The ranks of the Volkarians are called Essence, Cognizance, Embodiment, Establishment, Infusion, Unity, and Symbiosis. As such, the actual people at these stages are, respectively, called Essentials, Cognizants, Embodiments, Established, Infused, Unified, and Symbiotes.
Excerpt: An Examination of Power – Shouza Namano
When Ashe woke up the next morning, the only thing that he felt was hungry. After crying himself to sleep the night before, his continued fixation on the fire inside him bringing not just anger, but other feelings to the forefront of his mind. Churning Sammath’s lying over and over in his mind, Ashe had realised after a while that his anger had just been blocking him from feeling much else. With much of that expended, he’d been hit with a plethoric wave of feelings. Unable to just sit there and take everything stoically, Ashe had curled up on his bed and cried until he’d felt so exhausted and emotionally wrung-out that he’d just fallen asleep. Now, Ashe felt substantially lighter, but he was also feeling emptier than he’d felt in a long while; both emotionally and in his stomach.
As though thinking about food had awoken his stomach, it grumbled loudly enough that he thought Erin would have heard it through the walls, if they hadn’t been Enchanted. Cab yawned in Ashe’s head, groaning sleepily, ‘Shut that thing up. I’m trying to sleep, here. If it thinks it can complain about being hungry, it’s never met a demon who hasn’t been fed in weeks.’
‘I can’t control it, Cab. You know that as well as I do.’
‘I don’t care. Either you’ll shut it up or I’ll take control of you and rip the infernal thing out your stomach just to give myself some peace and quiet. If that just happens to kill you, then so be-it.’
Ashe felt Cab’s mind retreat further into the recesses of his own head, and clambered out of his covers. Cab never actually lied or made empty threats, so Ashe knew that the demon would act on it. Pushing open the doors to his room, Ashe realised that at least half of the day had already passed. Sunlight streamed in from the doors to the balcony, and Ashe could hear the slight susurration from people going about their day outside. No wonder he was so hungry, especially after skipping dinner the night before.
Looking about the room, Ashe couldn’t see either Erin or Sammath and he also didn’t know how to go about getting any sort of food. What he did find, though, was a piece of paper on the table in front of the couch, alongside a small pile of coins and the room key. Silently thanking Cab for teaching him to read beyond the very basics, Ashe picked the paper up.
Ashe, I’ve taken Sammath to go and pick up the clothing that we ordered yesterday. We have a meeting with the Count later today, for tea in the mid-afternoon. Make sure that, if you leave, you’re at the Inn with enough time to get ready and leave. I’ve left the coins for you to buy yourself some food, if you want it.
Dropping the note on the table, Ashe picked up the coins and room key and slipped them into his pocket. Heading downstairs, Ashe made his way through the Inn’s dining room, where a small number of patrons were eating lunches, and into the street beyond. Almost immediately, he was surrounded by people on the busy street and was caught up in the flow of foot-traffic.
Immediately deciding to return to the pastry shop that Sammath had entered yesterday, Ashe allowed himself to be swept up in the momentum of the crowd, navigating in between people when necessary. As he walked, Ashe looked around at all the buildings in the city and took in the far more vibrant colours of the city than those used in Shinia. When Cab started speaking, though, Ashe was not prepared. If anything, it only distracted Ashe further, ‘Ooh, incoming. 3. 2. 1.’ A small hand snaked out of the crowd and dipped into Ashe’s pocket as he tried to figure out what Cab was talking about. Ashe immediately felt the weight of the key disappear from his pocket, along with a few of the coins, lunging for the hand, Ashe brushed his fingers against those of the pickpocket but didn’t get a grip on the hand. Instead, he banged into a number of the people around him, who frowned down at the Shinian boy.
“Watch it, kid!” One man, particularly gruff with a weathered face and grey stubble lining his chin, barked down at him. A crate was gripped by his white-knuckled hands and he grunted as he adjusted his grip. Ashe immediately began to give chase to the pickpocket, but lost him among the crowd within moments as they darted in between people and wove through the crowd like they were a needle, guided by the hand of a masterful seamstress. Ashe slowed down to a walk and shoved his hand in his pocket, counting the coins he was left with. Maybe about half of them had been stolen, leaving Ashe without a good portion of his breakfast. ‘We’re going to have words about this, Cab.’ Ashe told the demon, annoyance at Cab temporarily bleeding through his numbness.
But first, I need to go and get my… breakfast? Ashe glanced to the sky lunch, he amended mentally. Ashe stuck his hands firmly in his pockets and continued onward, towards the shop. Coming back, happily devouring the savoury pastry he’d bought, one of two that he’d been able to afford, Ashe found that Erin and Sammath had already come back to the room and were waiting for him outside it. Immediately, Ashe paused like a child caught stealing from a jar of cookies.
Erin held out her hand, “Key, Ashe.”
Chewing his bite, Ashe swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking, “I, uhhh. I don’t have it.”
Erin frowned, “You left the key inside the room? I suppose I’ll just have to climb in or pick the lock, then.”
Ashe shook his head, “No. I took the key, but someone stole it from me, along with half the coins you gave me. They looked younger than me, but I couldn’t be sure.”
Erin sighed, “I know who they are. I saw them when I was scouting out the inn, yesterday.”
Sammath turned to her, “You scouted out the inn, yesterday?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I scout it out? I survey every location that I go to before I even go in, cataloguing possible threats and issues and plotting escape routes.”
“Uhhh, maybe because we’re in a big city, full of people. Who’d try anything stupid, here?”
Erin gestured to Ashe, “The people that decided to try and pickpocket Ashe, for one.”
