Chapter 19 Search

The walls were filled with that disgusting flesh like some kind of tumour growing from somewhere deeper inside. The floor wasn't spared from this eldritch horror either. Olley hesitated but placed up a tough front. Leon looked more determined than he looked to when we first saw him fight. Now that I got to take a closer look at him. He seemed pretty tough. His robust build matched with his swole arms which made him an ideal thug or bodyguard. His clean buzzcut made him all the more threatening too. I adjusted my contact lenses a couple more times then took point of the situation. There was only one direction that we were going to and that was forward. From the looks of things, the flesh on the wall was alive. Some were even pulsing as if there was something hidden beneath it still alive. We walked further into the depths of the sewer. The path could already be seen slowly transforming from stone into flesh.

Olley: So Leon… What do you do?

Leon: I'm a thug. What's there else to put it.

Olley: Geez, you don't have to sound so pissed about it.

Leon: That's just how I sound.

Olley: Oh… So what do you do?

Leon: I'm a thug. What does a thug do? We beat people up mostly for not paying their dues in time. Intimidate people. I can't think of anything else.

Olley: Strange, I didn't think that people just woke up and decided "I want to be thug". Don't these things bother you?

Leon: I got my own reasons for doing the things I do.

Arc: Hey, shut it for a bit. I can hear something. Olley focus up. Sounds like we might have some company soon. We still don't know what's up with this place.

Leon: It's probably a vermin. We should take a different route. Fighting those things down here is just trouble.

Voice from the depths: HELP!!!

A fast paced footstep was suddenly starting to head it's way towards our direction. I started to take out my stone staff while the others were readying themselves too. Olley placed on her goggles and Leon readying his iron pipe. These seconds started to slow down as we waited for the steps to finally reveal someone. Not long then, a man was running towards us. He looked panicked with his hair all over the place. It was a civilian running through this flesh maze!? Our eyes met him and he ran towards us. His face clearly panicked over something. However, what was strange is that his outfit didn't seem to match this districts dress code. Those pants of his looked like they belonged to a later time period as well as his tattered up button up shirt.

Leon: Stay where you are! Who the hell are you! If you're not one them say something!

Man: I'm just a citizen in the district above! Please I'm just trying to find my way out! Help me please! There are some crazy monsters down here! I've been trying to leave for the longest time.

Leon: Wait a minute… William!? Is that you?

William: Leon?! Oh shit! I can't believe I'm saved!

Leon: Get your ass out of here already. You're way far from home. Get over here!

William: Will do!

He made his way towards us with a quick sprint but as he approached us further. I surged my eyes and it made him halt in his tracks. There's something else in the air. A killer's instinct. Leon seemed to have noticed me powering up and grabbed my arm.

Leon: Stand down! He's a civilian. He's with us.

I released some mild magic particles in the air. However, as soon as I did William's eyes turned white and started to roll out as if they were made out of glass. His nose started to bleed like a fountain running his shirt into a dark red. He started gagging uncontrollably as if he was choking on something.

Leon: HEY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? YOU'RE KILLING HIM

Olley: ARC! WHAT YOU DOING?!

Olley grabbed my hand while Leon pushed me into a wall but I didn't stop. They started to look at William but my suspicions were right. His skin was starting to change into a darkish red just like the flesh on the walls. What used to be William opened its mouth, dropping a tongue longer than I've ever seen. The tongue kept emerging out like a giant tentacle from deep inside of his stomach. It didn't seem to end as it continued to come out. The tongue was starting to come across as 30 meters long until it abruptly stopped. Olley started to vomit on the side but it didn't end there. Eyes started to pop out the tongue. Multiple ones seemingly looking around the room blinking. William's jaw was beyond dislocated. His eyes now replaced with molar teeth like mini mouths.

Leon: WHAT THE FUCK! IT'S A VERMIN!

Leon let go of me. As I got released from Leon's clutches, the tongue moved like some kind of snake. It looked around, surveying the area. Suddenly, those eyes on it's tongue looked at us. Leon readied his pipe. This wasn't his first encounter with one of those things! Olley gathered a bit of distance away from it. I wasn't sure what it was going to do or what was the thing I needed to target first. Would it make sense if I attacked the main body or this enormous tongue with eyeballs! Just like a snake it snapped right at Leon but I just made it in time to shove him aside. That strike was too close for comfort because it even left a small pierced crater when Leon stood. Kier was right! These things have only one instinct and that was to kill. There was no time to hesitate.

Leon: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR KILL THAT THING ADAMIAN!

Arc: I know!

I shot out an air cannon to try and get some distance away from us. However, it barely moved it! It's tongue once again rose up from the ground like a snake then aimed right at me. This time it's strike was much faster than the one before. I just ducked in time for the tongue to miss but it had grazed my shoulder. As I got back on my feet, the tongue had already gone in for another strike. This thing had a lot more strength to it's muscle than I thought. The creature smacked me hard on my side with full force. It felt like I was smashed by some kind of gigantic arm! My back hit the wall with a great thud but luckily there was some flesh on the wall to soften the blow. The pain stunned me from doing anything. All I could see now was Olley rushing towards the vermin with some shock sticks! She lunged right into one of the eyes on the tongue. With a bright flash of electricity, the abomination shrieked in pain or what sounded like a shriek. It wasn't as deafening to the first one we've encountered. As I regained my footing, I took out my staff then surged it up. The staff extended into a long pole with great speed that it finally knocked the thing into the ground. Leon then leapt on top of the creature to slam it a great force. I heard a giant splat and the tongue eye's started to close one by one. It was quiet. Was it finally dead? I held my sides as it still felt everything from that fight. They weren't kidding when fighting these were some serious business.

