Outlander Pt. 04

Behind the next door, we found an even worse sight. Dozens of women, brutally murdered and turned into stuffed sex dolls. The hardest part to accept was the age range. The youngest defiled corpse couldn't have been older than ten. I filled the room with fire and slammed the door before my companions could see what had enraged me so. Behind the third and fourth doors, we found only alchemical, taxidermy, and cleaning supplies.

As we faced the final empty doorway, I took a few moments to bask in the love and determination coming from the sprites of my lovers. I walked up behind my otter and hugged her, needing comfort. I smiled when I felt Shalyndria wrap us both in her arms. I was surprised when Nadine wrapped us in her arms from the other side. We stood there for a few minutes, basking in the camaraderie we felt. Tears filled my eyes as I suddenly remembered the last time I felt this way. Shalyndria and Petra must have felt something through our bond because I was suddenly pulled down into a kiss with my mate as the Princess kissed my cheek and rested her forehead against my temple. I heard her whisper as I kissed Petra, "You are not alone anymore, my love. Petra and I would follow you into hell itself if required."

I broke my kiss with Petra and kissed Shalyndria as my petite lover rester her head against my chest. I turned and hugged just Nadine for a moment when I noticed the sadness coming from her sprite. I heard a cry of pain as I turned back to my lovers. Shalyndria was doubled over until it passed. Petra was beaming as she lifted the back of our girlfriend's shirt. Her cry of, "I knew it!" told me what I would find when I looked. As I came around behind Shalyndria, I saw the new angel wing tattoo across her back. I hugged her and whispered, "Welcome to the family, Shalyndria." After getting one last kiss from my girls, and a hug from Nadine, we walked through the final entry.

Chapter 20

Together we entered the last room. We found Baron Lichvus sacrificing his bodyguard on a large altar in the center of the room. The Baron whispered a few words before turning to greet us, "Welcome, my sheep. I wondered how long my toys would delay you."

Shalyndria stepped forward and addressed him, "Baron Eldritch Lichvus, where are your servants and troops?"

His response was sickening, "You killed them on your way here, Princess. Well, killed them again, I should say. They made such lovely screams when I had my liches turn them into zombies." His smile grew when he noticed shadows rushing to cover the corpse in front of him. "What lovely corpses the three of you will make. The animal was supposed to be mine already until you interfered, Arbiter. I should thank you, though. Now I get all three for my collection of dolls. I can't wait to have all three of you for myself."

A new level of rage filled my mind with the pictures of the defiled dead I had found. The Baron would have to wait, though. The revenant he had created from the corpse had risen from the stone slab. I watched as the shadow-filled armor held out its gauntlet, and more darkness solidified into a greatsword it wielded with one hand. I was at a loss, knowing my kukris and lack of magical knowledge left me at a huge disadvantage. I felt a hand on my shoulder as I watched Shalyndria and Petra rush around me and began to engage the new monster.

The soft thump of Nadine shifting behind me made me turn to face her. "Close your eyes, Arbiter. Listen to the empty places in your mind, and know we trust you as you trust us," she whispered. After leaving a kiss on my cheek, she slithered forward and engaged Eldritch with her magic. I closed my eyes as instructed. When I found the three sprites, they were still, but I continued to feel through them. I was buoyed by the love and happiness I experienced from Petra and Shalyndria. The hope I got from Nadine wasn't surprising anymore, so I wrapped all three with love in return. I then followed the second half of Nadine's advice.

When I quieted my thoughts and just listened, a voice floated through my head, "Darkness does not always equate to evil, just as light does not always lead to good." While it sounded familiar, the voice continued, "Magic is merely using your mana to force reality to bend to your will. If you need something badly enough, force the universe to give it to you, my Arbiter." Those last words shocked me to my core. I opened my eyes and turned to the battles raging around me. Nadine had roots wrapped around the Baron's legs, and they fought to keep him pinned while the others were barely keeping the revenant back.

I knew what I needed, just not how to get it. So I took a gamble. I pulled my kukris and held them together. This time when I pushed my mana into them, I exerted my will on the metal itself. I went through the resistance I felt and watched the Mage Steel blades melt together and elongate, forming the katana I needed. I was left with a chunk of metal in my other hand that I developed into a sheath for the new blade. Hoping it retained its original ability, I pushed light mana into the new sword. I was ecstatic when the edge became nothing but light. With my new weapon, I approached the intimidating shadow creature.

