Her tongue slipped over her lips with her teeth dragging over her lower lip after as Lily took a deep breath. She took the first step, her armor clinking gently as she traveled down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, she frowned, she was in a throne room that was barren of life. She walked across the room and threw open the heavy steel doors, frowning when she saw multiple gravitational globules. With a glance behind her, Lily stared at the lavish throne that sat in the back of the room.

Once the throne was stuffed in her pouch, Lily set out down the corridor that was surrounded by the gravitational globules. She hadn't made it very many steps when she heard Hargon's cackling laugh. "Welcome, stranger… who dares to set foot inside my fortress? Is that you, builder?" He let out a groan that echoed in the space around Lily. "This is no place for a pathetic, powerless creature such as you. Wriggle away whence you came, worm, or suffer the full force of my wrath!"

Lily gasped when the orb started pulling at her. "Dammit." She threw out blocks of dirt, using them to keep herself from being pulled in that direction. She built up a small tunnel, allowing her to move carefully through the tunnel to the other side as she built. Pausing at the end, Lily looked to her left and then her right.

The path to her left seemed the safer of the two routes as the gravitation orb was smaller and probably easier to pass by and signs of Malroth pointed her in that direction, but something to her right was screaming at her, she needed to know what was over that way. She looked back, seeing the blue flames Hermit had told her about trying to guide her to the left.

"I have to know…" She carefully picked her way to the right, most of the castle over here was decayed and covered in the old skin and talons of Malroth. She lingered outside of a door of a room that was still intact, her eyes narrowing as she reached out, pushing it open.

Her blue eyes almost immediately filled with tears as she stared at the two being in the room. "D-Dracken…?" She stumbled as she began her run across the room, her pigtails bouncing as she tackled the priest and sobbed. "I thought you were dead!" Her attention snapped to the other being, a loud gasp leaving her as she stared at him. "N…no way…" His green robes cloaked his thinned body and the red orb on his mask gleamed softly. "P-P-Pastor… Al?"

"It is good to see you again, my child." Alakazam held his arms out, laughing softly when the builder tackled him next. "I've been waiting for this day for a while. I knew you would rescue all of us."

"How?! You died!" Lily stared up at the priest, her bottom lip quivering as she whimpered.

"Hargon wants Malroth to destroy us, a way of repaying our traitorous deeds." Dracken rubbed his mask, his fingers pausing over the hole in the middle of his forehead. "Lily, how did you get in here? We tried opening that door and it wouldn't budge."

"It… just opened for me." Lily kept her arms around Pastor Al, afraid that he would disappear if she let go. "I built an Ark with the help of the monsters here, Hellen and Zebadee and Adamn are there. So is Sarge and Captain. A-And Arisplotle and Gremville-"

"I know three of those names." Pastor Al patted Lily's head, turning his attention to Dracken. "The three of us should make our way to this Ark of yours, I would like to see Rosie and the others one more time before Doom's Day."

Dracken gave a huff and looked to Lily, a grin in his voice as he spoke. "You aren't about to let Doom's Day happen, are you, girl?" He shook his head and sighed softly. "Did my trick work?"

"I'm sitting in Hargon's castle curled up against Malroth's neck-" Lily flinched away from the two monsters when Dracken ripped his mask off as if he needed to see her better. His face was grotesque, the dark skin pulled taut over his bones and sickly gray. "Wh-What?"

"That is not what I meant for you to do when I put those runes on you! All you had to do was relax and close your eyes! Are you insane?! Who else knows where you are?" Dracken grabbed her, giving her a rough shake.

"Just Gram! You're dead in that cave, Dracken! I-I didn't know what to do!"

"Stupid, stupid builder! That castle is off limits, the Master can draw on your life force from outside this illusion and use it to quicken his rebirth!" He cupped her face, his dark amber eyes wild with anger and worry. "You best hurry and save Malroth, I will get Alakazam to the Ark. And then I will retrieve you if I can."

