Albert of the Circle

"We have achieved half our goals, I think we should quit while we're ahead," Diana says to a small group of us gathering some of the ore under the noses of the Sandorian metallurgists.

"We have just about enough to fashion a small weapon for each of us. But we all know the spirits will want their share, I say we continue." Adrian says before going deeper into the dark hole.

"I'll keep watch," I say quickly and move smoothly out of the tunnel. Sharing a look with Yolanda before heading to the entrance.

The entire area we've cordoned off using wards, no one can sense any magic taking place within this area and there are only six of us searching for this particular deposit.

I look around and start drawing sigils on the barks of trees, inviting the creatures of the beyond into this plane. Adrian has no idea how right he is, but they won't share any of the ore, they want all of it.

I used the six soul stones I've been saving up these 12 years to power the spirits into being anchored here. The stones themselves powered by the death of six newborn slaves, the common part of the ingredient.

What makes them rare is that no one knows how they are made, they can only be mined in certain places for now. Places the ever elusive Eskimo people are yet to let slip. But all our spies are sure soul stones are mined not made, and the Eskimo seem inefficient at it because they trade so few each year to the circle.

Just enough for one stone a year for everyone in the inner circle. Yet extorting exorbitant prices for each. If we had time we would have taught them a lesson in respect. But of course that would have brought too much attention to us as we aren't the only people they trade with.

The spirits are empowered and take on the forms of serpents before flowing into the tunnel. I know Yolanda will do the rest, or at least I hope.

It isn't long before I feel the ground vibrating slightly, small stones crumbling onto the ground. Lights and some sounds coming out of the tunnel mouth.

That will be Yolanda having surprised attacked Diana, the most troublesome one not being given a chance to escape. Then while the rest are distracted the summons will ambush them, easy.

I start preparing another sigil on the ground, using my mana, the maiden blood of a raped virgin and my very last soul stone to power it. An Avatar of the great spirit Vritra manifests.

"You have done well Albert." The thing says without preamble as it senses the raw unbound celestial ore within it's vicinity.

"Thank you great one." I say with a bow, prostrating myself. I am not a warrior as my bulk will attest, nor really much of a mage.

But none are my equal when it comes to summoning, and all my summoned spirit creatures are two or three times more powerful and substantial than anyone else's. And that's before I use the power within soul stones for summoning.

The spirit creatures I've just summoned are on par with Awakened Magical beasts of the second level. Adrian, Diana, Fistio, Vostok have no chance against six of them in such confined spaces. Not if Yolanda managed to kill Diana on her first attack.

The avatar I've just raised is not to be involved in the fight for it still has a contract with Damian, the master of the Circle.

Once the fighting quietens down one of the snake spirits returns, already more than it was when it went in. Having gorged itself on the raw ore they had in their possession. The spirit creature changes form into that of a woman and sighs as the sigil I used to summon it frays and sputters before breaking. Leaving a scorch mark on the tree.

The woman/spirit remains though looking around with a smile as her flesh becomes more substantial by the moment.

"Well #&$&#6$$." she says to the avatar.

"I leave the rest for you, our agreement is done." She says before walking away naked as a new born, for she is a new born. She gives me a pat on the head on her way passed.

Yolanda comes stumbling out a moment later. One arm hanging limp and half her face shriveled and blackened.

"You have done well mortal child." The avatar says waving an arm filling Yolanda with energy. I scowl at her fortune. That energy should have been mine, but no one appreciates the art of summoning as they should. Even the filthy spirits!

I school my face with a smile as Yolanda is restored and the avatar turns to face me. "Leave, I will take care of everything from here."

"Yes great one." I say kowtowing again before dragging Yolanda by the arm well outside the wards.

I know the sadistic nature of this particular spirit, and if it doesn't want us to see what it does to the ore it exhumes that fine by me. I prefer dealing with more malleable spirits anyways. But one must do what one must to survive.

"You fully restored yet?" I ask as we get far enough to slow down.

"Just about, I'm not sure I killed her. Bloody bitch was quick." Yolanda responds. I grunt at that.

"Let's get off this stupid continent before Damian realizes we betrayed the Circle without betraying the cause. I neat loophole to exploit considering the severity of the marks on our souls." I say.

"You know his name?" She asks surprised. I snort at that.

"As if I'd let a man soul mark me without knowing everything about him."

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Yolanda nods as move from the trees to the vast open grasslands of the tundra. Only place to take over is behind these small hills, otherwise anyone can see you coming kms away.

