No more depth, though, we're going for carnage this time! 
Blood, guts and severed limbs ahead. You've been warning in advance, so don't yank Tnt out of the stores to change its M-rating in a AO-rating.
Tnt 179 : Laska's Inferno : Getting Slain
Laska watched as the grove disappeared and she once again found herself standing on top the obsidian slab. All was silent. There were no more birds, fawns or flowing water. All that was left was rock.
Once again, she was standing on the surface of the flat slab of lava-rock seemingly floating onto Gehenna's ocean of mists.
Laska suddenly realized just what had happened. Or, more to the point, what just had not happened. "Oh, shite!!" she shouted. "Bloody hell, don't tell me he took my spirit with him! Oh, that bloody wanker!!! Give it back, you sanctimonious sheep-shagger!"
The heavy footfall of hooves on stone alerted Laska to the presence of Naraphim. And there he stood, in all his Balor glory, grinning down at her. "Don't worry," Naraphim said. "He left with his own, courtesy of the Seldarine."
Laska blinked. "My spirit..."
Naraphim nodded. "There is just one more thing left for you to do."
He pointed to the other side of the slab. In the distance, Laska could see a figure running towards her. It stopped short a few meters away. The desiccated corpse-like version of herself was staring at the tattooed elf with dead eyes, her claws twitching.
"To fill the void, you must first remove that which took residence in it," he said.
"Huh?" said Laska.
"Just metaphysical bollocks. Just kill it so we can all go home."
"Oh."
"It's you or it, kid," Naraphim grinned. "Good luck. You'll need it."
Laska had known on some level that this confrontation had been coming for a long time. Ever since she first saw herself as the Slayer in the mirror staring back at her, ever since this creature started terrorizing her in her dreams, ever since she had been led into the depths of her own darkness in the Underdark. And this was it. No more excuse, no places to run. It was her or it. And here Laska stood, up against the fierce Slayer, unarmed and unarmored.
Before Laska even finished her train of thought, the Slayer launched herself at her. The elf couldn't even raise her arms in defence, before the claws raked across her bare abdomen. Twice.
Laska let out an anguished scream as the Slayer pressed on top of her, clawing at her body. She felt blood welling up from the deep slashes, slicking alongside her body and into her clothes. With great effort, she managed to grasp both arms of the Slayer in an attempt to keep her at bay. But she soon found out that the Slayer was stronger than her, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
"Give me a sword," Laska shouted at Naraphim, surprising herself when she heard the sheer desperation in her own voice. She felt the pain of keeping the stronger Slayer at bay in her straining muscles.
"Sorry, kid," Naraphim seemed. "Can't interfere."
"You can throw me into the lava, but you can't throw me a sword?!" Laska almost chuckled, tasting blood in her mouth. All of this was surreal to the point of being ironic.
"Sorry," he said... but considering a bag with strange crispy slices of potato appeared in his hands with a poof, Laska very much doubted he was sorry.
Laska's plea was cut short when the Slayer bent down and sank its sharp teeth into Laska's forearm, tearing a chunk of flesh from it and spitting it out. Laska cried out in pain while blood spurted from the open wound and splashed over her already bloody torso. She was unable to defend herself while the creature broke free with one claw and kept slashing at her. Again and again and again. She tried to block the blows with her wounded arms, while desperately holding on to the Slayer's other arm, but was less than successful. A flurry of slashes sent her to the ground, her stomach, chest and arms sliced to ribbons.
She lay on her back, trembling and hardly able to breathe. She felt very cold and tried to suck in as much air as possible. She shuddered violently as her muscles cramped. The shock became even worse when she noticed that, on one hand, she only had two fingers left.
Laska felt a sharp claw press down on her shoulder, while the other one dug in her chin and jawbone. A tug. A sharp tug followed by an even sharper tug. Terrible pain surged through her being for a moment as she felt her flesh tear and hear a sickening snap just below her neck. A terrifying sucking sound followed and, somehow, Laska found herself lying on the warm lava-stone with her cheek, trying to shout, cry or otherwise give a reaction to the sight of her own twitching bloody headless corpse gushing blood from her own shredded neck.
It was to no avail. She had failed and she could do nothing about it. Her vision started to blur.
