[Lilith]
I dashed out of the bathroom, the sounds of skittering above me kept pace with me as I ran right into the living room area.
I need to find Kota and Kale. Kale did not search this place well enough!
As I turned around to look at where the creature was, I couldn't see it for a moment. Where did it go?
I hastily checked the ceiling and only then I saw the gaping mouth just a few feet above me. The ceiling for the living room was higher than the bathroom, so it made more distance between us. This thing was transparent?!
It then revealed itself and its disgusting white skin. The white humanoid monster then outreached its arm, when suddenly it stretched itself.
"What the-?!" I exclaimed as I dodged out of its way. The white arm of the creature pierced through the floor behind me. I've never seen anything do that before, what is this thing?!
"K-kill…Kill…" I turned back to the monster, who had just spoken. Its gaping mouth closed and gritted its teeth as if it was angry. I then saw its arm wiggle, trying to free itself. "Mi-Mich-Argh!" The mouth then opened and screamed in agony.
Focus Lilith, You can't kill this thing. I'll just cut off its damn arm!
I quickly readied my sword for a downward slash to its stuck arm. But as my blades came swinging at it, it freed itself from the floor and quickly slithered back to the monster right before I could cut it. Once its hand came back to itself, It pulled its other arm from the ceiling and readied another attack. This time, it concealed itself and blended right into the ceiling's paint.
I could hear the other arm stretching, moving in a sporadic movement before i felt a rush of wind to the left side of me. Even with its speed, I wasn't able to react to it. I felt a rush of pain stab through my left shoulder, the arm stabbing me. Fighting through the pain, I reached out my arm to grab the monster's, pulling on it as it then revealed itself once more. The pain only fueled me as I yanked the monster right off the ceiling, I felt the mana inside me coursing into my left eye.
As I activated my Dragon eye, something felt different.
"Got you!" I yelled, watching the being flop around on the floor. I whisked my blade around, readying to slash the arm I held off. I swiftly brought the sword down. Cutting clean through the arm and detaching it.
"Ahh! It Hurts! Hurts!" The sudden sound of pain and agony took me by surprise, the monster wiggled in pain as the upper part of its detached arm slithered its way back to itself. "E-end! End!"
"What the?" I tossed the loose arm I held off to the side and watched it disintegrated away. As I turned back to the monster, I was taken aback by another surprise.
The white humanoid monster creepily stood up and twitched. Its arm that had lost its limb began to twitch and bubble before growing in length, regenerating its limb.
Suddenly, it shot out its arms at me at a deathly speed. Luckily I was able to slash at its right arm and detach it from the monster, but the new left arm was able to grasp onto me and pull me upwards into the air. The arms stretched and wrapped around my neck as it then slammed me.
"Gah!" I yelped as it slammed me into the floor, I felt the wooden flooring under me crack as it once more lifted me into the air. "L-let go!"
The white humanoid monster only shifted its head in response, the gaping mouth that it had widened a bit more as if wanting to take a bite out of me.
Maybe that's what it intended now as Slowly it began to recede its arm, pulling me closer to it. I tried to free myself from its grasp, but it began to also tighten its grip on me.
"S-Sorry…No…" The disembodied voice from the monster said.
This is bad, I'm losing consciousness from this. I can feel my vision blacking. I need to get away from this thing, somehow. I can feel my lungs burning…
In between my vision, I saw a door. The same door I've seen before in my mind, the one that had been barred. But not as before, because now the door ajar. I began to reach out towards it.
A heat emanated from it that even I could feel.
As my vision got blacker, a fueling heat began to rise out of me. And in my blackening vision, a flaming light came from my left arm as I reached for the monster's arm for one last time.
"L-let me go!" I gasped out in a Last ditch effort.
Black Flames emitted from my hand as I grabbed onto its arm. I felt a rush of mana gather to my left arm before flames began to erupt from the palm of my hand. As soon as the flames touched the arm of the monster, it reacted instantly. The flame began to burn its arm, spreading quickly before fully enveloping the arm whole. The monster let me go immediately, screaming as its new arm began to disintegrate. The black flames didn't seem to burn anything else besides the monster, almost targeting the monster only.
