Screams cut through the air like lightning. A firework display ignites the air above me as the House’s go to war. The sides seem blurred as the mayhem unfolds.

Shards spray me on the floor as bolts impact Tarak-Son’s wall. The fat man is cut to pieces as he flops over me. My body spasms from the contact, my stomach burns from the gaping hole.

I'm hyperventilating, barely managing to stay conscious. Scrambling, I pull a knife from my inventory and cut through his clothes.

As I work at his flesh, Harper's mist creeps over me like cold fingers. Filling the dome completely. I can barely see the meat in my hand as I start to chew. My Cattle Carrion triggers and fills the hole as the fat man’s body shudders.

He’s wrenched away from me by a black tendril and tossed into the skirmish. The Blackroots, having retreated behind the stage, have fortified themselves with vines and obsidian. Unfortunately for their guests, they’ve managed to block the main exit to the balcony.

Harper's armour plated knights simply stand before her, taking hits like the bulwarks of a castle. She floats behind them, pumping a dense cloud from her mouth in a perpetual scream. Just as my vision finally succumbs to nothing. She claps. Emitting a sharp snap that whips the mist like a tornado. Clearing the room, and with, all the Satyrs.

Gone in a leaf fall.

“Thief!” Yells the Lady.

Her body grows from a trunk of darkness, sprouting her in a great arc over my head. Shooting the large woman towards the Yorks as pure rage takes her.

Her Sons and the few Blackroots in attendance leap their barricades. Rushing to join her assault on the York line.

The Yorks have my tribe now, I slowly realise. From one master to the next with a wave of her hand.

At least they’re safe, I hope. Safe from being dispersed across the land. Safe from what I must do now.

The halo spins. My heart pumps. My hand pours blood onto the chitinous shell obtained by Suzie from the Zoo. Then finally onto Riptail. I whip my blade into the air, signalling myself out in the mayhem. But also sending a message.

The Lady hits the Knights, the Sons a breath behind her as the dome ruptures and explodes.

Thunder rocks the world as a hail storm of glass assaults me. It digs into my body, slicing and lacerating like a thousand tiny knives. I continue to chew the meat as I ignore the pain, a pain I’ve become used to.

A few weaklings remain on the floor as the sky opens up overhead, but most barely miss a beat. Clashing and mixing in the dance. Through the onslaught, I hear my army arrive.

Bakawww!

A single chicken leaps from the dark shadowy branches at the edges of the room. It squarks with red eyes and charges a small woman. Her body tingles with an electrical fire that zaps the bird mid-flight.

Feathers and blood explode, showering her with gore. She immediately turns and lashes out at her house mate, her mind warped and eyes crimson. More poultry pour out as the bubbling puddle by my feet lifts up.

Bone white shells cover a mass of blood and sinew. It grows quickly, curling around me as its fangs chitter in my face. Beds of eyes open up as the giant centipede comes alive to serve its master.

“End him,” I command, pointing towards the Voice.

It fires like a rollercoaster, accelerating through the mess of chairs. People leap away as it scuttles on a thousand legs towards my enemy. The chaos of my rage spreads like a virus through the party as the chickens do their work. Most are protected with magic and armour, but it only takes a droplet to turn friends against each other.

Familys claw their own house colours from their brethren’s chests. The Blackroots and Yorks clash like gods, ignoring all until my creature hits their Sons. It collides with Kai-Son, severing his crab claw. He screams, lashing out with his scorpion tail. Its points glances off the thick chitinous shell.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Not wasting my chance, I charge forward. Halo spinning as my heart threatens to explode.

Russ is at my side in an instant.

“You have it! You have the artefact.” He grabs onto me, eyes pleading.

I rip free, but more arms sprout out to hold me back.

“Let me go!” I command him.

“We can leave now, Seth. We can go home.” He pleads.

“I can’t leave the tribe, Russ. I thought you would help me?”

“Over seeing my daughter again?”

I remove the Sextan and toss it to him. “Move the dial to the symbol that shows a single star. It’ll take you back.”

A screech erupts from my bloody monster as obsidian spears puncture its underbelly. I leap to its aid as a flash of light behind me announces the opening of a portal.

Tarak-Son’s face contorts with concentration as more black glass shoots from the floor.

I extend riptail, closing the gap before he can kill my beast. The blade licks his arm,

slicing through flesh with ease. Instantly, his magic constructs collapse into puffs of purple smoke. My monster falls from the trap, landing like a truck on top of Tarak-Son. His voice escapes in a sudden shriek of alarm as the pincers bite down. Holding him in place, it tears, throwing a leg across the room.

