I am still dealing with the aftereffects of a tragic mishap I had in my youth. Youth being relative of course, perhaps sometime around my fiftieth forced reincarnation. I was set in a deep hibernation of sorts, having pushed my Gia too far, there was a kind of magical backfire. It may also have been the candidate, or even a natural response to the disproportionate amount of Shade I was producing. Whatever the cause was, I was unconscious for nearly a thousand years.
In that time the reservoir had degraded, my carefully constructed society had collapsed, self-proclaimed Kings ruled over various areas and the wilds were birthed. The manifestation of Priorius Knights was the most excruciating to eliminate. Thankfully, the Garrus had not yet evolved. If a bonded knight were to ride in to battle on the back of a fully bound and mature Garru, I highly doubt even I could have smothered their collective flame. Thankfully, when I woke, I found the depths of my Gia had returned. The reservoir was placed back on track in less than a decade. The knights became fodder, but those squires, that was an unexpected treasure.
So, I bred them, culling the flock as needed, until I found a population that could be manipulated by my whims. Docility is good for the sheep.
Dorian was ever so grateful for having the friends he had. Jack was kind enough to allow Dorian to catch some sleep in his rooms while Jack was attending class for his other Prime, Fortitude. He slept like a rock and dreamed of jumping from a cliff with his younger brother. Strange as it was, it filled him with a sense of pride, confidence, and a bit of recklessness.
Dorian rummaged through the things he had brought. He knew he had to meet Jack for their class in a little while but was so curious about the book he had stolen that he simply couldn't help himself. When he got it out, however, he was overwhelmed with that sense of terror. Now that he was becoming aware of these manipulations, he was beginning to take note whenever his emotions changed abruptly without any real influence. The fact that this inanimate object was controlling him in some fashion irked his ire. He wasn't sure how he felt about himself, but he would be damned to a cold hell before he'd allow those feelings to be anyone's but his own.
Like he had before, he summoned his trickle of Gia. He allowed it to flow over the book, spreading it thin across the cover. There, in the light of his Gia, the message was clear. Somehow, he could feel what it meant, like he was reading a language he’d been reading his whole life, even if he had never known it existed. It was understood on a fundamental level, instinctual. The runes meant, as far as he could tell, a series of ideas connected in a chain. Permanent, imbibe, extreme emotion repel, upon close: memory drain, exception: self.
He stared at it for a solid minute, pondering what it meant. He took a moment and put it away, the feeling of dread chilling him to his core. Finally, he decided to take another look, feeling sick as he brought it back out. He covered the book again, and the feeling subsided slightly. Curious, he tried to channel more, which wasn't really his specialty. He felt more confident with control, not so much in raw power. Not thinking, he pulled Gia down his brows, creating lenses of a sort. He could see the runes laid out on the book and sent thin seeds of it to the rune that meant “self.” Covering the rune, he could feel it as something foreign.
He stopped touching the rune with his Gia, drawing it back to reveal the rune writhing. He dropped the book in a sudden panic, hopping on to a nearby chair. He looked around, knowing full well that nobody was there, but still checking for the sake of his own embarrassment. Thankfully, nobody had seen him jump up on a chair for fear of a book. He shook his head, chiding himself. Then chiding himself more, his thoughts seemed to turn on him so abruptly that he felt like he needed to hide. Just run away, just run away, coward, idiot, meddling where you shouldn't, punishment. He turned to flee when he came across the book and stalled, staring. The voices grew to a cacophony.
Gripping his Gia as swiftly as he could, he returned the lenses but as small and close as he could in an attempt to secure more Gia for his hand. It shot out, tendrils taking over the rune for self. The rune erupted on contact, squirming back and forth. Out of fear and aggression he drew for more, but instead tendrils of black swam through his Gia, fusing itself to the rune. It protested for a moment, audibly in fact. It let out a low hiss, before coming to a stop and solidifying.
The sense of dread stopped, his head cleared and his focus returned. It was like a breath of fresh air after weeks inside the Monastery Mountain. He peered at the runes again feeling nothing more than his own curiosity. Picking the book up, he plopped down in the aforementioned chair for a read.
My name, at this time, is irrelevant. I am the master and controller of my own small universe. I am the secret god of the Valley and have ruled here for longer than ten times the written histories of the world prior to the great calamity. I am the keeper of the reservoir, and I will power the engine soon. My great task is at its finish, and I so desire to remember the distance I have traveled before I may finally find my peace, if peace is indeed a reward I am worthy of. Only the Gods can divine if I am deserving of that.
