light flooding into the catacombs, realizing that the arm of the Hagayalick he was chasing was trapped under it. As he came to the other side, he found Iquay’s body, lifeless and empty. He felt a shudder tear through his bones as he saw her that way, the Vesh who had saved him from a useless end. No Vesh, believer or not, wanted a useless end, and she had delivered onto him…for this one moment in time... faith and purpose.
Inlojem rounded the bend and there, in front of him, was a simple pyrix arch, lifeless and dull, that seemed to sprout out of the ground. In its side was a small bar-shaped slot for the transmutation block. In front of the portal was something much more menacing; Ilquast, with Iogi struggling in his arms. A sickle-blade curved around the child’s neck.
“You,” he snapped. “I should have seen your face in my visions. I should have known you would be the one to face me here.
“Let go of the child,” Inlojem instructed as calmly as possible, “and fight me directly.”
“No, the child will go with me, and you will start the portal. I know she told you how, that miserable Oolyayn whore,” Inlojem crept toward Ilquast and dropped his blade on the ground. He placed the transmutation block into the slot on the side of the arch, and the portal brimmed to life with a spectacle of fizzing white-magenta light that filled the archway. Black arches generated arcs of electricity shot out from inside it and snapped at the walls of the room. Inlojem stood with his back to the portal, as Ilquast pressed the child’s throat with his blade.
“Step aside, old fool,” he demanded.
“So you may slit this child’s throat and leave?” Inlojem asked.
“I will slit his throat and then I will slit...“ before his sentence could be finished, a massive axe blade tore his shoulder in two as Teftek slammed himself down upon the young Hagayalick. An agonizing scream rolled out of Ilquast. Iogi slipped below Ilquast’s arms and ran as Ilquast’s grip on the sickle blade loosened for a second. In final retaliation, the Stranger plunged the sickle blade backward into Teftek’s stomach. Teftek felt the blade curl through him and pass next to his spinal column. He yanked back on the axe and let Ilquast’s body fall, and then unsheathed the sickle blade from his stomach. Ilquast fell to the floor and writhed in shock and pain, before Teftek stepped on his neck and ended his life. Teftek looked up from his conquest and realized that, staring back at him was the vision he had seen before.
“Come on, child! Come through the portal!” Inlojem commanded him, beckoning his hand toward the illuminated archway. Teftek rose to meet him, his mouth dripping with purple blood as he staggered toward the portal. He went to take Inlojem’s hand, but Hagayalick soldiers were already rounding the corner toward the room and racing toward the portal. Teftek instinctively fought them off, his last remaining strength going into battle.
“Go!” he cried as Inlojem watched him, remorse overwhelming his soul. He felt Iogi tug at his hand and pull him toward the portal. The Hagayalicks would kill Teftek and get through the portal if they did not leave. “Go, old Vesh! Go!” Teftek yelled in fury as he clotheslined another Hagayalick charging for the portal. Inlojem took two steps and disappeared. Teftek felt several blades pierce his skin and bring him to his knees as his Hagayalick executors raised the blades high above him. Teftek laughed as the chasm began to rumble and sway.
The light from the portal disappeared and the arch was dormant, as if it had never been lit at all. The small transmutation block was missing from its original position. As Teftek’s consciousness began to fade, he felt the ground begin to throw itself about and the rocks rip from their foundations. He saw the cleansing fire sweep through the catacombs and everything
Inlojem rounded the bend and there, in front of him, was a simple pyrix arch, lifeless and dull, that seemed to sprout out of the ground. In its side was a small bar-shaped slot for the transmutation block. In front of the portal was something much more menacing; Ilquast, with Iogi struggling in his arms. A sickle-blade curved around the child’s neck.
“You,” he snapped. “I should have seen your face in my visions. I should have known you would be the one to face me here.
“Let go of the child,” Inlojem instructed as calmly as possible, “and fight me directly.”
“No, the child will go with me, and you will start the portal. I know she told you how, that miserable Oolyayn whore,” Inlojem crept toward Ilquast and dropped his blade on the ground. He placed the transmutation block into the slot on the side of the arch, and the portal brimmed to life with a spectacle of fizzing white-magenta light that filled the archway. Black arches generated arcs of electricity shot out from inside it and snapped at the walls of the room. Inlojem stood with his back to the portal, as Ilquast pressed the child’s throat with his blade.
“Step aside, old fool,” he demanded.
“So you may slit this child’s throat and leave?” Inlojem asked.
“I will slit his throat and then I will slit...“ before his sentence could be finished, a massive axe blade tore his shoulder in two as Teftek slammed himself down upon the young Hagayalick. An agonizing scream rolled out of Ilquast. Iogi slipped below Ilquast’s arms and ran as Ilquast’s grip on the sickle blade loosened for a second. In final retaliation, the Stranger plunged the sickle blade backward into Teftek’s stomach. Teftek felt the blade curl through him and pass next to his spinal column. He yanked back on the axe and let Ilquast’s body fall, and then unsheathed the sickle blade from his stomach. Ilquast fell to the floor and writhed in shock and pain, before Teftek stepped on his neck and ended his life. Teftek looked up from his conquest and realized that, staring back at him was the vision he had seen before.
“Come on, child! Come through the portal!” Inlojem commanded him, beckoning his hand toward the illuminated archway. Teftek rose to meet him, his mouth dripping with purple blood as he staggered toward the portal. He went to take Inlojem’s hand, but Hagayalick soldiers were already rounding the corner toward the room and racing toward the portal. Teftek instinctively fought them off, his last remaining strength going into battle.
“Go!” he cried as Inlojem watched him, remorse overwhelming his soul. He felt Iogi tug at his hand and pull him toward the portal. The Hagayalicks would kill Teftek and get through the portal if they did not leave. “Go, old Vesh! Go!” Teftek yelled in fury as he clotheslined another Hagayalick charging for the portal. Inlojem took two steps and disappeared. Teftek felt several blades pierce his skin and bring him to his knees as his Hagayalick executors raised the blades high above him. Teftek laughed as the chasm began to rumble and sway.
The light from the portal disappeared and the arch was dormant, as if it had never been lit at all. The small transmutation block was missing from its original position. As Teftek’s consciousness began to fade, he felt the ground begin to throw itself about and the rocks rip from their foundations. He saw the cleansing fire sweep through the catacombs and everything
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