14 The Procedure!

As the skeletal kobold approached Throzahk began casting a strange spell, however his voice couldn't be heard by the skeletal kobold, once the skeletal acolyte was beside the skeletal remains of the brutish alligator Throzahk spoke [Lay on the ground and be still… I don't know if the procedure will cause you pain or simple discomfort… however you must control yourself… this is well outside my area of knowledge… but it must be done!]

After the skeletal acolyte had finished obeying the instruction, he simply waited for Throzahk to begin his procedure "Welp… hope this doesn't bite me in the ass… yesss… hope this goes well…. Don't want to be a bodyless skull… Yes… yesss…" thought nervously the kobold acolyte.

Seeing the acolyte's silence Throzahk commented in a mocking tone [Hah! Did Ratatoskr eat your tonge? well… you don't even have a tongue to begin with!...] hoping to see a reaction from the kobold acolyte, however the acolyte simply remained still as he had been instructed "This is not the time to be joking… arseling!... yess…." Thought the skeletal acolyte, keeping his thoughts to himself, simply waiting for Throzahk to transfer the bones.

After seeing the unresponsiveness of the acolyte Throzahk began speaking [No matter… I will begin now, you will learn this spell after some study] after saying this Throzahk casted a spell that only required him to speak [Valrhak Hand!] producing what seemed to be hands made out of mana, he began his procedure by releasing what seemed to be a blue knife from the strange hand, and then he cut the blue veins connecting the legs of the skeletal acolyte "well that felt like shit! To be completely honest! Yesss…. Yesss…" said internally the skeletal kobold, as he felt like a thousand small animals were chewing the place were his legs used to be connected, however he didn't move, trying to keep as still as he saw Throzahk cut the veins connecting his right arm, and then the overwhelming pain took him over, as he began thrashing around with his remaining arm.

Seeing the reaction coming from the kobold acolyte, Throzahk immediately casted a different spell [Vines of Darlahk, Immobilization!] as soon as he had chanted the spell, countless vines made out of black mana climbed onto the skeletal acolyte, immobilizing him, however, a slight shake could be seen [Hmmm… I expected some adverse effects… but this reaction… hmmm it will be better to do this quickly!] after throzahk had said that he once again casted the spell, cutting swiftly the connections of the remaining arm, just to get the same brutal reaction, however this time it subsided quickly as the kobold acolyte was a simple skull with a small torso attached to it.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCK! THIS… IT… IT… IT FEELS LIKE SHITEEEEEEEEE! FUUUUCK IT BURNSSS! MAKE IT STOP! FOR FUUUCK SAKES!" shouted internally the skeletal until Throzahk finally cut off the veins connecting the torso o the skeletal kobold to his skull, then the sensation subsided for mere moments, none the less the now bodyless kobold felt that his now missing body was on fire, as if submerged in an eternally burning fire.

Throzahk then saw the flames of the eyes of the acolyte spark in absolute anger and pain [I guess that you must feel pain… after all you may be undead but there should be something still living… it was a good decision not to cut the last two vertebrae… I wonder what it is…. Maybe you are not a true undead… but that matters not… I… should… I must complete the procedure] said Throzahk, his voice wavered, before he started to assemble the new body.

Throzahk started by assembling the torso, the mana knife that he had casted from the mana hands dissolved and then shapeshifted, becoming a string made of blue mana, he then began sewing the vertebrae onto the acolyte own vertebrae, then he attached the newly assembled torso and tail to the acolyte, this time the reaction he had gotten was a less violent one.

"Ohhh… that… that's better… yesss…." Thought feebly the acolyte as he felt the burning subside, as if he was slowly being submerged in water.

Then Throzahk proceeded to attach the arms of the brutish alligator but stopped before connecting them to the acolyte [Hmmm… if left as is you wouldn't be able of any use… arms would be too short and so would be your legs… this has to be fixed…] he then took the acolyte own discarded bones, fusing them with I'tzhal bones, it looked like they were melting and then molded into the correct lengths to suit the long alligator torso that was attached to the acolyte, Throzahk then he repeated the process with the boney legs [Hmmm…. Now the incantations are distorted… need to fix this as well] said Throzahk, who then repaired the bones, before carving the runic incantations.

"COME ON! JUST FINISH THIS FUCKING TORTURE! YOU SADIST!" thought with seething rage the skeletal acolyte, the burning sensation had subsided but no disappeared, it lingered on the joints where his arms and legs were supposed to be attached.

