Chapter 24 - Ruination of Perception, Pt. 1
"Hold on a minute," Chiara whispered. Moving to be behind his left shoulder, she could feel goosebumps on her skin flurry. She couldn't tell if it was cold and clammy or something was lurking in the shadows of the space.
"How the hell did ya get trapped here? Ya too fast to be caught."
"...if I weren't...in shackles...then yes..." Speed answered then looked up. Staring at the top of the doorway, the other two followed his line of sight. Though they couldn't see much from how dark the environment was, an unnerving feeling began to develop.
"..." the three spoke staring at the same spot.
'...what the freakin' hell...is there!?' she thought feeling the fur on the back of her neck stand on end.
'...this feels like...a predator is there...but I don't see anything,' Sonic pondered getting closer to the back of the amputee.
"...r...r...o...o...a...a...k...k..." a low growling voice sounded.
It did not sound friendly and emitted a level of savagery. Sounding like a mash up of a monster and person talking as one, it revealed its eyes. Two glowing yellow beads stared at the three from the ceiling of the passageway further inward from the large doorway. Its figure was obscured from the lack of light on the top wall of the hallway. However, given how it sounded, it gave the impression of large beast.
'WHAT THE FUCKIN' SHIT IS THAT?!' the stoat shouted in her head. Changing her hand position from grabbing the cloak, she placed her hands on Speed's back from the fear that generated inside herself.
"MEAT-MEAT-MEAT-MEAT!?" it squealed loudly.
Dropping from the ceiling to the floor, a hard thud sounded. Without a pause, it lunged at them dangerously quick. Feeling time slowing down from the sudden surprise attack, both Sonic and Chiara saw the face of the being. It's frightening and disgusting face had a large mouth with a wide range of crooked teeth. The pale skin and skinny appearance were countered by the dried crimson around its mouth. Having the head of an emaciated elk, there were alterations to create a more heinous version of the animal.
Feeling they were going to get chomped by the nasty mouth, a loud and heavy smack was heard. Blinking out of reflex, they saw the amputee counter attacked. Unloading with the same quickness as the turned beast, he did a fast and hard left hook punch. Delivering the fist to its face, it made contact with the creature's right temple. Enough force was behind the punch to change the direction the monstrosity was going.
Instead of ramming into them, its lunge banked off to the left. Stumbling to stay on its feet, it slipped forward. Going down to the floor, it caught itself on its hands and knees. Cringing loudly, the sound of grinding teeth was audible. Facing the wall and away from the trio, it thrashed its head hard.
"FUCK YOU!" it roared then turned itself around.
About to gorge at the three, it stopped abruptly. A black silhouette was standing in front of the creature. Looking up from its semi-crouched position, a crimson ring was staring back at it. As if recognizing the significance of it, the monster only became angrier. Lunging forward with scarred arms outstretch, it tried grabbing the figure.
Seeing its arms go through the figure like a phantom, it made the deformed elk confused. Staring at what was in front of him, the silhouette faded away into nothing. Pulling its head back in confusion, the woman and boy stared at him with much apprehension and caution. About to scream at them, something tough and rigid slammed into the top of its head. Dropping to the floor with a heavy thud, the creature screamed as if to combat the surprise and pain.
'Is this one of the freakin' cannibals!? That thing is beyond psycho!' Chiara thought. She had reactively picked up Sonic and moved quickly back to the opposite wall. Watching with wide eyes in apprehension, she did not let go of the boy. Even glancing at the kid showed that he was also locked in fright.
"GIVE ME YOUR FLESH! I CAN NOT ENTER WITH OUT OFFERINGS!" it bellowed maniacally while in pain.
"..." Speed commented while staring down at the being. Narrowing its right eye at it, he moved to get on the other side of the monster. With his back to the doorway, he lifted his leg and murderously stomped on the creature's head. Hearing it give a cry out from agony, it also was seething with hatred.
"I WILL EAT YOUR INNARDS AND MUTILATE YOUR WIFE AND CHILD!"
