[M] The Throne of Gods: Memories of Divinity - IC

[Yamimoon]

Returning to the space where the others were, Lunae returned to the dark corner that he had taken up before he had been invited for tea. HIs mind was racing with all of the new information that had been revealed. Granted none of it was truly relevant, and none of the truth was revealed. However, Moriteva did shed some light on the fact that he was missing memories. He had a suspicion, but the God's words confirmed it. Moriteva knew him, and had more information that he was unwilling to share.

The only clue that he had given Lunae was that Silvannus held a key to his memories. Looking at the direction the god had wandered off to Lunae could only scowl. There was no way that he was going to talk to that God. He was selfish to the point he couldn’t stand it. It was his life, and if he died in the process it would have been his fault. It is not like he has anyone that would miss him.

Turning his gaze back to the campfire at the other end of the room. He closed his eyes to relax. He just pushed his chaotic thoughts to the back of his mind, and put his thoughts to better use. He was imagining the completed design of the gauntlets he had just been commissioned to create. He also thought of some great materials that he could use to optimise the design, and destructive force.

---------------------------------

Now the group of gods were on a march through the volcanic waste that led to the portal that would lead them out of this hell. Lunae took up the rear since he didn’t want to deal with any of the others. They all had more in common with one another, and some of them were even friends. He guessed he could walk with Moriteva, but he was still not happy with finding out that he knew more about his missing memories than he was telling.

The heat around them increased with every moment they pushed further into the area. He didn’t care how this was affecting the others, he was enjoying the heat. Ever since he had been in this hell he was kept in an area that was cooler than he preferred. The colder he was, the more his body didn’t want to work. He had never tested it, but he knew when using frost crystals, and the like it was all he could do to use them.

Each of the deities present have their own reasons for being here, but he on the other hand really didn’t want to be here. He had been stripped of his home, forced to endure the hell of this place, and decided that he would rather die than to create a weapon for that Monarch. She only saw them as tools, and not as a part of her.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by the group stopping. It seemed that they had reached their destination. However, that was not the case. His eyes widened as he looked to the centre of the others. Seeing the one person he didn’t want to see. Her long red hair was like the fire that surrounded them. Her commanding presence is a reminder of what they had gone through not that long ago. It didn’t take long for anger to fill his being. She was the cause of this whole mess. The catalyst that disturbed his peace, and destroyed his life.

Yet he knew his limitations. He wasn't a warrior like the rest of these gods, and goddesses. He was nothing more than a blacksmith. He might be able to use his weapons special abilities. However, knowing how to use those abilities, and actually using the weapon were two completely different things. He wanted his life to return to the way it was before this woman came to him. Yet that one thing was beyond his abilities.

He watched as Visana attacked the illusion and found herself almost hitting the ground. If it weren't for the God of Kings she would have eaten dirt. Lunae felt a chill go down his spine the moment her eyes met his. The memories of his time in that cell filled his mind, and fear showed in his eyes. The god of the forge knew that was what she wanted, but he couldn’t stop himself. Each word she spoke only intensified this emotion until her eyes went to another of the group.

It wasn’t until she began speaking about why they weren't killed immediately in the prisons that made Lunae’s skin crawl. Was that the witches plan from the beginning? If what she said is true then… Lunae didn’t have time to finish his thought when he heard a command that forced him down onto his knees. The voice was unmistakably Aegis’ however, he knew that the man was no doubt not the one that spoke.

He could hear the footsteps of something approaching, quickly approaching the group. With everything that was told Lunae didn’t have any doubt that she took his flesh as well. If she fed it to one of those things then they would be able to forge her the weapon that she wanted. Especially if they knew what materials would be the best to use. All he could hope was that they didn’t have his memories.

The worst part was that she even had his best hammer. If the weapon thought that one of those things was him then… He shook his head not wanting to think of the ramifications of all of this. He closed his eyes for only a moment, then opened his eyes as he resolved himself to one thing. He was going to stop hiding.

