Chapter 15: The Mawler’s Feast

The light which filled the chamber was nearly blinding, with Elma stumbling back in her bid to avoid the falling rocks. Shielding her eyes with her wrist, she was only able to make out the blurred sight of Yorm running in the same direction with Razzda clutched in his arms.

The laughter overshadowed the sound of rocks crashing into water, the source of which stood in the large hole in the wall beyond the water.

The Mawler.

The damned thing had dug through the side of Mount Drypeak and broken into the chamber, its numerous hands ripping chunks of rock from the walls while also lifting its bloated body up into the chamber.

Its massive frame blocked most of the light as it entered, giving eyes momentary relief as she spotted Maltop dancing in the air.

“Yes! Big eater come just like Archon say!” he cheered in delight as several of the Mawler’s arms reached past him “Archon biggest thinker, yes?!?”

“I’m not quite big on working with these.” The Archon’s voice echoed from the Eye “Flesh Sculptures are far harder to direct than Dreamers, and making them evolve is convoluted in ways most won’t even consider, but they have their uses.”

The Archon’s Eye tracked the arms of the Mawler, watch as they wrapped around the extended neck of Nagsda and ripped her out of the water body and all.

“The scent of their favorite dish, a couple tugs by a proper Arcanist, all this extra nonsense that I don’t have to worry over with Dreamers.” The Archon’s Eye turned back to look at them “Now… would you like to rconsider surrender before I display the results of my efforts?”

“Never!” Elma spat before glancing aside “Yorm, you still good to fight?”

He had just set Razzda down at the edge of the rock mound, looking her over for wounds before glancing to Elma.

“Ya sure I shouldn’t be askin’ that?” he gave her a once over “Looks like you’re runnin’ on fumes.”

“I could fight for an eternity if it means we get closer to killing him!” she spat whilst turning her blade towards the Archon’s Eye.

But Maltop just started clapping.

“Oh! Maltop like lady lass friend, Razzda!” he declared before putting his hands on his hips “Passion make best worker! Better than ale!”

“Yes yes… quite the curiosity.” the Archon’s sigh emanated from the Eye “Queen Dolmutt only gifts her honey to Aristocracy of a certain standing. I doubt the commonfolk could even recognize it from a crumb of sweet dough.”

Elma grinded her teeth together at the casual tone he’d adopted.

“I’ll be frank, I’ve already dealt with one weed among the aristocrats today.” He continued as Maltop held back a snicker “I don’t care whether you’re some illegitimate spawn or just a noble’s servant, tell me which family you’ve connections to and I’ll consider leniency.”

Elma would’ve loved nothing more than to answer his question with the merciless steel of her blade, but her better judgment won out over her rage. Maltop was floating right in front of the Mawler. No matter how passionate her words were her body was still demanding rest with all of its might. Elma wasn’t sure she would be able to avoid the Mawler’s grasp as well as she had before.

Luckily, the Mawler was focused on eating. With more than just Nagsda’s still-grinning head being dragged into its gaping chasm of a torso. Its skinless arms grabbed at the remains of the Dreamers, hauling them in one after another. The chorus of voices it produced had devolved from raucous laughter to euphoric moaning as the Mawler indulged, but it would seek new food sooner or later.

“Big eater hungry!” Razzda pointed out, swallowing dryly as her eyes jumped from one of the Mawler’s hands to another “We… we fight it?”

She looked to Elma for confirmation, but Elma was at a loss for words. She wanted more than anything to rip both Maltop and the Mawler apart just to give the Archon a front row seat to a humiliating defeat, but the prospect of fighting their constant pursuer was just too daunting. The ache of exertion, the moans emanating from the depths of the Mawler, and Maltop’s giddy anticipation were driving thoughts of victory from her mind with greater haste.

“The host dies or we’re done for” Yorm strode past both of them and bent down to pry a mace from one of the dead Dreamers “Ain’t no pullin’ out now.”

“And the Mawler?” Elma couldn’t help but ask

“Always did wanna’ hunt one of them.” Yorm admitted with a shrug “Not that this is a proper hunt anymore, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“Trustin’ ya gut!” Maltop pumped his fist with a grin “Ooh, all three o’ ya's great for the Dream!”

Maltop reared back as another white ring formed in the Archon’s Eye.

