Heartworm

It felt good to be in control. With how much I had been letting the fledgling control our body, I felt almost claustrophobic within my own head. It was a symptom of prolonged lingering in the back of a being’s mind. It wasn’t like I had the ability to move and stretch my limbs despite feeling the sensation of every movement the fledgling took.

I can hear all of that, Lilith.

Mmm, that was one of the reasons I despised being in control. Allowing my little morsel to glance across the surface of my thoughts felt intrusive. How do you focus on limiting your thoughts to avoid certain ones when the very act of focusing on them makes them present to the other headmate?

Not so fun, yeah?

No, little morsel, it is not fun. This hunt on the other hand…

This Marked was clearly using some sort of magical duplication. Learned casting, for certain. I didn’t care in the slightest to learn the capabilities of such crude methods. If there are duplicates, however, there had to be an original that maintained the others.I would deal with finding the original when I’ve ripped apart the woman in front of me. An impatient creature, the human had already raced towards me to close the distance with glowing limbs. Pathetic. She aims to use the same trick from our first bout. I would make her regret thinking she could outsmart me.

Do you always fight with such confidence? What happens when you fuck things up?

I’ll find a way to transcend our mind link to ‘fuck things up’ if you keep distracting me during my fight.

Fine, I’ll just grab some pop sprites and enjoy the show.

The expensive northern snack food? Impossible. I have tried to conjure magic within your head and it has never worked.

It was a joke, Lilith.

I hate that pest. The Marked woman most likely planned to land multiple strikes across my body to paint my limbs with her blasphemous golden sigils to activate at a later moment. With that knowledge in mind, I waited until her foot had reached my chest. It would hurt, break a few ribs perhaps, but that was an easy trade to make for being able to sink my claws into the length of her leg the moment she made impact. With both sets of claws embedded deep enough to feel the delicious ‘tap’ of hitting bone, she would not be able to pull away so easily.

Our fucking ribs! You didn’t even try to block!

The little morsel had yet to realize the strengths of a Deathless within a hunt. Wounds are things to trade. Exchange a severed limb to land a few slashes. Trade a handful of broken bones to close the distance towards an enemy. None of the wounds mattered much to a Deathless. If you learned to manage the pain, relish in it, even, you would outmaneuver any mortal with ease. Humans especially are so afraid of being hurt, they do not even begin to comprehend a predator that cares not for its own health.

Such was the case for the Marked. She had not been expecting me to willingly accept the stone-splitting kick to the center of my chest without attempting to block or dodge. That mistake has cost her.

With my claws inside of her leg, she was locked into a dangerous proximity with a predator that could gut her in moments. To my surprise, I watched the Marked perform perhaps the only smart decision she had remaining in her position. Her right arm became coated with a sharp golden magic that trailed from the tips of her fingers down the length of her arm until it reached her elbow. With a swift strike, the Marked cut through her own leg, the sizzling smell of burning flesh accompanying the brief hiss of magic cutting through bone. With no hesitation of fear whatsoever, the Marked had severed her own leg, and pushed herself away from me with another short blast of energy. It seemed to be more focused on escaping than causing damage, only lightly burning the claws that were now holding a leg no longer attached to its owner.

Oh my Gods she just… her own leg!

A good decision. It was a liability she could not afford. She remains at a disadvantage, however. This hunt shouldn’t last much longer.

Luckily, with a severed leg at my disposal, I had a plentiful source of blood to use for-

Lilith, no! I just told them I was learning blood magic. If you start using it in front of them they’ll either think I’m lying, or they put the pieces together that I’m not quite alone.

I resented that the fledgling made a good point. As much as I hated the idea of not using my greatest weapon, further usage of blood magic would be difficult for my little morsel to excuse amongst the bizarre entourage we stayed with.

No blood magic, then. This would still be easy enough.

I quickly charged at the Marked with inhuman speed, her own leg still held tightly in my right hands. I might not be using blood magic, but I could still use this appendage to my benefit. Once the distance had been closed between us, I pulled back the arm that held the severed leg and launched it at the Marked as hard as I could. It forced movement from the woman, which would let me capitalize on her repositioning with ease.

