The Sisters

The Herald

I needed to finish the fight up fast. Melli was bleeding out, and who knew why she was convulsing like that?

I watched as Celeste’s severed arm began to regrow, a benefit from one of her wonderful potions. “Having impervious skin, an instant regeneration? That’s just cheating.”

She smirked at that. “I suppose I’d be more moved by that if I hadn’t been out numbered.”

“How many stars do you have left.”

“Fifteen.” She lied.

“Same.” I lied, obviously. By now her arm had regrown, a perfect opportunity to attack wasted for banter. “I’ll say it again Celeste, we don’t have to fight. Leave now, and we won’t come after you. We’ll leave crossroads entirely.”

“No you won’t.” She gestured to the cathedral. “Look at all of this, you’re not leaving it behind.”

“There’s more than you know.” I warned her. “Two more floors, you’ll never get through them all.”

“You’re lying.” She nodded to the boss room. “I think that’s all that’s left, and then the prize.” She bunches up her muscles to attack.

“Don’t do this.”

She launched forwards.

Cursing I threw myself backwards.

The steel maidens which I had placed outside the prison before the start of this conflict opened up, and shot their tendrils at her.

Bingo.

The element of surprise is about the only thing I had going for me, but it was enough. The tendrils, clanking chain-like appendages wrapped around her, snapped into place and started dragging her across the cathedral towards the steel maidens.

Celeste grunted and tried to break free and she might have against only one, but even a three star couldn’t overpower three seperate demons.

“Midas touch, one star!” She called. She aimed to turn the chains to gold and to gum up the workings on what she assumed was a trap.

However her power, it seemed only worked on inorganic material. Those chains around her body were very much a part of a living being. They resisted her ability and continued with their grim work.

“No! No!” She cried out, throwing herself this way and that as the demons pulled her forward.

“He owns you now!” A whisper exalted from the shadows.

I ran to the prison and threw the door open, grabbing a shackle and chain.

“No!” She cried out again, focusing for a moment to rearrange her stars. “Poison Breath, 3 stars!” She threw her head back and let a disgusting column of black smoke bellow out from the depths of her body. It was almost matte in color, and ate all light, and I had no doubt life it touched.

The steel maidens slammed shut in response, leaving Celeste dangling between them just a few feet from her cell.

“Keep her chained up!” I commanded, grabbing Melli, and dragging her towards the boss room.

Celeste vanished inside the smoke, and the whole room was joining her.

She’d once bragged that she’d poisoned and entire dungeon and I could now see the truth of it.

I threw us into the boss room, slammed the door behind us, and descended to meet what was left of our forces.