‘Why did you agree…’

Lunae shook his head as the voice filled his ears.

‘Where is it…’

Lunae clutched his head as the voice grew a little louder. He tried to banish the voice. This was not the time for him to be distracted. His life was in danger, and now something like this was happening. Lucky for him Marette the goddess of time had had enough, and slowed the advancement of the creatures. To give them but a moment to get ready. Lunae closed his eyes, and pushed the voice out of his head as he could allow himself to die here.

As everything was happening two figures appeared out of the shadows at the top of the entrance to the cave. They were dressed in black hooded cloaks as they watched what was happening.

“My lord. Why would she send creatures like this to attack this group? Wouldn’t it have been more advantageous to have us kill these gods?” A feminine voice asked as she looked down at the creatures as their movements slowed.

“This is not a massacre my dear. You should never underestimate any of the Monarchs.” a male voice said as he just looked at the deities that were trying to understand what was going on, and getting ready to fight. He looked to Lunae, Silvannus, and Aegis. Each of them had something he wanted. Each of them were important to his plan.

[Azazeal849]

Aegis’ hand was on Visana’s shoulder, half steadying her, half holding her back. While the illusion of Malphas prowled, the protector goddess set her feet, arm thrown wide and star-blade horizontal, ready for the attack she knew was coming. But she was not ready for the voice.

“Kneel!”

A rush of vertigo hit her, spinning her vision. As she blinked she felt jagged rock beneath her and realised that somehow she was on her knees, looking up in horror as six creatures emerged from the darkness and leapt to attack. Their faces were all teeth, eyeless like the Consumed, but these hell-spawn were bigger and crowned with horns, their bodies armoured in black chitin. Instinctively Visana tried to rise to meet them, but her leg muscles were locked - betraying her to the command that only Aegis should have been able to utter.

Marette bought them time. A distortion shimmer in the air and the onrushing creatures slowed to a crawl, giving them all the few seconds they needed to shake off the compulsion. The wards on Visana’s skin ran with light, freeing her just a fraction faster than the others. With an effort she pulled one knee up, pushing off her back leg to put herself in front of Aegis and Santav. Malphas’ creations stood with claws raised and fangs bared, flash-frozen. It gave her a surreal moment to stare at their sleek, barbed bodies, and appreciate that there might once have been something beautiful about them - like angels carved from the imagination of demons.

One was beginning to move, dragging itself free of the time bonds that Marette had weaved around it, and so Visana chose it first. She ran at it, her sword trailing behind her in a two-handed grip. The blade slashed up and around, an arc of starlight. At the last moment, it slowed.

Visana gritted her teeth but it was like pushing through wet concrete, the sword flickering with frustrated light a harmless finger length from the demon’s chitinous torso. At first she thought it was some residual trick of the time warp, but then she saw the runic swirls tracing themselves into life on the demon’s chest, intimately familiar. Her eyes widened in realisation. The demon grinned a hagfish smile.

“I can’t wait to taste you again.” her own voice said, spilling through the demon’s rows of teeth.

It lashed out with a god’s strength, hard enough to fold her in half around the fist and send her rocketing backward. Visana twisted and caught herself, her heel skidding back through the volcanic ash until it hit the cave wall. The demon was already on her, and this time its fist rammed her in the face, cannoning the back of her head off the rock and bursting her vision into stars. Blinded, she got her free hand behind her sword blade and shoved, this time forcing it through the stolen wards and feeling it bite.

Visana staggered back to guard, blinking away the pain and darting her head left and right to see where her allies were, if they needed help. She felt something run down from her nose across her lips, and tasted blood. The demon, bleeding itself from the horizontal slash across its chest, licked its lips.

