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Avery sauntered next to D3rlord3 as they traveled through the forest, fishing rod resting against his shoulder.
<TheMostMayo> “I’m going to catch something cool, watch me!”
Avery announced, cracking that dopey smile of his. His head tilted slightly and hair fell over one of his eyes. D3rlord3 paused to respond.
<D3rlord3> “Perhaps you’ll catch something better than bows and boots this time.”
D3rlord3 then sprinted to catch up with Avery who was a few blocks ahead, his tone a tad softer than usual. Avery failed to notice that inflection.
<TheMostMayo> “I will!”
Avery pumped a fist up.
<TheMostMayo> “I’ll catch an enchantment this time.”
<D3rlord3> “Heh.”
D3rlord3 fell a bit behind every time he talked, pausing before speeding up to get back to where he had been walking. Avery halted a couple times to give D3rlord3 the opportunity to type along the way.
They were nearing the pond when a sudden internal tug stuttered Avery’s step, whispers rising in his ears. D3rlord3 looked over as he noticed Avery’s sudden stop. He always noticed even the smallest cues. D3rlord3 stopped and walked back over.
<D3rlord3> “Avery?”
Avery felt slightly unbalanced, stumbling slightly and quickly turning and pointing at a tree.
<TheMostMayo> “I just realized we need more wood. You go on ahead, Der, I’ll catch up with you.”
D3rlord3 looked skeptical, eyebrows furrowed in concern, but Avery was already walking over to the tree he had thoughtlessly pointed at. D3rlord3 started typing a response, but deleted and rewrote it.
<D3rlord3> “Ok.”
His word was short, almost sharp. The type of tone that always breached Avery’s comfort. As if he knew the lies spilling from Avery’s tongue. It made the hair on the back of Avery’s neck raise, Avery turning to look back to find D3rlord3 watching him a few seconds longer before walking away towards their destination. Avery would’ve felt relieved if these voices didn’t make him feel sick.
He looked around, eyes darting from tree to tree. A sheep was passing, but those golden eyes, along with the odd way it was moving, gave Avery everything he needed.
Avery swung his rod and released the wire. It caught on the sheep's wool, and he reeled it in like yanking a fish out of water, or a pesky opponent back into stabbing range. The whispers turned disgruntled, then that voice rang from the animal like some possessed; which it pretty much was.
“You cannot keep the new vessel away from me for long.”
The echo was grating, a headache already panging behind his skull. Avery’s eyes narrowed.
“You will fail, and I will take back what is mine as I was meant to before.”
<TheMostMayo> “Will you?”
Avery reeled the sheep in closer.
<TheMostMayo> “I’ll make sure you can’t even get close to him.”
“You will falter soon enough, and I will claim what is rightfully mine!”
Avery opened his mouth to snap back when a dagger of an unwarranted bundle of knowledge suddenly shot through his brain like a bullet.
Avery staggered, feet awkwardly scrambling against the ground. His vision blurred in and out of focus, his hands dropping the fishing rod.
A cry erupted from him, hands going to his head as if that would make his new splitting headache go away. His hand then went to his hotbar, taking an iron axe and raising it above his head to bring it down on the sheep, hitting it until it turned into smoke and tainted mutton.
Avery staggered, his knee hitting the grass and both hands leaning on the butt of the axe. His mind was still reeling, dozens of horrific torture methods gifted to his mind with clear spite on the side.
His vision was fuzzy when he heard a voice breach his daze.
<D3rlord3> “Avery!!”
D3rlord3 ran over, crouching down next to Avery with hands hovering uselessly as he checked Avery for injury. Avery took a couple of ragged breaths.
<D3rlord3> “I heard your yell, what happened??”
<TheMostMayo> “I’m fine, Der.”
Avery’s head was too fuzzy and in agony to come up with an excuse. He felt something tuck under his arm, and D3rlord3 hauled Avery up by his shoulder, allowing him to lean on him as they stood up. Avery was almost in a state of delirium, the urge to throw up gathering in his throat from the revolting information shoved into his brain.
D3rlord3’s worry was clear as they turned around to walk home, it would’ve felt endearing if Avery wasn’t on the verge of collapse, his slime figure melting at the edges until they got back home.