534 A Giant Problem

Nerissa had run ahead of the group to fight her foe, the Cyclops was licking its lips as it gazed upon her, though the mist daggers thrown at its only eye immediately put it on the defensive. As it backs away it tore a stalactite from the roof and attempted to slam it down on her, she dodges it with ease however the stone spike shatters causing debris to go everywhere, grazing the Cyclops skin and forces Nerissa to back away.

She takes a moment to catch her balance before leaping forwards again, Iaito prepared to rend anything in her path. The Cyclops tries to crush her with its foot, but she dodges with a spin and brings Iaito down on it's Achilles tendon, forcing it to one knee while it shouts in pain.

Black misty wings explode from Nerissa's back as she leaps in the area to reach its head, the wings flapping slightly to change her mid-air trajectory as it tries to smack her from the sky. After dodging the blow she grips it's clammy, stick ear and prepares to jam Iaito through its eye, however, it shields it's face with a hand while smacking itself as if a mosquito was biting it.

Nerissa drops to its nape and cuts her left wrist to draw blood, using it to form crystal claws that she uses to penetrate the back of its neck to get a grip. The Cyclops tries to smack her again but she slashes at its hand with Iaito, drawing a profuse amount of blood that splatters against the floor and wall.

The Cyclops rolls onto it's back to try and get her off but this only makes it's other area's vulnerable, Nerissa takes advantage but penetrating its belly with Iaito and dragging the blade down fiercely, disemboweling it. She then takes control of the blood spewing out by making it crystalise and form large crystal shards that penetrate it's internal organs, forcing out a horrified squeal, then... Silence.

She hops off of its corpse and takes a look at the other one that they were tasked with killing, her nose wrinkling as the smell of burnt flesh hits her. The Cyclops is pinned to the floor by Chaos Whips, the flesh touching them burned completely black and has already become charcoal. Somehow though it's still alive, whimpering from pain as Talem approaches its head, she watches as Talem says a few words before severing it's Carotid Artery, allowing it's life-force to spill out and killing it in the process.

After the group step over the corpses and go to check how Reima is doing they are surprised to find three torso's missing their limbs on the floor, black vein-like tendrils crawling into their still bleeding stumps, Reima watching them with black eyes and a grin.

Talem "Reima?"

Reima glances at them once without a reaction before taking a second and shaking his head, "Er, what?... Oh, you guys killed them? Great job."

Talem "What... What are you doing with those creatures Reima?" he asks, apprehensive about what exactly was going on.

Reima shrugs, "You guys remember how I made the Wild Hunt soldiers my own? Well, I'm attempting to see if the same process would work on these guys. It's taking a while but it seems to be working."

Talem nods "Hmm..."

Reima "Ah, could you guys do me a favour? Grab some samples from the Cyclopses, particularly the heart, liver, skin, muscle, and eyes." he says before turning his attention back to the rather demonic looking process.

Nerissa walks away first to do as he says, having learned to do this during their stay in the Misty Isles, Talem following soon after as to escape the grim sight befalling the still alive Cyclopses.

An hour later the group hears semi-mad cackling from where Reima was, Nerissa and Talem give each other wary looks as they go to check out what's happening. Once there they are confronted with three, 17ft black figures. Their flesh looks like black oak with ooze dripping from them, their faces aren't bloated, instead of having their single eye covered over by oak flesh which glows an ominous red. Their mouths have huge black teeth that seem to belong to a beast as black saliva drips out onto the ground, a tentacle forming and wiggling back to its owner where it's absorbed into its flesh.

The limbs that were previously severed have returned, huge muscles and new black oak skin present. At the ends of the arms are absolutely humongous claws, the kind that would seem impractical if it wasn't for how sharp, long, and strong they were. Their feet were also decorated with nails that penetrated the stone floor even now.

Reima is standing before them, looking at them admiringly as if they were an artist's final masterpiece. He speaks to the duo behind him without looking, "They're amazing aren't they... I wouldn't be surprised if they could take on a dragon on their own." he says exaggeratingly, though by the creature's appearance it wouldn't surprise the duo either.

Talem "They look fierce, but I am not sure if the method is good, for them and you Reima." he says, with Nerissa nodding her head next to him.

Reima "What do you mean?" he asks, confused.

Talem "You just seem like a different person when you were using that... Black fluid." he mutters with a shiver.

Reima shrugs, "I get a little excited, ignore it... Anyway, I need to come up with a name for these three... Any suggestions?" he asks with a grin.

...

Talem doesn't answer and just shakes his head, though Nerissa isn't as adverse to this as him.

Nerissa "Blacky."

Reima "No, not intimidating enough..."

...

"Cyclaws?"

"Clawclops?"

...

"Corpseclaw?"

...

"Scytheclops."

Reima "I'd like to introduce you all to my Scytheclops!" he exclaims with a manic expression.