Mir̃alai was not surprised that they went the rest of the evening without hearing from the Bishop. She could not imagine the inner turmoil Nykka must have been going through. She expected her to require a few days at least, long enough to get her head around everything. Still though, the trio stayed up until nearly midnight before deciding it would be best to at least try to get some rest for whatever the next day had in store. Mir̃alai had just finished saying good night when a faint sound caught her attention. Aym's ears twitched, signaling he had heard it as well. The noise repeated itself, only louder this time, closer. It was a voice, someone yelling. Mir̃alai opened the door that led into the temple, and looked out. Aym and Baal had joined her, all equally curious over who would be shouting at this late an hour. Sure enough, a third cry. By this point, the voice was discernible. A cry for help, by none other than Bharadei. Before the Lamb could react, she had been pushed aside by Baal who quickly sprinted through the temple to meet up with his lover. Mir̃alai and Aym followed him, and the group halted on the temple steps. Bharadei was running towards them, panting hard. She stopped just before the temple.
"What happened?" Baal asked, stepping down to make sure she was alright. Her eyes were filled with terror as she looked upon them. Her explanation came on the wind of thick, heaving breaths.
"Mistress…! She- She's gone!"
"Gone?!" Mir̃alai asked, a sense of dread clutching her gut.
"Yes…! I went to- went to check on her and she was gone!" She huffed, still struggling to catch her breath. "I don't know how long." The reality of this had struck Mir̃alai like a blow. While she found herself frozen in place, Aym had been ignited with a fiery passion.
"She went alone." He growled and turned on his heels to dart back inside the temple. He returned only moments later with his and Baal's staves clutched in his hands. He tossed the sun staff to Baal and ran off in the direction of the gates without a word. No explanation was necessary though, all felt the intense, nerve-racking urgency. They ran as a group through the grounds, past the gates, and towards Narinder's Domain.
They arrived within minutes, all stepping quickly beyond the white veil. Mir̃alai paid no attention to the change of scenery, her mind was laser focused on finding Nykka before it was too late. Aym took the lead through the dark, winding forest. It seemed he still knew his way quite well. Soon, they came across a sizeable clearing filled with Follower cabins. These cabins were hardly noticeable when compared to the cathedral. The massive building stood as an ominous, black silhouette against the night sky. It was nearly large enough to block the full moon looming in the sky above. The many windows glowed a faint, flickering blue, only adding to the haunting atmosphere of it all. Aym paused for only a moment, long enough to be sure she was not outside before rushing the tall cathedral doors. He pushed them open without hesitation, showing his blatant lack of fear for his old Master. On they went, running through the entrance and on to the long, tall, dimly lit nave. It was here that they finally spotted the two Bishops, though it was hardly a pleasant scene. Mir̃alai felt her insides clench and squirm at the sight. Her heart began to pound in a mixture of fear and fury. Nykka was suspended ten feet in the air over the center of the nave by ghostly shackles connected to her wrists, and a collar clamped around her throat. Narinder was standing on the bema wielding his scythe, his black hood pulled up, casting his face in shadow. The God's glowing, red eyes were staring directly at the intruders, and an unnerving grin had stretched over his face. It all felt horribly wrong, as if he were waiting on them. No one dared step closer for fear of causing Nykka more harm..
"To what do I owe this honor?" His low voice echoed throughout the cathedral.
"Let her go!" Mir̃alai yelled, clutching her sword tightly in her tremulous hand. He released a loud, cruel laugh at the Lamb's request. The dim, blue fire that had been illuminating the room went out. At the same moment, in the pitch blackness, an otherworldly cold had settled upon them. The sense of dread within Mir̃alai had dug deep into her body, nesting in her bones. For a moment, one fleeting, cowardly moment, she considered running. Running home to the safety of her cult, running home to raise her children as if none of this had happened. She was ripped violently back to reality by the shrill scream of pain that issued from Nykka. It felt as if it dragged on for hours, tearing at the Lamb's eardrums, stabbing her in the gut. Yet, it had only lasted a few seconds. When the Bishop fell silent, the fire reignited, giving them enough light to see what had happened. Nykka's pure white form was stained in crimson. The vibrant red seeped through her robes, and dripped heavily off her feet. Though she was silent, her body twitched with signs of desperate life. Horrified, Bharadei screamed.
