"ARRGH... bud... kill me... please."
The beast's bite weakened, and in a momentary flicker of clarity, Ari looked at his friend with wet eyes.
Zaire's body gave out hearing the feeble pleading of his brother.
Ari, lovingly, caressed the head of his friend and cupped his face.
Zaire's incessant tears dripped down onto Ari's.
Ari simply smiled.
"You're nasty and gay, Zaire."
"Oh, fuck you!"
Zaire chuckled, exasperated.
"Feeling fine?"
Ari gave his friend a really, dude? look.
Zaire chuckled lightly and rose from his mount position. Without wasting a second, he began scanning the ground.
Ari watched his friend search for something and asked, curiously,
"Wassup?"
"Nothing. Just looking for something. A rope, or something."
"Why?"
"To tie you behind me. Get you up, and we're set."
Ari beamed.
Though his mangled face barely moved, Zaire saw.
"Zaire. Kill me."
"Nope. No chance."
"I'll die anyway."
"That's for later me to deal with. I can save you now, and I will."
"Dude, everything in my body is shattered. I don't even feel pain anymore. Just... numbness. And I know I'm about to die."
"..."
"Really, dude? Right now?"
"..."
"Oh, fuck you!"
Finding rope was the last option for Zaire.
He traced his steps back to the summit, where both their phones—still there—showed no signal.
Zaire stared at the purple, almost moon-like but gaseous entity.
He was pretty damn certain that that had something to do with his brother's mutation.
Wait. If Ari was mutated, wouldn't everyone be?
No—he himself was fine. Still, there had to be more like Ari.
Fuck. What if his dad had mutated? His mom? His cousins? Friends?
Biting his lip, Zaire ran back to his friend.
There, he carried Ari like before—in a princess carry.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry. Hang on. The phones have no reception. I'll take you to the hospital myself."
"You know there might be more like me? The hospital's probably littered. And I'm in no state to live—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU WILL LIVE. I WILL NOT LET MY FUCKING BUDDY DIE ON ME."
Zaire and Ari both shed tears.
Zaire knew he would fail to keep one of his closest friends alive. And Ari knew that although his best option was dying here, there was so much more he wanted to live for.
Life sucks.
It makes people cry.
By the time Zaire reached the foot of the hill, Ari had stopped moving.
He was mute. Totally still.
Zaire had been too caught up in a fast yet comfortable descent to notice Ari's eerie stillness.
But now he noticed.
And ignore, he did.
Zaire, from the moment he picked Ari up, knew his buddy was going to die.
His body in his arms felt like jelly.
And although he had braced himself for this moment, the pain was still too much.
Zaire wept and sniffled, and in a low voice muttered,
"Fuck you, bro. You dare give me rabies and die, huh?... Sniff. I'll miss you."
Nonetheless, Zaire carried his brother forward.
He would ensure—no matter what the outside world looked like—that his friend got a normal, sane funeral.
"Bike's off limits, then. Fuck it. I'll carry him all the way if I must."
[You have been noticed by the TITAN ATLAS.]
[Your love, resilience, and combat skill are appreciated by the TITAN ATLAS.]
[Do you wish to become his champion?]
Suddenly—after Zaire had resolved to carry his friend ten kilometers on foot—purple text floated before his eyes.
It was like wearing a VR headset with the background cameras still on.
Zaire was bewildered.
Atlas? Like the god of—I don't know—maps and constellations?
No, aside from that: what the fuck is this text? Why the fuck is it in front of me?
Looking at the pulsing purple entity in the sky, he knew it held all the answers.
After all, the texts' tinge of purple was exactly the same as the one above.
And Atlas was a fucking god. And that explosion—no work of men.
[Your doubts have been observed by the TITAN ATLAS.]
[He commands you not to refer to him as a GOD.]
[The TITAN expects your answer this instant. He expects his chosen man to understand that the goodwill of the TITAN COMMANDER should make them joyous and gracious.]
Glaring at the purple body, Zaire sighed and questioned,
"I'll accept any help I need. But like... I hope you're not lying, dude. I really want to check if my parents are okay. I hope you don't fuck me over. Go—no, Titan."
[You have amused the TITAN COMMANDER.]
[The TITAN COMMANDER ACCEPTS YOU AS HIS CHAMPION IN GAIA.]
[You are now his CHAMPION.]
[He expects great performance from you in the FIRST TRIAL OF GAIA.]
[His final message:]
["BOY, I CHOOSE YOU. YOU ARE A GOOD MAN, YET SMART. YOU HAVE FLAWS, BUT MEN WILL ALWAYS BE FLAWED. I DO NOT KNOW IF YOU WILL FAIL OR SUCCEED, BUT I WANT YOU BESIDE ME ON THE HEAVENLY FIELD OF BATTLE. I HAVE HELPED YOU ALL I CAN, BUT BEWARE: OTHER TITANS AND THE BASTARDLY GODS ALSO HAVE THEIR CHAMPIONS IN GAIA. THEY WILL BE STRONG FROM THE GET-GO, MUCH LIKE YOU. SO BE STRONG, BUILD ALLIANCES, THRIVE, AND WIN THE NINE TRIALS OF RIPENING."]
"Hunh!?..."
That was all Zaire could muster.
What the fuck is this day, Ari!!! I am so bloody confused...