Believer: CXLV
"Eh... ehh.." Markos huffed breathlessly, raising his trident to once again meet Victoro's rapier in combat. With every clash sparks flew against the nearby stone walls, he backed the man ever closer to the enormous gold statue of Asmodeus. It wasn't how many wounds he had, or the blood running down his hands from how hard he was hitting. No, neither of those things did much to scare him. Instead, it was the expression Victoro had on his face. It was so.. Determined. He didn't look worried or concerned, his face wasn't full of anguish. Victoro had one hand behind his back, gripping a black cane. While his right hand twirled and stabbed with an elaborate rapier. Markos twisted his leg twirling around in a circle. He made a rapid slice at the nobleman's head; it was attentively blocked, but he rapidly dropped his trident cutting the cloth on Victoro's arm. "Hello, Non-believers!" He looked over his shoulder, noticing two cultists closing in from either side.
"Do you have any other greetings?" Victoro demanded.
'We have several! Call him a non-beli- shit!' One voice cursed.
"Hold on! Hold on!" He batted aside an attack from a cultist. "Join my not-cult! I can offer pensions!" They didn't seem to hear him. Markos shrugged, twisting away he rapidly stabbed the cultist on his left. It was not even a competition, his trident pushed through her eye sockets tearing apart whatever brain was still in there. He pulled it free quickly. Showering blood in an arc over his head Markos brought the sides of his weapon back down slicing an arm off. He had little time to swing his trident around, Victoro was so very fast, the rapier darted at his back. Markos spun around swatting it aside, but it was feeble. The Priest of hell reposted without missing a beat turning the momentum around in a spin.
"Agh!" Markos yelped, the rapier hit his shoulder. He kicked away stumbling back from the winged gold statue. His combed and curled hair bounced on his face. More strikes came at him. "Ph'ngyui nhae ehye tahl!" Purple and black energy crackled at the tip of his trident, he reached out grabbing the one-armed cultist at his right, and threw it into Victoro. He wasn't sure what to expect, but the result was odd. Victoro didn't simply throw the young kid aside. Instead, his eyes went wide, his lips fumbled. The priest grabbed the cultist and spun around setting him on the floor gently. "Mistake." Markos sneered. He shoved the trident into the man's stomach pulsating electricity all over his being. It was a critical blow, booming blade struck again.
"Frahgg!" Victoro hollard, he grabbed the base of the prongs of the trident yanking it out of his stomach. "Gryyl Fiamme colpiscono vujuly!" The hairs on the back of Markos's neck stood up he recognized the dual chant incantation just used by Victoro. The front end of the rapier exploded in red divine light, while the blade itself ignite furiously into green flames. Death thrust at him.
'Good dog..' He shivered to the voice of his Uheo.. She was watching him. Markos segmented his trident up catching the rapier in between the prongs of his polearm. Flames surged over his head igniting the cloth banners above him. With a hard twist Markos pulled the rapier down clattering it to the floor, the divine strike sent shockwaves into the stones below them.
"Ha!" He chuckled, he dove in for another stab. "Gl-" He was left with no time to react, a pulsating nausea overtook his head, sensing danger. His right calf exploded in agony with a bone shard sticking out of it, he turned his head slicing through the other two spikes being thrown his way. Small beady black eyes stared at him from above, the flapping wings of a red spined devil threw dust everywhere. "Oh hi- I'm guessing you want a pension?" Markos threw his trident into the devil, drawing a spurt of blood. "Nogephaii nwnglui." The trident folded out of space and returned to his palm. "Da Hur Ctugraha." The ground below Victoro erupted with a yellow sprawling portal opening, a small green tentacle pushed out swatted the priest in the hip. Cerdest hovered over his shoulder, Markos was surrounded by a cultist, a devil, and a priest. But he also had his familiar, one tentacle, and at least seven other personalities.
"Weuruzfid syieal." Victoro chided, a spell formed at his side, knitting together Markos recognized the figure of a nine-tailed cat. Shit- spiritual weapon. He jumped back but not before feeling its necrotic damage hit his leg.
