And Elneshe flourished. Towns and cities were reclaimed from their vicious neighbours. People were liberated, and Legosia’s legend continued to grow. That was, until one day, when the young Remont was given a mission by his King.

-From the 7th Chapter of “The Remont of Elneshe”

Dolish walked through the same few halls for hours. He’d been in there for hours at this point. It might’ve even been a record, for how little the General spent time there. Only this time, it wasn’t by choice.

The hammer of the Armon had come down on him, and he’d been confined. The Armon had told him it was for his own good. But Dolish knew it wasn’t. His Sharpness was blinded by sorrow. Dolish had seen it in his reddened eyes when he met the man.

But no amount of argument had convinced him. It only made angered the Armon further, until the sentence came down for him. He was not to leave his offices until and unless needed. If he was to leave, it was to be under the supervision of His Sharpness’ guards.

No doubt, Yennel had offered some of his own in place of the Armon’s. Dolish had no proof of it, but he could feel it. His Commander abilities were the only way for him to communicate with most people outside now. He read the emotions of those who passed, sensing where they walked, what route they took and what they felt.

The only ones who would stay still the entire day were the guards. And uneasiness shifted around in their souls. But what was there to be uneasy of? They wouldn’t believe he could break out. Not at his age. Not surrounded by Bladeborn as he was. No, there was some other reason for their fear, and Dolish knew it in his heart.

The fear of a secret leaked. Dolish sneered. His prison was more dangerous than he thought.

He leaned back in a plush chair, one that hadn’t been broken in yet. A cup of tea sat in front of him. A servant left the room as he dropped the pot, but not before Dolish handed him a note.

No, he couldn’t do anything in his current state. Leaving would be impossible, not just because he was actually growing quite fond of the peace. But that was the trick, wasn’t it? Who ever said Dolish had needed to do everything himself?

He activated his Commander field and felt the spirit of the man servant moving through the building. The man was carrying a note that Dolish had written. A note that was meant for Alef.

Dolish’s field couldn’t extend forever, he knew, but it let him know when the servant was done putting away the dishes. Dolish could see darkness outside, signalling that night had come. He took another sip of his tea, and prayed that Alef’s Form would guide him through the coming night.

****

Being a Devourer was harder than it seemed. An Afterburner put a bit too much bewl in their jets, they’d just fly faster. If Alef Devoured the wrong material, however? He’d be at risk of breaking his limbs off like paper.

It was that fear that made him jittery. Staying still had never come easy to the man, only being accentuated with his powers.

“What if someone asks what we’re doing here? We should’ve worked on an alibi,” Alef stated. “Or what if they bring a Commander, and he can tell I’m lying?” he continued, to the annoyance of the others.

“Kid, the chances of that aren’t even worth considering,” Borne groaned. the Afterburner sat with his back to a wooden box, scratching his head. His brother, the quiet one, preferred to stand in the shadows. He hadn’t blinked since they’d begun, and Alef found it unnerving.

“I thought that about sleeping under an apple tree once. ‘Why would it ever fall on me?’ Then, boom! face full of fruit not even an hour later,” Alef replied.

“Must’ve knocked your head off kilter too,” Borne mumbled. “Where’s Vaness? She could’ve kept the kid busy,” Borne asked his brother.

“The General put her and Saeda to another mission.”

“Couldn’t she take this one too?” Borne said, pointing to Alef. Bark smiled at him, which made Alef even more uncomfortable.

“Be thankful, Bark. Now we know for sure you’re not the most annoying Bladeborn in camp,” Bark told his brother, snickering. Borne didn’t seem to appreciate the joke, electing to throw stones instead.

Time passed, and Alef wondered if the servant would even arrive. Maybe he’d gotten caught on the way? Tripped and fell. Betrayed them. Or- someone was walking around outside.

Alef stopped thumping his foot on the ground, looking out. A figure stood in between the tents, and entered into the alley quickly.

Alef jumped up, startling the man who had approached him. Without a word, the man pulled out a small note from his pockets.

“General Venastian says this is for you,” he told them. He handed the note off and walked out of the alley as soon as he’d come in. Alef hadn’t even gotten word to confirm if he really was sent by the General.