"Don't call me stupid!" Lily snapped as she ripped away from him. "It's been forever since people stepped near that old castle! No one will go near it-"

"How did you even get there? Did you make your grandmother take you?"

"What? No, I rode a horse."

"You can't even walk in that world." Dracken hissed as he glared at Lily.

"Now you're the stupid one. You gave me the power to walk with those runes!" Lily growled right back at him, neither of them paying attention to Alakazam until he poured water over their heads. "Hey! What the fuck?!"

"Dammit, Alakazam. What was that for?" Dracken growled at his fellow monster.

"She has a world to save, you have me to get to safety and then get her to safety. You two arguing will do nothing but waste time." The pastor turned, shrugging as he walked away from them. "Lily, you must go to Malroth now, before it is too late."

Lily gave another growl at Dracken before turning, her pigtails slapping her in the face when she whirled around. "Don't have to tell me twice."

"Lily. Before you go." Dracken rubbed his face, sighing deeply. "The monsters you come across… they are naught but illusions. All you have to do is make it beyond them. They cannot hurt you." He and Alakazam watched as she stormed out of the room, throwing a hand up when the priest spoke. "I should have more clear with my instructions about getting back here."

"It's probably for the best that she found the Master's remains. But if those are destroyed… won't Malroth cease to exist here?" Al tipped his head as he looked to his superior, watching as Dracken tensed. "That's what I thought."


Lily made her way back, taking the path to the left. She paused when she saw the shadow monster that waited for her below. It was a cyclops like Atlas, and he was slamming his feet down so hard that it caused her to bounce from where she was watching him. "I just… have to make it beyond them. I can do that." She swallowed the lump in her throat as she prepared to take off.

She paused as she watched beast for a moment longer. She gathered herself, pulling out the sword at her hip. It felt at home in her hand as she descended, glaring up at the monster that laughed at her. His voice was deep, and he sounded just like Atlas. It had taken nothing but a few strikes with previous shadow monsters to take them out. This one couldn't be any different.

Jumping over each shockwave, Lily made it to the shadow, striking it down with a single strike of the blade. She landed, skidding just behind where the monster had been. "Huh… if only you'd been that easy in Moonbrooke."

"So, you have overcome my first servant. Atlas's shadow darkens my halls no more…" Hargon's voice echoed around the now empty and quiet hall. "Perhaps I may have a use for you after all. Cleaning the detritus from my dungeons. However, your efforts would only be in vain." Hargon sighed, sounding sad for the builder. "All will be reduced to nothingness soon enough."

Lily ran as Hargon spoke, a pathetic noise leaving her when she stopped at the top of the stairs that led into the next hall beneath. Warwick the shadow batmandrill was watching her, an eagerness in those red eyes of his. She let out a screech when he slammed his claws down into the stone and pulled her towards him with a gravitational magic. "N-No! Dammit!" Her eyes were wide as she looked up at the monster that now stood over her.

"I told you I would rip you to shreds, eek! Eek, eek!" Warwick laughed at her as he lifted a hand to bring down on her. Lily held the sword up with her eyes shut tight, trembling as she awaited the blow. But it never came. Only Warwick screaming in pain had her eyes opening. She watched as four arms held the batmandrill, pulling in every which direction. "D-Dammit! No!" Warwick screeched as a hand grabbed the back of his head and slammed it down.

Lily rolled out of the way, just barely as Warwick was slammed into the ground so hard that when the hand pulled the batmandrill back up, his face was nearly caved in. The builder scrambled to her feet and watched in horror as Malroth's arms ripped Warwick to shreds. She couldn't bring herself to look away as tears burned her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She could run, could do as Dracken had told her, but… Malroth's rage held her in place as the arm that was ripped from the batmandrill turned to shadowy particles, and then the wings.

The angry red eyes locked with Lily as Warwick was torn to shreds until nothing was left. Lily dropped to her knees and wretched, bile spilling from her as the arms sat and waited for her to recover. She risked glancing up once her body had calmed, watching as the clawed fingers spasmed with the need to rip something else to pieces. "How… how did you know?"