Elma readied her sword and charged with Razzda and Yorm as the Eye flashed bright white again. The Mawler went still for a moment before the arms quickly locked onto the remaining bodies and hauled them into its gaping torso, its body suddenly trembling as a chorus of screams erupted from it.

But more than that, a single patch of white mist appeared between them and Maltop. A large figure began rising as Yorm moved to get around it. Elma and Razzda both tried to follow his lead, but the wide arc of a massive Battle-axe forced all three back as the Melkish Dreamer emerged.

“Ah… finally, another round of fun.” he gave a soft chuckle before hefting his weapon in both hands

“Thought he was drained-like!?!” Razzda called out to Yorm, only for the Archon’s sigh of distaste to emanate from his Eye.

“Just because the Dream encourages swarm tactics doesn’t mean I’ve no restraint.” he stated as Maltop failed to hold back his cackling.

“No time for this!” Yorm spat as he darted towards the Melkish Dreamer, who twirled his battle-axe in his grasp before readying to intercept.

With his gaze stuck on Yorm, Elma hurried to get behind him. But as she rushed around him, she caught sight of Maltop charging green energy again.

For a split second, Elma’s gaze went from the Melkish Dreamer to Maltop. It already seemed that Razzda was aiming for the Dreamer’s legs just as she had been planning, so Elma turned and made for Maltop instead.

She hurried to the edge of the rock mound, bending low to grab a skewer dropped by one of the dead Dreamers. She skidded to a stop and reared back with it before sending it flying towards Maltop. The green energy dissipated as Maltop floated aside, the Skewer getting stuck into one of the Mawler’s legs.

“Not best thrower, hm?” Maltop asked as he hovered to the Mawler’s side and patted it “No worries, not think of weak parts with Dream.”

He looked up towards the Mawler just as its headless neck began expanding. A foul scent wafted from its gaping hole of a torso that almost made Elma wretch as the neck bloated with something dark. Soon, the skin split open as clear liquids flowed down the distorted flesh, and red hair began to rise from within.

Elma went still at the sight of the massive head emerging from the Mawler’s neck.

It was Nagsda, still grinning ear to ear just as she’d been since Maltop had dropped her. Her head had grown exponentially in size after being eaten, easily dwarfing Elma in height as more and more of the snake-like neck began to emerge from the Mawler. The rest of the body had grown as well, whatever process Maltop had initiated with that last flash had caused its flesh to bloat and grow all over.

Only when Nagsda’s glowing white eye sockets turned on her was she broken from her horrified stupor, stepping back quickly before turning and sprinting full-force back to Yorm and Razzda.

They’d managed to drop the Melkish Dreamer to one knee, the other had been hacked apart, but the wild swings of his battle axe had kept both from delivering a concise blow. The light from the hole the Mawler had made allowed Elma to see Nagsda's giant head rising on that snake-like neck of her’s, turning to look at them before rearing back.

“Incoming!” Was all Elma could say before Nagsda’s head shot forward, sailing over her with her mouth open wide.

Yorm caught sight of her first, immediately shoving Razzda aside before moving to leap as well. Razzda rolled away in a confused heap as Nagsda’s massive head crashed into the rock mound they’d been fighting on.

“Yorm!” Elma shouted, only to turn her glare towards the large neck stretching above her.

Gripping her sword, she swung it up into the side of Nagsda’s neck, only for the blade to cut in several centimeters before stopping against what was undoubtedly an over-sized spinal column.

“Thick enough for ya, hm?” Maltop called out, prompting Elma to rip her sword out and rush him instead “Oh?”

Maltop didn’t even hover away, just folded his hands behind his back as the Mawler’s numerous skinless arms moved to shield him. Elma stopped her swing and stumbled back as they began reaching for her.

Cursing under her breath, Elma slashed at the nearest hands as Maltop resumed clapping in applause behind the safety of the Mawler’s hands.

But then the hands jerked, freezing in place for a moment. Maltop tilted his head in confusion, his gaze tilting upwards as Nagsda’s neck stretched upwards.

Elma spun to see Nagsda’s massive head lifting from the shattered rock mound, twisting around in the air and shaking. Elma was confused at first, until she saw Yorm hanging off the side of Nagsda’s head.

