The sun overhead eased down further behind the buildings, the light streaked as it slipped away, and pulled further behind the city.

Parcival took a few lumbering steps closer to Han, the staff on his back heavyset in the halter. Still, far too much space between them. "Ha? Why, are you even here? Shouldn't you be off following your new master?" He sneered. Not that he could while Maxwell was in the holding cell. Some friend! He clenched his fists and a bad taste in his mouth coated his tongue.

Up ahead a mob of calcines swarmed over, they surrounded him on all sides. A calcine a few feet away stretched its neck, it's bones popped and realigned the skin thinned showing each invertebrate disk until it lined up right in front of Han's face, it growled low and slow. He startled and scrambled; his back pressed against a wall. It followed and hissed. Even from here the putrid stench beat into his nose and stared his eyes watering.

"Yaaa!" Han leaned his head far enough back that it tapped the wall, his lips pulled back exposing his fangs. "I'd rather cook in a cannibals' stew pot every day then live with this!"

Beeka came up next him his wooden rosaries clattered around his neck.

"More lies! You're no different from than them! At least they don't hide what they are." He shook his staff at onr that came too close.

It backed off, hissing.

Han flinched his ears folded down and drooped on the side of his head. "I had a good reason to. Surely, you won't let me die here?" He swiped at it, so close now it almost touched his nose. He slid his hand into his tattered vest and by degrees took out the folded Baxter foil, on letting his hand drop to his side the sword fully expanded.

They weren't acting as fierce as before. He eyed Han and Beeka. I'd better stay out of that, unless it interferes with protecting the civilians. Parcival ground his teeth. It was a miserable day. Han had better not be lying. No don't think that way, if was he'd have run off by now. People that played games like this deserved whatever came back at them. However, people make mistakes. I need a wall or something to hit! He curled his fists and bopped his forehead. Get a hold of yourself.

It took several moments before the effort to swear at Han left.

He glared. "There will not be other chances after this, understand me?"

Han nodded so hard his ears flopped.

"Olenus, may your rivers calm us and your strength of spirit extend to us all." Need to calm down this should help. He flicked a pointer and middle finger held together off his thumb, a fine mist arched overhead. "You'd better explain yourself after—if we survive."

Parcival called their names.

No need to turn to see, we've all fought together for so long now. The shuffling of feet from behind and to the side was, their only answer. Even though Beeka was the elder he still couldn't do this spell; Olenus while kind was incredibly fickle with it. It should give a temporary calm for a few minutes. It doesn't always work but the cost is small, a parched mouth.

The re off to the left cackled while chattered their teeth, as drool dribbled from their pointed maws.

Merryn stepped out of the building with a slight limp, the gray wispy glow now held a silver sheen as it wrapped her body, without turning she slammed the screen shut, and stared off ahead at nothing. The calcine stayed inside.

While her gashes have healed under what blessed—or perhaps—cursed power the Lapis Surma had not, large gray cracks that zigzagged ran through her fingers and fissured up her arm nearly reached the curve of her shoulder, the gray dust flaked off with every intake of breath, her skin now held a light gray hue, to it similar to the various veins and swirls that one found in the unique gray jade marble in this area.

She faced Han, snarled deep in her throat then bounded at him with both arms extended above her to strike.

"Don't!

Opial gasped and quickly made several had gestures; the words of the spell few past her lips and merged as one long stream. She clasped her hands together with the pointers together, shouted the words, and shot a stream of fire at Merryn.

Merryn ignored them and landed on the calcine attacking Han, dug her fingers into its neck, yanked and set it flying onto the wall of another house, it's head struck the kawara roof tiles, they clattered and smashed on the ground.

Merryn-it dodged the stream, dropped down and slapped Opial across the face hard enough that, a cold breeze passed over his face from the force.

He moved away a little.

Opial reeled in place, wobbling and rubbed her face. "Don't do that."

Merryn pointed at them. "Fight them." A loud crick popped as she rolled her shoulders and neck, stone that flaked off in larger chunks. "This mortal body is tiring and cursed as is yours, quit gawking."

Beeka took a step further away. "To trust a demon is akin to slicing one's own throat." He shook is staff, the rings clanked slow each in turn.

Her glare was worse than their fangs, her eyes took on a light that brought up thoughts of less than pleasant ways to die. She strengthened, the gray swirls intensified and whirled about her body, in a manic clockwork of rings, a wave of cold intensified from her.

Parival suppressed a shiver and clamped his clattering jaw shut. Too much was going on, no thoughts wanted to come.

"The woman is not possessed, more like... borrowed. I need—death?" She tilted her head, simply blinking. "Death, death to them. Some force or person draws on them. They weaken."

The ground rumbled under them, several cracks appeared and split open like at the temple, but smaller this time. A shadowy clawed hand busted though and swiped at Merryn's ankle.

She narrowly avoided this and hopped back, bumping into him. On reflex, he caught her and, the cold frost crept up his fingers, he let go rubbing his hands.

"Could somebody, get over here?" His voice low and uneven. Han had climbed up the side of the building, little claw marks puncturing the wood below.