'He is using a cat! Why does everyone have a spare cat to kill us with?!'
"Oh come on! Victoro! If I tell you how to get the old Lord of lies to love you, will you stop this?!" He screamed, the priest did not look amused. "We can just talk about this, I know the guy he owes me a favor like don't worry-" He was cut off. Markos rolled on the floor dodging another spine attack, Victoro scooped up his rapier from the ground. 'Heh.. gotcha.' He grinned, quivering fear reached his mind. Electric fury exploded when Victoro moved, triggering booming blades' second attack. "C'mon.." He grinned sadistically. "Let's drop the cult stuf-" a part of him really wanted to do it, he desperately wanted to convince the man to stop. He had been there.. At the behest of gods, part of him wanted to help the Lord.
"Do you understand how things work down there?" Victoro demanded, the man rushed in with his rapier. Markos narrowly evaded the blow. Dammit, this priest was so skilled! His attacks were fast and elegant catching even the smallest weaknesses in Markos's defense. "How long has it been since you were down there?"
"How long?" Markos pondered the question. "Between three-two hundred or so years!- Oh it was last March wasn't it.. Not relevant!" Victoro looked enraged.
"Contracts are contracts." The Lord scarled. Alrighty.. He clearly wasn't happy.
*FLICK* Markos leaped out of the way feeling a row of spines hit the ground behind him.
"I'll beat the shit out of you! And you're mom!" He giggled, swatting a few spines away. "How's silver taste bitch?!" Markos threw his trident drawing a sea of blood from the spined devil who apparently could not fly properly. The answer, as it turns out. Was something he didn't want! The Devil grabbed hold of a ledge before flicking its enormous bony appendage. Spines flew at him faster than he could dodge. "Foqal." The incantation couldn't have happened sooner. A massive yellow arcane whispering shield appeared over him glazing off the spines like twigs. "I- Honestly?" Markos asked. "I was kinda fearful for my life.. That was pretty good. Good job!" He gave the devil a thumbs up. "Listen. Listen- stop glaring at me like that! You want a pension?" It flared a little brighter to his question.
'We give out pensions?' NO! No, we don't voice number six thirty-three.
"No." The Devil smeared in infernal. Markos dodged a knife and summoned his trident back. "I recognized a certain dog when I see one." W...what? His shoulders fell a little with shock. That.. was.. He wasn't.. A.. "I remember when you were there! Trailing that chaos!" It.. It was there all those years ago? Markos jumped off his own arcane shield when the wind behind him picked up. Victoro charging.
"T-that's just.. Mean.. hey.." He stuttered out. He wasn't a dog.. She.. he was more to her.
"Really? How's your master doing?" Victoro laughed.
"I don't have one!" Markos screamed in response, his eyes a little tearful.
*HYREAHRLETROOOOOM* The room shook with a massive explosive noise, Markos glanced over his shoulder seeing Vestus fall to the ground with Riu in his clutches. No. A large giant stumbled to a standing position over Vestus. It was disgusting looking, leaking with pus and mucus. Charred black skin and metal rods protruding from it.
"Ha.. HA!" It chuckled in echoing laughter. "I've killed both of ya! Father and son!" It was bleeding from a hundred different places, one arm looked to be torn off and its body seemed to be clawed apart- wait. What?
"You.. what?" Markos questioned. Asher. Estral. Asher. It said it killed what? Asher?
"Wide open!" Victoro chided behind him. *SBAT* "Gh-" The nobleman was sent flying behind him by his defenses. Before the Lord could hit the wall however he turned to mist and floated up. Markos's head twitched to the side. 'He killed Asher..'
'Kill it.' 'Kill it.' 'K-kill it.' 'Kill it Enah.'
'Kill it.' Voice echoed in his mind over and over, his body shook with anger and rage. All around his head a little portal began to tear open lightning hitting the ground at odd angles even though he did not will it. His powers were starting to glitch out. He felt a small hand drift behind him unclasping the lock around his neck. 'Go.'
