In just a moment, Agosh was already dazed. Even with his great strength, facing an Arcane user really took a toll on his mana.
He dragged his foot towards the Crimsonmane lass with his staff as leverage. But that did not stop his foul mouth from erupting foul words as jagged edges of the broken bone continued to scrape against his nerves. A new wave of bodies surfaced from the ground and did the bidding to flip Alicia's prone one over.
"You're crazy. You must be crazier than me. Crazier than me," Agosh said.
Though Alicia's consciousness was still tethered, she had little energy left to speak. "Don't… Stop..."
As the citizens of Alas Purwo ran headlong, the shamans and warriors dispersed them and followed Agosh and Alicia into the building complex like curious onlookers. It was time for the bearer of Divine Grace to be taken away. But Agosh had other plans. He murmured and moved his hands in a little dance, and suddenly the skulls swarmed over each soldier and shaman, stealing their skin and flesh. The bespectacled lass lay still, while Agosh grinned at the Yawanese warriors' roars and the melody of their flesh tearing. A soothing balm for his broken heart, not his broken bones.
All of the necromancer's lackeys were now properly dressed.
Deep down, Alicia could not wonder a little. The two of them had just had a conversation about this. How could the necromancer share Alicia with those who had opposing intentions—his own employers?
"Don't worry, don't worry, my Alicia...," Agosh's voice was nasal and disgusting. He then summoned another dead person, a midget, skinless corpse to strengthen his broken leg by clinging to it.
Was it a child's corpse?
"Of course, I won't kill you, dear. You are a special person. I won't let my employer waste you!"
Just as he finished his remark, two more pairs of footsteps echoed. Agosh looked over.
The Mothman and Deer-Man approaching in pairs.
"What a mess!" cried the Deer Man gruffly. "Did you really have to turn an entire army into your slaves just to take her down?" the magician shook his head.
"No," came the hoarse voice of the Mothman. "Hnnnggg they were all just killed."
All manner of caterpillars and scorpions poured out from under the Mothman's robes, while beetles and poisonous insects emerged from the armholes of his clothing. "Oh, never mind. Hand over the Arcane orb to us, and you can indulge your desire for that woman to your heart's content."
"Ah well, all right, all right," Agosh Grendi replied. "But, wouldn't it be better if we brought Alicia along with the Arcane ball? You know, I have some suggestions on how to utilize them both... for your benefit, of course!"
"The orb, Agosh Grendi!"
Agosh sighed. The figure before him was far too stubborn for an insect. "You're too dumb to take advantage of something."
The deceased legion advanced towards the two black magicians propelled by the necromancer's beckoning gesture!
Enraged, the Deer-Man let out a raspy wheeze. "I should have killed you from the start!" The Deer Mask snorted steam, then the mask's jaws opened like a literal dear, but its roar had an absurd quality. A corpse jumped up, instantly caught by the serrations on the jaw of the Deer-Man who had just jutted out! Slowly the masked mage's body loomed. A mountain of brown muscle blooms tore through the fabric. Another snarl startled the whole ground. He accepted the arrival of the corpses with grace.
It was different with the Moth Man. He buzzed, and out of nowhere, a ridge of black scarabs appeared and invaded every corner of the walls and doors, until everything was blacker than the night itself. Another scattering of insects crawled and flew towards the necromancer's army, so hungry that they did not mind gnawing on rotting flesh.
Alicia was dragged away by two corpses clothed in the garb of Yawanese shamans, their bony fingers digging into her flesh. Agosh Grendi raised his staff once more, uttering a spell that caused the very ground of the complex to writhe and twist like a grave. Thin, fleshy bones emerged from the concrete and walls, crawling towards the masked magi. Were they truly intimidated by this display of power?
The truth was, the Deer Monster was still tearing the heads off Agosh's slaves. His claws sliced through flesh and bone as easily as if they were jelly and blood pudding. Meanwhile, the insect mage was busy controlling the dead using philopilio—dangerous pointy-winged butterflies that could attach themselves to brains and control living creatures. Hordes of carcasses fought and gnawed on each other, if not busy being gnawed on by insects. A steadfast assurance in their advance towards Agosh Grendi and Alicia. The dead were nought but dead, after all. No, they were not intimidated.
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The power of Khaos still coursed through Agosh's soul, and still, he was too tired to shake the world with his masterpiece of death. Agosh limped towards the Arcane orb belonging to the Crimsonmane girl; The corpses could not be expected for this task. He was already preparing his magic seal box when a rough-cut carcass in a striated shirt floated over and blocked his path. When the grey-haired necromancer turned his head, a deer monster was charging at his very being!
