Knowing she had to say something, Azure scrambled and mentally blurted, “I… okay, th-... The orb wielder. Right? He retains more faculties?”

  Deathsting stared for a long spell, his eyes oddly shifting slightly over her as the only movement in reality. “Enough, perhaps. Distasteful for what he serves; an indignity, but not abominable. The rest should pass beyond. Don’t you agree?”

  She felt cautious about how to answer. She decided on simple honesty. “I don’t know.”

  There was a vague feeling of amusement. “Fair enough, Wielder. You should agree, from the seeds within you, but you are yet green in sprouting from your ancient roots. Room to grow. Know this: my venom is precious and I use it as I choose. Until you prove yourself worthy as a predator, do not think to command in veto of my judgment.”

  “Wouldn’t it be more of a… request?”

  “Do you plan to come to me and beg?”

  Somehow, she knew the right answer this time and had best pivot. “No.”

  Deathsting was pleased and quite amused. “Good, good. I don’t deal in requests, Wielder. You’ve wound yourself into a convoluted mess of unnecessary obedience but I can appreciate it as a matter of elaborate species courtship you’ve succeeded at. Otherwise, I expect you to dominate. Command, hunt, fight, defeat, conquer, kill, all while showing good judgment. You’re green, yes. I have leeway. But don’t disappoint me too much or our partnership shall end. I don’t travail with the weak. What I do is a sacrifice. Do not disrespect it.”

  Azure resisted giving thanks, knowing Deathsting cared mostly about actions. That was something Redberry had mentioned. “You find me worthy enough to wield.”

  “A trial period.”

  “How would I prove further worthy as a predator? Kill?”

  “Certainly. Annihilating one of those pathetic abominations there would go a long way. Or, even better, both. They have no business existing. I don’t require their destruction, but I’d like it. Because it is correct to the natural order.”

  “I see. Will you ever require destruction?”

  “How should I know?”

  “Is there some type of foe you won’t allow to live? Individuals you hate?”

  “Memory is too fleeting and irrelevant to hold on to. A mortal takes hold of those fragile elements and they shatter in their clutches. Too-sharp, worthless shards. They will bleed you until you let go, and if you do not, your vitae drains to nothing and your mind comes next. No. I will not speak what I require until it passes across my perception, leaving memory at the proper distance until it happens to fall near. If ever.”

  “That’s… fascinating. Okay. Trial run it is, then. I can wield only you? Ever?”

  “Melee-wise, there will never be any reason you shouldn’t utilize the best weapon that will ever grace your fingers. If you need reach, spare but a thought and I will be your spear to drive into any foe. While I can be thrown and will return, or dance for a limited time, I am not impractical to concerns of range. Nor do I care about spells. But hand-me-down magic daggers? Hand them down to lesser beings.”

  “Will do. You’re right, of course. Those other blades seem plain now, and I don’t even know your full capabilities yet.” Flattery, but on a foundation of truth.

  Deathsting seemed pleased. “Hahaha. We’re getting along so far. Regardless, real-time calls. Are you going to destroy the abominations?”

  “I might. I need to foremost act tactically. What about the god king?” She figured it logical to pry for his potentially useful intel about things.

  “That’s more complicated, even for me. If we do fight, I’ll make sure he feels pain. One way or another. I’d relish the battle, but prudence is logical here. I awaken to nurture. Prune. Whilst I have hope for you you shall not wilt. You’re useless to me dead.”

  It was Azure’s turn to be amused. “It’s true I’d prefer to avoid being dead myself. We’ll see how it goes.”

  “I’m releasing you and returning then. Be ready. If you wish to kill the wraiths, stab me into their cranium.”

  Quite suddenly, the world started moving again. The wyvern was already collapsing and morphing back into the dagger, as the contorting space stretched back to Azure’s hand. In a blink, it was done, and Deathsting was merely a weapon once more.

  Waytaker was backing up from the scene of destruction, shock and awe written on her face. Her eyes slid to Azure’s cautiously, but she seemed to accept what she saw there and began spinning around, wasting no further time on the matter.

  Their other two (conscious) wraithly enemies had noticed as well. There wasn’t fear — they screamed in rage as their eyes turned to Azure.

  Good. That’s what I want.

  Samantha was in her head rather quickly, alarmed. “What the hell just happened?! I caught a glimpse through a mirror. Did Deathsting just…?”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “Yes,” Azure answered gravely. “Seems he doesn’t like undead types and can do something about it. He says three of those here are too far gone, too warped. Probably a mercy.”

  “I dunno, but it could definitely piss off the god-king! Look, just-”

  “He asked me to destroy the other two. Not the orb-wielder. I feel we can trust his insight. I’m also successfully occupying them but they’re going to come for me…”

  Samantha, seemingly shocked, just gave her a kind of ‘mental look.’ Faintly warning, mostly unreadable, but she said nothing. Without anything further, she retreated entirely, clamming up and focusing back on what she was doing.