[Iwazuma]

Thankfully, it seemed Moriteva had missed little, as their journey outwards into the volcanic hellscape occurred shortly after, with little information sounding new to his ears. It gave him time on focusing on their next leg. Once they were out of Hades, he would give them what shelter he could while he recuperated for the journey ahead. His mission was not complete until they got to Luthious, which was still quite some journey away. He understood why the Monarch hadn't simply journeyed forth himself-politics were a bitch-but it still weighed heavy on him. This was an undertaking most gods would fail. And he still might. But he had a job and an obligation-to Selrina as well as his dear friends-to see this through. And so he journeyed onwards, close to the front of the pack, his hempen cloak seeming to be a terrible choice to wear in an infernal hellscape. Not that he minded. He'd worn it from the verdant fields of Averas to the soulless depths of Carcari-and he would gladly wear it wherever he went.

However, as they neared the volcano range, Moriteva sensed something was off. There were no nearby life signals, of course, but that in itself was strange. Even in Hades, life could thrive. The Charred were proof of that. That nothing was nearby was...odd. Mori made light of it, however, in pursuit of getting them closer to their goal of escape. As they neared the entrance, however, Moriteva caught sight of a sickening visage-Malphas herself, sneering at them as though they were naught but playthings. Visana lunged forwards before Moriteva had a chance to warn her; there was no sign of life, so this had to be yet another illusion. Thankfully, Aegis rescued her from being made a complete mockery, leaving Moriteva to exhale in a sigh of relief-however briefly.

Malphas proceeded to speak, leaving Moriteva to fold his arms in frustration, his expression invisible beneath his hood. She was either wasting a lot of time for no reason...or she was preparing something. She wouldn't arrive in front of them with no way to cause lasting harm if she didn't have a plan. Santav seemed to agree with his own thoughts, urging the group forward while she monologued. However, Moriteva had to pause before he took another step. He'd heard that phrase before. Devourer. Mahisu had spoken of it in the past. Dreadful creature. A Consumed that'd partaken of too much divine essence...Moriteva knew what little Mahisu could share, but not much else. But Malphas planned on making...an army? So that was why everyone had been kidnapped...though the how of it was still beyond his grasp. But the last bit-a spell to...hide life energy? Moriteva's eyes widened. "This is a setup. Everyone, move-"

The realization came too late. The divine command reached his ears, and Moriteva's knees bent of their own accord, leaving him knelt in front of the demoness's illusion. Moriteva ground his teeth, but spun on his knees to face the oncoming threat. Devourers. And six of them, by the looks of it-though if life energies had been hidden, there could have been hundreds. It didn't matter. They were on their knees. Moriteva drew his hand into his seed pouch, withdrawing a few he found might be quite helpful. He pulsed life through them, quickly revealing he was holding a few stalks of cotton plant. He withdrew its quickly maturing puffs, slamming them against his head and cramming them deep into his ear canals. Everything quickly grew muffled; perfect just in case things got hairy yet again. He wouldn't be able to hear his companions, however...not too well, at least.

Marette had sprung into action already, leaving the Devourers locked into place, seemingly trapped in a fraction of time. Moriteva, still on his knees, shuffled forward; one had begun to break free of Marette's hold, but Visana was quick to rush forward and engage. She'd broken free quite quickly; he probably would be soon to follow. But before he did, he could see that familiar twinkle in Silvannus' eye..."Silv, focus. No matter how precious they are, they are a threat to those you care about." Moriteva's voice was serious, but not scolding. He knew Silvannus had a penchant to be...eccentric, but he also knew there was no way he'd abandon his friends in a time of need.

Moriteva continued to shuffle forward until he felt the compulsion of faux-Aegis' voice begin to fade. He rose to his feet, taking the last few steps to rest in front of one of the Devourers frozen in time. "Hm." Moriteva noted just how...demonic they looked. Nothing like their Consumed brethren, truly. The divine powers had warped them well beyond what they were meant to be. They weren't meant to have such abilities. He wondered if Malphas truly understood how dangerous tinkering with life truly was. No wonder everything was so out of balance....

