Vera's eyes narrowed as it focused on the bird-like creature. 'Why always me?'. She snapped her head towards Naren, looking for even a little reassurance. However, he looked indifferent. Yawning as he glanced around. 'Can he not see that thing? Oh right he's strong, I should be fine.'
"Yeah, nothing I can do."
His eyes were focused on a window high up on the balconies. Closest to the bird.
"Huh? What? Nothing you can do?"
Naren turned to look at Vera, his eyes still tired. he pointed at the jet black feathers that adorned the bird.
"As long as it's got those wings. Can't really hit it."
Despite his nonchalant appearance, Vera couldn't help but quiver. 'Nothing he can do?' She looked around relentlessly. However, nobody seemed to share in her panic. Everyone was walking around, completely oblivious to the dangers above.
Just as Vera was lost in thought, a little boy—probably the same age as her— bumped into her while chasing a ball. They both tumbled down.
"Ow. Why're you just standing here dazed?!"
The boy got up with his ball and ran off into the crowd.
Vera's voice quivered. Her eyes fixed on the bird which was glaring right at her.
"Naren, something's not right."
"You don't say."
The creature leaped out into the air and took flight. It's hollow eyes set right on her. Vera shut her eyes in fear. Waiting a couple seconds, she heard the shriek of the bird once more, but it wasn't getting any closer. The shriek resonated through the city, but nobody batted an eye.
Slowly opening her eyes, she could make out the creature flying in place. Directly behind it, it's own shadow had grown tangible and grabbed it's legs, pulling it back to the ground.
Vera witnessed in silence as the shadow turned into sharp spikes growing around the bird before cradling it.
She cringed a little. There was an uncanny amount of blood pouring out from numerous holes lining the bird, which fell over the mountain, back into the sea.
Relieved, Vera looked over at Naren. Expecting him to be just as out of touch as always, but his previous aloof expression was gone. This time his face was pale and he was more animated than ever.
Naren turned around and grabbed Vera before running into the crowd. By now Vera had understood not to ask any questions in the heat of the moment. It wasn't because they grew close, no. She simply trusted his judgement. If she was planning on using him to get to Atlas, she had to.
As she was being dragged away she looked back at the balcony where the bird had once perched. This time, there was a man standing there. Hunched over, he wore a a black robe with a hood and grey parachute pants. Despite not being able to see his face, she could feel his gaze looking right at her—At them.
—————————————
Vera was leaning against a wall catching her breath.
"Was it that man?"
Naren was looking livelier than ever. He was peering over the edge of the wall making sure that the man was nowhere in site. A look of panic splashing under his usual sleepy appearance.
'They didn't see me did they?'
Naren thought back to Alice. The blonde haired girl had warned him about shaman. "You're a kill on site for them." She casually mentioned once while forcing him to do pushups while sat atop him. A cursed like Naren was nothing but trouble no matter where he went. Though less severe than a witch, his very being was enough to bring about the most unlikely events, often time tragedies. As such, for a shaman, he was no different from a witch. Something they had to kill no matter what.
"Those kinds of guys don't really like me. Must be jealous"
Vera was a bit confused, but didn't press the situation any further. All she had to garner was that they were bad news.
Naren held onto his ears. 'All these unfamiliar voices, I can't make out which one's hi—' His thoughts were interrupted by a feint breathing behind him. Naren snapped his head around, getting into a boxing position.
Vera grabbed onto him instinctively, standing behind him, her little hands holding onto the cloth of his pants.
However, instead of being a shaman, or a monster, it was just an old woman. Her eyes were a translucent color, reflecting no light at all. She was shaking as she walked with a stick. Edging closer and closer to Naren.
"Blind...?"
Naren relaxed. finally letting his guard down slightly.
"Why what a cute little girl you are."
Suddenly another man came from within the crowd chasing after the old lady.
"Mom, why'd you run off on your own?"
As the man came to a halt, his eyes fixed on Naren. He studied him carefully before a sudden realization popped into his head.
"Hey aren't you the boy who kidnapped that little girl?!"
The man's mother chimed in.
"That young man?"
"You weren't there mom, he's disgusting."
A crowd began to form. Naren had perked up. As the crowd grew closer their murmurs grew louder. When they spotted Vera in the corner, still bruised, their murmurs turned into indiscreet anger.
"You're sick!"
"What the hell's wrong with you?!"
Vera spoke up, peering from behind Naren.
"No no! It's not what you think!"
She looked up, but was met with a deep scowl on Naren's face. He gripped his scarf tightly as he assumed another boxing position.
"Vera, isn't that lady blind?"
"Huh, I think so."
"How did she know we were here?"
Vera's face paled. How did that old lady know? Then another thought popped into her mind. Suddenly the scowl on Naren's face made perfect sense.
Naren had felt off the entire day, but this was why. Back when he first landed in Thera, at the tavern, and now here. During each and every one of those scenarios, Naren had constantly felt at odds with himself. Something was bugging him, but he couldn't tell what it was. Until now that is.
"How..."
Naren grip on his scarf grew tighter. A single line emanating through his and Vera's head. 'All humans will forget.'
"How do you remember me?"
The entire city began to shake. A dark bone rattling hum deeply resonating in Naren's bones. Looking around for any reflections within the vicinity, he couldn't concentrate. All these people knowing him, all his actions meaning something. Something about that just made him more and more self conscious.
He spotted a window in a balcony not to far above them. Instantly walking out of the window, Naren leaned on his knees to catch his breath.
