I FEEL YOU GETTING CLOSER.
DO YOU FEEL IT?
DO YOU FEAR WHAT AWAITS YOU, MY LITTLE SORCERESS?
CATACLYSM ONLY AWAITS THIS WORLD.
WAKE UP. YOU'RE GETTING WEAK.
…
Tenebrosia snapped awake from her pondering, sitting at the top of the carriage. It was midday; the vehicle continued to move through the Marches. Amma pulled the bogie further north while the weather was clear. The sun sat in the skies, continuing to radiate its warm rays upon the barren wastelands of snow. "I've gotten rusty," the Maiden thought. Even with her newfound power, she tried to brush it off for so long, which seems to have made it worse for the woman internally. Still holding the map, the Maiden took a look at it. "We could make it to the Plains by night," she said. However, that voice… it feels so familiar. Extremely so. As if she knew this voice from a person she had met face-to-face.
The Maiden shook her head slightly and stylishly rolled the map with only one of her hands. Tenebrosia stood on the top of the carriage, hands on her hips, and observed the incoming terrain. They were flatter than they were rigged and uneven, unlike the days they've traveled through the Marches. This indicates that they were approaching the Graupelwind Plains more and more closely. As the carriage continued to stroll, the air felt gloomy for the Maiden. A heavy feeling she can't ignore any longer as the weight of the dread on her back continued to grow heavier and heavier. She can't take him back; it's been too far in their journey to retreat. Tenebrosia doubted if she did abandon them right here and now for their own safety, they would not survive the way back south. She sighed. "What in the gods' names did I land myself into?" The Maiden looked at the Mayuno, who continued to pull the carriage, seemingly not hearing a word she had said. Tenebrosia heard the muffled laughter of the Padomas boy and the Dunwaku's squeaks within. She smiled lightly. Even in the face of imminent bloodshed in a world fundamentally complex and grim, a child's innocence remains. But what will happen at the Moirai Summits themselves? Only time will tell.
…
Night fell onto the lands below, and the carriage reached the Graupelwind Plains, as life once more was seen. Trees the size of entire buildings surrounded the terrains. Small yet friendly critters began appearing, such as other species of Dunwakus wandering around. Herds of other Mayuno native to the Plains were seen from a distance. Insects that thrive in the Plains began appearing, flying snowflap-butterflies and amberwind beetles were seen on the trees or on the ground, rolling snow.
The Maiden immediately knew danger was close and decided that looking for a covered and hidden shelter was not only essential but a requirement if they were to camp for the night. "I could simply make a barrier around the carriage, but these predators would thump on it all night long that the boy wouldn't sleep because of it," Tenebrosia muttered, continuing to stand on the carriage. The illuminated insides of the bogie lit up the surroundings slightly, but the harsh fall of snow made it hard for the light to pierce through it. The door opened, revealing Sekai, who was holding his staff with Aiwa on his shoulder. Tenebrosia jumped from the roof with style and landed graciously in front of Amma, Sekai, and Aiwa with her back turned.
"Leave this to me," the woman said with poise, summoning a barrier that protected all three of them, including the carriage. Sekai tried moving forward, wanting to come with Tenebrosia. However, the Mayuno's trunk blocked the boy further. The boy looked up, his ears and tail wagging in confusion, followed by a squeak from Aiwa. Amma shook its head, as if telling him to let the woman handle it. "Aww, but I wanted to help!" Ridiculously whined the Padomas boy. This is immediately followed by Aiwa huffing and squeaking. Tenebrosia walked to a cave on the right, covered by snowy leaves and trees. As the Maiden approached closer, a massive pair of wings snatched her from the cave within in flashing speeds. From the perspective of the three, the tall woman was confident and unafraid when she was caught. However, didn't stop the three who are left to wait to be frightened that their most powerful guardian may have been killed. "Miss!" Sekai exclaimed. Amma let out a short trumpet sound from its trunk, and Aiwa squeaked in terror.
