Dennis was sitting in a throne made of bodies. The corpses of the high kings and would-be emperors that dared to usurp their rule. They were frozen and petrified, then carved and cut into mere bricks and tiles for his seat of power. Cubes of frozen eyes, kidneys, hearts, and brain matter were arranged into a grotesque seat of graphic beauty. Finger bones and pelvises formed a crown at the headrest of the seat, while stomachs and organs filled with eyes were cut and shaped into elegant armrests that showed the speckles of color from the irises of the would-be usurpers.
It was a monument to cruelty and a testament to those who fell due to their hubris.
Dennis wore a crown of teeth and rubies with symbols of power etched into their core. He wore a regal red cloak of skin transmuted to gold and scarlet colored malleable metals, along with a robe that made of intestines, dried and artfully woven into the pattern of a tree reaching out and covering him in its branches.
One would look at him and only utter the name that was drenched in blood and infamy, Lich.
The eight old men and women kneeling before him were the merchant lords of the Black Box Merchants Guild. They were accompanied by knights and spellswords, heirs and advisors, who all bowed just behind them.
They came to him and offered riches, treasures, favors, and tomes, all for the purpose of doing one thing, to extend their lives. They come to him to FILL the wasted time and extend their lives. They want him to FILL their lost youth back into them.
He does so, for what reason does he have to deny them? He does it because they can pay any price, for even these men and women fear death, fear age, fear losing all the wealth they’ve ever accumulated.
“Arise!”
Their personal guards simply stood back, surely an order made by the lords. Be it out of pride or stubbornness, he was impressed by the scene.
The old fools with aching bones and loose skin struggle to get up from the position he put them on. Some were having difficulty breathing, some were shaking, and some were pulling their canes in dear life. With great difficulty they rose up from their prostrated positions and looked at him with their milky eyes, half-way blind with age and experience.
Despite this though, Dennis would commend them still, for their eyes still bore a piercing gaze. It showed a life filled with the willingness to overcome any struggle and intelligence to sharpen their craft, traits that Dennis could find honorable. Their hands were still and calloused, adorned with finery, but was sure to have been gained by blood, sweat, and tears. They still tried their best to stand straight, even though their age would have bent their spines askew. These were the merchants lords he knew.
Dennis stood up, his height dwarfing the little warriors behind the seven lords. They would barely pass as guards for his standards.
He strode up to face all seven of them. They looked like children to him, frail and so simple to crush. Skulls as big as his fists, and struggling to pass his chest in height.
“Merchant lords, it is with great joy that i would see you all again.” He leisurely circled them all, like a predator playing with it’s prey. “When we met, you were all but young upstarts still wet behind the ears.”
His piercing irises stared at the jewelry they all wore, fine silks and spell woven fabrics draped upon their bodies.
“Hah, now all of you seem to have made somewhat of a passable fortune. But oh, time still comes to us all does it not. The dull blades of time may never cut as deep in a single moment, but they never stop cutting do they. Even now the accumulated cuts weigh upon you, and they drag you further to the grave.”
He traced his sharp fingers, touching all their necks. He felt them shiver, sweat. He used his eyes and saw their souls flickering like a candle on the last inches of it’s wick. He felt their fear of him and of the grave they all run from.
Tension filled the air, pushing even the hardened knights down.
One man who looked like he was barely in his twenties fainted. A thud was heard and one of the merchant lords saw him.
The lord looked horrified and immediately spoke.
“F-forgive me milord, he is just a child. I promise to correct his beha-”
Dennis held a hand cutting him off. He smiled.
“Worry not, I am sure he was just stressed from the trip here, hmm? Someone take him to rest.”
He pointed at a random knight, one part of the lord’s entourage. “You may carry him out if you’d like.” Dennis smirked, deeply amused at the scene.
He walked back to the seven lords looking pleased.
“I am satisfied with your offerings merchant lords, but maybe next time teach your children to remain calm under pressure.” He looked at one particular lord.
He clapped his hands and spoke.
“Well then, lets make you kids young again shall we? If there is anything I’d hate more than anything, it’s wasting time. As such, we shall do this right here and now. And who knows, maybe your little guards could learn a thing or two.”
