I swung my arm up, sliding back as Baby-Face smashed his hands into the bone-bowl, sending me skidding back on the smooth stone.
"Alright, not dead-" I sighed, stretching my arm out to settle the pins-and-needles tingly feeling. "-fun." I ran forward, rolling under another swing, which crashed behind me. I stumbled as I stood, but swung forward, punching the bone-bowl into his stomach, and staggering him back.
I grinned, jumping up to smash his head in again, but he recovered quicker than I thought, bringing his hands down on me in a clap. I blocked one hand, but was smacked into the bowl by the other. We dropped to the floor, and the bowl covered me, a protective dome as I lie there on the floor.
"Ok..." I groaned, starting to push myself up again. "That hurt...bone-bowl too slow..." I managed to sit up, wincing at a sharp twang in my ribcage. "Hooo-" I breathed, leaning my head back against the ivory walls.. "Alright, Death....how's this Death Scythe thing work?"
"Fool. I have already told you. The scythe bends to your will, your need in the moment. You need to want it to be something."
I grunted in understanding, nodding my head along as he spoke. "Ok, ok." I glanced around at the smoothed bone. Everything shook as did, pulling me out of my skin as I jumped. "Fuck!"
"The enemy attacks from outside. The bones will not hold for much longer, fool. Hurry." Death spoke again, his tone warning.
"Alright, alright I'm- ACK!" The everything shook again. "Alright, alright, uh...uh...UH!"
"I GOT IT!" I jumped up, beaming. I swung my arm away, bringing the dome off of me. Baby face swung down, his hands clasped together in a sledgehammer motion. I brought the bone bowl back up, smacking it into his incoming pound. He bounced off, and I rolled forward again, repeating my attack from before. I punched his gut again, knocking him back, and jumping up again.
When he recovered, clapping at me, I held the bone bowl in front, and focused my mind on it's shape. His hands approached, inches away from splattering me inbetween.
The bowl exploded outwards, warping into a massive pillar, pushing against his hands with such a force, that it ripped his arms from their sockets, and pulverized them into the walls. I landed a she fell, armless.
The bones had changed again, forming a small dagger in my hand, and I lunged forward. I took hold of it's face as I landed on his head, and raised my dagger high above my head. "Sayonara, jackass!"
I plunged the blade into his skull, cackling as a it slid in. A second passed, a silver-ish, glowing goop splashed out. I twisted my weapon, sneering, and more of the strange goop sprayed out. "Ooh, pretty." I purred. "what is it?"
"Take your weapon out." Death instructed.
I frowned. "That didn't answer my question..." I muttered, listening anyway.
Specks of silver light floated out of the wound, and off of the goop that continued to spray out. The light came together a foot above, forming like crystals in the shape of a glowing heart. I gazed upon the item in wonderment. "Wow-"
"Eat it." Death cut me off.
"Wait, what?" I snapped out, looking to my dagger. "What do you mean 'eat it'?"
He only repeated himself. "Eat it."
"I'm not gon-"
"EAT THE SOUL, FOOL!" Death commanded, his voice booming in my ears, like two, massive iron balls slamming into each other repeatedly.
I held my hands to my ears, groaning and growling in aggony at the sound. "Gods, FINE!" I submitted, snatching the heart shaped crystal from the air. It felt surprisingly slimy, like the goop that had sprayed from the monster, or a gelatinous dessert. "Down the hatch..." I gulped.
I brought the object above my head, and dropped it into my mouth. It wriggled and sloshed about, and I choked, the gummy texture less than pleasant as it slid heavily down my throat. I almost threw back up when it hit m stomach, but I managed to keep it in, much to my dismay. I coughed, hacking as I lurched forward.
"Oh, fuck, why?" I sputtered. "Why did I do that?"
"It is how you take the souls of the Phonos." Death replied, quite matter of factly.
"Yeah, *cough* fuckin' why though?"
"The power of the soul will contribute to your power, as soon as your soul has digested it." He explained. "It's no different from the food you consume..
I glared at the dagger. "Bullshit, I just swallowed a ball of mucus!" I snarled.
"You will get used to it."
I muttered mockingly in response, but he didn't respond to my insulting immaturity. "Whatever, I'm getting out of here." I grumbled, standing up and starting again towards the stairs.
"An optimal decision." Death sighed.
We traveled through the dungeon without any issue, the halls, and cells empty. There was no trace remaining of their bodies, only blood splatters indicating people ever walked in here "It seems that Phonos made to feast the denizens of this place." Death pointed out.
"Yeah, I guess. I don't see anyone around here." I shrugged. "Why'd he do that, anyway?"
"It's quite simple. The Phonos feed off of other souls." He answered.
"So what, re they like...other Death gods?"
If he could frown, I sensed he wanted to. "No, that is foolish." He sighed. "They feed for nourishment. They need them to live, like any other living creature. I devour souls to purify them, taking the impurities as my own and absorbing them, while the remaining pure souls move on."
"Oh..." I nodded. We continued onwards, coming to the final floow, the exit. I walked towards it eagerly, but Death's voice called for me to halt.
"What is it?" I groaned, looking down at the knife.
"There is something ahead." He warned. "Tread carefully. It possesses a very powerful soul."
I frowned, and continued walking, albeit a bit more cautiously. "Another Phonos?" I asked, opening the doors to the outside slowly, peeking out. I saw the figure before he could answer fully.
"A human."