Roars and shrieks were heard within the cave. However, short moments passed, and an entire Haibiulunka was forcefully thrown out. The giant avian-like creature, the same size as Amma himself, ignored the guarded three and initially (yet clumsily) ran for its life before flying in fear, slovenly so. The Haibiulunka screeched through the skies, bumping into the gargantuan trees. As the three stopped looking at it and had their eyes back at the cave, an unscathed Tenebrosia vacated the hidden cave. She tidied her gloved hands and clapped at the three. "Welcome to our temporary chateau," Tenebrosia finally spoke. A pause. No words were exchanged. Then, awe filled every part of Aiwa and Sekai, both exclaiming in admiration and delight. "Buckets of the gods!" The Padomas boy exclaimed, followed by the Dunwaku's joyous squeaks. Amma, however, had an expression of confusion, as if seemingly raising an eyebrow as it tilted its head. The spherical forcefield began to break down, and the moment it dissipated, the three immediately got to the cave for safety. At least for Amma. Sekai and Amma were filled with overflowing joy at the epicness of the Maiden.
…
—
SUZANA'S BIOLOGY BOOK
[Haibiulunka]
(A tongue-twister this creature is…) This terrifying avian-beast stands at 12 feet and has a wingspan of 28 feet… However, I did hear from ecologists who traversed the Plains that there are indeed bigger ones from unknown places… bizarre… creepy. Anyways, this creature features a round head, a long and curved beak, fluffy feather wings, and eyes shaped like sharp ovals to navigate the harsh Graupelwind Plains!
They're the most prominent aerial rivals of the ferocious Bogg'Garok. These mencaes possess the ability to fire poisonous talon-like material made of keratin located under layers of their wings. There are smaller glands near its wings to lace its fast-regenerating talons for aerial hunting or turf wars! Terrifying! Yet… this is amazingly mind-boggling.
Although ecologists like me HEAVILY recommend you DO NOT eat this… I heard from a friend of a friend that those involved in the black market trade it. Even the upper-people eat this bizarre delicacy. Heard it tastes like a more bitter poultry. Yuck.
—
…
The camp was now well hidden within the small cave. A campfire was set up, where Sekai and Aiwa warmed themselves as they sat around it. The carriage was still illuminated from the lantern within; the mobile abode's door was open. The Mayuno was momentarily lifted from its saddle and rested near the campfire, slumbering softly and peacefully. Soon, Sekai and Aiwa fell asleep and slept on a makeshift bed of both cloth and leaves near the Mayuno. Tenebrosia, on the other hand, rested near the entrance of the cave. Her back leaning on the cave walls, one of her feet raised and leaning on the wall too. The Maiden's head remained still, only her eyes moving. Her eyes looked at the three already sleeping, and the Maiden's head tilted slightly to face outside. Tenebrosia's eyes never left the three until her entire head fully faced what was outside; her eyes finally moving again. "Such a long journey, not much answers," Tenebrosia muttered. The Maiden once again left the camp, sealing the entrance with a magical barrier once more as she left.
The harsh, snowy weather met the woman as she exited to the open. The gargantuan trees and their leaves swayed from the movement of the wind. The moon lit the cold terrains below, the clouds were clear, and no blizzard was seemingly approaching. The flaps and hoots of the birds above and the swaying of the leaves were the only noises the Maiden could hear, albeit faintly, too. The air felt too quiet. Too much so. Tenebrosia felt unease and realized something. The rift here was incredibly thin, as if the veil that keeps the three realms apart was falling apart. Tenebrosia remembered something of what Edward told him: ecologists reported the demon sightings at the foot of the Moirai Summits. "Their camp must be near. The ecologists couldn't have come far off to set up shelter. The deeper they are within this hellhole, the more dangerous it is." She muttered. The Maiden explored the Plains all by herself, with no fear or hesitation. As a Champion of the Maidens, she's far more experienced than the average wielder of the arcanes.
…
Moments passed, and the Maiden traversed through the thick tundras. She searched for any signs of the ecologists who took that photo of the demon that the Parliament's Government Council wanted the woman to deal with– squawks of birds and wet chewing were heard nearby behind a thick body of wilting bushes squashed between three gargantuan trees. The bush itself was obviously from magic– must be the ecologists' magic, Tenebrosia thought. The Maiden fired a small purple flame at the wilting bush, causing it to disappear immediately through the bush quickly burning. A horrifying sight befell the Maiden, yet she didn't budge.
