Bab 499: The Battle of Death March (12, 13, 14, 15)
I said on P4TRE0N that this is the largest chapter I ever wrote (7.6K words) but that's wrong. Chapter 500 is way larger and it is available on P4TRE0N in an hour for 🆓🆓 >>FREEEEE<< 🆓🆓
My Birthday Special Event 🎉🎈🎂 Happy Birthday to Me 🎂🎈🎉 22nd of January
That's why… this is A WHOLESOME FOURSOME CHAPTER!!!
My Birthday is Synced with the Game Start Volume. I'm not sure how it happened but I didn't plan for it so thank you God for the assist.
~~~~~~~~~~
(Part 1)
There was not much to tell about the plan of the HoonDing Alliance. It was wait for the isolation magic, rush at the gates, kill the Cultists.
Simple and smooth.
Jon, Myr, and Kareem sat the [Sword Formation - Sun Prison], a Magic Formation used by the Sword Saints of old to isolate the evil powers from spreading and thriving and as the Legends stated, that spell delivered.
Once that was done, the gates were brought down by the trebuchets that were summoned after the disappearance of the Soul Snare formation. The cloud of dust that was caused by the bombardment covered a great deal of the forty thousand men that were overtaking Hegathe from all directions. The first thing the Cultists could see was the shadow of rider breaking through the dust and aiming her spear at the nearest of them.
Under the mask of the War Chief, Isha was delivering the first strike.
***
Three spots were open the wall of Hegathe, one at the gatehouse and two at a couple of weak points in the defenses that were aimed at beforehand.
Before the attack would even arrive, the Cultists were restless as the [Sword Formation - Sun Prison] was cast around the city and isolated the Soul Snare formation only in Hegathe. This only meant that by some absurd means the enemies have arrived.
As most of the Cultists in Hegathe started rushing at the three points where the Ansei Wards are, the bombardment happened and the city was breached.
From an upper point of view, the Alliance stormed through the three openings and the Cultists weren't even prepared. At that point, any army would lose its advantages as there was no way to move freely in a city so the guerrilla warfare tactics laid by Jon started to be vital for the next phase of the plan.
"Secure the Plaza! Spread into teams. Search every street and alleyway. Search every house and gather the citizens into the flagged areas. Any Cultist in your way is to be killed."
As the captains started conveying the orders, the orders were soon executed in reality. The whole alliance started splitting under the Commanders-of-Hundreds Charging through every possible street and alleyway from every possible direction. The screens and wails of the Necromancers that were overwhelmed by the speed of the Alliance Warriors started filling the skies of Hegathe. The houses that housed citizens were broken into and the people were ordered out for inspection. The houses that were found housing Cultists were dealt with according to the regulations.
Half of the city was being covered in mere minutes.
{Rebort!} Jon called.
"Hya! Die…" Isha was immersed in killing and barely found an opportunity to reply, "Half of the City is almost covered. Some Cultists are escaping to the docks at the west with hostages."
{They are mine. Any sign of the main objective?}
"I think I can sense the source of it but there is no sign of Zain… or Zahra. Dammit!"
{Be calm. We are moving now.}
Jon ended the transmission and Isha whirled her spear above her head then destroyed all manners of undead surrounding her.
"War Chief! A squadron of Cultists in the coming plaza, they outnumber us ." A Warrior came running to her.
"HA! Send a signal." She laughed it off and gave a terrifying order.
Jon didn't only come up with a plan that can work inside a city but even with methods to solve any problem that might stop the advance of the troops. The signal Isha ordered was such a thing.
The warrior took a certain arrow and notched it letting it fly towards that plaza. Once the arrow landed, it started emitting a red beam to the sky.
Back outside the city, the siege engineers saw what they were aiming for.
"Adjust the angle! 23 points west then 5 points south."
"Burn the fuse."
"FIRE!"
The catapults switched from throwing rocks and stones to throwing barrels of flammables. Not much to be described afterward, the barrels landed on the plaza and hell broke loose on whoever was unfortunate enough to be there.
"Good hit! Mages, open us a way!"
Isha was satisfied with the result and ordered the mages in her squad to open up put down the fire as they advance through the plaza to the other streets.
A few minutes earlier, the three Ansei Holders were preparing to act.
{The Formation requires us to stay connected with the Ansei Wards. Listen well, once we figure out where the formation runes are, we will strike at once.}
{Mhm!}
{Understood.}
"Hooman, found it!" Meanwhile, Nefertiti appeared in her Beast Form.
"Pinpoint it!"
"There."
Jon maintained control over his Ansei Ward and looked towards where she was pointing while casting [Far Vision].
