Raine’s Terror Within

[Kaleb (Raine) he/him]

Sitting in the sea water Bruzog brought to the Ancuram lands for me causes my mind to reawaken. It all comes flooding back to me. Being in Gandra, the temple collapsing, Aayan, Mu’kan sobbing, words whispered to me, a captive raider…
I walked into the local guardhouse where they took in the man who we captured as they attempted to harm us, steal from us, and kidnap some of us on our journey.
Nehemiah, the local Sergeant at Arms in Gandra, took my report of the happenings at the Temple and then asked me to stay in the guardhouse while he left to help his citizens. He handed me the keys as he walked out the door.
I walked to the back cell, carrying a water skin, where the raider was being held and used the keys to open the door, expecting to see him attached to manacles on the opposite wall and be able to bring him a drink and to question him. Before I could open the door, a death wail resounded from within.
There was the raider letting out his last breath, laying in a pool of blood, his arms unattached, hanging from the wall manacles. His body was stabbed through with large black feathers and one white feather. Multiple butterfly wings cascaded around him. Snake skin was wrapped around one dangling hand. The other hand held a shiny rock and an elven leaf patterned piece of fabric. In his left leg was driven an antler. His right leg had the Consortium symbol carved into it. A sunflower was laying on his back. Around his neck was a cord of the Order. A merchant’s badge lied next to his face. A tuft of reddish orange fur was on his head. A scroll of guard orders sticking from his pocket with Meadowmere stamped upon it, and on his face was placed a fake beard.
This man was butchered and then plastered with us. Meadowmere. My people. Someone has watched us so closely, inspected us so carefully, to create detail, after detail, after detail to represent nearly all of us who traveled together to Gandra.
I couldn’t take it.
I ate the body. Destroying every marker representing our community. The threat to us became more real in that moment than ever before. I had to break it. Had to consume the threat. Had to lash out for the rage and fear within me hit a primal peak of insanity I could not contain.

Now here I am. Weeks later. Sitting in this tub of sea water while Marcus talks at me. Telling me to give him authority in the guard and I take a step back. He is berating me for killing and eating the captive raider… What do I tell him? How do I voice the terror within me? I can simply say, “I was not in my right mind. I relinquish my position for the day.”

[Author]

Posts