Completed All Things Wicked This Way Come

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

The Ixchel Wilds felt a horrible tremor this day. Two tyrants stalked this land with no concern for their surroundings. One was a golem of horrible magic and rotten flesh. Something sinister that was conjured by someone equally so. Its purpose to destroy and strike fear for no other reason than simply that.

The other was The Thousand Eyed Angel. The accursed being who walked the continent who some claim tries to seek peace through slaughter. These monstrosities clashed blades and left sparks that would crack the sky itself. The roars from both could be heard booming through all of The Spine.

No respite was to be found in the midst of their duel. The Angel wanted the flesh golem in front of it dead. It wanted it gone from this world as quickly as possible. It knew they were both abominations. This world did not need more.

"HORRID FLESH. MAKESHIFT CURSE. DID HE SEND YOU? SPEAK ME YOUR NAME." The Thousand Eyed Angel blared at the creature with a tone of distorted hatred. The golem responding only with bloody gurgles and noises to make a devil weak. Their weapons clashing yet again. The force of their swings could be seen in the air itself.

 

[Fauna]

If the Falwood had an estranged cousin, it would be the Ixchel Wilds. Both lands were teeming with life. Massive ecosystems that supported thousands, if not millions of species, they stretched their fingers through the dirt and air and spread as far as they could. It was beautiful chaos, life proliferating for the sake of it.

But like all things natural and beautiful, the unnatural had begun chipping away at the edges. Already the Falwood shrank at an alarming rate, and this had stirred Fauna from their hunting grounds. It was no longer enough to turn away threats one lost traveler, one poacher at a time. It was not enough to cull the herds so that they did not gorge themselves into extinction. The threat had changed, grown, mutated into something that Fauna did not fully understand.

If they were to preserve the forest, and by extension themselves, they would need to learn. And so Fauna had left the deep woods, had ventured into the great and terrible world. They had seen beauty and horror, and had come to know the danger that faced Arethil. It was people. Humans, elves, orcs, all the “civilized” beings had outgrown their niches. Their hunger was insatiable, and their creations marred the landscape and left unhealing scars.

These were two such creations. They reeked of the artificial. Foul, unnatural magics had ripped them from their rightful place and sloppily sewn them into new roles. They were wrinkles, they were blights.

A tiger watched the pair as they battled. Though its muscles rippled beneath supple skin and striped fur, it was uncertain of how to proceed. The creatures were not of nature, and their strength was palpable though the very air. Still, the Ixchel Wilds had given Fauna a strange vigor. The creatures here were different, but not so far removed from those in the temperate woods. Venom and fangs predominated here where claws and thick hides had been the mainstay of home.

They strode silently from the brush. A voice permeated the minds of the two assailants. Words that would be heard in whatever inner monologue they possessed, but they would be heard.

|Creations. Un-life. Your existence is folly, and will not be permitted.|

 

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

The Thousand Eyed Angel was flung backwards harshly. Its back slamming square into a tree and rattling the the entire ground beneath its feet. The tree itself splitting from the trunk upwards. It stood itself up keeping its face on the golem in front of it. The creature it faced made sounds of gargling blood and flailed its arms erratically. It was just a puppet made of omens and The Angel could only fathom that this was a test. He had to have sent this thing. Ringleader. Curse bearer.

"You shall fall to my steel, rotten flesh." It stood up and slammed its sword down in a show of authority. "YOU BELONG IN THE FLAMES, MANGLED ONE." It shouted in a horror fueled rage. It lunged forward and swung its blade through the stomach of the monster. It cut through its flesh with ease but it did not seem to phase the being at all. The flesh golem retaliated by repeatedly bashing The Angel's helmet with its hatchets. The being stumbled back once again in pain.

The Thousand Eyed Angel then heard a voice from inside its own head. Pure. Natural. "Sunshine...?" It spoke softly. No. Do not forget. The sunshine isn't here anymore. It hated every time it remembered that.

"Intruder. Brain maggot. I do not argue you. I am an affront." It said the words aloud. It lifted its slab of metal and pointed it at the golem. "Dispose of me if you can, invisible one, the one who stands before me is your greatest threat." It rose its blade to attack again.

"No peace will be found until it perishes."

 

[Fauna]

An odd acceptance of Fauna's proclamation. In their experience most beings, natural or otherwise, preferred to remain alive. It was a core principle of existence, after all, that one should seek to preserve and propagate oneself. It was the root of all the good and of all the problems that the forest faced. Unchecked propagation would lead to ruin, but total lack of it... well that was almost unheard of.

