Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, nobody rested. I alternated my time between increasing my strength in the crystal room Cyra provided and trying to master my usage of various glyphs. The glyphs helped me master my control of both the blue flame and the gold fire. With a few days of practice, I had grown increasingly more fluid with my control of the flaming weapon my dad had designed for me and I was now able to manipulate its form in a fraction of a second.
My dad was slowly beginning to understand the usage of his new domain. He had successfully managed to condense it into armor. It was crude, thick armor. It would take a long time before he would master the technique but it still mostly worked.
Charly spent every waking minute in the library. That never changed. Meanwhile, my mom and Donte spent their time training with Sigmund. Under the tutelage of the sword master, the two were growing more skilled at a frightening pace. I was no longer sure I could best Donte in a fair swordfight and found myself missing the days when I could thrash him with ease.
Once a night, every night, I went down into the dungeon where Sebastion was held. At first, I taught the techniques I knew to calm the mind and ease the soul but I often found myself rambling about the past the longer the lecture went on. Sebastion remained silent through most of what I said. Only rarely would he speak short, terse responses. I had no idea if the man was really even listening to what I had to say and did not really care either way.
I was currently down in that prison now. The cold, rough brickwork against my back as a sat on the floor in front of the metal bars. Sebastion’s eyes were closed as he sat crossed-legged in the center of the cell. I could see the siphons on the walls flare brightly as they struggled to absorb the flood of energy emanating from Sebastion.
“Do you remember the time Lucia found that injured fox?” I asked. My voice was barely above a whisper. Sebastion did not reply but I never expected him to and simply continued talking. “It was such a tiny little thing back then. Half dead and covered in blood, it was such a pitiful little creature. I tried to use the sight as a lesson for Lucia, to teach her about the brutality of the world. Do you remember what she said? She said, it is because the world is brutal that we have to be kind. If we do not reach out a helping hand, who will?” I chuckled softly at the memory. “That stupid fox followed her around everywhere. I hated that thing. It kept tearing up all my stuff.”
For the first time since I had come down into the prison that night, Sebastion finally spoke. “Why do you torment me like this? Why do you insist on talking about her?”
I sighed as I rested my head against the cool bricks on the wall. “All those years we spent together, I never really understood Lucia’s point of view. I felt that she was incredibly naïve. To me, the world had always been a dark unforgiving place, but through her eyes, everything was so beautiful... Maybe, just once, I want to see the world as she did.”
Sebastion’s eyes opened as he looked at me inquisitively. “What kind of game are you playing? What do you hope to accomplish by acting like this every day, Aurielle?”
I laughed lightly at Sebastion’s confusion. “I am no longer the Aurielle you once knew. My most recent rebirth was… different.” As I spoke, I raised my hands out in front of me. A soft blue flame ignited in my right hand and a green flame in my left. Sebastion gasped in disbelief as the flames danced across my fingertips. “As I was searching for a new host to house my spirit, I stumbled across a child of blue flame. A little spark struggling on the edge between life and death, refusing to be extinguished. In a flash of idiocy that I still do not completely understand, I decided to save her in the only way I knew how. Two souls entwined into one body. Now, I am neither the empress that once ruled this land nor the sickly child that barely knew anything of the world. I am something new.”
Sebastion watched intently as the blue flame flowed at my command. The flames twisted into the form of a glyph and gave birth to golden fire. After a brief pause, Sebastion looked up from the flame. He stared intently at my eyes, searching for any sign of deception. After several seconds, Sebastion closed his eyes once again and fell still. I watched him for a while but it was clear he was not going to say any more for now. I could not tell what he thought of my little show but I was unable to stay down in the prison any longer. The siphons in his cell had nearly emptied me completely. If I stayed any longer, I would soon fall unconscious.
With a disappointed sigh, I stood up and brushed the dust off my clothes. For a moment I thought Sebastion might really be willing to talk with me but it seemed that he still did not trust me.