There was a certain in the city where the landed was holed and a tunnel was opened in the ground. Through the tunnel, there was a ton of undead and Cultists holding many hostages. Beyond them was an open space where a large runic circle was drawn and a ton of Black Soul Gems was hoarded.
"Shit! That's way too much."
The Soul Snare spell was a true menace. It was a spell capable of harvesting souls and keeping those souls to power itself more. The modifications added by the Cultists were making this formation interfere with Soul and Magicka to seal both Space Magic and Mind Waves from leaking, thus it was impossible to Teleport right to the Formation and destroy it. Also, a Lich was protecting it.
Jon needed to personally move to get rid of it.
As Jon was thinking of a method to reach it, Isha was moving forward and commanded a trebuchet bombardment on the plaza where the formation was under.
The explosion destroyed the surface of the plaza leaving but a thin layer of land above it.
{That's perfect. Guys, I sent you the location. Let's attack it all at the same time.} Jon called and started to move.
{Alright!} Kareem started preparing and fused the energy of the Ansei Ward with his armor growing two wings of light flying with them.
{Now!} Myr didn't fall behind and flew up.
The three Ansei Holders stopped channeling their Sword Formation and flew upward above the center of Hegathe. The sky of the city, that was made of sandstone and copper-colored domes, was tainted with a heavy scent of blood and burnt flesh. This final move was to erase all this filth from Hegathe.
The three met in the sky high above the plaza and their Ansei Wards were glimmering in their hands with brilliant light.
"Gentlemen, it was a pleasure." Jon said.
"It is all mine, Krilon." Kareem replied with a grateful face.
"Fufu! I admit I was having lots of fun lately, Jon." Myr fufued while covering his smile.
"Jon? That's Krilon real name?" Kareem asked.
"It is strange you didn't overhear it till now. Anyway, I consider you a friend and it is rude for me to keep it to myself till now. My name is Jonhild Firemane, also known as Jon Dare of Winterhold." Jon patted Kareem's shoulder while saying so.
"… What?!"
Kareem was having a moment of unclarity followed by another of confusion then another of silence ending it with another of turning to Jon with wide eyes.
"It makes sense now." Kareem said.
"Yeah, but are running out of time." Jon raised his sword up signaling the two to follow his lead.
"You are the most wanted man to the Thalmor! Gods! You are real!"
"I get that a lot. We're going down in 3…"
"I'm a big fan."
"Go!"
Jon pulled Kareem down and Myr synced his movement with the two. Three bolts of vibrant light descended on the Plaza breaking through the ground and going down even more to the heart of the [Soul Snare] spell.
The three blades obliterated through the runes and caused an explosion of magic energy that destroyed all the Black Soul Gems gathered around.
The consequences of the move were far from over. As the Black Soul Gems were broken, thousands of souls were freed from the imprisonment of the Formation and as if the city felt these souls rising, the warmest rays of sunlight purged away the cold grey skies caused by the Soul Snare.
The nightmare was over for Hammerfell and just beginning for the Cult. All the Undead supported by the formation crumbled to dust. The Cultists who all synced their power to the Formation were experiencing a devastating backlash due to the sudden loss of their Magicka.
The Cult was cornered to a wall without a single chance to bite back.
Under the rubble, Kareem staggered up and walked with heavy steps towards the three Ansei Wards that were pinned into the grounds. He knelt in front of the swords and spoke.
"Ansei Majah, Ansei Radan and Ansei Halelah. Thank you for your blessings. I'll see to your return to your resting place." Kareem said then picked up the Ansei Wards.
*Cough* *Cough*
From another direction, a blonde high elf was staggering up and waving the dust away.
"Prince Kareem… what happened here?"
"L… Lady Miranda?" Kareem exclaimed.
In front of him, there was Miranda. The High Elf who appeared with Jon the first time he came to save Kareem and Stros M'kai, also, she is Jon's woman.
"Yeah, that's me… Probably. Where is Krilon?" She asked.
Ignoring the "probably" she said, Kareem pointed to the other side of the rubble.
"Master Jon… I mean Lord Krilon is over there."
Where he pointed, the rubble over that direction went flying by someone's push. There, appeared Mirren lying above Jon and the two were staring at each other with wide eyes.
"Shit! You are Jon… wait! I'm Mirren, right?" Mirren backed off from Jon with a pale face.
"If I know that it would cost me destroying the Worm Cult to get the Gay Scene, I would have done that long ago." Jon said while touching his lips remembering how it felt.
"Oh no!" Miranda held her head foreseeing the following trouble.
"OH NO!" Mirren held his head not bearing that he fell to Gay Scene.
**********
(Part 2)
It is clear that High Elves Miranda and Mirren are the double form of the Elhnofey know and the Myr Aldmeri. Still, each time Myr emerges then reverts to the two, their memories get mixed up and they share many emotions. Sometimes after they reemerge, they get jumbled up with their identities for at least an hour.
