FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 18

They stood in this forsaken by life corner for what seemed like an eternity. Just like that the conversation between them ended, after the awkward moments and rather crude, based on fear conversation a little bit of awkwardness befallen on them.

Or at least she thought it was that.

Being an bodiless spirit with no connection to your own soul and heart rather makes all that emotional stuff hard to discern, most of the time she acts on learnt experience, habits of life she developed throughout her existence.

Habits that are so much more important when dealing with people like Coriza here, people that are more sensitive to the drafts of emotions. Truth be told she doubted her life prepared her for dealing with someone like that, all the experience she gathered was rather subjective and most of the time related to aggression and the will to hold it back.

She wasn't an expert when it came to social skills. Some barriers she just couldn't force down even when she had control of her limbs, now it became almost impossible.

More prolonged silence continued on, Coriza's moist with tears gold eyes glimmered from the darkness ahead, flickering in steady pulses like flames of candles delicately being grazed by returning, soft gusts of wind.

She couldn't maintain eye contact, every now and then dropping her eyes to catch a moment of reprieve. Yet she always returned to the observation, for a reason unknown to her, maybe she simply couldn't bare the ominous sight of Creep drilling into her, after all she wasn't too happy about meeting him.

Emotions or not, she could understand the notion that demanded you to feel safe.

She would hide Creep if it was possible, but in this limited space it was difficult, drawing danger was far more worse than some simple discomfort.

Or was it discomfort really?

The light on the tail tip pulsed as Cynder delved into a whirl of thoughts, the constantly springing eyes of Coriza were different each time they rose. It was a subtle shift, but her condition which empowered perception and logical thinking managed to catch that gentle flaw. Flaw that among all those held back tears would be impossible to spot with emotions screaming at you from all sides.

Especially in Coriza who hides her true feelings deep down under the desire to be friendly to everyone, the growing flaw was like her toothless smile, reserved and controlled. But it was there nevertheless and when she finally understood it, it made her feel again, just like the void did into which she cast herself, a feeling of overwhelming loss fell upon her.

The flaw was called Blame.

The light she was shrunk to a dot.

This particular feeling seemed to stalk her forever, until she joined her fates with Spyro, Blame was the parasite that was devouring her. Seeing it again, coming from Coriza no less, a creature that for some unknown reason seemed almost divine, rendered purpose insignificant.

And all life needs purpose, whatever it might be.

"Is everything alright Cor? Are you feeling well?"

Her question made the hair on the blue head bristle, followed by her horns, the latter was a trick of the light for sure, but nevertheless it proved quite clearly that she startled her and no matter how long they spent watching each other, it was still not enough for the priestess to completely accept the fact that the coming words are articulated by closed lips.

"No" the cleric responded calmly, perfectly shielding her true feelings, the subtle flaw now running over the entire eyes "And for now"

Her paws shook nervously, the slight tremors causing the construction she was using to shuffle its legs gently.

"My mental resistance is slowly declining, my level of sanity however is still floating above the pit hence the inchoate second answer. The first answer however Cynder is obvious, all you need is to open your heart and you will see what is happening"

The black light on the tail grew, spreading past the blade, small tentacles stretching out in every direction like hands of a newborn child curious of its surroundings.

"Yeah, this is pretty hard, situation is tough, but we'll manage. We're good in sorting through crap"

The artificial legs huffed powerful blasts of steam, sighs, as if they wanted to give up finally and collapse.

Or at least their wielder did, the construction served its mechanical purpose, keeping their owner stable.

"Do you still have a heart Cynder?"

The sadness radiating from the question was choking, making even Creep back away, his paw patting at the chest fiercely, wrapping a scaly shield over the spot where his own heart pumped blood.

The tentacles were sucked back into the dark orb, making it pulse, growing to the size of a young hatchling curling into a ball.

The question was unexpected and even somewhat...heavy? For a second she felt as if the whole sky would press itself against her.

"That's an unexpected question, but I understand your worry, I repeat Cor, I might not look like I'm in the best shape of my life, but it's really me and I'm fine. Everything's dandy"

"If so then why you don't care?"

