• It hung there, impaled on the wall with its arms nailed to the wall. It hung from the wall with a large earthen spike, piercing its stomach, and it had not a shredding of clothing on it. I held my stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick...” Ruri looked at it, trying to figure out why it looked that way: It looked like me, and I looked like it. Those words were running through my mind as I collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily. Ruri moved next to me. “You okay Chii ?” She patted me on the back. “It looks just like me, Ruri.” I uttered quietly. "What is it ?” She looked at it one more time. “Hard to say... Yeah it looks like you but…” I looked up at her. “What’s up ?” Ruri’s face was wrapped in fear. “Its bleeding.” I looked up at it. Ruri was right, blood was seeping from its hands and stomach, and splashing across the floor. “But if we were the first people to have come here in generations, how can this be here bleeding and not even one sign on decomposition !” Ruri helped me up. “That’s what I can't figure and that’s what scares me.” I looked at it and moved towards it a little with caution. “I know this sounds a weird thing to ask,” I uttered to Ruri, “but do you think its still alive ?” Ruri looked cautiously at it. “I doubt it, even if the blood is dripping. Its been down here for well over 2 millenniums.” I turned to face her. “So why hasn’t it decomposed ?” She looked at it, then returned her eye line to me. “Perhaps the energy kept all the things that could eat away her body away from her.” I looked at her. “But then shouldn’t time of taken its toll ?” I moved closer to the impaled girl till I was within touching distance. I poked her then quickly withdrew from where I was standing.

    Not a movement, Ruri stood there in prefect silence as I moved back towards her. “I suppose the least I can do is take her of this spike, don’t you think Ruri ?” Ruri nodded. “Don’t suppose you want to help me Ruri.” She looked at me. “Nope, I’m fine here and I’m sure she is fine there, so do as you want.” I looked at her. “Thanks for the support Ruri.” I placed my arms around her blood stained body and gently pulled her away from the spike. she moved with ease and collapsed on me when she had fully been removed from the spike. I was scared just holding her. Shaking, I gently lowered it down. Its arms suddenly wrapped around me, my body clenched with fear as I felt my back be squeezed. “Ruri... help...” she looked at me and noticed the tension in my uniform. The bleeding girl swayed its head, still alive, it faced me. I tired pushing her away from me, but her grip was incredibly strong. My heart raced as Ruri began running towards me. The girl's head rolled to face Ruri, it rolled as if broken. She said, “utter fon kilidalcite,” and with that Ruri froze. “Huh ? I can't move !” She shouted. The girl smiled and looked back at me, her eyes opened and blood streamed down from them. I fought to try and free myself, but she would not let go. She then let out a earth shattering scream. “Ruri help get her off me please Ruri help !” I was crying with fear at this point. I knew Ruri was trying but she couldn’t help me: It had me exactly where it wanted me. Her hands dug into my back until I screamed in pain, and as my mouth opened she kissed me, and then withdrew letting go of me. Her eyes aligned with mine as she moved back, speaking in a language unknown to me. “Kin gop heel ni naymthe.” And with that she dropped to the floor and laid motionless, in the puddle of blood her body had poured across the floor. My eyes looked at the once moving corpse, my body felt cold all over. I could not breathe properly, my back was tense from the grip she had once laid upon me, and my stomach was tight. Ruri became unfrozen and almost fell forward with the strength she had put into trying to go forward while frozen. “Chii…….” I turned around, “Rur…” and then collapsed, my eyes refusing to stay open and finally closed slowly. Ruri’s pleas to try and bring me back to my senses became blurred until all was silent and dark.

