Sloane Addashield was not fine at all.

Sloane Addashield stood before a small council, in a small room in Fate’s Veil, the capital city of the Settlement of Xerkona. He did not want to be here.

He was here anyway.

Before him stood the Three Fates. Each of them was dressed in white, with white masks, gloves, and full-body shawls. Beneath those thick, white fabrics, lay dragons. They were shaped like people, but they were dragons, with scales of finest ruby, emerald, and sapphire. But on the surface, on the outside of the cloaks and fabrics, each of them looked the same. Each of them had risen together, thousands of years ago, back when Daihoon had more cities and yet it had been losing cities for years due to a Magefall Collapse.

The three draconic fates rose up during that time, three archmages joining with their demons to become new existences entirely, to guide the world out of that Collapse. Dragons were sometimes the result of a demonic contract. These three dragons here were, perhaps, the best possible outcome for such a sacrifice of personhood.

They were the prime force behind the Settlement of Xerkona’s stability.

Sloane did not hope for his contract failure to have nearly as nice of an outcome. He expected to die long before he would ever see his life end. Maybe there was a way out of that fate, though. That is why he was here.

Sloane settled himself and went down to one knee, one fist pressed against the floor, head bowed.

The Fates watched. They waited.

Sloane said, “I have failed in the upkeep of my Contract. I request now the full weight of Fate to keep myself, myself, or to somehow succeed in my Contract in the 9 days I have left.”

The First Fate pronounced, “The steps you have taken cannot lead you to success.”

The Second Fate pronounced, “There is nothing to be done but mitigate your Fall.”

The Third Fate pronounced, “Leave the world on your own terms, or have your terms dictated to you in the sweep of a paladin’s blade.”

Sloane sighed, the proclamation of the Fates slamming into him like a feather that weighed as much as a world. He fell to his ass and sat there for a long moment, thinking.

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The Fates let him think.

Sloane asked, “What is my future as a Fallen?”

The First Fate pronounced, “Just as you have used your demon to enact your will against monsters and magic, your demon will use you to enact its will against humans, and civilization.”

The Second Fate pronounced, “The destruction of 25% of all cities in the Americas, either in totality, or partially. Those which you have assisted personally will suffer more than those who you have barely touched. Expect to see much of Earth fall as you Fall. Your demon will not try to go against Crytalis or any land that can actually harm you. Expect to die a second death within a year.”

The Third Fate pronounced, “If your Fallen self survives 331 years, the line between the demon and yourself will vanish, and you will become a dragon.”

Altogether… as expected.

Sloane sat on his ass, cross-legged, thinking.

The Fates let him think.

Sloane asked, “How can I best mitigate the failure of my Contract, without killing myself or letting myself be killed?”

The First Fate pronounced, “You have a history with your demon that is better than most.”

The Second Fate pronounced, “Talk to them. Bargain for more time. Take what is offered and do not mind the cost. It will be a steeper cost than you wish to pay, and yet they were the cause of the Contract failure in the first place. You can get concessions.”

The Third Fate pronounced, “When your near-pupil heals from their physical damage, you will have another chance to fulfill your Old Contract. Your near-pupil will hate you forever. They will try to kill you, as is their right. You might want them to succeed.”

Sloane breathed deep.

Near-pupil? So Mark Careed, then.

The Fates looked at him, their masks as impassive as their statures.

Sloane asked, “What is the best way to reshape my Contract to prevent any sort of Fall?”

The First Fate pronounced, “Your demon has been denied the worst experiences, and now there is no escape.”

The Second Fate pronounced, “You must divest yourself of everything.”

The Third Fate pronounced, “With all contacts burned, with all eyes looking to kill with no one to help you, you will run, and you will be rightfully hunted.”

The Fates pronounce all together, “There is no way to stop your Fall. Your demon has assured as much. You can only hope to control what you hit on the way down, and even that hope is a foolish wish.”

Sloane faltered.

He thought.

And then Sloane left.

He talked to his demon.

He began burning contacts the next day.