Chapter Text
The knight trudged through the mud, feeling the droplets of the morning dew get stuck to his pantlegs. Each contact made his entire nervous system spark, his mind filling with thoughts of each bead of rain, the process it took to get it here, where it formed millions of years ago, and where it will dissipate centuries later. He pushed down on his helmet, hoping the oppression would overpower the pressure growing in his skull. Of course, he knew it was useless.
With the stomp of his golden sabaton, he felt the crunch of gravel beneath his feet. A road. Ahead of him a man made his way down, a ryeland pulling a small cart filled with goods beside him.
“Morning.” The man tipped his hat and continued on, the sheep beside him bleating in greeting. The farmer’s death flashed before the knight’s eyes, crushed beneath his own wagon.
It made him sick to his stomach.
Once the man was out of his view, he started down the road. The mid-morning sun beating down on him, making his travels already more excruciating than it already had been. Idly, he was starting to wish the sun would rupture now the way he saw it doing a few millennium from now. Far in the distance he noticed a town, a village more like. What could be there? Within an instant he got his answer, and much more all at once.
Feltnoul, established 17— home to the— located in Fa— neighboring Ne— destroyed by—
..He’s sorry he asked..
The town, Feltnoul, was bustling with people, 320 residents–. Various shops were littered among the streets, each selling some strange assortment of goods. Not that any of them would be worth the gold. Each passing conversation he heard drummed through his mind. He could hear their responses in his mind before they even spoke aloud, as well as every other thing there was to know about them. He couldn’t be here, this was too much for him. He felt a thin trail of blood begin to trickle down his philtrum as he pushed through the crowds.
The knight pushed his way into a tight alleyway, catching his breath, while trying to drown out the outside world. One sound was able to protrude through, though.
“Fresh bread!” a man called out to those passing him by. A large tray in his hands that held an assortment of bread, cookies, and small cakes. When the smell reached him, he felt his stomach turn in hunger. How long had it been? 5 days, 3 hours, and 32 minutes-, He clenched his teeth.. Right.. He sighed, there was no point in starving, or was there? No he finally decided as he made his way towards the man.
“..How much? For the..” The knight asked, his voice croaked from misuse. The man turned towards him, putting the food on full display. Up close, he could see a small blackish green patch on one of the loaves.rhizopus stolonifer, consumption can cause mucormycosis-. He hesitated, letting the headache pass before continuing, “..uh.. cookies..”
“Oh, 4 emeralds!” Four emeralds?! What kind of extortion was going on in this town?! Of course, like everything else, there was no point of asking. He already knew the answer. The knight sucked in a breath, scrunching his eyes shut. “..Do you want some, or not?”
“Yeah, yeah. Here!” He slammed the gemstones into the merchant’s hand and grabbed one of the small bundles. Pushing through the crowds, the knight found himself beneath a large oak. The average oak can live up to 300 years He sat in between the roots, trying to silence the chorus within his head as he took a bite of one of the cookies within the bundle.
It tasted sweet, but not to the point it was painful. Just looking at it he visualized the recipe, he could practically see the merchant making them. Knowing the way his mind worked, he probably was seeing it. Perhaps he would scrounge up the ingredients and make them himself. He can save the last few emeralds he had for something more important. Things that were important.. Clothes, Gear, Foods with actual nutrients, and ..
An image flashed within the knight’s mind, his heart skipped a beat and quickened, all while sinking into his stomach. Sweat began to bead beneath his armor. It was only for a moment, his mind went silent. He found peace for that moment, until a chorus of voices snaked their way into his brain, all speaking in unison.
”Treating ourselves today, are we?”
“..Leave me alone..” He spoke aloud, hoping nobody would hear him. It wasn’t too difficult for him to understand who, or rather what was speaking to him. A brief flash of the creature pushed to the forefront of his mind, the thought alone causing his eyes to ache.
As past experiences have taught him, there wasn’t anything he could do other than try to ignore Its beckoning call. The knight screwed his eyes shut, trying to focus solely on slowly chewing the confection. The taste was starting to become sickening. When he let his eyes open, he hitched his breath.
His surroundings had changed, the one bustling streets now empty. The buildings and homes seemingly started to crumble around him. The sky, while bright, was littered with pitch black stars. Not that he couldn’t focus on any of that, for before him stood a figure that made his heart race. The ripped and tattered cloak blowing in a breeze he himself couldn’t feel.
”Do you really think running away will save you?”
It spoke as it leaned down. The knight watched the hooded figure get closer, trying to ignore the pain the sight caused him, while steadying his breathing. A dark, skeletal hand rested against his helmet, almost enveloping the entire left side of his head. A thumb traveled and brushed the red plume away from his eyesight, dare he say the action almost felt.. affectionate.
”How long until you understand, my Knight? There is nowhere you could go where I cannot follow.”
“No.. I..“ The knight choked out, unable to pry his eyes from the endless shadow beneath the hood. “I’ll never let you control me..” He finally spat out. The creature tilted his head, it didn’t seem as displeased as he thought it would. Almost as if it expected this response. Its grip on his head tightened,
”You may believe this now, but you know as well as I how this will end…”
”Of course, there are endless possibilities, aren’t there? Either way. I’m not too worried if your ill-conceived plan ends up working. There’ll always be another down the line.. Let us hope little Avery will be as strong as you’.”
“NO!!” He shouted, throwing himself forwards. A few people around him stopped what they were doing to look over to him, others merely brushed him off. The knight folded into himself momentarily, the cacophony of voices returning to his mind before he stood. The knight readjusted his helmet, and pressed onwards.
Somehow the village had become even more busy, rushing to find last minute items for the evening meals, or simply out enjoying the summer. By now, the sun was directly overhead, the heat slowly becoming unbearable for him beneath the heavy armor. He tucked the leftover cookies into his bag, dreading how melted they’ll be the next time that he takes them out.
He looked down at the bag, a little regretful that he was giving them away..
Lost in his millions of thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed that he’d slowed to a stop in the middle of the street. Not until he felt somebody run into him, a wet squelch following as they stepped back.
“Ohh, I’m sorry missir!” A boy’s voice called, the child carrying a speech impediment so bad it made his nose scrunch up. The knight sighed, readjusting his satchel.
“It’s okay.. I-” He turned, making eye contact with the person before him. A young boy. A green slime. The sight alone made his heart stop, his senses exploding as the images filled his mind. He saw this boy’s future, leaving home early in life and moving west, winning competitions and living in tranquility. Until finding a strange cave by his home..
…a book filled with the scrawls of insanity…
..It was the very man he would damn with the same curiosity that led to this curse..
”..Avery..”