My earliest memory was that of an inheritance, of sorts...
Dorian closed the book with a snap when the door opened, Jack walking through the door. “Hey bud, I thought we were gonna meet up?”
Oops.
Dorian sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Did I mention I haven't gotten the best of sleep lately?”
With a frank look Jack said, “Really?”
“Yeah, I think it’s because of this book.” Dorian said, grasping it with both hands. He lifted it and Jack visibly winced, a deep frown stuck to his face.
“Dorian,” he said in a harsh tone. Dorian covered the book with his shirt, and Jack's demeanor shifted just as radically. He started to say something but stopped. After a pause he shifted his head back to Dorian. Dorian lifted it out again, and Jack seemed to grow pale in a mixture of anger and fear. Dorian moved to place it in his bag, and cinched the bag shut.
In a much calmer tone, Jack asked, “Dorian, what the hell was that?”
Dorian shrugged once, “a book of dark and forbidden magics.” He stretched his hand out and wiggled them. “Ooo” he said, casting an air of mockery. Now Jack was frowning of his own accord.
Dorian shrugged at him, “If I tell you the truth you won’t believe me.”
Jack took this as a challenge, his overly competitive nature shining through. “Try me.” He said, gaze unwavering.
Dorian sighed out an “alright,” before he grabbed his books and followed Jack out of the room.
“Tell ya after class? It's a bit of a long one.” Dorian said, feeling a bit nervous.
“Sure, just don't bring that book out again.”
Dorian laughed as they made their way to their lecture, doing everything he could to bury his mounting concern. As he walked with Jack, he realized he had somehow forgotten the text from the book. Memory drain, indeed.
Class was a boring affair, once or twice a month it wasn't so bad, but the rest of the time it was so boring that Dorian was convinced that the class was secretly intended to put them all to sleep. He enjoyed the actual lecture well enough; a good lecturer would engage with you and show how the covered material was practical. This wasn't an actual lecture, however. When they didn't get to practically apply their Primes, it was mostly math work.
Math itself wasn't so bad, he quite liked solving the problems. No, what Dorian hated about classes like these were when the Sister or Brother would plop down after writing a page number on the chalkboard and promptly doze off. The current Sister that was playing at instructor was the up-tight sort. She was stuffy, prudent, and dry. Her old leathery skin seemed to accumulate wrinkles like Dorian's gut could accumulate rolls, and despite doing his best to pay attention, he couldn't get past how much of a waste of time it was.
For all that, the page on the board this day led to a relatively interesting chapter about costs. Not only was Heat Syphoning costly in the caloric sense, which explained the overall leanness of most of his class, but it also could burn through one’s own stores of magnesium. The side effects of magnesium deficiency were listed, and he wondered how he never noticed. Which led him to wondering if other Primes had costs like this.
That tangent carried him through most of the rest of the class. When he finished packing up, Jack met him outside the classroom, and they headed down to get some dinner. Dorian started telling his story about the library, how he would regularly get lost trying to get around the warded doorways. At this Jack nodded, fully aware of Dorian's odd obsession. Dorian thought it was odd that nobody else found exploring the labyrinth of their library to be exciting. Jack's response was another painful truth that Dorian simply couldn't argue against.
“Not everybody is as eccentric as you are.” Jack said plainly and without remorse.
Dorian shrugged, “can't deny it.”
Dorian, being long winded, tended to ramble on, which he had done successfully until they were in line to get their food. Behind the counter, ladle in one hand was Clarice. Her expression was one of frustrated patience, like a lioness that's ready to pounce but hasn't seen the opportune moment to do so.
That kind of a look was something of a piece of art. It said, “I am doing this because I have to, and given the chance, I'd love to brain you with this stone ladle.” She had a fake smile on half of her face, the other half almost frowning, the line of her lips making a slant as she ladled out another scoop for the picky eater. That's when Dorian noticed who Clarice was helping, none other than Danny.
Danny was busy pointing at something on his tray, complaining about some minor imperfection. Dorian stuck his head out of line, which caught the eye of Clarice. Dorian pointed at his still black eye expressing an exaggerated frown, then pointed at Danny. For the briefest moment a fire glinted in her eyes. Though her face didn't express it, Dorian felt he knew what she was feeling. Wrath with a pinch of retribution, how tasty.
Clarice smiled down at Danny, muttered some things then took his tray. She disappeared into the back for a short spell then returned. The line had moved forward, a few people apparently not willing to wait for whatever it was she was serving. Dorian and Jack had been accruing a truly abhorrent bulk of food on their trays. Danny stepped out of line, finally noticing them.
