Things had been going so well. Where did it all go wrong?
Of course she found what she needed in the Appendix: How To Use This Book. In fairness, it had been the first place she’d looked when she got the book, and was how she got her first Skill from it. What she hadn’t expected was that reading it for the fourth time revealed hidden pages, expanding the Appendix. Four, the number of death. She had been less than pleased by that revelation, but the new technique gave her greater clarity into the book. Into the world.
[Reason In Madness], the Talent the Book had imbued in her had a hidden option in her lists—she didn’t know information like that could be hidden! It allowed her to recognize the unseen patterns that had eluded her, and expanded several sections in the Book. Literally! But it also… scared her.
It wasn’t unheard of to gain Talents from Artifacts—that was the way such powerful items changed their wielders. If you used them long enough, you became more like them. The speed of growth though… a Skill could have taken days, weeks, or even months to learn, based entirely on the amount of Experience she had to spend and her rate of gaining it.
But a Talent? You had little to no control over gaining them. The Book… had chosen to give it to her.
The only other Talents she had were her natural born Talent and her Bloodline Talents. To get one from this Book suggested that despite only being a copy, it was still an Artifact all on its own. With this granted power, she would be able to better categorize the Book. To learn all its secrets.
She just hoped… it didn’t open her up to too much danger. It wasn’t too late, right?
She called upon her [Mental Notation] Skill once more, and began to work.
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Things had been going so well. Where did it all go wrong?
She had gained three degrees of Insanity. A type of harm, targeting your Stability, that was as rare as it was hard to cure. The effects could be crippling, often taking lifetimes to resolve if ever! And that was only for a single one!
Why had she read this book? Why!? She was going to die soon, sure, but that was a blessing compared to what could happen to her now. She could feel it eating at her mind. Thankfully [Reason In Madness] let her hide her Insanity. It was better no one knew yet. No one must know. Did she know?
She hadn’t read too much, right? She’d been sure of it. There was still a chance to salvage it all. There had to be! She could complete the Ritual. She had to.
She had found the knowledge needed to change her stupid Scrying Ritual into a proper Summoning Ritual, target beyond the Umbral. After she got what she needed she could… find a way to deal with the other issues! She just needed to read a bit more, that was all. Everything would start making sense soon. Right? Just read… a little… more.
She could feel the Derangements clawing gnashing gently caressing her mind, but Sigils and Wards she’d put in place from the Book were damning protecting her. She’d need to go back over them everyday to stay safe, but she was already used to having daily chores her life depended on, so what were a few muttered prayers to add to the list?
Besides—she was almost finished! Yeah!
Blood something dripped down her face as she breathed heavily and rapidly, working on the last section of the Mandala. She was so close, so incredibly close to being done. It had taken her far longer to get here than she planned, but the glowing Artifact was still working in spite of her delays. It was fading though; its light wasn’t as bright as before, and the young girl surmised that at this point she had hours at best left to her. The timing seemed odd, was it deliberate?
While her family wouldn’t find her immediately should it fail, there was no way the Estate’s Wards wouldn’t detect the unauthorized ritual quickly considering where she was casting into, and especially considering some stupid little brat kept banging at doors looking for her. Her sister or something? The stupid little devil didn’t matter. None of them mattered. ONLY ∀ΧγΓ⊥Η∂Þ MATTERED
For the Summoning, since she couldn’t clarify the knowledge she needed, she used her own Pattern’s ailments as a point of sympathetic reference. She’d summon something that had a similar Status Effect, but was older. If they’d lived long enough they must have been cured, right?
Using the Book’s charts, she’d narrowed her choices down to a similar category of Material Realms that were as similar to Ænerith as she could find in the sprawling cosmological charts. She’d ultimately decided on one that had an oddly powerful sympathetic link. A mirrored world perhaps? Or maybe I should go with—
“No, stop it! This one will have to do, I’m running out of time!” She chided herself… out loud? Internally? She wasn’t sure.
