Bazren: So, Raxyas... Sorry for being so abrupt, but... How exactly does an undead as renowned as you let himself get captured by some no-name gang?
Bazren smiled. Even though her question was a tad too direct, she was genuinely curious.
Raxyas: We got careless... We thought we were up against a single member of the Thirteen... But we were being tag-teamed, instead. My partner and I ended up being defeated by them. Luckily, this group of undead swooped in and snatched us away.
Bazren: Ah... So there were only two of you?
Raxyas: Yes. Me and Xayn, another redeemer from Halgorth. They took him... All I know is that he's alive somewhere, if they aren't lying, that is. We were actually planning on coming here, to Karghna. The plan was to tell master Qu of our mission to take down the Thirteen, in the hopes that he would allow one of his redeemers to join us... Supposedly a very talented fighter, at that.
Bazren: Hahah... A very talented fighter, you say...? Well, perhaps if you had that fighter to aid you, you wouldn't need some group of undead to save you. Shame... Guess I'll have to do!
Raxyas: I'm sure it'll be fi-
Raxyas' head hurts again, he brings his hands up to hold it.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ :this one is stronger than you were... the strongest of all in Karghna. if only she had stepped up to the challenge, perhaps she would have succeeded where you failed...
Raxyas: Goddammit... AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!
The entity disappears. Bazren looks dumbfounded.
Raxyas: Sorry... Nevermind that. I've been getting these headaches lately, they hurt really bad...
Bazren seemed very uneasy.
Bazren: Headaches, huh... And are you okay, now...?
Raxyas: Oh, yes. They don't last long. Don't worry.
She clears her throat.
Bazren: Very well... There's something else that's bugging me. This 'group' of yours... They seem to know an awful lot. They also seem to have quite a lot of undead working for them, right? And yet, they don't even have a name?
Raxyas: Come to think of it... I didn't ask.
Bazren: Hmm... We don't know their name, we don't know if they are telling the truth, they are strong enough to take down at least one of the members of the Thirteen, and they possess forbidden knowledge... They seem to hold a lot of cards in their hand!
Raxyas: Not for long... We'll get to the bottom of this. We'll learn what we can about them, and about what we need to stop the Thirteen. I'm not failing again.
Bazren: Well at least you won't be going alone anymore, so hopefully things will go a bit better this time.
The two reach the gates of Khargna. Raxyas keeps moving.
Bazren: Where are you going?
Raxyas: What do you mean? We still have a long way to go.
Bazren: On foot...? Where is your planeswalker?
Raxyas: ...
Bazren: Oh... Don't tell me, too weak a vessel to summon it, huh? Alright, say no more. I'll get mine.
Bazren conjures a pillar of pink flames, and from within a great rhinoceros comes forth. Much like Morthol, it too had a fortress embedded upon its back. The two enter and make their way to the mysterious group's location.
Raxyas: They aren't expecting me to bring company, so it's best that you let me do the talking.
Bazren: Sure. But whatever happens, we can't take no for an answer. They seem to possess a lot more forbidden knowledge, and there is no way we can leave without it.
Raxyas: I know it seems very unlikely, but if they decline... We cannot force them to do anything. They may not be redeemers, but they seem very strong. One of them has a vessel larger than even Za.
Bazren: What...?! Master Za has one of the strongest vessels in Mortmundus... Raxyas, this is sounding worse and worse the more I hear about it...
They talk some more about the mysterious group, and about Raxyas' encounter with the Thirteen. Then, they finally reach their fortress. Upon disembarking the planeswalker, they notice that one undead guard was protecting the entrance.
Upon disembarking the planeswalker, they notice that one undead guard was protecting the entrance [https://img.wattpad.com/9ef079c82f76005bf6465db66fc237b074373b5f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7676667048583177666557444b773d3d2d313139383332343531302e313732393436333237303663363732653932393432353137383234382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Raxyas feels something strangely uncanny about him.
Raxyas: I have returned. Let us in.