"..." the one-armed hedgehog responded with silence. Instead of removing his boot, he kept it firmly planted and pushed a little.
Feeling his robot eye slowly turned to the left, he felt a presence behind him. Feeling the eye pulsate just once, his nerves mildly flinched. Blinking in reaction to them, his mind started to remember old psychological behaviors. Focusing back at the person on the floor, he got his foot off of its head. Immediately kicking its right shoulder as it was attempting to get up, it flipped the crazy being over. Landing on its back to the ground, it breathed harshly through its clenched teeth.
"YOU ARE TRAPPED HERE. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. DEATH IS YOUR ONLY-!?" the monster shouted.
About to continue, the amputee lurched toward its neck. Instead of a hand gripping the body part, the being felt a full set of teeth biting it. Squirming to get itself free, the strength of the bite increased and began to pierce its flesh. Groaning and attempting to clobber the hedgehog's head, its right arm was caught by the cloaked figure's left hand. Using its left hand to grab, a foot slammed it back down into the ground. Trying to lean forward and chomp on the short person's right arm, there was nothing there but the outerwear fabric.
"GGNNAHH!" the creature anguished from the chomp. Attempting to lurch its head back to get free, the teeth never let go. Even slamming into the ground, the jolt did not dislodge the hedgehog's hold.
Stuck and feeling blood beginning to come out of its neck more, it tried to shake the dwarf sized creature off. Unable to despite the monster's strength, the anthropomorphic individual shot its head back viciously. With a gruesome and blood rip, Speed pulled and tore out a chunk out of the beast's neck. Gushing out crimson onto the floor and spasming, its movements slowly got less frantic. When its movements became a standstill, Speed slowly retracted his limbs.
'A bit barbaric of a fighting style,' Chiara thought.
Not moving from her spot and watching everything on high alert, seeing the thing die did not calm her down. The fear and adrenaline from the whole outcome was still high in her system. Watching the amputee slowly stand up, things were hanging down from his mouth. Cringing in disgust, pieces of flesh, ripped windpipe, and bright red liquid hanged down and dripped from his teeth and lips. Thinking that he would slowly raise his cybernetic eye and stare at her and the boy, both of his eyes moved all the way to the right.
"...well done stranger..." a woman's voice announced.
'FREAKIN' HELL!?' the stoat shouted in her mind. Flinching hard and glancing at the doorway, a tall silhouette was standing there. As if materializing without announcing her presence, she had a foot over the height of the one arm hedgehog.
"I must say your method of taking Stiles down...is familiar," she continued. Walking forward only one step to be under a soft light hanging light, Speed fully turned around to face the individual. As if stopping the tall woman in her tracks, her eyes suddenly glowed a haunting yellow.
"Are you threatening me meat stick?" she asked harshly. Now seeing her in better light, the woman was a bat breed.
Larger ears than the hedgehogs, black skin, and visible fangs for canine teeth were seen. Glancing at her attire, she wore all white clothing. A mini vest shirt, mid-thigh skirt, and white gloves and thigh high boots was what could be made out. Both her gloves and boots were dirtied with blotted colors of red and black. Her physique did not have a lustful appeal; however, she looked fit and solid given her stance and demeanor of holding herself.
'Damnit! She is a psycho too,' Chiara cringed and regripped her hold on Sonic. Glancing at the boy, he was not as scared as before despite him shaking a little with a tense face.
'...did he put the sport through something of similar horror?' she wondered looking back at the two confronting each other. 'I'm surprise this kid hasn't shit or wet himself already.'
"..." the cloaked man responded with remaining still.
After a few moments, he raised his left hand. Going to his hoodie, he pushed it back to reveal his head. Seeing his face more, his mouth was stained with the neck parts that were still being held from his clenched teeth. With the injuries and scars that Speed had, the brutality he committed and what he was wearing made him like one of the cannibals here. The action seemed to trigger something from the taller individual.
"...!?" the unknown person reacted with a start.
