Written in Blood

A Blessing or a Curse? part 2

*buuzzz*

An annoying, but common noise broke through the darkness of his consciousness. 'I'm not dead?' Ao Ruang thought as he could feel the aching pain all throughout his body. Opening his eyes the moon was high up in the skin and abnormally large. It was a full moon which meant that several days had passed since he was thrown in the river. Several days potentially of being swept down the river.

The fact that he had survived was a miracle as it was let alone the fact that he was conscious and not food for scavengers.

Ao Ruang tried to move, but his body was still depleted of vitality and wouldn't respond. 'How did I survive the injuries and the river? Were the heavens taking pity on me?'

Unable to move, Ao Ruang could only roll his head side to side and on one side was a river that flowed gently along and he was pushed up against the edge of a small outlet of the river near the cave that seemed to be carved into the cliff side.

"I survived...the heavens had to have taken pity on me." Ao Ruang certainly felt he was qualified for their pity. "Mother must think I am dead by now." a tear rolled down his bruised face.

Being swept down stream so long Ao Ruang felt he must be near the edge of the mountains of Mist. They were not a particularly large mountain rage, but they still spanned several nations on both sides. Realistically he likely would struggle greatly to find YinWu town again unless he could find the only kingdom that had a road that leads into the mountains, but he didn't even remember where along the mountain range the mountain range was located.

Ao Ruang could still feel the Yin river's ki penetrating the air around him he figured that somehow the Yin Ki had sustained his vitality despite being on the verge of death before. What that meant he didn't know, but he first had to rest until his energy was enough to move. Otherwise he would be vulnerable to all manner of creatures.

The moon had finally reached its peak and the moonlight reflected off the water giving the entire cave a cool glow. Despite his situation seeming better the river and energy from it was only slowing his loss of vitality. The quickly sapping strength he figured was due to some sort of internal injuries that were not healed and he likely was going to pass away despite surviving the fall and the river. The spark in his eyes were beginning to lose their light and his vitality was fading slowly. A tear rolled down his cheek as he thought of his mother who was probably mourning her son and the perpetrators pretended they were morning his passing.

Looking around Ao Ruang gave a bitter smile as he turned his head to look into the cave. A shiver ran down his body despite his fading life his heart began to beat rapidly. A pair of crimson orbs looked at him from the dark depths of the cave. The sound of something crawling across the floor as if nails were being dragged across rocks slowly moved closer to him. Ao Ruang was certain some sort of savage beast had come to claim his life and devour him for their evening meal. This was the end.

A half incense stick of time passed and the sounds had finally nearly made its way from the depths of the cave. "Finally." a ghoulish voice said it's voice sounded not entirely human "Someone compatible has arrived."

Ao Ruang was too weak to even respond or ask the voice for help. He could tell those unnatural crimson eyes were not human, at least not entirely human. Causing Ao Ruang's heart to begin to beat rapidly despite his weakening strength.

From the darkness a decrepit body emerged from a dark cavern like depression in the rocky shoreline into the cool light of the moon. It's face was gaunt as if they had lacked sufficient food for weeks. The hair was a faded black the bottom half of the body was mangled and broken and the bits that were left over had seemed to have begun to rot away.

Slowly the body came to him and used its arms to prop itself over Ao Ruang whose eyes were wide in shock and horror. "You will have to do. It is your fortune to meet me when I have no way of maintaining myself any longer. Today. I pass on the legacy of an entire people. Do not waste it." Having said that, the gaunt face gave a small smile flashing two fangs over Ao Ruang and quickly snapped his jaws around the nape of Ao Ruang's neck plunging the fangs deep into his body. Immediately he felt a searing pain start to radiate from the puncture wound around his entire body.

Ao Ruang immediately felt what blood he had left in his body start to boil and his vitality began to stir. The spark in his eyes immediately began to flicker with renewed energy. The doors of death were closing and Ao Ruang had a moment of joy surge through him. Whoever this was had restored a portion of his vitality.

As he began to rejoice a small cramp could be felt going down his legs then as fast as the cramp came all the muscles in his body began to contort as if they were  a wet rag being rung of water and ripped in half afterwards. His bones felt like they were splintering apart and regrowing over and over. Ao Ruang's muscles ripped and reattached his veins which felt like scalding hot water was being dripped into them. His eyes seemed to harden and crust over then peel away only for them to harden like dry dirt during a drought. The entire process lasted several minutes and with a wretched scream he could bear it no longer. His consciousness darkened as he passed out on the rocky shoreline of the Yin river.