Turning Point

STIKKCH–

Their despair shout reaches my ears at the very moment my shovel cuts through the little remains of the withering Almza.

Its body now nearly fully disintegrates, and the crown of flowers it wore lands at the feet of Eryth.

She kneels down lifting up the dissolving headdress, trying to grasp hold of it, and prevent it from leaving her forever.

With the crown of flowers slowly decaying in her hands, she places it atop her head. The fragile crown still faintly displaying that delicate white it once was, now mostly appearing as a burnt pile of leaves.

“Why did you do that?” Eryth speaks in a low tone.

“It wasn’t Almza, if that’s what’s going on in your head. It was a monster, it wasn’t human any longer. I had to kill it before it hurt someone else.”

“You humans and your perceived righteousness.”

“Sorry, what?”

“You think you’re always right, that you’re always on the right side of history! But you just killed Almza and all you begin to think is that you saved the world or whatever!”

She begins berating me, stepping into my face, completely full of anger.

“What are you on about!? It wasn’t Almza, he’s dead!”

“It was him, you killed him, what’s wrong with you!”

“I–”

“Don’t answer that–you’d probably make it all about you again!”

She falls over the withered silhouette of the dying monster’s corpse. Making the sounds of sobbing.

I take a step back. Turning to the boys, who are looking at the scene quite disturbed. Gil is quiet, looking to Lala for answers, who looks to me.

“Why is she crying over that dead guy?”

Lala’s question shouldn’t feel tone deaf, except under these certain circumstances they do. It is just a dying withering monster after all. She just sees it as something else.

“It's–complicated. Over the time we were separated I met a talented magician called Almza, he was her father. According to her, Almza disappeared after a withering invasion on her village. She’s been looking for him, believing him to still be alive… I found this thing, a withered copy. It's not him anymore, it became a monster.”

“Well if it's not him then why is she hunched over its fading corpse?” Lala seems confused and curious. Stepping forward he approaches the grieving Eryth.

“Hey, King said this thing isn’t the Almza guy–stop crying already, and let’s get out of here.”

SLAP–

Eryth backhands Lala smacking him right in the cheek. The force of it sends him landing on his butt, leaving Lala’s face stained with a red hand print.

“OUCH! What was that for!”

“Why do you think I’d help a murderer?”

“ –huh what?”

Eryth still leaned over the vanquished body, she begins glowing with her magic, but there’s something else billowing within her.

Reaching for the crown she picks a piece of it off, holding it to her chest.

“Hey Eryth, calm down–there’s no need to resort to violence.” I try to calm her mind but she’s beyond furious.

“No need to resort to violence? What is it you literally just did? Resort to violence. That’s what you did. Hypocritical humans, all of you.”

Black petals begin swirling around her engulfing her body and the area around her in a tornado of darkness.

Lala quickly crawls back toward Gil and I.

“What’s happening? Did I do something wrong?” Lala pleads with me.

The wind picks up around us, I can feel an increasing intensity of magic brewing from within the twister of her creation.

“You were a bit blunt for one. She thought that thing was her father, you kind of just falsified the only belief that was holding her together.”

Lala looks dumbfounded, he didn’t realize he was being so harsh. He turns to the tornado of withering petals and calls out to Eryth.

“HEY–MISS, I’M SORRY! I’M REALLY REALLY SORRY! I DIDN’T MEAN TO HURT YOUR FEELINGS!”

But his apology lands on deaf ears.

Eryth is being consumed by the withering.

Except something feels off.

She was fine.

Can she even become withered?

She’s just a doll after all.

…

And suddenly the storm quells, and for a moment all is fine.

But as the calm began the true storm awakens. A blast of air erupts from her vessel, throwing us all across the floor of the hole. Lifting my head to look upon the source of the push–its Eryth!

Her body has evolved. A darkness cloaks her vessel, like a hood of decay. She’s become a monster of withering. Except through the decay and destruction there’s still a light within. Her magical yellow glow of the [Arx] shimmering through the darkness. That flower crown now stands out as a full pitch black circlet.

In a distorted voice–it speaks to us.

“Damn humans, can’t you see I’m just another monster. I’ll never be anything like you, I might be just a doll to you, but I’m definitely the superior being!”

She’s gone?

Consumed by withering, yes.

But is she gone?

“Us monsters don’t deserve life right! So what are you waiting for–KILL ME!”

Before I can decide on a course of action, a fist built entirely out of the dark withering particles surrounding her body materializes hammering down on the grounds in front of us.

“KILL YOUR MONSTER!”

We all look at each other, all of us not knowing what to do. All the while Eryth flails her withering hands in a deadly manner.

“King! What do we do!” Lala screams out, hiding behind Gil who looks just as nervous.

“ …”

I suppose she’s become my enemy.

I don’t think she really classifies as the same thing as a withering monster.

She’s speaking, and that’s Eryth’s voice in there. Even if a little twisted.

“Get to cover! You two don’t know how to fight against a skilled spellcaster!”

“Awww what, but we can help you.”

“No, not this time. Once this is all over I’ll teach you how to fight like me. But just sit this one out, okay.”

“Ugh fine, come on Gil, let’s take cover in the tunnel we came from.”

“Aye aye Lala! Let’s go King, we know you can do it!” I can’t let Gil’s hopes for victory go to waste.

As Lala and Gil head for cover it's almost as if the withering Eryth settles for a moment. Allowing them to escape.

Preparing the shovel I point its scoop toward the billowing target before me.

Just like our first battle.

Oh how the circumstances have changed so drastically.

I thought we were getting closer, becoming better friends.

But maybe she really never liked me at all.

No–I can’t let her go yet, she’s still alive in there.

I’ll pull her out, whatever it takes.

“I’m not leaving this pit without the true Eryth!”

“Hmph, aren’t you a blind one, she’s right here!”

“Is that so, then I guess it's time for our rematch.”

“And just like last time you’ll be tonight's biggest loser!”

END CHAPTER 22