Reaching for something above, she pulled something down that sounded like a string on a pulley. Hearing chains move, a heavy metal panel dropped behind them. The stoat and hedgehog looked back and saw it covered the passageway to the stairs. Now trapped, they glanced back feeling more on edge. Seeing her approach the one-arm man, she stopped in front of him.
Watching both bore at each other, she moved by raising her arms. Placing her hands on his cheeks, he did not move or flinch. Narrowing her eyes, the bat woman leaned her face down to his. Seeing him continued to give a mild glare back while not moving, the tension in the air seemed to keep rising. Thinking she would stop in front of his face to intimidate, she did something that made both the stoat and the orphan freeze in place.
Feeling her eyes widen with fright, the hostile woman's mouth opened twice the normal size of a person. Still boring her haunting yellow eyes at him, the glowing crimson ring eye stared back. Chiara's skin crawled from watching her gathering the hanging remains of the monster's neck in her mouth. Using a long tongue to wrap around the entrails, she pulled them into her mouth while still leaning more. Getting all inside and closing her mouth, their faces were inches apart until she awkwardly planted her lips on his.
"..." Speed reacted with continuing to mildly glare at her.
Loosening his jaw to un-grip the flesh and insides, an iron tasting wet tongue wormed its way into his mouth. Feeling it collect the remains after searching his mouth a little, it retracted back. Despite keeping his composure, his insides felt squirmy. Watching the woman retract and stand up, the neck parts were hanging from her mouth. In a series of swallows, the remains of the skin and organ bits went into her mouth and down her throat.
'That's...hella...fucked up,' Chiara thought feeling cold beads of sweat dampen the fur on her back. Focusing her senses on the child without taking her eyes away from the barbaric duo, Sonic looked pale and grossed out.
"...it has been..." the taller woman began. Her threatening tone lessened a degree as her expression looked less menacing and crazy.
"...ages Vermilion Witness...I still don't know how you were able to leave this Sanctum...none of the sisters know how either."
"...it has been...some time Malaria..." Speed spoke carefully. Never breaking eye contact with her, hearing his voice made the woman veer back in slow motion.
"So my tongue did not deceive me," she commented then bored at him with fanatic zeal. "Where did you taint yourself?"
"...human base...with machines..." he replied stoically.
"HUMAN!?" the female bat balked as if he stated something of blasphemy. "Ancient writings depict them as worshipers of death and destruction of all life."
"...the facilities...had library of organs...both animal...and human," the amputee continued. His voice continued to remain the same tone. Despite the taller woman's aggressive and intimidating aura, the amputee did not show apprehension. The statement made the bat dweller pause and blink at him. Seeing her sharp K9 spike teeth retract a little to not be protruding from clenching her teeth, she appeared to be pondering.
"Why enlighten me...of your discovery? It does not gain anything for you," Malaria remarked. Tilting her head to the left a little, she stared at him.
"...perhaps...to break your...stronghold on...on dwelling in this...Purgatory..."
"You watch your tongue Vermilion," she stated firmly as if what he said was offensive. "It is my mission, as one of the Sisters of Suffering, to discipline and reform those lost souls."
"...so you choose...to be the stewardess...of this prison," he commented with a normal tone of voice.
"It is not a prison you meat stick!" she shouted with anger. Her haunting yellow eyes shined and saw that there still was no fear in Speed's face. Irritated at him, she looked at the other two and saw the fright in their eyes.
"A lamb and a calf...you have come to seek out the wrong of your ways," Malaria expounded with a voice of authority. Without hesitation, she pulled out something from the back of her outfit. Seeing it was a metal chain acting as a whip, it was stained heavily with blood. It caused both Chiara's and Sonic's eyes to widen in terror.
"...Sister...Malaria..." Speed called sounding grave.
"Be quiet Vermilion," she talked back irritated.
Pulling her right arm back with the whip, the metal links clanked on the concrete ground. Going to fling her arm forward, it suddenly stopped moving. Blinking from feeling a strong hand grip her wrist, she looked back. The one arm hedgehog had grabbed it from behind her. Not reacting to his sudden change of position, the aspect of not hearing him made her pause.
