Through Thick and Thin
“Leave me be.”
Ghūl must have said that a thousand times already, but it didn’t stop him from saying it now. Bassel hardly even responded anymore, to his frustration.
“We’re in a town, our cooperation is done, you can leave. I’m going to a bar, do not follow me.”
Bassel just chuckled. “I told you a thousand times, I’m not following you to cooperate, I’m sticking close since we’re friends! You’re not getting rid of me so easily!” The bulky viscet teased, playfully hitting his friends shoulder. Bassel was practically twice the size of Ghūl, who was starved and skinny, so this nearly knocked him over. He didn’t let it show though, instead just letting out a long, drawn out sigh. Not of annoyance, though it did sound that way, but of frustration. He didn’t truly mind Bassel’s precense, something Bassel long caught on to, but he did want him gone. It just wasn’t safe… ‘He doesn’t know yet’ Ghūl thought to himself, ‘but this can’t last…’ He thought it over again and again, remembering old memories, old trauma’s…
“Ghūl?” Bassel’s voice rang trough. He looked up surprised, only to be met with a look of concern from Bassel. How long had he spaced out? WHat did he miss? “Are you okay?” Bassel prompted gently. Ghūl’s surprise look faded to his usual passive expression, showing a lack of care. “No better no worse” the gruff soul responded. Bassel stared a moment longer before forcing a smile. “Alright then buddy.” He knew better, ofcourse. He knew his friend was not okay, he’s been out of it for a few days now… But prodding never worked, he only distanced himself when Bassel tried that, so he just let Ghūl mop a bit while keeping an eye out, hoping to be of comfort.
The bar wasn’t much of a success. Bassel enjoyed the food, but Ghūl got sick, barfed it all back up in the back. Drinks were cut short as they rented a room, each their own bed. Bassel couldn’t shake it out of his head… Something was wrong, he knew it. Ghūl looked so starved as of late, but he hardly ate… Was he sick? Should Bassel find a shaman? Could he even convince Ghūl of that? He always hated such folk, the shamans, witches and hags of the world. Seers especially, but those don’t heal anyway, so no reason. Maybe he could trick Ghūl by pretending to-
Movement, the creak of a bed. Ghūl was getting up. Since Bassel was facing the wall, he didn’t see it. He laid still pretending to be asleep, but listened closely. Ghūl’s paws fell heavy on the wooden door as he moved to the window. Any thoughts of fresh air faded as he heard him climb trough, then a soft thud as he landed outside, then silence. Slowly did Bassel look up, finding the room empty. Did he really just sneak out into the night…? If he needed time, sure, but Bassel was worried, so he decided to follow at a distance.
And so the two went, one far behind the other, Ghūl never even looking back to spot him. Bassel watched his state worsen. He grasped at his gut and wheezed, stumbling as he went. The worse it got, the more he seemed to turn on himself. Every breath sounded more crackly, more fiendish, as if posessed by an evil spirit… Which was closer to reality than expected, though it was more his own blood, his other half. A half Bassel was terrified to see for the first time as Ghūl dug his claws into his own stomach, slowly pulling back as he left nasty scratches. He was losing it. Bassel couldn’t take it anymore, quickening his pase, but Ghūl reach his destination before he could catch up. An old abandoned building? No, not just that… Bassel recognized the runed above the door. An old witch’s hut. But none seemed to be present, which became clear as day as Ghūl pushed the door open, finding only dust and sand inside. With a soft, defeated whimper, Ghūl just went inside, curling up to suffer without aid.
Bassel cursed to himself, cursed for not having helped sooner, as he broke into a sprint. One must fall far behind to shadow in the open desert, a gap he did not like to have made. He practically slammed the door open once he arrived at the hut, the full moon cascading the abandoned building from behind him. He called out in a paniced voice. “Ghūl! I’m here buddy!”
A small, curled up, pathetic frame laid in the corner of the room, grunting and wheezing. Bassel started to move closer, but halted in his tracks, his cursed tail swishing anxiously behind him. That figure, which had slowly looked up at him, was not Ghūl… No, he stared into pitch black eyes, an inklike substance dripping from them. And he grinned. Bassel had never seen Ghūl smile at all, let alone grin like this… Fangs exposed, maw licking, the figure slowly rose up.
