Hello author here. Please enjoy the chapter and share any criticism. Any input can be good input. I wish to spend the next few chapters exploring the mc's mind and opinion on what happened to him. He's naturally a daredevil no terrible pun intended I promise. I want him to adapt but not outragously quick.
The taste was.. everything I dreamed of and more. I devoured the body and only spoke hurriedly in between bites.
"The blood energizes me like no sports drink could." I bit into him again. "Damn everything if I can't taste this again."
While I was feasting on a dead man's detached head and neck the knights he was close to continued cursing me. "Take another bite and the count will have your head."
I briefly looked away from my meal and locked eyes with the knight bold enough to curse me. "I mean it demon DONT take another bite."
His words or time had an effect on me. They woke up from my bloodthirsty state.
The blood and flesh cravings had stopped. I was no longer eating like a beast. Then since I was no longer beast his human words reached me.
"Another.. bite?" My words came out confused.
I paused and stared at the head in my hands not just in fear but also instead shock at what I was doing. I dropped the body from my hands and backed away from it in terror.
I looked at my blood soaked hands that now had short but sharp claws. I started to hyperventilate out of fear at what I've become.
I screamed in horror at what I had done to the man's skull. It was bare and clean as if it was a preserved fossil. No blood, flesh, hair and organs were there.
"I'm a monster!!!"
"Something inhuman!!"
"Did I do all this??!!"
I continued backing away in fear until I tripped over tree root that I didn't see. I fell flat on my back all while I continued scream. I screamed for my mother but she didn't answer.
"Ma please help me!!!"
"I think I just killed a man!!"
Tears streamed down my face. Snot ran down my nose soaking my chest and shirt. The understanding that I've finished off a man picked his skull clean like a vulture was too much.
I shook in fear like a child showing great fear and the knights noticed. They thought that they were quiet but I could hear them as if they were running on the dry leaves they were sneakily walking on.
They held their stun batons and surrounded me with evil and satisfied smiles. "The count sent us to get the girl but you're freaky enough so you'll have to do."
They raised their hands but didn't get to drop them. Four tentacles had burst from inside me and grabbed their hands. Each hand that held a stun baton was gripped tight.
The tears and snot stopped completely. I was dragged out of my sadness by my new biology.
I stared at the emerged tentacles with many emotions but the most prominent was recognition. I knew what they were and what they meant.
These were the iconic rinkaku kagune that I had seen on screen more than I could count. The knowledge surfaced again. Rinkaku ghouls usually were tough, versatile and regenerated quickly.
Something that should have stayed on the screens and in the books were attached to me. "Is this payback from what I said."
This is what that warm being meant when it said my new body and life wouldn't be enjoyable. "Am I stuck like this forever?" I looked at the men in my grasp.
The men stared at them in many as well but the most prominent for them was fear and pain. The tentacles squeezed tighter breaking the men's weapon bearing arms but wouldn't let them fall in pain.
They screamed out in pain and fear. Afraid that I would do what I did their friend to them. No longer were they the men who attacked a young child with smiles.
No longer were they the men who injured someone who held back and showed restraint. They didn't feel like men at all instead they felt like boys doing violence but afraid of experiencing that same violence.
Tears streamed down their faces just like tears had recently flowed down mine. I thought of releasing them and showing mercy but was stopped by the gator man.
He spoke deeply and his voice was gravely. "Do not show them mercy but instead do what they would have did to you." I opened my mouth to respond but couldn't find anything to say and closed it.
Could I kill them? Do I have the strength to take a life, create grief and possibly cause more pain. Sure they were gonna kill me but since they didn't succeed should I release them?
I just like many back home I've played video games that involved death and Joked around about killing others but that doesn't mean I can do it. I was taught that taking life should be the last resort.
I was drowning in guilt and fear of causing harm. Unable to move forward or backwards and something broke that struggle.
Another voice inside me wished for their deaths. "They harm others no need to worry about the consequences." "Those who seek death often find it and fear what they find." "If anyone causes trouble after just kill them too."
I questioned myself intensely and quickly. I had my answer quicker than I think any man who had my upbringing should.
I locked eyes with the men and spoke a phrase that sent chills over the men. "Yesss.. I should get used to death and killing."
I released the men and let them fall. They looked up at me happy and praised me. "Thank you for showing mercy to us."
I let them speak and did not interrupt them. "We are ashamed to be forgiven by one we wished to hurt."
They stopped speaking and waited for me to speak and I did. "No need to thank me." They were confused and blanked out before one man among them screamed to run.
They looked at the man who spoke and nodded before they ran in opposite directions. I didn't let them get far.
I pierced each men with a tentacle through the stomach and lifted them high. Each one hung over me dripping blood and no longer moving.