I watched in horror as Petra was blasted across the room by a powerful strike. Shalyndria ran after her and started to fill the warrior with healing magic. Knowing my mate was in good hands, I gave the monster my full attention. While it plodded toward me, I settled into my stance and readied my sword. I let my rage melt away as I prepared to face this new enemy.

His first move was an overhand chop to my head. I slid past the clumsy attack and sliced up through his arm. Before the severed hand hit the floor, a new one grew from the stump without the armor. After it recovered, its strikes became more fluid. We traded blows while I probed its defenses. As I started to ponder the insane risks, I might have to take a water blade severed the arm I was blocking with my sword. I smiled when a fireball engulfed its head.

Petra appeared behind the abomination and severed both legs with her daggers. As it fell, I severed its head. We were all shocked when the removed limbs disappeared and regenerated again. I noticed the missing appenages were slow to regrow this time, turning this into a war of attrition. I became unsure of how many times we severed limbs and burned parts off. Finally, the creature fell to its knees after Shalyndria burned a leg off. With the extremity not regrowing, all three of us summoned fire and finished it off. We then turned to the Baron just as Nadine collapsed from mana depletion.

Petra ran over to tend the fallen naga while the Princess and I faced the Baron. Shalyndria addressed the traitor, "Eldritch Lichvus, you are guilty of illegal slavery, attempted assassination of a member of the royal family, and necromancy. I now sentence you to death, may Cicerene have mercy on your soul." He simply laughed at her declaration.

"I guess I need a new revenant. You'll make an excellent specimen, Arbiter. I wonder what lovely sounds your women will make as I rape their corpses," he mused. We didn't see the need to reply. I sheathed my katana as Shalyndria readied a plasma ball. She threw it as I pulled roots up through the floor to keep him in place. A wall of shadows rose in front of him, causing us to jump out of the area of effect. I watched him use blades of shadow to cut through my roots.

As I struggled to my feet, I caught movement from the edge of my vision. I looked through my core and realized Petra was trying to sneak up behind Lichvus. I kept my eyes on him as I struggled to my feet. I started throwing wind and water blades at him to keep his attention on me. As I fired spells, I felt someone pull the katana from its sheath on my side. I surrounded the Baron with a wall of flame to buy us a few seconds to regroup. I found myself flanked by Shalyndria and Nadine while I saw Petra behind the pillar of flame.

Nadine was holding my katana while Shalyndria held a sword of pure flame. I made a plan and passed it through our bonds, "Nadine, hit him from the left, Shalyndria, from the right." I took a page from Shalyndria's book and created a katana of flame. When we were in place, I dropped the wall to find him missing. I immediately sent out a pulse of mana to see where our opponent had gone. I found him hiding in the shadows, trying to get to the door. The glow of his mana had dimmed considerably. I pulled earth spikes from the wall, filling the entry.

With him trapped, I used an orb of light to eliminate the shadows he had used to veil himself. As I walked forward, I addressed the doomed man, "Eldritch, I found your toys. I hope the souls of those innocent women and children can rest in peace." His face contorted in rage when I mentioned the dolls. "I turned the room to ash," I explained. In his berserk state, he charged me empty-handed. I drew my katana, sidestepped his clumsy attempt to grab me, and relieved him of his head.

Once the head hit the ground, smoke started to pour from the remains of his neck. Cruel laughter filled the room as we frantically started searching the corpse for whatever trinket the madman had bound his soul to. The maniacal glee coming from the solidifying elder lich made us more frantic. I turned to Shalyndria in a moment of inspiration as Petra and Nadine searched his shoes, "What if he swallowed it to prevent us from finding it?" I pulled the knife from my belt and cut open the clothes around his big belly.

I stabbed just below his sternum and pulled, cutting his abdomen to his minuscule manhood. After widening the cut under the ribs, I cut into his stomach and started to root around. When I pulled my hand out, I held a diamond the size of a golfball. Nadine shouted, "Destroy it quickly! Once his new form is complete, he doesn't need the gem anymore."

I responded, "Nadine, I need a shield that can contain the heat of a star." I threw the stone up just as a shield appeared around it. I concentrated on the air inside the sphere and started to agitate it. As the temperature rose, I squeezed the air tighter. The Baron's new form began to glow from the heat as the diamond started to melt. When the liquid vaporized, he screamed as the smoke dissipated, and his remains crumbled to ash.