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Ithaqua didn’t mind being at the manor as most days were uneventful. Doing the same thing over and over again until it was routine. He knew a majority of those who resided with him, even though he preferred to be alone. Hunting down the same survivors made it easier for him to become familiar with their faces. So when he was called upon for a match he was prepared to see the four survivors he always versed. What he didn’t expect was the new name on the match schedule. Strange…he doesn’t remember coming across the name Andrew before. The knowledge that a new person was going to be in the match filled him with excitement. Ithaqua thought about how delicious it would be to see a fresh horrified expression on the new person. The other survivors were no fun anymore, they didn’t scream or cry like the first time they were hunted by him. What he would give to relive those matches again, to taste their palpable fear as they realized he was something they had never seen before. Nowadays most of them are resigned to their fate and meet death with a grim silence. There was no enjoyment for Ithaqua in that. He made up his mind to try his hardest to make sure that Andrew’s first match against him would be unforgettable.
—
Andrew rubbed his eyes in an attempt to get rid of the lingering blurriness that plagued his vision and smoothed down the wrinkles in the red overcoat the Baron had gifted him. The new set of matches were posted in the foyer of the manor and he had been dreading looking at it for the better part of the day. Only when the moon was high in the sky did he check the posting. Andrew let out a deep sigh upon seeing that he was going to have to participate in tomorrow’s match. Of course, what else did he expect, it's what he deserves after all. He hasn’t had a day of rest since arriving at the manor. Between trying to live up to expectations of the other residents and his messed up sleep cycle; he has been desperately trying to keep it together for everyone. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could feel pressure mounting. When his mind was going to buckle was a mystery even to the man himself. He only hoped that he was alone when his mask cracked.
—
Ithaqua’s search for the new person wasn’t going so well. At first he found the annoying one with the gun. Deciding she wasn’t worth his effort, he quickly left the chase. The fancy man with a ponytail had been nearby where that woman was. Perhaps they were planning on working on those little machines together. Ithaqua took a swipe at the survivor and cackled as his axe connected with the man’s back. He breathed in deeply through his nose before sighing in pleasure. This is what he lived for now. Gone was the sweet boy that helped his mom sweep the cabin floor. In the boy's place was a spindly monster with a sharp smile and burning eyes. He moved on from the area, leaving the two alone to continue his search. He called upon the wind to make him faster because he was getting impatient. Still he hummed a nonsensical tune while he walked and kept his eyes open for the survivor.
—
Andrew doesn’t remember much of the beginning of matches as he spends it trying to calm his racing heart and shaking hands. This time around, his anxiety seemed to be at its worst. His breathing was shallow and quick, his heart was pounding in his chest, and he had to keep blinking away tears. He tried to figure out what exactly could be behind his panicked state. Distantly, Andrew remembered seeing a new name written in for the hunter as he leaned his weight against his shovel. That had to be what was wrong with him; the fear of facing the unknown weighed heavily on his shoulders. He clenched his hands into fists. The flash of pain he felt after biting his tongue was enough to ground him. It was time for him to stop being useless and actually do something to help the others. Andrew began the search for a cipher, trying his best to stay hidden.
—
At first, all he saw was a flash of red out of the corner of his eye as something quickly hid behind a nearby wall. Ithaqua had a strange feeling this was the new survivor. He wasted no time, calling upon the wind to dash towards the person. The survivor let out a small yelp and got up to run. The person had their back to him so all he could see was the long red cloak and blonde locks that looked so much like his own. Ithaqua gripped his head in pain as something clawed at the back of his mind. He cried out at the sudden pounding in his head. He didn’t understand what was happening to him but he couldn’t let the man go.
—
Andrew turned to look over his shoulder at the sound and stared into the dark holes he presumed to be the creature’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what happened but he could have sworn the thing had been hurt somehow. Curious as to what was going on, he slowed down and watched the hunched form of the creature start shaking. Followed by the low rumble of laughter that gradually rose in pitch. It was still clutching at its head as it straightened up and tilted backwards. Andrew could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up from the unsettling sight. Suddenly the thing screamed like a dying animal. Andrew quickly slapped his hands over his ears to block out the horrific shriek and turned to run once again.