“G-Ghūl..? Is that you buddy… It’s okay, it’s me, Bassel… You remember your buddy Bassel, right? Here, let me he-“ He had begun to move in closer, only for the beast that once was Ghūl to suddenly dash at him, moving much faster than he ever had before. He spoke in a demonic voice, as if two were speaking at once. “MEAT! FRESH MEAT!” He tackled Bassel to the ground, starting to try to pin him down. Bassel could only struggle, trying to get this fiend off of him. Sure, he was larger, stronger, but in this form, Ghūl overpowered him easily. And then… Crunch.
With an unsettling sound, the fiend had sunk it’s fangs deep into Bassel’s shoulder, biting trough as i fit was butter, trough the flesh and trough the bone. Blood spilled onto the sandy floor as Ghūl gleefully swallowed down the meaty chunk. And then another. And another. He began to feast. Bassel was frozen in shock and pain, laying still for solid seconds as this thing had began to eat him alive. Why would Ghūl… No. No, Ghūl would not do this. Ghūl isn’t doing this. Ghūl is somewhere in there, and if he dies now, then he will be left alone! He came to help, and he’s not backing down now!
With a newfound second wind, he kicked the distracted fiend off of him, his long and powerful legs easily launching the glutton. The fiend shrieked as it hit the wall. Slowly but Surely, Bassel looked down at his arm, finding it hanging on by tendons. He chuckled grimly. “Gods… I knew you had more in that scrawny butt of yours… “ He looked up at the creature that once was his friend, watching him hiss as he got back to his feet. He shook his head to clear it, then dashed in. An exchange of blows occured. Bassel was missing an arm, sure, but he was a grand martial artist, he could hold his own against whatever this was now that it was serious. Even as Ghūls claws reaked trough his body, he kept going. A block, a dodge, push back, hold your distance, and then… In the perfect opening, he dashed forward, headbutting his foe. The large rack on his head pierced Ghūl’s frail body, lifting it up before he shook him off, thrown into an old closet that shattered on impact. He panted, staring at the pile of broken wood. Seconds passed of complete silence… And then a shift. Bassel stiffened, bracing for another round, but thee yes that looked back were not the fiend he was fighting just now. These were the clear, firey eyes of Ghūl, looking at him in horror.
“P-please run…” He spoke with a broken voice, a voice hardly his own as he trembled where he sat. He gazed down at the ground, unable to look at his friend as he softly continued. “Please save yourself… Forget me, live… I don’t want to hurt you, I…” He fell quiet as two paws came in sight, stepping right in front of him. He looked up slowly to the large viscet as he knelt before him. Bassel just smilled. “I told you this already, didn’t I?” He reached out with his one good arm, pulling his friend into a hug. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily…” Feeling his friends warm embrace, Ghūl’s cold mask was nowhere to be found, breaking down into heavy tears as he hugged back. “I’ll hurt you… It’s not over…” “I know.”
The embrace lasted for seconds, but it felt like eons. Then, it passed. Ghūl lost it again, eyes turning black as he went in for his throat. Bassel sa wit coming though, his stinger was already hovering over his wheeping friend, ready to strike. As Ghūl’s fangs sunk into his neck, so did Bassel’s stinger sink into Ghūl’s spine, striking the other down. The last that Ghūl remembers is the taste of blood as it all faded to black.
Ghūl shot up with a yelp, waking up fresh from what seemed like a nightmare. Everything hurt as he felt the wounds, it was all too real, which meant…
“Goodmorning, sleepyhead~” A familiar voice chirped up.
He slowly looked over, finding his friend sat besides him. He needed to blink a few times against the sunlight, but there he was still, smiling brightly. “You should have told me, Ghūl. I would have fed you some bandit or what if I knew you needed viscet meet.” He didn’t even sound angry. Not saying a single word yet, Ghūl’s gaze wandered off. He knew this place, a witch’s cabin, one from several towns over. Bassel must have carried him for days, maybe weeks… But this witch was powerful, he knew that. Looking back to his friend, Bassel’s arm was scarred, but otherwise okay. Bassel still held the same, dumb smile. That himbo really stayed…?
His head drooped as he began to sob.
“Hey, hey, I’m not mad. A little confused but not mad. I’m not going anywhere, we’ll be friends through thick and thin!” Bassel assured right away with an optimistic voice, worried for his friends mental wellbeing. He put an arm around him, only to find Ghūl slowly looking up at him. Despite the heavy crocodile tears did he hold a smile, the first genuine smile. “You’re a fool.”