Chapter 48: Cress 1

A person sat under the root of a tree.

It was raining.

He was covered in grime. His head was lowered and it looked like he was sleeping. Upon closer look, his eyes were half open. Behind him was a figure of a devilish woman who looked like a translucent ghost.

"Are you awake, Walker?" asked the ghost.

It was worth speaking that the man was a ghost to other eyes. His eyes flickered with a dim light. It was the eyes of a stoic.

"I am, Devil," said the man. "May I tell you about a queer dream?"

"Who cares?" said her.

"I do," he said curtly. "It was a strange dream of a person wishing me success. Don't you find it odd, Tania? That someone would actually wish me luck."

"It's just a dream, Nolan," responded Tania with disdain. "No sane person would try to be with you. You're a murderer of my kind. Behind us lie the corpses of the monsters that you have purposely lured. Instead of leaving you stayed hoping that you'd attract more. And now you are covered in this black grime. You look like a demon yourself, Ghost."

"Calling me Ghost?" he said. "An odd thing to say, Devil of Obsidian Flower or should I call you the Lady of Pale Shine? Have your memories recovered?"

"It did," wheezed Tania. "The memories of my past incarnation and her sufferings are now inside my head. The Pale Shine lady might be my past self. But I am not her. I am Tania of Obsidian. Do not forget that."

"I won't," said Nolan. "How could I forget having a beautiful Ghost beside me? Not to mention..."

He looked at the sword that he was holding with his right hand. It was stabbed in front of him. There were grime-colored tendrils attached to Nolan's hand. These tendrils have started to cover Nolan. It was like a new skin that has started to form on top of his skin.

"The Pale Obsidian Sword of Zachariah is starting to bond with you," said Tania. "I wonder how long could you endure this corruption of blood yet here you are still standing. Tell me, Walker. Are the runes that you inscribed in your body allowed you to make use of my blood?"

"Yes," he answered.

A drop of water fell down upon his forehead. Tania floated in front of him.

"I see. You are circulating my blood and powering them. I've never bothered asking but hearing it from you surprises me. This method of yours is like a drug. It will destroy you, Walker. You are human after all. You do not have the ability to defy your origins?"

"Amor Fati," said Nolan.

"What?"

"It means lover of fate. I accept what happens to me. I've lived long enough to know what will happen if I use you to give me this artificial power. I do not think that I will reach that far...but if I am right then I can at least see the appearance of the light again."

"What are you saying, Walker," asked Tania. "You speak of cryptic words...you refer to the future as if you know it."

"You wouldn't understand it, Tania. I am afraid that you will have to stay with me until my death. You should really give up on being so hostile."

"You sealed me against my will."

"You can still do what you want."

"You stab me in the navel and now use my blood to slaughter my kin."

"You were a slaughterer too, Hypocrite."

The two bickered while the rain and wind rattled the surroundings. The trees swayed and the leaves fell down due to this strong gust of wind. Ten steps away from them were the corpses of the monsters that were killed by them. The pools of blood intertwined and turned into a river that drifted away into the bushes.

The shredded monsters stayed still. There were many of them that were cut to pieces or have been trapped. They were all finished off by a weapon sharp enough to tear through their natural hardened fur. This was the result of Nolan using the knowledge of the future. A certain technique was crafted through desperation. He was no wizard. It was merely him replicating the labors of the men and women of the light's army. It was not his creation. This technique was a like a chainsaw. It needed fuel but it was effective to use. Nolan wasn't that rich to continue feeding his sword enough power. Thus he has captured Tania of Obsidian and made use of her blood as fuel.

She was the perfect vessel. It was cruel to make use of her but Nolan didn't think much of it. He has resolved himself in making use of everything he has to his advantage. That's why even though he could sense the disdain in Tania's voice. He merely thought that he could not control her opinion, therefore, there was no need to think about it. What need is there to worry about things that he could not control?

"You are worse than me!" shouted Tania.

"Yeah, yeah," Nolan said. He looked at the weather. "It looks like this weather won't be stopping soon. Can you watch out for any enemies, Tania? I might spare them if they don't get close."

"Go to hell, Walker! Sleep forever and be done with it!"

"I shall leave it to you then."

It has been a recurring banter of them. She may hate watching out for the person that sealed her but she has no choice. He controlled her being and because of this, she can only watch idly inside the sword that she was placed in.

She watches Nolan close his eyes. She frowned. She was used to seeing him wait in the shadows. He only sleeps a little yet he could gather enough strength to fight on. It was like a habit of him that he has practiced for years. Tania has been observing her foe. To her, he was a human that was used to living off the land. His skills were no joke and he had the air of an experienced veteran.

