by Harlon Banks
Being matched on a team with Melissa was probably the last thing Jonath wanted to hear now. Damn it all...
Amnesia of a Nightmare
The Challenger Chapter Fifty-Eight: Amnesia of a Nightmare
"Witch! She's a witch!" A voice screamed terrified out into a void of darkness. This cry of fear accompanied by a plethora of agreeing voices wrought with fear, anger and despair behind their words.
"Eyes of a monster I tell you! Get away from here! Leave!"
"The look of a demon I swear! GO AWAY BEFORE I KILL YOU CHILD!"
"MONSTER! DEMON! WITCH! HELLSPAWN!"
Beep! Beep! Beep! Click!
Left eye opened staring at the ceiling, a small exhale of calmness betraying the cold sweat that ran off her brow and the slight shiver of her body. Melissa staring at the ceiling in silence with a dead expression across her half hidden features. Her right eye remained tightly shut, despite bangs having gave way to show it to the world. A small, vertical scar running over her eyelid and the immediate area above and below it. The deafening silence of her room allowing her thoughts to run rampant, recalling those gruesome words and vile images that insisted on plaguing her memory.
Another nightmare, this makes almost ten years now... It was a different one each night. Amazing how she'd gotten to a point of numbness that she could even close her eyes more than a few minutes without fear waking her. Guess that was one treasure in the world she were grateful for having within her.
Exhaling quietly and raising upright in her bed, Melissa held a hand over her face. Fingers dabbing at her eyes after she closed them and just took a minute to gather her bearings. No matter when she tried to sleep, the nightmares kept coming. It had gotten to a point where she believed this eternal night was a part of her curse. Couldn't even remember the last time she had a truly wonderful, uninterrupted sleep. The simple longing for such a blessing made her feel blissful for a moment.
Woefully so...
New Message!
Melissa casted her gaze over to her phone on the nightstand while briefly glancing at the digital clock behind it. No surprise to see she didn't sleep as long as she wanted after returning to Blackwater. Reaching slender fingers out to grasp the smart phone and bring it closer, gaze honing in on the screen. A text message from Min? That was new. Taking the next few seconds to read over the contents her expression vaguely narrowed and then expanded into a look of quiet, casual disbelief. An exasperate chuckle leaving her throat, tiredly so as she put the phone down and removed the sheets revealing a simple black bra and underwear covering her body.
"Today's going to be interesting." She said dryly enthusiastic. Pulling herself out of bed and moving to her wardrobe to get dressed for what was to come. Halfway across the room she'd pause and hold her head in discomfort, another flashing memory she wished would go away racing through the back of her eyes to her annoyance. "They're getting worse and worse every day..." She mused in morbid laughter before continuing on her way to get dressed.
A few minutes later and Melissa stepped out of her room dressed and alert somewhat. Wearing a long-sleeved black sweater with a layered collar that could be brought up to cover her lower face like a mask if she wanted, slim fitting pants of the same color and knee-high terrain boots that were more flexible than they looked. This accompanied by fingerless gloves and a sheath for a karambit knife strapped to her left thigh and a holster for her smart phone at her rear. Walking with a confident yet laid back gait in her step as she fluffed her long, gleaming black hair to regain that layered, spiky appearance it usually held.
To say Melissa didn't pay any attention at all to the random Nightborn around her was an understatement. The only girls she even paid attention to ever since she'd gotten here were Orath and Kayda, mainly because they were all on the same bus upon arriving. Not even shooting a passing glance of acknowledgement at the couple of girls hanging in the hall that she passed when she continued towards the exit. No doubt she'd already been talked about in a negative standing anyway given her attitude. She'd already heard whispers about her fight with Wrain and on how being around her made people feel uncomfortable and on edge. Nothing she wasn't used to by now.
As she turned the corner to head towards the main door, Melissa would meet Orath on the other side; the two nearly bumping into each other but managing to stop before such an accident. The slightly shorter and more petite Orath dressed in a white shirt, black pants and matching shoes with black arm warmers on both arms. Fuchsia colored eyes gazing at the lone cerulean blue hue of Melissa'. A sort of standoff going on for a split second before Orath broke the silence.
"Hello Melissa, how are you?" She asked formal and polite. Melissa looking her up and down a moment with a dry stare before deciding to be nice. The white-haired woman didn't seem the type to fake a greeting.
"I'm tired as shit and about to go do a fun little evaluation test on top of that with pretty boy Jonath as my teammate. What about you?" Her words sounded sarcastic despite being truthful. Orath canting her head in brief thought and meeting gazes again.
"That would make sense, Min must want to make sure both you and Jonath are capable in the field of combat should it arise. Who are you sparring with if I may ask?"
"Kelgard and a new guy named Thrain or something. Never heard of him, was he at the first evaluation matches?" Melissa inquired which got a simple shake of the head from Orath. The serene looking woman having a rather unnaturally, inexpressive posture the entire conversation. Arms just hanging at her sides and facial expressions looking rather robotic and bland.