This time, it was the first time for the twins to be in relationships both at the same time thus their feelings were jumbled up and that ended with Mirren kissing Jon.
"No! It's in my head! I can't forget it. Don't touch my sister." Mirren was shouting at Jon.
"This brute Redguard bitch, don't get closer to my brother." Miranda was glaring at Isha.
One of the most traumatizing memories that the two share right now is the sexual experiences.
{Kareem, my child. You are still a normal human, you can back away before it is too late.} Prince A'tor whispered to Kareem.
"Couldn't agree more." Kareem just disappeared in the background and went to deal with the aftermath of the battle.
"Make it stop! Goddammit, why do I have to remember those things." Mirren was having the shivers of his life.
"That woman, she is too dangerous to date my brother. Must do something."
"I guess the Gay Scene is getting more mental than I thought now." Jon said.
"I agree. My honey boo is finally back but his mind is still unstable. By the way, how did they return?" Isha asked.
"Myr exhausted himself, he told me that despite him being the original form, an Elhnofey is not suitable to exist in the Mortal World, Mirren and Miranda are stable and convenient for him to live as. They're like a battery saving mode or whatever." Jon explained.
"You don't need to explain that much. Nothing about them is easy to understand anyway… nothing about all of us actually."
"Well said."
The two separated Mirren and Miranda who were violently arguing and soon it all settled down.
"We are done out here." Kareem shouted from outside the pit that formed in the plaza.
"Wait! Is there any trace of Zain or Zahra?" Isha shouted.
"No." Kareem replied as he approached.
"…" Rendered speechless, Isha was having it hard focusing.
"Most of the Cultists were killed. The only remnants have fortified themselves into the City Lord's Palace. If your the ones you are after are still in Hegathe, you'll find them there." Kareem said.
"Then we can't wait longer than this. It is the afternoon now and we still have the advantage of sunlight. Let's strike the palace now." Jon forced himself up while chugging on a Magicka Potion.
"I've returned the Ansei Wards to the King of Sentinel. Should I go bring them again?" Kareem asked.
"No." Jon shook his head, "Isha and I will march on the Palace alone."
"No! Master Jon… I can…" Kareem wanted to refute but Jon stopped him.
"You have done more than enough, Kareem of Stros M'kai. Right now, I have a Labour to finish and she has unfinished business, right?"
"Right." Isha nodded and grasped her [Spear of Bitter Mercy] tighter.
"Let's go."
Jon and Isha headed out to the final stage. On the way, Isha ran into her master Nagla and Jon ran into his girlfriend Aela. Not many words were said, Isha handed her master the Mask of the War Chief and Jon kissed Aela on the forehead. The two then walked among the crowd and none stepped in their way, it was clear that those two were currently the only ones fit to face what is beyond that point.
They reached the City Lord's Palace which was on top of a hill, its gate was clearly locked with a large amount of undead lurking behind. Jon held his staff in one hand and his blade over his shoulder then barely pushed the Palace's gate enough for one person to pass. Jon walked in first then Isha followed and the gate closed. Privacy was needed.
Behind the gate, the Palace was built in a traditional way so all yards are supposed to be in the center of the building, this meant Jon will get all the privacy he needs.
Still, as soon as they got in, the undead started crawling from every corner.
"Heh! Leave the greeting to me." Jon stopped Isha from taking action and clapped his hand twice. "Wakey wakey, sleepyhead. There is food here."
Jon's words weren't for anyone other than the avid undead eater, the sin he created in front of Isha a long time ago, Wrath.
Stepping out from his Cube, the large Bone Samurai opened its mouth and lowered its posture chomping on the first unlucky skeleton in its way. Odokuro wasn't done, its blade started going left and right tearing those puny undead apart without any consideration to the decorations of the palace, the place was already ruined and the owner wouldn't miss a couple of walls.
"That's enough." After Wrath had its fun making for the long period he wasn't called for, Jon stopped him.
Easily, Jon could determine where the Cultists were hiding and with a small hint of his Aura, the Cultists realized they could no longer hide and walked out to face him. Seeing the man that brought their endless armies to its knees, they feared him more than anything in the world.
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I am all out of ass… wait! No… and I am all out of bubblegum… hey, didn't I make the phrase better?"
"Frankly, no idea." Isha shook her shoulders.
"Sure." Jon feigned that he was talking to Isha before shooting a [Chain Lightning] at the Cultists.
The terrified Cultists couldn't react in time and the spell got a number of them. Even with his strength, Jon was quite okay when it comes to playing dirty.