"How did you get Him to do that? Do you still matter to Him?!" Hargon's voice roared and the arms disappeared. "Blasted bitch! I'll rip you to shreds myself!"

Lily pushed herself up, her heart in her throat as she looked around for the blue flames, seeing them leading into the discarded maw of her monstrous friend. There was blood flowing over the old skin and claws as she picked her way through them. A lump formed in her throat as she moved through the old skin, fear making her pick up her pace until she was running and stumbling through the blood and scales. A scream left her when she saw an Archdemon awaiting her. She dove before some of the scales, panting as she tried to calm herself down. "I can do this… there was a door… I just have to make it through that…"

Lily jumped from her hiding spot, narrowly dodging a blow from the shadow monster, she struck her sword out, a fear filled noise left her when it did nothing. The monster turned and slammed his trident down, the weapon grazed her side, ripping through the armor like it was nothing. Lily let out a scream of agony as she rolled away from the next strike. She gripped her bleeding side and struggled to her feet, bolting through the door, and collapsing as the Archdemon roared and disappeared.

"How sad. The wee little builder injured by her over eagerness. So, you have defeated my three playthings. That is alright, they outlived their usefulness. As have you, builder. You are nothing more than an irritation. Curl up and die, enjoy your last fleeting moments on this world." Hargon snarled as Lily crawled through the darkness to a circle of blue flames.

The builder let out a cry when she fell through a hole and into a small pool of blood. She spat out the horrid iron taste as she crawled forward, crying out once again when she fell down and into a small river of the disgusting liquid. She gasped in a deep breath of air before she plummeted down once again. She landed in a shallow reservoir that left her panting as she sat up and looked around.

Focusing on the sounds around her, Lily could hear Hargon chanting something quietly. She could hear the hums of the gravitational orbs. She touched her side, blinking away the surprise that settled into her when she felt the gash had healed. "Right… illusions…" She climbed to her feet and pulled her sword out again, glaring down the hall she had to walk. "Hargon… it's time to end this. Give me Malroth back, he won't do your bidding. He would never destroy the world. I know he wouldn't."

She knew it was useless, the high priest wouldn't listen to her. Her eyes wandered the hall as she trudged along, her body felt so heavy but the more she thought about it, she wondered if it was the force of Malroth's destructive powers that made her feel so.

A growl left her when a gravitational orb tried to pull her in, but a few blocks thrown down kept her from being pulled back. She looked over, seeing Hargon with his back to her and his arms towards the sky as his chanting grew louder. She slowly walked towards the center of the room; her eyes trained on Hargon's back.

"I thought I told you to leave."

"I don't listen very well."

"What business could a maggot like you possibly have with High Priest Hargon?" The priest growled without turning to look at the builder, laughing quietly before it turned into a full-on bellow as he finally turned to her. "Perchance you came in the hopes of defeating Lord Malroth in battle?"

"No." Lily glared up at the monster priest in front of her.

"Oh. Is that so? If not to fight him, then… you must have come to save him." Hargon couldn't contain the grin that showed off the large incisors in his mouth as he laughed once more. "Muah, hah, hah, hah, haaah! It would seem you have not lost your sense of humor, though you have certainly forgotten your lowly station! You are no hero. You are naught but a drudge. Dirt on the bottom of my shoe. And yet, you dare to defy the Master of Destruction and His almighty High Priest… most amusing." Hargon gave a bored shrug as he started to turn back to what he had been doing, allowing Lily to see Malroth's humanoid form laying on the gold altar. "Lord Malroth has already awakened and is a little preoccupied with putting his new found powers to work at this moment. However,…" He watched the builder, seeing how she was nearly hanging onto his words. "If your heart is set on seeing him, I am sure I could arrange an introduction. What do you say?"

