Chapter 13: The Incident at Nibelheim Lake
Cloud lay in bed waiting for what seemed like forever before deciding to get up and wait on top of the water tower. The only one he worried about seeing him was Tifa, seeing as her window had a view of the tower. But Cloud knew he could remain in the shadows while he waited, hoping it would be easier to stay awake too.
He could still hear his mother downstairs in the kitchen, most likely putting away bowls, pans, and other cooking utensils. The clanging noise was a good indicator. He found himself nodding off to the familiar sounds.
He couldn't have been asleep for more than a few minutes when he heard the sound of a window opening. He sat up quickly, ears perked. The house was silent, his mother having gone to bed earlier. 'How long was I out?' Cloud wondered as he crept out of bed and tiptoed to his window. He remained ducked, head barely peeking over the ledge. He listened for more sounds. 'Am I just hearing things?'
Cloud leaned back away from the window and scratched his head in confusion. He thought he heard a window opening; he expected Tifa to be shimmying her way down pipes and vine-covered trellis. He peered over again and saw no movement. 'Hm?' Cloud looked behind him, scanning his room for the possible noise culprit.
He shrugged, hoping that maybe she had changed her mind, but just as he was about to get up and head to bed, he heard fervent whispering. Cloud rolled his eyes. 'So much for that.' He looked out the window again and surveyed the scene to the side of him as best as he could. He heard more than he saw Emilio. "I'll hold your bag, Tifa," said Emilio. Cloud watched as she reached behind her, presumably handing Emilio said bag, before climbing down the trellis.
He could finally see Emilio as he waved his hands to whoever was waiting below and tossed Tifa's bag down for someone to catch. He did a victory dance at the successful catch, Cloud assumed, before making his way down; except the trellis started crumbling under his weight.
If not for the thick vines helping keep the trellis steady, Cloud knew Emilio would have been falling fast. He watched as he quickly grabbed the drain pipe and slid down it like a pole. The pipe screeched as he slid down, used only for the flow of water.
Cloud could hear Emilio's feet heavily hitting the ground and the squeals of contained laughter. "Whoops!" Emilio says loudly, probably looking at the damage he made to their side wall. Cloud thumps his forehead in disbelief. 'This kid can't be quiet for anything! How are her parents not awake?' He wonders as he prepares to leave. He quickly laces up his shoes and grabs a sheathed knife his mother had given him. "It was your father's," he remembers her saying. He tucks it as best as he could in his pocket; given its size. He probably didn't need it, but you can never be too sure.
That was another reason it wasn't good to go to the lake at night. His mother told him about the beast that only comes out when darkness falls; she had warned him enough when he went out on his late-night adventures when he was younger.
He always stayed within the village, but there was one time he went out too far, getting lost in the process; not yet familiar with the land. He sat and waited, refusing to travel any further in fear of being lost forever. He felt a lump in his throat at that possibility. He tucked his head in his arms and rested on his folded legs. He felt tears start falling as a chill set in; adrenaline giving way to fear. There was no light for as far as his eyes could see. And it didn't help that the town was surrounded by mountains. A choked hiccup was his only warning before he started weeping profusely. "Momma." He continued to cry. "Cloud!" He held his breath, hoping it wasn't his imagination. "Cloud!" The voice echoed. Cloud stood. "Momma!?" He yelled. "Cloud!" He heard closer; voice full of distress. Cloud walked out of the cave he took shelter in and saw a light in the distance. He could make out his mother's features. Even in shadows, there was no denying it was her. "Momma!" He yelled running towards her. She followed the sound of his voice, hiccuped cries spilling out from him.
They finally made it to one another, hugging each other tightly. "I was so worried!" His mother cried. "You were gone for so long! I couldn't find you!" She patted him down gently, trying to see any cuts or feel for possible displaced bones. "I'm sorry, momma!" He said. She hugged him once more and took hold of his hand, holding it tightly. "Let's get going. We've been out here way past my comfort level." She said, guiding him back in the direction she had come from.