"I don't understand"

"Look at me Cynder" Coriza shifted her weight once in one direction than the opposite one, throwing a curious, intense glance, clearly looking for a way she could support her words since the black dragoness' body language in front of her seemed severed from the spoken words

The mechanical construct Coriza was operating hissed once again, the devices hidden inside pumped like hearts, coming to life when their owner began to dance on its handles, ready to support if the situation demands it.

"I'm walking with crutches and you never asked what happened. Not only that but I feel like you accepted it as if it was normal. This is discomforting, the essence of friendship is care"

The light on the tail tip shrunk and wiggled anxiously, pressing its thin form against the frame of the blade as if trying to hide itself from the world and become invisible.

She never asked.

The priestess' words made her think, she noticed the crutches, just now, or even before when they spotted Coriza walking on the streets from the rooftops, such a huge detail didn't pass unnoticed by her sensitive perception.

This wasn't however a good information.

Her friend was walking with crutches, the last time they had seen each other Coriza was perfectly fine, still having all of her four limbs touching the earth. She didn't feel it, but she knew that in normal existence this would be the first thing that would matter between friends.

If she had a body, she would surely ask the cleric what happened.

She didn't do it.

She couldn't experience guilt and regret but the life knowledge she carried with herself hinted that it would be the first two sensations she would feel.

This all seemed unnatural from the beginning, from the very start she had her fears, after all, creature of magic or not, Nature put your brain in one body, moving away from it breaks all the existential laws the world is ruled by from the very beginning.

You are who you are, you either win or lose in the genetic lottery, the world is an ugly place with no room for the weak. As unfair as it sounds you have no other way, but to accept it. You are designed by Nature, the one and only true force of Creation.

Yet she broke the rules, broke the order and balance by shedding control of her body and becoming something that cannot be described by simple words.

What she did was unnatural.

And unnatural has to have consequences.

Safety or not, more and more this looked like a serious mistake.

"What have I agreed to do?" she voiced out her troubled thoughts out loud

Creep was new to experiencing life in all its glory, all these new sensations were rather overwhelming, making him only feel one thing at a time. The fascination of discovery loud and deafening, forcing him to focus only on the thing that ruled his senses currently.

Right now it was the priestess, her peculiar and curious condition, it made him forget about the entire universe, he had never seen a creature like her before. This encounter made him blind and deaf, he could barely register the spoken words or the surroundings around them, all he could think about was feeling of her soft body on his paw. Paw that was burning with desire of discovery, especially intent on finding more about this strange feeling of sweet emptiness the priestess was made of. He simply couldn't think about anything else.

That was until he heard Sugar's words.

His eyes widened, becoming so big that he could feel them poking at the corners of his eyeballs as they tried to spill over their natural border.

The one of the most horrible sounds drummed against his chest, heart speeding into a rhythm of fright, reminding him of the most terrible sound in the entire known existence, sound speaking of fragility and serving as a reminder that its halt means the end, there is no second chance, no alternative.

No Cycle.

Something he believed to be a curse, now he saw as a blessing. Mortal life is so fickle and so dependent on perspective.

"Not a mistake Sugar! Not a mistake!" Creep squealed, thrashing around, wiggling as if he would have spiders walking all over his body that he couldn't just get rid off

Coriza yelped, with difficulty forcing her mouth to clamp shut, the initial wail from the black figure made her heart stop and triggered her instinct of a coward, momentarily making her want to run away. The construct she was holding huffed mists of steam as the artificial legs shuffled and tapped all around, trying to back away farther into the corner that was already too tight for her enlarged frame.

The howl scared her, but she almost fainted when she thought about that they might not be the only ones who heard the wail.

She squealed quietly through tightly clenched lips. Sounding like a screeching hatchling begging for food.

"Be quiet!" the light on the tail burst with fierce intensity, its shadow grazing over the scales on the tail

Creep balked, freezing in place, nodding his head hectically, promising that he understood.

She already knew that she had some control over him, especially in heated moments she always managed to force him back, but it was always a sudden burst of adrenaline or something else, a temporary effect that wielded good results. Most of the time they relationship worked like a mutual trading partnership where both sides don't interfere in the affairs of the other.

This was what made Spyro suspicious of Creep, besides the obvious jealously, he always believed that her special companion was hiding his true potential, playing the good and obedient guy to lower her defenses. There were moments she believed her mate to be right, after all how a creature that existed for who knows how long can respect a small dragoness like her?

