Toki's Tale

It might be worth noting that knowledge vanishes over time. As the centuries roll by, knowledge degrades to myth and legend, and technology becomes magic. Countless wars, deaths and other tragedies might have been stopped had the knowledge of the past still been known.
So, six thousand years ago, when a young Shee technician said to his superior, Science Lord Jal'ak Kalis, "But sire! These Gargoyles will be able to bite an entire bus in half!" this knowledge could have gone on to save a particular emissary of Chaos a lot of pain.
Unfortunately, it didn't survive the passage of time, as with many other things known only to the Golden One and his pets.
Oh well, shit happens.

The change from second stage Gargoyle to third stage started slowly. Toki hair began to turn bight red, the colour flowing through her hair like blood. Her eyes misted over, and the stripes on her arms curled and coiled like living tattoos. Her wings grew larger and more impressive, spreading out larger than before. He claws shot out and stayed out, ferociously curved. Her tail extended and reared like a serpent.
Tae'Pan regarded her with a cold indifference. Like most minions of the Dark One, a lifetime of servitude hadn't done wonders for his mind. He lacked imagination and, most importantly, foresight.
"All very pretty, I'm sure, bu-" he began, and was cut short by a tree in his mouth. It broke most of his teeth. As well as his jaw, skull and spine. He crashed through the undergrowth with a mouthful of roots, soil and small confused jungle creatures.

Toki ran after him, the ground a blur under her feet. Her mind was a red mist of rage, with only basic primal instincts controlling her. She caught up with Tae'Pan and dug her claws into his chest. She lifted him high and squeezed hard. Something provided momentary resistance and then popped.
Tae'Pan's mind was a haze of pain. He coughed up blood, which landed on Toki's clothes. Toki looked down at it, shrugged, and then looked back to Tae'Pan.

Out of all the eyes that watched Tae'Pan's face impact the boulder, only two winced in pain. And then again and again, over and over again.
"Ouch, that's got to hurt," moaned a voice. It belonged to a Norn dressed in long black robes and carried a scythe under his arm. He pushed back his hood and shook out a good three feet of white hair. He looked about a century old, but was much older. He was Death, and, rather ironically, wished he was dead.
"Yes, well," said another voice, "you should see what'll happen next."
This Norn was grey in colour, and was called Fate. He wore a simple white tunic and had a drink in his hand with a curly straw. He sipped on it as he watched Toki rip off Tae'Pan's fingers.
"She does know she can't kill him, right? Not while he has the Chaos influence," muttered Death. A large bug the size of his hand had settled on his shoulder. He flicked it off. It wasn't just dead when it hit the ground, it was decomposing.
"Afraid not. She's gone, as the Jotun say, beserk," said Fate. He pulled a bag out of thin air. "Walnut?"
"Thanks, don't mind if I do," replied Death. He took a walnut and crushed it in one hand.
"Being dead isn't that bad, is it?" Fate asked. "I mean, considering what'll happen."
"Wouldn't know. Heard a lot of them like it. The good ones, anyway. The rest'll end up spinning in Seraf's wake. Not that nice. Where do you think she'll end up."
"Not sure. Free will plays havoc with my schedule. Could go one way or the other, though I think she'll end up in the good place. Remains to be seen."
"Free will plays havoc with *your* schedule?" Death said, then sighed. "I've got to see to Brellin after this, you know."
"The armies are marching again?" Fate asked. He crumpled the empty walnut bag into nothingness.
"Aye, the inconsiderate bastards. War's all for it, but frankly I deserve a rest. Genocide's the worst thing that happened to me."
"Still on for poker tomorrow, though?"
"Wouldn't miss it. Let the buggers sit there and rot for a few hours," grunted Death. He stood up from the log he was resting on. "Oooh, there goes me back. Sod it, I'll have to see my doctor again."

Toki's eyes were glowing red. Tae'Pan was missing one. Toki slammed him into the ground and broke his leg back against itself.
"DIE!" Toki screamed, the first word she had managed to utter since her transformation. Tae'Pan, through the haze of pain, laughed.
"Maki decides when... I live or die," he mumbled through the blood. Toki snarled and lifted him off the ground again, holding him inches from her face.
"I will get stronger," muttered Tae'Pan, "but you are careless."
Toki's eyes cleared as she felt something cold press against her chest. Suddenly ice was in her veins, and she began to shiver.
"Suffer," said Tae'Pan, and smiled through a broken face. Already his wounds were healing through dark Chaos influence. Toki lunged at him, but was rocked with a freezing agony. She collapsed to her knees and screamed in pain until her lungs ached.

Imshan pulled himself from darkness and sat up groggily. His head was sore and ached. He looked around. The entire area of jungle was torn to shreds. Trees as tall as castle spires had been snapped like twigs. And there, in the middle of it all, was Toki.
He got up to see to her and fell over. He got up again, more carefully this time, and stumbled over. Toki was curled up, shivering and twitching. He pressed a hand to her forehead, then jerked it back. She was as cold as ice, and very pale. Blood was trickling from her mouth. She was dying.

Chapter 14

Chapter 16