Chapter 171 - Kalazar, The Wretched

Talia raked her claws across the demon’s abdomen, slicing through the blackened flesh with ease. Even as she disemboweled the creature, it retaliated with a roaring overhand strike with a jagged-bladed sword made of dull, pitted metal. The weapon descended with the force of a falling meteor, whistling as it cleaved the air. Under the effects of Zeke’s [Avatar of the Beast] as well as her own [Alacrity of Undeath], Talia slipped to the side, her other hand darting out to slap the blade further off target. It hit the shadowy ground with a tremendous crash, the blade burying itself nearly a foot into the black sand beneath the wispy flagstones that were a reflection from the mortal realm’s city. Without stopping, Talia’s claws connected in an uppercut that tore the demon’s jaw from its skull. The next few seconds were accompanied by a flurry of attacks that left the demon as little more than a pile of dismembered and rotting body parts.

Standing over her defeated opponent, Talia looked around. She stood at the base of the pyramid, which seemed more solid than any other part of the reflected city. Instead of the wispy sensation of grabbing a handful of cotton, it had the consistency of loose sand. It was a curiosity she didn’t fully understand, and given the nature of her increasingly single-track mind, she didn’t ponder it too deeply. Ever since emerging from the abyss, she had, more and more, developed the sense of a predator. When she saw a problem – or an opponent to be overcome – she focused on it to the detriment of all else. The nature of the reflected city was no different.

Since leaving the group behind, Talia had killed a half-dozen demons. Some were more difficult than others, and more than once, she’d had to fish into her pouch and consume one of the hearts she’d carried with her. Doing so was a necessity – a cost of doing business, Tucker would say – and she ate the hearts with grim determination. Pointedly, she tried to ignore the sense of humanity they brought with them. As much as she wanted to go back to being the girl she’d been before the transformation which had been thrust upon her, Talia knew that was impossible. Trying to hold onto her humanity was nothing more than a distraction from the reality of her new existence.

Of course, everyone didn’t think so. Abby, in particular, wanted her to cling to her lost humanity. And at times, Talia agreed. In the demon realm, while surrounded by powerful enemies, it wasn’t the time to embrace such a thing. No – she had to embrace the monster, lest she lose everything.

Her latest battle had taken far too long. However, given the durability of the demons, that wasn’t surprising. She’d been forced to whittle it down with her [Plague Strike], which rotted its flesh, before finally finishing it off. It was a viable strategy, but it was anything but quick.

By comparison, Pudge, of whom she’d caught glimpses while ranging ahead of the rest of the group, seemed almost to toy with the demons. The bear had grown far more powerful since coming to the Mal’araxis, and Talia suspected that, now, he only lagged behind Zeke in terms of raw strength. An ally gaining power was a boon, and one she welcomed with open arms. As she slipped away from the fallen demon, hunting for more of the same, she had a suspicion that it would take the best everyone could muster if they were going to get back to their native realm alive.

After circling the ziggurat a couple of times, weaving between the surrounding shadowy buildings like a pale ghost, she returned to the main thoroughfare, where she saw Zeke leaning against Tucker. Abby stood beside him, her bow in hand as she searched for threats. Given what she’d experienced, Talia didn’t think the other woman would be able to do much against any demons she or Pudge had missed. But she admired the sentiment. Not everyone could be strong. Most weren’t. The difference was that Abby always found ways to contribute.

Talia approached, her footsteps mostly silent. It was only when she drew within a dozen feet that she saw Carlos standing off to the side, mired in shadow and looking like he’d found the end of his rope. His hair was a mess, his eyes were wild, and he moved with a twitchiness that hadn’t been present even after his daring escape from captivity. Even so, if Talia still had to breathe, her breath would’ve caught in her chest at the mere sight of the gorgeous man. She suppressed her attraction, focusing on her friends.