Looking down, the crowd began cornering them. Whispering curses at Naren. Promising protection and guidance for Vera. Naren glanced only for a second before looking away. He couldn't worry about her right now. There were just too many voices. Too many voices that knew his name.
As Naren clutched his ears, he shut his eyes. Slowly the rumbling grew deeper. Much much deeper, until it was too much to bear. The ground beneath him began cracking slowly, splitting the entire city in half. The city shook and rumbled, windows breaking, water system spraying uncontrollably. The two sides slowly grew further from each other.
Vera rose from behind Naren. Waving off the crowd.
"No no, he didn't do this. He saved me."
It was no use though. They were like a hive mind.
Vera looked back at Naren. He was gone. Then back at the crowd.
The crowd surrounding her was...melting into the ground? she shook her head, making sure what she was seeing was true. In fact, looking around, all the people within the city had begun returning to the soil.
"Naren they're gone!"
His eyes slowly fluttered open. The bodies were all melting. Like mud dolls.
A thought clicked through his head. There was no heartbeat. No matter how many voices he heard, he only heard a select few heartbeats, not nearly as much as the people in the city.
The voices slowly began to dwindle, allowing Naren to hear something deeper connecting all the voices. Holding his breath, Naren concentrated. A singular deep muffled heartbeat coming from the ground right below him.
He let out a deep exhale. His tired golden eyes fixed right onto Vera. Quickly, they darted around, analyzing all the reflections within the area. Glass shard, metal carts, puddles of spilt water. He bent down picking up a couple glass shards.
With one more rumble, a giant dark tongue slowly climbed out from the rift between the halves. The tongue was filled with sharp barbs lining it, as well as a translucent toxic liquid lathering it. It made it's way up like a worm unearthing itself, easily reaching the heights of the tallest building.
Naren looked at it, an expression of slight disgust washing over his face.
"A giant tongue?...Well at least it can't fly."
Naren leapt from the edge of the rift, landing several kicks onto the giant tongue. He threw a glass shard directly towards Vera, instantly walking out of it and landing on the other side.
Despite his confidence in his strength, Naren did almost no damage to the tongue. Instead his own bare feet were turning red, with a slight burning sensation.
"Way too slimy to land a solid blow."
Vera was right next to him, shaking with fear. She held a rock in her hand that she picked up in desperation. Though, it was useless in this scenario. Her eyes were fixed on the giant tongue. Praying that it wouldn't notice her.
However, as Vera would soon learn, her thoughts were nothing more than premonition of disasters. The tongue began rapidly flailing around from side to side. Thrashing the cobblestone roads, burying buildings.
Naren quickly glanced at another wide window, just out of the tongues reach, walking through it. He glanced back, at the shivering little girl. A tinge of annoyance caught in his lazy eyes.
"Damn this girl."
Ironically enough, Naren had ended up right next to the tavern they had ran away from. Taking one last glance at Vera, he screamed at her before running inside the tavern.
"Yo! Be careful!"
Of course Vera didn't hear this, nor did she need to hear this. She was already worry about how, if even possible, could she survive this. Yet, her mind drew a blank. There was no universe she could imagine where she didn't die from this.
The tongue became more aggressive it seemed as Vera lost more and more willpower. When Vera's knees finally gave and she buckled to the ground, the tongue had finally swung towards her.
Just as it did, several glass bottled were thrown at tongue. Then a couple barrels exploded on it's skin as well, drenching it in a coarse, thick, yellowish translucent liquid.
A glass shard went flying throw the air, a boy with a crimson scarf appearing right from it. In his hand was a wooden stick lit on fire. As soon as it dropped form his hands, the boy had also vanished.
Vera was picked up from the ground swiftly. She couldn't tell what was going on, her only thought was hoping that the creature died. As her eyes stayed locked on the creature, it grew smaller and smaller. She was being taken further and further from it.
As the stick flew threw the air the fire slowly grew weaker, until a barely lit ember landed on the tongue. Slowly lighting the oils on fire, it spread. However, it didn't seem like it was enough. The tongue was still thrashing around, eventually that would lead the measly flames to be extinguished.
Vera's grip caught onto Naren's scarf. She tightened her grip. Shutting her eyes she wished for nothing more than for the tongue to burn. She wished for just one thing to go her way.
Maybe it was all her bad luck being repaid in full, or maybe it was everything Naren planned, but as Vera's eyes fluttered open, a giant indescribable heat attacked her face like a gunshot.
The tongue was completely encroached in flames, burning brighter and deeper than ever before. As it thrashed around, the flames only seemed to get hotter.
Naren finally stopped running and dropped Vera onto the ground. He fell to a seat, leaning on his arms, heaving from his chest.
"Nasty..."
They watched as the tongue continued to thrash, in excruciating pain until it finally stopped and fell limp onto the city streets.
"Glad that's...over."
Naren stared at the tongue lying dead. Seeing it lying there, the size was now put into perspective. It could easily stretch to 30 meters. However, as Naren's eyes were fixed on the tongue, he couldn't help but think of one thing. 'Where was the rest of the body?'
The ground began shaking once more. This time the rumbling was far greater than he could ever imagine. As the ground beneath them began tearing up piece by piece, they could do nothing but watch. The shaking was way to forceful to even get up.
Looking around, the ground beneath him began to take on a pitch black color. As if his shadow was growing larger and expanding. With that last thought, a deep dark veil swallowed Naren from below. His world was nothing but void.