From the snowy ground lay the dead bodies of the ecologists who camped here, except one that leaned onto a post, with their bodies being pecked and eaten by birds and small carnivorous creatures, the very same ecologists who gave the photo to Ser Edward F. Reginald XVI, and then showed it to Tenebrosia herself. "They must've brought Converyanve Avioses along with them to send a message this far…" the Maiden muttered to herself. She walked towards the four ecologists who lay lifeless, their skin gray and their bodies rotten; they appeared almost skeletal. Tenebrosia's mere presence causes the creatures who feasted upon their dead bodies to retreat immediately. She went on one knee, examining the dead bodies. They have gunshots in their head, and a gun was held by one of the ecologists there. His dead body remained the least rotten of the four. This caused Tenebrosia to raise an eyebrow, "Was he the last one killed?" The woman spoke. Besides the man lay a worn-out journal. Perhaps she can find answers here.
The Maiden picked the journal up, her eyes never leaving the dead man beside it. Tenebrosia opened it; some of its pages are burnt and torn. It was covered in blood, and some of the pages were scribbled over. What she saw were the scribblings of a civilized ecologist, to someone who lost it all.
DAY 18
"Been dragging ourselves from Windstrew just to end up in the Marigold Hinterlands. It's exhausting, I'll tell you that much. And now we've got to slog through the Marches—just what I wanted. The Conjuration Parliament sent us out to do this monthly research in the Plains again. This is our third time stuck doing this tiresome slop. It's all just logging and watching the damn environment act like it gives a shit. You'd think we'd be doing something exciting. No, just more of the same. Not everything revolves around magic, you know? Sometimes science should be used in the real world. We're supposed to shove off at dawn to trudge through the Firn Marches, and honestly, I'm just fed up with it."
The next pages were torn, probably from a panicked state or extreme hysteria, as Tenebrosia notes the man who wrote this journal had patches of exposed flesh on his head, seemingly pulling some parts of his hair off. "Forcefully pulling it? That's a shot in the foot in your own beauty." The woman walked around the camp, continuing to look for an eligible page. Soon, she did find one as she walked audaciously: one foot behind, and one foot at the front. The Maiden began to read.
DAY [SMUDGED]
"We survived the damned Marches with no injuries, just minimum loss of secondary resources. I may not believe much in our god, but thank Muya-Haweh, those are the only things we've lost in a harsh blizzard. We set up camp for tonight; the Marches were too harsh for our bodies to endure. Good call, Horn."
Another few flips.
DAY [SMUDGED]
"Shit. Damned be the gods, we encountered a demon here! A big one, too! Fortunately, and by fortunately, more like divine intervention yet again, the demon didn't notice us. We took a photograph of it and sent it to the main camp back in the Marigold Hinterlands through a Conveyance Avios. Hopefully it reaches it and sends it back to the capital… I just hope the photograph is still intact after being transmitted through different camps. May whatever god watch these brave messengers."
Another flip, the Maiden continued to read.
DAY 27
"Bad news. Extremely bad news. The Parliament isn't going to send any help, even with their request to the Crown for assistance, as they noted that the Firn Marches have a terrible blizzard. They said it's too risky. Bullshit! BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT! What stupid tom-fuckery are they talking about? If that forsaken place had an incoming blizzard, why could the bird have reached us here?! We're out of rations! What are we supposed to eat? Our own shit?! In an already shitty place?!
…
We felt bad. We had to cook the only Conveyance Avios to survive another night. Poor thing. At least it served a last purpose, even in death."
The Maiden flipped another page, her eyes quickly observing the campsite before her eyes returned once more to the journal.
DAY 32
"We figured the Parliament has abandoned us here for good. Sickening twats! We tried numerous times to escape, but the borders of the Plains were patrolled by the most dangerous predators of this frozen graveyard. They never get too close to its borders, what the hell are these bastards doing? Oh god. Only eating foraged goods and in very scarce amounts made us incredibly sick and dizzy from the lack of food. Fucking wizards!"
Then, the last page was torn, but still readable. It only reads a terrifyingly short few lines.
DAY 45
"It's either me… or them."
A smudge.
DAY 46
"My magic remains strong compared to the others– made it difficult for them to move very much with my power over the flora."
A smudge.
DAY 47
"I resorted to feasting on their bodies just to survive. The cold didn't decompose them quickly. I'm a fucking sick animal."
