spine at the fear growing inside of him. He takes his tail in his hand and clenches his jaw, pushing the fear from his mind. For Khimi…
He rushes through the entrance of the shrine, shouting into the stony streets. “EVE! I’M HERE!”
He recoils, embarrassed by the sound of his own voice, it sounds so frail and strange, like an out of tune instrument.
What will it take for her to show up? Make it a show of force… that’s what you said.
Above the cobbled commons, an orb of flame appears at Lumi’s behest. He narrows his focus, fixating on the shape and heat of the sphere. It grows with a gradual pulse, radiating outwards in diameter. Embers reach up to the cloudy night sky, the area illuminated in a scarlet glow. He exhales, his warm breath fogging before him. Like fireflies, a swarm of smaller orbs burst from the larger mass, spreading around the commons. They flit about in a dangerous dance.
Only once does Lumi question himself before he spreads his fingers flat and sets the orbs free. Deafening explosions ring out, the heat from the blasts pushes against his face and sweeps his hair from his closed eyes. Fire roars around him, the buildings surrounding the commons already billowing smoke following the fiery display. He exhales again, slow and with purpose. That should get her attention, he thinks, his eyes trained on the burning sphere ahead.
The first set of eyes appear much quicker than anticipated. A set of beautiful blues glaring back at him from across the sphere, followed in short by a pair of greens then amber. Their bodies appear shortly after along the outskirts of the lights. Thralls, dozens of them. They aren’t real. They aren’t who they were. He tells himself before closing his eyes again. The roar of the flames overtakes any sounds the thralls make in their approach. They’re just monsters. They aren’t people. His eyes open slowly, crimson just like the inferno raging before him.
Force my will upon the world?
The word slips his tongue, his whisper roars into a scream. Ignis. Power built from the faith of the people courses through him. A forbidden magick available only to those few chosen by the gods. The tips of his fingers tingle, his tail stands on end. A burning sensation wraps around his body, followed by golden markings that manifest across his form.
The orb before him surges outward, consuming everything in its path. It fills the commons and maintains its shape, a perfect devastating sphere, stopping just shy of his face. He lifts his hand to the fire, the flames lick at his fingertips. They’re not people, he tells himself. It understands. The sphere grows, bulging beyond the alleys and streets, engulfing stone and wood like a hungry beast. The whispering crackles rise to hungering bellows. No one… should have this much power. The expanding orb contracts to a tiny, compact ball, filled with all the vigor he had just witnessed. Fire and ash surrounds him. Where men had just stood, now is nothing but dust.
Is this… what you want, Goddess?
“All my life—” a voice begins, only to halt when Lumi turns to the source of the sound.
Eve.
There is no sign of the woman, only the shallow ringing of her words across the stony streets. Fire rages through the buildings around them, wooden beams cracking from the heat.
“I want to talk,” Lumi lies softly. “I need to talk.”
A silhouette appears in the alleyway. Eve steps forward into the light. “We’re a bit beyond talking, aren’t we?”
“Let Khimi go… whatever you did to him. You can help him.”
“You look different, feline.” Eve’s body is still charred from their last encounter, her lips burned away but healing. “That curse can’t be undone so easily, but being a vampire isn’t so bad. He’ll get used to it,” she says with an expressive wave of her hand.
“Y-you’re a monster.”
Eve laughs, running her hand along her now bald head. “I’ve been called such for many years. It’s always the same. You’re a monster!” she mocks. “What’d you do to my family?!” she continues with wicked laughter.
“Y-you’re an abomination! The gods detest you!” Lumi shouts, determination in his eyes. The small fiery orb hovers around him, quivering with the fluctuations of his emotions.
Eve covers her mouth. “Oh no! Anything but the gods!” She laughs hysterically. Her body buckles forward. “The gods. Don’t get me started on your precious gods. Your gods don’t love you. They need you. Just as every dumb fuck who prays to them. Without their sheep, they are nothing. Powerless. So I’ll do the world a favor and end another useless zealot’s life.”
“Y-you killed that priest?” Lumi questions. The wind hurls embers past him, illuminating Eve’s face.
Eve shrugs and takes a calculated step forward. “Would it matter if it was me? I’m not alone here, cat.”
“It matters…”
“To your frail little mind? You need someone to tell you that I’m evil so that you won’t feel bad trying to kill me?”
Lumi looks down at his feet. “I won’t feel bad killing you… I just wanted to know. So when I bury them—their soul rests, knowing the monster that took their life is dead!”