He’d lodged his hatchet into the rotten flesh under her ear, rearing back with his other arm before swinging the mace into her face. Nagsda cackled as repeated blows eventually caved in the bridge of her nose. She began shaking in an attempt to dislodge him, his iron grip was unshaken despite his boots slipping against her rotten flesh.

Elma didn’t watch for long, as his assault on Nagsda seemed to have dazed the Mawler if only temporarily. She spun and slashed at its hands, which resumed moving only after several skinless hands fell into the water below.

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She cut her way through several, trying to get to Maltop before more could move in. To her surprise, Maltop took the initiative. He leaped atop several of the arms between them before launching himself towards her.

She saw an opportunity to kill the host and moved to match his charge, only for one of the Mawler’s hands to slam into her side as she was distracted. She spun from the impact, just barely able to bring her sword between Maltop and herself. His jaws snapped onto her sword, locking him to it and nearly making her drop it from the weight, but Maltop planted his feet against her thighs to ground himself.

Elma reared back with her free hand, only for Maltop to leap off her as more of the Mawler’s hands moved in.

She only had the briefest of moments to weigh the odds of getting to him before the Mawler’s hands reached her, but eventually darted back with a curse as her eyes looked for a new opening.

Yorm and Razzda were doing slightly better. Though Yorm was still fighting to keep Nagsda from throwing him off, Razzda finally managed to break through the Melkish Dreamer’s defense. She’d slipped past his axe and managed to chop through his head with Bullminth’s Blade, bringing it down several more times before jerking as it begaze absorbing the mist that soon appeared.

“Razzda!” Yorm shouted to her as Nagsda swung him through the air “While I’ve got her distracted, chop the neck!”

“Its too thick!” Elma shouted whilst slashing away more of the Mawler’s hands “Could barely nick the damn thing.”

“No worries, lady lass!” Razzda shouted before turning from the unmoving Melkish corpse “Sharp one cuts real nice~”

“You fools don’t even know the danger of using that relic.” the Archon’s voice echoed as Maltop hovered back towards the Mawler “The threat it poses is far beyond anything I could ever do.”

Elma paused as the Mawler’s hands went still once again, readying to charge Maltop again when Nagsda released an ear-piercing screech. Elma spun around just in time to see Nagsda’s neck leaning to the side. Yorm was moving to swing his mace again, only for Nagsda to begin swinging back.

Like a sling-shot, the massive head swung towards the wall of the chamber. Yorm leaped from it just before it crashed into the wall with enough force to crack the wall and cause a chunk of the ceiling to start caving in.

Yorm fell into the water, stumbling away as Nagsda ripped herself from the wall and began rearing again.

“Move!” Yorm shouted towards Razzda, just as Nagsda swung her massive head into the ceiling.

The two ran as the entire chamber shook, pieces of it coming apart as Nagsda continued smashing into its edges over and over.

“Smash ‘em!” Maltop cheered as the Mawler began pulling back “The Dream fixes! It’ll fix ya better than bestest!”

He broke into a cackle as the Mawler’s arms swung bag, tearing at the edges of the large hole in the wall before leaping backwards out of it. Its massive torso almost disappeared outside, its arms latching to the side of Mount Drypeak and holding it there as Nagsda’s neck stretched back.

Elma noted it pulling back with the Mawler, only barely able to stumble back as the head swung past her and crashed through the upper edge of the hole. It tore through as more of the chamber collapsed, with Yorm and Razzda rushing past Elma as more of the ceiling caved in.

She ran as well, only barely able to keep up as rocks and chunks of stone fell. The water hindered their movement, but began draining as more of the Mawler’s hands began tearing at the edge of the large hole.

The water began flowing out, streaming down the side of Mount Drypeak as the Mawler finished locking itself in place.

The Chamber settled, somehow still holding up despite the horrid punishment.

But that didn’t seem enough for Razzda.

As Elma slowed down to catch her breath, she heard a sniffle at her side and looked to find Razzda staring wide-eyed at the ruined chamber.

“Pretty Place…” she said under her breath, still somewhat winded as well “Ruined”

It wasn’t the time or place for sentimentalities. Even though Elma knew that thoroughly, she felt her face fall at the hints of moisture forming at the edge of Razzda’s eyes. She reached out to grab her shoulder, to offer some kind of comfort before they got back to the fight.

