Chapter 36 – Mal  

I stepped back out of her Void Storage and into a very red, very gothic room. With vaulted ceilings, plush couches, a roaring fire that took up half one side of the room it was pretty much everything you would expect from the living room of a demon goddess.

I gave her a thumbs up before settling into a well-padded chaise lounge. "This is nice."

“It will do,” she replied taking a seat across from me. A servant came running in a moment later carrying a tray with a pitcher and two goblets. He laid it down on the table between us and began to pour a dark red liquid. Another servant appeared with another tray heavily laden with heaps of steaming meat and white crusty bread.

As he set it down, I looked at the door to see if any more was coming. 

“Is there something else you require?" Destruction asked

"No, no, it looks good. Just no...”

She smirked. “I apologize for the lack of fruit or vegetables. I don't really like them and as I don’t need to eat for sustenance I eat purely for enjoyment.

“It’s fine by me. At least you've got butter," I said, pointing to the pale yellow block. 

"Of course," she said with a light laugh. "What kind of heathen do you take me for?" 

“I don’t. Not anymore. Can I ask though. What is this place? Are we really safe here" 

“It's my residence here. The shield that comes with it is of a similar quality, if not as strong as that of my Sphere’s. Not that my Sphere stood up to Hakan’s powers. Its main attribute is that it's hidden deep under the city.”

“Is it now? Almost like you expected something bad to happen.”

“I must confess, I didn't. It’s so well hidden so I can avoid people. When I’m feeling irritable, I’m better off out of the way of everyone. And so are they.”

“Well I’m glad you have it.” I replied before stripping a honey glazed rib.

“If it's found by our enemies I doubt it will last long, but we’ll use it while we can. How long do you think we need to rest?”

“Not long. I’m already feeling better after just sitting here and eating. You said we were trying to make it to the Administration hub?”

“That is correct. I never thought about it earlier, but you do realize that we won't be able to pass through the Distortion field either?”

"I am aware of the difficulties facing us.”

“So then what, exactly, are we going to do once we get there? Stand outside and get slaughtered?”

She tapped her temple with a cunning smile. "I have a plan though I have absolutely no idea if it’ll work.” 

"Your plans have been pretty solid so far. Let's hear it.”

She steepled her fingers and rested her chin on them with a troubled smile. “Whatever is preventing our totems from working must be Neuma-based. The totems are designed to negate the Distortion field. Meaning that if we enter the Distortion field, they should still work while whatever is affecting them shouldn’t.”

I raised a glass to her. "That’s not actually half-bad. And it's not as if I've got any better ideas. Do we have a plan to actually get inside the Distortion field? It's deep within a mountain right?”

“Right. Jawbone range. More specifically The Cangthorn.”

“Which means we’d have to locate entrances which are likely to be guarded?”

“Indeed. And Hakan’s forces, or should I say, Death's forces surround that entire mountain. Another issue is that I obviously do not know the place well enough to find adequate routes inside.”

“So, what? Make our own? You’re still the goddess of Destruction and from what I’ve seen you could probably blast half that mountain away if you wanted to?”

"Eureka!" She clapped her hands. "I love it, Mal. I hadn't thought of that option at all. I was too busy considering all of the ways we could sneak in like one of the other gods, but yes…” her  eyes took on a faraway look. “Perhaps full-on annihilation of The Cangthorn to uncover the hidden Admin hub could be just the ticket. I mean it's not as if its location is a secret anymore, is it?”

I'd only been half joking about blowing the mountain up, but she was so taken with the idea that I kept my mouth shut other than to take another drink. Hell, if she thought she could do it, I was all for it. It was also around that point, I realized I'd gotten a little bit tipsy. 

"Hey. Does this stuff actually make you drunk?" 

"Why, of course, dear Mal. I wouldn't drink wine if it didn't have the desired effect. There are far more pleasurable beverages if one is merely thirsty. Now drink and rest. We have limited time and I’d rather return to Falritas under our own steam rather than have Clive coming to rescue us.”

I agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment and leaned back in the chair sipping at my wine and closing my eyes to relax.

 I didn't expect to sleep. I rarely did now. Yet that is exactly what happened. I drifted off almost immediately, waking with a start to find my wine glass was gone and I was laid out on my side on the Chaise-lounge, dried drool crusting on my cheek. I couldn’t have been asleep for long, but I woke feeling fully refreshed.

“Feeling better?”

“Sure am, I replied, getting to my feet. Destruction’s stood across the living room with an attack held between her hands.

“Looks better," I said, as I studied the pattern. “But, I think you need to have two separate pockets of Decay. One with Gravity to absorb linked to a second weave with Air to expel the captured Neuma. I still don't think it’s foolproof, but for what you’re trying to do I’d argue it’s the best bet and it will kill the undead even if their friends can reabsorb the energy. Which they will.”

“I’m pleased to hear you approve, even with reservation’s. If it doesn’t work as I hope, it’ll be good to see how it performs all the same.”

