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The rat was probably clung to Kituo no longer than five minutes. To him it felt like an eternity. He was frantic as the pain surged through him. It drove him insane and he couldn’t wait for it to be over. As the rat drove its claws deeper into his skin he released his agony and rebelled against the temptation to fall on his knees. The sound of the fiend’s raking squeak tortured his soul. It was then he truly lost all hope and realized there was nothing he could do. He was going to accept the attack like he accepted all of his other shortcomings. He stopped running and waited for the rat to finish him off. It wasn’t his ideal way to die but at least it would save him the trouble of living another day as a worthless shrimp.

He ceased his own yelling, closed his eyes, and allowed the rat to have a field day. He just didn’t want it to leave any scraps behind. The pain was excruciating and intolerable but still he persevered. He desired for his vision to go black and his ears to fall deaf - the latter of which would ironically become a possibility once the rat was done with its assault. In odds that Kituo thought were impossible, the rat took one last tug on his ear and released its hold on him. It took a moment to realize just how lucky he was. He felt around his body to check his condition but he was numb. The trauma had yet to waver. When it did he desperately wished for it back.

“My ear!”

The pain rushed back into his body like flooding water. He was bleeding profusely from a hole in his ear. He looked at his hand to see his fingertips stained red after feeling the gaping hole. The damned rat had not only attacked Kituo but it also robbed him of a piece of himself – at least that was how he looked at the whole ordeal. Not only was he physically injured but his confidence had dipped far below zero. It didn’t help him to see that the tall guy was indeed enduring his own crisis. Watching him suffer was like hope had jumped onto a ship set sail for the horizon. In Kituo’s mind, the tall guy was better equipped to deal with this predicament than he was. If he was having trouble then there was no way Kituo would last. He originally intended on using him as a crutch until he could find an escape route.

The will to survive was a drive with unimaginable strength. Once he understood that he wasn’t going to die at that moment, Kituo came to terms with the fact that he would have to at least make an attempt to persevere. He clenched his ear and let out an exasperated groan to express just how much agony he was in. The pain had died down a bit but allowing blood to continue flowing out of his wound would only be problematic. After managing to salvage as much of his composure as possible, he took his first steps and they were horrendous. He nearly toppled over but his will caught him. Kituo kept thinking that he had to retain his essence and get back home. His father’s voice rung through his head as he fought to keep his balance.

[i]“I didn’t raise you to be so weak Kituo. Why is it that I must do everything for you?"[/i]

Kituo was becoming increasingly lightheaded from his leaking ear. He even started to hear his own responses to his father’s past criticisms. 

[i]“But father…nothing ever works out for me. There’s no point in me wasting time and resources when I’m going to fail anyway.”[/i]

[i] “How can anything work out for you when you don’t even think about succeeding? That is not how a man should be. Get out of my sight until you grow a spine.”[/i]

Kituo huffed and puffed as he faded back into reality. His hearing within his good ear was beginning to adjust to his new handicap and his eyes were clearing up from all of his crying. He looked up at the green latern and watched as it swayed gently above him. His mind flashed back to the rat attack.

[i]That…thing...it saved me.[/i]

It seemed as if the rat was fearful of the light that the latern gave off. Kituo conjured the conclusion that perhaps it was some sort of divine tool that could ward away evil spirits. The griot story tellers within the city had mentioned the existence of such objects before. Maybe the lantern could save him from further harm? Kituo wanted to smile at his first independently generated idea. Now he would have to figure out the right time and way to execute it. For now he had other matters to tend to. He was missing a piece of his ear and his only other hope was on the brink of destruction. Clenching his ear, he wobbled over to the tall guy as he reached for an object. Kituo’s eyes widened as the skeleton’s presence petrified him. There was no way he was tempting with that thing.

[i]The waiting game starts now.[/i]

Kituo scanned the skeleton and noticed a sparkling ring on its finger. Other than the vial that the tall guy was reaching for it was the only thing he thought of as interesting. But there was no way he was going to risk his own life by reaching for anything the cocoon had to offer. In its life the skeleton had probably tried a similar maneuver only to end up where it was now. Kituo couldn’t stand and do nothing, however. While he was keen on awaiting the tall guy’s results he had to save his own skin. His head was 
becoming light again which meant that it wouldn’t be much longer before he drifted out of consciousness again. And when he did there was no certainty that he would revive.

He turned and proceeded back to where he initially stood after the rat attack. Upon reaching his destination he noticed a tree that wasn’t ordinary. It was covered by strange markings which Kituo could not even begin to identify – runes. 

[i]Strange….[/i]

He was allured by the tree’s markings and walked closer to it in order to investigate. He didn’t consider any potential threat for his life did lose some self-value. Unfortunately, right when he got close enough to properly investigate the tree, his lightness of the head fully returned and he was overcome with weakness. Trying to support his own weight, Kituo’s shaking hand reached for the tree and latched onto its bark. 

“I…I don’t think I’m…going to make it,” he gasped.