Death's Stigma (NanoWriMo14)

Chapter 34

Before Skyra could even think to defend herself Grim had appeared behind her, blade already swinging towards her head. She rolled away as the blade cleaved the air next to her. He blinked in and out of existence, jumping before she could see which direction he was heading. She felt a sting as his blade severed her arm from her body.

"Now Grim, it's not very nice to attack before your opponent is ready. I'll just have to punish you for that later." She said picking up her arm and placing it back on her body. Black sand flowed from Skyra's hand into the shape of a bladed staff. As Grim blinked back into existence and for the first time she blocked his attack. He growled and lashed out with the hooked barb on the end of his tail. He clipped her arm again and they jumped apart. Shadowy tendrils emerged from the black folds of Skyra's dress and launched themselves at grim. They burrowed through him then ripped themselves free leaving him riddled with holes. Grim grabbed at his head and screamed as crystals erupted from the holes left in his body sealing them.

"Can't think, to much haze." He said his voice separate from Nadia's.

"Focus." Nadia hissed. A green bone formed along the side of his jaw and soon his lower face was covered by a blank mask. The mask cancelled out his voice and his eyes regained their murderous intent.

"He's so close, once that mask covers his face he will never be able to free himself from the darkness." Skyra grinned and resumed her assault. The tendrils attacked Grim once again but he was gone and her weapons had all been severed.  Skyra immediately started to run, always changing direction at the last second to avoid Grim's attacks. She batted aside another of his blows and he let out an angry snort. A chain slowly burrowed out of his skin and connected to the blade on his arm. The blade fell out of his arm and toppled to the ground. He grabbed the chain and started to swing the blade around his body. Skyra was pummeled as he swung the blade with insane speed, slashing her repeatedly. She fell to her knees and Grim snapped the blade back into his hand.

"Now you will suffer." He said, his voice a strange fusion once again. He raised the blade to stab her and she made her move. She lunged forwards and disemboweled him with a slash from her hand then shoved it into his chest.

"No, now you will obey." She slowly pulled out his beating heart, the skin stained black and a hellish glow emanating from it, and plucked at the black veins connecting it to his chest. "You are mine now."

"No, we're, not!" Grim and Nadia yelled as his tail whipped forwards and speared his heart.

"What are you doing you idiot? Even demons need their heart to live." Skyra demanded.

"We don't want to live as a monster." They said as Grim stood up. The mask crept up his face and covered all but his right eye. It split around the mouth and Grim smirked showing the fangs that had grown on the masks mouth. "You're going to die with us."

For the first time in centuries Skyra felt her heart flutter in fear, the realization of what she had created finally hitting her. The energy in the courtyard amplified as both opponents devoted all their power to killing the other. They moved at supersonic speeds, blinking in to attack each other than disappearing. They only managed to scratch each other as even at full power Skyra's power was equal to Grim's. Grim upper- cut the demon and launched her into the air. His monstrous wings spread and he slammed her into the upper wall of the courtyard. He pounded her head into the wall until she caught his fist. Skyra kneed him in the gut and threw him into the ground. After that the fight slowly turned, gradually Grim became weaker and weaker as the demonic energy he was syphoning started to empty. He hurled his blade and struck Skyra across the chest, knocking her back and giving him  a second to rest on one knee.

"We need more power." Grim muttered.

"Over there." Nadia said as Grim's body focused on the white object laying on the ground. Grim flew forwards as Skyra leveled the spot he had been standing on. He snatched the object off the ground and felt the demon it belong to bind to him.

"Sam, I know you can hear me." Grim opened his eyes and he recognized the prizon that was his soul immediately. He and Nadia were in the center of the well of power coming from the demon generals. Chains had pierced their bodies and tied them together in the black haze that surrounded them. "Snap out of it Sam, this isn't you." The haze cleared from his mind and Grim looked over to see Kelly just outside the well.

""Kelly." He said hoarsely.

"Yes Sam, it's me." She was still a demon, but it really was his sister standing before him. "What are you doing?"

"We have to defeat Skyra, by any means necessary."

"Even if it means becoming a monster."

"What choice do we have?" Nadia said as the haze cleared from her mind as well.

"Stop this, you can use my power and we'll defeat her together." Kelly said.

"We can only fight her in this form." Grim said grimacing from the pain of the chains running though his body.

"Then you'll die. I can save you but I will only give you my power if you stop this."

"We could always just lock you up like the others." Nadia said with a gasp as the chains tightened.

"But you won't. Sam won't touch me and you'll feel to much guilt. Now stop this so we can put an end to this bitch."

"She's right, we won't last much longer." Grim said struggling against his bonds.

"I know but how do we get out of this." Nadia replied.

"The mask." They said as it dawned on them.

Grim's body was blinded as light erupted from it's hand. He reached up and gripped the edge of the mask with his claws and started to pull. As it started to rip free the light grew stronger. With a flash the mask tumbled to the ground and the scales and crystals on Grim's body started to fall off. His wings pulled themselves back into his body and sealed as if they never even existed. The blade in his arm fell out and morphed back into Nadia. Grim gasped in panic as he realized he ripped out his own heart.

"Definitely not the smartest thing I've ever done."

"Don't worry Sam, I told you I would give you my power." The dog tags he had picked up off the ground appeared around his neck and a mechanical beating started in his heart. The hole in his chest didn't seal but instead of emptiness there was a silver heart beating away.

Hey everybody how's it going, just a quick update. This chapter took some time because this was my first week of classes at college, but I will finish Death's Stigma within the month. As always leave a comment and tell me what you think.