The Sadistic Immortal chapter 8: Unexpected Sighting

Creatie and Tsar stand at the gateway to Xorus’s realm of the dead.

“Sister are you sure the time is right to enact the plan?” Tsar asks

“Due to the mortal’s impatient actions the time to act has been accelerated” Creatie explain, “The conscious of that mortal has completely consumed by the stones, the ancient calamity has been reborn.”

“Ah, dealing with Xethos once more. The stones appetite can never be sated” Tsar sighs

“The mortal lasted longer than he should have with five of the cosmic stones all conscious and singing together, that means he lasted longer than any of the previous guardians would have.” Creatie chuckles, “There might be more to this mortal than we expected”

“What so funny?” Tsar asks, “I wonder about the origin of his people that yielded such divine will to survive captivity for that long and wield cosmic force with such ease. We’ve seen other mortals live an exceptionally long time but never hold their youth as he did if he is as old as you claim he is because the stone wielder I fought was very experienced but still fought with youthful passion.”

“Agreed, he was an unique mortal, however we still need to deal with this unique incarnation of Xethos” Creatie responds

“Has the creature made an attempt at the sixth stone yet?” Tsar questions her

“No, they easily could’ve obtained it at any point, but it seems the creature has purposely ignored it” Creatie explains to him

“Ah, so without it’s wisdom, this should be easier to contain than pervious versions.” Tsar states

Suddenly the gateway to the realm of the dead opens slowly as Xorus appears out of the dark to greet his fellow immortals.

“Greeting, friends. I suppose you came to talk about our unintended predicament” Xorus says as he greets them, “Please join me so we can discuss our next steps!”

In a more regal and developed portion of the hellish landscape, Xorus opens a gate into a large seating chamber, and summons two chairs to fit the gods comfort needs. Xorus lays his weapons down and begins the conversation with.

“So Creatie, knowing you, I assume you have a strategy in mind?”

“I do” Creatie responds, “And it’s going to acquire your assistance. Given the host for this form of Xethos is a creature you’ve helped to imprison in the past, I assume you have a method of restraining this creature?”

This would be very difficult due to the creature’s cosmic power unless you can assist in luring this creature in my realm for containing would require little effort.” Xorus offers

“While the creature may not have strategy, it does have a strong instinct for self-preservation, I highly doubt it would leave it’s current realm and enter the land of the dead willingly.” Tsar interrupts, “Also it currently stands, it would devour us for the stones at moment’s notice.”

“Why could we not recreate the prison that you used previously for the mortal?” Creatie asks Xorus

"That required him and his biology to work as well as having a close family relative to maintain the seal. For this to work we will need to know this creature’s ‘biology’ as well as an existing family member, but for my knowledge, his people are all but extinct?” Xorus states

Creatie and Tsar take a moment to look back at each other before they look back at Xorus.

“His people are not all extinct. His family is blessed with extraordinarily long lives for mortals, his bloodline most likely runs long and deep.” Tsar states, “I am sure I can find a descendant of his family.”

“And that means, you, Xorus, would have to find a way to retrieve a part of his biology, or what remains of it.” Creatie responds to Xorus

Xorus looks back at the brother and sister concerned.

“Why must I be the one to retrieve a sample?” Xorus asks, “Wouldn’t you or Tsar be much better suited to combat this blackguard?”

“Several reasons, first, the creature would be attracted to our stones and would devour us, second, the mortals have Xethos contained on it’s own home planet, for now the only way in and out is through a gateway through your realm without interfering mortal ‘politics’ and third, you’re neigh invincible within your own realm of the dead and not even Xethos could not harm you here” Creatie explains to Xorus, “We will track down the descendant and prepare them for the seal. You must get the sample yourself.”

“Understood, Creatie. I will face this calamity while you climb down a family tree” Xorus says sarcastically as he picks up his new helmet and his massive hammer, “Until I see you again fellow immortals.”

Xorus summons a portal walks through.

