Monochild

Instinct

“So let me get this straight... You stabbed it with its own weapon?” asked Vanchana in astonishment. The duo were hurriedly walking away from the previous place of disaster. Mono was evidently limping. A sort of throbbing pain was still felt in the side. Didn’t make a lot of sense considering Mono was an apparent shadow, but nothing really ever made sense up to now, did it?

“Okay. Wow. Never thought that was even possible. Okay. Look, I guess I gots some explaining to do,” commented Vanchana. “See that thing from before isn’t exactly a normal creature. It is kinda like us in composition. But, overall, it ain’t something suffering down here in the game of life. Now, what was the word for it... Oh yeah, an angel!”

Mono tilted its head. What even was an angel? Despite being magically born with the ability to simply understand what things are, the whole time Mono never actually knew what that physical object was. Mono knew the word bat, but never really figured out that bats were furry rodents with wings until one was actually encountered.

Seeing the confused look, Vanchana decided to elaborate. “Y’know... An angel. Spirits that protect and watch over the whole universe and protect everyone within it...”

In annoyance, Mono narrowed its eye. Very funny. Whatever that “angel” was, it definitely did not want the best for everyone.

“Okay yeesh, no need for that sour face! That angel is also for protecting people. But, more... violent ways? To put it in better terms, you are, for some apparent reason, a threat. That big scary boss angel punishes these threats very brutally. To top it all off, the spear they use is made of calamity darkness! Yes, I do mean the same darkness I taught you about.”

This was already a lot to take in for Mono. Fending off a powerful being was already something, but being a walking target was a whole other area. Seeing the discomfort, Vanchana tried to calm Mono down.

“Wait, there is actually a solution! Well, maybe two or three!”

Mono perked up to listen.

“See, I was also once hunted by that thing! All I did was just survive as long as possible. I waited it out, and eventually it gave up and decided that I was not a threat! So one, wait it out. Two, you kill it... which is impossible. Three, you find an artifact that can repel calamity. So those are our options,” explained Vanchana.

Obviously, none of this was comforting. But it seemed the best option here was to choose the third. Mono was definitely not wasting its life running from place to place, and would much rather find an artifact.

“Well, look, I know the third option sounds better, but believe me. I have looked my entire life. I don’t think it’s possible. I don’t know where you would find such a thing.”

Mono did not care. Finding this artifact was essential. Mono would not live out its sad life rotting away. Rotting away. No. Mono didn’t deserve to rot. Nothing was fair. Being just born almost a few hours ago... Mono didn’t deserve any of this!

A sort of anger built up inside of Mono. An anger that was unusual... but strangely welcome.

“Aw snap!” exclaimed Vanchana. “A dead end!”

There was indeed a dead end. A huge pile of boulders had blocked the way to the entrance of some cave.

“Welp, I guess we gotta walk around it... or move towards the darker part of this jungle...” suggested Vanchana.

Meanwhile, Mono was still furious. Its vision started to haze. Then, it became sort of purplish. It was hard to make out any shapes. One thing was clear. The huge pile of rocks now blocking Mono’s way. Again, another obstacle. Again another test. How many more tests had to be endured? How many times did Mono have to die, over and over and over!?

That last thought didn’t make much sense, but nonetheless fueled the burning purple fire that was now in Mono’s vision. Every angry thought kept making the fire bigger and brighter. So much so that Mono physically felt the heat.

“Hey, uh, you okay? You are literally convulsing right now,” asked Vanchana nervously.

But Vanchana’s voice was drowned out by the hot purple fire in Mono’s vision. All that anger face to face with one last physical barrier. The fire moved closer to Mono and heightened its embers, tall and taut. As if waiting for a command.

Mono focused intensely on the rock. And made the command.

The fire coiled up and spun itself into long fine black tendrils. With a loud cracking sound, the tendrils blasted themselves into the rock, knocking Mono back into the ground. All of Mono’s vision went completely black...

“HEY! BUDDY! GET UP!”

Mono jostled awake. Looking around. Its vision was still a bit hazy but slowly becoming clearer.

“Hey! You destroyed the boulders! Get up!” It was Vanchana’s voice.

Mono slowly lifted itself up, now looking at the pile of dust on the ground, covered in black writhing stains. A perfect hole was now miraculously carved into the entrance.

“Look, I don’t know what made that happen, but seriously, we didn’t need to go into the cave. Isn’t that less safe than just going around it?” asked Vanchana.

Mono just wearily waddled over to the cave entrance. A strange feeling of cold satisfaction washed over it. Mono was not weak and that was all the more better.

Ignoring Vanchana’s shouts and discouragement, Mono reflected on the words it heard before this all happened.

“Find the warrior. Find the guardian. Find the beast, and find the witch. With these four united, you shall ascend to the crown and become the true Mono-Child.”

Mono gave a long gaze through the cave, the words resonating within it. A guardian. If the strange words were true so far, then Khaza was the warrior. That meant the guardian was next, and where better to find a guardian than in a desolate cave?

So Mono eagerly descended into the depths of the dingy cavern. Vanchana hurriedly followed after.

“Hey! I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you can’t wander into wherever you want just because you have some new fancy tentacle blast!” exclaimed Vanchana angrily.

Mono kept walking instinctively. An eerie purple light was faintly visible deep within the cave, and it was calling Mono. Mono wanted it.

“STOP!” shouted Vanchana.

A barrier of thick tendrils erupted from the ground, blocking Mono and forcing it to actually turn around.

“Listen. It doesn’t matter what you think is best right now. I am here for your safety. Don’t you understand? I saved you the first time you woke up, because I too woke up in this world! And you... you just act like an ungrateful little blob, trying to push me away to follow what you want?”

There was a hint of sourness in Vanchana’s voice that physically made Mono recoil.

“You think you know better? Well guess what, little i***t? You don’t know a single thing! Just because you have some fancy blast doesn’t mean you are suddenly immortal. I am here to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes as I made! Got it!”

Mono sensed that same purple flame in Vanchana. That one, however, seemed much more controlled and precise. Control was key, and clearly Vanchana had it all here.

Mono finally yielded and stepped forward in slight anger.

“Good. Much better. Was that so hard?” said Vanchana.

The thick barrier of tendrils finally closed off.

Already Mono knew what to do. It conjured the purple flame again. This time it seemed faster and easier than before.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Before Vanchana could react, a blast of tendrils hit the rocky ceiling, creating a barrier of rocks separating Mono and Vanchana.

Mono ran and didn’t look back. Vanchana would definitely break through the rocks, but that was enough to buy Mono some precious time. It had to find that glowing light. It had to trust its instincts.

Mono ran closer and closer to the light until it was finally in full form. There, atop a pedestal, sat an ornate amulet with intricate designs. Something about the glow drew Mono closer.

Before it could be claimed, a huge screech echoed across the room. Mono finally noticed the amount of bloodstains and bones in this area of the cave.

Mono turned around face to face with a pale creature standing tall, its head facing directly at Mono.