A SECOND CHANCE
The skies were clear of clouds on the third of Winter as I meditated, floating above the old College of Emberfell. My mind looped the Lesser Solusion Ritual while Abi was below within the manor, scouring the library for information.
ABIMELECH
The ages past have truly ruined this place,
He complained. I focused on my meditation as he continued.
ABIMELECH
Despite Enoch's frivolous efforts to remove books about dark magic, many remain. How ridiculously vain of him.
I opened my non-cursed eye at his remark.
PAIN
Have you already forgotten the people you have killed to protect your knowledge of Solusion?
ABIMELECH
That, my young master, is different.
Master...? Why call me that?
PAIN
Young master? I would rather not be anyone's master Abi.
ABIMELECH
Oh? You do not want a name you did not ask for? Besides, you have already deemed yourself a master over Cain.
I closed my eye,
PAIN
Whatever. Did you find anything of use?
There was a brief silence before he answered.
ABIMELECH
Several. The memories are flooding me as I stare at the brims of these books.
I switched my view and projected my vision out of Abi's eyes. He was using Soulfire to light the area he sat at within the dusty and slightly ruined library. A dozen books were on the table, and Abi was currently attempting to wipe the dust off the cover of one.
ABIMELECH
I remember the countless hours I sat down here delving into these books. Along with remembering how I, unfortunately, became stricken by the alluring pull of the undead.
Abi removed the grimy dust from the book, and I caught the title Powers of the First Necromancer.
PAIN
Is that book regarding Necro? From Plight of Souls?
ABIMELECH
Indeed.
PAIN
How could he raise the undead without going mad?
Abi eyed a book upon a stack, and I read Effigies, A New Way of Training.
ABIMELECH
Have you ever heard of totems?
I searched my thoughts and came across a sliver of memory before my immortality.
PAIN
Vaguely.
ABIMELECH
Well, it falls under light magic and is categorized as Golemancy, a form of summoning. Though, you can simply think of effigies as a dark magic version of totems.
Abi picked up the book and flipped through the pages. My mind collected images of crude creations of wooden gents, straw gents, bone and stick structures in the shape of a cross with grave ornaments, symbols, drawings, building plans for giant effigies, and crucified bodies with half of their lower torn apart and used to decorate the crucifixion.
ABIMELECH
Albeit, these things are not easy to create. But, using such totems, we can transfer certain types of stress—whether physical, mental, emotional, or magical stress, into that of an effigy—allowing it to suffer instead.
He explained as he softly replaced the book.
ABIMELECH
With the rise of utilizing skeletons as free and easy labor, the author of this book sought a way to simplify training young soldiers. Allow them to experience the pain of combat for but a minute before they are absorbed entirely by an effigy. If I recall, the author was a notable senior within the Holy Alexandria Kingdom—now, as you call it, Sante June.
I nodded in interest.
ABIMELECH
But, of course, it is dark magic. All of that pain and suffering has to go somewhere.
I opened an eye again.
ABIMELECH
And these were the days of the Holy City of Alexandria.
PAIN
Where I presume they had slaves to abuse.
ABIMELECH
Precisely.
The following two days contained no sleep—just like the days before. Abi was pushing me every minute, and I understood his worry. I had the same worry when I extinguished Soul Harvest's plight upon the dreadful wilds to the south. We had no idea when the next threat would come, and the uncertainty lingered in the back of our minds.
We no longer trained anything but my aptitude in Solusion. Abi had me resurrect a few dozen more of each sol and transcend some pantheras and arachnids. Each of my pantheras transcended into blacats—no surprise there.
Then finally, on the evening of Firstday the 8th of 1st Winter—
Skill Increased:
Basic Solusion Ritual
ABIMELECH
Why are you smiling like a scheming jester?
Abi mumbled at me while I floated within the Chamber of my lair in meditation.
ABIMELECH
Is there something you see out there?
I opened an eye and grinned widely at him.
ABIMELECH
Have you gone mad? I must say I am leaving you with your own thoughts for a vast amount of time...
I shook my head and landed—
ABIMELECH
Oh, what is it? It better not be, I need to feed my animals.
He attempted to mock me.
ABIMELECH
They can take care of themselves. Young master, we are in the dark about when North Star, the Fire Kingdom, or any other challenging state will seek your head again.
I winced as I strolled past him,
PAIN
I am still not fond of that title.
ABIMELECH
Do not attempt to change the subject—
PAIN
But Young Master?