As the bloodied leg sailed towards her, she leapt to her right in order to avoid the appendage. I raced towards the location that she would land on, my glinting white teeth already anticipating the sensation of sinking into delicate flesh.

A brief image of surprise flashed across the woman’s face. It was the last she would ever manage as my teeth sunk into her neck with ease. I landed on all fours, skidding through the soft dirt of the garden before my momentum slowed. I wrapped a hand around the woman’s face to give me leverage to pull the teeth latched to her throat out, spraying me in a sweet red ichor. When I moved to take another bite of the torn flesh beneath, I felt a sharp pain accompany a lessening of weight on my left arm. Strange, usually that feeling implied that I had lost a limb.

I turned my head to look behind me. A Marked woman, the very same as the bloodied corpse beneath me, confidentiality held up a bloodied shadow-soaked claw. Looking down to my own left hand revealed only a bloodied stump. That was my hand.

The Laia from earlier had closed the distance while I snuffed the one that bled on the ground beneath me. Sounds of a struggle to the side of me revealed that Sebil and Cecelia were currently fighting a Laia. But that meant-

There are three?!

I felt yet another sudden bright searing pain spread along my back, an impact so fierce that I was launched forwards towards the woman in front of me, who was already twisting her body around to put her entire body weight into a roundhouse kick that landed squarely between two ribs. The collaboratory attack sent me flying through the doorway of the main temple, the flimsy material collapsing lazily under my weight. I raised my throbbing head off of the wooden floor, ignoring the pain of everything from broken bones to splintered wood that found its way into my backside. My furious red eyes shot back and forth between the three Marked women that stood in the courtyard. Four, if you counted the very dead one that lay in the dirt.

How are you managing this pain! F-fuck this hurts so bad.

I could hear the fledgling crying out in pain from the back of my mind. Another distraction much like the pain that I felt, that I could not afford to entertain. I crawled out of the wreckage of the doorway, lumbering into the courtyard once more. One of the women was still occupied with the blonde woman and that fucking oil spill of a man, thankfully. That meant I would just need to fight the two of them at once.

Excellent. It would not be my first Ménage à trois.

What?!

A demon can be allowed a little fun, no?

I raced towards the two women, feigning my approach towards the one on the right by swiftly changing directions at the last moment towards the Laia on the left. The change in directions allowed me to catch a small chunk of skin along her right arm as she moved out of the way.

The Laia from behind moved in to push me into an awkward position with a woman in front, and a woman behind. Not the position I often took in circumstances like this.

You have to tell more if we survive this, Lilith.

The next minute was a blur. I must have been focusing quite a bit, because my body was moving in ways that I hadn’t had to in years. I felt alive. It had been quite some time since I had any prey of worth. Most of my hunts were a brisk but savored endeavor. But compared to this, they felt like nothing more than an evening snack.

I moved like a symphony of darkness, my shadowed form dipping and twisted around the glowing fists of the two women. I could not help but plaster a wide grin across my face at the delicious adrenaline that coursed through my veins. It almost hurts to imagine the hunt coming to a close. Every fiber of my nature wanted to find a way to prolong this delectable encounter with the best the Empire had to offer.

Unfortunately, not even the best could hold a candle to me and all that I was.

Lilith?

Centuries of strife would not be undone so easily by duplicated blind women. I was so much more.

What do you mean? Lilith, are you listening to me?

Even amongst Deathless, I was more.

Instincts, it seemed, would not allow the hunt’s inevitable ending to be delayed any longer. My body subconsciously moved with the lifetimes of a predator. I had let Laia #2 land a hit on my chest. Using the inertia from the strike, I launched myself backwards towards Laia #3, my claws were already outstretched to find the home they so desperately sought in the woman’s face. My claws slid into her skull with an ease that sent pleasure shivering down my spine. I only wished I had more time to savor the sight of the woman instantly growing limp. I leveraged the position my feet had on the soft earth to twist my body around, launching the now dead Laia #3 into Laia #2. The impact of one body into the other sent her tumbling to the ground with the weight of a corpse blanketed over the top of her.