He clapped and started chanting.
The air filled with possibility, with purpose, with wishes. The seven lords froze, as if they were entering rigor mortis despite being alive. Waves of force pushed back everything around them, the stone, the guards, their heirs, and advisors.
Bricks shook as a green light danced and spun, pulsing like a heart that started to beat again.
Without warning he ripped the souls of the seven lords. And they screamed. They screamed the pain, the anguish, the sorrows, and anger they have ever felt. They felt the whole weight of life push on them, forcing them to collapse to a shape they could not conform to.
He spoke a single word.
“FILL”
And something defied all rules of reality. He forced reality to bend to his will and it did so willingly.
The sputtering souls were filled with fuel. The candle that held their flame filled with wax and extended the wick that burned on it. The souls filled with life and vitality.
The flames brightened and filled the room. It was as if a tempest burst out of the seven lords and they became bonfires that blinded the guards behind them.
Then Dennis felt their hearts and flesh beg for his touch, so he gladly gave them their wish.
“FILL”
Another use of the word that encompasses the rules of his being.
He filled dying flesh with life. Old wounds that scarred and festered, were soon replaced by new skin rejuvenated with life. Bones that have lost their stability and have become brittle recovered what they have once lost. Eyes that were once cloudy were now sharp and focused.
And they screamed. They screamed like newborns birthed anew.
Time to finish this.
Power coalesced and pulsed out of his hands. Then he uttered a spell that spoke directly to the laws of reality.
--2nd ANIMACRAFT: SOUL BIND--
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Then he bound the souls of the seven lords to the new bodies. The seven bodies crashed to the ground, cracking the very brick below it.
One moment passed and a heart beats again.
Then a breath inhaled, filling old lungs made new with air.
Seven fit and taut individuals stood up, their hands no longer shaking and their vision clearer than when they were young.
They looked up at the ratkin who simply smiled at his work.
“Excellent, you’re all young again. So, how does it feel? I hope you enjoy my work young lords.” He smirks.
“Now young lords, even though you’ve recovered your time again, I advise that you do not waste it.”
His grin disappeared and his eyes glowed as he uttered the next few words. One that sounded more ominous than any threat or mockery.
“Treat every moment as if it is your last”
“I have seen many just like you who have taken another chance at life only to squander it in a senseless pursuit for temporary gain. After all, it would be a shame to watch my work be destroyed in such a way.”
The seven lords gulped and nodded at his words.
“Good, well then I suppose it’s time for you all to rest. It would be wise to rest when you are in such vulnerable states.”
This snapped them all out of their trances. The lords, even as they are now, were still paranoid individuals. So of course the mention of possible harm that might befall them now would make them wary of showing such a state outside of their inner circles.
How funny.
After this they all bowed and were escorted out of his throne room.
Once they were all gone, Dennis got up and stretched. He bent and cracked his back, hearing a pop and feeling a sweet release of pressure. He also patted his numb butt cheeks as the sensation of cold utterly ceased all sensation that came from it.
Ow, well that’s what I get for sitting in an icy throne.
He stretched one more time before he prepared for his next task, inventing.
-----------------------------------------
Judith was with Tower, who was still wearing rags mind you. She was constantly asking questions, not stopping at all. At this point she was just speaking to herself.
Tower sitting on the floor and leaned on the wall, completely exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot and he hasn’t slept for the whole knight.
“Do you think that maybe we’ll get married one day? Oooh maybe we could get dogs, seventeen is a good amount right? I wonder what weapons she likes. Does she like knives?
Judith HAS NOT STOPPED for a single second, still yapping about her potential yuri marriage and their potential adopted yuri dogs.
At this point Tower did not fear for his life anymore and simply struggled in finding even just a moment of sleep.
He tried to close his eyes, trying to ignore the sounds around him. His exhaustion overtaking him as he rested his head against the wall.
Sleep
Sweet slumber
Then a sound of snapping fingers was heard.
“Whuh?” Tower opened his eyes only to see the red-haired bronze-skinned woman.