But now she noticed that he really did respect her.

Not only that.

He was terrified of her.

"We must learn Sugar. Both of us must learn" Creep whispered, placing a paw on the nearby wall, running it gently down its rough surface, feeling every bump and crevice "This is a mystery" he sighed deeply, the wound making his tail flick, as if he was surprised by it "Getting used to, an essential trait for both of us, I have doubts also Sugar, but we must learn, experience already proved to be the key, do not break it, let it turn"

Coriza swallowed, this whole situation was as scary as it was bewildering, each minute felt like it was turning her sanity more and more into shambles. She heard about mental troubles before, many of the faithful visiting the temple showed some mild symptoms, some even beyond what could be considered rational, sacrificing their lives to the divine almost entirely, to the point that each decision they made they treated like holy guidance.

But people like that were usually lonely and very old, everything could be explained and never anyone classified for a true case of psychotic break.

Right now though, it was everything she imagined mental disorder would look like, two voices arguing with only one mouth on a single body moving. Despite the clear surrealism of the situation, the lone figure ahead having a conversation with itself acted normal, completely unmoved by the strangeness of the situation.

Out of the two of them, she felt like she was the one being insane.

She already started to miss normality, a thing you ignore most of your life, taking it for granted. Elders were right when they said that you start to notice the pieces that hold you together the moment you lose them.

"You want me to learn how it is to care for my friends?" even if the rather otherworldly voice was rather monotonic there was a hint of a growl to be found there "I have a very little supply of people that look at me with a honest smile, most of the time I'm the practice target when you want to participate in an egg throwing competition. So don't tell me Creep to learn things like that, I should never be allowed to forget about it in the first place!"

"This creature's name is Creep?" Coriza cocked her head and despite the nervousness of the situation she couldn't hold back the question which ironic curiosity stirred in her

"Fitting isn't it?"

The priestess licked her dry lips, examining the black creature with barely visible eyes, radiating an aura of decay and repulsion. The only light was coming out from his brilliantly white fangs. A walking nightmare, even though the body belonged to Cynder. The monster made her adopt the intimidating traits of a black dragon to the latter, emphasizing each trait greatly.

"How quaint"

"I cannot force you to do anything, I can only ask" Creep sounded depressed, very naturally depressed like he would be a normal guy forever

He was very quickly adopting the habits of mortal life, it was hard to say if he had any control of his body language however, judging from the paw against the wall and the claws digging into the rock fiercely that small sparks were appearing, it was easy to guess that total control wasn't the case.

His toes would burn with pain right now.

Yet the irritation his body was projecting, despite the sadness, silenced the physical ache to his senses.

A screech followed soon after that made Coriza squeal softly, the unexpected noise drawing her sight towards the molested wall. She could clearly see small indentation on it, to make such impact on stone with claws only required very motivated strength.

Motivated with anger strength.

"But I can" Cynder stated "And the first thing I tell you to do is to pull those claws away from the wall before you ruin them completely"

The black paw pushed from the wall immediately as if the surface suddenly became sizzling hot.

"You are in my body Creep, a girl's body so you need to start to act like one. I really like my claws, spent quite some time growing and sharpening them, you control my limbs so it is now your job to take care of them. If people really think that we're murder machines so let's at least complete their fantasy with some style"

Coriza shook her head, her artificial legs shuffling as her paws clenched the handles tighter. It was beyond her comprehension how quickly the topic changed, from a very serious concern it shifted towards pointless fashion preferences. Sarcastic humor was Cynder's domain, but it really felt unnatural here, like water in a well during an intense rainy day. You always know it's there, forgetting about the fact that it starts a flood the moment the well is full.

Creep turned his head towards the paw, the tips of the toes, from which the claws sprouted, were red and swollen as if they accumulated most of the blood running through the leg.

It started to hurt.

Claws and pain are important.

"Another lesson learned. Sugar we are one, but this side is unknown to me, no control means errors, only possibility to expand is by trial. We are a girl, we like claws, pressing them against stone hurts. I will remember, these are the traits I need to absorb from your life, I cannot force my will through, too weak to do that, no desire to do that"

He flung the tail pushing the glow in front of his eyes to make sure he addresses it directly.

