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_Look at this poor creature.

He has a face so tainted.

We must let him sleep._

Whispers from the darkness came to him as the raptor softly opened his eyes with a sudden bleak gasping breath. Pain ran through him as if he had been thrown into a river coursing to the sea, agonising bruises and a terrifying hot fever that almost made him too afraid to even look at his own skin. It felt like his entire body was on fire, shuddering tears silently from his cracked pale green eyes. But a soft wind managed to cool him, gently like a mother's hand upon her child's brow as he felt something rustling up against him. Leaves trembling upon his flesh, wrapped coldly around his arms as something dragged him into the undergrowth within the great beautifully-kept garden of the castle. Plants of every corner of the world resided here, perfectly preserved with utmost care and dedication from the greenest fingers. A forest transformed, like a greenhouse without its roof full of nothing but constant, overwhelming greenery in every single shade of existence, across three acres big enough that at least two houses could be hidden within it. Grand blooming stalks, wondrous scents of many spices along with blistering flowers of every single colour under the sun as well as some even beyond that of human understanding. The sights and smells that James could briefly comprehend was incredibly soothing, easing his sharp fever but not entirely curing it as he mumbled gently. He was far too out of it to properly speak but the voices heard from all around him responded nonetheless, watching the leaves completely cover his vision from above as he laid in the soft earth, bathed in moonlight.

_We must nurture his spirit.

Poor thing, to suffer such a cruel fate.

Mistress Lisa could have helped him, she can heal, she can help.

She is not here, but come the morning he will be.

Let us feed him._

A kind voice, or rather one of many in various pitches of whispering softness made him think that he had finally gone insane from everything that had passed. But it was not to be, as he felt long twisting vines raise him up by the limbs, clasping gently as he moaned in response with a passive confusion. Water softly spilled onto his lips as a giant leaf dipped down onto his face, drinking softly the most pure of essence, the very elixir of life it seemed. He drank without even stopping to think, gulping gingerly from his weakness rather than hesitation. As he swallowed the precious water coolling in his stomach, he felt a small prickling long his body as something stabbed minutely into him. From every limb there was a slightly warm acidic sensation as he felt the thorns of strange flowers shaped like amber tussocks pierce into his flesh. It was only a few minutes until he felt the fever start to diminish, his wounds cautiously healing from the many burns and cuts of both physical and supernatural causes. Medicine coursed through him in its rawest spirit, carefully administered with the grace of an abbey matron. James Campbell felt his beating heart slow down briefly, but not enough to go back to sleep as he watched the moon rise over the castle. All around the forest breathed with life, perfect and nurturing, a small blissful garden of Eden within the very heart of God's greatest enemy. And yet despite all of the fiercely rooted stone walls that surrounded them which stood defiant against the world with cold exterior, the garden within was of sweetness and utmost purity. Kindness. Compassion. Love. Every whisper of the wind caressing across the leaves, every flower blossoming with a kiss upon the many insects that visited it from the outside world and within, there was beauty in utmost simplicity. Strange beasts primordial from butterflies to vicious huge wasps to even some of the weeds with human faces gasping with orgasmic bliss. There were horrifying creatures, twisted and ancient from darkness with or without the face of humankin, but throughout all of it they would sing praise of one voice, one name, one creator above all.

_Tomorrow mistress Lisa will come.

I have such fruits to show her that I have grown.

She has blessed me with her kiss.

She takes our souls and cures the world with us.

She has given us warmth.

And love to be.

The master was so cold.

So empty his castle was.

As a barren heart.

Until she came.

Lisa.

Lisa._

The many voices of the garden rose to a crescendo, murmuring the sweetest things upon James' ears as he felt surrounded by love and warmth. Soon he was carried by the vines towards a central place, the very font of the garden where a naked pale woman sat peacefully, her knees hidden beneath the undergrowth with long flowing pink hair, that glistened such crimson hue as to almost resemble blood. She smiled towards the visitor, the raptor mumbling still with eyes gone feeble and near-blinded by weakness. His flesh was pale and intravenous, showing thinly his veins as well as the technological aberrations of his left arm. "Oh...what a pitiful poor thing." The woman did not move forwards like a human, instead she rather slithered forwards by her hidden lower body as the plants rustled behind her powerfully like serpents. Clasping her hands upon FG's face, he could not even bring himself to speak fully as a long tenebrous limb from a tree branched downwards upon his head, trickling a soft saccharine sap-like nectar onto his eyes that he winced from. "Shhhhhh...it's alright. You have a lot of terrible things inside of you...at least I can help alleviate some of which." The droplets in his eyes soon began restoring some of his vision by a pallid strength, whimpering as he struggled to blink through the soft liquid pouring into his sclera as it seeped into his most intimiate ocular regions. He shuddered like a fussy newborn, grimacing and trying to rub his eyes of irritation as the vines lifted him up more showing the woman to be more than just human. Her entire lower body was completely replaced by the swirling cornucopia of thick leaves and vines creeping along the ground as she stroked across James' head sweetly. "Don't worry, you're not food to me. Not anymore...hmhmhm...I think your blood might be rather strange and weak for me anyways." She carried him in both hands as her body roamed, thick nestling roots seeping through the ground as she walked the path of trodden dirt through the immaculate garden. Between flowers of red and gold she held James by the head and lower back, his face lolling from left to right in something of a hallucinogenic trance, the various chemical mixtures of the forest nestling within his ichor as his hot breaths intrigued the strange woman-creature. "Heeheee...what a bizarre-looking beast, who talks like a human ought to...then again, I suppose I am much rather doing the same hmm? I meant what I said before, you are not food to me, the lord of this castle feeds me with the blood he collects from those who have fallen. The old and unfortunate, bodies to be disposed of, drained of blood for both him, myself and those of this castle who are nurtured by the life of the body. He promised not to hurt anyone innocent, for the sake of my...mistress. Thankfully it's not difficult to find those too arrogant to live, always wanting to prove themselves in this place of madness. Here." The plantwoman rested James beneath the shade of a large tree, spindly leaves with white blossoming bunches at the very edge of its branches above its thick swollen trunk. The raptor laid beneath, watching the petals fall upon his face like snow. He remembered the snow with a distasteful memory, an open door with the face of a sweet girl gasping her last breaths. He despised the snow. All of it, watching the tree shed itself blissfully as he tried to reach up with his hand, but found he had no strength to even do anything but turn his head slightly up towards the strange false woman. "This tree shall protect you from anything untowards, it's a Sorbus tree. Most of the creatures in this castle do not like this tree, it is very protective against most demons. Demons like the one inside of you, is that correct?" James said nothing, too weak and with a mind far beyond any reasoning through a deep exhaustion before gently falling back to sleep. "Poor thing...so exhausted...I hope miss Lisa comes soon, perhaps she could help him like she...helped me." The naked woman wrapped her arms around herself a little defensive on her reminiscence, feeling warm-hearted as she sighed before turning away from the odd creature that fell into her garden home. The raptor lied sweetly, his eyes closed whilst healing underneath the looming tree as it dappled upon his body with white blossom tips. There was a perfect sense of peace if only for a brief instant. Time passed immemorial for James as he fell back into darkness. Until he heard voices looming from the far shades of the garden. "Is this where he fell?" "I am certain of it, his tremors pulsate so neatly from his source." "...there. Hm...the Alura Une must have healed him." "How kindly...it will save us a lot of trouble if we had to carry him so anaemic." The voices began fading as he felt his body lifted by hands made of ice, frozen solid as he gasped with shivering hot breaths turning frosty on his lips before the world turned darker around him. He felt a strange shift in his perspective as if he were remembering something from yesterday. A sense of things passing time, changing towards the past with every second that he kept beating through his heart. "Is the demon still present?" "Obviously. Is this truly the right one?" "Absolutely, notice his particle traces are cross-dimensional...very fascinating, he will be of great use to us for our true master's revival." "Or at least one step of it...but how can we convince him to assist us?" "We do not HAVE to. We only have but use for his own strange body, not exactly his own intellect. I believe we can reiterate our former experiment's usage on him, concerning Project Adam." "Really now?" "If we redirect the electrical current through him at the correct capacity, I am certain we can recreate his ability for ourselves." "And what of directional input, he has to be awake for it." "Why?" "In order to direct it." "Not unless we control the pre-frontal lobe briefly." "...are you saying...we power on his short-term memory and-" "Correct. If we can access that and take it as further back as we could-" "But not TOO far back, we cannot alter things by too much a margin." "Agreed. Let us read over our bioelectrical results and see if we cannot alter the current for a more subtle maneuver on this new...test subject."

The portal consumed him completely the moment he lost sight of Kruz. james...where are you All around him he felt nothing but the raw screams of seven-hundred stars. i can't...i can't see you Tearing at his flesh by the insane heat. please, don't go any further Ripping through his teeth. i'm sorry Severing the tendrils neatly within. i never wanted this to happen He would not die so quickly, but it was a far more dangerous path between worlds than his own. i needed you Slowly he became overwhelmed by exhaustion. The battle against the fiend of another world had taken its toll on him. i needed someone who understood He spiralled across the veil through dimensions, dancing like a petal through the breeze amidst the burning flames of war. i needed someone...to save me The power of the void consumed his entire existence with a sheer wretched torn agony. He had to give in if only to save himself. i needed a hero...i needed you James did not even resist. He made his soft grievance to Koopin begging for forgiveness, for allowing such weakness to come upon him. james...wake up But he did not. james, please wake up The demon's claws came out once again. don't do this to me please Darkness grew within crawling through his skin. i'm so close He only hoped that there would be no innocents the next world. please...w-wake...u-up He felt someone's tears trickling upon his back before the darkness took him. i'm sorry...please...don't...please wake up...please...

_A distant future echoed upon the demon's presence A voice that tore worlds apart by a single breath of its consciousness The demon heard it before but he would never admit his fear of it It was foolish to be afraid of something that he did not understood But he remembered the voice, from the strange ruins of the hospital far gone in the wastes

A voice The sound that all worlds would fear for their existence

**BEWARE

I LIVE**_

"HEY! HEY, wake up, no sleepin' on the job now come on laddie! Up and at 'em-HRRRHHK!" The moment the raptor's eyes opened once more, his claws shot out and grabbed something violently by the shoulder before slamming straight into the wall against the voice's origin. A breathless chuckle of surprise came trickling from in front of him as he heard that familiar Irish Gaelic. "Hhheheheheh, not a morning person are you?" "No." _ The Scissoraptor awaked, his eyes dark within the midst of the gloomy room he now found himself in. Darkness everywhere except for but one door and a long table with straps undone that Scisso had just been on judging by the warmth of its solid steel as well as the fact there were no windows at all. Dullahan gently felt his feet touch the floor again once Scisso had put him back down having lifted the entire suit of armour corpse and all by a single grip, the raw-necked unseelie slightly rubbing his shoulder. _"You were lucky that I found you, especially considering Galamoth's goons keep hiding this damn tower." "Galamoth?" "He's this arsehole usurper claiming to be ten-thousand years from the future, manipulating time or so his minions like to boast. No idea why they wanted you though." "I am uncertain too. What do you mean you found me, where am I exactly?" "You're in a tower that technically doesn't exist, not in any one time period least. It's always constantly shifting between different periods even though it has its own origin root in our time. It's like...it's like uhhhhh a butterfly's wings. You see them flapping, you know they're in the one place, but they move so fast in that one space that you can barely ever see them." "A hummingbird would be more apt, their wings beat faster." "What's a hummingbird?" "It's a species of tropical bird residing in the Americas. They beat their wings fifty-three times in one second." "Huh...fascinating, I didn't realise you were such an ornithologist." "I read plenty of things across six-thousand years, and unlike most humans I store my information properly." "Fair enough Scisso, fair enough. Are you alright?" Patting the demon heftily on the shoulder standing a full "head" taller than the raptor, Dullahan glanced down with a slant of his neck as if trying to look him over for any small bruises. _ "I am well, thank you. I am not so easily damaged." "Sure took a hell of a beating from somebody, I can see plenty of burns and cuts deep within you, can you walk?" "I can, rest easy." "Just makin' sure. I know you're tough but don't push yourself alright?" "Hmhmhm...you flatter me to think I have a limit to my endurance." "Well...I mean nothin' wrong with being worried about a friend, now is there?"_ Softly the demon blinked, rather surprised at this response as he partially stumbled on his words next. _ "F-...friend? Hm, I suppose not." "Now how's about you and me get out of here after we take down these goons? I'll even let the boys know up top that you were breaking their arses down here, might even give you something special for it." "Hmhmhmhm...well, those goons DID capture me I think it would be wrong of me not to recompense with my own needs of gratitude." "Hahaha, that's what I like to hear, let's go!"_ Leaving the small room, he found himself within a strange laboratory, but a much more different type of environment than the alchemy laboratory was for this place seemed more technical. Much moreso judging by its strange coiling lengths of shimmering energy with walls of steel and once again no windows. Not a single light from the moon, not even by a glance for everything was bristling with electricity with a soft hum that kept his flesh on tingling. He recognised some of the machinery, far too advanced for this time period ranging from tesla coils sparking with hot pulses of energy that unnerved Scisso greatly as he remembered his host's weakness. Various tables had been set up involving a bizarre mix of both science and magic that would drive any human insane with comprehension, ranging from the ancient arcane symbology of druidic symbols to the dark twisted side of scientific method. There were other subjects on tables like Scisso had been, all of them within various states of death, life and somewhere inbetween. On one table were two dogs, father and son within two cages sealed inside a glass prison that began brimming with nauseous gas. The son, only but a pup, would slowly become older as his father watched helplessly, forced to witness his child whimpering and ageing to a painful agonising reach of almost-death, brittle and emaciated when he had only been a month old but one minute ago. The father scratched against his prison wall, moaning in despair at his son's predicament before the gas reverted itself, the pup regressing to a pitiful yelping form trying to clumsily scrape his paw on his imprisonment. In turn, the father would also alternate and so the son would suffer watching in turn to know the same agony of outliving one's family. Opposite side of the room showed a similar effect but now portrayed within flowers as an entire row of multicoloured plants wilted and regrew inside of their own glass confinement. From crackling wilted death to wholesome leaf-budding glory, the flowers were both beautiful but also tragic in their constant taunt of immortality. On another desk was an orange cat inside a box that could only be seen from one angle as Scissoraptor walked past it, simply twitching with small fearful-looking eyes and mewling with distress. Dullahan however passed it and found nothing but a rotting husk of the same creature, long since deceased to become nothing but bonemeal. Beyond that was another room that dealt with a different experiment entirely, in the form of a pale-faced young boy around the age of 16, his hands and feet tied together and head carved open to present his skull interior with a brain inside of it, wires running through powered by a generator next to his cage. He was hugging himself, rocking back and forth mumbling with sobbing tears inbetween. "Woah," murmured Dullahan, "that's...something right there...this place is pretty fucked up." "I do not understand the reasoning behind these experiments I admit." "Unless it's torture...definitely has to be, this place would make my master sick to see humans treated like this." "I can do better." "...really?"

