Chapter 400 The Stain Of Red

Gorrum followed the Silver energy trail for quite awhile until he saw it. Silver and red. He could see the silver energy cascading upwards into the night sky. The silver energy was red. Gorrum bit his lip as he came closer.

'Feral Madness.' Gorrum sighed. 'This place is traced with Keng's energy, still. Feral Madness is seeped into his energy, too…' Gorrum knelt down at, what he assumed to be, the entrance and closed his eyes. The rocks began to shake and the earth began to shift. 'Reveal to me, Lady of Earth, what has transpired here.' Gorrum opened his eyes and watched the earth shift in front of him. Dust, rocks and dirt swirled together, blowing past Gorrum.

The next thing Gorrum knew, he was standing in the cave. He rose to his feet, eyes scanning the scene. He watched the hobgoblins drag Keng in.

"What should we do with him? Torture him?" A hobgoblin asked in goblin tongue. The black Shadow hobgoblin stood taller than the rest. The energy around him was different than the others. They all seemed to look to him like he was their leader.

"Put him against the wall. I'll do the rest." Shadow ordered. Gorrum moved around the scene. The scene played out and Gorrum watched the moment Keng had suddenly fallen quiet.

"Stop." Gorrum moved his finger to his lips, shushing the scene. The scene paused, pulling the hobgoblins out of the scene. The torn and naked Keng binded in front of him as he studied the energy. "In that one moment, his emotions surged. He shutdown temporarily to make it look like he was too stressed from what was happening and immediately took advantage of it."

The scene continued playing around him. The dust pulling in back the hobgoblins. Gorrum watched Keng slaughter the hobgoblins. It wasn't until the near end that Keng's emotions led him to feast. Gorrum sighed and turned away. The earth and dust pulling away as he opened his eyes. He was knelt down in front of the calming collapse of earth in front of him.

"He willingly gave into the Feral Madness and became obsessed with feasting." Gorrum concluded. He stood up and turned. "I wonder what Elder Jyu'so will find in his head… Keng's definitely not like the rest of the Foxes with Feral Madness. It wasn't activated because of the environment and situation… It was activated willingly."

—

Jyu'so opened a door and noticed he was in an oasis. It was colorful and the cool breeze of the oasis greeted him as the door shut. Jyu'so looked around taking in the palm trees, sand, rocks and glowing water in front of him.

'I see.' Jyu'so nodded. He stepped closer to the water. 'This place has too many remnants of the Golden one. Keng definitely created his personality and looks based on Lee Seng. I wonder what memories you hold…' Jyu'so glanced at the water and watched a random memory play. It was the first time Keng met Lee Seng.

"Young one, you must adore your Vessel very much. You play memories of him even unconscious. Is he really the solace you're looking for?" Jyu'so whispered. The palm trees rustled as sand floated past him. Jyu'so looked over to his right and noticed it. A black crack in the oasis. The crack was barely visible. He turned to face the crack and tilted his head.

'A crack. Why does this exist?' Jyu'so moved closer to it. The crack began to shatter like glass. It rippled and revealed another room. 'This energy doesn't feel like his. It feels different…. Is someone watching him?' Jyu'so peered into it, trying to gather information on what he was looking at.

The shattered space began to reveal something to Jyu'so. He watched, attentive, as a face appeared.

"Are you sure you've done it correctly?" The Creator's voice asked. The Creator stepped backwards as the quiet whimpers of Keng were heard.

"Yes, sir. I did everything you asked. This is what we managed to find within Eleven." A female voice answered. The Creator looked into the crack like he was observing someone.

'This one. What's the meaning of this?' Jyu'so wondered.

"Give me the injection. We'll give it to him and see what happens." The Creator ordered. The woman stepped into view, handing him a syringe filled with yellow liquid. Jyu'so narrowed his eyes as he watched the Creator's arm move out of frame and inject something into Keng. The whimpers and groans of Keng grew louder as the Creator and woman ignored him.