Regardless, Mori wasn't about to let these cruel amalgamations off easily. He placed his hand on the head of the one in front of him, beginning to siphon its life energy away. He felt his own reserves replenish, sighing as he continued the steady draining process. It still hadn't moved...

And then out of nowhere, the creature moved. But not just moved, flew. In the blink of an eye, the Devourer had escaped Marette's hold, moving nearly faster than he could track to rush him down. Moriteva was thrown backwards, a searing pain in his right side as a small chunk of flesh was ripped out of a suddenly torn cloak. Moriteva stared up in pained bewilderment as the Devourer stood in front of him, a strangely familiar smirk on its face as it raised the piece of his own flesh up, as though in triumph. Such a familiar smirk..."So THAT'S your game..." He'd stumbled on one who'd partaken of Marette...that was the only way it could have escaped her power and moved so quickly. He scowled as the being lowered its hand to its mouth...until it found its arm unceremoniously slapped away, the chunk of bloody sinew tossed against a wall. Moriteva was quick to stand in front of his own lifeblood as green life energy began to seal the wound. "So then. You have Marette's abilities, do you?" Moriteva spoke with narrowed eyes as his hood fell back, his shield slipped forward on his arm as the Devourer screeched at him, an enraged, ghastly noise that he could feel even beneath a layer of cotton. "Let's see if you got her intellect and grace as well..."

[Scottie]

Words had passed over him like the softest of morning rain. Atrophos knew that Santav was speaking and his companions were asking questions, however, his mind was on the decaying world around them. The ash that covered every inch of this realm and the charred themselves that were once powerful gods now merely husks of their former selves. He knew that the replacement of godly domains was reasonably common. Though it was normally reserved for demi-gods or domains that had a greater chance of death.

Frail fingers curled around his walking stick as silence enveloped them. Concerns were raised and Atrophos let his presence slip into the background. He was never one to be an offensive participant. He was the vulture that hovered over the edge of the battle and waited for the fallen to stop twitching. Leaning his full body weight on the staff, he moved towards this new presence. Ever the observer, the next few moments passed over him like a dense fog.

‘Kneel’

It sliced through the fog and rattled around his cracked skull. Bony knees hit the ground harshly, his staff slipping from his fingers to clatter beside him. Hooded eyes latched onto their attackers. Devourers. A small twitch of his lips curled upwards. Feast on god-flesh. It would not be difficult for them to gain his flesh, it dripped from his bones like honey. His companions sprung into action. A glowing circle to his right and beams of light from Marette. The devourers slowed but the hunger in their eyes rang deep.

Movement. Atrophos watched from his position as Visana lunged at a Devourer to witness it protect itself with her own magic. “Hm” The word lazily dribbled from his lips. His attention dragged back to the group slowly descending on them. Which ones had feasted upon his flesh? Only one way to find out. Atrophos dug his hands deep into the ashy soil beneath them, splaying his fingers out. Ash coated his fingers and crept into the fissures on his palms.

Focusing on the group, a horde of small creatures pushed up from the ash and started to tunnel their way towards the devourers. Atrophos’s gaze snapped between them all before his fingers curled towards his palm in their ashy grave. One after the other, small slater like bugs sprung from the ash and latched onto any available surface area on the devours. The ones that landed would frantically scurry around the creatures, burying into the spaces between their bio-armour.

Four of his chosen friends fell harshly back to the ground and buried themselves in the sand. Ah. Only one. A sly smile ripped onto his lips as Atrophos focused on the devourer that seemed to repel his creatures. His fingers moved from their splayed-out position to scrapping the soil away from under his knees. It took him longer to stand than most, hauling his body up with the use of his walking stick. Sliding his staff to one side, he attempted to place it in a defensive position. His devourer was marked in his mind, the issue was not his own powers but what other gods had been included in that horrifying blend.