The demon turned towards him grinning deftly with a trembling of his fingers at relishing this memory. _ "Did you know a human can survive without a stomach? I learnt quite easily that, so long as you attach the oesophagus to the tract it works plentifully well if not rather sudden in its movements of bowel indigestion. They can also survive with but a lung, a kidney and three-quarters of their liver, very fascinating." "Huh, really, they don't even need half of that? Fuck, I been doing it wrong this whole time, I should have been taking kidneys from them!" "To do what?" "Maybe sell them as food, pickled kidneys are pretty nice." "They're Irish. They have all their kidneys pickled already by the drink." "PFFFT...hhhaaaaah! Ohhhh that-...that's good, ya got me there you Scottish bastard." "The only thing Scottish about me is my temperament, now let's leave this place." "Alright...so uh what you think happened to that guy in the cage, was he revived?" "I am not certain." "Doesn't seem very happy about it." "That's because it's not his body." "Wait, what?" "He spoke in Swahili, constantly saying 'this is not my body, where have they taken my body...everything feels wrong inside of me'." "...well uh...that's...one way to recycle I suppose?" "I do not think that was the intent. I must ask...how exactly did you find me here?" "Heh...well, you're not gonna believe this, but it was your human aid uh...Rozalia I think? She said she saw you being dragged away by some goons and once she told me what they looked like, well...I rushed on over to the last spot you were at and followed your trace." "R-...Rozalia told you?" "Not like she was telling me to come save you, not at all. Just that she made her way back to the library all panting and exhausted, said she'd been chased down by somethin' fierce, couldn't say what it was, I told her to just go sit down with the librarian and catch her breath but then she told me that she saw you getting dragged away...at least, once I asked her about it on where you went." "I see. Hm...she must feel rather fortunate to be rid of me...did she still have her satchel?" "She did, I remember, she must be at the library still so after this we'll go back there." "Good, thank you." _ Other experiments in this room dealt also with the artificial resurrection of certain body parts whilst also imprisoned. A hand walked back and forth by its own will, like a spider trapped in its cage, but only as far as the wires within its severed wrist would allow it to. A man of Asian origin, half his body gone beneath the waist, was kept constantly alive by a vicious spike thrust through his very heart forced to live despite everything else. He mumbled with flickering eyes of constant pain, his mind never quite submitting enough to die as his heart beat against its will. Heading onwards, they soon found another small enclosed room that was entirely based on molecular biology, judging by the complex illustrations that permeated across the walls. Diagrams of DNA from various creatures, multifaceted equations solving energy outputs within healthy organisms as well as some much newer transcripts that caught Scissoraptor's look. A velociraptor, standing with four arms outspread and four legs spaced between each other. Accompanying it also were various sheets of anatomical references that took every inch of the raptor's organs apart showing both the flesh exterior and all that laid within. Each of the organs' transcripts had notes scribbled through by hands eloquent in the language of demonkin, which Scissoraptor read through.

_Experiment 09093490

Subject Type: Velociraptor Level of Sentience: 4 Date of Origin: Unknown (physical age of 36) Ancestry: Celt Anatomy Type: L/X (Mesothermic/Mechanical)

Subject possesses an intricate network of inorganic veins throughout his entire body that align themselves with his own natural arteries, presumably to increase efficiency of generating current. The left arm has been replaced with an unknown but highly advanced mechanical synthetic that does not match the signature for the rest of his body, yet it operates by its own closed circuit system of regenerating artificial blood, which does not mix with his own. Specially noted in the diagram following, subject has some form of battery implanted upon the central part of his brain bridging across the left and right hemispheres. It appears to be the central connecting power source for all of his artificial veins which, when charged by our reanimator spark, can create interesting reactions to showing what strange abilities this otherworldly beast possesses. Through subliminal manipulation of his thoughts in alliance with reanimation shots, we have seen that he can not only create fire, water and air as well as synthesise unknown materials briefly before dissipating, but also possesses the ability to create wormholes from existence. Our master's hand has played into this creature coming here for this very purpose truky, and all that is needed now is to learn how to control it and keep this wormhole open as its own energy source. Should we need any further understanding or perhaps mandate some form of reverse-engineering project, we have noted a possible creators' signature upon the neural battery from this creature's homeworld. An "M. Campbell" and "D. Anseed", two mortals whom no doubt shall become very convinced easily with what offers we shall make in future._

"Campbell? ...surely but a coincidence." "You say something?" "No...just this...host is rather fascinating far more than I anticipated. I admit I have yet to understand how James' abilities work, perhaps once I am more fully able to control him I shall learn something...hmmm...perhaps these research documents can offer a better clue for me to unlock that for my own journeys." "I wouldn't worry so much about these texts, Galamoth's servants are all but simply traitors to the cause. When I find them I shall be giving them the last word on that subject don't you worry. You know what happens to traitors, don't you?" "No, pray tell." "We repurpose them to become mindless beasts, monsters far below us in the reigning hierarchy like that bone dragon." "Bone...dragon?" "A beast we have down below formed of the bones of dissidents and traitors. All who betray us shall be rendered unto us as servants permanently. You become part of us, we only ever expect you to give us your utmost loyalty. So if you would rather not give it your all, DON'T join us. We only want the best and the brightest of God's betrayed former children." The demon noted this with some intrigue but soon looked over onto the next transcript, which had its accompaniment in the form of some rather disturbing arcane symbols that only he understood. Twisted reticence personified as shadows on the wall, dark blistering eyes howling from the manuscript, a faint glance of something long and crooked perched atop a skull. The Scissoraptor was rather surprised at their attempts to captivate his likeness at its most basic ethereal form observing the transcript.

_Experiment 09093490-a

Subject Type: Possessor Level of Sentience: 4 Date of Origin: 6.0 kya Ancestry: Celt/Norse Anatomy Type: D (Formless Virulent)

Subject currently inhabits the odd weapon of Experiment 09093490, a rather traditional setup despite its rather impractical choice of instrument. A soul devourer judging by its essence autonomy, perhaps we can convince it to ally itself to our cause provided it does not get TOO independent. Subject also appears to be on the brink of complete control over its host, giving an estimate of thirteen lunar phases. Should we contain Experiment 090903490, we must find a way of either forming some sort of agreement, or exorcise the subject if it becomes unruly to the point of disruptive. It would be best to research on any possible routes of banishment we can use upon this as a last resort, what matters most is that we keep the body and all its wondrous technology intact. Perhaps we can convince the subject to inhabit a new body due to its virulent nature, something we can compose to easily by our newest project. When tests are done, we shall introduce him to our project "Adam" (Experiment 11031818) as something of a compromise. A brain is all good and well but to have an actual driving force of destruction behind it would be most splendid indeed._

"Interesting...they want to make a deal with me over possessing this beast." "I hope you're not even entertaining the thought." "Hahaha, no. I have no desire to cooperate with anyone." "Apart from me...right?" Scissoraptor looked up towards Dullahan strangely with a cocky look crossing his arms. The monstrous tall unseelie simply crossed his arms back in return cocking his neck to the side before the demon added: _ "Do I have to say it?" "I just want to know I can trust you." "Have I let you down yet?" "I hardly know you Scissoraptor." "Then why have you come here, to rescue me as you put it?" "...because I like you...and you were in trouble. I mean...is it wrong of me to want someone I can be friends with, someone who understands me on a cultural level, somebody I can feel more natural around talking of human suicides and Decameron?" "Hmmmm...I suppose, I admit I am not very...social." "Well...I won't force you."_ The swordsman put a rotting gauntlet hand upon Scissoraptor's shoulder and jostled him a little friendly-like. "I just enjoy being around in your company, there's something different about you that I like, whether it's your fiendish tenacity or being able to just jump onto any topic without any problem whatsoever...I hope after all this we can be friends at least." The raptor could not help but find himself oddly smirking up at the beast without a head and feeling him "smile" back in return. _ "I would appreciate that...I have no reason not to cut ties with you for the foreseeable future...Gan Ceann. Thank you, for your company." "Hahahaha."_ He backpatted the demon gently which felt more like a soft shoulder tackle than any backpat. "Now come on! Let's-" "Wait, wait, there is something else here I must read." "Hmph...more of a bookworm than I thought, alright then but we really have to go soon." The last of the transcripts seemed rather unrelated to the previous two, but nevertheless he found it interesting as Scissoraptor read through noticing diagrams of various ethereal concepts trying to comprehend the intangible context. Of something he was well-familiar with and for the most part understood but even he had to admit there was something he could learn wholly new from this.

The nature of the soul is very different from each creature, and for the most part amongst demonkin and those of both Heaven and Hell, it resolves down to simply that of magical essence. A grossly incandescent permutation that allows a great persistence in the farplane due to its arcane qualities far beyond that of mortal comprehension. Humans however are very unique in that the compositional elements of their mortal sentience have caused a self-imposed divine sense of both justice and righteousness. Whether that justice is correct or not matters little in the grand schemes of the world but they are an interesting species. It is very clear to see why they have become the apex of mortal beasts. Dracula's minions, currently studying such in the Alchemy Laboratory, have come across a very fascinating sense of human ideal. The heart of an infant slaughtered in the time of Herod (2.0 kya) which has somehow managed to persist in its soul long after death. How can such a mortal beast manage to hold on with such determination that its soul can persist greatly after death? Souls have always been known as the basic composition of one's essence of life, an essence no different to that of the farplane at its most basic level. But all souls eventually must expire, to wither out and die unless they become reincarnated by reabsorption back into the aether, which is a process as random as that of the stars' birth and death above us. Yet a human's soul persists greatly after death, by at least an average span of 2.25 times longer than most other mortal beasts. From what we know so far, the following qualities are not necessary for a human soul to persist so powerfully:

• Love
  • Hatred
  • Loyalty
  • Intelligence
  • Desire
  • Altruism

It is something else that humans possess, or rather all humanoids in the case of the recent Experiment 090903490 also seems to possess this innate sense of determination. This actually may become something of a boon in our research upon the nature of human(oid) souls, when upon realising it is not to do with the human itself, but rather what they can comprehend. Returning back to the original example, the child's heart proves that despite its incredibly short life, it has managed to cling on desperately to its soulful existence. Therefore, the reason that these souls can withstand such a long eternity of absence far more than most living creatures, is something that they must comprehend at the very moment of their birth. It is not something that is taught, it is not something that is sold to by a religion or school of philosophy, but something innate within a certain amount of sentience has caused that fierce determination to throb wholly within such beasts as both humans and this velociraptor of strangely human anatomy. It is not the creature that matters, but the very soul itself. We are unsure if this even applies to all mortals of a certain level of sentience, and when our plans are complete for Lord Galamoth's revival, we would like to ask permission of him to find some more new subjects in order to test this on. There are also other sentient beasts besides humans we wish to test this on and see further some more isolation on a certain parameter of this sentience, in order to narrow this margin of error.

