She floated in the volcano above Khir Turuhm next to her helmet and a spear she had borrowed.
Kill.
She had been preparing herself mentally to hunt for the being she hated more than any other.
Kill.
The one that she must deal with, because it was the only way for her to be truly free.
Kill.
The one that she would commit herself to fighting without regard for anything else.
Kill.
She knew she was capable, but there was some small piece which was afraid.
Kill.
She hunted that last remaining bit of fear within herself to snuff it out.
Kill.
It was all that remained after so much time spent focusing herself.
Kill.
It was the only thing preventing her from beginning her hunt.
Kill.
She continued to concentrate, discerning the cause of fear.
Kill.
She located it, exposing its underbelly within her mind.
Kill.
She feared her body would betray her as it had.
Kill.
The collar and spells were gone, she knew.
Kill.
The memory of their effects remained.
Kill.
Could she fight on with this in mind?
Kill.
She must or she would be defeated.
Kill.
Defeat was far worse than death.
Kill.
There could be no defeat for her.
Kill.
There could be no defeat ever.
Kill.
She was always victorious.
Kill.
She crushed her fears.
Kill.
She was Ir'alith.
Kill.
Normannus.
Kill.
Kill.
Kill.
Kill.
An object flew across her vision and impacted the rock to her left, but she paid it no heed.
Kill. Kill.
There was a rumbling from the crater it had landed in, and pieces of stone tumbled out.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
An armored hand grasped the side of the crater, but she was already aware.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
More stone fell from the crater as the new arrival began to emerge.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She felt her skin begin to glow from rage as her awareness grew.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
The one human she hated more than any other appeared.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
Her awareness started to focus itself onto a point.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
"Lily-chan!" came the call of the other name.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She had never given permission for it.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She felt her eyes glowing red.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
The glow grew stronger.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
This was the time.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
Normannus.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
"Kill."
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
"I'm so happy to see you again!" the human called, struggling to pull itself farther out of its landing point.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
Her helmet floated up and settled over her head.
"Kill."
"I can't believe that Carl guy somehow sent me flying all the way out here, and I just happened to land next to you," it continued.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She understood.
"Kill."
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
This was a gift, a test, a trial, all in one.
"Kill."
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
Whether she could overcome it depended solely on her.
"Kill."
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She would never be defeated in combat.
"Kill."
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She was invincible.
"Kill."
"Uh, Lily-chan, why do you keep saying that?"
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She left the spear hanging suspended near the edge of the volcano.
"Kill."
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
Using a weapon would not be raw enough to satisfy her and dispel her madness.
"Kill."
"L-Lily-chan? You're just messing with me, aren't you? Come on, I know how much you miss me!"
She flexed her claws. A sudden, powerful explosion of wind energy by her side sent her hurtling at her hated enemy. She crossed the distance in an instant. Her claws reached the human first, stabbing clean through its eyes just as she had visualized doing so many times to blind it.
Blinding her enemy was one of the first strategies she had learned from her father.
A blinded enemy is a weaker enemy.
Blood squirted from the ruptured eyeballs and drenched her claws and arms.
The human screamed. It thrashed wildly, and an armored fist collided with her, the impact producing a faint, detached feeling of pain and sending her skipping across the surface of the volcano's basin to sink down into the lava on the far side of the crater.
She shuddered at the coldness that now surrounded her. Compared to the heat of her rage, she had been submerged into icy water. She collected her will and used it to force herself to the surface, supplementing her momentum with another blast of wind when she erupted from the bubbling lava.
Her tail flicked powerfully, flipping her over in the course of correcting her return trajectory.
"What the fuck, Lily-chan!" the human shouted as she descended towards it. "I thought—"
"Kill."
Her vision focused once more on her enemy's eyes, which had somehow regenerated.
A blinded enemy is a weaker enemy.
Another explosion of wind energy sent her flashing across the space between them too fast for nearly any creature to perceive.
In magical ability, none were stronger than her.
She was Ir'alith, daughter of Ira'unne.
She may not have learned all that her mother could have taught had they spent more time together, but she had supplemented her knowledge through decades of immersion, battle, and deep consideration, creating a style of fighting that was impossible to counter.
Her approach had been too high, as though she would accidentally pass above the human.
It moved to crouch with its hands covering its head, its speed faster than anything she had ever encountered.
She had sparred with others whose speed far exceeded hers. Her father had been the foremost among them, capable of taking her back in the time that it took for her to throw a punch.
She had been far weaker then.
She halted abruptly on the compressed block of wind energy she had constructed overhead, her curved tail striking downwards in rapid succession.
The methods by which speed was countered were traps and cleverness.
She felt the tip of her tail pierce through its two soft targets, and her enemy—her prey—screamed in pain again, flailing about blindly.
Blood oozed once more.
She was already in motion, springing towards the ground.
An enemy whose posture is broken cannot fight back.
Her tail swept out once more. This was not the soft, velvety form of her tail which had affectionately stroked the side of Carl's face.
She had shifted since then, refining her being to the essence of fighting during her meditation.
Bulky muscles and a broad torso had given way to a thinner, lithe shape. Muscles—form—had no meaning to her beyond appearance, and being smaller made her more difficult to strike.
Her lungs had vanished. They were habitual, not necessity. She had no need for speech beyond the single word she could quietly produce with air drawn into her mouth.
Her claws, previously delicate and attractive by her peoples' standards, had grown harder, sharper. She barely had hands now, only implements with which to rip and rend.
Her mouth, which had previously held teeth that looked pretty, shining brightly under light to please those who looked at them, was changed. Her teeth, too, were harder and sharper, and they were more plentiful by far, better with which to bite and tear.
Her nose was gone, an unnecessary affectation that she had acquired from her mother when not actively hunting.
Her horns were smaller, bristling with small barbs and points that rivaled the strongest of weapons in their ability to pierce. They would provide no purchase for her enemies, no surface to hold onto without dealing grievous injury should her helmet be removed.
Her hair, though she wore a helmet, was gone once more. It was a useless ornamentation.
Her skin was a thick layer of tiny scales that were unbreakable.
Her tail was now a double-sided cutting edge, ending with a point sharper and more deadly than even her teeth.
It was with this tail that she struck out, shattering the stone beneath them as the human clutched at its eyes instantly after having been rendered blind for a second time.
"What the fuck!" shouted the human. Its head whirled around with eyes that had already healed once more, and it searched the surrounding space for her at incredible speed.
A blinded enemy is a weaker enemy.
She fought the urge to pierce its eyes with daggers of wind. It was well known to her people that magic could not be used directly against the human heroes. Always they had artifacts which protected them, negating spells and manipulations of energy.
Ira'unne had been a true master of magic who had learned well from their ancestors, and she had passed some of these ways to her daughter before their time together was cut short.
An explosion created from a combination of fire, earth, and wind energies detonated above them, covering the area in dense smoke. More explosions detonated, creating a continuous supply of smoke from every angle.
"Lily-chan," the human shouted, stopping to cough, "I'm warning you," it coughed again, "don't piss me off now! I need someone to help me relax af—"
Her tail darted out, snaring the human's ankle and heaving it into the nearby lava.
She pursued.
Human heroes were naturally tough. It was not known to her people the exact method by which they came by their resilience, but they could not be slain by nearly any method, save for one certain way in which they were always able to be killed.
A human without its head could not be healed.
It was nigh impossible for any to manage given the absurd strength and speed—or rarely, magical ability—of human heroes. None had succeeded in killing a hero in such a manner in centuries, and her kin had been ordered to flee rather than fight should one appear nearby, such was the difficulty of the task.
She would accomplish it.
She had dreamed of tearing this human's head from its body with her claws—or with her tail—for what seemed like an eternity.
She wrapped her tail around her enemy's neck and began to squeeze, feeling the sharp edge slice into the somewhat hard skin of the hero.
A powerful force grabbed onto her tail and pulled her downward. She sank without resistance, gradually continuing to cut deeper.