She did not manage to get up fast enough. I raised my taloned foot above her head, and pushed enough force into my leg to feel the earth beneath the woman shake as it crushed her skull with frightening ease.

You are so lucky that I can’t throw up in our head.

I disregarded the queasy voice in the back of my head, instead using my sense of smell to finally utilize the momentary peace I had to locate the ‘original’ Laia. Each of the dead duplicates lacked the magical core that a person possesses, making it trivial to identify which are duplicates and which is the real Laia. The woman must have known to be cautious. Her scent was coming from outside of the estate, on the side near the front gate. Only… it was moving.

I would just need to-

“Laia, stop! He’s just been corrupted by its influence, he doesn’t need to die!” The Marked man, Lucas, looked to be pleading to the remaining Laia. I noted with satisfaction that another dead duplicate was decaying in the center of the courtyard. They must have dispatched one before this replacement made it to the estate.

“They defend the monster. They will die all the same.” The Laia number…5(?) spoke.

“Not this one! I’ve spoken to him, I truly believe he can be saved!”

“He has already participated in killing a Marked construct. The Empire decrees that as an act of treason, punishable by death. Step aside, brother, I will make this quick.”

Laia #5 moved towards the prone Sebil. I could not tell exactly what injuries he had sustained, but I relished the idea that he had been harmed at all. When Laia moved towards Sebil, however, Lucas placed himself between the two of them.

“He is acting under the malicious influence of the Deathless! Judge his character by his actions once we dispatch the beast.”

“They’ve spent too long around the monster. They all die, Lucas.”

Laia raised her arm out to the side, a glowing golden spear beginning to form from the center of her palm. The final form of the golden weapon was magnificent, a true weapon of war, with a serrated edge to the tip of the spear. Impressive.

Lilith! Give me control!

Absolutely not.

“Laia, please! You don’t understand, I’ve talked to him enough to know he’s good at heart! You can’t kill an innocent man of the Empire!”

Laia stood still for a moment, before tilting her head ever so slightly to the left. It was odd to watch an argument between the two of them. Without judging their emotions from their eyes due to the blindfolds, I was watching their mouths intently. Laia spoke with cold precision. Something that Lucas had also done the first times we encountered him. In this conversation, however, Lucas was far more animated than his sister. It looked like a man was arguing with a statue.

“An innocent man would not protect an evil of this degree. I suggest you watch your words, Lucas. You are nipping at the heels of blasphemy, brother.”

“How can you be sure his actions are his own when in the presence of Baehevar! It’s corruption knows no bounds, leave his fate to be decided once the beast is dead.”

Lilith, now! She’s going to kill Sebil!

I liked the sound of that.

Lilith…

I began to feel my body tense. What was this sensation? Was the fledgling attempt to rip control from my grasp?

“It’s corruption knows no bounds… I understand now.” Laia spoke with the first glimmer of emotion I had yet to see from the woman. Her grip tightened around the spear, and I noticed with a deep intrigue, that her blindfold seemed to darken from some sort of wetness around her eyes.

Oh my Gods… she’s going to kill him…

It was only a matter of time before that spark plug met his end.

No. Lucas.

Then another threat will be dealt with. How fortunate.

Lilith, I need control, now. I’m not letting that fucking idiot die.

“I’m sorry, brother. I could not save you swiftly enough. It seems you’ve already been corrupted by the beast. Defying the Empire, defending the enemy. I failed you, Lucas.”

“L-Laia…? What are you-”

“I’ll make this swift.”

With a revolting pressure felt inside of my mind and throughout every inch of my body I felt- Control work it’s way back into my grasp. Taking control from Lilith hurt. Not emotionally, mind you, but the sensation of pulling her out of the ‘driver seat’ felt uniquely dissociative. It was my only choice, however. If she wouldn’t give me control, I would have to take control.

I hated Lucas, but I wasn’t going to let him be cut down by his own sister because she was too obstinate to realize what was going on.

