Drip-Fed Pt. 08

"You're going to be killed by your own spell," Remezan declared, happy to give his life if this was what it accomplished.

"Killed by my own spell...?" Apotho asked, now honestly surprised, blinking in confusion, then laughing maniacally. "Did you lose the description of my Art, Cardinal? Was it lost in time, eroded just like I eroded the conditions of my prison?" The Warlock grinned as his body began to leak life energy into the circle, changing its colour to a sated, bright green at a quick pace. He was giving more, so much more, than was sucked out of the Cardinal.

However, where Remezan's haired turned grey, the wrinkles in his skin became deeper and deeper, and his muscles withered, Apotho was unchanged. "H-how?!" the Cardinal groaned, stemming against the forceful removal of his lifeforce. He could slow it tremendously, for the moment he had only been robbed a few years, if he slipped, his entire life could be gone in a few seconds.

"My Art is Deathless Greed," Apotho revealed, grinning as he fuelled the spell more and more. "It's a rather simple ability, with wide reaching consequences. Describable in one sentence: I cannot harm myself, your 'holiness'." To demonstrate and to give more fuel to the circle, Apotho rammed his fingers into a cut on his arm and pulled the skin back. Skin was peeled off muscle, muscle from bone, no self-preservation instincts kicking in, as the shallow wound was forcefully widened into a disgusting gash.

Blood overflowed when the Warlock reached his artery. The life sustaining fluid landed on the groundand then crawled towards the lines of the circle like small maggots. The second the warlock let go, the wound reverted back to the small slit it had originally been.

"No action I take can hurt me. I could cut off my own head and it would reattach itself. I could swallow the vilest poison, as long as I do it knowingly, it will heal. Indeed, if you were so weak that you couldn't harm me unless I let you, I could even run into your weapon and the wound would close itself. More importantly, no matter what spell I weave, it will come to no cost of my own life. I am a Warlock with an infinite supply of power, the only thing that limits me is preparation and the boundaries of flesh," Apotho raised a hand against an invisible resistance, parts of the circle rose off the floor, making the previous linework a thing of three dimensions. The scorched marks from which chains had come turned into swirling black pits that lead elsewhere.

"Well," the Warlock continued his lecture, "there is another thing that limits me. My rituals are fuelled completely by my own power, but the demons still hunger, your 'holiness'. They want flesh that has its worth from sacrifice and on this measly little Leaf, only you're worthy to call back my Hounds of Tharnatos."

If Remezan's skin hadn't already become pale from the energy drain, that series of announcements would have done it. A Warlock that didn't have to sacrifice lifeforce had infinite mana, could keep as many demons under his command as he could convince to make a contract. Even one Tharnatos class demon would have been as much as a normal Warlock around Level 100 dared to summon and Apotho spoke of numerous.

The warlock raised a second hand, more of the summoning circle expanded into the air. Particles of ash whirled around, obscuring the sun, as the presence of dreadful creatures made the entire Leaf tremble. A giggle could be heard, alluring and distant, a corrupting seductiveness under even those presences.

All of those sounds and feelings were interrupted when over a hundred kilograms of slime broke through the ash and crashed gracelessly into Apotho.

Apexus didn't know if he could live with Gizmo's blood on his membrane. What he, however, was certain of was that the alternative was going to be worse for everyone involved. Presented with the opportunity, he had leapt and gone into a desperate dive.

The ritual had taken enough of the Warlock's attention that he hadn't noticed until it was too late. Apotho was forced half a step back. One foot passed the boundary of the summoning circle. Although that didn't end the ritual in its entirety, it did suddenly cause it to slow and weaken. The presences that had been waiting for their final call dampened. Only the laughter of the woman grew louder, heavily amused by the summoner's struggles.

"MEDDLING INSECT!" Apotho screamed, as oversized wings folded around him. All that Apexus wanted at this point was to cause more confusion and buy a little bit more time. His membrane opened as he tried to burn the warlock with his acid. Not an inch of skin was seared. Neither of them was in the mindset to notice. "I will reduce you to cinders," the Warlock growled, focusing his magic energy under his palm. The old body could only channel so much power at the same time: not enough to blast the slime out of the sky, but certainly enough to incinerate him at close range.

