A Verdant Mask

Ophiocordyceps Arcanus (Hive Zombie): A magically enhanced mushroom strain, this species is parasitic with most every lifeform it encounters. Often found in ruins or abandoned structures, this mushroom forms a hivemind as it overtakes the mind of plants or animals it is brought into contact with,. After assimilating an unknown number of beings, it rapidly grows sentient, often with a certain proclivity for violence. It will constantly try to assimilate any being it comes into contact with. Diplomacy has proved ineffective, though it is capable of being reasoned with in the short term. After a certain size, it will require 'relay hosts' in order to remain full control over the hive. Hive Zombies cannot be defeated without completely eradicating every host. It will regrow from even one host. Curing the parasitism has proven ineffective so far, but hosts display a noted hatred and fear of forged iron.

Reccomendation: Bring in host for examination when possible, notify local Annihilation Association representative as soon as possible.

DO NOT APPROACH WITHOUT ADEQUATE LUNG PROTECTION.

-Guide to Vendalian Biology

The concrete under Nick's feet turned to scraggly yellow grass, but he didn't slow down. Thoughts were born in the back of his mind, and shot in the cradle to keep him running. The ditch gave way to a ragged forest, badly beaten birch trees rushing by in a blur. His feet rubbed raw on the sandpaper soles of his shoes, the near constant stumbling not stopping his sprint until his knees crunched against the fallen leaves. Sweat mixed with tears as they fell to the forest floor. His shins scraped against roots and stones as he crawled back into a standing position, his wince the only indication of pain he allowed himself to give. As soon as he was upright, he took off once more. His legs pumped, pushing him further and further into the forest. There was no destination in mind, no end goal to the charge. His panting was that of a rabbit evading a fox. And like a rabbit, his speed nearly doubled out of sheer surprise when a thunderous crack echoed through the bone white trees.

His vision blurred by sweat, tears, and dirt, he did not stop to look for the source of the noise, simply hauling his leaden limbs into motion with renewed intensity. Such was his terror that he didn't notice when the trees bent and warped, when the sky cracked, when the very space around him began dripping like wet paint splattered on an infinitely large canvas. He blindly charged forward, slipping and sliding in puddles of the firmament, until his balance failed him once more, and he tilted over. As the floor rushed up to meet him, a pillar of purple rose directly in front of him. His hands, which had been reaching forward to catch him, were completely interposed by the purple blur from the elbow down. Nick only managed a yelp of surprise in his mind, which was oddly mirrored by an unfamiliar voice. Before Nick could investigate the new voice in his mind, his head slammed into the pillar, dropping him to the forest floor like a sack of potatoes. His body fell into a gap in the purple roots stretching from what Nick would recognize as a tree if he were conscious. Black vines slithered over the opening, slowly choking the light away.

Nick bolted upright with a gasp, scraping his forehead against the low hanging ceiling. He hissed in pain, before registering that there should be no low ceiling in the forest. He looked around as best he could, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the diffuse light shining through what looked like a woven fiber roof.

"Where am I?" He muttered, carefully standing as best he could in the cramped space. He moved to press against the ceiling, but was stopped by a leaden weight around his hands. It felt like something was pinning them to the floor, but he couldn't feel any pressure. He looked down at the obstruction, and yelped in surprise. His hands looked to be covered in a purple bark! The ends of his arms had been widened significantly by whatever material seemed to be covering them nearly quadrupling the size of his hands. He kicked at the bark, watching it flake off in shards, revealing a soft brown underneath. He paused to take a breath, desperately trying to calm himself. When that failed, he wound up for another kick, a feeling of distress shot into his mind like an injection, alien and slightly painful. He jolted backwards with a yelp, being saved from tipping over by the weight of the wood surrounding his hands.

"Hello?" He called out, his throat still raw from the run. When he received no answer, he tried again, louder.

"HELLO?" This time, he jumped as the feeling of wind whistling through leaves seemed to echo around his mind.

