Chapter 20 #3
“No! I can’t survive without it. I need it!” she wailed, trying to waft the remnants of the mist toward her nose.
Thrasik wound himself steadily past his own entryway until he was flush against the bars.
His scales vibrated with Vratra’s threat at his chosen being harmed.
The creatures, which he could only assume were the voidlings mentioned before, stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the pallid naga.
One who somehow escaped his cell and was now directly in their path.
A larger beast approached, it was barely covered in rusty armor and had blood running down the side of its furred snout.
It curled its ashen lips back and barked a command at a few of the smaller creatures.
They all brandished claws and weapons, albeit with a stutter of hesitation in their soulless gazes.
Locking eyes with Vratra, Thrasik rattled his hood in support.
His spines stood on end, puffing himself up to appear larger than he was.
Turning toward the group of undead beasts, Thrasik threw himself between them and Vratra.
He extended his arms, bared his claws, and just as they began to close in he unfurled his hood and roared a deeply guttural battle cry.
His dark obsidian form protecting that which was once reminiscent of the sun itself felt like an ill omen in the recesses of his mind.
Venom sprayed off his fangs and splattered a nearby voidling. What remained of its flesh began to sizzle as it shrieked in pain.
Odd.
He hadn’t recalled being able to create his venom at will unless it was during such an intense moment of bodily bonding. Even then, that venom was different.
The creature pawed at its skull, desperate to wipe the acidic substance away. Nearby voidlings backed up and shook their heads as though not wanting to assist or risk being harmed themselves.
The larger one stepped forward on awkwardly bent legs, snarling while it reached for the tormented one.
Without any hesitation, it wrapped a skeletal hand around the throat of the voidling and slammed it against the nearest wall.
A sharp gurgle cried out before being ceased entirely by a single bite.
That’s the one. Take it down and find her.
Thrasik’s pupils pined. His sole target was acquired based off how the other voidlings responded to its strange yaps and barks.
“It’s a gnoll captain! A tribe of them were tormenting a city on our outskirts months ago,” shouted Vratra with a spit of disgust.
Staring at the beast, Thrasik cocked his head. He could almost make out the shape of what one would consider a gnoll. A beast man of some type. Or at least, what remained.
Half of its face was gone in what seemed to be wounds from a burn.
Its scarred eyes were glazed over in a blind haze.
Slobber flew from its jagged teeth as it slammed its weapon’s hilt against the armor tied to its chest. A dark concave of blood and sinew splayed where its furred belly should form a muscular protection.
Thrasik didn’t look any further after shifting his gaze to the myriad of half-necrotic beings surrounding the gnoll. Disgust smeared across his maw at the knowledge of what this could mean.
“He lied.” Ophelia’s words cut through the air that mingled with growls and clacking teeth.
The voidlings before Thrasik all perked their heads up and tilted to look at their snarling leader.
“What hell is this? Where am I?” The words cried sharply from Ophelia’s sobbing lips.
Thrasik peered over his shoulder at Vratra. The pale naga was coiled around the frantic woman. Pointing with his snout toward the cell, Vratra nodded in response as he tried to drag her in there with him. Laying in shards on the floor was the very necklace she’d regarded so highly.
Turning back to face the gnoll captain, Thrasik’s scales shook with an unease he hadn’t felt in ages.
This would be easier than fighting the gryphons.
Yet, something still ate at the back of his mind.
An uncertain fear as to what could be happening to his betrothed if these were the creatures running away.
Coiling upon himself, he shook his mind clear of those thoughts. He would soon find her and they’d be free of this demented cathedral.
Thrasik stretched his claws and hissed at the gnoll, “C’mere. Fight me like you mean it!”
The gnoll barked harshly to the creatures along its sides. They all splayed to the walls and trembled. Turning toward Thrasik, the gnoll licked what remained of its maw and laughed.
“A gracious death! Rid me of this curse, scaled devil!” Its declaration and request surprisingly hit a pang deep within Thrasik.
But, he didn’t have time to consider the meaning behind it as they lunged toward each other. All he knew was this defiled creature stood between him and his mission, and unfortunately it had to be cut down since it wouldn’t stand aside.
He would fight this entire cathedral if it meant making it back to Griselda’s side.
And if that’s what it took, then he would fight until his very last scale was ripped from his body.