A smudge.
DAY 51
"I CAN HEAR HER VOICE. OH GOD… IT'S MAKING ME VOMIT. IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?!
There's only one way to end this nightmare…"
That was the final page in this book, written very quickly and desperately. "The journal must've been his coping mechanism. Poor bastard didn't even live long enough for me to save them." Tenebrosia kept the journal in her pocket dimension. "They've been here for two weeks before I was. If this cretin could've only waited for a while, I might've been an angel for this man-child." The Maiden continued to examine the camp in search of more answers.
The woman's first instinct is to investigate the corpses. The man sounded somewhat sane in the last couple of pages, no matter how mad that sounds. His writing was still eligible before the last one. The Maiden went on one knee. Tenebrosia felt the dead bodies, hovering her hand above them. It stung her slightly when she got her gloved hands near the corpses. The tall sorcereress scuffed her eyebrows slightly and stood up. She kicked all three skulls of the corpses that lay on the ground with one swift kick. From their exposed flesh– or at least, what remains of it– were veins and tumors of black and purple. They illuminated faintly; however, some parts are dead. "They're the lucky ones, or they would've ended up like the Cardinal," Tenebrosia muttered, continuing to examine them. "The three of them must've been infected before the man decided they're sustenance… but how?"
The Maiden knew that the man who feasted upon the dead bodies must've been infected, too. The thought of being gone mad– that's the key phrase. Tenebrosia notes that the Bogg'Garok she saw weeks ago must've had the same problem here. Either it's the taint… or something they've consumed first. The Maiden continued her investigation alone in the grim and dark tundras.
…
Walking another great distance through her investigation, Tenebrosia went deeper and deeper into the Graupelwind Plains alone. However, the Maiden felt something stinging in the ground. Like a light buzz beneath her boots. "Magic?" The Maiden muttered. She halted. And then, Tenebrosia lifted one leg and stomped harshly on the snowy soil. This then began to rumble a small area around Tenebrosia, and then loud cracks of rocks breaking below. Suddenly, a small patch of earth swallowed Tenebrosia whole below through a sinkhole. The Maiden remained composed, falling graciously with poise. Tenebrosia landed on her feet, bowing only slightly against the force of gravity. The lady began to stand up, and she found herself in an open cave system. The magic here resonated strongly, albeit negatively and highly unusual. Tenebrosia didn't mutter a word. Black veins crawled through the walls, and they pulsed with a familiar magic… but extremely potent. The veins themselves lead further deeper to the cave. Whatever lies there shouldn't be good.
Tenebrosia threads carefully through the caves. The only sounds she could hear were the eerie song of the veins' pulsations and the soft thumps of her golden-adorned boots. The woman did not dare to come close to the veins. Not out of fear, but of personal disgust. She had a face of disdain as she followed these pulsating veins. The black streaks led the Maiden to a gargantuan open area of crystals, though obviously not the source of the veins. However, the veins led deeper through several cave tunnels. "Some of these could lead me to the source, or somewhere else," the woman said, both her hands on her hips. She then examined the crystals. They were glowing magenta, while some glowed azure. Those that glowed with magenta pulsated with the same disturbing feeling as that of the black veins that wrapped themselves on the cave walls. Tenebrosia deduces that the crystals that glowed azure must've been the ones that aren't affected. The same song was heard from the magenta-glowing crystals from the same veins. "Even the taint reached the very minerals," the Maiden spoke. Then the horror came into her eyes. "Minerals… that means anything that consumed any mineral from this cave affected the growing plant life above." A pause. "Shit," she whispered. An answer finally came.
