Thread:Crowsoul50/@comment-33229352-20190408050855/@comment-33229352-20190505095248

I think I went a little too crazy on this one XD I went a week without writing POVs so I had a ton of creative energy I also have no idea how well this is going to format since I’m on mobile))

The image was a little clearer now. Oswin was standing in a room with walls and floor of stone. It was dark, save for a small barred window set up high on one of the walls A large heavy-looking oaken door was on another wall. For all intents and purposes, it looked very much like a cell. Oswin himself looked pretty battered. He swayed unsteadily on his feet– whatever was in that poison was still having an effect. Still, he still seemed to be going strong. His one eye, glittering with defiance, was fixed in the darkest part of the cell under the window. He held the Hyena mask with shaking hands, gripping it hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Oswin looked down at the mask. His face contorted in anger and he threw it at the shadowy part of the wall. “Over my dead body!” It bounced off harmlessly off the stone and clattered to the floor, landing face up. A chuckle emanated from the shadows, a deep, almost unnaturally baritone sound. Something shifted in the dark and peeled off the wall. They scooped up the mask from the ground and as they moved the light filtering through the window caught the shape of large, pointed ears and a thin muzzle– the Jackal. He regarded Oswin with a slight tilt of his head. “That kind of behavior is why I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to leave. You’re much too volatile as of now. It’s beneficial for you and everyone around you if you remain here until whatever is in your system runs its course. The mask is part of the healing process the material it’s made of draws toxins out of the skin, and the herbs in its mouth help as well.” “You’re the ones who poisoned me! I’m not going to put your stupid mask on, you wannabe emo furry bastard. Let me go!” Oswin replied harshly. His hands were clenched into fists. The Jackal was unruffled. “Oh dear. It appears the toxin is worse than I thought. You’re experiencing paranoia.” The Masked One’s voice suddenly shifted. Nothing fundamentally changed-the tone, inflection and all that was the same- but to the deities listening, someone about it was different. “Don’t you remember? We found you stumbling around in the woods with your dog. The Eagle and I assumed you needed medical assistance, but when we approached you, you became violent and we had to sedate you, along with the beast.” His voice changed back to what it had been before. “You’ve always been free to go, however I strongly recommend that you stay here. If you’re at the point where you think the people trying to help you are harming you, then there’s no telling what might happen if you leave, don’t you think? Besides, that dog of yours is taking a bit to come out of anesthesia.” “But–“ Oswin started to protest. “No— you’re right, I remember now. You came up to me in the woods. But I don’t remember how I got there. I must have eaten something pretty awful if I was attacking healers.” The Jackal nodded energetically. “Precisely! And you’ll be out of this cell much faster once you put the mask on. It does absolute wonders when it comes to healing, I’ve seen it myself. That’s why I wear it! I frequently work in areas with all sorts of plagues and outbreaks, and I haven’t gotten sick once.” He held out the Hyena mask to Oswin. “Give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose. If you don’t like it, you can always take it off.”

Oswin hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the mask and held it up to his face. “Are you sure about this?”

The Jackal leaned forward and his voice changed again. “I’m positive. Put it on.”

Oswin complied, sliding the mask onto his face. As soon as he did, the eyeholes and etchings carved into the mask flashed and began to glow intensely. He yelled in surprise and staggered backward into a corner, clawing frantically at the mask with his hands. “It’s not coming off!”

“Good.” The Jackal was watching him intently. He hadn’t moved from his spot, except to unsheathe one of his daggers.

Oswin hadn’t heard him as he was too busy trying to take off the mask. The glow had already started to fade from the markings. He sank to the ground, defeated.

“How do you feel?” The Jackal moved towards him, keeping the blade hidden. He didn’t intend to use it just yet, but he wanted the ability to defend himself should the need arise.

“The... the poison is gone. I can feel it.” Oswin said. His inability to take the mask off was momentarily forgotten by this discovery. “These masks are the real deal! Do you have one for Bear?”

This seemed to give the Masked One pause. “No. But we could bring him up here right now. Are you sure you aren’t feeling anything else?”

Almost as if on queue, Oswin’s stomach grumbled audibly. He gave a small chuckle. “Hungry.” He suddenly doubled over with a gasp of pain, holding his abdomen. “What’s happening?”

The Jackal stepped backward, moving towards the door. When he spoke, his voice was cold. “You’ll come to learn that that feeling isn’t hunger. You’re in Limbo. The symptoms will only get worse. The mask craves a soul, and without one soon. It will consume yours. Though, since you have a lot of souls already packed inside that body of yours, maybe it won’t eat yours first. I don’t want to risk that just yet, however. I only just got you, after all. I’ll bring this... Bear to you shortly. He’s a big animal, he should be enough to sustain you for a few days at least.” He pulled open the door, and looked back at Oswin’s shaking form curled up on the stone floor. “From now on, you’ll be known as the Hyena. Welcome to the Masked Ones.” The door slammed shut behind him and the sound of the lock clicking into place echoed off the walls.