"Who's doing that? That's not funny, man." His attempt to rationalize the experience was fragile, but he clung to it like a life preserver. The impression of sunlight speckling the forest floor as it shone through the canopy nearly drowned out his thoughts, but he stubbornly held to the belief.

"This isn't funny! Where am I?" he asked desperately, frantically searching for cameras or something to explain the situation. When the presence in his mind went from uncomfortable to actively invasive, it was a step too far. He got the distinct impression of his memories being flicked through like a filing cabinet, and was so repulsed that all he could do was run. He charged at the covering, ignoring the gashes opening up on his face and arms as he sprinted out into the open.

Warm sunlight splashed against his face as he blinked rapidly, trying desperately to adapt to the sudden change. He tried to run, but his aching legs wouldn't have carried him far even if they weren't weighed down by the massive bulk surrounding his forearms. He stumbled, unused to the wait, but the feeling of invasion never faltered. Like ants crawling through the ridges of his brain, they infested his memories, searching through his most treasured memories, his most personal memories. He felt them experience with him as won his first hockey game, as he learned how to read, as he stumbled his way through his first relationship. These memories were crawled through in search of something inscrutable. Then the presence touched upon a memory that Nick had rubbed raw on the edges, and yet refused to explore himself. The second it even brushed against the memory, Nick's very being shuddered in revulsion. The wail started in his gut, crawling its way out of his throat like razor blades. Everything that Nick was , screamed out in impotent rejection as the presence impassively continued on, peering at the memory like a child through a toy store window.

The presence suddenly changed, undergoing a qualitative change that Nick felt too violated to notice, let alone care about. The presence was now tied to a voice, a person. There was thought behind the actions as it pulled back from Nick's memories, a feeling of guilt and horror entirely drowned out by Nick's own experience. Tears flowed freely from his eyes, the only outlet for the most personally violating thing he had ever felt. Bile rushed from his mouth, burning his throat as it went. Eventually he was just dry heaving, but the awful feeling remained. Once the revulsion faded enough that he could sit still, he curled into the fetal position, sobbing until his tears ran dry.

Nick awoke once more, cotton clouding his mind. He blearily looked around, aborting the attempt to rub his eyes once his sleep-addled brain recalled the condition of his hands. He took several deep breaths, hoping to calm himself enough to deal with the change in surroundings, when a tentative voice echoed around his head, flooding his brain with adrenaline all over again.

Hello?

Nick resisted the urge to respond, reasonably assuming that he had suffered a psychotic break. Instead, he hauled himself to his feet, ignoring the protests of his aching legs, and began trudging along in a random direction. A strange, pale green light filtered through the purple canopy above. It speckled the strange purple grass with shifting patterns of light.

Hello? I know you can hear me.

Nick continued to ignore the voice, instead transfixing himself with a leaf that he caught before it could fall to the forest floor. It nearly slipped out of his hands, the surface almost perfectly shining and reflective like a mirror. It looked completely unlike any plant he had ever seen in his life. He caught a glimpse of himself, his wavy brown hair mussed up with leaves and twigs sticking out at odd angles. Baby fat clung to his face, rounding out his features. The only thing even a little unique about him was his eyes, a vibrant forest green. His mother had always said she loved them-

Nick, you're not going insane.

Nick stopped dead in his tracks, the leaf falling from his shaking fingers.

"How do you know my name?" He said. It wasn't a question. He already knew.

Listen, that wasn't me, I wasn't even-

"How much did you see?"

No, you have to underst-

"HOW MUCH?!" He roared, almost sick with rage. Anger bubbled underneath his veins, clawing at the back of his eyes. Even in the silence left behind, it only grew.

...All of it. The voice whispered, barely more than silence.

Nick paced back and forth, the burn in his legs only fueling his anger.

"I have never been so violated in my entire life." He hissed, the words spat from his mouth like venom. His feet slammed into the ground as he continued pacing, not even leaving a dent in the dirt behind him.

If you'd just let me explain-

"YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH!" The yell burst out of him, tearing from his throat in a rush. "You are a vile little parasite. You invaded my thoughts, my memories, things I've never shared with ANYONE! You riffled through it like you were checking your fucking mail. You had NO RIGHT!" He hauled his right arm into the air, the unwieldy weight slamming into a nearby. It fell without so much as mark on either object.

