Another day was spend in the city, and another day wasted in pursuit of a gang we could avoid if the local leader had understood the danger the titan posed to just about everything, but it was fine. It had to be fine, else we wasted quite some time doing nothing worthwhile.

That day for example was mostly spend sitting in a tower and looking down on the whole city, my friends patrolling below and occasionally talking to people, trying to convince them of Ragnars greatness. It was weird posing as a cultist, especially as we didn’t even know whether the Ragnar we were trying to convert people to was a being of any importance.

After having success with about one guy, who began spreading the word after I cast a few majorly unimportant spells on him, making him run around and help people in our false gods name.

During the seventeenth hour, the redblooms made a move, and we understood why they had taken that name. As the bell tolled, they suddenly drew blades of many different sizes and shapes, before beginning astraight up slaughter in the courtyard, forcing our entire group into action at once.

I dished out Eldritch lances and force projectiles on rapid fire, constantly shooting at people and occasionally casting evaeon any projectiles I noticed my enemies shooting.

Pale weaved through another area filled by these men and women, the ground soon colored crimson, with their blood. We suspected nemo of having some really obscure affinity, as her meow drew attention every once in a while, impossible for our enemies to ignore until they were torn through by Hannibal's relentless charge. Once we were sure all civilians had left the square, Ember Summoned a wall of fire around us, his flames slowly circling in as he held the spell upright.

With all of us busy, I almost didn’t notice when the blood began to form a rose pattern, the liquid of life forcefully dousing the roaring flames as a crimson cloaked figure headed towards us, her magic suddenly overwhelming me as I felt it begin to take hold of my body, my blood feeling as if it would burn away as she forced me to attack my friends.

As I realized what was about to happen, I tried to counterspell her m agic, gaining just enough control over myself torip off my left arm and throw it towards the figure.

“Look at your friend already going mad from my power, if you kneel now you may become puppets to the red bloom.”

She offered, an offer that was quite against everything I stood for.

It took a while for my maneuver to pay off, but soon, my body hat lost much of its blood, and the vita Arcana she used to control my body was not very efficient at controlling a shambling corpse.

Her face was priceless as I attacked her with my war pic, the attack blew her hood of, revealing a young woman with elongated teeth. As we began a dance of death, I realized the presence of decay within her, a mirror of my own undying nature as her skin began to blister.

“You are good, but not good enough.” She told me, a dagger and whip of blood both forming in her hand as she resumed her attacks, and that was when I realized my only edge in this fight.

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Tentacles of blood distracted my friends from assisting me, and my own power was equal to hers, but I had control over the element that was among her biggest weaknesses.

Slowly, I cast the ‘Condense light’ and ‘Condense area’ spell, tier zero magic more instinctual than anything else at this point.

It made a crystal of hyper focused light, and one of hyper focused rock, and I threw both at her.

When she evaded the light, I simply dispelled it, releasing the light in a massive flash bang that resulted in a scream more bestial than anything else. I felt her hunger at this point, the blood around us rushing to heal her, when my second projectile finally exploded.

Slowly, she crawled forward, her body returning to a somewhat humanoid form as the sunlight and her own regeneration fought for supremacy.

Then, about two square meters of rock and dirt exploded into her side, throwing her to the ground once more.

I was upon her before she could gather herself again, my hand clasped around her neck as I pulled her up.

“I want neither your body, soul nor memories, and while I am sure the lord of this place would love to execute you personally, I do noit want a fellow undying falling outside of combat, so consider this the last favour you will ever receive.” As a mad grin spread across her face, she pushed two crimson daggers into my side, the material absorbed to close the wound the same way she would have, making me cast rad on her. Slowly, my hands began to glow with the sickly green energy of radiation, my own body dissolving as I unleashed this most twisted of powers upon the bandit leader.

“I wish we could have met under other circumstances, but the men I have eaten drained my compassion, and this fight has left me quite exhausted, so this is the only way. You may have time for a few final words before you simply disintegrate, so tell me what you want to leave behind for this world.”

As her skin melted away and the eyes were close to popping, she finally opened her mouth.

“We used to be like you, thinking one could be a hero when their blood is cursed like this, possibly save them from others of our kin. But you know it to be wrong, deep down you know you will end up like me. Maybe in ten or a hundred years, but eventually the hunger will consume you, and there is no way around it.”

That prompted many questions, though her throat turned to dust before that became a possibility, my own body disintegrated to large parts as my companions rushed to my side.

I remembered why I never cast this spell, and yet I knew to have done the right thing. I dashed around after the fight, draining the remains of everyone that had died that looked somewhat innocent. I looked like an eight year old when I was done, and the memories of everyone hurt to hold.

“Why don’t we have a healer? Seriously, I’ll go mad if I have to experience this shit.”

My complaint elicted a quiet chuckle from Pale and raised eyebrows from Ember.

“Because both priests and paladins would rip the two of you to shreds, and any Vita mage that wouldn’t come to turn us into flesh puppets are gathered in the capital for a large compensation.” he explained, leaving me to grumble as we went back towards the lords palace, still dripping with blood as I refused to clean us up until we were done.

Guards held their distance, and those who didn’t were frozen in place.

I was not in the mood for any more disturbances to my plans, and the lord seemed to share my opinion as he went and brought us to a much more secluded room. My anger at this whole situation sleaing the door shut behind us.

“They had nothing of importance, and their leader died during the fight, it was sadly impossible to save her.” I explained, the man visibly trying not to cry as a single tear dropped from his eye.

“Why couldn’t she just remain by my side? We have a daughter together, but she had to be overwhelmed by her damned hunger for power.”

He cursed, staring at us with hatred I hadn’t felt directed at me in a while.

“You have killed my wife, though I assume she wasn’t in there anymore. Now the only remaining member of her bloodline is our daughter. I just hope she we manage to get that hunger out of her.”

I tried to say something, and instead looked at him solemnly, taking my mask off as I did so.

“The temple of Ragnar is an organization that might be capable of helping with her growth, if we manage to establish ourselves properly. Most of our high ranking members know how it feels to be undying, and we think it important to teach this way to others. Currently, all we can do is kill the rogue ones, but with your help, I am sure we can use the power of death for good. We will return once we have completed our pilgrimage, maybe we will be in time to save this city.”

He nodded and knocked on a wall, sighing as he did so.

“I know you stand behind the wall, come forth and help us get rid of the titan, so we can avenge those who laid down their life when we forced it on a different route.”