I faced him with disgust.
ABIMELECH
It is of no major issue,
He sighed.
ABIMELECH
I, my son, my father, and many younglings of great teachers and scholars were referred to as young masters during our sprout years. It is simply a term of recognition of power and intellect—a mastery in an art or school of magic, if you will. Now, tell me what you were gleaming at.
I shifted my gaze onto the ritual setting. It was much different than what it was a week ago. Behind each pedestal was a crude totem I crafted with the aid of Abimelech. Calling it a totem was an overstatement—it was simply the longest shards of obsidian puri we could find in Jokul's underground shrine. On each one, I carefully carved out a star pentagram.
The pedestals were now polished sandstone. The only elemental energy that lacked a solid energy source was earth. I learned that frozenhearts worked well as an energy source for Aero.
I materialized my Celestial: Wukong's Staff and planted it into the soil behind me. Like an elongated finger, earth energy emerged from the staff. It stretched around the ritual, touching and engulfing the empty pedestal.
PAIN
I finally learned it,
I told him with a wide grin as I glanced up at the ceiling above the ritual. It was cleared of stalactite and was instead tainted with a bloody pentagram mirroring the ritual.
PAIN
Basic Solusion.
ABIMELECH
Oh, great. Well, let us begin.
I frowned at him,
PAIN
Was that it? No celebration?
ABIMELECH
Oh, should I be jumping for joy?
He scoffed, giving me a side-eye.
ABIMELECH
Even with this, you have here, you still wrestle with black lightning once in a while.
I pouted at him—
ABIMELECH
Do not give me that face.
PAIN
Do not be a big downer.
I mumbled, but I knew he was right. With this ritual setting, a simple glance alone told me I would not be able to use a Basic Soul.
ABIMELECH
So, what now, young master?
I pressed my lips and glanced at him.
PAIN
Wait a while.
Abi rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
ABIMELECH
Waiting...
But after a short moment, we both watched as white arachnids poured in from the Old Library—twenty total. After the arachnids came five elokos, laughing and bobbing their way toward my side. Trialing at the very end was the very first brood arachnid sol I brought back.
ABIMELECH
What is this about?
He asked, seeking answers in my hidden grin. I commanded the elokos to position themselves at the points of the pentagram. At the same time, the white arachnids formed a two-ringed circle around the ritual.
During the past week, I learned more about Symbology and how white arachnids drew magic rather than casting. Since this was their innate ability, they were able to use any form of magic from any school of magic.
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According to Abi, white arachnids in the wild had inferior offensive Symbology. They relied on charms, hexes, curses, and jinxes for quick situations. Their simple minds did not understand that the stronger the drawing, the longer it took. But my arachnids did not have simple minds, yet the time it took them to draw a teleportation symbol was still about a day long. Furthermore, they had to linger around their active symbols to keep them—well—active.
As I took my position, a depressive plunge engulfed Abi's soul.
PAIN
Are you okay?
I asked, but quickly understood why. Was I that much of an idiot to think this would have pleased him? I thought to myself in embarrassment.
Abi dissolved into energy and somberly seeped into my soul chamber. Too late now, I figured as I shamefully lifted my left hand to form my hand sign; the elokos followed suit, mimicking my every moment and posture perfectly.
PAIN
If you do not want to talk about it—
ABIMELECH
No, I will...
He muttered as the arachnids lifted their forelegs and began to draw Blood.
ABIMELECH
We—no—the generation of my father performed this ability on an immense level.
Abi explained as I watched the Blood form from out the white arachnid symbols. I knew there was a way to strengthen the white arachnid's magic when Abi told me about the weakness of wild white arachnids.
PAIN
I know what your father did to an ent called Lek.
I confessed, and a thirst for answers overtook his emotions.
ABIMELECH
What!?
He screeched in shock as I brought forth a Basic Soul.
ABIMELECH
You knew of what we did to an ent?
PAIN
Communion. Yes, and as for the ent, their name is Lek.
I explained calmly as the Blood drawn from the white arachnids' symbol began to form five-ringed star pentagrams that hovered over the ritual. With communion, the white arachnids were able to speed up their Symbology drawing.
ABIMELECH
But how!?
PAIN
Lek showed me.
I answered softly as the brood centered itself in the ritual.
ABIMELECH
So, the ent—pardon me—Lek was still alive.
He whispered.
