After this process, we were led to the second ring, with our helpers guiding us, and the guards making sure to let them go through without much hassle, which was something I was getting used too quickly.
I gained a bit of strength with every second I spend near them, their slowly unraveling souls drawing my attention to them as one began to talk.
“Welcome to the family, we offer you teaching in the art of growing your soul and opening new arcane gates, and a large repertoire of destructive spells. We are known for our knowledge of the Anima related, and we know that all four of you have quite the impressive souls.”
He said, gesturing to Ember, me, Hannibal and Nemo.
“A vitus-necros pig that requires a major scan spell to even understand partially, a mostly normal fire mage with a soul that seems to draw on the environmental Arcana as much as the realm of pyro, a cat whose soul and mind seem to be the very same thing, and whatever in all the realms you are. You may call me Frostbite, my brothers here are Moore and Cinder, how are you two called?”
The previously silent one asked, their gaze telling us they knew we were not really part of the family.
“I am Ember, and my brother here goes by El.” I nodded smiling up at the taller people.
“People used to call me ‘Exterminator’ ‘leech’ and ‘devourer’ but El is probably the one I will get in the least amount of trouble for.” They looked at each other and nodded.
“So long as you grow your power, and are willing to be a bit loose with your morals, we are the perfect family for you. Once we are home, remember that it is going to be an endless fight for the title of greatest, and you have about two weeks to get into the academy before waiting another year to do so.”
Moore continued, and I decided to mirror his aura by focussing on necros and aqua, making them suffuse the surrounding air.
“There will be quite a few prejudices against you the moment you enter the academy, and everyone with even a bit of ambition will try to find out your soul grafting technique. What way you use to cleanse them and not accidentally take on their personalities and everything. Use this knowledge wisely.”
It took us another hour of walking before we reached the manors gates, black steel and ebonwood trees making up the outer walls, said plant quickly disintegrating as the three approached.
“Enchanted ebonwood, alchemically treated and a pest when planted carefully, can regrow from any splinter, so don’t get it stuck in your finger.” Cinder said, and just as we passed, the tree resurged where we had just entered.
“Only fire and necros hold it down for long enough so we can pass. A simple safety measure the two of you will not be allowed to have problems with.” He continued, the next area we entered a gigantic flowerbed of black roses and mushrooms of pale gray.
“The blackyard, beautiful place, just make sure to destroy the poison after passing.” he said, and as we passed, beautiful glowing spores illuminated the surrounding air, while the thorns dug into our legs. Like a madman, I cast cleanse and purify, deciding to ignore the person lying in the field.
“If you forget to cleanse yourself, you’ll be paralyzed and used by the plants as fertilizer, don’t worry though, you can still feel everything.”
He explained, the next part a wall of pure black stone with two guards in pitch black armor standing above it.
“Three juniors and four apprentices, no questions allowed. Code twelve.”
Moore told them, a door I had initially missed swinging open after a few seconds.
“You two only need to remember your own rank, and code one, you have to answer all questions, so try not to go by them when doing something suspicious or forbidden.”
Another simple rule we agreed to with a nod, their stride unbroken as the manor finally came into full view, a mixture of mushrooms and black stones, everything in it radiating arcane power and the presence of sygils, some parts twisting and several animals resting against every window or other crevice, five tower like structures being particularly pronounced.
“You will probably get a dorm if you manage to be involved with the college, all you need to do is fill out these forms and apply there in time. Going there is your own job, so don’t mess that up.”
Frostbite told us next, the answer quite easy to understand as we went towards the door.
“Oh, and rooms only open if your blood carries the right permissions, for example, you two have no rights at all until we start the initiation ceremony, so we will escort you to the guest rooms first.”
The moment I saw veins flowing through the building, I was reminded of my hunger, everyone's masks somehow making me forget they could easily be food.
“I will report to father.” Said Moore, seemingly molding into the wall as he disappeared.
“My task now is to get the ritual running, so I can’t risk being late.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Said Cinder next, leaving Frostbite with us, silently walking along ever twisting paths, until we finally reached a room with a normal door.
“A quick warning, invoking the family name in any context has a small chance of alerting devils, priests or eldritch abominations to your position, if you are unhappy with that, you should have remained in the third ring. And while everyone knows the Drema orphanage is run by demons, you never acknowledge it, they are very influential, and we got an understanding, as we tend to be considered as evil as them, that damned leftover prejudice from the last two great incursions. What with the living dead and a portal threatening to swallow this plane, it gets complicated.”
With that, he opened the door and gave us the keys.
“Now go and sleep, we will wake you up tomorrow once the ritual is prepared, and don’t leave, unless you want to be eaten by a building.”
We simply agreed and thanked him for the help as we settled in, putting our stuff on the ground, with me running to the nearest vein and giving it a good bite.
My body shivered, memories on a scale I hadn’t faced before, all transmitted through touch, coursed into my brain as my body was restored, and I finally felt comfortable dressing in more common clothes again.
Getting ready for bead, I simply laid down on a mattress softer than anything I had ever felt, the bed above me looking made for someone much bigger than me, and the pillows letting my head sink in just enough.
I slept immediately after making sure it was clean, Nemo approaching to lay down on my belly while Ember began snoring in the bed to my left.
I had achieved my biggest goal for this part of the plan, only a small waiver to fill out.
A waiver that suddenly began to glow yellow.
Do you want to undergo the compatibility test?
YES
With only one button to press, I did so, suddenly a terms and conditions page appearing which I scanned and then agreed to, before the test finally began.
Name:
Names earned:
Drugs used:
Dependencies:
Arcana available to you:
Refinement level:
Familiars:
Pets:
The first thing was an obvious test, none could possibly be stupid enough to give their real name for this, so I simply entered El Narm, the last thing the name of the family I was currently joining.
To names earned, I simply added all the ones I considered important, before looking at the next option.
I had never used drugs, so I left this one empty.
My dependency on the life force of others was probably not something I should enter into the dependencies, but if they were even partially the organization I hoped they were, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
In the Arcana section, I filled every Arcana except spatium, as there was no reason for me to become even more of a national emergency than needing to eat people required.
My refinement levels were nothing I would hide, so they quickly entered before I mentioned Hannibal as my familiar and Nemo as my pet.
Name:
El Narm
Names earned:
Devourer, slime exterminator, titan maker, Elemental, Devil slayer, Undying, Unbound
Drugs used:
None
Dependencies:
Relatively fresh corpses as nutrition.
Arcana available to you:
Aqua, Necros, Lumen, Null
Refinement level:
Body: 2 Mind: 2 Soul: 4
Familiars:
Hannibal, a Vitus attuned hog.
Pets:
Nemo, a cat with unspecified powers.
To say my night was beautiful would be an underestimation, no one quite appreciates a good nights sleep until they had to sleep in the cheapest beds available for six months straight, most of which were my own sleeping bag, until that time I lost it to a particularly annoying animal.