Queen's note: …GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! =3 once more a chapter has gotten so much longer then I meant it to. Have some feels, confused feels maybe but there you are. Mwahahah. Also if you would like to come hang out with me and some others, I have a doom/garnets discord! ht- tp -s: /discord .- gg /48FbTWnSfz [take out the spaces and '-']

Also HI LINTELS! Everyone say hi to my new editor! Quetzalcoatls/Letalis. Hopefully I don't annoy them with going back through the story [bonus goodies to be added in earlier chapters lol]

Letalis : Oh, so its lintels now? crosses arms see if i write you more treats with all this name calling! Shakes fist

Omie: never. You love me now.

Garnets

Chapter Ninety:

Lich

The Unwilling hesitated, swaying in spot before going through the second barrier. It was allowed to pass unhindered through most barriers in the upper city, being one of the main aids to the Corpse Lord. Even haven been given a long, purple colored and heavily scented cloth to hang over its lanky body to please its current master. Perhaps to cover the exposed muscles and fat, or keep it from getting too wet and thus bloating.

The Corpse Lord distasted working with, let alone having bloated corpses around her directly. Her aids needed to preserve as much as they could be.

The Unwilling was old enough that there was no telling what gender it had been in life. Only the height and broad shoulders gave a hint that the sad creature was once, so long ago, an Argneta. The bony growths had long since covered over most of its face, blinding its original host ages ago, leaving the now joint creature to 'see' the world around it through energy, or lack thereof.

"-what are you waiting for, beast, being the device to your Lord!" A rasping voice snapped from the round device in its hands.

Yet it still hesitated, even hearing the Holy Priest's anger. As it also heard the sobbing from inside the big chamber as the Unwilling edged through the shimmering crimson barrier. The inside of the wide, domed shaped room had changed. The strip of Jakkad blessed Hell growth on one side of the room looked… unhealthy. More like the exposed muscle of its own body. No layer of fat or smooth leather like what was said to be grown in Immora's sheltered farms.

There were small open wounds on the blessed growth. Both from the Corpse Lord's own clawed hands, and from wounds that had formed to show the damage done to the city's spell barriers.

The meticulously, neatly sorted items that used to be on the different tables were all scattered over the upper floor. Some things had fallen to the lower sections. Both into the void like space and the once pool of wraith energy that the great, holy machine had been built over. The attendant Unwilling swayed on its feet, unsure where the crying was coming from.

"What is that sound?" the voice demanded, paused and though the holographic display was not triggered. He was starting to see what was around the hesitant Unwilling. Recognizing the tools on the ground as the creature edged around them.

The Unwilling whimpered as the sobs slowed as it's master became aware of it.

"Leave," the voice was rough, filled with sorrowed emotions that had the gargling echo that marked that the Corpse Lord was in a new body that had not finished forming. She had to be on the next level below, before the lowest spot that once had an energy pool.

"Ari'zel?" the Holy Priest called through the device, voice notably softening as he spoke to the Corpse Lord. "My beautiful young Lady, what makes you cry? …my child? Where are you? What happened in the city to make you grieve, my child?"

The Unwilling paused, and then froze as it came across a spot with a burning, charred body sprawled on the floor as if it had been stabbed through the back, and possibly missing its head. There was an opened hole through the feminine body's spine. A warm, brown fur cloak was soaked in the blood pooling around the body. The hem of fine white silk skirts just visible with the cream colored slippers.

"...go away." The feminine, but still gargling voice called from the darkness of the lower level, retreating under one of the walkways to the silent divinity machine.

As the pool of light from the device spread out, the Holy Priest could recognize the damage done to the body. The device the Unwilling was holding started to glow as it activated the projector. The robed form looked around the ground and sucked in his breath as he really did recognize the body. The gifts given to her, from the clothes, to a staff that had rolled away from the body, as well as a blind mask that was partly broken in the crest.

