With his borrowed blade, Thane quickly cut down Hunter's wife, but the damage was done.
Hunter: Ugh!?
Stumbling back, Hunter hits a tree, sliding down it as blood poured from his two wounds.
Thane: Hunter, are you alright?
Hunter: Its... This is as far as I can go with you, Champion.
Thane:....
Hunter: Don't worry... I can make it back on my own...
Hunter: I have to...!
Thane watches Hunter get back his feet, and begin walking towards him and the direction of his village.
Hunter: I've... Gotta be there for my baby girl... I can't leave her alone... I'm all she-ugh!
Hunter: Has!
Thane:....
He could see Hunter's body give out before his very eyes. Hunter had no chance of making it back to his daughter, or to receive medical attention.
Hunter: You... Go on... Save the village...Ugh..!?
As he past Thane, Hunter collapsed, but the Champion of Death caught him with one arm.
Thane: I'll help you back...
Hunter:(panting)... No... You-
Thane: I can't stop this... I don't have the right to...
Hunter's soul began to drip out of his body skyward. Coagulating into a ball sized ghostly sphere.
Thane: But I can prolonge it...
Thane's soul exended out of his body. As his body decaded, his soul grabbed Hunter's like a hand reaching out.
With his deadman's eyes, Thane could see the silhouette of Azrei lurking in the forest.
Thane: But only for a goodbye...
Shoving Hunter's soul back into his body, Thane threw Hunters arm around his shoulders to help support his weight whilst he dragged him back to the village.
Thane's soul stayed out to keep Hunter's in.
Hunter: I can't... Breath....
Thane: Forget about breathing... Just think of what you're going to say...
The sun set as the two walking corpses got ever closer back to the village.
(Knock, knock)
Abby opened the door to her house to be greeted with two men covered in shadow as the clouds hid the moon.
Hunter: Abby...
Abby: Father? Where did you run off to?! Have you see mom?
Hunter: I'm... Off to see her again...
Thane dragged Hunter to a nearby bench, before giving him and Abby space.
Joining him on the bench, Abby looks concernly at her shadow covered father.
Abby: What are you talking about?
Hunter: I'm... I'm so sorry my precious little fox... Ugh... I have to go...
Abby: G-go where? Another hunt for that witch? Just forgot about it, okay...?
Abby: Just come home...
Hunter: Be... Be... Strong. Know that I wish I could stay... But I must... Go...
The clouds part to reveal Hunter's bloody body to Abby.
Abby:(gasp)?!
Hunter: This... This right here is a gift... Gift from a god...
Hunter:(weak chuckle) That's two...including you...
With tears in her eyes, Abby cryed out.
Abby: I NEED A DOCTOR! HELP!!
Hunter: I...love...you...
His body went limp, as his soul escaped his already dead body.
Abby: DADDY!!
She embraced his corpse, trying to shake him as if he was just sleeping.
Abby:(sobbing) W-Wake up...! Wake up!
Thane: I'm sorry for your loss...
Abby: Tch!
Abby: This your fault-Ah!?
Seeing Thane's current state, with pale dead skin, blank eyes, shocked her. As well as how life returned to his body.
Thane:...
Thane watched, as from afar, Azrei led the soul of Hunter to one of the afterlives.
Thane: His soul is in good hands...
Thane: And so will the witch's once I rip it from her body.
Turning around, Thane headed back to Gaudy's lair, with a fire in his eyes.
Standing in his way, was the towns doctor and many concerned villagers. They who stood in Thane's way, along with those who where watching from their homes, stared at him with malice.
Thane/Villagers:(Glare)
Doctor: What happened here? Where are the bodies of our friends and family?
Thane: They're gone.
Pushing past the villagers, Thane continues onward.
Villager: What do you mean gone!?
Thane: You'll never see them again.
Thane: It's what happens when someone dies.
Leaving the village, Thane arrived at the cave entrance. With no delay in his step, he heads straight inside, quickly discovering a well lit cavern, Gaudy sitting on a stone table and a massive skeleton behind her.
Thane:?
Gaudy: There you are...
Gaudy: Like what I found?
Thane: What is that...?
Gaudy: They spoke to me... Showed me the truth, then taught it to me....
Thane: And what truth is that...?
She gestures to the giant skeleton. Its skull, the size of a small house, its hight, easily five times taller then Thane himself. But the proportions were off, this wasn't the skeleton of a human who was grown giant.
Gaudy: This is proof of life before us... The Gods last worshipers...
Gaudy: Whom Azrei erased from the world so gloriously thoroughly!
Gaudy: He plans on doing so once more! For he spoke to me...
Gaudy: Thaught me the art of necromancy himself so I can help aid him in creating a new army of dead to erase this era of life!
Thane: The goddess is a goddess... As in She.
Gaudy: A god is a god. Their voice and gender are relative not fact.
Thane:... I have had enough of you.
Thane: You've made me angry. As well as the Goddess.
Thane: In the name of the corpse you've defiled, the people you've used, hurt and killed...
Thane: And in the name of Azrei... I judge you guilty... Your soul is mine to reap!
Finished with the conversation, Thane marches towards Gaudy.
Gaudy:(chuckles) Who are you to speak on the behalf of a GOD!?
Thane: I'm her Champion... It comes with the job!
His soul floats out of his body towards Gaudy, but with her necromantic magic she was able to knock it back into his body.
Nevertheless, Thane grabbed her by the arm and punched her across the face.
(THUMP)
Her body fell limp onto the ground.
Thane: Hmph.
Gaudy: Sadly false champion... It's not that simple...
(Rumble)
The giant skeleton began to move, under dark magical influence.
Gaudy: Why settle for a weak living body, when there's this massive dead one!?
Thane: Big or small. Dead or alive. Your soul is mine!
TO BE CONTINUED.....