“I mean, sure, but they could just need the coins that Ashe had to feed themselves. If people are desperate, they’ll do nearly anything.” Sammath tried to counter.
Erin shook her head, “You’re too naïve, Sammath. Yesterday, while I was scouting out the inn, the group that I discovered was a small group of kids that would rotate walking past the inn, making sure that they could see everyone entering and exiting the inn. Now, because most of the people here barely leave unless it’s they have a carriage, they didn’t get the chance to do anything yesterday. When they saw us leaving, I made sure to indicate that I saw them, so they didn’t try anything stupid and force me to take action. When they saw Ashe leaving, though, they saw an easy target. Their primary target wasn’t the coins, it was the key. During my scouting, one of the kids would break away and periodically travel a few minutes, where they’d enter a building and come out a few minutes later before returning to their friends. I’d be willing to bet that they’re part of a thieving operation, and that, considering they have the key, they’re going to attempt to break in very early tomorrow morning.”
“If they’re going to do that, then why wouldn’t they just break in with all of us out of the room?”
“Because they didn’t know if there was anyone else left in the room. They might have broken in and been caught. It’s far lower risk to break in at around three or four in the morning, when it’s all but guaranteed that
Sammath frowned at Erin, “They’re just kids, Erin. They’re probably not going to be part of some thieving operation. Plus, how likely is it that they’re the ones who stole the key? I’ll take your bet, and if you lose, you won’t ever force me to wear formal clothing again.”
Erin looked Sammath up and down, cocking an eyebrow and placing her hands on her hips, “What happens when I win?”
Samath looked at Erin, a little put off by her confidence, “Uhhh… You get to tell me to remember this moment whenever I question something you say.”
Erin pursed her lips, “That’s not much of a reward, but I suppose I’ll take it. Ashe, make sure to remind Sammath of this tomorrow morning.”
Ashe nodded, “I can do that.”
“Now hold on a second, Ashe. Surely you don’t think Erin’s right, in this case.”
Ashe scratched his head, “Sorry, Sammath. I’m with Erin on this one. You haven’t experienced the city like Erin and I have, let alone had to live on the streets like I’ve had to. You don’t know the lengths that desperate people will go to. These kids would rob us and more if they had to. As it is, they probably stole the key so that they could get into our room without issues and steal our valuables. Almost no-one is as good as you seem to believe, Sammath.”
Sammath opened his mouth to try and speak up, but Erin interrupted him, “Sammath. You’re not going to convince either of us otherwise. We applaud you for your optimism, but we aren’t Volkarians. Our societies don’t operate the same way. Volkarian powers change the nature of your perspective and they make you far less susceptible to negative emotions. Volkarian society can only operate the way it does because its citizens quite literally think differently to other humans. There is almost no crime in Volkar, and what little there is comes from the few outsiders that decide to visit or reside there.”
Sammath looked at Erin and Ashe almost desperately, and Ashe tried to find some pity for the older boy, but he couldn’t feel anything. “Fine. But both of you will see.”
Erin didn’t say anything else, just taking her lockpicks out of her hair and getting to work on the door. With a soft click, it opened, and she gestured for Sammath and Ashe to enter before she did. Ashe sat down on the couch as he waited for Erin to pull out their outfits. Entering her room for a moment, she came back out with the Sammath and Ashe’s clothing. Immediately, Ashe groaned and buried his face in his hands, “I forgot just how horrible that thing looks.”
“It looks fine. It’s just a different style of fashion to what you’re used to.” Erin tried to reassure him, but Sammath was failing to school his face and Ashe completely agreed with the older boy. “Sammath, go get dressed.” Erin threw Sammath’s simple outfit to him, and he caught it deftly, heading for the bathroom to change. Erin handed Ashe’s outfit over to him, and Ashe took it with a sigh. Ashe immediately retreated to his bedroom, where he struggled into the outfit as Cab mocked him in his head. After a few minutes, Ashe came out of his room to find that Erin was quickly adjusting Sammath’s outfit for him, smoothing out any creases and wrinkles that Sammath had left when he dressed himself up. Ashe didn’t require any such help, his traditional outfit designed to be smoother and flowing than Sammath’s cleaner, crisp modern attire.
Erin picked up a box from the floor and handed it to Sammath, “These are your shoes. They were expensive, so treat them well.” Grabbing a second box that had been beside Sammath’s shoes, Erin handed it over to Ashe, “These are your shoes.”
“Thanks.” Ashe sat down and immediately opened the box, finding a pair of well-made, dark leather shoes inside. They were sturdy enough that he thought he could wear them around town without too much of a hassle but probably wouldn’t wear them beyond that. Erin retreated back to her room, coming out after a few minutes in red dress. The bodice was simple, hugging Erin’s body and effectively covering her entire torso. Erin’s shoulders were completely covered, with a modest neckline that brought attention up to Erin’s face. Covering Erin’s legs, a long skirt ended just above the floor. While it wasn’t overly poofy, it clearly had some sort of support as the fabric was hanging just a little too perfectly for it to be natural. Primarily a mix of scarlet and crimson, the dress matched Erin’s bright red hair, which she’d styled in a double braided bun. Two stray strands hung loosely, lightly curling down to frame her face.
Ashe didn’t know how, but she’d somehow managed to put on a light amount of makeup in the short time she’d been in the room, powder lightly dusting her face and rouge highlighting her cheeks. Sammath clearly seemed to agree with Ashe as he gaped at Erin, “How in the hells did you manage to put makeup on so quickly?”
Erin’s face was as impassive as ever as she answered, “A lot of practice.”
