Land of Mirriam

Deep Roads: A few hours after the successful defense of the Northern Wall. On a long bridge that crossed the wide underground river, the sounds of meat getting carved resound as the bridge was painted with blood and decorated with meat. A boy walked there with an ominous blade in his hands.

His mind was weary, a creaking bridge above madness and consciousness. His body was completely detached from him and each time he swung the blade on his hand, blood and meat painted the scene.

“Is this all? You insects! Die!!!” the voice was different, a guttural growl, resonating with primal ferocity.

He kept on slashing; there was no logic behind the strikes, no emotions to interpret. It was just pure, brutal carving of flesh. His senses sharpened as he surrendered to his instincts, the darkness no hindrance to his sight. From where he stood, he could see the figure of a Spike pinned against a wall-the queen of spikes. Its body seemed fused to a large stone surface. The mutated spikes, desperate, tried to halt his progress, putting their lives on the line.

…

The queen of spikes hated the idea of borrowing power but she still did… that was the point why she chose to fuse herself into the wall… a tingling flame scorched the back of the queen as she forcefully extracted power from the stone wall she was fused into.

The queen’s head glowed infusing power from her back as lines of magic connecting her from the wall became more apparent. The magic concentrated and with “Gar!!” it blasted a laser-like magic illuminating the darkness.

Not only did it eradicate its kin on its path. Though the bridge was made of a material that suppressed magic, due to so much pressure from the magic of the Queen the bridge began to crumble, and the sound of the bridge breaking resounded to the whole underground.

The bridge fell into the underground river along with the body of the dead Spikes. The denizens of the river sloshed as they became active.

The queen of spikes regretted destroying the long bridge, it served as a safe haven for her children but everything was a pawn for the queen to survive… and the spikes happily continued to fight while the laser was turning them into nothing.

The queen could hear the screeching and crushing sounds of the reptiles feasting below. The bridge was something of a big loss for them but she could do something about it as long as she was alive. She had to survive… she vowed that she would eradicate the creatures above, the creatures behind the wall... to consume the power that was greater than what she has now but…

“That was a good try…” a voice that shouldn’t have resounded penetrated the peace of the queen.

It was just a boy… it landed in the front of the queen, his hair was slowly turning into white, pieces of it while his right arm were beginning to regenerate. In the dim light, his smile seemed to glow with a sinister light, a cruel twist of lips that hinted at unspeakable horrors. He pierced the queen’s chest with his sword.

“GRAAAAAHAAAH!!!!” the queen roared… she knew that it was her last breath.

Then the boy twisted it, the sword began to throb like it was sucking the life out of the queen… it began to grow a bit more, with a satisfied grin he withdrew the sword then he rapidly dismembered the queen…

…

Not even a distinguishable trait was left… it was just a lump of meat… when Simon realized where he was he quickly smiled but his consciousness was of like another person watching from another perspective.

The stone wall where the queen had been pinned was smeared with blood and chunks of flesh, yet it resembled an ominous gate. Flames seemed to flicker around the edges, casting an eerie glow. Murals of human backs, twisted and contorted in agony, decorated its surface, each one etched with excruciating detail. It was a door of fire and torment, a nightmarish portal adorned with gruesome depictions of suffering, beckoning anyone who dared to approach.

Simon tried to raise his consciousness to take control of his body back.

“Stop nagging me, child! Let me have my fun! It has been decades!” he spoke to himself.

The gate resonated with the voice, a wave of magic seemed to have made a query. He could feel it… the immense malice of hatred, heat, and flame… he knew what the other one was thinking… he was going to open the gate… but then creatures appeared that looked like humans surrounding him.

They wore masks and were clad in full armor of steel, adorned with gold and gems. Each had their own duties, reflected in the details of their outfits.

“Seal him down!!!” the group immediately moved clearly creating a front and back line. The boy smiled… he attacked as the group of shielded warriors readied to receive his strike.

The warriors with the shields stopped him. “Oh!! They can take me!!!” the boy laughed, 3 warriors rapidly exchanged swords with him on both his flanks.

“He doesn’t have any skill with the sword! He is just using pure brute strength! We are sword masters we can do this!!! Buy them more time!” The warrior in the front roared.

“You mere humans!!!” the boy’s voice seared hatred from his throat…

The boy attacked them after finishing his words.

