CHAPTER 11 – THE END OF CONQUEST AND DREAMS

The Labyrinth of the Shade – Conflict

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“NOOOOO!!!!!!!”

The Grand Inquisitor threw the lifeless body of the female lizard on top of the other as his eyes could only take in the vision of the Demon Leader now twice his original size with flames of Hell burning along his flesh bringing down his now massive spiked mace on top of the love of his life’s head, shattering it into a thousand spikes of pain to his heart. His legendary calm demeanor even in battle fell alongside his Wife’s life. His eyes became a red/orange flare of power, his necklace bursting with an intense fervor as he emptied all of its boosting strength to add its monumental energy to his already most powerful Ability [Divine Retribution].

A red/orange beam of light shot out from above the foul creature who took everything from him and before the demon could even turn towards his adversary, it struck. The Demon let out a blood curdling scream as his body locked up, the paralytic effect of the Ability kicking in as the artifact boosted Ability doubled its normal strength and white red flames lit up the beast’s flesh bringing home every infliction of pain the creature had inflicted in the last year of life all into one moment, one sin stricken retribution. His body crumbled to the ground, smoking and lifeless as the Grand Inquisitor ran to his Wife’s cooling corpse. His mind was a broken thing, every meaning he ever had to his existence wrapped up in the unmoving body at his knees.

Never-ending violence wrapped his eyes. His necklace had no more power to give but it didn’t matter as he scanned the field. Blessed F’Lurin lay lifeless next to the Lizard queen and the male lizard. He gave his life heavily, both of his enemies dead though the two arrows in the Queen’s head was the more telling marker of her demise. He himself had killed the other two female lizards and he found the archer dead a few feet away more than likely his Wife’s doing.

He believed he’d killed the first demon who’d charged him but as he turned back he had the creature, missing two of it’s arms cannoning into him, slamming him against stone screaming incoherently about slaughtering his childhood friend.

The Grand Inquisitor had plenty more vengeance to lay out for what was taken. He’d been struck earlier by this bafoon’s spear-pike and was still bleeding slightly from the wound to the side of his chest though he’d siphoned some health back but broken ribs were just added from this assault. It was nothing in the face of his grief. He might not be a Martial Class or with very high Physical Attributes but his battle robe was Epic ranked (Iron) and he had other ways of evening the field against melee combatant as others had already tasted and he would have a tidal wave of blood for his heart being ripped from him.

He turned on his Aura [Prison of the Inquisition] and besides it’s Ability to silence exterior magics and sound it also could slow and restrain weak willed enemies. His Spirit was in Middle-Red from his killing blow to the Demon Leader and plummeted further with the heavy cost as he used the full version of his Aura as opposed to the limited one he’d used earlier. It didn’t matter, nothing mattered. This was the final life on the field and than he could rest, recoup and mourn the light of his soul.

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He stepped closely to the frozen demon frothing at the lips, an immense fire of violence in its impotent eyes. The Grand Inquisitor needed to end this before his Spirit reserves became empty and debilitated him. Luckily his reserves were so vast and his Faith Attribute so high even Low Red to him still meant he had a ways before he was empty. There was enough for him to do what he did next.

He activated the Ability he often used when faced with melee combatants and had already done so against both of the female lizards. It was called [Cruel Revelations] and siphoned Health away from its victims while plaguing their minds with nightmares. Unless the victim was strongly willed they became limp sacks of health for him to pluck. This Demon was not a paragon of Will. He felt his ribs slide back into place as Health flew in orange/red rivulets of energy from the slack jawed vacant-eyed fool.

It would only be a few steps to finish the fool then off find space to rest and grieve and bury his Wife. Those thoughts were turned to lies as his eyes broke in shock when awareness popped into the Demon’s eyes and he roared up from his knees using his two remaining arms to hoist the Inquisitor by his neck and scream at him.

“FOR MY BROTHER BASHEK!!!! I COME TO YOU WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF OUR ENEMIES SO WE MAY FIGHT TOGETHER IN THE HELLSSSS FOR ETERNITY!!!!!!”

And with that the ogreish beast imploded in black and red flames slamming the Grand Inquisitor against the wall, his entire body a charred husk, Health in Mid-Red and pain wracking his body as flames continued to eat at his flesh.

He cast [Cruel Intentions] and shifted it within his Path to stretch his command over enchantments to put the flames out. It was a deft manipulation of his Abilities but he used to be Silver Rank and an Ancient Main Class and Epic Secondary. He’d been blunted by the System but still had some of the manipulative Skills he’d learned from his lofty perch at Silver. There was a reason he’d been considered a Scion and able to claw his way to the position he owned.

He once again turned his burnt eyes towards the still burning flesh of his Wife. The fool’s sacrificial blast of hell flame was indiscriminate in direction and everything within twenty feet was lit in the ever burning flames of hell.

His anger still simmered hotter than those flames. In the end this was the fault of the Umbral Scion who had raised the ire of the System and brought him to these halls. His Love would still hold to breath if not for the Profane trash. Nothing would make his beloved’s death worthy but destroying the man would at least go some ways into making her sacrifice accomplish something that she had dreamt about for a long time, seeing her Husband rise to Arch-Prelate of the Neruda Sector of the Sanctum Empire.

He pushed himself to his feet and took out the one Life Elixir they were allowed by the System to bring. He held it in one hand, his eyes unmoving from the corpse of his wife, her skull a pile of bone fragments, brain splattered in an arc, flesh still lit in black and red flames eating at her. His fury was a malignant cancer immolating his heart and soul. His voice rang out as he turned to head back to his Fortress to recuperate.

“UMBRAL SCION!!!! COUNT THE MOMEN…..”

His words were silenced by the spear-head of Skald through his mouth and out the back of his skull. Gideon put his foot on the corpse’s shoulder and kicked him off his weapon where it landed with a poignant slap of flesh to stone. His cloak without thought stretched and ripped fabric off the surcoat of now dead Sanctum Leader and pulled it to his hand to wipe the bone and flesh from Skald. Gideon spat on the dead meat. All of the corpses including the one beneath him started dissipating, including their equipment and the Life Elixir he’d been eyeing. His voice sent a goodbye to the prey he’d taken.

“Not the System, and certainly not you, will stop me from getting back to my family.”

With that he turned to find the exit to the Labyrinth of the Shade, wherever the hell it was.