Kin hovered high above the city, the air crackling around him. Thorned vines coiled like serpents from his missing arm, lashing in all directions. His eyes burned pale with an unnatural light, and his chest expanded as he inhaled—another shout building in his throat.
Below, the team moved as one.
Minevi charged forward, shield raised high, her boots slamming against blood-slick stone.
"KIN!" she bellowed. "You have to shake this off!"
The vines snapped in her direction—he heard her.
Kin's head twitched. His gaze fell on her.
Good.
She slammed her mace against her shield, the metallic boom echoing up the tower walls. "I'm right here! Come on, you wanna hit something? Try me!"
Up on the cliffside, Madanach's lips twitched into a grin.
"Such fire," he mused. "She thinks she matters."
Minevi looked up at him, blood trailing down her cheek. She raised her shield and shouted toward the cliffs.
"You always need someone else to do your killing, don't you? Hide behind curses while the real warriors bleed!"
That earned his full attention.
His smile widened. There was no anger—only cool amusement. He raised a hand and gave a small flick of his wrist.
"Show her child. Show her what hubris buys you these days."
Kin responded immediately, the vine-whips lashing forward with renewed fury.
They crashed into the bridge Minevi stood on. She cast Stoneskin, and raised her shield as one struck directly into it. The force pushed her back several feet, but she held her footing, pushing the large vine to the side and sending it crashing behind her.
From the rooftops, Eradros began his flank, boots tapping lightly across broken tiles. His blades shimmered faintly with enchantments as he darted toward a shattered spire. One well-timed leap brought him sprinting up the angled side of a collapsed roof.
Up on the cliffs, Madanach's gaze flicked in his direction. He smiled thinly.
"I see you, little shadow."
He lifted two fingers—and flicked them outward.
Kin's body snapped around midair. The vine-whips launched toward the roof in an instant, tearing through shingles and beams like paper.
"ERADROS!" Taviiah cried.
He looked up while sprinting. "Shit!"
Eradros leapt just as the vines struck. They slammed into the building behind him—but he was already gone, replaced by a sudden burst of grey mist that streaked along the mountain wall like a living shadow. The mist danced between incoming strikes, dodging as vine after vine hammered into the stone, blasting chunks loose that crashed into the basin below.
Then—the shadow leapt.
The mist compressed midair and burst outward, revealing Eradros as he dropped like a falling blade. He descended straight toward Kin, both sabers drawn.
With a grunt, he slammed both blades down on the vine-whips, severing several clean through.
The severed thorns writhed wildly, then regrew—slower, sluggish.
Eradros landed in a crouch, skidding back, breath shallow.
"Of course they regenerate," he muttered. "Come on, lad. Snap out of it."
But Kin couldn't hear them. His blank face persisted as he lifted his arm, vines reforming in a twisted manner.
Then came a jerk in his body. Madanach was commanding him to resume the assault. He turned, only seeing Minevi and Taviiah on the bridge. Madanach made a decision for him. "I wasn't done with that one."
Gavhelus ran below him, a hulking blur of fangs and claws, tearing gouges in the ground. The beast was all rage and momentum, dodging between rubble piles and corpse fires, howling as he ran. He leapt upward, bounding from wall to wall with unnatural grace, fangs bared. He had to get to the bridge, but his path was blocked by several lingering Forsworn. It wasn't going to stop him.
He tore through the remaining enemies like paper. He became a whirlwind of snarling muscle and fury, tearing through his victims with savage precision. Limbs were severed mid-scream. One Forsworn was flung into a wall with such force that bone shattered audibly. Another tried to flee—only to have Gavhelus pounce, jaws clamping down on his throat with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed in arcs as the werewolf carved a red path through the battlefield, a nightmare in motion, unrelenting and merciless.
Kin landed hard in front of Minevi, stone cracking beneath his boots. The force of it knocked her backward—but she refused to fall, raising her shield just in time.
The first vine-whip lashed toward her.
CRACK!
"Good!" she shouted through clenched teeth. "You're going to have to kill me to shut me up!"
Kin let out a low growl. His voice came distorted, two-toned—half his, half Madanach's.
"Oh I WILL."
Kin's vines snapped toward Minevi again, a volley of barbed whips cutting through the air.
Before they could strike, a black figure dropped from above with a thunderous roar. Gavhelus slammed into the bridge, claws digging into the stone as he brought both massive arms down onto the vines, crushing them into the ground with sheer force.
Kin snarled, arm twitching—then ripped the vines back, yanking them free with a violent motion. Gavhelus had to leap away, landing between Kin and Minevi. Blood poured from his maw, his chest heaving, fur soaked in gore. He dropped into a low stance, snarling.
