The Creed's Emergence

Chapter Seven: Conflict

Anika couldn't just sit there, and she needed to climb.
She placed her foot in a hole, then began grabbing onto everything she could feel that was stable. Maybe climbing wasn't so bad. She was left behind, but it couldn't stop her from reaching the other Decrepit. A grin came onto her face as she gripped the stones jutting out of the walls.
'I can't look down. Or else I'll get scared.' Anika thought to herself, trying to focus on the destination, and she had to catch up to look strong. She couldn't look weak, especially to people who are known to be powerful. She had to prove that she wasn't who she used to be. The shift from a modern world to a fantasy world was a giant leap. Her arms hurt, but she couldn't stop now.
"How are you doing down there, Anika?" Crow shouted from somewhere far above.
"Good! It's not as bad as I thought. I think the climb is easy!" Anika responded, not stopping once. She was a bit unsure about how the climb would be further up. The wall looked more jagged, and the stone broke off as they began to float at some point. Thick vines connected some of the rocks, allowing anyone to walk on them. For some reason, Anika looked down. The ground was far below her. A wave of panic overcame her. She quickly looked back up, freezing up. Her mind became cluttered with worries. If she made one wrong move, she could fall, or what if the rocks gave way? She felt terrified, especially after seeing how high up she was. Shutting her eyes closed, she stayed in her place. Tiny squeaks of fear came from her. She sounded like a scared mouse. Then, she felt someone gently grasp her. As she opened her eyes, she saw Thorn next to her with an arm around her. He was hanging onto one of his blades which was embedded deep into the rock. Somehow he wasn't falling. Even if he now shifted Anika's weight onto him and began to carry her up, he didn't make any sudden movement. His body felt warm, almost like warm sunshine on a sunny day or even a warm blanket during a chilly winter night. The sound of his breathing and the strong beat of his heart soothed Anika. It was an incredible sound. But his warmth was what calmed her down most. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in so long.
"You're so warm..." Anika mumbled softly.
"I'm... Huh?" Thorn stopped. He didn't know how to feel about the sudden statement, not like he couldn't feel a thing anyway. He stood there, his breaths becoming heavy.
"You must be mistaken." He told her, uncertain. Yet, he couldn't focus on processing his thoughts and her words. He shakily began to climb again but was silent this time. He wouldn't say a word. Deep down, he wanted to feel something. But he could not feel anything, neither could he bring himself to do so. Before he could think further, something clicked in his mind. Memories flashed in his mind. He saw war, chaos, and so much bloodshed. His Decrepit brothers were clashing against faceless enemies. Having feelings was not something he should have. He only wanted to rip and tear, nothing more or nothing less. His chest heaved with each heavy breath. His vision had gone red as if he was beginning to crave blood.
Suddenly, he began speaking in an unknown tongue. For a moment, his body went loose. Anika gripped onto Thorn's uniform, not wanting him to let go.

"Thorn! Snap out of it! What's going on!?"

The scream rang out. Moon and Crow looked down, but their eyes widened upon seeing the event unfold in front of them. The brothers looked at each other, nodding their heads. Then Moon yelled.
"Bramble! Get Anika! Splinter! Get ahold of Thorn, and don't let him lose control!"
Both Decrepit let go of their blades, falling from where they were. They fell through the air for what seemed like minutes. Then, as if on cue, a pair of dragon-like wings sprouted from their backs. They unfurled, allowing the Decrepit to glide.
Thorn kept speaking in the unknown tongue. His pupils were gone! Now he had blank eyes, and blood was slowly beginning to leak from them. But eventually, his body gave in. He let go of Anika, who then screamed again as she fell. She tried to reach for Thorn, but she dropped out of his reach. Soon enough, he fell too.
'Is this it? Is this how I'm going to die?' Anika wondered. Everything moved so slowly. All she saw was Bramble diving towards her with his hand out towards her. Her fears got to her, and the world began to spin out of control. It dimmed, then brightened, and then dimmed again.
'But Bramble will save me, right?' She thought, but then her world went black.