I took a few steps away from the cell when a voice echoed out from behind me. “The method you have been teaching, will it really help with the pain of remembering?” Sabastion asked.
I faltered as I turned to look back at Sebastion. I smiled brightly and spoke. “Try it yourself and see.”
My steps were light as I practically skipped out of the prison. I waved at the guards as I passed. After several days I might have finally broken past Sebastion’s stern façade and reached him. Maybe tomorrow, he would actually be willing to talk to me in earnest.
I could not hide my grin as I walked towards Svend’s manor. The city was incredibly busy despite the late hour. At first light tomorrow the army would begin its march south and many logistics were still being prepared. My family and I would not be going with them, at least not right away. Armies of that size marched incredibly slowly and I had no interest in joining that. It would take several weeks for them to reach the blood mist while Dragon’s Nest could travel the same distance in little more than a week. I would join them before the fighting started but for now, there was too much to do here.
Before we left, the crystals Cyra created to help me regain my strength all needed to be moved into Dragon’s Nest. Svend was also working on creating a replica of Sebastion’s cell inside the floating mansion. It was a prospect he was not happy about but I wanted Sebastion to be brought with us. While I had decided not to free Sebastion, if I could convince the man to put aside his grudge until after the war, that would change. I had made great strides towards that goal today. Hopefully, by the time the fighting began, Sebastion would be open to reason.
I was in a great mood as I walked through the busy city but as I approached Svend’s manor my smile disappeared. The hair on the back of my neck raised up as I felt the gaze of something powerful examining me.
The feeling did not disappear when I entered the manor but instead got stronger. Inside, Svend and Cyra were sitting at the new table. Cyra was rapidly tapping her finger on the table in frustration. My dad was also at the table glancing over his shoulder nervously while my mom, Charly, and Donte all stood nearby looking confused.
“What is wrong?” my mom asked as she placed a hand on my dad’s shoulder.
“Can’t you feel it?” My dad replied with a growl, “like all your clothes were suddenly stripped off under the gaze of some unknown pair of eyes.”
“Only people with domains can sense it,” I interjected as I sat down across the table from Svend.
“What exactly is it?” My mom asked as she covered her chest with her arm.
“It should be Aym, one of the seven demons we are up against. His ability is focused on his eyes. It lets him see through solid objects at an incredible distance away.” I said with a questioning glance towards Svend.
“If I fly at my top speed, he is probably three hours away. It is more than enough time for him to hide his presence and disappear if I try and chase after him.” the big man said as he crossed his arms in annoyance, “The real question is, why is he here? Why bother to spy on us when they have someone that can see the future?”
“Are they planning to attack us?” my dad asked.
“Unlikely,” I replied thoughtfully, “Between Svend and Cyra here and Sebastion down in the dungeons, a direct assault on us would be too costly this early in the war. Demons are selfish creatures by nature they would not take that risk unless they were absolutely sure they would win. No, he is probably here because of Dragon’s Nest. When I talked with Irene a few days ago, she mentioned that Berith was incredibly irritated that her foresight could not peer inside. That is probably what Aym is hoping to see.”
“Really?” Svend remarked in surprise.
“You better have a plan to get rid of this Demon, Svend. I am not going to just sit here and let that creep stare at me,” Cyra hissed in frustration.
“Let’s discuss our plans in Dragon’s Nest,” I said before Svend could speak, “Aym can read lips, even from this distance, but I am willing to bet he can’t see through the walls of Dragon’s Nest.”
Svend looked at me curiously as he followed us into the floating home. The moment we stepped through the doors, the uncomfortable feeling of being watched disappeared.
“What exactly is this island?” Svend asked pointedly, “I thought it was just something you bought from the Twelfth Division, but their floating fortresses do not have the capability of blocking out talents.”
“It kind of reminds me of home,” Cyra said as she looked around.