"That's interesting," said the Scissoraptor, _ "I never knew such souls were so persistent after death." "You didn't?"_ replied Dullahan. _ "No. I always end up devouring them before they even had a chance to become such...but no matter, twas a fun read now let's leave." "Right...I think I hear something over that way, come on."_ Taking their leave towards the deeper reaches of the tower, there came a sound oddly familiar to the beast as he walked on beyond the study area of the strange tower of infernal science. A grand howling chasmic noise that threatened to consume anything, like that of a gaping dragon beckoning them to come forth into its waiting maw. At the far back of what was presumably the most busy of laboratories, the sound became overwhelming gasping with the breath of gods trembling across the very walls by a cold ethereal touch, that sent even Scissoraptor shivering deep within the very recesses of his being. Then he saw it. A vortex, tearing through existence shimmering blue with a shriek of infinity between worlds in the far back of a great rectangular room almost . One side of the room was covered by a cloak thick enough to hide something blatantly mechanical, the other lined full with various medical instruments on tables along with scrolls of parchment, listlessly billowing from the breeze of dimensional tear as slowly the rift began to widen. Something held it in place powerfully, four orbs positioned with an intense magic strength on each corner like pins peeling open a wound. In the middle of the room were two human-looking creatures staring into the void, possessing long white hair and startling blue clothing of a ragged robe, feminine yet not quite enough to be called a gender truly. In fact it was almost impossible to tell for they had no face, hollowed by a void of darkness yet managing to speak to each other, one of whom was currently holding a book whilst waving lithe fingers towards the hole. "Quaerere intra praeteritum. Ostendite mihi memoria antiquae trem desideravit." "You have been saying that for the past six minutes." "It will work, it just needs a little coaxing." "There must be a trigger of some sort, we managed to extract this from the subject now we just need to-" "The neural battery was central to the Broca's area of the subject's brain, therefore it must be related to a language comprehension." "But what?!" "That is what I am trying to find out. Quaerere, intra praeteritum. Ostendite, mihi memoria, antiquae trem desideravit! ...it's not working, there must be some sort of trigger, it just HAS to be, this creature came after Galamoth warned us about it!" "Perhaps we should ask the possessor." "I agree." _ The two creatures turned with shock, hands spiking out with claws made of ice at the sight of Scisso and Dullahan. Their bodies shimmered with ice, like the frozen half between man and woman. _"WHO-what the-...how did you escape?!" "That matters not, what matters is your attempt to make a deal without even consulting my humble self...now that's not very polite now is it?" "...I...suppose not, I...tell me, do you know your host's power can be activated to cross between dimensions?" "What are you doing?" asked Dullahan. _ "Patience friend, let me gleam some information first. As for my host, if I remember correctly, you were close in that there was some language involved but it is rather...particulate." "In what manner exactly?"_ asked one of the frozen shades. _ "Well, it is necessary that is to form some sort of linguistic connection between one's thoughts and another dimension. For example, the previous world I visited was that known as Ivalice, therefore-" _ At the moment he said this, there came a trembling force throughout the room, suddenly roaring across time and space as the dimensional tear violently tore itself apart to a stretching gape. The vortex pulsated with the light of another world flickering beyond through it, the frozen halves suddenly starting to panic. "WH-WHAT DID YOU DO?!" "Simple, I uttered the right name, therefore, Ivalice appeareth before you." "YOU-...oh! OHHHH of...c-course that is...hmhmhmhahahahaha, ohhh you are wonderful, thank you kind sir. Alright, alright we still have time, we can plan this, so long as we can keep this portal open, we can arrange some things to happen." "Do you require me pray tell? I must ask that if you wish to perform any further services with me, it will come at a higher bargain." "Let's just get this operation out of the way first, then we can talk business." "I do not have time for waiting around, I must wander where death shall come to those long waiting for its sweet release." "Well you can wait long as well, a few minutes is nothing to you surely. We have all the time in the world in this place...trust me." "I never trust anyone." _ The Scissoraptor rolled his eyes up towards Dullahan who decided to walk forwards seeing one of the scientists now discarding the book in order to pick up something else from the nearby table. The raptor noticed that it was a scroll showing a rather complex diagram for building some large astrological display with planetary alignments ringed all around, whilst the other frozen half took out a box beneath one arm. Dullahan however stepped forth between the portal and both researchers. _"Noooot sooo fast." "Wh-what, who in Galamoth's name are you?!" "In the name of Dracula, I order you to stand down." "Are you...how did you even GET inside this place?!" "It's called a door, and I found it, now relinquish your items and stop whatever you're doing." "You can't stop us, minion!" "Is that right?" The beastly-armoured knight swung forth with his sword from out of nowhere, as if out of darkness from the corner of his shadow with the length of two feet ridged from its human spine proportions brandished at those who served Galamoth. "If you try to resist, I shall strike you down." "You insolent little wretch, if you dare to fight us we shall show you our true strength!" "Try me. Send me your best warrior, and I'll show you the might of the Lord of Darkness." "Very well. ADAM!" The frozen half spun towards the large cloth which suddenly sparked with lightning from the very fingers of the scientist. "EVIGILARE FACIATIS MUNDO! REDDITE IGITUR QUOD DESTRUERE CONTEMNIS, LUMINE DEUM DOMINUM!" Storms came trembling from the outside world as sparks went flying hotly from across the room, hitting almost everything as well as the Scissoraptor who dodged too late as he felt a coursing shriek ripple through his body. This was a much more potent form of electric current than anything else he had felt, one shot alone was enough to send him across the room colliding his back into the wall, crippling him down to a weakening stupor once more after only just recovering from his previous encounter with Death. _ "G-G-GA-A-A-A-AAAAAAAAAAARGH!" "SCISSO! YOU ALRIGHT?!" "C-C-C-CURSED...ELECTRICITY!" "STAY BACK I'VE GOT THIS! I definitely got this."_

Dullahan stood defiant before the sheet that began to pulse with life, bristling with thick lightning volts that burst through to render the sheet in flames, burning apart to reveal what laid beneath. A monstrously tall human most certainly an aberration, standing around a good ten feet with seven different bodies all sewn up into one strangely asymmetrical beast. The left arm of a Persian, the right of a Greek, the legs of a Spaniard and the head of a Teutonic with bolts twisted deep into his carotid arteries on both sides of his neck, along with a chest stitched together from both Scotland and Egypt. Four different racial tones all melding into some sort of greenish sickly pallour of post-mortem, straight down to the absurdly-gifted hung masculinity of 9 inches flaccid. His eyes were white as death, his teeth strangely perfect with fists the size of beer glasses as he responded to the frozen half's command as Scissoraptor staggered back onto his feet breathing heavily. "The fuck is this?!" asked Dullahan. _ "That...F-Frankenstein's mistake?! Th-that...that cannot even-there are at least THREE things wrong with this entire anachronistic beast!" "Who the fuck is Frankenstein?!" "I will explain later, now let us deal with this thing...firstly!" "No, YOU stay back, I'LL handle this!" "NOBODY ORDERS ME!" "I'm not ordering you, I'm asking you! This is my job to deal with illegal experiments, that and you don't seem to handle electricity good and I don't want you to get hurt! Just stop them frozen halves from carrying out their plans, I've got this bad boy locked down!"_ Much as the Scissoraptor hated to admit, the shocking burst of lightning had rather winded him bad enough to send him down a few notches requiring some urgent need to catch his breath. Woefully frustrated by this temporary uselessness thanks to his host, he sighed shuddering with bitterness before answering: _ "Hmph...fine, so be it, but don't come running to me if you ever beg for my assistance." "I wouldn't dream of it. Now lemme show you how the fightin' Irish REALLY deal with your man."_ The giant behemoth came forwards lumbering by the heavy stomp of bare mismatching feet, the dozen stitchmarks and grooved curves of metallic bolts imbedded beneath the flesh all too apparent as electricity coursed through him. Everything of his body swung with a great weight, from his arms to his penis as he suddenly charged towards Dullahan. The knight dodged swiftly to plunge his sword deep within the flesh, reanimated stiff but not enough to deter the sharp length of sleek bone-carved sabre driving in towards the kidney. Blood refused to pour from his wound as he slammed back towards Dullahan, the monstrous fist cracking hard against the unseelie's armour by a backhand strong enough to kill a bull with one strike. The impact alone crumpled his armour badly, sending a small craterous shock inwards into his left breastplate before he staggered back up with sword at the ready. Charging once again, he dodged underneath the hefty swipe and tore his blade deep along the first cut from previous to form a large wounding thick gash. It was enough to cause a sense of dull pain from within the beastly multiple-coloured man, grunting slightly as he suddenly lunged forwards and grabbed at Dullahan's arm as if threatening to twist it off. But the well-armoured unseelie turned just in time to dive backwards onto the floor falling as he rolled suddenly to his left, evading the crushing strike of a huge hammering fist from above. The floor cracked powerfully underneath, trembling with the force of a mighty shockwave that rumbled across the room throwing off the frozen halves as they stumbled hard. "N-NO, NO-AAAGH!" "BE CAREFUL YOU IDIOT, WE HAVE TO DO THIS RIGHT! GET THE CHRONOMETER!" With Scissoraptor still out of action struggling to recover the powerful lightning blast, along with Dullahan fending off the hulking beast, the servants of Galamoth had more than enough time to breathe as they grabbed a certain item. A stopwatch, silver and shining like the moon with five separate dials and four separate rings of numbers beyond the usual 1-12 that culminated in 0-23, 100-1000 and lastly 2-10. Twisting the dials with practiced precision, both shades wrapped their icy hands upon it with simultaneous synchronisation. Each dial they clicked would turn one of each of the four crystals currently keeping the portal open, clicking back further and further as images rapidly passed them by peering through the bleak gap. Voices trembled through like crackling steam from a volcanic fissure, pouring out unduly into the laboratory, almost as if they were searching static for a signal amidst the cosmos. Soon they found it, a castle upon the ocean bustling with life, teeming with people in strange garish clothes of a bygone age with an old metal ship proudly docking upon the sky. "There! That's the place master spoke of!" "Alright, when I pass through, put the chronometer to ninety-eight years ahead, we must make certain everything shall fit the timeline." "Of course, will you have enough time?" "A hundred years to build a device is nothing. Fifty I can even do it in." "Let's not get boastful, now go, I do not know how long it may last in the wake of this fight!" The frozen half nodded to the one now holding the chronometer before dodging through the portal with diagram in hand, wrapped tightly within icy claws before soon disappearing into the crowd of odd regal-cloaked creatures. Humans, reptiles, strange rabbit-like creatures alongside soft-snouted beasts of long ears and bowed backs. The one who now remained cautiously began to wind time forwards through the portal, the crystals shimmering as they turned with every rotation of the sun and moon beyond its other world. Whilst the passage of time was being slowly altered, Dullahan was finding himself put up to the test against the modern Prometheus towering above even his headless self. Raw deadened eyes of blistering white fury sparked with electricity as somehow the beast summoned power to its hands, violently swinging haymakers to the left and right as the knight dodged at least three times. The fourth came out of nowhere blindsiding him by a sudden punch-thrust to the gut, crackling through his abdomen to send bursts of thick bile fatteningly down his thighs grievously. Gasping from the abject pain rending through his undead body, which still felt its wounds within the corpse-shaped construct wrapped within his armoured steel, the great unseelie decided to pull out the big guns and wrought his sabre forth, pointing upwards to the sky blocked by cold dark ceiling stone. "TAR CHUGAM, FEARG AR AN SPEIIIR!"

