"Z... What? Mortal demon, you dare not lie to my might! I have seen it all, you escape the grasp of death, tarnish the body of those whose purity has not become a defilement. You were merely a youth, yet now you act with the mind of one who believes himself to be something more, more worthy of an apology, or something more. What your feelings are about us being in contact are none of our concern! A stupid soul with a half-empty glass would be no use for me to consort to such ideas anyway."
"Was this conversation between you and yourself really necessary? I feel your uncertainty, even your arrogance, Eskra..." He spoke with a voice that echoed. The memories that dwelled within him made his position even more tenable, his smile creeping. As always, the many souls within his soul decided to speak to him, words of warning, cheering words and else.
Her features seemed to take on a soft and unrefined look as her neck flexed while looking over the landscape. Even the thing-ish goddess seemed somewhat moved horribly by his words. "My first impressions of the mortals always carry an expectation of irrationality, cowardice, foolishness, impulsiveness... Are you certain, though, that I've somehow acquired something that the gods do not, something which they already possess, have and keep as a trait? Are you so in-your-face as to say such things, do you truly believe such a foolish concept will ever come true?" With the statement out of her mouth, her gaze then flitted off to the scenery for a brief second. "This is a mortal thing that one cannot ask of a god... and should they accept the responsibility of the question, such a thing could have profound repercussions that they themselves could not ever dream to imagine..."
Alice spoke, as if to defend Zabulus or otherwise, "And who are you to decide who is 'brave'? You'd be insulting yourself as a 'coward' would, wouldn't you?"
Her gaze averted to her right arm and then to her back and wings, and lastly down, where her focus was firmly on the ground as she said, "I cannot understand how simple it is to not understand how horrible the act of losing one's nerve in the face of death, pain, uncertainty and a bleakness of hope is. To fall, break apart, cease to be whole again... have you never felt human before... no, perhaps an inkling that you are still bound by these things, no, such foolishness would lead into a lack of judgment."
Zabulus was impressed by her thorough words, as to him, they sounded as something that Idalia would have told him. In a way, he saw a similarity between the two. He shifted back towards the goddess, preparing to speak, "I—"
Woooosh...
Alice whirred past as she used up a major force in her legs to propel her forwards. With immense speed, she performed a hard roundhouse kick into the deity, its' jaw snapped to the side, her eyes flashing with recognition. Zabulus stared wide-'eyed' at her movement, the speed, which surprised him as her hunger began to make itself apparent.
"You mongrel! How dare you defile my body!!" She yelled at her. As the creature started to go berserk and lose control of itself, the close range attack threw her off balance for a moment.
"Her eyes might light a jade on her flesh and paint a clear sky."
"...!?"
The next thing she knew was pain. Her skin split into tendrils, slicing the goddess' underbelly in two, revealing the tender, juicy insides. As if Alice had just uncovered a treasure that not even a pirate king could possibly fathom. The lifeblood, the precious bodily fluids that flowed, however, didn't seep and flow downward as gravity dictated, it instead moved up. Its essence dissipated, creating a great commotion of life that would enthrall any witness, or endanger them... It moved downwards, into the tear and stopped for a moment to gain momentum. As if... it was alive. Something started to itch, twitch and twist around near that wounded underbelly of hers. It was as if someone was gargling water, yet spitting it out repeatedly. A gutteral noise could be heard, growing louder by the second, until the sharp, bitter sound pierced the air. A deafening roar of flesh from deep within was enough to split the land beneath them, a powerful heat emanating from the soul and reaching the ears of the people of Eskra. The moving, itching, twitching, twisting and spasming was getting more aggressive and lively by the second, followed by the crumbling noise of the ribs and organs crackling apart... Something is coming out... something hideously vile has come to fruition. Akin to a maggot the size of a human's thumb, it wiggles and squirms its way up through a sizable hole in her ribcage... before violently prying the gap further. Crack... It grows. Her skin sinks and crawls around and around her belly, continuously forming black scales.