I like that Yolanda doesn't underestimate my genius. Probably the only reason I involved her when the spirit of Vritra approached me.

"Do you think he will find the others within the Circle?" She asks after a few moments.

"They aren't to reveal themselves as betrayers till after the ceremony. By that point the soul marks will have faded. He won't be a problem."

"Then they will kill him." Yolanda says.

I snort at that. "If they want to die horribly they will kill him."

She raises a questioning eyebrow at that. "He's that powerful?" She asks surprised.

"Not that much more powerful no, but very clever. Anyways it's not him but his father that's the problem. The old fucker always avenges his children, he is known for it."

"Who is his father?"

"Ever heard of Aaron the Black Wizard?" I ask.

"Shit!"

"Exactly."

‎ *

Unknown/Damian

"Something is wrong, Diana's group should be back by now."

I say looking at everyone around me in the eye. I know everyone here a little better now as a side effect of this little excursion. We've been together for over a year now, almost two when including travel time to get here. Some of them I realized I have much more in common with, others that I despise to the core of my being.

"Could be they got delayed by all the fighting." Robert adds with a shrug.

"None on this little continent are their equal, it wouldn't even be a match. No, something went wrong. Assad, you and Florence go check it out. Send one of your agents to the nearest barbarian battle group to check their movements, and another to check the southern allied armies."

Both Florence and Assad leave immediately, my two most trusted left hands. Florence's trustworthiness only recently fully established but he's already proving himself invaluable.

"Alright on to more important things. We all saw and felt the birth of a new world and we all heard the message from the world. This new 'earth' is to be a refuge for the coming calamity.

"Everyone is on high alert for what we are about to do so I want us off this rock and onto Pangaea as quickly as possible.

"Asgar, how much ore have we collected?"

"Something close to 420kgs." The old man says without hesitation, him being the current keeper of all that wealth, something that both guarantees his life and imperials it.

"How soon can we get all the necessary ingredients and work the circle?" Uria ask to be scowled at by the irritable Cecile.

"We were at least a year away from activating the circle and it will take at least another five to seven years to fully activate it unless we depopulate a small city in sacrifices." She says annoyed from her excavation of ore, something she sees as beneath her.

"Something that would call too much attention onto us. No, seven years is early enough. We've made enough enemies as is." Nadia says sagely.

In contrast to Cecile Nadia has discovered that she thoroughly enjoys this little continent and its isolated innocent people. A woman that has never left Pangaea that is discovering her love for exploration. At only 63 years old she is the youngest member of the inner circle.

"It would be quicker if we used the ore to fuel the circle." Arinius says, silencing the room.

The man is very strange, being the only Romanæn amongst either inner or outer circle no one really understands him. Then he says something like this and I no idea of whether to kill him quickly or appease him.

The fucker is too loyal to whatever spirit he worships. Who in their right minds would sacrifice such a treasure for the benefit of a spirit they don't even understand? This is why I hate zealots.

We all look at each other before continuing with our preparations to get home. Its always best just to ignore the Romanæn if no one else agrees with him. He has his uses though, being the only one amongst us that has any grasp on this new type of sorcery known as faith magic.

Very powerful thing faith, but makes absolutely no sense to anyone who isn't a believer. Follows no discernable patterns of logic, faith. I shake my head just thinking about it.

By the time Florence and Assad returned with a catatonic Diana struggling spiritually with a spirit trying to possess her we are ready to go.

Even as Assad gives his report it is immediately apparent that fat Albert betrayed us. No one else would have been able to manifest a spirit strong enough to give Diana such a challenge, not even in her injured state.

"The remains of Fistio, Vostok and Adrian are all we found. Not a speck of ore anywhere within the vicinity. And no sign of Yolanda and Albert." Assad finishes his report.

"I always knew not to thrust that fat fuck." Uria says with venoms. Its surprisingly Nadia that seems most distraught as she looks at Diana.

"Ok, we can't dedicate the time needed to look for them. And though they've betrayed us personally they haven't broken the contract we made with the spirits or they would be dead.

"We will carry Diana back to Crestia and leave her at the manor as comfortable as we can make her. We can't dedicate anyone to guard her either though besides the servants and spies-"

"There is a team of four members of the outer circle on this continent taking care of an errand," Assad says and it immediately clicks what that errand might be.

"Who?" Nadia ask.

"Questico, Skhar, Scarpa and Joseph."

"Pffhh... That brute and the eery twins and the kid that let himself be possessed.''

"They will do, I will do a sending and contact them as soon as we are out of this tundra and tents. Let's go, we will discuss everything else on the way."