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"The beast now kneels!" hollered the man gleefully, his blood-soaked face twisted by an eerie grin. "Atone, atone!" His arm rose into the air and black fingers crunched as they groped at the howling wind. Crimson snakes writhed along his ebony arm, the sight of their sacrifice invoking their dreadful hunger and ferocity. Cold, wet flames devoured the man's arm, cloaking it in a shroud of bloody mist.
"And how shall a corpse atone for his mistakes, Dyrant?" wondered the familiar voice of his partner. He cast a sour glance over his shoulder and caught her scowling face. "Will his ghost haunt their rivals?" He snorted with contempt as he looked over the crumbled, weeping man groveling at his feet. He was mumbling pleads and curses into his hands, his face turned towards the earth. The tattoos of a slave slivered along his temple and cheeks. "He killed his masters, his oppressors. This man does not deserve this." She stood beside him and offered the tearful victim a hand.
"He did not just kill his masters, Sirolia." snapped Dyrant bitterly, swatting her hands away from the monster. "He killed a man and woman, and then assumed possession of the home. He raped the ignorant daughters and enslaved the sons, who did not even know of his existence. He lived like this until his greed for power changed him so that he reflected his true self. Then he killed the children and moved onto this...village." Dryant held out his arms, and looked over the smoldering ruins that littered the charred ground.
"My, my, looks like someone actually looked over the report. I'm surprised a barbarian such as yourself can read." She raised a pulsing blue arm. Azure streams danced along her pale skin and hot water washed over her arm, enveloping it in a teal haze. "If we save him, then he can repay his debt to this village and the family-"
"The dead family." corrected Dyrant irritably, eyeing her arm. His body tensed as he prepared to counter.
"He will rebuild this village, help its people."
"Yes, please, help that man over there!" said the man, nudging the monster with the tip of his boot. He glared at the remains of an elderly man, his bloodied, wrinkled arms still embracing his burnt grandchildren. "It would seem he needs some bandages. Oh, and some water and herbs for the children, they seem to be suffering from some burns!" He dug his boot into the man's ribs. The monster dropped to his side and wailed.
"There is still good he can do. He won't be able to perform any acts of good while a corpse, it is a waste." growled the woman, stroking the injured man's arm tenderly as if he were her own child. She whispered softly to him, most likely a promise of redemption and life.
"He won't perform any acts of evil either." His arm grew colder.
"You will be no better than him if you sacrifice him." Dyrant could feel the heat radiating from her.
"Become a monster to kill a monster? Sounds fair."
"If you become a monster, I'll kill you." she barked.
"If I become a monster, you'll just save me." he laughed with a shrug. "Why do you defend this man? He is a monster."
"He was a monster." She stepped aside and Dryant saw a bruised and battered man with scars tangled along his chest and arms. "He suffered back then. And he still suffers now. Do you see a monster in his eyes?" Wet eyes looked up at him.
"I see crying, abused daughters." grumbled the man, his arm quaking at his side. "I see beaten sons. I see a man who's past sins may have made him into a slave in the first place." The monster looked away. "I see a monster who was a monster before and always will be. I see fleeing villagers, trampled children, burning heroes." He glared at his partner. "But I do not see a man, nor do I see hope."
"I see a man pushed into slavery, who merely wanted the same respect and liberties his masters had. Who grew greedy and abused his power. He is a human because he can lose himself to his emotions and dreams. We kill monsters, not humans. Us mages are here to save them."
"You're right. We're supposed to save them, but we failed. All that's left is to kill the monster." Red and black snakes leaped from his arm and bit into the man. He screamed as Dyrant howled curses. "We will kill the monster!" His arm brightened.
"We shall save the humans!" A wave of blue and white rushed her from hand like a waterfall and poured onto the man.