“What a surprise, pigs eating like pigs.” Danny muttered behind them.
One aspect of Jack that Dorian always respected was his relentlessness. If you challenged Jack to anything, he wouldn't back down until he had succeeded. Ever-so-often you could challenge the guy to do something ridiculous and he'd just scoff and say, “after you.” That was his kind way of saying he wasn't a moron, though most people couldn't see the intelligence behind the man's well-developed physic, Dorian certainly could. Albeit, he had his own kind of language, but it didn't lack complexity despite the man's black and white philosophy. Still, this situation called for a mediator of sorts, because Dorian had a really good idea as to where Jack would take such a statement.
Forestalling Jack, Dorian extended his hand. “Did you hear that Jack, I think somebody out there is speaking shithead again. I thought they banned the language last year.” Dorian gave a grunt of astonishment. “Did you ever care to learn, Jack?” Dorian asked, as he was served some fried potatoes.
Staring daggers back at Danny, Jack said, “No, I don't speak shithead.”
Dorian put on a placating smile and said, “more's the pity.”
Clarice walked out, holding Danny's tray in hand. “Here you are. Exactly as you requested, medium rare.” She handed the tray over the counter to Danny, who was now right between Jack and Dorian.
Danny took his tray, muttering, “at least she knows her place. You two should take lessons.” He left the serving area, chin held contemptuously high.
Dorian looked to Clarice, inquisitive. She smirked and said, “I have a feeling he'll be learning his place very soon. The shithead.”
Jack's laughter rocked through the halls, and Dorian had to laugh a little too. It was a nice little break from the ongoing anxiety he'd been quietly cultivating over the upcoming match.
By the time Ken and Benny joined them, Jack and Dorian were almost done eating. The two brothers sat down with their scant meals, about as much as the first two had left, and immediately pulled out a deck of cards. The smile on Benny's face was broad, the boils on his face looking more swollen as he did so.
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“You guys are in for a treat. I've been working on a little project, any chance we can retreat to Jack's rooms after we finish eating?”
Jack looked to Dorian, and through a mouthful of food said, “you still owe me that story.” Dorian nodded, finished chewing, and got up.
“I'm gonna get a drink to go, and I might as well share the news to the whole group then, ya?”
Jack nodded and offered up his stone tankard. “Grab me some more of that berry drink?”
“Sure, if you let me drop a few more things in my stash.”
Jack nodded and continued chewing. Dorian dropped off his tray and got in line to get their drinks. Since they had been early, the lines weren't too bad before, but now there had to be twenty people trying to get to the large wooden barrel. Dorian sighed, and waited patiently, by the time he got back to the table, all of his friends were ready to leave.
“Gonna take all day?” Benny asked, looking antsy.
“Yes.” Dorian said, absolutely serious. Benny sighed and gestured for them to start the ascent to Jack's room. Dorian handed the tankard over, and they made their way leisurely upstairs, taking their time only as friends can. Light conversation, jokes, jabs, insults, complements, and every other inane subject came up as they migrated, but Dorian couldn't deny feeling dread about what he had found and what the morrow would bring.
His incessant worry finally abated as they entered Jack's room. His room was more home to all of them, mostly because Jack didn't have a roommate. That takes a bit of explaining, because most students didn't have a choice. You got stuck with whichever roommate the elders chose for you, that was that, no debates. Jack, on the other hand, had been granted a room by himself for one particular reason, he snored.
That explanation doesn't really give justice to what Jack does, but it was as accurate as you could get without getting long-winded. Jack snored so incessantly that he had kept his roommates awake for weeks before their poor performance had reflected in their classes. The elders had tried three different people before giving up and simply giving Jack a room by himself.
Dorian, wise to his friend and planning on using the spare bed, had come prepared. The two long pieces of cork he intended to use that night were safely stashed in his satchel, along with a change of clothes and a few other amenities. Since the next day was not only a leisure day, but also the continuation of their class's tournament, he didn't want to risk getting roughed up again.
After the door had shut, Benny was kind enough to shape some chairs and a table for everyone, promising he'd put the stone back before the end of the night.
“Alright, now I've been excited for this for a good while now. I made these decks for us, each with their own variations. I made the cards out of super-thin itacolumite. It's a type of stone that grows between quartz geodes, and it's quite flexible. I had them coated in a thin membrane by some harvesters then dried for the last month. I've even shuffled them a few times to see how they feel, and they're not bad.” Benny was talking at a rapid pace, obviously excited about showing off the hard work he put it.
