2Chapter 29: Beginning of the End IV

"You accursed thing," The Lord of Arcane spoke through bloody teeth, "Forcing me to do this."

When the garish light of the explosion faded the swirling dust and debris revealed a towering abomination still standing right where the lethal blast detonated. What had been a rodent from before now stood an amalgamation of charred flesh, solid earth, tree roots and half a True Onyx stone. As if on cue, there was a sudden swipe of the monster's tentacle limb causing Crevice Zugzwang to take a powered step backwards, leaving his Sword of Incineration embedded in the mouse that should have been dead.

"This is cheating, Acolyte."

"Acrolyte." The mockery of nature corrected, before moving towards the boy at an inhumane speed. It took all of Crevice's reflexes to duck and even then the tip of his Rhino helmet detached itself after an arcane infused tentacle sliced past. That was not all, for the moment was what the abomination needed to knee Crevice in the abdomen and send him flying metres away.

"The power of the Onyx stone is in the non-living, human. But you won't understand this great power."

A giant leap later, the mouse-thing was in the air hurtling down towards the prone boy for a ground stomp.

"What do I – hrk" Blood spewed from Crevice's mouth as something inside audibly gave way. "- not understand."

It raised up its foot and slammed down once more. This time, the chest piece cracked.

"The immense control over the surroundings. The power to make those that should not be alive, live and those that should live," The tentacles gently peeled open the broken Rhinobot armour to expose the vulnerable flesh beneath.

"Dead."

It stretched one of its extended limb out towards the now fully operational Trap of Infinity and to Crevice's utmost horror, started to warp the metal unto itself. It was then Crevice realised what the Acolyte had been trying to do. Its goal was not to re-enter the Acolyte Realm in an attempt to go after Catherine, but to control the gate and force it to remain open forever. However, the gate was a product of his grandfather and Plankrun's geniuses. Would it hold or crumble to the might of the True Onyx stone?

Crevice Zugzwang was not about to find out, not even if it was only half of it.

"Any last words before I eat you?" The Acrolyte intoned, while it prepared to devour the boy with its remaining three limbs.

"I am sorry, Grandfather."

"What?"

A shrill whistle reverberated from the mouth of the heir of Zugzwang, slicing apart all four tentacle limbs of the mouse.


"Gnome!"

Catherine Plankrun blew her horn with all her might, and out came a note of earthen might. Pillars of sand rose from the ground in tandem with the blast, rippling towards the two Lord mice who had no choice to dodge out of the path.

"Sylph!" At the same time this happened, Catherine immediately discarded her horn and ran towards the wounded Cissilia on the ground, and yet her horn did not fall. Held in the air by the wind, the air currents blew through the living horn which then played itself, forming a tune of battle. Almost instantly, the horn of her father joined the piece to disrupt the music, only for it to die as quickly as it came when the sand carried the controlled Plankrun away and choked his hunter horn.

"Cissilia." Catherine shook the older woman. Good, the first aid was rushed, but did their job well in saving her life. "Are you okay?"

A groan escaped the woman's lips, which Catherine took as a yes.

"I need to shift you back to safety."

"N… no. " The older woman was straining herself to speak. "Take him out first."

A quick follow of her finger showed the Lord of Death swaying from side to side as it came out into the open, entranced by the horn's call. Cissilia was right, she should seize the opportunity to free her father and take down one of the Lords at once. Without any other weapon to use, she snatched Cissilia's flute and charged at the mouse with it held high above her head. Just as she was about to bash in the mouse's cranium, a shadow flitted and slammed into her, making them both tumble onto the ground.

There was a sharp pain as a knife embedded itself onto her side.

"Y-you … will not s-succeed." The Lord of Shadow snarled, visibly trying to resist the song. It withdrew the blade again for another strike, but was blocked by Catherine grabbing the knife with her bare hands.

"I. Will." It was all the conviction she said before she used all of her strength to stab through the Acolyte mouse with the flute in her other hand. A dying scream of disbelief rang throughout the chamber, dwarfing even the autonomic song the Acrohorn was playing. When that faded, the glimmer of life in the eyes underneath the hood of the Lord of Shadow too disappeared.

"Watch out!"

Catherine spun around at the warning, but was too late. The knife she held was fished out of her hand and the next moment, there was a sound of metal piercing flesh. Right in front of her, the lifeless eyes of her father glared, past the matted white hair of the Piperian who had somehow placed herself in between them.

"C-cissilia…" Catherine dumbly mouthed.

"It's alright, child." There was only calm acceptance upon the woman's features. "I am paying back my debt."

Then she went limp, her spark of life extinguished. From the sides, the Lord of Death revealed itself, the trance it was in broken during the interruption of the song when its brother died. It tried to laugh, but found itself too weak to do so and settled for a smirk instead.

"So, the last Piperian falls."

Catherine ignored the mouse snide remarks, instead opting to embrace both her father and Cissilia's body.

"Awww. Such a sweet… what?" The acolyte turned at the sudden presence, and was greeted by rows of menancing sharp teeth. "Oh crap."

Jack Plankrun immediately moved to help his master, only to be restrained by Catherine Plankrun's vice-grip. Before he managed to break away from his daughter's hug, it was all the time the Acrohorn needed to enclose its jaws around the Lord of Death and devour it completely. Like a puppet with its string cut, Jack collapsed onto the floor along with the other two female where they remained for a long long while.