Death's Stigma (NanoWriMo14)

Chapter 12

"Get up, we got work to do."

"What?" Katie said getting out of bed.

"I was busy last night and found out were one of Skyra's Generals is hiding."

"What happened to your hand?" She asked. Grim cursed himself.

"Oil, I couldn't wipe it all off." He slid on a pair of gloves and held out his hand. Katie transformed and he placed her on his back. He casually strolled towards the docks.

"What's up with you today Grim?"

"I have a special suprise for this guy."

"I can feel it, something is different about you."

"Let's hold off on this conversation, we have company."

A dozen animal creatures were guarding the entrance to the dock. He felt the chains sliding against each other in anticipation. Part of Myst's conscience was bound to them and she was hungry for blood. He blurred and killed two with rapid decapitation. He back flipped away from a bear creature and switched to the pistols. A barrage of gunfire mowed down five more. He flipped them into chain scythes and dashed. He sliced one creature into a few pieces and used the scythes to pull himself over the wall set up around the dock. Holstering his pistols Grim blurred between the crates. He stopped at the end of a dock.

"Sedrin, show yourself!" He yelled. The waves started to stir and Grim back flipped as a massive hand crushed the dock. Sedrin hauled his body out of the water and shook himself off. He was like a massive dragon with a finned tail and thick wings for swimming.

"So you're the mortal the Lady is so worried. I can smell Myst's power and her chains will do nothing against my armor.

"Death's Gate." Grim replied.

"Fool, now that your master is gone Lady Skyra has given her most loyal soldiers access to the Gate too."

Sedrin was wrapped in a red glow and Grim attacked. He attacked but Katie just slid off of the crystal like scales. Sedrin batted him with one paw and slammed Grim into a shipping crate. Pushing down he started to crush him against the ground. The chains ripped out of Grim's glove and stabbed at the spots in between the dragon's toes. He roared and yanked it back. One chain hooked a crane and launched him into the air. He pulled himself to the top and watched Sedrin.

"What the hell are those!" Katie yelled in his head. As the three chains hovered next to him.

"Tell you later." He jumped out of the way as acid dissolved the spot he had been standing. He jumped down and landed on Sedrin's head. He sliced him across the eye and turned to run. The demon's tail hit him across the back and flung him into the water.

"You'll pay for that you insolent bug." He slithered into the water and formed a whirlpool around Grim. He was sucked down deeper underwater as he was slashed across his body. He fired his chains into the cement platform of the docks and pulled himself out if the water. Sedrin flew out of the water after him as he blurred away. He rounded a corner and collapsed as a quarter mile of road from Grim to the dock was dissolved by acid.

"Next time you will not escape me insect!"

"Grim get up. Grim can you move?"

"Yeah."

He slowly inched his way to his feet. His breath was ragged and blood dripped into a pool at his feet. Katie reformed and grabbed him before he fell again. Dozens of claw marks covered his body. He coughed up bloody water and wheezed.

"Katie we need to get off the streets."

"Okay." They managed to make it to the cellar and Grim pitched forewards and fell down the stairs. Katie pulled off his jacket and gloves. She went to get the first aid kit but he stopped her.

"I'm fine."

"What are you talking..." She watched as the cuts on his body started to close.

"I took the stone that contained what was left of Myst and bound her to me."

"But what about your soul?"

"I'm going to become a Reaper."

"I can't stop you, can I?"

"No."

"Then I'm going to help however I can. How are we going to kill him if I can't get through his armor?"

"We get you an upgrade."

"How?"

"We got to find the forge."

"We haven't been there since we built my weapon form."

"Yeah, and this time we won't have the boss to get us there."

Katie transformed and Grim went back outside.

"I remember going through a crypt."

"I think I know where it's's at." Grim said knowing exactly were to find a crypt. He blurred, wincing at the pain in his leg from a particularly large scratch. He stepped into the local church and looked around. He took the steps down to the crypt in the basement. Carved into one wall was a skull. Grim ran one finger over it and it lit up green.

"Bingo." The glow spread through the cracks in the brick and they crumbled away. He stepped into the tunnel and green torches ignited down the walls. At the end of the hall was a a pair of black double doors. Grim pushed against it but it didn't budge.

A wolf's head pushed out of the door. It's body slid out of the door like it was water and walked over to Grim. It howled and Grim's skin crawled as the stigma on his wrist lit up. It lowered it's head and the door opened behind it.

"I guess it was suppose to guard the place." Katie said. Grim walked in and was blown away. The whole room was finely decorated with the finest materials. Silver goblets and crystal wine glass sat in front of hundreds of bottles of alcohol. A fire sprang to life in the firepit filling the room with a warm glow.

"New plan. We reforge you, rest here for a day, then confront Sedrin."

"I like that plan."

Grim wandered into a new room and found the forge. The room had roaring green fires with a black anvil at the center. Silver dust floated in the air all around them. Grim placed Katie on the anvil along with the anvils and the black stone Myst used to reside in.

"What are you doing with that?"

"Relax, she's imprisoned in the mark on my hand but the stone is full of her power. You won't come into contact with her."

"Alright, I trust you."

"Time to get to work."

He took the chain scythes and removed the chains and handle from them. He attached the blades to the back of the main scythe blade. Using a hammer laying on the side of the anvil and took the stone to one of the fires. He heated it and hammered it into the shade of a curved blade. That he joined to the bottom of the main blade. The silver dust floating around him was drawn into Katie and fused the parts together. Using the left over from the stone he created a spear point which went on the bottom and for the two chains he removed. He pressed the chains against the binding circle on his hand.

"Grim!" Katie yelled as he dropped a little. He supported himself as the chains drew themselves into his hand. Unlike the other three they were a silvery white instead of dark grey.

"I'm okay." He stood up and lifted Katie off the anvil. She felt lighter and he twirled her in one hand.

"Booze time?" Katie asked taking human form.

"Booze time." He said in agreement.

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