As I struggled to catch my breath and rubbed my throat. I looked down at my left arm, I saw that white sleeve was now burnt up to my elbow. And underneath the sleeve revealed something else, scales. A black fiery aura seemed to run through my left arm's skin as well, It didn't feel painful at all…it kinda felt good actually. I even noticed that the stab wound I had on my shoulder was healed, now a piece of scale resided in its place.
How…Did I always have this ability? Was I unlocking more of my Dragon side?
Then I remembered what the voice in my head said. When I was inside my mind, staring at the doors. 'I'd be cautious opening that, unless you needed to…'. I must've unintentionally opened that door in my mind, just a bit…
No, we can focus on thinking about where I got these powers later. Right now, I need to kill this monster and tell Kale and Kota about it. Then we can have a talk with Kota.
I looked back up at where the monster was, but unexpectedly realized that it was gone. I then heard loud steps and scratching noises heading towards the hallway and towards the front door. It's making an escape!
Grabbing my shortsword, I quickly got to my feet and chased the monster into the hallway. I saw it crawling on the ceiling, shifting from transparent and then back to normal as if it was struggling. My dragon eye could see quite well within this dark area of the hallways, so I was able to see it quite fine.
As we exited the hallway and into the entrance of the house, the monster hopped down from the ceiling and stood at the door. I saw it reach its arm out towards the door, almost opening it. I can't let it leave!
Feeling mana course through my body, I lifted my left arm and readied a punch. The black flames roared again as I pulled my fist back to strike.
"You're not going anywhere!" I yelled, running right at the monster. It quickly turned its gaping head towards me, a disembodied voice of surprise came from it as my fist made contact with its torso. The black flames began to spread across its torso, before seeping into the monster. The flames began to burn it from within. Along with the flames burning it, my punch sent the monster crashing through the door.
"Urk!" Was the only noise it made as it was sent flying out into the pouring rain outside.
I held my left hand in place, holding the position of when I did my punch. The fiery aura around my arm began to grow hotter, my dragon eye seemed to react as well as it glowed more within the dark.
After all the things I went through inside the bathroom…I feel at this moment, I could stop thinking about it because I feel really good right now…
"I'm not done with you…" I said loudly, making my way outside of the house and into the rain.
The rain pattered onto me, wetting my clothes and face…Yet my left arm hissed with fire and heat, affected by the rain. I saw the white humanoid monster scrambling on the floor, burning marks all over its torso…And Kota?
***
[Kota]
I stared at Lilith, the fiery arm she had seemed to burn hotter and hotter. I could see an intense amount of heat waves coming from her as she stood idly. I could see underneath her skin that there were scales?
Uh…Where did she get that flaming arm of hers? I don't think she was able to do that before? What the fuck happened in The bathroom?
I gazed at the white humanoid monster that was now standing, twitching idly. There was another one?! I thought Kale looked at the house already, that means there's two of them inside our barrier.
"G-g-guh-Help…" The white monster gurgled out, it's arms slowly moved towards its torso. The burn marks on it seemed to have been burnt deep into its skin. "H-help m-me…Help."
This one talks too…Kale did say these monsters were products of necromancy…Maybe the person they used to be was still alive somehow? Maybe we can help them, get them back to norm-
"Argh! Stop standing idly and kill them!" Kale's voice broke through my head. I turned my head around to see Kale pinned to the muddy ground, His left arm being bitten into by the black monster. One of his swords was deep into the side of the monster, while his other one was on the floor.
"On it!" Lilith yelled, drawing her sword. She then took a step forward before lunging at the white monster with fast speed. "Kota, we need to kill these things!"
Suddenly, the white humanoid monster lurched forward. As if reacting to Lilith. Its white arms stretched and formed into a sharp drill as it slithered its way to Lilith. Lilith ran across the mud, dodging its arms and skidding underneath one of them as she got closer to it.
I guess I found my answer. There's no way I'd be able to bring these people back, even if I tried…They'd be dead anyways. The only thing we can do now is make sure these poor souls get a final rest.
Getting up from well, I quickly grabbed my staff and aimed it at the black monster pinning kale. Lilith already was on the other monster, she should be able to be fine. I should help Kale and make sure he gets that thing off of him!
