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Starlight in a Broken Vessel

by the-pieman

Chapter 140

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Chapter 140

Wandering around for the day proved fruitless, and the next day, I decide to show Clark some of my other friends. He’s been introduced to the Elements, now it’s time he met Myrna.

I figure I’d just lead him to the park since Myrna has trouble getting inside buildings at times. There are probably a bajillion fat jokes I could use, but each one would end up with me being eaten or worse, most likely. We get to the park and I see a bit of her... stomach? Hip? Tail? what do you call a part of a snake that isn’t either end? Well, whatever it’s called, I see a loop of it hanging on a branch and I reach up and poke it.

I can hear Clark shift suddenly as Myrna winds her way down the tree. She smiles at me, and starts to greet me. Then, she catches sight of Clark.

“Oh, hello there. Did you just arrive?” She asks in a calm, even tone, still smiling slightly. I step back a little, to watch them both.

“Been here a few days.” He’s got his face down, not looking up. I can sort of understand, Myrna is a bit intimidating, and I know Clark’s a fan of mythology, so he’s probably avoiding getting an eyeful of petrification.

I shrug. “So, yeah. Clark, this is Myrna, she’s a gorgon if you couldn’t tell, but she’s usually nice. Myrna this is Clark, my best friend in the universe... I guess if you count past-Earth then two.”

“You only met a couple days ago, and you’re already best buds? Heh, maybe I should cancel the competition.” She jokes amiably, though Clark’s suddenly kneeling down. He splays out his hands, palms-down, his head still down.

I’m about to respond, when Myrna gets a look at Clark’s hand, and the eye staring up from the back of it. For a moment, I see her face go slack from surprise, before seething rage and hatred burns on her face. Before I can say anything to defuse the situation, she slams me with her tail, and grabs Clark by the throat with a clawed hand, raising him to look at her. I’m already sparking up, trying to yell for her to stop. Her tail knocked the wind out of me, though, and it’s hard forming words.

I see stone wrapped around her hands, and Clark meets her eyes dead on. I feel my heart skip a beat.

No... she just petrified him.

She... I’ve got to...

Wait.

He’s still struggling. A little, but that’s... how is he not paralysed? Turned to stone? I actually falter in my advance, and see that he’s looking at her with a genuinely placid look in his eyes. Myrna, for her part, looks surprised. He’s not struggling, other than to try removing the pressure from being held by his neck. I can see the vague start to his Spark form, saving him from strangulation.

Then, Myrna throws him with all her might, sending him flying across the park to slam into a tree. He collapses at the bottom, simply getting on all fours and keeping his face down. Myrna begins sliding towards him again, evidently seeking to attack him again. I find my voice once more.

I rush in between the two and hold my sword out, pointed at Myrna. “If you hurt him, I swear to Perseus I will slice your head off, Gorgon!”

“He’s a demon!” Her voice is ragged with emotion and her face is definitely more intimidating when she’s angry, a pair of large fangs sticking out over her bottom lip. I thought she was a constrictor by nature? Either way, she begins trying to go around me.

I move as well so I’m still in front of her. “And I’m trying to fix that! Trust me, I care more about him than I do about you right now, and I doubt you’d blame me for stopping the attacker of my best friend since junior fucking high school, so back off!”

“But- it’s a monster. They aren’t human anymore!” She looks genuinely concerned now.

“Says the monster bitch who’s more animal than he is!”

A look of shock and hurt flash across her face. Her anger appears supplanted by horror at what I’d just said. I open my mouth to continue, when Clark speaks up.

“She isn’t wrong.” His face is still in the dirt, his hand splayed against the ground. I finally recognize the posture. Submission. Acceptance. He’s offering himself to her, without even fighting back.

Well then I’ll fight for him. I look back at Myrna. “Is this who you want to be? Just like these ponies and their fucking princess? Wanting me to kill someone by their appearance and not even think about fixing him? Or are you fine with murdering a sick person who only did what they had to to live without constant fear and pain in a world that wanted them broken?”

Myrna looks at me, her face unreadable. She shakes her head, turns, and slides into the earth, disappearing into the soil below without so much as a ripple. I stand in the park for another few minutes, Sword in hand. I’d- I’d just called her a monster. But... she was attacking my friend.

My brother... he became one of those things. Myrna’s voice echoes in my head.

But that’s different! I can save Clark, I know I can! But nobody wants to give him the chance... so, does that make me a bad guy for siding with my friend... or is it because they see me siding with a demon?

They organize by threat level. The least ‘only’ murder and rape for no reason. I... I was middle-top, before I left.

He’s not a beast... I know he’s not, he’s not that far gone, and... I’d probably regret it if I killed Myrna. Regret it for the rest of my life... but if they force my hand, if I have have to protect him from being attacked to that extreme... will I do it? Would I, for real? I don’t know, trying to think about it makes my head hurt. All this preaching about acceptance and tolerance, and they ostracize and criminalize someone as soon as they seem him... but for good reason. What can I do? I don’t even know if I can get rid of that corruption without killing him!

I turn to look at Clark, ask him for help. But he’s gone. He already left. There’s only a few small holes in the turf where his claw-tips had dug into the soil. I’m alone, again... Next Chapter: Chapter 141 Estimated time remaining: 13 Hours, 18 Minutes

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