Sammath looked baffled, “But… but that’s not how it works. You actually need to wait for the powder to set. That shouldn’t have been possible in the time you had.”
“It’s a specially designed alchemical mixture. I can accelerate the setting with my Bloodline’s heat. Happy, now?”
“That’s… better.” Sammath conceded, “But still an unfair advantage. I don’t think you know how many Volkarian girls would kill you to have that ability.”
Erin shrugged, “In addition to not knowing how many girls would kill me, I don’t care.”
Ashe looked at Sammath, “I thought you didn’t live with most stuff that you don’t need. Why would makeup be big?”
“We may not live with a lot of the stuff that you all have, but makeup is one of the few things that we have that isn’t practical. It’s to do with the appreciation of beauty, masculine or feminine, and everything in between. Everything is beautiful in its own way, of course, but makeup allows you to highlight or accentuate certain elements of beauty… and it can also be hilarious. We have a few festivals every year where everyone stops working and just… has fun together.”
“Some of those festivals include caricature festivals, during which the Volkarians dress up as grossly exaggerated citizens of other powers and make fun of the way their societies run.” appended Erin as, gesturing for Ashe and Sammath to follow her, she began to head out of the room.
Sammath at least had the grace to look mildly sheepish as Ashe looked at him, “What?” He shrugged, “It’s a good bit of harmless fun, and you have to admit, your monarchies don’t make any sense. The people know what they want, so giving power to someone else to make decisions for you is kind of stupid.”
Erin led the duo downstairs, to the lobby of the inn, where she sat down in one of the couches by the window. Sammath glanced at Ashe, who shrugged indifferently and sat down beside Erin. If he was being honest, he really didn’t care whatever they were going to do. All Ashe knew that he wanted to do was get out of the clothing, which meant he had to go along with Erin.
Soon enough, a carriage bearing an unfamiliar house crest stopped outside the inn and Erin stood up, smoothing her dress as she did so. Sammath and Ashe followed suit and stepped up into the carriage. Immediately, Ashe felt awe begin to seep through his numbness. The interior of the carriage had been spatially expanded, not by much but to perhaps double the volume that its exterior had belied. Though the roof seemed to only be slightly higher, enough for people to stand in comfort, the length and width of the carriage had received most of the modification and pillows were strewn about the floor of the carriage. Landscape paintings hung on the walls of the carriage, and small runelights glowed brightly to either side of each painting. Gold framed every painting and ran along the trim of the carriage walls.
‘Sending his best carriage, then.’
Erin, already getting on the floor, gestured for Sammath and Ashe to join her, “You might want to get down before the carriage starts moving.”
Ashe immediately took Erin’s advice and lowered himself, but Sammath remained looking around at the interior of the carriage, “There’s no windows. Why aren’t there any windows?” Sammath was jerked forward as the carriage began to move, stumbling onto one of the pillows.
“Sit down, Sammath.”
“But… but the windows. I can’t even look outside. I don’t like this Count of yours. He doesn’t even put windows on his carriages.”
Ashe looked at Sammath, “We’re in a carriage worth more than entire buildings, and you’re worried about windows?”
“Yes. Being able to see the world is a vital part of the travelling experience. If you can’t see the world, what’s the point of travel?”
“Alright.” Ashe lay his head back down on a pillow and closed his eyes.
Erin followed Ashe’s example and lay back to pass the trip, all while Sammath continued to ask about the windows.
After at least half an hour’s ride through the city, the carriage finally stopped for a minute or so before moving forward again. Erin sat up and pushed herself to her feet. “We’re at the Count’s manor.” Quickly, Erin straightened her dress and stood perfectly straight, her spine doing its best impression of a lamp pole. Erin glanced back, “Straighten up, Ashe. Sammath, you too.”
Sammath grinned impishly, and Ashe immediately knew what was coming, “That’s a bit bigoted, isn’t it, Erin? I can’t exactly help my sexual disposition, can I?”
Erin shot Sammath a glare, “This isn’t the time, Sammath. So, if you can’t stand tall or think of anything helpful to say, I don’t want your mouth to open.” Sammath opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted. Erin closed her hand, giving Sammath an intense side-eye as she angled her head towards him and pursed her lips, “Bup.” Sammath raised his hand, index finger pointed upwards, and began to open his mouth again but Erin just repeated the gesture, “Bupup.” Sammath deflated, “Got it?” The Volkarian nodded and Erin turned back around to face the carriage door, just as the motion of the vehicle stopped, “Good.”
With a light click, the carriage door opened to reveal a large man. Huge shoulders and massive muscles strained against the fabric of his suit, which resembled Sammath’s, “Count Trillden, so good to see you. I wasn’t expecting to have you greet us personally, but I must say that it’s a pleasant surprise.”
“Welcome, Duchess.” The count’s voice was deep and rumbly. Not nearly as deep as Cab’s, but deeper than most people. Extending his hand to Erin, Count Trillden helped her down and it was only then that Ashe saw just how large the man truly was.
‘He’s nearly the size of a fully grown demon.’ Cab interjected, reading Ashe’s thoughts, and Ashe could hear the amazement in the Demon’s tone, ‘Does he absorb size with his Bloodline?’
Standing next to the Count, Erin looked like a child. The palm of Count Trillden’s hand was the size of Erin’s head, and she barely came up to his ribcage. The worst part was, Erin was already taller than both Sammath and Ashe at nearly 1.9 metres tall. Sammath was shorter, at probably around 175, and Ashe was shorter than both of them at around 145 cm tall, though he hadn’t measured in a while. Count Trillden seemed to be clocking in at around a whopping 320 cm tall. His head literally looked at the carriage roof, and Ashe had to bend over backward to look at him in the eyes.
