The Split

Chapter 38

Hungary, 1241

Geoffrey's body was much larger and stronger than my own had been, and his hunger and desire for sleep far surpassed any I had ever had. Blinking away slumber, I removed my white tunic. I struggled with my armor for several minutes, but eventually was able to take it all off and collapse into my cot.

I fell under the spell of sleep nearly instantly. All my thoughts and apprehension melted beneath the peaceful darkness.

After what felt like just minutes, my slumber was interrupted. An eerie green light, ringed the edges of my subconscious. My skin began to itch uncomfortably, like someone was holding a candlestick to it. This outside stimuli started a train of thought that was immediately swallowed up by an unseen force. In a panic I tried to open my eyes and rouse myself from sleep, but found no connection to my eyelids. My frantic energy woke Geoffrey and I could feel both John and Sun reacting to the disturbance as well.

In desperation I reached for my body, an arm, a finger, anything to wake up. I was paralyzed, fully aware in a body that wouldn't respond. With a blinding flash of light the presence made itself known. There, in the center of my mind, was the Being. For the first time I saw it standing, knees bent slightly in a menacing pose. The image seemed to move as the Being shifted its weight slightly and flexed its powerful arms. This was no dream.

"Subutai has learned much in his travels," it spoke, it's voice a snarling roar, "and yet he still knows nothing of consequence."

I tried to reply but still found all of my body frozen in place.

"You fight well, every thrust calculated, every movement with purpose, but you do not belong here. This is not your fight, this is not your struggle. How could someone from a time of plenty understand the fears and desires of someone with so little? You think of his beliefs as primitive and prejudiced with clear moral hindsight. Your type of arrogance and pacifism made humanity weak and soft in the period you walked this planet.

Nothing from the battle to come will affect your life or your history. This man you possess, this battle is everything to him. Your kind's tendency to rape and destroy upended whole kingdoms. What will he be left with in the wake of your destruction? Do you not fight for his future? He should be able to seize his own destiny should he not? You fought so well with Cyrus, why not try it again?"

This was not the Being as I had last experienced. The voice was different, the sentences more complete. It seemed to be drawing upon my memories and own grasp of language to articulate so clearly.

"See the price of defiance," it continued, "See the consequences of your rebellion, your rejection of our precious gift. We ask only one thing of you; you must not disappoint your audience."

When it was done talking, it disappeared. Fading through the darkness as quickly as it came. My mind felt alert, but I could feel the tug of sleep pulling me back into the numb silence. Time itself slipped away as I felt my awareness subside.

My eyes snapped open. I tried to sit up, and found it harder than I expected. I seemed to be moving at half speed, I got up slowly and walked across the room towards my equipment, propped up against a tent pole. Just then, I felt Geoffrey stir awake. Without even thinking he slipped back into his body and I felt his thoughts brush against mine as we used his legs together and began moving much quicker.

This gave me pause. It seemed in order to fully use my whole range of motion at a normal speed I would need Geoff's help. Unlike Cyrus, I seemed to retain control of our decisions and thought patterns, but having to rely on the slower man to move about might prove problematic in battle. Together with Geoff I got dressed, buckling my armor into place and slipping the Red Cross tunic over it. As I worked, I began to feel more comfortable with Geoffrey's input, and I could sense he was becoming more familiar as well.