Chapter 4: Embrace

Shouts and rapid footsteps surrounded the bonfire as arrows began to rain onto the gathered trolls. Naomi kept her back to the wooden post she was cut down from and stayed motionless while staring at the freshly cut troll limb in front of her.

Trolls ignored their prisoners as they either retreated into their huts or armed themselves with spears and crude shields. Several of the men ran into the tree line opposite of the wooden posts, their bald scalps slowly losing their reflective shine from the bonfire as they ran farther.

Blood began to pool around the severed hand, and Naomi began to shift her vision towards the staff in its grip instead of the hand itself. The orb at the top of the staff was a dull green, swirling tongues of flame dancing within the sphere.

As she stared into the orb, the green flames began to slow, and a quiet humming thrummed to life in Naomi’s ears. “Interesting…” a hushed voice whispered. Naomi started at the sudden voice in her head. She turned left and right to see if that brute troll was back, but no one was around her aside from her fellow captives.

“Be not afraid little one. Look me in the eyes...” the voice whispered again.

What eyes? Not important, c’mon Naomi

Slowly, she reached out towards the orb. Inches from touching it, she hesitated. Her hand retreated to her as she realized how insane she would be to touch an evil-looking orb in a world with rapist trolls.

“Wh-what do you want? Where is this place?” she asked the orb.

No response came. She thought she was insane for a moment, realizing how foolish she looked trying to talk to an inanimate object instead of running for her life given the circumstances.

Suddenly, everything around her went black. She blinked to make sure she hadn’t passed out and looked down at herself. She saw her hand, and flexed her fingers to check if this was reality. In the darkness around her, a green fire slowly emerged in front of her.

The flames grew until the tip of the flames towered above her. Near the top of the flames, two horizontal lines of yellow light began to form. After a few heartbeats, the lines bloomed into large yellow orbs. Two single dots of green lights came to life inside the yellow eyes and slowly moved to look at Naomi. Naomi shuddered as the fire’s gaze met hers, and she felt all her instincts screaming at her to run.

“Better?” asked the fire.

Naomi stayed still, hoping she would snap out of whatever nightmare she was in. “Its not much of a conversation if only I speak you know?” The flames said. Its voice changed from its ethereal whisper into a leveled and feminine voice.

Mustering her courage and reason, Naomi chose to respond. “Y- you didn’t answer my questions” she whispered.

The flames erupted as she finished. “That’s true! But we don’t even know each other yet, so I thought we could try basic manners before asking each other prodding questions.”

“You may call me Cindara. A pleasure, I’m sure. And you, little anomaly, are Naomi Salazar. Born to Oceanside, California, age 24, and assigned as a Priest in our lovely dimension. I went ahead and answered for you since I can tell the whole talking-fire thing is going to hinder our lovely chat.”

Naomi stayed silent, mouth quivering as she absorbed the flame’s answer. “Oh darling, please close your mouth. You’re not one of these troll oafs that are stunned whenever lightning strikes.” “Now, down to business. YOU are interesting. Not because of anything you’ve done, but because of what you are.

A human who, despite all knowledge and laws I am aware of, are the first to be assigned a class and granted powers in our world.”

Naomi closed her mouth and felt self-conscious at her manners. “I saw the screen. It said something about being granted powers of light, whatever that means…”

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The flames flashed red for a moment and returned to green before Cindara spoke again. “Yes…the light. Nosy little gods poking their noses in the business of mortals from time to time, despite leaving them to toil in the mud and shit of the world.” Cindara spat. “Some people might think them to be kind or loving, and yet they suffer their entire lives without a single glimpse of what their potential could truly be."

"Let me speak plainly. I have an offer for you. It will be entirely your choice whether or not you accept, but given your current circumstances I would say it is your best bet of survival instead of being some troll's play-thing or dinner." The flames slowly deflated until reaching Naomi's height.

