Fractured God

In the darkness, Tina forced her hand over Nora's mouth as the group tried to figure out what to do.

She was covered in a pungent sweat, likely a result of the immense pain she was in. Tina and Agatha knew the damage was serious but it wasn't until they looked down they realised her entire foot was gone. They could clearly see both bone and muscle visible, ebbing blood.

Elizabeth held her severed foot but they weren't sure what good that'd do at this point.

(“Shit she's out too?”) Tina thought. If they included Elizabeth, they were now down to three able-bodied women. Her muffled screams were doing their group no favours and she considered if knocking her out in the meanwhile would be the best option.

But unbeknownst to the two, Elizabeth had dragged herself over to Nora and placed her foot back on its stump.

A golden glow soon illuminated the darkness and the woman witnessed a miracle.

They looked on in awe as Elizabeth reattached her feet with supposedly paltry healing magic.

Her muffled screams stopped, and she looked down at Elizabeth with ragged breathing.

“Thanks.” She weakly muttered as she tried to get back to her feet.

“Sure thing. (I really can't afford to screw around with my magic here of all places. If one of them is a loud mouth about it, I'll deal with it when it comes.)”

She tried to get back to her feet but slipped, and fell to the floor.

The three rushed to her and helped pick her up.

“What the hell?” Helping her back up, Tina could tell she stepped in something wet when she stood behind her.

She strained her eyes trying to see what it was and noticed a darker substance against the already dark floor.

“You sure did bleed a river, Nora.” Tina commented.

“Sorry, Elizabeth I'm sure it's hard enough standing on one leg without the floor being wet.”

“That's not your blood…” She said with laboured breathing.

“What are you-” Agatha’s question was cut short when she felt something land on her foot. Based on their positioning, it was probably Elizabeth's own leg that touched her but she couldn't stop herself from having chills run down her spine, even considering the thing that touched her as a leg.

It was wet, cold and felt like it had a multitude of small holes on its surface.

She kicked it away in disgust. And with Elizabeth leaning against her shoulder, she felt her tense up.

“Huh? Is that cut he gave you still ble-”

“G-g-guys, I think we need to stop and seriously get a better look at Elizabeth.” Agatha said before stopping. The concern in her voice was almost comical, which made it feel somewhat eerie.

“Let's just… There's nothing we can do about it, so let's keep moving.”

“Nothing we can do?” Tina asked. “Elizabeth what the hell are going on about? And couldn't you walk by yourself earlier?”

The blood should have been wiped off after the initial step. Did the struggle with the priest leave her that spent?

“Sigh, just take a look at my feet. I'm not sure I can properly walk anymore.” She defeatedly answered.

Her head pointed down and Tina looked down as well. She noticed there was currently blood coming from what was supposed to be her good foot. The darkness obscured it.

She left her in Nora and Agatha’s arms and bent down to get a better look at the blinding foot. She lifted it up and the bottom was almost indescribable in the brutality it had suffered. It was no longer a foot but raw meat.

Tina unconsciously held her hand against her mouth when she saw it.

“Shit…” She said.

“I noticed some caltrops on the floor when it tried to sneak up on the priest… did she-”

“Yes.”

Tina answered Nora's question and the group stood in silence, at a loss for what to do.

“I'd like to have my feet wrapped but the bleeding would soak any sort of binding, defeating the point of me slipping. Elizabeth, do you think you could burn the wound with your magic to stop the bleeding?”

This was no time to act modest. They still had an enemy at large out there.

“Liz, can you even stand on that thing? Besides I'm sure I'd burn more than the outer layer of your leg if I tried to use my magic. That priest is one thing but I can't guarantee I won't ruin your leg.”

“Oh. Could you at least try to wrap a piece of leather around it? I’m sure it'd be able to provide some grip, regardless if blood gets on it.”

How could she so casually say such a thing? How could she even think about fighting in her current state!?

“...”

“What's with the silence? We don't have all da- so that's what he's doing.” Elizabeth sounded like she wanted them to hurry up but something across the room caught her attention.

The group looked towards the light and noticed the area that had been lit up by the priest was substantially larger than before.

Tina soon caught the priest in her vision. He was walking throughout the space, a torch in hand, lighting it up.

In the time they were discussing, including the parts he previously lit up, about 70% of the room had been lit up. The priest turned around and began walking. He was heading to their side.

(“Well, I've guaranteed there aren't any more hiding about, other than that frozen woman. Hmph, to think they'd have someone without mana to fight me. Regardless, I suppose it's time to head to the part of the room where I heard some noise.”)

The priest could feel his eye recovering and was now able to make out light with it. He kept his pace at the slowest he could muster as he approached the remaining darkness.