Suddenly, she felt more pain as she felt herself being picked up by the braid, only to find herself staring at the horned face of Naraphim. "Well..." he spoke. "That didn't go very well, now did it? Let's try this again, shall we?"
---
Laska drew in a deep breath of air and, to her utter surprise, found herself standing at the exact spot where she had apparently died, only now completely healed and unspoiled. Her skin was unbroken, all her fingers were in the right place and, more importantly, her head was attached to her body.
She looked at Naraphim for answers. Unfortunately, this distraction costed her dearly, since the Slayer was still there as well, a fact she would be made aware of in a most painful manner.
Laska grunted in pain as the Slayer wrenched her left leg out from under her, causing her to topple over and hit her head against one of the rocks. Her vision blurred, but when she opened her eyes, she gasped when she saw a good part of a broken femur sticking out through the skin and flesh of her leg. And that was when agony started to wash over her.
The Slayer had no mercy on the downed elf and tore into her flesh. Blood spurted from Laska's mouth while the the creature's claws were sending bits of gore and blood splattering through the air.
Finally, the Slayer backed down, and the once again dying elf lay on her back gazing at her own devastated body. Blood, gore and bit of previously internal organs lay scattered around her while her lower spine and hip were exposed. The worst was that Laska could feel all the terrible pain that such an injury could bring.
"Torn in two," Naraphim said. "Well, at least you've got more of your body attached to your head this time. There's a feather in your cap," Laska heard before slipping away in a state of shock and, mercifully, death quickly followed.
---
This time, Laska had been more prepared and put her speed to work against the Slayer's brute force. She dealt a punch and ducked away quickly. She followed it with a kick and jumped back quickly before the Slayer would swipe back with its claws.
Still, it did not seem to Laska that she was making any progress at all. She punched and kicked, but the Slayer was neither downed nor seemed seriously hurt.
And so the game continued for a while. Punch, kick, dodge and again. Punch, kick, dodge and again.
But Laska could see it wasn't doing any good as the Slayer kept advancing on her. To make matters worse, she was getting tired. She knew that her only hope to win this battle was to get being the Slayer, grab its head and break its neck. Laska kept her distance for a while, hoping to sidestep the Slayer, swing behind it and jerk its head sharply to one side with both hands.
That was the plan, and Laska moved towards the Slayer slowly. But, sadly for Laska, instead of side-stepping the Slayer, the Slayer side-stepped her as she jumped towards the Slayer, hoping to grab on to its body swing behind it. Instead, the Slayer's claws lunged at Laska's shoulder. She felt pain, a sharp snap, twirled to the ground and landed on her other shoulder.
Laska stared with open mouth at the ruined, bloody mess where her shoulder... and arm... had been just a few seconds ago. Blood gushed from the wound with steady spurts and Laska knew her heart was now literally pumping her to death. The tattooed elf felt blood slick over her body once more.
She looked up at the Slayer, which threw the arm to one side and stood over the fallen elf, growling slightly.
Already weakened for bloodloss, Laska gritted her teeth and defiantly raised her head to meet the Slayer's eyes.
"Fff...uck y...you," she struggled to spit at the Slayer through pain before fatigue forced her to lay her head on the rocks.
"Hmm," Naraphim said as he stepped into view, holding the severed arm. Laska could still see the tattooed moonblade on the upper part of her now shredded former arm. "Arm goes here, right?"
As Naraphim held the severed arm close to her shoulder, the last mournful thought Laska had before fading to black was that that arm held some of her best tattoos.
"Dammit," Laska whispered in her final breath.
---
The game continued unabashed as Laska found herself with both arms attached firmly to her body. The plan was the same : get behind the Slayer and break its neck. Only she'd had to think of a different approach this time.
Instead of a frontal assault, Laska tried circling the Slayer, making many false moves and creating diversions but putting one foot forward, and snapping right back again. Finally, she saw an opening.
But as she sped towards the Slayer, the creature unexpectedly stormed towards her. There was an explosion of blood as the creature brushed past her. Laska and the Slayer stood face to face now, and Laska was actually afraid to look down.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Laska heard Naraphim yell over the battlefield. Slowly, ever so slowly, she looked down.