“Hell yeah. That’s part of this whole thing, isn't it? Developing, growing, and getting stronger so we can beat Creation.”

“Exactly,” she said drawing the Neuma of her attack back into her hands. “Now, let’s take a look at how we can create a dynamic shield together.”

“Sure thing,” I replied, creating a Decay draining shield around us. She created a weak version of the attack she’d just held in her hands, but frowned as it came into life and she looked back at my shield. “I have no idea how to attach my attacks. We could really do with some of that Guardian Knowledge right about now.”

“We sure could, but they’re not here, so… Can you make a blast that matches my shield?”

“I can. But it won't work as an attack. We already covered this.”

“Still. Humor me.”

She spent a few long moments of concentration, trial, and error until she finally created something that very closely resembled the Decay function on my shield. It wasn't too dissimilar to her first attempt at a Decay draining attack.

"Nice. That could actually work.”

“I just fire it through?” she asked confused.

“Nah, it'll need to be linked still. Go push it most of the way through, and see if you can link it.

She did as I suggested, pushing the attack through, and only stopping once her hands came into contact with the shield. I was about to discuss possible ways to attach it when she just let the blast go. It flew off, struck the wall, creating no damage whatsoever because it wasn't an aggressive attack. At least not to walls. And then she turned to me and frowned. 

I frowned back deeper. “You know, we didn't attach it yet, right?”

“I just couldn't see how. It's taking all of my concentration just to hold the power in place. I'll try again.”

She did, and again we failed. I stopped her from trying again when she looked ready to tear the room apart.

“Give me a go,” I suggested. “The shield is fairly stable. Just be ready to accept me if you feel anything.”

As she replied, I drew out an incredibly small tendril of Decay from the shield and attached it to her attack. "Try again." 

Her attack shot out a little more slowly than usual and it decelerated a lot faster than normal. But this time it irrevocably pulled that tendril along with it. So much so that it unraveling the Decay from my shield, dropping it like a house of cards.

Destruction hissed.

I might as well have. “Well fuck me sideways. That’s definitely not what we wanted to happen. But! I think we're onto something.

“Show me,” she said simply, and we went again.

This time I started by attaching a new tendril of Decay Neuma from me to my shield, so when Decay was pulled out, the shield restored it directly from me.

Destruction fired again and this time when the Decay tendril followed from the shale as before, and an equal amount of decay was pulled from my core. Despite the panic I felt at having power ripped out of me, I let it go freely. The attack seemed to work, but the experience was wholly unpleasant and I had to sit back down on the Chaise-lounge for a moment and wait for the queasiness to pass. 

“It worked!” Destruction cheered.

“It did,” I croaked back. But it took a hell of a lot out of me. "I don't know how many shots like that I could assist with before the shield dropped anyway.”

“I think you’re forgetting an important point, Mal.”

“I am? I asked groggily.”

“These attacks draw Decay from our target.”

I slapped my head and leaned back, grinning like a fool. “Of course they will! In fact, if you're right, then I only need to support the first shot, and we’ll be golden.”

“Exactly. So just let me know when you're ready to go, because I'm ready now.”

“I wish I was, but after that, I think more wine, bread and maybe some cheese first.”

There were no obvious call for a servant and I knew she wasn’t bonded to anyone anymore, so it was with great surprise when a servant still ran in with what I’d asked for.

A couple of hours later and I was as ready as I’d ever be. I entered her Void Storage raring to get off Talitus, and in part, desperate to see how well our new attack played out.

She looked just as keen and teleported us only a few miles away from the Cangthorn.

The granite spire looked black and ominous in the dying light. Not as ominous as the sheer number of our enemies blocking the way.

“We should have probably scouted a little better before jumping here.”

“They're more already closing in from behind,” was her comforting response.

“And below,” I said stiffly, trying to keep the nerves from my voice. “Should we run again?”

“I honestly don't know, Mal. I suppose the question is, can we afford to run again? How long can we allow ourselves to remain trapped here?”

“What? You said yourself Clive would come to get us if we don't get back soon.”

She cast a withering look at me. Her tone was clipped, bordering on angry. “I'm sure Clive has enough to do without coming to rescue us. “

“Better than us dying," I pointed out. 

"Is it?” She snapped. The anger was free now. “And who does Clive rely on to get him out of a situation?”

I fish-mouthed. It didn’t take much, but she beat me to an answer. “No one. He is alone. We are his friends, but he is completely alone in this battle facing an enemy he can barely comprehend, yet he does. Every day he does.”

“Alright! I fucking get it!”

“I don’t think you do Mal. Clive needs people who can help him to get things done. He doesn’t need more people to look after. That’s why we came here. If we now need him to come after us, then everything we did here was for nothing.”

“Not for nothing,” I protested, but even as I did, her words were sinking in.

“For nothing,” she reiterated without any room for argument. “If we don’t make it back, then he should have just come himself. Which means we are worthless to him. Something extra to carry.”

