Author's Note: Happy birthday to our favorite angry minotaur, Heiwajima Shizuo! He was a bit hard to write with an animal brain. (He doesn't remember being human anymore.) I know I have done it before but it's still hard. Still, I managed to pull it off. I especially love the last two lines of the story. I will let you guess who is talking to Shizuo. The next birthday is Chikage. I already know what I plan to do then. For now, enjoy this new vision.
II: Bright Forest
Shizuo
Something doesn't smell right. I can smell blood… But I can smell something else. I don't know what it is. I must find it.
I hear birds singing. I looked up. Where did the trees come from? Wait a minute. Trees? I closed my eyes and took a sniff. That smells nice. I started walking forward.
But then I froze. Somebody else is here.
I turned around. There's nobody here. I sniffed the air. There's somebody else here. I stood still and listened. Footsteps were walking around among the trees. One… Two… No, one… I can't tell how many of them there are.
I froze when more footsteps came up behind me in the grass. I started to breathe heavily. I have to attack! I have to attack!
Someone grabbed me on the shoulder. Eww! What is that smell? I turned my head. My body tensed up as I saw those bright white teeth. She had teeth like that too.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Are you lost, little minotaur?"
I don't know whether to attack or run. That grip on my shoulder keeps getting tighter. I felt like I was going to choke.
"Can you see them? Can you feel them? Can you hear them?"
Both hands forced my head forward. All I could see were the trees. So much green was in front of me. There was a long path of green further down. Trees were lined up on either side of it.
Suddenly, soft screaming filled the air. I found myself unable to move. Cold shivers ran down my body. Those voices. They sounded like they were in pain. I winced as they started getting louder. What… What is this?
"Beautiful, isn't it? Mmm."
I don't know what he is talking about. He started breathing out heavily in my ear.
"Do you know what those screams are, my beastly friend? Take a listen. Go ahead, listen." His hands held me in place as I did as he said. The screams tore deep into me. Their pain was too for me. I tried to thrash around to get away. I don't want to be here anymore!
"Do you know what they are?"
I let out a low grunt as best as I could. His breathy laugh started to make me angry again. His hot breath touched my ear.
"Okay then, I'll tell you." He grabbed onto my body and pulled me closer to him.
"They are the cries of damned looking for redemption." I almost couldn't hear him over the wailing. Please let me go. I don't want to be here anymore. He laughed again before he released me.
"Sadly, it is never going to come. And do you know why?" He spun me around to face him. That grin of his made my heart thunder against my chest. I saw her in that smile. Please don't kill me.
"Your god has abandoned you!" He threw back his head and laughed.