"INIGO GET DOWN!" He heard his mother shout.

Next thing he knew his eyes suddenly snapped shut as his body slammed into the floor. Inigo let out a low groan as his body rang with pain. Slowly, the world came spinning back. A symphony of agony and terror filled his ears as low moans grumbled through the air with the crackle of flames. Something warm and wet dripped onto his cheeks as he slowly opened his eyes to the dark and ruined world around him.

"M-moth-" His eyes widened at the sight before him.

His mother's body, splattered with blood and wounds, loomed over him as a short spear drenched in her blood stuck out from her stomach. His hand immediately went to cover his mouth as his stomach coiled around his throat and nearly squeezed out his innards.

"Ar-are...y-...you alright?" His mother asked as her lips struggled to form a smile.

Inigo could only nod in silence.

"Th-that's good" A warm smile began to form from her lips and once again shined as bright as the sun that once loomed overhead. "Pl-please….y-you m-must….r….u…" Her lips stopped as her body went limp and collapsed on top of him.

For a moment, Inigo didn't move. He simply laid there trembling with his mother's blood-smeared corpse on top of him.

"M-Mom?"

His hands continued to cling to her corpse as he desperately searched for any semblance of warmth. However, there was none to be found. Her entire body felt cold and stiff almost like a marionette. Pools of blood kissed his skin as he pulled her closer. The lifeless body only responding to the inflation of his tired lungs.

"M-Mom?" He said again before a blood-curdling roar caught his attention. He glanced over his mother's body to see two grotesque purple humanoid monsters as they began to approach. He clutched the corpse in his arms and rolled to his feet. He had to get him and his mom somewhere safe. He slung his mom's body over his shoulder and after a glance back ran away as fast as his legs could carry him.

"I think I lost them" Heavy bloodstained breaths heaved from his lungs as he walked into the back alley. He looked around and could barely see anything as shadows draped every corner and swallowed up any hint of light.

Carefully, he leaned his mother against a wall. It slid to the side and nearly fell over. Thankfully, he caught her and propped her up again. This time he made sure she stayed in place.

"M-Mom, are you alright?" He asked with wide hopeful eyes.

His mother didn't respond. The body merely sat there against the wall cast in shadow.

Inigo's heart began to sink. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to force a smile.

"Come on, mom, I know you're tired b-but…." He looked down at his blood-soaked hands then back at his mother, "b-but this isn't the time to be resting! W-We have to go!"

Once again, there was no response. The body simply slid further to the side.

Tears began to well in his eyes, "Come on, answer me!"

Once again, there was no response.

Inigo grabbed his mother's shoulders and shook her like a ragdoll, "Mom, please! Just answer me!"

His mother's head simply shook back and forth with no response.

"Why?! Why don't you answer me?! Please just say something! Anything! Please just tell me if everything's alright! Please…." He stopped and clung to her chest like a newborn baby in a desperate search for warmth. Tears dripped like rain onto her cold pale skin as his face was smeared with blood.

"Please…." He said in a low voice as his heart splattered across the canyon floor, "j-just t-tell….me...e-everyth...ing w-will be...okay…"

His arms slumped back to his sides. His mother didn't respond as her body once again dropped to the cold hard ground.

"N-No, it can't be…" Inigo's body froze at the sight before him, "That's…."

"Come on, Inigo all you have to do is smile and everything will be okay" His mother smiled.

His sword fell from his grip as a wave of despair rattled through his body. No, it couldn't be her. He buried her, himself. However, there was no mistaking that long pink hair tied into that distinctive ponytail. Not to mention that giant gaping hole in the middle of its stomach that vomited those purple fumes. It was in the exact same spot that….

"INIGO, GET DOWN!" Vanessa called out to him.

Next thing he knew his eyes suddenly snapped shut as his body slammed into the floor. Inigo let out a low groan as his body rang with pain. Slowly, the world came spinning back. A symphony of agony and terror filled his ears as low moans grumbled through the air. Something warm and wet dripped onto his cheeks as he slowly opened his eyes to the dark and ruined world around him.

"Are you alright?" Vanessa asked. She winced in pain as blood dripped from the fresh wound on her shoulder.

"Ar-are...y-...you alright?" His mother asked as her lips struggled to form a smile.