The tiger's amber eyes rolled towards the flesh golem. The heap of rotted flesh and decaying fat. What had it been in life? Fauna could get no indication from it. Perhaps it was an amalgam of different beings, or perhaps it had been crafted from naught, stitched together piece by piece until something wholly new and terrible came into existence.

The tiger picked up its pace, trotting now, then breaking into a full run. This body was smaller than the abominations' but it was strong and fast. At full speed they leapt towards the flesh golem, striking at mid level below its swinging arms. Fauna grabbed with claws and sank long canine teeth into the gray flesh.

The golem was unmoved. Fauna hit the soft flesh and sank sickeningly into it. Their inertia carried their hind end around behind them, and their claws and teeth raked through the golem as they twisted around it. They finally let go and came to a rest on the opposite side of the dueling pair.

Fauna retched, spitting out the chunks of rotten meat that hung in their maw. The wounds they had carved did not bleed, for there was no moving blood within the hulk. Only thick, syrupy black gel oozed from the cuts. Whatever blood had been in that meat had long since congealed.

A conundrum. A new problem. Fauna sought answers from the only soul around that could possibly reply.

|How does one kill what does not live|

 

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

The Angel swung its blade over its own shoulder and lowered itself. The entity burst into a slow heavy sprint towards the golem. As it approached, the fleshy amalgamation swung its hatchet at The Angel. With ease, the entity caught the hatchet with its free hand and in a supreme display of power swung its metal heap downward onto the beast. It bifurcated the golem in one foul swing.

The air was stagnant for a second, the volume of the crash being delayed by some unseen power. The air blowing behind the golem could uproot weeds growing in the forest. It took a great deal of stress for The Thousand Eyed Angel to lift the weapon again and slam it into the earth next to it.

The horror they were facing hobbled on its split in half legs. This attack did not stop the creature whatsoever. However, the inner flesh on the left half of the body displayed a necromantic rune. One in a long lost language. The Angel pointed at it before the creatures inner flesh became long tendrils that reconnected it to be whole again.

"Rune... Inside... His trademark... Invisible one." The Angel spoke. "The rune must be severed."

 

[Fauna]

Fauna saw the rune, glowing cold amidst the decay. Almost at once it was buried again in putrid meat. The creature, or whomever made it, knew to guard this weak point well.

The sheer strength of the two creatures was intimidating. This was a new feeling. Fauna feared no beast. Fauna feared nothing. But they held... reservations about going toe-to-toe with the abomination of twisted metal and its counterpart in flesh.

Strength would not win the day. Speed would be difficult as well, for the monsters swung their metal tools with surprising dexterity. Supernatural in origin but physical in form, any body that Fauna assumed would be shattered by such devices.

Something tugged at them... something the Thousand Eyed Angel had said.

"Intruder. Brain maggot."

Maggot.

A plan coalesced in their mind, and Fauna readied themselves. Crouching, ready to pounce, and aimed at the bulbous golem. They pushed new words into the head of their temporary ally.

|Swordbearer. Cut it again.|

 

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

"I SHALL DO AS I PLEASE, BRAIN MAGGOT." Though its actions may reciprocate the wish that Fauna had as it began to raise its blade again and looked as if it would split the creature in two once more. The flesh golem was unfortunately more prepared this time around. When the metal slab almost connected with the monster again, it was instead somehow dodged. The speed of the golem proving to be even greater than The Angel's.

In retaliation, the golem swung what must have been a hundred times into the chest and stomach of The Thousand Eyed Angel. Where its armor was lacerated there would seem to be no muscle of skin, just blood pouring from the armor itself. It puked more of the crimson through the front holes of its helmet, The Angel now drenched in a new layer of red.

The flesh golem then turned around and sprinted for the tiger. Its limbs flailing as it ran at nigh the speed of sound towards Fauna. The Angel tried to gather itself but was too heavily injured at the moment.

"Yalgori..." The creature spoke through its blood caked helmet. "You will pay with your head..."

 

[Fauna]

Fauna was content to let the two abominations spar amongst themselves. They seemed to be capable of doing far more damage to each other than the forest spirit was likely to achieve on its own. The metal once bled far more than any creature should, and yet continued to walk. A noteworthy triumph, but further indication of foul magics at play.

