Planet Zar: Nexus

When it came down to it, the only interesting part of death was decay. A corpse was bland, unsubstantial, boring. What chaos could be wrought with something brought to its basest form? If everything was dead things would stagnate. Honestly, Ludovicianusz abhorred death. Killing was the least interesting form of destruction.

"We're getting near, everyone take your positions."

Ludo dragged his eyes to the troop commander and did as he was told, slinking low against the broken temple wall. His form was elvish, golden skinned with a wild mass of black hair that hung around his shoulders in shadowy waves. A bit on the nose, but Oriph had been so careful about keeping him a secret from their enemies he ought not be recognized when they reached their destination. Ludo drew a sword (banal) while the human woman next to him readied her bow. Their party consisted of an ample selection of melee and ranged fighters, with glass canon magic-wielders trailing behind stitching an evercast stealth spell neatly around their lot.

So many people had already died for this mission. Hundreds of soldiers marched to a battlefield for the sole purpose of being obliterated in a wave of fire and teeth. All so this sad, dilapidated temple would be abandoned.

"Morningfall says the Lady is in the temple, but she's not alone," grunted Captain Toryn - an older gnome man clad in matte black armor. "We need to act in unison. Spellcasters, ready to subdue. We move in five."

At his signal that party swept forward, trickling through the nooks of the crumbling wall in absolute silence. They moved like shadows.

Oriph told him Direke's temple was an ode to blood - red tapestry dripping from the walls, crimson carpets rolling like battlefields at their feet - but there was none of that left. Everything that had once been viscera gleamed gold and black in the dim moonlight. The only light emanating from the room were glowing streams of venom green that shivered like a breathing thing.

"Now!" Toryn cried.

A volley of light burst from one of the wizards.

The shivering green light shrieked in agony and blinked away with resonating teleportation magic.

A vaguely humanoid shape bolted upright from swathes of golden fabric, her form shifting and ripping outward into enormity. Fire belched from the corners of the room. A black-bright dragon leapt from the pillows and charged.

Arrows flew. They reflected harmlessly from the dragon's outstretched wings. Beneath her, two worm-like creatures screamed and scrambled forward.

"Soldiers, charge!" Toryn raced toward the black dragon, sword held high. "Spellcasters, now!"

Ludo joined the melee wielders without alacrity. Magic sizzled passed him. In an instant everything draconic in the room was frozen in a stasis spell. The snapping jaws of the worms open around nothingness. The warrior dragon bunching her muscles to take wing.

And Rhakunara, the Lady Death herself, caught in mid-transformation between a humanoid form and the glory of her true self.

"Polymorph the Lady," said Toryn. He smashed his sword against the warrior dragon to no effect and spat out a curse. "Leave the rest, they've got some kind of invulnerability."

One of the wizards approached Rhakunara, muttering incantations under her breath. Rhakunara's eyes burned fury, her mouths twisted in vicious snarls. There was no fear in her, only rage and disgust.

A massive silver shape exploded from the pillows. It swung its body. Foot-long obsidian tail spikes pierced the wizard's chest. She gasped, spell sputtering on her tongue.

"Some of us are invulnerable to magic as well," the creature hissed. "The Lady's handmaiden is retrieving our brother as we speak. If you release her from immobilization she will offer you a much more merciful death."

The soldier's ranks quavered. Toryn grit his teeth, thinking his worries loud enough that every telepath in the room could hear his stink of fear.

Ludo stepped out of the ranks and lowered his sword. "I've heard some rumors of your Lady Death."

The silver creature coiled at her feet, sneering.

"I've heard she grants merciful deaths because she abhors killing."

"She has servants to dirty their hands for her and you have no weapons that would work against me."

"You're Joroch, aren't you?" asked Ludo, one step nearer.

The creature narrowed its eyes and cocked its head. Answer enough for Ludo.

"What are you doing?" Toryn hissed. "Get back in rank."

"I don't think she'll need to dirty her hands," said Ludo, stepping past Toryn.

Joroch whipped his barbed tail toward Ludo. It flickered through him like a hand through candle flame. Joroch recoiled, eyes narrowed to slits. Confusion murmured through Ludo's party.

The shadows grew around Ludo, gathering up his form. He let himself free. The elvish form dropped away in curling plumes of darkness, revealing the splendor of his true form. Silver burnished black, glittering gold winding up elegant legs, glittering at the crown of his prime head. Toryn shouted orders. Arrows flew through the insubstantial shadows of Ludo's form. Swords hissed uselessly through the air. Ludo felt them as paper cuts and insect stings peppering his hide with annoyances.

"What manner of beast are you, boy?" Toryn spat.

Oriph's left head turned toward him. "I'm Oriph's beast, of course."

"Kill him!" Kill the damned traitor!"

Ludo's shadows scattered across the room, snuffing out the dim light. Breath stopped in a hush. No explosion sounded, no clatter of weapons, no thud of bodies. The darkness withdrew, leaving behind drifting flakes of ash where Ludo's comrades once stood.

The stasis dropped.

Rhakunara completed her shift into draconic form and swept her many gazes inscrutably across the throne room.

"Not a drop of blood spilled," she hummed.

"Of course not, my Lady," said Ludo, dipping his heads in a bow. "I am not a servant but I am at your service."