The Lord of Rot

Of course there was nothing logical about a city being there. If one had listened to the Doctrine they would have known that "cities" were a thing of the past. Disestablished and ruined. Taken apart for scraps to build copious amounts of facilities. All in purpose of saving humanity. If one didn't listen to the Doctrine, you were a blaspheming mad man, not to mention dead! So how come there was a city? 

To Konrad it looked like nothing more than several facilities next to each other, all surrounded by a big wall. This could have just been a large facility, except facilities always had one thing in common. Not only would they be alone, as one facility could house thousands of prospects. But also, their color was distinct. Almost persuasive in its nuance. This city was grey, it was brown, it was black. It wasn't color coded, it was naturally ugly. 

The facilities were far different - so these buildings could not have been facilities. Konrad had a curiosity about it. He felt like answer could be there, a clearer direction different from the wasteland, different from the Contract. It was a natural and human desire - perhaps to connect to someone else. 

Konrad had repressed it by now, but during his time in the housings, he would not speak to others. Who knew not talking to others would become a habit? Slowly, he would lose the ability to speak to another person. To his dismay, the facilities encouraged solitude. "Focus on the Doctrine!", the Church Lords would say. 

Seeing a city didn't mean anything. But if there could be anyone there who wasn't a part of the facility? It would be a dream come true for Konrad. 

Konrad didn't even look at the city for long - he surveyed it, made sure it was a city, and then instantly began running down the mountain. It was less steep than the other side, but far far longer to get down. The city was probably twice the distance away than the mountain was to him in the first place. Still he readied himself for a journey. He would get to that city. No matter what. 

Running down he would use a bit of his strength to jump between the solid ground, avoiding the sandier more slippery places. In this effective way he could run down the mountain faster. The air would run against his face, and he would feel incredibly alive. 

By midday he had reached ground level. His mind and lungs were exhausted, but his muscles seemed no more sore than they were this morning. 'When did I last sleep?' Konrad was not exhausted, nor had he felt the need to sleep... 

Rather, he felt full of energy...

The ground soon became foggy... Not too different from the fog from the first day in the wastelands. It was the same color, but he could breathe just fine. Breathing was one thing, but he could no longer see in the distance...

And there, just before him... beasts... that was the only word to describe these things. 

***

[ You have cleansed a rotting soul... ] 

Konrad was breathing rapidly, he had taken his hand and sliced through the beasts. Some of the smaller ones he could slice apart. Others he would kick with his hardened leg. This would make the battle far easier than before.

But just because it had become easier didn't mean it was easier to do! Well, that is exactly what it means... But Konrad could not fathom the amount of beasts he saw before him. Kicking one and launching it to the side, the unfathomable noise of a Rotting Creature being torn apart by mere force. Then another one, a smaller one launching at him from another side. 

In a quick, twisting reaction he would instinctively hit one of the creature, then slicing it apart. A part of the living flesh under his skin would now be a part of his subconscious, for as soon as he reacted he would turn his skin inside out. It was the most horrible look for him - he was becoming more accustomed to fighting, but he continued to look like a rotting piece of flesh because of it. Luckily, he was alone. 

[ You have cleansed a rotting soul... ] 

[ You have cleansed a rotting soul... ]

"Damn it! Won't it end soon?" 

There came another one, and another one. He would slice it apart with his hand - this although more difficult than just focusing on his hand, would allow for a quicker death for the creature without disturbing the flow. And, hearing the slicing of the flesh was far less disturbing than the splash of living rotting flesh. 

These were called beasts due to their appearance - monstrous and large, their bodies looked only like contorted versions of humanoid characters, half human and half animal. Half alive and half dead. They were rotting like the rest of the earth. But these were beasts, they would yell in a harrowing shriek. They would be different from the anomaly, for these things seemed to have the traits of other things grafted upon it. An arm would stick out from one surface. A leg from one surface. Like humanoid tumours they would fight against him with rage. Where the rage came from? No one knew. 

Then before he had enough of it, he saw the last one. Without letting it have a break - get a breath and come back stronger, Konrad would leap at it, attempting something he had not for a long time. He charged his hand with all his strength, then just before he hit, he would snap with vehemence towards the creature. The hand would break apart at impact, instantly regenerate and enter into the body of the large creature. 

Then after a few moments, the creature would begin moving from the inside out. He readied himself for the impact. And to his luck, he got what he was expecting. 

"Boom!" A large bang was heard, and the insides of the monstrosity covered all of the ground, and all of his body. Now, slowly the pieces of the creatures would crawl towards him. "Have I really gotten this good?" Konrad was proud of himself - he could not feel pride in the same way many others do - many emotions and morals were learned, not birthed. Because of that, when he started to accomplish things he felt he himself had done. He was overcome with happiness. 

He could even bear with the living flesh crawling towards him now... 

*** 

With a smile on his face, Konrad would continue walking in the general direction of the city he saw earlier. The fog began to clear, and nothing would stop him now. 

But there, not too far away, but still out of reach. He saw something out of the ordinary. Something... something was walking. 

It looked like a city, it also looked like a monster. A behemoth was walking through the lands... 

And the city he was running towards? It was nowhere to be seen...