Page 4 of Light Leech

An eldrich roar pulled our attention back to the abomination. The human shell was loosely bound together with chunks of gore floating in the black cloud of light that held the body up.

I vomited, seeing the image of Syla’s corpse as a cognitive reflection of the being that lurched towards us. Blood continued to pour from the tears in his body with black seams of light keeping each appendage loosely in place. Black wings of light extended from his back. He flew at us, bloody arms outstretched and tentacles extending.

I could not fail. I had once, for Syla. Now was my chance at redemption.

I jumped to meet it in the air, latching onto it with black light claws that burrowed into its flesh. The tentacles wrapped my head and pressed me against its body, constricting their grip.

Naoma’s serpent bit the tentacles and freed me from its vice. I held onto its body with one claw, using the other to shred the light that bound its wounds. Black light burst with the blood from his lacerations. The serpent worked its way into the open cut and exited the other, shredding light with sparks of violet light. She screamed again, causing her serpent to glow with blinding white. I burned my energy and saw the black light of my claws act as hers.

The abomination screamed and expelled my body from it with a flash of black light.

I hit the wall, looking up in time to see Naoma’s unrelenting serpent devour the abomination’s head.

The light dispelled and the abomination became nothing more than a grizzly husk.

Naoma breathed out, first exhausted, then relieved, then she laughed.

She put her hands on her head, not caring about the splattered gore as she turned to face me. “I–we zegging did it.”

I clenched my eyes shut, taking a moment to still myself before passing out.

I heard her run to me then felt her hands on my arms. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I just need a second.” I shrugged her arms off, my need to feed stronger than my desire to savor her comfort.

I opened my eyes and approached the corpse of the abomination. I peeled back his flayed gums and found a few teeth remaining. His gums had morphed around the tentacles, leaving the teeth above some tentacles and below others.

The conscience that held back my hunger told me to look back and make sure Naoma was fine or at least make sure she wouldn’t watch me feed.

Hunger was a mightier demon.

I reached for the teeth, burned my energy—no, my reserve. I had a Bite reserve. The hunger made sense.

I pulled the teeth and chewed as my memories reoriented themselves. My Bite. Deleon was dead. Cut was dead.

Gong still lived.

Syla. Was she–my thoughts cut off with memories of the last time I feasted.

Over Syla’s remains.

I vomited.

Weeping, hating myself more, I reached for the vomited remains and forced myself to swallow.

I continued to cry, choking down the bittersweet meal.

Zeg. All light above, forgive my existence.

Naoma did not speak. Her soft touch on my shoulders was just what I needed. Time to collect myself and reorient with reality.

I picked through the remaining mouth flesh and found nothing else to eat. Rather than turn and face her, I sat there, hands limp and hunched over like an ape. I was an animal, why not act like one?

Naoma tried to push the corpse away with her foot, but it wouldn’t budge more than a few inches.

She sat by my side and did not speak.

I turned to her, relieved that she wasn’t staring at me, despite my desire for an embrace. Just like my child, I wanted everything to be alright.