Ennine opened his eyes and looked about. The forest wasn't truly dark, at least it did not appear so to him. It was late in the evening, and the sun had vanished from the sky, but some tiny tracery of light remained, enough to see by but with all colors drained, everything was black,white, or, as was the case most often of all, gray. Still he smiled quietly to himself, he treasured these moments more than any other. He frowned for a moment, that was not exactly true, it might be better to say that when his mind was clear he treasured these moments, looked forward to them. The rest of the time he just looked forward to Trigium. It was not the time of day he loved, though in truth he had always liked this twilight hour, rather it was this...state of mind. The mind-numbing bliss faded, but the terrible craving not yet struck. He was lucky if this lasted more than three days but he seemed to be lucky of late. This was the end of the fifth day, and he had no doubt that the cravings would return tomorrow, and rational thought would become difficult. Fortunately he had put his time to good use.
It had been what? Three months since he was taken from the tower? Four? more? That was the trouble with Trigium, taking it curbed the...thing that was in him. The mere thought still made him shift uncomfortably, but he had come to accept that in some ways he was as much beast as man. Regardless, whatever else Trigium did he lost track of time after taking it. A few hours of mind-numbing pleasure, then anywhere from a day to week in a haze, then this, oh so brief period of rational thought then the cravings set in again, finally if he did not take more the craving grew worse, much worse, and he became subject to mood swings, and that, he could not afford. He didn't know if thats how normal people felt all the time, so easily angered, so easily terrified, or if it was just another side effect of the drug. Either way he couldn't afford it, normal people when angered simply shouted, or fought. Normal people didn't...change...they didn't lose their minds and rip anyone they came across to bloody shreds.
Frowning he realized he had drifted. He was supposed to be deciding what to do. He couldn't continue like this, some man-beast skulking in the shadows, always ready to snap. If nothing else so long as he was the people from that...magical something or another would always be after him. They were always after him, them and their lackeys, always following him, always watching him, waiting for him to make some small mistake so they could pounce. They had made the mistake this time though, he had snuck up on some mages in a city last week and listened in on their conversation. They had talked about a Samil or something. His name didn't matter, what mattered was that they had said he was a great life mage, like Baumren. Baumren who had made him what he was, Baumren who had been like a father to him. What one man could do, another could un-do, he might be free of the beast within him. It was a shame they had mentioned nothing about where he was but there were other ways to find that out. He looked down at the pale face below his hand.
"So friend are you going to tell me where the life mage is? This Samil or whatever." he asked sweetly
"W-We're just h-hu-hunters!" the man stammered "W-we don't know a-a-anything 'bout n-no mages. P-please, its-it's Avron's Night, half the country is out on the hunt t-tonight, w-we're not the m-men y-your looking fer."
Ennine's smiled dropped and his eyes went hard.
"I know you're working for them." he grated "Don't try and lie, I know your hunters. Hunting me! On their orders! Now. Where is he?"
The man's eye's darted to Ennine's other hand, where bits and pieces of his companions skull still decorated Ennine's fingers, then to the ground, where a grisly sight of the his head friend met him. Ennine felt no remorse. That one had had a sneaky eye, he would have lied. Ennine hadn't even bothered to question him.
The man shook for a moment, then began to spill everything, where Samil was, what he was like, how one could get close, everything. Ennine didn't even let him finish, with a brief cracking, splintering sound, another lump of meat joined the first. Did all these men think him a fool? That he would listen to them and go without confirming? This was far from the first man he had questioned these last five days and nights. No two had agreed on any story unless they heard the other give it.
He turned to face the woods again and saw a dim light in the distance. More hunters, more lackeys. Perhaps these ones would be willing to tell the truth.
He walked towards the light. After a few strides his face relaxed and his smile returned. He even started humming.
He knew it wouldn't last long, but it really was so nice to be able to think clearly.
Subject: Questions on Avron's Night 
Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:17 pm