Aiming at the black monster, I casted stone piercer. I could've done Bullet shot, but I didn't have enough time to fully power it. Out of my staff, a stone manifested and shot its way to the black monster. As it was occupied by Kale, it didn't notice my spell until the last second. The stone shot right through its torso area and sent it stumbling off of kale, now there was a gap in its torso and it was bleeding intensely.
Quickly, Kale got to his feet. Without hesitation, he went on to grab his sword that was lying on the ground. Even as his arm was bleeding, he continued on his fight with the monster. With his other sword lodged in the monster still, he was just left with that sword.
"Kota, quicksand it!" Kale yelled at me, running towards the black monster. Activating his Mana cloak, Kale sprinted at a speed much greater than usual. I saw kale pressing the end of his blade handle, a glowing red hue emanated from it.
Kale said his swords had magic crystals inside them that made them have properties. One of his swords allowed him to paralyze someone, the green looking sword. And his other sword was reddish, that was the one he had now. If I remember, his green one was able to paralyze. But I don't think any of us have seen him use his reddish colored sword before.
Except now.
The black monster turned its upside down head towards Kale, its arms twitched and cracked. The upper part of the torso that faced the sky opened and tendrils came out of it, it seemed like its organs had become sentient and aimed themselves at Kale.
I slammed the bottom of my staff to the ground, silently casting Quicksand. The floor beneath the black monster turned to a brownish goop as it stumbled and fell into it, sinking even more into the floor. The tendrils that came from its back still continued to aim at kale before swiftly shooting towards him. Kale, with his sword now blazing with a fiery flame, dodged the tendrils with ease. Hopping and sliding on the floor like Lilith, he made his way to the black monster.
"Fire King style: Oblivion!" Kale chanted, nearing a couple feet of distance from the black monster. His Mana cloak disappeared and gathered at his right arm, His reddish sword now burning a bright red flame across the blade. The tendrils couldn't hit him, missing him by centimeters and only giving him a graze on his right cheek as he then jumped.
Kale floated in the air momentarily, before crashing down onto the black monster. His fiery blade struck
Downward, cutting clean through the torso of the monster. The fiery flames spewed across the body of it, it was like seeing a phoenix spreading its fiery wings. The floor beneath it cracked and turned solid, the intense heat of it made it seem like a meteor crashed right onto the monster. Flames bursted out of its mouth, the whole body of the monster seemed to be burning in a fiery flame as Kale held a kneeling position in front of it, his blade stuck into the ground beneath.
Slowly, the black monster began to dissipate. It twitched and moaned as pieces of its now cut in half body began to disappear.
"M-Manuel…" was its last words before the head vanished into the air, Leaving no trace of itself.
Kale didn't leave any time to waste. As soon as it vanished, he turned around and looked past me. "Let's help Lilith! Come on! We can't waste time!" There was a moment of panic in his eyes. He then ran towards me for a moment before stopping in his tracks. His eyes now filled with confusion. "Or…not?"
Turning around myself, I saw that Lilith had the upper hand on the white humanoid monster. The monster had lost its right arm and found itself on the defense against Lilith onslaught. Lilith slashed and pulled on its left arm with her own fiery left arm. Burnt marks etched across the white monster. And when it found itself being pulled by Lilith, She grabbed the monster's face with her left arm. The blacking scorching heat burnt itself into the monster face, it pulled itself away from it with pain.
It began to back away from her, finding itself up against the well. It twitched and groaned with pain as Lilith slowly crept up to it, a serious face alongside her left eye glowing a darker red was the only thing I saw when a lightning struck and illuminated the night.
"Pain…Pain…Kill…M-me.." The white humanoid monster swayed, its arms dropped to its side and hung loosely as Lilith held her blade high into the air. Lilith then kicked the monster against the well, its head held over the well itself and into the hole.
"Ok." Lilith answered, It was in a cold tone. Her left arm bursted with black flames as it seemingly transferred itself to her black shortsword, imbuing it with the flame. Without hesitation, She plunged the sword right into the gaping mouth of the monster. Her blade penetrated and went out of the other side of its head.