"Ari'zel?" The holographic form called again, he was hunched in his older age, braced on a staff. Though he had lost muscle and his face had a hollowed look to it even in the blue tinted light. There were hints of who he once had been in the past. A tall, lean form in his youth that once towered over most Argenta. Though not as broad as the old Sentinels he used to help lead. Now he leaned on the thick handled staff, needing it to support himself. The holographic display showed the man in what seemed like paler robes, with a warm fur over his shoulders.

The Corpse Lord pulled away from the light of the projector where she was on the lower level. Not wanting to show anything of her new body, she stayed away from the light that would transmit in return. "Go away father."

"Where are you, my child?" the Holy Priest asked again, voice softened once more. Looking at the body sprawled on the ground before walking along the border of the projection of soft blue light. Trying to find the speaker. "What happened to you, my girl? Where is An'pu? He is supposed to protect you-"

"He's gone!" The current master of the city wailed under the walk way, almost howling with the new vocal cords in her body. The sound breaking and gargling like the voice itself was bleeding out, but still forced to work. "That monster killed him, father! An'pu- my dear An'pu was murdered by that monster!"

The Unwilling watched as the Holy Priest jerked in shock, he looked back at the body and then upwards at the machine that hung over and was built into the room. He knew that An'pu was blessed by this machine, had survived it and even was revived once by it. "I will find him."

"It's not possible!" the unseen woman sobbed again, the distinct sound of bone scraping the ground heard.

"His soul can not have gone far, my dear Ari'zel. He might be uncomfortable, but he is such a loyal soul to the Khan Maykr-"

"He's gone, father!" The Corpse Lord almost shrieked, there was the sound of mass moving before there was something thrown from the lower level. The artifact crashed into the far wall, shattering into a dozen shimmering gold splitters that fell into the darkness.

Ari'zel sounded almost hysterical as she screamed, the voice itself still sounding like it was bleeding. She was destroying something else out of sight in a grief-blinded rage. "Gone! That monster ate his soul! Not only did that beast burn An'pu's body to char, it took everything of my love, father! That monster ate his soul! He's gone…!"

There was a long pause, the words sinking in as well as the sobbing as Ari'zel was heard dropping down to the ground to start crying again. The Priest slowly tightened his grip on his staff, eyes narrowing and the anger was showing, "Who dares… I will bring the Sentinels to you- whoever dares to come here will suffer for this."

"NO!" The form under the walkway leapt to her feet, having a lot more mass then what the priest knew she should have while scrambling to come back. Boney, brown stained hands grasped the side of the walkway, the dried blood from whatever made her current body. "No- no, father you can not come here!"

"You are my child, Ari'zel," the priest said as he knelt by the edge, even resting the staff down as he reached for the shadowed head, the projection having a faint feel of weight as the blue light lit up the exposed, lupin-like skull. Seeing tinted fluid coming out of the almost empty eye sockets. "Foster before or not, you are who I love my child. If someone has hurt you, they deserve to suffer through the blood swamps for all eternity. They dared hurt you and your husband, their family will bleed their souls for the goddess Maykr and I'll bless your next chosen body to inhabit my child. My Sentinels will rend whatever this thing is that dared to hurt you."

Long, thin fingers wrapped around the wrists and hands holding her face, the Corpse Lord, Ari'zel made a distressed, gargled sound. There was no tongue in the newly acquired skull, sheer force of will t. "No father- no. You do not understand. An'pu was your guardian until you found another. He was personally protecting your… your treasure we made. I can't… I can not let you come here father. The beasts have not found it. If that monster has it, you are in danger. It likely does not know what that treasure really is. But if somehow that monster gets near you…"

She wavered and whined in emotional pain before admitting aloud, "I can not lose you too, father."

"My dear, brave Ari'zel," The Priest paused, swallowed and took a breath. Trying to coax the younger immortal up with him and fully into the light of the protection. Just light pressures felt for either of them. "When did you grow so strong? I am to protect you, yet even in this great pain, you think of this old man."