"Please, don't do this! I beg you! Stop!" Narinder only laughed again at this request, truly amused by the wolf's pleading words. He tapped his scythe on the ground, and Mir̃alai actually flinched. When nothing happened, she looked around. A large Follower had stepped up onto the bema, Mir̃alai only then realized this Follower had been there the entire time. Hidden amongst the shadows in their black robes. They watched, partially petrified, partially curious, as this Follower fell to their knees with their head bowed in prayer. Mir̃alai bit her lip, she was sure this poor soul was about to be sacrificed. If only it had been that simple because what happened next was an evil beyond anything she had ever witnessed. Chains had manifested from thin air above the Follower. They shot down towards them, but did not wrap around their limbs as Mir̃alai expected, instead, the pointed tips speared the Follower through on both the left and right sides of their chest. They burst through to the other side with a hot, sticky spray of blood before hoisting them up in the air. Mir̃alai clapped her hands over her mouth, having expected that brutal sacrifice to be the end of it. But no. This Follower was still alive for the time being, and the sacrifice was not yet finished. Two more chains came into view, they used their pointed tips like hooks to skewer the Follower through on either side of their sternum. With a violent pull, and a sickening squelch, the Followers chest had been ripped asunder, flaying them. Viscous splatters of blood and viscera sprayed over the marble floor. And, for their viewing pleasure, the Follower's lungs, heart, and entire digestive tract were open in full display as their ribs were forced apart like window shutters. Mir̃alai could not look away fast enough. She felt sick, physically sick. She could never, ever even begin to fathom doing something so vile to another being. This was not just a sacrifice, this was a warning. A warning of what might await them should they choose to intervene. Mir̃alai's hands were trembling, and it took everything she had not to burst into tears. When she looked back at Narinder, she found he was looking directly into her eyes. He looked incredibly satisfied with himself. That look, the pure arrogance of it, is what drove her to speak.
"Let Nykka go, Narinder…! Why are you doing this?!
"I cannot allow her to leave me, not without granting me her power." He chuckled. "If I must kill her to get it, then I will."
"She is carrying your child!" The Lamb yelled desperately, hoping against hope that he would stop if only he knew. This did seem to be a surprise to him, but his only reaction was to laugh again.
"I am a God!" He bellowed, the grin remaining on his face, "What use have I to an heir?!" This was it, Mir̃alai knew it. If she did not act right then and there, Nykka would be dead in moments. Panic coursed through the Lamb's veins, filling her with a surge of courage. She shifted to move, but just as she had been ready to take her first step, she found herself pushed backwards. The force was enough to knock her off her feet, and if it hadn't been for Baal standing behind her, she would have hit the floor. Instead though, she landed against him and he put his arms around her to hold her steady. Thinking this was another act by Narinder, she looked up with a glare. All the anger had drained out of her the instant her gaze lifted. It was not Narinder who pushed her back with a curse, rather, it was Aym. He must have caught her subtle shift, and knocked her back so she could not rush the Bishop. He had taken her place, running up the nave towards Narinder. Towards Death. Mir̃alai's eyes widened as she regained herself. She tried to go after him, but was stopped by Baal. He still held her tight, not allowing her to break free of his grip.
"Let go!" She yelled back at him. Baal looked terrified, tears welling in his eyes.
"I- I cannot. I'm sorry." He muttered.
"Baal!" She continued to struggle against him.
"Aym wants you to stay back." The Lamb glared at him and turned to see where Aym had gone. Her heart stopped when she located him. Aym had placed himself between Nykka and Narinder. Thick chains had risen from the floor directly in front of Nykka, acting as a wall to further protect her. He had casted a ring of slowly rotating fire balls that circled just behind him, ready to attack. Narinder grinned further at this interesting turn of events.
