The Viking
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Chapter 14.
*The cathedral of flesh.*
"What's this? A cathedral in the midst of destruction, flame, and massacre and unscathed? Of all the buildings here, the demons left something unharmed which they supposedly would hate the most." Algaran was thinking up loud, although the others agreed with it. How could a being like a demon, the soul nemesis of God and heaven, leave a sanctuary of Christendom unharmed? Dareth was the first to speak after a brief moment of silence. "Maybe it's because something's in there, something like the master. those demons mentioned earlier." Jadira nodded. "But still, normally such beings would burn the place down or take it down with their own hands. I wonder what could be in there." "There's only one way to find out!" Dareth rested his sword on his shoulder and walked towards the massive doors.
"It's pretty heavy, can you give me a hand?" Dareth was pushing against the door with his shoulder, but it did not move. The others helped him, but it didn't to anything at all. "I think something is blocking it from the other side. Probably a wooden beam or something like that." Dareth pulled his sword backwards over his head, and striked at the door. "****! it's reinforced with some kind of thick metal, I can't get through!" Karima stepped forward. "I think I can help with that." She crossed the daggers. The well known glows appeared once more. She thrusted the ice dagger into the door, and it completely froze. "Now hit it again, it will break like glass." Algaran nodded. "Good thinking girl, the way you improvise is starting to impress me." She proudly smiled. "Alright, stop boasting her ego already, we better prepare for what might be in here. Here we go!" Dareth swung his blade again, and the door shattered into countless small pieces.
What they saw next, was everything beyond their imagination and expectations. The walls were covered with flesh, limbs and bones were sticking out. Heads were moaning for help, they screamed and cried. The scariest thing was, it was if the flesh walls formed something alive. The walls were alive, imprisoning the victims of the demon raid. The stench here was nothing compared to the one outside. The stench and the very look of this place was so overwhelming Karima vomited along with Jadira and Algaran. Dareth was the only one able to stand his ground. "So this is why it was unscathed, only to defile it. Who in the nine hells would do such a thing!?" *Welcome mortals, I welcome you in my beautiful sanctuary of flesh! I am it's artist, I crafted walls from those pitiful human beings to make them a part of bigger whole. Don't you think it's beautiful, mortal? Don't you like the flesh, the bones, the eyes, the voices, the cries and the moans?"
"Where the **** are you, and what the **** are you!" Dareth was looking around him. Suddenly something emerged from the wall in front of him. Heaps of flesh were forming a shape. It was a horrible being. Crafted from others' flesh and bones. It had legs that bended to the back, it had a curved back, long arms that ended in long white sharp claws, a head covered with many white horns. It's eyes were white without pupils or an iris. The colour of it's skin was pink and variating as he seemed to be made from different individual corpses. Many black veins ran over his body. It opened it's mouth, it was completely black, with long white sharp teeth. *Don't you think I'm beautiful mortal? Don't you like my flesh, my mortal flesh?* Dareth was disgusted. Not only was it horrible to look at, everything it said made Dareth want to kill it. From the looks of it, it's gender was female, it had breasts with large iron piercings through it's nipples. "You make me sick, you ****ing ugly *****! What the **** are you!" It laughed and it sounded horrible. *You dislike the way I look mortal? Maybe this pleases you more.* Her shape slowly changed into a normal woman. *Is this what fits your view of beauty, mortal?*
"This can't be, Elena!?" Dareth approached her. "Return to me Dareth, I miss you so much!" The voice was no longer that of something demon like, it now sounded like the voice of a young woman. "Elena, can it be, after all this time?" Jadira ran to him and held him back. "Don't listen to it Dareth, that is not your wife!" It spoke again. "I see you've found someone new Dareth, you betrayed me!" "Dareth, don't listen! Your wife died three years go, that can't be her!" Dareth came back to his senses. "So, it was you.. You took them away from me. You ****ing *****! Don't you dare using my wife's body to torture me!" It laughed, the echoâs of it sounded through the entire cathedral. *I was having so much fun, until that ***** interfered, tell me mortal, is she dear to you?* "Don't you ****ing touch her!" *That was the answer I wanted to hear, let me torment you a little more by taking her body as well, just like I did with the other human whore you used to call your wife.* "No! don't get any closer!" It approached Dareth and Jadira. He stood in front of her holding his sword up to protect her. "Jadira, stay behind me!"