She gives his hand a squeeze. "I don't want to frighten you; not any more than you might be," she starts, worry clear on her face, "but when you venture too far, there is a possibility of coming face to face with large beasts." She explains, gripping Cloud tight to her side. Shadows dance all around them, the only source of light being the lantern she carries. "These are not normal beasts, either. You'd do well to stay within town, Cloud." She warns. He nods in understanding.
He remembers that feeling of fear; like a hot coal in his stomach. It wasn't too long after she gave him his father's knife. "I'm not encouraging you to sneak out at night, but if you do, protect yourself," she said, handing him the sheathed weapon. He shook his head and pulled her into a hug; a silent promise to not go too far ever again.
It was a few months later when she finally taught him how to use the blade. A few simple moves that could help him protect himself. "I'm not a soldier, but your father did want me to know how to defend myself." She puffed, slightly out of breath from her and Cloud's practice match.
He smiles, thankful for his mother's lessons. Although the lake is part of Nibelheim, it is quite a distance from town and tucked between two large mountains. He hasn't heard of any of the townsfolk crossing paths with any great beasts, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. He thought about getting a lantern to help light the way, but thought better of it; not wanting to alert anyone of his presence. He looked out the window, observing the moon's illumination, and hoped it would be enough to guide him. Nodding to himself, satisfied with his quick preparation, he snuck downstairs. He thought about going out the window. He was less likely to get caught that way, but didn't want to take a chance on the weak trellis.
The house was silent as he crept to the front door. He let out a breath he had been holding in relief. The last thing he wanted was to worry his mother if she caught him trying to leave their home.
He travels along the familiar path; the crickets and frogs sing their late-night hymns. He didn't hear any voices. He wasn't surprised though, considering they left before him. He knew it wouldn't be long until he caught up to them. That didn't stop the gnawing bite of worry he felt. "Always trust your gut," his mother would say. And he couldn't help but feel the strong prickling of nerves. 'I don't like this feeling!' He thinks as he looks up at the sky. He watches as clouds start overtaking the moon; trying to block out its brightness. "Shit!" He swears. His mother never likes when he curses, but he feels like this moment calls for it. He can barely see; the moon now completely taken over. He feels the whipping of the wind and can only hope it carries the clouds on their way.
Cloud pauses and inhales, holds his breath, then exhales after a few seconds. He wanted to get his bearings. It didn't help that his mind was starting to spiral; he noticed he still hadn't caught up to Tifa and the others. 'They couldn't have been that far ahead of me.' Cloud starts walking fast, hoping to hear their voices.
He realizes the only sound he hears is his own elevated breathing and the rustling of dead bushes being blown by the wind. Not even a chirp or croak in the distance. He reaches to his side, tightly gripping the handle of his knife. He pulls quickly, releasing it from the confines of his pocket and unsheathes it. He starts sprinting, thinking he can't be much further.
"Ah!" Cloud hears, nearly jumping out of his skin; the bloodcurdling scream cuts through the silence and makes his body fight against the flight response. He wanted nothing more than to be curled up in his bed, snuggled under the covers. He pushes forward though, running fast in the direction of multiple yells.
The screams grow louder and more frantic. He hears something running towards him. He stops and gets into a fighting stance that his mother had shown him; blade ready. His heart is beating fast; he feels like he's almost choking on it.
Cloud hears wailing before he sees a flash of red; finally making out who it is. "Johnny!?" Cloud relaxes a bit, but tenses again at the sight of blood dripping from his arm. "Cloud!" He rushes into Cloud, nearly toppling them both to the ground. Cloud steadies him with a hand and feels Johnny grasp onto his shirt. "Johnny, what's happening?" Cloud asks. He can still hear the others screaming. Johnny continues to cry out and shakes his head back and forth; mumbling incoherently. Cloud shakes Johnny's shoulder. "Johnny listen." Cloud tries to gain his attention with no success. "Johnny!" Cloud screams. Johnny makes eye contact with Cloud; still shaking in fear. "Go get help!" Cloud instructs. He squirms out of Johnny's hold and runs in the direction Johnny came running from. He didn't look back to see if Johnny did as he was told, he only hoped, somehow, that help would be on its way.