“Wake up, you still haven’t told me where she lived.” She held out a detailed mad filled with scribbles and haphazardly drawn landmarks.
He shed a single tear.
“Please, I just want some rest. I haven’t slept for the whole night.” Tower wept.
“Hmm, well why didn’t you say so?”
Judith put her middle finger into Tower’s forehead and felt reality bleed out, as if threatening to spill every moment into each other. A red glowing aura emanated from where she touched then she bled it out.
She bled out damage, strain, stress, and worry out of him. As if a hole was made into his very being and drained the negative feelings out.
Tower then breathed, it felt like he just slept a full eight hours. Like he just went to one of those expensive spas and took a whole weekend of.
“Wow, that felt amazing!”
“Hehe, don’t mention it.”
Judith rubbed her nose.
“So? Where does she live?”
“Oh umm, Sha Hanshas I think. In the novel she was a daughter of a wealthy merchant lord, but the lord died and everything just spiraled downward. Honestly it was a tragedy. She lost everything and started adventuring in hopes of making a big comeback with her fortune.”
“Oh poor girl. Well, not to worry. We’ll just have to go there won’t we.” Judith grinned, gears turning in her head.
“We?”
“Yup, I just so happened to have a new apprentice that fits all the criteria of learning my martial arts.” She smiled wide, her eyes searing a hole through Tower.
“You don’t mean me right?”
Judith nodded.
“You see, you have the word CALAMITY etched into your very being. Dennis told me how the two of you fought and I have to say, you did a shitty job. Luckily, I just so happen to be a master at dealing with WORDS.
And what better excuse to go to Sha Hanshas than to train my young disciple.”
She pointed at him.
“Get ready Yancy Cornman, I’ll whip you up till you could single-handedly deal with titan beasts by yourself. You get strong, I get to meet the woman of my dreams. I see it as a win-win situation.” She gave a foxy grin.
He scrunched up his forehead.
Judith pumped up her fists in the air in pure jubilation.
“This is gonna be so much fun!”
-----------------------------------------
Dennis has been having issues with his, ummm little fella down there. He want’s to stop it from perking up, so he found a novel way to deal with such a thing.
If no pants can hide it, then he could at least stop it from growing in the first place.
He was making a cage! A c*ck cage to be precise. The idea just came to him in the form of a dream one night. He intends to make a magically locked cage restricting his body part. Something that he could train himself in, in the hopes for stopping his body from doing things that he doesn’t like at night. Throw in a soulbound feature too for good measure so that he doesn’t lose it.
He sighs.
He still feels weird sometimes. He dreams of things he’s not supposed to dream. His bestfriend sleeping next to him, his smell, his eyes, his pink-
He shakes himself.
Boys shouldn’t like other boys, they should only like girls after all. Who in the world has ever heard of such a thing?!
Dennis buried himself in his hands.
Hopefully after this, I could focus on some work. Maybe that could get my mind off things.
He spent hours molding metal ring out of mythril with a tube containing an opening on one end. A hoop that went on the back was linked to give it the ability to cup his jewels. He finalized a few tweaks on the frame, now he needed to etch some runes.
He gave it the property of size alteration, soulbinding, immutable, and a really powerful lock function. He also made a key to pair with it.
He held it up to admire his work and smiled.
Nothing like a finely crafted artifact.
He immediately went to use it for it’s intended function and took down his pants.
It flopped on the table with a thud.
He held it with one hand and slipped the it in the tube. He then put the hoop to cup on the back.
Without warning it squeezed and adjusted to his size.
“Eeep!” He let out a squeal and lurched a bit. The sensation still felt novel after years of undead numbness.
One more step.
He used the key and activated the magical lock. It spoke a voice that spoke only to him.
[LOCK MECHANISM INITIATED, PLEASE INDICATE TIME LOCKED]
A window appeared before him, allowing him to input a timer before the lock opens.
Feels snug, maybe I should keep it for a few hours before going too long.
The door to his lab slammed open.
“Hey Dennis I need your help with something!” Judith came inside, followed by Tower.
He quickly pulled his pants up, accidentally knocking the window.