"I do not feel strong father," the words were whispered out, head thudding down heavily on the walkway. "An'pu was always the strong one, he could stand up to all the creatures from the other side. I could not even save his remains. I can not even revive my old body- I've turned into this monster… Or stop that monster… those beastly barrons can not stop it like they said they would. That monster is eating them!"

"Shhh, shh," the older, argenta man crooned, exerting power to keep Ari'zel from pulling away from him. His hands shimmering bright like burnt gold through the hologram that was not just that.

She whined and twitched, but Ari'zel stilled and did not pull away curling closer against the side of the wall.

"Take a deep breath my little puppy." The Holy One said, though he knew that Ari'zel did not need to breathe like him. He knew it would still help as she started to try and breathe. "Listen to your father. You are so much stronger than anyone but my brothers. It is you that found a way to guard our souls after all. You are the one that impressed the great goddess with that. You also made her smile at the thought of you, by showing your dedication to her will in working the Divinity Machine to help her champions stand taller."

Slowly, but steadily, the Corpse Lord was drawn upwards, back onto the platform. He had more than enough self control to not react to the form that was clearly hastily made. Likely out of parts that would have been made into a new totem for the city barrier to protect it. Ari'zel's head was made from a rare northern fox's skull, something that Nilox himself had gifted his daughter. Her forearms were mostly boney, with sinew still clinging to them. The torso was the mummified remains of one of the beasts from Jakkard that was as much turned loose to fight as to feed the stronger demons.

Because of that, the back hips did not quiet match up to the legs that were mismatched. Ari'zel had to resort to using the vine like roots from the refined gore nest outside to tie her current body together. To take the place of most muscles and fill up space in the joints, skull and tendons in the hands as she pulled herself onto the walkway. Seeing her own body the Corpse Lord whined and reached out, sliding to the ground on her front to reach for the once fine silks that smelled of flowers that she loved.

As soon as those long digits touched her old body, they jerked back with a yelp as if cut. The very ends of that hand had to be scraped over the ground to be sure the shimming blue, glass like sand coating was not on them. Ari'zel could not help but whine again, just barely feeling the phantom light touch on the leathery hide. Then just gave up and curled up beside the projection of her father.

"You may not have An'pu's great strength in body, but your mind is unmatched." Nilox crooned to the body his daughter currently inhabited. Smoothing a hand over her back as he looked at her last body. Noting the shimmer almost like sea glass. He frowned as that almost looked like the example of the golden gorgon crystal brought to Nilox and his brothers.

Could the missing mate of the new gorgon have made it all the way here? If the rebels had the mortal daughter, it would make sense he would blindly go after everything to get to her.

Nilox looked down, summoning some argent energy to pass through the projection. Making use of the blessed Maykr technology to feed the argent energy directly to his daughter. Trying to soothe at least the physical pain of the freshly transferred consciousness into a new body. Trying to help his little girl as best he could from the distance he was at.

Even with her current body, Nilox could only see the child that Novak had walked into his temple. Scared of every sharp sound and shaking worse than a sapling in the first winter storm. Little Ari'zel had been given into his protection, maybe because of her potential. Maybe just because it had been Nilox' turn to foster again, but he never regretted it. His daughter had followed as his shadow, and her curiosity and quick mind once it thawed from fear had even made the holy Khan Maykr smile. She had been his assistant once older, and helped Nilox with learning about Argent energy those ages ago.

His daughter was so strong, brave and smart, even if at the moment Ari'zel could only cry in his lap at the moment. Long arms wrapping around his legs and trying to bury her face in Nilox' middle. She had lost her husband and soul mate, he would be a father to his child. Support her through the grief and feed his child warm energy to heal. To encourage her new body to fill out and get some strength back.

Smoothing hands over the fox skull, encouraging the reanimated flesh to bind properly to the right spots while he hummed. Or speaking soft, reassuring words to remind Ari'zel that she was loved. That he would find a way to still send aid. That this monster would pay dearly for what it did to her and their family. His brothers of the Deag would support them, as they loved Ari'zel as well.