Madanach's amused grin finally cracked. His voice sharpened:
"Pesky mutt… You should be on a leash."
He flicked his hand.
Kin responded. The vine-whips surged again—one lashed out like a striking serpent, wrapping tight around Gavhelus's neck. The thorny whip dug deep into his neck.
Before he could react, Kin lifted his arm, and Gavhelus was hoisted off the ground, choking.
With a savage twist, Kin swung him through the air, slamming him against a row of ruined buildings. Wood and stone splintered.
Then he brought him down hard, spine-first into the cracked earth behind him. Dust and rubble erupted on impact.
Madanach watched the dust cloud rise from where Gavhelus had landed, lips curling smugly.
"Now that's a good boy," he murmured.
Kin withdrew his vines and began turning his attention back to Minevi, eyes glowing faintly, his stance stiff and ready to strike.
But before he could fully reorient, a low growl came from the dust.
Madanach winced. "Impossible."
Gavhelus exploded out of the debris, claws gleaming, jaws wide as he hurled himself through the air toward Kin.
Kin twisted at the last second, vines snapping out instinctively. He countered with an Unrelenting Force shout—
"FUS!"
—but Gav was faster.
He juked hard, leaping to a nearby building to dodge the shout. The stone bridge behind him cracked from the force, but Gavhelus had already rebounded, using the wall to launch himself again.
They collided in mid-air.
Vine against claw. Shout against speed. Kin flung vines in every direction in his attacks. But Gav was nimble, dodging over and under the whips while dealing attacks of his own.
The werewolf tore through vines as fast as they regenerated, raking through them with blood-drenched fury while Kin threw attack after attack, his face twisted in cold determination.
It was no longer just a scrap.
It was a vicious dance between monsters.
Far above, on the mountain's backside, Passha lurked in the shadows, surveying the Forsworn camp that lay hidden from the city's view. Tents and war totems littered the path, and dozens of warriors moved about with fervor, rallying behind Madanach's power. She counted at least thirty.
She began cracking her knuckles, but froze as a cold whisper slid across her mind.
"Wait, my child," came the rasping voice of the Night Mother, as if whispered from beneath the grave itself. "You cannot fight so many enemies outright. They will surely overwhelm you."
Passha closed her eyes, the cold wind brushing her scales like a breath from the Void. Her voice came low and reverent. "With your blessing, Night Mother, I won't have to."
A silence fell—thick, pressing. Then came the Night Mother's reply, soft and serpentine.
"Then you shall have it, child. Go forth...and play for them the sweet music of death. Let the rhythm of their fear guide you to your next kill. Let them dance their last--before their souls are mine."
A black shadow passed over Passha's eyes. When she opened them again, she was gone from sight.
"If that is your wish, Mother," She stepped forward, her footsteps completely inaudible. "Then it shall be done."
She flexed her fingers, and the finger blades extended with a soft click. Then she moved.
The moon hung high, casting shadows that welcomed her like kin. And like a phantom, Passha descended upon the camp. Suddenly, a Forsworn clutched his chest before falling without a sound. Another reached for his horn—his throat split open before the breath could escape.
Panic erupted.
One by one, they fell—some silently, others with gurgled cries that were cut short mid-breath. Blood sprayed in wide arcs, painting tents and totems with wet streaks of crimson. Passha moved like a bladed whisper, unseen and unstoppable.
A warrior turned and screamed just before her face was flayed open. Another reached for his bow—her hand pierced through his back and out his sternum before he could draw it back. The ground became slick with entrails and gore, Forsworn dropping in spasms as their legs or necks were slit. Panic turned to madness. Some fought the air, unsure of what they were attacking. Others fled into the dark, only to be yanked down screaming by an invisible hand. The last man fell trying to crawl away, his fingers scraping bloody lines into the dirt before his head was separated cleanly from his shoulders.
By the time the massacre ended, Passha stood near the cliff's peak, finger blades wet and steaming. Her breath was steady. Her eyes burned with calm. Madanach and the hagraven were just ahead. She was almost done--her target right in her sights.
She grinned, thinking what a glorious gift Madanach's soul would make for the Night Mother. His would be the blood-soaked bow that wrapped them all.
Below, the battle showed no signs of slowing. Minevi, Gavhelus, and Taviiah battled with all they had, trading position, shouts, and steel. Eradros had relocated to a higher ledge, raining arrows with sharp precision, shooting down the thorns that threatened to ensnare his companions.