Contrary to what his height belied, the man was also built like a bodybuilder and had shoulders as broad as Ashe was tall, if not wider. Ashe stepped down the stairs of the carriage and, as he did so, he realised that he could probably walk under the count’s legs without brushing his head, even if he didn’t bend forward. Sammath followed Ashe out of the carriage, his jaw dropping and his eyes popping out of his head at the man’s sheer, mind-boggling size. He opened his mouth wider, as though to talk, but a glare from Erin silenced him before he could say anything.
“Welcome, friends of Duchess Dawnblaze. I am Count Trillden.” Extending his hand, the Count unfurled a finger to Ashe, “Apologies for not using my whole hand, but I find it difficult to properly shake hands with most people.”
Ashe gave Count Trillden a polite smile, “That’s completely understandable.”
Sammath, his mouth still hanging slightly open, was given two of the man’s fingers to shake, before the count turned around to begin talking to Erin as he led them deeper into his estate. Sammath leant towards Ashe, lowering his voice, “I’m not hallucinating, right? He’s a giant.”
“One that can almost definitely hear you, Sammath.” Ashe moved ahead of Sammath before he could say anything more that could get both of them in trouble. Following the count through his estate, Ashe began to look around. Surrounding the group, a huge garden was filled with the chorus of birds. Ashe could see dozens of them flying around the estate, even as they walked. Beautifully maintained flowerbeds, well-trimmed hedges, massive trees, and more.
In front of the group was a large manor, built primarily of white stone and with a green roof, the manor was only one storey high, but was still quite tall. Instead, much of the manor’s floorspace came from the sprawling nature of the building. Flanked by two tall pillars, the building’s entrance was large enough to accommodate even the huge Count Trillden without him having to bend down.
Glancing back, the massive count noticed Ashe looking around, “Like the grounds?”
Ashe looked towards Count Trillden, “I do, yes. They’re quite beautiful.”
Smiling, the count nodded, “Thank you. They take a lot of work and money to maintain, but I believe they’re a worthwhile expense.”
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Sammath frowned, and Ashe sighed, knowing that they’d be hearing about it later. Soon enough, the quartet passed from the beautiful outdoors and into the shade of the count’s manor. Moving down hallways of white stone covered with carpets and walls decorated with an amalgamation of tapestries, paintings, and plinths bearing vases and busts, the quartet passed many servants, who stopped and bowed to the count and his guests before continuing on with their jobs. Once or twice, they passed members of the Trillden family, who greeted the count with a respectful ‘Patriarch’ before continuing with what they were doing.
Throughout the walk, it was clear that Sammath was growing more and more disgruntled, but he held his tongue admirably. Eventually, the group reached a room with closed doors. Pushing them open with no visible effort, the count invited the group into what appeared to be his personal study. As he passed through the doors, Ashe saw that they were made of stone and were nearly half a metre thick, and they were at least four metres tall. Either the doors were extremely well-engineered, or the count was even stronger than he looked, which was insanely strong considering he looked like he could wrestle a fully grown bull without much effort.
Inside the study, the entire floor was carpeted, and shelves made of the same white stone as the rest of the building lined most of the wall space. Directly behind the count’s desk, which was covered in paperwork and had the back of a wide, leather covered chair rising above it, was a large portrait of someone whom Ashe could only assume was one of the Trillden ancestors. Made from a dark wood, the count’s desk matched the size of the man it was designed for, and it was about as wide as the count’s wingspan and was deep enough that the man could comfortably rest his forearms on the wood. The only thing that didn’t seem to match was the height, which was about the same as a normal desk.
Count Trillden gestured for his three guests to take their seats, before he walked around his desk, at which point the height disparity of the desk was quickly explained. On the other side of the desk, Count Trillden seemed to be sinking into the ground, and Ashe could only guess that he had a recess in the ground to account for his ridiculous height.
Sinking into his chair with a sigh, the count leant backwards and rung a small bell. A servant poked their head in through the doorway, and the count spoke to him, “Please prepare some tea for our guests, Anders.”
“Certainly, sir.”
While they were waiting for the tea, Erin and Count Trillden engaged in light small-talk that Ashe tuned out. Ultimately, none of it was important and he wasn’t in the mood for it. Sammath, too, was uncharacteristically silent, but it worked well for the time. Anders came in, balancing a large tray with a massive teapot, certainly bigger than any that Ashe had seen before. Setting down the tray on the count’s desk, Anders moved the three normal-sized cups to the desk first, sitting them in front of Ashe, Erin, and Sammath, before lifting a cup – so large that it resembled a bowl more than a cup – and setting it in front of Count Trillden. The count personally lifted the teapot, and Ashe could see why it was so large as he handled the item with care, making the massive thing seem normal-sized. Count Trillden then carefully gripped each cup for each member of Misfortune with two fingers, moving them closer to the guest they were meant for. As he did so, Ashe realised that the normal cups looked like they’d fit snuggly on the end of the count’s fingers, and he understood why the count had such a large cup as well.
Even beyond the need to have his items larger so that he could use them properly, the count must need far more food and drink to be satisfied than a normal person.
Finally, the count poured his own tea and set the teapot back down on the silver tray, “That will be all thank you, Anders.” Bowing, the servant left the room and Count Trillden took a sip from his tea, sighing in satisfaction. “Duchess, I hear you’ve been causing quite a stir in my city.”
“With all due respect, Count. That wasn’t me. That was between Sammath,” Erin gestured to the Volkarian, “and the noble who extended the challenge. I just happened to be caught up in the aftermath.”
