Chapter 12: A Boring History Lesson

The sound of heavy footsteps followed by grunts could be heard, as Joseph and Ava tracked through the thick blizzard. They had been walking for several more minutes and had found nothing except more snow. Ava's body started to shake far more rapidly as Joseph wasn't affected by the intense cold due to his regeneration abilities. 

Joseph took a few more steps before murmuring under his breath.

" Fuck it's cold. But are you sure- "

Before Joseph could finish his sentence he heard something collapse followed by several coughs. Joseph turned around confused, and looked at the ground to see Ava lying face first on the ground, buried in snow. Ava's fingertips have become pure blue and her breathing has slowed rapidly. Joseph stared at Ava lying on the ground before he scoffed and spoke. 

" If the cold bothers you so much, why don't you heal yourself? "

As soon as Joseph said this, Ava's eyes started to become hazy and she lost consciousness. Unbeknownst to Joseph, Ava couldn't heal herself. She could only heal others due to one of the commandments of her religion. Joseph stared at Ava before his eyes widened as thick falling snow suddenly stopped.

Joseph looked around as a bright sun peered down on him. Joseph looked up into the sky before he smirked and spoke. 

" Looks like you are really blessed by an God. "

Joseph kept looking up into the sky before in the corner of his right eye, he saw a pure black stone building made out of slabs. Joseph stared at the building noting that it had been destroyed. It was just several large stabs stacked around each other very similar to Stonehenge on Earth. Joseph quickly reached down and picked up Ava, carrying her over his shoulder.

Joseph started to walk toward the building, and after a few minutes, he reached the structure before "gently" tossing Ava onto the thick snow still on the ground. Joseph walked up to one of the slabs, seeing that it had hundreds of runes engraved into it. Joseph started to glare at the slab with hundreds of thoughts running through his head...

Well, there's a problem. I can't read any of this. However, they're illustrations of men, beasts, and nature. If I could place these pictures in the correct order, I'd probably be able to figure out what the hell these runes are about. 

There's a picture of a woman holding an elderly lady, next to a werewolf thing, followed by an upside-down cross. Whether this is Saint Peter's Cross or something else isn't something I can't decipher. I know this place does have Christianity involved from the grandfather clock however, that could just be a one-time thing. 

But anyway, that's the only illustration on this slab, but there are several more on the other slabs. I start walking around the slabs before reaching the next closest one. I stare up at it while scanning my eyes down it. So, a man is holding a baby next to a cliff, and next to it is some type of big cat? What the hell could any of this mean?

I smack my lips annoyed before letting out a loud sigh. Who would know anything about religion? As soon as I think about this, my brain clicks and I snap my head toward the priestess who is still unconscious in the snow no wonder the Deities put us together, they needed someone who could read these runes.

I walk over towards her before gently nudging her with the bottom of my shoe. But she doesn't wake up. I don't know why but she didn't heal herself and the problem is that I have no way to heal her. She most likely has hypothermia and from her blue skin, it's in the later stages. I crouch down next to her body while pondering. 

What is something warm? Well, I guess for starters, I'll have to cover her body in something. I quickly take off my suit jacket and white undershirt wrapping it around her frail body. She lays there in basically a blanket while I stare at her thinking. Well, I could use my blood, however, seeing how skittish she was from just my killing intent. She'll probably have a heart attack if I drench her in blood. 

" But it looks like I will have to make some type of excuse, for why her face is covered in blood. " 

I murmur to myself as I raise my hand towards my mouth before biting my index finger off. I spit my finger out to the side as my blood pours down on her. Human blood is around 98F, however my blood is probably a little colder due to how low this temperature is. My regeneration abilities don't relegate my body's temperature instead it just heals the dying cells of my body. Stopping me from getting hypothermia. 

My blood pours down onto this priestess's face for countless minutes. Until her eyes finally begin to twitch, I quickly heal my index finger as she snaps her eyes open and stares at me in shock. She gingerly pushes off the ground, before glancing at her body wrapped in my clothing. 

" Why are you shirtless?" 

She says looking at me. I just scoff at her before standing back up. 

" Because you passed out, and I needed to find something warm to wrap you in. And besides isn't it a good thing I'm shirtless? " 

She just shakes her head at me before wiping blood off her face. She stares at her bloody palm but before she can say anything, I quickly speak.

" The blood is from monsters that tried to attack us, but hurry up and stand up. Come help me read these runes behind me. " 

I turn around and begin to walk toward the runes before I notice that the priestess isn't getting up. I glance back at her confused as she keeps staring at her palm. She looked through the gaps in her fingers with a terrified look on her face before speaking in a shaky voice.

" T-This is human blood? "...