Eric limped along the vine-covered dirt road, a bloodstained pearl clutched in his one remaining functional hand. He survived, that was all that mattered, even if no one else had. Where the rest of the seven went, Eric neither knew nor cared. He had lived, he had succeeded in his task, he had gotten the pearl. He could still salvage things. He could still do this.
He had used the last of the healing potions in that last struggle, and it was only through sheer determination and force of will that the man kept on walking. He could already see the faint glow of the main group’s makeshift lights; he’d just have to walk for a few more steps, and he’d be home free. The others should still have some medics and resources for him. He’d make it…
“Halt!” a burly man said. Eric’s hazy eyes, weak from blood loss, couldn’t make out who it was.
He ignored the instructions, not because he didn’t want to obey the orders of someone else right now, but because he was afraid that his legs would give in if he stopped moving. Eric’s head felt so heavy… his eyes remained on the road. Just one step at a time. Move to the voice. You’ll be home free soon.
“I said halt!” another shout, it was closer to his position now “Move any further and we will attack!”
“That looks like Eric…” someone else said in a much softer voice, “He looks like he needs help, badly!”
“Yeah,” another scoffed, “And remember what happened last time one of us came back alone with critical injuries?”
An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Right, Eric remembered, he could vaguely recall the Skinwalker and his instructions. What was it again?
“It’s alone, and it doesn’t even have the talisman on it anymore,” the first voice stated, “It’s the monster, we’re not fooled just because it came back as Eric.”
“We’re not fucking stupid, you goddamn monster,” a woman's voice spat, “We saw our numbers go down again, you think we’d fall for the same trick twice? Go, kill that fucking thing before it takes any more of us!”
Stop, it’s me! Eric tried to say, but nothing but a dry cough caught in his ravaged throat. He barely felt the first arrow hit his shoulder. All of his will and attention still focused solely on clutching the pearl.
A blast of force rocked him off his feet and he tumbled half a dozen feet backward, but his hands never let go of his prize.
“It’s not fighting back… Maybe it is Eric.”
“And do you want to take that risk? Plus, he was the one who told us to treat anyone who comes back alone as the fucking monster.”
“But what if we’re wrong?”
“If we’re wrong, we’ll lose one Aspirant, if we’re right, then everyone will die. I think the choice is obvious.”
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
I have the pearl! Eric tried to say again, but nothing but blood oozed out of his mouth. Everything was going dark… I don’t want to die…
[And you do not need to, little Aspirant. You still have one option left to you, one option to salvage this situation. You know what to do.]
Right… there was still one thing that he could do. As Eric’s breath turned ragged and the last of his health depleted, he gave in to the sweet temptation of that voice. He could vaguely recall signing something and having the terms of his new covenant told to him, but he gave it no mind. Whatever deal he signed would be better than lying there in the dirt, having survived against all odds just to lose his life to his own teammates. Yes, he’d rather give everything to his Sponson, to his God.
[It is done, my little Aspirant. Go. Go and spread the glory of the Wisdom’s Scribe!]
“Hey…” the first voice muttered. Eric finally saw that it belonged to Benjamin. Oh, how the loyal were quick to mutiny. “That’s… I don’t think the Skinwalker can do that, right?”
“No…”
Eric felt his body soar with power, the Book of Thoth had materialized in his hands at some point and it was glowing with ethereal force. He flew above the unworthy Aspirants and gazed at them with unmasked contempt.
“I am Eric,” his voice boomed, amplified by the wrath of his god, “Envoy of the Wisdom’s Scribe!”
“More lies!” A minor figure said. Eric didn’t bother trying to remember such an insignificant being’s name. “It’s another trick! We have to bring it dow-”
“Silence!”
The Book of Thoth rumbled in his grasp as if feeling its owner’s displeasure, and it infused Eric with eldritch knowledge. With a flicker of his hand - whole once more - Eric sent a raw beam of undiluted mana shooting toward the Aspirant. It pierced through the man’s chest like a beam of plasma, ending his unsightly existence instantly. Eric laughed at how absurdly easy it was now that his Patron had his back. His eyes burned with power, and he realized that magic was his to control, to distort and manipulate at his will. Not just that, but through those mana circuits, Eric could freely control those other Aspirants like puppets. All the information that he would ever need is cleanly filtered and delivered to him through his divine Book.
He saw the thin lines of mana coursing through the bodies of the others and with a thought, he forced those connections to size up and run afoul. The Aspirants all screamed in agony as one of the fundamental forces of their bodies went against their will. Another thought from Eric forced them all to their knees, but not before making them suffer for disrespecting him first. He delighted in the screams of the unworthy, but he would still need them, for now.
Eric tossed the pearl on the ground and spat. “I have tolerated your inane chatter and criticism for too long! I have listened to your concerns, I have led this team through three Trials, but still, you question my methods and my orders; still you question my leadership!” He stared at the groveling humans and sent another wave of agony their way. “But no more! I will not allow any more dissent. I have divinity behind my back, and the divine do not allow for the unwashed masses to interfere with their business!”
Eric concentrated and sent out another massive wave of mana in the direction of the village. The wave of force cut through the threes and obliterated everything in its path, leaving not a single structure intact. It took a lot of effort, but Eric was satisfied when he saw that no one else dared question his authority. There would be no deviation from his will, and the will of his god.
With his newfound powers, he could end this Trial in a heartbeat, but there was one thing he wanted to check out before. There was that strange map that one of his minions had shown him before, but the words that were written on it were all but impossible to understand, but that was before he had given himself to his god. Everything was different now; he wasn’t going to miss out on more rewards now that he knew victory was certain. With his newfound wisdom, deciphering the strange script was all too simple. He would be the one to unearth this mysterious prize.
“By His will, we shall finish this Trial, and now I care not for how many of you die, for you will follow my commands. We march!”