In that instance, his mother's blood-stained face once again loomed over him. Once again his body froze as he reverted to the scared timid child from all those years ago.

"Inigo?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

Inigo's eyes went wide as he saw two red orbs glisten behind her.

"Mom look out!" He suddenly blurted out.

"Mom?"

He quickly pulled Vanessa close and rolled to the side. Not a moment later, a silver sword slammed into the ground where they once were. Inigo winced as he looked down to see trickles of blood leaking from a fresh new wound.

"What was that?" Vanessa asked with a groan.

Inigo didn't answer as he continued to stare in disbelief at the thing in front of him. There was no mistaking it now. Everything about her body was exactly how it was the day she died. Purple vapor poured endlessly from the gaping wide hole in her stomach as well as every other scar on her body. Golden rings and chains sparkled across her worn and torn-up clothing. The only difference was the decrepit mask that now clung to her face along with those two soulless piercing red eyes.

"Mom…." He said as a single tear slid down his cheek.

She nodded, "Mmhm you followed every step perfectly" She wrapped her arms around him, "I'm so proud of you at this rate you'll learn this dance in no time"

"Mom? What are you…" Vanessa looked to the side only for her eyes to widen at what she saw, "Wait that's…."

She bit her lip and looked back up at Inigo, "Inigo! We have to move!"

However, Inigo didn't respond. He simply sat there, frozen in time. Like a puppet on a string, the risen's neck cracked as it craned its head to stare at the two.

"I….ni….go…." It spoke in a garbled voice before taking a step forward.

Inigo's heart nearly shattered as it spoke. He looked up into the risen's bloodred eyes as it loomed over him. His mother's once bright smile was now covered by that disgusting mask. A smile that once filled him with an indescribable warmth. A smile that told him not to worry. A smile that told him that everything would be all right no matter what happens was now hidden under a cold hard mask of despair. For a moment, the risen paused. It looked Inigo dead in the eyes before raising its sword. The next moments were a blur. A pained scream hit the air as Inigo felt his body crash into the ground.

Blood dripped from the fresh new wound on Owain's arm. He winced in pain as he once again tried to stand. His sword dropped to the floor and sunk into the crimson snow. He glanced down at his sword arm drenched in blood and wounds.

No good, it's completely numb!

He chuckled to himself. He seems to have finally got his demonic sword hand to calm down for once. He shook his head. This was no time for his usual theatrics. He glanced back at his opponent. The risen king wretched his sword from the wall as rubble spilled across the snow. If he took a direct hit from that, then…

A chill ran down his spine. His uncle was as strong as he remembered he was, perhaps even stronger now that he was a corpse. He was barely able to avoid that last attack. It was only for an instant but his uncle hesitated which allowed him to roll away. Usually, it's easy to avoid a risen's attacks because they're mindless and uncoordinated but this one was different. His movements were more fluid and human-like. It was almost as if he wasn't dead at all. This was bad. He had to get away and regroup with everyone else. But the question was, how? The risen's eyes glanced over at Owain. His whole body tensed up as it turned to face him.

Here he comes!

The risen twirled the sword in its grip and lunged at Owain.

"There it is!" Yarne's face lit up as he spotted the exit at the end of the hallway.

Once he made it outside, he was home-free. It was surprisingly easy finding a way to sneak past all those risen. Inigo and the others should be fine. He and Vanessa were much stronger than him anyway. Besides, he was the last of his kind. Who could blame him for running away? A loud shriek of pain suddenly echoed across the hallway and froze him in place. A chill rattled through his spine as he looked back at the pitch-black hallway. Echoes of groans and inhuman screeches reverberated and bounced off the walls. For a moment, Yarne didn't do anything. He simply stood there frozen like a cornered rabbit.

Were they okay? Perhaps, he should go back. But he was the last of the taguel. If he died, then his entire species would go extinct. He couldn't risk it. He peered into the pitch-black hallway as those dull screams continued to gnaw at his ears. But at the same time, those were his friends back there. He couldn't just leave them. What should he do?