—
Ithaqua couldn’t think straight anymore. Flashes of more innocent times, memories that went untainted by his ichor filled his mind. Nathaniel, the irredeemable monster hiding in human flesh. He thought he had already killed Nathaniel and yet there he stands before him like it had never happened. He cannot be allowed to continue to exist. Ithaqua would rid the world of him again if it was the last thing he did. Fueled by hatred rooted deep in his bones, he lunged forward, determined to make him suffer again. He summoned the winds to slow the blonde down but kept the distance between them the same. Ithaqua wanted Nathaniel to know that his fate is inevitable. There was no avoiding death at his hands, not anymore.
He used a surge of wind to pull the man towards him. Giggling at the blonde’s shout of surprise, he swung his axe and heard the crunch of bones as the man’s shoulder gave way to the blade. Blood started to seep from the wound but it was barely distinguishable from the already red cloak. It reminded him of his mother’s flaming strands of hair and the flickering light of the torches. The axe was wrenched away, flinging droplets of blood into the air. He couldn’t help her that time but he was no longer a cowardly boy. The man yelled for help as he put a hand over the wound. Ithaqua felt his smile widen at his obvious distress. He hadn’t cared when his mother begged to be spared so he would return the favor. Before he could make any distance, he swung his axe again. This time it was angled to the side and sunk deep into the man’s waist. It caused him to stumble to the left and lose his footing. Helped by the weight of his body falling, the axe slid out with a squelch. How long had his mother's pleas for mercy gone unheard by this filthy ‘man’. The thought made Ithaqua’s blood boil. The man lay on the floor whimpering in pain. He tried desperately to apply pressure to his side but couldn’t stop the flow of blood that stained the ground beneath him.
—
Andrew felt like someone had poured a bucket of icy water over his head. He could feel every part of his body burning with an intense clarity. His throat was raw from the heaving breaths he took to push out pained screams due to the wounds inflicted upon him. He had given up on pressing a hand to his ruined shoulder because the gaping hole in his side was much worse. The disturbing thought of his guts spilling out onto the ground flitted through his mind. Andrew gritted his teeth as he rolled onto his back, doing so that he could use both of hands to keep everything inside him. He tried his best to move his right arm but the damage was so severe that he couldn’t move it. He gave up on trying and stared at the ever changing figure of the monster above him.
—
At this point the ongoing game meant nothing to Ithaqua. All he wanted was to take his time in torturing Nathaniel in the way he wanted to before. He leaned over the man and took in his paling face. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, face scrunched up from holding back pleas, and his bottom lip was bloody from biting it. Distantly it registered in his mind that the blonde didn’t have the same icy blue eyes he had himself. It didn’t matter, he was set on getting revenge. Ithaqua trailed his fingers through blonde hair and caressed the man’s cheek with a sharp claw. He used his thumb to gently press on his left eyelid, waiting for the other eye to open, before shoving his finger deep into the socket. The man wrapped his slicked hands around Ithaqua’s wrist, trying and failing to push his hand away. Noticing that his struggles became weaker, he knew that time was running out. He sighed in disappointment. He was hoping that Nathaniel would last longer than this but he would work with what he was given.
—
Flashes of days past ran rampant in Andrew’s mind. Surely he would remember doing something bad enough to deserve this. Any coherent thoughts slipped away from his grasp as he felt himself starting to fade away. He knew he was going to die soon. That didn’t scare him because he was used to it at this point, but this was different. Never had he been torn into pieces like this and left to bleed out. Normally, Andrew was strapped to those awful chairs, that was how he would end up back in the manor. So, to have this happen to him he had to wonder whether he had recently sinned. After all, He would never punish His children without reason. He even had the capacity to forgive someone as despicable as Andrew, but Andrew was drawing a blank. Surely He had not forsaken him– he couldn’t entertain that thought. He quickly took to whispering a prayer, “Forgive me, Father, for the times I have fallen short and allowed temptation to sway me from Your teachings…”
—
Ithaqua wiped his thumb off on his pants and shifted his axe back into his right hand. Slitting his throat and letting him choke to death on his blood seemed a satisfying end. He carefully positioned the blade of his axe over the blonde’s throat and pressed on the right side of his neck. As he cut open the man’s jugular, Ithaqua whispered in his ear, “Never forget what you did that day.”