Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

What walked down the staircase right in front of them was a creature they had never seen before. It resembled a mix of an angel and a lizardman. It had bird wings made of white feathers, similar to many avian beastman and similar races in the Pathworks, but its body was covered in scales that shone in a greenish golden hue.

It wore a golden scale armor to protect its torso, but still revealed its wide build and massive muscles. In its hand, it carried some kind of blade staff or spear, also giving off a golden halo. It was obviously an enchanted weapon.

"What the fuck?" the bard exclaimed rather rudely at the weird sight. It seemed like the creature saw them, but it did not move from the stairwell, patiently waiting for the two humans to approach.

"It seems that the commander was right in his decision to have us scout the vicinity of the Dread Gate," the being spoke up as the two got closer. " We almost had some of the vermin escape," he added.

"Who are you calling vermin, buddy?" Rayki asked with a sharp edge in his voice. His hands were already holding his lute.

"There is no use denying it. I smell the stench of death on you. Wicked demons!" it exclaimed and swung the blade staff at Rayki, who was standing in the front. The attack was fast, incredibly so! Yet, it missed, passing through the bard as a light note played in the corridor.

However, the bard didn't even get to start playing. The moment he evaded the opponent's weapon, a dark claw covered in black fog pierced the creature's chest. Its beak-like snout ripped open wide as it screeched in pain and terror.

The dark fog ate through its flesh like it was cotton candy, rising up from the holes. Like wax in a time-lapse, it's flesh turned into a black sludge, melting off its bones. By the time the screech was ended by its imminent death, the bones also crumbled and fell into the puddle on the ground.

Its corroded weapon and stained armor were the only recognizable parts left.

"Luf, your hand! I had this, you didn't have to get involved..." Rayki lamented, looking at the crystalline black bones of his wife's right hand. The flesh that was burned away by the release of her power was already starting to regrow, but it wasn't like that made the pain disappear.

"He called me smelly, there's no way I could let that stand. And look, I'm almost fully healed again. No need to worry," she said with a smile. But Rayki knew that was a half-forced one. Although she knew how to hide it, she still had lingering regrets about the past.

"It's okay," he said and pulled her in an embrace. She was surprised at first, but quickly leaned into it. After a while, she separated from her lover.

"Thanks, really. But I think we should go up and see what is going on. We also need to report to Minas Mar," she said resolutely. Rayki nodded. They had a job to do. However, it was not as easy as they thought.

"I can't watch you hurt yourself like that. Would you give me this dance, my love?" the bard spoke smoothly, as more of the creatures descended from above. Luf smiled brightly. "I see the way you shine. Take your hand, my dear, and place them both in mine~" his somber voice echoed across the staircase.

"You know you stopped me dead every time I was passing by. I beg to see you dance one more time..." Grasping her hands, they started dancing up the stairs in wild abandon. The sounds of their steps on the stone grew louder, turning into the beat of the song.

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"Ooh, I see you, see you, see you every day, and oh my, I, I like your style. You, you make me, make me, make me wanna cry. And now I beg to see you dance one more time~" he said, looking deep into her eyes. The music paused as the world only contained the two.

Then their eye contact broke, and a wave of power broke out from the bard. Strong winds blew up the stairs, as the bard's attention turned to the creatures charging towards them. "So I say: Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh I've never seen anybody do the things you do before. I say: Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy. And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again~"

The winged lizards froze, trying to resist the hypnotic chime, but Rayki continued singing one more time. "I say: Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh I've never seen anybody do the things you do before."

Even their greatest resistance didn't matter against the bard's hypnotic patter. Their bodies jerked against their will, driven by the mystic tune. " I said: Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy. And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again~" Finally, they started dancing in exotic, disjointed moves that didn't fit the physiognomy of a humanoid.

With the attackers locked in furious dancing, that broke down their own bodies, Rayki turned back to Luf. " Just like a monkey, I've been dancin' my whole life, trying to stop you from just walking by. Take my hands, my dear, and look me in my eyes."

Their gazes were locked again. Ignoring the creatures' wrenching and dislocating themselves in wild, uncontrolled dancing, both started to sing. "Ooh, I see you, see you, see you every time And oh my, I, I like your style You, you make me, make me, make me wanna join. And now I beg to see you dance just one more time~"

Singing their duet, they pranced up the stairs, weaving in between the enemies, who started quickly falling. raining down the spiral staircase like a bug hit by bug spray. With smiles of glee, they quickly reached the top of the stairs.

However, when they finally exited the underground facility, they found the source of their problem. The forest covered in eternal twilight was already filled with a massive group of the winged lizards, waiting to charge down the staircase. The two shared another look and grinned.

Rayki's voice swelled as the song spread through the vegetation.

"So I say: Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh~ I've never seen anybody do the things you do before..."

...

"Phew, it's been a while since I gave such a long performance," the faer said, wiping some sweat from his forehead. The song he had performed was especially deadly, unless sung with enough pathos and duration. However...

His thoughts were disrupted when a small hand grasped the hem of his jacket. Luf stood beside him, suddenly blushing furiously. "D-Did you mean what you sang?" she asked hesitantly. Suddenly, his own cheeks also became hot.

Luf had been pulled along by the magic of the music, but Rayki had wanted to sing it to reaffirm his feelings for her. He took her hand into his again, just like how it was when they danced.

"I couldn't have performed this well if I didn't mean every word, my love."

"Rayki!" She jumped into his arms, touched by his romanticism.

In the distance, they could hear the sound of some survivors puking furiously, but nothing could disturb their own little bubble of reality. When they calmed down a little, they turned back to the situation at hand.

"Let's get to the gate," Luf finally said.

In the distance that could the the massive guardian tree rose up against the dim sky. The light of the hell gate illuminated the crown from below, giving it an ominous look. When they reached the edge of the crown, where the thick vines hang from the rims all the way to the ground, they halted in shock.

Just below the crown, it was a field of weapons and armor. Blade staffs and swords with golden hues and slightly glowing scale armors were strewn about like the remnants of a battlefield. However, there were no bodies.

"Wow, they were really serious in trying to get to the gate..." Rayki mumbled, estimating there to be thousands of armors. Of course, they had all been slaughtered by the guardian tree. Nobody was getting close to the entrance to Urth without permission.

"Let's go..."