    “Ch... hehe... Ch...ii wake up... Chii...” My eyes slowly opened to the joyful calling of my name. “Huh ? Who are you ? I cant see you...” I replied in a weak voice “Chii, all you have to do is stand up and you will see me.” I placed my hand under my chest and began to push myself up. My body felt extremely heavy, but I was still able to push myself up to my knees. “That’s it Chii, just a little more.” Finally I moved my knees forward and stood gently on my feet, before finally lifting myself up to a standing position. “Very good.” I looked around, nothing but darkness was visible. “Where am I ?” With that question, everything changed around me. The dark floor of which I stood on began to turn green, and sprout grass and a few white flowers. My surroundings had changed to outside, in a meadow nothing, but a tree was visible. “Where are you...” The voice said from behind me. I spun to check the voice, but nothing was in sight. “I would have thought, of all people you would know of this place.” The voice this time was coming from all directions. Nothing in this place reminded me of anywhere specifically special. “No, I don’t remember here, why would I ?” The tree blew in the wind that gently brushed against my face. ”How foolish... You don’t remember something that everyone in your lineage, including myself, would have scared within their mind.” The voice seemed much more angry, as if it was trying to force me to remember. “But this place... I’m sorry I don’t remember it.” I looked down at my feet as if I was sorry to this unforeseen force. “You will remember in due time...” It said in a much more subtle tone. I looked around, still trying to find this voice. “Will you show yourself to me ?“ the grass began to turn a scorched brown as the tree seamlessly became ablaze with a eerie black flame. “No Chii ! now is not the time for me to show you who I am.” I looked at the tree as the blaze slowly began to spread across the floor. “remember though, Chii... you are not alone now.” the voice replied in a happy, yet strikingly malice filled tone. “No, there is always me, I am here...” The blaze spread towards me. I tried to run, but was making no real distance from the blazing tree. “Leave me alone ! I’m fine being me !” I shouted, clutching my head. The flames climbed up my body and began to scorch my cloths and my bare skin. I closed my eyes with fear and pain. When I forced my eyes open, the burns revealed runic looking marks across my body. My uniform turned pure black, then seamlessly tightened on my body when I reached for it. I realized it had become heavy armor. “What’s happening...? My body… what are you doing to it ?“ The flames scorched more and more until I fell to my hands and knees. “Hehehe your body is that what you call it ….. I think its mine now.” It said in a heartless voice as I finally collapsed to the ground, clutching the scorched ground as it turned into dust in my hand and began collapsing around me. I pushed myself violently back to my feet. The ground also disappeared from sight and nothing but the tree standing on a small island and myself, standing on the crumbling island, were visible. Below were black flames rising the ground, crumbling around me. “What do you want from me !” I shouted. “You shall soon see, my dear Chii. “ The ground was so small now I could only barely stand on it. “What do you mean ?” The voice replied. “What do I want… that you will soon understand...” And with that the remaining ground dissolved under my feet, and I began falling. As I hit the flames I felt nothing.

    “Chii... Chii !” I felt someone rocking my body back and forth. “Huh ?” it was Ruri. “Ruri... where am I ?” She smiled, relieved that I was back to consciousness. “We're on our way back. Chii, are you okay ?” She remark. I slowly helped myself up to a sitting position. “I think so...” I held my head with my hand. The images of what I had just endured were frequently flowing through my mind, both the physical torment and the mental one I was forced to endure. “Ruri, what was that thing that grabbed me ? And why did it look like me ?” She looked at me and looked to one side. “Can't say, I have never seen anything like it before.” I grabbed her by the shoulders and angrily pushed her against the side of the helicopter. “Answer my question Ruri, you know something !” Ruri grabbed hold of my arms and pushed me back a bit. “Calm down, damn it. I said I don’t know and I mean that !” I let the stress out of my arms and almost collapsed into Ruri’s arms, tears streamed from my eyes. “Ruri... I’m scared... Whatever that thing was, it done something to me...” My tears hit Ruri’s leg where my head rested. She moved her hand across my head, trying to comfort me. “Chii, don’t worry, we will get a check done when we get back to the base.” She held my head to face hers. “I promise, Chii, you’re my best friend. I wont let anything hurt you, I promise.” I hugged Ruri tightly. “Thank you, Ruri.” I looked around the helicopter and noticed a large bulging sack next to the exit bay of the helicopter. “What’s that ?" I asked. Ruri smiled. “That, Chii, is our hard work in Talic for. I’m expecting a rather princely sum for the amount of crap me and you went through for them.” I smiled also at the thought of the amount of money we would get, for this seemed to over weigh my concerns. “So pilot how long till touch down ?” He turned around and looked at me. “Well, I would say about 10 minutes ma’am.” I nodded with approval. “Thanks for the update and for the great piloting. I'll make sure your rewarded greatly for your services.” I remarked to him and then returned my attention back to the bag of Talics, smiling appeased with our success. I asked Ruri. “So what you planning on spending your money on Ruri ?” She crossed her arms behind her head. “Hmm... I don't know actually. I might get our apartment looking about more livable, you ?” I looked that the Talics. “I’m going to spend some money reinforcing my swords, and perhaps some armour.” She laughed. “Treats and stuff huh ? But I never took you to be an armour wearer Chii.” I looked back at her, then the thought of that black armour in my dream came back to me. “I thought I could try it Ruri, you know ?” She agreed. As she did the pilot announced are landing time I stood up and prepared to jump out of the helicopter and get my pay.