Xorus steps through the portal and steps foot on Novo Nammu. Xorus begins to examine his surroundings and tries to feel where the cosmic energy of Xethos is most strong at. As Xorus steps through the thick swamp the water is boiled by his presence, after he had stepped out of the portal, his mere presence begins to char the nearby wetland trees. Even Xorus’s massive size is dwarfed by the exceptionally large trees in the fen. Xorus walks through the marshland easily as steam continues to rise, mutated insects and animals flee from his presence, as he makes his way following his senses towards the pool of cosmic energy. After some time, Xorus feels a massive spike of energy near him, he feels the energy strongest towards a small building covered in vines. He examines the structure and sees no immediate entry point, he quickly concludes that this is the targeted location. Xorus points the top of the hammer head at the vines and starts to slowly burn away the vines. Eventually he clears a path large enough to enter, Xorus ducks down and goes to enter the building when he suddenly feels a massive surge of energy hit him.

“Only a fool enters this viper’s den.” Xorus mumbles to himself

Xorus backs up and starts a small fire at the archway of the temple, he then climbs up on to the building as Xethos rushes out of the door, hunched up, on it’s three legs, and two arms. Xorus gazes at the hideous golden creature, it tentacles waving all around, feeling it’s surroundings.

“A tentacle should be all I need, I should stun this creature, remove a tentacle, and be gone!” Xorus thinks to himself.

Xorus readies his hammer in his hand and leaps down, swinging the might maul at the creature’s head. Just before the hammer hits, both tentacles reach behind the creature, grabbing the hammer, and throwing it and Xorus off balance falling forward. Xorus tumbles down from the unexpected parry and quickly picks himself up, facing the disfigured creature head on.

“I have to admit, I did not expect that.” Xorus thinks to himself.

Xethos stands ‘upright’ on its three legs and lets out a deafening roar at Xorus. Xorus takes a small step back and prepares himself for the creature’s assault. Xethos pushes itself off the ground as it leaps at Xorus with its tentacles, Xorus deftly steps back, he pushes the tentacles aside, and uses his other hand to swing his hammer at Xethos’s head. Xorus’s hammer slams on Xethos’s head but the hammer the hammer deflects off of it’s reinforced skull, the monster tilts it's head slightly for a second and stares right at Xorus, and then lets out a low chuff as if it was mocking Xorus.

“Interesting, this thing is still displaying emotion?” Xorus thinks to himself as he begins to ready his hammer with both hands

Suddenly vines shoot wraps around the leg armor and surprises Xorus. Xethos pounces on to Xorus the moment he looks down at his legs, the monster grabs Xorus with both arms, and tentacles. In a panic, Xorus shoves the end of the hammer into Xethos’s face, unleashing a blast of his realm’s hellfire. A part of Xethos’s snout starts to melt showing bone underneath causing Xethos to let go of the struggling god and reel back. Xorus rips his legs out of the vines and steps back, summoning a portal back to his realm underneath his feet a he thinks to himself.

“This is way more difficult than I was led to believe, I need to retreat, regroup, and strike again from my own realm.”

Xorus begins to drop down into his realm when Xethos regenerates its snout and bites down upon Xorus’s left arm. Xorus dangling from his left arm in his own realm, sees the creature trying to pull him back up into Novo Nammu. Xorus ignites himself on fire using the power of his realm and begins punching the head of Xethos repeatedly in a desperate attempt to get free. The punches of the fiery immortal cause dents in the creature’s skull, a crack is heard as the creature is forced to let go, and retreat. Xorus falls into the ground of the underworld as the portal closes above him.

Xorus feels a searing pain in his left arm, he looks down to see his armor fully compromised with a large tooth embedded in his armor, as he rips off the armor, and he sees his arm glowing with what looks like a blackish-purple substance starting to creep up his arm. Xorus quickly removes his helmet and uses the horned edge of his helmet to slice off his compromised left arm. Xorus winces in pain and dips his stubby arm into a nearby pool of lava. A hand like shape begins to form in flame as he takes his arm out of the lava, Xorus then walks back to his discarded, damaged armor and watches it disintegrate in front of his eyes leaving only the large, shark-like tooth behind. Xorus picks up the tooth carefully, looks it over, and says

“Fascinating”

nigh what?