Fledgelings clawed at the ones who tried to run, tearing the intestines out of those that couldn’t. The yellow light of the burning houses and the sickening purple glow of the portal lit up the night sky, the horror reflecting off the puddles of warm blood.
The ground turned into blood-caked mud as Skellington walked further into the burning town, sword drawn at the ready. His eyes glowed a sickly amethyst, a colour that has since burned itself into the hearts of man as evil incarnate. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a young child and her mother huddled behind a crate in an alleyway, shaking in fear. He turned his head mechanically, marching straight towards them, a single command echoing through his bones: Kill.
The woman’s eyes widened in fear as she realized they were spotted. She grabbed the hand of the terrified little girl and ran deeper into the alleyway. Skellington followed right behind, his bones and armor clattering as he marched towards them. He raised his sword when he got closer, but with a loud krack, a burning wooden beam came crashing down between them. The woman flinched as a puff of smoke and embers burst out of the rubble. She grabbed the little girl’s hand tighter and ran with her towards the eastern palisade.
Skellington didn’t waste time and climbed over the burning rubble, bones rattling as he continued pursuing her. The woman reached the palisade wall. To her left was the gate, around a dozen villagers surrounded by demons on all sides. People she had grown up with were being slaughtered one after another. A raging minotaurid came charging towards the group, goring a man and flinging him another thirty feet before smashing right through the wooden gate, splinters flying everywhere. It roared in victory as it readied its axe. The woman glanced to her right in panic, eyes flared wide open.
Skellington approached, swinging his sword at the woman’s head. She ducked at the last minute, her hair being slashed as his sword embedded itself into the wooden beam with a thwack. She ran as fast as she could with her child, along the edge of the palisade wall until she reached a dead end, blocked by a wall of crates and barrels. She looked at the base of the palisade; there was a small crevice dug into the dirt, large enough for a child to fit through. She glanced back at Skellington, who swung his blade free from the pillar, turning his head towards them. She crouched down and told the little girl something, tears streaking her terrified expression. “No!” the little girl cried out. Seeing Skellington march towards them like the reaper himself seemed to make her change her mind, as she started pushing her way through the crevice. Skellington wasted no time raising his blade. Her expression was one of true, bone-shaking terror, the feeling of knowing you are facing death itself, a lamb for the slaughter. In a sick, fleshy rip, the woman crumpled to the ground, blood splattering all over Skellington.
The little girl kept pushing herself through the hole, making it just in time before Skellington’s bony hand came down, trying to grab at her ankle. Skellington, realizing he could not fit through that crevice, glanced around, noticing the crates. The first obstacle was eliminated; now all that remained was the girl. He started climbing the crates, making it all the way up with terrifying speed. From his vantage point, he saw the girl just now making it out of the hole on the other side, and the forest beyond the walls. He then made a running jump over the palisade, a height most would’ve broken their bones from. His strengthened bones rattled, armor crunching as he landed on the other side. His crouched form raised itself with terrifying slowness, his purple eyes locking onto the little girl.
She saw him too, the wolf coming for the lamb. She ran as fast as she could, heading straight for the forest. Skellington, locked onto his objective, ran right after her. They quickly left the burning, hellish chaos of the town behind, entering deeper and deeper into the forest. She looked back, seeing Skellington following her with terrifying endurance. She was but a human, and he?… He had no flesh to tire, no tendons to strain; running from a being such as himself was all but futile.
Slowly, the girl’s muscles started waning, her movements turning sluggish, her speed slowing down. Skellington was getting closer and closer, until he was not even 10 feet away. Then, the little girl tripped on a root, crumpling onto the ground. The end. This was it. She looked back at Skellington, who was marching closer and closer, her shocked expression turning into empty acceptance of her fate. Then, the leaves rustled violently and the ground shook. Skellington stopped, glancing around to get a read on what caused the tremors. But there were trees everywhere, massive, tall grey trees, taller still than the largest caverns of Etheria. Thump… Thump… The ground shook more and more with each breath. Ironwood needles dropped down from the thick canopy, landing right beside Skellington and the little girl. Then, he saw it: a massive, towering form emerging from between two ironwood trees. Its eyes had a faint, red glow as it looked at them. It was… a giant…
The little girl took the opportunity and ran, dashing away from Skellington and the giant. The giant didn’t seem to care about her, and kept staring at Skellington. Even the basic thought he was capable of was enough to tell him that this giant was a much bigger obstacle than the girl. It was something he needed to deal with immediately. He raised his sword, ready to fight the hulking giant, its arms as thick as trees, its skin gnarled and thick like bark.
The giant narrowed its eyes as it stared at Skellington; it did not like visitors on its territory. It walked right towards Skellington, every step thunderous. The ground shook as it planted its massive feet onto the soil. It pulled its massive arm back, heavier than three horses combined. Skellington charged at it, swinging his sword. But the sword was no match against the strength of the giant. The giant’s fist smashed into Skellington’s body, shattering two dozen bones as he was flung into the air like a ragdoll. Even his armor exploded into multiple pieces, shrapnel flying in all directions. In a single blow, he was utterly destroyed. His body flew into the lake behind him, splashing as his crumpled body hit the surface. Missing an arm, his jaw, and his entire lower half, he sank to the bottom like a rock. He gently hit the bottom of the sandy lake, the surface of the water slowly settling. His purple eyes slowly faded, turning into hollow, empty sockets.
The World Stones 