The cultist charged at the party. Shaynen reacted first as the closest. Thrusting his quarterstaff into the possessed man to knock him back. The attack sunk into his body but didn’t stop the undead. Shaynen tried to pull his staff back out but it was stuck.

  “Help!” He choked out. Mayhem jumped to her feet and lunged, but Shaynen’s tussle with the cultist jerked him out of Mayhem’s attack. Jiit took cover behind the nearest pile of dirt and took another shot. Carefully tracking the back and forth that the cultist was locked in. The bolt hit the cultist in the shoulder, the impact allowing Shaynen to yank the quarterstaff free.

  The cultist looked at Jiit, the stare piercing even without eyes. The cultist took hold of the bolt and then pulled it out. The bolt made a squelching noise as it slid out of the impact wound. It came free with a pop that made stomachs flip.

  “Hey, what kinda demon runs around with such a pitiful vessel?” Kilek shouted, but his taunt went unnoticed. Thunder appeared from the dark and thrust her rapier into the undead, easily slicing through it’s chest. Vanishing as Shaynen took two quick steps and hit the possessed again, this time with the flat side of the staff. Knocking him away from the party.

  The stumbling undead looked around and locked it’s gaze on Mayhem. Lunging at her and trying to grab her. He succeeded in grabbing the shaft of her trident but Mayhem’s muscle far outweighed the scrawny cultist’s. She ripped her weapon from his hands and then thrust the sharpened tips through his gut. Using her leverage, she ripped the weapon from the middle of his stomach out the side. Spilling what once were internal organs but now became a slurry of coagulated blood and lumpy slime.

  The force of the attack sent the undead back into the party.

  “What are you doing?! We’re trying to get it AWAY from us!” Shaynen yelled, his voice breaking as the cultist once again set his empty, oozing sockets on Shaynen. Jiit took another shot and it hit the cultist square in the back but he didn't react. Kilek pulled his dagger to attack but slid in the gorey slurry over the floor and fell. Thunder reappeared from another angle and cut the back of the cultist’s knees. Trying to drop him to the ground. She quickly sunk back into the shadow before the possessed man could turn his sights to her.

  Shaynen took a step forward to knock the undead away. The cultist grabbed the staff as it hit. The force pulling Shaynen closer as it rebounded. The cultist held the staff with one hand and grabbed Shaynen’s arm in the other. Pulling him closer into a grapple. The tipsy dance had the cultist pulling Shaynen close, jaw dislocated into a gaping maw of sharpened glass like teeth. Oozing black ick and snapping wildly. Trying to connect with any part of Shaynen. For his part, Shaynen was frantically yanking back and pushing away. The two were stuck fast together. Mayhem jumped in and tried to finish what she started. Going for the same wound she’d already made. Intent on ripping the man in half.

  Every attack she made hit air as the two grappled opponents jerked each other around.

  “Stop moving! I can’t hit it!” Mayhem yelled, trying for another attack but getting more air.

  “If I stop moving, it’s gonna bite me!” Shaynen shrieked, fully terrified. A bolt flew from Jiit and went right into the side of the cultist’s head. Jerking both the cultist and Shaynen to the side. Kilek rolled onto all fours and took up his dagger. Running to help Shaynen separate from the demon. He sunk the dagger to the hilt in the undead’s chest. Feeling it crack through the sternum where it stuck hard. Jerking out of Kilek’s hand as the two wrenched in another direction. As they moved, Thunder’s blade appeared but sliced through where the two had been, not where they were.

  “Guys! Help!” Shaynen said, he could feel his muscles trembling. The ferocity of the tugging and thrusting were starting to exhaust him. A lunge from the cultist made his elbows give and Shaynen fell to the ground. The possessed man on top of him. The glasslike teeth sunk into Shaynen’s shoulder. The wound burned instantly radiating tingling pain all the way down to his fingers and into his chest.