She put in some redundancies into the Mandala, just in case the primary target didn’t work out, and laughed in glee at her own genius. The Mandala was beautiful, filled in with red liquid to channel the Essence perfectly.
The extra Sigils she’d added thanks to the Book were a wonderful addition to the room’s atmosphere, though it was a shame she’d never learned to make them herself rather than just scribe them from the Book. They just had such a great effect on an area’s resonance! It didn’t feel so stuffy anymore, instead it felt like hands were delightfully wrapping around her throat and squeezing. She could barely breathe, but it didn’t stop her giggling.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
It was amazing the progress she’d made in her Ritual Specialization too. The things she was learning from the Book were so amazing she’d been unable to stop herself. She…
What was she doing again? Oh Right!
More blood mingled with tears. She’d cut herself again, but ignored it while muttering prayers under her breath. It was just one of dozens of cuts anyway, each felt better than the last. An odd, noisy part of her mind chided herself, her state of dress was practically filthy and she was acting crazy.
Hmmm, noted. She’d remove that part of herself later on if it kept bothering her. She knew how to do that now, after all. Hehehe! Her heart pounded furiously encouragingly in her chest, a warning that she needed to slow down and stop before she died.
Just a little more. A few more lines, a few more Sigils. Utter a Prayer of Dissonance to appease the Eye so it didn’t See, but she was so close. Just a little bit… a little bit more and…
It was done. Wait, it was done? She stared at it. She’d done it? Really? When?
It burned her vision, but she’d gotten used to that feeling. She also felt hot, so maybe all of her was burning? She couldn’t tell for sure—she’d never been hot in her life. Maybe if she clawed her eyes out, she’d feel better? She was fairly sure she would. They were itchy, which was the first sign that it was trying to see through them.
See through her so it could see her and wear her and be her.
A small egg had already hatched inside her, but she had put that one there. It was young and would try to rapturously devour her, but it was necessary and wonderful. If anything saw her casting out in the Umbral Realm of the Dark Expanse she’d smell like an Aberration and they’d leave her be. Besides, she could get it removed later. It wasn’t like she was becoming Aberrant or anything… just harboring one temporarily. She’d be fine! Right?
Probably not.
She scratched worriedly at her face before wincing. She’d forgotten how sharp her Black Adamant fingernails were since her ring of slashing resistance had worn out. Maybe I should get a new one? Or just grow scales instead of flesh… she contemplated her choices as she absentmindedly licked at the blood, cutting her tongue in the process. It tasted like delicious pastries and steamy romance.
She couldn’t stop her [Perfect Smile] as she stared at her finished masterpiece. Her cool tears falling in equal parts joy and sorrow. She was glad it was done, but she looked at the glowing Artifact. If she stopped to rest now, it would fade and that would be the end of it. All of this, for nothing.
But would she be able to push herself through to the end? Hadn’t she had more time? What was happening?
If she was a hero, like from her stories, this would be the part where she pushed herself despite her ailing form. Freaks like that constantly pushed themselves past the point of defeat to overcome insurmountable odds. But she had no Levels. She wasn’t a Powered Core. But…
No, she couldn’t give up! Not now, not when she’d finally finished.
The young girl dragged herself towards the middle of the Mandala. The formation was drenched in blood as she’d ran out of bandages to stymie her bleeding a while ago. Would she bleed out? No, that was ridiculous. She just needed to flex her muscles harder and go beyond her limits! Soon she’d have the answers she needed, and then she’d have her grandfather cure her of her . Everything would work out. She was so sure of it. Life wasn’t fair, but she’d turn it around.
She had an odd desire to knock on wood, but ignored the burgeoning sympathetic behavioral link as she began to chant. Rituals didn’t necessarily require chanting, but magic required a paradigm to shape your will through. For this ritual, she’d decided to use the lethal wonderful words she’d found in the Prayers Section of the Book. After a moment and a brief surge of excruciating pain ecstasy, the young girl stopped draining herself of her small Ki pool before it killed her.