Yellow Helm: I'll let *you* in. Not the other one.
Raxyas: It's fine, she's with me.
Yellow Helm: It is not fine. My orders were to let you in, and you alone. She can wait outside.
Raxyas: Very well. Bazren, wait for m-
Bazren: No... I am going in as well.
Yellow Helm: Over my broken vessel you are.
Bazren: That won't be a problem.
In her right hand, Bazren conjures up flames. They glowed brightly, with a pink color. From amidst them, a mighty handle began to form. Out of this handle a thick, ghostly chain started unravelling. At the opposing end of the chain was a massive, heavy, spiked ball.
The weapon resembled an impractically large flail [https://img.wattpad.com/c0f0c96322da6cd8a5c81a54f22b9cb50a028a39/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f375f55647276615a6d32707051513d3d2d313139383332343531302e313732393134343338343665626335653438323632373837303435352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
The weapon resembled an impractically large flail. Bazren spun it around menacingly as the weapon glowed more and more, as if it was hungry for its next victim.
Raxyas: Wait! Look, this is really uncalled for. Please, just let her come with me!
Yellow Helm: Step aside, weakling. I'm about to put this one in her place.
Bazren: HA! Not with a vessel like that you aren't.
The guard was equipped with a common spear. He attempts to strike Bazren, but she nimbly dodges backwards.
Yellow Helm: Running away will only postpone your suffering.
Bazren: I'm not running, I'm just repositioning to get a solid hit in...
Yellow Helm: Hahah! You use a flail as a weapon, yet you don't even know its effective range? That's a close range weapon, girl.
Bazren: Oh, I'm close enough...
Bazren pulls the flail back and, with a powerful motion, swings it forward, sending the ball flying in the direction of the guard. Even though Bazren handled the weapon nimbly, as if it were less than half its weight, the guard did not seem fazed by her attack. The chain was not nearly long enough to reach him. Yet, somehow, the ball did not stop and accelerated rapidly toward him...
Yellow Helm: What the-
He is hit by the ball in the chest, near his left arm. That portion of the torso breaks from the rest of the vessel and is sent flying, along with his spear.
Bazren: Not what you were expecting, huh? The chain extends, fool! Now, open the doors before I destroy the rest of your vessel.
Yellow Helm: That's... Quite a lot of power behind a single hit...! I guess I underestimated you, redeemer.
The guard begins summoning his own weapon.
Raxyas: No way... How come even you have a soul-bound weapon...?
Yellow Helm: You know how, Raxyas! Thank you for the gift, by the way... Even if you hadn't planned to give it to me.
Bazren: What is going on?! Raxyas, you have so much to explain after this...
Raxyas: Be careful Bazren, he's not as weak as he looks! He has one of my soul shards inside him.
The guard's weapon resembled a crossbow. It had no extraordinary properties, other than the distinct ethereal look soul-bound weapons possess.
Bazren: Does he now... Coward! Get your other weapon out at once. I don't want to fight a half-assed battle.
Yellow Helm: I have no other weapon, my soul was never strong enough to bear one...! This is a gift from the soul shard I was given recently.
Bazren: So... Raxyas' power was somehow transferred over even to weaklings such as yourself. What a nuisance!
Yellow Helm: It'll be over real soon, don't worry!
The guard aims at Bazren.
Bazren: Oh please...
He fires a single bolt, targeted at the center of her skull. She effortlessly catches the bolt in mid air with her left hand and uses its momentum to twist her body, swinging the flail with great speed and hurling it towards the guard.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Bazren: You were better off with the spear.
The ball connects with the guard's body and shatters it into a million pieces. The vessel was completely destroyed.
Raxyas: Incredible... Even in my former vessel I would not want to get hit by that...
Bazren: I haven't ever been defeated, Raxyas. Don't feel bad if that seemed far above your level of strength!
Two glowing orbs emerge from the shattered vessel. One of them hovers around Raxyas.