Cloud could hear whimpering and crying echoing from different directions, making it hard to decipher which way to go. He followed the sound of the waterfall, its pounding thunderous.
He finally entered the clearing. He saw the scattered lanterns, casting the surrounding area in an eerie glow. He made out a silhouette lying in the distance. As he moved closer, he noticed it was Tyler, his face covered in blood. Cloud knelt over him, putting his hand on his chest, feeling for movement. Unsatisfied with the results, Cloud lowered his ear to Tyler's mouth; he caught a slow, gurgling breath, then another, and another.
Cloud felt wetness dripping down his cheeks. He didn't know if it was sweat or tears, but he didn't have much time to dwell on it. He heard two screams emerge from the dense trees a distance ahead. He saw Emilio dragging Tifa behind him; tightly holding her by the arm. She tripped, unable to keep moving; her bare feet bleeding, as Cloud could tell. "Tifa!" Emilio cried. He ran back to her, wanting to help her up, but let go as a creature came cutting through the forest.
Cloud saw as it swung the top of its head around; the sword-like horn making quick work of the foliage. It let out a ghastly, high-pitched scream. Its mouth was open wide; a perfect circle, showing its sharp teeth. Not only did it have teeth surrounding the perimeter of its mouth, but Cloud could see sharp teeth lining the inside as well, probably extending deep within its throat. It had no eyes or arms, for what Cloud could see. But it stood tall on two long, thin legs, with three sharp prongs extending from each ankle.
Emilio turned and ran away. "Help! Help!" he screamed, disappearing to who knows where. Tifa scrambled to get up, her feet leaving a bloody trail in her attempts. She started wailing as the creature descended on her. It let out its own howls as it swung its horn at her.
Seeing this, Cloud stood quickly and ran closer to where they were. "Raaaa!" Cloud started yelling. Tapping his blade on the stone he stood on, Cloud continued to scream, not stopping; even when his voice started to give out. The monster changed its course, stomping its way over to Cloud. "Cloud!" Tifa screams. He shushes her, waving his hand at her to be quiet. The creature turns slightly in her direction. "No you don't!" Cloud runs up to the monster and slashes at its right leg; the gash deep and oozing thick, purplish fluid.
It shrieks, the high pitch making Cloud cringe and Tifa cover her ears. It continues to howl, the high frequency vibrating in the air. Cloud can feel it, the vibrations making his teeth chatter and his vision double. If he endures this any longer, his head will explode, Cloud thinks.
Cloud opens his eyes, not realizing he had closed them. He focuses on the deep wound he delivered, seeing the purple fluid puddle on the ground. Cloud shakes his head, trying his best to focus. It does nothing but make him sway in dizziness. He feels a tickle on the inside of his ear; he reaches to get rid of the itch, only to feel a wetness. He pulls his hand in front of his face and sees red. 'I'm bleeding from my ear?' Cloud looks at the monster. It looked to be howling still, but to Cloud it became a muffled squeal. He could see Tifa a distance away; her body in a fetal position and head tucked in her arms.
It was getting worse. His chest felt heavy, like it was about to cave in. He focuses on its wounded leg again. Cloud looks down; he had dropped his blade. He quickly picks it up and gathers all his strength. At this point, Cloud hears nothing but the hurried thumps of his heart. He runs at the monster, blade raised high above his head, leaps and slashes; cutting its leg off. He watches the monstrosity collapse and goes in; seizing his chance. He hacks at the monster; the space where its eyes would be is completely gouged; leaving gaping, gushing holes scattered around.
He didn't stop. He didn't stop until its entire front had been obliterated; until its purple gloop surrounded its whole body. Cloud heaved, his body exhausted and his head throbbing. He couldn't hear; everything sounded as if his head was dunked underwater. "Cloud." Like static. "Cloud." Again. The sound of his heart was too loud. "Cloud!" It buzzed through his head. His eyes fell on a crying Tifa. Her arms were scraped up and covered in dirt. Her face too; he could see the track of tears traveling through the grime. He didn't suppose he looked any better.