[Dire Hoef]

Now playing . . . "Cometh the hour" Pt. A_Opus1 · Shiro SAGISU

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Sleeping... Sleeping... Sleeping...

THREAT DETECTED!
THREAT DETECTED!
THREAT DETECTED!

What? What the fuck? WHO THE FUCK!? WHEN DID SHE GET HERE!?

This is bad. Real bad. He zoned out, he totally put his body in autopilot and fucked off to go play some mobile games. The older divine were talking and conversing with this new cat, and some of the others were providing security. So, he thought best to get some manner of R&R. But to think that his R&R ran so deep that he didn't notice that the literal DUCHESS OF PAIN showed up unannounced, rattled the young god.

His flight or fight was at one hundred percent efficiency in this moment. And so he chose to fight.

He attempted to pounce the apparition with maximum violence, but a familiar power swept over him. This force slammed into his back and made him KNEEL, which resulted in him faceplanting into the charred dirt. "THEY REALLY GOTTA STOP DOING THAT SHIT!!" His angry shouts reverberated across into said dirt.

But as the influence dissipated, this left Riddy to flip to his feet.

He then took stock of the fight, watching his battle-buddies come toe-to-toe, blow-for-blow, with these things. His bionic eyes logged everything. These creatures were unknown to him, only thought of as rumors among the gods. So to see these things in action had made Riddy's body malfunction out of anxiety temporarily. But he was only given a small window to record before one of those hellish bio-weapons came zipping at him. It had used Riddy's power over creation to conjure up a large blade. This blade radiated with unchained hellish power and looked fit to be better called cleaver rather than a sword.

And Riddy didn't have too much time to react, and was barely able to dodge a blade the size of a bundle rebar. He did several back flips before landing on his feet like a Gymnist who scored a 10 across the board.

Upon landing, he conjured forth his signature heavy pistols and mag-dumped the Devourer from at a distance. However, having been infused with other deities, its strength and speed outpaced Riddy's bullets; gaining the distance in that same instance.

"OH, SHI-"

Riddy's lipping was horribly cut short. The blade connected, but did not penetrate. Instead, it sent him blazing into the ground with enough force to detonate a city block. A crater formed that dug several feet down, and at its lowest was Riddy whose bionic body was shooting all sorts of warnings in his face.

But barring the fact that his body was screaming at him to fix it, Riddy had to move. This thing was looking to finish the young god off here, and Ridstus wasn't going to let that happen. At all.

So, he turned off his pain receptors and turned on his rocket thrusters. He jetted out of from his spot and aileron rolled away from a sudden explosion of fire and dirt. Standing at its epicenter, debris having settled then, was the Devourer. Its visage fully in view.

"What an ugly son of a bitch," Riddy said aloud; just enough for the thing to hear. Riddy began to laugh. Was this a real fight? A struggle that the other gods have tasted countless times before? And he was having fun?

The Devourer shared in the laughter, echos of morbid entertainment resounding out from the crater.

But the time for laughter was over as Riddy soldified his expression and his guard. The Devourer did not care, however, and continued its laughter slowly walking towards him; swinging its hellblade around as if testing the thing.

Riddy breathed in and in one breath activated several subsystems in his body to maximize the damage. As a result, streams of heat exited his body rapidly at several points, and his hair, along with his eyes, blazed red. He stared it down for a few moments before he moved at lightning speeds.

The Devourer matched, and the two collided. A shockwave blew open the crater, widening and deepening it. That hellish blade was now locked with Ridstus' bare hands. His skin melted away to reveal the machine underneath, but he was unbothered. He pushed through and decked the Devourer straight in the jaw; sending it flying into the crater's sloped wall.

Riddy took a step toward the hole he made with its body, and then conjured up several weapons that floated around him. "I am.. stronger.." From his mouth leaked oil, and his body was starting to experience serious malfunctions too. And yet, his determination remained.