“Hey-” she began, only for Maltop’s mad laughter to cut her off.

“No cry, shiny eyes!” he floated over to Nagsda’s lowering head “Prettier Place awaits!”

Elma winced at the sight of Nagsda’s face, Yorm had done far more damage than she’d realized. The entire bridge of her nose had been smashed to a pulp, so much so that when Maltop floated over and grabbed hold of it the entire thing tore away in his grasp.

He just tossed the broken piece of flesh away before floating over and settling down in the glowing, rotting cavity in Nagsda’s head between her eye sockets.

Her neck raised high, bringing Maltop into the open air beyond the chamber before he raised both hands towards the Archon’s Eye.

“We gotta cover her.” Yorm spoke up while stretching “Get close and just hack at them arms.”

“Closer?” Elma hissed, the drain of the extended battle taking its toll “The Mawler will-”

“Just give her an opening.” Yorm’s gaze snapped towards Razzda “Get past the arms, cut off ya mom’s head, split the body from behind and its done.”

“But-?” Razzda started to say, only for the growing glow of green energy around the Archon’s Eye to draw her gaze.

“Go!” Yorm shouted before breaking into a sprint.

Maltop danced merrily in Nagsda’s brutalized face as the Archon’s Eye surged with more green energy, another beam erupted from it and forced all of them to dart around as it sliced into the moist floor they ran along.

“Come on then!”

“More fun?”

“Join! Join!”

Multiple voices echoed from the Mawler as they got closer, but Elma ignored the sinking feeling in her gut and followed Yorm’s lead as he charged directly towards the horde of surging arms.

They slashed and cut any that drew near, pulling away the second one got ahold of them. Elma’s eyes darted from grasping hand to grasping hand, watching as the damaged arms vanished into the Mawler’s depths before new ones reemerged The gaping maw that took up most of the torso just kept devouring its own mutilated limbs and severed flesh, spewing out new ones to take its place.

The Mawler pulled back as Nagsda leaned her head down to give Maltop a clear view.

“Up against wall, eh?” he called down as the Archon’s Eye began glowing again “Ease up! Dream a lil’!”

“Incoming!” Elma shouted, throwing herself back as another green beam tore across the floor of the chamber, it even slashed through several of the Mawler’s arms, but it just pulled them back and spewed forth more.

She tried to get up to keep fighting back the arms, but she stumbled on the wet rocks and just barely managed to catch herself as the arms closed in.

Yorm jumped in, mace slamming two arms away as he gave a brief glance back to her before renewing his attack the next second. Elma managed to get back up, hurrying to renew the attack as Maltop just giggled from the safety of Nagsda’s massive head.

“Again then?!?” he cheered as the Archon’s Eye glowed again “Yes! Best fighters, best for the Dream-!”

A cry of effort cut through his rambling, drawing his attention towards one of the chunks of rock that had fallen. Running along it was Razzda, who ran to the very edge with Bullminth’s Blade held above her head before leaping at the oversized head of Nagsda.

The head began pulling away, with several arms even turning to rush her.

But the edge of Bullminth’s Blade sank into the side of Nagsda’s head, with Razzda gasping as the head pulled up and out of the chamber into the open air beyond.

Razzda yelled out as the side of the mountain pulled away, only for Maltop’s laughter to draw her attention.

“Good jump!” he declared as he reached up to the Archon’s Eye “Knew you was bestest, Shiny Eyes!”

Just as the Archon’s Iris turned on her, Razzda reared back with her other hand before turning and flinging the scabbard of Bullminth’s Blade at him. Maltop’s eyes went wide as he ducked back into the cavity of Nagsda’s face, but the scabbard managed to get caught on the edge of one of Nagsda’s eye sockets and fall into the cavity as well.

The head lurched to the side roughly, with both Maltop and Razzda struggling not to get flung from the sudden shift.

Elma grinded her teeth together at the sight of Razzda getting tossed about, but a quick whistle from Yorm dragged her attention back to the Mawler. Whatever was happening to Nagsda seemed to have thrown the Mawler into confusion again, its arms slackening in their attack as the numerous voices began talking over each other with less coherency.