He looks down at himself; his right arm and hand are covered in the monster's blood. He can see fleshy bits stuck to him as well. He grimaces; his nose picks up the putrid smell. He sees Tifa crawling away. He spots her bag nearby. Cloud sits down on the ground. He can feel the heat leaving his body, making him shiver as his body cools down from its physical exertion.
He feels something rub against his arm. He opens his eyes and sees Tifa wiping at the purple sludge on his arm. He reaches for the towel to continue wiping down; his face feels especially caked. She surrenders it freely. "Are you okay, Cloud?" She asks. It comes out no louder than a murmur to Cloud, but he understands all the same. He nods slowly, not wanting to agitate his pulsating head. He wipes his face with a clean part of the towel. Pulling it away, he sees it soiled with monster blood. Tifa reaches back into her bag and pulls out a corked ceramic jug, offering it to Cloud. He uncorks it and pours a little of the liquid on his face. Placing the jug down, he wipes his face again. She offers him another cloth; he notices it's one of her shirts.
Her head snaps in attention, making Cloud pause in apprehension. She quickly crawls away in the direction she was looking. Cloud swivels around carefully to see and watches as she starts tending to a stirring Tyler. He relaxes. He grabs the jug again and pours a bit more liquid. Setting the jug aside, he wipes his face again and sees the cloth come back a bit cleaner. He gets back up and uses the shirt to wipe off the gristle that's clumped on his clothes. Dejected, he tosses the shirt to the side. Until he goes home and takes multiple showers and baths, he'll never feel clean.
He watches as Tifa helps Tyler sit up. Cloud grabs the jug and takes a swig, gargles it for a bit before spitting it out. Cloud takes another drink and walks over to Tifa, handing it to her. She mouths, "thanks." She offers Tyler a drink.
He looks around the area. He knows Johnny is hopefully back at the town, rallying up help. Emilio ran, hopefully also safe; Cloud begrudgingly thinks. He looks back at Tyler and Tifa. 'Maybe Lester didn't come, and I don't know if anyone else showed,' Cloud wonders.
"Was it just you all?" Cloud asks. His voice sounds raspy in his head. He clears his throat in hopes of relieving the ache. She shakes her head, looking down. "Lester ran as soon as that thing showed its ugly mug," Tyler says, clearly upset. Cloud rubs his ears, thankfully his hearing was returning; even if it was just his right side.
"His speed was so fast that we didn't even realize what was wrong until he was across the landing," he states. "He was scared; we all were," Tifa says, trying to placate Tyler. He just rolls his eyes. "Jess and Amy also wanted to meet us. It's a good thing they didn't make it," Tifa says, looking guilty.
Cloud nods, glad there weren't more people involved. He looks up and sees a bright, orange glow rushing towards them. "Looks like help is coming," Cloud points out. "Great," Tyler responds, trying to get up. Tyler stumbles around, wincing. "That bastard slashed my leg!" Tifa hurries to his side, putting his right arm over her shoulders; she's not much help considering Tyler is a head taller than her.
"Looks like it got your forehead too," Tifa says, glad she stopped the bleeding with a makeshift bandage made from torn towels. They both could hear the mumble of worried voices.
Cloud rubbed at his left ear, worried about his hearing. He gave a fake yawn, feeling his right eardrum pop. His left eardrum hurt though, and the sight of blood that he assumed came from the inside, was frightening. "Cloud?" Tifa calls for him. Tyler leaned heavily against her, making her flinch at his added weight. Cloud could tell she was trying to be strong, but he remembers the blood on her soles. She was wearing sandals now, but he knows she has to be uncomfortable. "Are you ok, Tifa?" Cloud asks, pointing at her feet. She gave a watery smile and shook her head. "It hurts real bad." Tyler rushes to take his weight off her. "Geez, Tifa! Say something will you?" Tyler says, quickly losing balance with his injured leg; he falls on his butt. He pats the space beside him. "Might as well have a seat. Sorry about that, Tif'." Tyler apologizes. She sits down and takes off her sandals; stretching her legs out in front of her.
