Mortalized

Aspher (14)

I've had quite the road-block here, not knowing how to get from this point in the story to the next part. So.. excuse me if I tend to skip around. :>

(Also I don't know why I named this chapter "Aspher" yet. Maybe I'll rename it later.)
(I searched up Aspher and it doesn't really mean anything either, just so you know.)
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     The glowing embers of the fire popped as I pushed around the coals with my stick. My woven sack of coals lay at a safe distance from the fire. Sam, the dog, captured a rabbit, which I had just finished cooking for him. I didn't eat anything, however. My stomach was queasy, and every time I even thought of eating I felt sick to the bone. It wasn't like not eating brought about any side-effects, anyways.. I just healed a little slower.

     The mutt finished his meal to my side, discarding whatever was left of it to get up and walk around the premises. I threw his leftovers into the fire to get rid of the evidence of there being food. I found that a monster or two would wander near when food was left out, plus, it usually started smelling bad after a while. Monsters.. They always kept their distance, as much as they hated me. I could see that in their sorry dead eyes. Luckily I was growing stronger by the day, and they could sense that, so they decided not to get in my way. Still, I could pick up a pattern from them that was quite concerning. When one measily beast found me, they would almost always come back with a friend or two the next night. Concerning, because I didn't know if these things were still loyal to me. Because of this concern, I stayed on the move. It was better that way; I wouldn't get so bored looking at the same trees all the time.

Crack!

     A stick snapping echoed through the forest. I spun on the floor, eyes locking onto two glowing orbs. Immediately I jumped up and lit my fists on fire.

     "Come out, you coward!" I stood stiffly, the heat rising from my hands giving me at least a little confidence, calming my trembling muscles. The glowing orbs did not blink, nor did they even move. I stared at them for quite some time, before I finally realized I was staring at nothing but stars between the treeline. That must be why he appeared to be so far away. Knowing this didn't ease my aching mind, however. I walked around the fire and sat on the other side so that I was facing the direction the noise had come from. Sam eventually arrived and laid down beside me. It wasn't too long until he was on his side snoring. My eyes: unmoving. They couldn't leave the two stars as they rose slowly over me. Even when they were directly above me, I laid on my back and stared them down, unblinking. When morning finally came to cover the stars in pinks and oranges, I finally shut them for a brief moment and went over how stupid I was to have a staring contest with the sky. But, at least...I won.

     Sam rose from the floor with a yawn, and I agreed. It was time to pack up and move on. I stood, stretched, and grabbed the shabby stone pickaxe and net containing mostly coal, but also a few lumps of wood and a shovel which resembled a pitiful bundle of splinters more than anything. With all my belongings collected, I and Sam were off, to nowhere special.

     To say I enjoyed the hike would be like me saying I enjoyed getting stabbed in the thigh. Since my injuries were all but sore now, there was nothing to distract me from the relentless buzzing in the back of my head. I couldn't even claim to be fully conscious as I pushed through the brush and past small dangling branches. My mind was too busy being stuck in another world. One with nothing but dull colors and little else. It wasn't until I got to use my powers again, and feel the warmth of the flames caress my hand, that I felt all my senses wake from what I defined as being trapped in an annoying dream. With the fire in my palm, I tossed it down onto the pile of sticks, watching them take to burn in an instant. Then, I just stared blankly at the hungry flames, glad I finally had something to distract myself from the buzzing inside. The fire's warmth called to me. A silent promise in the floating embers to forever keep me safe from every danger. Without even realizing it, I stuck my hand into the fire and let it wrap around my arm like a heated blanket. The feeling of safety that came from it was something I hadn't felt in a long time.