"You are absorbing my traits Sugar, I had no contact with emotions during my existence, it is overpowering you. But you are strong Sugar, you can force your way through, catch the knot and twist it around, you lived with feelings all your life, you just need to understand how to infuse them in my reality, life is addicting. There has to be a way, otherwise we become Darkness or Abomination. Bad path Sugar, wrong path, a mistake"

The light on the tail pulsated with dark energy.

"I must say this shift did wonders to your speech Creep. You sound like a living person now, a little retarded though with all the sudden sentence abruptions here and there, but you are making sense without me having to worry about frying my brain while trying to figure out what you tried to say. Big plus right there"

"Focus on the sense Sugar, trample humor, Hollowborn mentioned heart, remember it"

Coriza balked, the name sending shivers down her spine, in an instant the dark creature that looked like Cynder turned into a living nightmare. While it was making sense, the decay it was spreading was strangling her, she could feel its aura eating away her soul.

The creature Cynder gave control to, it was the same Darkness like the one in the temple, she knew that, this was not an ally, not a friend. It knows the nickname, the horror in the temple does as well, it has to be the same creature.

How is she going to tell that to Cynder?

Is Cynder even still there?

What if all of this is another trick? Another confusion like the day in the hospital in company of Sparx and Amela?

What if this is another game?

But Cynder's body felt so real.

Besides Cynder proved already that she is not a trick of the mind, already acting different than any other person out there.

Thoughts in her head began to spin and twist like branches in come cursed forest, everything beginning to turn into a mess, all rational thoughts devoured by the menace of her existence.

Dread.

Was she panicking?

She was wasn't she?

She had to get out of here, run, run as fast as she could.

But where?

How is she going to get past this creature?

She's trapped.

She's trapped.

Nothing has any sense anymore.

She began to cry, strength from the muscles being sucked out rapidly like air through a hole in a balloon, her limbs bent, entire frame collapsing onto the handles. Her mechanical crutches reacting to her sudden lack of energy, gears creaking and pipes puffing as the whole construct bent and twirled, lowering itself to a prone position, following in the wake of its owner.

Creep jumped back at the cry, in panic he swung the tail fiercely away, losing control of it he accidently slammed his spine extension into a nearby wall. He felt a powerful stab on his heart, the blow shoving him onto his butt, pain with a strange numbing effect mixed itself together, for a second reminding him of the emptiness of Creation.

And all because of that sound.

He sat there with wide open eyes, stiff as a log, front legs handing limply down in front of him, heart with each beat spreading more of the numbing poison.

"Don't cry Cor!" Cynder let out a muffled, comforting shout

Cry?

This sound was crying?

"Sugar? What happened to me? The noise, the cry, it controls me"

"Dunno Creep, pain, guilt, pity, all of the stuff, my friend is crying this is what matters now, your problems come later"

Coriza sniffled loudly, despite the depression eating at her, the instinct of survival worked unhindered, muffling the crying, each sharp whine that should be coming was morphed into a moan, as if she would be blowing her nose into a paper.

The light stretched out from the confines of the tail tip, despite her previous doubts she really wanted to hug the blue dragoness and comfort her. The realization of this made her more determined, this was enough of a proof to her that Creep was right, she was strong and she could be the Cynder she always was, even without the body.

All she needed was motivation.

And Coriza was one such strong example.

The light grew, its form started to glow with black energy, to the point that even the natural shadows of the light in this corner began to bend and swivel like worms under its pressure as it carved its way towards the priestess.

Coriza noticed the change on the ground.

The sight of the stirring darkness stole a squeal from her throat.

The sound immediately forced Cynder back, the bodiless dragoness immediately realizing that she was doing more harm than good.

She was in no shape to offer physical comfort herself and asking Creep to do that would feel like rape considering Coriza's disdain towards her special friend and Creep's creepy indulgence to grope everything that moves.

"Calm down Cor, please. You're safe" Cynder intoned as sweetly as she could, she wasn't the expert when it comes to judging her own tone of voice, all she could hope for was that her efforts were not in vain

"Safe?" Coriza muttered through hacking cries "Darkness i-i-is here, with y-y-you. No one is-s-s safe-e-e-eee-" lower lip trembled, prolonging the last vowel to no end

"I know how it looks, but try to understand that Creep here is not the thing that rules this city. In fact he is set on destroying this thing just as we are"

"Yes, I do not lie" Creep supported the claim with voice as numb as the peculiar sensation eating at him right now

He couldn't take his eyes off the priestess, not understanding why, but simply knowing that she is the one responsible for this shackling effect.

