its simply one of those days. mid-winter, when the snow piles high even in spawn and people are busy hatching plans in their bases rather than enacting them due to the cold. the lack of people around is never good for mapicc, who's own humanity only comes from those nearby, and not even having a team around to help him through it made things get much worse.
it started like it always does in these cold days, him favoring a fire inside rather than frostbite in wounds, slowly burning away the most human parts of him.
if he had to guess, the reason humanity is always the first thing to leave him would be how wrong it is in him. he doesn't remember the creatures that made him become what he is, but is almost entirely certain people were not part of it.
time ticks on, he feels less and less "right". as the human part of his mind fades, the fact his body hasn't changed makes it terrifying. that has always been the first sign of a shift, paws or talons forming, teeth changing shape, but that was always from fresh kills and this is the utter lack of it.
he blinks and the fire is out but his eyes are still locked onto it. nothing has changed and everything is wrong. he claws at the stone floors that now feel like they are made to stop him. his nails aren't sharp or long enough to scratch, the blood coming from his fingers barely mattering. his surroundings feel unfamiliar, forcing him to watch every shadow for why. nothing moves but him.
he watches. he doesn't understand what's happening and can only feel how wrong everything is. the walls tell him nothing, the base completely silent.
a ringing cracks through his skull bringing him out of the depths of silence. he fumbles for the source of the noise, only vaguely recognizing how to use it. pressing a button, different noises come out, some sound like they could be words but his mind can't keep up. he tries to respond with anything, only a muffled whine making it's way out. the noise from the device stops, calming him for a moment, until there's something in the room with him and he doesn't know what.
his reaction was fast, backing up against the wall farthest from the yellow form, barring his not sharp enough teeth and trying to hide his bleeding wounds. he didn't understand what had found him, squinting at how bright it was. the glow took a step closer and he tried his best to growl and snap it away but was much too weak when it reached him, easily avoiding his attempts to bite.
he was now held back by the shoulders, trying his best to lunge forward on his attackers neck. he almost did when they pulled out a cold, teal form, having had to release one hand, but pulled back the moment it was pointed at him.
words came out of the other once again, inaudible to the creatures ears. they seemed to understood, smiling wide as he plunged the sword into himself.
as ichor trickled out, pieces came forming back, the living corpse speaking now, "thank you, zam."
"anytime," came zams final word, his smile never leaving as his body began to melt into the ground, traveling the world back to his respawn point. mapicc watched the gold flow, letting it run over his fingers and smiling as the skin came back.