CAMADA'S POINT OF VIEW.
"No, think about it yourself... there's obviously a probable reason for putting us in groups...we may not pass the test if we don't show up with all our group memb...."- "And I'm saying there's no point in that logic since the group member in question is DEAD!" Yal interrupts me, his voice high and exasperated.
-Silence-
"Camada does have a point" Sesugh pipes in quietly.
"Oh shut up, says the guy whose group members are all worm feed now" Yal states brazenly, then he sighs heavily reflecting on his harsh words;
"Look, all I'm saying is that I can't possibly lift a dead body any longer, I'm not going to do it...so just know that"
Taki exhales deeply;
"Then I'll do it"
Yal turns to Taki absolutely belwidered;
"Trust me, you can't possibly handle that guy's weight! It's like he's a bag of...." Yal pauses thoughtfully;
"SOMETHING very, very hefty-" "So will you do it Yal?" Taki cuts him in, her tone practical.
Yal goes quiet.
Taki squats to the floor, hunching over;
"Well... best be fast with it, we don't want any monsters catching up with us"
She's smiling.
-What the hell is wrong with this girl?-
I didn't think she would actually be ready to carry Rave, I thought it was all just some strategy to make Yal feel guilty.
I watch as Yal strenuously hoists Rave to Taki's back.
-I am patiently waiting for Yal to say this is all a joke and collect Rave from Taki-
Taki is visibly weighed down terribly by Rave's body, she wheezes and gasps to hold herself up.
I muse to myself;
-There's no way I'd be, what's the word now?- COURAGEOUS enough to carry a dead body on my back for so long... why would Taki put in this effort?-
Taki is seriously hunched over and she takes slow, lagging steps behind us.
On the other hand, Yal is skipping around in euphoric liberty.
-Is he heartless?-
No...
-I wouldn't carry a dead body around either-
CAMADA'S POV END.
HYDE'S POINT OF VIEW.
"Here...Faria says you should dress up in this"
She hurls a small bundle of clothes to me;
"Also you can stand up now, the chains have been eased" she turns to go then she stops remembering something;
"Also you were going to ask me what my name is, it's Treya..." She leaves in brisk steps.
-Silence-
I lay flat on the bed.
-The sensation that comes with knowledge of your own near death is astounding; it is a feeling that cannot possibly be wrapped up and elucidated; it is something that is best understood through experience-
What's the point of costuming for my own funeral?
-Well, I suppose even corpses are dressed up-
I stand up from the bed gingerly,
-It's been a while since I've felt the floor-
I go to the window sill and look out.
-The surrounding appears strangely surreal; almost too serene to be realistic-
I feel at the stub of my arm.
-The reality of my deficiency hits me hard and the motivation to live is drowned out-
How can I do anything? Especially as my left arm used to be my primary arm.
The door slams open.
"Aren't you dressed yet?" Treya asks indignantly.
"You only gave me clothes a few minutes ago..." I mutter under my breath as I scramble to strip the raggy clothes off my body.
Treya sighs heavily;
"Be quick, Lord Fenice could arrive anytime! Join us in the kitchen after you're through, I will not have Faria yelling at me because of you again!" She rants and barges out.
-What was that all about?; Where the hell is the kitchen?-
Also, don't these people understand the concept of a bath?; I'm so filthy I could retch at my stench.
I put on the clothes.
-It's almost as if they've been specifically tailored to my scrawny physique-
I'm sure I've never worn clothes so clean.
My stomach suddenly churns.
-It's almost like my body entirely forgot all the calls of nature when I was trapped on that bed-
They might have denied me a bath, but not a shit too!
I throw myself out of the room.
-I've got to find a toilet and fast-
I meet an ominously dark, empty, winding passage.
A series of doors by the walls.
-One of those doors could be the toilet-
I walk for a while, then I stop.
-My intuition leads me to one of the doors-
A plain, old, wooden door.
I knock thrice.
Receiving no answer, I reach out to it's handle and pull.
The door opens up to a dimly lit room.
I nearly gasp when my eyes catch an almost completely naked woman at the centre of the room.