Seemingly satisfied with the damage it had done, the rotted golem charged at the tiger. Its speed surpassed what its bulk should allow, and all of the sinews in the tiger tensed at once, allow it to evade the charge not a moment too soon. Heavy metal weapons raked through the air, and Fauna found themselves running out of places to run. Tearing at the golem's arms with claws did nothing to stop the assault, and the sharp sickles made fleeting purchase in the striped flesh, carving red stripes alongside the black ones.

The golem roared, and Fauna saw their chance. They leapt at full force directly at the golem. The tiger's body blurred mid jump alongside a loud sound of rushing wind. In an instant it had vanished. In its place, hurtling like a bullet to the back of the golem's throat, was a tiny grub.

The maggot latched onto the wet, soiled flesh within the golem's maw. Preparing their tiny mandibles, they bit deeply. The decayed matter no longer disgusted them, instead it tasted sweet and satisfying. There was still the cold metallic flavor of dark magic, but Fauna burrowed through the throat and down, navigating as best they could towards the rune.

 

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

The angel sat in agony for a couple moments as it witnessed the strange creature it had sided with dealt with the golem. If it had still been able to feel regret, perhaps it would have felt it for letting this animal face the abomination before them. It's thoughts were however overrun with the idea of destroying this monster. It spat more blood to the Ixchel Wilds floor and finally regained its composure.

It lifted its heavy blade over its shoulder and ran forward at the same time that Fauna made her way inside of the beast to track the rune. When it caught up to the two of them the flesh golem swung rapidly into the Angel again, its hatchets both connecting to its ribs. Instead of reeling in pain, The Thousand Eyed Angel clinched the sunken blades by its elbows, digging the hatchets even further into itself. A spray of crimson following the action.

Now, when the flesh golem tried to retract its weapons or move at all, it couldn't. It was embedded in The Angel and unable to overcome the tyrant in grey's strength. "SEVER THE RUNE NOW. I HAVE CONTAINED ITS WRATH." It bellowed towards the forest spirit. Hoping she could maneuver through the chaos.

 

[Fauna]

Fauna ate. And burrowed. And ate. The body of the small maggot was well adapted for such conditions, but even so it was slow going. The golem was massive and its erratic movements did not help. Luckily, its flesh was soft, Fauna did not even have to actively eat all of it as they slipped and wriggled their way through layers of fat, meat, and viscera.

They followed the bitter taste of the rune. The dark magic was repulsive, and Fauna followed that gradient along to its source. The movement had slowed, and they could feel the vibrations of the Angel's yells even at this depth.

Taste of the rune was overwhelming. Time and time again Fauna wished to turn back, the instincts of the tiny maggot firing at full force. The flesh now burned their throat, and the dark magic seemed to physically impede their advances. Nevertheless, they reached it. Glowing bright amidst the otherwise pitch-black innards, it was impossible to miss. Its light filtered through the dead matter, growing brighter, brighter.

Fauna bit hard, pushing as much of their spiritual strength into the tiny mandibles as they could. Electricity crackled through them and they bit again, and again. Finally, with a loud crack the rune vanished.

 

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

As the rune dissipated, the golem began to bubble. Screeching in nightmarish frequencies as its life was stripped from it. The Angel removed the hatchets from its sides, or attempted to. It was not able to break the connection somehow. This was bad. "THE ATROCITY IGNITES. FLEE, BRAIN MAGGOT OR YOUR FATE WILL BE THE SAME." The bubbling golem was beginning to grow larger. The Thousand Eyed Angel awaited its detonation. It did not take long for that to occur, as the undead exploded into blood and viscera. The explosion knocked the tyrant back hard and the golems blood stained the trees and the angel equally in blackened blood.

It stood up injured but not killed. It did not want to die again. Death always somehow hurt worse. It could not see the forest avatar any longer, and thought maybe it had been killed. "YALGORI!" It cried out in agony. "HOW MUCH MUST YOU TAKE UNTIL YOU ARE SATED, YOU WRETCH?"

 

[Fauna]

The moment the rune dissolved Fauna felt the dark magic begin to fade. As it did so, it changed, and Fauna could feel it resonate with a very familiar feeling. Despair.

It did not want to die, and in its anguish it lashed out. The flesh became hot, too hot, and Fauna frantically scrambled to the creature's skin. It was difficult to tell which way was out, for the flesh began to churn and roil. It was a stroke of good luck that the expansion of tissues served to push the maggot to the surface, and once their head poked through into the sunlight, they focused on the air that newly graced their face.

