(STOMP)
(SPLAT)
Leaping to the side, Thane rolled out of the way of Gaudy's giant skeletal body, which crushed her old one to a red paste.
Gaudy: A puny, punk like you could never be a Champion, let alone of Death!
Thane: Neither can a crazy freak like you who knows nothing about and doesn't even care about Azrei's wishes!
Leaping onto her giant skeleton leg, Thane began climbing up her body.
Gaudy: You have the gull to claim you understand a GOD!?
Thane: At least compared to you!
Sliding between the fibula and tibia bones of Gaudy's boney legs, Thane narrowly escaped a flick from the necromancer. Wiping the sweat off his brow, Thane leaped onto the giant femur.
There he continued to quickly climb up, as Gaudy was backing up to the wall of the cavern.
Gaudy: How crushing your defeat will be!
Getting on the front part of the giant's sacrum, Thane decayed his arms and the front of his body to the point that rigor mortis was in effect to help him stay gripped.
(CRASH)
The cavern rumbled upon Gaudy's impact with the wall, but Thane stayed strong and continued to climb up her skeletal structure.
Gaudy: What's it like to be nothing but a clingy bug to me!?
Thane: Great if I've annoyed you even a little!
Gaudy: Ugh!
She dashes towards the exit of the caver. The exit was too small to simply walk out, which Gaudy knew full well of this for she planned to bust through the stone, hoping to crush Thane in the process.
The Champion of Death narrowly escaped his demise by getting into the rib cage where most of the large rubble bounced off the ribs.
(CRASH)
The massive skeleton that was the necromancer, Gaudy, was now in the outside world.
Thane continued to climb whilst Gaudy tried getting rid of him. She knew one hit from her would be enough to kill the fearless man and that his luck would run out eventually.
(STOMP)
(CRASH)
Gaudy: Hah!
As Thane attempted to leap onto her jaw, Gaudy caught the champion whilst he was in the air. She squeezed him but didn't kill Thane for he decayed the parts of his body that she was trying to squeeze.
Gaudy: Aawwww! Knock it off! This is getting stupid!
Thane: Cry me a river!
Moving his soul into the giant's hand, Thane managed to push out part of Gaudy's soul to possess the skeleton fist himself.
Gaudy: What is this-!?
Her sentence was interrupted by Thane using her own skeleton hand to punch her jaw off.
Thane: Hey...
Gaudy:(slured) Don't you-
Thane: Stop hitting yourself!
He punched her once again with the hand he was possessing. The second punch knocked Gaudy onto her back.
The Champion of Death reeled back his soul only to cast it back out into the skeleton.
Gaudy: Why you...!
Gaudy: Great god of death! Lend me your strength to destroy this false idol!
With all her might, she slammed her hands together to try to crush Thane, but the necromancer did not see her skeletal hands move, but two numbs of light.
Gaudy: Huh...?
She tried to look at her body, but there was nothing for her to look at. Gaudy looked around, but she was unable to make out any details of the surroundings.
There was only one thing she could see.
A chain that led to a rotted Thane.
The Champion of Death had dragged the soul of Gaudy out of the giant skeleton.
Thane: I told you... Your soul is mine...
Gaudy:?!
Thane: Now I wonder... If I can rip a soul from a body... Can I put it in something?
Grabbing a rock, Thane shoved Gaudy's soul into it.
With a rock being a rock, Gaudy lost the ability to think, to move, to speak. She was now just a rock that went into Thane's pocket.
Thane:(heavy sigh)...
Exhausted, Thane drops to the ground, surrounded by giant bones.
His soul slowly drifts out of his body as he relaxes into a pile of bones himself.
"This...This was something."
"But it's over... And with the job I did... So am I..."
"Hehehehe... Over? It's just begun!"
"Lady Azrei...?"
"Wrong."
Thane awoke, after retracting his soul. But he did not wake up in the same place where he shut his eyes.
The sky was red. The grass was blue, and he was on a hill.
Thane: Hello?
"Azrei has a champion... The sentence still leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
"You're a pawn, you know that right? You're meant to make her break a rule."
Thane: You're a god. I can tell that much from this all... But which one?
Thane: Life? Space? Law? Time? Your voice is too funky to make out!
"Why don't you try figuring that out by yourself?"
Thane: Why have you even brought me here?
"Because... I hate when things go as planned. That's why..."
An invisible force lifted Thane off the ground. He could feel his neck about to snap, thus Thane tried decaying his body, but his soul was immediately shoved back into his body.
There was then a burning sensation that began coursing throughout his body.
Thane:(choking) Is... This... Neccery...?
"Go ruin some plans... Champion of Death."
Being released, Thane saw himself back where he was, but he fell unconscious immediately.
