The three humans looked at each other. They did not expect to hear such a demand, let alone in such perfect Human tongue. Janus breathed deeply and shouted his answer back.

  “What is it that you want with us?”

  “Although you humans have stolen a hidden cache and killed important people, we are willing to let two of you go,” the voice replied. “We will even let you take half the fuel. You can return and receive the accolades of your people for killing dwarves. It is good for you and good for your nation. We only want one person.”

  Cyrus tsked and kicked a rock in annoyance. “Damnit, they already saw the potential threat of my powers? Hey, don’t you dare betray me. No one is leaving me behind.”

  “I guess you must be discussing the terms because you know who we want,” the dwarf continued. “We want the blue haired human aberration that killed squad 4197.”

  Lyza and Cyrus turned to Janus. Cyrus looked much more relaxed. “I think their terms are fairly reasonable.”

  Lyza immediately protested. “You were saying we shouldn’t betray you not even ten seconds ago! You already want to betray us?”

  “Us? No, just him,” Cyrus replied. “We give him up and we complete the mission. Come on, Specialist Vane. You know we don’t have time to think. We need to do it now.”

  The dwarf called out again. “I will give you five minutes to reach a conclusion. Be reasonable.”

  “Okay, I stand corrected again. We have five minutes, but the answer is already clear,” Cyrus concluded. Janus looked toward the enemy position. “These guys killed High Commander Marek and cut your arm. They are ruthless. Do you really think they will keep their promise?”

  Cyrus chuckled. “Do you really think High Commander Marek died in that attack? That was just a missile. I would have survived that, and he is much stronger than I. I think he is just chilling in the carcass of the ship, waiting for the enemy to leave before he exits the wreckage. But it seems you have an idea. What is it?”

  “I will do something absurd that shouldn't work. If it fails, you can wrap me in your metals, just leave me here and let them get me,” Janus said.

  Cyrus nodded. “I can live with that.”

  “But I can't,” Lyza interjected. “I barely got my best friend back. I don't want you to die. Come on, we need to think about something foolproof.”

  “Lyza, just trust me and let me do what I plan. If things go well, we will leave with everything we found here, not just half the fuel.”

  They fell silent, which Janus took as agreement. He focused on his Cores and tried to extend his Unmana to the two other corpses, even though he could not see them. It was difficult at first, but after he made his first controlled corpse sit up and look around, the process eased. After three minutes, he opened his eyes. He was seeing through eight eyes at once from different vantage points. His mind was processing information much faster than normal, as if he were using the brainpower of the deceased as his own. He confirmed a theory he had at that moment. Each undead he controlled possessed a Core producing Unmana he could harvest. By expanding his mind into different corpses, he was gaining immense power. He wondered if he might one day fight like the necromancers from the Tyranny of the Flesh.

  He started concentrating his Unmana to hurl it at the Dwarven Mecha when he heard a familiar voice. “I see what you INTEND to do, but I think it’s extremely DUMB, PUP.”

  Horrified, Janus looked back. Cyrus and Lyza were frozen like statues.

  “Oh, that’s cute. You were worried that my presence would make them go CRAZY. You are such a GOOD friend,” Bob said.

  “Why are you here, Bob? What do you want now?”

  “The only thing I want at the moment is for you not to DIE. If you concentrate all your energy and throw it at that,” Bob said while pointing at the Mecha, “you are just going to die.”

  “How are you here?” Janus asked.

  “REALLY? You and your friends are about to die and THAT is what you want to know?”

  “Okay, sorry. What do you suggest I do?”

  “This power you are using to dominate cadavers is the same our people use to leave the confinement of our LAND. For instance, when you summoned my pet-”

  “Wait, what? I summoned your pet?”

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Yes, silly. You summoned my pet on your registration day.”

  “I didn’t summon anything! And I thought that was you!”

  “BWA HA HA HA HA! You think I am so weak? That was one of my pets and not even the strongest one. But I digress. You summoned it. You managed to break the sky. We cannot break reality from our side so EASILY. We need help, and you helped my pet come to your WORLD. He is very thankful. He told me he was looking at you to convey his thanks, but he didn't know if you understood.”

  “Of course I didn’t. I only saw his creepy eyes following me. If he wanted to thank me, he needs to get better at being human. But why are you here? How can you stop time like this?”

  “I came because you concentrated too much Unmana. Much of it is leaking because you are NOT strong enough to control it all. I came to offer a possibility. If you throw it at the mecha, its shield will resist and you will have nothing. On the other hand, if you use your puppets to extend the Unmana like a blanket, my ASSOCIATE will be able to send one of his pets here. His PET will save you. Do you accept?”

  “Why do you have to ask this in a manner that looks like a devil’s bargain? Ugh. Okay, I accept.”