[Azazeal849]

Visana couldn’t see Ridstus - only the scorched hole in the ground that the chitinous demon had driven him down into. Moriteva was hand-to-hand with a second devourer, while Atrophos was facing down the remaining three as they lashed and spasmed their way free of Marette’s time bubble. Marette and Silvannus were behind, readying spells, but the Perisher stood in front, alone. Three against one. She had to-

The devourer facing her bounded forward, forcing her to move to meet it. Visana sidestepped, and whipped the starblade around to strike the demon in the flank. There was a flash like a lightning strike, and angry red runes twisted their way across the demon’s carapace as her sword was repelled back. She rolled with the momentum, lashing into a spin that brought the blade round into the demon’s other shoulder with thunderclap force. The wards jolted her arm, but she saw blood trickling black between the cracked armour plates. The demon hissed, one clawed hand closing around the blade of her sword. Starlight sprayed between its fingers as it forced her weapon down and to the side. It lunged, jaws gaping, and Visana just barely twisted herself out of the way, the dagger teeth gnashing closed mere centimetres in front of her eyes. She pushed a hand into the demon’s blind face and a burst of energy flared, flinging the two combatants apart. The demon twisted in the air like a cat, skidding back as it landed on its feet. Visana went down hard on one knee.

“Give up.” the goddess’ own voice taunted her, equal parts syrup and poison. So confident that it used her voice, rather than Aegis’. Or maybe Aegis’ command was too strong for them to channel repeatedly, or without a chorus of its fellows. Visana did not understand how Malphas’ hellspawn drew on the magic of god-flesh, and she did not want to.

Visana twisted her hands together, fingertips touching in a complicated sign. The demon leapt - horizontal, face-first, mouth hinging wide. Visana flung her arms apart and the demon’s lunge was arrested by the pale blue orb that sprang into being around it. Visana stood, chest heaving, watching as the caged demon let out a soundless shriek. Oil-slick colours splashed across the bubble’s skin as the devoured slammed its fists into the orb in thwarted fury. Its fists held all of Aegis’ strength - the protective prison wouldn’t hold for long. Visana turned on her heel and ran towards Atrophos.

Staff firmly in the ashy soil beneath his feet, Atrophos set his sights on the devourer that had his divine powers flickering through its body. The devourer twisted its head over the group of gods and settled on the God of Decay. He was barely a step in front of Marette and Silvannus but that was not the reason that the devourer selected Atrophos. The creature scrambled forward and lunged across the gap between it and its prey. Atrophos felt like Marette had cast another of her spells over them as time seemed to slow. His gnarled fingers curled around his staff as he tried to brace himself for the incoming attack.

But why? The creature had his flesh in its stomach. This creature was a creature of decay. His domain. No one else. Instead of shying backwards and bracing for an attack, Atrophos let the staff swirl through the ashy soil and raised the curled end towards the creature. His right foot slid backwards, and he settled himself into an old familiar position. Claws and barbed teeth snapped closer and closer with the first attack aimed for his throat. Swinging his staff around, he caught the creature in the crook of its elbow and swiftly brought the other end of the staff down to catch the creature in the stomach.

He was never one to fight in his domain. Things came easily and rarely with a fight. Decay was inevitable. He was inevitable. He never had to fight. But it did not mean he was weak. No matter how hard the fight, decay always won. Yes, the process could be delayed but never stopped completely. The thin wooden staff left his right hand and crossed his back to land lightly in his left. Rearing back, Atrophos caught the creature in the jaw. Only for the force of the staff to linger inches from the creature. Ethereal blue runes ran up the side of its face as it chuckled. A dark earthy chuckle. His chuckle.