Laska stared in disbelief and horror at her stomach. Her intestines were literally falling out and the Slayer seemed to be smiling at her as it tugged at the formerly internal organs to get more out. It wrapped one bloody bit of intestine around its claws and tugged sharply. Blood spurted from Laska's mouth as she was yanked down to her knees.
"I hate you," were Laska's last words to the Slayer while blood dripped from her mouth.
Naraphim was once again, on the case. "Well, this is going to be a bugger to put back in. Say, did you know that, despite your slender elven frames, you long-ears have about 9 meters of intestines. That's 1.5 meters more than humans have. I wonder why that is..."
---
Once again, Laska found herself standing at the exact spot of her death and was fast losing hope. The Slayer was stronger than her, quicker than her, and apparently smarter than her. It was as if it knew every move she would make before she'd even make it. And that made sense. The Slayer was part of her now, after all.
"Careful, Laska," Naraphim spoke from the sideline. "You wouldn't want to fall over the edge of the plateau."
Laska snorted, and wanted to spit back that she wasn't even near the edge of the plateau... and finally realized that Naraphim had secretly given her the means to end this fight once and for all.
The elf sped towards the edge, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She could sense the Slayer was hot on her tail, hearing it jump high from rock to rock, following her... catching up with her.
Finally, the edge was in sight. She laughed triumphantly and looked back to see where the Slayer was, getting ready to confront it.
As soon as she looked back, the Slayer jumped on top of her, knocking her down to the ground. Laska desperately tried to away, but the Slayer was quicker. It picked her up and raised her above its head. While Laska was helpless to watch in the Slayer's iron grip, it bellowed triumphantly and slammed her body down over a rock. Laska heard a sickening crunch from her spine as her body was folded neatly over a ragged piece of rock in an impossible angle. She rolled limply to the floor, unable to move or breathe.
"Only your spine this time, no blood," Naraphim nodded as she stood over her. "You're definitely improving."
---
Laska took in a sharp breath as she awoke at the place of her death, now very close to the edge.
She slowly got up, feeling the coldness of the mists near to her, the winds of Gehenna whipping her hair across her face.
The Slayer already was prepared for her, and watched her from a few meters away waiting for her next move. Oddly enough, Naraphim was standing in the field of battle this time.
"You know," Naraphim said. "I know it was demanded of me that I should not interfere but... who cares?"
Naraphim snarled and lashed out to one side with one of his great hooves. It connected squarely with the Slayer's right leg, ruining the knee and shattering the bones.
The Slayer could not scream, but the anguish and horror on the creature's face was tell-tale and very real. For the first time, the Slayer didn't seem to be all that strong to Laska anymore.
"There you go," Naraphim chuckled. "I was never a stickler for the rules... Well, not since I was an angel, at least. Go get her, kid!"
Laska stood at the ready, but soon found that a maimed Slayer was still dangerous. The creature limped towards her and tried to overpower her. This time, Laska was faster and grabbed both of the Slayer's arms. Still, the creature was powerful and pushed her to the ground.
With all her might, Laska pushed her opponent off her, giving herself enough time to punch the Slayer once in the mouth. She evaded the Slayer's claws, and treated her to vicious kick to the side of her head, sending the creature sprawling to the ground.
Laska's victory was short-lived. The Slayer lurched towards her and slashed at Laska's face. The elf knew she couldn't dodge the blow, even in the second that the claws came nearer and nearer. She felt a sharp painful slash across her check, eye and forehead. The cut was deep, and she bled profusely. Luckily, she hadn't lost the sight her in her eye, but the blood gushing from the wound clouded her vision.
The tattooed elf found that she had inched very close to the edge of the plateau now. And in a split second, she realized she still had a chance.
Again, the Slayer was on top of her, but this time, Laska was prepared. Just as the creature would slash at her, Laska let herself fall to her back while she pushed both legs forward, into the Slayer's stomach. She kicked her legs out and the creature passed over her head, sending it hurtling over the edge.
The Slayer let out a shrill shriek as it disappeared into the ocean of mist. The sounds of terror subsided slowly as the creature started its eternal fall. Then, silence.
Pain and Fatigue had finally stuck as Laska lay on her back, barely able to draw breath. Her body was sticky from the blood she shed. Her breathing was shallow when she found Naraphim standing over her.