Storms sounded from afar despite being within a closed room as something trembled across the very air. A slight tension rising upon the wind as suddenly there came a cracking shatterstrike of lightning upon Dullahan's blade, trembling with potent white, gold and glistening with coursing electricity to match up against the creature known as "Adam". The knight beckoned the human monstrosity to come forth by a taunting gesture, cocking his shoulder by a glancing slight as the dead-skinned hulk rushed powerfully towards him. Dodging fast to the right, he carved a violent streak upwards then down from the side of the waist to the knee itself, twisting his carved bone rapier to snap part of the tendon forwards which suddenly quivered by electrical current. Forced to buckle and bend by a spasming snap of its hamstring, the monster fell down with a gammy leg shuddering with roar of frustrated agony. The knight rushed towards his head, dodging cautiously just in case for the backhand but this time the monster went straight to pounding the floor violently. Slampunching its fists like a child with enraged tantrum, the walls began to shake and the floor started to crack desperately trying to maintain its strength but most importantly, it was upsetting Dullahan's balance enough to prevent his attack. Falling haphazardly down beside the large rectangular-shaped cranium of the reanimated beast, it was the perfect opportunity for a most dreadful blow with one violent punch crashing down onto Dullahan's shoulder, crippling his right arm powerfully. Gasping as he staggered back, he swapped his sword between hands and stood bracing himself for the monster to bumrush him. Pounding feet limping from across the room, the warrior of Irish folk stood bravely defiant with crumpled pauldron snapping into his shoulderbone along with his fluids still leaking from his abdomen. But he stood waiting, the matador's bravery upon the charging bull knowing that a second too late was death, and a second too early was but death delayed. Victory was the only thing that mattered. The creature stopped short readying himself with his fists swung high above streaking vicious storms across the ceiling as Dullahan lunged forwards plowing his rapier deep into the beast's heart. Stabbing perfectly despite the mismatched anatomy, his sword of blazing lightning struck true and violently sent forth a rippling series of spasms all throughout the abnormal monstrous creation. Burning violently deep within his heart from overloading, he stumbled with staggering gait clutching himself fiercely with cock flopping in twitching physical pain from contracting its muscle in response. In the midst of all this pandemonium, the frozen half that remained behind was now closing on the latter half of a world's century, cautiously scanning the lines of insane chronological static. Voices came through, somehow connected by a common theme, a thread of existence unspiralling before their very eyes and in the midst of it all...there lied a darker much deeper trembling static. "We shall name this abbey, by the grounding of the Great White Stag-" "You are a part of a great family Dahlia, you must accept this wHo aRe yOu-" "B-but...why? It all sounds so...s-so frightening I-i-i don't want to be-" "Your body and soul are blessed to this earth. You shall create life with your body bearing child with husband as we so choose, and destroy all who oppose us with your soul in bondage. Balance...is everything sEaRcHiNg tHrOuGh mY sPaCe-" "I love you Fayne...you are the greatesszht friend I ever did have in my life." "I love you too...Baldwin-" "Goodness, you poor little thing...I forget how tiny and frail you creatures can be as children." "M-m-...m-ma...maaaa?" "There there...papa Brunhart will protect you my little moglet, don't worry...I will keep you safe-" "What do you want to call him?" "Uhhhhhh...Phoeniksssh, ku-po! Becaushe...he'sh all firey a-an' feathersh a-an weally WARM!" "Hahahaha, that's my baby girl! Alright, Phoenix it is then aRe yOu tHe oNe-" "Pleasszhe...h-h-help him, h-h-he won't wake up, he won' wake up!" "What happened to you, my child?!" "He...w-we both f-f-fell in the r-river-" "-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU'VE WOKEN HIM UP, YOU'VE SET HIM LOOSE YOU WORTHLESS BITCH-" "I NEVER WANTED THIS, YOU HEAR ME?!?! I NEVER WANTED THIS, YOU FORCED ME TO SUFFER , AND NOW YOU SHALL SUFFER WORSE!" "Wow, kupo! You're left handed too!? Hahaha, how crazy is that?!" "Certainly unusual...kupo inFiDeL oF TiMe-" "I must be the first one to shake your hand properly huh?! I'm Berniere, Berniere Lavant, nice to meet someone who finally understands kupo!" "I-i'm not...certain that thisszh isszh a good idea-" "What come ooooon bro, you can totally be a triple triad masszhter, you got everybody beat" "You...you really think I can do it?" "I don't think you can. I KNOW you can, becausszhe you're my brother. You can do ANYTHING becausszhe you are the sszhmartesszht mosszht awesszhome brother I could ever have." "......th-...th-thank you Baldwi-" "If you bring back the Aps' head my client shall reward you greatly cAn tAsTe yOuR cOnTeMpT-" "And you promise in return that I shall receive clan papers, kupo?" "I have the permit right here." "Good. Then I shall sign you as deputy clan leader for your assistance yOu sHaLL nOt tAkE mY pAwN fRoM mE-" "W-wait, what? No, Navi h-hang on-" "No need to thank me, kupo, we shall talk business later but for now the sun is setting, and I must purchase some things for the journey before the shops start closing so good day." "WAIT, NAVARRO, I-...ohhhhh gods...this...isn't going to be fun to explain once she gets back." "That's it!" cried the frozen half. "That's the moment, now I just have to scan the Space without interfering with Time and I shall soon...hm, if you so choose to try and stop us oh strange anomaly, you shall have worse time for doing it-GA-AAAAAGH!" Crumpling hard, the chronomancer suddenly fell to one side by the trembling might of the creature falling onto its face a little close to the portal. The heavy box underneath the frozen shade's arm fell with, cracking slightly with the latch undone and fell away from them before the mystic staggered back onto both feet. But not before the Scissoraptor stepped in gladly to sweep up the case into his hands, casually opening it with intrigue to find two strange stones. One was a fractured-looking crystal resonating silver and amber within its three-pointed structure, pulsating an odd purple gleam. The other, was a red unnatural-looking orb bending ever so slightly to resemble a twisted apple, forming a mobius strip within its grooves. _ "Well well well...what have we here?" "G-GIVE THOSE BACK, YOU CHARLATAN!" "Language, tsk tsk tsk tsk...let us make a deal, whilst my companion is handling your pet, gothic it may be...tell me much these stones are worth to you." "D-don't......please, I beg of you...please anything but...don't throw them into the portal at the very least." "Really? Then do as I say or else..." _ He propped out his arm to hold the stone case right next to the rippling portal almost tempted to tip them straight in but the frozen half protested, panicking with flighty fingers before asking: "What...do you want?" "How many souls do you currently have in your possession in this laboratory?" "Wha-p-pardon?!" "Souls, how many. I want every soul for my feast within this place firstly, and secondly...if we are to make me part of your little group, then I should like to have top priority in all things relating to my host, is that clear?" "I-...I-i-i-i don't have any souls, all these creatures I need living for the experiments!" "Well, that won't do now will it?" "What you are asking is exploitative!" "Then that makes you a bad loser then. Oh well, I suppose you won't need these then." "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO, YOU'RE ASKING TOO MUCH- DON'T DO IT STOP!"

The raptor simply tilted the case with but a flick of his hand as the slender crystal tumbled out, falling into the void shimmering from existence with a sudden screaming tint of amber and purple muddying the image briefly. As a large green plain could be seen, with pot-holed dips of the land naturally formed, there came the shadows of young people with voices spirited. "WOAH, did you see that?!" "Something fell out of the sky! Was that a star?!" "Come on let's look!" "B-be careful brother, remember what the abbott told you, we can't go off too far!" "Come on, where's your sense of adventure, seriously?!" "......by the Great White Stag, what IS that?!" "...what is this thing?!" "I've never seen it before, i just saw it in that pit." "Well...whatever it is, we need to tell the abbott, maybe he knows about it." "Wait, d-don't touch it, SISTER LOOK OUT!" A scream piercing rend through the air before the portal suddenly shifted, the hands of the frozen half sliding around the back of its body turning the chronometer very cautiously with a forced panicked look. "YOU, IDIOT!" "Last chance...you can still save one of the stones if you want." "I...I-i-i-i...I cannot-m-maybe we can work out a deal, what if...you forego the souls but we can give you, an administerial position?! Wouldn't that be good?!" "Do you think I can be pawned off by some worthless title of management?! I am a soul devourer not some bureaucrat!" "Well they're TECHNICALLY one and the same-" "NO THEY ARE NOT GOODBYE!" "WAIT, S-STOP!" The Scissoraptor clacked open the case fully and dunked the last stone out of it down upon the world of Ivalice, with yet another disturbing shriek of static almost completely consuming the image as the demon backed off from this one. A sudden nervous energy came upon him at the sound of it, something that he almost could reminisce from previous years as a sandy-looking place was evident upon his view. Not quite the desert but somewhat around the southern grasslands as he heard three voices, one a middle-aged female, the other two male. "LOOK OUT!" "WHA...wh-what in the name of Faram was that?!" "A showering star? It's not the right season for it, there was nothing charted today." "Let's go and look, kupo. Someone might be hurt." "......is...is that some sort of relic? From the gods?!" "I would highly doubt that they would be so loose with their...what manner of artifact could this even be, it's unnatural, far too sculpted." "Maybe it fell out of an airship, kupo. I mean things fall out from them all the time, it does not look warm certainly. Perhaps I can jus-A-A-AAAAAAGH! A-AAAAAAAAARGH!" "BERNIERE!" "NO! D-DON'T TOUCH IT!" " G-GAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGH! AAAAAAAAAARRRGH GOOOOODS!" ".........what...what in Faram's name did we just witness?" "I-i...I do not know kupo." "You saw something, didn't you? Didn't you?!?! We all saw something, all three of us did, I saw you seeing it with me!" "...I saw...a castle. Somewhere." "On an island in the midst of the sea?" "Yes." "What IS this relic? I cannot even...fathom what texture it's designed of." "Perhaps we must take it back someplace...somewhere safe that no one should ever touch and I think I know just the reliquary for it, kupo. Oh...m-my head it...hurts." "Are you alright Berniere? You seem...unfocused all of a sudden, are you-" "I......I...I don't know. Come on, let's...let's just take this someplace safe, kupo. Then, we are on our way to Pordana. I think Lea Monde is just along that way actually so let's put this there." "Alright...I think that's a good idea, I...I need some rest after this." The demon simply smiled turning back towards the shaded researcher as he dropped the empty case scuffling it away from his feet. The strange hollow-faced creature however simply shrugged with a soft tittering of androgynous voice. "Hhhehehehehehe...thank you." "What?!" "My master was right, you ARE an easy pawn, now we shall see if the next cycle of the past shall bear fruit for his true conquest." "What true conquest, what are you babbling about?!" "It matters not, your role in this is now complete and there will come one cycle where it shall all soon be achieved- G-GHHRRRAAAAAIIIIIIIEEE!" Suddenly a lunging spear grew from the creature's chest, violently shanked through to rip straight through the icy entrails of magic construct as the frozen shade screamed with vile agony. Gasping with a howling breath, the raw spear plunged through completely to shatter all four crystals with perfectly concise precision of its richocheting lance, almost of its own free will. The crystals broke through as the portal began to close with nothing holding it open, its magical restraints having freed fully to let it finally seal neatly the tear of dimensional atrophy. "Fucking time travellers." The voice of the spear's owner came through before the demon as the weapon returned to his hand, the long pale beak of Slogra glinting fiercely within the light of thunderous strikes dangerously near. "Nothing EVER makes sense with you worthless shits, YOU wait here, I have much bigger things to deal with, GAIBON!" Turning towards the actual battle, Scisso saw also the winged beast that had tricked him twice earlier on now locked in combat with the creature known as Adam, whilst Dullahan was on the assist. The knight tore through the six-pack with carving streaks, flensing him alive with rapier-sharp slicing motions as if fencing for his target, whilst his bat-like superior latched onto the Herculean head and vomited burning fire down deep into its throat. The monstrous human staggered, choking violently with roaring deep pain as the rumbling fury of flames from a demon's wit began to fester and char within his regenerated innards. All things made of steel would melt at such high temperature, and so his entire body on the inside became nothing more than a foetid lump of molten metal and blackened bile blistering from burning body parts. It was much too agonising to feel as it finally fell onto its knees, screeching with a deep voice that could wake the dead as Slogra rushed forth. "BEGONE, FALSE LEGION!" With a lancing thrust, his spear fully tore into the sweltering throat driving clean through to the other side scraping across the spine. The monstrous creature gasped, eyes flickering powerfully in its last efforts to live but its wounds were far too great. Blood boiling at skin-rotting heat began pouring through as the bird beast severed completely through its head with one forceful swing, tearing the spear out to send the large skull clattering upon the floor with a solid thunk of steel. The creature fell forwards, no more with its labours lost, pulsing with soft twitching fingers in its final spasms.