Count Trellden took another sip of his tea, and Ashe followed suit, finding it refreshing and earthy. Tapping his chin, the count looked Erin up and down, “I plan to be attending the fight. I believe it will be a good teaching moment to show my family just how far they have to go. I trust that you don’t plan to cause any more issues in my city.”
“I do not. I plan to finish it quickly, and leave the fool’s champion alive so he has no excuse to seek retribution. He is one of the sons of Duchess Akantha, is he not?”
“He is, yes. Her fifth son, more specifically.” Trillden eyed Erin appraisingly, “Duchess, I do believe that we can help each other, here. You see, Tarik Akantha happens to be… troublesome. I’ve already had to deny him trying to commandeer my own home for his own use. You, I believe, are in need of an impartial judge. I can offer my services in refereeing the match, so long as you get him out of my city.”
Erin smiled lightly, “You read my mind exactly, Count Trillden, and I do believe we have a deal.”
Trillden nodded and sat back, continuing to sip his tea as the conversation meandered. Finally finishing his drink, though, the count leant forwards on his elbows, “While I do appreciate the house call, Duchess, I must inform you that I have too much work to do for our conversation to last much longer, so I’m afraid I’ll have to be a little rude and cut straight to the point. Why did you send me a missive asking for a meeting, Duchess?”
Erin continued to sit straight, meeting the count’s eyes evenly, “I require a favour, Count Trillden.”
Count Trillden’s eyebrows raised up, and he leant back, stroking his chin, “A favour? A favour is a very valuable ask, Duchess. Are you sure you’re willing to pay?”
Nodding resolutely, Erin’s eyes didn’t flinch away from the count’s gaze, “I am.”
Searching Erin’s face for any signs of hesitation, the count smiled lightly with satisfaction, “Very well, then. Ask away.”
“On the course of my mission, I encountered a Demon King, and it requires feeding. I ask if you have anyone scheduled for execution.”
Count Trillden’s eyes widened briefly, “A Demon King, Duchess. That’s a bold claim to make.”
Erin nodded, “It is, indeed.”
“I thought you said you weren’t bringing more trouble to my city.”
“Those weren’t my words, Count.” Count Trillden’s eyes narrowed.
“Is there anything that I need to know about this Demon King?” Count Trillden locked his eyes on Erin’s face, scrutinizing her expression.
“Only that he poses no threat, so long as he is fed. He has been bound by his word not to wreak havoc everywhere he goes, on the provision that he’s fed.”
“And what makes you think that I’ll willingly feed people’s souls to an enemy of the kingdom?”
“I think that you’ll do whatever’s necessary to prevent a rogue Demon King from breaking out in your city. If that means feeding the lives, not souls, of a few people already condemned to death to a Demon King, you’ll do that in a heartbeat.”
Count Trillden glared at Erin, “Threatening someone who just agreed to help you isn’t particularly polite, Duchess.”
Erin maintained her composure, “Trust me, Count. I did not just threaten you. If I had threatened you, you would have known I was threatening you.”
“Very well, then.” While still looking mildly disgruntled, the count at least leant back and began stroking his chin in consideration. “I’ll allow you to go now and get the Demon King. I’ll have my warden meet you and take you to the prison.”
“No need. The Demon King’s with us, right now. We can go straight to the jail.”
Suddenly, the count looked panicked. “The Demon King’s here?! You brought him not just to my city, but into my home.” Wide-eyed, he looked directly at Sammath, then looked away to Ashe. Meeting Ashe’s eyes, the count recoiled slightly, “It’s him, isn’t it?”
“Do not worry, Count Trillden. The Demon King is perfectly harmless right now. He has sworn not to kill anyone who isn’t immoral.”
“I do not care, Duchess. You will take him out of my residence immediately. You will kill the criminals, you will leave my city, and you will remember that I did you this favour because I will be calling it in, especially after you just threatened the lives of my entire family with the demon’s presence.”
“As you wish, Count Trillden.” Erin rose smoothly, bowing her head lightly to the count, “Thank you for the tea. It was quite delicious.”
Ashe felt somewhat awkward as the huge man looked at Ashe with undisguised terror. Ashe stood up, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, “Uhhh. It was nice to meet you, Count Trillden. Your home was quite beautiful.” Ashe tried to extend a hand for Trillden to shake, but the count pushed his chair backwards, leaning as far away as he could from Ashe. Awkwardness piled up as Ashe, instead, clasped his hands and bowed to the count. Sammath stood up, and moved closer to the count’s desk, clearly finding amusement in poking towards the count who shied away from his touch.
“Sammath!” Erin’s harsh voice rung out, ending Sammath’s fun, “We don’t need to antagonise Count Trillden any further.” Sammath frowned and glared at Erin, but walked towards her anyway.
Instead, in a show of defiance, Sammath pulled his shirt out from his pants and undid his top button. When Erin frowned at him, Sammath disregarded it, “I said I’d dress up for the meeting with the count. I didn’t say anything about afterwards.”
Sammath slipped out of the office as Erin held the door open for him, and Ashe followed shortly after.
Just before slipping out of the door, Ashe heard Erin say one last thing to Count Trillden, “I trust that I don’t have to tell you that the information about the Demon King remains between everyone who was in this room, including the servant you have hidden behind your ancestor’s portrait and the one hidden behind that bookcase, Count Trillden.”
Seeming to muster up some courage, now that Ashe had left the room, the count spoke once more, “Is that an order, Duchess?”
“If it needs to be.”
