The Magi's Society

Mevi pulled herself forward with grim determination, willing her gemstone device to brighten in illumination enough that the dimness spread across most of the room. While not the burning torch she created once before, the light was still yet bright enough to allow her enhanced eyes to see the features of the gore-covered den. The walls had been made into cruel paintings of viscera and flayed skin, a disturbing display of some cruel intelligence. Piles of remaining flesh, bone, and meat lay in varying mounds around the room, diligently stacked. Varying sized bones seemed to be almost fastened to the ground and low walls, rising as intimidating stakes and crude effigies. Mevi was holding onto her consciousness with her willpower alone, and the horrifying sight of twisted expression within the dead eyes she saw before had made her hope waver. Yet in the twisted cruelty of the place, and the welling pit that formed within her, Mevi was determined to strike against the monster that had decorated the foul chamber.

Mevi stumbled about the center of the room, glancing around the territory for things that might become useful in her rebellion against what fate laid out for her. While her mind seemed segmented, even screaming out against the horror she faced, she was single-minded in her delusions. She must wound or kill this monstrosity that committed such foul deeds. Even within her own mind, as she searched the room and gathered bone stakes and sharp rocks, she could not tell how or why she was still moving. At times her leg would begin to fail her, only for her to force its function back to life and continue against all sane judgment. Even within her own body she felt like some foreign part of herself had taken over, and was forcing away the thoughts, images, and memories of what sprawled around her. She allowed this part of her control, and its anger was a torrent railing against the dam of her inabilities and injuries.

The steps to Mevi’s goal seemed simple in her single-minded vision; she required a den of her own to hide within that would allow her a position of ambush. Her fragmented thoughts that were being consumed by exhaustion and anger, understood in some way the creature could not see or sense its surroundings well. The monster could barely climb a mostly simple ledge, it didn’t seem to have eyes to assist it, and most importantly her gemstone device allowed her some strange degree of concealment against the creature. It somehow knew she was nearby, despite her device hiding her within the rubble of the ancient corridor, yet even with its searching tendrils it didn’t attempt to look or change its vantage. The thing seemed entirely dependent on some other sense than vision, maybe sound, smell, or heat? Whatever compelled the life within the monstrosity seemed incapable of more complex perception. By hiding her presence in a well enough manner, enhanced by her device, she might get close enough to the monster she could strike it. Where her blow landed, and how, could determine her success or inevitable failure, yet from the brief glances she caught of the creature she didn’t recall anything that looked important enough to aim for. Mevi’s jumbled thoughts and confused movements didn’t help her comprehend her own plan, or the force she would soon face.

Mevi stumbled in confusion while making a few different attempts at a plan, with what resources she could scavenge, while not directly defiling any of the corpses. Her first attempt was a strewn together curtain of old decaying cloth and bone, yet without better tools she couldn’t make it hold together. The curtain meant to act as a sort of tent, but incapable of standing upright enough without the use of more than unsavory means. Her second attempt was to scale some of the larger bones, which were disturbingly as large as she was amongst the tallest, and find a way to hide high on the wall or reach the tall ceiling. Neither plan worked, and she could not properly climb the rough bone well enough due to her pained leg. Her final strategy was her least favored, but only remaining option. She needed to hide within a pile of death and wait in ambush for her predator.

Mevi briefly considered prowling the alternate passages, of which there were two others. Yet the other corridors were strewn with rubble, collapsing walls, and too small gaps for her to fit within. One of the passages seemed newly crumbled, the dust not settling and the ichor still partially wet along the walls and stone. There was only one way in or out, and the passages she could attempt to explore were limited. If she returned to the craterous room, and attempted to descend the small cliff only to climb a new one, the amount of time it would take alone could spell her doom. If not from the monster catching her scent and attacking, if it wasn’t already there, then from falling and gaining new injuries. In her confused state she could barely even fathom what monotonous tasks she gave herself to search for useful supplies. She realized, as she refocused her thoughts, that she wasn’t finding many useful items for revenge. What she thought were long and sharp rocks for a trap, spiked bones for speartip, and long sheets of cloth for coverings was actually little more than pebbles and scrap. Her grip on what her own mind perceived around her was fading fast. Her own force of will could only strengthen her for so long.

