Nauthiz - Chapter 6

His first instinct had always been about Hanna's safety. So when the red and white blur came out of nowhere at a speed his eyes could barely comprehend, the zombie was already moving. Hanna went tumbling down the hit in a mess of thrashing limbs and screeching while he went diving for the nearest available weapon-- which turned out to be an old, rusted bit of what had once probably been a small fence. He'd take it. With that in mind the zombie came rushing after Hanna and his apparent assailant, fully prepared to do whatever was necessary to get the redhead free.

"Conrad!"

The name stopped the undead man in his tracks, orange eyes widening as he finally caught a proper look at the thing pinning Hanna down. The twisted, skeletal twine of the creatures limbs, fangs bared, a tattered mess of something that may have been familiar clothes at one point. The eyes were nothing he remembered, glowing red and soulless.

But the glasses were a handhold, at least.

"Conrad?" The zombie repeated as he lowered his weapon slightly, not sure how to proceed. Sure, he'd sworn to protect Hanna, but this was Conrad… wasn't it?

"Conrad-hey, Connie, it's me! Hanna!"  Hanna tried to wave, but his hands were trapped.

The thing, Conrad apparently, was regarding Hanna warily. His fangs were bared, white needles feral and dripping with blood. It was as though it couldn't decide what to make of the meal that was talking back. The empty red orbs, though devoid of feeling, reflected instinctual apprehension to hurting the thing with the kind vocal tones, as though Conrad read the recognition in Hanna's voice. The claws closed closer around Hanna's arms in almost anxiousness, a defense against the strange circumstances, drawing more blood. Hanna could hear his arm, up by his ear, crack under the pressure.

The smell of blood dashed what little Hanna saw in his old friend's eyes, and Conrad went for the bite again, hand clamping down with an audible snap that forced a startled yelp of pain from the redhead.

Hanna's pained cry was all it took for the zombie to snap out of it. He rushed into action, pulling back his weapon and swinging for the creature. Sure, he didn't have the kind of strength a vampire had, but he figured most things did not particularly enjoy a metal rod connecting with their head.

Conrad launched himself backwards, leaping off Hanna and landing in a crouch a few feet away. Hanna scrambled to his feet, cradling his arm by his chest. He held out his other hand and put it on his zombie friend's arm, as though to stop him, because this was Conrad.

"Hey, Connie, hey, it's me, remember?" Hanna took a step forward. Conrad took a step back, baring his teeth like a angered dog.

At the snarl, the zombie moved between Hanna and Conrad, though he angled his weapon more defensively. Conrad or not, he wasn't letting a crazed vampire get anywhere near his partner. "Hanna, I don't know if he can understand you…" He muttered, glowing eyes narrowing.

"I think he can, 'cause it's Conrad and vampires don't just forget things, right?" Hanna stepped around his partner just enough to be visible. "C'mon, Connie, you gotta remember me."

The inhuman thing arched it's back and shook it's head, eyes cast at the ground and closed tight as though something were trying to take over it's mind. Hanna took another step forward, and the vampire shook his head more violently, clawed hands reaching up to clutch at bone. It was like there was a little Conrad in him shouting for help, because if Hanna wasn't dead then the world was alright and he didn't need to be doing this anymore.

Hanna's partner frowned as Hanna took a step closer. A part of him was screaming about what a horrible idea this was and could see nothing but Hanna being ripped to shreds, but then there was that something in the thing's eyes, something familiar.

And well, Hanna had always been the best at seeing the person in the monster.

"Be careful," he said, a fruitless gesture if ever there was one. But really, what else could he do?


Hanna took another step forward, reaching out to put a hand on Conrad's shoulder. The monster took a half step back, hands clutching at his glasses because no, Hanna was dead not alive not reaching out to him right now and he was a monster not this thing that Hanna had to be seeing but Conrad couldn't force the thoughts from his head.

The hand connected with cold white shoulder and for a moment, nothing happened. Nothing moved.

The sweeping arm caught Hanna in the stomach, tossing him aside in a less than malevolent act and more of a defensive shove.

"Hanna!" The zombie was between Conrad and his partner in an instant, still largely defensive. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the redhead even as he kept a wary eye on the vampire. After taking a moment to access that no, Hanna was not gravely injured, he looked back to his former friend. There was doubt this would work, but he had to try. "Conrad… I don't know if you can hear this, but it's me. Ghallahad? Do you remember me? Remember how Hanna used to count all of our smiles? Last I checked, I was winning…"

The fearful snarl slowly began to slip from the thing's face as it considered the words. Something lifelike flashed behind it's eyes, almost like a memory forming. It proceeded to lash out at the zombie with it's bloody claws as though it were trying to scatter a dream.

Hanna pushed himself up from the ground and ducked just under the zombie's arm. "You know, I think he might recognize us. He's just totally confused 'cause we're supposed to be dead and all."

His partner nodded as he rocked back on heels, still reeling a bit from avoiding another attack. That was all well and fine, but if they didn't do something they were going to be dead again. "How do we fix that?"

