Chapter 25
Kara watched the embers of the fire flutter through the smoke, disappearing into the darkness overhead as she sat on the ground in their small makeshift camp. The air had gone completely still since Silas had collapsed, and only the crackling flame broke the silence. Antony had gone off to scout for potential threats thirty minutes ago, and that was after the heated argument the three of them had twenty minutes before that.
The twins had berated Xavi with questions about the challenge and what it meant to achieve, but he wouldn’t answer. Kara could not ascertain whether it was due to lack of knowledge or withholding the information, but she was furious with him and terrified for Silas all the same. The only comfort the imp would give was that Silas was alive, though his mind was elsewhere.
The knife disappeared from her hand in a fluid motion as she smoothly rolled to her knees at Silas’ side. She moved his head into her lap and held him. His eyes were half closed, and his body would occasionally twitch, but mostly, he sat still with unnaturally shallow breath. He had been in a catatonic state since he destroyed the Elder Goblin, and they had still not decided how they should proceed. Antony had wanted to flee with Silas, but Kara and Xavi were concerned that his body might be connected to this site and were worried that his mind might not find its way back if they left. For now, they had agreed to let her brother scout to buy more time in hopes he would wake.
“Come back to me,” she whispered, letting a single tear run down her chin. The moment the tear touched his skin, all color drained from his face, and he began to convulse. She shouted for Xavi, and the imp shot to her side. “What’s happening to him? Do something!” She demanded, voice full of panic.
Xavi held his hand inches above Silas’ chest and reached out through their connection. Thus far, something had blocked them. At random times over the last three hours, he felt whips of his presence like an echo in a tunnel miles away that reverberated lightly through his soul. Now, however, that feeling was fading further into nothingness. Xavi redoubled his efforts while keeping his facial expression neutral to not worry Kara further, and he pushed.
He pushed with all of his mental might and called out to his companion, “Please, master, do not give up.” Xavi continued to push against the unseen barrier until his nose began to bleed over his lips. He folded his long ears back and gritted his teeth past the pain. Finally, something popped in his mind, and he could no longer feel his presence. Xavi opened his eyes to see a horrified look on Kara’s face. He followed her gaze to a ghostly pale Silas lying limply on her lap.
“No,” he whispered, shock, guilt, and fear welling inside of him. Xavi’s short, stumpy legs carried him two steps back as he looked down at the lifeless body in front of him. Tears filled his eyes instantly, but Silas's eyes shot open before he could take flight and run, and all color returned to his face. His back arched in an unnatural position, and he let out a scream.
Silas’ body slowly floated into the air, the scream never ceasing. Kara held her hand over her mouth with a gasp, tears streaming down her face. Once ten feet off the ground, he quieted and was positioned upright. Six stars burst into life around his head like a crown as his eyes sprung open, and he took a long, deep breath.
Xavi and Kara had to shield their eyes from the light he emitted. Silas floated back to the ground as the light dimmed, where he stood on unsteady legs. Kara ran over and caught him just as his legs failed him.
He looked up at her with a shaky smile, “Ow. That was unpleasant,” he chuckled. “I missed you,” wiping tears from her face.
Kara looked at him angrily, “Missed me? You’ve been unconscious for under three hours.”
Xavi narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, “How long were you gone, Master?”
Silas sat up slowly, guilt reflected on his face. He looked down at his hands, not wanting to meet his gaze. Instead, he looked to Kara, “Just over three years.”
“What?” Her face twisted in confusion. “How is that possible? How hard did you hit your head?” she asked.
Finally, he looked to his familiar, who had a proud, needle-like smile plastered on his face, “I will explain everything, but first, I need food. It has been a very long time since I have eaten, and I am dying to taste anything edible. Maybe Antony can cook something special. Speaking of your brother, where is he?”
Kara shook her head and did the only thing her mind would allow her to do: she laughed. “He will be back soon. He went out to scout and clear his head after everything that occurred. I’ll tell you about it while we wait, and then you can tell us all your story.”
Over the next few minutes, Kara explained what had happened after he fell unconscious. She brought him some quick food, and he ate while the three talked. A little while later, Antony returned, and Xavi explained his request for his cooking to him. He was elated by the request and used the best supplies they could afford to make him a meal fit for a king. A king who had gone camping in a burrowed-out hole in the ground several leagues underground, but a meal for a king nonetheless.
Once he was finished eating, Kara couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer, so she finally forced him to recount what had happened to him.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Silas took a deep breath before he continued, “When I woke, I found myself in liminal space. A world between worlds, as I was told. It was my prize for completing the challenge. That and training with an old Warlock master.”
“His name, stupid human. What was his name?” Xavi interrupted.
“His name was Commander Nevious Locks, and he was a terrible man. At first, anyway.”
Xavi gasped, “Truly? You trained with Commander Locks? He is a legend among warlocks and demons alike. He died several thousand years ago in the first wars.”
“Oh, I know it,” he laughed. “He wouldn’t shut up about it.”
“How did this… liminal space, as you called it, work exactly?” Antony asked. “What can you tell us about it?”