It jumped into the wall and reappeared on the other side. It leaped at Jadira, Dareth was barely able to react. He pushed her down, dodged the attack himself, and then slashed it. Blood was all over the place, but it did not seem to harm it. The very moment it landed on the ground again the wound healed. "A regenerator? Just what are you, you *****!" *My name is Azra the fleshcrafter, I am what you mortals would call, an apostle.* "An apostle?" *There are eggshaped objects called behelits scattered throughout this world, whoever finds one will be granted great powers, against a certain price.* "A price!?" *A price like sacrificing those dearest to you. I personally enjoyed the sigh of my family being slaughtered greatly. What about you, mortal? Would you sacrifice your family!?* "If you mean my friends here, the answer is no, if you mean Elena and Morhan, the answer is no, you ****ing *****, I will greatly enjoy seeing you getting slaughtered by my hands, through my blade!"
*Hahaha, you amuse me mortal, let's see if you can keep this up!* It jumped into one of the walls and came out from above swooping at Dareth. He quickly noticed it, and stepped aside, swung with his sword at it, but it dodged!? "It's fast!" It disappeared and reappeared many times, Dareth was able to dodge it, but unable to hit it. The apostle realized this too and this aimed at Jadira. "Look out!" But it was too late, Jadira was pummelled through the air, hitting the ground. However, she quickly stood up "Next time, at least ask me, if I want to play with you, you hell*****." She ran at Azra and hit it with the full impact of Bercheros' enchanted hammer. With great speed Azra was thrown through the air, hitting the wall. *Mortal, you really think such a thing can harm me? The moment I touch this wall, my injuries are healed, no matter how severe they are.* It merged with the wall and reappeared behind Jadira. She jumped up and tried to hit it from above. It dodged and Jadira hit the floor. "Help me!" She had made a large hole in the floor with her hammer, and fell through. "Dareth!" Dareth ran to the edge of the hole, but it was too late. "Jadira! Nooo!" "Please.... Not again.. Jadiraaaaaa!" She fell deeper and deeper, screaming for Dareth, until she disappeared in the darkness.
*Finally that's one bothers less, now, who is next.* Dareth looked up. "Algaran ! Protect her!" He nodded and stood in front of Karima. Behind Algaran, Karima crossed her daggers, ready to defend herself should Algaran fail. Algaran spoke a spell in the arcane language. Bright flames were coming from the palms of his hands, ready to scorch whatever would come near them. Dareth lost himself again. The thought of losing her, just when they were about to bloom, enraged Dareth to his very core. He leaped at Azra and slashed her, over and over again. The red glow appeared again. His strength, his speed greatly increased. The wounds couldn't regenerate fast enough to keep up with Dareth's sword. Azra was in pain. She got away by jumping into the wall just in time. *Mortal.. that sword, Malleus Consumus, in common tongue, The demon souldrinker of darkness. No mortal should wield it, it was never meant to be in the hands of a mortal! Where did you get it!?* But Dareth's hatred made him deaf and blind for everything but revenge on Azra. "Get back here, now!"
It came out of the walls, and stood still. *Mortal, you leave me no choice.* Suddenly the walls started to move, heaps of flesh were falling down, and sliding towards Azra. Some of the rather intact bodies were trying to crawl away, but it was no use. Azra absorbed everything and increased in size with every chunk of meat that touched it. Azra was now the size of ten grown men, huge and monstrous reassuming the shape it first took when it first appeared. Faces appeared in it's skin, the same faces from the wall *Now, let's play again mortal!* Dareth leaped at Azra and jumped up as he slashed her lower abdomen. It instantly healed, Azra tossed him to the ground, as she hit him with her huge fist. "Dareth!" He did not move. "Come on, now it's up to us!" Algaran and Karima ran to Azra. Algaran used his flame spell to set Azra on fire. Jadira tried to freeze her with the dagger, but only small chunks of flesh would freeze and fall off. The flames stopped burning abruptly. *Don't you think a creature made in hell would have full resistance to the flames, foolish mage!* Azra looked at Karima. *Such a pure little thing, won't you join me?" Karima stepped back in fear. Azra reached out it's left hand and grabbed her. *so beautiful, so young, so pure, yes! You will become part of my masterpiece! Hahaha!* Azra ripped Karima clothes off and then moved Karima to her now gaping chest. "No! Help me! Dareth! Algaran!"
