The Wielder of Death Magic

“...” silence. Her lips were sealed. The interrogation room, as was felt, stood as nothing but a guest room placed remotely within the castle. Precisely more were the slow drips and the harshness of the cold floor and equally cold atmosphere. A carefully constructed image of a dungeon flashed before her mind, as for reality, it stood rather frankly. One linen bed, a single chair swept under an empty desk. Angela suffered the brunt of a large window, the breeze was a merciless beast.

“You think silence will alleviate thy fate?”

“...”

“Please, Weaver of Destiny, it isn’t hard to fall to my whims, is it?”

“...”

“You leave me no choice,” a ripping sensation crossed her chest. Her breast drooled as any suggestion of undergarments was pulled. The needle army, the gust, charged the front lines. She gritted. A shaper coldness poked the middle, she gasped, her ears and cheeks were red hot, “-I will take your symbol by force if needed. Angela, you need but answer, we don’t have to use means the Devil is renowned for. I’m a just man, I have said so many times. Give me what I want, and I will give you what you want,” he lifted the blade, carrying its sharpness along her skin, “-no answer will signal an unwillingness for cooperation.”

.....

“Like the sound of your own voice?” she firmed, the blade reached her collar, “-I will not make deals with you, Devil. Thy existence is a danger to the tapestry of fate. You dared alter the past, you dared go back in time and rescue your friend, Aceline. She died nonetheless, I don’t get how it was worthwhile. My beautiful tapestry, the work of art I had so longed to see complete is... IT’S WORTHLESS! I have no mind to believe in your idle words, Igna, you have no say, you have no power over me. I will do what I want and fight for what I believe. This time, I believe deeply in your destruction, my powers will ensure fate’s mighty hammer drops on your evil self. I, I-” she slowed.

“...” no words came to mind, Igna rested a firm grip on her shoulder, the blade poked ever so deeper, it pierced skin and drew blood. The warmness of the wound cried in the face of the chilling gust. Rivers of crimson streamed along her chest, they turned a darker red. He casually dipped his finger and had a taste, “-sweet,” he smiled, “-signs of a pure goddess. I guess it is right seeing this body is a reincarnation,” he ungripped the handle, the blade remained fixed, “-if you inhale quickly or make sudden gestures, the blade will only get in deeper. I leave thee choice, Angela, if you wish, stab yourself and end the suffering,” her silence persisted, though, a perceptive mind noticed, ‘-her breathing’s limited. The flow’s stopped, she’ll shake with the colder winds.’ “Weaver of Destiny, you chastise my position, you called me evil and you berated me with your ideals. Should I be crossed? perhaps, should I have made a strong emotive reaction? You wished. Don’t fool yourself, Angela, getting under my skin is easy if you know where to look. Evidently, Angela, you have your head so far up your ass it’s hard to get out for fresh air. Even in the face of death, you prefer to hide behind those warm ideals. Allow me the chance to be enlightened; accepting my offer to enter the Shadow Realm after Zeus’ cruel and abusive rejection brought to memory his treatment of Gophy. We welcomed you and posed no questions. To each their own, such is the motto we adhere to the best of our abilities. Then came the prophecy, the truth you gazed in the way future, on the day three become one and nothing is born. The truth you sought was here all along – three became one on the day I was reincarnated, and that day, Angela, has long since passed. I have a habit of keeping quiet, even now, I rather not tell you but it’s for your own sake. Destiny, you have power, alas, I have more. Origin,” he paused, her expression shifted, the breathing deepened with additional blood, “-steady yourself,” said a heartfelt caution, “-you need not be so hasty,” he paused, her contours were much crinkled, signs of annoyance or plain fear, either sufficed. “Weaver of Destiny, I know more about than you think. A certain incident comes to mind, the death of-”

“STOP!” she cried, “-no more!” her chest blew with so much force the blade dug further, “-I’ll do what you say,” tears trickled, “-I give up, I give up.”

“I was right,” he smiled, pulled the weapon, and healed her wounds, “-I need no restrain for one’s already in place and buried deep in your past. Angela, you poor soul, it’s hard being fake... I digress,” he grabbed and shook her shoulders, “-you lying piece of shit. The prophecy was made up... weaver of fate, your lies, YOUR LIES!” he screamed in her face, “-THE BOOK OF THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE IS LOST BECAUSE OF YOU!” she buckled, trembling as the words stabbed mercilessly, “-I apologize. I shouldn’t have,” he moved towards the window, “-Angela, you’re already part of the Shadows. Just stay and live the life granted. Nothing much waits in the other worlds – your own people have rejected you.”

“What do you want,” she sniffled, “-bringing long-buried memories... WHAT DO YOU WANT!”

“Engraste’s location.”

“WHAT?”

“Engraste’s location.”

“... I can’t tell you,” her voice softened, “-If I do, it will go against my contract. I can’t have them turning on me. I won’t-”

“Angela, reincarnation is a fresh start. No longer are you or your soul bound to that contract. For one so smart, you can be very foolish,” warmth filled his tone, Igna passed the chair and undid the cloths around her eyes, “-open up,” a sharp flicker shoveled her blurriness, the blinks were sharp and unfocused. A harsh gust blasted the room, and she found herself wide awake, fluttering her lashes at the coming scenery, “-I can see,” she muffled, “-I can see...”

