The Circle of Chains was an organization of monsters. I knew that beyond any shadow of a doubt. It had beat, whipped, and tortured that into my very soul. But this...this was beyond anything I could have imagined, an atrocity so dark it equaled, if not eclipsed, the agony of my own suffering.
When we entered the city, I’d witnessed with my own eyes the scale of the curse placed upon the Last Light Company. Every soldier wearing their armor and insignia had been under the influence of a primitive Heart Crest, only slightly more advanced than what we faced in Heartland. But it was another thing entirely to have the full weight and depth of the curse confird by Joel.
A thousand questions spun through my head, leaving dizzy and despondent. A regular slave crest required great preparation on the part of the slave and slaver. They would engrave the crest on their flesh and then bind it to the slave with magic. It was an excruciating process that left no doubt in the slave’s minds that they were now property, sothing to be owned and beaten for the rest of their life.
Heart Crests were another matter, originating from the Soul Crest. Once it was perfect, it would completely replace all other forms of magical slavery. What master wouldn’t wish to control their very slave’s desires? It practically made them gods, and left no room for freedom, or truth.
The first one to break the silence was Korra, her hand grasping mine tightly beneath the table. "How did the Circle accomplish this? What’s the crystal you were talking about? Everything we know about Heart Crests says they’re only temporary. The spell’s pretty difficult to cast too, and it must be repeated for every individual target."
Joel nodded. "It is as you say. There are few mages capable of creating such a spell, yet it was done. I’ve heard rumors that a ninth-level priest of the Sun God aided in the developnt of the crystal, but I found it impossible to bring myself to inquire more." He shivered, his eyes far away and haunted. "There were a lot of things I couldn’t bring myself to do. Loyalty is supposed to be given, not forced!"
"Indeed," Orion said, leaning forward. "But tell us of this crystal. It sounds like the crux of their plan."
The Lieutenant took a deep breath, forcing the shivering fury from his voice. "The king used so kind of magical tool to cast the spell that cursed us. It used a large crystal as a focus, and seems to tie directly into the Shard of Omniscience as a mana source."
"Is that even possible? To harness a shard’s mana?" Korra asked skeptically.
I glanced at her, head tilted in confusion, as I answered. "Of course it is. That’s what the demons are here to do, right?"
The air turned cold, and a chill ran through before Korra’s voice cut through the silence. "Xiviyah, what the hell are you talking about?"
Her words weren’t accusatory, instead laden with utter confusion. The others reacted much the sa, gaping as though I’d just suggested the sky was green, or magic didn’t exist. Though there was no malice, it stung nonetheless. My tail twitched nervously, mirroring my inward agitation, and I shrank back further, my hand slipping from Korra’s.
Had I said sothing wrong? Why were they reacting this way?
"T-the demons," I stamred, refusing to look up. "They’re here to absorb the Shards of Omniscience. Doesn’t that an humanity could use the mana as well?"
Orion rubbed his chin, his unblinking eyes fixed upon . "That logic’s not the problem. Why in the world would you say the demons are here for the shards? Everyone knows they’ve co to slaughter Enusians and absorb our souls."
"Yeah, even the Pope said it," Korra nodded, agreeing. "Where did you hear about the Shards?"
"I, um, I don’t know how to say this," I began, my voice a soft murmur. I nervously fingered the hem of my skirt. "But I think...I think there’s a connection between the Shards and the demons. They’re more than just magical artifacts; they’re the very foundation of this world’s magic. Without them, no one would be able to use mana, but that’s because they create it. They just, well, organize it."
"Mana is a gift from the gods," Joel stated flatly.
I flinched at the uncompromising harshness in his words, but gathered my breath and continued. "I know that’s what they say, but it’s just not true. The church is mired in lies and deceit, all aid at gathering the most amount of faith for the gods. The Keeper of the Archives told that without the Shards, this world would slowly lose its magic. People wouldn’t be able to awaken anymore, and eventually, those who could call upon their mana would die off. Even the enchantnts would eventually fade, leaving Enusia regular and mundane."
"And the demons would leave again," Korra realized, her eyes growing wide. "If they’re here for the mana, then once they take it, why would they care about the survivors?"
I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief as understanding settled over them. The truths I had revealed weren’t particularly welco, but they all gazed at with newfound respect. My tail slowly lost its agitated twitching, and I pressed on with more confidence than before.