Ashe imagined the count nodding, “Very well, then. Perhaps I should warn you, Duchess. Next time you think of trying to snoop around my home, do remember that birds may be diurnal, but they do wake up when people are moving around their homes. Next time, neither I nor my pets will be so forgiving.”
“I’ll take that into consideration, Count.” Erin swept out of the room, and into the hallway. Both Ashe and Sammath, who’d been waiting for Erin in the hallway, followed the woman as she strode through the mansion, composed but looking like she had some place to be. It was only when they emerged, after Erin spoke to the driver of the count’s carriage and ordered him to take them to the jail, that Erin let her façade slip even mildly. Immediately, her face relaxed as she leant back on the pillows, “Well, that went better than I was expecting.”
Sammath’s eyes widened, “What were you expecting? Did you think we’d have to fight our way out of there, against an Established?” Erin just leant back further, relaxing into the cushions, “Erin?”
Soon enough, the carriage ride stopped, and Erin stood up. Still in her dress, she led the way out of the carriage and both Ashe and Sammath followed her. There, she was met by a relatively plain man with receding brown hair, stubble coating his cheeks, and a body that wasn’t fit, but wasn’t large either.
“Good afternoon, Duchess. I am Warden Ullric.” Warden Ullric, Ashe wasn’t sure if that was the man’s given or family name, greeted Erin with a bow.
“I see the count sent word on ahead. Did he say what we are going to be doing here, today?”
“No, Lady Dawnblaze. Only that you have brought an executioner for some of the criminals that are sentenced to death.”
“Good. It will remain that way. Please, can you bring me the files on the prisoners?”
“Certainly, Duchess. I’ll have one of my men do that while I bring you to the execution chamber.” Immediately, Warden Ullrich gestured to one of the guards standing by the gate, and he saluted before running into the prison. As the guard disappeared, his motion brought Ashe’s attention off the rather unremarkable warden and to the building itself. Like the warden, the building was… plain. Grey and drab, it was a rather uninspiring building, though Ashe imagined that was the point. After all, if a prison fostered feelings of hope and daydreams, people wouldn’t be so fearful of ending up inside one.
“Thank you, warden. I appreciate that.” Immediately, the warden set off, guiding Erin, Sammath, and Ashe through the administrative halls of the prison and to a small room. Inside the room, one of the walls was completely transparent, and it looked through into a small room made of stone.
“Here is the execution viewing chamber, my Lady. As you can see, we no longer conduct executions in public as the risk to the populace is too great. Instead, anyone closely related to or invested in the prisoner can watch from this room.”
“Can they see us?”
“No, Duchess. The wall on the other side is covered in an illusion that makes it mimic the walls around it.”
“Good. Now, please could you leave the premises and only have each prisoner brought in when I ask for them. I don’t want any guards in this section of the prison.”
Warden Ullrich looked concerned, “Are you sure, Duchess? Prisoners sentenced to death are quite troublesome.”
“I am certain. None of the inmates will be a problem. Now, please bring in the first prisoner and the documents for all three.”
“Very well, Duchess.” Warden Ullrich bowed, and left the room, bringing his guards with him. In short order, two guards walked through the door to the execution room, dragging a man wrapped in chains with them. Large and muscular, both of the man’s arms were shackled to his feet and his chains glowed brightly with suppression Runes. Long black hair and a rough beard covered his dirty face but composed, steely grey eyes took in the world around him. A metal chair was brought into the execution room with the man and was bolted into the floor before he was chained into the chair. Erin seemed to be watching impassively, while Sammath was frowning in the corner. Ashe, however, began to feel something pervade through the numbness. As he looked into the man’s eyes, even though he knew the man couldn’t see him, Ashe felt guilt and nervousness wash through his body.
Ashe kept his gaze on the man’s eyes and knew that he’d never forget this image. Cab was strangely silent, the characteristic background noise of the demon’s constant remarks having faded as the demon realised that Ashe needed the silence. Ashe stared through the wall at the man, taking in his unbroken posture and the haughty pride on his face, and realised that he didn’t think he could kill this man. Even if it wasn’t actually Ashe killing the man, and it would be Cab taking his life, Ashe would be condemning the man to having his life stolen from him without even a fight. Ashe would be deciding that the man deserved to die, without having been wronged by the man, and he didn’t think that he would be able to live with himself if he just sentenced him like that. If Ashe were to kill the man in combat or self-defence, when the man was coming at Ashe with the intention of stealing his life, Ashe would be able justify killing him but, seeing him sitting there like that without any way to defend himself, Ashe just didn’t think he could do it.
“I can’t do it.” Ashe’s voice was soft when he spoke, but it was still clear in the small, empty room, “I don’t think I can kill him.”
“Really? You can’t kill him? Or you won’t?” Erin’s voice was uncharacteristically soft, almost… understanding… as she asked him.
“Can’t. Won’t. What does it matter? He’s not dying either way. Not by my hand or Cab’s.”
“It matters, Ashe.
“Fine. I won’t kill him. He’s done nothing to me. I haven’t seen him do anything, either, and I’m not going to condemn someone who might be innocent to death.”
Erin pursed her lips, “Alright. But before you decide anything, I want you to look at the files on the man.”
Ashe considered Erin’s request, it seemed… reasonable, at least, so he agreed. Pretty much perfectly on time, the warden came back into the room and handed two files to Erin, “These are the prisoners that we can execute now. Anyone else has to wait for family and friends.”
“That’s fine. It will be enough. Now, please. We need some time. I’ll call you when it’s time to bring in the next person.” Once again, the warden bowed and retreated out of the room. Erin looked over the documents, just two pieces of paper, and then handed one of them to Ashe, “Read this.”
