A/N:


- Lisbeth

My shoes tips bounced against the cleft of uneven stone, light fading as Acherres' minions filed through behind me. Their blinkless eyes stared onward, set numbers kept on me as others held arms and legs prisoner. The worm-like thing bounced in that pocket, but moved very weakly.

A boulder ground closed behind us, my face crusted with dried tears as I was held before a familiar elf in light blue. Fixated on me, I could only gaze back at furrows deeper than space. Aigen stepped in, grasping one of his arms.

"She had this weapon," Aigen said, "iron. Hurt me bad."

Acherres inspected my iron mace, Aiden's gift. To this, Acherres showed a rapid change in mood, his movements suddenly quick and anxious.

"Where are you from?" Acherres asked me before stopping himself. "Urbus."

He turned to his zombified assistant, Taiyama's former friend showing similar dismay.

"Prepare the troops, we cannot let this be known."

"Right," Aigen said, "Quick and aggressive."

The rotten stalker turned away, hailing undead around him as he roamed. Turning with speed, Acherres lurched over me with a scalding gaze.

"How much did you lie? Did you plan on sabotaging me?"

I said nothing, trembling at what threat lurked in his question.

"I sent my best agent to protect you, and you do this?"

"Bullshit," I said weakly.

"I may not know all of your dialect's nuance, but even I know you just cursed me. Do you realize what I have to do now?"

"Accept you've lost?" I asked, "I've used your metal stores up, those machines are mine."

"Then why haven't you tried usurping me?"

Half a breath in and I was left thinking, Acherres inspecting his minions' condition seconds in as I planned.

"It is never good to lie. Lying stems from a position of weakness...and I won't harbor it. I would have safeguarded you from everything out there, never thinking you'd dismiss it. Nonetheless, I will make due."

His minions brought me deeper into his study, passing through halls of ever increasing numbers of undead. The runes of light blue darkened as I was filed in, Acherres following me in to a circular chamber. From there, my eyes set upon a marble table, whose leather bounds left me shirking, writhing in desperation, begging Acherres to stop.

"I can't let you ruin this region's chance at peace," Acherres said, "you ever notice how there are no wars here?"

"Please don't," I pleaded, "I'm sorry I lied! I got word, something happened to my friends!"

A shift was heard, someone's shoes turning a moment after I said this. Acherres glanced up in inspection, only to look down at me as I was buckled down.

"Your honesty is no longer required, only your hand."

My innards froze as he turned, looking to my recently gloved mechanical limb.

"W-Why are there no wars?" I asked, watching Acherres dig through tool bins, his minions leaving the room.

"Because there are no fools." Acherres said, reaching further. "like an addict, I let the fool outstretch. Let me recover your losses I said, you couldn't lose if your soldiers never die."

A scrape of metal softened my breath, Acherres drawing a saw from storage. While clean in appearance, its many teeth shone with unhealthy clarity. Inspecting his tool, he nodded gently to himself.

"I can't say it didn't work. Was so good, the other king wanted in too. Two fools, two fools way too attached to someone else's coin. The best part's where the coin lands."

I shivered and wrestled against my bindings, Acherres freezing hands gripping me as he tore away what skin he gave.

"I held the coin, and their men with them. After taking their ego-soaked kingdoms, I marveled at how peaceful things became. No more petty struggles, no arguments."

"This isn't peace!" I cried out, my voice heightened at the sight of metal teeth.

"Oh but it is. Like taking a limb, there are many paths to peace."


-Garr

Anguish echoed throughout these cursed halls, my feet almost stomping as her unwarranted pain reached missing ears. Marching with dozens of mindless corpses, my face lowered. Glancing down to my right hand, heat gathered in response.

"Keep it together," Kismel whispered, "we're in his home."

Rika's screams rose and fell with exhaustion, her throat choking and dragging halfway. Every second of it pushed me closer to the warmth of hate. This wasn't a mere wrist slap I was hearing. This was torture resonating from her, cruelty exerted without shame or restraint. If my largely skeletonized mass had blood, it would melt bronze with how much anger flowed through.

"Shhh," Kismel said, "your arm."

That's a programmed being, designed for our amusement, not our belittlement. For it to not be beneath us would result in this treatment, our demise. My fingers curled in imagination, of tearing Acherres' spine. I would feel the click of every vertebra, and wear it for this. This being said, a loud procession of mechanisms grabbed the attention of my former friend.

"Hmph, toys will be toys." Aigen said, directing us to attack Rika's alerted creations.