As the spell exchange ended, the last Cultist fell down into an over-fried state. Jon proudly walked over the corpses of his victims making sure they are dead and no traps are active. But once he stepped a few meters ahead, he started to feel something.
"He's right ahead." Jon said.
Isha's eyes became firmer and she took the lead. They walked and walked into the big palace until they reached the Throne Room. On the throne was a man sitting idly with a spear lying on him, he lazily put rest his hand on his hand and just sat alone in the hall.
No living or undead signals came from around him. Jon's flawless detection felt as if it was being tricked.
The man's eyes were open but lifeless as expected. Once he sensed Jon and Isha, he didn't even move his lifeless eyes towards them but rather stood up like a fool moved by strings.
"… Brother." Isha faintly spoke but as expected, dead men tell no tales.
"Something is off." Jon spoke.
"What?"
"He doesn't have the Bloodworm Helm or the Staff of Worms. Only a man with a spear." Jon said.
"No one exited the palace." Isha said.
"A palace is not a building that can be entered or exited just from one door."
Jon didn't like the situation but eventually, a fight had to start.
"Let's go." Jon's signal came before an attack arrives from Zain meaning that the side that started the fight was Jon.
Isha imagined that whatever monster possessing her brother would just go berserk and start attacking not just stand there, reality wasn't making it easy for her but she could bother less now. She had to deliver her bitter mercy.
Jon cast a simple [Fire Bolt] to move Zain from his place but the later skillfully block the spell with his spear and charged at Jon. As soon as the two were about to clash, Jon lowered his posture and sled on his knees completely evading Zain's spear stab. While doing so, he tossed something in the air and as he passed to the other side of Zain, he caught it.
"Heads!"
The [Old Man's Coin] worked in the favor of Jon and he turned out stabbing at Zain's head with [Mehrunes' Razor].
"Haha! Die!"
Jon's perfect execution and flawless movements would have worked any day of the week but sadly, today was not the day. The Razor couldn't even cut Zain's skin who was slowly turning his head towards Jon.
"Damn! That's some skincare product you use, bro. Can you write it down for me?" Jon was actually spooked but his mouth kept running anyway.
Zain's moved as fast as lightning and swung his spear upward down at Jon who evaded by teleporting to the other side of Zain. Wasting no time, Jon fused [Greed] and [Mehrunes' Razor] creating [Mehrunes' Needle] and with the penetration specialist, Jon thrust it deep into Zain's ear from the side.
The needle dagger was already deep into Zain's head but no effect happened. Jon was kicked away as well as the chance to one-shot Zain.
"That's nasty!" Jon complained.
"What do you think?" Isha asked as she and Jon started using another strategy.
"His skin is worse than before. We can't wound him even with a Daedric Artifact. Let's try the spear." Jon said.
Isha agreed almost immediately and rushed at Zain with her spear's edge pointing down, once he was in her stabbing range, she used a martial skill.
[Spirit Spear - Ghost Strike], Isha's attack moved in mysterious directions making it almost impossible to track. Just like that, her spear was resting deep in the shoulder of Zain.
"KWAAAAH!"
He felt pain, he was wounded.
As if he was a machine activating from a long slumber, Zain started screaming and all the clothes on his upper half were ripped off by the act of his violent Magicka. Zain's eyes finally moved and his hand grabbed Isha's spear from the shaft making it impossible for her to retreat. With the other hand, he used the [Serpent Spear] to stab at her.
"Shit!"
Knowing what sort of trouble she was in, Isha was about to abandon the spear and retreat but a large shadow moved. Nefertiti made a large chain on shadows that shackled Zain's arm, Wrath appeared with a large metal chisel and fixed it above Zain's arm, Jon was the last to move as he jumped high enough to be above Zain and waved his hand towards the metal chisel by whatever he was holding in his hand.
*CLANG* *RIP* *CRACK*
The effect was to behold, Zain's right arm was ripped off completely. Jon landed beside Isha and helped her pull the spear out of Zain that also retreated.
*Growl* *Growl*
Zain's was completely missing an arm, he started growling like a beast while eyeing Jon with hate. On the other hand, Jon appeared to be holding a hammer that he used to hit the chisel and that wasn't just any hammer, it was [Sunder].
"It seems that he is invulnerable to physical attack except from your spear. Once he is struck, it is possible to deal damage to him." Jon said.
"*Huff* *Huff* That is not… watch out!"
Isha was about to say something but she noticed a certain movement and warned Jon. Zain's ripped off arm started moving on its own flying towards Jon and aiming the spear towards his heart. Jon's eyes turned cold and gave a space for Isha to move. She hurriedly stabbed the arm with her spear and pinned it to the ground.
"Good job!" Jon didn't waste a second and fused Greed with Sunder turning them into [Big Sunder], a larger version of the hammer that weight can be controlled.