Mevi came to the realization that she would soon become completely delirious if she didn’t fall into unconsciousness first. Either situation would spell her own doom if the monster happened upon her. With what remains of her strength she needed to strike at the beast. Looking down at her arm and noticing the almost throbbing black veins, she startled herself with the reminder that her device crippled her functions and coherence. She deactivated the illumination, its light was barely perceivable to her at this point as the long shadows danced like foul harlequin in hallucinations around her. Her head was spinning, and her body ached against her toil. Yet she knew if she rested for too long it might be the last domino before her complete collapse. She remained standing, a blind warden in the eternal darkness. Focusing on her breathing, and the reclamation of what remained of her own thoughts.

As the disorienting effects of her gemstone device dissipated, and her mind was less shattered, Mevi collected what remained of herself to enact her plan. She wasn’t entirely certain of the creature’s senses, or even if it survived the encounter with the new monstrosity, but at least she knew it reacted and sensed her device’s activation of light and power. Mevi held her right hand in front of her, and commanded a beckoning light, a power bright and furious enough it could summon the devil from whatever hole it hid within. Her palm burst into power and splendor, blue light danced across the room and illuminated its foul icons of horror. The light gave off a warming glow that grew quickly into a hot power. As her bright display lit the room, some shadows seemed to fight against the overwhelming force. Long winding silhouettes cast around her, twisting and swirling as if in agony of the light, yet they soon dissipated. Mevi felt almost emboldened by her own illumination, the heat didn’t seem to hurt her despite its intensity. Black veins were creeping up her arm, but her body felt stronger and without fatigue. The curious effects were soon lost on her as the rumbling cry of a metallic anger echoed faintly from far away. Her monster had heard her.

Dousing her light to nothing more than a dim glow, and striding from the center of the room with her fatigue lessened, she swore a brief prayer towards whatever would listen. Mevi gathered what materials she scavenged and approached the mound of death. With a moment’s hesitation she immersed herself in the pile of flesh and gore that stood next to the only passage leading further into the decrepit ruins. She had found some small amount of cloth and used it to cover herself in a light quantity of the surrounding murder. Deactivating her only source of illumination, she laid in wait. Her right hand now clasped tight to her bending hammer and new instrument of justice.

There were several moments of silence in the disgusting camouflage, but soon a faint rumble echoed into the chamber. Despite her gemstone device’s deactivation her monster was still coming, and fast. The distant rumble evolved into muffled cries, and when screaming rage could be heard loudly Mevi knew it had reached the crater. Its speed was beyond what Mevi had witnessed prior, yet it had also not been provoked by her so plainly before. As the rage railed against the short cliff not too far away, Mevi decided she rested long enough and commanded her concealment. What small amount of shadows Mevi could make out were now gone in the darkened pile she laid upon. Mevi was covered only by a loose scattering of rotting flesh and hidden under the cloth she scavenged.

The beast’s rage would prove effective, as its assault of rock, metal, and ledge took less time than before to breach. The beast’s boiling fury was settling, yet still angered and thrashing as it charged down the passage back to its den. Mevi kept one eye unveiled to watch for movement, but she wouldn’t have needed it with the loud stomping of the creature’s heavy footsteps. Its march felt as if an army was patrolling the hallway in unison, creating vibrations felt long before its stench was perceived. As the creature approached its domain, yet something seemed to be wrong about its rhythm. Mevi felt as if the rumbling charge was less powerful than it once was, despite it being encouraged by her invitation. As it came into her perception, and stepped through the arch of the passage, Mevi could feel a radiating heat and hear the spilling of a sloshing lifeblood against the ground. The creature seemed to be dragging parts of itself against the ground, and the signs of its battle were evident. While Mevi could not see the beast’s form, but the way it carried itself and the sound of splashing ooze made evident that it had been wounded in some way.

