(12.2) Silver Sword

In the flashing light of the falling sword, Mirra can see the Dead slowly break apart from the force of such a spell.

"Immunity to magic was a stretch, huh?" She observes the stronger of the horde have wriggled free from her crowd control skill and are trying and failing to escape the spell's effect.

A second later, the hilt of the blade crashes into the ground and shatters into brilliant golden light and one last resound quake.

Inside one of the buildings outside of the narrow street, Mirra hears a shriek as things fall and crash from the final impact.

"There were still people out here?" She darts out and looks around for the source. "Hey! Can you hear me? Where are you?!"

"In here!" calls a little girl's voice from behind her.

Mirra turns to see a damaged building, one side in danger of collapsing in on itself.

"Keep talking, I'm almost there!"

The child complies, calling out repeatedly. Of course it came from the collapsing part.

Mirra looks over her shoulder to see Caor and Dent in the distance running to her. She makes a motion to them then enters the building.

By the looks of the dusty interior, it likely wasn't seeing much use before being damaged in the Dead's assault.

"In here!" repeats the girl once more. The sound of sniffling interjects her speech. "Momma, Poppa!? Where are you? Please help!"

Mirra steps through the dusty entrance and over broken floorboards. Broken sections of wall impede her path forward. It would be easy enough to bust through but she worries that it would weaken the structural integrity more than it is.

"You're being really brave, sweetheart." Mirra steps over a fallen dresser to continue down a darkened hall. "Just keep talking. I'm here."

Sniffling and quiet crying from behind the wall draws her attention. The lost child is closer than expected. Mirra debates breaking it down but reconsiders. Perhaps it would be too frightening.

"Mirra! Where are you?" Caor calls from the entrance to the building. "We beat the wave just like the event but we gotta get escortin'!"

"Time is of the essence," Dent adds seriously.

"Guys, there's a little girl in here."

"In here! Please help!" The little girl cries out again. Loud scraping sounds from the room perk Mirra's attention. "I'm scared! Please help!"

"I'm coming!"

Mirra resumes searching for a way through the building. Behind her, she hears the concerned footsteps of Caor and Dent attempting to catch up.

"Don't worry about us, Mirra. Hurry and get to that kid." Caor calls out.

She nods, not that he can see her do it, and navigates the winding halls. The further she goes, the more strange everything looks. The entrance was empty of any distinguishing decorations but here where she is she finds various jars filled with fluids but nothing else.

Heads of mounted magical beasts and scattered tools that resemble what one would expect a doctor or some type of physician to use.

"Where are you? Please help!"

The voice is nearer now. Just behind a door blocked by a fallen dresser. Light from a candle streams out from a large break in the wall.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, help has arrived." Mirra says reassuringly. "I'll get you out in no time. Stay clear of the door, okay?"

"Poppa? Momma? In here! Please help!"

Mirra lifts the dresser out of the way and with one powerful kick, she busts the door open to reveal several candles lit up all over the room. A busted piano reclines precariously against a small dresser.

A little girl wearing a dirty pink dress and hugging a stuffed doll lays in a foetal position beneath the furniture. Only the top of her body peeks out from the shadows, as if she had been using the furniture as a safe space. Recent wet spots on the floorboards surround her.

"Hey, hey it's okay." Mirra rushes up to her and pats her head. "Don't worry. We'll find your momma and poppa real soon, okay? Don't worry."

"In here! Please help!" The girl's voice comes out extremely loudly now.

The girl looks up at Mirra and smiles, no tears trace her glassy-eyed expression.

Rather, all that can be truly seen in the expression is Mirra's own shocked face reflected in the girl's eyes.

["Why did you leave me all alone?"] The little girl asks Mirra, her voice no longer that of a child but of something monstrous attempting to mimic a child.

"...Sophie?"

"Mirra!" Caor and Dent are suddenly in the doorway, swords drawn and preparing to strike. "That thing's a corpse eater!"

Dent dashes forward, attempting to cleave the little girl in twain while Caor rushes to pull Mirra out of the way.

The little girl stands now. Only, it's not really a girl. It isn't even a humanoid.

From the shadows, a large quadruped body rises from its resting spot and the part that was a little girl seemingly melts away and sinks into the elongated snout of a flat-headed, eyeless creature with an uncanny set of teeth.

Without lips, the canine-like creature can't smile, yet in that moment it was as if it was laughing at Mirra. Its massive size within that small room only amplifies the feeling of being mocked and intimidated.

"Dent, smokescreen," Caor instructs, making sure to keep his eyes on the corpse eater.

Wind pressure kicks up and swirls the dust for a moment before blasting toward the corpse eater's face.

It recoils and slams into the wall in its attempt to get away. Its heavy weight combined with the fragile integrity results in it falling through.

"Now's our chance. Before it recovers, let's get outta here." Caor pulls Mirra by the arm back through the way they came with Dent following close behind.

Behind them, they hear the corpse eater roar and the sound of wood splintering as it starts breaking through the walls to catch them.

"Foolish beast," Dent chuckles. "It will collapse the building before it catches us."

The trio break through a door, no longer concerned with being careful, and find themselves at the end of the dusty entrance hall. Escape in their grasp.

Another crash and the building shakes more violently now. The roar of the corpse eater shakes the foundations as it busts into view directly behind the party. Caor and Mirra pick up the pace.

If a fight is going to happen, they'd rather not worry about being crushed by a collapsing building. Dent, however, thinks otherwise and unsheathes his sword.

He immediately slashes at its head. His blade gets lodged at the end of its snout and, with one rapid movement, Dent has it ripped out of his grasp.

"Reaver take me."

The corpse eater slams into Dent and sends him flying. Funnily enough, he gets sent crashing through the outside wall and into the street where he lands next to the others.

Unfortunately for the corpse eater, that wall was the last thing holding the building together. The corpse eater lets out a pained roar as splintered boards, old furniture, and who knows what else falls upon it.

"My sword…"

Mirra pats him on the back and tries to reassure him but her voice refuses to come out.

"A corpse eater, you said?" She musters after a moment.

"Wasn't in the game. Dent told me about it." Caor raises his sword and resumes a ready position.

Dent nods slowly, his expression one of disappointment and irritation. "It is likely the cause why so many Dead were swarming the plaza despite the city layout. They were trying to not be devoured."

"So we don't have that necromancer to thank for it, huh?" Caor asks.

Dent shakes his head.

"Corpse eaters always follow the scent of death. Considering how many Dead have assailed the city these past few days, it makes sense one would show up eventually. Luckily, they're territorial and it should have marked the surrounding area so this should be the only one."

"...Here it comes." Mirra raises her fists up and readies for battle.