[Day 31] Transformation

There was something to be said about facing one’s fears by exposure. 

Malachi hadn’t celebrated Candleblight since his transformation, which felt far away and yet in the back of his head at all times. At first the notion scared him, trying to bury and mute his halv corruption, to reject something that was indescribably part of him from the moment everything went wrong. Eventually he just avoided it like it was second nature, he was at least somewhat a monster so there was no reason to act like Candleblight was some sort of special occasion for him.

The bird nervously loitered around the shopping stands that littered the areas around the inkwell, something he kept in the corner of his eye absentmindedly. As if he were not watching the unnatural occurrence, it would backfire on him. Mal had a bad feeling about it altogether. Something stirred inside his core that made eyes itch under his skin. He almost didn’t realize someone was talking right to him, jolting slightly as he registered the words.

“-re you okay?” Ash asked with a tired smile on his face, some food in his hand he’d recently retrieved from a stand for them to share.

“Ah, I’m alright, thank you.” Malachi assured as he took the cup offered to him, “I just haven’t been around so many people in a while, especially not for Candleblight.” His eyes went downcast, mind wandering as he poked at the food he was offered, “I… Wait, what is this?”

Ash chuckled, “It’s corn, with a sauce and cheese and it is delicious. Try it!”

Malachi snorted, he should have known, if there was one food the other bird was always drawn to, it was corn. He took a bit and let out a small ‘mmm’ from the back of his full mouth. He wasn’t lying, it was delicious.

“Told you.” Ash snorted, though he had a warm smile on his face as he continued, “And try to not worry too much, you’re doing good. It was weird to be around people after everything that happened to me as well.” He ate a bit more esquite before continuing, “Besides I’m here with you, so if it gets to be too much just know you don’t have to deal with it alone.”

Malachi sighed a bit and nodded, “Thank you, Father was coming from a good place I think, to bring us to an event like this, but I do think I’d like to go somewhere a little more calm soon–” A breath caught in Malachi’s throat as he went rigid. His fur stood on end as he dropped the cup to the ground. Ash didn’t get a chance to voice his concern before ink burst forth from its well and everything went dark.

The night shuddered in bursts of events: runic spell circles, yelling, contorting body and horrors, and the thick, pungent, unmistakable miasma of the void clinging to the air as if it were the worst humidity anyone could imagine. Malachi couldn’t recall what happened, but his unwanted bosom buddy of pain wracked through his body the moments he was conscious. The familiar feeling of being cracked like an egg full of eyes and horrors, of bones forming to push new limbs out from his body. 

Halv transformation was something he’d gotten used to, he did so when cornered and out of fear, but there were times he’d triggered it all on own. This felt different, it felt like it was more. Malachi’s body jolted to attention from the pile it’d formed, all eyes open and bloodshot and looking for anything familiar. One set of arms shot to his face, claws digging into his mask that had formed. Bones cracked in small snaps as he rose to his hands and knees, like a beast, the muffled sounds of all the other chaos slowly becoming apparent in his pounding ears.

It dawned on Malachi that something was wrong. He was wrong. Not in the way he was used to at this point. He was too big, too many limbs, and more eyes and mouths cutting across his shuddering frame than he’d ever had before. The halv looked somewhere between his normal monstrous self and spider.

It felt like he barely had a moment to realize what was happening when a hunter called to him, some declaration to stand down. To see if this monster was one that was one that had spewed from the void or if it was someone innocent. Malachi could process none of it, all his eyes focused on blades made of blood that decorated the guardian. A startled noise tore from him, sounding like his vocal chords ripped at the seams just as much as his body. The halv held multiple hands out and channeled his own aspect of blood to make the weapons splatter back into liquid across the ground.

Malachi didn’t wait to hear another word from the familiar hunter, scrambling on all his limbs to get somewhere safe. Somewhere quiet. Other monstrous beings flashed by him, some looking worse than others, some enjoying themselves more than him. Panic rose like bile as his eyes darted all around for safety.

“Malachi?” A voice sliced through any music, any chaos, and fear that could otherwise suffocate him.

The halv froze to see Ash and an immediate calmness came over him and he slowly approached his friend and crouched. Malachi pressed his mask against Ash’s nose bridge, bumping together and causing relief to spread through him. The large, monstrous halv settled against the ground, letting Ash run his hand through his hair. Just like every other transformation, this too would pass.