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  Mayhem stabbed the undead and pulled him off of Shaynen. Throwing him to the side. Shaynen grabbed his shoulder and curled into a ball on his side. He felt something wriggling through his veins. He didn’t even perceive himself screaming through the pulsing and swelling.

  Jiit shot a bolt that flickered with arcane runes. It sunk into the undead’s hip and the spell burst forth, throwing the possessed to the ground. Kilek grabbed Shaynen’s hands and twisted him onto his stomach. Binding his hands behind him.

  “I don’t know if you can still hear me but I’m forced to incapacitate you for our safety!" Kilek yelled, hoping he could be heard over Shaynen’s hoarse screams of pain. Kilek then shoved a rag into the wound to staunch the heavy bleeding. Thunder appeared and slashed at the professor. Getting him through the neck but not quite beheading him.

  Shaynen’s screams died as the darkness around him closed in. His pupils getting bigger and consuming the blue color of his eye. His body went limp.

  The undead rushed at Mayhem, dropping her to a knee. The ooze from his dislocated jaw dripped onto her. The teeth inches from her face. A bolt flew and sunk right into the blackness of the empty eye socket. Mayhem thrust upward and threw the possessed rot off of her. With a pivot and swing, her trident finished the job. Fully decapitating the cultist.

  The man’s head bounced and rolled across the ground. The body slumping to the ground.

  “Fuck!” Mayhem shouted as she began removing the ick covered clothes. “Shit! Why does it burn!?”

  “Are you hurt? Did the ick get in?” Kilek yelled frantically.

  “No, I’m good.” Mayhem said, now in only her undershirt and shorts. She inspected her skin and found herself in good shape.

  “Hey, Kilek, can you get off of me?” Shaynen said. Surprising Kilek. Shaynen’s eyes were back to normal and he seemed conscious. Kilek leaned down and brushed the fringe from his face. Looking in both of his eyes.

  “He’s gone. Maybe not all the way but half of the way.” Mayhem said, shaking her head. She raised her trident. “Sorry, it was nice knowing you.”

  “Wait,” Kilek said, “He’s not gone, he’s okay.” Kilek cut the binds and stood up.

  “He’s got two different colored eyes?!” Mayhem yelled. Shaynen quickly stumbled away from Mayhem.

  “My eyes have always been like that.” He said. Pulling his hair back over his eye. “It was-” Suddenly his stomach lurched and he turned to throw up. The party winced and looked away. Mayhem slowly wander over as he heaved and awkwardly pat him on his shoulder.

  “You’re. Good. You’re good. Just. Let it out.” She said, pointedly looking at the ceiling.

  “Let’s spread out and see if we can find anything useful.” Jiit said.

  “Yup,” Kilek said.

  “Agreed.” Thunder said and the three turned and hastily made their way toward the bodies left on the ground. Mayhem frowned and looked at them all with a mix of jealousy and frustration. Shaynen kept dry heaving and Mayhem kept trying to offer some comfort.

  Long after Shaynen’s stomach was empty, he regained his constitution. Wiping his mouth and standing up. Shuddering against the empty and very cold feeling. Mayhem gave him another good natured pat on the shoulder.

  “Feel better?” She asked.

  “A little.” He nodded.

  “Your eye’s always been like that?” Mayhem said, trying to avoid eye contact and keep conversation going.

  “Yeah, Master Ayre said it was from a head injury before I came to the monastery.” Shaynen said. “It made people uncomfortable around me, so I started covering it.”

  “Yeah, it’s a little weird.” Mayhem agreed. “But to be fair,” she gestured to their party.

  “I don’t follow.” Shaynen said. “Are you saying we all have two different colored eyes or something odd we hide?”

  “WE’RE strange Shaynen. WE are an ODD party. Good Gods.” Mayhem shook her head and went to help investigate. Shaynen looked at the party. He didn’t see anything odd about the five of them together. But perhaps an elf, a tiefling, a tabaxi, a dragonborn, and a tortle were an odd adventuring group.