"...do not...provoke...a cleansing..." he continued with his head tilted down a little. It gave his stoic expression more of a lour look.
"UNHAND...ME...MEAT STICK," the bat woman threatened. Cocking her other hand and about to strike him with a punch, her head turned to the left quickly. Not from her own doing, something unseen smacked her right cheek hard. Trying to analyze what just happened, her right arm was not able to move still. Looking back, the amputee was still glaring at her.
"...do not...provoke...a deterge..." he threatened again.
'This is...the same lost soul as before?' she pondered quickly. Keeping the same irate face, she spoke while scowling at him.
"What...struck...me?" she demanded.
Trying to yank her hand free to assert dominance, it still did not budge from his grasp. Pulling her hand hard then pushing it, it was met with equal resistance. About to lurch at the hedgehog to bite him, something struck the back of her knee on her forward leg. Bending backwards and losing balance, she felt her hand get released. Within a second, the same firm hand grabbed her face. With strength she wasn't expecting, the amputee threw her head into the ground with much force.
"GAH!" Malaria let out a short and sharp gasp. Feeling her vision get blurred from the impact, she willed her hands to not cradle her head. Shaking her head to clear her sight, something rugged and heavy was placed across her throat.
"...passages can be...easily closed...when enough will...is forced upon them..." Speed warned looking down at her.
"..." she reacted with an intense glare. With her sight returning, she saw that he was not intimidated. Glancing down quickly, his boot that was on her neck pushed down a little more. Attempting to bark at him, no voice came to her throat. Trying to breath was in vain as her windpipe became more restricted. It was like sucking air through a poorly constructed stir straw.
"...will we commit...to a detente...or no?"
"...I...w...i...l...l...d...i...s...p...o...s...e...o...f...y...o...u..." the bat woman wheezed in anger.
Hearing footsteps slowly walking towards them, she glanced to her right and up. The female stoat and younger hedgehog were standing a few feet away. Both were watching with highly cautious faces and tense bodies. The difference from before was that their fear was slowly going away. That change caused her to become infuriated.
Trying to fling her right arm and hand with the whip, another boot stepped on it. Looking at who it was, Chiara had her right foot on it and shifted her weight to mostly on her right leg. Becoming immobilized, hatred boiled inside the bat woman. With malicious eyes staring at Speed, he had not changed his eerie stare down at her. The aspect that he was in control seemed to make her confused despite being royally agitated.
"...Sister Malaria...once a sacrifice is...committed and entrails," the amputee mentioned stoically. "...of the sacrifice...is consumed by...two witnesses...they have committed a...propinquity."
"..." Malaria reacted with pause. Blinking and staring into his hazel colored eye, there was no trepidation or smugness. Thinking about his demeanor from previous encounters, she closed her eyes and stopped flexing all of her muscles.
"...r...e...l...e...a...s...e...m...e..." she said in a calmer tone.
"..." Speed commented and retracted his foot off her throat.
'Whoa-whoa-whoa!? Why is he...' Chiara thought in a panic.
About to push her foot down more, the older hedgehog looked at her and shook his head. Blinking and starring in bizarre confusion, she got off the woman's wrist and got next to Sonic. Seeing the cloaked hedgehog lend his hand towards the taller woman, she begrudgingly took it. Getting up and standing, she coiled up her whip and put it behind her mini white blouse vest. Seeing that there was a leather harness underneath her shirt, her arms went back to her side.
"I forgot Vermilion...how coy you were," Malaria mentioned frowning a little at him. "...even when you were silent."
Turning to the down creature, she let out an irritated sigh. Lifting her right arm, she closed her hand to be hovering over the beast's bit out neck. Clenching it into a tight fist, her sharp claws dug into her palm. Seeing blood seep out, she lowered her hand towards the opening mouth of the crazy individual. A few droplets went down its gullet. After a few moments of silences, a gargling and airy swallow was heard. Leaping back in fright and getting in front of the child, the monstrosity began to stir.