Jon made [Big Sunder]'s weight be almost a ton before he descends with it on the arm.
*Crack*
"GRAAAH."
Zain felt pain once again as his arm turned into meat-paste under Jon's might strike. In actuality, the whole palace shook from the strike revealing how much power [Sunder] has.
"That's a good plan so far. We will rip him limb from limb and destroy them. Nefertiti, seal each limb we destroy."
Isha and Jon finally had a plan to put down Zain. Once he is completely destroyed, there will be no vessel for Mannimarco to Reincarnate into and the game would be over… or so they thought.
Who is the King of Worms if not the vilest being ever walked Nirn?
**********
(Part 3)
*RIP*
*CRACK*
*RIP*
*CRACK*
*RIP*
*CRACK*
Zain was being dismantled one attack after another. When he lost his weapon arm, he was completely useless from that point. His magic casting ability was already bad to begin with and he needed the [Staff of Worms] which was somehow not on him.
Right now, he was reduced to one and a half legs, one shoulder, a torso and a chest, and a badly destroyed head.
Isha's heart was breaking from doing so to his body. She knew her brother is long dead and his soul is no longer in this world but that didn't mean that doing this to his reanimated monster corpse was alright, it is a huge sin to beat a dead body in the Redguard traditions but what to do?
At last, she stood over him with her spear pressing against his chest.
"… Sis… Sister…"
Yet those words came out. He spoke the forbidden words that last time they were uttered, his spear was aiming at Isha's heart causing Jon to take it for her.
"Not again! You won't do it again!" She replied with a solemn yet tragic face.
"… Kill… me…"
His request was so simple yet Isha couldn't find herself believing what she was hearing in absolute denial.
"Don't play tricks on me! You hear me? Never…"
"He is not." Beside her, Jon spoke.
She turned to Jon not believing what he said.
"The mind has a consciousness of its own. A depth not related to the soul. Even when the undead creatures get to be moved by artificial daedric souls, the deep mind is still active. It doesn't feel but it conveys its desires. Necromancers would normal mute their thralls but when Zain said just now is his mind's lingering desire for rest… for death."
As academic and cold Jon's explaining was, those words brought a strange peace to Isha. She looked at her older brother's body with remorse and pity.
"Alright! My tears are long since dried, my farewells are long since said. Rest in Peace, brother."
On clean stab with the spear to the core of the Undeath in Zain's body was enough to bring it end. The vistage of undeath was completely ripped apart by the [Spear of Bitter Mercy].
Isha walked away in cold sadness and Jon remained watching and analyzing. He wasn't feeling like it was over as his mind was screaming "it can't be that easy."
As he wanted it all to end, he gathered Zain's body parts and put them together and covered the body out of respect. Zain's [Serpent Spear] was put down beside his owner.
Jon's mind was still busy but his heart was begging for him to raise no more flags. Today was a long day already and the sun is falling.
{Ain't that a bit touching? The good guys won, the glory goes to the heroes, the evildoers get nothing.}
Yet the flag was already ruffling when a very disturbing voice sounded through the throne hall.
"Who is it? Show yourself!" Isha was 100% vigilant but the voice that came was from outside her perception.
"At ease." Jon raised his hand. "We are speaking to a Daedric Prince."
Jon's words made Isha freeze, actually, Jon himself was almost freaking out.
{Great! Isn't that just great? Daedric Princes are so common these days we can't surprise a mere mortal anymore. Was I that expected?} The voice showed a hint of disapproval and anger.
"I guess dancing on the edges of sanity with all the Labours going has its perks." Jon replied while thinking fast, "I guess I am speaking to Lord Clavicus Vile."
Jon's fast take-up was satisfying to the Daedra.
{You are quite cunning, Mortal. Figure out I was a Daedric Prince, figure out who I am… you're good. Interested in some deal while we're at it?}
"Nope." Jon bluntly refused.
{Well well, you are that guy called Krilon, right? I've heard about you. Actually, all Oblivion has heard about you.}
"Am I that famous?" Jon was taken aback.
{Indeed! Aren't you that Krilon from the Sith, the one that stole a town from the middle of Molag Bal's domain? Every Daedra in Coldharbour knows your name.}
Darth Krilon of the Sith was the prank Jon used to go by with in Coldharbour.
"That's flattering."
{You wouldn't know the surprise on Bal's face once he knew you are Labouring for Azura! I mean… can you imagine his ugly face twisting uglier?}
"No, I wouldn't."
{Whatever then! I think my work here is done anyway. You killed my Labourer and all, congratulations!}
"Wait! Your work?" Isha said.
{Right, you are the sister! Congratulations to you too as well, your brother is now free as he finished his Labours. I let his soul go.}
Jon and Isha looked at each other in shocked expressions.