Before Tenebrosia could speak more, she heard a guttural groan followed by a deafening roar that echoed throughout enough to shake the very gargantuan cave. Tenebrosia slowly turned around, sighing. Without a word, something shocking came from one of them: the source of the terrifying clamor. A severely mutated and enraged Bogg'Garok with its size gargantuan, almost close to an entire building. Its fur was black, and its eyes glowed magenta. However, what's even more disturbing is how some of its biology is twisted and warped. Its claws are incredibly sharpened, and its spine literally protrudes from its back, piercing its own flesh, and it smells horrendous. Another tunnel rang a disturbing screech, and quickly, a mutated Haibiulunka flew to the open giant space. Like the Bogg'Garok, it's bigger than most, and its wingspan is incredibly large. However, its consequence of the mutation was its open sides– its poisonous glands exposed as well as its open organs, and it was glowing. Most horrifyingly, these two natural rivals of the wild didn't attack each other, and instead, both looked upon Tenebrosia. They spoke with the same familiar voice of a woman. "I should do this to you every day just to keep you monstrous as these creatures, as me… Tenebrosia." They spoke. Tenebrosia remained composed. The voices continue in harmony. "That boy is making you weak. It's making you like one of them. It's making you… undeserving of the cathedra that will rule this world–"Blabber. Entertain me later with your theatrics and sharpen me, if you must. I bore your philosophical pretensions." Tenebrosia interrupted the voices' monologue and summoned Chateau Scapegrace. The female voice took another hit to her pride and retreated from the mouths of the two possessed creatures. The abominable beasts roared and screeched respectively before charging at the lone Maiden.
"Let's dance!" Tenebrosia exclaimed before charging too. As the gargantuan beasts rushed at her, the Maiden immediately caught the Bogg'Garok's clawed paws and hurled it at the flying Haibiulunka. The avian-beast, unfortunately, was able to avoid it; however, the Bogg'Garok did not. The Haibiulunka screeched and bolted at the Maiden. Tenebrosia avoided its sharpened beak stylishly. The woman quickly grabbed the beak of the beast and used it to slam it to the ground harshly, enough to literally break it apart. This caused the gargantuan bird-creature to be momentarily stunned. The Bogg'Garok had recovered from its crash and rushed at Tenebrosia's rear with its menacing ice-cold split– the lady quickly moved aside. Unlike the usual Bogg'Garok saliva, this one was worse. It was able to freeze a certain area with its amplified spit. Tenebrosia didn't waste time and simply jumped high before plummeting down to bludgeon the Bogg'Garok's head with Chateau Scapegrace. The Bogg'Garok roared, its head completely smashed as it crashed on top of the incapacitated Haibiulunka. Tenebrosia landed with grace once more, fixing her gloved hands. She thought the fight was done, yet the Maiden heard the low gutterings of the two and noises of slop of flesh behind her. When she turned around, she noticed the Bogg'Garok and the Haibiulunka raised once more. Their severe injuries immediately regenerated from flesh and bones to broken beaks– anything that was injured in their bodies. "What the…" Tenebrosia exclaimed under her breath. The two beast released their respective roars and screeches at the woman. "More fun for me then," the woman scoffed, shrugging her shoulders as she once more prepared for combat.
The Haibiulunka fired its signature sharp pellets beneath its wings, and Tenebrosia grabbed each one of them and fired it right back as she charged. However, the avian-beast quickly evaded it. The Bogg'Garok quickly followed it with a breath akin to a blizzard itself, freezing a massive portion of the cave. "MACALGE!" The Maiden chanted as she furiously flew towards the momentarily hazed Bogg'Garok. From a portal beside the Haibiulanka manifested Mistress Hecate once more, her fist immediately meeting the avian-beast's face before it could fully react, and snapped its neck before slamming it to the ground and began beating the Haibiulanka in its chest. Tenebrosia, however, pierced right through the Bogg'Garok– flesh and all, without blood tainting her dress. The Maiden held the heart of the stocky creature as she landed onto the ground. Examining it, the heart pulsated with intense magic. The Bogg'Garok behind her fell to the ground with a massive slam, unable to regenerate. "So it relied on its heart to get back up to its feet." Tenebrosia burned the heart with her flame.
The Maiden looked to her side, where the demoness effortlessly beat the avian-beast to a pool of unorganized flesh and blood. Satisfied with her personal mayhem, Mistress Hecate smiled maliciously and unmanifested. Tenebrosia knew something was off, still. Horrifyingly, the Haibiulunka released a noise. But not a screech, it was a guttural groan. It began reassembling itself, though extremely flawed and abhorrent. The Haibiulunka grew veins and dripped black blood. It began clicking, its bones exposed, and one of its eyes popped off to be replaced with the same black veins that surrounded the cave. It screeched with a petrifying octave before it spread its continuing growing wings and dug itself right through the earth.