Gav carved through the vine walls like a living battering ram, opening paths with his claws.
Minevi and Taviiah moved quick. They sprinted side by side, weaving through snapping vines, ducking and dodging with perfect rhythm.
Minevi got close—too close.
Kin turned.
"FUS!"
The shout cracked the air like thunder. Minevi's guard shattered and she was thrown back, her shield skidding across the stone.
Taviiah kept running, determined to end this before anyone else got hurt.
Too late.
Kin shot forward like an arrow, past Minevi, too fast for Gav to rebound. With a burst of speed, his hand clamping around Taviiah's throat mid-sprint.
Her gasp was strangled as his feet left the ground, propelling both of them into the sky with a gust of wind.
"MADANACH!" Eradros yelled from above, aiming his bow toward him. "Last Chance. Stop this!"
The witch-king raised his hand, smirking. Eradros' threat went unheard. He pointed downward.
"Kill her."
Kin turned in mid-air, his body reacting to Madanach's command. Taviiah flailed, kicking at him, clawing at his arm—but it was no use. "K—Kin...Snap...out of it."
The plea went unheard. His eyes held no remorse. No soul.
Winds swirled around them as he took a deep breath.
And with a slicing shout—They plummeted.
Madanach smiled, already savoring the crunch of bones on stone.
But something suddenly changed within him—he froze.
A ripple passed through his body. He staggered slightly.
"…what?" he hissed. "Hagraven—what is th..."
He turned.
The hagraven beside him stood motionless.
Blood spilled from her mouth. Her head hit the dirt a second later. Her hands that's were once waving and casting spells, fell lifeless to her side.
And behind her—
Passha stood, hand dripping with blood, eyes gleaming.
She pushed the corpse lightly, letting it fall before stepping closer to Madanach.
"You mentioned earlier the price of hubris," she said, slinging the blood from her hand. "Tell me, witch-king—are you prepared to pay in full?"
As Kin and Taviiah hurtled toward the earth, something in him snapped to. The soul in his eyes returned
"Taviiah?"
She stared at him, choking. "Done sleep walking, are you?"
He looked down—stone rushing toward them. He released Taviiah's neck, wrapping an arm around her to pull her close right before they reached the ground.
"FUS ROH DAH!"
A blast of wind erupted beneath them. Their fall halted in an instant, stopping them just inches above the ground. The shout scattered debris outward in a gust.
They landed hard, but alive. Kin collapsed to one knee, still holding her.
He looked around, stricken at the sight of his battered friends. "I didn't—"
"Save it," Taviiah coughed. "We're not done yet."
Madanach trembled with fury, shadows coiling around him. "You think you're saving these people," He waved a hand over the broken city. "But you don't know their crimes—their corruption. They all deserve to burn!"
The last gasp of the hagraven's power still clung to his body. With it, he summoned one last vine. It slowly slithered out of the ground behind Passha, going unnoticed until it almost too late.
It lashed out, catching her around the ankle before she could evade and dragging her toward the ledge.
Madanach stepped closer to the ledge, tilting his head as Passha dangled helplessly. "If you won't allow them their due punishment...I'll simple have to punish you."
Minevi looked up in shock. She could see Passha hanging above them. Kin saw it as well. He went to move, but his body didn't agree. The moment his legs moved, a sharp pain tore through him. He dropped to one knee again, his limbs burning as the cursed vines disappeared from his arm. "Dammit...Passha--she needs help."
"It's alright. You've done your job." Minevi grabbed Kin, steadying him. "Now let us end this."
"But..."
Before he could get it out, everyone moved into action.
Taviiah turned to Gav. "Think you got one more jump in you, big guy?"
The werewolf snarled and crouched. She leapt onto his back. They took off. They bounded upward—rock to wall, wall to broken tower.
"Now!" she shouted.
Gav launched her with a roar of strength, landing on a jutting rock as she soared higher.
Eradros ran along a stone ledge to get better angle. Then he slid to a halt, aiming his bow up at the cliffs. "Sorry Passha...gonna take a gamble here."
He loosed an arrow. It cut through the air toward Passha, severing the vine with a quick snap. Passha fell.
"Gavhelus!" Eradros yelled.
Gav was already leaping. He jetted across the raving, catching her mid-air by her cloak before digging his claws into nearing wall. They slid for bit, his nails sparking against the stone. Finally they stopped. He had her, though to her it felt like more of pounce than a rescue.
Taviiah flipped over the ledge, blades flashing.
Madanach turned—just in time to see steel screaming toward his throat.
Then—black.
CHAPTER END—