"YOU KILLED ASHER!" Markos charged. Pulling his trident to him he jumped into the air. The giant below him raised a skeleton torn-up arm with a morning star in its grip. "Ctugraha." He hurled his trident into a portal that opened in front of him. Closing it quickly Markos landed on the giant's face-punching him. "AGH!!"
"Ug- off!" The giant grabbed his cloak, throwing him to the side.
*Wsssthentt* "GHA! What th-" The trident reappeared behind the giant stabbing him in the back. Markos fell backward into a new portal he opened, jumping over the giant. He shot lighting, then ice. Using spells he had never wanted to even practice. "What the hell?!" He threw his trident through portals to make it come out and impact locations that it never should have.
"Y-You killed Asher! Please! Die for me!" Markos stuttered.
It was somewhat of a blur. Markos leaped up and back falling into a new portal he had created. The spells he had displayed with the party never really showed what planar shifting truly meant. The giant grabbed his legs throwing him to the ground. Before it could even contact however Markos fell through jumping at its back. It was a weird feeling falling through one point in space only to have gravity instantly affect him differently when he landed. "AHH!" He screamed not in pain but frustration, Markos grabbed his trident facing the giant and swung, opening a portal to the left he let his polearm wrap around it slicing the creature in the back. He stabbed down into the ground making the spear go up. He fell over opening a new gateway over the thing's head.
"GHA! GETAWAY WHAT ON TORIL IS THIS?!" He was shaken off by the giant.
"D-die for me! P-please! Uheo please help me kill him dead!" Kill him dead? What was going on? He felt splintered and fractured torn apart from the inside. Pleading with tears down his face. Asher was gone.. And this thing killed him! With bloody fingers, he grabbed his trident stabbing it towards the giant's chest. He willed it to go through a separate gateway, stabbing the creature in the back, then the arms. Multicolored spectacles seemed to gloss over his eyes he wasn't sure how many were there.
'We're all in agreement. Bunnies are fluffy.'
He danced around before using stored momentum to land on the giant's head. "Pretty please?!" Blood sprayed out of the skull oozing over its body in a black sick fluid. The creature was already nearly dead anyway, it took so very little to end it. Markos stood, staring at the dead body and then at Riu who was on the ground. Over her stood Herod breathing heavily and angrily. "Anyone touches that body! I will fuck your corpse!" Markos screamed. The whole room stopped for a moment and stared at him. Too much?
"VICTORO!!" A flash of green lightning engulfed the room. Herod disappeared from over Riu's body faster than the blink of an eye. Electricity boomed from around him sending devils flying while they were incinerated. He glanced upward, Herod appeared just over the balcony surrounded with what looked like the figure of a deer. A massive hoof crashed into the ground sending shockwaves across the temple. Markos pulled his trident out of Hrabaz's head, for once the voices seemed satiated. "No more! You don't get to hurt my friends anymore!" Herod was battling alone above him.. Markos.. He had to help. He tied the cloth around one of his wounds and ran at the two-hundred-foot wall that separated the balcony above him.
"Ctugraha." Yellow energy spun from in the air revealing an emerging tentacle. Markos placed one foot on it springing off the appendage into the wall. "Ctugraha." he waved his hand moving the spell in front of him. Now without incantation, he summoned grasps over and over, using them like a bouncing staircase darting up the wall rapidly. The last tentacle sprang him over the side, his vision was met with horror. On his left Alekzandr was weakly standing, one of his arms was clearly broken. On his right, next to the tunnel Herod fought Victoro. Rage that he'd never seen was engulfing the warlock's eyes. He popped up behind the priest's back. "Ph'ngyui nhae ehye tahl." Markos flipped over the priest slicing the noblemen's back with a booming blade, he rolled against the floor twisting around to block another strike. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Herod.