Donte puffed up his chest and looked like he was about to say something when I interjected. “You are not entirely wrong. This building was a joint effort between the Fifth and Twelfth Divisions in an attempt to imitate a Preateritum remnant.” I said in a lie I prepared beforehand, “There were even broken pieces of remnants used in the construction but in the end, the project was a failure. It has none of the powers of a true remnant. It is just a floating building that can do a few tricks.”
“That explains why it feels so familiar,” Cyra said with a nod, “If anyone could get close to recreating a remnant it would be the great Michael Aevus. You know he was the one that discovered the very first…”
“Yes, yes, I have heard the story a thousand times,” I interrupted with a wave of my hand, “You can fangirl over my teacher later. Right now, we should focus on the problem at hand.” Cyra scowled at me but I ignored it as I continued. “We cannot let the Demon move freely through our lands. The army marches out tomorrow and if he acts it could cause serious problems to troop morale. However, this could also be an opportunity. If we can draw the Demon in, we might be able to deal a major blow to our enemy.”
“I know that grin,” Svend said as he moved to pull on a beard that was not there, “You have a plan. Let’s hear it.”
Marcus_Breeze
And so, the first of the Demons arrive to cause chaos. The question now is how to kill Aym while it is separated from the rest and if it really is separated at all.
Easter egg of the day, the names of all the Demons other than Envy are taken directly from the Ars Goetia in the lesser key of Soloman that details the demons of hell. I am not so motivated as to read the actual source so everything is taken from Wikipedia but Aim (also Aym or Haborym) is a Great Duke of Hell, very strong, and rules over twenty-six legions of demons. He sets cities, castles and great places on fire, makes men witty in all ways, and gives true answers concerning private matters. He is depicted as a man (handsome to some sources), but with three heads, one of a serpent, the second of a man, and the third of a cat to most authors, although some say of a calf, riding a viper, and carrying in his hand a lit firebrand with which he sets the requested things on fire.
As always, if you are enjoying the story, consider supporting it on patreon for bonus content and early chapter releases.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, nobody rested. I alternated my time between increasing my strength in the crystal room Cyra provided and trying to master my usage of various glyphs. The glyphs helped me master my control of both the blue flame and the gold fire. With a few days of practice, I had grown increasingly more fluid with my control of the flaming weapon my dad had designed for me and I was now able to manipulate its form in a fraction of a second.
My dad was slowly beginning to understand the usage of his new domain. He had successfully managed to condense it into armor. It was crude, thick armor. It would take a long time before he would master the technique but it still mostly worked.
Charly spent every waking minute in the library. That never changed. Meanwhile, my mom and Donte spent their time training with Sigmund. Under the tutelage of the sword master, the two were growing more skilled at a frightening pace. I was no longer sure I could best Donte in a fair swordfight and found myself missing the days when I could thrash him with ease.
Once a night, every night, I went down into the dungeon where Sebastion was held. At first, I taught the techniques I knew to calm the mind and ease the soul but I often found myself rambling about the past the longer the lecture went on. Sebastion remained silent through most of what I said. Only rarely would he speak short, terse responses. I had no idea if the man was really even listening to what I had to say and did not really care either way.
I was currently down in that prison now. The cold, rough brickwork against my back as a sat on the floor in front of the metal bars. Sebastion’s eyes were closed as he sat crossed-legged in the center of the cell. I could see the siphons on the walls flare brightly as they struggled to absorb the flood of energy emanating from Sebastion.
“Do you remember the time Lucia found that injured fox?” I asked. My voice was barely above a whisper. Sebastion did not reply but I never expected him to and simply continued talking. “It was such a tiny little thing back then. Half dead and covered in blood, it was such a pitiful little creature. I tried to use the sight as a lesson for Lucia, to teach her about the brutality of the world. Do you remember what she said? She said, it is because the world is brutal that we have to be kind. If we do not reach out a helping hand, who will?” I chuckled softly at the memory. “That stupid fox followed her around everywhere. I hated that thing. It kept tearing up all my stuff.”
