Inkling

Not Alone

The fire popped and crackled happily in the fireplace, casting warm light playfully dancing across the polished wooden floor. Craig sat on a plush, high backed sofa, discussing the recent turn of events. "I swear, Ewan! I felt the presence of another Inking!" Craig insisted "Or rather... SimiC did".

"Are you sure?" A stocky girl with short, jagged hair sat opposite him, stroking her cat on her lap.

"Besides, even if you did, how do you know it hasn't gone power hungry and is controlling the person?" A [physique], blond boy added, "I mean, the only other... Dishonest we came across wasn't even human anymore. You still remember, dont you?"

Craig's hand automatically went to a scar on his arm. "Yes" He murmured, remember the pain he had felt on that day "Yes I do."

"wait a moment, Craig..." The blond boy said. He had a shrewd, almost skeptical look on his face. Craig stopped mid-sentence. "Yeah?" Craig said.
"Can you tell me what happened again? Im still trying to make sense of it all," The girl shifted in her chair, the ginger cat on her lap mewed softly in annoyance. She took a fine glass of crystal and drank without much finesse. She stroked her cat, lounging back indulgently on the cushions and watching Ewan."What does hearing someone in pain have anything to do with finding... Another... oh stop giving me that face!" Ewan burst out. Craig laughed, still finding it amusing how his two friends still couldn't use the term Inkling. "Ok, I didn't hear anyone screaming, but i did sense another inkling beneath my feet last night. Whoever it was... He was in pain. What's more-" Ewan was nodding in understanding, leaning back in his chair. "That's when the ground started cracking, wasn't it?" the girl asked, grasping the event with less apprehension. "That's right, Misty." Craig said, relieved, "And I think we should find whoever it is. I mean..." His face had lit up in hope, but his voice died away at the exasperated looks on both Misty and Ewan's face. "Mate." Ewan said, leaning over and putting a hand on Craig's shoulder. He was sure in any other sitation, Ewan would have never made such a gesture. "We both know you're lonely. We know you want to believe there's another one out there but... You need to give this a rest. Besides, you told us yourself that the cavern the... Inkling was in caved in moments after you sensed it. He's probably dead. As it is, you'll be killed just for being a... an Inkling," Ewan forced out the word, sounding embarrassed. Black lines laced Craig's arm gracefully, letting his inkling run across the fine carpet. Misty hardly looked worried, "Thanks for ruining my carpets, for the thousandth time" she said with a smile. The ink ran backwards over the carpet, leaving no trace of damage and dripping back up Craig's fingers. It was beautiful, and at that moment Craig forgot why people hated Inklings so.

They spent the night talking about other matters, congratulating Craig on the publicity and heavily abusing the new King. When the fire was smouldering and the sky was lightening, Craig took his leave. "When will you drop by again?" Ewan asked, immediately understanding why Craig was standing. "Dunno. Security's really picked up, so I won't be able to meet you two as often as I used to and definitely not during the day." Craig replied with a smile. With his friends at least, he was glad he could be himself. He jumped up the chimney, sending a few lazy embers to drift over Ewan and Misty.

It was extremely cold, stepping out of the chimney into the early morning air. Snowflakes drifted down, cool and icy like the faintly lit sky above him. No one was ever awake at this time, especially not in the rich side of town. Craig ran the length of the roof, snow stinging his face as he gained speed. He reached the edge of Misty's house and he jumped, soaring through the chill air and landing gracefully on a neighbouring roof. He continued running, across the rooftops in a beautiful display of power and balance before finally sliding down, hitting the snow lightly and marvelling again at his powers. Thanks, SimiC he thought for the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time, SimiC smoothly replied You're welcome. Craig grinned. From the back of his mind, the place he had dwelled in many times before shimmered before his eyes. Ink marked across his legs and his chest, moments before he set off at a run. He moved with incredible speed- A blur before the eyes of working peasants. SimiC searched deep into the earth beneath his feet, trying to catch that same connection he had the night before. Then, he saw it. Massive fences and floodlights surrounded what appeared to be a colossal crater. Hunks of solid rock had been thrown clear of the pit, while others sat deep in the hole where he and SimiC had once been. Craig easily jumped the fence in silence, landing lightly on the other side.

Whats that? Simic cautioned. There was a faint light coming from one of the tents.Craig snuck closer. A bloody mass was laid out on a cloth inside. It looked more like a pile of organs and gore. Bones stuck at odd angles, starkly white against the congealed blood. Rubble still covered him, a layer of filth rendering the poor soul even further past recognition. SimiC cast itself out and over the corpse, then withdrew. "Craig... This person wasn't the inkling. Whoever we sensed was younger than this." Craig looked at the messy sight again, hope springing forth in his chest again. "Do you know what this means?" Craig muttered to himself. Metal clanged from somewhere in the distance. Craig made to walk out of the tent, "CRAIG!" SimiC rooted his feet to the ground in a panic. "We need to get out of here! now!" Very loud in his head, booming footsteps wandered closer to where he was. Are there secret passageways beneath the city? Craig thought. He cast a desperate look at the pit. "Hey!" A very tired looking guard blocked Craig's path. SimiC uprooted Craig's foot a moment too late, Craig's feet lurching upwards with the force of the guard's push. He fell to the floor, a second man appearing at the entrance of the tent. "What're you doin' here?" The second one said. He wrinkled his nose a few times and stood away from the grisly mess. The guard who had thrown him to the floor loomed over him, "Hm?"
"Dammit! Think Craig, Think!" SimiC was as unhelpful as his own muddled brain.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Craig gathered his wits, "I uh- I was sent here... Checking the corpse... Nasty cave in..." Craig cast around hopefully.
"Pathetic" Craig gave an internal laugh
"Here to check the body?" The man by the entrance asked
"Be quiet, Peasant!" The guard hollered over his shoulder. "Here to check the body?" He parroted
"Yeah- you can't expect this to be an accident... Right?-"
"Ah m'boy! Of course this isn't normal! And I expect you know what else isn't normal?" The guard cut in, to Craig's relief. What else wasn't normal? "Me, you idiot! He means I'm not normal!"
Oh, right. "Ink- Dishonests!" Craig declared, confidence fueling his legs, "And this... It doesnt seem like much but he was obviously a Dishonest." He stood up and gestured in what he hoped was a knowledgeable way. "Right again, kid." The guard said, accepting every word with open arms, "Obviously unbale to control its power, the violent things..." He added viciously.
"Well I uh... My work is done." Craig said. He walked towards the exit and wasn't stopped, "Good day, to the two of you." He said. The guard nodded back, but Craig was sure he would have gotten more response out of a rock than the poor man shivering by the side of the tent. "People really hate us, don't they?" SimiC mentioned cheerfully. 

"People can be really stupid" Craig corrected the Inkling.

My longest chapter by far! I should give credit to my good friend- whom I shall name- Jaeger. I hope you're enjoying this so far, again, any feedback is awesome for me and for Jaeger. These chapters are released at random intervals- whenever either of us have free time, really.