A human without its head could not be healed.
The grip on her tail went slack, and an arm wrapped tightly around her, holding her close to the human. She felt a vague presKILLsure on her chest which vanished after a moment before reappKILLearing below the end of her breastplate at the plKILLace where her armor-covered legs joined her torso.
There was nothing in that location benKILLeath her arKILLmor save for hard scales which had replaced sKILLn in a form suited to nothing but combat.
Still, the iKILLnKILLtKILLeKILLnKILLt of the touch drove her to frenzy, and her tail began coiling and uncoiling around the disKILLgusKILLting KILLhKILLuKILLmKILLaKILLnKILLsKILL KILLnKILLeKILLcKILLkKILL sawing awayKILL She brought her feet upKILL clenching the invading hand between her armored thighsKILL and thrust the claws at their ends into the human's exposed abdomenKILL finding purchase as they pierced skin and held fastKILL
"Kill."
The claws at the ends of her armsKILL which had once been hands of a sortKILL stabbed into its upper chest on both sidesKILL piercing clean through heart and lungsKILL She brought them back and stabbed againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKILL againKI—
A hammer blow impacted her side, the arm that had been wrapped around her loosing itself at last as the human realized that she was not Lily-chan.
She.
Was.
Ir'alith.
She could see without impairment within the lava that she was propelled through by the force of the impact. Her tail clenched more tightly around the neck of her hated enemy, but it seemed unable to finish the severing, as the human was somehow in a constant state of healing.
The human bubbled along after her, pulled by her momentum and the tail around its throat. The hands of her prey clawed at the stranglehold she maintained on it, and she felt some dim exultation at the reversal. The hands pulled and twisted at her tail, but no longer was she weak—confined by the spells of thousands of humans under the direction of a deity.
She was unbreakable.
She was the strongest.
She would not release her grip.
The human suddenly began hurtling towards the surface, perhaps having found some rock to push off of, and she was dragged along.
A boot slammed into the side of her helmet just before she surfaced, bouncing her to the side and dazing her for an instant before she recovered.
She shifted slightly. The human was capable of more force than she had expected. She would not be affected by the same blow a second time.
Her grip slackened and then was pried off in that instant, however. Another impact blasted the back of her breastplate, and she went flying across the crater of the volcano once more before crashing into the rocky side of the basin, feeling again a vague, distant sense of pain.
She reassessed her tactics. She had limited her use of body-strengthening magic in order to remain capable of powerful elemental manipulation, such as what was necessary to create smoke to blind or wind to gain the advantage of position, knowing too that this human was not capable of using or combating magic in any way.
It had foolishly told her as much, boasting that it would only fight using strength and that magic was unnecessary.
She had thought to capitalize on this disparity, but she now realized that had been a mistake.
She could not be truly free if so much as even the tiniest shred of doubt remained.
She was the strongest.
It mattered not whether the battle required strength, magic, speed, tactics, or cunning.
None were stronger.
She loosed her hold on the various trivial magics and abilities she had maintained, leaving only the barrier in the back of her mind.
She was the protector.
She would never abandon her people for her own gain.
The spear that Carl had exchanged for her own weapon fell as her will withdrew, sticking into the rock at the side of the crater. She would return for it once she had torn the human's head from its body.
The enhancements to her senses faded, and her perception dulled. Colors became muted and then faded to gray, leaving her with the sharp, motion-based vision of a hunter. She had no need for detail or the ability to detect camouflage.
Her prey was already before her.
She opened herself fully to the conduit of magic, manifesting its power within her body using the technique that her mother had begun to teach her mere days before her death.
A technique that she had gained a mastery of far beyond any who had come before her.
"Kill."
She stomped her foot against the wall of the volcano's crater, and the resulting impact shattered the stone completely, obliterating that side of the volcano and causing lava to spill off the top of the basin along the side of the mountain. The force sent her racing over the crater towards the opposite end where the thing she must kill continued to exist.
"Kill."
The human was standing with its hands on its legs, coughing up chunks of molten rock.
Her tail slapped roughly at the space to her side, the force creating a loud shockwave and altering her path.
She speared into her prey an instant later, her outstretched arm puncturing completely through its torso. Blood sprayed and splattered her face. The collision annihilated the side of the mountain and sent them flying through the empty sky beyond.
"Fuck you, Lily!" the human wheezed, letting out a hacking cough which produced more quickly-cooling molten rock and blood.
She pulled her blood-slicked claws back through its torso and clawed it in its mouth.
The mouth that had ordered her, against her will, to do unspeakable things no matter how she begged for her own death.
She would never beg again.
Her claws, held together in tight formation like the tip of a spear, penetrated through smoothly, and she felt a satisfying crunch as teeth shattered before her claws erupted from the reverse side of the human's head. Her tail twined with the legs of her prey to prevent it from struggling, her legs wrapped around its middle to maintain her position, and she began furiously rending the flesh at its neck, tearing it away in great hunks.
Blood drenched her torso, and gore stuck to her claws.
"Fucking stop, bitch!" the human shouted a moment later, one hand coming up in a fist and lashing out to strike at her chest.
The strength of the blow rocked her back, but her legs held firm, and the two of them were sent tumbling end over end as they fell.
She struggled to regain her balance, impaling her claws into the human's torso once more to steady herself and eliciting another shriek.
A moment later they crashed through a wall, then a floor, and the screams of other humans surrounded them.
"Kill."
She was unaffected by the landing, easily flipping them over to remain on top, and she squeezed with her tail, slicing and cutting repeatedly with the edge of it in an attempt to further hobble her prey for a short while by hacking off its foot.
An enemy whose posture is broken cannot fight back.
The human's fist lashed out again, but she batted the untrained blow aside easily now that there were fewer distractions. The claws at the end of her right arm held the human's wrist to the side, then twisted, yielding another satisfying crunch and an even more satisfying yelp of pain as bones snapped inside armor.
"Hero Normannus?" shouted a voice to her side.
"Fucking get her off me!" her prey screamed.
She used the claws that were still embedded in the hated human's torso to carve a fissure leading upwards, producing louder screams the higher she drew her claws on its chest. Blood erupted in a geyser and sluiced down her armored torso. The screams ended when she clawed a blood-soaked heart from its chest and tossed it behind herself, not sparing the time to properly squeeze it for the rush of enjoyment the destruction would no doubt provide.
"Attack, quickly!"
Something struck the side of her head, but it was too feeble for her to acknowledge the effort. She reached out with her right claws to strike at the hated human's neck, but it grabbed her by the wrist with both hands, slowing her advance.
"Where's commander Beatrice? Find her and the special knights! Go!"
She struck out with her left arm's claws, breaking eyeballs again.
A blinded enemy is a weaker enemy.
BloodKILLflowed.
"Find our mages! We need them all!"
The human screeched, its grip loosening, and she returned to her task with both sets of claws, sinking them completely through the neck and surrounding the spine.
A fireball landed on her head, the faint heat reaching her helmet and instantly dissipating, followed by a series of lightning bolts which were similarly dispelled.
The human beneath her thrashed and bucked wildly in attempt to throw her off.
JustKILLasKILLsheKILLhadKILLthrashedKILLandKILLsquirmedKILLbeneathKILLitKILLwhenKILLsheKILLhadKILLnotKILLbeenKILLcommandedKILLtoKILLbehaveKILLasKILLitsKILLlKILLoKILLvKILLeKILLrKILL.
"Kill."
The human's hands gripped her wrists and tried to push her back.
The human was strong.
She was the strongest.
She pulled her right set of claws out of the human's neck and fished in its chest, ripping out another bloody heart and hurling it to her side where it smashed into the face of a human mage with a force that caused both the head and the heart to burst and splatter onto the stone wall beyond.
"Kill."
She used the moment without struggle to wrench the human's head to the side, generating a crack as the neck was twisted.
"Hurry!"
