The Grand Weave

I shot to my feet and used my tail to launch her toward the entrance. A metal cube the size of a tree knocked me away. I punched through it and sliced into the metal, ripping the halves apart.

No more games.

"Why? Why follow the whims of a dead god?" I shouted.

The tentacles attached to the wall lifted into the air, each holding a stone spike capped with silver.

The mindeater paused, its squirming chains floating behind it like Medusa's hair.

"Why do you resist?" it asked.

"Because I value my friends. And you are kidnapping people."

"What are you doing? Why are you talking to it?!" Xena roared.

"Stalling. Keep weaving the thread; I have an idea."

As I stood up, I condensed my mana and hid it beneath my skin. To do so, I carved out the meat inside my chest and created a hollow space for it to fill.

There was no way for the mindeater to know. I kept it contained within, without letting a drop of power seep through.

"If I promised safety to your friends, would you leave?"

I stopped.

"Just like that? You'd let us leave?"

More chains formed, burning red within my senses. They held power, enough to scratch at my skin despite the distance between us.

I guess I'm not the only one building an attack.

"I sense the mark of your god. I seek not war. Leave, take your slaves, and begone," it said. The voice came down like an avalanche, filling the room. Its eyes flashed gold, and the tentacles capped with silver began to convert to metal. "But I sense the fairy within you. That is unacceptable! Leave her behind."

"Xena? Are we ready?"

"Not yet! Do you understand how much you are asking?! Stall!" Xena ordered.

I clenched my fists and stared at the mindeater. Like an eldritch god, it looked down from atop the pyramid. The brain behind it pulsed, and more of the tentacles converted to metal.

"You understand that to trust you is impossible. The moment I sever the bond, I'll be too weak to attack."

The mindeater conjured a ball of condensed mana. It flashed between orange and blue. The mana raged and hissed as it fought against itself.

"You will give me the fairy. God-marked or not. To resist is death."

I couldn't rely on Xena to form the patterns. My core continued to surge with pain, but I balled my fists and thumped the floor with my tail.

"Then we are at an impasse. I cannot trust you, and you will not let me go."

"Then you must die." it boomed.

I jumped and spun out of the way as the tentacles speared the ground. My tail cut sliced the silver and carved deeply through two but bounced off the third. A hail of stones and ice rained and forced me to the land.

My feet carried me across the room, and I outpaced the attack. I smashed through another wall but the rubbled reversed and pushed me down.

The bomb fell, zipping toward me.

No!

I crossed my arms and blasted my mana outward. It forced the telekinesis to end, and I escaped as the ball cracked along the floor.

The shockwave sent me flying. I smashed into the far wall, but something cushioned my back. I turned to see Panasia clutching the door for support. Her arm dropped, and I traced the currents of air swirling with dust.

She tried to smile but slumped forward. I leaped and grabbed her body, tucking her underneath my arm. Fire tore through my defenses, and Xena grunted.

Rage.

Fury clawed itself free and threw the guildmaster into the other room before I slammed the doors shut. It guided my actions, and I envisioned the chains, the runes burned into memory.

Spectral metal formed then solidified, a wave of protective mana creating a barrier.

"Time?" I asked as I dodged between tentacles and sliced through them.

"One minute!" Xena answered.

"I don't have a minute!"

"Shut up!"

I stepped to the side, and my tail swung forward. It cut through the tentacle, and I grasped the cut end as it retracted.

My jaw cracked open, and I willed the free mana leaking from my core into my throat. As the tentacle stopped and tried to fling me off, I released and sank toward the pyramid.

Like before, the mindeater extended its arm, and I froze midfall. But I released the control of my mana and willed it to burn.

A torrent of pink flames spiraled downward, engulfing the monster. As the mindeater lost control, I crashed atop the steps and dug in my claws.

The world rumbled.

"ENOUGH!"

The command shackled my body, and chains constricted around my limbs and throat. Hooks dug into my head. They crawled their way through my skull.

I couldn't move. Even as my rage surged and bucked against the compulsion.

My body seized and lifted into the air, bringing me inches away from the smoking haze atop the golden steps.

The force wrenched my neck upwards, and my eyes widened. The fire had done its job. Black flakes drifted down, the left side of the brain a shriveled, crispy mess.

"Defiler! Cretin! I will tear your soul to shreds and feed you to my god! The divinity within shall be nutrients to empower his growth!" the mindeater thundered. The smoke was blown away in a wave, revealing a partially charred squidman. "Die! Die! Die!"

I kicked, my foot lashing out and smashing into a barrier. It shattered, but the mind eater grabbed my leg and pulled.

Crystal bones shattered, and my leg was ripped apart.

He crushed my foot into a paste that splattered the steps.

It hurt! Pain blossomed, and my limb spasmed as it tried to kick free from the monster's grip. I snapped, desperately trying to bite its head.

"Reduced to a snarling fleshling. May you serve my god well."

I spewed flames, but stone blocked my attack. The stone turned cherry red. More appeared even as I struggled and crushed my head between the material.

The ghostly chains scrambled my thoughts and squeezed.

I'm going to explode!

I refused! My teeth ground the stone, and I broke free. Claws slashed forward and dug through flesh. A fountain of golden blood spewed from the stump.

Snap!

My mouth snapped shut, and I swallowed the severed arm, its meat sliding into my stomach, where the core broke it apart into a wave of energy.