"Together?" Herod asked. Markos didn't even answer. Victoro squinted, pulling his left hand from his back he held out his cane and sword at the same time. Almost inviting them. They raised their weapons and charged. He darted right stabbing at Victoro's head, the man parried. Herod quickly launched an attack. "Hex omni Vulity Maledictum!" With a rapid swing, vine-like magic swirled around Victoro enveloping him in some kind of incantation. The priest swung back, Markos didn't have enough room to tilt away without falling! Quickly Herod's arm stuck out under his shoulder letting him lean away from the blow.
"WHY?!" He screamed, his mind was overtaken with rage. The things this idiot had done.. The stupid descisions Victoro had made. "Why would you throw your lot in Asmodeus?! Why worship and serve that?" His mouth went dry, perhaps it was the rage he felt towards his own life that made him ask this. The fighting never stopped. The priest lunged. Markos blocked, Herod jumped over his shoulder crashing down a massive eldritch blast.
"You're going to ask me that? You? Child who serves evil!" Victoro roared back. Markos spun around Herod going under and through his friend's cape making a massive slash at the priest's feet. "Gh- stop it!" The attack was not blocked, but it was parried easily, Victoro struck back catching Herod's sword. The two of them battled alongside one another trading blows and blocking harmful strikes. "Contracts. Are contracts Amanodel!"
His ears lit up in rage. "DON'T CALL ME AMANODEL!" He screamed, tears formed in his eyes. He was so so tired of being called that! 'I'm MARKOS!' Markos thought feebly. 'Me!'
"I don't care about contracts!" Herod jumped over.
*VreePoom*
Victoro redirected the eldritch blast into the wall like it were all effortless. "I restored my house! Don't try and speak to me, bastard." The Lord insulted Herod. Markos charged in. he went to stab, his blade was met. He drew a semi-circle in the ground with his feet rolling over one attack and into another. Herod threw a witchbolt behind him.
"Restored? For what?! What is this ritual even for?!" Markos demanded. He had conducted so many rituals in his life, so many sacrifices to creatures above him. "Why on Toril are you sacrificing two hundred people?!" He dodged the rapier, letting it glide over his head Markos charged to stab Victoro. "Ga-" He spat blood. A black metallic weapon hit his stomach and blocked his trident. Victoro locked the trident using his cane, and Herod's sword using his own. "Seriously! It would be a shame if we were fighting over nothing. This ritual was for nothing! C'mon talk to me! Let's have a heart to heart! I'm a cultist, you're a cultist talk to me!"
Victoro's eyes darted around the room. His smile faltered and he broke out into a sneer. "When you sign a contract for your children's lives, in exchange for power. And you are trying to save them. Sometimes this kind of practice is necessary. I wouldn't expect a feeble-minded, pet of a cultist like you to understand." The Lord's words became more and more distant. His brain felt like it was unscrewing itself. The two kids.. Terenzio, Elzerina.. This monster had..
"You what?!" Herod bellowed. The warlock's sword pulsated in green power sending electric blasts over everything. Lightning crackled like whips digging the rocks out of the walls.
"You sacrificed your own kids?!" Markos held back tears. He slashed Victoro across the face. Spinning the back of his trident into Herod's arm; pushing the strike Victoro was hurling out of the way. "Y-you robbed them, of a future! Gave them to Asmodeus!"
'Open the portal. Unleash the horrors of jazz!'
"And I would have gotten them back! Retrieved their souls once this ritual is complete." The Lord's voice was all over the place, probably being unable to decide if the ritual would succeed or not. "Piul." Victoro stabbed him in the arm, fire engulfed his shoulder.
"Ah!" Markos jumped back in pain. Now all he heard was the sound of clashing spells and metal, was Herod uninjured? He patted out the flames, and wiped the blood from over his eye, Markos lunged grabbing the back of Herod's cloak he leaped over his friend much to Victoro's surprised eyes. "Take this!" he stabbed the priest in the shoulder narrowly being missed by another strike. Markos rolled over Stradling Herod's waist he rolling onto his back. His legs wrapped around the warlock.
"Vulity Mor irrumabo ceriorem, ventus!" Teal light blasted over Victoros face, Markos hung upsidedown stabbing and slashing at the nobleman while Herod attack above them.