The tiny legs climbed free of the burning corpse, and with another flurry Fauna flew from the golem on feathered wings. Their primary goal was to escape the blast, the creature would surely burst soon. They darted in between tree trunks just in time. The force of the blast knocked them to the ground, but the trees had blocked the shower of blood and meat.

After regaining their senses, the jay landed on a tree branch above the Thousand Eyed Angel. It turned its head this way and that, fixing the titan in one black eye and then the other. One abomination had been defeated. One remained. Yet the first would not have been defeated if it were not for the help of the second.

This puzzled Fauna. To what extent did one's actions overshadow one's creation? They desired to know more.

|You destroy your flesh-twisted kin. Why? You have naught to gain in the rebalancing.|

 

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

The Angel looked back down after it finished screaming towards the heavens. The voice once again ticking away in its brain. It had lost track of where the avatar was and thought it may even be dead. It felt an odd sense of relief knowing it hadn't perished. Whether that relief came from the creatures survival or the idea that Yalgori had failed, it could not tell.

It lifted its sword back to its shoulder. "You are like the rest of this prejudiced world." It spoke calmly but with disdain. "You see no difference in the likes of me and that monster. I do not pretend that I am an abomination but how you can call us kin is unbeknownst to me. I live. I breathe. I suffer. Yet all of you see me as undead, emotionless and killing without reason. You said earlier you would kill me, did you not?"

The wind seemed to settle. Silence all around. "I wish without equal that you could kill me. But I would come back. Over and over. Doomed to suffer alone. No more sunshine. Never know peace. Not until he dies."

 

[Fauna]

Fauna had left the forest to learn about the greater world. They had left to discover how the outsiders had thrived beyond the dark canopies and soft underbrush. They had left to figure out why they were taking so much, why they burned so much, why they hurt the forest so.

Fauna had learned many things, seen many things that they had never considered. Of all of these, the Thousand Eyed Angel was the strangest. It did not bear the signature of life that Fauna could feel from each beating heart and singing wing. It did not succumb to the limitations of flesh, nor the constraints of reason. It held no regard for its own survival, yet fought against destruction with unmatched ferocity.

|I said your existence would not be permitted.|

The jay replied, and thought for a long moment before continuing.

|And it will not be. But as you say, I cannot kill you.|

Fauna had never known a thing which lived that could not die. Had never know something that moved that could not be killed. Then again, they had never seen dead flesh scream and run and fight. They had never before tasted the black magic that animated nightmares. There seemed to be a great deal that they had not known, and they would do well to start learning.

|You say you will live until "he" dies. Who is "he?"|

 

[The Thousand Eyed Angel]

"Yalgori." It spoke calmly but with anger lingering. It resented each time it spoke the name of its creator. Could he even be considered a creator? It thought otherwise. More a defiler. One who did not respect the balance or cared for the harm he caused over however many years a fiend like he had walked these lands.

"He is a necromancer...." Its voice now trembling. "A curse of a man. What his flesh is I cannot say. I just know of his deeds. His atrocities. A man who's magic will wreak havoc on this land if he is not removed from his mortal coil. I will see him to this fate." It began to stumble away from the conversation. Its direction aimless.

"I will leave your home, brain maggot. These beasts will come no more if my presence vanishes." The Angel now walking heavily towards a cardinal exit, though it was hard to tell if it was on purpose or not.

"May we never cross paths again, avatar."

 

[Fauna]

The Thousand Eyed Angel spoke a name. The name it had screamed in battle. It was quieter now, but the syllables pulsed with emotion.

Necromancer. Fauna did know of these men. It was an old magic, almost as old as they were, and it had never sat well with them. To die was to complete the cycle, to bring balance. Beings of flesh, however ancient, would eventually perish. From this, resources and space were freed for the young. This was progress. This was natural. This was good. Fauna was not truly of flesh, but even they did not expect to live forever.

The jay watched the towering knight as it lumbered away. It seemed that their aims were once again aligned. A new lesson. The creature would need to be removed from the world of course, its existence stained the natural order. But... it did not need to be removed just yet. Small doses of poison could be curative. Perhaps this being had not yet run its course.

Yalgori was the true sickness, and a new enemy for them to pursue.

Fauna did not speak again, the Angel had seemed to decide that their discussion was over. Perhaps they would follow it for a time, flying from tree to tree, snapping up insects along the way. Perhaps they would seek this Yalgori on their own later on. Whatever the case, they expected to cross paths with this abomination at least once more before they left this world.