Eve cackles, spittle flying from between her lips. “You’re nothing but—”
“Enough!”
The wisp-like orb hurls past Lumi and explodes, a rapid expansion of flames erupts before him. Crackling fires roar like a storm, booming throughout the empty streets. He stands still, waiting for the blaze to dwindle. From the black smoke, Eve rushes through, her clothing burnt away, bits of skin and flesh hang like tattered rags. Her tongue wags from her jawless mouth.
Eve’s blows land near Lumi with each swing. Cautiously, he sidesteps away her swings and works back towards the shrine. Her sharp nails brush past his cheek, a thin trail of blood in its wake. He shouts an incantation, flaming javelins form in the air around him. Their blue flames shift to crimson to match the heat in his eyes.
For the first time since he had seen Eve, a look of terror shines in her remaining bright eye. She steps backwards, then turns her back to him. The javelins pursue fiercely, plummeting from the heavens. A ghastly gurgle sounds down the alley, and he rushes to find the source. The blazing javelins roar with otherworldly heat, searing through Eve’s form, her body pinned against the cobbles.
Lumi’s boots tap against the stone and echo down the alleys. Eve struggles, her body impaled to the stones by the burning spears. She tilts her head to Lumi at his approach, pleading sounds arise from what had been her mouth. His tail shakes behind him as he stands over her.
He reaches out and places a hand on a flaming spear jammed through her abdomen, unmolested by the roaring flames. “You’re a monster,” he mutters. “There is no place for you in this world…” he says, his voice trailing.
The energy within him anchors on the spear, the flames spread over Eve, the fire consuming every bit of her until all that remains is her ashen silhouette. The spear vanishes into a handful of gleaming embers. What remains of Eve’s body withers away into dust beneath him.
“And, I’m a lion…”
The golden markings fade. The exhaustion that comes with touching such sacred power all too quickly takes its toll. Falling to his knees, a delirious laughter slips past his lips, tears of joy trail down his cheeks. You’re gonna be okay, Khimi! His fingers rake through the dust that had been Eve. He tilts his head up to the sky and laughs again. I did it!
“She’s dead! I saved him!” Lumi sits back on his heels and watches the buildings burning around him. Pride swells heavy in his chest. I did it…
“You must be a priest…” a voice growls.
Along the avenue before him, a man garbed in leathers, dark as onyx, steps forth. His features are difficult to make out through the smoky streets, but his reflective eyes glint back an amber glow. Not a moment later, more eyes join until Lumi loses count. They’re all monsters, he tells himself, his fingers still clenching Eve’s ashes.
“Bold of a priest to come alone,” the man says, his words rolling off his tongue in a silvery inflection. “The last one. Well, they didn’t fare so well.”
Lumi grits his teeth and hangs his head. “Why are you doing this?”
The man steps forth through the smoke and embers. A hulking figure of a man stands before Lumi, his muscles pressing against the tight leathers, his yellow eyes seem to glow with an intensity even greater than Eve’s. His features are pale and sharp, uninviting to the eye. Below his russet hair, marked along his brow, is a burn, branded deep within the flesh. The symbol is one of the Faith, the scales of balance. The man at some point had betrayed the Sanctum of Balance and been marked as a traitor.
“Because, times are changing. Our kind will feast upon the others and your kind will become livestock,” he says. He taps across the cobbles, then halts along the intersection. “Emil’s power—”
“No one gives a fuck about your stupid lord!” Lumi growls. “The world isn’t covered in clouds and darkness!”
The vampires hiss at Lumi and bear their fangs. “You’d best mind your tone, else my kin will tear your flesh off before I get a chance to string you up myself, little feline.”
Eve’s ashes shake from Lumi’s unsteady hands. Standing from the stones, his knees begin to wobble. “Some wounds never heal…” he says, his words shifting to a whisper. “You were marked as a traitor to your order. Branded.”
“I was of the Faith many years ago. I left. And because I didn’t see eye to eye with those fools, they did this to me,” he snarls, fingering over the raised mark. “A kind reminder of my time spent serving the gods.”
The cold wind whistles through the avenue, blowing embers and smoke past Lumi’s back. He sighs before he closes his eyes to contemplate his choices.
“To see the type of person you have become is only proof that they were right to brand you,” Lumi replies without thought. “You create monsters, cause so much suffering—”
“Dear boy,” the man interrupts, his lips spread into a frightful grin. “Everyone is a monster, I just help them realize they are.”
The wind pushes the plumes of smoke away to reveal the group of creatures behind the man. They wait, their lips curled back in a snarl, their noses pinched.
