The Epic Tale of Cregan

Chapter 6: Wake Up

Feeling only fear and uncertainty for what's to come, Regan sprints through the forest back towards the camp. Sara wouldn't possibly do something to Cree while he's hurt, would she? Of course she would, she doesn't care for anyone or anything aside from herself. She's heartless and manipulative and will do whatever it takes to make the lives of those around her miserable.

Her words linger heavily in his mind. They plague his thoughts and strike fear into his heart. The terrifying meaning behind them.

Let's see how far you can bend before you break.

He won't let that happen.

Right?

Surely he is capable of withstanding whatever Aramora has to throw at him. As he said to Latanya, his mind is always up for anything. But this? No. He won't play Sara's game. And he won't be like her.

He reaches the camp to see that Cree is propping himself up on his metal arm and he's weak, but conscious. And most comforting of all, he is alive and there doesn't seem to be any signs that Sara has been here or done anything. "Tyrell!" Throwing common sense to the wind, Regan rushes to his side and wraps his trembling arms around his shoulders, carefully avoiding his wounds.

Cree instantly scoffs and shoves Regan off of him, glaring at him viciously. "Don't touch me, today is bad enough as it is..." he grumbles and looks down at his wounds.

Regan's face hardens and he frowns at him. "Really? The woman you slept with walked out on you, arrested you, tortured and manipulated you, tried to kill you, you nearly bled out, and yet me touching you is what makes today horrible?" he huffs. Cree looks back up at him.

"Yes."

Regan sighs with distress and stands up, turning around and holding the back of his neck, anxiously biting his lip and trying to take deep breaths. His hands are shaking so he brings them back down to nervously rub his knuckles as he fights to calm himself down unsuccessfully. Cree tilts his head at him. "Regan, what the hell's gotten into you? You look like you're on a bad trip of Hyper," he says and grunts as he tries to sit up, but can't get far as his strength fails him.

Regan shakes his head and looks down at Romeow. He kneels in front of the cat and holds him by his sides, staring into his eyes pleadingly. "Romeow, you are directly linked with my mind. If... if ever you notice I start acting different, I need you to tell me. Please."

"You're acting different," the cat deadpans.

Regan growls his frustration and stands up again. His deep breaths become weak hyperventilating.

"Regan!" Cree shouts.

Regan whips around to face him to see that he has both annoyance, and a very small hint of concern on his face. "What is going on?" Cree demands. Regan sighs and tries to relax a bit as he notes that Cree is in no state to be dealing with any of this. He's going to tell him, but just not yet.

"It's nothing..." He shakes his head in defeat. "No... no, it is something, but I do not think burdening you with it would be very wise at the moment. Once I've gotten you patched up, I will tell you everything. Now, however..." He takes one more deep breath and turns back to Romeow. "Now that you're here, I'm going to need you to run back to New Cresthill with the numis I have left and get all the medical supplies I will need to help Tyrell. You know, needles, thread, bandages, hopefully some Toxin substitute if that's a thing here. Just anything that would be useful here." He pulls his coin purse out of his bag and Romeow takes it in his mouth.

"Sure, why not. Not like I've been running all day anyway," the cat says.

"Romeow, you don't tire." Regan sighs and turns back to Cree as Romeow takes off in the direction of New Cresthill.