Lily swallowed the lump that formed, it was a mistake, asking him to summon Malroth. She knew that body on the altar wouldn't sit up and smile at her, she'd be seeing the monster. She'd see him in the flesh and risk being ripped to shreds. But she had to try to save him. If she could…

"Let me see him, Hargon."

The builder covered her mouth when a gasp left her as Malroth sat up from the altar. He stretched, popping his back and neck as he got up and stepped around Hargon, putting his hands in his pockets as he grinned at her. "Lily, you wanted to see me?" He gave a chuckle as he slowly walked down the stairs towards her, something was off about him, but Lily wanted nothing more than to fling herself at him. "It's been a while. I'm glad you came. You see, I never got to thank you…" His grin turned dark as he met her desperate gaze. "for turning me back into the Master of Destruction."

Lily let out a pathetic sob when wings spread from his back, blood splattering the ground beneath him as another set of arms grew and he changed. Shedding that humanoid shell and standing before her as the true Master of Destruction. "I enjoyed hanging out with you, and I'll never forget all the fun we had back on the Isle, Lily." The monster laughed as he stretched and climbed down the last ledge towards the builder. He walked around her on six legs, the heavy red claws clicking as he moved. A snake headed tail wrapped around in front of her, the forked tongue flicking out and tasting the tears on her cheek. "But building shit was never really suited for me, you know?"

Malroth was large, he nearly filled the room they stood in as his wings stretched out, blocking Hargon's view of the builder. The monster that was all but coiled around Lily swung his head down to her, the long ivory fangs that were nearly as long as her forearm glistened in the torch light. "Destruction was always much more my style." He let out a purr as one clawed hand wrapped around her, lifting her up to his face. "Tell you what – as a little thank you for helping me find my true self… I think I'll eat you!"

Lily was trembling in Malroth's hold as she squeezed her hands over her mouth harder, she wouldn't scream. Couldn't scream. Though she couldn't control the sobs that left her or the tears that spilled down her cheeks as Malroth's hot tongue slid over her cheek, a satisfied noise leaving the beast when her tears hit the muscle. "What could be a more perfect ending to an excellent adventure? You're feeding me outside this illusion, it's only fitting that you feed me within it!" His hot breath wrapped around her as he opened his maw, a loud growl leaving him. "Don't worry, Lily! It'll only hurt for a minute!"

Lily finally screamed as she reached down with one hand, ripping the Thunderbolt Blade free from its' sheath, ramming it up into Malroth's mouth. The monster her best friend had become dropped her and reared back with a pained roar. Lily rolled away from the claws that slammed down towards her as blood gushed from Malroth's mouth. "You're only adding to your suffering, Lily!" The roar he let out forced her backwards, sending her barreling across the floor before he puffed up and shot a ball of fire at her.

Lily barely dodged that one and fell to her knees to duck beneath another one that flew over her. "Mal! Please!" She cried out, everything in her vision was blurred by tears as she climbed to her feet and ran at him. She didn't want to strike out at him, she didn't want to hurt him, but she knew she had to. She got in a few good hits before he lashed out, his huge claws sending her bleeding across the ground.

She flopped to her back as Malroth stalked towards her, a dark hunger in those now golden eyes as Hargon cackled from behind the monster. The builder reached down, touching her side where Malroth had hit her and pulling her hand up to watch as blood dripped from it. She was lucky that that hit hadn't torn her to shreds, but not so lucky that she wouldn't bleed out, Malroth was as much an illusion as she was. He could, and would, kill her.

The world hazed around her as a clawed hand hit the ground next to her, her body grew colder by the second as something hot brushed against the wound on her belly. Something tugged at the armor that still covered half of her torso. "I should savor the power you'll give me…" Malroth growled, his fangs vibrating against her belly as he tugged at her armor. "Too bad you'll bleed out before the pain will really start…"

Lily's head lolled to the side, her eyes struggling to stay open as the monster went back to lapping at her wound. Darkness slowly cradled Lily, rocking her much like Malroth's tongue did. What had he said? She was feeding him outside the illusion… Dracken was right. She had been so stupid…