ALOR
Alor's nostril's flared, staring down at Gurge as he slowly got up from the floor. He'd heard Mina's cry as she'd been swallowed by him again. He clenched his fist so hard that his nails punctured his palm.
Blood pulsed through his veins, the tattoos on his body glowed red.
Hatred spurred his power like fire at his heels.
"You're going to regret that." Alor hissed, his teeth sharpening to fine points in a snarl.
Gurge chuckled, feigning to catch his breath. His arm shot out to Alor at lighting speed. Alor didn't dodge and duck, but charged into his hand. He carved through the black iridescent limb with his body, sending it back over Gurge's shoulder. Gurge howled as a sickening pop sounded and he fell onto his back.
"Nice one, brother." Kaz spoke, having dispatched the book and enchanted dagger. "You want some help finishing him off?"
"He's mine." Alor glared at Kaz. Kaz threw his hands in a surrendering gesture and laid back against a column. He would enjoy watching Gurge being ripped limb from limb.
Or what Alor secretly thought, was that if he couldn't get out alive, Kaz would carry out the rest of this mission and save Mina and Ethan.
"I can feel your power," Gurge croaked. "It's already helping me."
Alor landed a blow to Gurge's belly, winding the entity. Only to be punched through the ceiling.
Did he just say he could feel my power?
Gurge moved out of the way before Alor face-planted into the floor. There was a sickening pop again as Gurge set his arm back into place.
Part of me is inside him.
Inside Mina.
Alor peeled himself up from the floor, fluffing debris out of his hair and charged to Gurge. Flinging him with brute strength, caving the entire side of the temple with his body.
But Alor wouldn't stop there. Oh no.
The temple trembled and began crashing down over them.
Gurge roared in fury as Alor sent him flying out the temple, and fell.
Kaz matched Alor's speed as they leapt out just in time as the temple turned to sand behind them.
They landed in the sand beside Gurge's body. His moaning brought a smile to Alor's face.
But then he looked at Gurge again.
His belly had been split. A spear head protruded out, before a hand ripped him open completely and Gurge sagged in his upright position. Eyes glazed over.
Mina stepped out of Gurge's belly, dripping in stomach fluid with the spear in her hand and her eyes fierce on Alor. His mouth hung open, he hadn't seen her this beautiful before. Alor smirked. He would carve something deep in her for this magnificent test of strength.
If Mina still wanted him.
"Look at you," Alor breathed.
She gave out an exhausted laugh, tears pricking her eyes. "Look at you!"
Mina opened her arms wide and rushed to Alor. Upon contact, Alor shot back from her grasp as pain fizzled through his entire body.
"Oh!" Mina gasped, appearing perplexed before unclasping the amulet from her neck. "Sorry."
Alor had never been so thankful for the existence of that amulet.
"Kaz, go collect Ethan." Alor called, too occupied staring at Mina.
"You need to dig," Mina added as Kaz stood before Gurge's open stomach. "He might be stuck under some corpses."
Once Kaz disappeared, Alor clutched Mina to his chest, burying his in nose into her damp hair.
"You smell like shit." He said blissfully.
Mina choked. "I missed you so much."
They stayed like that for a moment. If Alor had it his way, he'd fuse them together right here. But there would be time for that, hopefully.
"I need you to know, I had a vision of the past life." Mina broke away, her expression turned stern."That priestess you once loved, what she did was barbaric. But if this gives you any consolation, I think she meant to resurrect you in another time, so that you could be together."
Alor's chest ached. It was a bittersweet feeling, to think that that woman betrayed him and yet he still couldn't escape the affection he had deeply ingrained in himself. But the woman before him was someone different, someone new.
"Do you want to be together?" Mina asked in a quiet voice.
Alor's eyes went wide. All this time, he hadn't expected to be asked that question, given a choice. After all his meddling, Mina wanted Alor.
Without hesitation, Alor latched onto her lips with a deep kiss.
The sound of retching ensued as they broke away in barely contained smiles, and turned to find Kaz with a wet and sand covered Ethan vomiting at his feet.
"He's alive and not well." Kaz sighed, disgusted.
"Please," Ethan moaned, sucking in a breath. "Take us home."
"Yes, lets get out of this hell hole." I added, approaching Ethan and brushing his wet hair off his forehead. "Thank you Ethan."
He clutched my hand and I pulled him up to his feet. "I would not do this a second time, but I'm glad we're alive."
I nodded, noticing his legs were still unsteady. I looked to Kaz. "Carry him."
"Such snowflakes." Kaz muttered, presenting his back for Ethan to climb on. "Hurry up human."
"How long will it take to get back home?" Mina eyed Alor curiously.
"A few hours." Alor looked to the horizon, where the night sky was turning silver. "We can make it out before it gets too hot."
Kaz charged off first with Ethan, and Alor followed close behind with Mina on his back. God, he missed having her pressed against him. There was a spot of heat where her belly pressed against his back and he recalled what Gurge had said.
"You're pregnant."
Mina sighed, laying her cheek against his shoulder. "Gurge dropped that bomb on me in the temple."
"It would be wise to not wear the amulet for a while." Alor thought aloud. "The baby must be too small for the amulet to detect yet, but it's best to be safe. We don't know how it will affect it."
"Good point." Mina said, clutching the amulet in her hand.
"I will protect you." Alor grinned, giving her thighs a squeeze.