[AFFIRMATIVE, KEY WILL APPEAR IN 30 DAYS OF BEING LOCKED,]
The key disappeared from his fingers.
Wait no-
“What’s wrong? You okay?” Judith and Tower both looked concerned.
“Yup, I’m fine absolutely nothing wrong. Nope!” Dennis said, leaning his hand to the table and gave them a twitchy smile.
“Um..well if you say so” Judith raised an eyebrow.
Dennis began organizing papers for no apparent reason. Placing items on shelves only to take them out and place them on a different shelf.
“So what did you need me for?” Dennis asked, smile plastered in his face.
“Well we were thinking if we could travel to the Sha Hanshas Sultanate.” Judith rarely asked for something, so this comes to quite a shock for Dennis. Enough to make him momentarily forget his predicament.
“Why the sudden interest?” Dennis raised an eyebrow. Was there something going on there that he wasn’t aware of?
“Well I wanted to train my apprentice and what better place then the desert to unleash wanton destruction.” Judith said with a smile.
“You have an apprentice? Since when did you have an apprentice?”
Judith smiled and looked at Tower.
Dennis raised his eyebrows.
“Shut up...”
Dennis found that as a great shock. Someone as deranged as Judith somehow found an apprentice before all of us. And that one guy who falls into their lap just so happens to fit her specifications.
“....No way”
Honestly, he’s just shocked, speechless even.
“Yup, I found out that he could learn my arts just recently.”
“Oh..”
He looked at the scrawny boy shivering behind Judith. And he felt pity.
“Oh how I pity you boy, you have no idea what’s gonna happen do you?”
“Excuse me?” Tower spoke.
Dennis suddenly felt tightness in his lower regions. Pressure that he’s never experienced before. Metal wrapped into him and pressed down to restrict his biological physiology. Even the tightness of his clothing makes it harder for him to not fold both of his knees. It was getting itchy.
Shit, I need them out right now.
“Okay okay, you can go.”
He conjured a seal, one that had his unique signature and a piece of his soul, making it impossible to replicate. It was a black cylinder with red markings that wrapped around it like vines. At the end was a circle filled with groves that constantly shift. Then he threw it to Judith.
“Here, take anything you need from the treasury. Get the boy some things too, anything he likes. He needs something to replace what La Hire stole.”
“Thank-”
“Okay okay get out!”
He pushed them out of the door as fast as he could.
He locked the door, making sure that another incident like that wouldn’t repeat.
He needs to take this out. It’s starting to itch.
---------------------------------------------
Dennis spent hours creating a replacement key, one that could instantly open any lock.
It took a lot of his precious materials, things that could only be traded for and never purchased. It took the last primordial dragon bone and angel’s feather he had on hand to create such an artifact.
He was currently etching the magic circuits to give it the property of opening locks. It was a delicate procedure where he shouldn’t make any mistakes.
Just a bit more...
The door slammed open with a bang.
“DENNIS!” Two voices called to him. One gurgled, while the other chirped.
Dennis slipped and shattered the bone and messed up the circuit. Suddenly it started to glow a vibrant orange.
Shit it’s gonna blow up!
A small sun lit up inside his room, burning everything but the most resistant materials. He flung across the room, his ears ringing from the blast.
“Uugh!”
Two silhouettes filled his view. His ears were still ringing.
Stupid living body, I didn’t have this problem when I was undead.
“DENNIS! Are you alright?!”
He saw Charles and La Hire helping him up.
“What in the hells is wrong with you two? You can’t just barge inside a room without knocking first!”
“Sorry, it’s just that we had something important to tell you.” La Hire spoke with a gurgled voice.
He crossed his arms and tapped his foot. His body completely burned and covered by ash, though still capable of showing annoyance.
“Well? Spit it out!”
The two put their heads down, like two kids who were being scolded by their parents.
“I..ummm”
“....” Dennis was still frowning at this point.
“Sorry I forgot.”
Dennis’s eye twitched as he looked at the two grown men.
Dennis looked at the burning room, charred and blackened by the conflagration, then looked at the broken key that was melted beyond repair and cried.