'THAT THING REVIVED ITSELF!?' Chiara wondered in shock and fear. 'So that makes them...vampies...holy shit...they're real!?'
'Whoa...so those scary stories were true,' Sonic said in his mind. Both fascinated and fearful, the dead being began to move and roll over.
"W...h...e...r...e...i...s...t...h...a...t...p...e...s...t...!?" it breathed in agony and hatred. Feeling its throat beginning to slowly repair itself, it looked up at the fist near his face. Seeing who the arm belongs to, he immediately bowed his head and got into a kneeling position.
"Lady...Malaria..."
"Silence Stiles...your failure of duty will be met with punishment," the bat woman declared and moved her arm back to her side.
"...yes madam..." he replied back. Hearing the pleased tone of his voice, the fur on the back of the boy's and stoat's neck stood on end.
"I am permitting the three souls to enter. I forbid you from eating them."
"Yes lady Malaria. As you wish," Stiles stated. He did not move from his kneeling position and never raised his head.
"...hmph..." the bat woman said then looked down at Speed. "I am quite sure YOU know the depth of the Sanctum."
"..." the amputee answered with only giving a small nod.
"..." the female replied with blinking. "The rite will not protect you."
"...committing...sacrilege...sister?"
Doing a short exhale through her nose, she turned around and heading down the hallway. Her footsteps faded till only soft echos of heel clicks were heard. Once it was quiet, the monster slowly raised to a standing position. Hearing quick steps go around it and stand behind the cloaked adult male hedgehog, the one arm man was facing him. Rubbing the healed neck, it still felt the sensation of getting a portion torn off.
"The sister gave you passage...I do not disobey..." the creature stated then gave a scorning expression. "Death is not allowed by my hand...but sister gave no restriction of harming you."
"Stiles," Speed spoke with less of a raspy voice. "Malaria never said...about not hurting...or killing you...again."
"Don't talk like you know her fiend!" it stated harshly.
"..." the amputee replied with a mocking sneer. It seemed to get him royally angry.
"Would ya stop trying to piss that thing off!?" Chiara breathed quietly with vigilance.
"...we will...depart Stiles," he commented. Reaching into his cloak and searching a little, he produced a wrapped object. Tossing it the monster, it caught it and stared at it.
"...!?" the thing reacted with surprise.
Opening the package up and seeing its contents, it greedily ate what was inside. Turning to the right and walking forward, two other pairs of footsteps stuck close to his right side. Entering and walking down a long and poorly lit hallway, the sight and sound of the creature was gone. Hearing sighs of relief, they were quiet and didn't seem like total relaxation. Feeling that they were safe enough in the long pathway, she got in front of him and turned around.
"H-Hold on a minute," Chiara whispered. Grabbing his shoulders, she forgot about his right side. Flinching, she quickly maneuvered her hand to where the neck connects to the torso.
"What the flying hell was all that!? They acted like they knew you."
"...I stated before...was trapped here...for a while...before escaping," he answered in the same low volume.
"Y-Yeah...but how long ago was that?" she spoke quietly. "Did ya lose your limbs and eye here?"
"...a couple years...ago..." he stated a little tense. "...we need...to keep...moving..."
"W-Why?" Sonic whispered stiffly.
"...the walls...have eyes and ears...when no one is present..." he answered.
Lifting his left hand, he placed his on top of her right one. Calmly pulling it away from his left shoulder, the two saw the amputee's crimson eye slowly pan to the left. Seeing his normal socket stare straight ahead, he placed her right hand to her side. Letting go, he raised his arm again. Placing it on her right hip made her recoil a little from how careful he was doing his movements.
"...stay...to my right," he warned then looked down at the boy. Chiara shivered seeing that his eyes were looking in opposite directions.
"...walk...whisper...do not...gaze at...your left."