Leon: William…

Olley: I'm going to vomit again…

Arc: Those things were inside of him? Is that natural?

Leon: No, That was a new one. I've never seen anything of this kind of variant. What did you do?

Arc: I didn't do anything. I just surged the air with magic particles.

Leon: I don't get it.

Arc: It's like injecting the air with something else.

Leon: Well whatever you did. It affected William or maybe it wasn't even William anymore. I'm not so sure.

Arc: Was that really the William that you knew?

Leon: Seemed like it. I haven't seen that punk in so long. Last I heard he was doing some kind of testing for some money.

Arc: Could it be?

Leon: What?

Arc: You've heard of the merchants selling some kind of drugs right?

Leon: Rumours only. Don Maria says it isn't our jurisdiction to have it or something complicated like that. I prefer not to be involved in Don matters.

Arc: If you lived under a rock there was an attack yesterday. There were some kinds of mutants that had some kind of pseudo Adamian magic. Now these vermins are finally appearing. It can't be some kind of coincidence.

Leon: You saying that those freaks up there are part of this?

Arc: I don't know. All I know is that we might find some clues going further. These things are clearly agitated by Adamian magic.

Leon: Magic huh. Well whatever the explanation is. I hope you punks figure it out. Dumb people like me won't ever get it.

Leon took out some kind of cloth from his pockets then placed them on the vermin's head. I guess even he deserved a small funeral rite like that. We pressed on after assessing some damages. Other than just a few scratches and bruises nobody had any real damage against that thing. Olley came up to me with some kind of strange look as we continued walking through the flesh maze.

Olley: Something's bothering me Arc.

Arc: What is it?

Olley: If you said that your magic agitated it's mutation then how many more?

Arc: How many more what?

Olley: How many more up in the surface have a hidden vermin in them without them knowing? That person named William didn't seem to know that he was going to turn into something. It was just sudden when you did that thing.

Arc: Leon, what else did you know about William last you saw him?

Leon: Hm? William? Like what?

Arc: Anything that has something to do with anything like getting some kind of power.

Leon: Power? No way, it was something about a new kind of drug.

Olley: How the heck did he end up all the way here then?

Leon: Beats me. William isn't some kind of saint. Well neither I am. That's enough of this shit. Let's get going already. People do what they gotta do in these districts.

Seemed like he got a bit sensitive about it now. But Olley was right, if that was the case then how many more people up there. They've been trying to contain these vermins for the longest time down here. Though it looks as though the infection of the sewers has spread much worse overtime. Kier doesn't seem to be ignorant about this place either. It was just a matter of who was actually qualified to take the problem head on. Another problem that I want to give some more thought would be if these abominations are related to those things that arrived. They both have some kind of relation to something Adamic.

We pressed on through this labyrinth of filth. With each passing section that we turn, the flesh just keeps on becoming thicker and thicker. At some point the flesh was already covering the entire hallway. It made things even more feel more humid. Everything about this place just reminds me of a giant organism. Just standing still could make anyone think that there's a pulse underneath the flesh. It was sharp turn after sharp turn until we found something! Leon stopped us. Slowly peeking over, there was another vermin just around the corner. This one was much more different than the last few.

Leon: Looks like these things are getting crazier and crazier.

Arc: We should avoid this one.

Leon: I don't think we have a choice. The map says the other sectors are blocked. It has to be this one.

Olley: What are we even looking for?!

Arc: A clue.

Leon: We're going to have to take this one down.

Arc: From the looks of it, that might not be easy without destructive magic.

Leon: We have to go deeper.

Olley: Please tell me y'all have a plan this time?

Leon: Simple! Just beat it up! We'll jump at it.

Arc: Works for me.

Olley: You can't be serious!

Leon: Serious is all I know! ARGH!

As Leon rushed out of the corner, what came around the corner looked at us. This one was much different. It didn't even have a head. It was a torso with just arms! Even it's legs were it's arms. Just like the other vermins, they all shared the same kind of colored flesh. However, it didn't just have normal arms but dozens of them protruding from it's back. Each of these hands had mouths with visible molars and no lips on it's palms. It's hands had multiple joints allowing it to freely move independently from it's other hands. As it turned, the hands started to whisper.

Leon: THIS ONE IS UGLY. GET READY FOR THIS!

Vermin: Leon… Is… that… Youuu…?

Leon stopped. Everyone stopped. My spine turned cold. Olley eyes were wide open. We halted in our approach. The living torso didn't even attack like the others. It simply just turned towards our direction. One of the arms stretched over. It produced weird cracking noises as it did.

Mouth: Leon?