Her left claws covered the human's throat and squeezed, justKILLasKILLitsKILLhandKILLhadKILLpainfullyKILLcoveredKILLherKILLthroatKILLagainKILLandKILLagainKILLasKILLitKILLrodeKILLherKILL.
"Kill."
She was close now.KILLShe bashed at the almost-dead human's skull with her other claws,KILLjerking it from side to side with the alternate forces of her left arm's squeezing claws and her right arm's relatively blunt force that scored deep gouges into the sides of the skull and tore ear and nose asunder.KILLBlood covered her eyes, but she had no need to blink.
"Enchant it, quickly!"
She could see the human's spine beneath the bloody mess that had been its throat. It was somehow incredibly resilient, regenerating even as she struggled to rip head from body. She could not quite manage it in a single motion, which seemed to render the task impossible.
The red glow from her eyes grew brighter as her rage intensified.
A sudden, unexpected impact on the left side of her helmet rocked her powerfully to the right, sending both her and her prey shooting across the room and through a wall.
"Commander Beatrice, hurry! She's trying to decapitate him!"
There was no cause for her to grow alarmed. Her head hurt slightly, but she remained completely lucid. She had not lost her grip, and she began twisting the human's skull with her claws even as she landed, the hated body once again atop her.
This time was different from all those times, however.
She flicked the mouthpiece of her helmet up with her will, then leaned her head forward and tore a giant hole in the top of the human's skull, crunching the bloody bone between her teeth and reveling in the savory, stringy taste of brain. She spat the parts out, unable to swallow in her current form, and dove back in, her impossibly sharp teeth tearing away the top half of the human's brain. She spat it with what force she could muster in the direction from which she had been flung, a gesture of defiance and hatred.
"Oh fuck!"
"Is that his brain?"
"Get out of the fucking way!"
"Matthius, get—"
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
Her arms strained as she continued to twist the skull off the spine, feeling continuous, satisfying cracks and pops with every moment that passed.
It would not be long now.
She was the strongest.
She was always victorious.
She had found her hated enemy, now her prey, and nothing would cause her to rest until the one that she hated enough to destroy the entire world in madness was dead without chance of return.
"What is it?"
Another, louder, pop sounded out, driving her to a new height of ecstasy. She could feel how close she was, and she shuddered in delight as another small cracking sound reached the small holes which were all that remained of her ears.
"You lot, cut with wind! Yes, there, as powerfully as you can! On my mark! Hold!"
A strong blow struck the body she held in the middle, somehow tearing it from her grasp and launching it through a wall and into the sky.
She stared after it in shock, watching entrails flap from the spot where the crafty humans had cut between the remaining sections of shattered, gore-covered armor in order to separate the torso and head from the lower half that she had gripped so tightly.
"You four, find him and get him somewhere to recover. The rest of you, with me. We form a circle. The hero must be given time to gather himself and aid us."
"Okay, but what the fuck is it? What can do that to a fucking hero?"
"I don't know. I've never seen a devil that glowed like this. It must be some blessing from their evil god."
"Blood sacrifice?"
"Perhaps. It will wane in time, as such abilities must. We need only delay the devil until such time that we can destroy it."
"Can we even do that? It bit through his skull and chewed his brain out!"
"It must have ambushed the hero, but it cannot possibly defeat us all if we attack as one. Mages, alternate your spells, focus your efforts on disruption and distraction. Knights, aim for the gaps in the armor—"
"It's fucking glowing, comman—"
She listened distractedly as she tried to come to terms with what had just occurred.
She…
She had failed?
The human had escaped?
Normannus had escaped?
She would not believe a human hero dead until she held its severed skull in her hands. Many were the stories among her kin of times when they had thought a hero defeated only to be stabbed in the back and slain when it miraculously recovered.
She would not leave a task half-finished.
She released her legs, hurling the lower half of the hated human away with her tail, crushing and splattering an armored human against the wall with the impact.
"Oh fuck, did she just—"
"Steady!"
The largest, most elaborately armored human thrust a glowing sword out.
She watched as it slid slowly towards her, entering the eye slit in her helmet and coming to an abrupt halt when she invoked her will once more.
Her will was not magic. No, it was a rarer, more ancient power. Weaker, traditionally, but more flexible—like an extension of oneself. Her mother had possessed some talent and was lauded as one of the strongest in memory, but she was not like her mother.
She had received the news that her father had been poisoned—incurably—by the humans after she had seen only twenty two years.
It had devastated her.
She had been told that her mother was captured—and thus surely dead—four years later.
It had crushed her.
She had screamed, had cried, had fought desperately when, a year later, the strongest among her kin had torn her from the side of her father in his last moments when he had transferred his soul into the weapon that would remain by her side until her own death.
It had destroyed her.
She had lost herself to madness, unable to discern what was real and what was fantasy. Her feet no longer touched the ground as she expected at times, objects near her would lose their weight and float into the sky, time sparring with her kin resulted in strange injuries, and she had been feared.
The first time she had lifted the axe which housed her father's soul had been half a year after his passing. It had floated all the way from the ceremonial chambers to her room of rest as she wept, and her father had done his utmost to console her, though neither had known how such a thing was possible.
There the axe had remained until, years later, she was able to lift it once more.
As she had mastered her every other capability to its fullest extent in order to protect, so too did she turn her mind to this strange power.
It was not magic. Her father had recounted the similar ability of her mother, and how she could, with great effort, hold him off the ground with it.
She required no such effort.
She was the strongest.
The glowing sword trembled for a moment before it flattened and retreated out of her helmet. The blade rolled back on itself repeatedly until it reached the hilt.
"What…" The sword's owner stared down at it in confusion.
Magic could not affect objects that had been blessed or enchanted with the capability to dissipate it, as the sword clearly had been.
The manifestation of her will was not magic.
She disliked fighting with magic.
Magic was not satisfying when used to kill humans.
She preferred to use her hands or her weapon, to have a more visceral engagement in combat, which was why she had chosen a heavier weapon—one which required that she be close enough to strike with it, to commit herself to battle.
Now, however, she could not afford to adhere to what she preferred.
The human she hated so much as to cause her to consider abandoning her kin for an instant was escaping.
The two dozen or so humans edged closer, brandishing their weapons.
She coiled her tail beneath herself, just as she had seen in one of the metal components in Carl's car. She did not have a complete understanding of how the machine functioned, but such things were unnecessary.
She was the strongest, but she had been raised by the wisest.
Her mother had instructed her that all problems could be solved with the mind if they were considered from the correct perspective.
The hero was escaping, and she had no desire to waste time in combat with those who sought to waylay her.
"Kill."
She straightened and thrust with her tail in a single motion, generating an explosive force that sent her flying upwards through the ceilings and then the roof of the building. She produced another burst of force with her will, pressing against the rooftop and partially crushing the building as she sent herself soaring after her prey.
A lash of her tail righted her, and she skipped over the tops of the buildings, her steps heavy enough to shatter roofs as she bounded across the city within which she had landed.
It mattered not where she was.
She stepped on a decaying old roof. It gave way immediately, but she did not fall. She pulled with her will, tethering herself to the high wall of a faraway building and streaking forwards in an orange blur as the big sun made its way higher in the sky towards the smaller sun, which already hung overhead.
She spotted her PREY.
The large cluster of milling humans, waving away dwarves who came near enough, drew her hunter's gaze instantly.
"Kill."
She grappled onto the ground nearby with her will and crashed down in their center. Her tail flashed out at once, severing the bodies of the humans at chest-level.
Blood flowed once more.
"Fuck, what—"
"Lily, no!" shouted the human PREY she hated, its eyes wide with terror as it scrambled to its feet, the skin around its newly-regrown waist still healing in places where blood was leaking through.
Her eyes flicked down, catching sight of that.
The glow of her eyes intensified further, now a bright beacon. The HUMANS looking at her squeezed their eyes shut and averted their gazes.
"What's going on?"
"What is that?"
"F-fuck, guys, k-keep her away from me!"
She stalked forward, luxuriating in the fear of her PREY.