Lumi places his hand over his chest. “Not everyone is a monster, there are good people in this world. And people can change!”
The man clicks his tongue. “Tsk, tsk, such hopeful nonsense isn’t suited for this world. The sooner you realize this, the better off you’ll be. Not everyone wants to be good, feline. Most people only care about themselves. Take yourself for example,” he says as he swings around, motioning to the burning structures. “How long did you even consider your actions? Think of all the good people that could have been inside.”
“There is no one worth saving in Cochon. You ruined them all!” Lumi shouts, his hand clenching into a fist.
The vampire scoffs and brushes his hair over his brand. “It wasn’t all me. You can blame the Lorians and their greed. They’re the ones who weakened the city.”
“What?” Lumi asks, his ears twitching. “You’re still the reason people died… just— wait, what happened?”
The vampire arches a brow. “Where are you even from? The Lorians took Cochon from the north, stole its—”
“Yeah, but then you still killed people. That isn’t the Lorian’s fault.”
“But the Lorians were the ones who—”
“No, now you’re just making excuses for what you did.”
The vampire chuckles and hangs his head. “Feline, you’re either very dumb or very bold.”
“You told me I was bold because I came alone, so let’s go with that,” Lumi replies, making a weak attempt at sounding cheerful. “Either way… I don’t care who owns this city. I know it was your kind that turned the people here into monsters… I know you killed the priest.”
“You sure know a lot for a dim witted cat.” The vampire scoffs and draws nearer, one careful step at a time. “But,” he whispers, his toes tapping over the cobbles like a dance. “You’re all alone here, and there are many, many, many rafters to hang you from in Cochon.”
“I’m never alone. Not really,” Lumi whispers in response. His fingers clutch at the woolen parka. “I didn’t turn my back on the gods…”
The vampire huffs at Lumi’s words. “Your zealousness won’t buy you clemency,” he snarls, then rushes at Lumi, drawing a dagger with a flick of his wrist.
Lumi backs away and shouts an incantation. The spears he had relied on fail to make their appearance. Gear takes hold of him as he turns to flee to the city commons. The one thing Lumi had always been proud of was his speed. He was always told he was fast, and seldom had anyone matched his speed. His parka swishes against his body, he runs as fast as his legs can carry him to the shrine, his breath fogging before him with each breath past the destruction he wrought. The sounds that echo from the avenue behind him are frightening, hisses and cursing shouts.
“Isha…” Lumi pants aloud, his feathery blond hair flops in his eyes. “If you want… you can use my body,” he mutters mid-stride. “But I don’t wanna die… so, if you could not kill me! Please! Please!”
He pivots on his heels and scurries into the shrine. The candles from earlier remain lit, their warmth like a welcome invitation. With the roaring blazes raging through the nearby buildings, the stained-glass is illuminated, the yellow and red light shines through across the wooden pews of the shrine. The marble statues at the end of the shrine stand tall, their faces slightly obscured in the dim light.
The vampires crowd around the entrance with hungry eyes. At the center of the small hoard is the man, he snickers and takes a cautious step inside, the momentary flicker of fear in his eyes fading with each step he takes towards forward.
“The gods don’t scare me, child,” he mutters, his words echoing throughout the ancient edifice.
“They should!” Lumi barks, his tail bristling against the stone altar behind him.
He clicks his tongue again. “You’re like a cornered cat. What is there to be afraid of? Death?”
Lumi sprints forward, his palm smashes against the vampire’s jaw, nails tear through yielding flesh. Blow after blow lands, but his opponent doesn’t stagger in the slightest. “W-what are you made of!?” he shouts, wriggling against the vampire’s hold.
The vampire grasps Lumi’s wrist and lifts him from the ground. His feet kick at him, boots smashing against his chest and face repeatedly. “Stronger stuff than your typical monster,” he taunts.
Lumi’s foot cracks against his neck, pain courses through him and shoots up his leg. He howls in pain, then kicks with his other. “L-let me go!”
A cruel smile crosses the man’s lip as he whispers, “Goodnight.” He twirls a dagger deftly between his fingers. “It’s a shame that no one will hear your screams.”
“ISHA!” The shout echoes through the shrine. The vampire clutching Lumi stares at him with utter confusion plastered across his features.
Darkness curls around him like a fog. The scent of smoke and ash fades. The cold that had just touched his skin vanishes. His consciousness seals into the recesses of his own mind. There is no sight or movement or sound. It’s lonely. Dark. Khimi.