A calcine grinned and stalked him, it's claws sank deep into the wood sending chunks between its fingers rattling on the street.

As it became darker, a fetid stench offset the light musty smell as a slew of the otherworldly bastanards crawled from behind every tree, knock, cranny, and building.

This didn't seem weaker. Don’t think about it. Don't think how if they'l kill us all! They'll probably go from city, to town, to ship to content and...

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

He shook his arms and pulled out... Without looking, he touched the empty scabbard. Where's the sword? Unbelievable! He searched. That's right it's still stuck in the frame across the street.

"Opial, I need you to cover me."

She faced him, chewing on her lip. The worry lines between her brows relaxed, and she straightened her back, then nodded. "Captain!"

"Beeka go help Han if you can, and... stay out of Merryn's way she's...testy at the moment."

The corner of Beeka's lip quirked, and he coughed. "And then some. Will do."

Parcival ran across the street, and yanked the sword out. The headache twinged, he rubbed his temple. That was far too easy. Pretty dumb staying turned around like this.

Claws clacked on the street, a hiss of a light breath, behind or perhaps to the side.

"Watch out!" A wave of heat rushed over, and a force of the shock pushed him almost into the wall.

"Be more careful!" She stood panting arms and palms straight out before her, little crackles of energy danced around her fingertips.

She didn't stick around for thanks and took after another one.

He turned a semi-circle, the swords edge facing down. That would be the luck, slicing a friend instead of foe.

His tongue became fat and heavy, then on swallowing dried up, any saliva that was there a moment ago; vanished. The cost wanted for the right moment to do this. Well, complaining about it would just offend Olenus, and he'd refuse his gifts...

It casually loped over, it stood cracking its claws together, a twisted grin splitting its face. Another further back flanked by two others started to close the distance.

Sweat coated his hands, he readjusted his grip and swallowed hard. The heck with it. He backed up into the middle of the street.

It followed.

The other three caught up with the one in front. It hissed and did several guttering growls and pushed between them, hitting them with its shoulders. The others made space then went behind it almost unseen.

A light tremor filled his bones, this has to work, move. He banked left, then right and ran like hell, back over to Beeka who fought against a large wrath-like calcine.

Hunched over, he took many ragged breaths.

"What are you thinking dragging those things over here?!" He walloped it in front of him, face first. It faltered clutching its face.

The one chasing him jumped. Its arms stretched several feet, and claws far longer than before.

Just have to show him.

He bolted, tilted back, slid under it, and swiped it from hand to groin.

It yowled, twitching and jettisoned past, rolled into a ball unfolded on itself; still. Ickor spurted and dribbled onto the ground.

He brushed some dust off a leg. "Had no time."

Behind a crackle and a sharp pop. Opial's fire spell shot past his face, the other two screeched, set aflame and fell apart as ash.

Merryn her footsteps silent, walked past her movements fluid, in a snap she shot out an arm and crushed the larger ones' head, it turned to thin goop that ran down her fingers to a puddle in the ground.

One moment she was there and another over by Han, she grasped his furry paw hands, and pulled him away then dropped him beside her.

Han nearly fell over, regained his balance and ran over to Opial. She waved a hand before her face. "What'd they do pee on you?" She gagged.

Han bristled, his fur stood up around his face. He shot her a glare.

"They grow weaker." Her light brown face held an ashen tint, dots of sweat flecked her face and neck, her lids puffy and red. "Thought they'd end us all, but... something worse awaits." Both voices merged again on the last word. She closed her eyes. "It drains us too. Can you sense it?" The gray energy turned to a wind and swirled around her, its chill spread to his forearms touching them with frost.

Doesn't it feel like..." Merryn shook her head.

"No, it's alright, go ahead." If something bothered her of all people, it couldn't be good.

Out if the crack another calcine pulled free onto the street, it shuffled closer back hunched and limbs jerking about. ot hesitated, it empty sockets swept the area.

Beeka shifted his weight and gripped the staff tighter.

Merryn turned a blank face toward it. "That's the one. It must be."

"I don't understand."

"Notice how Beeka, Opial and you aren't turning to stone any longer?"

Beeka startled, and held a hand up with his fingers sprayed. He clenched them and the stone faked off along with the cracks. The cracks stayed pinkish; a new scar.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

The expressionless face crumpled slightly, the middle of her eyebrows lowered a hair. "Even a god doesn't know everything, and less so when imprisoned." That double voice rang through the ally and echoed the last word. "If we wait, and hunt them down and kill them maybe the curse will break, that was my hope. Other plans... will have to wait mortal."

Those plans couldn't be anything good, no not with that sinister energy and aura it gave off. That one comment flashed old images of battles to mind. He fingered the scabbard, gripped it and pushed away everything else. Stay calm, stay of ice.

She started to turn toward it, her waist and hips stuck, and she rotated back to the way she was before. She frowned. "Kill it, I can not. Help me." Just Merryn's voice this time, her voice was small and the words broken apart.

Cracks raced through her arm, past her neck and spread over half her face and finally to her ears. The gray hue filled out next, only her left eye and part of her nose stayed unchanged. The other eye stone; the swirls now carved and lifeless.