Raxyas: I guess this one belonged to me... It's a shame I have no clue how to reabsorb it...
Suddenly an undead crashes against the ground from above, kicking up a great dust cloud.
Bazren: Bring it on...!
Raxyas: Wait Bazren!
Voice from within the dust: I am not going to fight you.
The dust slowly settles. It was L, the undead that had given Raxyas his assignment.
L: Good job, Raxyas. I assume master Qu has allied himself with our cause, given that his right-hand redeemer has joined you.
Raxyas: It's you... Look, about your guard we-
L: Think nothing of it. He was among the most vile and weak in our group, frankly I thought it was a waste to share your power with him.
L extends his hand and casts a red circle of magic in front of it.
There were glyphs on this circle, yet Raxyas had never seen them before [https://img.wattpad.com/b8fe212d4cfd19daf2fb936799a45595f67323e6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f37735633516433426e54533734413d3d2d313139383332343531302e313732393134363235313130356636303339313030343838303632312e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
There were glyphs on this circle, yet Raxyas had never seen them before.
L: This is how you will grow stronger, Raxyas. Watch closely.
As the circle spun, the guard's soul slowly flew towards it, like a moth attracted to flame. As it hit the circle, a blast of red lightning surged from the point of impact. The soul had been transformed into raw, red energy which now surrounded the figure. Shortly after, they seemed to have fully absorbed all of it.
L: What you have just witnessed is a forbidden ritual. Soul absorption. You consume another undead's soul to strengthen your own. This is how you too shall grow more powerful.
Bazren seemed amazed by what she had just seen. Raxyas was not so pleasantly surprised...
Raxyas: But... This is horrible. Where did his soul go? Is it damned?
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : not damned... broken... lost forever
L: Don't think too much about it. If we want our plan to succeed and for us to be freed from our curse, this is what must be done. It is what you must do, too. Now, Bazren. I suspect Qu has some demands in exchange for his cooperation. Come inside, we shall discuss it.
Raxyas: Wait, what about this fragment of my soul?
L: You're not ready for it, Raxyas. Absorbing it in your current state would do you no good... You currently have only one shard within you, it's true, but it is much too weak still. You should grow its power and get a more capable vessel before you even think about absorbing another shard. You won't like the consequences of holding more souls than you can bear...
Bazren: Fine... I'll absorb it, then!
L: Hmm... Well, we are down one guard. And you are definitely a more capable warrior than he was. But, fighting ability is not all we are looking for! We value loyalty above all else. Until you have given us proof we can trust you, I'm afraid we'll be keeping that shard.
L takes out an artifact that resembled an electric metallic sphere. He channels energy into it, and the soul hovering around Raxyas is sucked inside.
He channels energy into it, and the soul hovering around Raxyas is sucked inside [https://img.wattpad.com/28064cc617d5d3bec6950fafeb48be0b57dc6e11/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f53367447793841457a424c7756513d3d2d313139383332343531302e3137323931343964656635363136356537373035373130393434352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
L: But, not all is lost. You'll be given enough chances to prove yourself. Come inside, your next assignment is at hand.
Raxyas: And what about Xayn...? I did what you asked of me.
L: Worry not, Raxyas. Complete this next assignment and we will tell you what you want to know. Now, make haste.
The three of them go inside the fortress, and make their way to the throne room. Only the gigantic undead that seemed to be the leader of the group was inside.
L: Guess who's back.
White Skull: Ah, Raxyas! It seems your mission was successful. Good. As for Bazren... It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard quite a lot about your talents! Now, I'm sure Linvaes has already told you how we operate in terms of new recruits...
Linvaes nods.
Linvaes (L): Pretty much. Raxyas is almost part of us, this next assignment will determine that. But as for you, you still have some ways to go until we can trust you. Still, you can accompany Raxyas in his assignments. He can't really fight for himself just yet.
Bazren: So you're letting me in just like that, huh. You sure have a lax recruitment policy... Who even are you?
