"A mere human like you could never take usss alive," Mahir spat. He brimmed with confidence. "But we can easily take you, and I can cut that insssolent tongue out of your mouth piece by piece. "

The famine horseman's sharp focus wavered for a moment. The whispering was reaching a crescendo, so close he could almost imagine the speakers were just out of sight, close enough to touch -

Mahir reeled back, scampering on all fours as heavy weapons cut away his FEAR, blood smearing across the pavement. He snarled. That was too close. Insanity had weakened him, more than he would have liked to admit.

"Not cutting," he corrected, his sharklike smile starting to widen. "Cultivating. Do you hear it?"

A series of sharp cries echoed from a nearby street, and the sound of something shattering.

Mahir glanced down at the golden jewel hidden around his throat, blackening around the edges with gathered FEAR. The toxin was starting to take effect. Better late than never.

"For onccce, I am happy for you, little white-coatsss," he smiled, blood staining his too-sharp teeth and running from the corner of his mouth. "You have the honor of witnessssing the beginning of a new world."

One of the shadows curled in to touch the stone, and the horseman faded out.


HP: 7/40

FEAR TOTAL: 1