The Shadows Within Children's Footsteps (Hiatus/exams)

9 - Whisperer (Part 1)

'No, it can't be...' Theo thought, refusing to believe it as he held Psyche's unconscious body closer. However, as more of those dark wispy substance escaped out from her new wound, Theo found his resolve falter. Blood started rushing to his ears and once again, his chest ached, the feeling of something wrong inside of his body returning.

"Theo?" A weak voice called out. Theo stiffened but turned to see Hugo struggling to sit upright as he winced from his injuries. A pale purple mist hovered around him, following his movements. Beneath the elf, the circle of ashen floor continued to expand, growing in radius, stretching closer towards where he and Psyche was.

While Theo was apprehensive about the dark circle, he tried to carry Psyche and walk towards him when the elf raised his hand, halting him in his tracks.

"Come any closer, don't." The elf warned, his skin turning sallow and pale purple. "Composed with poison, my body is. Can kill a Lillin like you and your Scabbard with just one touch. Usually, wear a limiter, I would, but not even that can save me now. Get as far away from me and this circle as much as you can."

At first, Theo started to protest, wanting to get all three of them together when they just battled against a monstrous creature as means of closure, but soon thought against it. First, he was still damned to speak in Old Latin and any reasoning would fly off Hugo's head no matter how much Theo tries.

Second, he wasn't in the mood to be on the elf's bad side, not when he looked like he was suffering from his own body.

Swallowing his words in reluctance, Theo lifted Psyche, who was much lighter than he had assumed, and walked towards one end of the hall. Once he was sure the circle of poison would not reach them any time soon, Theo placed his unconscious Scabbard back down again.

When the girl shifted in her sleep, Theo almost dropped her then and there, but soon caught himself. However, Psyche started hissing in pain and one hand reached up to her side in reflex, covering her wound as more of those dark wispy substance poured out. Despite all that, she still didn't regain consciousness.

"Ah, one thing for her to speak, it is, but another thing to know she is a Necronite." Hugo spoke again, snapping Theo's attention back to the elf, eyes widening. He had heard that word several times before, Psyche had called herself as such. Perhaps, that meant she wasn't a Shadow after all? That she is just whatever this Necronite thing was?

What even is a Necronite?

Theo cocked his head to one side, crinkling his eyebrows as he tried to convey that he wanted to know what that was through the actions alone. He could have tried using sign language, but Theo wasn't sure if Hugo himself understood it. For a long moment, the elf stared back, eyes narrowing, as if trying to decipher what Theo was trying to gesture before he exhaled out a sharp sigh.

"Bro." Hugo said, his voice laced with irritation. "Just use your finger to write letters on your palm or something. See from here, I can, and an idiot, I am not."

If Theo was in a cartoon, he was sure there would be a huge sweat drop pasted against his head. Nevertheless, he took in Hugo's advice and opened out his left palm. Then with his right index finger, he began tracing letters, pausing to signify a space before writing the letters of the other word. Meanwhile, Hugo remained silent, resting his cheek against the palm of his hand as he waited until Theo was done.

"What is a Necronite?" Hugo asked aloud, glancing at Theo for confirmation before the blonde lad nodded. Theo watched as the elf crossed his arms, causing the circle beneath him to stretch even further, but they both ignored it.

"Many types of Shadows, there are." Hugo began. "One category are the malevolent, the other is benign. Necronites fit under benign. Stable form of Shadows, they are."