Slogra and Gaibon stood next to each other turning towards the Scissoraptor, whilst Dullahan chuckled happily with a clap of his hands as he sheathed his sword back into the depths of his darkness. He was the only one happy with this whole engagement, the bird-beast propping up his spear beside him like a staff, whilst the bat-like simply wrapped his wings like a cloak mantle around him. "Hhho ho ho ho ho hooooooo, ohhhhhhh that was wonderful, WONDERFUL! Ohhhhhhhhh...sirs, thank you so much for coming to help, I'm glad the message got through before I went up to keep tight on the situation, you alright there Scisso?! ...uh...why's no one else smiling here, come on we beat Galamoth's servants and found the feckin' science tower!" "Dullahan." "Yes sire?" He stood firmly to attention towards Slogra with a stern salute, the bird demon pointing his lance towards Scisso by a twirl of his fingers. "Do you know this...creature?" "Um...yes, sire, I do." "Have you been assisting him?" "No! Not-what do you mean?!" "This creature," said Gaibon firmly, "has been responsible for the massacre of our troops within the armoury." "WHAT!?" "He was also the one to kill our lupine guards-" "What, J-JASON?! NO!" "-along with the Succubus and our dear Scylla, as well as our researchers at the Alchemy Lab and our dear friend Amdusias." "Is this true?! Wha-they-you can't be serious! Sirs, I know I would never question your judgement but I mean-S-Scisso, is this true?!" The look on the demon's face said it all, simply aloof with cold calculating unapologetic stance to Dullahan's chagrin. He stared between his superiors and his new friend rather torn briefly, before stammering with arms spread until remembering one of his shoulders was cracked as he winced badly. "I-...nnnnngh...I-i-i-i...I don't understand, h-he's...the intruder?" "Was it not obvious?" "...I...I was hoping it wasn't you, I...I didn't want to assume. I begged you. I pleaded you to...to not start anything, w-we could have all been friends." "He already made his choice," said Slogra, "do not try to reason with this miscreant. Report to your station Dullahan, we shall tend to our business here." "But I-...but, s-sir, what if we-" "Stand down Dullahan, that is an order." "LISTEN, we don't have to fight like this, we're all God's sinners here, we all have a single purpose we can work together surely! S-Scisso, you wanna fight God with me dontcha?!" "STAND. DOWN, or else you shall become part of the bone dragon's remains far below, now is that clear?!" The headless warrior found resistance at every turn as he felt a pain deep within his chest, far more deep than the crumpling break of his armoured left plate pushing in against his flesh as the unseelie winced clutching his heart. He bowed softly with his chest forwards stepping back gently away from the three demons preparing for their face-off. It was inevitable as he looked towards the Scissoraptor with but a look of sweet betrayal. His commander Slogra demanded him: "Report back to your station forthwith. As for you, filth, we have MUCH to talk about." The bird-like turned towards the Scissoraptor as Dullahan ran off, looking back only once with a turn of his shoulder with one hand out slightly towards the Scissoraptor before leaving the now-cleared laboratory room. He walked out of the doorway with shoulders hung low, his hand spasming slightly with regrets before Slogra continued asking: "What is your purpose here anyway?" "Nothing of your concern little fledgling." "QUIET!" roared Gaibon. "YOU have so defiled our master's house and shall PAY for your insolence!" "I am not afraid of two loathsome little pets that crawled out of their cage, especially when you yourselves said you would not risk a true fight with me." "Until necessary...and here we see now that it is very necessary." "You do not have your so-called reaper in this place, for this tower is out of time and space." "Maybe not, but we are more than enough to outlast your foolishness in this greed you call conquest and soon the tower shall make its stabilised point without any interlopers manning its station. So I ask you this. Do you want to have a bad time?" The beast spread his wings as Slogra shot out his right hand, a flash of blood streaking ruthlessly from his palm before twisting up along the perfect wrought spear. "Children should stay home on nights like this, at least that's what we normally would say to our dear master Adrian." "The moon is shining, the night is young still before the dawn shall rise within the next hours few. Whereas demons like you..." The two stood back to back, clawed wing and spear held in tandem alongside each other. " SHALL BE BURNING BENEATH HELL." Without warning they struck, Slogra hurled his spear barely giving the raptor time to dodge but in that same moment, Gaibon flew blasting an entire shower of comet-shaped flames from above. Desiccating the entire floor within thirty feet of sudden explosive volleys, like a minefield shocked in earthquake it half-burned the raptor with shocking shrapnel blasts crackling the floor violently sharp. The floor finally gave in after being so weakened from Adam's assault as Scissoraptor fell, with Slogra leaping forwards to grab his spear still imbedded within the wall, planting his feet into the stone before backflipping forty feet down into the chasm below. As they fell, Slogra battered seven falling fragments of the thick stone floor like golf balls the weight of tree stumps, hurtling towards the Scissoraptor cracking violently across his head, his arm, his chest and even breaking one leg before crumpling into a heap of rubble. The bird-like beast planted his feet perfectly waiting for the first assault from their enemy whilst Gaibon flapped his wings above him preparing to fight, puffing smoke coolly from his throat whilst watching the intruder slowly force himself up. Dust covered his entire body as they found themselves now within an old storage room partly darkened amidst boxes and crates of odd relics, the raptor shaking himself off before snarling bitterly at such insult. He clasped his scissors thickly within his hand before snapping his leg straight, cracking his neck into the right place whilst Slogra simpered: "Hmm, we should destroy rooms more often as an opening attack, works pretty well against petty little whelps." "Something of a grand entrance you think?" added Gaibon. "What's grander than destroying the entrance itself? Ready Gaibon?" "Always, Slogra." The two aligned themselves with each other, one floating above the other as they braced themselves for the real fight. Slogra went low plunging his spear through the demon's abdomen, whilst Gaibon flapped high above to spread his daggered feet with claws at the ready. The scissors flew out perfectly as he struck hard against Slogra's lance sending him off-target, but not quick enough to deter Gaibon's feet as they scarred neatly upon the raptor's face, shredding his cheeks left and right with a mighty double kick that sent him back slightly.

The bird-like in turn took this opportunity to swipe his spear sideways and shatter the demon's knees forcing him to fall harshly onto his side before shriking forwards with a plunging strike down upon the creature's head. But the Scissoraptor rolled swiftly back onto his feet in time to avoid the lethal lance, steadying himself ready for the next attack with the slightest limp before Slogra charged with spear at the ready. The demon dodged left at the lancing thrust to his leg, perfect timing for Gaibon to blast fire powerfully from his throat with a pure ball of flames, slamming putridly into the Scissoraptor's chest full-on to send him back against the wall. Crackling his severed bones, his essence reshaped them back together just in time to face Slogra's attack, a ruthless swiping combo sweeping his spear left, right, left then stabbing seven times towards the Scissoraptor who blocked viciously in succession. Only four of the hits came through puncturing his chest, cracking two ribs and severing one lung completely. Gasping violently sharp, the demon grabbed Slogra's head and powerslammed him backwards with a burst of darkness as the bird beast fell hard a good twenty feet, but not before Gaibon swooped down in vengeance upon him. Carving his scissors towards him with an overhead swing, he forced the winged beast to flap short and swoop higher at an angle desperately evading the coming slice of bladed tips. Slogra recovered quickly, spinning once before hurling his spear like a javelin as the raptor dodged much faster than before to also evade any potential fireblasts from above. Leaping across the cargo, he clambered over boxes and barrels dodging the strafing fire from the bat-like creature, screeching furious flames until the raptor noticed one rather volatile-smelling barrel of gunpowder. Grappling it, he spun and hurled it fiercely like a boulder towards Gaibon who would not realise until too late. The fuse had turned lit. "GAIBON!" Slogra's voice shouted from below as he grabbed his spear before hurling it violently fast, piercing through the barrel and sending it far above through the broken floor, bursting with raw splintering explosion of unfiltered powder from the Orient that almost sucked the air out of the very room as fire and wood came down heavily upon all three in a driftless rain of ash. The bird beast's spear had fallen back to him, thrown by the explosion as he grasped it in his staff with a cocky wink to his winged friend. "LOOK OUT!" Gaibon's warning came just in time as the Scissoraptor swung down upon his back, turning fast to suddenly propel himself backwards by a small dashing motion as he blocked the scissorblades. With staff in both hands, Slogra blocked every strike from the scissorbeast with practiced perfection, diagonal, horizontal, vertical swipe, nothing came through. Not even after fourteen clashes of steel there was a break within Slogra's guard until Gaibon planned his attack, belching a fierce flaming orb towards the demon who was forced to back off. The room was now on fire, slowly consumed by the assault as the floor started turning weak once more beneath them. Crackling under the sheer weight of their ruthless conflict, the demons fell through except Gaibon who flapped downwards watching his friend always. Scissoraptor took this opportunity in yet another midfall to counteract, swinging his scissorblades out like a boomerang towards the bat-like creature. Gaibon dodged, chuckling but not realising the scissors were their own mind as they came spinning through towards his back, carving deep through his shoulderblades. "A-AAAAAAARGH!" "NO, GAIBON!" "NNNNGH! S-STUPID WEAPON POSSESSOR!" "NOBODY HURTS MY FRIEND! NOBODYYYY!" The moment they landed upon a slick marble floor, Slogra rushed towards the scissors with blinding fury as they found themselves within a grand ballroom studded full of mirrors. Apart from several chairs on every corner of the room, it was almost perfectly free to allow anyone to dance completely unabated even towards their very deaths, by a good 66 feet long and another 47 feet wide. Gaibon flapped his wings over towards the Scissoraptor's body having his friend now take vengeance upon the weapon instead. With raptor versus bat-like beast, he was slightly outmatched due to the greater agility of the winged superior of Dracula's brotherhood who swung down viciously like a screeching harpy forcing Scisso to duck. He dodgerolled forwards underneath but that did not stop Gaibon from turning fast in mid-air and blasting him in the back powerfully with a raw flaming force that almost broke through his spine completely. Staggering forwards from the blasting shot, the demon turned ragged in his breath before he suddenly shifted teleporting towards Gaibon fast. Phazing through existence briefly in shadow, he leapt upwards to slash violently across the bat creature's face rending blood onto the dancefloor. But Gaibon in return spun with wings out fully to slash and deter the creature from attacking any further, clocking the demon across the face twice before he timed his shot to vomit forth a waterfall of flames spurious from his throat. Drowning the scissoraptor by a molten storm of acidic rage, the raw skin started to bubble and melt to blackened chars of a most horrid stench. Falling back to earth, the fire burned almost neatly through the stone-polished floor as the demon dodged the regurgitating splash of hot demonic bile that gushed like paint spilt across the marble flooring. Despite the burning streak of liquid heat devouring into his body flesh, the raptor was undeterred despite feeling the first pangs of exhaustion start to trickle into his essence, knowing he had to heal whether or not he wanted to save his energy. Slogra however became perfectly matched against the weapon itself facing off into a duel of swordsmanship, or rather that of scissors versus spear as to who was the superior weapon once and for all. Whirling down upon the spear lance, the bird-like guarded fiercely as the raw steel ricocheted off from his block before Slogra thrust forwards to hook the scissor handle and swing it battering against the mirrored glass by a raining fragmented 70 years worth of bad luck in the form of lethal slicing chunks the size of swords.

Even if it wasn't going to hurt the demon within, it was still humiliating enough to be thrown about like a ring-hooked toy at the state fair. With a catch-and-release swing the scissors flew free across the room, but not before spinning round halfway and diving like a hawk towards the avian beast. He twirled his spear at the ready stepping back one foot as if ready for a flying leap, but then he saw the scissors multiply in shadows to become five or six, dark sinister violet shades that swarmed around Slogra who braced himself. The first struck to his left and behind which he thwacked ruthlessly before the second came from his direct right, ducking to twirl his staff above his head in order to deflect the piercing scissors' shadow. Third came in front of him straight towards his chest, jumping fast to plant his spear into the stone marble floor like a pogo stick clasping his body against the staff's length before the next fourth shade came slicing for his head from behind. Forcing his entire body to jump upwards, the spear followed him as he spun beautifully in the air like a shaolin monk before cracking down hard as he caught the scissors' shadow, whacking it as if catching a fly beneath his swatter. But before he could even land upon his feet, he saw the fifth one come powerfully up from underneath his body and ruthlessly tear between his legs, slicing apart both his feet and buckling him down onto one knee. The final strike was the true pair of scissors waiting above him. Always, like the dagger of Damocles. He heard the whooshing blades, desperately rolling to one side awkwardly but not good enough as the tearing blades opened wide like jaws of a shark before ripping straight through his lower body. Gashing violently through the side of his waist with a heavy chunk, he cried out in gasping stiflement of pain whilst clutching himself hard staggering onto both feet once again, his staff now used for a crutch only briefly as he waited for the next attack. But the scissors soon felt a shocking blast of flames tear through, a potent fireball of pure demon magic that rippled fiercely with hot raw pain of arcane anguish. Gaibon was already halfway across the room the moment he had heard a gasp of pain from his dear friend, who simply smiled back at him cockily with a brave determined-looking grin. Turning back towards the demon's host, the vespertilian beast swooped down once across the marble sculpt floor blasting fireballs in succession upon the Scissoraptor right in front of him. He dodged back and forth easily despite his gnawing wounds rendering him to half his body flesh gone now showing the ribs and all its organs underneath, as well as half a leg but he persevered until Gaibon reached within ten feet. The bat-like opened his maw wide with a horrid shriek of rage as Scissoraptor plunged his arms forwards and suddenly grabbed both sides of Gaibon's face, roaring furiously with clawed feet screeching backwards across the polished marble as Gaibon felt the tight scaly fingers plunge into his cheeks. Something began trembling with sudden cold startling through the monster's head signalling Scisso's attack, and with a powerful burst of darkness pulsing from the essence inside of FG, he doubleshocked the beast into submission. The force was like being hit by two shotguns from both sides of the head sending Gaibon to the floor, staggering as he flapped awkwardly with the pulsing throbbing anguish that tore strips of his brain to shreds, stumbling with a falling drunkenness until hitting his face hard on the marble. The raptor pulled off his chest from the wicked teeth before ruthlessly beating, clawing and biting like a ferocious mongrel upon his face, ripping across the ears and snout, gouging at his eye before Scisso was viciously impaled through his entire side. "YOU! HARM MY FRIEND!" Slogra's voice resonated with fury potent from beside him. "YOU! SUFFER BEYOND DEATH!" He swung with extra weight, piercing through at least four of the organs of the raptor possessed with the spear's raking tip stabbing out the opposite side of James' body. With one huge swing in a circle, he built himself enough momentum of his strength to form an overhead swing with his entire spear throwing Scisso upwards before then colliding downwards onto the floor with powerful slamdunk. The most brutal of dunks that caused even a small rippling shockwave across the floor's weakening crumbling state before their own feet.