She could feel it, and it was a sweet nectar that she had desired for too long.
The hated HUMAN backed away, holding both hands up in front of itself. "C-come on, Lily, why are you being like this? You came s-so many times! I know you liked it!"
Her tail slashed out, zig-zagging and extending in a half circle around herself, decapitating a dozen armored HUMANS. She captured one of the heads on the tip of her tail and tossed it at her PREY.
"Oh f-fuck," her PREY squealed, shying away from the bloody head.
That flopped around between its legs.
Her teeth clenched.
"L-Lily, why are you looking at my dick? D-do you… You change your mind? You—"
She wrapped her will around it and tore it off.
"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHH!" the HUMAN screamed, clutching at the bleeding hole where its legs met.
She raised it up, then slowly cut it into uniform segments before the HUMAN'S eyes.
JustKILLasKILLitKILLhadKILLbeenKILLplacedKILLbeforeKILLherKILLeyesKILLwhenKILLsheKILLwasKILLcommandedKILLtoKILLbegKILLforKILLitKILL.
The hated HUMAN turned around and started hobbling away on legs which were shaky and unable to move properly.
She had no need to be able to see something to use her will, however.
She had no desire to battle at range with this ability, but this was no longer a battle.
This was vengeance.
The hated HUMAN screamed again, louder this time, as she squeezed with her will.
That was something she would never, ever touch again with any part of her body.
She stalked her PREY as it huddled on the ground, its hands clutching at the bloody patch just below its waist.
JustKILLasKILLsheKILLhadKILLonceKILLclutchedKILLatKILLherselfKILLafterKILLitKILLhadKILLgrownKILLviolentKILLinKILLorderKILLtoKILLpunishKILLherKILL.
The HUMAN seemed to require only a short period to heal this injury, whereas it had needed longer to recover from losing its heart. How much longer?
She waited a moment, then slowly tore free the part of her PREY that she hated the most once more while it wailed. A malicious grin spread across her face, and she stuffed it into the HUMAN'S wailing mouth.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
JustKILLasKILLtheKILLhatedKILLhumanKILLhadKILLstuffedKILLitKILLintoKILLherKILLmouthKILLwhileKILLsheKILLwailedKILL.
"Halt!"
"Stop the devil!"
"What the fu—Oh, goddess!"
"Turn to the side when you vomit, coward!"
"S-sorry, command—ulp!"
"Kill."
She stomped down with her foot on the hated HUMAN'S abdomen as it writhed and gagged on the ground. It was too sturdy to flatten, but the force of the blow drove the wind from its feeble lungs.
She would kill this HUMAN.
Nothing could prevent it.
If another HUMAN arrived, she would kill the HUMAN.
If another HERO arrived, she would kill that HERO.
If a deity arrived, she would fight with the strength that she could muster without loosing her hold on the barrier, dying in continued pursuit of her vengeance.
Her tail latched on tightly around the hated HUMAN'S ankles and raised it up.
It groaned, and she saw its tongue flop down onto the top of its mouth.
TheKILLsameKILLtongueKILLthatKILLhadKILLbeenKILLplungedKILLintoKILLherKILLmouthKILLagainKILLandKILLagain,KILLdemandingKILLtheKILLkissKILLofKILLpassionKILLsheKILLbestowKILLonlyKILLtoKILLherKILLbelovedKILL.
"Kill."
She reached out with her claws and slowly wrenched it free amidst the HUMAN'S screams, shivering as a fountain of blood erupted and drenched her in its crimson spray. She discarded the appendage, carelessly tossing it behind her.
"Oh fuck!"
"ulp!"
"I… I fear I will be sick…"
She grasped the HUMAN'S head between her claws once more, steadying the body with her will as she began to twist.
The HUMAN she hated more than anything screamed, writhing frantically and battering her arms with its hands, but it was futile.
She was the strongest.
There was no need to blind her PREY; this was not a battle.
There was no need to disrupt the posture of her PREY; this was not a battle.
The only task that remained for her to accomplish was to pry the skull of her PREY from its spine with her claws and render it dead.
Just as she had dreamed of doing.
She grew tired of its feeble struggles and twisted mightily, yielding another of the so-satisfying cracks that she had grown fond of, feeling at last some infinitesimal amount of madness within her drain away.
"Stop the devil! It's—"
She invoked her will, again separating that from the soon-to-be-corpse and hurling it behind herself.
"ulp!"
"C-commander?"
"W-we must—"
Her mind cleared the same infinitesimal amount, and a pop, followed by a massive crack sounded out.
Where was she?
Objects dinked against her back, including the places between her armor.
She twisted harder, nearly completing a full rotation.
The frequency and power of the dinking continued to increase, giving her a sense of urgency and driving her to frenzy again.
Kill.
The madnesS soaked inTo her mInd oNce MoRe.
It mattered not where she was.
The HUMANS were attempting to give their HERO a chance to flee.
She would not be DECEIVED by the same TRICK a second time.
Loathe as she was to do it, she invoked her will, rotating YᗡOᙠ ƎHT in the opposite direction that she twisted the HEAD with her claws.
A series of POPS and CRACKS sounded out with increasing volume, and she was forced to
stop
for a moment as she shuddered in ecstasssyyyyyyyyy.
She had fantasized about this moment for too long.
Her world narrowed as she closed in on her goal, and all that remained was her task of twisting a stubborn head from a
corpse.
No matter how she tried, however, sheKILLcouldKILLnotKILLmanageKILLtoKILLtwistKILLpowerfullyKILLenoughKILL.
Any time she completed a full rotation, the skullspine fused once more to the, and the regeneration began anew.
"Kill."
She was the strongest.
"Kill."
She had been raised by the wisest.
"Kill."
She used her mind, considering the problem.
"Kill."
She loosened her grasp on the magical conduit to which her third heart connected her, regaining a minuscule ability to use magic.
"Kill."
She spread her astral sense out in a web, covering the HUMAN'S body.
"Kill."
A circular object on the HUMAN'S left upper ARM radiated magical power.
"Kill."
She rededicated her magic to her body-strengthening, then released one half of her grip and moved her right claws slowly to the edge of the HUMAN'S gore-covered metal chestpiece, somehow having to struggle to traverse the small distance while her left claws kept the HEAD locked in place.
"Kill."
She strained and managed to just barely insert the tips of her claws into the crack between the chestpiece and the HUMAN'S armored sleeve.
"Kill."
She extended and thickened her claws, THE ARM severing from ITS BODY.
"Kill."
She strained, having to exert nearly all of her strength to return her to the HUMAN'S NEclawsCK.
"Kill."
She began to twist again, feeling that it was somehow much more difficult.
"Kill."
Shewascloserthanshehadeverbeen.
"Kill."
She
knew
it
.
"Kill."
Her MAᗡИƎƧƧ ᗡƎIᖷIƧИƎTИI.
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kill."
"Kklk."
"Ikll."
"Lklk."
"Lilk."
"Lili."
"Klki."
"Klil."
"Kklk."
"Kllk."
"Kill."
"Ilik."
"Ilkk."
"Kkil."
"Lkil."
"Illk."
"Iikl."
"Iilk."
"Iili."
"Llli."
"Iikk."
"Illi."
"Ilik."
"Kkli."
"Ilki."
"Iiki."
"Kiki."
"Kkli."
"Iikk."
"Ikil."
"Iill."
"Kkkl."
"Liil."
"Kkli."
"Kkik."
"Liii."
"Iklk."
"Lili."
"Ikkk."
"Illl."
"Ikkl."
"Iikl."
"Kiik."
"Kkki."
"Likk."
"Ikil."
"Llkl."
"Llkk."
"Ilkl."
"Lkll."
"Kkii."
"Kkki."
"Klii."
"Klii."
"Kikl."
"Lkik."
"Kkii."
"Illk."
"Llkl."
"Illl."
"Lkkl."
"Ikkk."
"Ikil."
"Liii."
"Ikkl."