“Go on, open it!” Borne urged him, and Alef unfolded it. Bark brought out a bewllan crystal to highlight the words.

Borne, Bark, Alef,

I’m hoping this message reaches you soon. You three have a special mission tonight. Soon, Saeda and Vaness should be arriving towards your location. Stay there and wait for them, they have something important for Alef. He is going to play today’s most important role.

Breaking into Yennel’s stronghold.

Alef paused right there. Borne clicked his tongue.

“He’s putting the mission on him?” he said. And right he was. Alef himself couldn’t believe what he was being asked to do. If he was discovered, the consequences would be unbelievable!

“The Lieutenant General’s moved to a stronghold?” Bark stated.

“Must be Renolt’s. Not as if the dead prick is using it anymore,” Borne replied.

“You do know where that is, Alef?” Bark asked him.

The Devourer hadn’t removed his gaze from those words. His hands had tightened around the paper, wrinkling it.

“I…. I can’t do this!” he said, and the voice almost came out as a scream. Bark glared at him, shutting the boy up.

“You’re going to have to. Read on.”

Saeda will provide extraction, and Borne and Bark will keep the Afterburners around Yennel’s stronghold busy. Forgive me, since I’m not there to coordinate you all.

Your job is to find whatever information you can pertaining to Yennel’s objectives, Alef. You shouldn’t find it too difficult, as Yennel isn’t a careful man. The blood Saeda brings should help in this. Be careful, and let your Forms guide you.

And that was it. The note ended there, leaving the group with little to go off of. Alef handed the paper over to Bark, and consoled himself? What was the worst that could truly happen?

He shouldn’t have asked, as his mind flooded with a million possibilities. But if General Venastian asked him to do this, it was something he would have to do.

They didn’t have to wait long for Saeda to arrive. A green tinged portal opened up in the alley, and two women strolled out of it. Vaness held out three vials to Alef, who took it eagerly.

“These are for an Afterburner, Planar and Commander. Do you know how to use them?” she asked.

“No? They never let us practice with blood often. Changes what’s up here too,” Alef said, pointing to his skull.

“Well… try to keep a handle on who you are,” Vaness told him.

“Ready, Alef?” Saeda asked him.

No.

“Yes,” he said, unenthused.

Another portal opened up in front of the Devourer, and everyone urged him through.

****

Alef hesitated. The blood in the vial sloshed around as he brought it close to his mouth. Saeda was off to the side, eyeing him. A red band was tied around Alef’s shoulder, signalling the role he was supposed to take tonight.

“What’s so bad about drinking it?” she asked him. Alef groaned, pulling the vial down.

“I don’t want someone else in my head!”

“Is the change really that jarring?” she asked.

“It feels like I’m sharing the wheel in my own body sometimes. It’s too risky!” Alef said.

He stared at the vial again, then back up at the stronghold. Borne and Bark should be distracting the Afterburner who’s blood he had. And he was wasting the window they’d given him.

He stared back at the vial again, rolling it around in his hands.

“You’d still be you by the end of it, won’t you?” She asked him. It was oddly reassuring.

“Yeah. I guess I would?”

He popped the cork again, drinking it all at once. The metallic taste felt bad, especially knowing it came from another person. Alef pushed through it and let the liquid settle in his stomach, before activating his powers.

He Devoured the blood, and felt himself change. He shrank a bit, shoulders widening. His nose extended and his hair curled inwards. But those were the changes Saeda saw.

Alef himself stopped Devouring once he thought he’d gone far enough. But the changes to his mind, those had already begun. He wondered why he was even doing the General’s dirty work. He wasn’t getting paid enough for treason, that was for sure. In fact, he should go back right now and demand double the pay for even attempting this!

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Alef?” Saeda asked him. He turned to the woman, smiling.

“What’s it?”

“Aren’t you going to go?”

Oh, right. The window. He berated himself. How much time did he really have to waste? Emotions warred in his half-transformed mind, and Alef grew frustrated with himself. Best to deal with it later.