"H-h-he called me..." she sobbed, forcing down the wet cough that was building up in her throat "H-H-H-Hollowborn"

"Yeah, don't sweat about it, he's got a weird nickname fetish. He calls me Sugar all the time"

"Only you" the cleric sucked back the wet snots, rising her head ever so gently to look at the creature, a rope of saliva dangled from her mouth, right now she didn't care about presence at all

Her sun like eyes glowed fiercely from behind the veil of tears.

"Darkness ruling from the temple called me Hollowborn too. How does the creature know the name if he is not the same?"

Creep leapt onto all fours, muscles tensing, his quick reaction making Coriza gasp and throw her head back towards the ground, every millimeter of her body expecting the creature to lunge at her any moment now.

"The source is in the temple?"

The light on the tail tip burst with fierce intensity, sprouting black tentacles that dug into the black rump, gluing itself to it.

Creep balked at the sensation, some memories stirred within him, from Sugar's life and experience, making him immediately realize this is how fangs would feel like if he would be trapped in between sets of teeth.

"Answer the question" Cynder intoned sternly

"Magic the essence of birth, dragons creatures of magic, born with essence. Essenceborn. Cleric no magic, empty, nothing, void. Hollowborn. Do not understand the accusation, we are not the same with Darkness. We will triumph, Darkness is a failure" Creep blurted out quickly, the demand she voiced seemed to make him nervous since he immediately began talking like the old, creepy Creep again

He snapped his head towards the light on the tail tip, this time not daring to move it in front of his eyes. His sight begging and scared.

"Logic Sugar. Logic"

"I'm not the one you should be convincing. Coriza is right there in front of you. I already agreed to participate in this, but if my friend will have a problem with this, we will need to change our tactic"

The words had to terrify Creep to the very bone, his emotionless black eyes seemed to also slowly adopt the characteristic of a typical mortal being, falling into the same emotional habit like the instinctive body language.

He felt threatened.

Probably the first time in his entire existence.

It sucked to be him right now, perhaps even he might develop a grudge or two against her, but it was better for him to learn that life can be a bitch and is not the imagined paradise he so believed it to be.

He followed her suggestion, turning his startled gaze towards the priestess, looking as beaten as a betrayed pet.

"I am not your enemy. Comparisons coincidental. Never like Darkness. Never"

Coriza sobbed, sucking back the tears and cleaning her snout from all the signs of her breakdown. The depression was still eating at her, but the visible pain in the creature ahead stirred her heart and awakened her priestly instincts. People always flocked to the temple, many of them sought support and it was an unwritten duty of a cleric to provide such support, be a strong leaning shoulder in the face of pain.

Even she had fallen to the holy work of a cleric, even though she didn't have good relations with Strength, she still provided the needed support. People always do bad things, but as long as there is grief and regret, followed by a honest determination to make amends and prove to be better than people portray you, in her eyes there was always a chance to redeem yourself.

She didn't believe in second chances.

But she believed in forgiveness.

In this moment though, she just couldn't find the room in her soul that would accept the creature as another one of the many followers of faith. He might seem hurt, but that doesn't change the fact that he possesses Cynder's body, she might even turn a blind eye to that since Cynder acts as if everything is under control, but she simply couldn't deny the stench of evil radiating from the creature.

Actions and words might seem noble, but to her it still felt like Corruption.

"I cannot trust you"

Creep whined, body going numb.

The devastation made her heart crack, with every fiber of her being she wanted to say that the creature should go away, disappear and be forgotten, the world is better without Darkness around, but she just couldn't do it.

She was too weak.

She didn't want to hurt people and as strange as it may sound this creature seemed more mortal, more alive than some of the people she met, had more heart than for example Capro who occupied the temple. That and this creature was Cynder in some regard, passing judgment upon it felt as if she would be betraying her friend, after all she was a black dragoness, it was not her fault that she wielded Dark as her element.

You can't blame people for their birth origins.

It's up to them to decide which path they will take.

Noble intentions.

Almost believable.

Yet she still heard herself snorting inside her mind.

