Halark

For all the fears he'd had as a young man crossing the Glass Sea, Halark couldn't see himself anywhere else but right here in Reshinir. Sure it was much hotter here than Astoria had ever been, but Astoria was going through the beginning of their fourth civil war when he'd left ten years ago. The trip had taken the better part of six months, and without the nautical charts that wouldn't come until recent years more than half the people who'd embarked on the voyage had died. Finding work in the new land came easier than he'd expected; apparently a few of the Astorian explorers believed lost to the Glass Sea washed up on the shores of Reshinir.

The more important people living in Reshinir knew bits and pieces of Astorian, which in turn led him into the employ of the young Shekh Yatu. Halark preferred not to recall the things he lost in the past, but due to recent events the Council of Shekhs had decided to welcome in a delegation from Astoria. If that wasn't bad enough they were all royal nobles from the North and West; being from the Southeast Halark decided he'd avoid speaking with any of the guests.

When the afternoon of the guests' arrival came Halark was forced away from his spot in one of the Shekh's many pleasure tents. Knowing he'd continue to refuse to go near the Astorians Yatu had left ha final option: he could leave the Shekh's employ, or he could assist Yusra with whatever she might need. Since she'd found the crystal casket beneath the Eastern dunes, a usually uninhabited region lacking the oases essential to the Reshi way of life. Stories of the criminals that vanished out into the wilds where she kept the beast that had slept in coffin where a regular tale told to the new recruits. 'If the fools only knew how bad it really was.' Over the past three months Halark had eaten less than he had while starving on the boat, and not for lack of trying nothing would stay down for long: He'd been living off hard bread and water for the last three months thanks to that old witch's nightly visits to the southern wilds.

Yursa had been the one to drag Halark out of his tent once the sun had gone down, it was a part of his daily routine to complain about how such a beautiful desert flower would take time out of her night to do what she did: Her answer was also routine "I am a daughter of the oldest Reshi shaman, it is my duty." Thankfully this would be the last night Halark would have to assist Yusra with her bloody tasks with the Astorians returning to their home he'd be able to get his old comfortable job guarding the pleasure tents. One more night that was all it would take, it wouldn't be bad the beast was usually docile until Yusra ordered Halark to throw one of the criminals into the pit. Once the blood started flowing Yusra's chants would get louder as she offered the beast and blood to the only god the Reshi worshipped: Death.

Hex

'You know, for a moment back there with the gifts I thought your luck was better than mine Hex. Seeing you here now though we're just about even.' The Shadow's voice had been my only other constant aside from the nightly visits from the witch the one who spoke more called Yusra. She was a small unassuming thing with bony limbs that seemed ready to give at even the slightest breeze, but she had power of some kind. The shackles secured around my wrist, ankles, and neck had kept me from moving freely; the worst of it was the messages from my system.

[ Due to penalty restrictions placed on the Player (illegal summoning from beyond the Realms) their true status, stats, and the system's assistance have been locked away until the penalty period is over. Causality penalty time period: 3 months. Time remaining: 10 minutes. ]

Three months chained in this pit worrying over Pixie while the Shadow told me how I should act. The one thing he didn't suggest was attempting abandon the sleeping faerie. Over time my body adapted to the elements within the first week until I could sleep no matter what time of day. I'd woken up naked, the only clothes around being the rags on whatever remained of the nightly sacrifices. It was always the same each time, the old witch would have one of her assistants cut their palms, and then the chanting would start. During my first night I couldn't understand her words, but the compulsion spell behind them was still there though. The smell of fresh blood along with that spell stole my mind from me no matter what I tried, even forcing myself to lose consciousness only meant struggling for a little less.

"Tell me Player if our luck is equally shit why haven't you taken control again and plunged me into the bloodiest battle we can find?" It was strange talking to what was essentially myself in that pit, but I'd learned to practice the Reshi tongue, as well as Infernal the language of the old gods. When Player spoke in my mind it was Infernal, but speaking Infernal aloud brought strange stares from the ones that followed Yusra, even the beautiful assistant with almond eyes that never took their eyes off me. 'My name is Damien, don't call me Player: I'm nothing like those sadistic bastards. As for why I haven't done that? I can't anymore, I permanently gave you the...controls so to speak.' I could see the shrug he'd make if he were standing with me in the pit, and as if by my request I saw a phantom arm in the corner of my eye. "Could a restriction get placed on me if I get to Astorian land, or is this the one and only you know about? Like Below's gifts?" I only mentioned the old god to goad him, but apparently staying in my mind meant knowing the intentions behind my every word.

'I won't humor that last little bit, but I do know of ways we could avoid other restrictions the gods have in place for you. You only need to worry about the restrictions you might have in Reshinir, I only know so much with the system locked. In short I'm as in the dark as you Hex, good luck until I know more.'

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

After that I was forced to wait the rest of the time in silence, no matter what I said Damien had decided he wouldn't speak until the system unlocked. I spent the time doing what I always did, counting the grains of sand until my eyes closed. My consciousness came back to me suddenly when I heard shuffling footsteps followed by a voice with a snarky tone. "I hope your crimes were worth it scum, cause now that you've insulted Shekh Yatu you'll die a dog's death." I raised my head, and let out a loud sigh as the timer hit thirty seconds: I needed a distractions I did what came to mind. I spoke. "Halark doesn't your voice get tired of that whole speech? They've already shit themselves walking here I can smell that from here."

