The chamber was barely lit. A single etheric lamp, filled with a small, unstable yellow flame, turned the darkness into a panoply of shadows, making the tangled mass of cables and mechanisms that surrounded the throne look almost alive. It made it easy to think of the mummified figure that was sitting on it as a person. It was somewhat harder to imagine that the commanding, ancient voice resided in the ruby, no larger than a date pit.

Although that made it a very large ruby indeed.

Nua was not sure if the jewel on the figure’s head reflected the light or created its own. She approached it with caution, careful not to step on the ancient debris that was lying scattered around. She poked the gem with one finger. It was warm to the touch and had a tiny bright core.

“Now child, I’d like you to listen before you do anything.”, Anki started.

Nua picked the gem out of the headband. It gave no resistance.

“…or not.”, the voice sighed. “Too late. Now that you separated me from the frame, we have about an hour before I crumble to dust and my soul departs to the Otherworlds.”

She looked at the jewel in her palm. It did not look that brittle. How much was an hour, again? She understood the basics, but she did not intuit time like Auntie Hala or other tinkerers. It was not like she ever needed to measure it.

“What? But why? Aren’t the rubies tough? Is it going to explode from all the ether?”

“It is not a stone.”, Anki explained. “It’s congealed soul essence. A way for me to survive even if my body was not supposed to. I’ve planned for you to carry me to a more suitable recipient, but now you’re the only one around, Utu help me. You can still save me.”

“How?”

“Well, it’s not going to sound good, but you need to swallow the gem. This way my soul shall form a symbiotic attachment to yours. We will be joined for as long as I need to recover enough strength to transfer to another body.”

Nua wrinkled her nose.

“I think I got it.”, she finally said. “And I’m not going to do it. It’s gross, it’s creepy and why should I even want to carry in my stomach an ancient Forsaken king, that might, or might not be evil? Just show me the way out. I’ll find you someone.”

“Traversing the dome will take too much time.”, he said. “If you do it, I’ll die.”

“You should be dead for a thousand years now.”

“Listen, child. When I say symbiotic I mean you’ll get something out of this arrangement too. Have you ever thought how different your life would look like if you had power? Everyone dreams about power.”

She hesitated.

“Power, as in being strong, or having ether, or telling other people what to do? These are all different things.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

A moment of startled silence.

“You’re smarter than I thought. Yes, although one usually leads to another. I can make you strong. I can teach you how to use ether. What you do with it, however, will be your own choice, child.”

She closed her hand on the gem. Dozens of thoughts, like butterflies, vied for her attention. She didn’t understand the proposition she just got. It was scary and incomprehensible, and she needed to translate it somehow to fit her own mindset. What would she do if she were strong? For starters, she would help Auntie Hala more than she could now. She could carry stuff for her. And nobody would dare to mess with Nua, or threaten to kill her, not the street thugs, perhaps not even an Overlord’s son.

“I have a name,” she said with her throat tight. “I’m Nua.”

Anki did not laugh.

“No one’s there. Now, that is very traditional,” he said, his voice pensive. “Did you lose your parents early?”

She paused.

“How do you know?”

“It was an old practice even in my time, to give a newborn a name that would mislead evil spirits. So when you talk about the babe, they would not notice that a new, defenseless soul has been born. A proper name would be given when the child turns seven and enters the world of adults.”

Nua tightened her jaw and blinked her eyes very hard.

“Can you promise,” she asked. “That you’re not trying to cheat me? For example, that when I swallow the gem, you’re not going to possess me and take my own soul away?”

“I can take a proper oath.” Anki sounded serious. “I swear that I am truthful to my words. I swear that I will give you power in exchange for keeping my soul alive. I swear by the Sun God, the Trickster Sun, and the Three Sister Moons, so that the heavens can see that the oath is fulfilled, or I shall be devoured by the hounds of the Otherworlds and cursed for all of eternity.”

His voice grew large. It filled the chamber and seemed to transpire into Nua’s very soul. The shadows danced and even the floor trembled slightly.

“What am I even getting into?”, Nua thought. He really made an oath. Hesitantly, she looked at the gem on her palm. Then, she swallowed it.

For a moment, she tried to feel if anything has changed. No difference, except for a scratched throat, an aftertaste of her own sweat and blood, and perhaps a jewel the size of a date pit in her stomach.

Then she picked out some metal plate lying on the floor, exerted her tiny muscles, and proceeded to bend it.

“It doesn’t work.”

“Of course not! It takes time and training.” The voice said. It was louder and deprived of an echo as if coming from the inside of her head. She shuddered.

Then she put two fingers in her throat.

“No, no, no!”

Nua exploded.

“And why shouldn’t I barf you out?!” she shouted, shaking. “Another important guy who tries to trick me, and then what, kill me? So you told me about my parents, and made your voice bigger and what? Liar all the same! I thought you’d at least give me something to get around that monster bug of yours!”

“That I can do.”

“Yeah, and how?!”

Before Nua’s eyes, a shape had formed. It looked like a small bluish cloud, or a flame, or a flame in the form of a cloud. It didn’t have eyes, but it sort of seemed to be watching.

“Aaah!”

“Calm down. Now that I have an anchor in your soul, I can scout us a safe passage. As you can see, I’m immaterial. I am able to travel for a short distance and back.” Anki’s voice was quite smug.

She took a few deep breaths.

“All right…” she said. “You can… travel and see what I can’t see, then return to tell me about it?”

“Yes.”

“Can others see you?”

“No. I have become, I am still becoming, an attachment to your own mind and soul.”

It dawned on her.

“Such ether…” she said. “Things I can do with such ether.”

“Do you believe me now?”

“Nope. I don’t think you can make me strong. Maybe you could if it was someone stronger than me.” She said. “But this will make me the best thief in the Bottoms, partner. I’m not going to barf you any time soon.”

Anki sighed.

“Oh, how low the mighty had fallen.”

“You’re the king, I get it, but I’m the ruler right now.” Nua retorted. “There’s no reason to stay here anymore. I’m getting really hungry, and I’m hurt, and Auntie Hala is sure worried about me. If you’re ready, let’s get moving.”