“Yeah, but what is it?” Ken asked.
“Oh, right. So, I found this one day in the library.” Benny reached into his bag, pulling out a massive tome with an interesting symbol on the front. “It’s a game, this is the entire collection of cards. It used to be very popular some three thousand years ago, but the game lost favor because people found better ways to gamble. Since many of the characters were actual people, and the game didn't reflect those people in the kindest light, well you can see where this is going.”
“But I don't, please continue.” Dorian said, curious.
“Well, anytime people from the Monastery history are reflected poorly, the Monastery usually covers it up or shuts it down. Bad for the public view or some such.”
Dorian nodded, “interesting,” he commented.
“Wait, I don't get it. The Monastery is about truth, and the light, and the path, as the path is made of all three.” Jack said, ever the pious one.
Benny sighed, “Jack, the divines have their views, I'm sure, and what the path intends is great, but do you really think people can uphold those values as well as the Gods do?” Benny's question was a door opener for a long-standing debate between the two, one that Dorian didn't want to listen to for the nth time. He was about to get them back on subject, when Ken spoke first.
“So, about this game then?”
“Yeah, so here's how it works...” Ken began, pulling out a deck and showing them the rules. They played one round open-handed, for practice, then they started playing for real and Dorian was impressed by Benny's insight into play styles.
Ken was given a very passive deck, one that set things up and kept him safe until he could take the victory with two cards in the deck that had to be played together. Benny had an interesting deck involved with killing and reviving his minions to eventually overwhelm anybody else. Jack's deck was quick and brutal but had a tendency to short out if the game went on too long, and Dorian's deck was a combo style deck that allowing chaining things together to blow people up. It was fun, addictive, and before they knew it they were on their third round.
At this point, everybody was pretty loose, and table conversation began in earnest.
“So, you were gonna tell us about that book then, Dorian?” Jack asked.
“What book?” Benny asked, frowning. No Benny, I'm not gonna steal your thunder.
“Right, yeah, but I don't think they'll believe me if they don't see the book.” Dorian replied to Jack.
Jack's frown was comically heavy, but for good reason. The book made him sick just looking at it at first. Thankfully, Jack nodded, and Dorian reached for his satchel to get it out. As he did, Jack pointedly stood and looked away. Both Ken and Benny raised a brow at that, a gesture that showed them for the siblings they were.
Dorian pulled the book out and both of them paled. “I know it’s upsetting to look at it but keep your eyes on it.” Dorian said, then slid the book under the table. Both brothers looked relieved, until Dorian took the book out again.
“Is it just me, or is that book making me angry and afraid?” Ken asked.
“It’s not just you.” Benny replied, looking on edge.
“So, we can all agree, this book is doing something, yes?” Dorian asked the party.
A few nods and Dorian put the book away, then he began to tell the story of how he found it over a game of cards.
The whole story took two rounds, despite nobody interrupting. When it was over, Benny was the first one to speak.
“Wait, go back. You mean to tell me you have a secret entrance to the women's baths, and you didn't care to share that with us?!”
Jack burst out into laughter, “after all that, that's the only question you have?!”
Benny just nodded, looking grave.
Dorian shook his head, smiling. He was still self-conscious about his little misadventure, especially since he had disappeared on his friends that day. The entire story he told was laced with an overtone of guilt, until Ken started speaking.
“That explains where you were, we looked everywhere for you. Is that how you got that black eye?”
Dorian shook his head, noticing a glare coming from Jack. “I got jumped, not sure why. Best not to worry about it, healer took care of most of it.”
Jack looked concerned and... angry? Dorian was unsure until Jack commented, “if that's what you look like after a healer, I'd hate to see your ugly mug beforehand.”
The mock offense on Dorian's face seemed to shift the mood in the room, finally. “Hey now, even beaten and battered, I'm Gods damned beautiful. My fat cheeks just get in the way of my fine features.” Dorian gestured at his face.
“A face only a mother could love. A blind mother.” Benny said, lilting his tone to sound uncertain. They all laughed together and continued with their game.
“So, say we did believe you,” said Benny, playing a card. “What are we supposed to take from all that? A secret passage in the library leads you to an enchanted book that only you can look at without getting nauseous? Then, fudging your escape and getting stuck for fear of being discovered? You’re lucky the crazy guy doesn't have a thing for young women, or you'd have been fucked.”
Ken shot a look at his brother for the foul language, but Benny shrugged mouthing the word “what?” before saying aloud, “It's not like there's a better word for it.” Benny’s expression was one of exacerbation.