For the first time since I had come down into the prison that night, Sebastion finally spoke. “Why do you torment me like this? Why do you insist on talking about her?”
I sighed as I rested my head against the cool bricks on the wall. “All those years we spent together, I never really understood Lucia’s point of view. I felt that she was incredibly naïve. To me, the world had always been a dark unforgiving place, but through her eyes, everything was so beautiful... Maybe, just once, I want to see the world as she did.”
Sebastion’s eyes opened as he looked at me inquisitively. “What kind of game are you playing? What do you hope to accomplish by acting like this every day, Aurielle?”
I laughed lightly at Sebastion’s confusion. “I am no longer the Aurielle you once knew. My most recent rebirth was… different.” As I spoke, I raised my hands out in front of me. A soft blue flame ignited in my right hand and a green flame in my left. Sebastion gasped in disbelief as the flames danced across my fingertips. “As I was searching for a new host to house my spirit, I stumbled across a child of blue flame. A little spark struggling on the edge between life and death, refusing to be extinguished. In a flash of idiocy that I still do not completely understand, I decided to save her in the only way I knew how. Two souls entwined into one body. Now, I am neither the empress that once ruled this land nor the sickly child that barely knew anything of the world. I am something new.”
Sebastion watched intently as the blue flame flowed at my command. The flames twisted into the form of a glyph and gave birth to golden fire. After a brief pause, Sebastion looked up from the flame. He stared intently at my eyes, searching for any sign of deception. After several seconds, Sebastion closed his eyes once again and fell still. I watched him for a while but it was clear he was not going to say any more for now. I could not tell what he thought of my little show but I was unable to stay down in the prison any longer. The siphons in his cell had nearly emptied me completely. If I stayed any longer, I would soon fall unconscious.
With a disappointed sigh, I stood up and brushed the dust off my clothes. For a moment I thought Sebastion might really be willing to talk with me but it seemed that he still did not trust me.
I took a few steps away from the cell when a voice echoed out from behind me. “The method you have been teaching, will it really help with the pain of remembering?” Sabastion asked.
I faltered as I turned to look back at Sebastion. I smiled brightly and spoke. “Try it yourself and see.”
My steps were light as I practically skipped out of the prison. I waved at the guards as I passed. After several days I might have finally broken past Sebastion’s stern façade and reached him. Maybe tomorrow, he would actually be willing to talk to me in earnest.
I could not hide my grin as I walked towards Svend’s manor. The city was incredibly busy despite the late hour. At first light tomorrow the army would begin its march south and many logistics were still being prepared. My family and I would not be going with them, at least not right away. Armies of that size marched incredibly slowly and I had no interest in joining that. It would take several weeks for them to reach the blood mist while Dragon’s Nest could travel the same distance in little more than a week. I would join them before the fighting started but for now, there was too much to do here.
Before we left, the crystals Cyra created to help me regain my strength all needed to be moved into Dragon’s Nest. Svend was also working on creating a replica of Sebastion’s cell inside the floating mansion. It was a prospect he was not happy about but I wanted Sebastion to be brought with us. While I had decided not to free Sebastion, if I could convince the man to put aside his grudge until after the war, that would change. I had made great strides towards that goal today. Hopefully, by the time the fighting began, Sebastion would be open to reason.
I was in a great mood as I walked through the busy city but as I approached Svend’s manor my smile disappeared. The hair on the back of my neck raised up as I felt the gaze of something powerful examining me.
The feeling did not disappear when I entered the manor but instead got stronger. Inside, Svend and Cyra were sitting at the new table. Cyra was rapidly tapping her finger on the table in frustration. My dad was also at the table glancing over his shoulder nervously while my mom, Charly, and Donte all stood nearby looking confused.
“What is wrong?” my mom asked as she placed a hand on my dad’s shoulder.