Oops! Jumped the wand there.
She’d spent so long thinking about all the amazing things she’d do when she was the world’s greatest Sorceress that she’d overlooked her current crippling limitations. What a silly mistake to make! Oh well.
Her heart pounded fast enough to burst, nearly in time with the child frantically hitting the door leading outside the room. Huh, she found the right door in the end, it seems. No matter! The kid was worried about someone or somesuch, but that meant nothing to the soon-to-be-greatest-Sorceress. The noisy parasite can just go bother someone else for treats! Hmph!
She dragged her failing body towards the table on the far side of the room, leaving a trail in the blood as she inadvertently traveled back through some of her earlier puddles. She tsked, when she realized she left the Artifacts separately for some reason and moved to get the rest of what she needed.
She made an agonizing slow quick run to check the Obfuscation Artifact once more since she was having difficulty seeing as everything kept getting darker, then made another pass to complete the pentagram. It wasn’t necessary, but it was good luck.
Besides, the excess liquids would get burned off when the ritual started, and fill the room with a delightful bouquet. Yeah!
Once she was back in the middle, she put on the circlet and concentrated through the orb to begin her casting. What was the crown called again? The Inevitable something of something for hurdadurr? She giggled, none of this mattered, and her head felt so delightfully light right now. Her stomach did too, but that was probably because she’d vomited somewhere around the grand Artifact of something or other.
Soon. Soon she’d be free, soon she’d be whole. It was so close; she could taste it. She could scream it, she could sing it, she could name it. So close… so awfully close. So horridly close. Her heart palpitated in desperate arhythmic anticipation as it slowly died. She was so close!
She just needed… what did she need again? Right, she just needed to start the magic up, and then lock it on. That was why Rituals were so awesome! Spend all that time making them in peace, and then just start ‘em up bitches! Hahahah!
She was the first piece, and she could already feel the magic humming as she clumsily calibrated the foci, errant magics ripping through her flimsy flesh. Huh, she’d never realized how soft the underside of her skin was until now. Yeah, new experiences!
As the Orb glowed in a dark violet light a portal began to tear open above her. The Darkness screamed in euphoria as the world around her plunged into black.
Soon she’d pierce through the Dark Expanses, into worlds unknown screaming in agony and joy the whole way!
The inky blackness was perforated by an endless amount of speckled dots. White hot furies that existed beyond the beyond, stars and gods each and all. Her ritual oriented itself as blood burned and tendrilled beings covered in eyes and teeth feasted on the offerings. None saw for all was seen.
Soon she’d touch onto whatever alien mind had or was near the source of what she needed. What was it again? Oh right—knowledge. POWER!
Into a new world, so similar to her own. A world starved of magic and of purpose. A dreamless, grey wasteland of a world filled with sorrows and shadows. A memorial to all that was lost. The Truth called to her and she screamed out as she began to die. She ShOuLDn’T Be HerE.
Soon, she’d have knowledge! The knowledge to save herself, and to become the greatest Sorceress alive! And to Feed it. She’d just have to get her hands a little dirty.
Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Something was wrong.
The thing in her brain was growing, purring in its contentment like an animal. This was a good place to be born, and things were going well. Soon.
The magic started to break down as the screams began. The girl’s mind collapsed as the spell unraveled. Existence frayed as reality backlashed at her. As the crown on her head shattered, and the orb in her hand imploded, devoured by a mad god of some long distant world. As the portal ripped to pieces, splitting the moon on its stand, and the room cracked and broke. The People Would Die, and All Would be Broken. It was…
Soon. So incredibly soon now! She just had to… start it up? Wait, no it was already ignited, of course! She just had to speak the final words… right? No, the first ones! How did it go again?
…the beginning of the end. The Ritual collapsed, and worlds collided. The game was on. The girl only had to die to make it happen.
It started…? Right! The words were—
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please, forg—
In the beginning. A young girl completed her grand working.
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