It didn't take long for them to fall heftily upon a large lengthly wooden table down the room below, amidst crushing debris all around them as Slogra rushed at him with full force, whilst Gaibon soon found himself facing off against the scissors themselves instead. Their battlefield had now become a dining hall, slightly smaller than the ballroom above but just as if not even more resplendent than the previous, with fireplace the size of a bull's corpse and a reptilian beast in portrait above it of presumably the great Galamoth. The weapon possessed swung down upon Gaibon's face as he dodged, trying to blast back with flames asunder scorching across the broken maw of the ceiling. Hovering like a wasp, the bladed shimmering form of the demon intruder could be seen easily within the flickering flames of candlelight dinner before thrusting straight down into the table. Gaibon flapped up, but he had not seen the shadow that burst from the scissors to suddenly attack him without warning as it plunged into his breast, gasping by its spiritual wounding force as the real scissors thunked deep into mahogany oak. Forced to land as he felt blood seeping down his back along with the sudden strike piercing deep into his soul, he waited for the scissors' next attack. Slogra had rushed onwards on the other side of the table, stomping with fatal claws scratching across the fine oaken furniture as Scissoraptor's body stood waiting to fight back barehanded. The bird beast swiped for his head with the spear, the raptor ducking underneath with a vicious punching fist that clocked twice into Slogra's left ribs, but he simply sucked in deep and resisted the pain promptly to grab Scisso by the throat and slam violently with one knee straight into the raptor's crotch. Had he any testes one of them would surely have popped from such fury. But all it gave the raptor's body was a deep groan of frustratingly intense sharp pain before he was suddenly impaled upon the lance, pulled back to plunge deep into James' stomach before tearing out his back. Slogra cackled pushing deeper in before swinging his spear back and forth on opposite sides of him into an arc, crashing down the raptor's body on both sides of the dining room floor hearing the cracking snaps and twists of a compressed skull and spine shattering almost as one. He whammed the creature's corpse seven times before the final three punctuated by his words slowed down. "TAKE! A! SEAT!" With final slam he hurled Scissoraptor hard off his lance and straight forwards into a seat, gilded brass with elegant rose velvet cushioning before he stepped forwards upon the crumpling dazed broken raptor. "Tonight's main course will be your pogrom, followed by EXTERMINATION!" He swung his spear downwards slicing the chair completely in half as the raptor jumped out towards safety, running towards the fireplace with hobbling legs and spastic gait from his crushed spine before grabbing one of the large branches of firewood in preparation. The bird beast lanced forwards just as Scisso dodged, plunging his spear into the flames as the demon turned and swung striking out with raw burning wood that scorched fiercely across Slogra's beak. "A-AAAAAAAAGH! MY EYYYYES!" "SLOGRA!" Gaibon heard his friend without hesitation and instantly ceased his conflict to rush over swooping with wings blasting out a fierce jet of wind that forced the demon away from his companion. Chittering slightly, he brushed away every splinter from the bird beast's face picking rapidly any that had gone into his eyes until he could see properly once more. "Are you alright?!" "I'm fine, don't let your guard down I can still see!" "Right!" The two smiled gladly before turning to face the raptor demon who now reasserted himself with his lethal blades humming softly through the air before sleekly being clasped by his cold clawed fingers. The firelight glinted on all three of them, roaring with such intensity as both oppositions charged. Scissoraptor dodged first before anything could come for him, striking down harshly upon Slogra's beak with such strenuous force he almost cracked through the bone with shattering streak before Gaibon lunged his face forwards and chomped bitterly upon the raptor's chest, swooping up towards the broken ceiling. Crunching fierce biting teeth upon the ribs, he shattered them like glass between his jaws crushing before he summoned another pulchritudinous flame from the very depths of his stomach. Scissoraptor spasmed in throes of agony, the fire burning worse than the actual teeth digging sharply into his host's body as blood dripped feebly from his still untwitching organs. The scissors pulled free from his grip before slashing violently across Gaibon's waist, then upwards along his throat leaving a huge rippling scar across his neck forcing him to drop Scisso's host. Slogra was waiting with lance ready as the demon invader spun fast with scissors before him, twirling blades now open wide to deflect the piercing lance before snapping shut tightly onto the staff length. Pulling hard against Slogra's will, the raptor turned in mid-spin with his momentum now built to crunch violently sharp into the bird beast's chest, snapping four ribs as he punched his fist right through to the very lung. The plumpening gasping motions of thick wheezing burned sorely from Slogra's beak, crying harshly with loss of voice very briefly as his eyes watered from the intensity, claws raking far within his alveoli. The scissors swung back, stopping Gaibon from assisting his friend's need as the winged beast was helpless against a weapon of wrought steel, trying to blast with fire but it was too quick for him to catch. Roasting flames across the open ceiling, the painting of Galamoth started singing from the heat of battle with oils melting thickly across its well-trimmed canvas which beared witness to the fall of Gaibon. His last boastful shot of flames was simply torn through by the ruthless scissors carving the ball of demon fire in half. He never saw it coming, the wide open blades glinting neatly within firelight almost becoming golden to a raw piercingly white-hot degree now heated up to cut through steel. Or in this case, Gaibon's right wing which suddenly cut free from his body, crunching meaty sounds scraping across his ear before the utmost pain and suffering rent through his entire right body. "A-AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! AAAAAAAAAARGH!" "G-GAIBON! GAIBON NOOOO!" Slogra tried catching him before he fell, but the raptor showed no mercy as he forced his hand deep into the monster's chest and hurled him down towards the carpet floor. Ripping out his entire lung before the bird beast could even push himself free, he staggered upwards with sweet shivering gasps of anguish before stumbling towards his falling friend, grabbing on tightly to hold him close and lay him down safely in front of the fireplace for warmth. The half-winged creature was struggling in sheer agony, locked within shock as he bled profusely his demon blood into a large puddle beneath his feet. It was then that Slogra put his spear towards his friend's side as he calmly turned towards the Scissoraptor and openly spread his hands empty without weapon, almost begging for an invitation to fight. The raptor did not holster his weapon and simply waited whilst Slogra walked towards him, pounding his fist thickly into his palm with half his chest now missing a lung exposed. _"You...are going to suffer for this insolence." "Without a spear and your poor little RAT now only half the winged bitch he is?! Are you TRYING to make this easier for me?! HAH! Fine, show me your true strength without your precious spear little bird beast, hhahahahahhaha, HAHAHAHAHA-HRRRKH-GUH-HHHRRKHH-AAAGHKH!" _

In his sudden revelry of insolence at such alacrity from Slogra's bold defiance, he had not counted upon the avian demon to suddenly shouldercharge him and violently crush him against the wall of the dining room. Pure bristling fury burned within him as he began to pummel the Scissoraptor by a thousand fists and kneestrikes, rapidly bodychecking him with the insane speed of a psychotic child as fist after fist slammed into the demon raptor. The room was now burning from Gaibon's previous assault but he could not care. He wouldn't even try to care, not either of them. Stomach, chest, stomach, face, stomach, throat, stomach, upper lung, stomach, pelvis, stomach, face, he couldn't keep up. Powerful enough to kill a human being but not enough to completely crumple the Scissoraptor's resistance but he was pinned neatly to the wall by this rageful onslaught. Fists swung back and forth interceded by merciless strikes of Slogra's knee driving straight into the demon's plexus. The scissors clasped fiercely by reflex of every painful physical whallop, bruises began showing all over the raptor's body. Eyes blacked out, ribs fully crushed, pelvis twisted like a crumpled beer can as his organs started bursting bleakly from inside the demon raptor. Like rotting fruit under the weight of raw fists, the Scissoraptor vomited thinly by the body's reflex of intense pressure forcing the loose liquids to come out from him but Slogra didn't care. Slogra stopped caring. Slogra began screaming. Slogra started to bleed from his fists as the sharp bone broken inside of Scisso began to pierce from his skin raking across every punching strike that pounded deep as it could inside the Scissoraptor. The final fourteen punches went left and right across the raptor's skull, crushing half of it slightly inwards to look bent and somewhat elliptical before a final haymaker slammed powerfully across his left, sending him flying to hit his head upon the table edge with a necksnapping crack. Slogra panted with exhaustion, seeing the scissors still within the demon invader's grasp and stumbling his way back towards where his spear still laid beside Gaibon. He was still breathing, panting raggedly up towards his bird friend as blood still continued leaking from his torn wingless shoulder. "Slo-...S-slogra..." "Just let me do this." "...I...I-i-i'm not-" "Please." He took his spear in his hands with fierce gasping raw from his single lung as his body cavity softly twitched, before Gaibon asked: "L-let's...let's just leave this to Death himself...I don't...I don't want to-" "We can kill him. We have a fire big enough." "H-he...that weapon cannot be burnt." "I will at least...burn his wretched body." "No...n-n-no please...s-stay with me." "Why?" "B-b-because I...I'm almost...a-aaaaagh..." Slogra looked fearful for a minute, trembling along his spear with hands turning white by the knuckle which already had gone red with his bloodied fury asking: "Y-y-you cannot...no...w-we...we can do this, G-gaibon we-" "Remember our promise...Birdy? Neither of us live alone...not this. I'm sorry...I was careless that I could not live to see the next dawn." "Y-you are just, it's but a flesh wound please s-s-stop being so pessimistic!" "You know that it's...more than that, Slogra." "NO! NO IT'S NOT, IT...YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS, I KNOW YOU ARE!" "I cannot even fly now...that thing is just...I feel my own brain bleeding through my ears I can't even...I feel your voice getting weaker from my ears turning deaf." "STOP IT!" He grabbed the shoulders of his friend as he dropped his spear crouching swiftly in front of him, hugging him feverishly around the neck pulling closely as tears burned through his wincing eyes. "DON'T GIVE UP LIKE THIS! YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS GAIBON!" "I did...m-my best...h-hhhhhh...but I can't...gh-ghhrrrrk...Slogra...please, d-don't let me watch you suffer." "I don't...I don't, I-i-i can't...not without you." "You can be with me...please...I can't hold on much longer...Death is not here to do this for us we must ask..." "No...n-n-no, no that's not-this is humiliating, he does not DESERVE that victory!" "This is not a victory...it is our choice. You promised we would be together...always. Always." His one wing wrapped softly around Slogra's back pulling him tightly together against him, gently rocking back and forth before he whispered into his ear. "We cannot live without each other. I have always been ready, so long as I am with you at this moment." "You...y-y-you're...you're right. I know we must...f-ful...fil our promise. Alright." The bird beast stood up before turning towards the Scissoraptor, who despite all odds of a ruthless beatdown still stood unerringly stern with slow-knitting injuries. Much easier to heal physical than arcane elements that burned within him as his skin began to reknit, the gentle bone-snapping only briefly eclipsed by the sound of the fire burning softly before Gaibon, sitting peacefully in front of it as Slogra asked: "Are you not dead...yet?" "I have not been alive, ever, so how can I be dead even to begin with?" "You know what I mean...hhhhhh...you win...much to my regret, you win but my master sh-shall deal with you, whereas we...hhhhhave failed. I accept that, because you have taken my friend down a-and so we must soon be adhered to our own s-sacred pact. You understand that, don't you intruder?" "Yes. Somewhat I do." "I shall surrender to you seeing as I have not managed to destroy you well enough despite everything. I...have but only one request." He stood firmly as he could, despite the seeping gape of his wounded chest, forcefully struggling to breathe as he felt the energies of his body slowly become weaker with every breath. "I want you to....f-finish us in the same breath. My friend and I...w-we must be sent off this world's existence b-b-by a singular unit and not a second any further apart from each other...please...hhhhhhh...t-take our lives in one instant by the same second s-so that we may go...peacefully." "Hm...very well. I shall finish you in the same breath." "Hhhhhhhh...hhhhhoh thank you. I respect that, creature, I will respect you for it. Hhhhhhhh...hhhhheh...s-see...th-this always...h-happens when I'm on your team." The bird beast turned towards Gaibon with a simple chuckle of exhaustion. "Whether it's h-hide or seek or fighting I j-just never seem to win when I am around you- H-HHHRRRRRRRKH!" "N-NO! SLOGRAAAA!" There was no greater pain the two would ever feel in their life than that moment. Slogra felt his eyes turn glassy, his lung twisting with the blade of the scissors crunching between his ribs as it tore bleakly past his spine like a violin's strings being played, whilst blood sprayed onto Gaibon's body. The last thing he saw was his friend's face slowly tearing up with hot tears of grief as sorrow took his final moments. As he watched his beloved friend fall the moment the scissors pulled from his body's back, the heavy slump of the bird beast against the winged chest, he grabbed him instantly in a deep embrace with all his strength even as he turned feeble in the firelight. "No...n-n-n-no no...S-slogra...Slogra please...y-you...you're not...you can't be p-p-please...d-don't...I wasn't...I wasn't...... you." The vespertilian turned with eyes red with bloody tears. "You disgust me." "I did as he asked me to. But I do not ever breathe, so...hm..." _ The Scissoraptor shrugged as his scissors slowly came back to his grip bleeding of Slogra's fluid. _ "Twas not every specific, not my fault he was unaware of it." "He...BEGGED you f-f-for one small pittance, he PLEADED and you... YOU! You h-h-h-have no worth...you, are nothing but a hyena, scavenging across the plains dressed as a lion whilst you f-f-f-feast upon the glory of others when you have NONE for yourself! ...you will suffer for this, my master...will rip you to pieces." "Do you know why you failed in defeating me? Empathy. That's the problem with having such empathy, when you have someone so dear to you in conflict, instead of making you stronger together it only causes another weakness to unfold inside of you. Look at this. Both of you could not even stand to protect your dignity and all you have to show for it is your tearful embrace and false vain words of furious revenge that shall go unpunished. Your master will not miss you...nor will I remember you or your 'little birdy'...Gaibon...hmhmhmhmhm..." _ The demon grinned with arrogance borne through as he walked from the room simply twirling his scissorblades in rapturous victory, rendering his opponent to be completely broken in both heart and body at the sight of his oldest friend now deceased. He pressed the beak against his struggling chest still trying to beat out a steady rhythm, in loss of blood from his severed right wing bearing phantom pains of a weakening strength from agony, stroking and cradling his fallen companion with his only arm remaining. _"S-slogra...oh...o-oh...p-please...please forgive me...I'm sorry...I'm s-so sorry...I didn't...I know I promised you that w-w-we would be together, th-that we would pass from this world in unison so as not to see each other fall in tears, I did not mean...I did not mean to cry...I did not mean to make your last moment of suffering to see me like this...forgive me. But don't...d-d-don' be...afraid. I'm here...I will always be here...beside you." He clasped feebly towards Slogra's spear, struggling to pull it up as he pressed the tip against his quivering throat. "W-we can...we can play with Adrian tomorrow...like we promised. T-t-tomorrow is...merely but another three h-hundred years away, n-nothing more...I'll see you soon, my little Birdy, I promise. No matter where we are, o-or what world we now live in, whether our master has risen or f-fallen, I will never leave you. Never." His last breath came upon making his last kiss upon Slogra's cheek before he plunged his throat deep upon the spear of his close companion, blood streaking effortfully down upon Slogra's face as the winged beast felt his eyes struggling to keep awake. Flickering in his final moments, he ripped the spear sideways to rend his throat fully open before falling against the bird-like body. Their last embrace as blood pooled from both bodies dwindling into one single rippling of red, holding each other close within the firelight as the room began burning from all around them evermore.