"M-Michael…." In its last words, the name it spoke sounded familiar. Actually, Both of these monsters said a name that sounded familiar.
Even Lilith was taken aback by the naming, as it immediately snapped her out of her dragon eye. Her expression gave out one of surprise and horror as she hopped off the monster and stumbled to the floor. The scales on her left arm vanished and went into her body, reverting back to her normal skin. It seems she realized as well. Her black shortsword stopped producing black flames as it sizzled and extinguish from the rain.
Manuel…Michael…Weren't those the names of the two people we met on the way to Ozoth?
Wait…we couldn't find those two before and now these two monsters were saying their names…Did Mandy kill them and turn them into monsters? I gazed at the white humanoid monster, its head now bursting with black flames as it began to dissipate. It leaned more against the well before eventually, it fell right into it. A thud could be heard as it landed, before we heard nothing more of it.
The rain and thunder continued on as me and Kale finally moved, heading towards Lilith. She had a horrified look on her face as she looked at me.
"Did…did we just kill two people we knew?" She asked me. She then looked at Kale, looking at him for answers.
I turned to Kale, who seemed confused. "Kale, these things used to be the two couriers we saw on the road. you know the carriage we saw in the forest? It was theirs."
Kale frowned, he held his head down for a moment before raising it and looking at Lilith. "No." Kale shook his head, he crouched down and held a hand up to Lilith. "These monsters are products of someone else, they were forced into it. Whatever you just killed…it wasn't them. You gave them a final resting. Be glad you did that."
Lilith eyed him and nodded, understanding what he said. She then lifted her left arm, which still seemed to be emitting heat from itself. However, Kale ignored it.
At first, it seemed like he was only going to help Lilith up. He gripped her left arm and pulled her up. However, he pulled her even closer and held her close. Her face buried into his chest before she looked up and saw that he was looking down at her.
"I'm not sure what happened in the house, but I'm glad you were okay…I should've checked the house more thoroughly before I left. Sorry." Kale said, disappointed in himself. "I should've been more careful with you two around."
"…It's alright. I could handle myself." Lilith said. "Thanks for worrying."
"It's…" Kale paused. Like he wanted to say something else, but couldn't find the words. "…Just doing my job." He then pulled himself from Lilith and looked around, surveying the area of which the barrier occupied. "I'll do a quick search around in case there are more. You two should get inside, get warm and rest."
"Are you sure you'll be alright out here?" I asked him, eyeing his arm wound. "Your arm is bleeding."
"I have potions for it, don't worry." He shrugged. "Not the first time I've been bitten…or thrown around like that…"
I felt a tug on my sleeve and when I turned, I saw Lilith staring at me. Her face was riddled with concern. "Let's do what he says." Then I remembered what I had earlier on, that we'd have a talk.
Seeing her arm burn with black flames and her left eye in a much dire state…I think maybe it was time I figured out what was up with her.
"…ok." I nodded to her.
"Take any of the rooms upstairs, I don't think the Mallorys would mind. I'll be in after you guys, so don't worry." Kale said as he strolled off, grabbing something from his pouch. It was a healing potion, which he then downed.
Kale left to look around, without saying anything else. While he didn't say much…I think his action spoke a bit more, it seemed like he found himself worrying about Lilith more than he intended. He's still fighting that idea in his head and he almost gave in.
Damn it kale.
"Kota." Another tug came from my sleeve, Lilith pulled hard this time. "We need to talk. Now."
She then grabbed my wrist with her left hand, pulling me alongside her as we made our way to the house. Her touch gave off a heat that made me wince a bit.
However as we got to the front door, I had to stop the both of us in our tracks. Lilith then gave me a confused look. The front door was cracked and split right down the middle, hanging loosely.
"What? Why'd we stop?" It seemed she was well intended to make our way to a room to chat.
"…I think we should fix the door you broke?"
The both of us stood idly, Lilith looked at the door for a moment before frowning. "…Alright, Fix it. That's my fault."
"Don't worry, we can talk all night." I said, aiming my staff at the door. I then chanted and casted a healing spell, the door slowly reverting itself back to its original state. Once I had finished, I looked back at Lilith. "See? Now let's talk."