"Aym…" He began slowly, "As a reward for past services rendered, I will grant you the chance to think about this. You know you will die if you stand in my way. Nykka will die despite your efforts, and you leave Mir̃alai unprotected. You might recall that I have a bit of a grudge against that wretched lamb."
"Baal, release me..." Mir̃alai pleaded, "Please… Please!" She yelled, pulling harshly against his grip, "He cannot do this alone!"
"I know…" Baal said weakly, his body trembling as he prepared himself for the inevitable. Unable to persuade Baal, she resorted to begging her lover.
"Aym!" She screamed, tears cascading down her face. Her lover looked back at her with an apologetic expression. "Aym, you promised!" She cried out to him, her voice choking back tears. "You promised you would not leave me!" Narinder leaned down close to Aym and chuckled.
"My, that is very sad. If I had a heart, it would surely break." He grinned, "You can still go to her, Aym. Go back to her, and your daughters. You may leave this place." Aym looked conflicted for only a moment before he shook his head and regained that protective, determined glare.
"I will not leave Nykka to die." He growled. Narinder sighed, standing straight again.
"What a waste." He lifted his scythe as if preparing for a battle. Mir̃alai could not stand this torture anymore, she would not sit by while her beloved was slaughtered.
"I'm sorry." She muttered to Baal before a powerful knockback curse burst from her body. She felt the servant release her and she immediately took off in a sprint towards Narinder. The Lamb chanced a single glance back at Baal. The curse had thrown him nearly eight feet, he was laying slumped against a wall. Bharadei had already come to his aid, kneeling beside him. He appeared to be unconscious, and she could only hope she hadn't hurt him too badly. Mir̃alai returned her focus to the Bishop who looked amused.
"I was hoping you'd try to fight, Lamb!" He grinned, gripping his scythe in preparation. Mir̃alai ran at him, her sword drawn. She jumped into the air, swinging her blade down upon him to land a powerful blow. But, Narinder had been ready for it. He blocked her using the staff of his scythe, throwing her back effortlessly and in the same moment, everything went black again. In the seconds of blindness, she felt cold, ghostly chains snap over her wrists, and ankles. They yanked her with incredible force, sharp pains shot through her limbs as they threatened to dislocate. She screamed in agony, pulling desperately at the bonds in the hopes of breaking his curse. When the light returned, Aym growled, his red eye glowing fiercely upon seeing his wife in chains. He summoned a curse of his own, chains under his control grappled Narinder's arms to hold him in place. The God laughed even as Aym lunged at him with his staff. With a great tug of his body, Narinder moved himself just enough for Aym to miss. His moon-shaped blade landed upon the chain instead, breaking his own curse. With his arms freed, Narinder went on the attack. He swung his scythe powerfully at Aym who managed to dodge the blade by inches. Mir̃alai struggled with ferocity against her bonds, emitting curses amongst desperate yanks. She chanced a glance back at her lover. Aym was hardly able to get an attack in between the barrage of swings and curses Narinder threw at him. Mir̃alai began to panic, if she did not act soon, Aym would surely be overpowered. She stopped moving, closing her eyes to focus all her energy into the 'point of corruption' curse. A blast of ichor burst forth, the chains breaking under the noxious ooze. Narinder noticed her escape, and was momentarily distracted as he glared back at her. Aym seized the opportunity and stopped to summon eight rings of fireballs. The rings spun violently, slamming into the Bishop. He barely managed to remain standing, and was pushed back several feet by the force of impact. Mir̃alai did not wait to see what he had planned next. Her sword shifted to an angry crimson as she lunged at Narinder using Death's Sweep. To her dismay, he managed to not only block this powerful curse, but perry it with a powerful swing of his scythe. Mir̃alai was thrown back, landing on her back with a solid thud against the hard marble floor. Her breath had been knocked out of her, rendering her momentarily useless. She forced herself to sit up despite the pain, and saw that Aym had been knocked to the ground as well. Narinder lifted his scythe, the blade burning in a fierce black fire as he prepared to reap the soul of his former servant. He swung down, but was abruptly halted when Baal appeared. He had run in and taken a stance in defense of his brother, his staff raised above his head horizontally as he pushed back against Narinder's scythe. The blade's deadly tip only inches from his face.
