The next section of the journey was a bit harsher, with more and more trees popping up until there were small gatherings of them that never quite turned into a forest, with the ground turning more and more muddy the closer we got towards our target, animals growing more and more sparse, and the trees seemed almost sick, some completely lacking their leaves.

Eventually, we reached a small gathering of huts, the cries of babies and adults alike drew us in, and as dusk began to settle, something else was pulled toward the settlement too.

Our steps quickened until we were all within the poorest looking place we had been to so far, a shanty town without a city to support it, and cripples everywhere desperately clawing for anything they managed to raise from the ground. The darkness within me loved this place, suffering and pain feeding the hollow hunger that my life so far had carved into my emotions, though I overcame it and instead confronted the people there.

“What happened to all of you?” my question fell on mostly deaf ears, with only a single diseased woman came forth, Necros and Tempos raging within her, disease and age trying to claim her life, with probably only days left for her survival.

“We have never been a strong community, merely farmers and a few alchemists trying to survive near the sacred hill we buried our ancestors beneath.” Her tale was interrupted with a dry cough, which irritated me enough to cast purify on both of us, and while I was at it everyone else in the immediate vicinity.

“Thank you, kind sir. Where was I? Ah, right. We had our hill with the buried dead beneath, and then that titan came through. Like a disaster, it tore them apart and ripped the stone right out of the ground, causing earthquakes for an entire day as it consumed our dead. We managed to weaken some parts of its body with elixirs and potions, though that didn’t do much. In the end, it simply left, the dead sprawled out in the massive hole it had left behind, the usually beautiful orchard we took care of now this cursed patch of trees. Every night, the shadows of the fallen stop us from sleeping, our current major trying his best to keep them at bay.”

It was hard to hear that story, and even harder to quench the growing hunger at her description.

“I can probably help lift this curse, though these specters evade my own ability to catch them. The only ritual I know that would absolutely work would turn a person into a beacon for the dead, before I can cleanse them and help them pass on to the next life, quite possibly lifting this areas curse.” My offer drew the attention of all ten of them, many whispering among themselves as I cast purify on everyone that came within range.

“Someone needs to volunteer, or I will do a weaker ritual that might buy all of you another week to flee.”

When the old woman I had just talked to stepped forth, I realized that this journey was perfect. Many small villages I could test my improved rituals on, willing sacrifices for the more macabre of my spells, like the one that had taken a bit of my own inner necros and mutated Embers sister.

“Know that you will be dead once this ritual is completed.”

I remind her, and again she simply nods, thus prompting me to begin the drawing of runes around me, every villager sitting around and staring at the two of us, their wide eyes and rotten bodies almost animalistic as I carve the sygils into the ground with my boots.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Slowly, two full days of my drawing passed, and yet none dared to leave the ritual lest they miss its execution, until I had written two circles, the first being meant to draw in ghosts, ripping a hole into the bit of protection this place still had, and the second being a containment system that would not let anyone without a body pass through.

During the third night I was done with the ritual, my allies going out to hunt every once in a while to keep everyone fed, and then, the moonlight was just right for me to channel a bit of power into the ritual.

Ghosts and spirits dashed into the cylinder, trying to kill our sacrifice only to find her already pretty much dead, they latched onto her soul, wildly mutating her body as she convulsed in my arms, her mouth ripped open to a scream as the darkness tried to ravage her.

When I promised her death, I had lied, and at that point she probably realized it herself, the memories she held diluted by the unbelievable hunger of what must be fifty starved wraiths, and when I was sure everyone we could get was inside her, I kissed her. I had told her about this step, as I would never dare to touch someone without their consent. My tongue latching onto the back of her throat as her insides were sucked dry, every trace of darkness and intestines disappearing into the empty void that is my hunger, I felt my body twist in ways it rarely did. More and more specters flooded her corpse, only to be absorbed by me, her silent screams raging on until dawn, at which point the glowing cylinder disappeared, and her son came to bind her on a cross of wood, which he planted in the center of the ritual.

“Every night, wraiths will ravage her corpse, and within no time, she will be among the undead, unless you find a mind drinker like me, or someone who can drain her of the rot. Also, I recommend you leave me alone in this circle right now.”

He ran, and I saw my hand grasping in his direction as the darkness popped within me, an inky blackness that got quickly sweated out as impurities, only a bit managing to mix with my life force, corrupting it, and suddenly my screams stopped as a new situation was before me.

I was no longer in the self containment with the Idiots who trusted me, instead, I was in a deep crypt, my tongue dashing forth to pierce those who disturbed my slumber, restoring my year-old corpse to pristine condition, until I looked inside a mirror, the only sign of my curse were the inky black sclera and my glowing purple iris. I quickly dashed through the corridors, until I reached the end of my crypt, ready to face civilization again. Hibernation was good, but nothing topped actually being alive. I slowly softened and hardened the tip of my tongue, the spear like appendage at this point more flexible than my arms.

Then, I was ripped from there, instead standing against an army on my own, approaching despite my hostage, which I quickly sucked dry as I realized it was either me or them.

Sure, the moment I drank of them, an overwhelming rush of power flowed through me, increasing my speed and strength a bit, but that was not what I cared for. My main goal was a little different to that. As the soldiers tried to remain calm, my tongue lashed back into my mouth, while a fraction of my own essence remained within them, leaving the husk standing when I took a step back, charging their front lines and impaling itself on their spears to hurt one of them, the distraction enough for me to use the new speed and give another one my kiss of death, which allowed me to proceed and give out kisses as the soldiers had to work more and more against the rising dead.

Most didn’t even hold twenty seconds, but ten were enough for me to turn a person, the strength sucked amplifying as long as I kept feeding, leaving the army swarmed by their own fighters, while I topped out at two times my original speed, the wounds accumulating healed whenever I sucked another dry.

When I turned the commander, he lasted about a minute before collapsing, the essence I had imparted in him returning to me. In my opponents clean steel I reflected myself, my eyes a bit red in the sclera, though the red retracted as the power washed out of me, leaving only my darkened veins as a sign of my corruption.

When I was offered the choice, I chose the latter, a new power for my repertoire instead of improving on my previous two sounded like a good deal.

When I next awoke, I was guts deep in an animal, my allies standing a bit away as I left the circle.

“I recommend a cleansing concoction at least once a month, or you find some way to link it with me, I guess.”

And thus, I left the village towards the river that had built up in the hole our target had left behind, disappearing with the rising sun at our back.

“I think I expanded my soul again, which means I got to sleep tonight.”