Nilox did not know, nor care how long he stayed there. Refusing to leave until the sobbing eased, making sure that her form was a little more solid. Nilox watched over his daughter in her weakest state until she started to pull her frame back together.

The Unwilling twitched from where it had been standing unmoving, a stronger will taking over. It stepped closer to set the projector down behind the Holy Priest. Taking slow, shaky steps to the body, despite the random jerky jitter of movement that all Unwilling had, it was being gentle with lifting the severed head. It turned its head as if to look back at the priest, Nilox hummed and lifted a hand. Extending it out in a demand.

The Unwilling carefully lifted the head cradled upside down in the blind mask. Walking over with it extended as the Holy Priest reached out to take it, lifting the severed head with as much care as he was giving his daughter's current body. That same way he used the blessed Maykr technology to give argent, Nilox pulled the bundle back through to where he was.

"You there, bring me that container, but line it with something soft." Nilox ordered someone out of sight, keeping one hand on Ari'zel's head to stroke over the fox skull. He waited a moment, carefully holding the severed head, the shimmer of crystal slowly eating away at the flesh and dissolving into blue sand. The same was happening to the body spreading out under the fabrics.

When someone clad in full armor carefully stepped into the light of the projector, they offered a container lined with a plush looking fabric. He did not step away as the Deag priest still gently moved to take the mask off. Inspecting it carefully to be sure none of the crystals were inside of it before holding it with both hands and humming an old lullaby.

It had Ari'zel slowly shifting as if to look up, though the eye sockets were nearly empty. Nothing like proper eyes but still able to watch as her father turned the mask around and around to inspect and untangle the fine silver chains until the charms chimed sweetly. It was the same gift he and the other priests had given to her years ago, and as she watched, it seemed to glow in Nilox' hands. Shifting shape in the holy magic he was blessed with from the Kahn Maykr goddess herself. Ari'zel gasped at the blatant show of power used as her father altered the gift but not destroyed it. reaching into his robes to pull out a few things to add to the mask.

"My dear little one," Nilox was still humming, he sighed deeply and spoke as he worked. "I think I might know what this monster is. It would explain why you can not reanimate your current… your last body."

"What is it?" the Corpse Lord asked as she shifted her head, resting the new length of it at an angle. Ari'zel finally felt numb, and though it still felt like her mind was in a haze, it was not as thick. She curled a little more into the semi solid form of her father, grateful now that he had come. That he had stayed to comfort her. "Can I kill it?"

"Maybe, but it would not last," Nilox made another soft sound, pausing his work, "If it is the gorgon father, the mate of the new power in hell, he may not be easy to kill. If he remembers you are the one that killed him, and orphaned his… their daughter. Then that would go against the plans of the Blessed Maykr."

"What plans could be so greater then to avenge my lovely An'pu, father?" Ari'zel whined again, almost sounding like a fox as the air moved through the filling out skull.

"Something far, far greater than you can imagine my puppy." Nilox considered what he could say. "...where the false heir of hell can be killed. It is so dearly important that if you come across the mortal daughter of the gorgons you do not let any harm come to her."

The older man set the mask aside on his side and cupped his own daughter's face, to be sure Ari'zel was paying close attention. "I do not know why she is hidden from the celestial locators. I have tried to use three different ones and just got flickers across that new planet being conquered. If the rebels really did find and bring her here…"

"...she would be in my web of power." Ari'zel realized as she put together what was said and not set. Even if a celestial locator could not be used on this 'mortal daughter' if it was true then she was inside the barrier. The barrier that was now keeping all portals from coming in or out. "If I find the child, is there… is there any chance that the goddess could be pleased enough to find him? Any part of An'pu?"

