Chapter 200: Prep For War; The Benefactor Or The Forest (P2)

The Minotaur begins to shrink, or more accurately, shed. 

The black mass of its body starts melting away, sliding off of it in layer after layer of flesh, flesh that once belonged to whole people.

As this happens the beast rages, the glow in its eye dims and its powerful roar still deafening.

The process doesn't strip it all of its mass however, in fact, some of it begins to rise back over it, setting back in place as it fights against what I know is Lotar's influence.

"Heh." I chuckle, tiredly watching the Minotaur and really the Benefactor struggle against my Patron God. 

Frankly, I've never been prouder of the damned wolf.

Unfortunately, the extent of Lotar's power is visible still. The Wolf has only managed to reduce the Minotaur's large size to that of less of a giant and more the size of a Bear.

And a Bear, I think I can handle, given my track record so far anyway.

I get to my feet and pull out my dagger for one last go at this monster. Setting the blade aflame with necrosis I dig my feet into the dirt and start off in a dangerous headlong sprint for the beast.

With the wind blowing through my lock of hair it dawns on me that I haven't had to run for anything in a very long time. At least not since I ran away from the Bear in the cave.

The Minotaur is still gathering itself, getting posture together as much as it can, staggering from its kneeling position.

I wave to Anselm and he gets the idea in an instant, jumping into the air, mace raised over his head.

"This will be close." I mutter as we close in on the disoriented beast.

"NO!" A new guttural voice booms, the Minotaur looks my way and I know we've fucked up.

That force from earlier comes back with full force, and like an explosion it blasts me back where I came that my feet don't even touch the ground as my body limply flies through the air.

And they don't. 

The force takes hold of me again before I can even land or recover from the first blast. The Minotaur is on its feet again and its hand outstretched towards me.

Anselm has been whacked away by one of its recovered veiny skin tentacles and the Minotaur has on a look of actual anger. 

Then I wonder…did it speak?

"Your God may have subdued me for the moment but once I tear through its followers like a sheep's tender meat, I will tear a whole in this village of yours and have my minions invade!" 

That would be yes…yes it spoke.

Frankly, I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Still, I'm helplessly held up in its force grip, I suppose it's a plus that it can understand me.

Time to beg for my life.

"You must be the Benefactor I'm-"

"You are a poor excuse for a Mage and even worse, Necromancer. The depths of Reais know much of the one who came after you, she bartered many, many powerful deals with my kind…but you?" It snorts, a puff of air escaping its snout.

I'm not sure I should be offended that a Daemon, a clearly evil Daemon thinks that I'm an embarrassment to Necromancers because I haven't done any of the trades for power my predecessor did.

Still, this woman must have been quite something to be known in the depths of Reais itself.

"Well, out with the old and in with the new, eh?" I poorly try to joke and immediately after get a squeeze; a clear reminder that I hang in the palm of its hand, "Alright, hear me out!" I yell.

The grip loosens but I still hang in its force grip. Anselm, at the back of the Minotaur shakes his head fervently, as if reading my mind but being helpless to stop me from uttering these next words.

"I'm a Necromancer, and much like you have proven with your power, I can raise the dead."

It snorts again, "I do not raise the dead. I manipulate the flesh of the dead."

"Ah...thanks for the clarification." Squeeze, "Okay, okay, I was going to say that, I could raise you an undead army and help further your goals. I'm sure you can't tear through the veil between Reais and the material realm, can you? I mean, if you could you wouldn't be using a puppet to hold me like this, and you wouldn't be subdued by Lotar's power."

It snorts again, but this time it says nothing so I take that as a que to keep talking.

Talking shit that is, I really can't go through with any of this. I can't keep changing Masters all the damned time!

"So, I'll get the people to keep worshipping you, I'll reverse all of my meddling and hell, I have power over two other populated cities. I can get them to worship you too or die. You'll have enough power to burst through the veil with your minions and after you kill all the humans in these villages, I'll raise them as undead for you!"

"No, your undead are weak and feeble."

Well, compare to his…flesh bags, I can't argue.

"I will use their flesh to make more of my minions and many must be kept alive to further my worship so I may ascend as a Deity and slaughter all the divines who hide in the heavens!"

The Benefactor is a lot more rage oriented that I originally thought. Still, it's a Daemon and from the little I've seen and what I'm currently experiencing, I know they can't be underestimated.

It means every single word it has spoken.

Forcing out a chuckle I ask while desperately praying for something or someone to stop me, "So, do we have a deal?"

I begin to feel the force around me loosen. It hums. "I have been looking for a Warlock to champion my name and mission on the material realm, so far all I have found and can approach are weaklings like the one you call Alric."

It gives another contemplative hum before starting, "Very well, we shall form a pact, give me your blood."

The force on my pulls out my hands and sets my dagger in one of them. The message is clear.

I wrap my hand around my dagger, all hope lost, I can see the look on Kaylin's face. As I raise the blade to slash open my palm the force holding me up suddenly disappears and like last time I'm set into free fall.

I land on my butt again and by simply looking up I find the reason for my freedom.

The Minotaur skewered and raised into the air by five large roots, one poking through its open mouth.

"There will be no more vile pacts in my Forest."