  Bob’s arm was suddenly in front of Janus’s face. A terrible pain erupted. Janus tried to shout for Bob to stop, but the agony was unbearable. His vision blurred and darkened. When he blinked, he was back in the desert. Lyza and Cyrus were looking at him, and time was moving once more.

  He extended his arms at the same time his puppets did. He felt a new Sigil on his soul and flowed his Unmana into the pattern. When the energy from all four sources linked, they created a shining blanket on the sands. The Siege Breaker stepped back to avoid the affected area.

  “I suggest you close your eyes, guys. I’m letting loose a pet of a friend.”

  The bright area darkened until it was pitch black. Then, a gigantic arm heaves itself out of the black well. Then a second, then a third. Finally, the Maw-Watcher hauls its full, nightmarish frame into reality.

  The creature is split into two distinct and horrifying sections. Its forward half is a predatory torso of jagged, obsidian-black chitin, supported by eight muscular humanoid arms that act as its primary limbs. Trailing behind the junction of its many shoulders is a massive, bulbous abdomen. This swollen reservoir of silk hangs low and heavy, dragging slightly behind the creature’s gait like the opisthosoma of a gargantuan spider. This silo of jagged armor and raw Unmana pulses with a dull light, acting as both the creature’s anchor and its lethal web-spinner.

  Its head is a crowning terror. Eight monstrous eyes ring the circumference of its skull to provide a panoramic view of the battlefield. Below them, a heavy, equine jaw unhinges to reveal a cavernous mouth. Deep within that throat, two misplaced humanoid eyes stare out, fixed with unnerving intelligence.

  The mecha froze. It did not budge from its spot. Janus thought the pilot was likely trying to understand how a threat against three humans had turned into a fight for their lives.

  The Maw-Watcher turned its head toward Janus and opened its maw. It took a deep breath and spoke in a soft, cute, and feminine voice that clashed with its hideous form. “Thank you for letting me come. I love the air of this world. Let me eat this metal thing now. I’m really hungry.”

  To Janus, the creature looked almost adorable once he heard her speak. His fear vanished almost instantly. He turned to his companions, who were causing a commotion behind him.

  “What is the nois—”

  Janus stopped when he saw the state of his friends. Lyza was a mess, crumpled on the ground and crying. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was shouting while covering her ears. Cyrus sat with his eyes bulging, mumbling repeatedly. “A freaking Maw-Watcher?”

  Janus extended his Unmana as a protective bubble around their heads. The mental pressure eased instantly. Lyza stood up and punched Janus in the arm. “You have to protect us better before doing something like this! What the hell is that creature?” She pointed at the Maw-Watcher, which was approaching the mecha.

  The mecha suddenly snapped into a battle position. The Maw-Watcher jumped, punching with all eight arms. The mecha retaliated with lasers and various weapons, but they had little effect. Only the vibro-sword seemed to work. The machine pushed the creature back to create space for a sword strike. The blade connected, and one of the Maw-Watcher’s arms fell to the ground.

  The creature retreated as its abdomen emptied slightly. In an instant, the arm on the ground vanished and the stump was an arm again. Once whole, it jumped back onto the mecha to continue the feast.

  “Let’s leave. Can you still carry the gear, or are you too weak from your injury?” Janus asked Cyrus.

  “I am able. Let’s get far away from here. I sent the base new coordinates for a rescue point.”

  They began to run, leaving the Abomination to its meal. After five minutes, they reached the rescue ship. It landed, loaded the Aether-Fuel tanks and mobile suits, and prepared to depart. As the cargo door was closing, a pair of hands caught it. High Commander Marek entered the hold. His clothes were slightly charred, but otherwise, he didn't look as though he had just survived an explosion and a crash.

  “Specialist Vane, very good mission. I see you are moving your shoulder as if it were healed. Is it safe to say that when you control corpses, you absorb some kind of lingering vital energy that heals you?”

  Janus was caught off guard. He had not noticed his own rejuvenation. “Thank you, sir. I actually didn't know. I only noticed it now that you pointed out. Possibly.”

  “I also noticed that your Mana today was much cruder than before. You controlled three corpses and used that energy to break the wall separating us from the world of Abominations. Can you repeat this feat?”

  “I don't know, sir. This power is new to me and very unpleasant to use. I managed to use it because I was in a life-or-death situation. I don't know if I can do it again.”

  “Life or death situation. I see. Dismissed,” Marek said.

  As the ship flew back to base, Janus watched from the window. The Siege Breaker was retreating toward the Dwarven base. It had not sustained as much physical damage as the Maw-Watcher, but the Abomination had simply kept changing reality to grow its limbs back.

  Seeing how it used its Unmana, Janus started thinking about how he used his. He needed time to train. He felt too green. Being thrown at enemies without any real training would eventually end his life, and he knew he could not rely on Bob’s "deals" forever. He watched the desert blur beneath the ship, his mind already working on how to master the energy pulsing within his Cores.