Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires

Zaroth's body was badly broken. It seemed he'd grown too arrogant lately. While he was insanely powerful, there were bound to be others out there just as strong. He just hadn't expected one to be a living statue, wielding such monstrous force.

Ari's eyes widened as she examined the figure behind the roaring waterfall. A menacing smile had crept onto its face, and glowing eyes locked onto them, like a predator eyeing its prey.

The Beast Master's body stirred once more, coughing blood. He was weighing his options. If Eldros's attack hadn't done any damage, then Luna and the serpent would most likely have the same luck.

There were only two ways to get out of the situation alive either fly away on Luna's back, or let Vera and Ari take care of it. They had ways to deal with trouble which he simply lacked.

"How did this happen?!" Ari demanded to know, eyes still locked onto the statue out of fear of what it might do should her gaze falter.

Grimacing through the pain, Zaroth gave her a brief summary.

Naturally, the statue wasn't just going to stay in one place. Breaking the opening of the cave, it shot forward at them.

"How come the second I leave your side, you almost get yourself killed?!" Luna roared with outrage, eyes shining as her body transformed into her dragon form.

The statue seemed to recognize the might of a dragon, making it slow its steps for half a second before continuing.

"You know how to deal with this, right?" Vera asked the elf already moving, rushing to Zaroth's side in a desperate attempt to stabilize him.

A flicker of doubt crossed Ari's face. She was an elf, true, but not one from the inner circles of the continent. Just a simple woman from a secluded village, who had once dreamed only of exploring the world.

But she was the only elf in their group and the only one who could truly perceive what was before them.

The statue was connected to the will of the world. Dozens of threads stretched from it, like a puppet controlled by unseen hands, a marionette.

'It's back,' Ari realized. The force linking the statue to that power was a rune, pulsing faintly, on the creature's back.

"I have to reach its back!" she shouted, running with hurried steps. The shock she was going through was so vast that she didn't even have time to register that Luna had been a dragon all this time.

Trusting the elf, Luna lunged at the statue, trying to keep it in check, blowing water outward in every direction.

Eldros came out of the cave as well. After Zaroth had been hit, the statue had run off faster than the Unholy Judger could reach it.

With its goal in sight, it shot toward the enemy that had dared to hurt his dear friend.

A thunderous echo shook the world. Luna, despite her massive body, struggled to restrain the statue. Its smaller size gave it an edge, allowing it to slip through her attacks. The few blows that landed didn't even scratch it.

'What is this thing made out of?' Luna wondered, adjusting her attacks.

Eldros joined her, gripping the statue from behind with both arms, managing to halt it, if only for a moment.

The second the opportunity presented itself, Ari sprinted, appearing next to the deadly statue.

For the first time, its eyes moved, shifting from the bleeding Beast Master to the elf that was about to put an end to its pitiful life.

"Even you ignore my will?" it spoke, its smile still plastered across its stone face. "Then I suppose he really was right…"

Not daring to let the chance go to waste, Ari put her hand on the being's back. Her green eyes shone and her body trembled for daring to defy the great rune.

No matter how high and mighty the rune had once been, time had done its job, weakening it just enough, giving the chance for Ari to defy it.

"He is waiting for you," the statue whispered. Its eyes shifted back to Zaroth and Vera, the latter still trying to keep him alive.

"Fragment bearers."

With those final words, the connection was severed. The threads snapped. The statue turned to ash in an instant, as if it had never existed.

"Fuck," Zaroth laughed, feeling there was something piercing his lungs. "You really ought to teach me these elves' magic."

With the threat eliminated, Ari went back to Zaroth's side. Since her powers were really versatile, she was the only one of them that was able to use healing magic… if her powers could be called healing, that is.

"Just stay still," Ari muttered, both with irritation and concern in her voice, placing a hand over his chest.

Now looking from such a close distance, it was clear why the man had been rendered useless from a single hit.

His ribs had shattered so violently they had pierced inward, some scraping his lungs, others dangerously close to his heart. Had Darkveil not dulled the blow, Zaroth would've died on impact.

Soft energy pulsed from Ari's hand into Zaroth's broken body. Bones snapped into place. Blood vessels reconnected. Blood flow resumed.

It wasn't as elegant or soothing as Sira's magic, but it would do the job.

"Is that…?" Ari wondered, still focused on healing the Beast Master as she felt something stirring deep in him for the first time. They had told her that he had been cursed, but she hadn't been able to sense it. However, now she could. Was it because Zaroth had been weakened? Had the seal on the curse gotten weaker?

After dozens of minutes, Zaroth's body was whole again. He was still a bit pale, since the blood he had lost wasn't going to come back anytime soon. But it was enough to live.

"Done," Ari breathed out, finally letting go. Healing someone in such a bad state wasn't an easy matter. Her powers had been exhausted, and her body was dampened in sweat.

Vera was next to Zaroth as well, making sure that there wasn't an injury they had missed healing. He was too valuable to let him die like that.

Luna, now long back in her human form, was looking from a few feet away. She knew the women had the situation under control. Going there would just disturb them further.

With a hoarse cough, Zaroth sat himself up. "Thanks," he nodded, scratching the back of his head. His vision was still hazy as well as his thoughts.

"Don't thank me! How did something that deadly even find you? And why the hell were you fighting it alone?" Ari snapped. Her voice shook with fury and fear. She'd almost had a heart attack. She needed answers.

Letting out a long sigh, Zaroth felt heat rising in his lower half. Realization hit him like a brick. He spoke, his eyes drifting downward out of habit. "Sure, I will tell you, but aren't you a bit… embarrassed about all of us being naked and all?"

Vera and Ari froze, just now realizing that during the whole incident they had been naked, since they had just been taking a bath.

"Don't get me wrong," the Beast Master quickly shook his head. "I'd prefer if you didn't put on clothes, no, as a matter of fact, I insist!"