I fell to all fours and ran as fast as I was able to. I could see Laia pulling the spear back in her grasp, giving her enough space to swing the weapon. From the way she positioned it, I realized that she was aiming to swipe her weapon across Lucas’ neck. She did say she would make it swift, I suppose.

“Laia!”

Lucas pulled back in shock, clearly dumbfounded when he realized what Laia was preparing to do. He was lucky that I had closed enough distance when she began to swing the weapon. The scalding pain of the spear made disgustingly sloppy cuts into my side as it pierced flesh with its holy form. I didn’t give Laia #5 enough time to react once she realized her weapon hadn’t hit Lucas. I swiped my claws across the duplicate’s face with one hand, and across her neck with the other. My second strike must have had more force behind it than I had intended, as the woman’s head viscerally tore from her neck and tumbled to the ground nearby.

‘INSOLENT MORSEL! Why would you ruin such a perfect opportunity to allow our enemies to dispatch each other?!’

Thankfully, when Laia #5 had died, the holy weapon that butchered my skin had faded, leaving a gaping wound that smelled of scorched flesh and putrid blood. I turned to look towards Lucas and Sebil. Both of them looked shocked at what had just happened, but I noted that Lucas looked especially surprised, having yet to move from the pose he held when he thought his sister would strike him down.

My senses were set on fire by the sudden presence of Laia’s scent. It wasn’t like the artificial scent I had detected on each of the duplicates. This one felt like the true Laia that I, or Lilith rather, had detected outside of the front gate earlier in our fight. I turned to look towards the confident Marked woman that stood just outside of the front gate and realized instantly why the scent had felt so overwhelming to me. It wasn’t just hers.

A bloodied Phern sat on her knees in the front gateway, her hands shaking at her sides, a pungent fear dripping off of the scent of spices that she always smelled of. I twisted my sight to Cecelia in confusion. I thought that Phern was being protected by Cecelia?

She was, in fact. A small curled up Phern lay on the ground beneath a very confused Cecelia. In an instant, I realized the difference between the two. The scent of the Phern beneath Cecelia felt hollow, lacking the distinct substance of spice that formed her core. It was exactly like the duplicates smelled hollow.

The Laia in the doorway snapped her fingers. Instantly, every single duplicate that lay limp across the courtyard of the estate began to shimmer out of existence, a golden dust twinkling into the air as the bodies vanished. I watched Cecelia scream out as the Phern she held close to her in her arms turned to golden dust. The Phern she had been protecting was just another duplicate created by Laia. Meaning the real Phern was on her knees in front of Laia, at the mercy of the cold collected woman.

“I will have your beast, you belligerent bandits.” Laia spoke loud enough for her voice to coat the silent courtyard. No one dared move out of fear of what would be done to Phern. Despite not having the eyes to confirm it, I felt her violent gaze locked directly on me.

“Fine! You can have me. Please, just let Phern go.” My voice quivered. I cautiously took a few steps towards Laia, raising my claws up into the air to emphasize my willingness to go easily.

“Very well. You come with me, and I’ll let this girl go.” A vicious smirk spread across her lips. “Into the afterlife.” Her right arm began to glow, and before a single thought had entered my mind, I was sprinting towards Phern on all fours, a desperate growl ripping itself out of my throat.

“That sigil… Xavier! Don’t go into-”

A warning? From Lucas? My confusion about his concern was double by the strange sensation that overtook my body. When I had reached Phern, who kneeled before Laia, I suddenly became aware of the golden sigils that were etched into the earth in a circle around Phern. I had already entered the circumference, which seemed to trigger the trap that had been placed. What felt like a hundred ropes of burning golden light burst from the ground and wrapped themselves around me. The last motion I was able to make before I was restrained was to pull Phern towards myself to cover her body with my own. The moment I did so, the ropes snapped themselves into the earth, slamming me against the ground with enough force that I could feel the vertebrae along my spine crack and dislodge themselves.

I was unable to raise my head to look at Laia, but her words reached my ears easily.

“An animal will always end up in a trap. It’s only a matter of time…”