Chapter 80 - 78

Nothing I can do about his sore mood now, the deed has already been done, so without crying over spilled milk he gives me no space to back off and simply says: 

"Seiji, 'you will now hunt all the ghouls down in this part of town, and when you are done you will be a good boy and go back home!' And wait there until I get back with your new clothes!'" 

That is the first time I have the urge to salute him, seems like Asher can be really scary at times when he sets his mind on it! And especially when provoked a few times already…

In the end he makes me just wanted to end things as quick as possible, so that's just what I do, being forced by Asher's command on parting ways I at least clear his surrounding area before moving on and before Asher can get down all that set of stairs, trying to get as many ghouls as possible before he starts shooting up again and giving his presence away like his soldiers all around the eerie night.

I dash about like a hunting dog, sniffing and clacking my fangs to locate all ghouls along my path, leaving their bodies to paint these walls with their guts,  finding one ghoul hiding in a hole under a building, and quickly snatching him out of there with my tail and crushing his head on the wall, tracking others alongside the attacks, one in a dumbster, no place to run to, other in a bush, as visible for me as if he had been in the open, many others inside buildings that makes me jump around while hooking my talons along the straight walls, and only very few of them roam on the streets.

Well, at least until they hear the many dying shrieks of their fellow ghouls, that is.

I don't know why, perhaps realizing that something as dangerous as myself is lurking in the shadows picking each one of them out, or wanting to investigate as a group to increase their chances of survival, I only know that the ghouls change their strategies and instead of hiding off and converge together in one place.

Oh, thank you, making my job easier, don't mind if I do.

I know before really seeing them where they are together, and as I reach the entrance of a pitch-black tunnel I see their eyes shining at the end, appearing ghostly at the veil of night, red dots floating in the void, the clicking and clacking of their jaws together echoing along those walls, rasping them into further crookedness.

I crack my neck to the side, moving my stiff shoulders around and standing with all my height up, and yet after a few carving steps inside they do not show sights of advancing my way, in fact, they only stand there, creeping around, all eyes locked at me, blankly at first, but then a small strange glint of recognition crosses their eyes as they give an ear to ear smile that wrinkles their entire face further into oddity. 

If that wasn't strange enough the next moment they extend their long claws in the air, resembling a sickening witch holding long scythe talons, and with a smile until the end slash their own throats, freeing rivers of blood out the cut, gurgling up their mouths, nose and eyes, until one by one they fall, completely dead.

Even after moments have passed since the last one of them hits the floor I'm still there to stare back at them, a strange bad premonition brings a frown to my forehead, and yet it is not very noticeable in my scaled form for being too stiff to show much of such small facial muscles moving.

Ghouls acting odd once more… that can only mean one thing, or rather, mean someone. 

Mean that things were not over yet… and things may be turning to worse, and sooner than I wished for.

With these thoughts in mind I give the place a once over and, a little moody myself I do not care in letting Asher know that I have already done my part and there are no more ghouls around, I simply follow his command and start heading back, easily climbing the wall out and having to watch out for snipers on the roofs, not many mind you, but new since the last ghouls attack; hard to say if there are not enough soldiers to cover it all, or not enough interest as I glimpse at the golden walls full of security.

But none of them cause any problem when I can simply hear their breaths without even needing to poke my head around, and added with my sound vision I can pinpoint their exact location.

My only real problem is to go through the small front door of his place, and at that point, looking around, I rather change into a human and get in than destroy the entrance while getting stuck with my butt out, not very cool.

Also I think is funny if anyone sees my naked self entering his home, some interesting gossips could arise from that, though to my disappointment nobody does.

But in the end I regret not telling Asher anything, because now I have to wait for his return before I can even leave his house again or try and risk having another painful experience.

And from the slightly tingling sensation along my skin from barely thinking about leaving, I guess that I already have my answer.

So I resent to my fate and find a place along the wall to nap against, but my mind seems to think otherwise as it starts pondering.

And that would be just as fine if I had stayed wondering about the ghouls behavior and situation, and not about… more complex things, more… private thoughts.

The matter that bothers me the most is not the fact that I may have been human once, not even what memories and experiences had I forgot, no… my worries dwell deeper within.

For if I am, in the end, somewhat truly human, what does that make me in regards to what I've done until now?

How am I to digest the fact that perhaps that makes me a cannibalistic monster?

And why does it bother me anyway? Never had, never should have… and yet it does, doesn't it? Since when? Why now? No matter the whys though, as it does bother me in the end.

Shit I should not be here, should not stay alone to give time and space for these thoughts to grow roots in my mind, however I'm bound to this place by his command, so there is not much of a choice unless I rather be screaming out in pain.

I think his command over once more, of going back home, and something downs me… what would be categorized as home? By merely thinking of places I'm able to discern if I'm allow to, and once the hot markings stop burning I finally let a smile spread out on my face.

Finding a way to rebel against his orders always makes me smile.