"Lkkk."
"Illi."
"Ilki."
"Ikil."
"Kilk."
"Kiil."
"Klll."
"Iiki."
"Kllk."
"Illi."
"Kkkl."
"Kilk."
"Llkl."
"Liik."
"Klii."
"Ilii."
"Kiki."
"Kkkk."
"Kkli."
"Llki."
"Ilil."
"Klll."
"Klli."
"Klkl."
"Iiil."
"Lkll."
"Kkll."
"Kkik."
"Kkli."
"Klkl."
"Lilk."
"Llll."
"Klll."
"Kikk."
"Kiii."
"Lkki."
"Llil."
"Iiii."
"Ikki."
"Iiik."
"Klll."
"Ikkk."
"Lkki."
"Iiii."
"Kkil."
"Kiii."
"Lill."
"Iiii."
"Iikk."
"Kikl."
"Kllk."
"Lkik."
"Ikik."
"Iiil."
"Klii."
"Klll."
"Lklk."
"Kklk."
"Kkkk."
"Kkkk."
"Likk."
"Lkki."
"Kiii."
"Lilk."
"Kkli."
"Ikkl."
"Lili."
"Ikik."
"Lkll."
"Kkkl."
"Lkki."
"Liii."
"Kiii."
"Liik."
"Iikl."
"Lkli."
"Ilik."
"Llkl."
"Ilil."
"Lkkl."
"Llkk."
"Kkik."
"Ilkl."
"Liki."
"Lill."
"Lkik."
"Kikl."
"Lkki."
"Lkll."
"Lkii."
"Lilk."
"Kikl."
"Iill."
"Liil."
"Liik."
"Ikii."
"Iiki."
"Kllk."
"Lilk."
"Klkk."
"Kkli."
"Lkkk."
"Llil."
"Llli."
"Ikll."
"Kkil."
"Ilii."
"Kkkk."
"Ikki."
"Klil."
"Illk."
"Lili."
"Kllk."
"Iklk."
"Lilk."
"Lilk."
"Ikik."
"Llll."
"Ikki."
"Kkkk."
"Illl."
"Lkll."
"Liki."
"Ilkk."
"Likl."
"Lilk."
"Ilik."
"Kkkk."
"Illk."
"Iiki."
"Klki."
"Llii."
"Klkl."
"Klil."
"Ikil."
"Kkkk."
"Ikki."
"Ikki."
"Ikll."
"Kkll."
"Kiki."
"Klkk."
"Klll."
"Lklk."
"Klki."
"Llli."
"Liki."
"Ikik."
"Lkll."
"Likl."
"Lili."
"Kkii."
"Liki."
"Likl."
"Klll."
"ᴷİl꜕."
"𝚔Ilᥨ."
"𝕂Ī∟⌞."
"𝕂𝔧╘꜕."
"Ⲕį∟ட."
"Ҝİᥨ∟."
"𝚔Ǐᥨ┖."
"kأ˪l."
"ƙĪᒫ˪."
"кI⎿l."
"ᴷأL⎿."
"ⱪįᥨᒫ."
"kiᒫL."
"K╎ᥨ┖."
"Кį⎿l."
"KأL𝕃."
"𝚔Î⎿∟."
"Ҝi┖l."
"𝘬Îl╘."
"к𝔧˪˪."
"𝚔أ╘ᒫ."
"ᴷ╎ட꜕."
"ⱪįlᥨ."
"𐌊Ǐl˪."
"ƙÌ┖L."
"кأ⎿⌞."
"𐌊Ì𝕃╘."
"К𝔧˪∟."
"ƙأ∟⌞."
"кİLᒫ."
"Kİ⌞∟."
"ⲔĪ꜕𝕃."
"ᴷÎ⌞ᒫ."
"Ⲕį┖ᥨ."
"𐌊Ǐᒫ∟."
"К╎ᥨ∟."
"ⲔÌ𝕃꜕."
"kiᥨ꜕."
"kÌ┖ட."
"ⱪį∟ட."
"𝕂Ǐ꜕ᒫ."
"ƙİ⎿╘."
"ⱪį⌞╘."
"Ⲕ𝔧Lட."
"𝕂I⎿┖."
"ⲔÍ∟𝕃."
"ƙأl┖."
"ⲔÍ˪ᒫ."
"ⲔI⎿˪."
"𝘬İᥨ˪."
"𝕂I𝕃L."
"кأ∟꜕."
"𝚔Í⌞∟."
"𐌊أ𝕃∟."
"ƙÎL꜕."
"kiL∟."
"kI𝕃╘."
"ⱪǏ∟L."
"K╎l⌞."
"Ҝİ╘˪."
"𝚔İ⎿╘."
"Ҝiᥨ⎿."
"𐌊iடl."
"Ⲕ╎Lᥨ."
"кÎ∟꜕."
"𝕂I⎿ட."
"К𝔧lᒫ."
"к𝔧┖𝕃."
"К𝔧╘𝕃."
"𝚔Î╘l."
"Ⲕ╎lL."
"𝘬I˪ᥨ."
"kįLᥨ."
"𝘬╎𝕃∟."
"𝕂I⌞∟."
"ⱪİL𝕃."
"Ⲕİ⌞╘."
"kأᒫ⎿."
"ƙÎ˪꜕."
"Ҝİ˪⌞."
"KI˪ᒫ."
"Kİ┖L."
"K𝔧𝕃╘."
"кĪLᒫ."
"ҜI˪┖."
"kI⎿ட."
"Ⲕ𝔧lᒫ."
"кIடᥨ."
"𐌊𝔧L∟."
"ⱪأ꜕𝕃."
"𐌊𝔧⌞ᥨ."
"𝘬Ī┖ᥨ."
"ᴷ𝔧⌞⌞."
"KÌᥨᥨ."
"ƙÌ∟𝕃."
"KÍ╘˪."
"kIட𝕃."
"kiᒫL."
"Кi⎿L."
"KI∟⌞."
"ҜÎᒫ꜕."
"𝚔İL┖."
"𝘬Ìᥨ∟."
"𝕂Î┖ᥨ."
"ⱪI∟L."
"ƙ╎L⌞."
"𐌊Î⎿L."
"КI𝕃˪."
"𝕂Ì┖╘."
"kI⎿╘."
"ҜÌ∟˪."
"𝚔Īᥨᥨ."
"Ҝi⌞ட."
"ƙÍ⎿ᥨ."
"K𝔧⌞┖."
"k╎ᥨ┖."
"𝘬Ǐ𝕃╘."
"ᴷiட˪."
"𝕂Ǐ˪L."
"ƙǏ𝕃⌞."
"𝕂Ǐ⎿⎿."
"kĪLᒫ."
"Кأ𝕃꜕."
"ᴷI꜕l."
"ⲔI⎿∟."
"𝕂Ī𝕃𝕃."
"𝕂Ǐ∟┖."
"Ki⌞꜕."
"kİᒫ⌞."
"ⱪį╘╘."
"𝘬İᥨ⌞."
"ⲔÎᒫ∟."
"К𝔧꜕ᥨ."
"ⱪİᥨ꜕."
"𝕂Ì∟L."
"kÍட⌞."
"ⱪ╎˪∟."
"kįᒫட."
"Ҝأ꜕˪."
"ⲔI⎿⌞."
"𝘬ÎᥨL."
"ⱪİ꜕ட."
"Ⲕ╎┖L."
"𐌊Ǐ∟ᥨ."
"ⱪأடl."
"Ki⎿𝕃."
"КI꜕⎿."
"кÎ┖╘."
"k𝔧⌞⌞."
"𝘬iᥨட."
"КÍᥨl."
"𝕂İட∟."
"ⱪÍட⌞."
"k𝔧∟⎿."
"ƙi˪l."
"KÎlᥨ."
"ᴷأ𝕃┖."
"𝘬𝔧ᒫ⎿."
"𝕂أ╘ᥨ."
"𐌊iட𝕃."