"I have nooo idea." Hanna grinned, watching the feral tint to Conrad's eyes flicker in and out. Conrad shifted back another step, shaking his head, the snarl coming again to his face.

"I know it's weird, Connie, but we're us, and alive. Er, well, you know." Hanna chuckled. Conrad made a sound something like a chuckle as well, before shaking his head again, more violently.

Hanna didn't see Conrad hit him, but they both went down hard, Conrad cradling Hanna's face almost delicately in his hands, though the sharp nails still drew blood.

"Woah, hey, Conrad, uh--" Hanna found it hard to get words out with a vampire's hand on his throat, choking away what it thought were lies and betrayal and just another way to haunt him. Hanna made a frantic hand motion for his friend, something that could be interpreted as "talk to him!"

This motion went against everything the zombie felt inclined to do. Hanna was in danger, Hanna was bleeding, Hanna was dying …but in the end, what else could he do but trust his friend?

Both of them.

"Conrad!" The zombie called out, trying to draw attention away from the redhead, trying to sound calm. The last thing he wanted to do was startle the vampire more. "Conrad, it's not a trick. We're both alive, and we can still change things. But you have to back off… you're killing Hanna again, Conrad. Do you really want him…" Here he had to pause, almost as if he were struggling with the idea himself. "Do you really want to see him gone again?"


Hanna sucked in a breath as the pressure let up on his throat. Conrad's hands lifted, his back arched and he snarled in a way that would have been disgust had he had the facial structure to do it.

"It's kinda a long story, Connie..." Hanna coughed once, grinning like an idiot. "But we're real. Promise."

There was a hiss and a fizzle as skin started boiling back across Conrad's forehead, the wrinkles beginning to show over his creased brow as he watched Hanna with what could only be Conrad's "how the fuck did you manage this THIS time, Hanna" face. The vampire backed off, letting Hanna sit up.

He let out a startled sound when Hanna threw his arms around him. "Oh man I knew that'd get you back Conrad oh man it's going to be so cool bringing you back Worth is going to flip out and we can totally explain everything that happened and you can help us figure out how to solve it!"

Conrad was in the process of deciding whether to hug Hanna back when something dark caught his eye. The fizzle stopped, momentarily, patches of pale skin stretched haphazardly over the white bone. There was a snarl from the trees, and in an instant Hanna was holding air and a red and black bat was zooming for the sky, leaving a distinct fizzle of melting skin in it's wake.

"Wait, Connie..." Hanna couldn't mask the disappointment in his voice, not noticing the shadow bounding across the tops of the headstones at them.

"Hanna!" Fortunately, the zombie did. He leaped forward and shoved the redhead to the ground, narrowly ducking below the black blur that sped over their heads.


"WOAH!" Hanna yelped, the black, dog like shape skidding to a halt feet away. "Dude, Richard, that was awesome."

The shape regarded them, an inhuman snarl rippling through the air. It seemed to be made of nothing more than shadows, paws larger than Hanna's head, a rolling expanse of sleek, slick black fur, and eyes full of hellfire and hate. Blood and saliva dripped from it's mouth, hissing as they touched grass, the teeth bared at them gleaming white. It snapped at them, arching it's back for a second jump.

Unfortunately, the zombie was more prepared this time. He got to his feet, weapon in hand, again putting himself between the redhead and the immediate threat. A gloved hand tightened around the piece of fence, the undead man's face betraying none of the concern weighing on his mind. "Do you think it's safe to assume this is our mysterious monster?" He asked without looking at Hanna.

"Oh yeah, totally is." Hanna peered around the taller zombie. "No wonder he killed me - he's a dog and since he's an animal he can't like me."

Hanna hadn't been watching, so when he glanced back, the Haunt was gone. He backed up from under the zombie's arm, looking for the disappearing animal, when something much like a train collided with him from behind, knocking him to his stomach, long claws leaving searing marks in Hanna's back. In an instant, however, the searing pain was rippling through the Haunt, as a rune Hanna had drawn on his hand collided with the shadowy leg. It bounded off for a moment, just long enough for Hanna to stand and begin a second string of runes, before turning on the zombie.

The zombie in question was already moving, glowing eyes narrowed in a way that almost mirrored the glittering red of the monster. But this monster was working for Hanna and he did not intend to lose the redhead again. He leaped at the Haunt and took a swing, hoping the beast was less shadow than it looked.

Luckily, there was something very solid about the Haunt, because the contact sent him sideways, rolling head over heals on the grass. This contact, however, simply made it mad, so when it attacked again, it had a better sense of timing, knocking into the zombie hard.

"Shakespeare!" Hanna sprinted over, throwing a ball of glowing white light at the Haunt, which seemed to string enough against it's black fur to force it's temporary retreat. However, this was a bad thing, because it was then Hanna realized they had no idea where it was.

His partner leaped back to his feet, rolling his injured shoulder as he glanced around. Of course, all the shadows pretty much looked the same, so it wasn't exactly doing him much good. "Can you make more of that light?" The zombie asked. "I don't think it--" He was cut off by a black shape tackling him, sending the two of them rolling to the ground in a mess of thrashing limbs. They finally came to a stop several yards away, the beast's snapping jaws held at bay only by the thin metal in the zombie's hands.