"I'm completely fucked," Laska chuckled before coughing up more blood. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep.
"Yes... I can see that," Naraphim offered a lopsided grin. "No more challenges for you, Laska. I've done all I can here. Are you ready to be sent back to the real world now?"
"Are you kidding me?" Laska chuckled.
"That was the last task you had to perform," Naraphim said. "Your spirit is now once again grafted to your body."
Laska smiled. "All of this?"
"That's what this entire episode was for. You will remember nothing but the more important things you have learned today. It will seem like looking through a veil when you try to remember," Naraphim said. "Now. Go forth. Be strong. Be Merry. Kick ass. Oh, and you know what the funniest part of this whole experience was?"
Laska tried laugh, but merely coughed up more blood. "There was a funny part?"
"Yes... We were never really here..."
---
The very next moment, Laska found herself lying in the grass of the grove where she had found Joneleth. The sun had warmed her suddenly unspoiled skin, meaning she had been lying there for some time. She sat up and checked her body : she was completely unharmed. All her limbs were in place and she was betting that her internal organs were still internal.
Her armor and weapons lay a few meters away from her and... she suddenly felt as rush in the core of her very being. That moment, she felt an instant connection to all the living creatures in the forest. After a moment of sensory overload, she once again felt the joys of her connection to nature and life. She felt stronger and healthier than she had felt in months.
She was whole. She was herself.
The hole in her being had been plugged again. The threads of life all around her filled her with a joy that had been absent ever since that fateful day at Spellhold. Her dulled senses, her dulled emotions were suddenly all restored to their whole.
Laska wept for a moment. There were times she had lost all hope, but these were now nothing more than a dim memory, leaving her to reflect for a moment on how much she loved her friends. How much she loved Rose. And, as if her spirit and her mind were just catching up, how much she loved Phaere.
But most of all, she revelled in how much she loved life, fun and adventure.
---
On the plane of Arborea, several people were high-fiving each other and otherwise congratulating each other with this fine turn of events.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Sharess as she slid through the wet grass on her knees. "BOOYAH!"
---
"Here we go," Laska said as she held a tray of food and walked towards her friends sitting at the table. Her friends had found her all giggly and giddy in the forest and she had told them what she could remember... which admittedly wasn't much. But the most important parts, the death of Irenicus and the return of her spirit, had remained with her. The Slayer was gone forever.
Upon the return of Riatavin, Laska decided to catch up with the many things she had missed : stepping in a puddle, hearing the sounds of her blades as they sliced through the air, humming a song. To her everything felt better, her senses had gone from dulled to razor-sharp. She felt vibrant and alive, as she had been before.
She'd been cooking when she came back, and had prepared spicey sliced roasted lamb wrapped in warm pita-breads for herself and her friends.
The stack of pita-breads was slowly disappearing as her friends dug in. She herself took a bite and just revelled in the taste.
"Wow," Laska smiled. "Everything tastes better too. Feels better. Hmmm... Oh, man, I just can't wait to have sex!"
Keldorn frowned. "Discretion please, Laska. People are looking at us."
"Look at that bloke over there," Laska smiled and pointed at a fighter having dinner at the bar. "I'm in a mood just stroll over there, rip his clothes off and shag the living daylights out of him on the spot." She sighed for a moment : "But, it's better to wait till we get home. Roooosssseeeee," she grinned. "Rosie, Rosie, Rossseeee..."
At that moment, Viconia had come down from her room and sat down at the table. "Those pitas look good," she said. "I think I'll have one.
But Viconia twisted nervously in her chair because she once again saw Laska smiling contently at her.
"You're doing it again," Viconia sighed.
"What?"
"Staring at me!"
"I'm not staring," she smiled.
"Yes, you are! Just like that bloke having dinner at the bar. That look of contentment."
Laska and Viconia fell silent. But Laska didn't stop starting at Viconia, that blissful smile still tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"WHAT?!" Viconia snarled. "Why do you keep staring at me?!"
Laska once again smiled blissfully. "Oh, nothing, nothing," she sighed and started smiling again.
"Right," Viconia replied. "I'm going to sit somewhere else now."
More Tnt soon. I'm hoping to finish the Soa part of Tnt before I head off on holidays.