He looked at his hands, flexing the fingers. Now, how does Afterburning work? He was still Devouring the Afterburner’s blood. He could feel it. But there was something else he could now do. Alef placed fingers to his palms and focused on pushing bewl outwards. A jet appeared there, and he put some bewl into it.

A small flame wicked to life on the top of his palm, and he grinned. Alef repeated the process over for his other hand and feet, then winked at Saeda. She gave him a perplexing look, just before he took off into the skies.

Alef stumbled a bit with the power. He hadn’t had the training most other Afteburners did. It angered him a bit to jerk around in the air, and he grunted to get a hold of himself. Righting himself, he set his sights on the Stronghold.

It lay just in front of him. with the stiff motions of an unpractised flyer, Alef landed on the rooftops. There were less Afterburners there than there should’ve been. Borne and Bark’s work, no doubt.

He tried to act casual, strutting along the rooftops until he reached the door to downstairs. Alef eyed around him and entered, quickly moving down the steps.

He popped out into a lavish looking hallway, which immediately alienated him. He never cared much for it, but now the decorations looked particularly gaudy and glaringly shiny. It was as if everything in the entire hallway was trying to blind him, and Alef didn’t appreciate it.

He strutted along as intently as he could, servants and maids moving past him. one of them had a cart of pastries, and Alef took one to munch on. But the further he looked, the less he could recognize.

Another servant passed him again, and again this one had a cart. Alef thought about taking another, but stopped himself abruptly? Did they really need that many sweets going around?

He stepped out of the way of the servant, who gave him a passing nod. The cart was going slow, and yet it seemed the man was pushing it strongly. The way his muscles moved, it was as if he had an entire horse hidden under the cart.

Alef watched as the man receded down the hallway, and followed after. He tailed the servant all the way down to the ground of the building, or so he thought. Windows were barred with curtains, so Alef couldn’t quite tell.

His chase finally came to an end when the servant brought the cart to a door. A Planar stood on guard, and chatted a bit with the servant. He was wearing a forest green cloak, and looked old and weathered. They shared a joke Alef didn’t understand, before parting ways.

The Planar then opened the door and created a portal, but only for a moment. He pushed the cart through and closed it right after, denying Alef a look at what lay beyond it. He needed to get inside there, and an idea came to him of how.

Alef ducked into one of the bathrooms and locked himself in. He stopped Devouring the blood of the Afterburner, and let out a breath of relief. Scratching his head, the Devourer grunted. So annoying.

He pulled out the second vial and took that instead. The Commander’s blood filled his stomach, and Alef could sense it as a different form of power. He began to Devour that instead.

Alef’s figure thinned, his chest busted outwards, and other changes took place along his body. He cursed Saeda and Vaness. They gave me a woman’s blood! He wanted to punch something that instant, but stopped himself. Instead, he extended the Commander field out from his body.

It took him a while to sense the different spirits, but upon doing so, Alef picked one in particular. It was separate from the rest, out where he assumed an alley should be. And then he spoke to it.

Saeda? He asked.

Who is this? A voice replied. One that sounded exactly like the Saeda he knew.

It’s me, Alef!

You took the Commander blood? She asked him.

I did. Thank you for telling me about that ahead of time, he replied sarcastically.

Vaness said you wouldn’t take it if we told you, she reasoned.

Of course I wouldn’t! Weren’t there any other Commanders you could’ve used? He asked.

Not from the store we got these vials.

Of course. And now he was stuck in this body.

Nevermind. I need to know. Are there any other Commanders inside of the stronghold right now?

Vaness and I haven’t seen any come and leave. Did you? She asked him.

Me neither.

Good. That would make the next part of his plan much easier. Alef stopped talking to Saeda, instead picking out the Planar he’d seen before. He could feel the boredom of the man, how it ebbed and flowed.

Soldier.

A shift in the man’s spirit alerted Alef. Did he do something wrong?

Someone else will be coming soon to take your post. You’re to leave for tonight, understood? He ordered the man. Suspicion and confusion bloomed in his heart, and Alef quickly tried to smother those emotions. He worked with a rough hand, however, hoping that the Planar didn’t notice the touch on his feelings.

Are you sure? I thought I was on duty for the whole night? He asked.