Excuses and explanations like always dear Coriza.

The truth was simple and known to you.

You are too weak to stand as opposition and to afraid to voice your own opinion and stick to it. You want the world to be a friendly place and what you especially desire is to not have any enemies, live in a place where nobody would judge and question you, everyone accepting you.

You sought shelter your crippled draconic heritage couldn't provide.

Because in the end it was always about selfish survival.

The priestess sighed deeply, a tear splattering on the ground, a drop pitying her poor existence.

"But I can't deny the logic behind your words, no matter how hard I would try to think otherwise"

Creep balked immediately, the black tail behind his back made a happy flick, seeing hope filling this shade, despite her rather cold approach to the creature, filled her heart with joyful warmth.

Seeing hope always warmed her heart.

An occupational quirk one might say.

"The temple prepared its clerics for something like this, to be the shield against the dark, while it could be mostly interpreted as a lean towards faith, morality and spiritual dedication, what we experience here, it's real, Darkness is real and you are a part of it"

The black tail ceased its happy dance, slamming heavily against the floor like a lifeless corpse.

"You are not however what I imagined you to be, I've met the force ruling over Warfang and you are different than it, there is no denying that. You are still a creature of darkness though and as a shield of light standing on the opposite side I cannot simply trust you. I already feel like I'm betraying my faith, if not for the current horrors I'm sure the Ancestors would find a way to punish me, this is a heavy burden for me to be honest"

Coriza took a deep breath, giving a speech outside the temple walls always made her feel unnatural for some reason.

"Very well however, I'm willing to risk and join forces for this special occasion, only because you have my friend with you mind you. I don't want any harm coming to Cynder"

"No harm! No trick! Sugar and I, we are one!" Creep blurted out excitedly, pressing a paw strongly against his chest, the thud was so strong that Coriza thought that the scales will collapse under the pressure any minute now

"I will protect Sugar" the paw pressed against the spot right where the heart hid.

A swear.

She didn't know if the creature was aware of what it just did, how natural and typically mortal its body reaction was. Seeing this though, made her somewhat calmer, this was instinct and the creature didn't hesitate at all. It was a good sign.

The world is full of wonders.

Perhaps the temple's teachings should include the benefit of doubt in their verses, even black can have exceptions.

Or perhaps the creature in front of her is a very good actor.

"Alright guys, glad we got this sorted out and before we delve deeper into this pit of despair, maybe let's try focusing on the big bad guy?" Cynder joined in into the fray of conversation "How about we focus all our emotions and stuff on the black cloud that turned this city into thrash?"

Coriza and Creep exchanged silent stares, she couldn't really tell what the looks meant because of her damn condition, but taking from the well of her existence she decided that silence meant agreement.

"Cor!" she drew the priestess' attention "What was that temple part about?"

The cleric's eyes glazed over her artificial legs, fear gripping the heart at the sole memory of that horrid experience. In the back of her mind she could still hear the corpses screaming, at the edges of her vision flashed the images of the beaten Seeker.

Her home is where it all started.

She could hear her mouth moving and tongue flicking inside as the pair articulated word after word, she was speaking, but her soul was simply too preoccupied to actually recall what she was saying. It didn't matter though, because she knew she was reciting how she received the wounds upon her heart.

She could only guess for how long that crystal was actually there, for how long it was spreading its corruption. Was it in the moment when she could no longer sleep in the temple? Or was it in the moment when she imagined that she heard the whispers of the Ancestors?

Or worse maybe.

Was it from the moment the Seeker appeared and all the time they followed the voice of Darkness as it spread its poison over the walls of the temple? Letting only brief moments of clarity in to shake off the suspicions from Brill?

Because back there when Capro led her upstairs, the Seeker terrified the dragon, she could sense the power of true faith from the mole, there was a moment when he was the father she always imagined him to be towards his clerics.

Was she living a lie?

Was her faith a complete lie?

"I'm going to murder this fucking lizard!" Cynder blurted out suddenly

The controlled roar broke her from the trance, she gazed at the black creature with wide, startled eyes.

"I get it, revenge and all, I was a bitch, I've done something very bad to the guy and now he wants to make me feel agony, no problem, all cool. BUT!" the light on the tail tip grew ominously "Throwing my friends out of the window? Trying to murder Sparx? Fuck! Sacrificing the whole city just to get to me? No way! This has gone too far!"

