Welcome to Ambrosia!

[Kuzuru]

A trail of blood followed Renji through the tangled forest. The forest seemed oblivious to the swordsman’s plight; woodland critters and forest sprites carried on their business as if he was not on the verge of death. The fight with Retane had left him mangled and wounded, but despite his injuries he had never felt more alive. The fact that he was bleeding meant that he could be defeated here in the Omniverse and the thought of his potential defeat made him grin with anticipation. The path through the trees became denser and harder to traverse, eventually his wounds got the better of him and forced him to lean against a tree for rest.

Still a nagging thought scratched at the back of his mind. Kuzuru had been able to take control so easily, his insanity had swallowed Renji whole and the swordsman was barely able to fight back. Several thousand years of practice had allowed him to ignore Kuzuru’s incessant vies for control, but here in the Omniverse it seemed that his willpower had waned. Carefully he gripped the red and black hilt of his sword to try and contact the demon. Instantly, like a crashing wave the insanity and blood lust of a demon of battle punished him.

Oh what a battle Renji! So much blood... So much carnage... Please fight again, I need another battle!

Why are you so powerful here Kuzuru?

Kill something and I’ll tell you! An animal, a person, or another green-skinned creature! It doesn’t matter I just want to feel more blood!

No demon, I’m in---

Before the swordsman could finish he felt his consciousness slipping. The demon was trying to subvert his control. For a long moment the two fought a battle of wills. After an eternity of struggle Renji was finally able to release his grip on the sword. He resolved to pry Kuzuru for answers later on, but in his current state of weakness he couldn’t contend with the demon. His wounds cried out in waves of agony and he found himself cold and weak from anemia. “How pathetic, to die from wounds after a victory” he mused, reaching into his shirt and retrieving his small black pipe. Renji smoked and watched the lively forest. Strange creatures scurried along the branches of trees and gentle whirligigs floated from above. It was a peaceful idyllic scene, one that Renji wouldn’t be opposed to bleeding out in such a serene place.

A cloud of gentle smoke had enveloped the bleeding warrior. He exhaled thick and heavy clouds of smoke, creating a light haze around him. His body felt refreshed from the pipe and even though his wounds were still severe, his smoking had calmed him. Slowly, using the tree for a brace he climbed shakily to his feet. There was not much to do but move forward, and move forward the swordsman did. Deeper into the twisted mass of trees and bramble the blademaster trudged forth. With every stepped he winced in pain and every breath was strained. Willpower could only carry the wounded fighter so far. Behind the trees Renji saw something miraculous, it was certainly destiny or fate that he would find his saving grace in the middle of the inhospitable forest.

A simple town, styled after the ancient 18th century villages that he had once lived in. He cared not for the time period, for that was when the true decline of great swordsman began. But he was glad to have found civilization, slowly and weakly he limped from the forest into the town. It didn’t take long for the strange denizens of this town hidden in the forest to take note of his arrival. Hushed whispers and worried sighs filled the air as the swordsman limped his way deeper into the town. His vision was blurred and his body felt heavy, he wanted to speak but found no words. The cumulative weight of his battle with Retane finally took its toll and force the swordsman to his knees. Shouting was heard, but it sounded mute and distant to the delirious warrior. He fell to his side and sprawled onto his back.

A team of medical assistants came rushing to Renji’s aid. They lifted the bleeding swordsman onto a stretcher and carted him off to the medical tent. It felt like a fever dream to the poor swordsman. His vision blurred and colors mixed together sounds were murky and muted and his body felt cold and clammy. They brought him to the medical tent, which was nothing much to look at but it was better than nothing. The resident nurse was an anthromorphic female rat standing at a menacing three feet tall.

“What happened?” worry filled her voice and she wasted no time in prepping an area for Renji.

“I don’t know, Matilda he just limped into town like this” one of the assistants responded, exasperated from having to carry him halfway across Ambrosia.

“Oh dear, what have you gotten yourself into?” the nurse asked Renji, she didn’t expect an answer, but the swordsman managed to groan weakly. She set to work quickly, removing portions of his clothing and stitching together wounds. It felt strange being tended to like this, due to Renji’s disposition he rarely found himself in the company of others. He felt a tug at his waist and realized that one of the nurse’s assistants were trying to remove his sword. A surge of fear and adrenalin pumped through the wounded swordsman and he lashed out, grabbing the assistant’s wrist. She was a younger lady and was one of the only human-looking assistants. Renji’s red eyes flared and met the terrified rabbit-lady “don’t touch it.”

Matilda scolded him and pushed him back down onto the table “don’t move or you’re going to lose what little blood you have left.” The last of his strength had left him and he found himself slowly slipping from consciousness. The nurse continued working for an hour, making sure every cut and gash was stitched back together and bandaged properly. Even though she was a skilled nurse there was only so much she could do. Renji had lost a startling amount of blood and had fallen unconscious in the middle of the procedure. Now all that was left was to wait and hope for his recovery.