Upon returning to the library, the Scissoraptor was most surprised to find it empty. After a long enduring walk with his suffering wounds still knitting themselves back into place, dragging himself halfway on his broken legs, he half-expected to find some furious unseelie getting up in all his face about things such as betrayal and lies and petty excuses for needing any sense of companionship. But there was nothing, not even any of the zombie goons that Dullahan normally kept with him in this place. It unnerved him somewhat. He headed through towards the librarian's office hoping to find his human escort and carrier of all things needed for his objective, seeing that there was indeed Rozalia along with the Master Librarian chatting away to each other cautiously. In the midst of the old green wallpaper and insurmountable tomes that reached beyond their heads there was not a single soul within the library but those three people. Or rather two people and one demon as the raptor asked: _ "Where did you run off to?" _ Rozalia looked shocked with terror at having watched the demon enter back into her world of peace, briefly shattering it as she now remembered every purpose of why she was now still in this castle. Her hands rubbed nervously upon the desk, sitting opposite with the librarian still in his seat looking all the world like an archdeacon of wizardry whilst the poor woman softly answered in questioning. "I...h-h-how did you-" _ "Dullahan informed me, where is he?" _ "He left," replied the librarian, "he had some new matters to attend to, something very urgent I think no doubt." _ "Hm. Do you have the last relic?" _ "Y-y-yes," mumbled Rozalia, "I do..." He walked forwards with striding gait before grabbing at her hair to force her up and look at him, eyes brimming with stern lack of patience. _ "Speak. Up, when I am talking to you, remember I am your master still and I will have NO disrespect from you anymore, is that clear?" _ "Yes...master." _ "Good, now, you have the Heart of Sicarius?" _ "I do, I took it whilst you were being...captured-" _ "VERY briefly, now come we must go to the underpassage. The sooner we arrive at it, the sooner I have you released from my services." _ "A-a-alright...thank you and...goodbye." She turned towards the librarian with a gentle curt bow of her dress. "I hope we meet...another day soon." "I do too," said the librarian, "and be safe, my dear." "Thank you." Listlessly turning to walk away, the two made their way along back towards the armoury which had been cleaned of all its past victims by the last few hours it seemed. Blood still remained across its floors but all the bodies had been taken away to be placed presumably in memoriam at the catacombs. Axes and swords untouched between spatters of red, pale and luminescent fluids from monsters various still littered across each hall and corridor that they passed through as the demon reminisced briefly at such a carnage he had partaken in. It was a good memory. It took them less than thirty minutes to pass through the entirety of the armoury and through to the underpassage itself, and while some creatures had replaced the original ones he slew, it was only but the worthlessly feeble feral beasts of toads and bats that ever graced his path. Not skeletons or trolls as he made short work of any beast stupid enough to fight him as with each step he took, his body healed a little bit further before he found the ferryman's point of mooring by a slatted wooden berth jutting out a good few feet from the rocky water's edge. The lantern hanging at the dock glowed feebly against the darkness. The ferryman did not take long to arrive after sensing some new passengers, slowly drifting through the mist of the underground waters with wizened hands and cantankerous skin upon his cracked complexion. "Ahhhhh welcome back dear traveller." "I require passage, along with my mule." "Very well...two pieces of silver from each of you." Rozalia walked forwards and handed four silver coins of gil to the ferryman, who recognised the currency from before and gave a solemn nod whilst winking curiously at the maiden. The Scissoraptor then realised something asking: _ "I thought you did not take the living upon your carriage." "Did I? ...hm...well, beggars can't be choosers at this point, I still have to make earnings now come along."_ The ride back was dead silent, the Scissoraptor sitting down to rest his weary bones as well as Rozalia not saying a single word in fear for her temporary superior. The boatman noticed this cold atmosphere and decided to allow them the peace of such, before they would arrive back towards the lizardfolks' hiding spot. The sound of odd bickering amongst the encampment welcomed them between the pilgrim Gregory, and Zhao the former thief. "Don't you lie to me you little turd!" "I'm not some MAID responsible for every little thing you lose!" "I had my cross HERE, I KNOW I did, the last person that had come close to me was you!" "You really think I give a shit about your dumb jewellery, it's not even real silver!" "THAT CROSS WAS MY FATHER'S YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" "My mother always taught me to speak the truth, I always do with my mouth even if I don't do it with my hands!" "YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE SLANT-EYED BITCH!" "BITE ME SHEEPFUCKER!" "Enjoying communion are we?" _ The bickering stopped at the sight of the demon returning, to which Karam Singh stepped forwards in his usual regalia of merchant-like clothing. _"Aaaaaaah, welcome back my good sir, and but only a few hours before dawn too! Sorry for the argument you have to witness, things get rather tense around the witching hour, I was almost starting to worry about you." "I have your four items." "Marvellous, bring them to the table please. And who might you be madame?" "She is a mule, she was rather useful in carrying my relics without any fear of danger to myself." "Hmhmhm, a mule then. Well, if that is the case, may I ask her to come forwards and present our worthy finds to us?" "Verily. Come." _ Rozalia said not a word as she walked forwards to the long table as all the lizardfolk gathered round it. Bringing out the hands, tongue, brain and heart, Karam gently separated them into a certain positioning almost reminiscent of a tabernacle whilst Scisso stood back. Even from a few feet the relics were annoyingly stingy towards his disposition, watering his eyes like raw chopped onions and garlic. _"This is perfect," murmured Ravinder Kaur, "my...he's actually done it." "Indeed," said Gregory, "this is absolutely perfect I-i-i-i can't believe-" "Shh." Chanoch stood towering above them all and placed a hand to Gregory's snout, sternly piercing him with a gaze from beneath his eternal helm as Karam asked the Scissoraptor: _"Would you be so kind as to move somewhat a distance away? I would not want any harm to come upon you during this ritual we are about to perform." "Of what exactly?" "Strengthening the key for which your soul prison and reward shall be formed by, but it's...very forceful, and the echoes of such can reach quite a distance, around twenty-five feet. Us lizardfolk are not so sensitive to the ways of God's machinations but as for you...well...better safe than sorry." "Hm, I appreciate the warning, very well. How long will this take?" "Approximately ten minutes, you have plenty of time before anything shall happen." "I will be over here." _

The demon walked a fair distance away to be well out of earshot as Karam nodded solemnly to everyone around him. He placed the key onto the table, but not in the middle of the four parts, rather putting it much further away from the area of influence that would be. Instead he placed something else, glistening sharply unseen to the Scissoraptor. Rozalia watched with fervent anticipation as the lizardfolk began to recite an incantation. It was not of mortal tongue, but something much more ancient and even primal to an extent, something that lurked deep within the very recesses of all humankind, a language of the gods. Perhaps one day someone in future would be able to transcribe what was ever said here, like the language of angels shimmering from five creatures with a practiced candour, a golden prosperous revelation that made Scissoraptor sick to listen to. He stepped further away in feeling the unnervingly strong essence of purity burning across the air like incense. At the centre of the table, something drew the power of all four sacred objects into itself, throbbing a deep warmth almost radioactive in its strength of forsaken blessed light. Rozalia watched with fascination, gasping at the sight of this ritual as her eyes lit up wide with her face perfectly tinted by the bluish-white of the great sacrament. The voices began to cease as the four objects began bleeding an odd shape of triangular proportion around the central totem of power, as Karam asked: "Now, Chanoch, if you please." The warrior nodded courteously as he slowly drew his sword and sliced neatly along the exposed part of his arm drawing blood rather thinly. He angled it in such a way so as to allow the blood to trickle deep into the engraved Hebrew scripture along the length of the sword, bleeding the words of his people before droplets started to fall upon the ritualistic diagram as a white light began to fill the table. Blinding them almost, the lizardfolk gasped and fell back slightly along with Rozalia, whilst Scisso tried to look once and became suddenly blinded by the blistering grace of the will of gods. It hurt his eyes just to look at it as he turned away almost at breakneck speed, the six surrounding the table simply in awe at the kabbalistic offering now before them. A grand breath of godlike will permeated across the room as if something had breathed new life into the existence of something, as if awakening a golem. But it was to be something else, purified with life and power resonating with an ancient holy essence. The lizardman Karam handed it over to Rozalia cautiously, as she pocketed it whilst Scissoraptor was not looking before he took the key over to the demon. "Here we are." The key looked perfectly unchanged, apart from the odd tingling of a weak holy influence from the ritual's proximity. _ "I feel no light of holy from this." _ "We simply strengthened its magical proportion, not its light of holy, there are many rituals you can perform despite what you have experienced." "Hmmm...very well." "And here is a new map to tell you where you shall find the key's lock."[/i] A certain pathway was locked into the map itself, this one much more different than the one he had previously as the demon asked: _ "Why this particular path?" "There are enemies searching for you after your most delicious rampage throughout the castle, and I have noted the one less travelled by most of the monstrous residents for the sake of speed. After all, you want to get there swiftly don't you my friend? I assure you that this path will become the most flightly of all for you in your great pursuit." "I do. Thank you for your patronage." "Nooooo thank YOU my friend, you have done us a great service for our partnership however brief. I hope you have a good journey, for what's left of it."_ "Wh-what about me?" They turned towards the human who stood rather awkwardly amidst the monstrous reptilian beasts, gently rubbing her arm as the raptor shrugged replying: _ "This key does not bother me enough to harm me, so I have no need for you any further." _ "R-r-really?! Am I...am I free to go?" _ "You are free from my services yes. You may take my host's satchel with you, I have no more need of it." _ "Are you...a-a-are you sure? But I thought you might want some of these-" _ "The only items he ever cared about have been lost to the waters so I care little for the rest of his worthless garbage. Take it...but I will need two pieces of silver for the ferryman back towards the castle." _ "AH, y-yes, let me just get that for you-" "No need!" Karam offered two coins of perfect silver, from Arabic currency. "A little gift for you, free of charge passage for your last voyage." "Hmhm, thank you good sir." "I only wish you the best good Scissoraptor, farewell." He took his two pieces of silver before placing them into his host's pockets, almost forgetting how he wore jeans still when it had been armour in the previous world. Regardless, he bade his farewell without a single word as Karam smiled the moment the demon's presence was gone with Rozalia sighing relief deeply having slumped back into a seat. "Hm. Well, I am glad we finally ceased this partnership, I will not miss you." "Nor will I. Now, we are free." His people turned towards him as they saw the relics on the table. "With God's own children as our key to freedom, we shall finally welcome the new dawn with our unshackled selves and leave this house of residing evil." "All the better for it," said Chanoch softly, "we have made our mistakes, and now we shall correct." "But where to?" asked Ravinder. "God has banished us, and if Death shall find our plans against then he will make certain we are part of this place's history...forever." "Pfft who cares?!" cried Zhao Lihua. "All that matters is we're out of this shit place, I'm heading back up the Silk Road!" "And I am off to Jerusalem!" replied Gregory. "Surely God would absolve me after becoming fallen from grace." "Okay um...listen, Gregory, I really don't think-" "DON'T even try to dissuade me-" "Shut up. Seriously, do you REALLY think that people are going to accept you as we are now? We made big mistake because we were angry at the gods, and now we're getting out of it. Maybe we can find like, other people that were like this, others that were cursed, maybe make a community! Someplace safe, someplace far from humans without needing to worry about-" "I agree," said Karam Singh, "it has been a long time coming for our decision that we make, and as much as I have enjoyed being part of this castle, I fear more for not being part of humanity's path. We have regrets, but we should absolve ourselves through another way entirely, finding other creatures in the world that are the same cursed by both." "That would be wonderful," added Ravinder Kaur, "I...I hope that...we can find someplace new." "With your words of poetry my dear, you could sing the devil from his throne to give you everything." "Heehehehehe...you are a silly man, still." "Hmhmhm...and as for you, madame." The lizardfolk leader turned towards Rozalia who stood patiently waiting by a more composed-looking state, the lack of fear in her eyes now evident as she crossed her arms. "We are in your debt for all of this." "I am glad I could assist. I believe you have some things for me to collect as well, sir Jandhu." "Please, call me Karam Singh...and I do indeed my dear miss, let me show you our personal inventory from your dearest friend."