Cloud starts walking, wondering if he should sneak past the mob and go home, or wait it out. The former seems better for Cloud, but he knows sooner or later he'd have to answer questions. "Where are you going, macho man?" Tyler asks. Cloud rolls his eyes. "Home," he replies, his throat still scratchy; he clears it in discomfort. Tyler shakes his head. "Nuh uh. You best just sit somewhere. You gotta protect us in case one of those things comes again," he says, nudging Tifa; waiting for her to agree. She chuckles instead. He continues, "Plus, you can't just go ape-shit and not say nothing to no one." He huffs.
Cloud crosses his arms. "I think I like you better when you're knocked unconscious," Cloud coughs, voice at its end. "Cloud!" Tifa says incredulously. Thankfully, he didn't have to listen to Tyler's response; Johnny came in the nick of time. He runs towards them. Cloud notices his bandaged arm. "Tifa! Tyler!" Johnny hollers. And soon a flock of people came; their lanterns quickly brightening up the alcove.
They gather around the two. Tifa's father carefully picks her up and hugs her tightly, talking in her ear. Tyler has someone looking at his leg, Cloud assumes it's his father. Emilio is in the crowd as well, talking with Tifa's father.
Cloud watched as an old man worked his way through the small group, black bag in hand. "Alright, let's take a look at you two," Cloud now recognized him as one of the town's healers, Dr. Luvette, he recalls.
Cloud shuffled from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. The group dispersed; a few surveying the area around them and making sure there were no more lingering beasts. Two other men went straight to the monster.
"Goodness, was this one mangled by another one?" One wonders, gloved hand lifting its head looking at the damages. The other took notes; scribbling quickly on his pad. He pauses. "Those look like puncture wounds," he observes, noting down his discovery. "The first three children didn't mention a second or even third creature. I suppose we'll have to wait and speak with the remaining two," the man with the gloves states as he grabs the severed leg. "I can't imagine what could cause such damage. Make note of the leg. I've never seen a cut so clean," the other continues to jot down notes. He continues, "not to mention the front. Look at it. Almost like it's been gnawed on. Do you think it's postmortem?" The man taking notes pauses, laughing at the absurd question. "What, Clyde, do you think the children grew hungry?" He laughs again, shaking his head, and continues to write. "That's not what I am saying, Johnston!" Clyde huffs, not liking being laughed at.
Johnston taps Clyde with his pen. "Clyde, can you lay the leg alongside the other? Let's see if we can figure out its species for our records." Johnston steps back, letting Clyde position the severed appendage and straighten out its body.
"Let's see. We'll start from the top; it has a horn and upon closer inspection it seems to be a weapon of some sort." Clyde starts. Johnston interjects, "sword?" Clyde shakes his head. "Spear." Johnston adds, "javelin?" Clyde groans. "We don't need the specific type!" Johnston holds up his hands, surrendering. "Nothing wrong with being accurate, boss."
"Put whatever!" Clyde says, exasperated. Johnston nods. "Whatever," he says as he writes the note. Clyde takes a deep breath. "Let's continue. The front is mush, but there is a large orifice just there," he points. "May I borrow your pen?" Clyde asks. Johnston hands it over without a thought. "Let's see what we have here," Clyde begins, using the pen to push open the flaps. "What the hell, Clyde!" Johnston exclaims.
"Oh, yes, there are its teeth. Sharp boogers, they are." Clyde observes. Johnston rolls his eyes and grabs another pen from his coat pocket. "Don't think we need to waste anymore time here. Javelin head, big mouth with sharp teeth, and two legs with knobby knees? Other than the lopped off leg; it doesn't seem to have any arms to make claim for." Johnston taps his chin in thought, "my bet's on the Bahba Velamyu." He writes it down and snaps the notebook closed. Clyde lets out a defeated sigh. "Fine, let's get Rotem to bag it and tag it." He says, waving a man over.