'NO!' a mental outcry caused the magical energy to stay within his body. Gizmo's slim remains of being rose up, protecting his student and the only company he had for one of a hundred years in isolation. There had only been Apexus and the metal fairy, both of which he would protect until he completely dissolved into nothingness. "Don't just stand there!" the old man shouted at the Cardinal, in control for just the moment.

Remezan had already started struggling against the chains. The Warlock distracted and partly out of the circle, the spell lost its power. Although he had been weakened, he was not frail. 'I am a Cardinal, a scholar of the divine, a follower of the teachings of righteousness and purity,' he prayed mentally as his mouth screamed and his muscles burned, the ethereal chains moaning, 'Gods, let me muster the strength for one final push!'

The chains shattered into thousands of pieces. One crack and they broke like a connected piece of glass. Remezan's stance dropped, the spear appeared between his ready hands, and he charged forwards. Aiming the tip of the spear just under one of the slime's wings, he thrust forwards. The blade buried itself deep into Gizmo's guts, slided through his body and punched through at the other side.

The Cardinal attempted to twist the blade, to make it absolutely lethal, but Apotho came back into control. "HOW DARE YOU?!" he screamed, his hands trembling, then succeeding in gripping Apexus and ripping the slime off.

Apexus didn't even know what was happening, so quick was the motion that removed him from the Warlock's body. Within a second, he found himself rammed against the cliffside, stunned by the impact. Losing no time, Apotho gripped the weapon that had been buried inside him. Although pain had long since stopped bothering the Warlock, the fact that he could feel his lifeblood draining through the wound sent him into a state of panic.

"No, no, no, no," he stammered, the blank fear in his eyes. It was that very same fear that had allowed him to overcome even Gizmo's resistance. "I am living apotheosis, I am Apotho, I can't die here. I can't die. Never. I won't die, I will never die. DO YOU HEAR ME WORLD?!" Even if the Warlock was weakened, Remezan had lost even more of his power. Slowly, Apotho shoved the spear out of his stomach, then managed to step back into the circle. Boundless lifeforce fuelled it, to the pleased, alluring and entirely misplaced moaning of that invisible woman.

New chains darted forth from the re-opened portals, once more binding the Cardinal. The spear dropped onto the desecrated ground and vanished. Apotho's hands gripped his assailant's skull, fingers dug into the scalp, as blood ran from the Warlock's lips.

"I wanted you to see everything, how I turn this miserable Safe Leaf into a place of death, as fuel for myself," he growled as dark red energy glowed in the little space between his hands and his victim. "You and your Church, you were supposed to witness and be helpless. Congratulations, I underestimated you. You should never have been able to hurt me. NOW PAY FOR IT!"

There was a prolonged, unpleasant sound. Like a titan sharply inhaling through clenched teeth, underlined with screams and disharmonic violins. The sounds of massive amounts of life being drained from a single person. Remezan screamed, in failure and in pain, as his black hair and beard turned grey, then white. Wrinkles in his skin were deepened, age spots grew, until Remezan looked even older than Apotho had at the brink of death, months back.

The Warlock, in the meanwhile, was rejuvenated. The wound in his stomach closed, then the small cuts. When his age itself began to revert, he forced himself back. Not just because he was absorbing more energy than he needed, but also because Apexus had recovered and tried to intervene again. "You're just so annoying," Apotho growled and stepped away from the Cardinal. With one hand, he caught the slime by the head.

Struggling, Apexus tried to do anything, but found himself unable. Apotho was the same. Although he tried his utmost to focus his magical power into a blast, he couldn't. All he could do were actions that were unharmful to the slime, keeping him at bay by holding him like one would an unruly child. Without the fear of death overcoming Gizmo's last grasp on this body, all the Warlock could do was defend himself. Annoyed, he clicked his tongue.

Discarding Apexus by throwing the slime like one would a crumpled up piece of paper, Apotho turned back to the summoning circle. The Cardinal was just a husk now, a sliver of life still in his eyes. If all went well, then he would still suffice as the necessary sacrifice.

"Why?!" Apexus wanted to know, watching with the disability of the powerless. "Why do you do these things?!"

"Should you not know?" Apotho laughed, more than willing to chatter while he was in control. "You're a predator yourself. The lesser creatures are food to nourish the stronger. You feast on animals to expand your arsenal of Growths and thus become stronger to live longer. I take what I need to expand my life. Lesser people are there to feed my existence. Farmers are there to grow my food, smiths exist to make my weapons and armour and all people have one thing they can give to be useful to their better -- to me."