The Lieutenant General needs you rested for tomorrow. He has your replacement coming soon, so don’t take too long, Alef ordered him. He bolstered the positive emotions, the ones that made the Planar trust him more, until finally it seemed his suspicion disappeared.

Alright, Madam Colonol.

Alef stopped the communication there, and breathed out once more. He stopped Devouring the Commander blood that instant, relieved to see his body go back to its normal proportions. He patted down his body for any remaining changes, worried that something might’ve stuck.

He knew it wouldn’t, but it didn’t hurt to check. Then, he pulled out the last of the vials given to him, finishing that one as well. A third source to Devour appeared in Alef’s stomach, and he set to it instantly. This time, he grew a bit taller, thinner and a stubble sprouted on his face.

He rubbed the patch of hair. He’d never been able to grow his own, so experiencing what it was like was a blessing. The only downside being, Alef had no clue how to use Planar portals.

He’d never practiced with the powers before, and now wasn’t the time to learn. He replaced the band around his arm with a deep green one instead, and walked out of the bathroom with his head held high.

He was confident the hard part was behind him. What other obstacle could he possibly face? He strolled right up to the Planar, giving him a smile.

“What are you doing?” the Planar asked him.

“I’m… h-here to replace you,” Alef blurted out the words.

What? He wasn’t the best liar, but even his own performance shocked him. the Planar’s eyes sharpened, and he took a proper look at Alef.

“Really? And who told you about that?” the Planar asked.

“S-shindel…” Alef muttered under his breath.

The Planar pulled Alef closer by the collar, scrutinizing him.

“What game are you playing?” he asked quietly.

And then Alef broke.

“I-I’m not a Planar. I’m a Devourer! S-sorry for lying!” Alef blurted out, having to place a hand over his mouth to stop himself from continuing further. Dolish Venastian sent me. It’s him you should be going after!

The Planar’s glare intensified. Alef thought he was done for. But maybe if he begged, they’d let him live? Take the others instead? Anything to avoid death!

“Tsk, knew they wouldn’t send another Planar. I’m not that good,” the Planar muttered under his breath.

“So, you’re what Shindel sends instead?” he asked Alef.

“Y-yes…” he was stuttering still, but he hoped it worked.

“Well, you picked one pathetic Planar’s blood to take. Think you have enough to last the night?”

“I-I… should,” Alef replied.

“Then take the post. Don’t just let anyone in, and don’t let anyone see you drinking!” the Planar gave him some last words of advice, before shuffling off into the hallway.

Alef sighed as soon as the man disappeared. That had been too close. His legs still shook, and he didn’t know whether it was because he was in the mind of a coward or not. Again, he realized how much he hated Devouring blood.

But now that he was here, Alef sighed. He knew what he had to do now, for his own safety. He stopped Devouring the coward’s blood, and switched back to the Commander. The changes were quick, but he still despised the feeling.

His bewl was running low, so Alef drank from all of his crystals. That would be all he had to work with for the rest of the night, so he had to ration it.

He popped the Commander field for a moment, scouting for soldiers or servants around his level. Thankfully, it seemed most of them were far enough away to not notice him. Then, he turned around, and twisted the doorknob open.

Beyond it lay a dark stone staircase, which clashed with the flavour of the rest of the stronghold. There were cobwebs hanging near the corners of the walls, and only a few bewllan crystals lit his way down the dark steps. Alef turned his Commander field off, entered the stairwell, then closed the door behind him.

There had been an oddity, however. Something Alef had detected with his Commander field. He hadn’t seen anyone enter it, but there was a spirit present in the basement. He stepped lightly, trying not to alert the spirit as he descended.

The darkness of the basement gave way to an open space, however. Alef stuck to the walls to avoid being spotted, but he didn’t see anyone down here. Tables and Chains were strewn about the room. The smell of oil was thick in the air, and chains hung from the ceiling. Barrels filled with bewllan of all sizes were placed at the corners. The cart the servant had brought sat in one of the corners of the room, and Alef moved towards it.

He pulled out a bewllan crystal from one of the lamps, using it to illuminate his way. He yanked the cloth away from the cart, revealing a black stained metallic carcass underneath. The sight made him flinch, and he fell backwards.

