The Lich huddled in the corner of the hideout for around four days, staying completely still and relaxed. Any attempts at communication that the group tried were in vain as he didn’t move an inch or utter a word. While his patron’s morbid request didn’t have a time limit, he would rather get it over with sooner rather than later. All it took was for it to slip his mind, then he wouldn’t hear the end of it.

A little after the start of the fourth day, The Lich rose from his position and stretched out his stiff limbs. The sight slightly startled the group of four that all sat at the table playing poker.

“Oh, you’re actually alive?” Derek said playfully.

“Were you asleep the whole time or…” Christina wondered out loud as she placed down the five cards she had on the table

As Derek glanced back at the table, his jaw dropped at the cards. Christina grinned whilst Derek’s mouth sat agape at the straight flush Christina had put down.

“Guess who won again! How much does the total come out to now?”

“Ten silver,” Drew spoke up.

“Ugh, figures… How do you always seem to win?” Drew complained.

“Wanna join us?” Christina offered to The Lich.

Of course her invitation was met with silence, but by that time she had already gotten used to it. Suddenly, The Lich’s body stiffened as his guard went up.

“Something the matter?” Derek sat down his cards and looked towards him, effectively ending his participation in the game.

Without warning, Derek saw a glimmer of a green murky flame beneath his hood as he darted out of the hideout at incredible speeds, leaving the four of them partially stunned.

The Lich could feel it. There was something… Someone who entered the village. Something he despised.

The Skinless waltzed through the village’s entrance. She had finally arrived, it had taken her longer than it should have due to a few detours. She walked with such grace and overwhelming superiority that it caught a guard’s attention.

The guard had been on break, but the absolutely stunning lady that crossed his path gained his attention. Approaching her, he put on the most attractive act he could muster.

“Well hey there beautiful. What brings you to this lowly village?” He placed his hand on her shoulder as he spoke.

She turned to regard him, a cold and intimidating look adorned her visage.

“Who gave you the right to touch me?” Upon The Skinless saying this, the guard’s skin that had been visible had begun to flake off. Blood dribbled from his mouth as his eyes went dead and he collapsed. A sigil that had been glowing beneath her skin dimmed.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The Lich raced through the alleyways at lightning fast speeds. He wasn’t quite ready to endure his magic, but he likely wouldn’t have a choice. This thing that invaded the village was likely after him.

It didn’t take him long to reach the main road of Herstel. What he saw at the front of the city was pure carnage. The body of guards lined the streets with their crimson blood flowing into a river of death.

“Took you long enough,” The Skinless commented at the sight of him.

The Lich gritted his teeth. “Disgusting. I had a feeling it was one of you body-snatching vermin.”

“You calling me a vermin?! You’re certainly one to talk.”

The Lich hastily took out his skull and left it to float beside him. It radiated with the color of the murky flame.

“Keep yourself under control,” he mumbled to himself.

With a flick of his wrist, the skull’s jaw opened and the very flames that lit it up shot out from its mouth and eye sockets. The Skinless side stepped these shots before advancing towards him. As she flexed her hand, long sharp claws made of bone tore through her fingers, acting as claws. Long tendrils made of flame extended out of the skull as whips and began their barrage of flailing attacks. It wasn’t difficult for her to dodge the whips, and as she continued, she used her claws to cut and sever the flame borne tendrils. Amidst her long strides, she buried one of her feet into the paved road before kicking off with great force.

Her speed easily tripled as she now practically flew towards her soon to be victim. Unfortunately for her, as she reached her target, it shifted its weight to the side, and her sharp claws missed. The tremendously fast attack she thought would pierce her victim was, what she determined, an attack the false undead already saw coming.

“You’re better than I thought you’d be.” She smirked.

The Skinless turned around and bombarded him with slashes, all of which he barely dodged. She was no doubt fast, that he had to admit, but she wasn’t quite fast enough. With a final dodge, his hand touched the floating skull beside him and drew a line of fire in front of him. This forced her to halt her barrage and dash backwards, but in anticipation of this, The Lich charged her and delivered a strong punch to the face.

This surprised her heavily as she tumbled backwards. For a creature that used magic so heavily, she didn’t expect it to have such a powerful punch. However, it didn’t matter much, as it wasn’t enough to take her down. Although it did annoy her how her vessel’s face was now damaged.

With his chance to take her off guard, The Lich had begun to move his hand wildly, signaling the skull to create a variety of lines that flew through the air towards The Skinless. Watching these streaks of fire fly towards her, she jumped to the side to avoid them.

“I have to watch its hands. It has to have a patron, which means its hands are the signal of the form the attacks will take,” she thought to herself, shifting her vision to its hands.

Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t focus on its hands. No matter how much she narrowed her eyes, it was as if they barely even existed. For the first time that she could remember, she was at a disadvantage in a fight.

Similarly as The Skinless, The Lich was also at a disadvantage, as he was beginning to clutch his now visible head in pain.

Throughout the battle the two were having, Aborsphinx sat atop a building, deciding what time would be the best to intervene and aid his master’s toy.