Wandering back upstairs, the demon took the path that was recommended to him noticing it was indeed much easier to pass through unabated by any wandering forces that would be guarding the corridors. He noticed the library had been put in lockdown as well as the catacombs rather limiting his means either way and soon he found that there were very few paths now open to him regardless of his destination. The garden courtyard had been barred, the vacant halls almost deathly cold with an infinite silence. The raptor travelled through the reaches of the castle beyond the western point, skirting around as was given to him by his new map through long endless corridors where not a single creature would speak within. All was quiet like the first night of Christmas Eve, trembling timid breeze across the glass windows as there came a storm brewing amidst the Transylvanian horizon far beyond the Carpathian mountains. It was almost disturbing to the demon who at least had expected someone to have encountered him, but after massacring two superiors he had expected that perhaps people had been given the evacuation order. That pleased him to think, at least until he reached what was the largest room on his current route. A great chapel housing itself within the very heart of darkness. Yet stepping into its grand cloistered view he felt not a single trace of holiness about it, no burning essence, no seething purity gnawing at his skin. It was an unholy church, with little imperfections just off to make it all rather impure and defiant against God. It was a beautiful place regardless for a mockery, with white doric columns on both sides of him, languished tapestries and grand glass windows the height of six people where Scissoraptor noted many of the great follies of the Christian faith. With stridant gait upon the clear limestone floor coveted in red beautiful carpet, he saw above him the great horrors of the Crusades, the torment of Job, the villifying of Paul condemning others beneath his faith. He had to admit that he was in love with such a place, smiling like a child within a toy store at all the wondrous shapes and visions that had occurred in the name of God, the names of many people engraved upon the floor all to be walked over. The chill of being disturbed at your grave was evident in the air upon the demon who simply relished at such a feeling of sacrilege. It was glorious, as he felt the light of the moon slant with rose and amber fragments upon the floor, which in turn created the image of broken bodies, mangled and screaming from different nationalities. At the very epicenter of the church was an altar, where many pews had been set to face it with a much grander quadtych of four windows gazing down upon the altar. Demons painted across the glass, all of whom looked reverent with a fallen grace, humble and pitying upon the main altar which was in the sculpted shape of a woman laying upon a slab. Her dress had been painted gold like fire caught in crystal with a perfect-looking face unblemished by God. The grand order of demonkin gazing upon the altar Scissoraptor noted as Lucifer, Beelzebub, Astaroth and Azazel, the four crown princes of Hell itself. There also stood a priest in black, completely from head to toe with not a single hair on his head glistening in the light of the moon as he stood before the altar, hands behind his back. "Have you come to say grace?" The priest turned with a strong cold voice, clearly human with a face of gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes beneath his bald head. He wore black gloves to match his two-piece ebony cloak, along with a scarf wrapped in dark grey around his waist as the demon approached. _ "Are you the caretaker of this chapel?" _ "Somewhat, I care for the master. Are you new?" _ "Yes. I am searching for a way through, what has happened to the other corridors of this place?" _ "A rabid monster has gotten loose and so we are taking measures to capture it. I am sorry to say that we...have not found any good measures as of yet other than this. You may seek refuge here, all of God's orphans are welcome in this place." _ "I appreciate your mockery of His faith, despite the fact you are a priest yourself." _ "Hmhmhm...indeed, I am but another order, of one who has fallen from God's grace. Here we shall absolve those such as Lucifer, for those who tried to defy His will and so were paid dearly in His vengeful retribution. His sole hatred for those who do not become sheep to His flock." _ "I agree. I am glad to see there are those who think the same as me, who is that lady on the altar?" _ "...her name is Elisabetha, that is all you need to know." _ "And may I ask your name, priest?" _ "Zead. Father Zead." A callous grin bleakly formed across his cheeks as he clasped his hands together neatly. "May I ask of yours good sir?" _ "I am known as the Scissoraptor. Forgive me, but I must make haste, I am late for an appointment with someone so may I ask which way is it to the upper level?" _ "Then I welcome you to our company...as for your new route, let me see......ah, yes, the mirror." _ "Mirror?" _ Pointing towards the very end of the chapel's hall beneath the grand stained windows of the great orders of Hell, Zead noted a large mirror the height of at least ten feet glistening perfectly into a deep darkness. "It is I admit an alternate route but since we are in lockdown it is at the least the very nearest means to access the upper levels. Do you know precisely where you are going?" _ "Yes." _ The demon walked forwards producing his map, curious at the human's complete lack of fear and utmost confidence when dealing with someone as fearsome as him. Clearly he did not get the memo or he had known far more fearsome things in Heaven and Earth, the cleric nodding promptly. "Yeeeeees, yes, I know this place well, that is precisely where the mirror shall take you, come with me." Walking around the altar to the very end of the hallway, Zead showed him the mirror itself. There was nothing but darkness beyond their own reflections, a long straightening path that seemed to stretch far beyond into the void of emptiness. It was a strange sight for the Scissoraptor and yet one that felt oddly familiar to him as he gently touched the glass, finding that it would simply bend and ripple like water perfectly liquid. _ "Interesting...this is the only path to the upper points of this castle?" _ "Precisely. All you must do is pass through and I assure you that you shall be at the upper echelons of this place." _ "I see...then, I wish you good day, priest." _ "And you...Scissoraptor." The demon walked forth into the mirror's state, passing beyond the point of existence as he felt the world start to warp around him, turning and twisting evermore as the further he walked onwards, the more shapeless everything would become. He had not even the opportunity to look back before the glass had consumed him fully, fading into darkness but if he had ever been able to, he would notice the priest slowly turning his face into a cruel hateful sneer. "You shall pay for what you did to my two dearest servants...wretched vermin."

What felt like an eternity wandering through darkness, a feeling he had known always at the back of his head, the Scissoraptor soon saw the light come through the other side of the mirror's route. A frightful intangible bleak dim that was to signal his exit as he walked through. Every step he made within the dark bare halls of this lone passage, felt like he was pushing his legs through a thickening flood, the atmospheric pressure of this unnatural pathway pressing fiercely down upon his back. He only ever saw the bleakest stone walls and red carpet, an endless hall that he could never see more than seven feet in front of him. Once he passed through to the other side, he looked around with confusion at the new place. Or rather the old place he had just come through, seeing it was the church exactly as it was yet again with no sign of the priest. Yet something was off, the light was now different bathing the room within an indigo glint that sharply tinted across his very vision taking special note upon the altar. Beyond that was nothing but darkness, almost impenetrable beyond the very altar itself. The woman on the altar was different, this time not in golden dress, but of blue sleek coat of modern days. He glanced up towards the quadtych of windows seeing they had changed to something else, no longer but of four demons, but rather of a story in four panels. A star shining upon a mountain full of dead people, a manor upon a cliff which seethed with blood down to wash upon the sea, a cradle underneath yet another star before finally showing the clock tower, a pair of scissors crushed and twisting within the gears like nothing but paper. Always the clock tower he would remember. _ "What is this? Wh-...what sorcery did that priest attempt on me, is this some sort of trick room?! What...that woman is......not...no." _ The woman on the altar had a face that was most certainly that of her with a middle-aged complexion, sallow cheeks and perfectly coiffed hair. Like a schoolteacher, or perhaps even a stern mother. He had only seen but an illusion of this woman previously so it was still fresh in his memory. _ "It...it cannot be. This woman is...this was not the woman I saw earlier but......M-mary? No...no this is-this is but another worthless trick I will not be fooled again by this castle of chaos!" "Do you remember what I told you?"_ A voice whispered on the wind, feminine yet cold and sweet that came briskly from above his head. "Fear curdles the human soul like milk, a festering poison so deeply burrowed within every mortal being. But not you...not my...special little one. You will make this world learn the true wrath of a woman scorned...won't you Bobby?" "WHO IS THERE?!!? SHOW YOURSELF!" _ He unsheathed his blades fiercely defiant, rage upon insult as he looked feverishly in every single direction but there was nothing there. Not a voice of life or a single creature that he could detect, not even with his senses dulled still by the tincture from Karam several hours ago. But he was certain there was something there, a shadow glancing across the walls as something glimmered from the mirror still behind him. The voice continued: _"Do you know why I brought you here? Why I made you?" "I DO NOT CARE, WHATEVER WORDS YOU MOCK ME WITH I WILL NOT-" "Bobby. Listen to me. Stop." "No." "Bobby, you will listen to me sweety. You WILL listen to me." "You are not anything, you are no more powerful than me, you are but an ILLUSION of a mortal wretched HUMAN!" "If you do not listen to me now I will MAKE you listen to me! Don't make me punish you, I want you to be my good boy, not just some monster." "What...hmhmhmhmhahaha, can you possibly do to me that I-HHH-HRRRRAAAAGH! AAAAAAAAARGH!" _ The sound of a bell rang through his memories, burning deep from within his very heart if he had one. Darkness trembled through shivering as the great power of the golden tongue proclaimed itself to the entire chapel, or rather what darkness remained of it in this otherworld. The bell was constant, tinkling at first like a tiny hand instrument, but before he even knew what was happening, it sounded as if he were trapped inside of one as it sang with timbre of a most beautiful purity. A sound that would burn evermore inside of him, shrieking deeply as he cried: _ "NOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARGH! STOP! CEASE THIS, ENOUGH OF THIS, I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!" "Come here boy! Come here it's alright, mommy's here-" "SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, YOU WORTHLESS BITCH YOU SUMMONED ME TO THIS PLACE! YOU SUMMONED MEEEEEE!" "I WON'T HURT YOU, BOBBY! PLEASE COME TO ME IT'S ALRIGHT!" "STOP IT! STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIT, MAKE IT STOP! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGH!" _ Every ring of that wondrous bell he remembered was yet another dagger into his brain, twisting, trembling, scraping, ripping apart his very senses as if he were being crushed by gears on each side of him. His blood began to scream and boil, his claws snapped brittling as his teeth started to vibrate with every sound like the force of shockwaves in an earthquake upon him. He felt like a hurricane was tearing him to shreds, flensing his skin with burning hot anguish as his eyes started to bleed, falling over against the altar as he watched the glass windows changing. The bell was everywhere around him, all he could see was nothing but bells ringing their utmost purity. Back, and forth, and even worse was the fact that he knew even exactly the sort of bell that he was hearing. It was one he had not heard in years ever since he left the Barrows mansion. He knew, it was the one from his great legacy undone and the pain had become unbearable inside of his being as madness took him from the sheer intensity of his agony. An agony so piercing that it forced him to regress to the one memory that allowed him to pull through. _ "STOP IIIIIIIIIIT! STOP IT PLEAAAAAAAAAAASE! PLEAAAAAAAASE STOP, MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOP!" "BOBBY! BOBBY COME HERE, COME HERE IT'LL BE OKAY!" "MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STO-OP, PLEASE M-MOTHER! MOTHER PLEAAAAAAASE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY FOR DISOBEYING YOU, PLEASE! MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" "I'M RIGHT HERE, BOBBY! PLEASE! JUST TRUST ME, I WILL BE HERE FOR YOU, COME TO ME! COME TO MY ARMS I'LL MAKE IT STOP I PROMISE BOBBY!" Barely managing to look up with his eyes now watering with blood, he saw the arms of the sculpted woman on the altar opening to him as she turned over without a single sound, trapped still in perfect marble. Her blue coat was as rich and wholesome as it had always been and soon he found himself so wracked in suffering from the bell that he grasped her desperately. The moment he wrapped his hands around the stone woman, the bell had stopped instantly. Silence was a welcome peace for him as he gasped with sigh of relief as he heard his voice amidst his shuddering cold breaths, a thick pain deeply from inside his skull. "Shhhhhh...it's alright...it's alright my little boy...mommy's here...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I never-...I didn't know that it would do so much to you." "Th-th-the...the bell...th-th-that cursed b-bell...p-please, no more...I will...I will do whatever you ask of me...j-j-just please...turn that wretched tower off f-for me, s-silence it...for me." "I will...I'm sorry my Bobby...you are a sweet little monster. Yes..." He felt her hand softly stroke along the back of his head. "The one thing I have been waiting for my whole entire life...come here dearest...let us sleep until the new dawn shall awaken of fear and terror for you to commit once again." Before he could even stop himself, the arms pulled him in at first on top of the altar to lay upon her. But then he saw the altar was in fact a crypt, and so the slab opened creaking to reveal an empty coffin that he fell into without warning. Crying out in his weakened panic, the raptor disappeared as his feet slipped through before the coffin slab closed itself once again. Now he was in darkness, cold and unseen beneath the sound of someone laughing. A twisted cackling of a breathless cry of joy and merriment upon the winds of fear.