Nilox looked down at the desperately pleading tone, unable not to hide his sadness and some pity as the man rubbed the top of the long head. "I don't know my child. Maybe… if his soul was not truly devoured like with the demigods. But I can not say, because I do not know if it is even possible, my child. The goddess Maykr has said there will be a great reward for whoever brings the child alive to her. There are beasts from Jakkard that are searching on their own to please the new gorgon mother though."

The Corpse Lord hummed finally, her voice slowly getting some strength and not as gargling. Starting to sit up on her knees and arms, head lowered to keep contact. "...please do not come here father. I just can not lose you too… please?"

"Alright. I will not come, but I will send some Sentinels." Nilox sighed, shifting to grasp his daughter's head and tilt it up some, "Lift your head, Ari'zel, and hold it."

The holy priest lifted the now altered mask, more head dress again and lined it up with the hologram from his side. Then used the Maykr holy magic and technology to phase it back to his daughter. Watching it settle against the big fox skull. Then reached up to unhook his own fur cloak. Like the blind mask he spun it around and sent it as a new gift. The rich, silvery pale fur was so newly tanned and made it still had the scent of wolves on it, and faintly of vinegar. It sat on her like a shimmering shawl.

"Be strong, Ari'zel, I know it hurts so much my child. My daughter." Nilox pressed his head carefully to the newly adorned one of his daughter's. Careful of his own crown, and her new headdress before shifting to give the ornate flower design of the silver metal that would have been over her brow in a normal body. Almost in the same place now.

It still reminded Nilox of the inner eye shining through the blind mask. He remembered fondly the times Ari'zel had spent in training with that style of mask, stumbling and laughing as a young, gangly teen trying to find the lamp-geckos in the room. Ranak had been laughing as he watched, but gave tips on how to see the energy around her properly. Even Grav chuckled at the sight while teasing Ranak about the newest generations taking over with sea legs.

"...what do I do father?" Ari'zel asked, sitting up and reaching to touch the little chains on the mask. The tiny chimes that sounded with each movement, the up to feel what the new weight was. Had she been about to, Ari'zel would have wibbled, she knew the feel of An'pu's horns so well. How they felt when he let them grow long, or cut them short to let her use them.

He had grown them long and cut the top set a few decades ago. After Ari'zel had preserved them, her husband gave them to her father for something. She only now remembered that. Nilox had given her this memento of her husband back. Crowned her with An'pu's old horns and she could almost imagined his strength being offered as well. Could remember more clearly every time her love wrapped his massive arms around her with the utmost care and gentleness.

"Be strong, my dearest daughter," Nilox said as he reached over to take her hands. Looking at the powerful Corpse Lord he had raised, "Crush those that dare to stand against us, against our holiest goddess. Shelter that gorgon's child and try not to be seen by her father if you must attempt revenge. So he will not remember you once reborn in hell. Soon you will be by my side again. We will grieve together for An'pu and give him all the honors. If he can… or can not be found truly again. I will find you the best new body my girl, or even if you'd like, despite their smaller size, to try one of the humans you can have your pick."

The older man drew the boney hands closer, gave the exposed knuckles a kiss on each hand. "Be. Strong. My child. My Corpse Lord. Do not doubt your strength and mind. Keep on your work here until you're back at my side, the Dreadnought will be a great help in this new world, to bring it to its knees in penance."

The Corpse Lord twitched, starting to open her mouth, before clamping them together with a chittering sound of teeth and fangs. Head bowering, Ari'zel was not able to bring herself to mention her fears of the once commander class titan. She reached up once freed to pull the shawl like fur around her. Snuggling into this new gift as well. "I will try, father."

"Good girl," Nilox praised, smiling as he saw his daughter lift her head up again. "You do your best when you try, remember?"

"...yes. Yes you do."

"I need to go for now, but I will check on you in a few days." Nilox looked to the side, took a breath and then as if he could not help it reached to pat Ari'zel's closest hand. "Be safe, protect your treasure my daughter. I can not stand to lose you as well. If not more, a parent should never outlive their child."

"I will be safe, father." Ari'zel promised, sounding younger than she felt, but she did feel much better than before Nilox had come. "I will hide my soul where none will find it."