"None of that matters now though, not right now. For the ti being, we should focus on freeing the Last Light Company. The Circle hasn’t developed a thod to permanently curse soone with a Heart Crest yet, much less thousands of powerful souls at once. If we break or disconnect that magical focus, it should break the curse for all of them at once. "
"But until we disable it, we won’t be able to bring in the rest of our forces," Orion mused. "I refuse to force our brethren to shed each other’s blood."
"What about the church’s army?" Korra asked suddenly, shifting her gaze to Joel.
The Lieutenant nodded. "They don’t seem bound by the curse, but I could be wrong. They were here when we arrived, and I lack the ans of our young lady here to identify curses. But I think we should treat them as enemies no matter what. The Last Light Company has torn allegiances now, so this curse could be a ans of insurance."
Joel reached into his cloak and withdrew a scroll of parchnt. It crackled like kindling as he rolled it out over the table, revealing a map of the city. He pointed at the center, which had a detailed depiction of the citadel. "The Shard of Omniscience is located beneath the central keep. It’s currently blocked off from the public, but a small, powerful force should be able to break in before the guards are reinforced."
"Excellent," Orion said, leaning over the map. "But it looks like we’ll have trouble retreating. The mont we engage, the armies of the church will move through the city to support. I’d guess we had less than half an hour before they cut off all avenues of escape."
"If we manage to free the Last Light Company, they could join our forces outside the city," Joel said. "They might be enough to hold back the church long enough for us to slip away. Then we can all escape deeper into Brithlite."
As they continued to plan, a tremor ran through my soul. My chest tightened as my mana began to cycle furiously, making it difficult to breathe. Korra noticed my pale, strained countenance and rested her hand on my knee, frowning.
"Everything alright?" she asked softly, so as not to disrupt the soldiers.
I shook my head and summoned my staff beneath the table, gripping it horizontally on my lap. Everything was not alright, not by a long shot. A shudder ran through my body as the Staff of Fate focused my mana, driving it deep into my body and along familiar currents.
Darkness closed around , the last thing I felt was Korra’s arms around , preventing from falling to the floor. Then, I was free, drifting as a softly pulsing soul through the stars of fate.
"Show ," I breathed, commanding fate itself.
The darkness dispersed, leaving my perspective floating high in the air, overlooking both Bluegate Keep and the canyon itself. The sky was tinted with the colors of dawn, the last stars lingering in the heavens above. A brilliant circle of fire and ash swirled less than a mile from the city into the canyon. A Demon Gate.
Thousands of black dots carpeted the canyon floor in all directions, each one pulsing with their own minuscule, chaotic souls. The gate was still a few hours from breaking, aning the demon army had co from elsewhere in Enusia. Could they be the force that had driven the Last Light Company back?
My perspective shifted again, taking to the heart of the demon’s camp. The Demon Gate was situated directly above a tall ridge, giving it the appearance of a door atop a ramp. A single black-haired demonkin stood before the mass of chaos, his cloak flapping in the breeze generated by the swirling energy. He held a long, dull staff that seed to absorb light itself, a well of shadow and darkness. His back was to , but I found myself staring at his long, curved horns. They were larger than mine with more pronounced ridges, but just as lustrous. Beautiful, even.
"It’s almost ti," the demonkin murmured to himself. "Just a few hours, and–"
"My Lord!" a cracked voice, scraping like the clash of steel, interrupted his reverie. The demonkin turned, eyes narrowed with displeasure at the interruption. His face was strong and handso, with a long, thin scar cutting from forehead to chin, directly through his left eye. Had I a heart in this form, it might have fluttered, a na dancing through my mind. Luke.
"What is it?"
The speaker ca into view, creeping forward on his hands and knees, practically kowtowing with every step. "W-we’re not sure, but there seems to be fighting in the city. It’s almost as if–"
His voice was lost in a deafening explosion. It was distant, perhaps even in Bluegate Keep itself, but swept out in a shockwave across the demon army. I willed my perspective to shift again, taking on a vantage similar to the one Luke must have had.
Another shockwave rolled out of the city, carrying with it the cold fingers of winter. Frost crawled over the ground, spreading like fire in dry leaves. Demons hissed and groaned as it swept over the camp, their breath misting white and heavy in the sudden cold snap. The great crystal atop the keep shuddered, the light within flickering.
Luke was silent for a short mont before his lips curved up in a smile. When he spoke, his voice was soft and wistful, filled with fondness. "Oh, my dear oracle. Again and again, you continue to surprise . I pray you’ll remain safe until we et again." Then, speaking to the demon groveling before him, he waved his hand dismissively. "Give the order to advance. It seems we won’t be needing the reinforcents from the gate after all."
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