Looking up at the chains again, Alef saw something even more gruesome. Weaves hung from them like hung men. They looked oddly humanlike, which only made Alef more uneasy.

Had his powers given him a false answer? Maybe he’d thought he’d sensed someone here, but there was no one to be found. He tried to ignore those Weaves, looking elsewhere.

A cell divided the room in half, and Alef saw a figure laying back there under a cloak. There was nothing else in the cell along with him, not even bewllan in arm’s reach. The figure didn’t seem to be moving, and what features should’ve been visible were covered under cloth.

“Hey,” Alef called out to the man, but he didn’t reply.

“Hey!” he called again, a little louder, but the man still didn’t answer.

A rack of keys was next to the cell, and Alef picked one of them off. He placed them inside of the lock, twisting it around until it fit, then jerking open the cell door.

Alef walked towards the man, cycling bewl through his body to strengthen it.

“Hey, are you…” he tried to speak, moving his hand towards the body.

Then it jerked to life. A metal hand moved as fast as a Bladeborn, grabbing his arm and crushing it. Alef let out a yelp, but forced himself not to scream. If his voice travelled all the way up, he didn’t know what could happen. He punched the figure, pulling back its cloak to reveal another Weave.

Pain shot through his hand, but the Weave’s head popped off. Its grip loosened immediately. The Weave fell apart, metal clattering to the ground. Alef backed off from the creature, till his back pressed against the cold bars of the cell.

How… long has it been alive? He asked himself. It was dusty and rusted, so it shouldn’t even have lasted so long. And yet it had. Alef knew less about Soulweavers than he did Planars, so it was only guesswork that occupied his mind. But one thing was for sure, he needed to report it to General Venastian.

He locked the cell door again, taking one last look at the room around him. What was Yennel doing here? Was he secretly a Soulweaver, and working to perfect some vile creation? Or had he found these machines somewhere, and was dissecting them?

Alef expanded his Commander field, feeling around for spirits roughly. The one he’d sensed in the basement had disappeared, which uneased him. He struggled not to glance back at the broken Weave in the cell, instead focusing on the floors above him. And focus he did, because someone was almost at the door.

Alef took a sharp breath and dropped the field. He pumped bewl through his body and took light leaps to the top of the stairwell. Halfway there, the door started opening, and Alef abandoned any idea of quietness.

As the door fully opened, Alef launched a punch straight into the stomach of the maid. She buckled over instantly, falling unconscious. Alef didn’t let her fall, picking up the body and placing it inside of the basement.

He shoved the cart the maid had brought into a random room, then started climbing the stairs.

Saeda, I’m heading to the roof! He shouted in her mind, hoping he’d grabbed the right one. The Commander field showed him other spirits climbing the stairwell, which didn’t bode well.

Coming out onto the roof, Alef peered over the railing where he’d arrived. He searched for Saeda as the sounds of the footfalls drew closer. He bobbed his foot up and down, praying on his Form for the woman to catch him. There wasn’t enough bewl for him to escape by himself. Switching from one blood to another would cost too much. Saeda was his only hope.

Closer. Then even closer. The steps only grew in sound, until it sounded like a hammering in his head. He thought he’d be caught right that instant. Put in prison, charged with treason. Then, finally, a hint of green.

Alef jumped just as the portal was forming, landing on snow on the other side. The green circle closed in the air just as other Bladeborn appeared. He sighed deeply, staring at where the portal had been only a moment before. His breath frosted in front of him, and his bewl finally gave out.

His body reverted to his own, and his mind felt comfortable once again. Alef looked up to where Saeda was standing, her hands held out as if she was making another portal. She held out one of them for Alef, who took it to raise himself up.

“Did you find anything?” Saeda asked him.

“Yeah.”

“What was in there?” she asked, glancing back at the stronghold.

What could he tell her? There were a million points to start from, and he wanted to speak them all. Words jumbled on his tongue, and Alef instead opted to speak of nothing.

“We need to tell the General.”

If there was someone who could sort the jumbled mess he spoke, it would have to be General Venastian.