[There! Fixed… now let's get this done…] said Throzahk, who finished carving the runes on the bones, then he proceeded to attach the arms, seeing that there was no reaction coming from the skeletal acolyte he continued the procedure, attaching the legs onto the torso, he then saw the skeletal acolyte body relax, the vines then released the acolyte, who remained still on the floor.

"Good gods… this… well it feels better… yesss… but it felt like crap… hope this experience does not repeat… yes… yesss" thought the skeletal acolyte, the burning sensation had been quenched, and a sense of strength washed over him.

Seeing that the flames in the eyes of the acolyte had calmed down Throzahk spoke again [Good… it seems that you didn't reject the transplants… very good indeed… however your skull is truly small compared to your new body… no matter… nothing can be done… now let's encrust the core, you will need to take it and press it on your chest… I suppose it won't be that hard for you to do… now go!] his voice once again took a commanding voice, at which the skeletal acolyte stood up and took the core that laid on top of the stone slab.

"Well… last one bit me on my ass… guess this one won't be as gentle… seeing that it may try to take over… ah fuck it! Yesss… yesss" thought the skeletal acolyte, his rearranged body still felt strange and alien to him, but this was necessary to him, as it would make him stronger, he then plunged the core towards his chest in swift movement of his left arm.

Seeing the action that the acolyte had made prompted Throzahk to speak [I said press! Not plunge! Why did yo….] however it was too late, as the core had already been buried in the chest of the acolyte, who then fell on top of the slab, with a heavy thud.

At this Throzahk swiftly casted a restraining spell [Vines of Darlahk, Immobilization!] uttered Throzahk, and once again the vines restrained the skeletal acolyte, however there seemed to be no movement {Hmmm… seems it has started… Oh! Blessed Matriarch… bless this foolish acolyte with your guidance, OH! Blessed mother, this foolish acolyte will lift the curses that plague this temple, Oh! Holy Seeress of Souls grant us your guidance} prayed internally Throzahk, hoping that his prayer reached his goddess as he raised his arms over his head to for a Y shape.

Meanwhile the skeletal acolyte was battling the overwhelming force of the core, it tried to take control with each beat of the cycle that had been engraved, it felt as if a whole ocean had been poured into the mana veins that had been recently sewn together "NO! NO! MINE! MINE! YESSS… MINE! PRECIOUS CORE OF MINE! YESS… BECOME PART OF MINE!… yesss, nurture the veins… yess! Yess! GOOD! YES! yess.." thought the skeletal acolyte, then his mana veins became thicker as they flooded with the mana injected by the core, the veins expanded throughout his boney body, branching at first slowly, and finally multipliying in a myriad of branches, filling the runic patterns in his body, sending the newly attuned mana into the air with violence.

Suddenly lightning exploded from the skeletal acolyte body, dispersing in the air as fast as it came, it however, wasn't a big ray, but it managed to surprise Throzahk [BLESSED BE HOLY QUILRORRY! IT WORKED! IT WORKED!] said Throzahk, as he broke into joyous laughter, then a second lightning ray broke out of the acolyte body, but this ray didn't scatter, it clung to the acolyte bones, and then it was absorbed by the runic letters carved on them.

The skeletal acolyte loosened his grip on the flow of mana, at which the core responded sending even more of the mana that it had accumulated "Aha! It's not trying to take over… good! Good! Yesss…" thought the skeletal acolyte, the core had tried to take over the body of the acolyte, but as soon as the mana had flooded the arcane veins of the skeletal acolyte it simply began pumping mana into them, flooding the runic patterns, causing the expulsion of mana lightning, and then it had assimilated to the acolyte, it had found its new master to be the appropriate host.

"I think the cores have some sort of will to them… interesting… yess… this was easier than I thought it would be… good… yesss yesss" thought the acolyte who then saw that he was restrained by bluish vines, he then proceeded to talk [HEY! Is there a need to bound me like this?! Release me.. yesss] said the acolyte, he hadn't casted the spell, however his voice came out with ease, draining him somewhat, but this time he didn't feel his strength leaving him.

Listening to the acolyte voice Throzahk spoke [Already done… impressive… it seems you are able to speak without casting Spectral Voice… I wonder... is the core the cause… Hmmm... possibly... there is still much that is unknown about the cores.... yet we must lift the curses... ah! so much to be discovered yet I'm constrained by satate... what a sad thing indeed... however there might be a solution...] said Throzahk, putting his hand on his chin, thoughtfully submerged in his conjectures.