“The way is clear,” she said, hating her own voice. Talia had taken the other changes in stride, but for some reason, her voice – like two rocks scraping together – made her feel even more monstrous than her pale skin, claws, or the green veins visible through her skin. She resisted the urge to clear her throat, adding, “There is something atop the pyramid, though.”

As she spoke, Pudge padded into view, exiting a nearby alley. He had black demon blood splattered all over his hide, evidence of his efforts. Some of that blood was in the process of evaporating, sending tendrils of foul-smelling mist twisting in the air. Talia could feel the heat wafting off of the infernal bear.

He approached Zeke, then nuzzled against his companion’s side. Zeke laughed, patting the bear’s massive head. “I’m fine, buddy,” he said. “Just a little beat up.”

That statement was demonstrably false, as far as Talia could see. Zeke’s condition had improved in the time since she’d started scouting. For one, he was now dressed. For another, his skin wasn’t flaking off in great chunks. However, he still looked like a man who’d been shattered and put back together, with tiny motes of light drifting up from the cracks in his skin.

“We know about the demon on top of the pyramid,” Abby said, looking at Talia. “Have you gotten a good look at it?”

Talia shook her head, saying, “No. I believe it sensed me, though. I do not think it will come down from its perch.”

Tucker glanced at the pyramid a hundred yards distant. At the top, the shadows writhed, every movement visible against the backdrop of the yellow-and-red clouds in the sky. But the demon was nowhere to be seen.

The pyramid itself was four-sided, with five tiers and steps cascading down paths in the center of each side. Atop the structure were a series of statues, though Talia’s vision wasn’t acute enough to identify the subjects. However, she could tell that some of them were solid, which meant that they were part of Mal’araxis, and not just reflections of the human realm. She had no idea if that was good or bad, but she knew it was important.

“What’s the plan?” asked Abby.

“Making a plan would require us to know what we’re up against,” Zeke pointed out, his voice weak and gravelly. It reminded Talia of her own voice, which was somehow comforting. She looked up to Zeke, and any similarities between the two was enough to warm her cold heart, if only a little. He looked at Tucker. “Any ideas on your demolition charges? The mana’s going wild around here.”

Tucker’s eyes fixed on the top of the pyramid, looking at something Talia couldn’t see. After about thirty seconds, he sighed, and his shoulders slumped. He said, “Not going to work. As soon as I take them out, they’re exploding. Even if I go with a half-infusion, it’s going to go off in seconds. I’m sorry.”

“What does that mean?” asked Abby.

“It means that someone’s going to have to stay behind and set the charges off manually,” Carlos said, connecting the dots before anyone else could answer. “And it’s got to be Zeke or Tucker. Unless someone else has a storage skill they haven’t told anyone about.”

“You’re not staying,” Abby said, fixing her eyes on Zeke. “I don’t care. We can go somewhere else. There has to be another portal somewhere, right? Or we can go back to that oasis you were talking about. I’m sure the purifier would know what to do. We don’t have to cross over here.”

Zeke sighed, his eyes drilling down into the ground. Talia knew what he was thinking. Everyone did. For all his positive characteristics – and there were many – he had a debilitating hero complex. It was one of things Talia admired about him. Unlike her mother, who used her power for personal gain, Zeke consistently wanted to help other people. Or failing that, avenge them. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he would want to do. Some men shied away from sacrifice. Zeke ran towards it – sometimes needlessly.

“It has to be me,” he said. “I can’t ask Tucker to do this.”

“You don’t have to ask,” came a quiet statement.

“What?” Abby blurted, looking up at Tucker, who had the grace to look sheepish. “You?”

“I know you dislike me,” Tucker stated. “The feeling is mostly mutual.” He pointed to Talia, saying, “But I owe her. And this guy, too. I don’t really care much about Tiger Beat, but the bear is definitely on the short list of people I care about. Besides, y’all saved me back with the giants. Might as well return the favor.”

Talia said, “You do not owe me. You were coerced.”

