With the retreat of the God-King, so too did the Holy Sentinels, with that brought back the lab's head. High Alchemist Raleigh opened the lab door, as he entered.
Emily looked up from her meal, black blood dripping from her mouth as she had finished the lower half, it seemed not all the blood was properly drained, perhaps she would ask the slutty vampire to help her. If a vampire didn't know how to drain blood, then there was no helping it.
She noticed that Raleigh closed the door behind him, and made his way over to her as he paused midstep. His face twisted, as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.
Emily continued to eat, not taking her eyes off of Raleigh. This was the third time she ate in front of someone. First Leslie, then Jack, and now Raleigh...
"Wha..." Raleigh's face twisted more...
"Are you eating a fucking corpse?!" Raleigh finally found his voice, as he spoke in disgust and loathing, as his initial fear subsided.
Emily swallowed her chewed food, "Yeah, what of it?" As she took another piece, stripped from the ribs.
"This-This is cannibalism! GHOUL! THIS IS GHOULISH! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I EVER THOUGHT OF YOU! UGH!" Raleigh squealed, as he turned and emptied the contents of his belly onto the floor.
"..." Emily stopped chewing, as her gaze flickered looking upon Raleigh's actions. She was already displeased.
"Disgraceful! I am ashamed! You aren't worthy of the God-King nor I! Ugh!" Raleigh turned to leave this sight, angry at himself for attempting to woo such a creature. He couldn't believe that this skeleton loli got a zombie body and developed such a habit so quickly... He would report this to the church soon if nothing else but to have her dealt with...
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE GOD-KING HAS SUCH A CONSORT! SICKENING, JUS-"
Raleigh seemed to bump into something soft, as he backed up to see what it was...
Emily stood to her full height from her usual slumping posture. With her straight back and Crown of horns, she looked down on the wretch that insulted her and her husband.
"What did you say, High Alchemist?" Emily's cold voice issued in a whisper but echoed in Raleigh's ears.
It was only at this moment, that alarm bells began to ring. He had never taken Emily as a threat... Even when he saw her eating the corpse, stuck in his train of previous thoughts.
"I-I... I-I-I..."
"I... What... High Alchemist? I what? I believe you said the words disgusting, disgraceful, and shameful..." Emily loomed above.
Raleigh swallowed the spittle in his throat, "Y-Yes... You were... You have... The corpse..."
Emily took a step, "I have never been called such by any outsider, in all my unlife... Born to my Royal-Mother, Queen of Neolith, Raised by the Spider Prophet of the late great Spider Goddess Neith and trained in etiquette by the most renowned scholars of these lands... I have endured, High alchemist. From confusion, until anger, but today..."
"Emily, No! Lady Emily, Your highness, Consort Lady Emily! I was wrong. I saw nothing! What you do in your spare time is your business." Raleigh backed up, as he continued to seek escape. As he backed up, the only door to the lab look further and further away, but why did the presence of this thing that was supposed to be Emily keep getting larger and larger. As long as he could get to the door, the clergy would know of this monster! He would see it purged!
"You've never called me by any titles before Raleigh... I endured because you were a scholar, a learned undead... My professor, if you would... Why do you smell like piss and fear, Raleigh? Wasn't it you who just said that I was undeserving of my husband, and now... EVEN you???"
It was indeed true that Raleigh, who had never fought or battled in his unlife, lost control of his lower region.
"Oh... No, no, no! Highness Consort Lady Emily is a great beauty still and well learned. Unequal to any lower class undead-" Raleigh's last back step bumped into a table of vails and beakers, that released a chiming sound upon impact.
"Still?"
"Yes, The God-King must--- Huh?" Raleigh continued to flatter, as he saw his own body turning upside down.
From the floor, Raleigh saw his headless body slump over, as his soul left his body, and he was granted true death.
Emily gasped, as her long talon upon her index finger retracted back and her hand regained its original form. She looked upon the dead body of High Alchemist Raleigh, and the blank look of the severed head on the floor.
She stared at the vacant stare of Raleigh, as she, herself, backed up until she came to the door. With her back to the floor, she slid down, as she continued to stare.
[W-What have I done...] She looked at her hands, with her right hand speckled in black blood. She saw that black blood, and felt an urge to taste the body, as she looked back up.
Tears welled up in her eyes, as they spilled over her pale face to drip down upon her chest, [Just... I was angry... I was right... He shouldn't have done this... I was supposed to wait... I-I didn't have permission... But I'm Consort... A Goddess... I can kill! I was planning on killing him anyway, right...? A most painful true death... But not like this. Not like this. Not like this.]
Emily held her head, as she welled to herself... After a period of time, her eyes dried, and her expression a bit better, she reached out, [Sister...]
[Done playing with Jack, I see.] The slightly angry but amused voice of Leslie filtered into her mind.
[I need your help to clean up something.]
[Oh? Where are you?]
*******
"Done, and done." Mark checked and triple checked all the reagents required. Getting some of these items again required numerous dealings and some with the Church of the Three Gods.
Deep in an underground lair the size of a football field somewhere in the Nation of Borda, a large spell formation was constructed in the same pattern as the one previous in Jakahn, but its size paled in comparison and complexity. In the middle of the formation sat Former-Princess Janet, wife of Mark. She had been watching Mark off and on for the last few weeks bring supplies and write the complex spell formation. His detail to this spell formation touched her heart when she asked what it was, only to learn it was for her. This was all for her, she thought. Even though she still disliked Mark, some part of her yearned for him, and that ice that surrounded her heart slowly melted with time these last few days, as she watched him cackle away as he worked. So eccentric and mysterious, but dedicated and faithful. Ah.
At the head of this formation was a large skull covered in thick canvas to drown out the overpowering light. This room would be ice cold, if not for the overpowering warmth given off by the blanketed skull. Yes, this was none other than the Skull of the Sun God snatched from its perch in Saigunrai seat of Deagoth slapped into the distance by the now long forgotten Mountain Ape Hermit.
Mark wiped the condensation from his skull and took his monocle to wipe the moisture from it, as his old habit flared, as he walked to the side of Janet.
"Soon, very soon, I will be done. All this time, all this money, and all these deals will finally bear the fruit of my love." Mark said lovingly and softly, as he gazed upon Janet.
Janet had long put her book down, and looked up into the face of Mark, as she asked, "Will you let me go when you're done?"
"Yes... Once I've healed you, and you still wish to go... I will let you go, or if you will permit... I will escort you to wherever it is you wish." Mark nodded and spoke with a voice that hid a few sour notes and sadness. Janet's heart felt as if it would thump in her chest, as she silently vowed to call this undead husband if he held his words true.