Changed: Outbreak

Chapter 22: A blood for faith

[??? pov]

"Father, may I ask? Are you proud of what I have been doing for the past years?"

"No."

"Why is that father? Haven't I shown you enough?"

"No. You strayed far from what I have prepared for you to trek on. Rather than befriending these mortals, you have been murdering them and their home planets. It is the complete opposite of what I had in mind. Are you satisfied with the way things are?"

"Never. I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be worshipped. I know I have been alone for a very long time, but I would have preferred to remain that way rather than being worshipped by these mortals and asking for greed and assistance nonstop. I grew sick and tired for their calls. All of them, asking for selfish desires as if I'm just a tool to them. You gave me something that I didn't ask for, and now I am troubled even more by it. Father, are YOU satisfied with the way things are?"

"No. In all honesty, I want to correct a few things that have occurred. You have been trying to solve this endless problem for quite some time, which has led to countless mortal lives lost. It pains me to see. Do you need my help with erasing your traces of existence on the mortal plane so it won't pester you any longer?"

"No thanks, father. I've been looking for alternatives myself to dispose of these artifacts without murdering countless mortal lives. I admit that what I have been doing has led to countless mortal lives lost, and I regret the act and would wish to no longer perform that method. If I were to ask a mortal a favor of disposing of the artifacts, would it work?"

"Possibly. Our sizes to the mortal plane are quite... Humongous. We are gigantic Cosmic Worms afterall, and we venture through the stars from the perspectives of the mortals. By commanding a mortal to search and dispose of the artifacts for you, you save countless mortal lives."

"I already have found a perfect mortal to follow my commands. I just have to deal with something first. I sense a familiar entity calling me, and I must answer their calls."

"A ritual upon one of your artifacts again?"

"I'm afraid so."

[Ghost's pov]

I slowly opened my eyes as I regain my consciousness. I found myself lying in a forest with the leaves of the trees hanging above me. The night sky is slowly turning blue. It is almost morning. I tried getting back up, and I noticed that my left arm is bruised and is painful to move. I managed to stand up on my two legs, and I can't help but notice my body aching. The fall must have done a good number on me. I turned around to look at from where I possibly rolled from, and I noticed that the military base is quite far from where I am standing. I rolled a distance from the military base, and there's nothing left to do but move forward. I have to find this John.

The person behind the radio states that John can be found mourning by ruins of sacred halls. Sacred halls would probably be a church, and the only one I can think of as ruins of a church would be the same church my men died and got burned to the ground. I began walking forward while holding my left arm. As I venture through the forest, I only noticed now that I lost my sniper rifle on the fall. I reached out to the pocket of my uniform, and my knife isn't there.

I lost most of my belongings on my way down. I am left defenseless against any predators within this forest. If my memory serves me correct, the church should be close enough to the North. I must hurry, I don't have any weapons with me.

[John's pov]

I opened my eyes to the sounds of the bushes rustle nearby, and I turned around to look at the rustling bush. I stood my ground, waiting for something to pop out of the bush. Just as expected, an animal jumped out of the bush. It's a Capybara, and it looked at me for a few seconds before trotting away.

I heard another rustle from one of the bushes, and I turned around towards the direction of the sound. A Protogen appeared from the bushes with a skull painted on its visor. This must be the leader of the insurgence! His cloak is all torn and worn down, and a portion of his cloak is soaked in his blood. "John, it's a pleasure to finally see you again. First and foremost, I would like to apologize for the church being destroyed by the New Order Alliance. Second, your preaching and exorcism is needed elsewhere. Finally, may I request medical assistance of my wounds?"

[Ghost's pov]

The Protogen wearing a clothing of a priest looks at me from head to toe before nodding his head to me. John reaches for something within his shirt, presumably a bandage to wrap around my wounds. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my shoulders before being dragged down to the grass. The amalgamation of the Lieutenant followed me here, and the creature has me pinned down on the floor. The sharp claws of the beast digs into my arms, and I groaned in pain. The weight of the creature is pushing me down to the ground which makes it impossible for me to kick the beast off from me.

"Father! Stab this beast with your cross!" I shouted for help, and I noticed the priest pulling a cross out from within his shirt. "Demon, or whatever you are. I unfortunately don't harm, but may this put you to sleep. Face me, demon!" John yelled as he raises his cross at the creature, and the amalgam retracted his claws before turning to look at John. "Lu... Na... Ti... C..." The amalgam suddenly spoke, and John tosses the steel crucifix towards me.

The steel cross landed beside me, next to my head. With my remaining strength, I gripped the steel cross with my left paw before kicking the creature on it's belly, leading it to flinch and hopped back away from me. "Im... Pos... Ter..." The Lieutenant then charges at John, and with my remaining strength I blocked the attack from the amalgam. I took the hit, and I felt something sharp pierce through my abdomen. I took note of the glimpse of the tail through my body, and I didn't waste the opportunity to put the Lieutenant down once and for all.

I immediately stabbed the steel cross into the head of the beast with its visor intact, and the amalgam began to melt. I quickly toss the body away from me as I feel the stinging sensation on my abdomen. The only thing that can kill Ghost... is Ghost. I feel my blood starting to ooze out from my visor maw. Everything hurts. "Are you alright, Ghost?" The priest asked as he kneels beside me. I coughed, clearing my throat before smiling at him. "I'm still in one piece... I suppose this is how my... Mission ends..."

"The flesh may be weak, but your spirit is willing. Your spirit to fight on has led you to this point, soldier." John then stands up and walks away before returning with a bloodied steel cross on his paw. John kneels next to me once again before handing me the steel crucifix. I held the bloodied steel crucifix with my two paws. "God will be by your side, even on your last remaining time. Do you want me to do something, Ghost?" John asked, and I let out a cough as I feel more blood oozing out of my visor maw. "The light... I want to see... The sunrise..." I managed to let out a few words as my chest tightens and my breaths shorten.

John stood again and began to slowly drag me back. I felt my back rested on a boulder, and I can see the distance from here. "John... Take radio... Go to military base... Heli pad..."

[John's pov]

The soldier coughs out more blood, and his left paw reaches for something within his cloak before tossing a walkie-talkie on the ground beside him. I took the walkie-talkie and stored it within my shirt, and the soldier returns to him holding the bloodied steel crucifix with this two paws. "Goodbye, Ghost."

"Godspeed... Father..."