Chapter 79: Going For A Ride.
Dozens of black arrows were released in unison. They tore through the thick miasma before striking the Therizon. Feathers burst apart as blood splashed across its once pristine white body, but instead of retreating, the creature suddenly launched itself upward. Its enormous wings spread wide, their tips briefly breaking through the edge of the miasma as its colossal body crashed back down, crushing dozens of undead Eidolons beneath its weight.
The Emissary’s chime echoed relentlessly inside Damien’s head.
[Your Undead Has Fallen]
[Your Undead Has Fallen]
[Your Undead Has Fallen]
Before Damien could even issue another command, the Therizon threw its head back. Its gigantic beak opened wider and wider before another soul-rending screech exploded across the frozen world.
SKREEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee!
Damien collapsed instantly.
His entire body convulsed violently as black blood poured from his eyes, ears and mouth. Every nerve in his body screamed in agony while the curse burrowed deeper into his soul. It no longer felt like the creature was simply corrupting him. Something inside him was steadily dying, and Damien knew that if it completely died, then so would he.
A short distance away, Vincent continued leaping from one ice boulder to the next, never allowing Naomi enough breathing room to escape. Ahead of him, Naomi swung through the frozen landscape at full speed, repeatedly dissolving and reforming as she desperately stayed beyond the reach of Vincent’s gaze.
"Vincent, what exactly is this going to accomplish?" Naomi shouted without slowing down. "We should call a truce and deal with the Awakened beast together. Once it’s finished killing Damien, it’ll come after us next."
Vincent maintained his leisurely pace as though they weren’t in the middle of a chase.
"I am genuinely flattered by your concern for our well-being." His voice remained as calm as ever. "But Damien will find a way to deal with the Therizon. The only thing you should concern yourself with is deciding on your last words."
Naomi cursed beneath her breath.
Vincent had become completely unreasonable. Ever since meeting Damien, the only thing on his mind seemed to be killing her. She had always believed Vincent was the type of man who answered to nobody, someone who only acted according to his own interests.
Then why was he listening to Damien?
She couldn’t understand it.
Just as Naomi opened her mouth to try persuading him one last time, the Therizon’s enraged screech echoed all the way to their location.
SKREEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee!
Naomi’s expression changed.
Her body collapsed onto the ice before she could react. The black sludge surrounding her instantly dispersed as Meld was forcibly interrupted, leaving her human form sprawled helplessly across the frozen ground.
Vincent fared little better.
He lost his footing in mid-leap before crashing shoulder-first into an enormous ice boulder. The impact shattered it into countless fragments that rained across the frozen landscape.
The Emissary’s voice echoed through both their minds.
[You’ve Been Cursed By The Therizon]
[You’ve Been Cursed By The Therizon]
[Your Soul Is Corrupted]
[Your Soul Is Corrupted]
...
Meanwhile, Damien was still writhing across the ice, his fingers clawing into the frozen ground as wave after wave of unbearable pain washed over him.
Then another flood of messages suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Your Undead Has Been Cursed By The Therizon]
[Your Undead Has Fallen]
[Your Undead Has Been Cursed By The Therizon]
[Your Undead Has Fallen]
[Your Undead Has Been Cursed By The Therizon]
[Your Undead Has Fallen]
Black blood streamed down Damien’s cheeks, dripping from his eyes and the corners of his mouth. The corruption had spread far beyond his soul now, it was beginning to manifest physically. Every breath felt heavier than the last, while an unnatural cold slowly crept through his body. It was only a matter of time before the Therizon’s curse finished poisoning his soul completely.
Damien’s breathing gradually became uneven.
His grip around the bow tightened until his knuckles turned pale. The constant pain, the endless screeching and the certainty that the creature intended to kill him slowly stripped away what little patience he had left.
When Damien lost his cool, his sanity wasn’t far behind.
His cold blue eyes remained fixed on the Therizon. The surrounding battlefield, hundreds of undead still fighting around him gradually faded from his thoughts.
Only one thing remained, the Therizon wanted him dead, then it had to die first.
The thought settled inside Damien’s mind with terrifying clarity. Every instinct in his body screamed for the same outcome. There was no strategy anymore, no careful planning, only a single overwhelming desire to drag the oversized bird into the grave before it could claim him.
He slowly raised a hand.
"Priesty."
The undead priest immediately understood.
Without hesitation, Priesty lowered himself, one massive arm locking behind Damien’s back while the other planted the ritual staff firmly into the frozen ground.
Damien bent his knees.
The next instant, Priesty hurled him into the air.
Damien shot upwards like an arrow, soaring above the battlefield as the Therizon’s enormous body filled his vision. Before the creature even realised what had happened, Damien had already drawn another black arrow.
The string snapped.
The arrow crossed the distance in an instant. The Therizon turned its head at the last possible moment, but it was already too late.
The black arrow buried itself deep into its left eye.
The Therizon’s screech shook the frozen world.
Its enormous body lurched violently as blood erupted from the ruined eye, staining the snow-white feathers around its face. The gigantic wings beat instinctively, creating a violent gale that scattered ice and undead alike.
Damien had already reached the peak of his leap.
He didn’t stop.
Instead of falling away, he tucked his body and landed squarely on the Therizon’s back. The impact nearly threw him straight off as the furious beast twisted violently beneath him, but Damien reacted immediately. His hands shot forward and grabbed the two long black feathers trailing from the back of its head.
They were thicker than his wrists and surprisingly rigid.
The Therizon shrieked again.
It bucked wildly, throwing its massive body from side to side in an attempt to fling the tiny parasite off its back. Damien’s entire body swung through the air as though he were riding a horse determined to throw its rider to the ground, but he refused to loosen his grip.
"Let’s go for a ride, shall we Birdy".