Something Immortal

62: Madness Part Three

Som did not wish to mince words anymore and attacked first, creating an image of a curved blade that swept through the air in front of the other, slashing through Phaibun's armored robe, and a spatter of blood coated the floor. Although not entirely shocked, rather astonished, Phaibun looked at the damage that had been done in his front and smirked.

After witnessing the scene, Stella growled to the side and charged forward. Marko saw this and exclaimed, "Som, look out!"

Som reversed the spell and the blade dissolved into tiny little pins showering above like rain, piercing through her skin. She yelled in pain and skidded backward, using her nails to her balance, her gaze sharpened. Marko looked around, trying to figure out a way to get out of the containment circle Phaibun removed the glove on the other hand and everything around him began to decay. Opening behind was a door that led to a catacomb, one by one, the dead inhabitant of the cairn shambled their way out of the crypt, their eyes depicted lethal intent in a greenish glow rivaling the radiancy of the Phoenix's flame as it pinpoints in the darkness.

They prostrate themselves before Lord Phaibun and Som noticed both of his hands were decaying, losing the skin and turning each finger into bones.

"Som, break the containment, I can help you!"

Unsealing another set of runes on his right hand, Som used his blood to replace the blood that was used to draw the containment circle weakening its resolve. As he did this, the ground began to quake and Stella anxiously looked at her master. Lord Phaibun nodded her head as though he was giving her the order and she swiftly used her Strigoi speed to run in the opposite direction.

When Som finally broke the containment circle, Marko was out of the said control and ran after her. By experience, Stella Perova was obviously at the advantage and immediately felt the resolved kicking him in the stomach, targeting his freshly open wounds. Marko's body flown backwards and would've hit a solid wall if not for Som who helped him out, spreading his palm in front of the Strigoi to close his wounds while watching cautiously in the corner.

Lord Phaibun was just standing there doing nothing but the group of Draugar that he called forth seemed to be waiting for an order. Yet, their master seemed to be waiting for something or perhaps, someone.

"Why isn't he attacking you?" Marko thought of asking this.

"I don't know..."

Once Marko was healed, he quickly stood up and stretched his neck from side to side. "She's mine, you deal with that one," the Strigoi told him and without delay followed the female Strigoi outside of the temple.

"I think that settles it," Lord Phaibun finally spoke when it was just the two of them in the room.

Outside, the sky darkened and the place was obscured through a blizzard haze. The weather in Asturia had always been unpredictable but Som knew that there was something far more than the change of the climate in the air.

"It appears that you finally have some sort of understanding of how this world works," Phaibun finally spoke, and as he walked to the side, so did Som, until they were finally circling each other. "Well?"

"I am still not so sure of a few things," Som admitted this, "But rest assured I'll figure it out. Did you know that I created a fake world and Ilarion and I played different characters there? A different time, a different place, a different us? I was his reader and he was the writer. So, I'm certain I can figure this out too. I mean, I'm quite good at reading."

The corner of Phaibun's mouth curved. "You sound confident yourself but let me remind you, child. This is not a story. This is your reality. And you are incomplete. Unless you devour that boy, you can never turn into a Phoenix."