Naya’s head jerks up as Skellington is engulfed in blue flames, her eyes widened in horror as the poor creature’s jaw works in a pantomime of a scream. “Skelly!” She cries, dropping her grimoire and scrambling out of the salt ring to try and get to him.
This is exactly the opportunity the other skeleton soldier had been waiting for.
With a well placed kick the summon that had snuck around to the back of the salt ring takes her legs out from under her, sending the witch to the ground in an ungraceful heap. The brunette hisses and rolls, bringing her spear up to block the strike the other skeleton had aimed at her chest. She grunts, her arms straining to keep the sword at bay, but the summon is strong and Naya isn’t exactly at her best after so many consecutive spells. Her strength is waning and her eyes clamp shut, her features scrunching up as she braces for the blow.
It never comes.
The witch cracks open an eye to see Skellington, the flames of its eyes burning hot pink as it viciously and systematically tears the other skeleton limb from limb, the sigil for true love still written in messy crimson on its right temple. “Oh thank darkness,” Naya breathes, smiling up at the skeleton as he lumbers back towards her. “I’d thought for sur--”
Quick as lightening Skellington’s flames shift back to that hateful blue again and it drops to its knees over her, it’s skeletal hand gripping her neck in a near death grip. “Sk-S-Skelling--,” Naya gasps out, clawing at the undead creature’s hand to try and get a breath in. Its grip only tightens, and slowly it draws its sword, dragging the sharp edge of the blade over her torso, cutting through her shirt and leaving a deep gash all the way from her ribs to her hip bone. Naya tries to scream, but it only comes out as a desperate gasping noise.
Then Skellington’s flames flash back to pink and it drops the sword instantly, it’s teeth clattering together in a worried noise. Naya gasps when the skeleton finally lets go of her neck, quivering hands reaching down to cover the ugly slash on her belly. It pats her hair delicately and the witch knows that it isn’t possible, but the skeleton looks almost remorseful. “I-it’s okay,” she reassures the best she can, reaching up and laying an affectionate hand on the summon’s cheek. “I know you didn’t want to.”
Skellington pauses for a moment before bringing its hand to its eye socket, shoving three of its fingers into the pink flame. “Skelly? What are you--Oh Gods, please don’t--!!”
The sigil for divine union was completely burned off earlier, so Skellington has become sentient enough to completely disregard her orders and it begins to run the searing bones of its fingers down the gash on her stomach, gradually and deliberately cauterizing the wound.
This time, Naya really does scream.
When it’s finished Skellington is running its other hand over her cheek gingerly, it’s teeth chattering away in concern. Then its eyes flash blue again and it goes to try and choke her again, but the skeleton shakes it’s head and stumbles back, the flames burning pink once again. Naya can’t trust it not to hurt her anymore, and Skellington knows it.
Skellington comes back to the witch and leans down, nuzzling her nose with where it's used to be in yet another parody of an eskimo kiss. Naya can only watch in dismay as the summon then begins to dismantle itself, ripping itself apart bone by bone. It’s flames flash blue, then pink once more, before fading away completely.
Naya’s eyes are hot as she sits up and gathers the skull up, thumb brushing over the bloodied rune on its temple. It had just been a simple summon, nothing to get so worked up over, yet even so the witch can’t stop the tears that spring forth. “I’m sorry, Skellington,” she says, placing a final kiss on the skull’s forehead before carrying it over to her satchel and stuffing it inside.
Bozo
Apollosarcher