Solivagency - Empires SMP

XXXVII

A/N: TW: transphobic misgendering, violence, description of death, throat injuries, knife injuries, dehumanisation, extreme body horror and more. If I missed anything please let me know.

Their hands flew up to protect their head, but they were too slow, too sluggish, and it did nothing to help against the second that flew straight to their skull. Miraculously they had still been holding the bag of plants, but a third kick tore it out of their grasp and spilled a colourful arrange of herbs and flowers onto the floor.

"I really didn't think you'd come back willingly." Xornoth couldn't see where Exor's voice was coming from, but it surrounded them like a net surrounding some injured animal. "Especially since I don't have a real use for you anymore. Not when your brother is so feebly weak."

Their eyes darted over to Scott's unmoving form and their heart clenched when they realised the knife sunk into him was the one they had made for him. They wanted to do something, but they felt entirely helpless. They couldn't help remaining frozen.

Then something had caught them by the hair and they were being dragged upwards. Xornoth writhed in the sudden grip, flailing out and trying to prise the hand tangled in their hair off, but they might as well have been trying to break a wall down with their elbows, because it did nothing.

The hand- claw- whatever it was holding them spun them around not so gently, and their heart stopped as they came face to face with the massive thing that could only be Exor. They didn't know where to begin describing him. Paintings of him had been ripped down and scribbled over, and now they could truly understand why, because who would want to have the image of something that horrifically terrifying hanging staring down at you from a wall?

Maybe it was the multiple rows of teeth as thin as needles sticking out of his gums. Maybe it was the six antlers that looked more like a growth of thorns crowning his head. Maybe it was the singular, boney wing that jutted out his back like an extra spine. Maybe it was the jaw that stretched so downwards it looked like it was about to fall off. Maybe it was the nose that seperated into jagged like it had been broken and then split off into two. Maybe it was that his skin looked nothing more than layers of burnt, clotted blood. Maybe it was the too human features that looked like they had been ripped out of someone else's face and stitched into his own.

Exor grinned at them - well, it was closer to his mouth stretching in the horrific parody of a grin that showed even more teeth - and Xornoth found themselves jerking backwards, leaning away as much as physically possible. "I'm so glad you came back though. You're just in time to see the fun. You're early, actually."

They felt their throat close up, struggling to breathe as he moved them closer to him. He was enormous, a massive, looming person with twisted arms and legs. They dangled in his grip, the painful hold on their hair not slacking at all, and they felt like a ragdoll being clutched by an angry child.

Then they were dropped, and the floor rushed towards them in an impossibly quick blur that ended in a nasty thud and pain flooding their senses. Their fingers scrambled for something they could push themselves up on that didn't slip, but before they could, a sharp heel rammed them back down onto the cold, cold surface, and they could do nothing but suck in a nasty breath and squeeze their eyes shut.

It was okay, Xornoth frantically grasped for some semblance of reassurance. The others were nearby. Joey was nearby. It was fine. It was fine it was fine it was fine.

"It is important that you learn to behave before I start." That didn't mean good things. A sentence like that never meant good things.

Only a moment's notice was given before Exor's foot prised itself off of their back, and went hurtling down towards the back of their knee.