She looks up menacingly.
I slam the door behind me.
-Definitely not the toilet-
HYDE'S POV END.
***********
THE HOODED ONE'S POINT OF VIEW.
Mayter has decisively refused to take her leave.
'Until I answer all her questions'; she says.
"You were so agitated to leave before and now you insist on becoming an obstacle to a peaceful afternoon of solitude" I state simply.
Her arms are crossed tightly.
"Are you really two-timing me Mr Hooded One?" she quizzes with an infuriated tone.
I shrug;
"I don't remember owing anyone allegiance" I mutter flatly as flip through the book.
She scoffs;
"And you were shameless enough to tattle me?" She rants.
I chuckle.
-She used 'tattle' like I'm some kid-
She hugs herself while biting her nails.
I regard her with interest;
"I never imagined that Rev Netyisha was such a terror... you're almost at the edge of pissing yourself in trepidation"
Her shoulders tensen;
"You're misunderstanding something here you Hooded monster, I could never be afraid of someone as trivial as Netyisha..as I've told you before...I just have to get that pillock out of Most Rev Yulia's trust...!" she half-shrieks.
I crack up.
"Is that so?" I ask tauntingly while trying to control my laughter.
She glares up at me;
"I can see why they didn't make you Head Upper Mage" she affronts quietly.
I chuckle to myself;
"Did you feel better after saying that?"
She shrugs;
"I wonder about you Mr Hooded One... you're so difficult to understand..." she peers at me objectively.
-Silence-
She jumps up from her seat;
"Are you on Rev Netyisha's side or...mine?" She asks in a critical voice.
-She's an idiot, that's for sure... but she isn't so boring-
"Nothing is ever for free Mayter..." I mutter decisively ignoring her question.
She sits down.
"Don't start speaking in idioms you-" "If you want to keep harassing Netyisha with my Soul-Mediums, then you should be prepared to pay a price" I interrupt her.
She jolts upright;
"What do you want then...?"
I grin to myself;
"Now we're talking"
THE HOODED ONE'S POV END.
NETYISHA'S POINT OF VIEW.
Misty drags me along, my shoulders are slumped;
However I look at it;
-I'm actually considering having a child soothe my rage-
"There's really nothing wrong Misty" I say as I try to retrieve my hand from her grip.
She shakes her head vehemently and stops in her tracks to look up at me;
"If something is wrong Netyisha, then I'll help you not just because I'm a Reverred Hostess but because we're friends"
She asserts in all seriousness.
I stare at her.
-We're friends?: Nobody has ever called me their friend before-
"I've never had a real friend before, so I want to do my best to make a positive impact on you as my friend"
She says this and continues walking;
-I muse to myself-
"Hey Misty..."
She turns to me;
"You're comfortable with me even though I'm a Dark core?"
I look down as I ask this question;
-What is this?; Am I really trying to seek acceptance from a kid right now?-
Misty shrugs;
"My teacher was Dark Core yet I still can't tell what's so different between Dark-cores and other cores"
-....-
"I see..."
NETYISHA'S POV END.
HYDE'S POINT OF VIEW.
"You really don't know anything do you?"
Treya grabs me by the ear and drags me somewhere.
-I was just about to give up locating the toilet in this vast house-
"Now Faria's going to say that it's my fault you didn't come earlier" she grumbles.
"Please is there a toilet in this house?" I ask quietly.
Treya turns to me like I've gone crazy.
"Even if there is, do you really think I'm going to let you go right now when Faria is on my neck to get you ready?" she states, tugging at my hair.
I sigh to myself;
She's saying some other stuff but it's all drowned out;
-Right now none of this bullcrap matters to me, I just want to take a good shit even if it's the last thing I do-
That urgency sparks a confidence in me;
I smack her hand away.
"I guess I can just poop anywhere..."
I move to a corner of the passage, and crouch down.
-I don't care, I'm dying anyway...at least let me have one last shit-
Something massive slams into my head;
"This bi*** is ACTUALLY CRAZY"
-Mic's voice-
HYDE'S POV END.