"I do not recall a Thrain at the evaluations. Paying attention to every Nightborn here would be a hassle." As Orath said this she finally raised her right hand to casually rest on her waist and glance off behind Melissa in idleness. The gesture alone warranted a bit of disbelief in Melissa gaze.
"Well, at least she's not a fucking robot... Was getting worried there a second." Melissa mentally remarked while her real words were completely different. "Tell me about it. You and Kayda are the only other girls I know here on a first name basis aside from Min. I don't even care to know beyond that either in all honesty. Regardless though I have to go and get this over. I'll see you later."
With that said Melissa gave a half-assed wave and had already started walking past Orath before the woman could respond. Orath instead merely stepping aside to watch Melissa leave in silence, eyes narrowing softly in subtle thought over the woman.
"Good luck, Melissa." Orath called out to the woman. Melissa stopping dead in her tracks and looking over her shoulder with clearly narrowed confusion. This was only brief however as she quickly snorted and turned to walk away again. Hand halfway thrown up over her head in a thumbs up gesture as she exited with back turned to Orath. The white-haired Nightborn watching her go through the doors with a quizzical blink and then quietly continuing on her way. It was about time she started getting to work on some assignments herself.
Sometime later... Outside Blackwater Facility in the Luminous Forest...
Jonath moved through dense brush and thicket, grunting and wincing as branches and thorns scratched at his pale skin and black attire. Clumps of debris constantly getting pulled from his silver hair as pale eyes strained to map out a path through the dense brush ahead of him. He'd clearly gone off the natural dirt pathway he'd been following trying to get to the zone he was told about. Going back to grab his jacket over following Min initially was a mistake. Oh well...
Stumbling through the forest struggling to stay on track with the directions Min had not only told him twice over, but also texted to his phone, Jonath couldn't help but hate himself a bit. He was supposed to have arrived to a certain spot east of the massive clearing where Blackwater was near a small stream and a much smaller natural glade. This glade surrounded mainly by trees that had blue crystals sticking out of their trunks and trampled soil and grass from herding animals. He could have sworn he went in the right direction; these damned woods looked the same. Halfway tem
pted to see if he could use the supernatural physical abilities he'd shown many times over to just move through the canopy at a faster pace.
An image of him missing a step mid movement and falling many feet down onto the hard ground flashed across his mind, killing any hope of him going through with that idea. He didn't want to get too far too fast with his scoping out his own capabilities. Besides, he probably should save all his stamina for what was to come. Facing off against Kelgard and Thrain with Melissa as his teammate was quite the... thing to look forward to. Melissa clearly wasn't the type he thought he'd be able to work with effectively especially given their past interactions.
Liariana flashed across his mind again, Jonath stopping cold. Eyes staring off into space a moment as he drifted in thought only to quickly shake himself back into reality. Wait, was he really only spacing out for just a moment? This part of the forest looked a bit different from how it was a while ago... Grunting again as he muscled through a thick intertwining of roots he'd encountered from multiple large trees that had become tangled together both under and above ground. The plants fighting so hard for space they'd ripped their massive roots upwards from the dirt and created a maze of it on the surface. A maze of which Jonath were now twisting and contorting his body to get through. Was he even going the right way anymore!? His daydreaming was really starting to become a problem.
"Ow! Fuck!" The amnesic cursed when he felt his left leg sink into a softened part of upturned soil and mud, his black combat boot squelching when he strained to pull it free. It felt like tar to an extent, how annoying. Didn't help that his foot getting stuck caused him to stumble forward and find his head and neck jammed under a large root that had climbed up high enough to be almost as tall as he were if he stood erect. This root tangled with another forming an arch of sorts while many smaller ones twisted tightly underneath. Jonath kind of wondered why the hell he decided to try to move through this section of the forest over around it, honestly. It was like these plants actually moved around when nobody was looking with how high these roots came up off the ground.
"I swear to hell I don't have time for this shit!" His words grew more labored and strained near the end of his sentence as he exerted his strength trying to pull his leg free of the mud. Hands raising up to push against the root pinning his head in a downwards position, the roots at his waist keeping him from wiggling much while stuck like this, Jonath growled. No way in hell was he about to let himself be embarrassed so badly that he'd need to be rescued from a mass of roots born of fucking trees fighting for dominance. Pouring in more and more of his strength with bad leverage to try to free himself.
"Goddammit let me go!" He barked when suddenly his foot pulled free of the mud while simultaneously his arms snapped the obstacle pinning him above like a toothpick. Fingers digging into it, a loud splintering sound followed by shards of the growths flying everywhere. Jonath stumbling forward almost falling until he used said momentum to vault himself free. Hands grabbing the larger, sturdier tubers below and launching himself airborne with an agile leap high over the small thicket, almost up into the canopy. A bit surprised by how natural his agility was again while he landed in a smooth crouch beyond the maze of rootstock. Pulling himself to his feet and looking over his shoulder at the very same spot he'd just been stuck.
A spot that was several meters away...
"Whoa..." He thought to himself, looking down at his legs with subtly impressed eyes. "Have to remember how that feels so I can do that again." He whistled nonchalant. Normally when he tried to jump high like that or run fast or do anything beyond basic capabilities, nothing happened. It felt like he were unconsciously restraining himself outside of immediately stressful situations, which kind of annoyed him.