Tucker shrugged. “Still did it, didn’t I?” he said. “Without me, you’d still be a normal girl. I’m going to carry that with me for the rest of my life.” He glanced up at the pyramid. “And judging by what I just volunteered to do, it’s going to be pretty damn short.”

“I’m already falling apart,” Zeke said, his voice low as he turned to face Tucker. He could barely stand on his own. “Let me do this.”

“No can do,” was Tucker’s response. “Besides, I’m not volunteering to die here. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“Do you?”

Tucker shrugged. “Will it make you feel better if I told you I have a way to survive?” he asked.

“It would,” Zeke stated.

“Then pretend I said that,” Tucker stated. “Seriously – you can’t do this. I can. Go through that portal, and let me do what needs to be done. I want to. I need to.”

Talia had never considered how guilty Tucker had likely felt after participating in Micayne’s experiments. How many people had died at his hands? How many more had perished because he didn’t dare interfere? Never mind the psychological effect of doing what he did to the giants. In the moment, while he was in that tower and mired in his experiments, he probably hadn’t felt the guilt too keenly. But with a little space? It had clearly haunted him more than he’d so far let on. He had maintained an unaffected front, but Talia saw the truth.

More than once, before she’d descended into the Abyss, she’d been aware enough to hear Tucker sobbing in the corner. He had lived a hard life full of difficult decisions, and he’d paid the price for doing what he thought needed to be done. He was wracked by guilt, and Talia recognized what he was trying to do. Sacrificing himself was his way of atoning for his sins, necessary though they may have been.

“Honestly, though – I don’t think it matters until we deal with the big guy at the top of this pyramid,” Tucker went on. Zeke started to object, but Tucker cut him off. “Or is it a ziggurat? I think the words are kind of interchangeable. Either way, you need to trust me. You all take care of that demon up there, jump through the portal, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“I don’t like this,” Zeke said.

“Don’t have to like it,” was Tucker’s response. He gave the injured man a smirk, adding, “Can’t let you be the hero every time, can I?”

Zeke obviously wanted to argue, but he was in no state. More, Talia suspected that he knew he couldn’t do what was necessary, even if everyone was willing to let him. As it stood, Abby looked like she was more than willing to drag him through the portal back to the human realm, and given how weak he looked, Zeke was in no position to resist. He likely knew as much, because he just sighed, saying, “I suppose not. Tell me you’re not just throwing your life away, though. Tell me you have a plan to survive.”

Tucker gave him another cocky smile and said, “It’s not throwing your life away if it means others can survive. But seriously – I do have a plan. I’m protected from my own grenades. You all aren’t. So, the moment you’re through the portal, I’m going to go all out. You don’t want to be around when I do that.”

“And then?” asked Abby, uncharacteristically concerned with Tucker’s survival.

“I’ll head to that oasis, bully the purifier into helping me, and hope you all come back to get me,” he said. “It’s simple.”

“Except that there’s an army of demons in the way,” Zeke said, nodding back the way they’d come. The shadowy city was still quivering, which meant that the walls would soon fall. When that happened, the horde of demons outside would have no reason not to rush toward the portal.

Tucker shrugged. “I’m pretty good at surviving,” he said.

Talia knew that him making light of it was probably a coping mechanism. So did everyone else, but no one said anything. The reality was that they needed someone to stay behind and close the portal, else Jariq would soon play host to an army of demons. She had no illusions about how that would go. If Tucker wanted to be the hero, everyone but Zeke was more than satisfied to let him do just that.

“Fine,” Zeke said. “So long as you have a plan.”

They both knew that his so-called plan was, at best, a longshot.

“So, how are we getting past the big guy?” Abby asked. “And if we manage that, how do we get through the portal?”

“Just jump in,” Zeke said. “I think. We fell through it last time. I think we’ll know what to do when we get up there, though.”

“How do you know that?” asked Carlos.