"This is not about the dragon Sugar. He's irrelevant" Creep pointed out

"Oh, I think it is. Okay I get it, that dirty crystal might have been there in the temple already, spreading the corruption, but if I would have to guess I would say it was Capro who brought it there, or at least was the first one who found it. Dunno how, might have been by accident, or he somehow sensed it, no idea. The poi-"

The light on the tail burst with fresh, dark light unexpectedly, making the surrounding shadows slither like snakes.

Memories flashed through her sensitive perception.

"I'm not worried about Brill"

Sparx furrowed his brows in surprise.

"No? Then who? I thought zombie is the first one on your list of enemies. Of course the list only grew bigger thanks to our recent episode"

"I'm not worried about Brill because as insane as he is, he knows what remorse means"

Her eyes shifted from her claws to the wall which earlier was occupied by her shadowy void.

"I'm more afraid of those who don't"

Shit.

"Stop" she interjected, throwing her paw in the air "You'll continue your brofight later" she scratched her choker "Tell us more about the green dragon"

Sparx shrugged "I don't know much, he acted like Brill's recruiter or zealous follower? He convinced people to go see the zombie mole, telling them that it would change their lives forever or something like that. One day he just disappeared, either stopped being the mole's errand boy or simply believed that his work is done"

Double shit.

" I want your head like nothing else in the world but taking it without you seeing how your friends suffer and people treating you like thrash isn't worth the effort. I will see you break and one day you will come to me, begging to end your suffering with one swipe of my tail"

Total shit.

"I'm an idiot" Cynder admitted blatantly "Capro did it all, he was there from the very start, I should have figured it out! I was right, he is the one responsible, doesn't answer all the questions, but it doesn't matter, I know now that he is the one behind it and your words Cor only prove that. You said it was him that you met in the temple and from all the people there he was the most rational, he was calling the shots, even Brill from what I understood acted weird. It had to be him! He corrupted the temple! Or at least manipulated the effects of the crystal to his advantage!"

"But how Cynder?" Coriza asked "How come Darkness didn't touch him like all the rest?"

"You said you saw him getting hit by it, it had to touch him one way or the other, I don't know why he resisted its influence and didn't turn into a drooling creep like most. Maybe because he has no heart, anyway I'm pretty sure that he used people to feed that thing somehow, he kept inviting them for who knows how long. He knew how to control the powers of the crystal to some degree, the fact that people turned against you two in the temple the moment he snapped his knuckles is enough of a proof. Capro is behind it all! Not Brill! The damn mole kept saying that he is the one holding the people from collapsing on me, I thought it to be bullshit, but I think he was speaking the truth. The mole might be insane, but he was doing what he believed to be right, he was manipulated like the rest of us, Capro used the guy as a scapegoat and decoy"

The light pulsed on the tail tip in steady rhythm.

"Clever motherfucker"

The hair on Coriza's neck stood on end, her eyes burning up with hope.

"You think that the Seeker is innocent?"

"Innocent as a mortal being? Absolutely not. Innocent of this mess? Absolutely yes. I still think that the mole is deluded, I think it was his true faith that kept him from becoming totally corrupted, this is why Capro is afraid of him, he still would smite me if he got the chance, but he would do it in civilized manner. I think that most of this Darkness talk was coming from his heart, he really believes in it and it was probably that hate that protected him to some degree. He's still a lunatic to me, but maybe not as bad as he seemed to be"

"We can save the Seeker" Coriza mumbled, she didn't seem to record the rest of the words at all "My faith, it can be saved"

"Coriza, don't rise your hopes too high, even if we manage to snuff that thing out we don't know if the effect on the people will fade. Even if it does, Brill was probably the first one who got exposed to this thing and probably also the one who kept drinking from the poison well for the longest time. He might now be the one you want him to be, he's very old, old people don't recover well"

"We have to try, a chance to turn it all for the better is far more acceptable than the decay into the alternative"

Creep stretched his body, letting out a loud moan of relief in the process, it was all so natural that he didn't even notice it happening.

"Then we proceed to the source Sugar and you cleric come with us"

The hope and determination that burned inside the golden eyes dispersed like tinder thrown into water when the scenario of reality struck her. Reality where she would be putting her crippled frame in danger.

