The Creed's Emergence

Chapter Nineteen: Red Thread

The gruesome scene that lay before the Obscure made them shiver. The remains of the Voiceless had almost all faded and disappeared into the wind. Many of those present ignored the bodies and had their eyes on Thorn. He still had his strange appearance and hints of his demonic aura. He was still wrenching in pain now that the adrenaline had worn off. His whole body felt as if it was on fire.

Crow pushed to the front of the few Obscure there. He came over to Anika, kneeling down and placing a hand onto Thorn's face jewel. It started to glow brightly, then the glow faded away. Thorn's pupils vanished and he fell limp. His heartbeat was barely there, and his breaths were tiny.

"He's gone dormant now." He told Anika as he soon retracted his hand. He watched Thorn's chest rise and fall while he rested.

"Decrepit tend to fall dormant as they are on the verge of death. Thorn will be alright in our care, I'll have Thaliya take you to the Curative." He looked over at the girl, then stared at her wounds. Anika was shaking in pain as well, although she wasn't as bad as Thorn was. She seemed relieved that Thorn wouldn't die and instead was asleep. She trusted Crow enough to help him. Seeing her in such a condition made Crow shift his focus. He stood, picking the girl up as gently as he could. He came over to Thaliya, the other woman he had spoken to earlier. She was at the entrance of the dormitory, awaiting her next orders. He handed Anika over to her, and she quickly ran off.

Thaliya didn't stop running. She was focused on getting Anika some medical attention, regardless of what was going on in the hallways. The raid was beginning to die down as the enemies were pushed back. The candles which provided light were snuffed out, darkness creeping across the floors. Bodies littered the halls, although most of them were beginning to fade away. Anika could barely recognize some of their robes. There were some Wretched knights, a few Damned who had fallen, and... Demarc? His skull mask and Damned robes were distinct, even in these dark halls. Slumped over, he had a smoldering hole in his torso and was very clearly dead. Anika hoped he would be alright and that she would see him again. It was all a terribly eerie sight to see. A once quiet Church was now a wasteland of war.

Anika stared up at the woman, noticing how she was so focused on the task at hand. She seemed to be different now, compared to the last time she saw her. The woman's hands were jet black with claws, and her horns had started to change. She resembled her friends, the Decrepit. Could she be turning into one?

Anika would have asked her about the change, but she figured she wouldn't get an answer. The woman didn't even look at her. She had her gaze locked onto something else. She turned corners effortlessly, not even stumbling once. It didn't take her a while to arrive at the grand library of the Church. Within the room, there were people laying on makeshift beds while men and women in green uniforms hurried around. They were doing their best to tend to the wounded, as many had come in earlier.
Not only was there an abundance of Curative, but there were a good number of Esoteric members as well. Some of them sat on platforms above the ground, watching over everyone. They watched the two newcomers like owls. There were a few others who were helping the Curative around the room. But some of the sights on the beds were heavily disturbing to see. A Wretched man lay on one bed in sheer agony. His arms had both been severed. A Damned in another bed had severe burns. Some people were so wounded, they simply died on the beds, while others were perfectly fine. It was truly a wasteland of war. She could imagine it was the same for the Sect. Both sides were suffering losses.
There was blood everywhere on the ground beneath the severely wounded members. The Curative were also equally bathed in blood. Their once green and white scrubs were now stained dark crimson. The air reeked of blood, a heavy metallic scent.

Thaliya found a vacant bed and laid Anika on it. She stayed by her side, looking for someone to come help the wounded girl. Thankfully, someone came. They seemed to be a higher-ranking member of the group. They had beautiful antlers and a skull mask. Anika closed her eyes, trying her best to relax. Everything hurt but she had to stay strong, especially for Thorn. Something still felt wrong. She had a feeling that something sinister would happen.