Ashe looked at it, only to see that it was written entirely in Arikaran, “I can’t-”
“Have Cab read it to you, then.”
Instead of replying, Ashe looked down to the paper, ‘Do you think you can help, Cab?’
‘If it might get me some food, then yes.’ Ashe felt Cab move to the forefront of his mind and begin actively viewing things through his eyes. It was a weird sensation. Normally, Cab would just read through Ashe’s memories to see what was happening, so having the demon take an active role in Ashe’s body felt unusual. Not unnatural, but… different.
‘Long Wuying. Heretical Cultivator. Cultivates Pain and Fear Qi elements.’ Cab began to read, and Ashe’s stomach immediately began to sink. He thought he already knew where this was going and, if it was true, he might actually change his stance on killing the man, something that he really didn’t want to do. ‘Charges: Kidnapping, Torture, Murder. Known victims: 13 Children, 7 Women, 4 Men. Preferred method of killing: Wuying ties his victims up and gags them, then makes dozens of small lacerations on the victim’s body to stimulate their pain and fear responses. Over a period of days, he would torture the victims with his Qi Techniques and then cultivate from the Pain and Fear Qi they would release.’
Ashe let out a shuddering breath. If what this piece of paper said was true, then Long Wuying was most definitely someone that he would be fine with killing. Cab continued reading.
‘Verdict of Sentence: Execution. Extra notes: The Order of the Solar Storm has been contacted. Long Wuying is also wanted for execution in their territory, and they wish for us to kill him or give him to them to kill. Why the order wants him is unknown. Current conjecture is that he stumbled across a heretical cultivation manual and began practicing its Techniques to take revenge against someone. We hypothesise Wuying tortured and killed the child of a Sect Elder or someone else important. Have contacted the House of the Crescent Blade to obtain more information. Wuying’s cultivation manual, currently translated as Sorrowsong Path/Path of the Crimson Tears, has been processed and sent to the Vault. The Order has requested it back, but I believe it prudent for us to remain in possession of the manual.’
Cab stopped reading, and Ashe realised that the document ended there, ‘Thanks, Cab.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Cab seemed uncharacteristically sombre, his tone low and his voice completely calm. The rumbling mirth that normally seemed to accompany his speaking had turned to gritty steel. It was then that Ashe remembered one of Cab’s personal morals; children were never to be harmed. It didn’t matter if you were a man, a woman, or anything around or in between. It didn’t matter if you were from the Order, the School, from Druzland, or even if you were a human, a Cored, or a Fant. Cab would mercilessly kill anyone that got in his way… unless they were a child. To Cab, it didn’t matter if the child would grow up despising the demon and lusting for his death, he’d spare the child and deal with the consequences if or when they came to kill them. In fact, Ashe thought that being a child was the only reason Cab had taken the role of a passenger, rather than the driver, in his body when he was possessed.
Ashe looked to Erin and Sammath, “I… This is a lot to take in. I’ll need to talk to him before deciding anything.
“Of course.” Erin was gentle, gesturing for Ashe to go ahead, “Take your time.”
As Ashe left the room and the door shut behind him, he saw Sammath lean towards Erin and whisper something in her ear. Erin shook her head, speaking in Shinian that she almost definitely knew Ashe would hear and understand, “It’s his choice, Sammath. He must do it himself.”
Behind Ashe, the door shut with a click and Ashe felt a flash burn through him as he realised what Sammath had asked. Sammath was trying to make choices for him… again. Ashe pushed the anger away, though, as it wouldn’t help him. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Ashe opened up the door to the execution chamber, right next to the observation room’s door, and stepped inside.
As it turned out, the warden had been telling the truth. The wall into the observation room appeared to just be a normal wall, looking like plain stone. Ashe closed the door and faced Long Wuying, just looking him up and down. Long Wuying, in return, eyed Ashe, “This is who they sent to execute me?” Long Wuying spoke in Shinian, his accent clearly from the Order, “A child who’s probably never even seen the blood of a man.” Long Wuying began laughing, “How rich. I don’t know how they can expect you to even pierce my skin.”
Ashe’s voice was quiet but resolute as he ignored Wuying’s taunting, “Did you do it? Did you kill them?”
“Come closer, boy, and I’ll tell you.” Long Wuying sneered at Ashe.
Ashe did as Long Wuying had asked and stepped closer, already knowing the answer to his question and already knowing that the man wasn’t repentant. In fact, yes, there it was. Wuying had been hiding the true lengths of his chain behind the legs of his chair and he suddenly lunged forward with his chain, wrapping it around Ashe’s neck and restricting the blood flow in the arteries either side of his neck. “Free me now or the boy dies!” Long Wuying yelled, tightening the chain around Ashe’s neck and making his face slowly start to turn white, but not yet trying to knock Ashe unconscious. Ashe just stared dispassionately at the wall, where he knew Sammath and Erin were watching.
Two minutes passed, and nothing happened, Long Wuying leaned into Ashe to speak in his ear, hot breath uncomfortable on Ashe’s skin, “Yes, boy. I did it. And I’ll do it again. To you, now, since it seems no-one cares enough to save you. Any last words?”
‘Cab. Make sure it’s quick, or they won’t let us potentially execute the other one.’
‘He deserves to suffer.’ The demon’s response was snarled in anger.
‘I agree, but the next one might be worse. You need to kill this one quickly, so that they’ll give us the option of killing whoever’s next.’
‘Fine.’ Cab spat out mentally.
