Façade

Chapter Five

Falling.

That was what he was currently feeling.

Falling. Sinking. It was all the same to him.

Löwe panted out noises like grinding gears as he clawed at the rocky hide of the troll.

The lights were calling to him now, urging him to go for the kill. To avenge his fallen master...

"Löwe!" A voice called from the lights, "Get ahold of yourself! This isn't you!"

The metallic monstrosity turned its burning gaze to the man he cared for the most, seeing him clutching at a gushing hole in his side, "Master! "

He reached out feebly as he dropped to his knees, more blood dripping onto the stone from between clenched teeth, "Löwe...Stop...p-please..."

Löwe rushed to his master's aid, his iron form shrinking back into the leathery shell that was torn apart before, but was now knitting itself back together as he moved to catch his collapsing master. Gottric hung limply in his arms, blood running down the chinera's arm as he breathed shallowly, struggling to stay afloat on the sea of Life.

He clutched his master close, "Master? Stay with this one! This one didn't mean to hurt you!"

Gottric looked up at him with hazy eyes, the quiet ticking of Löwe's heart seemed to slow and grow farther away as he watched his master slip under the surface, making a sound like a person drowning before finally growing still.

He held him close, fleeing the grotto before anyone could stop him...

OOO

Löwe whimpered softly as he fled through the wilderness, ignoring the cuts marring his flesh as relentless branches slashed at him. His master lay in his arms, not breathing, but he could faintly hear Gottric's heart and felt it against his fingertips when he would check for a pulse.

They soon made it to the hidden shelter they called home, he opened the old spruce door and stepped in, carefully going down the worn wooden steps to the lone straw bed beyond. His master's teeth grit slightly in pain as he was laid out on the old straw, a silent gasp escaping his bloodied lips.

Löwe whimpered softly, going to search through their meager belongings for some sort of bandage he could use to stifle the relentless flow of blood staining the straw. His master was now starting to pant, his face pale and covered in a sheen of sweat.

He did not like seeing him like this, but the constant noise coming from him was assurance that life had yet left him.

Löwe soon began to hear Gottric grunting out as he tore at the fabric of his shirt, he looked back to see him pressing the torn fabric into his side, gritting his teeth in obvious pain. His eyes were open now, staring up at the ceiling with severely dialated pupils, which Löwe took to be simply his adrenaline kicking in to keep him awake.

The Chimera soon found some proper bandages as well as needle and thread before going to tend to Gottric's wounds. He stopped him however, pointing to a nearby chest. Löwe went to it, opening it to find that it was mostly empty, but retrieved the hard alchohol within.

He returned to his master's side, holding out the bottle. Gottric flashed a pained smile before opening the bottle and taking a long swig from it. At once he began to relax, looking up at the chimera with glazed eyes.

Löwe then set to work, sterilizing the wound using the alchohol before he stitched everything up. Gottric started panting and grunting out as he bandaged his torso, applying enough pressure to keep the blood loss at a minimum.

"This one knows it hurts...but the master needs it if he is to continue..." The Chimera cooed, brushing a roughened hand over Gottric's sweaty cheek.

"Wh-where's...my sword..." He suddenly gasped, surprising Löwe.

The Chimera paled, "Uh...it...it's still with the woman..."

"WHA-" he started coughing blood, making Löwe take a step back from him, "Wh-what're you saying...?"

"That...the master doesn't have his sword...?" He replied, sheepish.

Gottric laid back in his bed, reaching out and grasping Löwe by his wrist, "Go...get the sword...my sweet Löwe..." his hand dropped to the bed again, "Make haste..."

The Chimera nodded, moving away from him and leaving.

Gottric watched him leave, signing softly as he brushed a trembling hand over his aching side, "OW..."

"Looks like that stings..." a deep, almost guttural voice said nearby, "How delightful..."

He struggled to lift his head, looking to the impossibly dark figure lounging in the worn chair at the end of his bed.

Golden eyes now tinged orange in the fire's light gleamed with grim amusement as the man watched him.

He could only croak, "Wh-who are you...?"

His hooded head shifted slightly, exposing a smile of glossy fangs, "As a Scharfricher, you should know exactly who I am..."

Gottric shuddered, "Leiche König..."

The man purred at his fear, lifting a bandaged hand to his chin, scratching at the light stubble, "Good...Now...do you know why I've come...?"

"To take my soul?"

The man barked out a laugh, "Fortunately no, but I have come to ask something of you."

"You're a Grim Reaper...what could I, a lowly Henker, possibly do for you?" Gottric asked, keeping a hand over his side, it was always said to keep your wounds hidden from Reapers.

"You can do your job...by taking out certain people I choose."

"Like an assassin?"

He shrugged, "Sure, let's call it that."

Gottric brushed a hand over his face, feeling just how moist with sweat he truly was, "Fine...I'll do your dirty work...Just...let me heal first."

"Understood...for now, I bid you farewell." The man said before his form disappeared as suddenly as it had come.