"Кi꜕ட."
"к𝔧ᒫᥨ."
"ҜÍᒫட."
"ⱪįᥨᥨ."
"ⱪ𝔧⎿∟."
"𐌊𝔧⎿╘."
"𝚔Ì╘꜕."
"𝘬Ì∟l."
"ⲔÎ∟┖."
"ƙÎ⎿𝕃."
"𝕂Ì˪┖."
"ҜÌᥨ∟."
"ƙ𝔧l⎿."
"𝘬╎டட."
"𝘬į𝕃⎿."
"Kį┖┖."
"ᴷįட꜕."
"𝚔𝔧⎿ᒫ."
"𝚔Î┖ᒫ."
"𐌊ǏL𝕃."
"𝚔įᥨL."
"𝘬il∟."
"ᴷأ┖l."
"Ҝi⎿⎿."
"ᴷİl𝕃."
"ƙį˪⌞."
"𝘬ǏlL."
"ᴷĪ╘ட."
"Ҝi˪⌞."
"𝚔iᥨL."
"ҜIL╘."
"ҜI┖ட."
"Ⲕİட⌞."
"ⱪǏ꜕˪."
"Ҝİᥨ∟."
"кİ˪⌞."
"𝚔╎𝕃ᒫ."
"ҜÍ⎿⌞."
"𝚔Îட꜕."
"ⲔI∟l."
"ƙ╎ᥨL."
"Ⲕأ∟╘."
"𝘬I╘∟."
"КǏ╘⎿."
"kÍLᥨ."
"ƙ╎꜕ட."
"ƙ╎l𝕃."
"КÌLl."
"𐌊أ┖l."
"ᴷI꜕꜕."
"Ҝ𝔧˪L."
"Кأட𝕃."
"𝘬╎ட⎿."
"ҜǏடட."
"𝚔Īடᥨ."
"kį∟ᥨ."
"ᴷ𝔧꜕L."
"ƙ╎┖l."
"KÎ⌞⎿."
"Ⲕأ╘╘."
"к𝔧⌞L."
"KÍ⌞⌞."
"𝕂𝔧Lᥨ."
"К𝔧⎿⎿."
"KأL˪."
"𝘬i˪ட."
"𝚔𝔧∟┖."
"ƙأ┖┖."
"𝚔أட∟."
"ⱪįடL."
"𝕂į┖┖."
"𝘬İ𝕃ட."
"ⱪǏᥨ˪."
"Ⲕİ꜕l."
"ⱪÍL⌞."
"Ҝ╎ᥨ∟."
"ƙi⌞ᒫ."
"𐌊į꜕┖."
"ⱪįᒫ┖."
"к𝔧ட╘."
"𝘬Ī∟⌞."
"Kİ˪L."
"ҜÌᒫ⌞."
"𐌊Í⎿┖."
"ҜǏ𝕃╘."
"ⲔÎL꜕."
"ƙÍᒫl."
"ᴷÎ⎿∟."
"Kİ𝕃┖."
"𐌊İ˪╘."
"ƙ𝔧ᒫ╘."
"ҜÍ┖ᒫ."
"kÌL⎿."
"k╎˪˪."
"Ҝi⌞𝕃."
"ⱪÌᥨ⎿."
"ƙĪட⌞."
"ᴷÎ˪ᒫ."
"ƙĪ꜕𝕃."
"KIடᒫ."
"КÎ∟┖."
"кI𝕃⎿."
"𝘬𝔧꜕ட."
"kİ꜕⌞."
"𐌊Ī˪∟."
"ƙi𝕃l."
"ⱪÎ𝕃𝕃."
"Ҝİ╘┖."
"𝚔iᥨ˪."
"𝚔I⌞L."
"ⲔĪ𝕃˪."
"ⱪ𝔧Lட."
"𝕂𝔧∟l."
"КǏ⎿ᥨ."
"КĪ꜕⎿."
"КÌ˪⎿."
"КÎ꜕l."
"ƙ╎╘L."
"ⲔĪ┖⎿."
"ҜÎ╘𝕃."
"КÎடL."
"Ҝį∟L."
"Ⲕi꜕˪."
"𝚔أᒫᥨ."
"𝕂Ì∟┖."
"𐌊I˪˪."
"KÍ⌞꜕."
"КĪL⌞."
"𐌊İᒫட."
"Ⲕİ┖꜕."
"𝚔Í𝕃∟."
"Кį⎿l."
"кİL╘."
"𝕂Ǐ꜕╘."
"𝘬╎⌞ᒫ."
"ⱪÍᥨ⎿."
"𝕂įL∟."
"ҜÎ꜕ட."
"𝕂Ī˪⎿."
"ⲔIᥨ˪."
"𝘬İ𝕃⎿."
"ⲔI꜕ᥨ."
"𝘬i┖L."
"kأ⌞╘."
"ҜĪ∟∟."
"ҜǏ⎿L."
"ⲔIᒫ꜕."
"𝚔į⌞∟."
"𐌊Î⌞˪."
"kǏ∟┖."
"KأL∟."
"К𝔧┖⌞."
"𝘬Ì┖⎿."
"ᴷÎட꜕."
"кİ˪˪."
"𝚔𝔧╘⌞."
"𐌊ǏL⎿."
"K╎꜕┖."
"ƙأ⌞𝕃."
"ⲔI⌞𝕃."
"ƙ╎∟ᥨ."
"𐌊i⎿ᥨ."
"ᴷÍடl."
"ⱪ╎˪꜕."
"kİ⎿L."
"𝕂iᥨட."
"ᴷiLட."
"ƙÎ꜕∟."
"ᴷį˪𝕃."
"k𝔧꜕l."
"Ⲕİ𝕃L."
"ᴷÎ˪꜕."
"kǏ⌞꜕."
"𐌊أ⎿ட."
"ⲔIடட."
"кÎlட."
"ⱪÎ⎿ட."
"КǏ𝕃ᒫ."
"ƙǏ╘∟."
"ⱪÍ∟┖."
"ⱪأᒫᥨ."
"𝚔iடL."
"ⲔÍᒫ∟."
"к╎ட┖."
"𐌊𝔧⌞⌞."
"Kįட∟."
"𝕂╎┖╘."
"𝕂Ī╘⎿."
"𝕂Í┖⌞."
"𝕂╎𝕃L."
"𝕂Îl𝕃."
"Ⲕأ⌞┖."
"𝚔I∟l."
"Ҝİ꜕𝕃."
"ƙǏᥨ┖."
"k╎⎿╘."
"𝘬Ǐ∟∟."
"𝕂Î⌞𝕃."
"𝘬╎꜕ᒫ."
"𝘬il⎿."
"ƙIᒫட."
"𐌊įl𝕃."
"ᴷأᒫ╘."
"𝚔Î┖ᒫ."
"𝘬Í꜕ட."
"Ⲕ𝔧˪╘."
"𝚔Il𝕃."
"Ⲕiட⌞."
"𝕂Ǐ⎿⎿."
"𐌊Ì⌞╘."
"k╎꜕╘."
"kĪlᒫ."
"KI𝕃ᥨ."
"ⱪi𝕃⌞."
"K╎∟⎿."
"ⱪǏL𝕃."
"𝕂Ī𝕃╘."
"𝕂i⎿ᒫ."
"кİ꜕˪."
"kİL𝕃."
"KÎ⎿ᥨ."
"ᴷI╘˪."
"𝚔أ˪𝕃."
"ƙ╎⎿⌞."
"𝚔╎l∟."
"Ki⎿┖."
"kiᒫ⎿."
"𝕂ÎL╘."
"Ⲕأᥨட."
"кأ˪l."
"𝚔Ǐ∟┖."
"ⱪĪ╘∟."
"ƙǏ˪⎿."
"ᴷ╎┖L."
"кį𝕃𝕃."
"ᴷĪ꜕┖."
"КÍ𝕃l."
"ⱪĪ∟┖."
"кǏ╘⌞."