Doing a gentle pat on the stoat's hip seemed to make her feel more alarmed than before. Still staring at the child, he gave a slow head motion to move forward. Gulping quietly and giving a very short nod, Sonic began walking carefully ahead. Applying a gentle push on her, she blinked and slowly moved over to be on Speed's right side. Keeping her left hand on his right upper shoulder area, she matched his walking pace while being directly behind the orphan.
"...my limbs...were lost...when I woke up..." he began in an airy voice. Not hearing the clicks from the bat woman or the scarfing down of the monster, the long passageway was eerily quiet. Despite him only breathing out words, it sounded as if he was talking at a normal volume.
"...several years...in the past..."
"How long is several years?" she whispered feeling her fur standing on end.
All three stopped from hearing a noise to their left. Seeing both of the hedgehogs' left ear flank to the left, she took a quick glance. Seeing nothing in particular other than a stone wall, the sound became clearer. Something was crawling nearby. About to ask, the stoat felt what was left of his right shoulder tense up. The action made her close her mouth and dart her eyes forward.
Without saying anything or acknowledging what was around them, Speed calmly walked forward. Both she and Sonic got back in step with him without looking left or back. The crawling seemed to follow a little bit before its clicks began multiplying. What seemed to strike apprehension in the two newest visitors of the Sanctum was the unknown creatures on the left wall. The further they travelled, the number of small thumps and clicks had increased to a dozen pairs of steps.
'If there are freakin' spider mutants in this hell hole...I'm done,' Chiara thought as cold bead of sweat dropped down the right side of her face.
"...9...years...ago..." he answered stoically. Looking forward, his left hand and arm movement in the cloak was not well seen. Grabbing something out of the knapsack he had, he just dropped it on the ground. It made a mild thud and rolled backwards.
"...Do not...react...to them..."
Without a second latter, massive amounts of crawling festered behind them. As if converging to a point, a couple of slams were heard that gave the impression of bodies dropping to the ground. Doing their best to not react to the loud sounds, both Sonic and Chiara expressed a growing horror on their faces. The boy slowly reached backwards with his left hand. Finding and gripping onto the amputee's cloak hard, he forced himself to keep walking forward. Glancing to his right and up to see Chiara, her face looked terrified.
"..." he spoke with wanting to ease the fear. Thinking of what to do, he cautiously moved between the two adults. Looking forward and glancing at her one more time, he slowly raised his right hand.
"...!?" Chiara reacted a little with a start.
Immediately glancing to her left and down, she calmed down. The blue hedgehog had gently grabbed her jacket. Despite the gesture and seeing him trying to steel himself, she could see that the orphan was just as scared as her. Moving her eyes up to look at Speed, she bit her tongue hard to not jump from fright. Keeping up with his pace, there was a ghostly pale, lanky figure on his left side. Its head was enclosed in a barred cage and stared at him with bloodshot eyes.
"...V...e...r...m...i...l...i...o...n...W...i...t...n...e...s...s..." the female lizard spoke in a harsh, normal volume tone. It caused the massive crawling behind the four to suddenly stop.
"...W...h...e...r...e...d...i...d...y...o..u...g...o...?"
"..." Speed responded with silence. Continuing forward and sensing the breaking point of the two people on his right, he frowned a little. Reaching into his carry-on bag, the being's eyes looked down.
"...I...never liked you..." he began. Getting out a food item and exposing his arm, he shoved it forcefully into the deranged person's face. Mashing it between the bars of the head cage, a scent of minced meat was smelled in the air. The act caused an avalanche of sound to roar behind them.
"...enjoy your...fantasy Jiseny..." the hedgehog said with distain. Gripping the cage on her right side, he put his left leg in front of hers. Murderously shoving forward and down, the Sanctum dweller tripped forward. Falling to the ground with a clash, both Sonic and Chiara dared to look to their left.
"DDDIIIIEEEE!" the one arm man screamed. His pitch was much lower and sounded like a throaty roar of a primal.
"...!?" both began to shake from seeing a psychotic grin on the pale lizard's face. Seeing everything begin to vibrate as a sound and vibration wall was coming from behind, the superspeed tunnel came.