Leon: What the fuck?

Mouth: It's me Leon.

Leon: Who the!?

The mouths started to converse in the back while this one did. Olley was turning green again and about to vomit another time. I was genuinely curious now. This is a strange situation. Leon walked up closer but that started to get me tense. This could just be another trick of these creatures.

Mouth: It's me…

Leon: Who!? Damn it! Say it!

The creature now walked up a bit closer now. My senses were going a bit overdrive. It was like this creature possessed some kind of threatening aura. But how is Leon fine?! Those whispers are starting to get to me. The first mouth now sounds more and more human-like than a hoarse voice. Was it adapting?

Arc: Stand back Leon! We don't know anything about it!

Leon: Yeah! I know!

Mouth: Leon it's me.

Leon: Stop! Take one more step and I'll smash this mouth!

And just like that it did. The creature stopped. It looked a bit rattled by Leon too!

Mouth: It's Oria. It's me Oria.

Leon: Impossible… That… can't be true… Oria?

Olley: Careful Leon! It could be a trick!

Leon: l know! I know!

Mouth: Please believe me. It's me Oria.

Leon: No! You can't be! This is a trick! There's no way you could be Oria! Not by a long shot!

Mouth: It is me my love…

Leon: Don't say that! You're not Oria

Arc: How is this even possible…

Leon: How am I supposed to know!

Mouth: It is me. I finally found you.

Leon: Found me?

Mouth: It's been so long. Lost in this sewer… But I knew… That you'd find me…

Leon: How is that you can even tell it's me! You can just be saying shit!

Mouth: I could feel you. I recognized it was you.

Leon: Stop bullshitting!

Mouth: I always knew you were a hot head. I'm truly blessed…

There was a moment of silence in the cave of flesh. All I could hear now was the trickling sound of the waste around us and the now sad sobs of the mouths. This can't be real right? Clearly a trick? But if that's the case then what about the others?

Leon: No, you're not Oria.

Mouth: Not anymore…

Leon: You can never be Oria. Oria went missing...

Mouth: In three days…

Leon: No…

Mouth: In three days it will be…

Leon: No! Stop talking already!

Mouth: The day we met...

Leon: Please! Stop! You brat! Kill this thing already!

Arc: I… can't…

Leon: Damn it!

Olley: Arc…

Leon: If you're the real Oria then what the hell happened?! You were supposed to be at home! You were supposed to be where I knew you were…

Mouth: I wanted… to surprise you my love… I needed the money…

Leon: You didn't need to do any of that. I already said that I was going to do everything for you!

Mouth: I know… I know...

Leon: You were supposed to be at home…

Mouth: I wanted to buy you those shoes that you wanted… I needed to find a job with quick money…

Leon: You gotta be kidding me… This isn't real...

Mouth: I accepted a job that involved taking a drug… if the effects were positive… I would have the money plus something else…

Leon: No… Oria…

Mouth: They promised… He promised…

Leon: Who are they Oria!?

Mouth: The ones that people called merchants… They tested it on us… The rejects were thrown down here… We scramble to get out… Some make it out…

Olley: Make it out?

Mouth: They find the way to the surface…

Arc: So these are actually… people…

Leon: How long have you guys been trying to get out?

Mouth: Ever since we got here… Some turned mad… Some stay…

Leon: This is bullshit! I swear I'll find someone that can fix this. I'll fix this Oria. You'll be back to normal in no time. I'll even study those fancy books!

Mouth: You were always so sweet my love…

Leon started to walk over towards the creature. My eyes from pure instinct were about to surge. He approached the flesh creature. It's other various mouths started to rattle. Olley was also starting to reach for her shock sticks just in case. Kier wouldn't like it if his thug would die would he? But as Leon approached the mouths started to calm down. With open arms he hugged it. It's arms started to envelop him too.

Leon: I thought I lost you forever. I never stopped looking for you. I never did. Never have…

Mouth: I knew you wouldn't

Leon: I'll fix this…

Mouth: No…

Leon: What do you mean?

Mouth: I'm on the verge, my love. I'm only in control for so long. I waited and waited. I knew someday you would come. Until then I said that I would still be in control…

Leon: What are you saying?

Mouth: I'm asking you something that I want only you to do…

Leon: Please…

Mouth: Kill me... Kill me while I can still feel you. I want my last moments to be of you rather than madness. That is all I ask of you. As my last gift from you my love…

Leon: I can't possibly do that. We'll figure this out together. We even have an Adamian. We can fix this with their help.

Mouth: Another Adamian?

Arc: Huh? Another?

Mouth: That's all I ask of you.

Leon: I can't… I can't possibly do that Oria.

Mouth: Then ask them… I just want my final moments to be with you… My beloved Leon… Sing to me one last time…

Leon: You were always the cruel one…

Mouth: I love you so much…

Leon let go of Oria and walked to me. I knew what I had to do. I walked over towards the creature as if breathing mouths were now calmed. We both continued to get closer. My eyes surged and in an instant, I shot a wind bullet through the creature's chest. The creature started to fall on the ground with Leon catching her slowly.

Leon: "Love me. That's all I ask of you…"