"Do you have things figured out here?" The muscular man asks. Clyde nods. "Yes. It's not like the others, though." Johnston adds, "It's not like the other attacks, Rotem, but it's certainly not a new species." Rotem groans. "Is that supposed to make me feel better? These monsters are getting braver by the day!" He rubs the back of his neck furiously, trying to cope with the stress of the recent and frequent attacks. "At least the thing is dead. How did that happen anyway?" Rotem asks, looking at the monster's mangled body. "To be honest," he turns and looks at Brian and Lars, both worrying over their children. He continues, "I was expecting a bloodbath. When my son, Lester, came busting through my office, I was finishing up another incident report. I didn't know what to expect."
"Well, that's what we're not sure of," Clyde states, answering his earlier question. Johnston continues, "its wounds are severe; that thing was hacked on." Rotem nods, looking around, taking in the purple, viscous liquid surrounding the area. "Is that its blood?" he asks. Both Clyde and Johnston nod in confirmation. "Which reminds me, I need to get a sample," Clyde says, reaching to Johnston. Johnston digs into his bag and pulls out a vial, handing it over. "Don't know what we'll find, but we'll compare it with the other samples we have."
Rotem nods, steps back, and lets them do their work. He continues to look around and takes notice of a young kid not too far from them. "You, boy, were you here when this happened?" He waves him over. The boy steps closer. The light reveals his features; blond hair and blue eyes. "You're Claudia's boy," the similarity uncanny. "Cloud, isn't it?" He asks. Cloud nods. "Does she know you're out here?" Cloud shakes his head, "no, sir." Rotem tsked. "Do you know the position you're putting us in? Imagine, if things went differently here, I'd have to deliver that news to her! Is that a pain you want her to go through?" He reprimands.
"Did you know your kid was here?" Cloud asks, already knowing the answer. Rotem blanches, "touché, kid." He shakes his head. He gets a closer look at Cloud; he looks like he's cleaned himself up, but he can still see streaks of the monster's blood on his arms and clothes. "You know what happened here," It should be a question, but Rotem has a feeling, "you did this, Cloud." He waits for confirmation; it doesn't take long. "Yes, sir." Rotem nods his head. "What'd you use, kid? That was some heavy damage." And gruesome, he wants to add.
Cloud reaches behind himself. He had secured the blade handle in his pants belt loop; the protective sheath having been lost. He offers it to Rotem; the blade caked in dry blood. He fastens his hand around the handle and inspects the blade; not only seeing the dried blood, but how badly damaged it is. "You're going to need to get this sharpened by the looks of it." He hands it back. "It was my father's." Cloud mentions. "My mother gave it to me." He says, in a matter-of-fact tone. Rotem chuckles, "I won't take it away from you, if that's what you're worried about. Although, we don't need children out here fighting vicious varmints." He gives Cloud a pointed look. "Yes, sir." Cloud says quietly, looking down. Rotem sighs, "it was brave nonetheless. I didn't fight my first beast until I was 15. Even then, I was scared out of my wits." He looks Cloud up and down, "you can't be more than 10."
Cloud grins, "I'm 8. Turning 9 in a few months." He corrects, looking proud of himself. Rotem rubs his neck, eyebrows raised in surprise, "is that a fact?" Cloud nods. "Well, in that case, really good job, kid!" He says, giving him a clap on his shoulder. Cloud stumbles a bit; the man momentarily forgetting his strength. "Oops! Sorry about that." He watches as Cloud continues to sway, "hey! You alright there?" Rotem asks, offering a steady hand. Cloud carefully shakes his head, "I think it's my ear." He says as he rubs the left side of his head, wincing at the pain.
Rotem lets out a curse. "Damn, kid, of course you're not okay; you just fought a monster!" He gently guides Cloud over to where the doctor is. "Hey, doc, look him over, will you? He's saying something about his ear."
"Of course, Dr. Luvette," Tyler's father says, offering a hand in gratitude. Dr. Luvette pats his hand, "Of course, Mr. Lars. Remember the instructions I've told you." Lars nods and waves in farewell.