Yorm had noticed as well, and quickly leaped towards the Mawler’s torso. With footwork Elma could only describe as stunning, he used both the embedded skewer and one of the Mawler’s rib-like teeth to scale the body and dig his hatchet into the meaty neck.

He reared back with the mace and began smashing at the thick spine beneath, swinging again and again even as the Mawler’s arms took notice and began reaching up to pry him off.

But Elma had seen her chance, and rushed forward to take it.

The arms it was using to cling to Mount Drypeak. Elma ran for one set of the clinging arms, hacking at them until the Mawler flailed as it lost its grip. Its other arms were clinging to the other edge, but the monstrosity’s weight did pull it away from the mountain.

Nagsda’s head swung as well, with Maltop holding onto the edge of her eye sockets to keep from being flung away.

But Razzda didn’t have as much luck, flying from Nagsda’s head while swinging her sword back in panic. It met flesh, sinking into the side of Nagsda’s head before it could move away. But it wasn’t like Yorm’s Axe, Bullminth’s Blade slashed right through the side of Nagsda’s head and split it open.

A spray of dark blood flowed freely as Razzda fell further, eyes going wide at the sight of numerous skinless arms reaching up to grab her. She swung down towards them, slicing through several as she fell towards the Mawler’s body. Yorm jumped away as the Mawler’s voices cried out in joy, but that joy turned to confusion once Bullminth’s Blade sank through the torso.

Razzda’s blade didn’t get stuck, it kept going down, slicing the Mawler’s body in two as Razzda clawed at its bloated back to halt her fall. Eventually, she came to a stop, drawing in heavy breaths either from panic or exertion as she dangled from her blade. But then, the Mawler began falling.

Elma rushed through the hole in the wall and past the Mawler’s stiffening limbs as she quickly sheathed her sword. The Mawler had been clinging to the side of Mount Dry Peak, forcing Elma to skid down the rocky slope before throwing her arms around Razzda and pulling her from the Mawler’s back.

The second Bullminth’s Blade slipped from the leathery skin of the Mawler, Elma pulled away as it continued falling back down the slope.

But it didn’t, it just stopped in the air as a glow of white formed around it.

“Hold tight!” Elma told Razzda before tightening her grasp, holding Razzda close and bracing herself as the white mist of the Dream surrounded the Mawler.

It froze in the air, stiff limbs going still as Nagsda's torn up head slowed in it movements.

The Blade began consuming, pulling the white of the mist towards it in vast quantities that had Razzda scrambling to lock her hands tightly on it.

Elm could barely move, so focused on helping Razzda hold firm as the Blade devoured the mist in droves. But she was able to see through the violent lightshow, beyond the torrent of mist. Rising from Nagsda’s still head was Maltop, floating from her ruined head before turning his glowing gaze down towards them.

Elma tried pulling one arm away from Razzda, only to feel the Nurl get pulled towards the Mawler’s unmoving body and off the side of the mountain. She tightened her grasp instead, face falling further as she watched Maltop stretch before throwing himself down at them.

“Swell show!” he cheered as he closed in, tongue running along his teeth as he closed in on Razzda.

But Yorm jumped in, throwing himself into Maltop and charging into him before rolling down the slope until he wound up on top of the Nurl, pinning him with one hand.

Elma wanted to shout, tell him to kill him quickly before the chance was lost. But Yorm’s hand was already raising his hatchet, aiming directly for the Archon’s Eye.

But Maltop’s smile never left, he just raised one finger towards the sky and pointed.

“Yorm!” Elma shouted as the massive head of Nagsda broke from the neck and fell. Yorm was only able to look up at the incoming mass of flesh, but the moment he moved to evade Maltop lunged for him. Elma lost sight of both as the head crashed into the side of Mount Dry Peak, splitting open like a massive gourd and spilling rotten flesh and blackened pulp down the slope.

Elma stumbled back as the Blade’s meal finished, it finally lowering in Razzda’s hands as the last of the mist was absorbed.

But as she fell onto her rear, her scabbard clattering against the rocky slope, Elma’s focus was on the spreading streams of dark blood and water mixing along Mount Drypeak’s side. Though exhaustion had fully run its course and the present threats were dealt with, Elma was unable to hide the growing fear in her voice.

“Yorm?” the single word echoed in the silence that followed, with only a single response to follow.

The growing laughter of Maltop.