“Angela,” he waited at the end with a cigar, “-you’re a world-class idiot. Don’t you remember the contract you formed?” memory took her back into the sea of the past. The windows of past events passed until she arrived in the third person, overseeing an interaction between her and Igna.

Violetta wept, her sobbing inconsolable by a layman. Igna waited at her side, gazing upon a damp walkway. A soft lantern glimmered over the bench behind which thickened a dark outline of trees and distant skyscrapers, “-Violetta, as is the case in many scenarios, there are winners and there are losers. You used an ancient ritual to conjure one of my companions, thee sought the devil, and the devil cometh. What do you want, what is your wish?”

“I want vengeance, I want them to pay for stealing my precious books. Especially that vile one, he’s the worst. Devil, I want you to erase part of my memory, I want you to remove figments of our contract here. I pledge myself to you and your cause, I wish to become one of your vassals.”

“I don’t mind,” he said, “-what will I get in the offer?”

“The chance to meet him, Alfred’s father. I had a dream, one you don’t get so frequently. It showed me a lot of things, all pertaining to you and your entourage. I’m the key figure; for that dream to become real, I have to forget.”

“Suppose I have nothing to lose,” he held out his hand, “-I accept thy plea, Violetta. From today forth, you shall become a part of the Shadows; someone I’m duty-bound to aid and protect. As you wished, the memories of the contract shall be wiped. Until the day comes when we meet,” Igna vanished, the park, after the aerial view, was located inside the Shadow Realm. Count the hasty drakin to make certain the dangerous skies. The window played another scene, “-you will warn the world about Igna,” came yellow eyes drowned in black, “-you will recount of the dream thee saw. He’s a danger to us, we mustn’t allow his survival,” it skipped, “-kill him,” read a darker scene, “-kill him else we reveal what has long plagued your soul,” the truth surfaced, her vision returned at last, “-Igna?” boiling hot cheeks turned, “-did you?”

“Yeah?” he puffed, “-I said what I said. The memories have returned, I trust you know the truth?”

“Yeah, I do,” she dropped to her knees and bowed, “-forgive me, my lord, I didn’t mean such an offense.”

“Don’t worry, ’twas planned,” the lock clicked, “-where’s Engratse?”

A mirror summoned at her face, “-Dimension Orin, the new continent in the company of other gods, I think?”

“Gophy,” he returned, “-yeah, I guess that’s her,” he turned, “-Angela, welcome to the Shadows. Be free for thy service ends. Go get cleansed, I have much to see.”

“As you wish, my lord,” she spread her wings and escaped, leaving feathers to float onto the yard.

Much happened, Igna kicked his feet on a ledge and gazed at the open sky, ‘-Violetta’s dream came to pass. She predicted and it delivered. I met Grostian, inherited his powers, and brought an end to her predicament. Goes to show how rumbustious the world beyond my knowledge is. Gophy,’ passed his mind, *BOOM,* a ball of fire exploded, the legendary phoenix lifted its wings and showered the area in golden flames, “-Intherna,” he smiled, “-nice entrance.” Red fiery hair waved, a pleased expression exchanged, “-been a while,” she snapped, her familiar disappeared. “How are you, Igna?”

“Could be better,” they shared seats, “-where have you been?”

“On the lookout. Igna, the situation is dire. I know not if the information’s reached... Lilith and Miira are trapped in their respective realms. I had a few contacts provide leads, Formle’s looking into what happened to Miira. As for Lilith, she’s returned to the Aapith nation with Asmodeus and the other princes. It seemed there has been confusion in their ranks. The Kings of Hell have trapped her in hopes of you entering hell. Lilith is indeed captured, I doubt she’ll have trouble resisting their advances. Then again, her soft spot was very obvious. I advise against making any moves.”

“Are you sure?”

“I suppose. I can’t imagine her having trouble, it’s Lilith we’re talking about.”

“I heard from Vesper – the floor bosses at the Tower, including Kanad and Kylsha, have gone missing. Ideas?”

“Kidnapping,” she shrugged, “-Igna,” she grabbed his chin, “-are you not worried about them?”

“I am... the bosses have the collective strength of Orin’s combined military force, no, even greater. They were blessed by the Shadows... hard to put in words how much it affects things. if Artanos is behind the abduction, he’s gearing up for war, I guess?”

“No worries?”

“No, not really. I can win easily. Intherna, will you become the matriarch of the Shadow Realm.”

“Pardon?”

“I need you to become the Queen,” he grabbed her hands, “-the people love you... if war ever comes knocking at our door,” flash images of Grostian’s realm, the destruction, “-we will need a strong ruler to lead our forces. I’m being paranoid, I know, I know it very well. Being overconfident will-”

“Say no more,” she sandwiched his hand, “-I will rally the forces and see to the residents. Igna,” her focus turned to the greater picture, the city, “-I don’t think we should be worried. We’re strong, far stronger than any realm that’s come before. Our end will come on our own terms. Such is what I call power, the ability to decide when one’s adventure ends. We keep getting stronger, the realms become vast and full of different cultures across the continents.”

“You’re right,” he stood, “-I have to heal Eira first. Intherna, I trust you,” they hugged, “-please watch over them.”

“You take care,” she smiled, “-and tell the kids they ought to visit.”

“I will.”