"𝘬Ìᒫᥨ."
"ki⌞꜕."
"кįll."
"ᴷǏᥨட."
"𝘬Í∟l."
"Ⲕأ𝕃╘."
"𐌊İ𝕃┖."
"кI𝕃ட."
"ⱪأடl."
"КǏடL."
"𐌊𝔧╘⎿."
"Ⲕ𝔧Ll."
"ƙ╎lᒫ."
"KIL╘."
"ᴷǏ˪⌞."
"ᴷĪ∟┖."
"Ⲕ╎l⎿."
"Kį꜕ட."
"ⱪأ⎿╘."
"ⲔÎடl."
"КÌ꜕⎿."
"kİ┖L."
"𝕂𝔧∟╘."
"Ⲕį⎿ட."
"Ҝi┖ᥨ."
"ⱪI˪⌞."
"кİᥨட."
"𝕂İ꜕┖."
"𝕂iᒫl."
"Ⲕ╎ᒫ˪."
"KǏ⌞˪."
"𝚔Ǐll."
"кįL˪."
"ᴷÎl⎿."
"ƙǏ꜕╘."
"K╎┖˪."
"𝘬𝔧╘ᥨ."
"kĪ꜕𝕃."
"ⱪأ˪ᒫ."
"𐌊𝔧⎿l."
"ⱪ╎꜕𝕃."
"кį╘∟."
"к𝔧ll."
"кÎl┖."
"ⱪأ╘꜕."
"Кأ⎿⌞."
"kÌᥨ꜕."
"ⲔĪ┖l."
"KI𝕃𝕃."
"𝚔𝔧LL."
"ⲔÎ⎿ᒫ."
"𝘬Ǐᒫᥨ."
"ƙĪ˪⌞."
"ƙ╎ᒫL."
"K╎꜕∟."
"kÎl˪."
"ƙĪᥨ╘."
"𝚔I∟L."
"𐌊įᒫl."
"𝕂Ī┖l."
"Ⲕİ˪∟."
"KǏ𝕃∟."
"Кi˪꜕."
"k╎𝕃l."
"ƙÍ┖⎿."
"ƙ╎l⌞."
"ᴷÎ┖l."
"ⱪįlᒫ."
"𝚔İᥨ⌞."
"ƙį╘┖."
"𐌊İlᒫ."
"Ⲕأ˪˪."
"𝕂İᒫL."
"ⱪĪ𝕃∟."
"Ⲕiᥨ╘."
"ᴷį𝕃┖."
"KI꜕ᥨ."
"ᴷĪ╘⎿."
"ki╘⌞."
"𝚔Ī꜕𝕃."
"ҜÍ∟l."
"𝘬I꜕L."
"ⲔÌᥨ╘."
"ᴷÎᥨ𝕃."
"к𝔧ᥨ╘."
"кįᒫᥨ."
"KĪ╘∟."
"ⱪĪ⎿╘."
"ᴷİL⎿."
"ҜǏ╘⌞."
"КĪl┖."
"кÎᥨ┖."
"кÌlட."
"𝚔ÍL꜕."
"𝘬╎ᥨ⌞."
"ⱪ╎ட┖."
"Ⲕأ∟𝕃."
"𝚔𝔧l⌞."
"𝕂𝔧┖⎿."
"𝚔İட˪."
"кĪl𝕃."
"𝕂İ𝕃┖."
"𝕂Îட𝕃."
"ƙأLL."
"Kİ╘꜕."
"Ⲕ𝔧L∟."
"ҜÌᒫ𝕃."
"𝘬Î╘⌞."
"ᴷ╎ᥨᥨ."
"𝚔İ┖𝕃."
"kįᥨ┖."
"𝚔╎l˪."
"𐌊Í⌞⌞."
"Kİᒫ⎿."
"КÌடᥨ."
"кÌ⎿ᥨ."
"ⱪ╎⎿L."
"𝚔Ī∟⎿."
"𝚔Í⎿L."
"ᴷÍ˪⌞."
"𝕂iᒫ╘."
"ҜI∟ᥨ."
"кÍlᥨ."
"ƙǏ𝕃┖."
"кi⌞˪."
"Kill."
"ⱪÍ┖┖."
"𝚔𝔧ᥨட."
"ᴷÍ∟⌞."
𝄥Ⲕİᥨᒫ.ᐦ
ױƙÌᒫ⎿.ױ
𝃜KǏᥨ╘.ʺ
ʺ𝘬𝔧ட⎿.𝄥
﮼ᴷĪ˪ட.ױ
„ᴷi꜕˪.𝄥
﮼𐌊أ⌞⎿.﮼
𝄥𐌊į˪ᥨ.𝄥
𝃜𝕂İᥨl.ᐦ
װкÌl⎿.𝃜
ʺҜi┖╘.﮼
„𝚔Ì𝕃╘.ᐦ
ױкi┖꜕.﮼
𝃜𐌊İ⌞L.ױ
𝃜kI⌞⎿.𝄥
ױКi⌞┖.ᐦ
𝄥𝘬Ì˪˪.﮼
𝄥кأ⎿ᒫ.ᐦ
װ𝘬Ì∟┖.ױ
ױKÎ𝕃┖.𝄥
𝃜𝚔Î𝕃L.﮼
װkĪ┖ᥨ.װ
ᐦⲔIட∟.𝃜
ױƙÎ꜕L.𝄥
„ҜÎ˪ᥨ.װ
װⲔİ꜕l.𝄥
„kį˪┖.𝄥
𝄥𝕂ILᒫ.ʺ
ᐦ𐌊İட∟.﮼
„ҜǏ∟l.𝃜
ʺ𐌊Í˪⎿.װ
﮼ⲔĪLL.ᐦ
„КÍ⌞L.﮼
ױҜĪ˪𝕃.„
ʺКÎ⎿┖.ױ
ᐦК𝔧𝕃╘.﮼
„kǏடL.„
𝃜ƙiLᥨ.„
ᐦ𐌊i⎿∟.ױ
﮼kI∟ᥨ.ᐦ
„KIட⌞.𝄥
𝃜Kiᥨ꜕.װ
ᐦᴷi╘𝕃.ױ
﮼𝘬Īᒫᥨ.𝃜
﮼к╎𝕃⎿.ʺ
„𝘬I╘⎿.װ
„kİ꜕l.ᐦ
𝄥K𝔧l╘.„
ʺⲔÌ꜕⌞.ױ
ʺК𝔧𝕃꜕.„
𝃜ᴷ𝔧˪ᥨ.﮼
ױki┖l.𝄥
﮼𝚔Í╘∟.𝄥
𝄥kį╘꜕.ױ
ʺ𐌊Ì∟ᒫ.𝄥
𝃜КĪ𝕃╘.ᐦ
𝃜kأl⎿.װ
ᐦⲔأ⌞┖.﮼
ʺкİ⎿L.„
﮼𝘬İl𝕃.ᐦ
ᐦ𝘬Ī⌞∟.ױ
ᐦⲔÍL꜕.𝄥
ױ𝘬Ǐ𝕃ᥨ.ᐦ
ᐦⱪǏl˪.„
𝃜Ⲕįlᥨ.𝃜
﮼ⱪ𝔧⎿┖.𝄥
𝄥ƙأl⌞.ᐦ
ᐦKǏ𝕃┖.﮼
ʺkÍ𝕃┖.𝃜
„𝕂Ǐ⎿ᒫ.𝄥
„k╎ᥨ꜕.„
„𝚔Iᥨ⎿.ױ
ױК𝔧┖╘.ױ
ʺ𐌊𝔧╘𝕃.𝃜
﮼КI˪l.ᐦ
﮼Kį꜕꜕.װ
„ⱪiடl.ʺ
ʺ𝚔Ǐ∟l.𝃜
ױƙĪட𝕃.﮼
ױkİ⌞𝕃.ױ
װⱪأ⌞ᥨ.ʺ
ױⱪI𝕃┖.ᐦ
𝄥𝚔į꜕˪.﮼
𝃜кÌ𝕃∟.ױ
﮼𝚔Ìட⎿.„
ʺ𝕂╎ᒫl.𝃜
ᐦKÍ╘┖.„
𝄥ᴷÌᒫ╘.𝃜
𝃜𝚔įᥨ˪.𝃜
װКIL𝕃.𝄥
ʺ𝚔Ǐl𝕃.„
﮼ᴷI⎿L.װ
ᐦ𝘬Ìlட.ʺ
ᐦƙİ⎿⎿.ױ
𝄥кǏ𝕃l.„
ʺKÎ𝕃˪.ᐦ
𝃜ҜÎ┖┖.𝃜
﮼kį┖꜕.„
ױƙÎᥨᒫ.ᐦ
ᐦК𝔧┖꜕.ᐦ
𝃜𝚔İ˪ட.𝃜
𝄥K╎⌞⌞.ױ
ᐦ𝘬أL𝕃.ᐦ
𝃜ⱪÍ⎿ᥨ.ʺ
ʺКÍ⌞∟.װ
„𝕂Ǐடᒫ.„
ױkĪ˪∟.װ
„kأ⎿l.𝄥
„Kأ𝕃꜕.װ
﮼кĪ∟╘.„
𝄥ⲔI⌞⎿.ʺ
ᐦƙأL⌞.ʺ
𝃜k╎˪⌞.ᐦ
ױⲔĪL⌞.„
ʺⲔIᒫ∟.﮼
﮼𐌊Ǐட⌞.„
ᐦⱪ𝔧ᒫ𝕃.﮼
𝄥𝚔iᒫ⎿.𝄥
ʺⱪiL⎿.﮼
𝃜𝘬╎⎿L.ױ
װkÌL⎿.𝃜
𝃜ki∟⌞.𝄥
𝄥𝘬I꜕ᒫ.﮼
𝄥𝚔Íᒫ꜕.ᐦ
ᐦ𐌊Ǐ𝕃ᥨ.𝄥
﮼𝘬Ì𝕃l.𝃜
ױkiᥨ∟.ʺ
ʺҜ𝔧ᒫ⎿.ʺ
𝃜𝚔╎⌞⎿.﮼
ױ𝚔i╘∟.﮼
װКأ∟┖.„
„ᴷÌ╘ட.﮼
﮼𝕂ǏL┖.„
„kĪLL.ʺ
𝃜𝕂Í╘⎿.װ
ʺkÍ꜕ᥨ.𝃜
װ𝚔İ˪∟.ᐦ
ʺᴷI˪l.𝄥
װ𝘬Ì╘꜕.ᐦ
„кأடl.𝄥
﮼𝘬╎𝕃⎿.﮼
ױƙİᥨ꜕.ᐦ
ʺ𝘬į∟╘.ᐦ
װ𝕂İ⌞╘.װ
K
I
L
L
·
Ir'alith blinked, feeling somehow lighter of mind than she had felt in some time. Where am I?
"It slew the hero! Kill it somehow!"
"But how?"
"Use the enchanted bullets!"
"We did!"
"What?"
"We used all of them, fired through the slit in its helmet, at the places its armor didn't cover, it—"
"My sword broke on its back when I—"
"It wouldn't release him even—"
"I tried to—"
"We—"
Ir'alith realized that she felt heavy somehow, and she struggled to bring her mind to attention. She was laying on the ground, curled into a ball in a shifted form that she did not recognize.
A heavy blow struck the side of her helmet, but she felt unaffected other than a dull pain which quickly vanished. She frowned. Odd. Were it my usual combat form, such a blow would have stunned me.
She realized she was clutching an object. Another attack fell, this time from an axe, cutting at the unprotected space between her helmet and breastplate. It clanged, leaving her with the same dull sensation of pain which disappeared almost immediately. She began to grow annoyed.
Ir'alith tried to speak, but her form did not permit it. Her frown deepened, and worry began to grow within her. Did I… Her hearts began to pound, but she quickly relaxed. The barrier still holds.
She shifted, marveling at the efficiency of the form in which she had found herself. I must recall this. It would be useful were I to encounter one of the human heroes.
Something twisted in her memories, but she could not recall it. The idea of such a thing was profoundly upsetting. Her memory had never before failed her.
She attempted to right herself using her tail, but it was somehow burdened. She flexed it more powerfully, then again with her full strength, feeling at last whatever had been weighing it down give way along with that which had been causing her to feel heavy.
She righted herself and scanned her surroundings.