"AGH!" Victoro thundered. Markos coughed a copious amount of blood when the cane hit his back. His legs unraveled making him fall off Herod.
"Ceriorem- Ventus-" A rush of air struck him in the back. Markos flew upwards spinning in the sky above Victoro. Herod had bounced a non-harmful eldritch blast off the floor and into his back!
'Make him bleed! Burn off his beard and use it to command the cult!' wat?
"I'm not giving you pensions anymore!"
Markos spun in the air summoning his trident back to him he gave Victoro an aerial strike. He cut the man across the shoulder, before being swatted to the side. Markos tried another stab but Victoro was ready. He dropped his cane, kicking Herod away. The man grabbed his trident and yanked it from his grasp throwing it aside.
"I tire of this!"
*Shiveen*
Vulity bounced off the floor, Markos reached up catching it and blocking the rapier blow. He pushed Victoro back and threw the sword at the ground again ricocheting it into Herod's hands. Green eyes grinned at him. The warlock rushed, throwing rough divine strikes against Victoro's form, the man backed away deflecting one blow with his cane. "Your children! Your own children sentenced to demonic hell?!" Herod cried. Markos jumped in, Vulity bounced off the floor and he caught it. *Shiveen* Blood splattered over his face from Victoro's arm. The priest stabbed at Herod who was now undefended but they bounced the blade back and forth off of the ground.
"Do you even know the hell they will be put through?" Markos sobbed holding out an arm he summoned his trident back to him. Victoro recoiled, his hair that was once in a bun now spilled out freely over his shoulders, picking up ounces of blood. The Lords' cloak was tattered and destroyed, with the air around them smelling like ozone from lightning use.
"They will be sent to hell. Yes, I know. I will ensure at least one of them inherit all the power I gained-"
"WHAT? Sent to hell? You think that's where it ends?!" He brought his trident down twisting around one of the pillars. "Zair nha syol!" He swallowed his own tears in a scream, purple lighting blasted from his trident but Victoro caught it on his sword. What? "They will be used! Crafted into demons for his pleasure! That's what gods like him do!"
"Tmflvyrsijy." Thunderous energy pushed him away in the pattern of a goose, Herod jumped forth taking his spot in attack. Markos struggled to his feet and ran. "You think I don't know that? You want to save my kids? Hm? Then let me complete this ritual! Let me sacrifice the gold and souls!"
"You'll kill so many innocent people!" Herod remarked. "You think we can allow that?" Before Victoro could answer, Markos, summoned a tentacle on the ground letting Herod spring off of it into the air. "Fulminum iactu arsiesse!" an X-like string appeared in the air slamming Victoro in the head.
'We can count to three before releasing the Kraken!' One voice screamed. 'Kill kill kill kill kill kill killkilllllkilklkolkilkol!'
Markos rolled his trident in his grasp. "Victoro you monster!"
*Wsssthen-ang* The two blades met in the air locking together. Markos leaned in closer finally noticing the artwork on the rapier. "W.. what.." He whispered. Was it a wrinkle? His brain recoiled in fear like it was throwing up. No-no-no.
"Elegant isn't it?" Victoro chided. "I ordered it from Steam and Steel after I learned of a new blacksmith. Beautiful little rapier huh?" The craftsmanship was so clearly Vestus's, with the twisted Damascus, the goose handle with V-shaped guard, and more.
"You could afford this but not to save your children?!" His chest tightened when Victoro stabbed him. He coughed up more and more blood but kept going.
'We can bite his ear off!'
Herod jumped back into the fray, Victoro effortlessly used his cane to battle Herod. Spinning around while striking and blocking blows from both of them. Markos twisted a knife into his hand stabbing it into Victoro's leg.
"FAH!" No time was left for thought when the lord hurled a flurry of blows at him. Markos jumped back one strike was deflected by Herod, but another drew blood. Soaking more of his life into the stony crypt. Used and abused.. That was the fate of those children. N-not like him! Loved and trained. No, they were being done a horrible disservice.