Algaran reached for her. "Karima!"
Karima's voice made Dareth wake up, he saw what was happening. *Yes, I can feel it.* Karima slowly disappeared in the gaping hole, she was sucked in, and soon only her head was left. "Dareth.. help me..." She cried and was awfully afraid. "Dareeeeth!" *Too late.* The hole closed and Karima was gone. "Karima, nooo!" "Why! Why is this happening to me!? You ****ing bastards, you already took enough!" Dareth was heavily breathing, and barely had any strength to stand up. He dropped on his knees and took his helmet off. "Why am I the one who lives!? This time, you will have to kill me too!" *That can be arranged, mortal..* She walked over to Dareth. Algaran tried to interfere but got kicked away. Suddenly the ground started to shake, debris was flying up. An explosion? No, something bursted through the floor. It was Jadira!
She was wearing a golden chestplate, golden gauntlets and golden boots, over her chainmail. Her eyes were blank and emitted a yellow light. Her hair was going up as if the wind came from below. "Azra the fleshcrafter, your end is near. As a servant of the holy light I shall take your life and send your soul back to the abyss where it belongs" Obviously the armour she was now wearing was no ordinary armour. It used to belong to a holy champion, buried deep beneath the cathedral along with her gear, to keep it safe until the time would come, when it would be needed once more.
Jadira seemed unstoppable now. She ran towards Azra and held the hammer behind her back, ready to strike with it. Azra underestimated this and stood still waiting for the weapon to strike her. Jadira tightened her muscles and readied herself to swing the hammer at Azra's head. She jumped up, and struck Azra in the face with the power of an earthquake. Azra was blown back and flew through the wall, falling down outside the cathedral. "Jadira?" Dareth got up, his strength had returned. He put his helmet back on and followed Jadira outside. The wall itself was bleeding, probably from the enormous impact Jadira made on it's master. Meanwhile Jadira noticed Karima was missing. "Dareth, where is Karima!?" He shook his head. "That thing took her, it buried her inside it's body!" Dareth was holding back his tears. Jadira was shocked. "That thing.. It.. Then let's take her back, now!" Dareth nodded. They both leaped towards Azra who was still recovering. *Before you kill me, know that if I die, your precious friend will die with me.* "What!? No, that can't be!" Both Dareth and Jadira stood still now, shocked by what Azra just said. "Dareth, I...We.. can't.." Dareth dropped his sword. *This is why you are weak, mortals! Your love for each other will be your downfall. For now, however, I must retreat, we'll meet again.* Azra suddenly gained wings and flew away.
"Dareth, are you all right.." She sat on her knees in front of Dareth. Suddenly he embraced her, putting his head against hers, ear to ear. He cried, and soon Jadira started crying as well. "She's gone.. Poor Karima.." Tears were flowing from Dareth's eyes. Both of them were shaking as they cried. Algaran appeared in the hole of the cathedral. He saw the two sitting on the ground holding each other. A single tear slided over his cheek and dropped on the ground. "Why the girl, you should have taken this old soul instead. Why.." Algaran sat down. He did not show his grief, but he obviously felt it. After a while he stood up. "Dareth, Jadira, come, we should go back. We'll have our revenge on that monster, and maybe I could even find a way to get her back, but we must retreat as well, for now." Dareth stood up and nodded. He wiped the tears from his face. He helped Jadira back on her feet. "He's right, Jadira.." He wiped the tears from her face as well. "We'll have time for sadness and grief later. Let's leave this place." She nodded. Algaran took the lead, Dareth and Jadira followed him, back to the gates of Eldaron.
