Such a Cute Mortal | Shyan

Chapter 7

Edgar loomed over the small man, removing his shirt. He looked over at Shane while doing so only to find him sort of glaring at him.
"Relax, princess. This is necessary."
Shane didn't answer. He just sort of scoffed. Ryan's face was growing pale, sweat running down his head. Across his chest were jagged lines, nightmarishly dark. The markings of that beast. Edgar gasped in horror.
"It's spreading, Shane. You're going to have to go inside him."
Shane choked, at least three different ideas forming in his head, which we won't explain because there are children present. Edgar rolled his eyes.
"I mean go within his mind. His soul. Just pretend you're taking possession of him and it he simple except you aren't taking full control and his life is on the line."
Shane nodded.
"Yeah. Just another Tuesday for the boys."
Edgar got out what seemed to be a first aid kit. From the power emitting from the small box, it was clear that whatever lay inside was more than just band-aids.
Shane closed his eyes and opened them. He was no longer within that closet. Edgar was now gone. He lay inside a dark place. It was that of our world but darker, grayer. Literally. Everything was gray. Like fifty shades of gray. Huehuehue-
This was Ryan's mind as it was.
"Oh God.. It's starting..", he muttered.
He raced through the seemingly endless jungle of thoughts and memories.
"If you die right now, Ryan, I'll never forgive you!!"
He cam across a house. It looked nice but something felt wrong. He immediately knew what it was.
"Sally! Oh you bitch I'll fucking strangle you with your own pigtails! "
He ran inside, frantically searching for something, anything. He didn't find anything but a circle of toys.
"God.. It's like Toy Story 4. Andy gets a new toy. What is it? A fucking ouji board.. That actually sounds cool. I'd watch it"
He felt uneasy. He could feel himself getting angry, for no reason. He shook his head. He looked around, narrowing his eyes. He chuckled.
"Hey Sally! How you doing, gal?"
The demon stepped out of the shadows. She-no- it  had its head down, looking at the floor.
"You shouldn't have come here..", the demon spoke softly.
Shane rolled his eyes.
"Kinda had to mainly because my boy Ryan is-"
Sally looked up at him, eyes filled with shock and without emotion. It's form began to flicker, going from a sweet little girl to a beast.
"Ryan? I know the mortal. He shouldn't be here, down in this world. You've brought him here."
Shane sighed.
"Yeah. I get it. I fucked up. Who cares. Now where is he?"
"You shouldn't have brought him here, Shane. This is your fault. Pay the consequences", it said, voice growing louder.
"You're really trying my patience! Now where is he!?"
The demon stopped. It looked up at him. It smiled. Too wide.
"Errata fecit. Consequenter intulit. Haec tua culpa."
With that, a huge gust of wind spun around her, forcing Shane to protect his face with his hands. It knocked him backwards, out of the house, the door slamming shut.
When Shane opened his eyes, the house was gone. He stood up, groaning and dusting himself off.
"Stupid house. Now my ass is sore."
He looked around, hoping for some sort of clue. He was now in a forest. It was obviously night time mainly because of the stars and the moon and the fact that it was dark but hey what do I know.
He started to walk around. He looked around, trying to find something.
"Damnit . I don't even know what the hell I'm supposed to be looking for!"
There was a noise from a bush. He turned around.
"Hello? Are you the thing I'm looking for?"
If he was looking for a goat then he would've been done because that's what came out of the bush. He sighed.
"Wonderful. I ain't ol' McDonald, you know", he said, picking the goat up.
"Looks like goatman got a downgrade", he said, smiling.
The goat jumped out of his hands and began to run away. Shane, not having many options at the moment, decided to follow the goat.
"Holy shit you're quick! Either that or I'm out of shape!"
The goat led him to a bridge. The bridge looked old and looked like it was gonna collapse at any moment. The goat was already halfway when Shane stopped. The goat turned around bleated, wanting him to follow.
" Yeah no. Unless there's like a pot of gold I'm not going there. I'm not scared I just don't want to die as of right now. I've got shit to do alright?"
The goat bleated again. Shane groaned and walked carefully over. The goat walked alongside him. Suddenly, the bridge groaned and shook. Shane, not knowing what to do, grabbed onto the goat which promptly let out a little scream.
A huge horrid beast came out from underneath. It's horns were jagged, teeth were sharper than knives and it's claws were too. Shane stared in horror and amazement.
"Goatman..", he whispered.
"Indeed", said Goatman bellowed in a deep voice, making the bridge shake yet again.
Shane, being Shane, did finger guns at him.
"Hey wassup buddy! Listen I know I may or may not have stolen your bridge but I mean that was a joke! A funny prank! Haha so funny right? Heh yeah? Right?"
Goatman was not amused. He came closer, the bridge shaking more. Shane clung onto the goat. Sure he was practically immortal but he still felt pain and he didn't feel like dealing with that as of the moment.
" You made a MOCKERY of me! You made me into a complete FOOL!" he yelled, his breath like wind sort of whooshing around Shane.
The goat bleated in fear as Shane sort of hugged it in an effort to try and not fly away. He laughed.
"Yeah.. April Fools?"
Goatman raised an eyebrow. He came closer, his breath stinking like hot garbage on a summer day. It was disgustang. Shane did his best to not gag or throw up or say a witty remark to him.
"I would kill you if I could but you caught me on a good day"
Shane made a confused/amazed face. You know that face.
"What? This? This-This is a good day?"
Goatman growled. The goat bleated. Shane felt something warm trickle down his shirt. He smiled.
"Great"
"I know. It is a good day because I have just realized that I have finally found my copy of Mean Girls and now I can finally finish watching it!" Goatman bellowed with great joy.