"I eat animals to survive. I don't rip humanoids from their families," Apexus protested.

Only grinning, finding that difference to be nonsensically small, Apotho raised his arms high. The chains were pulled tense. The Cardinal had no more life to scream. Even as he was pulled down to the floor, his now frail form getting pulled at more and more, all he felt was resignation. He had failed and thousands would pay the price.

Then his arms and legs were torn off. The limbs dragged over the floor, leaving trails of blood that arranged themselves into squiggly lines and runes. Apexus had seen enough at that point. Whatever his regrets were, the slime could do nothing else. He ripped his attention away from the perversely intriguing display and beat his wings.

'Have to get Aclysia and Reysha. Get off the Leaf and just go somewhere else.' It wasn't an honourable view on things. However, Apexus wasn't looking to help everyone he could. His approach was live and let live, and in this case, there was absolutely nothing he could do for anyone on this world even if he tried. With the Cardinal dead, all hope in that department was gone.

Apotho glanced after the fleeing slime. He wasn't worried, and simply concluded the ritual. Four heads rose from the four portals at the sides of the circle. Four chains dragged the four limbs towards them. The demons caught them with four arms, their four eyes focusing and devouring the sanctified flesh gleefully.

The four demons were born from the portals, covered in viscous, clear liquid that quickly evaporated in the air, leaving behind dark, leathery skin that glistened as if polished. Their bodies were humanoid, albeit twisted or changed in many ways. Their heads were neckless things, long and smooth. Four eyes, two at the side of their heads, two on top, moved around independently, with red sclera and pitch black irises. Two large slits indicated a nose. Underneath, teeth, with no lips to hide them, grew directly out of the skin. The maw of one of the demons opened, split halfway down their head. Every single tooth had the exact same shape, an oversized canine, teeth that existed exclusively to rend. A long, pointy tongue tasted the air.

Their four arms all ended in hands of three long claws and two, comparatively short, thumbs. Although their legs were more than developed enough to support upright walking, ending in four claws themselves, one growing from the heel, they preferred to crawl. It looked more like a spider skittering than a wolf or another mammal. Long and muscular was the build of their bodies, bronze markings covered much of it. Although naked, there was nothing that would have pointed towards reproductive capabilities. A prehensile tail, longer than their legs, grew from the lower back of each of them.

Although they hissed and growled at each other, they kept their heads lowered when they looked in their summoner's direction. Tails that thrashed were still and lowered when they reached him. "You remember me," Apotho stated, putting a foot on one of their heads. The demon just took it, didn't even whimper. They were of the Tharnatos Class, the second strongest category of demons. Their specific designation was Deathhound. "Good. Catch that slime," the Warlock tried to swallow the next word, but it forced itself over his lips in a disgustingly weak tone, "...unharmed."

Apexus heard them before he saw them. The Deathhounds screeched with high pitched voices as they chased after him. They scaled the cliff in seconds, like spiders scurrying up a wall, and made their way into the canopies.

'No, no, nope!' the slime thought, beating his wings in an effort to gain height. No matter the enemy, he was safe in the air, that was the adage that had proven true time and time again. The demons, however, were another calibre of enemy.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the disharmonious screams echoed as all four of the Deathhounds leapt into the air. For a moment, it seemed like they would miss the slime, then they grabbed the air itself. It was unclear how they did it, but their limbs definitely found resistance in the shapeless gas and they leapt again. They didn't fly, they leapt from one invisible footing to another. Although not as manoeuvrable as Apexus, they were much quicker and had soon caught up to him.

One of the Deathhounds landed on top of Apexus. At over two and a half metres, the demon was more than large enough to grapple the slime and its weight caused them to drop like a rock. That two of the Tharnatos class demon's arms were holding the slime's wings still wasn't helping.

They turned in the sky, the demon hissing, perfectly aware of its orders. Shifting weight so it was on the bottom, it effortlessly feathered the fall with its remaining four limbs. The landing impact rippled through the dense muscles without harm. Apexus hadn't been lazy during the fall, opening his membrane and now trying his best to encapsulate the demon. A last-ditch effort to hurt it and somehow get away from the other three.