To anyone, it'd be repulsive. Alice thought not of it, her expression unchanged despite the flinch, but moreover, she only watched, her head throbbing, unable to comprehend what it is that's happening. Whatever happened next, must be done soon and immediately.
Eskra groaned in agony and lifted a lower fore-foot, grabbing Alice and holding her back from the insectile creation with a tendril. Gripping her tightly in a strangling grip, Eskra growled and chittered at her enemy, a hollow noise that came out with great difficulty, similar to the screeching of the same creatures that she has created.
"How unsightly. Even in the face of such a disgusting foe, not to mention being forced into such a dire strait. You'd think this would cause you, not your powers but rather your sentience, to be able to crack your skull and cut your throat or put a spear through your mouth to your brain, letting that maggot, that impregnating slug, rot you out from the inside? But you simply remain calm." Despite his calm and cool attitude, he felt a little anxious. Maybe not a little, but to a point where his hypothetical eyes were about to pop out of his skull.
Alice was whipped around, turning around to face her captor. As she grew enraged, the goddess-slug-thing noticed her displeasure and grimaced before whispering something under her breath. In doing so, a gigantic yellow eye spawned from her waist, an eye that could blink and breathe fire on the creature; it seemed to have the powers and abilities akin to that of a god. Her mandibles pulled a sickly blackened blue pus which, upon contact with the air, oozed from its small body and disappeared. It caused a noxious gas to burst forth in droves, the two exuded an overpoweringly potent fragrance, however, their weapons did not flinch from the scent. It had no effect on Alice's sight, but it hindered Zabulus considerably. Not that he had any sight to speak of, but seeing that he could not observe or discern either of the parties' expressions from the gas, it gave Eskra a chance to speak with Alice. "Should you wish to break free from this trance-like state, merely will me to let you go, and I will comply without hesitation, although should this require too much effort or work then I will simply comply by crushing you between my jaws, shattering and pulverizing your frail flesh. If I let you go and you or that demon returns, then I shall be forced by my oath, upon my immortality to murder the lot of you, especially you. Are you listening? Then reply to me, young one. Tell me what ails your eyes..."
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She did not have an answer, nor did she appear to know what was in front of her. The frail girl flicked her eyelids open as the beast spoke. Her gaze wandered upwards, but as soon as she set eyes upon its, the beast called 'Eskra' spoke once again. "Are you injured anywhere... or are you ill and feverish which renders you unable to speak? I believe not to have injured you." It was as if a mind, maybe from a beast or a god, spoke in two.
Alice furrowed her brow and snarled at Eskra with an angry yet confused look on her face, though Eskra only bore a puzzled expression on her face. To Zabulus, it was nothing but confusing, he could not see an inch in front of himself, he could not hear a sound. His senses had become an enemy within, every noise in the world was nothing but a gargle of insanity to him. It was deafening. Nothing could be done. Yet, some small part of him expected his lack of sensation to come with ease and calmness, the sight of 'nothing' allowed him a greater understanding, for which there are no words to speak of, there were just other types of 'perception', there was still time left. So why should he stop?
But this was not to be taken lightly... This was all too difficult, almost to the point of giving up and dying. Almost.
'Impossible..'. Words did not come, in fact, every voice in the entire soul fell silent and only echoed through the trees and auricle, fading, with barely any sense left.
Alice was rendered incapable of moving as all her limbs were locked in a single stiff and uncomfortable position by the tendrils of Eskra, the goddess-monster that lay its long tendrils into her own head, all eight limbs pulsating and trembling while struggling to remain intact. These limbs in particular looked as if they had never stopped dancing, some looked like they could fly, float, and the odd ones out looked like they would destroy anything and everything. The rest shifted inwards and outwards, for a lack of better words, all at the same speed. There was a sort of smelling like salt water, metal, and burning, the kind that leaves a smoky, acidic aftertaste and smell in your mouth and nose, but a strong, unique one that would leave others reeling in disgust, thinking of something horrible... A repulsive, unsightly color as well, blacker and greener than dirt, a consistency more liquid-like than muddy or molded.