"You will not harm my brother!" Baal growled.
"How dare you defy your Master!" Narinder yelled in fury at his interference.
"You are not my Master." The twin hissed and pushed with incredible force, throwing Narinder back. "Vile fiend!" He snarled as he went on a vicious attack. While Aym relied heavily on his curses in battle, Baal relied on his brutal offense. Narinder was forced to take a defensive role, running and dodging the fast, deadly attacks. Baal attacked so quickly, it did not give Narinder the chance to perform a proper curse. Aym joined the fray as an eruption of chains shattered the marble floor. They shot up like spikes, trailing behind Narinder, threatening to skewer him with each blow. Mir̃alai had finally regained her breath enough to stand. The Lamb threw her hands to the floor with a yell, activating 'the touch of the Turua'. The ground split apart ahead of her, eldritch tentacles shot up from the fiery depths below.
"Damn!" Narinder growled. He was cornered, Baal running at him from the left, ready to attack yet again in a never ending combo. The cursed chains Aym summoned trailing him from his behind, along with rings of fire to his right. And the crevasse ripping open dead ahead. Unable to dodge this onslaught, he did the unthinkable. He jumped into the abyss. Baal was forced to fall back or risk falling in himself, and Aym's curses could not travel in after him. Narinder reappeared moments later, being held in a tight grip by the eldritch beast. Mir̃alai winced as her energy was quickly depleted, she would not be able to hold him for long.
"The crown…!" Nykka's voice cried weakly from behind them, she had been watching the battle helplessly. "Take it!" Aym reached out, grabbing the Black Crown from Narinder's head. He ripped it away and took three large steps backwards, holding it tightly in his hands. Narinder screamed in mingled fury and agony. Before their eyes, he went through a transformation. His form became small, and feeble just as it had been after his defeat more than a year prior.
"Mistress!" Bharadei yelled out in concern. Nykka had fallen to the ground with a dull thud. With Narinder's power gone, the curse that held her had also vanished. Her faith enforcer ran to her aid, kneeling beside her. "Are you alright?"
"Y- Yes." She huffed, putting an arm over Bharadei's shoulder so the wolf could help her stand. "You can release him now." Mir̃alai was relieved to hear this command, she did not think she could hold the curse a moment longer. She stood up straight, panting heavily as the abyss closed. The eldritch beast released Narinder in its retreat, and he dropped to his hands and knees. He did not look up, he only stared at the ground in horror.
"What shall we do with him?" Aym asked coldly. "I can kill him for you, Mistress."
"No. I cannot condone that." She sighed, looking down at her husband with a mixture of sadness and contempt. "It is my vow."
"Then what?" Mir̃alai asked, approaching the group with a bit of a limp. Her joints were still aching from her brief imprisonment.
"I shall imprison him for now, and decide his fate in the coming days." She said as she raised her hand. Narinder disappeared to Nykka's Domain in a shaft of golden light.
"Mistress, you are still bleeding." Bharadei commented with a frown, noting the ever growing red stains on her robes.
"I will survive." Nykka said with a weak chuckle.
"Can you not heal these wounds?" Baal asked, his brow furrowed.
"I have healed them enough to ensure my own survival, the rest of my energy is for my child's survival." She explained, resting a hand over her belly. "I will not let Narinder take them from me."
"Let us go back to my cult. You should lie down." Mir̃alai offered tentatively, assuming that the Bishop was in a rush to see Narinder again. Nykka seemed to like this idea, and she gave a weak nod of assent.
As expected, Nykka recovered quickly. She used a careful flow of energy to close her wounds over time while ensuring her injuries and stress would harm the budding life within her. After a solid week of thought, she came to a conclusion. She would not kill Narinder, nor would she hold him prisoner. Instead, she would banish him to live in the Land of Old Faith in solitude just as she had. With the promise that, should he trespass, he would be killed. There would be no more chances for him. As for the crown, Nykka hid it as she had hidden her crown. She hid it far away where no one may taint its power again.