Jack was scowling again, and Dorian chuckled. “Jack, swear for us, just once! In the years I've known you, I've never heard you drop the big one.”
“Some of us have higher standards, weren't you complaining two months ago about Sister Brenda spending too much time on etiquette and proper language?”
“Yes, but that doesn't apply to you fuckers.”
Benny laughed incessantly, even snorting a bit, which led the others to chuckle as well. When he finished, he got serious. “Really though, Dorian, why doesn't the book make you sick?”
“Oh, that's its own thing, really. I'm not even supposed to talk about it.” Dorian rubbed the back of his head, trying to laugh away the conversation, the blank stares that met his eyes told him he wouldn't be getting off the hook that easily.
“Okay, okay, but I need you to swear you won’t talk.” They all nodded in unison, then cast disbelieving glares at each other. “That won’t do. I need you to swear on your soul’s rebirthed, on your hope to ascension, and on the blood of your kin.” They looked back at him, Ken rolling his eyes. “Not mellow drama guys, if I tell you, well, I might be forced to judgment before I'm eighteen, and I don't know if you guys have noticed or not but I'm really not ready.”
A long pause drew out, before Ken asked, “are you serious? Like that bad?”
Dorian nodded somberly, a bit ashamed for having kept secrets from his friends.
Faithful as ever, loyal to the end, Jack was first to say anything. “I swear it,” he said, placing a fist to his heart. Dorian didn't really understand the gesture, it was a Kressian thing. Benny and Ken both mimicked Jack, and to his surprise neither of them turned it into a joke.
Dorian took a long breath and decided, if there was anybody in the world he could trust, it would be these jerks, and if they could put the jokes aside for a bit then he could too. He summoned his Gia over his eyes like he had last time, as close and as small as he could. He moved to get the book when Benny squawked.
“Dorian, how are you doing that with your eyes? You look like the Grand Elder.” He said, tilting his head.
“Do what?” Jack asked.
“You don't see how green his eyes are?”
“Hmm?” Jack turned his head to look into Dorian's eyes. “Whoa, neat trick.”
Dorian was a bit confused. “What do you mean? I have Gia over my eyes, not in them.”
Ken looked confused, “Gia?” he asked.
Benny cut him off. “Not in? Here.” Benny pulled out a small bag of sand and poured it onto the table. He drew on his Prime, and now that Dorian was looking through his Gia, he could see trickles of Gia gathering around Benny, funneling through him, and enveloping the hand he was shaping with. It was incredibly interesting, and Dorian decided he would have to steal glances at others when they activated their Primes to see if Gia behaved the same way for them.
Benny withdrew his hand and, using his other, picked up the small mirror he had just shaped. He handed it to Dorian, who examined his reflection. He had expected to see something like small lenses over his eyes, but instead, his irises, normally a deep green, were now an obnoxiously bright green.
While Dorian was looking, Benny said to Jack, “Jack, hit the lights real quick, I have a theory.”
“Uh, okay?” Jack said, sounding confused. He waved his hand and the lamps he had on his walls all went out. The room was completely black, except for the reflection of his now glowing eyes. He put the mirror down and slid it back to Benny.
“Well, I guess the goose is cooked.” Dorian said and summoned all his Gia to the fore. Instead of having it come out of his hands, mostly to show off, he drew it out of his back making it look like wings. The room lit up, and Dorian could finally see the expressions on his friends faces. Jack was the only one not wearing a face of awe, instead, he was frowning. The other two looked so comically astounded that Dorian couldn't help but laugh at the two brothers.
“Jack, could we get some light?” Dorian asked. Jack just waved his hand, not even looking away, and all the lamps in the room were alight again. Dorian pulled his Gia through his body to make a mass in front of his hands. There was just a bit more than he remembered, and despite himself, he grinned at the small success.
“This is Gia. I’m not supposed to know how to summon it yet, though every initiate has the ability to. There’s also something else.” Dorian didn't like summoning Shade, the black stuff made him feel sick, but for the sake of showmanship he did so.
He summoned the smallest amount he could to his left hand and removed all Gia from it. It solidified as an elongated teardrop, slightly longer at the thin side, and he gripped it at the base using the semicircle at the bottom as a kind of hand guard.
“The Grand Elder calls this Kraken, but I don't think that's right. Originally, it was called Shade, and it’s the inverse to Gia. Gia and Shade are what power our Primes, I think.”
Even Jack looked astonished now. Dorian cleared his throat and continued. “There's so much they're not telling us, and this is just an early guess, but I think the Grand Elder is possessed.”