“Help me!” Harper commands with alarm.

She battles the Lady and Kai-Son alone. Black clad bodies litter the floor around them. Her Yorkton elite guard also. For the first time, Harper looked uncertain, worried even. Blood leaks down her arms from frayed skin. Her dress hisses from stains of acid.

Hail fires from her palm into the Lady, shredding her barky skin to the tatters, exposing ribs and then finally a beating heart. A thick spear forms in her hand, but before she can end the Blackroot’s leader.

Kai-Son wraps her with blue tendrils like Mother’s Tears. The icy witch screams as her life force is drawn out. The spear shatters as a thick root impales her shoulder. She collapses to the ground.

With a command, my monster army charges them. But not the Voice.

I need him to weaken Harper further.

They swarm the Lady. The chickens quickly explode as she stamps with her trunk-like feet. The centipede reels up and snaps forward. The Lady, once a powerful black tree stands alone from her forest, weak in the storm that I bring upon her. Riptail burns with blood as shreds her roots.

With madness in her eyes, she engulfs my monster as the beast bites into her throat. They go down hard, rolling in the throes of death as she crushes it. Finally, my chaotic will gives in and the beast erupts like a volcano. Painting the area with a small crater of gore.

Drenched and blind, the Lady panics and tries to stand.

Exposing her heart to my blade.

“Mother!” Tarak-Son cries.

I look over as a wave of arrows shoots towards me. The obsidian glass pierces my body, then disappears into the air.

I look down as the pain finally catches up. Three dark patches stain my bear poncho.

I should be dead, I think.

Tarak-Son’s outstretched hand flops to the ground as Russ removes his dagger.

With wet eyes, he simply nods to me.

“Seth!” Harper screams.

The Voice still holds her in place, but also his stomach that leaks from a deep wound. Her face is paler than normal, her eyes search for an escape.

I stop Russ before he can leap to her rescue.

“The tribe, Harper. Release them to me.” I order.

“You make demands now!” She cries out.

I point at Kai-Son. “And he’s mine.”

He laughs through clenched teeth. “Run away while you can, boy! Your parasite god won’t help you here.”

I unfurl riptail, running my bloody hand over the edges. “Give me the Satyrs.”

“Never.” She snarls.

“Death then.”

A shiny object hits the ground between us.

The Sextant lies there until Russ kicks it away. “It’s a fake. I want the real one.” He says, but not to me.

Harpers smiles with bloodied teeth “Done.”

Arms sprout from Russ’s cloak. Slamming blades into the Voice's back.

“No!”

I charge but he turns on me, my partner in crime. I fend off his weapons. Barely keeping up as small daggers sneak through. Cutting my legs and arms. My halo spins as I wipe blood across my face.

Mark of fear.

Russ’s stone cold face melts into fury. “You dare show her to me! You mock me now!”

Instead of fleeing, he wails at me. I twirl riptail, using its burning edges to barely hold him back. He aims high. I easily duck under and manage to snake my sword around his neck. But it was a trick. I feel my energy plummet as my halo is knocked away.

The fire goes out as ghostly hands hold the blade back.

He stands before me, eyes dead and hopeless like when I first met him. We made promises to help each other, to be better than these people. How can he trust her word over mine?

I relax my hand on the hilt, unable and unwilling. I can barely find the words.

“We could hav-”

A shard of blue erupts through my chest.

“Poor choice,” Harper whispers in my ear.

Kai-Son dies in a puddle of blood by her feet. His intestines run like rope to Harper's hands. She wraps them around my throat and squeezes.

“Little doggy. Don’t bite your master’s hand.” She purrs.

I try to fight back, but the pain in my chest consumes me. I gasp for air that doesn’t come.

“Think you can play me little doggy. You will learn.” The pressure releases as she moves the warm organs up to my face. “Bite down.” She whispers.

I try to pull away but she pushes my head forward. She wiggles the icy spear around. The intense agony doesn’t stop until I start eating. My carrion cattle ability immediately starts to heal my wounds. I chew down. Numbing my wounds as they knit together. Over the glistening intestines, I see Russ’s blank eyes. He looks away. Is it pity I see? Guilt?

Harper walks around to fill my view. Her gaunt expression is sadistic as she tugs hard. Forcing me to her feet.

“Keep eating little dog. You will need all the strength you can in the vanguard” She grabs my hair so I have to stare into those cold blue eyes.

“You’re going to love the raid.”