"Foqal ath t'huen turor!" A yellow barrier formed between them. He summoned a shield spell. A whispering windy sound emanates from its surface glancing strikes and more away. The Lord beat against it only stopping to grab Herod by the collar and toss him over his shoulder. Markos jumped up grabbing Herod mid-air the both of them tumbled to the dirt.
*BSSH* Victoro shattered through the shield, fragments of magic limped to the floor, Markos jumped up seeing the rage seething out of the priest's eyes.
"At every step, every turn. You have interfered and halted my grand plan!" Victoro thrust his rapier at him. Gods.. how was he still fighting? Markos couldnt understand it, they were fighting two on one and yet still he seemed almost unbeatable. It wasn't a matter of power anymore. The ground trembled with every blow they traded, shaking the balcony in each strike. It was all a matter of skill. Victoro's blade danced through the airs like Asher's, he was trumped.
"Grand plan?!" Herod cackled. "You mean your initiative to try and steal gold! We didn't even know what we were doing!"
"Cerdest! Ink cloud!" Markos ordered, The familiar jumped in from the back striking Victoro against the back of the head. "You aren't a Thrawn! Just a really dumb man!" Did they understand?
"Bah! What?! What is that!" A cloud of ink-filled the area. Markos stumbled forward, the crumbling balcony below him threatened to release stones and rubble over his friends. The Lord charged out of the ink straight into Herod's glowing sword.
"Ventri Vuli." A similar force like Eldritch blast shot from the sword. Only it was green and it ignited flames. Suddenly the narrow balcony was engulfed with fire stretching out as far as the eye could see. Markos jumped up letting lighting crackle around his trident he gave another devastating blow. This man.. This priest was no true follower of his god. Instead, Victoro was a putrid false man who had given up his own children. Children!
'Ring around the Rosey pockets full of-'
"To give up your kids. For what? Power? Money? Did you forfeit their lives for something so vain and small?"
"Markos Ktugya Damor'syol Amanodel. You are a worshiper, no. A fucking slave to Nyarlathotep." Chills ran down his back. He.. he had said something earlier but.. He knew.. That far- "You think Lord Asmodeus did not tell me?"
Herod shoved Victoro from behind. Markos took the opportunity, jumping around the illicit floor he stabbed the noble in the leg headbutting him back into Herod. He was slightly shocked their teamwork was so impeccable.
'Chairs are useful weapons! As is the blood of satan!'
"I know what you are! What you have done! You have no right to lecture me! None!"
"I had no choice!" Markos sobbed back. Tears were flooding his eyes, his body was creaking and whining. He was tried, h-he had to do it! For her love! She wanted it for him! Damnit damnit damnit! "And you robbed your children of their choice! I'm a believer in my god! I worship her, serve her! But you're nothing! Nothing but a terrible father!"
"Perhaps, but I will save my kids, and my wife will rejoice. The only thing stopping me is you. Had no choice. Do you think I care? Murder is murder. Cultist. I do mine because I believe myself to be right. You say you had no choice so you can ignore what you've done." His defenses crumbled. Markos stumbled back.
"SHUT UP!" Herod jumped over Victoro. His cloak flapped over Markos's head basking him in the light of a new savior. "Don't you fucking talk to him like that! Get the fuck away from my friend!"
*FRBEERBOOM!*
A sonic blast whizzed past his right ear. Markos was unfrozen from the spot jumping back to his feet when an ice knife zipped around his head and against the ground Victoro was stood on.
"With all due respect," Alekzandr called over his shoulder. Markos jumped around catching the Lord's cane in his trident. "You're kind of a piece of shit!"
'Tell him.'
Markos's eyes widened he delivered strike after strike, being parried away. Victoro's bloody hand smacked into his cheek, sending him tumbling into a wall. "Mgehye'lloig!" Cerdest darted around the battlefield unleashing purple attacks which infected the mind.
"Argh! Enough of that!" Victoro threw his staff, slamming Markos square in the gut. He watched on helplessly while the lord snatched Cerdest out of the air with one hand.