White Skull: A fair question! I think now is the right time to tell you more about us. I am Ilkatorza. You can refer to me as Ilka, if it is more convenient. We are Incola. Our goal is simple: to free all souls of Mortmundus from their curse, so that they may rejoin the circle of life and reincarnate. To that end, we require power beyond what any undead has ever acquired. The only way to acquire this power was to make use of Raxyas' soul, since it had been touched by the void.
Bazren: So you gain power by absorbing souls, is that it?
Ilka: Mostly, yes. But we are currently working with master channelers so that they can lend us their power. Compared to other undead, they possess an astonishing amount of strength, and theirs are the only souls that can regenerate power naturally over time. If we can get the support of enough masters, we can use the shards of Raxyas' soul to harness massive amounts of power. This should translate into us being able to acquire soul-bound weapons more powerful than ever before. With the combined destructive potential of these weapons, we plan to open a rift from Mortmundus to the world of the living, where we will seek out the teachings of those who know the secrets of white magic...
Raxyas: ... And you hope that in learning about white magic, you can unlock the secret to freeing cursed souls.
Ilka: Correct.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : destined to fail from the start... although, he will die without realizing it
Raxyas was getting quite annoyed with this voice and its cryptic pseudo-prophecies.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : heheh... such is fate. okay? i go now, don't want you to cause a scene...
It disappears. Raxyas focuses on the conversation again.
Bazren: But then, if you have the support of the masters, why are you still absorbing the souls of other undead to gain power?
Ilka: Sadly, we only have two masters currently aiding us. While that has allowed me to grow in strength, many of the other members still need to resort to absorption to gain power.
Raxyas: Still, consuming the souls of other undead like that... It is not right.
Linvaes steps abruptly into the conversation.
Linvaes: Raxyas, the undead whose soul I consumed was not a good person. In life, he exploited the ignorance of others to drive them poor while stealing what was theirs from under their noses. He got involved with drug and human trafficking and was responsible for providing advanced weaponry to criminals around underdeveloped parts of the world. The only reason he was with us was that, despite all his flaws in life, he was loyal. And loyalty is something we value above all else. Still, his growth potential was terribly low, and you can look at that battle as... A sort of test, to see if we had made a mistake in letting him join us. Clearly, we had. With someone as weak as him in our ranks, we could never carry out or plan.
Ilka: Ivole, the one with yellow eyes and a boat helm for pupils... He was always one of the weakest among us. Sadly, his days were numbered. We could not allow him to leave and risk him sharing what he knew about us.
Bazren: So? You could have kept him around, dusting the floor or whatever. If you gave him Raxyas' soul, you could probably just as easily take it back, right?
Ilka: The power we gave him? Sure. But the knowledge he had acquired from working with us...? We cannot take that back. It would be too great a risk to keep some maid that knows so much alive. No. What we need is capable hands on board. Preferably, hands that need us more than we need them.
Raxyas: Speaking of hands on board... How big is Incola? How many members do you have?
Linvaes fixates his gaze on Ilka, as if anxiously waiting to hear his answer.
Ilka: Several dozens. That is all you need to know.
Bazren: Wait... But then, won't you require a tremendous amount of power to open a portal into the world of the living using so many people?
Ilka: Not at all. Have you ever wondered why the Thirteen are named the way they are? It is because thirteen is the estimated number of extremely powerful undead required to open a portal to the world of the living. We only need thirteen warriors, the rest are just here to help.
Bazren: ... But why not simply enlist the help of the masters? Surely they are powerful enough to open the portal, right?
Linvaes: The thing is, it's not just about power... It's about what kind of power you're using. The reason why Raxyas' power is so important is because it was touched by the void. Weapons that come from souls like his have unique properties that are necessary to open the portal.
Ilka: Correct... Moreover, the masters have quite enough on their hands running their citadels. We would rather be the ones tasked with this mission. That will give us much more freedom, and especially trust, that things will be done the way that seems most adequate to us.