'She needs to be saved...!' The congested mind spoke.
Vetro cackled in response, a hoarse, hysterical laugh came out of him which was loud enough to be heard clearly by Zabulus as if he was right next to him, 'Look at that fucking idiot! Look at how his ego has utterly consumed him and filled his skull!' he added, to which the brain could only let him sit and watch the helpless fool. 'Strange, though, that she is being restrained and forced to stay still. How about some penance, now. For her sins.' The demented fool held an expression similar to an expressionless maniac whose face was slack, eyes not present nor filled with any light, the face of death.
"Hah. So you say. To tell me to face a god, yet call upon penance? Do you take me for a fool?" He managed to stand back up with weak footing and clenched his four fists. The blood that surrounded him, encased him like a coffin, creating a crimson shade upon the darkness surrounding him. Although that was barely his imagination that helped him appear majestic, his eyes did not meet with the same image. Nothing but the world's pain was present here. For him to feel the warmth of its burning blood that scalded his naked flesh was no less painful for him than the blinding cold that permeates through every pore. It wasn't exactly possible for any sane individual to escape unscathed, besides him.
Although he could see, it was only ever-so-slightly. Slight enough for him to see the white, somewhat muted figure of what he presumed as a human, not moving an inch from where it stood, as if he didn't exist... It was eerie and extremely disquieting, his first instinct, obviously, was to slowly move away and stay as far from the creature's view, but he felt an oddly odd fear deep within him, something akin to an emotional response to his gut-deep instinct which he normally didn't exhibit. However, instead of choosing the relatively easy and less suspicious path by stepping back, he took a bold and desperate action and started walking away as quickly as his tired legs allowed.
Although he was confident in his speed, the blood kept streaming downward in a never-ending stream that filled his body with nervous energy, his thoughts kept racing faster and faster along with his own breath that increased with the rate. When he arrived, and went forth with his little trek, his legs completely gave out. He had no idea why... but he was simply so hungry that he lost all his strength. Barely enough to breathe.
As his 'vision' cleared up, he was at a cliff, cut right like a straight line, though he was sure he didn't simply jump to get a better view... did he really not know where he was going? At first he wanted to investigate what was in front, but then suddenly decided not to do it.
Despite his choice not to, the vision forced itself into his sight. A giant, gaping eye, 8 tendrils, holding Alice from her limbs. 12 legs, 2 heads... the unidentifiable features. Was it a snake-head? Scorpion? Crab? Frog-fish? Centipede? Unknown?
Suddenly the 'eye' turned toward him and then peered straight at him and he swallowed.
Gulp.
His stomach began to burn. A bad feeling spread throughout his whole body. He tried his best to withstand it, but even the numbness was beginning to make its way down his throat. The eye stared, unnaturally moving to focus on him, and its appearance seemed to suddenly change... its acute, pointed pupil and soft iris were nothing but pure gold, an orange hue to them, reflecting a red light in it, creating an unearthly effect upon its golden, smooth irises. A pupil slit, blackness deeper and denser than pitch black ink. That feeling wouldn't go away. It wasn't like a prick or a pressure in his throat, but more like a horrible nausea... a heavy, awful nausea, almost making him choke himself when he breathed.
The thing was at a size where his brain should be ready to collapse. Despite it, his vision, although greatly hampered, was beginning to return, albeit distorted... not at a hundred percent yet... no, closer to 65 or 70% perhaps.
"Ah, there you are." It bellowed. He wasn't sure anymore whether he was looking at Eskra or a different entity all-together, "I've had a little chat with this young lady here... so, may I speak with you?" It said in a voice that imitated a cutesy type... trying to trick and entice him into speaking. No doubt, a dangerous deity. But was it the Goddess he needed to meet?
"No. Please do. Go on. Talk, speak... How did you learn this knowledge? As in who was the one who showed you these powers?" She asked, a question that would seem inoffensive in general. But, if he responded truthfully, it would give Eskra the excuse and opportunity to hunt him and his soul. So, even if a response came, he needed to lie... truth would not be, and never was an option.