A force of energy occurred to his right as one of the devourers was trapped by Visana. Atrophos maintained the force against the creature as it slid its eyes lazily towards Visana and then back to Atrophos. Hunger ran through the creature. A need greater than one Atrophos would ever experience. Releasing the force from the creature’s jaw, Atrophos twirled his staff and rammed it against the creature's left leg. The protection had not been extended downwards yet and Atrophos felt it crumple forward. This time, the staff landed in the soil and Atrophos booted the creature backwards.

Pain shot through the god until he settled his foot back on the ashy soil. “Visana, my dear.” His voice carried over the fighting to the goddess that was looking his way. “I think this one has feasted upon us both.”

Visana skidded to a halt next to him. “We cannot defeat our own powers within these creatures.”

She paused, weighed down by the significance of what she was about to suggest. Gods battled for influence across the Earthplane, but before the Fall, actually coming to blows was a terrible thing. Visana had never done so - even as she sat eye to eye with the Perisher, pouring her protection into a premature baby that wasn’t fated to live more than an hour. She had hated him in that moment, as he picked her blessings apart piece by piece, telling her calmly that it was time, but she had not struck him. Instead she had bowed her head as the child’s tiny belly rose and fell and did not rise again, and stood aside for Requiem the goddess of death to take him softly into her arms.

“We need to defeat each other. How would I defeat the god of decay?”

Atrophos readied himself with his staff held out infront of him. The next attack would come swiftly as hunger echoed through the creature like the chiming of a church bell. “Well…” The god paused; he had never really had to think how he would defeat himself. How another could defeat decay. “A sword may rust but in this case…it only need last long enough to cut.” The decay god sent a small glance towards Visana and threw his right hand out. Splaying his fingers and then sending it skywards. A column of pure ash and dust rose from the ground before them. Barrelling towards the devourer in an attempt to slow the creature. “We must remember that these creatures..They are not us. They do not hold the same control that we do. This thing will not know how to use decay to heal itself. You must get through your protection and attack before your sword starts to dim.”

Visana nodded slowly, feeling the prayers inked across her skin prickle with unease at what she was about to say. She was giving Atrophos her own blade, and trusting him not to push it through her heart. But then, that was exactly what he had just done for her.

“The prayer sigils.” she told him, “Focus on those. Decay the wards.”

And then there was nothing else to do but act. She gathered together old prayers and cherished promises, tracing them along her sword blade. Spirals of blue and gold twisted up the starlight edge, blessing it; preserving it - maybe, just maybe, imbuing it with enough longevity to cut the wretch in front of them down.

The God of Decay’s outstretched hand began to tremble as the devourer fought against the ash cloud. He knew what her words meant. He knew that she was going against all her principals in informing him how to defeat her protection. “Fear not, Visana. This action will never again be replicated.” His words soft but they had the weight of a heavy and true promise. The creature finally appeared through the dust and Atrophos let the dust cloud sink back to the soil beneath them. Swivelling his staff back into a guard position, he stared down the creature. His gaze piercing through the dust covered skin and aiming directly at the blue runes that littered the creature. Selecting one, he did not know which one, he forced the rune to curl and burn through the skin crumbling into nothing. It took the wind from him, this was no normal decay. This was a divine decay and that took all his strength. Then another, this one on the jaw of the creature. A piercing horrifying wail tore through them both as the creature lunged towards them. “The neck.” He told Visana as he disintegrated the next rune in the line of protection swirling down the creature’s neck.

For Visana, everything was nightmare vivid as the demon barrelled towards them. The glint of its teeth, the dust trailing from its jointed carapace, the distorted thudding of her heart in her own ears. Her vision narrowed to the runes blazing across the demon’s form, the script they wove as they raged bright and guttered out under the pressure of Atrophos’ decay. It was a twisted mockery of a prayer, pulsing and rotten, but it was one she could read, and she could read the collapse as key lines unravelled, bleeding shockwaves through the rest and opening up fatal gaps.

The neck, just as Atrophos had said.

Visana switched her feet, lunging forward, and drove the point of her star-bright sword towards the demon’s throat.