Agosh Grendi's staff warded off the monster's forked antlers. but what good was his magic against a beast whose height reached almost to the ceiling? The Deer Monster looked up, tossing the necromancer into a wall of pitch-black scarabs.
Agosh cried out as beetles slipped through his clothes, tearing at his skin. In response, he commanded the burrow to open wider, calling forth more corpses, this time with mind-boggling mutations.
Alicia found herself being lifted up by an undead knight in armour, who handled her with such care. Insects swarmed over him, but his skin's pores expanded to greet them with heat, causing the predatory insects to turn into charcoal instead. Despite the blistering, Alicia survived in the embrace of the undead knight.
The battle between the three magi grew even more complex and twisted. Agosh Grendi was aided by a group of winged cadavers, allowing him to fly away, while the Deer-Man was occupied with new pale, waxy corpses that self-destructed with a splash of acid. The Mothman united the insects into a giant fist and attacked the winged corpse carrying Agosh Grendi, causing it to erupt in a torrent of venom and knocking him down once more. The broken leg protected by the midget corpse gave a ringing inside the grey-haired mage's head.
The insect mage bowed his head to the corpse mage. "You have the right to have the last word," he said.
Agosh burst out laughing. "This is the last time I'll see you, cockroach!"
Decaying hands pushed the corpse mage to his feet, and the blade of a scythe emerged from the tip of his staff, poised to dissect the insect mage's entrails. However, how the Divine had cursed Agosh Grendi—he was indeed cursed! Before the sharp tip could mar the exquisite pattern of the magician's gown, the Deer Monster's antlers plunged into Agosh's chest first. As the monster straightened up, Agosh Grendi was lifted so that he could see the entire creation he had summoned being mowed down by the insect swarms.
"Yes, this is the last time you will see me," the Mothman hoarsely said.
Frustrated, Agosh Grendi exerted his remaining strength to summon the burly, Khaos air-sucking cadaver—Wreckingholic. All the insects trembled, fell, and died, their power gathered in the corpse's folded hands. The Mothman rested his feet on the body of the deer monster and climbed up Wreckingholic's body. Several loud buzzes rang out, and the giant moth's shapely body turned pale then scattered into a mass of flesh-eating worms, olgoi-khorkhoi, stripping away the corpse's tissue before falling into Agosh Grendi's mouth! A shriek and a choking sound were briefly heard before disappearing, along with his body being gnawed from the inside.
That was it. The Agosh Grendi's history was concluded. Nothing was left as his memento.
Both of them returned to their human form—if their current form was truly human. The Deer-Man's clothes lay in tatters, revealing the shaman's original brown body, including a glimpse of a pair of breasts. A pair that a woman would normally have. Her body was slender, not sagging or freckled, an unlikely reminiscent of Florence Crimsonmane—Alicia's flamboyant aunt—who was mistaken for the deer-headed witch.
All but them were lifeless. No, not just them. They turned to find Alicia, seized by a violent pain, slowly crawling towards her Arcane sphere near the door. Her determination had not waned.
"Stop right there, miss," the Mothman said.
But Alicia continued to crawl.
"Stay where you are, and forget we're here," he implored again.
"She won't obey," said the Deer Head. "Let me finish her off."
Alicia almost reached for Orb.
The insect mage's sigh was even hoarser. "Protos won't be too happy about that."
"How do you know? How can he concern himself with something as trivial as 'feelings'?"
"Just take the orb and leave."
Alicia's hand was an inch away from the blue orb before she felt something entangle her neck, pushing her backwards.
Orb and its surroundings faded from her vision, and she was swallowed by a dark tunnel that defied light...
***
Alicia could feel her eyes welling up and sweat drenched her body in the absolute darkness, for the absolute darkness offered nothing—not even a breath of air. However, she did not care if she was blind; Alicia rebelled and ran without direction, all the way until she found a point of light, like the only star in the night sky. She ran so fast that the light grew and grew, and the world was dazzled...
Then a pair of hands clasped her waist.
A voice full of worry pierced her ears at the same time as the world revealed its colours once more.
"Mah Wee Mare! Why are you crying?"
How could Alicia not startle? No one had ever called her "Wee Mare". No one except one person...
As time passed, the face of the voice's owner became clearer. A woman, hair tied into a ponytail, red as Alicia's, likewise her fair skin. But her round goggles looked a tad more ridiculous than Alicia's own.
The girl was moved. Her voice trembled at the mention of the woman.
"Ma... Mama...?"
Suddenly, the woman she called Mama was pulled by dozens of hands that groped all over her body, disappearing into the dark room on the other side. The white door slammed shut, taking away Alicia's sight of her mother once again.
Alicia's throat trembled even more. "Mama!" []