"Light!" The undead man grunted out as hot, stinking breath washed across his face. "We need light, Hanna!"

Hanna grinned, sleeves pulled up as he traced inky black runes down them. "One large ball of light, coming up!" He flicked his wrist and the runes began to glow a hot white, flooding the area around them with it as a ball formed between Hanna's arms. The Haunt snarled, curling back from it's attack like a burned dog. It suddenly found the ball of light, as large as a boulder, hurting towards it and it fled towards the shadows stretching behind the trees, the light on it's tail.

Hanna and the zombie were left in a darkness that seemed more complete than the night. Steam seemed to hiss from the runes on Hanna's arms, and his shoulders slumped from his own exhaustion.  

The zombie got to his feet, chest heaving with breath he didn't need. He made his way back to Hanna's side, glowing eyes trying desperately to pierce the darkness. Somehow, he doubted it could be that easy. "Maybe we should leave…" He muttered, grip tightening on his weapon again.

"Yeahhhh that's probably a good idea." Hanna nodded, head bobbing more than entirely necessary. "You go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."

At this point, his knees gave out and he fell to them, laughing at himself softly.

He received a sigh in response as the zombie knelt down to help him up. "Can you walk at all?" His friend asked patiently.

Neither of them seemed to notice the shadows coming to life yet again.

Hanna shook his head. "Don't think so. Haha, Worth is going to murder me for this." He grinned. "Which would be weird being already dead."

"It would seem few things can stave off the wrath of Worth," His partner agreed as he lifted Hanna up. It was kind of sad just how common of a practice this had become for him.

"He'd probably learn witchcraft to bring us back just to kill us if we..." Hanna paused for a moment. "When we die."

There was no time for the comment to really register because the Haunt decided to take the time to slam bodily into the zombie from behind, knocking them both over. It went for Hanna, and they scuffled for a while, knocking into graves stones as Hanna held on like a monkey on it's mother's belly in order not to have the sharp jaws get him. The Haunt eventually loosened the redhead enough to sink it's teeth into Hanna's shoulder, making the redhead let out a shout of sheer surprise and pain.

Orange eyes widened and in an instant the zombie was on the move, trying desperately to find an opening.  However, it seemed no matter where he looked, Hanna was entangled with the darkness, making an attack nigh impossible. It was Hanna's shout of pain that finally got him to simply take a swing. If he didn't move, Hanna was going to die again!

Fortunately, at that moment several bright, blinding spotlights suddenly illuminated the area. The Haunt let out a shriek as it suddenly froze, seeming to curl in on itself for a moment. Then with a snarl it rushed away, leaving a bleeding Hanna in its wake.

"Move, move, move!" A voice shouted. "Stay near the light!" There was a flurry of commotion as men rushed about, rushing around graves in the shadows. It was then that the owner of the voice turned to them.

"What part of stay in the city's limits is so hard to understand, y-- ….ain't you two the boss' guests?"

The zombie didn't respond, he was focused on Hanna. "Are you all right?" He asked as he knelt down to look at the redhead, concern on his features.

"Haha owww yeah I'm totally gonna be fine." Hanna grinned, but he didn't open his eyes, hand ghosting up to the gaping wound on his shoulder.

His friend shook his head as he moved to pick Hanna up again. "Yes, we're Miss Cruentus' guests. Can you escort us there? My friend needs to see her doctor," he said, looking to the men surrounding them.

The man who had been addressing them frowned in confusion. "Er… her doctor? You sure you don't want to go to a hospital? That man's sort of… er…"

"We're sure."

There was a beat of silence, then the man shrugged. "All right then, your choice. Let's get moving, I don't know about you but I don't want to be here when that thing gets back."

And so the group began the trek back to city, flinching at shadows and shining lights wherever they could. The guns and the official-sounding grunts of the soldiers seemed to put on an air of toughness, but there was such an obvious air of fear to the whole mess that there was no way to refer to it as anything but a retreat.

"Oh man, Odysseus, the entire city is pretty scared of that thing. No wonder we lost, if it's got the whole place skittish." Hanna commented, leaning his head against the zombie's chest as they walked. He couldn't hear a heartbeat - if he came back as a zombie like his friend, would he have a heartbeat? Would his chest sound as empty, or would he just feel empty, not being able to hear his own chest - but he could hear the footsteps echoing, and he pretended that was a heartbeat instead, a lulling, calming noise. "I mean, we totally kicked ass for having no idea but it's kinda funny to think about, anyhow. I mean this thing scares WORTH! We could've figured it was pretty badass, right?" He chuckled, feeling exhausted from the effort.

The zombie gave a nod as they walked, though his mind was elsewhere, focused on the scene they'd left behind. Certainly, they'd done well all things considered.. but all they'd really managed to do was temporarily scare the thing off. He could see why they'd lost before.

And he was starting to wonder if they would be able to find a way to change that.