"My Champion...."
Thane:...
"Return to me..."
Rolling over, Thane pushed himself up. Hearing Azrei's voice compelled him to do so.
Looking over the gigantic skeletal remains. Thane knew he should bring it back.
As a souvenir.
Seeing the frightened townspeople trying to investigate, Thane decided to flaunt his privilege as Champion and slayer of this giant enemy.
Getting a carriage and horses Thane dragged the giant skull back toward Ome'Alf.
Thane: Hehe... This is kinda cool.
The Champion chuckled whilst riding atop the skull.
Thane: I guess this job is at least going to be entertaining...
Thane: Hm?
In the distance, Thane saw the farmhouse he passed by on his journey.
Thane:...?
He saw two bodies hanging from a tree.
Thane:!
Stopping the carriage, Thane ran over to the tree to confirm that the two people on the tree were the husband and wife he met.
The woman was more rotten than the man.
Rotting his eyes, he saw no souls in the bodies. They had both at least passed on to the next stage.
Thane: Was this... Because of me....?
(Years ago)
A young Thane looked up at his hanging Grandfather. Noticing a note, the curious boy walked over and read it.
The note detailed how much pain the grandfather was in. Both physically and emotionally. From the loss of his wife, the burns on his skin, and of some deals he made which he blames for Thane's behavior.
Woman: AHHHHHH!
Thane's mother screamed at the sight of her father. She dragged Thane away before he could finish the letter.
(Present day)
Presented with another sight of death, Thane found an answer to one of his questions.
"Why do people end their lives?"
Thane: Is it... Because of me?
Thane:...
Burying the bodies, Thane went off to finish his journey back to the God Capital. But no longer with a sense of amusement but now one of gloom with dark thoughts.
With such an expression on his face, he road atop a giant skull of unknown origins, Thane made a lasting impression as a new Champion.
At the foot of the volcano where the God's castle stood atop, The Champion of Death was greeted by the Gods and a couple of Champions.
Journoy: This skull...
Giara: Where did you find this?
Thane: This was some Necromancer's ultimate weapon or something. She possessed the whole body.
Thane: I took her down and took the skull as a trophy.
The goddess of Life walked up to the skull and gently caressed it with a sorrowful look.
Thane: What did this skull belong to?
Sciron: Let's just say... You shouldn't have paraded it like you did.
Thane: My Lady...?
Azrei: You aren't in trouble. Come with me.
Leaving the skull behind, Thane walked with Azrei up the volcano and escorted her to her room where they could speak in private.
Thane: Before I forget... Here.
He hands her the rock with Gaudy's soul.
Thane: I took it upon myself to punish her.
Azrei:(glares at rock) This is very good, champion.
Azrei: Now tell me. How was your journey?
Thane: You know already. Don't you?
Azrei: I want to know your thoughts about it.
Thane:...
Thane: I succeeded in the worst way possible... I did my job, but poorly.
Thane: Just did the minimum... And that had consequences. The farm couple, Hunter...
Thane: Maybe they weren't my problem, but I still caused more death... However... It did teach me something...
Azrei: What is that?
Thane: I learned something... Being Fearless doesn't make me your perfect champion...
Thane: I'd understand if you would like a different champion.
Thane:?
A gentle hand was placed on Thane's head. It was cold to the touch but caring nonetheless.
Azrei: I never wanted a Champion. However, I do need one.
Azrei: You've proven that you're capable. And I still need you...
Thane was suddenly reminded of something that Hunter told him.
"You just need to find the one..."
"Out there... There's someone who'll make you want to live. If not for yourself, then for them."
"In the best way possible."
Thane: My lady...
Azrei: Hm?
Sensing a drive from Thane he's never shown before, the Goddess of Death watched her champion look her dead in the eyes, a feat not many could claim to be able to do.
Thane: I'm not asking to leave... I was declaring.
Azrei: Declaring? What are you declaring?
Thane: I fumbled around this first mission. But if you keep me...
Thane: I sware I'll become your perfect Champion!
Azrei: Huh!?
Thane: I'll surpass the other Champions! I'll change how the world sees you, I'll spread your words across the world!
Azrei: J-Just hold on a minute...
Thane: Mark my words! I will get better!
Azrei: Where is this coming from?
Thane: I do not know... If it's from the God who talked to me... The Necromancer who pissed me off, or the people I met but this is what my journey taught me-
Azrei: Wait. God? Who spoke to you?
Thane:(shrugs)
Azrei:... You're a strange man, Thane. I've never met anyone like you.
Thane: Does that mean I get to stay?
Azrei: You and I have much to discuss and do. So for the foreseeable future, I'll need you by my side.
Thane: I won't dare leave it, my lady.
TO BE CONTINUED.....