"It is done," I heard the demon’s voice, distant like a faraway chant.
"Congratulations on being the new Lord of the Eternal Pyre. I hope we meet again in a more favorable environment. I will leave you a gift, and you’ll owe me no debt for it."
Then his voice was gone and I knew he was gone as well as the presence vanished. I made no move to stand, besides, my body felt like mud. But inside, I was raging. My essence was slowly returning to its place.
Yet now, I had fewer sub-essences in my core. Before, there were five, now there were only three, and I felt their absence like a gnawing hunger.
The remaining essences were.
Infernal Fire
Pactbinding
Infernal Imprisonment
The other two, Shadowforge Creation and Nightmare, had been transferred to Tiber and Slya. Essentially, I was now their construct. The source of their new powers.
’I have to get the other inheritance as soon as possible’ I thought. They better be worth it, or I swear I’ll tear them limb from lim... and get my powers back and.....
My thoughts slowed as I fell into darkness.
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
The demon with hair of white fire stood in his castle, hunched over, his eyes on his hand where an essence of crimson, black, blue, and more colors gathered. It was my essence that had drawn him here. He had gathered it before it disappeared into Hell and drawn others with it.
He mixed his own essence into it, pouring white flames that twisted into mine. Then he began to chant, each word like a giant hammer striking the world. The blows were mere ripples to the vast expanse of existence.
When he finished, nothing remained of the two essences.
"There, this will shield his essence from leaking every time he uses the power. A successor of the Crimson One. Hehehe, this one looks like he’ll cause trouble for that old man. But he’s still a youngling, quick to die. Still, he’s got the Crimson Moon fused with the Infernal Dominion."
He smiled, his mouth effortlessly stretching unnaturally.
"Are things going to be fun again? Things have been rather dull these past years. Hehehehe."
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
I opened my eyes to a dull pain behind them, and for the first time, Slya wasn’t looming over me. I grunted, rolled over, and sat up. My eyes fell on a red leather-bound book beside me.
There were no words or pictures on the cover, but without even opening it, I knew it was a book on techniques, on the powers I had and even the two I had transferred.
I picked it up and flipped through it gently. Indeed, it was a book of techniques, though only for what I considered "basics," suitable only for the Knight rank at most.
At least this will save me time experimenting and searching for techniques.
Tiber groaned beside me, slowly opening his eyes. They were black as ink, giving his face a deep, melancholy air. He tried to sit up, failed, and flopped back down.
"I feel like I’ve been dragged through the dirt."
I didn’t answer, continuing to read the book.
Soon, Slya woke up. She and Tiber gasped and shouted when they discovered they could now use essence. They looked at me as if I were the best thing since ale during the dry seasons.
For my part, I tried not to let the loss of two abilities, abilities I hadn’t even had a chance to use, show on my face.
"I want to try something," Slya declared suddenly. She raised her hand, and shadows pooled together into a ball that bubbled gently. She grinned. "Do you know how long I’ve been trying to do this?"
In response, I snapped my book shut and asked, "When you think of the source of your power, like the construct within you, what do you see?"
They exchanged glances before Tiber frowned. "I see a red moon, like the one outside."
Slya nodded. "That’s right. What does it mean? It’s...you, right?"
Maybe, I thought, then nodded. "Yes."
We fell into silence until I took a deep breath and said, "You two know what I want: to sweep through the Eternal Skies. But first, we have to tackle the flatlands before climbing the mountain."
Tiber nodded, his eyes hooded. "I...when you mentioned your name. Your clan name..."
I smiled. "That’s right. Sent away because of the Forbidden Mark, I’m in exile, expected to die here and..."
I briefly told them about my past.
Slya stared at me as if I’d changed again. "Wow. A young master of the Athrimir Clan."
The Athrimir Clan was one of the strongest clans in the Hinterlands.
I shrugged. "We’ll come back to that. As I was saying, I want this whole land. Where do you think I should start?"
Tiber answered immediately. "Here, in the Borderlands. There’s a powerful force gathered around the Rifts, and if you can redirect it to your clan... I assume you want to be the Clan Leader."
I nodded. "It’s a necessary step."
"Then you must become the undisputed leader of the Borderlands. Ensure the Rift is closed, then head for your clan. This will serve as the foundation for your future armies... My Lord."
I smiled, satisfied. I was already seeing the value of having Tiber as a subordinate. The question I’d asked had been a test of Tiber’s mind. "Do not call me Lord yet. You will know when the time comes. I will earn it with my own hands this time."
Tiber bowed.
"Then, to follow your plan, we must head to the second layer, build a team, and make a name for ourselves before venturing deeper into the Barrens," I said.
I tapped the book lightly on my lap. "And we need to become powerful enough to maintain our name and our team. We’ll train a little longer before we leave. This ruin will serve us for a while yet."