Shane make the same face, this time with more amazement. He didn't even care that he was drenched it goat pee. He just put the goat down.
" Wow. Mean Girls? Now that-that's a classic"
"I know! Absolutely wonderful!"
Shane tried to find more things to try and get on his good side. Maybe then he'd help in his dilema or leave him alone. Either would work for Shane.
"Anyways, since we're like best friends now maybe you could-"
"Best friends!? hAH-"
":')" said Shane.
"You really think I'd want to be friends with someone like you!? You really think I'm that desperate?! You truly are an idio-"
"I'll give you all the copies of Mean Girls that I own"
"And what is it you wish to do, best friend?" said Goatman, now won over with the affection of Mean Girls.
Shane made a little victory fist. You know that fist.
"Well, for starters, you have any idea where Ryan might be?"
"Who?" Goatman said, tilting his head.
"Uh short little guy he's kinda dying. Poison. Not sure which kind"
Goatman scratched his chin, little flakes coming out. He sighed.
"Alright. I can help you. However, without knowing what kind of poison it was I cannot"
Shane groaned, trying to figure out what it possibly could be. Hemlock? Probably. It shuts down your entire body but your mind is very well awake. But it has to be ingested. Pass.
Polonium? Takes too long to actually work. Aconite? His mind wouldn't be this active, and he'd be suffocating but just touching the plant could inject it. Maybe that's how it got in but the poison was Hemlock.
Was that even possible? Shane was running out of options and that was his best bet.
"Hemlock! It was Hemlock!" Shane said.
Goatman nodded. His face was struck with grief.
"Hemlock. There is no cure", he said slowly.
A wave of dread washed over Shane. He lost all hope and confident. Both his heartbeat and breathing began to quicken.
"No. No, no, no, no! There-There has to some sort of way! I-I can't just let him die like that! It's-No I can't!" he said, his voice slightly breaking.
Goatman began to slowly go back under the bridge.
"I'm sorry", he said.
Shane ran over to the side of the bridge, filled with anger and fear.
"You get your sorry ass back here!! I swear I'll kill you if you don't come back!! I'll rip you apart!!" he yelled.
Goatman said nothing, for he was gone, leaving Shane all alone. The goat was gone as well. He stumbled backwards, falling onto his ass. He put his head in his hands. He fought back tears.
"No. No. This can't be happening. I should've left him alone. Then he wouldn't be in this mess."
"Yes. Indeed you should have, Mr Madej"
He quickly raised his head, turning to where that voice came from. His sadness quickly turned into pure rage and fury. There standing, was the one and only, Sebastian. He grinned his mischievous grin and spread his hands, cigarette in mouth.
"Hemlock. A wonderful poison don't you think? No cure by the way!" he said, taking the cigarette out and puffing the smoke.
Shane stood up. He smirked, a way to cover up his fear.
"So which demon did you take in order for them to do your own dirty work, huh, Seb?"
Sebastian chuckled, taking another huff from the cigarette before putting it down.
"No, actually. Not a demon. A catoblepas", he said, beginning to circle around Shane.
"A what? A cat-o-what?" Shane questioned, doing the same thing Sebastian was.
"A creature with the body of a buffalo and head of a hog. It's breath is poisonous and it's gaze can kill"
"But. But I thought her claws were filled with it. It didn't even look like that!"
He took another puff from the cigarette.
"A little magic here and a little magic there can make anything seem like anything. If I wanted to, I could make this entire bridge collapse but it would all be an illusion"
Shane smirked.
"Cute trick. You know I can't wait to tear you apart and hear your screams as you beg for mercy, you jackass"
"Sounds kinky. I look forward to it. Until then, I suggest you hurry. I believe Ryan has about five or so minutes until he dies"
Shit! I forgot I was on a time limit!
"Sebastian. Give me the cure. Before I rip your head off"
Sebastian sighed, snapping his fingers. Chains wrapped themselves around Shane, bringing him to the ground. Sebastian walked over to him, smiling before he crouched down to his height.
"Oh Shane. Always so eager to kill others for the sake of someone else. Don't you get it. There is no cure. Ryan is dead. Or will be, soon"
Shane began to say something before a chain wrapped itself around his mouth. Sebastian grinned. He took a puff from his cigarette and blew the smoke onto Shane's face. Shane shook with anger but he couldn't break free.
"Maybe now you'll know what is feels like to know that your loved one is going to die without you being able to do anything about it"
He stuck the cigarette onto his face, burning him. Shane sort of yelled at the feeling of his skin being burned off. Sebastian flicked the cigarette off him and began walking away.
"You're going to die here, in his mind, trapped while he dies in the real world. Oh and I believe this is yours right?"
He held up the first aid kit. He chucked it down the bridge.
"Couldn't let you actually save him, you know. That'd ruin the plan"
Shane yelled at him but all that came out was muffled speech. Sebastian smirked before standing on the bridge and fell off in a dramatic way because that's just how he is.
Shane finally managed to break the chains off. He looked down. Nothing but darkness. He didn't know what to do. Sebastian said all that was left were a few minutes. He'd failed.
The bridge rumbled. Shane looked up and there he was. Jesus. No jk it was Goatman. He put his hand down and opened it. Inside, was the first aid kit. Shane took it quickly, looking up at him and smiling.
"You can have your bridge back", he said, overwhelmed with joy.
Goatman nodded.
"Sebastian was lying. You still have a good fifteen minutes or so. Hemlock takes a long time to kill. But this, he must have sped up the process with a spell. Go, Shane! Save your wife!"
"Will do Goatma- Wait what? Wife?"
Goatman was no longer there. Shane just shrugged it off and began running across the bridge towards a bright light.
"I'm coming, Ryan. I'm saving your life or so help me I'll kill you if you die"
(a/n:  yeet)