Awakened (Bloodline, #1)

Chapter 14

14: We Ran Away From Corpses

My insides were churning from the nauseating stench of the walking corpses.

Moria shuddered as her knees collapsed on the ground, her cloak almost covering half of her face. Irus had it worse. He was all curled up, almost whimpering as another wave of foul smell got carried by the breeze.

"Irus," Kei called with difficulty.

Pinilit tumayo ni Irus kahit na nanginginig pa ang tuhod niya. He scooped Moria who was still crumpled on the ground. Kei did the same with me and they jumped to the huge boulders on the side.

"F-freakin' gross," Moria hissed.

Vampires have enhanced senses, hence a sensitive nose, and smelling them up-close must have messed up their thinking. Even I, who was still in the middle of discovering my abilities and getting used to my senses, had almost succumbed to the unpleasant smell.

Imagine standing in the middle of a dumpsite and a morgue at the same time. It was ten times worse than that.

"Let's find another route. We can't cross this land without fighting them," Kei suggested.

"C-can't Irus just quickly behead them?" I asked and Irus shook his head aggressively.

"No, lady!" he protested. "I don't want me nor my sword near them!"

Nagsimula kaming maglakad palayo sa kanila pero parang nakasunod pa rin ang masangsang na amoy sa amin. It was hard to focus because the decaying stench could disable someone from doing anything, just like what happened to Moria.

Kei said she could cast a protective barrier that could filter the miasma but she was in no shape to even move at all that Irus had to carry her so we could continue walking. Fortunately, we found another cave below a hill, surrounded with trees and flowers, and Kei and I built a temporary camp there.

Few minutes later, Moria finally came to her senses and setup a protective barrier while grumbling about how the crack-something, whatever their name was, should just cease to exist. But no matter how I look at them, they were definitely zombies.

"Uhm, s-so those are zombies, right?" I whispered, trying hard not to agitate Moria more, because she looked like she would kill anyone who would piss her off right now.

Kei snorted. "Please, zombies are more terrifying than the craquehhes."

I looked at him, hoping he was just making fun of me, but I realized these creatures do not have any sense of humor.

"What do you call them again?" tanong ko dahil ang hirap intindihin ng sinabi niya.

"Cra-que-hhe," he repeated in syllables. "Or cursed corpses."

Hearing the word curse sent shivers down my spine. "Cursed?!"

"They are humans who have sinned greatly during their lifetime that even the grim reapers don't want their souls."

I suppressed a gasp upon hearing that. Does that mean even grim reapers are real? Habang tumatagal ay parang mas lumalayo ako sa reyalidad.

"Hence, the magi do the job," he continued.

"Magi? You mean the true witches and warlocks?"

"Yes, lady," Moria chimed in and I flinched upon hearing her voice.

Marahan akong tumingin sa direksyon niya. She looked a bit calmer now but the annoyance and disgust were still visible on her face.

"The magi consider themselves as the overseers of the mortal world. They decide what is wrong and right; what is good and bad. And they judge and prosecute those they think do not deserve to live, just like the craquehhes," she grimaced, as if even their name was as sickening as their smell. "Their souls were reaped by the witches, tormented for eternity, while their bodies were cursed."