I could not afford to break my cover, but her machines would be useful for escaping. I had to sneak into another horde, or this idiot would have me crushed along with what two dozen zombies and skeletons he decided to rush a fully repaired [Carr-ion] with.

Aigen's first wave was met as expected, with crushed bones and torn halves. These damn things were strong as bears! I dragged my feet, allowing Aigen's second wave to brush by. Knowing I was under observation, however, I pushed up behind them, though admittedly with great hesitation.

The machines punched through the entire first wave, reaching out and grabbing the initial members of wave two, arms and legs belching steam before flattening heads and stomping spines. Aigen looked with irritation, frustration driving him to push his way through.

"Got to do it myself!"

Whatever Aigen had become, I couldn't help but wince. He cracked their metal shells like eggs, ripping out what tubes and gears clicked inside.

"Hey, focus." Kismel said.

It was right, my eyes turning to what was a clear escape.


- Lisbeth

Burning.

Splinters.

Burning.

Acherres' saw jammed, him encountering bone. He reset the fucking tool forward, eager to force it, unaware of just how angry I was. Throwing my head as hard as I could, teeth dug into his hand, pulling as his fingers scrambled to break free. A pop was heard, my head striking the marble backing. Metal clang against stone, a sigh audible.

"I don't know where you come from," Acherres said with alarming calm, "but you're far from cooperative."

This brief space from pain gave me a glimpse, an entire section of this monster's hand was torn off. The saw had been dropped as a result of grip loss, its red stains leaving me thrashing harder.

"You're supposed to hurt!" I said, "You're in charge!"

"Rarely is reality so clear."

He reached down, picking up his severed piece before attempting to press-fit. He squirmed, however, as if the segment burned him. Looking at me again, he left the saw on the floor, distancing himself from me.

"I wasn't one to associate you with animals." Acherres said with a groan, "but once again you force my-"

He stopped himself, looking to what remained of his pinky and ring finger segment. Sighing, he opened a nearby doorway, as if waiting for something.

"You'll be so sorry," I said shakingly, "when I get out of these."

He said nothing, stepping aside as a small crowd of five filed through. Three held me down, two unbinding latches. Was so busy staring at my arm, watching it bleed all over from what that fucker did. It stung so badly, even curling my fingers made it worse. Feeling their cold hands though, I saw my chance.

I flung myself forward, their grapple tight as I threw back, forcing them to hold tighter, drawing me off the marble table. The second my feet met ground, I let myself drop, two of them falling down with me as I forced their center. One's grip weakened, my kicks bending a rotten leg as I clawed out.

An audible sigh could be heard, freeing myself from the one I hurt, trying to kite past the others while stumbling. Acherres planted himself on the doorway, eyes bright with irritation as I tried rushing into a crevice between him and the frame.

Without a hitch he grabbed my neck, forcing me to double back with a harsh choke. Eyes watered as I gagged, forced to stare up as his fingers raised my face. A light was growing from his face, a gray, dull glow washing over my eyes, ears silencing as I stopped. What on Earth was I seeing?

It made no sense. The shapes, the color. I couldn't describe it, its presence impossible to ignore. The world was silent, my sight blinded. What I saw in that mad flash had slowed my heart, frosted limbs, leaving me swirling in a soup of confusion and disbelief.


-Garr

Whatever Acherres did, it left Rika catatonic. His minions grabbed on, as did I. Her soft pink hair rested on me, eyes staring up at a twisted cave ceiling, unblinking. Her blood soaked my legs, leaving me glad I had fully skeletonized myself prior to this. Had I even a gram of muscle on my face, Acherres would've seen it.

"A wondrous gain." Kismel said, "was fun watching her fight."

If I could speak, I would've boasted expectancy. My warrior wouldn't give up, not to anyone. For God's sake, she'd fight me all the time. To see her mutilated though, to feel her stain my bones, left me cursing without pause. None of it spoken, all of it by heart.

Hauling her away, my left leg had turned red, a matter very apparent upon entering a candle lit room. Its ground bore markings, deeply etched in what disrupted stone lingered below our feet. Laying Rika upon one such circle, her mentally broken state left me frozen.

Acherres' minions stayed on top of her, as I too was forced. With a careful hand, Acherres inspected her, pouring a healing potion upon her wounded arm. Made sense, as the less grief she was in, the easier it'd be for whatever he had in mind. In his search, however, he uncovered one thing.