*The cathedral of flesh.*
"What's this? A cathedral in the midst of destruction, flame, and massacre and unscathed? Of all the buildings here, the demons left something unharmed which they supposedly would hate the most." Algaran was thinking up loud, although the others agreed with it. How could a being like a demon, the soul nemesis of God and heaven, leave a sanctuary of Christendom unharmed? Dareth was the first to speak after a brief moment of silence. "Maybe it's because something's in there, something like the master. those demons mentioned earlier." Jadira nodded. "But still, normally such beings would burn the place down or take it down with their own hands. I wonder what could be in there." "There's only one way to find out!" Dareth rested his sword on his shoulder and walked towards the massive doors.
"It's pretty heavy, can you give me a hand?" Dareth was pushing against the door with his shoulder, but it did not move. The others helped him, but it didn't to anything at all. "I think something is blocking it from the other side. Probably a wooden beam or something like that." Dareth pulled his sword backwards over his head, and striked at the door. "****! it's reinforced with some kind of thick metal, I can't get through!" Karima stepped forward. "I think I can help with that." She crossed the daggers. The well known glows appeared once more. She thrusted the ice dagger into the door, and it completely froze. "Now hit it again, it will break like glass." Algaran nodded. "Good thinking girl, the way you improvise is starting to impress me." She proudly smiled. "Alright, stop boasting her ego already, we better prepare for what might be in here. Here we go!" Dareth swung his blade again, and the door shattered into countless small pieces.
What they saw next, was everything beyond their imagination and expectations. The walls were covered with flesh, limbs and bones were sticking out. Heads were moaning for help, they screamed and cried. The scariest thing was, it was if the flesh walls formed something alive. The walls were alive, imprisoning the victims of the demon raid. The stench here was nothing compared to the one outside. The stench and the very look of this place was so overwhelming Karima vomited along with Jadira and Algaran. Dareth was the only one able to stand his ground. "So this is why it was unscathed, only to defile it. Who in the nine hells would do such a thing!?" *Welcome mortals, I welcome you in my beautiful sanctuary of flesh! I am it's artist, I crafted walls from those pitiful human beings to make them a part of bigger whole. Don't you think it's beautiful, mortal? Don't you like the flesh, the bones, the eyes, the voices, the cries and the moans?"
"Where the **** are you, and what the **** are you!" Dareth was looking around him. Suddenly something emerged from the wall in front of him. Heaps of flesh were forming a shape. It was a horrible being. Crafted from others' flesh and bones. It had legs that bended to the back, it had a curved back, long arms that ended in long white sharp claws, a head covered with many white horns. It's eyes were white without pupils or an iris. The colour of it's skin was pink and variating as he seemed to be made from different individual corpses. Many black veins ran over his body. It opened it's mouth, it was completely black, with long white sharp teeth. *Don't you think I'm beautiful mortal? Don't you like my flesh, my mortal flesh?* Dareth was disgusted. Not only was it horrible to look at, everything it said made Dareth want to kill it. From the looks of it, it's gender was female, it had breasts with large iron piercings through it's nipples. "You make me sick, you ****ing ugly *****! What the **** are you!" It laughed and it sounded horrible. *You dislike the way I look mortal? Maybe this pleases you more.* Her shape slowly changed into a normal woman. *Is this what fits your view of beauty, mortal?*
"This can't be, Elena!?" Dareth approached her. "Return to me Dareth, I miss you so much!" The voice was no longer that of something demon like, it now sounded like the voice of a young woman. "Elena, can it be, after all this time?" Jadira ran to him and held him back. "Don't listen to it Dareth, that is not your wife!" It spoke again. "I see you've found someone new Dareth, you betrayed me!" "Dareth, don't listen! Your wife died three years go, that can't be her!" Dareth came back to his senses. "So, it was you.. You took them away from me. You ****ing *****! Don't you dare using my wife's body to torture me!" It laughed, the echoâs of it sounded through the entire cathedral. *I was having so much fun, until that ***** interfered, tell me mortal, is she dear to you?* "Don't you ****ing touch her!" *That was the answer I wanted to hear, let me torment you a little more by taking her body as well, just like I did with the other human whore you used to call your wife.* "No! don't get any closer!" It approached Dareth and Jadira. He stood in front of her holding his sword up to protect her. "Jadira, stay behind me!"