The demon looked at the goo spilling on its chest. Each of its four eyes blinked individually, naked terror in the abomination's behaviour. The long head reared around, inspecting whether its target was hurt and now bleeding on top of it. It gave Apexus enough time to even expand around one of the Deathhound's arms.

Enough of it had been covered now that the digestion process began. "Ssssssss," the Deathhound growled, a voice like the hissing of a snake crossed with the growling of an avalanche, "Sparkeater! Grrrrr..." It was clear that the Deathhound held itself back from completely ripping Apexus' apart. With as little violence as possible, it ripped its arm out of Apexus mass, then threw the entire slime off itself.

The opened membrane caused a lot of Apexus' slime to fly through the air, reduced to basic water. The three other Deathhounds approached the chimeric goo, as he closed his wounds as quickly as he could. If there had been anywhere to flee to from the skittering abominations, the slime would have, but they approached, tails raised, like bear sized scorpions hunting in a pack.

"Sparkeater?" one of the Deathhound's asked the one that had caught Apexus. "He is a Sparkeater? Rare, too rare, I don't want it. Is he weak?"

"Laughably," the first one answered, their mouths dripping with black saliva as they spoke. "It has legs to walk but moves in a crawl. Worthless creature, easy target, Master's prey. Body liquid, body eats."

"Eats fast?"

"Weak and acid slow. Bones under skin, hard under gripless. I take pain, I take honour."

The three Deathhounds hissed at the original one, now grabbing Apexus by the arms. "Let go!" the slime said, trying to deter the creature by letting its hand sink through the outer membrane. Anything he had faced before would have flinched at having its hand submerged in acid. It was the last and desperate defence manoeuvre he had.

At the best of times, it came at the loss of a lot of biomass. The predator would usually thrash, tear open the membrane even more, causing a lot of slime to be spilled, as their limbs were suddenly dissolved. Regardless, it had saved Apexus' life against that eagle and made it easier a few times after that.

The Deathhound gripped Apexus' bones and began dragging the slime. The smooth skin inside the slime's mass just refused to dissolve, no matter how strongly he concentrated on it. Although there was definitely some progress made, the chimeric slime could not cause any meaningful damage.

And so, with futile struggles, Apexus was dragged back. The other three Deathhounds stalked after them, growling and cursing every step along the way. "You don't deserve honour of Master Apotho, Kurlesh."

"Kurlesh deserves nothing."

"Kurlesh is nothing. He is more Parasyte than mortal. Parasyte!" "Parasyte, Parasyte!" the other two echoed mockingly.

The named Deathhound turned around and screamed at his comrades. It was a hateful, prolonged sound, that made birds fly all around the forest. It echoed through the trees, over the canopies, made whoever managed to catch as much of a whisper of it shiver with panic. Apexus felt it down to his core. The reverberations of it still echoed in his liquid mass and rang in his sensitive ears, as the other three Tharnatos class demons snickered among them like hyenas.

"Your prey, Master," Kurlesh lowered his entire posture, as he pinned Apexus to the floor.

"Good," Apotho's voice was neutral. He should have been happier, but couldn't find it in himself to gloat. 'Sink into oblivion already, Gizmo,' the Warlock thought, shoving the slime's importance to the side. There were proper things he had to get done. "Kurlesh, you keep watching over him. Don't let Apexus escape, don't harm him."

"Apexussssssss," the Deathhound giggled, his nostrils widening as he sniffed the slime. "What apex are you? The apex of disgust?"

The Warlock turned to the other three demons. "Terlash, there is a Ragressian somewhere in the local building of the Church. Find her. An exiled angel should also be somewhere close to that. Bring both of them to the Stem. Purlesk, Turlesh, split north and south, you will find evacuating masses." Apotho took an artful pause. "Convince them to come to the Stem as well. Just spare the young ones."

"As you wish, massster," they hissed, then split according to his orders.

"Now, let us walk, Apexus," Apotho mused, leaving behind the torso of the dead Cardinal in the burned-out summoning circle. "I have something beautiful to show you."

Aclysia's hands worked steadily, but slowly. The state Reysha was in was grave. Most of her body, she could save. There were little marks all over her, lines of demonic fire that had found its way all through her. With the careful healing the metal fairy was putting forwards right now, there wouldn't even be scars left from that.