One received stimuli. An outer placement of One had detected a sound. One directed the cluster to investigate. One knew the value of knowledge.

"YOU ARE A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A CREATURE! YOU HAD NO RIGHT! NO RIGHT!"

One shambled forwards. A cap had grown in the joints of the host's 'knee'. One noted the inefficiency, excising it with a thought. The cluster continued on, leaving the discard to rot.

I WASN'T EVEN A PERSON YET!

"A PERSON WOULDN'T DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! YOU ARE A POORLY MADE EXCUSE FOR ONE!"

One emerged in a clearing, well within travelled range. A new host made aggressive noises, gesticulating wildly. One made not of the aggression, choosing to exercise caution. The loud hosts often proved troublesome, but this one seemed absent of anathema. At a mental nudge, three of the cluster dragged itself closer.

YOU CAN'T BLAME ME FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OVER!

"WHO SHOULD I BLAME THEN? YOU DID IT, YOU SAW MY MEMORIES, AND NOW YOU WON'T EVEN ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT!"

I TOLD YOU, I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE! I- LOOK OUT!

"OH WHAT NOW?" Nick was about to continue yelling when he caught sight of a rail thing fist flying towards him. He jumped back in surprise, turning the attack from a concussion into a heavily bleeding cut above his right eye.

"Agh!" He cried out, moving to clutch at the wound, but the weight at his hands fouled the attempt. He squinted the eye as blood poured down his face, blocking his view of the follow up attack. It was poorly placed, landing solidly on the shoulder, but it still threw him to the ground. Nick winced, and then looked up at his assailant. His search was rewarded with the view of the zombie slowly shuffling towards him. Its flesh hung loosely from visible bones, anywhere that wasn't covered in stacks of sickly orange mushroom caps. An unseeing eyeball dangled freely from the eye socket, held on only by the fraying optical nerve. A vile orange sludge seeped from the mushrooms, connecting the mushrooms throughout the body. It seemed to pulse and writhe, glowing with a pale, malevolent inner light. Nick got over his shock just in time to roll to the side, dodging the abomination's wild lunge.

Nick scrabbled into a standing position, fighting against the wooden shackles. The abomination proved even slower to get up, allowing him to place a kick directly into the zombie's shoulder. The bone crunched, visibly hanging out of the socket, and yet the zombie continued to lean on it as it got back up. Nick managed one more kick, fully dislodging the arm.

Behind you! The voice called out, just a second too late as a fist planted itself in the small of his back. Nick landed face first, struggling to breathe. He gasped, crawling away from the source of the sucker punch as best he could. Just as he recovered his breath, the voice called out again.

Left! Roll left! Not wanting to get stomped, Nick blindly followed the instructions, landing on his back just as a bony foot snapped itself on the dense ground. The owner of the foot toppled to the ground directly in front of Nick, who wasted no time in hauling his weighted fists into the air directly above the abomination's skull. The bone broke like a pot shattering, only drowning out Nick's panting for a moment.

Roll forward! Nick hesitated just long enough to catch the tail of the attack, hissing as another cut sliced its way across his back. As he finished the roll, looked up to finally catch a glimpse of his unseen attacker, noticing two more zombies shuffling towards him. He thought he saw an eerie orange glow in the tree line, but he didn't have time to worry about it. He regained his footing, placing both hands in between his legs, slightly behind his body. He faced the closer of the two zombies, ignoring as the other circled around. the second the monster got close enough, he hauled his fists upwards in a massive uppercut. It swayed backwards, but couldn't fully avoid the attack, getting caught directly under the chin. The monster's skull launched off with a pop, landing a good 10 feet away. Unfortunately, the momentum of the swing didn't just disappear, sending him back to his ass once more.

To the left! This time, Nick didn't hesitate, launching himself to the side just in time to avoid the punch aimed directly for his throat. With his hands too close to gain any momentum, and his legs out of position, Nick did the only thing he could think of. He headbutted the zombie.