The monster fully entered the chamber, and was doing little more than stumbling to a stop. The behemoth form cast a shadow large enough that even in the enhanced darkness Mevi could sense its presence. It stumbled into the center of the room, as if confused or searching for something. It didn’t seem to turn or investigate near Mevi at all. She felt that waiting would prevail over a sudden attack. It still seemed on edge, and despite its own fatigue the weak billowing air showed some of its tendrils were still functioning and searching its environment.

So Mevi waited. She knew that her mind began to fail around five minutes of constant use, but she needed to make sure her ambush was in the best position before springing her trap. She thought to lessen her shroud, but until the monster settled she couldn’t risk it. Mevi tried to count the seconds, but they felt like an eternity, the passing time was already wearing on her weakened mind. As time passed by she began to feel the dull confusion produced by her device, the creature moved to fall to the ground. She waited and listened for longer, and the grasping tendrils slowed. Mevi felt this her only opportunity to try and reduce the device’s strain, she begged the device to lessen the shroud enough that she could have more time but still be concealed. Her communion with the device was strange, and it seemed to understand her desires despite her not understanding the device. She could feel the air’s density lower as her shroud dissipated slightly, relieving some of the burden from her. The creature stirred, but its own senses seemed dulled enough it didn’t seem to directly perceive the subtle change.

Mevi waited longer, and used her device longer than she had done so before. With the lessened effects it seemed to offer several more minutes where she could properly understand her surroundings, or could it have been only seconds? Regardless it wouldn’t last. Mevi made slow movements, testing first by moving just a single finger back and forth. Then she rotated her wrist, and eventually began slowly peeling off the crude camouflage. She rose from her position slowly, still not noticed by the monster. Moving to a standing position, and only able to use her instinct to guide her animosity, Mevi began slowly moving through the room. The beast’s own heavy breathing and leaking lifeblood covered what few sounds she might’ve made.

Wielding the hammer, and feeling the bodily heat grow stronger and stronger, the miasma it produced wettening Mevi’s skin. Mevi felt herself approaching the beast. She could not know how close she was or how close she should approach the monster, but her mind was slowly fading. She was fighting against time, and she needed to strike before her own consciousness failed her. Mevi felt her chance to strike was now, or she would never again find her righteous fury satiated.

Raising the hammer above her head, and looking down into the dark abyss of shadow and pitch below her, Mevi used only the guiding gusts of breath to target her mark. She channeled the pain, confusion, and anger of her situation. She recoiled in rage and disgust at the memory of the murdered, defiled into fell icons. She poured all the emotion that overwhelmed her judgment and clouded her mind. She felt her arm pulsating in pain and her mind aching in response. She didn’t care if she lost her other arm, she needed her strike to be true and lethal.

Mevi struck down and in the moment of her rage against fate her gemstone device lit the room with dark anger. Her hammer wielded itself like the reaper’s gavel being brought down against the monster that had destroyed so much. The creature didn’t get a chance to react, as the room was filled with a monochrome light that drowned color and features, and only the dark pit that had been forming within Mevi remained. As her strike fell, so did she.

Feeling herself collapsing, and hearing a dangerous rumble around her, Mevi hit the wet floor hard and felt herself drift into darkness once again. For what felt like many times already, Mevi could feel her consciousness become malleable and ethereal again. Dark shadows and morphing shapes filling what remained of her mind.

As Mevi felt nothing, saw nothing, and could only sense the empty expanse around her, she somehow knew she wasn’t dead. But what remained of her seemed to almost be fading, and her lucidity was failing her. Her last thoughts were of hoping to see Kalesi again.