Ashe turned around, contorting his body so that he looked Long Wuying in his steely, grey eyes, “Yes. I’d like for you to meet my friend. He really, really hates people that kill children.” Immediately, Cab flared up in Ashe’s mind and Ashe felt as the Demon King’s power began to exert itself over his body. Ashe let his eyes turn red with Cab’s power but didn’t give up his vision until Cab controlled every other part of his body. The last thing Ashe saw before the world turned black was the fear in Long Wuying’s eyes as Cab, barely exerting any strength, snapped the chains holding the heretical cultivator as though they were a strand of hair. Long Wuying scrambled back, sheer, undisguised terror shining through his eyes and the crotch of his pants darkening as Ashe’s world went black.
Ashe woke up soon enough, Long Wuying’s body on the floor with a fist-shaped hole through his heart and the raw organ hanging off of his fist, dripping Long Wuying’s blood. Shaking his hand with a distasteful grimace, Ashe wiped it off on the clothes of Long Wuying and left the room. Erin and Sammath both nodded at him as he walked into the observation room, but said nothing. Erin poked her head out the door, yelling to the warden that they needed cleanup.
Ashe watched dispassionately as the guards came and cleaned up the body, eyes wide at the hole punched through Long Wuying’s heart, before bringing in the second person. This time, it was a woman. Skinny and gaunt, she had long, thin, brown hair that stuck together in clumps. Her eyes were sunken into her skull, and, like Long Wuying, she had large, Runed chains dragging her down. Unlike Long Wuying, they seemed disproportionately large on her skeletal frame. Erin wordlessly handed Ashe the file on the woman, and he asked Cab to begin reading.
‘Lynn Hatlin. Inheritor. From the Hatlin family, she can absorb anything that isn’t moving and release their stillness. Charges: Kidnapping, Rape. Known Victims: 14 Men. While primarily using her physical strength as a Count Stage Inheritor, Hatlin employed the use of her Bloodline to help her overpower and sexually assault at least 14 different men. Verdict of Sentence: Execution. Extra notes: Lynn’s family has been notified, and they do not want to watch her execution.’
Wordlessly, Ashe put down the paper and walked into the execution room. Looking around wildly at Ashe’s entrance, Lynn’s wide eyes locked onto Ashe with a glimmer of hope, “Please, kid. Please believe me. They’ve got the wrong person. I’m innocent.” Ashe walked a little closer, though he didn’t get close enough for Lynn to grab him. Moving forward as far as her chains would let her, Lynn fell to her knees, begging Ashe for help.
Looking down at her, Ashe felt his heart clench and he wordlessly left the room, wanting to talk to Erin and Sammath, before he could say anything that he’d regret. As soon as he entered the observation room, Erin spoke up, “Before you go making any decisions, I want to say something.”
“I don’t think that I can do it, Erin. When she looks at me like that, I don’t think that I can just condemn her to death.”
“Like I said, wait until I’ve said my piece before making any decisions, alright?
Ashe frowned uncertainly, “Alright.”
“You know the reveal Rune, right?” Ashe nodded, “You can use it to reveal the truth if you make small alterations.”
“Teach me.” Erin nodded, and sat down opposite Ashe. Ashe followed suit, crossing his legs as he sunk down to the floor, and began to draw on his Ink. As he pushed his Ink into the world, the fabric of reality was displaced by his magical energy as glowing, white lines bled from his finger. Once he was finished with the reveal Rune, Erin had him hold it by pushing a miniscule amount of Ink constantly into the Rune. If he didn’t do that, then reality would bleed back into the space he’d displaced and the Rune would disappear, an unfortunate side-effect of his abilities that meant Ashe would never be able to do any long-term enchanting.
Once the Rune, one that Ashe hadn’t actually written as a Rune before but was familiar with, was written out, Erin began guiding his hands with her own to make the small modifications that changed it to reveal the truth. Three small curves and one straight line written in glowing Ink later, Ashe nodded, “I’ve got it. Though I think I could have probably written the Rune’s ‘reveal’ and ‘truth’ and that would have been easier.
Erin nodded, “You could have, but that’s a waste of Ink. Where you can, it’s better to conserve your power in small ways because every little bit adds up.” Ashe forced a quick, flat smile onto his face as he left the room. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself for what he instinctively knew would be coming, Ashe put his head down and entered the room containing Lynn. As soon as he entered, she was back to begging him to help free her and pleading her innocence. Ashe, against his feelings, told her to be quiet. Immediately, he began to draw out the Rune in the air, leaving only enough Ink in his Inkwell for one more Rune; Ink that immediately began draining to support the Rune.
Ashe cut straight to the point, “Have you ever sexually assaulted anyone?”
“No!” Lynn screamed, “I told you. I’m innocent.” While the Rune was normally white, the colour of Ashe’s Ink, it flashed red. Ashe’s face immediately hardened, his doubts assuaged by the Rune.
“How many was it?”
“None!” Lynn yelled, “I swear it.” Once more, the Rune flashed red, and Ashe looked at the woman on the floor, begging with him.
“Was it more than 14?”
“Please. Why won’t you believe me?” Lynn was practically clawing at the ground now, hysterical in the face of her impending execution. Ashe had no doubt that, if she could, Lynn would be clawing at his clothes.
“Was it more than 14?”
“I haven’t done anything.”
‘Cab. It’s your turn.’
Ashe, once again, surrendered control of his body to the Demon King and watched as Lynn scrambled back as Ashe’s eyes turned red. Screaming hysterically, Lynn scrambled on the floor, trying to get away from the demon. “Get back! Stay back!” Before Ashe had fully surrendered control of his sight, Ashe saw her get closer as Cab took a step forward, “No! Somebody! Anybody! Hel-”
Ashe’s perspective turned black.