He paused, drawing it from Rika's left pocket. My heart raced as he examined it, eyebrows furrowing. Putting it down and aside from her, he began an incantation, muttering something below his breath, bringing in unlit candles from ancient shelves. Lighting each, a white mist grew, spreading and pluming as the wick neared the base.

He placed each candle around Rika, paying heed to each's stance as he strode around us. I stared in front of me, the candles placed closer to my sight. Like clockwork, they planted, inching my left hand forward, held over her soft, beating heart.

Acherres stopped, looking down at this hand with piqued interest. Gazing up at me, I doubt he could see it coming. Throwing myself like a rocket, I watched as the necromancer gasped in utter disbelief, shocked as my fingers wrapped around what little neck there was.

"W-What?!" Acherres said, "this doesn't-!"

My arms slammed him against stone, stunning him as my right pressed down on his clavicle. He dug for my left wrist, clearly imagining I was trying to suffocate him. Unfortunately for him, I had no such intentions. A dry rip would be his only warning, eyes widening as my right hand pressed down.

"He...should've known better!"

I shook as I felt a bump, the flesh of his throat pulled apart as my left gripped his ancient jaw. This was supposed to be quick, clean, but a shot of bitter cold jammed through my chest. Thrown back as if by a tidal wave of immaterial, I would find myself sprawled on stone, HP dropped a solid third.

Acherres stroked his neck, its mauled length drooping and twisted. Despite this snake like alteration, he still smiled, his straight teeth bright against rune light.

"Did you really think it'd be this easy?"

I lunged again, muscle drawn back to force him away from Rika, my arm regrown meat and flesh from what harm I inflicted. Raising his left hand, a rippling of blue repelled my strike, heat washing over me as he chuckled.

"I've outlived kingdoms," Acherres said, casting something to the wall behind him, "survived the war of winds."

"Retreat!" Kismel said in my ear, "his aegis is too strong!"

Necrotic fists continued to be thrown, eyes fixated on my target. Her blood was all I could see, her pain all I could hear, and I was in arms reach of who produced both. Still I would only be met with rippling, Acherres smirking as I pummeled away.

"Don't fret over this, not even a Knight-Slayer could pierce this!"

My breath turned shallow, heat washing over my being, it all felt so good. Fists weren't enough, the muscle tearing as I slammed knuckle and arm against this field. Red turned to white as bone peaked from loose flaps.

"He's summoning his troops! Get out!" Kismel said.

I punched harder and harder, my grunts turned to growls, then shouts as knuckles were freed from their soft shells.

"Leave!" Kismel said.

"Tear!" I said with a yell.

My right fist hung in space, shaking as the aura of blue resisted, heating it more and more as I dug in.

"I must've struck a vein," Acherres said, "was it her cries? I understand, but-"

He stopped talking, watching with a widened expression as I inched further, the skin burned away. Cursing and spitting, every gram of weight was shoved forward, the energy disparity splitting my very hand's bones aside as their calcium construction cracked.

A loud tear would reach my ears, time seeming to slow as both sides of my hand flew apart, splintery ends of arm bones flying through a very broken shield. Veering towards a paled face, his barrier ruptured all around me, throwing me back yet again against damp stone.

"By Cygotha's eyes," Kismel said in disbelief.

Acherres' mouth was left agape as he jumped back, speechless as he turned. Racing into a blackened hole in space, the necromancer vanished without even a glance. This oval of abyss shutting behind him, I rushed to Rika's side, struggling to keep balance as my knees met stone.

"Rika?" I asked, "Speak! C'mon!"

While her eyes were open and blinking, her wounded self was unresponsive. I leaned to scoop her up, but I had to keep my handless arm from cutting her with what sharpened points lingered.

"That's the captured mechanist," Kismel said, "what are you doing? His Draugr's coming, and it's way stronger than you!"

"She's with me." I said, finally getting a proper angle. "My exit."

Kismel seemed to miss the hint, she stopped talking.

"My exit?" I asked angrily, lifting Rika over my shoulder.

"Back out, to the right, three doors down and left!"

Bashing it open, I forced myself forward, counting the number of doors as I turned right. This being said, something heavy was storming in from that direction. Skidding feet, my head swerved opposing directions.

"He knows there's only one way out," Kismel said, "Garr, you'll have to cast a spell if we're getting out of this."

"Like I know how!" I said, "couldn't you do that?"

"I'm spectral, not your free pass!"

"Shit."

Rika groaned weakly, shivering from what Acherres had done to her. I only knew how to exert hybrid casting, and that was only possible cause I could tense up muscles! How the hell was I supposed to prep this shit?

"Tell me something, dammit."