The warriors in front tightened their shield wall, it received the slash to the right well earlier but not on the left side, the boy upon reaching them slashed right again and quickly swung left never letting the 3 regain their stance again and the warrior on the far left… his shield was torn apart and so his shoulders. It was the weakness of a shield wall formation, the side where they held their swords.

The boy grinned in the aftermath of his attack, relishing the fear that emanated from the warriors, a twisted smirk etched across his face.

“Don’t falter!!!” another warrior immediately exchanged places with the one who fell.

“We are ready!!! get out of there!” the leader behind with urgency commanded.

The 3 warriors who were currently holding back the boy jumped out of the way but the boy caught one of the warriors by the leg, and the warrior was ready to resist fighting to the end.

“Do it!!! For the guardians!!!” the warrior screamed ready to die.

The leader bit his lips… “Hearst Awaken!!!” from the body of the leader, chains started floating… it danced in the air a few seconds and with the caster’s will he launched it piercing the body of the boy. It was not of magic made rather more of a spiritual made.

The boy tried to evade some but for some reason, he couldn’t move properly he finally noticed the other magician who was trying to constrict him, a force around his body was not allowing him to move but he only needed his wrist and the weight of the sword… he raised his sword in above his head and eyed the magicians, he then swung his sword and air pressure sliced some of the mages.

“No!!! Monster!!!” the warrior that the boy was holding in his other hand screamed. It was the sword, he had to separate the sword from the boy.

The warrior knew that he was the only one who could do it, he drew his axe and with 2 swings he tried cutting off the boy's fingers that was holding him but the boy used his bones to deflect, and the wound immediately closed.

The warrior gulped and chose to cut his own leg that was being held by the boy, he needed two swings. The boy enjoyed his action and choice and just watched him.

Another magician sent a magic directly aiming at the boy’s head, the boy dodge by bending his head out of the way… but it was all that was needed by the warrior.

The warrior jumped on the boy’s hand with the sword, he performed a grapple, it was easy because it was the body of a young boy.

“Cut it!!!” the warrior screamed and the leader of the warriors gritted.

The leader of the warrior glanced to the leader of the mages, no words were needed as he launched an attack. The boy tried to reposition himself but… he couldn’t move. Another magician was pinning him down.

He cut the boy’s arm together with the warrior that was holding him cutting him from the leg. The struggle instantly finished. There were 20 of them the guardians now only 15 remained. The boy’s sword flew away from him along with his arm.

The warrior was still alive with no legs at all he tried to move away from the battlefield, he was coloring the field with red.

Although the boy stuttered, who couldn’t even support his weight was still moving, the other mage conjured chains, and the boy was simultaneously pierced by the chains.

“This monster!! He can still regain his consciousness!!!!” the leader screamed in awe of the boy screaming in pain.

“Aargh!!”

<--->

It was a dark place… he couldn’t feel his body but he could see it from afar… he couldn’t do anything… a large snake was coiled upon his body… large enough to devour him. It was laughing as if it was enjoying.

He tried to move but it was impossible.

“Give up child… this is my body! If the natural way of my revival was done you won’t even have your own mind!” the snake spoke but not with its tongue… it was through the mind.

“Let me go!!!” Still, Simon struggled to move.

“I said stop you little shit! I’m the true owner of this body your just… a fucking human!!!” the snake suddenly got thrown away off of Simon’s body.

“Aargh!!”

<--->

As soon as Simon was back to himself the extreme pain made him pass out though his other hand was trying to grab the sword that was just a few feet from him.

The leader was not a fool to realize this “Throw his sword into the river!!!” one of the guardians ran to the sword and tried to pick it up but he couldn’t.

“It's too heavy!!!” he said in his dismay.

The chains on the body of Simon extended by the magician’s command “Pull him away!!!” the surviving guardians together with the leader pulled the chain pulling away Simon from the sword. They could feel the magic leaving his body as he was slowly getting pulled.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

The pain… the longing for the sword… pushed Simon's insanity to the limit… until he finally passed out and heard the words “KILL HIM NOW!!!!”

But then, from the sword, a black mist, comprised of energy and spirit, emerged. It extended, coiling around the hilt of the sword and the severed limb. Suddenly, it launched another tendril, sinking its teeth into the boy's shoulder. There was no scream, but the warriors felt the danger looming.

He was back… “Humans!!!! I’ll feed on your souls!!!!” the boy screamed from his gut.