Raxyas: Right... That way there's no one around that can condemn you for absorbing the souls that you deem as unfit to be reborn!
Raxyas was clearly not pleased with their approach.
Ilka: Raxyas, we understand how you feel. Why do you think we are not absorbing the souls of any and every undead? It weighs on us, too. But for some of us, the weight of sacrificing the soul of some undead is more bearable than the weight of knowing we know what it takes to free every other remaining soul, from the past, present, and future, from the limbo that is Mortmundus, and yet did nothing about it.
Raxyas: But why not wait until you have enough masters by your side to gain strength? Why must you sacrifice souls if there is another way...?
Again, Linvaes intervenes.
Linvaes: Because we're not letting murderers and rapists come back. We're not letting dictators and corrupt politicians that ruined the lives of countless people return. I won't have their blood and suffering on my hands. I don't care if you agree with us or not... Those undead are better off never coming back.
The headache comes back.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : oh... your past self would get along swimmingly with these ones!
Ilka: You must understand, Bazren and Raxyas, the world of the living is not ready for our return. For as long as we know they have used curses as a means of punishing evil-doers and instilling a dreadful fear of practising evil deeds on the population. If all of a sudden the greatest punishment they have ended up being useless...
Linvaes: ... Society would collapse. The ultimate punishment for practicing evil would disappear. Crime would run rampant in the world of the living.
Ilka: At least, that is the vision we share in Incola. As it stands, we do not demand that you agree with us. If you feel like absorption goes against your principles, we understand. Linvaes will teach you a variation of the absorption ritual that does not absorb the core of the soul, taking only its power. This absorbs strength much less efficiently, however.
Bazren did not seem too fazed by any of this. The same could not be said for Raxyas, however.
Raxyas: You know... You're lucky. You're really, really luck. Because, if I had the power to do so, I would stop you right now...
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : stop! what are you doing?!
Raxyas: ... But I am almost powerless, and unfortunately you're my only shot at recovering my strength. But know this, Ilka...
Raxyas was dead serious. Linvaes seemed outraged with what he was saying, though Ilkatorza did not seem bothered.
Raxyas: I will find a way to spare the sacrificing of all souls, as undeserving as they may be, without absolving them of any rightful punishment they might deserve. I do not want criminals to return either, but what about those that could change...? There is no way of knowing what could become of the future lives of those souls.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : look at you go... but that's a dangerous stance to voice right now...
Linvaes couldn't keep quiet any longer.
Linvaes: Evil is always evil! You can mask it, you can pretend it is not there, you can try to hide it... But once it finds its way into someone's heart, it never really leaves. I don't believe it for a second that any of those people can truly mend their ways. But, if you do find a way to free them from Mortmundus while still giving them the punishment they deserve, then I will stop absorbing them. Truly! And I will ensure that every other member of Incola will too. Until then, Raxyas... Don't you dare get in our way. Now, if you'll excuse me.
Linvaes leaves the throne room. He seemed very agitated.
Ilka: Linvaes suffered a lot in life... Because of that, he holds a deep grudge against those that have no respect for the lives of others. He wants to punish them at all costs.
Raxyas: Ironic that he himself now disrespects them in return by destroying them without a second thought...
Bazren: Hate can blind you... I don't know what Linvaes went through but, Raxyas, who's to say that you or I wouldn't be the same if we had lived the life he lived...?
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : she's got a point. you especially would probably be the same, you fool...
Ilka: Raxyas, Bazren... Our group has suffered a lot of changes through time, but our goal has always been to free Mortmundus from its curse. All I ask is that you join us and help us accomplish that goal in the best way possible. If you do find an alternative to absorption, I'm sure the rest of us will gladly accept it. Until then, there is too much at stake for things to change. I do not ask that you understand, only that you help guide us to a better future.
Raxyas had his arms crossed, looking Ilkatorza dead in the eye.
Ilka: Raxyas... For what it's worth, it does not please me that things have to be this way.
Raxyas: Right... Let's just get this next assignment over with.