The mindeater glared, its posture uncaring of the missing arm.

No! Fuck you!

How dare it not cower before me! I was going to rip him limb from limb!

"Sleep," he commanded.

The rest of the chains that had gathered behind him wrapped around me. My arms were broken and forced together, my legs twisted as my tail was bent around them. I flapped my wings, but I couldn't move.

Darkness encroached on my vision, and Xena roared something unintelligible. The last thing I saw was malevolent eyes that burned with golden fire.

----

I gasped for air as a hand clapped me on the back. My breath hitched, and I continued to cough as I slowly took in my surroundings.

Pews lined the room. Blank faces stared forward. Only one did not; Sam looked at me with worry in her eyes.

"I. Wh-what is going on?" I demanded.

Sam glided across the room, her footsteps silent. She bent down and met my eyes, a sad smile on her face.

"Are you okay, Cy?" she asked softly. "You don't have to do this, they'll understand."

What are you talking about? Why am I here? I have to stop-

I pushed Sam away and searched for my spear or claws, but all I had were my fists.

The woman who clapped my back backed away, a hand to her face.

No.

I shook my head. That wasn't Sam's mom.

"You," I spat toward the false Sam. "I'll kill you if you keep using that face."

Sam looked hurt, and genuine concern flashed across her face. It took every instinct I had not to apologize. That wasn't Sam. I knew it wasn't.

The creature pretending to be Sam stopped and closed her mouth. "How did you free yourself so quickly? Was it the memories? There was so little. It was hard to construct a proper dream."

The voice was no longer Sam's. Instead, a cold, ancient being spoke with her mouth but not her voice.

"Sam would never call me Cy here. Not something this important."

Not-Sam bent her head, bones snapping. The sound echoed across the silent room. "I see. I am weak then. It will take some time before I regain my former prowess. Such sloppy actions. It is unbecoming of me."

A hand grasped my shoulder, and I spun, sweeping their leg. Without thinking, I smashed my fist into their face, and the puppet pretending to be Sam's mom deflated like a popped balloon.

"Very well. Let us begin by extracting your memories," Not-Sam said in a monotone voice.

In a flash, the people in the room vanished. The pews were next, leaving a bare floor and the easel toward the back.

The creature floated next to the painting. And I grit my teeth. Rage bubbled, but it felt lacking. Something suppressed my anger and forced me to stare.

"It is interesting to see such a shattered mind. There are walls that even I cannot penetrate. Thankfully, you left a hole for me to slide through."

I tried to move but I managed four steps before my foot stuck to the floor.

"What are you getting out of this?"

"Emotions, memories, power. You exhibit such strong feelings of anger. It is delicious. But now, I am curious. Why this memory? Why do you refuse to look at the painting? You're radiating deep rage with a hint of something else. What is it?"

I kept my mouth shut, and the creature stopped. Not-Sam twisted their head, bending well past what a human should be capable of.

"I see. Misery. Sorrow. Were these people important to you? More than the owner of this body. Yet you will not look. Maybe I should make you?"

"No!" I screamed, but it was too late.

A force grabbed my legs and slid them forward. I shut my eyes and looked away, but a firm hand grasped my chin and forced my head straight.

"Look. Show me those emotions you repress." Not-Sam commanded.

No!

"I said, look."

Strong fingers peeled my eyelids open, but the world began to shake. Pieces fell away, and the void stared back.

"Ignore that. Look forward."

Against my will, I slowly looked up.

No. Don't...

Two faces came into view—smiling, happy faces.

Stop!

I took in their smile, the man's happy blue eyes, and the woman's calm brown.

The world continued to crumble around us until only an island remained. Chime bells tolled in the distance, but the creature snapped their fingers, and a golden bubble blocked the sound.

"LOOK!"

I screamed, but nothing came out. My teeth bit into my tongue, the spongey flesh scraped away, and I spat blood.

I refused!

But I couldn't stop. They wouldn't let me.

The faces, I knew them. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"So that's who they are—exquisite agony. What would happen if I erased this memory? Burned it away? How would that make you feel?" Not Sam continued.

I slumped to the floor and struggled to breathe. My lungs refused to work. A sob wracked my chest, yet I felt cold and still.

"More. Give me more."

Ding!

The barrier shattered, and I slammed the creature to the floor. Sam's eyes stared in surprise, but I grew claws and ripped her face to shreds. Fire trailed down my limbs, and flesh melted away as I continued to punch and punch!

Her hand wrapped around my neck and pushed me off, but I slammed my tail through her stomach, impaling her to the floor.

"Even now, you can fight back? Then it is time I show you pain!"

Memories flashed, happy times, sad times. Numerous scenes and different people. I recognized them all. Sam's uncle, her brothers. Happy times after the funeral, the first time I openly cried into her mom's arms.

I remember my first beer with her dad and the Christmas we spent together, when her brothers baked me a cake. All cherished memories that flooded my mind.

One by one, they burned. The memories shattered and crumbled to dust before my eyes. With them, I felt each loss, a hole in my soul.

"I SAID NO!"

Before the creature could react, I reached forward and shoved my hand through her chest. I grabbed the energy calling to me, an intense hunger demanding consumption.

"Stooop!"

No.

I ripped the energy out and stared at the fragile marble filled with divine power. The void consumed the last of the island, and I slipped free, Sam's corpse turning to dust.

Before I fell, I tossed the marble into my mouth and swallowed.

"NOOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"