"Good, I will see you soon." The Holy Priest said with a happy, if not proud rumble as he cupped his daughter's face in his hands before the projection started to dim.

Ari'zel sat still, for a moment or three just basking in the love from her onely direct family left. A deep breath was taken, though the dried, leathery chest did not need it, and then she got up. Towering higher than the Unwilling and took a moment to be startled about that.

She was… bigger. She just needed to be stronger.

The Corpse Lord looked up at the great machine that hung over the room as she stood. Clutching the shawl like fur of shimmering silver, she walked past the Unwilling. The short, leathery tail that was attached to her new torso twitched in the only real sign of outward excitement. Ari'zel looked around once in the inner circular path, pacing to the far side and the shrine that An'pu had personally made to cradle her treasure.

Extending her will, the Corpse Lord had the right caging rib bones spread out in a spiral. It was a beautifully pale, thorny bloom that echoed the flower design in her mask. Something that An'pu had taken great care to make so it would be a flower either open or closed. Inside was a carefully placed red fabric with all the smaller gifts her husband had given her, including one tiny set of bones she had tried to save through time. It was all carefully arranged to shine around a golden gilded skull.

Hands reached down, carefully, oh so carefully wrapping the long boney digits around it. Lifting it up and smoothed a thumb over the mark of the beast etched into the gold and bone with silver. Ari'zel took a shaky breath as she held the skull to her chest, wrapping arms around it and wished that the false god's emblem was not needed. It had hurt so much to dig it into her skull, enough that she had died several times from the pain.

But it was the only way to get the divinity machine to work for her. To carefully use it to revive the men and women her father and his brother priests sent to her. She stood tall, so much taller than ever before, stepping to the edge of the walkway. Looking down and just as carefully hopped as light as she could to the lower section, walking to the even lower area that once held a pool of silver wraith energy.

The Corpse Lord was not sure why it had slowed to refill only every few decades. Where it came from, but the well had seemed to be steadily going dry. This same pool that drew in people, strangers, rebels, fresh tender meat, wanting to replenish tattered wraith gifts or to give to their children.

If they did not pass the test, Ari'zel would use the adults, send the young to her father as new fosters.

This pool once was so deep as she hopped down again, that it would be over her head even now. Now it just swirled around her ankles at the lowest spot. The Corpse Lord looked up at the great machine that was made by the Holy Maykrs. Sprawling out like a pregnant beasty, ready to give new, wonderful life to the loyal argenta. Ari'zel smiled, "I will be safe, father, I promise. And I shall be stronger."

Stronger than ever before.

The Corpse Lord walked through the liquid energy, feeling it feed her new body bit by bit. It was not until she lowered her original skull into the center of the pool that she could fully start to pull in the power to her soul. Not just her current body.

It hurt though, enough that she started to yell, a gargling yipping sound as her idea worked. Helping to grow the parts together, to fill out and absorb the liquid energy into her treasured vessel. The scream turned to a high yowl, a counterpoint to the distant howls of the dying beast of a Baron that the monster was eating.

Just a little more… just this little more and she could pick up the golden skull. Wrapping it in the shawl over her shoulders and staggered back to the side of the lower pool.

"...you…" Ari'zel hissed up at the Unwilling, "Husk… servant… take this… hide it deep, deep below the city. Guard it with what's left of your pathetic soul. Feed it if you must, but stay hidden until I call or come for it alone…"

It took everything the Corps Lord had to gingerly set the fur wrapped treasure on the side of the pool space. Watching the trembling Unwilling stagger over and jump down. Reaching with appropriate fear and respect as all the 'loose' body parts that were scattered, even mummified demons she had taken time to make, were pulled to the pit.

"Stronger… yes… that's what I'll be for you father." The Corps Lord shivered and slid down into the remaining dregs of the wraith energy as it tinted red. "I will… I will make you proud. Both. you and my dear An'pu… be proud of me my love… please."