PAIN
Sorry,
I apologized as I floated the soul into the center—a pathetic chance of roughly twenty percent filled my mind. But when my elokos and I focused on the ritual, the chances climbed to eighty, and the image of a broodmother filled my head. Still not one hundred, I griped to myself.
PAIN
I did not mean to bring you bad memories, and I probably should have told you about it sooner.
I felt him quiver within me for a moment as the scannable abilities of the broodmother filled my head— Spell: Ice, Petty Aura: Allure, Summon: Undead Ritual, Petty Focus, Basic Strong Body, Basic Vitality, Basic Regeneration, Basic Leap, Basic Quickstep.
ABIMELECH
No, I deserve the torment. I was of age at the time. I should have spoken out against it. But allow me to lament my past another time. Who or what are you attempting to bring back?
PAIN
Transcendence.
ABIMELECH
I see... this should be interesting.
He commented.
PAIN
Should be.
I mumbled and commenced the ritual. A sparking singularity formed instantly above my brood before ripping into five streams of black lightning. They crackled as they struck the transparent centers of the floating blood pentagrams.
The entire room shook from the pulsing mana waves being emitted from the ritual, and the lightning began to rattle with booming thunder. The chance of success was still certain, but the elements on each pedestal began to swell. Aero mana from out the frozenheart whipped about, aqua mana from out the sapphire puri spiraled into the ceiling before freezing, earth mana energy changed its shape constantly, occasionally merging pedestal, and the ruby puri became a spinning ball of fire.
Partly through the ritual, the elements evaporated back into mana and converged onto the brood. Unexpectedly, a great pool of mana and energy was forced out of me and my elokos and fused onto the brood. My muscles waned, and my vision became foggy, but we held on as the soul finished merging with the brood, reforming the brood's shape and size.
The ritual ended. The Chamber quieted down. And I stared at the vigorous broodmother—a naked feminine dual-sexed creature with two pairs of breasts, a black carapace over her arms, legs, and stomach, dark red and purple skin, and six sharp spear-like limbs protruding from her back. She stepped forward with an unblinking stare of three pairs of eyes down her beautiful angular face.
I looked about and saw three of the five elokos had passed out from the mana drain. I quickly called for replacements. Meanwhile, my thoughts merged with the broodmother, and I could feel her emotions and thoughts. I held my gaze with her shadowed-eyed stare.
It was as if we knew each other for years despite knowing that was not true. Her desire to fully please me was minuscule compared to the animals and fiends. I felt her independence coursing through her mind. An innate feeling we intelligent creatures sought after—privacy. It only made sense.
It was not her own outward feeling, but nobody alive willingly wanted someone swimming around in their memories. I forced myself out of her mind, and despite doing so, I still felt her presence—her existence in sort of a way. The feeling trickled up and down my body that I had to share the experience with Abi.
I dug deep within my soul chamber and allowed Abi to join in on our connection.
ABIMELECH
By the gods of the ten realms, what a bizarre presence.
The broodmother smiled, revealing a thin row of deadly sharp teeth and bathing me in a lustful aura, causing me to blush with heat. But as if to know my situation, she silently ambled off the ritual and patiently waited for me to perform another ritual.
PAIN
Ready Abi?
ABIMELECH
Hmm? What?
PAIN
Your turn—
ABIMELECH
Wait! No! Not yet!
He stammered. I plunged myself into my soul chamber and rushed him.
PAIN
What do you mean no!?
I asked, nearly laughing at his sudden cowardice.
ABIMELECH
Well, as you know. I-I must know the safety of this and the outcomes.
I cocked my head at him, and he avoided his gaze.
ABIMELECH
Go on. Perform more rituals and allow me to study the changes through your eyes... if you do not mind. I—I will explain later.
I began to laugh, completely confused at Abi's sudden fear.
PAIN
If you say so, Abi—I will not force you.
ABIMELECH
My apologies. An... an idea came to mind and—um, allow me some time.
He mumbled carefully, his eyes shifting onto Mac's soul, running fearfully in place.
PAIN
Hmm, I am still wondering if I should.
I muttered, eyeing Abi for any input, but he shrugged.
PAIN
I felt like...
I mumbled as I approached Mac's soul.
PAIN
I felt like it was my fault they died.
I clenched my jaws and left my soul chamber. The elokos have arrived, with one bringing the frozen giafullo meat from the Oval Room. I owed it to Mac and Clifford. I could at least give them a second chance.
I brought forth Mac's soul into my hand. I stared at the bluish, ghastly orb in silence before the sound of my thumping heart was the only thing I could hear. I pushed the soul, allowing it to drift to the northern pedestal.