I felt that familiar inferiority complex rise up in me. “I didn’t want to be carried. I wanted… “When you put it like that, Destruction, I can’t help but wonder, what the hell are we still waiting for. Let's fucking do it." 

“Yes. Let's.” 

I threw up my shield while Destruction fired off the destructive attacks that came second nature to her.

The first wave came and the first wave died, both through her efforts or by reaching the shield and being jerkyfied from its power.

Didn’t take them long for them to realize the danger and keep away from the shield. Instead, opting to fire at us from a distance.

Unfortunately for them it didn’t matter now. My shield had enough Decay Neuma saturating it that we were ready for our next trick, which we could now do without any risk to me.

"I think they'll love this," Destruction chuckled as she raised her hand inside of my shield and began to summon the Decay drain attack. As it built, I linked the shield to it as I had before and waited with bated breath as she let it loose.

It was large enough to strike a group of the undead who made very little effort to get out of the way. Be that because they were stupid or they just didn’t think the attack would permanently kill them, I didn’t know.

What I did know was that around two hundred zombies died in the strike. It was a horrid spectacle as it didn’t follow the usual rules of an attack. There was no dramatic explosion, just a whole load of creepy ass undead creatures that shriveled and partly dissolved in front of our very eyes.

That’s not the only thing that filled my senses as all of the Neuma from the corpses swamped my shield.

I grinned. “That worked a treat!”

"It did!” she shouted back over the carnage. But paid me no more mind as her next blast hurtled out of our shield. She was in the zone now and the demons had no defense against our attack. I was even beginning to think it wouldn't be long before we made it to The Cangthorn with our current progress.

Of course, the moment that thought entered my mind a dark ominous presence settled over the battle field.

“Death is here,” Destruction hissed. “Can you maintain the shield against him?”

“I’ll have to.” I hoped my reply sounded more confident to her ears than it did to mine. “But if he has his black cloaks I’ll need your help and those decay attacks won’t do anything to them.”

“We’ve seen three. I’ve killed two. When they show up, I’ll switch between attacks and make it three. You just make sure Death doesn’t drop you again.”

“I will,” I replied as Death and his similarly cloaked accomplice arrived. Whether she heard or not was anyone’s guess as she was already firing a hailstorm of aggressive, destructive powers. Within seconds, Death and his pal were dancing evasive maneuvers.

Sadly there was only one of her and she couldn't hit them both at once, so as promised, she settled her focus on the sidekick. Which left Death free to battle me over my shield.

Not a position I ever wanted to be in, but I steadied myself by repeating a simple question. What would Clive do? The answer never offered any solid answer beyond getting my head down and throwing punches until it was over.

So that’s what I did as Death’s brilliant mind began tearing at the shield trying desperately to tear it down.

He was everywhere at once, pulling and tugging at threads in my defenses, and I only had time to react.

For long minutes, I held him. But I felt the battle slipping away from me. His strength and whatever ability Hakan had blessed him with was far too powerful for me to withstand. I felt like a crumbling dam under the pressure of his attacks.

And then it lifted. Not entirely, but enough to give me some reprieve. Enough to let me bring my mind up from pure focus for a second or two.

“You’re back,” Destruction growled. “I killed the other. I’m working on Death now, but he’s strong. Far stronger than he should be.”

“Thank you,” I panted out. “Well done on killing the other dude, but I don't think it's going to help." Pain lanced across my brain as Death made a concerted push against me again.

“How long do you think you can hold?" 

"Another minute at best.”

“Can you do what you did before? Retract the shield, and then expand it quickly to at least clear the way of all the dead and give us a path?" 

"I can try. But you need to go all out on Death.”

“I’ll do it. But you need to be ready to flee when the moment arrives. Even if it’s just back into my void storage. We’re only gonna have one chance at this.”

“I’ll be ready,” I groaned, as more mental attacks came in on my shield.

Again the pressure on me eased as Destruction threw everything she had at Death. Like last time, I slowly allowed my shield to be pushed back toward me. Which actually made it easier to defend against Death's attacks.

Unlike the last time, the undead didn't close in on the retracting shield. Not only did the stupid bastards not close in, but as one they all moved back, instructed by some unspoken command. 

"They're onto us," Destruction shouted back at me.

"Yeah, I got that. Now what?" I ground out through gritted teeth.

"Now we run. Get back in my Void Storage and I’ll teleport away again. Or we try to make a run for The Cangthorn. I don’t think I’ll be able to build a powerful enough blast to destroy it, though.”

“Do you think you can take Death?”

"I… do. But not without your shields and not with all these undead about.”

“But there are undead about and I’m about to lose the shield.”

“And beating Death wouldn’t be easy at the best of times. So get in my Void Storage and let’s get…” her voice froze. She wasn’t attacking Death or supporting me which meant I was in deep shit.

I screamed at her as panic took hold. “Destruction! Do something now!”

She fired a blast at Death. My shield stayed up a fraction longer. She pointed toward The Cangthorn. “The Chosen of Death are here.”