“Very little, if I’m being honest, but I’m getting to that momentarily. Commander Locks spoke to me and informed me that the challenge was to find those worthy of ascension to the next rank. In ancient times, it was used as a right of passage and a way to weed out the weak. He offered my prize as a year of training with him. Naturally, I refused initially, not wanting to abandon you all, but he explained that liminal space is outside our time and moves differently there. One year was equivalent to one hour outside. I couldn’t very well pass up answers from an ancient master of my people, and he promised me he would keep you safe while you were inside the challenge grounds.”
Kara looked at Antony with a sly smile, “I told you so.”
He rolled his eyes and groaned, “Oh gods, I’m not going to hear the end of this, aren’t I?”
Xavi nodded in agreement, a massive grin on his face. “Oh, do not worry, stupid human. The lady Kara and I will harass you with this for many days. Many, many days.”
Silas chuckled, “I really missed you all.”
“Yes, yes, master wants to mate with everyone. Hooray,” Xavi said sarcastically, “Just continue already.”
Ignoring the comment, he continued with his tale, “He taught me one ability and several complementing fighting styles. The ability was a weapon-conjuring skill called Eldritch Weapon, which is tied to the soul stone. He told me I needed to perfect it and the corresponding steps before he would show me more. I spent the next six months being beaten several shades of twilight and other times near death. After each fight, he would restore me through his control over the space, and we would start again.”
“I began to suspect fairly early on that I wasn’t meant to win but for it to break me and mold me into something different. Something heartless and deadly. I refused and continued to take my beatings time after time, day after day, until I finally landed a hit.” Silas laughed at the thought, “I will never forget his face when I drew blood that day. He, of course, beat me even more vigorously, but it gave me hope for improvement. After another three months, I was able to hold my own. We would go for hours before I was struck, and even when I was, it was minor.”
“A couple of days before I was set to return, we were having our usual spar, and a feeling came over me. I moved without thought and used another ability that I was apparently not supposed to be able to access until much later. To both of our surprise, I defeated him outright. He was furious with me and claimed that Pathezaus intervened. He claimed that the use of that ability would get me killed without proper control and that at least another year was mandatory to keep that from happening.”
Xavi lifted his hand to interrupt him, “What was this ability called, Master?”
“Crown of Souls. A master tier spell.”
His familiar gasped and rocked backward, “By all the gods in all the hells, truly?”
“What? Why is that bad?” Kara asked quickly.
Xavi shook his head, “It’s not bad or good, lady Kara, just unheard of. It is a direct skill from our god that is primarily given to only the most elite masters and grandmasters.”
Silas nodded, “It was even worse training that ability because it locks you to an area, so Commander Locks had to teach me two other spells to counter that weakness and defend myself. Those were Circle of Blackness and Summon Demon.”
“Circle of Blackness was a simple enough spell to learn considering the level I had achieved so far, but the other was another issue altogether.”
Xavi cackled at him, “Oh, don’t tell me a couple of low-level demons were too much for your will, stupid human. And I thought you were strong.”
Silas gave him a flat look before he continued, “As I was saying, when you summon, you need to imagine the being you wish to bring into your plane. As you do this, you must open your mind to them to create a bond, albeit temporarily, a bond no less. When this bond begins to form, you pit your will against theirs for control, and if you fail, they can control you. My problem was not with a lack of willpower but with my excess of it. Every demon I summoned would have its head explode all over the training area as soon as they stepped in. I learned that demonic brain matter has a very distinct smell. Would you like me to show you?” Looking straight at his familiar with a sly smile. “No? Well then. Anyway, suffice it to say, I had an issue with the summons, and the remaining time was spent correcting that issue.”
“Did you?” Antony asked.
“Hmm?”
“Figure out the summoning?”
“Oh, yes. I’ll show you all when we continue and train,” he said. “And I do mean to continue down this path we have started if you will all join me?” Silas affirmed.
Kara looked at him hesitantly, “Do you plan on going on any more mental journeys in the near future?”
Silas laughed and held her hand assuringly, “No, and I was told I wouldn’t be able to again for a very long time, so you needn’t worry.”
“Is there still more to find here?” She asked.
“The commander wouldn’t tell me much, but he did say the soul stone was not the only prize. Plus, there will be more ancient glyphs for you to crack as we travel through the ruins.”
Kara smiled happily at the thought of testing her skills further against the ancient knowledge hidden in the depths.
He turned to Antony next, “And you, my friend? Will you continue with me?”
Antony laughed, “As if I would miss out on riches. Plus, someone must have a brain on them in this group.”
Silas bowed his head in thanks and turned to their final companion.
Xavi feigned anger, “Do I have a choice? What am I going to say? Oh, no, master. I’m going to stay behind and play with the remains of the altar to your god you left in the corner over there. I’m going to frolic through the stalactites and let you kill all the fun things. No, of course, I’m going.”
Not surprised in the slightest at his offhand comments, he rolled his eyes at his familiar and nodded towards the twins, “Lead the way.”
The four gathered their things and headed off to the cavern's exit on the far wall. Xavi flew over and dropped down on Yuki’s back as Silas guided her by the reigns.
“Yes,” Xavi whispered behind a wicked smile, “let’s all go and be fucking merry in the dark, ancient ruins filled with death traps, deadly glyphs, and crazed monsters left behind by the gods. What could possibly go wrong?”