Death's Stigma (NanoWriMo14)

Chapter 21

"You are in my realm now and once I've picked your bones clean Lady Skyra will give me Sedrin and Fevarix's power. Up here you are powerless against me." The screechy female voice grated at his ears.

"Just keep talking. The longer you talk the longer I get to rest."

"You humans have no respect. Very well, if you wish to hasten your death I will oblige."

A monstrous raven landed in the center of the nest and exploded into a storm of feathers. The demon stepped out from them as they tumbled through the open spaces in the floor. Raven feathers covered her from her neck to her ankles. Her fingers and toes were here curved silver blades that looked like they'd rip through Grim. Four wings folded against her back as she strode towards him. 

"Grim look," Myst said. "The feathers."

A few feathers circled around in her hand. They shimmered and hurtled towards Grim. They moved at insane speed that Grim couldn't even follow. The tiny missels burrowed through him and flew out the other side. They flipped and tore through him. The demon repeated this over and over until Grim fell to his knees.

He coughed up a pool of blood and stood up. The holes closed and he blurred forewards. She stepped away and chuckled.

"You tricked me human, not telling me you're a Reaper isn't fair. All though I should have been able to smell the stench of death on you. I just have to kill faster than you can heal.”

Grim blurred and slashed at the demon. She stopped it with her claws and kicked at him. He launched himself upwards and landed behind her. She already had turned and punched him as he landed. He hit the wall and rebounded into a roundhouse kick. He blurred to his feet but she shoved her foot into his back and wrapped her claws around his spine.

“Not so fast Reaper. Now you learn what happens when you have the audacity to attack Corvina the Reaper Eater.”

“That rat turned on me.” Grim moaned. Fulcrim had turned on him and lead him into a trap.

“You think that runt actually worked for you,” She cackled and tugged on his back getting a scream out of him. “The pathetic lizard has been bowing to me since he was damned to his island. He told you what I wanted you to know and nothing else.”

Grim’s right hand hung off the catwalk out of her line of sight. The chains slinked out and rose up behind Corvina. The darted for her but she snatched them out of the air.

“You can’t deceive me Reaper, I know ever move you’re going to make as you make it.” He shook one of the chains and had it bob and weave behind her but she didn’t react till it flew towards her. He saw her wings stretch a little and the feathers shift a little.

“She’s reading the air currents.” Nadia stated. “You won’t be able to get close to her.”

“I have an idea. Sketch any glyph you think will help me right now.”

“Alright.” In his head she sketched a series of interlocking crosses. He raised his right hand and fired the glyph from the binding circle. A storm of fire surrounded them and Corvina flew straight up. Her claws sliced through Grim’s back and severed his spine. He could feel his body trying to heal but it wasn’t going fast enough to avoid Corvina who was dive-bombing him. He grabbed the catwalk and pulled himself over the edge while sliding Nadia onto his back. She ripped through the catwalk, but grim anchored himself to an intact piece with the chains. He slinked under the arena and pulled himself back up on the other side. He was able to stand, unsteadily, but stand none the less.

“Damn you Reaper.” Corvina flew up in front of him. The stench of her smoldering feathers and hair choked him. Her four eyes glowed blood red and she shrieked. The sound stabbed at Grim’s ears and she flew into him. Her curved teeth took a chunk out of his shoulder as they plummeted.

“Checkmate bitch!” The chains stabbed into her wings and back and he flipped them around. They smashed into the roof of one of the skyscrapers and plowed through the first few floors. Before she could recover he grabbed the base of two random wings and pulled while the chains stabbed at them. Her two left wings tore away with a spray of feathers and blood. They disintegrated into black cloud that blinded Grim. Corvina slipped away and Grim jumped up to the roof. He scanned around him but didn't see a thing.

The floor under him exploded and he flipped away. Feathers swarmed in her hands and took shape. She stabbed with a long rapier and shield. She pierced his side and he kicked her back.

"What's wrong Reaper, expecting me to attack you like a wild animal. Not all of us embrace inhuman forms."

Grim didn't say a word and blurred towards her. He slashed her across the legs and stabbed her in the back. He rolled away and sliced off her shield hand. Another sweep removed her other two wings and he grabbed her by the neck. She tried to stab him and he sliced off her arm at the elbow.

"Your chances were better when you relied on instinct, no one beats me in a sword fight."

"Goodbye Lady Skyra." She choked out. Grim snapped her neck and she crumbled away. He plucked a single black feather from the air and tucked it into his pocket. He must have been out for a while because the sun was starting to set.

"Time to go home ladies."