While he were now trying to gather up all he knew about his possible psychological restraints, the sound of running water met his ears. Eyes narrowing a bit in thought as patches of moonlight that broke through the canopy shifted with the wind blowing around. The wind having blown the smell of that water towards him... It smelled faint, like he were way farther away from it than he should have been. Sucking his teeth as he suddenly took off towards it. A hunch telling him that was the stream he was supposed to come to.
"No idea how the hell I got so off track from that but whatever..." He muttered annoyed looking upwards towards the treetops. Some of the taller trees having branches and footholds running all the way up them to the tops. If he could scale one he could get a better view and easily find that clearing Min told him about. The earlier image of him falling from height and harming himself causing him to sweat a bit in doubt. The fact he couldn't consistently achieve feats like that supernatural jump he pulled off a minute ago increasing that doubt.
Reaching into his back pocket and glancing at the time on his phone, Jonath scoffed when he saw the time. He was about to be late to the exam... Already starting off with a bad impression at this rate. Looking up one last time at the canopy, Jonath took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Fuck it..."
A while later...
Melissa and Min casually idled about the small clearing by the running stream in silence. The Ylrah glancing down at her reflection over the crystal clear waters occasionally that washed over sediment and grey colored pebbles. Having been leaning against a large boulder on the shore of said stream with crossed arms and casual indifference. The moonlight above gleaming over the water and trampled grass as glowing crystals bathed the forest floor in many colorful shades in every direction. Min pacing back and forth, occasionally checking her wrist watch in annoyance. Jonath was two minutes late already, not a good first impression.
Just as she were about to say something, she noticed Melissa suddenly perk up and veer her half-hidden gaze over across the glade to see Jonath emerging from the brush a bit roughed up. The young woman sneering a bit at the scratches across his clothes and face. Jonath taking a breath of relief, finally having found the spot. Min however, merely looked at him as if she wanted to ask how'd he even manage to look like he'd fought a bush before they even began the assignment? She decided to not even bother though, they were already on a tight schedule.
"Now that you both are here, we can get started with the rules of engagement and the goals." The military woman began speaking as Melissa and Jonath moved to stand beside each other a few feet apart and face Min. Jonath dusting off his sleeveless jacket he'd thrown on after he and Thrain left that tent in silence. A bit grateful he wore those fingerless gloves to protect his palms, splintered roots sounded more than a pain to deal with across his hands.
"The rules are simple and mimic what you'll likely be facing in the ruins. You two have to simply get to the marker I'm going to place on your phone's mapping system once I say begin, retrieve the artifact and get back to the facility in one piece. Simple enough right?" She asked rhetorically. Jonath suddenly looking up and glancing around a moment in confusion. They were missing two people...
"Where's Kelgard and Thrain?" He asked with narrowed eyes at Min. Melissa sighing a bit in reaction, hand resting on her hip as she closed her eyes and shook her head slightly.
"They're obviously somewhere along the way towards the artifact we're supposed to get. They're here to attack and stop us you dummy." She glanced his way with a dry look. Jonath now visibly put off by her words. Of course those two were doing that, it was dumb of him to even ask.
"Melissa is correct, Kelgard and Thrain have been given permission to take the both of you down by force. You two are also free to try to take them down as well but your goal is to get the artifact. It'd be smart to focus on that more so than getting into a grudge match with either one, or both at the same time." Min explained with calm, formal voice. As she did this Jonath fell silent again, recalling his battle with Kelgard and how he basically got one shot when that guy got serious. Now they were likely going to fight each other again in this test, Jonath wondering if he should try to avoid Kelgard entirely.
"If you two can pass this exam or at th
e very least get the recommendation of both Kelgard and Thrain on your side, you'll be allowed to get in on the expedition. If you fail however your label will be revoked and you'll be in the same boat as your peers. Getting rendered unconscious, captured or taking too long to retrieve the artifact is considered an automatic fail."
"What if I take down both Kelgard and Thrain before we get the artifact? Since there's no threats left at that point and we could get the artifact at any time is that considered an automatic pass?" Melissa inquired with apathetic confidence in her question. Jonath blinking and looking over at her a bit taken aback while Min couldn't help but chuckle. Not out of disbelief but simply out of being impressed by such bold words. Melissa looking dead serious with her inquiry, arms now crossed over her chest as she awaited an answer.
"I suppose if you are capable of taking them both out this exam isn't even needed, yes. However I won't know that until you do so, so by all means if you think you can go for it." She raised her arms in a shrug. "As long as one of you gets the artifact and reach the facility or get recommendation from both you pass. Do whatever you want aside from killing. Killing isn't allowed, Melissa." Min suddenly narrowed her eyes at the woman, Jonath feeling the more serious pressure of the words immediately. At this point it wasn't much of a wild assumption to guess Melissa had no qualms with killing in a fight. From her trying to sever Wrain's spinal column in to her fight to trying to kill Jonath (even though Min didn't know about the latter). The girl needed to know she were being watched closely.