(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

Harmonium double agent. You've got to think more even more deviously
than these berks to get in... and I still wasn't sure if my cover had been
blown or not when you sauntered into that warehouse."
I nodded, impressed. "Things worked out for the Harmonium then?"
Ebb laughed, "Better'n we expected. Five cells joined together for the
takeover, and every one o' em Anarchs turned stag. Half saw there'd been
enough tearing-down, and they've left to help build Curst back up stronger
an' more orderly-like than before. The other half had their fill of chaos and
fled to Powers know where. I think one o' em decided to be a priest."
I waved to the bartender and ordered some drinks. "A toast then, to the fall
of the old, and the rise of the new."
Ebb bellowed with laughter, "There be a fellow here who plays the dulcimer.
Once he's back from takin' a piss I say we toss him a few coins, order some
food, and celebrate. Life only happens once, after all."
~~~~~
Finally… The Mortuary. This was where it began. This was where it would
end.
I ran a hand along the slab where I'd been born to this world. The stink of
formaldehyde and alcohol cutting the air brought back memories, none of
them fond. In the distance was the sound of slow-footed shambling, the
squelch of organs being pulped and bodies processed.
There was something about the arch in front of us... something hauntingly
familiar. A bone-numbing chill blanketed the air between these two black
pillars, as if the arch itself bordered on some other, colder space. For some
reason, I KNEW this was the portal to the Fortress of Regrets... now all I
needed to do is open it.
I gritted my teeth and peeled the skin from my left forearm, as Trias
described. Fine scalpels were in abundance in the Mortuary, and though
there was surprisingly little pain I clenched my teeth. Fingernails dug
beneath the incisions along my flesh; with a wet, tearing sound, I peeled off
the strip of skin. The chill between the pillars became stronger, almost
hungering, as if the portal has opened a crack...
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