I'd never spoken in such a clear Reshi tongue, I'd practiced mimicking the way they spoke to each other every morning and the look on Halark's face was reward enough. "Did you shit yourself now too big man? I'm sorry I'll kill you quick once I'm free." That was it, a threat from someone who couldn't possibly look threatening at all inside this pit. I hadn't eaten right since waking up for whatever reason nothing seemed to satisfy my stomach, and there was never enough to eat. Halark was built to look threatening, and while I'm sure he'd gotten through most of his life like that I could see a real fear behind his eyes.

I would've gone on if I didn't see the old witch crane her neck to whisper in the ear of her closest assistant. They were shorter than everyone around them, and most of their features were hidden behind a veil. Yusra held a knife to their open palm right as the time hit zero, Damien was watching too because that's when he spoke up. 'Auto-level now!' It was the first time he'd shouted, and maybe that was why I listened: That and I could hear Yusra starting to chant in the Reshi dialect I couldn't understand which meant I'd lose consciousness if I didn't escape quickly.

[ Auto-level up selected 4000000/4000000 Experience points spent. The Player's body will now go through an extreme transformation over a quick period of time. We are sorry. ]

"We?" I'd asked the question aloud, but in confusion I'd spoken in Infernal but even if Damien answered I lost my senses the moment after as pain shit through my body while a flash of light filled my vision.

Halark

Halark was no stranger to fear, he'd grown up living alone in a world where demons could be hiding in the faintest shadow: The fear he'd felt once that thing in the pit spoke was still too different to bode well. He'd almost told Yusra not to continue with her ritual, but before he could speak the old witch had already cut through Arinta's hand. 'The poor girl.'

Arinta was shaking with fear the entire trip that night, Halark was sure she'd cursed her brother silently making her travel with his witch. The merc veterans has told him Yusra had looked ancient when she'd served their father, but recently she'd grown frailer. It was common to see the old woman bundled up in thick blankets no matter the time of day, and many of the other Shekhs ignored the old woman whenever they visited Yatu's dominion.

Despite her apparent frailty Yusra cut through Arinta's hand with unexpected strength, and the girl cried out despite herself. That was when he heard the beast speak again, but he spoke in that strange tongue. Halark had turned expecting to see that small hint of fear that came to the beast's eyes when Yusra finished her spell, instead he was greeted by a flash of bright white light. When Halark's vision came back he saw that the sand at the bottom of the pit had turned to glass, and all that remained of the chains was a pile of molten metal. 'Where did it go?' Halark's unspoken question was answered when he turned to see Yusra, and Arinta: The latter had her veil removed and he could see tears falling down her unblemished cheeks. The beast held Arinta in place with a hand placed on her neck while his gaze turned from Yusra to Halark, and back again.

"Release me from this spell witch, or you'll need to explain the girl's death to your Shekh." The beast spoke in perfect Reshi, in fact his manner of speaking was strangely akin to the way the noble class was taught to speak. Halark was at odds with what his instincts told him; on one hand Yusra's beast had torn through every kind of creature she had pitted against it, on the other the beast looked nothing like the scrawny blood soaked wraith from the past three months. He looked strangely like the effigy burnt into the medallions of the Vampire god priests back home come to life. It brought an old hymn he'd learned back to the front of his mind. 'The Heir comes! His hair the color of starlight, and arms bearing the Dragon's mark. He comes to free us from false gods!'

Halark had laughed at the hymns as a child, and as a young man he'd completely ignored the priests talking about their god's inevitable return. Now as he stared into eyes with a kaleidoscope of colors that gave nothing away he wished for a helpful hymn about calming that god down. Halark was still towering over him physically, but somehow the creature seemed to emit a power that made him more wary. Yusra was the only one who seemed completely unfazed by the creature's transformation. "You will not harm Yatu's flower creature, and I will not free you. If I willed it you would stop living right now, my goddess gifted you to me." The old woman had grit Halark had to give her that, but what good would her grit do when Arinta hadn't joined Yusra's bond with the creature.

The creature seemed to know this as a sneer slowly grew in his face, a squeal of pain from Arinta followed shortly after it. Yusra didn't break though, instead she decided on a war of attrition: Her spell would break the creature before it he could kill Arinta, Halark could already see the spell's influence. Thick crimson blood poured like tears from the creature's eyes, nose , and ears while the hand holding Arinta began to shake. "My goddess gave you to me beast, I gifted you to Yatu, and he in turn has given you to Arinta. You will submit." Halark stood open mouthed as the hand holding Arinta opened, and a fount of blood poured from the beast's mouth before he fell over unconscious, or dead. Dead was the better outcome in Halark's mind, but as Yusra dipped the tip of the dagger into the beast's mouth he knew she hadn't killed him.

Yusra finally let out a heavy sigh of relief as her work completed before she placed a hand gingerly on Arinta's head. "Now you will forever be safe my Desert flower, none will ever conquer the beast save you." The old woman bowed with enough reverence that Halark was worried her spine might break, when her 'daughters' bowed with her Halark was forced to go along with it. He immediately regretted the decision when his eyes met the beast's, still wide open and conscious. Halark could finally see something behind that curtain of changing colors, a hate that promised an equal return of the pain given. Yusra spoke again once she finished her bowing, and her words added another pile of stones in the pit of his stomach. "We'll take him back to prepare him for our trip across the Demon Sea with your brother's visitors."