A familiar scream caused Yarne's ears to perk up. It sounded like Owain, and it came from outside. That's right, Owain was with all those kids. But he didn't hear anyone else's voices alongside Owain's. Something was definitely wrong. Yarne grabbed his beast stone and sprinted towards the exit. As he reached the door, he took a glance back into the dark hallway. He shook his head and moved through the door.

Yarne stepped outside and his heart nearly stopped at what he saw. The once pure white snow was now dyed a dark crimson. Various dismembered limbs and entrails were splattered across the snow. The limbs were pretty small too, almost childlike. Yarne swallowed the lump of bile about to erupt from his mouth. The putrid stench of blood and rotting flesh strangled his lungs. His ears then perked at the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow. He darted his head to the source only for all color to drain from his face at what he saw.

"I-It can't be…. Th-that's…"

Not 20 feet from where he stood, he saw the brand of the exalt glowing in the dim light of the ashen gray sky. There was no mistaking that mark and blue hair. It was definitely him. He glanced down to see Owain's bloody body struggling to stand. The risen slowly moved towards him. Its sword dripped with blood.

"Owain!" Yarne called out as his legs began to move on their own.

Yarne lunged at the risen and tackled it to the ground.

"What, Yarne?!"

The two tumbled through the snow, both of them desperately trying to gain the advantage. Yarne managed to pin the risen to the ground. He raised his claw to slash down, only to cough up blood before being sent spiraling through the snow. Yarne clutched the throbbing pain in his stomach and shook the snow from his fur.

"Yarne, look out!"

Yarne's ears perked up at Owain's voice. He looked up and saw the risen spiraling down towards him. Without a moment's hesitation, Yarne leaped to the side as his feet slid through the snow. An explosion of snow erupted from where the risen landed. It's a good thing taguels are known for their agility. Any slower and that would've been the end of his race for sure.

"Hey, Yarne, are you alright?" Owain asked as he struggled to his feet.

Yarne glanced back at him. He was practically drenched in blood with several cut and slash wounds all over his body. And that wasn't even mentioning the large fissure-like gash that tore across his chest. It was honestly a miracle he could even stand from the looks of it.

"Am I okay? What about you?! You look like you can barely stand!"

Owain smirked, "Hah! Your concern is wasted on me! For I am Owain Dark! These measly scratches are hardly-" He tried to strike his signature pose only to double over in pain.

However, before Owain could finish, Yarne's ears perked at the familiar sound of crunching snow. His heart stopped as he realized the source of the sound.

"OWAIN GET DOWN!" Yarne suddenly blurted out as he dove forward and tackled Owain into the snow. He bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain as he felt a sword slash across his back.

Inigo could only stare in silence as the risen yanked its blade from Vanessa's chest. Her lifeless body flopped to the ground like a wet rag. The pained cry of a pegasus reverberated across the room. A river of blood endlessly poured out from the new hole in her chest.

He wanted to scream but his lungs stood stiff. His whole body froze over as if in a blizzard. Yet again he couldn't protect anyone. This icy cold feeling. It was familiar. Memories of that day flashed through his mind as he looked up at the risen standing over him.

"In...i...go" it spoke in a garbled version of his mother's voice. "R...u….n…."

Hearing that voice nearly strangled his heart. It sounded so familiar, yet…

"Aww come on Inigo, smile for me." His mother smiled at him, "there, doesn't that feel better?"

"Pl-please….y-you m-must….r….u…"

His mother took a step forward. Her body loomed over him like it did on that day. However, now the blade in her hand dripped with blood. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to move but his body wouldn't respond. The mist from her stomach poured out and chained him to the ground. He looked into her cold red eyes and, for a moment, saw his mother's smiling face once more.

"M-Mommy please…" He spoke up.

His mother stopped. A drop of blood ran down her cheek much like a tear. Slowly, she raised her blade. Inigo's heart started to beat faster and faster. He had to move! Tears ran down his cheeks as he watched his mother slash down.

Please just tell me everything will be okay...

Honestly don't know how to feel about this one. I feel like I could've done more with Vanessa to make her death a lot more impactful. I also feel like I could've done more with Inigo in general here. I dunno, I might rewrite this chapter somewhere down the line. Oh well, what can ya do? Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As for how they're gonna get out of this, well you're just gonna have to wait and see. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this one and take care. Also, I got a Twitter ottservia. Follow me if you want.