"M-Me?"

"Your birth origin, your Hollow husk, you might prove vital to success. We will occupy the Darkness with battle, you might strike sooner than we, save more lives"

"I'm crippled! I won't be able to run away from all the people in the temple! Besides, I'm scared, I don't want to go"

"We will provide safety, we will open the path for you"

"How? This thing will know we are coming for it, it sees me when I do something out of the ordinary, it will for sure notice someone like you two. The temple is full of people! It will throw everything it has our way for certain, you want to slaughter your way up to the top?!"

"Yes"

Coriza gasped, the honest and blunt response threw her back making her crutches puff and clank as they fought with the surface, doing their best to keep her standing.

"What? Cynder! You can't do this!"

"What did I say about killing people Creep?" the light flickered with irritated, deep light

"Obstacles need to removed from the path, otherwise the road remains blocked. A necessary sacrifice to save many more. Merciful"

"You call a slaughter mercy? These people don't know what they're doing!" the cleric protested

"Out of the question, there has to be another way" Cynder stated

Creep sighed.

"We are a black dragon Sugar, despised color, used to hate and mistrust. Used to bad fame, strong enough to carry blame and guilt. A sharp weapon of cold mercy, using our traits to benefit others. We will survive the judgment, a sin we struggle from our creation, others not so strong, might change, might ruin, might shatter what is pure. World sees us as Corrupted, no room for purity in their eyes, we dance to their wishes, world and people remain unchanged. Easy solution, ugly solution, but this is why we were created. This is why your scales are black. No point changing what cannot be changed, majority of mortals unable to see deeper"

The light on the tail shrunk to a dot, Cynder becoming speechless. She disagreed with Creep's idea about carving their way to the crystal, but she couldn't deny that his words struck a tender vein.

What if he was right?

Was there no point in her mission to redemption?

He was a creature of Dark himself, here from the beginning of universe, he had to see much and from what he said, in all of his existence, he never experienced a true worldly understanding that blackness has more shades even though you see only one.

Was there no point to her struggle?

Will she be cursed forever?

If so, then perhaps Danox wasn't as cold as he might seem and all his uncaring approach was not just his selfish desire to be a dick, but perhaps he simply didn't care because there was no point to care? People will see what they want to see and maybe it was just better to accept your fate and live on?

What a blind, empty world to live in.

"So what? You would sacrifice anyone to get to your goal? Even those close to you?" Coriza shook her head "Forget about me, I'm just a weak cleric, but what about Sparx or Amela? You would live with it, but would Cynder too? Is sacrificing your loved ones worth the goal? I know Darkness, it will use everything against us and those two I mentioned will go in the front line, who knows what will happen if they won't find me in the bed. I don't know how it works, but Darkness doesn't seem to see me, if we go now, it will find out that I'm not there and prepare. So I ask you again, is sacrificing your loved ones worth it?"

Creep's eyes darted over the ground in confusion.

"Do not know the answer, I never loved, never was loved"

Coriza jerked her head back, she did not expect such an answer, an answer that rang with such emotionless honesty that she began pitying the creature. How empty its life has to be when it never experienced care, no wonder now that its approach to life was so straightforward.

"Hey Creep, you said you like me" the black light nuzzled the tail caringly

Creep shook his head.

"Mixed your desires, unfamiliar to emotions, meaning a mystery. Repeated what people like to hear, desperate for acceptance, for life. One thing I know, always wanted to protect Sugar"

"Sounds like love and care to me"

He rose his head, throwing a happy glance towards the black light, his eyes had to strain because without his control, the tail started to swing in joy from side to side.

"I like you Sugar"

"So now that you like me, can you tell me what we do with people we like and those that we don't?"

Creep frowned thoughtfully.

"We protect the ones we like and sacrifice the rest?"

The light pulsed quickly as if giggling, the clueless response, despite the seriousness of the situation even made corners of Coriza's mouth twitch into a smile.

"Yeah, we still got some working to do on the caring stuff. You are right in one regard though, we protect the ones we like, not only because we care, but also because of the bond we share, it makes us stronger"

"Really?"

"Yes Creep, and we can prove it. Cor where is Sparx and Amela? We got some asskicking to do"