“Can’t you feel it?” My dad replied with a growl, “like all your clothes were suddenly stripped off under the gaze of some unknown pair of eyes.”
“Only people with domains can sense it,” I interjected as I sat down across the table from Svend.
“What exactly is it?” My mom asked as she covered her chest with her arm.
“It should be Aym, one of the seven demons we are up against. His ability is focused on his eyes. It lets him see through solid objects at an incredible distance away.” I said with a questioning glance towards Svend.
“If I fly at my top speed, he is probably three hours away. It is more than enough time for him to hide his presence and disappear if I try and chase after him.” the big man said as he crossed his arms in annoyance, “The real question is, why is he here? Why bother to spy on us when they have someone that can see the future?”
“Are they planning to attack us?” my dad asked.
“Unlikely,” I replied thoughtfully, “Between Svend and Cyra here and Sebastion down in the dungeons, a direct assault on us would be too costly this early in the war. Demons are selfish creatures by nature they would not take that risk unless they were absolutely sure they would win. No, he is probably here because of Dragon’s Nest. When I talked with Irene a few days ago, she mentioned that Berith was incredibly irritated that her foresight could not peer inside. That is probably what Aym is hoping to see.”
“Really?” Svend remarked in surprise.
“You better have a plan to get rid of this Demon, Svend. I am not going to just sit here and let that creep stare at me,” Cyra hissed in frustration.
“Let’s discuss our plans in Dragon’s Nest,” I said before Svend could speak, “Aym can read lips, even from this distance, but I am willing to bet he can’t see through the walls of Dragon’s Nest.”
Svend looked at me curiously as he followed us into the floating home. The moment we stepped through the doors, the uncomfortable feeling of being watched disappeared.
“What exactly is this island?” Svend asked pointedly, “I thought it was just something you bought from the Twelfth Division, but their floating fortresses do not have the capability of blocking out talents.”
“It kind of reminds me of home,” Cyra said as she looked around.
Donte puffed up his chest and looked like he was about to say something when I interjected. “You are not entirely wrong. This building was a joint effort between the Fifth and Twelfth Divisions in an attempt to imitate a Preateritum remnant.” I said in a lie I prepared beforehand, “There were even broken pieces of remnants used in the construction but in the end, the project was a failure. It has none of the powers of a true remnant. It is just a floating building that can do a few tricks.”
“That explains why it feels so familiar,” Cyra said with a nod, “If anyone could get close to recreating a remnant it would be the great Michael Aevus. You know he was the one that discovered the very first…”
“Yes, yes, I have heard the story a thousand times,” I interrupted with a wave of my hand, “You can fangirl over my teacher later. Right now, we should focus on the problem at hand.” Cyra scowled at me but I ignored it as I continued. “We cannot let the Demon move freely through our lands. The army marches out tomorrow and if he acts it could cause serious problems to troop morale. However, this could also be an opportunity. If we can draw the Demon in, we might be able to deal a major blow to our enemy.”
“I know that grin,” Svend said as he moved to pull on a beard that was not there, “You have a plan. Let’s hear it.”
Marcus_Breeze
And so, the first of the Demons arrive to cause chaos. The question now is how to kill Aym while it is separated from the rest and if it really is separated at all.
Easter egg of the day, the names of all the Demons other than Envy are taken directly from the Ars Goetia in the lesser key of Soloman that details the demons of hell. I am not so motivated as to read the actual source so everything is taken from Wikipedia but Aim (also Aym or Haborym) is a Great Duke of Hell, very strong, and rules over twenty-six legions of demons. He sets cities, castles and great places on fire, makes men witty in all ways, and gives true answers concerning private matters. He is depicted as a man (handsome to some sources), but with three heads, one of a serpent, the second of a man, and the third of a cat to most authors, although some say of a calf, riding a viper, and carrying in his hand a lit firebrand with which he sets the requested things on fire.
As always, if you are enjoying the story, consider supporting it on patreon for bonus content and early chapter releases.