"Cerde-!" Chill rams over his body, the small pink squid beat furiously against the hand screaming in psychic terror. *Crunch* Victoro squeezed his hand an explosion of pink smoke blew through the air collapsing the familiar away. "NO!" Markos jumped up, his head was foggy and his legs felt weak. His trident soared overhead forcing Victoro to catch it. "I-I almost forgot!" He threw away the tears in his eyes. The Lord tossed his trident away cracking the walls from the force a feeble punch was thrown, but Markos's yellow cloak raised up catching it. 'About time Hastur!' He thought furiously. Calling him the Pharaoh of the Kemetisim.. Well, finally he got some help from that title! "Oh gosh!" He grinned, feeling some sensation of noise overtake him. "There was this one fact- I completely forgot to mention!" Markos jumped in the way of a strike that was meant for Herod, taking the Lord's entire attention. He didn't want his friend to get hurt. "Seeing how.. Ya know.. Uh." Leaning in he spat foamy saliva all over Victoro's face cackling happily. "This could always help you.. E-Especially in w-well.. this instance.. Just a quick thing. I poisoned your kids." For a second the color drained from Victoro's face, his eyes quivered with rage and confusion. Markos smiled even louder. "They're gonna die Victoro!" His voice grew higher pitched. "And you promised their souls away! W-which means.." He smiled, a warm sea-like sensation wrapped around his body. Markos smile more and more. "If he can't get their souls.. He's gonna come for you! Hi! I'm Ktugya! You're gonna go to hell!" He introduced himself using one of his many names proudly.
"You.. BASTARD!" Victoro screamed. He hurled Herod across the balcony tossing him to the edge of the cliff. "Gryyl Fiamme colpiscono vujuly Asmodeus!" The edge of Victoro's rapier spliced open with a raging fire. Markos summoned a shield between them.
*BSSHH* The yellow wall shattered without any resistance. The rapier's tip dove into his chest cracking his bone and body apart.
"G- heh- it's not too late to renounce your god! Join something better!" He cackled. Pain. Agony. Flames burst inside his own body. Markos felt the sword ram him through the center. No words could describe the unholy sensation he was feeling, for once the overwhelming pain truly edged closer to what.. She.. would do. Green fire wrapped around his arms.
'Jokes on you we have a sun sword! Right?' The voice was wrong.
"W-wow.. That.. is actually.. Almost as painful as.. her." He chocked out a few lines, stumbling backward on his feet he grabbed the sides of the rapier, slicing his hands in an effort to pull it out. Divine fury poured over him filling his nose with burnt flesh and his ears with a ringing sensation. "Nope nope nop-" He whispered through grit teeth, his voice was weak and dripping with pain. His vision filled with red spots, the world seemed to spin just a bit more. "Alekzandr.. You.. got this guy right?" He quizzed, He stumbled back a bit more dropping his trident to the ground. The walls were caving in. A hand wrapped tightly around his neck, Markos scratched at the wrists trying his best to breath, the air was began robbed from his body only quickening the pace at which he lost life. "I-g-" Markos choked.
"Believer, you truly believe in her? Is that what you really are? A child whose faith is solely in their god?! Then let her save you!" A second strike pierced his lung. Markos spat blood all over Victoro's coat.
"I-I You're gonna burn.." He chocked.
'We're unchained.. Let's use everything..'
The Lord swiped a necklace from his pocket gliding it over Markos's head. W- Rotting pain filled his skull like a thousand little cells were dying instantly. The voices around him began to melt away his tentacle disappeared. The spells he'd cast no longer possible. Markos tried to touch the ground but he was lifted higher and higher until. "Let her save you from death." Victoro released his grip. Markos stumbled back on the balcony, his feet only a few inches away he collapsed over, meeting Herod's eyes for the last time. The warlock was shoved to the ground next to the cliff jumping up to action. It wasn't soon enough. Air enveloped his ears when he titled over the face of the landing.
"Oh." He whispered, before being pushed off the cliff.