“Call it a hunch,” was Zeke’s response. “As to the big demon up there? I think our best bet is for me to hit it with a [Leech Scythe]. Once it hits, everyone goes all out. Pudge will take the lead. Everyone else just pile the damage on until it dies.”

“And if it doesn’t?” asked Carlos, his voice quivering a little.

Zeke said, “Then we destroy the ritual circle. It won’t close the portal completely unless someone does the same on the other side, but it’ll at least give them a shot.”

“We…w-we don’t have to do this,” Carlos said. “We can just…I don’t know. Run away. Find another way home. I don’t know. This just seems like a really bad idea.”

“It is,” Abby said. “But we don’t have much of a choice here. If you’re not up to it, that’s fine. Just hang back and make sure no stray demons sneak up on us.”

“R-really?” he asked.

Zeke said, “Sometimes, we have to make the best of bad ideas. Sometimes, that’s all we have.”

With that, he stepped toward the pyramid. A second later, he stumbled, but Pudge was already there to support him. Together, the two covered the ground to the structure and started climbing the steps. Neither looked back to see if the others were following – which they were. Even Carlos, who was mumbling to himself the whole time.

The trek up the steps was fraught with tension – bad enough that even Talia felt it, despite the emotional numbness that had become the hallmark of her undead nature. Finally, they reached the top.

“Come, little humans!” a voice boomed, and the pyramid shook. “I have been waiting!”

“Remember, I’ll hit it with scythe,” Zeke said, looking back at them. “After that, Pudge goes in. Don’t hold back. We won’t have the luxury.”

Everyone nodded, and, after taking a deep breath, Zeke mounted the last few steps. The moment he did, he activated his skill, and by the time Talia and the others reached the top of the pyramid, there was already a shining, red blade arcing toward the demon. It crashed against the creature’s giant form, and only an instant later, Pudge launched himself at it.

Talia, meanwhile, could only gape.

The demon didn’t look that much different from the others she’d killed. It had the same muscular body, similar horns, and the same golden eyes. However, there were plenty of differences as well. Instead of red skin, it had skin like onyx, with giant wings jutting from its back. Unlike the other demons, it was clothed in a red toga, sandals, and a plethora of piercings. It carried an enormous axe, with a wicked blade on one side and a spike on the other. At its crown was what looked like a human skull.

“So big…”

Carlos’s words ripped through Talia’s awe, spurring her into action. But she couldn’t disagree with his assessment. The thing was at least thirty feet tall and proportioned like an extremely muscular man. She used her identification skill:

Kalazar, the Wretched - ?

She had no idea what the lack of a level meant, but she’d encountered a similar situation before. The warlock had two question marks instead of a level, while this Kalazar had only one. She chose to believe that that meant it was weaker, though she really had no reason to suspect as much, save for pure wishful thinking.

Just as she emerged from her stupor, Pudge slammed into the demon’s leg, ripping a sizable chunk from its calf. Kalazar howled in pain as tiny tendrils of black energy infected the wound, and he brought his axe down in a wicked, overhand slash. Pudge dodged to the side, and the axe barely missed. Then, he darted in again; this time, Kalazar was ready, and he kicked out with his sandaled foot. The blow connected, sending the giant bear skidding across the surface of the pyramid.

“A beast?!” Kalazar roared, his arms outstretched and his head tilted toward the sky. “You send a beast at me?! I will not have it!”

Abby took that opportunity to shoot an arrow at the demon, and the predictable lightning strike soon followed. It singed the demon’s skin, but he was otherwise unharmed. Meanwhile, Zeke had collapsed, his use of [Life Scythe] draining him of whatever energy had kept him going. He was still alive, but the cracks in his skin looked worse than ever.

Not that Talia had time to think about him. Everyone else had already begun their attacks – even Carlos – and she was resolved to do her part. So, using her skills to their fullest, she sprinted forward into battle, hoping that they had enough power to defeat such a monstrous creature.