I Summoned Undead Kinan, using the giafullo meat. For a moment, I wondered if I had to feed the pitiful thing, but as it wobbled into the center of the ritual, Mac's imagery filled my head.
Followed by her visible abilities—Basic Strong Body, Basic Vitality, Basic Regeneration, Basic Leap, Basic Quickstep, Lesser Danger Sense, Lesser Eagle Eye, Lesser En Strength, and Petty Focus.
She was pretty strong, I smiled to myself, recalling how she was able to put up a fight against the North Star soldiers barehandedly.
ABIMELECH
Young master?
He questioned carefully.
PAIN
Even though the outcome is one hundred percent...
ABIMELECH
The black lightning?
I nodded as I formed my hand sign.
PAIN
But I can not fail...
I commenced the ritual, and the singularity of black lightning stormed and fired out into the floating blood pentagrams. The elements became chaotic like before, but a voice grabbed my attention. Black lightning spiraled from the singularity the moment I was distracted but was pulled in by the northern totem. The parting bolt crackled in anger as it struck the totem.
The energies began to converge on the undead Kinan, and the familiar voice came again. I concentrated on the ritual, refusing to lose focus. Mana was once again siphoned from out of my and the elokos. The voice came once more, clearer... where are you— but it was cut off as the ritual came to an end.
I was light-headed but stood firm as I stared at Mac and her nakedness. She shook her head, wobbled a few steps, and blinked several times.
PAIN
Mac!
I rushed toward her, but she suddenly glared up at me—Danger Sense flared for an instant, but Mac was fast, punching me square in the face. The force reverberated like clapping thunder, and I was sent hurling.
I whipped the air around me and caught myself just inches from the wall. By the time I looked up, Mac had bolted off.
PAIN
Mac!
I called after her. She ran into the Oval Room, and I gave chase, stumbling as I was nearly out of mana. I could feel Abi quivering within me with worry as I ran through the tunnel. I could hear Mac thrashing with the armor and gear I collected over time off dead adventures and the so-called Silver Blades.
PAIN
Mac!
I called for her as I materialized a Vial of Mana and gulped it down. I entered the Oval Room and caught sight of Mac covered in an oversized white-sleeved tunic. She backed away from me, her eyes scanning about, looking for an escape. A thin blade was in her hand, but she did not brandish it at me.
PAIN
Mac, it is okay!
I held up my hands. I could feel it—her fear was screaming in my head despite removing myself as much as I could from her mind.
PAIN
You are alive.
She stared at me as she backed up. She nearly tripped over the boxes of sapphire puries and other pieces of gear, but she held her gaze as she backed against the stone scroll shelf that doubled as a wall. She continued her glare, and a growing silence filled the room. She suddenly glanced down at her knuckles—bruised with a smudge of blood—she froze for a second. She began to tremble, and her eyes watered.
Her fear dissipated from my mind as she fell to her knees and dropped the blade. She started weeping, and I attempted to approach her.
MAC
Stay away from me!
She screamed at me, and I backed away.
MAC
Just...
She sobbed, wiping away tears.
MAC
Just give me a moment.
She looked around as I sat on the ground and waited. I avoided staring at her, but the silence was slightly awkward. I know she had questions. So did I... and Abi, who had been quivering with curiosity.
MAC
I don't feel any pain.
She finally mumbled. She was staring at the ground, rubbing an elbow.
PAIN
I brought you back to life.
I mumbled, wincing at how awful that sounded. Her eyes shifted on me.
PAIN
I think—no, it was my fault you all died.
I started to explain.
PAIN
If I had not been such an idiot, you all would have escaped. If I had never attacked Isaac or tried to stop you and Clifford from leaving, you would have likely survived. Your death—the way you and Clifford died bothered me, and I could not—
MAC
What happened to your face?
She interrupted, and I touched my face, feeling my nose slightly bent.
PAIN
Um—You punched me in the face.
MAC
No, not that.
Her eyes fell onto my cursed right arm.
PAIN
Oh, I got cursed.
I chirped with a weak smile. She looked away and let out a shaky breath.
MAC
Am I really alive?
PAIN
Yep.
MAC
It's not your fault we died. We were... we were just unprepared. And dumb enough to trust stupid, backstabbing, ungrateful kinans and their limp-boned Chief—!
She stopped and took a breath. She glanced at me.
MAC
Thanks.