"Aren't you tired of being so small? Of being prey instead of predator to those who would seek harm against you? Yes, you have been given some speck of magic by an indifferent cluster of deities, but what is a speck in the face of a world, a cosmos, that demands strength? Cindara's voice dripped with mock sympathy.

Naomi felt her anger overcome her fear and confusion for a brief moment. She clenched her fists.

"I am NOT weak." She said through gritted teeth.

More laughter emanated from the flames. Each chuckle echoing in the void.

"Of course not, dear. What I see in you is a spark - no, a blaze, that can tear its enemies down no matter the carnage left in its wake"

"That is why I offer you more than a speck of power. I offer you a direct channel into my strength. We would start small of course, to avoid setting yourself ablaze by accident. But rest assured, that will be more than enough to convince you that it was worth it."

Naomi considered for a moment. Power, not just physical power, to protect herself from whomever wanted to treat her like she was less-than. To protect anyone that needed it. It was too good to be true, but the possibilities were tempting.

"And what do you want in return? I didn't have much before I came to this world, and even less now. Is my soul really that valuable, or did you want my last slipper that badly?" Naomi asked.

"Darling, even if I was before you in my true form I would assure you that your choice in fashion is the farthest thing from my own. No, you can keep your footwear and your soul. I have done the soul-trafficking game before and it bores me to no end. Piling up worthless essences of unimaginative creatures that think only of temporary satisfaction while turning away from the clock ticking away until they inevitably are forced into my purse."

A small ball of fire separated from the main body of the flames and floated in front of Naomi. It began to change shape until turning rectangular and solidified into a black piece of parchment. Gold letters began to manifest onto the page.

"There of course is a simple clause to our agreement. For this power I grant, you are to obey one rule: I call, you answer. That is all." Cindara cooed.

"So...I'm going to be your slave? If that's your oh-so-tempting deal then you can forget it." Naomi said, shifting her gaze back to the flames.

"Oh you simple creature, no. It isn't slavery I ask for. Think of it more as...friends with benefits. The benefits being unfathomable cosmic power of course. I don't see you as some meandering pawn to do menial tasks, but as the potential champion that can best do my will on this loathsome rock of a world."

Naomi thought about the exchange. She looked back at the black page before her and read the contract. There were only a few words, with no ambiguity that she could see:

By this accord, you, Naomi Salazar, are granted the dark embrace of my power, to wield as your own, so long as our pact remains unbroken.

In exchange, you are bound to heed my call, to act in my name when I summon you, your will intertwined with mine in a dance of shadow and flame.

Should you defy this sacred contract, you shall be consumed by the very darkness you wield, transformed into a demon devoid of self, doomed to roam the world in a frenzy of mindless destruction.

Naomi read over the contract a few times trying to weigh the deal.

I've already signed my life away to my student loans. At least this gives something more tangible than my English-Lit degree

The offer was clear, but one thing remained tugging at the edge of her mind.

"If you need a champion so badly, then why not use and protect your trolls? I found your orb with their leader and last I checked he didn't even have the strength to hold onto his own arm."

The flames danced again, and the yellow eyes closed for a moment. The briefest echo of a sigh emanated around her.

"These trolls were an experiment. While they may appear strong and capable of terrible things to creatures like you, in the eyes of the cosmos they are but children blindly grasping for meaning and power. I sought to use this tribe as a means to an end I have been working on, but clearly I chose wrong. I may be powerful, but I am not omnipotent. But all is not lost, as I have seemed to have found a prize worth a thousand-fold more than them. Besides, all that useless elder used my power for was to rise up to a station that he could use to bed the women of his tribe. In his search for power, he has lost what little he gained."

"You, however, I am sure can keep it in your pants."

Naomi couldn't help but chuckle.

There was more to consider aside from the trolls she has had dealings with so far. There was an entire new world all around her, filled with other creatures that could be just as bad or worse than the trolls. She didn't want to just run anymore, not if she could fight back.

"Where do I sign?"