Cloud notices Tifa and her father also left, as well as Johnny and Emilio. "Alright, young man, what's going on?" the doctor asks. Cloud proceeds to tell the doctor what transpired earlier in the night, "now my head aches if I move it too fast, not to mention the dizziness," Cloud explains. Dr. Luvette nods, bidding Cloud to continue. "My right ear; I can hear, it just pops. It's my left ear," Dr. Luvette interrupts, "the left ear is the one that had blood, correct?" Cloud nods, "yes, and everything sounds muffled; I can barely hear out of it."
"Dear boy, you've had a traumatic experience, your body is just responding to the event. From the sounds of it, your left eardrum most likely ruptured. The dizziness you're experiencing correlates with that. Any more, and the right probably would've been just the same," Dr. Luvette says, rubbing Cloud's shoulders in sympathy, noting the look of concern on Cloud's face. He continues, "not a worry, child. It'll heal in time, and your hearing will return. Although," he pauses, reaching into his black tote bag, "I will bandage it up, hopefully preventing any further complications, like an infection."
Cloud stays still, letting the doctor do his work. Cloud winces at the throbbing pain. The doctor sighs, "Sorry, young Cloud, I have nothing for the pain; I've given what I brought to the other two injured." Cloud offers a weak smile. "It's fine. I'm sure my mother has something." He shrugs, unsure.
"Have her come by the center, if not. We can get you something." Dr. Luvette offers, giving him a final pat. Cloud nods in appreciation.
They both turned and noticed Rotem and several others were clearing the area; the monster's body bagged, the bloodied and torn-up garments trashed. All that remained was the monster's purple blood, which a couple of men were cleaning up. "Mr. Rotem!" the doctor hollers. "Can you spare a person to escort myself and Cloud home?" Rotem signals to a couple of men. "Rayden! Alonso! Escort them home." They nod.
It wasn't too long before they got back, but to Cloud, it felt like an eternity. His body finally coming down from its adrenaline rush had him feeling like he'd been chewed up then spit out. It didn't help that he was getting dizzy spells. One of the gentlemen, named Rayden, finally suggested carrying him on his back. Cloud declined, feeling too proud to accept the offer. Cloud tripped one too many times until Rayden said, "That's it, kid. On my back. This is taking longer than it needs to be. Even the old man is way ahead of us." He stated, pointing to the doctor and his partner Alonso. His tone, leaving no room for argument, made Cloud nod; relenting.
He bends down and feels Cloud climb onto his back. "Atta-boy. Just take it easy," he says, securing Cloud.
Cloud wakes up to the sound of pounding. "Hm?" Cloud grunts. Rayden pats his leg, "This is your home, right? I kinda heard what you said, but you were half asleep." Before Cloud can confirm, the door opens; his mother's face full of confusion, then worry as she sees Cloud.
"Cloud!?" She reaches for him. Rayden kneels down, releasing Cloud into his mother's arms. She helps guide Cloud, pulling him into a hug. "What happened?" She asks, her voice on the edge of frantic. "I'm fine, mom," Cloud quietly says. She pulls him away from her, looking him up and down. "Fine!?" She says, "Look at yourself. You're covered in filth and your ear," she pulls his face to the side, inspecting the bandage.
Rayden lets out a cough, clearing his throat. "There was an incident, ma'am," he starts. She quickly asks, "Incident? What happened?" Rayden continues, "We're still working out the details, but there was a creature involved." Rayden cringes, thinking he said too much. Not having the complete information could cause a panic; if her face was anything to go by. She brings Cloud in for a hug again, thankful he is safe.
"Sorry, I don't have the full story. But I know the monster was slain and we're working on solving this problem." He says, wanting to be reassuring. She nods, a distant look on her face; her brain supplying all the different scenarios, and none of them were pleasant. "Thank you, for bringing him home. I don't know what I would've done," she says, her voice trembling.
He interrupts her, not wanting her to finish the thought. "It's not a problem, ma'am. Your child is safe, that is all that matters." He bids his farewell, and starts walking back to their station; wanting to have a head start on the report. Rayden takes one last look and sees her hugging him tightly, her mouth moving; saying words he couldn't hear, and tears flowing freely down her face.