She considers herself a skilled warrior. Yet in her short battle with him, she was schooled and sealed. "I've become a property of someone like him..."

...

It was a world of white dripping with black liquid.

There was only one chair in this world. In it was a child grabbing hold of his knees.

Nolan walked towards the child until he was in front. The child looked up at him. He sized Lanon up with a watchful gaze. There was a bitter expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" Nolan asked.

"Nothing," said the child him.

"Your face doesn't say 'nothing'," he looked at the child. "Tell me what troubles you."

"Have you ever thought of what it likes to die helpless and unable to do anything other than bowing your head and wait for fate's mercy?"

"Yes. Many times that I've grown jaded to it. What need is there to worry about a past that I can't change. To keep yourself anxious about a future that you could barely control? I've lived long enough to know that living in the present is better. The cruel reality of trying to change it has been shown to me when Oasis City fell."

"Accept fate as it is." The child nodded. "Wouldn't you be tired of it? Have you ever thought that maybe you go against fate?"

Nolan nodded, "Sadly, I cannot do that. I cannot believe in defying fate."

"Then if she is fated to die. Would you try to change fate then?"

"Obviously," he said without hesitation. "I would do everything for her."

"I see," the child nodded. The world continued flowing black liquid from above. Nolan stood still. He was waiting for the person to continue on.

"Why do you imagine this world?"

"I don't know. I have no idea why I could have this odd world where I could speak to the childish version of myself."

The child shook his head, "I don't know why I exist here...Have you felt that cold electric feeling shocking the back of your neck?"

"I did," Nolan answered.

"What was that about?"

"I have no idea. But...there was a feeling of helplessness that I was eerily familiar with?"

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I remembered my days of fighting and becoming better. I was no talented person. I was a grunt who has to learn to be better through the years. I was careful in my endeavors and did what I could to survive. How I was able to reach this far is a mystery to me."

"Then what was that?"

"Like I said I don't know. Maybe it was just a false instinct alert that happens in a while. My slaughter through throughout the world has made me like this."

"Is that really it?" he said curtly. "Have you ever thought that there was something weird happening to your body?"

"Nope," he responded with a shrug of shoulders. "When I arrive into this world I was a survivor. I was an unlucky bastard that was able to reach this far by being paranoid. I doubt that there's something more than that."

"What if there really is?"

"Hah, then that would be lucky. I've employed the last thing that I could use from the future that I know. The jet-cutter technique took us years to develop. Now I am employing it out of how useful it is."

"But you needed to be cruel."

"I have to. I wanted to be efficient therefore I had to do that to Tania. I will not say that I am guilty. I did it out of my will. I have no intention of giving her a leeway. She would only leave me her seal when I want to or through my death. I've no need for guilt."

"You sound mean."

"I am. I can be grumpy too. I might have a young body but I am still old inside. It doesn't change me. If I could I would have ranted about everything. I wouldn't do that simply because I feel like it is childish."

"You act like them sometimes."

"There are times you have a mask to wear. I am merely going with the flow instead of resisting it. Man is never a lonely island. I cannot live alone without anyone to interact. It has been taught to me badly how important it is to have connections."

"Then they why are you always alone?"

That question made him freeze. He looked around unable to answer for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe because I know that I chase after nothing. I hunt down enemies just for the sake of it. I live the life of slaughter, lost in whatever I want to do. I just kill the enemies and follow a path of blood."

"Is that all to it?"

"Sadly," said Nolan. "There's no greater meaning to this life that I live. I am just an old soul trapped inside a body of a young man. I thought of changing what would happen but that was a foolish notion of a foolish man. Why do you ask this question?"

"I felt sadness," responded the child.

"Huh?"

"I felt like a soul cried out for our soul."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know myself. I just feel like there was someone who cheered us up. That it wanted us to do well in whatever we wanted to do."

"Is that really it?"

"Yes, I am just an imagination of yours that act as a coping mechanism. You felt that bit of bitter-sweet cheer. You know that it was meant for us, Nolan."

"I don't understand," Nolan confessed.

"Why would we understand? We aren't wizards."

"True," he agreed.

The world shook. Like glass, it shattered into pieces. Nolan found himself fading away from this world. His vision flickered madly before he found himself back in the real world. He was welcomed with the rain heavily pouring down. The forest he was in was starting to create mists. The trees were getting fogged. He could smell the mixture of blood and drizzly water on the air. The scent was coming from the place where he killed the monsters. The roaring sound of the rain muffled his hearing. The cold weather seeping into the pores of his body

"Let's go, Tania," said Nolan.

"Whatever," shouted Tania as she manifested.

Nolan ignored Tania. He rose like a specter and started to march in the direction that interested him. He was just wandering around trying to deal with the problems that might arise in his wandering.