Sandstorm [ACOTOR series side story]

Thirteen

It was nearly half past noon when I became aware of a presence near me. I branched out my senses to see where it was and what, and I could sense was decay. Yep, that's my monster finally making its appearance. I jumped from my tree and ran leisurely in the general direction I wanted the creature going. I didn't want to go too fast because I don't want to lose it and must search again. But it seemed too eager to follow and soon I found myself picking up my pace. The rate at which the Seaclum was disintegrating the life around it seemed to quicken with its pace. I wonder if all its energy is siphoned off what it dissolves? So, if I were to take away all sources of energy for it, would it die out and cease to exist?

I looked behind and see the same black gelled creature from weeks ago following hot on my heels. I turn around to increase my pace and to stop smelling the toxic smell of it before my nose bleeds. I just hope that I don't get dizzy from its fumes at a crucial point. Somehow, I can hear noises of frustration from it even though it lacks the obvious system to do that. 

Just five more leagues. Three....one.... Then pandemonium happens. 

I leap those last few meters to vine I specifically set up there and at that height to avoid the fall into the valley that the creature runs into head on. I can hear the sizzling of roots and branches sticking out of the cliff face with its fall. But I have no time to rest because I quickly open a door if you will to the mirror realm right in its descent path. I feel it go through and it feels like a perversion of the dimensions that I shudder with repressed disgust. I swing my vine back towards the ground behind me and let go with one last swing to land perfectly. 

Then I do the thing that I've been dreading the most during this hunt. I put myself in the mirror realm alone with my prey.

And I'm shocked to see what state it's in. It wasn't a gel monster that I stared at or a dying one either, but an entity.

Who are you child?

I jumped in surprise at the voice that invaded my head. And if I didn't know that the only things in this realm were me and whatever that was I wouldn't believe that it spoke to me.

"I'm Nashira" I state.

Ah, a fighter are you, child, but tell me what do you fight for? Family? Rewards? Blood lust?

"For myself" I whisper quietly. At first it was for protection, then I learned how much I enjoyed learning how to use my body. And now it's just a part of me, so why not make my life out of it, not that it's ever been heard off.

You child have something many struggle to find, their purpose. You have the insight to see this within yourself and that's why you can go past where others may travel. Heed my one advice child, pull only those you are determined to change.

"What are you?" I ask it.

A cursed thing that has been freed by escaping the world that chained me. You could say I reflected the evil of others until I absorbed too much and became what I did. Now I can finally return to my place. Child as thanks I bear you a gift that will only present itself for the perfect moment.

It approached me and gave what I would call a slight touch on my forehead that endowed me with its mysterious gift and brought great dizziness to myself.

Go child, return to where you belong, it said.

And I drift off to unconsciousness after barely leaving the mirror realm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I groaned as I woke up with the light squarely in my eyes with a pounding headache. I open my eyes to see I'm in the woods where I came back from my supposed fight with the creature, but all I got was a confusing conversation. I sigh and push those memories aside to focus on my main priority now. Getting back to camp. I groaned again as I felt how sore my muscles were after my vigorous hunt and with my nights scouting that finally caught up with me. But I pick myself up and gather my strength for a quick and simple winnowing to the general's tent. And my cot.

When I arrived, I all but discarded everything off me but my pants and loose shirt that I wore for the mission and fell to my cot and slept. And slept until the rest of the day had gone by and it was night when I woke up.

The room looked thrashed and broken in what must have been a fit of rage. It looks like the General really thought I would die. It stung a bit that he was so disbelieving of my abilities, but I guess I needed to prove myself to more people than I thought. From the brief glance I made of the room, it looks like all the General's gear was gone and so I assume that he's either on a mission of his own, or to a battle field. I hope it's the latter, I don't want him to freak out when he can't find any of my remains. Hmm, that would be funny and very morbid of me, I thought as I drifted back to my exhausted sleep.