Hundreds—no, thousands of humans surrounded her beyond a nearly waist-height, churned swamp of dismembered limbs and blood. They carried every type of weapon she had ever seen as well as some that were unknown to her. Those nearest edged backwards with fear evident in their eyes and their emotions.
Humans. The idea of being surrounded by them was troubling, but they had not…
Ir'alith swept her head from side to side, taking in the occasional smaller, bearded human-like creature which looked on with curiosity. Dwarves? I have never seen one, but they appear as I anticipated. She fought to recall where she was, or even the places she could be.
The last that I can recall is that I had left my axe with Carl and returned—
"Hello?" called one of the older humans from a distant point. "C-can you speak?"
She remembered again the object which she held and brought it up to examine.
The humans in front of her flinched back.
Her eyes widened. This…
She held in her claws the still-dripping, severed head of the human hero Normannus, his face contorted in an expression of fear. Vague, hazy memories of the encounter returned to her, leading up to the point at which she had finally twisted the head from his body while the humans frantically attacked in order to try stopping her, dozens of their strongest clinging to her body in a useless attempt at restraint.
It had been impossible for them from the start.
She was the strongest.
She was always victorious.
A wide, toothy grin spread across her face, and she felt a sense of deep peace within herself once more, as she had felt long ago.
She felt no immediate need to do violence.
Ir'alith was feeling playful.
She raised the severed head aloft with what she was now shifting back towards being closer to a hand. "I am Ir'alith," she bellowed, "protector of the demonfolk, known to humans as the demon queen!"
The surrounding humans gasped and began to edge away even faster, some even turning to run.
"Today I offer the fate of this human, Normannus, as a warning," she yelled, turning in a slow circle and memorizing the faces before her. "Your goddesses are dead, slain by Carl! You and the rest of all humans will cease your oppression of the other races by the end of today! Tell your lords they will be subject to the debts which I will decide upon! Liberate all who have been enslaved! Remove your kind entirely from lands which are not your own!"
There was a general sense of the humans' fear changing to disbelief as her words echoed among the surrounding masses.
"And if we don't?" the same, old human challenged.
Ir'alith grinned more widely. "You have two hours to be gone from Khir Turuhm," she called back. "The only humans which remain within the city after such time will be dead humans."
Her father had taught her the ways of diplomacy, and she had learned well from him.
"I don't think we can leave in two hours," the old man yelled. "How about you give us a week, and we can talk it over? We can work up a treaty and make it official."
Her father had counseled patience and a broad-minded view, maintaining the knowledge that humans did not live forever and thus were prone to impulsive, short-sighted decisions.
What she had learned from him had been something else entirely.
Her will flooded the city, lifting each and every human a short distance off the ground, and her grin turned decidedly hostile. "You now have one hour. If I detect the use of magic, you will all die. If I sense that a dwarf has been harmed, you will all die. If I believe any trickery to be underway, you will all die."
Ir'alith, whose father had been betrayed by the humans on the final day of negotiating a treaty, had learned that humans were never to be trusted and that the more time granted to them, the more time they would spend scheming to act against her and her kin.
She released her will, then bounded up high into the sky on blocks of compressed wind energy where she stood and lightly swept her astral sense out to cover the city while she waited for the inevitable.
She had no precise means of discerning how much time passed, but she was certain that the humans would inform her by one method or another.
The fun she had engaged in with Carl had sparked something within her, and she craved more of it.
The humans would readily provide that for her in an hour or less.
They were reliable in that manner.