The Haunted: Revelations (Sequel to Rebellion)

Chapter 9

Art: CloudSorcerer28
Song: Dark Mystery by Jason Shaw
______________

"The coming darkness. War is coming."
-Grayson, The Haunted: Episode 11, Infiltration
***

Nathan's point of view-

I often patrolled around the palace, searching for riots in the distance of the city that the castle overlooked or to protect the area. While I was not exactly a guard, it did help to clear my mind to do their work. Ever since the earthquake that occured a little over one hour ago, something has been eating at me that I can not exactly point out. It seemed to come out of the blue; apprehension, memories of my past that I had tried to forget. Why is this all coming up so suddenly? The worst of it was the doubts gnawing away at my head.

  "You can't protect anyone."

  "You'll always be weak, a coward."

  "Your father was right..."

I shook my head, trying to push everything back. Thoughts like those have not come up in so long. Why now after years of isolating them in the corners of my mind? Walking around was allowing me to relax here and there, however the thoughts would always return. I let out a sigh, deciding that I should probably head to Emmit and call it a day. I have been training for hours on end, bags beneath my eyes and tingling running through my feet on the edge of going numb. Perhaps that is what was wrong. I was just tired.
When I began to see figures out of the corners of my eyes, turning to find nothing, I was more convinced that I was seeing things due to exhaustion.
Perhaps it was more than exhaustion, I have worked more before, gone days without sleep, so perhaps it was my will finally cracking under stress from my coming deployment into the battle zone. A shudder sparked, fading gradually down my spine.
Never say that a soldier should be resilient to pressure. Never expect them to know the ins and outs of every fight. I should not assume that others do, and while I enjoy seeing the bright eyes of the crowd cheering our victories over the enemy, I can not help but to feel sombre and perturbed. Just as myself had as a child, do they forget that loved ones and valiant heroes had died out there in the field? Do they forget that we return scarred with physical and mental wounds? Even myself can forget how difficult it is to sleep at night when I am wondering through the day, the nightmares and restlessness from phantom screams that I know are not real. I am glad to have Nobel by my side in my salem hours, to feel those licks and his resting, curled up form atop my chest to give me reassurance and to watch over me like a loving, loyal guard dog. A loving family member.
With that thought, an orange glow emitted from against my chest, my own smile spreading across my cheeks. I had expected him to form on the ground, instead greeted by those puppy eyes staring into my own eyes right in front of them, lapping his tongue against my face. I laughed and stumbled a step or two back, stopping him from licking me.

  "Nobel! What are you doing out buddy?"

Nobel replied by spinning in circles with his bushy tail wagging furiously from side to side. I giggled and laid a pat on his head before he flew down to sit, yawning despite being a spirit with no need to sleep. I smiled, picking him up in my arms as if he were a puppy, though I suppose that he is. If he's just a regular fox, he's quite small and playful, a bit too much to have been fully grown, and if he is a kitsune as Mia thinks, then him only having one tail could mean that he may be around a hundred years old, still like a baby in kitsune years.

  "Trying to tell me to get some sleep?" I giggled as he gave a tiny yipping sound. "Why don't you and I go home and get some rest? It's been a long day." He nodded, snuggling up against me and curling his tail around himself.