"He finished his Labours?" Jon asked.
{You heard me.}
"How?"
This was no joking matter, the Labours should be seven, Zain should be in his sixth when he was discovered back in Elsweyr.
{Isn't that obvious? We skipped the Sixth Labour with him and gave him the Seventh that he just finished.}
"What was that?" Jon shouted.
{Isn't it obvious?} Clavicus Vile spoke in a mocking tone, {His Labour was to delay you!}
The world turned cold all of a sudden around Jon and Isha, a strange energy was felt beneath their feet.
"Fuck! Shit! What is this? Nefertiti!" He called for Nefertiti and she entered his shadow.
"The throne!" After looking through the Shadow World, she pointed at the throne.
Jon didn't wait any longer and shot a Fireball at the throne of Hegathe's Lord blowing it apart.
"Jon! What is this feeling?" Isha felt as if she was sinking into the ground beneath her feet.
Jon immediately called out [Pride] and warded himself off the effect of that energy as well as Isha. He held her up and pointed where the throne was.
"Look, there is a secret passage beneath the throne. Zain was guarding that." Jon said.
Isha nodded with an overwhelmed face and spoke.
"Right, Zahra! She should be down there."
Driven by finding her last relative, the widow of Zain, who was kidnapped during the attack on the Ansei Pyramid, Isha ran towards the secret passage going down a narrow stairway. Jon didn't leave her and followed only a step behind.
Where they arrived was a secret chamber. It was quite large and wide with many people there. Living People as well as Dead People.
That was the current theme of Hegathe so the scene shouldn't be terrifying yet once Jon and Isha arrived, they were spooked beyond words.
Sure enough, the living people were cultists and the dead people were human sacrifices. The way everything was arranged was sick and scary. Those sacrifices were hanged from upside down and their throats were slit like sheep in a slaughterhouse. In the middle of the room, the Cultists gathered in a circle kneeling around a large pool of blood and worshiping something in its center. There where Zahra was found, in the center of the pool.
She was tied up to a stick and stripped naked, she was not conscious but that wasn't what was wrong with her. What was wrong was her stomach.
It was swollen as if she was a pregnant woman in the last month.
This was all the wrong things in the wrong places. Evil worship, sacrifices, blood pools, pregnant woman. Those like Jon who thought they have seen it all would doubt themselves in front of such evil.
"You filthy dogs… you filthy sons of bitches…"
On the other hand, Isha was raging and reached the climax of madness. The Cultists realized Jon and Isha were present and rushed to stop them from interrupting the ritual but Isha was unleashed. She killed the Cultists in the most violent of ways breaking their bones and stepping on their skulls, meanwhile, Jon was walking slowly towards the woman hung on the blood pool his eyes on her stomach.
He must have realized something.
Isha killed all Cultists in less of a minute no matter how strong they were and that was enough for Jon to understand.
"Those Monsters! Those sons of bitches!"
"Isha…"
"I'll murder them a thousand times over and over!"
"Isha…"
"I'll burn your families and laugh at them."
"Isha…"
"WHAT?"
She left no one alive to begin with then started mutilating the bodies, she didn't have the mind to listen to this but Jon said it anyway, he didn't have the mind to care about anything as well.
"We were wrong." He said, "We misread the signs. The Reincarnation of Mannimarco… it was never Zain."
Jon removed the protection of himself and Isha. The dreadful energy they felt earlier was now clear where it came from.
"It's inside her."
**********
(Part 4)
What is inside Zahra?
That's one question… one of many.
Why isn't Zain's body the Reincarnation of Mannimarco? Why was he used in the first place? What is the secret of the Spear of Bitter Mercy being the only thing that can harm Zain only in the hands of Isha? Why was Zahra kidnapped in the first place? Why was she used for the demonic ritual? What's inside her?
There are a lot of questions about this day and to those many questions, one answer made of one word could be said.
Fate.
Fate brought them all together and the power of bonds has strong magic to it. Zain happened to fit certain criteria that served the purpose of Mannimarco very well. The only flaw in the equation was Isha that by her role, brought Jon into the picture. Jon was also a factor. If he hasn't corrupt [Azura's Star], Mannimarco's plan would have been delayed and Isha would have never found out about the Worm Cult's plan, after all, she was the part of the equation that should have taken the [Spear of Bitter Mercy] far away and never returned to Hammerfell.
It may all sound complicated but that's how Fate works. The instrument of God that plays in mysterious ways.
Now if one wanted a satisfying answer, then Fate it is. Unfortunately, a certain someone was never this easy on himself regarding the answers and he wanted the Truth, all Truth and nothing but the Truth.
And that started when he put Zahra down on the ground with the help of Isha.
