Mopi's head spun through the air, his face still etched in surprise. Jael wondered why he was surprised when he picked a sword fight with a swordsman.
His body followed and it hit the floor with a thud.
One of the paladins moved, but Jael wouldn't ever know what he was about to do because he used his hand like a long whip, that ended in a long fang that pierced his head like an overly big needle; half of the head broke with a wet crunch.
The other two moved backward far from Jael's reach, but isn't that an ignorant move? 'Since I can move myself!' Jael shot forward, his whip smashing into a tree near one of them and nearly taking his head.
Jael withdrew because he really couldn't use his hand like a whip when they hid between trees. "But I can do this!" He thrust forward as if his hand is a very long sword.
The paladin surprised Jael by running forward and stabbing himself on the fang at the end of his hand. But then the paladin gripped Jael's hand from retreating from his stomach.
He pulled but the man held on tightly. He jerked, but it was as if his hand was held by steel. The paladin looked up, and through his mask, Jael got the feeling as if he was laughing beneath it.
That was when the paladin's body started to bludge; from the chest up, it swelled rapidly, bones cracked, and muscles tore, bloating up like a misshapen balloon. As if something inside was coming out, and with a final wet splatter and the roar of raging fire the body busted.
The explosion sent fire reaching high and scorched the trees surrounding him. Jael let out a painful howl, mixed with a growl from Hermit as his hand tore, the fangs shattered. With nothing holding him, he quickly withdrew his shattered hand.
Fortunately, it was the Hermit who was wounded, and the monster was sending sharp pains through their link. But still, it felt as if it was Jael's real hand that was tore away. He looked at his hand, transformed now to normal and he grimaced. 'Hermit won't be transforming again today'
"Are you okay?" Temur called. He couldn't look at Jael because he was keeping an eye on the remaining paladin.
He tilted his head. "Maybe. I don't know because I've not died before, and I'd rather it remain that way. I can't say the same for you though." His other hand pointed at his fellow paladin, and another thread slithered from him and attached to the body of the paladin.
"What are you planning..." Jael demanded. Hermit might be out of it now, but he still had his second spell [Dance of the Bones]. He began to inch back towards the corpse of the dead monster, but he froze when the paladin started taking again.
"This thread lets me transfer pain from one person to another. It's a rather weak ability that I got from my Codex. It stopped me from climbing the Dungeon Tower but I've found glory with Chaos....."
Jael felt a chill. Transfer pain? 'Don't tell me...!!'
".....time to pay for your sins! Let my good friend demonstrate!"
Immediately the second paladin's head swelled and busted within seconds, sending brain and blood flying.
Jael sucked in a breath but nothing happened to him. He started to breathe in relief when he heard the clang of metal hitting the floor. He turned. "Temur?"
Temur was rigid, his two hands clutching his head, blood dripped from his nose and his mouth opened in a soundless scream where foam was pouring down. His muscles were rigid, and he fell with a heavy thump.
"Temur!" Jael ran frantically to him. He shook him, calling his name, but his eyes only rolled in his head. His body is still rigid, and his muscles stiffened. "Temur! Shit! Shit!
Shit!"
From his ring, he brought out a potion and dripped it into his mouth with trembling hands. "Die on me, you big bastard, and you'll know what I'm made of!"
The paladins watched him and the one with the thread chuckled. "How are you going to convince him his head hasn't blown up now?"