Immediately, he felt lost. He couldn't figure out which way was up, let alone where the zombie was. He commanded his limbs to move him backwards, only succeeding in gently shuffling in place. The stars cleared from his vision just in time for him to narrowly dodge the claw to the face. Even with the dodge, the attack dug into the side of his cheek, tearing the flesh like paper. Just one more source of pain at that point, Nick managed to haul his fists directly into the zombie's back, shattering it across the dirt. As the glow of the foul orange slime faded, he fell onto his back, breathing heavily.

Blood flowed freely from wounds all over his body, and anywhere that wasn't already stained red was forming a messy pattern of purples and yellows. He imagined getting hit by a car might feel nicer. He chuckled weakly, though it broke into a wheeze as a probably broken rib jabbed his lung. Once he had finished his coughing fit, it finally clicked.

"ZOMBIES?! WHY ARE THERE ZOMBIES NOW?!"

THERE'S MORE! The voice warned, prompting Nick into a fully standing position. His battered muscles groaned, but he was already running. He ducked between two of the strange purple trees, slamming his shoulder into a low hanging branch as he passed. He looked over his shoulder to see 5 more of the shambling monstrosities dragging themselves through the clearing towards him. Now fueled by that succinct nightmare, he sprinted further into the forest. The further he went, the less light filtered through the trees, until he could barely see the obstacles before he barreled into them. He stumbled over a root, grunting as he forced himself to remain upright.

Move left. The voice said urgently. Nick still hadn't forgiven it, but he had learned to trust the instructions by now. He spun to the left, narrowly dodging a branch growing at chest height pointed straight at his original path. It tapered down to a point, gleaming wickedly in the dim light. He continued running. As his adrenaline wore thin, Nick found it harder to move forward. He had to keep reminding himself to put one foot in front of the other, to keep an uneasy eye on the ground, to get away before they found him. He made a sharp turn to the right at the voice's command, bursting through a bush that tore at his legs, until the voice sounded out once more.

Stop here. Nick skidded to a halt, slamming his already bruised shoulder into a tree again. He dropped to the ground, wheezing, as his muscles told him in no uncertain terms that there would be no more running for now. He laid on the hard ground, his chest rising and falling like a jackhammer, his completely shredded Hawaiian shirt absolutely drenched in sweat. Slowly, his breathing levelled out.

"Why are we stopping here?! They could still find us!" Nick panicked, bolting upright to the protestations of his aching muscles. He looked around frantically, only seeing the massive silhouette of the tree he had run into hanging above him.

They won't find us. They didn't look like they could climb.

"Climb?! I can't climb right now either?!"

You can either climb, or you can keep running. Nick almost started running again, purely out of spite, but even the thought sent his shaking legs to the forest floor. Bitterly, he nodded.

"I can't see in this dark, how do I get up?"

I'll direct you, like before. Just trust me.

"Trust is earned." He seethed, but he knew that it was empty. He had been trusting the voice's instructions this whole time. He didn't have to like him to work with him. Besides, the voice seemed to have some method of seeing things that worked better than Nick's vision. How it worked, he would find out later. He was too tired for an interrogation at the moment.

"...fine. Where do I go?"

Thank you. The voice sounded genuinely grateful. First, place your right foot on that knob. No, to the left- there you go.

One observed. The host had rendered three of One ineffective, but that was within expectations. One had gained information, and that was more important than the losses. It could tailor an angle to take the host shortly. It had gotten away for long, but nothing escaped One forever. Nothing.

Nick rested in the natural bowl of the tree, soaking in the moment of relaxation. Night had well and truly fallen, and he couldn't even see his hand waving in front of his face. Nick still felt violated. He didn't think he'd ever feel better about it again, but the fight with the zombies had cooled off a lot of the heat. It still wasn't okay, and he didn't want to be anywhere near the voice, but he knew he wouldn't have made it out of that fight without it. He rolled over to sleep, curled in the embrace of the massive tree.

"...thank you."

Don't worry about it.