It jumped into the wall and reappeared on the other side. It leaped at Jadira, Dareth was barely able to react. He pushed her down, dodged the attack himself, and then slashed it. Blood was all over the place, but it did not seem to harm it. The very moment it landed on the ground again the wound healed. "A regenerator? Just what are you, you *****!" *My name is Azra the fleshcrafter, I am what you mortals would call, an apostle.* "An apostle?" *There are eggshaped objects called behelits scattered throughout this world, whoever finds one will be granted great powers, against a certain price.* "A price!?" *A price like sacrificing those dearest to you. I personally enjoyed the sigh of my family being slaughtered greatly. What about you, mortal? Would you sacrifice your family!?* "If you mean my friends here, the answer is no, if you mean Elena and Morhan, the answer is no, you ****ing *****, I will greatly enjoy seeing you getting slaughtered by my hands, through my blade!"
*Hahaha, you amuse me mortal, let's see if you can keep this up!* It jumped into one of the walls and came out from above swooping at Dareth. He quickly noticed it, and stepped aside, swung with his sword at it, but it dodged!? "It's fast!" It disappeared and reappeared many times, Dareth was able to dodge it, but unable to hit it. The apostle realized this too and this aimed at Jadira. "Look out!" But it was too late, Jadira was pummelled through the air, hitting the ground. However, she quickly stood up "Next time, at least ask me, if I want to play with you, you hell*****." She ran at Azra and hit it with the full impact of Bercheros' enchanted hammer. With great speed Azra was thrown through the air, hitting the wall. *Mortal, you really think such a thing can harm me? The moment I touch this wall, my injuries are healed, no matter how severe they are.* It merged with the wall and reappeared behind Jadira. She jumped up and tried to hit it from above. It dodged and Jadira hit the floor. "Help me!" She had made a large hole in the floor with her hammer, and fell through. "Dareth!" Dareth ran to the edge of the hole, but it was too late. "Jadira! Nooo!" "Please.... Not again.. Jadiraaaaaa!" She fell deeper and deeper, screaming for Dareth, until she disappeared in the darkness.
*Finally that's one bothers less, now, who is next.* Dareth looked up. "Algaran ! Protect her!" He nodded and stood in front of Karima. Behind Algaran, Karima crossed her daggers, ready to defend herself should Algaran fail. Algaran spoke a spell in the arcane language. Bright flames were coming from the palms of his hands, ready to scorch whatever would come near them. Dareth lost himself again. The thought of losing her, just when they were about to bloom, enraged Dareth to his very core. He leaped at Azra and slashed her, over and over again. The red glow appeared again. His strength, his speed greatly increased. The wounds couldn't regenerate fast enough to keep up with Dareth's sword. Azra was in pain. She got away by jumping into the wall just in time. *Mortal.. that sword, Malleus Consumus, in common tongue, The demon souldrinker of darkness. No mortal should wield it, it was never meant to be in the hands of a mortal! Where did you get it!?* But Dareth's hatred made him deaf and blind for everything but revenge on Azra. "Get back here, now!"
It came out of the walls, and stood still. *Mortal, you leave me no choice.* Suddenly the walls started to move, heaps of flesh were falling down, and sliding towards Azra. Some of the rather intact bodies were trying to crawl away, but it was no use. Azra absorbed everything and increased in size with every chunk of meat that touched it. Azra was now the size of ten grown men, huge and monstrous reassuming the shape it first took when it first appeared. Faces appeared in it's skin, the same faces from the wall *Now, let's play again mortal!* Dareth leaped at Azra and jumped up as he slashed her lower abdomen. It instantly healed, Azra tossed him to the ground, as she hit him with her huge fist. "Dareth!" He did not move. "Come on, now it's up to us!" Algaran and Karima ran to Azra. Algaran used his flame spell to set Azra on fire. Jadira tried to freeze her with the dagger, but only small chunks of flesh would freeze and fall off. The flames stopped burning abruptly. *Don't you think a creature made in hell would have full resistance to the flames, foolish mage!* Azra looked at Karima. *Such a pure little thing, won't you join me?" Karima stepped back in fear. Azra reached out it's left hand and grabbed her. *so beautiful, so young, so pure, yes! You will become part of my masterpiece! Hahaha!* Azra ripped Karima clothes off and then moved Karima to her now gaping chest. "No! Help me! Dareth! Algaran!"