"What should we do?" Isha asked.
"Get that thing out of her." He said.
"How?"
"Cut it out."
"No! Please." Isha begged, "I can't afford to lose her."
Isha's words were said in grief. Zahra is her last relative.
"She is dying. The blood… it was there to feed whatever comes out." Jon said.
That "whatever" is Mannimarco and his growing inside Zahra.
Why? Couldn't he just choose to possess any newborn and get whatever he wants?
No. The answer doesn't need much thinking either, if someone goes through all that to do a thing rather than choosing the easier option then it is because the first one is better.
Why would a child growing into Zahra be better than any other woman? Answering that means one should take a look.
Jon used his staff to make a vision and see the inside of Zahra's womb. The skin, muscles, and organs turned invisible and both Jon and Isha could see the thing inside her.
"That's not a baby." Jon said.
"That's clearly not a baby." Isha agreed.
It was something that doesn't grow into humans… an Egg.
Not just an egg but an egg with a golden shell.
"Your sister-in-law is a human?" Jon asked.
"You are joking right now?"
"Do I look like I am joking to you? I thought I was insane and here it gets crazier than me? Why would an Egg grow into a human rather than a baby?"
The answer was just one possibility.
"It was put inside her." Jon and Isha concluded at the same time.
"If it was out, you can just Teleport it out, right?"
"No. The Egg's life-force is already in unison with Zahra. Look, Zahra's womb formed these birth cords-like things and they don't transfer food. This egg is killing Zahra."
There was no way out of this… Jon's extensive knowledge led him to nowhere against this. If he forces the egg out, it will kill Zahra. The other option was to just stab Zahra right away and kill her and the baby.
The options were clear in front of Jon and Zahra but before Jon takes a decision, he remembered something.
"Nefertiti, you remember that day a few years ago when we were fighting the Bloodsail Clan." Jon asked.
"Yes, Hooman." Nefertiti replied and appeared beside Jon.
"Then you still remember that stupid Lokthur? Alina's gryphon? Wasn't his egg possessed by the Shadow Aether before we separate it to make it into Greed?" Jon said.
"Yes."
"Then can you do it again? I can't do much against this Golden Egg but maybe the Shadow World has its own backdoor, right?"
Jon's reasoning was alright, it was a risk but it is better than killing Zahra. The egg is inevitably hatching and whatever comes is no good, striking it through the Shadow World is better than just doing nothing.
Nefertiti agreed and disappeared for a while before appearing once again.
"Hooman, ugly baby."
"What am I supposed to do about that? Did you find a way to do anything?" Jon asked.
"Yes. I cut his energy supply. He should try to crawl out now."
Jon and Isha were struck by a good surprise and a bad feeling at the same time.
"That demonic baby or whatever… it seems all the sacrifices are here for it." Jon said.
"We need to get rid of them. Also, that blood." Isha said.
"Fuck it! I'll burn it all."
Jon wasn't even considering anything anymore but dealing with the evil that is about to be born.
Jon cast [Scotch] on everything that is available. No blood or corpses were left behind.
"Jon, something is happening!" Isha said.
Jon ran back to Zahra and checked on her to see how the egg reacting.
"Fucking monster! This thing can no longer absorb from the soul so it is switching to the blood. What kind of demonic sci-fi shit is this?" Jon wanted to just end this egg in one stab but with Zahra's life on the line, he had to think straight.
And there was it.
He went through the [Cube] and found something that can be used. An injector, a device he made based on some otherworldly technology, it's purpose was to deliver the medicine directly into the bloodstream but neither the world nor Jon were this advanced in medicine. He doesn't have any drug to finish off that monster and even if he does, it has to go through Zahra.
But today was his lucky day, his head was working on a rapid pace that he found a solution right by the next second.
His blood.
His blood is strong, potent and wild. It also has the ability to control the vampires that consume it. No matter what kind of monster in the egg or whose soul it has, it is no match for Jon's blood as an infant.
Without thinking, Jon used the reversed mechanism of the injector and stuck its needle into himself, he then changed the needle and injected his blood into Zahra.
"What are you doing?"
"Trust me… or not… I'm not sure. It will work."
He was struck mad by the possibilities and the amount of thinking he went through in the past few seconds. Just like that, he started observing his blood flow into Zahra's bloodstream and controlled it.
There was more to Jon's blood than what meets the eye, Jon has learned how to control his inner body when he was imprisoned in the Briarheart Tree. After he broke through the Ebonblood stage, he even had more control. Now, Jon controlled his blood carefully to make it reach the golden egg without harming Zahra.
And here it is, he reached it.
"You fucking ugly bastard! Got you."
Nefertiti cut the energy and Jon cut the blood. Now, this thing is all isolated. Jon could even see the resisting will of whatever being in that egg, piece by piece, Jon was conquering it.