"There. It's done. How long do you think it'll last?" The Creator asked, setting the syringe to the side. The woman studied Keng. She had two matching marks that started above her eyebrows and went down to her cheeks.

"If all goes well, this one should succumb to slumber for months. We won't have it fighting the serum within Eleven, sir." The woman answered.

"Good, good." The Creator nodded. Sounds of crashing were heard, followed by swearing. "Secure him!" The woman shimmered for a moment and split into two. Two little girls ran over as metal began to swirl around them. The memory faded and the crack closed in on itself.

'Hmm, it seems that man has done something to Keng. I wonder why it was shown to me?' Jyu'so turned and moved back to the oasis. The memories in the oasis continued playing. Jyu'so watched for awhile, mind elsewhere. 'What should I do then? Something happened to the Foxling… Gorrum should be back soon, I should return to the material realm.

Jyu'so turned to leave through the door he came from. He grabbed the door and started to turn it when he released it and turned. A black wisp of energy flew at him as he deflected it with ease.

"You finally show yourself." Jyu'so spoke. He lowered his arm to his side and looked at the monster. It's form was humanoid but it moved like… Shadows and smoke. "What have you done to this one? Are you the cause to his Feral Madness?" The wispy shadow creature chuckled.

"Am I the reason?" The shadow wisp laughed. "He does whatever he wants willingly."

"And why are you here?"

"Why am I here? Why are you here? I didn't think anyone would—"

Jyu'so swung his hand in the air and watched as shadows barraged the shadowy wisp in an instant. The shadowy wisps sinister smile turned into an angry frown.

"Mister you really can't do that to me." The shadowy wisp pulled himself out of the thorns of shadows. "I cannot be destroyed. I only exist."

"What's your purpose? Do you work for that man?" Jyu'so asked.

"That man?" The shadowy wisp asked confused. "Oh, him!" He began to erupt in chuckles. "Yes, yes. I am of him, but I only watch. I don't interfere. None of what he does is my doing. It's his."

'His? Then what's your purpose…?' Jyu'so wondered.

'Elder, I've returned. Are you still inside?' Gorrum's voice called out. Jyu'so looked away from the shadowy wisp for a moment, listening to Gorrum as he telepathically reached out to him.

"What's your purpose, ghost? To watch and observe?" Jyu'so asked looking back at the shadowy wisp. It appeared in front of him with a sinister grin. Its red eyes stared at him like it wanted a piece of Jyu'so, but Jyu'so simply gave an unamused look.

"My purpose?" The shadowy wisp brushed its chin. "What is my purpose? I'm not sure~" Jyu'so reached out to it and grabbed it. The wisp's face grew in shock as Jyu'so tightened his grip.

"Are you shocked I can grab you? You thought 'his moves can't hurt me, so I can taunt him by coming close. He can't hurt me,' right?" Jyu'so asked. The small Fox Spirit pulled the wisp onto its knees and Jyu'so gave the wisp a wicked smile. "I've dealt with your kind many times, ghost. Do not brush me off simply because of my size. I'm more dangerous than you think I am."

The shadowy wisp billowed and Jyu'so's grip snatched into a fist. The shadowy wisp pulled backwards, coughing as it reformed. It clutched its throat as its red beady eyes looked at Jyu'so.

"You do not fight humans or monsters, ghost. You fight a Fox Spirit. One that plays with Death, itself. Do not test me. Answer or the next time I get my hands on you, you'll die." Jyu'so threatened. The wisp raised itself back up and let out its final cough.

"Fox Spirit? That's what he is. Thanks for the information, Death dancer." The shadowy wisp smiled. "I would love to have you choke me out, again, but I must do my job. It's not like you can truly remove me anyways." Jyu'so ran at the ghost. It fizzled as Jyu'so snatched air.

"Dammit it all." Jyu'so growled. He straightened himself out and peered into the oasis one last time. "In the name of the gods, what is happening to you?"