Writing Prompts Archive/11/Escher Strange

The force from Zenos’s blade knocked Escher off his feet and sent him flying. He landed hard on the ground, rolling several times coming to a stop.

Zenos took a step forward. “Get up. It’s too soon to disappoint.”

Escher pushed himself up onto one knee. Zenos stood out in the Ghimlyt Dark, a colourful human-shaped form. His hand went to his face - his spectacles were gone. *Shit*, he swore under his breath. His opponent stopped moving; he caught a glint of metal ten paces ahead.

“Burn the heart out of me, as you promised.”

He loathed that voice; nasal, bored and apathetic, it grated his ears. He groped at the ground until his fingers brushed against familiar runes engraved into his weapon. Gripping it with both hands, he used the rod to stand.

*Oh I’m keeping that promise all right,* he thought. *Keep looking forward to it.*

Explosions surrounded them. The high-pitched whine of Magitek engines weaved in between frenzied shouts. He drew his weapon closer and let the aether gather. The bright purple orb above his rod pulsated and flickered. The heat at his chest grew hotter until the threads on his jacket glowed bright orange.

He swept his arm out, aimed at his opponent. A bright light shone over Zenos’s head which exploded into a massive fireball and enveloped him in a sphere of swirling flames.

Escher smirked; it faltered when he noticed something wrong.

The heat within him never dissolved as it always had, as it should. From his chest, it coursed through his muscles, searing pain radiating through him as it did. He instinctively reached into his pockets.

Escher’s soul crystal was gone.

As if on cue, his arm burst into flames.

*Oh no. Oh shit nononono-*

His leather gloves bubbled and melted onto his hands; the fire shredded his innards, tore it apart and continued its rampage in several directions. His scream was cut short as his throat turned to ashes; he coughed out large puffs of smoke.

Escher crumpled to the floor. The fire roared in his ears, turned his vision black - too loud to hear Zenos’ disappointment, too dark to see Zenos tower above him.

Compared to the pain wracking his body, it was a blessing when the sword sliced through his neck.

*Wait, the neck-?*

\*
“Geh!”

Escher gasped. His eyes snapped open at the stinging pain in his neck.

Tia sank his fangs in, growling in his sleep. Arms curled around Escher, his claws dug deep into the Hyur’s skin, drawing a thin line of blood.

Escher’s eye twitched. Holding his breath, he gingerly slid his arm from Tia’s violent embrace and gently stroked the back of Tia’s ear. After seemingly an eternity, Tia’s claws retracted. His expression relaxed, his bite loosened, and the rolanberry-haired Miqo’te nuzzled Escher’s neck, lips smacking with satisfaction.

Once Tia had calmed down, Escher patted his pants. His fingers traced the outline of a familiar teardrop-shaped object in his right pocket; he heaved a sigh of relief. Of course it would be with him; it wouldn’t be anywhere else. The success of his research - and his life by extension - depended on it. He cracked a smile recalling his nightmare: dying to Zenos Yae Galvus was always possible, but death without his crystal was impossible.

“Mm...cake…” Tia mumbled, and started chewing on Escher’s shoulder. Escher grit his teeth to resist the pain as he scratched his partner’s ear again.

Death by catboy was slowly becoming reality, though.