  Great. Is this one of those things where I’m supposed to ascertain some ‘right thing’ on my own and not destroy them? Not sure it’s even right. But if I do destroy them she might be upset. Ugh! I never understood normal relationships. I thought my only real one before would teach me, but it was composed of nothing but lies.

  Linguist and Orswyth apparently got through, as the mass of metal wires continued branching like a giant amoeba stretching out two directions. The masked wraith, just as he finally got free of the giant hand grabbing him, had the wires right in his face. Awkwardly, he tried to dodge, and almost succeeded, but wires wrapped over his ankle and tripped him up.

  The hook user, staring murder at Azure, whipped his staff around. His face was a ruin and grayish flesh and bone were exposed at his chest as his armor had been burst and ripped open. His injuries did not seem to impair him.

  The two still functional hooks came rocketing for Azure. She dodged one while floating, going into an acrobatic roll through the air, training from beyond kicking in. The other hook, slightly trailing, tried to take advantage by meeting her momentum. Unable to dodge it effectively, she scrambled to parry with the dagger.

  Though it seemed ill-suited, Deathsting guided her hand with speed something greater than Azure’s own. The blade knocked the hook away soundly with the clang of magic metal on magic metal.

  Waytaker flowed forward, aiming to take advantage of her great speed and effectiveness with the winged skull staff of hers. The hook user, absent of tunnel vision for his target this time around, successfully fended her off, blocking two strikes as he retreated sideways, perhaps hoping to avoid Michael behind him.

  He could not, because Michael was once again focusing on the accuracy of laser-like light blasts. This time, there wasn’t an explosion, instead a cast spell spawning a force-like effect, apparently going for a knock.

  It hit the wraith squarely in the shoulder and sent him spinning sideways into multiple cartwheels before slowing, still very near the floor.

  It positioned him nearly right under Azure. Michael’s eye contact with her said it all. He’d done that with a deliberately tactical mind, quite precisely setting the wraith up for the Third Wheel Finisher.

  As I should expect of him. He knows my deadliness in this situation even without this new element in play. But…

  It was a decision point she thought she’d end up avoiding by running out of time and expediency. They’d practically won already. But here it was… she could try to completely kill the wraith. One perhaps worse off than the other dead, as the hook user couldn’t even form words. If she could go back, ask the man he once was, ‘Would you prefer I end it, if you succumb like this?’ — what would he say?

  Tactically, there was plenty of motive, too — he might try and pursue, or be granted entrance by the god-king pulling protectors to him. If they were already doomed by what Deathsting did, they might be reducing the final enemy tally they would have to face.

  In contrast, she might spare him for Samantha’s sake. She’d worry; she’d fret. Would she admonish? Disagree? She’d had to make ruthless choices before. Perhaps this one was worse. Azure had no capacity to know… or care.

  Deathsting offered no advice. He just watched and waited.

  There was no more time to deliberate — one way or another she needed to act. She charged downward in stealth; she dove swiftly through the air.

  Azure brought the dagger to bear and made her choice. Inwardly, to Deathsting, she sent, “I don’t do this for you. It’s for what I am and who I need to be. Even if this wasn’t mercy… where sound opportunity would align… I would kill him.”

  A brief flash of smiling wyvern teeth. “Why?”

  She and the blade came down like a comet portending doom. Just as the wraith’s snarling face looked up, Deathsting plunged smoothly into his forehead, and Azure — with her own snarl — pushed it deep with momentum and vicious enthusiasm. A crack of impact only came when the hilt was stopped.

  “Because this fucker drew the blood of one who is mine!”

  Cackling, gleeful laughter filled her skull as the wraith so near spasmed and screamed, near paralyzed with the blade striking into his core being. The staff jerked in her direction so she kicked it away, and it fell free from the wraith’s hand to the floor, the lines and hooks simply drifting and floating on their long extensions as if in water.

  Just as the other had, the wraith unraveled and dissolved with a fading scream, somewhat more disturbing to see and hear so close up. But halfway through the process, the dagger came free, passing right through matter trying to stop existing as quickly as possible. Azure floated away.

  She felt nothing but satisfaction. How many times had she seen and felt her lover be brutalized and made to suffer? Dreixia alone was worth resurrecting just to kill again, the battle a trauma in Azure’s heart she’d never be rid of. Worse for the archer, brutality specifically for Azure’s sake. Out of their mind or not, anyone who hurt Samantha was one she’d gladly rip apart without reservation. If anything, her mind and spirit had just been eased to do it for once. It felt like synchronicity, like respectful nods from a million like predecessors, and inside…

  Inside, she knew The Lover was smiling.

  Samantha’s mind touched hers. “Come on. You’re done in there.” Azure could sense her lover’s disturbed perceptions, her worry, and the little note she tried to suppress, of guilty disappointment. Something else, though, and hard to pin down. Understanding? Fondness that trumped the rest? A unique spark of contrasting warmth even she might not be aware of.

  She knows why I enjoyed it.

  “Right away, my love,” Azure returned.

  Hrrrraaagh!

  Next Chapter...

  “Under final skies unseen, who dares to disturb this fallen king?”

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