    It was the usual routine really: Out of the chopper into the pools of applause, and then a quiet word with Zanar, then pay. But for some reason, it never seemed to tiring for me. I smiled happily with the applause I received, then a voice sounded in my head. “How foolish...” It stated in a almost sympathetic tone. My eyes lowered to the floor as Ruri patted me on the back. “Why so glum ? C’mon, we are hero’s, enjoy it.” But for some reason, I just couldn’t enjoy the feeling of joy these people tried to share with me. “It’s so fake, why would they care ?” The voice sounded again, this time it was in a much more saddened tone. It seemed strange to others, but for some reason it seemingly made sense to me. “Why do they care.” I whispered softly it was as if I was having a conversation with this lingering voice in my head. I walked forward into the base, my mind was not clear at all if anything. It was even more hazy then before the mission that night. “I wonder if I feel like this cause of lack of sleep...” I still felt slightly cold across my body. “But then why does my body feel so strange…. Fatigue maybe ?” I carried on walking towards the room where, as usual, I would be greeted by Zanar. As I walked on the voice spoke once more. “Is this what you have to deal with ? A base full of idiocy ?” I thought about what the voice was saying. “Do you truly think its so bad here ?” the voice laughed in a malicious tone as I carried on to the room where Zanar awaited me. I’m sure he had the same congratulations speech every time he stood in front of me and Ruri and welcomed us back. I stood there in a world of my own, the words he spoke I never really took notice of it was always the same, after all you heard it once you heard it all. That was my opinion of it anyhow. He looked at me, noticing my eye line not anywhere near his. “Chii, I realize you are successful, but please do try to remember who your commander is.” I returned my eye line to his, still blanking his words. The voice began to speak to me again. “So this is the mighty leader huh, he seems far to full of himself to truly be capable.” The voice made me laugh a little. “Yeah your right, but I guess you’re the only one who looks things my way.” I whispered quietly to myself. “What about her ," The voice asked, "does she believe in such a fool ?” “I don’t know.” The words came out louder this time, and Zanar addressed them with a violent voice. “CHII ! Please pay attention.” Ruri stood in for me. “Please sir, it has been incredibly stressful for Chii. She doesn’t mean to be ignorant, she is tired from the mission." I looked at Ruri, then returned my eye line back to the floor. Zanar huffed in anger then continued his speech. “Seem’s this Ruri is a good friend of yours. “ I nodded with approval to the voice when Zanar once more glared at me. “I can see Chii thinks she is far to good for a congratulations... Fine then, Chii.” He chucked a large bag of coins at me. They were the gold variety worth a lot of money. I didn’t even catch it, the bag hit my chest and slumped to the floor, and the coins rolled out of the unsealed bag. “Take your money and leave.” I knelt down and placed the rest of the money back into the bag, then walked back out of his office. “To be honest, how anyone can takes an order from a complete fool like him make me feel sad.“ I began walking down the corridor. “You think he is that bad ?“ I whispered to myself. “He is a fool among fools. He only feels good if someone is being belittled by him. Its clear to me how a mind like his works.“ Then it hit me. “Why am I talking to myself ? And why is my brain giving back a conversation to my words ?” I said this out aloud, but nobody was around to hear it. The voice did not respond. I then thought to myself. "Am I truly that tired that I’m going delusional ?”

    I made my way to my door and gently pressed against it as I turned the key clockwise and heard the lock clicked. The journey back from the base was longer…. At least it felt that way. Maybe because I was so tired it got my thinking. “Did that whole corpse thing really happen or did I just blank out ?” I walked in and walked to my room where I collapsed on my bed. “Nothing is making sense... what the hell is going on ?” Saying that did not solve anything. I sighed with a deep breath, then heard the floorboards creek. My eyes rolled to the door and I see it slowly open. “Hey Chii.“ A voice sounded. “You awake ?“ It was Ren, her head looked around the door. I waved with what little energy I had and welcomed her in. Ren walked over to me and sat on my bed next to me. “Heard you got shouted at by Zanar.” I huffed “I don’t care, its not like I have to get along with him anyway.” Ren seemed worried. “Are you okay.” I didn’t reply to her. She looked up and continued. “I bumped into Ruri,” My eyes aligned with her, “she said you had a bit of a black out at the crater.” She laughed. “That isn’t like you.” I was not amused by the statement and snapped back. “Yeah I blacked out, so what !” Ren pulled back defensively. “What’s up Chii, your not yourself,“ She seemed worried about me, “are you feeling okay ? Nothing happened did it ?“ I whispered quietly “I wish I knew.” She looked at me inattentively. “what did you say ?” I remained quiet and somewhat motionless. She sighed. “You know a little response to show your in the land of the living is greatly appreciated.” I sat up. “What do you want from me ? To nod and approve of everything you say ? Why do I have to say anything ?” She withdrew defensively and shouted back. “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU ? SOMEONE TRIES TO HELP YOU AND ALL YOU DO IS RIP THEM A NEW a** ?” I looked up at her with the anger flowing through her eyes. I rubbed my hands across my face then sighing quietly. I said. “I’m sorry Ren, I didn’t mean to be so angry or to make you angry, its just……” Her anger turned to worry as she listened to me. “Its just what Chii ?” I covered my face with my hands and began to cry quietly. “I’m just … just...” I uttered my words near enough, choking on each one. She sat next to me on the bed again. I took one deep breath. “Ren, I’m scared... I don’t know what’s going on anymore.” I said as tear streamed from my eyes. “What do you mean Chii ? What doesn’t make sense to you ?” I cried, more tears were covering my face. “Nothing does Ren, nothing at all...” Ren was worried, It was clear by her expression and body language. “Chii….” She sat me back up and wiped the tears from my eyes with her sleeve “Calm down, everything will be fine.” She said trying to reassure me. I looked at her, my eyes still weeping with tears. “Ren….” She looked at me, “thank you...” I dropped forward into her arms. All was quiet, not a thought went through my head. I was at peace and it was like heaven.