The avian-beast was gone; however, the deep sinkhole it left created a quick passage for the Maiden to see something faintly glowing beyond it. Something magenta. Tenebrosia jumped in through the massive hollow and dropped a considerable distance. Reaching the ground, Tenebrosia landed with poise once more, kneeling as she landed before slowly standing up. What she saw was horrifying, even for her. A gargantuan cancer took the form of a horrendous, colossal tumor that planted itself right at the gargantuan cavern's wall. It glowed deep magenta and pulsated like it was alive. Black veins wrapped themselves around the ground and the walls. All of that contamination is coming right here. The cancer above, the contaminated plants and crystals, all led to this one cancer. Tenebrosia felt the strange magic and gasped. "It's alive."
Without more words, the horrendous Haibiulunka appeared and screeched at the Maiden, flying towards the gargantuan tumor that attached itself to the walls of the cavern before taking a bite of the magical swelling itself. Its beak pierced right through what seems to be flesh-like material before consuming what's inside. The avian-beast suddenly halted and snapped itself before dropping dead to the ground. Its weight was able to go right through the weak foundations below the tumor. The sediments swallowed the avian whole. Then, there was nothing. Suddenly, rumbles were heard from below. In a second, the quake became extremely more powerful. From the ground rose a gargantuan monstrosity of what was once a Haibiulunka. Its size alone was fourfold larger than it was. It pierced right through the great cavern and to the Plains above. The abhorrent behemoth screeches, and Tenebrosia must follow. The Maiden grew her magical dragonfly wings and swiftly followed the pursuit.
The gargantuan Haibiulunka was seen piercing right through the clouded skies as Tenebrosia found herself flying well above the Plains. A terrible blizzard approached that swallowed a gargantuan portion of the Graupelwind Plains. A disaster caused by the very wings of the tremendous creature; its newfound biology seemingly able to control the movement of the snowstorm itself. Tenebrosia flew and flew well across the skies, piercing well above the blizzard. The Haibiulunka was missing. There was nothing but muffled silence as Tenebrosia observed the blizzard below. Then, muffled flaps of wings were heard below—low guttural roars. Within a moment, Tenebrosia looked down, and the Haibiulunka's terrifying maw with seemingly black tentacles protruding from its mouth pierced right through the clouds. The Maiden flew swiftly to the left as the beast closed its beak, with it circling Tenebrosia immediately. It then positioned itself correctly in front of her, its wings flapping, and its mutated state gave it a horrifying look. Tenebrosia scoffed at her eyebrows. A battle above the skies of woman and beast was about to commence.
A war boiled the scene above the skies, with only the moon as the audience of this ferocious bloodshed. Tenebrosia rushed in with Chateau Scapegrace summoned in hand as the gargantuan Haibiulunka flew towards her at terrifying speed. The gargantuan beast attacked first by trying to exert its disturbing tentacles from the sides of its body. Tenebrosia flew below just enough to avoid the appendages trying to grab her. The Maiden took hold of the beast's talons and used both of her hands to fling it high. However, the Haibiulunka correctly positioned itself in the sky before it was interrupted by Tenebrosia punching its head with her own fists of flame. The Haibiulunka screeched, flying higher as the atmosphere got thinner the further it and the woman ascended. It conjured an unusual growth of alien power in the form of dark magic from its wings. Its action surprised the Maiden, as it was impossible for a creature to handle this much power. It then manifested glacial winds from its wings with a flap. "EOPHAN!" The Maiden shouted, and from a portal manifested the half of a fierce beetle and screeched. The demon Apate has arrived to assist the Maiden and spat its infernal, magenta fire at the incoming attack through its mouth. A blast of ice and wind clashed.
—
THE SCROLLS OF REVELATIONS
[Apate, the Scarab of Destruction]
A dangerous species of giant, demonic scarabs roaming the deep sea of flames of Hades. Rumored to have been the first to conjure a primordial form of fire magic and act as its very first practitioners, mages of the Pyre regard them in high, symbolic positions.
Although fairly easy to make a concordat with, a pact with a Queen is extremely rare and dangerous for those with exceptional power, like that of a Champion.