Algaran reached for her. "Karima!"
Karima's voice made Dareth wake up, he saw what was happening. *Yes, I can feel it.* Karima slowly disappeared in the gaping hole, she was sucked in, and soon only her head was left. "Dareth.. help me..." She cried and was awfully afraid. "Dareeeeth!" *Too late.* The hole closed and Karima was gone. "Karima, nooo!" "Why! Why is this happening to me!? You ****ing bastards, you already took enough!" Dareth was heavily breathing, and barely had any strength to stand up. He dropped on his knees and took his helmet off. "Why am I the one who lives!? This time, you will have to kill me too!" *That can be arranged, mortal..* She walked over to Dareth. Algaran tried to interfere but got kicked away. Suddenly the ground started to shake, debris was flying up. An explosion? No, something bursted through the floor. It was Jadira!
She was wearing a golden chestplate, golden gauntlets and golden boots, over her chainmail. Her eyes were blank and emitted a yellow light. Her hair was going up as if the wind came from below. "Azra the fleshcrafter, your end is near. As a servant of the holy light I shall take your life and send your soul back to the abyss where it belongs" Obviously the armour she was now wearing was no ordinary armour. It used to belong to a holy champion, buried deep beneath the cathedral along with her gear, to keep it safe until the time would come, when it would be needed once more.
Jadira seemed unstoppable now. She ran towards Azra and held the hammer behind her back, ready to strike with it. Azra underestimated this and stood still waiting for the weapon to strike her. Jadira tightened her muscles and readied herself to swing the hammer at Azra's head. She jumped up, and struck Azra in the face with the power of an earthquake. Azra was blown back and flew through the wall, falling down outside the cathedral. "Jadira?" Dareth got up, his strength had returned. He put his helmet back on and followed Jadira outside. The wall itself was bleeding, probably from the enormous impact Jadira made on it's master. Meanwhile Jadira noticed Karima was missing. "Dareth, where is Karima!?" He shook his head. "That thing took her, it buried her inside it's body!" Dareth was holding back his tears. Jadira was shocked. "That thing.. It.. Then let's take her back, now!" Dareth nodded. They both leaped towards Azra who was still recovering. *Before you kill me, know that if I die, your precious friend will die with me.* "What!? No, that can't be!" Both Dareth and Jadira stood still now, shocked by what Azra just said. "Dareth, I...We.. can't.." Dareth dropped his sword. *This is why you are weak, mortals! Your love for each other will be your downfall. For now, however, I must retreat, we'll meet again.* Azra suddenly gained wings and flew away.
"Dareth, are you all right.." She sat on her knees in front of Dareth. Suddenly he embraced her, putting his head against hers, ear to ear. He cried, and soon Jadira started crying as well. "She's gone.. Poor Karima.." Tears were flowing from Dareth's eyes. Both of them were shaking as they cried. Algaran appeared in the hole of the cathedral. He saw the two sitting on the ground holding each other. A single tear slided over his cheek and dropped on the ground. "Why the girl, you should have taken this old soul instead. Why.." Algaran sat down. He did not show his grief, but he obviously felt it. After a while he stood up. "Dareth, Jadira, come, we should go back. We'll have our revenge on that monster, and maybe I could even find a way to get her back, but we must retreat as well, for now." Dareth stood up and nodded. He wiped the tears from his face. He helped Jadira back on her feet. "He's right, Jadira.." He wiped the tears from her face as well. "We'll have time for sadness and grief later. Let's leave this place." She nodded. Algaran took the lead, Dareth and Jadira followed him, back to the gates of Eldaron.