"We can get the egg out now." Jon said and let his telekinetic power run through Zahra.
She was already in a coma so he made sure she stays that way, her body was torn from the inside by the existence of that golden egg. Jon never before scanned the body of a pregnant woman but Zahra's state was the closest thing to be and it was a mess, nothing was in its place.
"I'll use magic to pull that thing out. I am trying to isolate the walls of the womb from the egg, create a containing Ward around the barrier and infusing the space law at the same time. I'll be able to Teleport it out but I need to maintain Zahra from collapsing. I can't do that while I'm fighting the baby monster so I need you to heal her. Here are some staves, scrolls and potions and everything you need."
Jon started to dumb half the work on the overwhelmed Isha who was just nodding and trying to remember. Jon's skill in magic started to shine as he operated a magical birth surgery… sort of… by Teleporting the baby out of the womb.
Once Jon maintained the ward around the egg, he used his other hand to stabilize Zahra's body then completely separated it from the egg. One second, two, three… nothing happened. Jon quickly Teleported the egg out and kept it held mid-air while maintaining Zahra's womb by another spell and leaving the rest to Isha.
Now, it was all him and the Golden Egg.
This was no normal creature. The egg looked very evil despite its golden luster, it wasn't something that was manufactured by Alchemy but it was rather organic.
What kind of an evil being would lay such an egg? That cold dark energy is not from this world, it is not Magicka or Daedric Energy.
It is something else, as expected, it is otherworldly.
Mannimarco possessed the Ghost World in the Abyss which is a dumpster to all the things that roam the other void. Mannimarco acquired that and wanted to use it to his own convenience.
"Not a fucking chance!"
Jon dropped the egg on the ground and applied pressure. Cracks started to appear on the golden egg and a small hand came out, after the hand came, a strange limb followed by the full crumble of the golden shell.
The creature was beyond hideous. It had a very distorted face and six limbs, the additional two were on its back. It is obviously immature but it wasn't the case for long. Once that demonic infant saw the light, it screeched and moved its limbs looking for blood, once it detected some, it turned around and started crawling towards it but things didn't go the way it wanted.
The infant's body started growing. It was coming together and started to grow bigger in a chaotic manner, the being didn't just grow bigger but started to lose its energy, it started to become thinner at a certain point then it started to wilt and die.
"What the fuck was that?"
Jon couldn't bring himself to do anything as he watched the circle of life and death consume the being faster than he ever imagined.
In the end, the being aged and became quite old turning into a husk and ceasing all its movements one inch away from the blood it painstakingly craved for.
"So… that's it?" Jon asked.
He was disappointed, utterly disappointed beyond words. Whatever incarnation that was, it could have certainly done better.
Was that the reincarnation Mannimarco wanted? How on Nirn was that being even capable of living with that appearance?
What kind of sick and twisted logic created such an abomination?
Was there a point for thousands to die just for one pathetic being such as this to come to existence?
Jon looked closer at the being analyzing its features. He shook his head then nodded in giving up.
The being was clearly a Hybrid, a mix of a Werewolf and a Vampire. So that was what it meant to be? That's why Zain was targeted.
Mannimarco wanted his reincarnation vessel to be invincible so he created Zain to be so. He didn't want to inhabit Zain's dead body but wanted a fresh newborn for himself, a body befitting the King of Worms. He probably took genes from Zain's newly formed Hybrid physique and put it into the Golden Egg.
The Golden Egg is an otherworldly object but it was a method to create a body, it needed to be inside a mother and Mannimarco desired Zahra, Zain's widow, to be the one. The reason? Why not.
The [Spear of Bitter Mercy] was a threat for a couple of reasons. First, it can kill anything and that includes the invincible body that is being created. The second, the Spear is associated with the Bitter Mercy, the act of causing harm to those whom one loves. If someone who loves Zain used that spear on him, Zain's invincible body would be harmed.
Such irony!
To all end like this.
Or is it?
Once Jon turned away, something went out of the being's body and sneaked on Jon wishing to inhabit him.
"Get away from Hooman." Yet in Jon's Shadow, there was always the vigilant partner who watches his back.
Whatever that is, it received Nefertiti's hit and broke on the run.
Jon's face hardened, his rage boiled and his Aura ignited.
"Keep her still, I called for healers." He said before storming out of the secret room straight to the throne hall.
He looked around but the body of Zain was gone.
"Hmph! You have unfinished business with me so never think about running away."
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- Just to remind you, guys. Chapter 500 is the last in the Volume and it is available on P4TRE0N for FREE as my Birthday Gift to You... see, my birthday and I'm giving gifts. it is also a large chapter so prepare to stalk for days.
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