—
Apate retreated to its portal and unmanifested as Tenebrosia rushed in while the gargantuan avian-beast was momentarily staggered. With Chateau Scapegrace, it opened its gates below and revealed a golden saw that slit the throat of the Haibiulunka. It roared angrily as the Maiden slid through; blood was spilled. This caused the gargantuan beast to plummet downwards beneath the blizzard. The woman swiftly followed as she stylishly and intentionally dropped down momentarily. Tenebrosia found herself flying through the thick snowstorm. "EOPHAN!" She chanted again. Beneath her appeared the full body of the flying scarab, Apate, screeching as it fired balls of purple flame through the blizzard as the two chased after the avian-beast. Tenebrosia landed on its flying back, unmanifesting her wings the moment she landed. One hand in her hip and the other holding Chateau Scapegrace, the Maiden was in a pursuit through a sea of glacial clouds riding a stylish chariot.
The fire of the scarab-demon burned through the blizzard and illuminated through the icy clouds that blocked the Maiden's vision further. Suddenly, the Haibiulunka appeared, though more grotesque and more massive beside them. Its magical mutation is desperate to survive and last in battle. Tenebrosia smirked while still aboard her demonic, flying chariot. The avain-beast roared once more, and the smaller Apate screeched back before spitting fire at it. The Haibiulunka, due to its immense size, was a bigger target and therefore took the flaming blow. It roared in anger before flying above Apate and Tenebrosia, attempting to freeze them to death with the magical blizzard appearing from its wings. The Maiden and the demon managed to get up to speed and dived deeper, disappearing into the fog. The Haibiulunka screeched, losing sight of the woman along with her infernal pact.
A pause. The gargantuan bird continued to fly, observing its surroundings. Suddenly, the screech of the scarab Apate was heard from its back. Before it could react, a fist of Mistress Hecate was conjured by Tenebrosia on board the flying demon, giving the avian-beast an uppercut right to its stomach before immediately unmanifesting. This caused the Haibiulunka to roar as it was hurled back up beyond the clouds, in which the Maiden and Apate followed.
Above the skies, the Haibiulunka flew around with a frenzy. A climactic finale to finish this beast, Tenebrosia thought. As the beast noticed the Maiden and her infernal pact, Apate, it screeched and its eye locked onto its intended prey. However, Tenebrosia waited until it was close enough as she continued to be on top of her scarab-demon. When the gargantuan beast was approaching, the Maiden twirled and chanted to the sky. "DIU EOPHAN… MACALGE!" Tenebrosia conjured her power and manifested only the hands of Mistress Hecate at the gargantuan Haibiulunka. The avian-beast was surprised as the demoness's hands gripped its feet tightly with a horrifyingly strong grip. The Maiden manifested her dragonfly wings once more as she jumped off the flying Apate. The scarab demon flew furiously around the Haibiulunka as the Queen gushed out a sea of magenta flames from its mouth and began incinerating the avian-beast. The demoness Hecate was doing her part, continuing to hold her grip on the raging Haibiulunka as the beast screeched and squawked in a monstrous tone from the torturing sensation of its bath of flame. The Haibiulunka screeched and screeched as Apate continued to burn the beast until all its flesh was burned to a crisp and leaving nothing but ashes and its cadaver. The scarab demon screeched before unmanifesting and retreating to the underworld, but the grip of Mistress Hecate remained, still holding the left feet of the avian-beast. She then pulled the two feet apart, causing its skeletal remains to be fractured in two as she threw it down furiously before unmanifesting too. The remains of the Haibiulunka plummeted once more down with Tenebrosia following at high speeds.
Its torn cadaver was thrown into the massive hole it had left earlier, directly leading once more to the open caverns where the gargantuan, purple swelling was placed. As the divided skeleton of the beast crashed into it, Tenebrosia descended graciously, and as her heeled boots touched the ground below, she unmanifested her wings. Dust swallowed a portion of the open cavern, but once it was gone, what was left of the Haibiulunka's skeletal remains were mostly pulverized and cracked. Tenebrosia bent down on one knee and felt its remains. No magic. "Its corruption was worse, I assume. Its flesh must've been where the blight got it most. No wonder it reconstructed itself back from complete oblivion," the Maiden spoke.
She stood up and observed the swelling in front of her. It was still glowing magenta. A mystery, indeed. A mystery she would find an answer soon…