"I can hear you," a raspy voice said, "quit hiding!"

Something was ghastly about this voice. It wasn't the alterations of pitch and tone, but the familiarity of its base frequency. I knew this voice, it left me sick inside, but I could not meet him. Rushing down the opposite direction, I kept darting different paths, hoping to find an improvised route.

"Charge a spell!" Kismel said, "you have to put her down!"

"Not now!"

He chased me down every hall, albeit slower paced. Problem was, those blue runes covering these walls were changing color, sending sparks of yellow energy my direction. Hot on impact, I would discover them to be energy drains. Grunting in irritation, I kicked one of these runes with a charged leg.

Turned out, this had some effect. It crackled, though wasn't completely disabled.

"How do I charge a spell?"

"Put her down!"

I followed as directed, cursing as I knew how difficult it'd be to raise her again.

"You have to perform a trance dance," Kismel said, "it lets you tap into these energies."

"Trance, right." I said with quickened pace, trying to relax myself.

This wasn't going well, every motion I made was coarse. I never realized I'd have to dance here, what kind of nonsense was this? My pursuer got too close, I had to hold off on it. I could not let him see her, so I stepped out to intercept him.

"Garr?"

Aigen stood before me in wretched defilement, his body turned a sea-foam green, muscles almost sponge-like in their disproportionate girth. His eyes, however, were long gone, replaced by what glowing emulations Acherres surely replaced.

"Taiyama would burn this place," I said with a hateful glare, spitting on the ground.

"Why?" he asked, drawing his sword. "fingernails weren't broken here."

"Cause what he did to you. Look at yourself, man."

"Not like I care, he was all about Asuna. A hoe before a bro."

I knew nothing about their relationship, so I couldn't say anything regarding it.

"Aigen, I'm not Tai." I said, "we can talk, right?"

"Hm," Aigen curled a finger on his decrepit cheek, "I suppose...but you almost killed my boss, who basically gave me god-mode."

"What would convince you to let us through?" I asked softly.

"Us? I only see...oh." Aigen smiled, "so you did steal his asset."

I choked a little, of course I said something that stupid.

"I already wasted time chasing her today, I'd have to get her again if I said yes."

"What would make that worth it?" I asked, "Do I have to serve Tai on a platter?"

His eyes flickered on this question, way too excited by this rhetorical question for personal comfort.

"Tempting, but I'd rather have Asuna."

"That's baiting," I said.

"Exactly!"

This was way too similar to something I had already done before...but that did leave me with a possible fact he didn't have.

"It's too bad I beat you to that." I said.

Aigen's eyebrows lowered, incredulity formed as his eyes dimmed.

"You might not know this, but he took my place as king."

"Did he now?"

"Nah, I just chose to look like roadkill. You can imagine how much I'd like it back."

His motions slowed, his head tilting right as he stroked a finger.

"You're right, being king's the only way to go. I'm surprised though, how did you get that chance with Asuna?"

"Tai was an idiot," I chuckled, "he sent her to meet me, hoping we could talk things over. I doubt he'll make that mistake again."

Aigen's lips twisted to a smile.

"You know what needs to be done," Aigen said. "I can see this. If you give me Tai, not only will you get your throne back, but I'll get even."

"Exactly." I said, "we can both walk away happy. All it requires, is for you to stand aside."

"And if you don't pay up?"

"Then I don't get my spot back, do I? You think I enjoy having basically nothing?"

"No."

"Cause in all honesty, you could tear me to shreds right here. But you would not get this chance with Tai, not nearly as easily."

"Right...okay."

If there was a moment to get my heart leaping, it was watching this crude conglomeration of acquaintance and life step aside.

"Don't let me catch you."

I nodded, racing back to grab Rika. Throwing her recklessly over my shoulder, I raced out at full speed, following what directions Kismel set previously.

"You really are something," Kismel said, "convincing a Draugr to not kill is...commendable."

It would only be minutes till I heard the wind, the trees ready to greet me as I carried Rika out and back to fresh air.


Sun Dancer


- Floor 2 Border - 1653 Hours - Garr

It was sunset by the time I got Rika out, her conscious slow to return. My bones glowed a variety of color along tattooed "veins", tireless despite all that had been exerted...yet I shook like a leaf when her eyes opened. Those red irises, dim at first, flared. A faint cry escaped her lips, my blacksmith's first instinct to create distance. Watching this, I couldn't help but utter a single word.

"No..."

Rika stared, could she even recognize me? She grabbed her left wrist, still wounded from what that animal had done. Summoning a potion, I made steps to her with a hand raised, hoping she would know. With what distance grew from kicking feet and panicked shrieks, I slowed to a stop. She was clearly recovering, I had to wait.

Sitting down under that orange sky, I watched over Rika as she curled and shook. The shaking for me wouldn't stop, a cold growing in my gut as thoughts rose from their proverbial graves. What was Rika gonna say? Would she understand why it happened? A loss of heat grew, my new craving demanding I exert force...to feed.

Our skies turned dimmed further, evening dying silently before dusk's ascent. With this passage of time, my condition worsened. What had I done to myself? I was so hungry, but not for food. Food meant nothing to me, drink and sleep too! Attack, break, destroy. These were all demanded, robbing me of even thinking of Rika. It was when I felt ready to hunt, she looked at me. Those rosy eyes, dim under a dying sun.

"Aid?"


- Lisbeth

What happened to Aiden? There used to be his amber eyes, his beautiful firepits, replaced with mere sockets. Glowing a bright yellow, there wasn't a soul behind them. Undead, he actually went through with it. I had only just gotten some control over myself, it was all just so much to digest...but this was something else. His bones, they had been carved with these awful tattoos. How painful! How long did he have to endure that?

He shook like a leaf as I called out to him, like a wounded puppy in fear of abuse.

"Aid," I said with a smile, "we did it."

He shirked back, leaving me feeling quite bothered. What's gotten to him? Sure, he wasn't looking like the chiseled man I met months before, but it was still him. I for the life of me couldn't imagine what was wrong, because he started to break down emotionally in front of me.

"I-I can't!" Aid said, his voice broken.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "Aid, it's okay."

"Not okay! The blood!"

I stared in disbelief, Aid getting up in a wild frenzy. He thrashed his meatless limbs about, breaking stone with bony knuckle, cratering dirt with bare heel, forcing me to back away.

"The blood's everywhere!"

Stepping away, I could only watch him crumble. What was he referring to? This had all come so suddenly, it was like I went from sleeping to launching like a rocket to space. Breathing heavier, he approached me...to a point where I was stepping back.

"Rika, I'm sorry! I did it! All of it!"

"Aid, it's okay!" I raised hands, "let's calm down. I want to help you!"

He stepped back, shoulders raising as his chin fell.

"There...is no help. You...need to go."

"That's not happening." I said, "it's clear you're in bad shape."

Sniffles broke out from him, his whole frame destabilized. It terrified me, Aid was always strong in his composure. Then again, who knew what looking like a zombie was doing to him upstairs.

"I...need to leave" Aid said. "They're coming."

"That can wait," I said softly.

His head shook, his jaw bone near glowing in rising moonlight.

"Thousands of them will march, the population won't stand a chance."

"We have time, you need to rest."

"No, you need to go."

"Aid, I'm not having this. Will you just listen to me for once? When do I get a say in what happens to us?"

He stared at me, his characteristic head tilt cuing me.

"Yeah, it's still us." I said with a sigh, "I'm just tired, Aid. We need to talk over things, messy things...but only because I believe in you. You and I wouldn't be here without each other, and goddammit I'm not losing that. Not like this."

His motions softened to a gentle sway as moments passed, shoulders lowering. Looking to himself though, it built up again.

"We'll find a cure." I said, "I don't know what you're going through, but it's clearly not comfortable. God, I need a drink."

"Where can I rest?" Aid asked, "I...can't exactly walk into Urbus like this."

"Well...does Ares still recover things?"

"Sort of. Makes me at least look human."

"Okay, well how about we find some beetles? Not gonna lie, you've looked better."

Aiden looked back to the forest north of us, hesitating. I knew he was fixated on doing what he said he would, but I needed him to relax. Stepping into arms reach, I took an arm.

"Hey, does the old bone work?"

A groan was heard from him.

"I wish."


A/N: Hey everyone, just finishing up this book before admitting this. I want to turn to lighter stories, take a break from dark material. As much as this has entertained me in the past, I've changed since writing the first version of this story.

An utterly huge audience has backed me in writing this, and I couldn't sit back and let you all go without a send off. So hopefully this wasn't too terrible a conclusion, it was what I could fathom considering the circumstances present.

As for what I'm looking to do going forward? I wanna write a new fanfic, this time focused on a brighter mood, good humor, and the simple pleasures. The idea will be presented sooner or later, as I need to form a general plan to go along.

I send this with a Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year. Thank you to all of my favorites, reviewers, and followers that've stuck with me this whole time.

The End?