With no way to track time, Jake waited quietly until Helena stirred again before he reached for his own sleeping mat. The woman was exhausted from their trip and all of the surprises she had to deal with. Jake was more than happy to let her sleep for as long as necessary. That didn’t mean she agreed, though. She was always annoyed with him for never nudging her. Jake could feel his own exhaustion tugging on his shoulders and found himself nodding off frequently next to the fire. Even so, he never did listen and just shrugged. Once she was awake, Jake crawled onto his own mat and finally stopped the downward spiral of his thinking.
As he fell asleep, the boy applied a bit of mana to the marking on his chest. It didn’t react but as he fell asleep, he felt his consciousness slip away from him. Similar to how he felt whenever he triggered the Library’s Sigil, Jake felt the world around him fall away and his stomach rose into his throat. He shut his mind's eye and took in a long breath. When he exhaled, he felt his body press against something firm. Heat washed over his bones and the taste of dust entered his mouth. He exhaled and opened his eyes, revealing the dark room he was growing familiar with seeing.
The sand beneath his hands crumbled beneath his grip as he pushed himself upright. He looked around to orient himself and found that he was seated with his side to the throne. When he turned his head to look up at it, there was a man already standing at the edge of the pit, his toes at the edge of the stone. He stood as close as he could get to the pit. Any closer and his face would have pressed against the barrier.
“You,” the man called out, his eyes a dull red as they glowed faintly. “You stole my power,” he snarled.
“What?” Jake was confused. The boy turned to face the man and slowly got to his feet, brushing the sand off his clothes.
“You know what!” The man’s voice thundered as he smashed his fist against the barrier. A powerful shockwave rippled through the invisible wall as it flexed, containing the strength of the individual. “That curse was meant to siphon your life force and give it to me! Not the other way around! What have you done?!”
“You talking about this?!” Jake shouted in return, pulling his shirt off to expose the black mark now covering his sternum and half of each of his pecs. “This curse you planted in me?” He barked.
“Explain yourself, brat!” The individual howled, his fingers gripping onto the barrier as they glowed with power. The barrier flared to life, a translucent blue color coating it. Electricity poured out of it, shocking the individual with powerful strikes. However, his anger must have made him numb as he continued to pull and grip at the barrier.
“Why would I explain myself to someone who cursed me?” Jake scoffed, folding his arms as he glared up at the individual. “You haven’t once explained yourself and judging by how strong that barrier really is, I don’t think I should be trusting you in the first place.”
The man cocked his hand back and then pounded it harshly against the barrier- once. The strike blew the air and sand around him back, clearing the floor to reveal the stone beneath it. The flames in the two nearest couldrons were blown out and the fog around him dispersed. The entire barrier shook, quaking as it struggled to hold itself up. This time, the fog was thin. Jake had almost been able to see through it on his own. However, now he could see clearly who he was speaking to.
A tall individual with a lucious body. Muscles tight, fat almost non-existent. Two sharp, piercing red eyes. Youthful, sun-kissed skin. Lucious black hair. Two sharp horns jutting outwards from his forehead. A long, thin black tail with a fanged tip to it. Hands with razor-like nails at the end of them. Black markings coating his upper chest, upper arms, and two runes on his right hand. The only set of clothing he wore was a black skirt drapped around his waist. It was tied off at his hip by golden rope and beautiful, ornate designs were stitched into the fabric.
A demon.
“I am Altrox, Emperor of the Demonkin. I am the King of the country of Khorbael. Slayer of Ranoth. Father of the mighty Arnos.” Finally, the Demon spoke of himself. Altrox’s eyes narrowed as he pulled his hand away from the barrier. Agitation was not only written on his face, but it was etched into the very lines and wrinkles that showed his age. There weren’t many.
“I aided in crippling Crux’s forces long before you were even a speck of dust in the timeline and I am the sole reason the world is not in shambles. But I was betrayed by my very kin for they feared I would become Crux’s replacement.” Altrox turned away from the barrier and made his way up to the throne. With the fog cleared, Jake could see the demon take the seat. Not once did the annoyed expression even show a chance of leaving the demon’s face.
“Why did you curse me? You said you were trying to take my life?” Jake felt his blood boil just speaking those words. If that was true, then Jake had likely been lied to from the very beginning. Altrox was likely trying to use him as a pawn of some kind, or maybe as a sacrifice. Without any knowledge of who he was dealing with, Jake didn’t know what was right, wrong, or of concern. Moving forward, Jake would be careful when it came to new faces.
“I was, but things have changed,” Altrox placed his hands down on the arms of the throne as he sat upright. “You are more powerful than I anticipated, child. How would you instead like to become a Vassal of mine?”
“What’s a Vassal? And why would I do that? You tried to kill me!” If this demon was truly an Emperor of some kind, then dealing with him was going to be annoying. The way he sat. The way he looked down on Jake. The way he spoke. Without the fog hiding his true face, Jake could finally see and understand just who exactly he was dealing with. Altrox was likely trying to manipulate him into doing something stupid or may have been trying to plant seeds of doubt and anger into Jake. That talk of Crux, whoever that was, might have just been a lie.
“I did. However, seeing you now and understanding your potential has brought a change to my mind,” Altrox waved his hand and a ball of mana appeared in front of him. “You are young fledgling. That curse on your chest was meant to bind you to me. Slowly, it was meant to drain you of strength and of your mana. It was to act as a connection and I would feed off it. Over time, my power was meant to return and with it, I would break out of this prison.”
As he spoke, the mana sphere floated up and down slowly at his fingertips. When he finished, he gripped the ball and shattered it.
“Except you are just as I expected. Unique.” Altrox lowered his hand back to the armrest and leaned forward a bit in his throne. “You were not only able to resist the curse but I felt my own strength leave me when it finally activated. Something I did not account for. It was quite surprising and while it angered me, and still does, I must acknowledge your ability.” Altrox’s eyes changed, the agitation finally receding.
“A Vassal is someone loyal to me, a subordinate. I will give orders and you will execute my will. You have shown a capacity to not just use my power but command and control it. Having you as one of my Fingers will prove not just useful to me but will aid you in your own growth. Growth that I, as your Emperor, will foster.”
While the words were sweet, that’s all they were. Honeyed to sound attractive. Altrox was trying to lure Jake in, to garner his favor by offering something he truly could not afford to give. If what Altrox had said was true, Jake had been capable of stealing the demon’s power, which likely explained his power during the fight against the Maedra. The pieces were clicking together now.
Altrox must be desperate to earn his favor but the only question was how to play it. Should Jake turn against the demon? Or was there something to gain here? Altrox was a Demon Emperor, a King. His magic was powerful and he was dangerous enough to be imprisoned in an entirely separate place and time. Jake could use the demon as a mana source and slowly sap away at Altrox’s power. Though, the demon’s use would eventually run out. Aside from mana and magic strength, Altrox had other things to offer. Most of all, he had fought against this Crux person.
“Quite the offering for someone stuck in a chair,” Jake spat, buying himself some time to think. Altrox raised an eyebrow and his lips curled slightly.
“Quite the sharp tongue for a child,” Altrox’s hands lifted and he laced his fingers together in front of himself. “You’ve tasted my power once. It made you formidable and you used it well. Accept my offer and not only will I teach you to control that power but I will open the door to magic power that you could never even imagine.”
Jake eyed the Demon King, thinking hard on the offer. Power was always nice to have but that was all it was- a nice to have. His strength now was enough to handle the Maedra. Even if he didn’t make this offering, Jake would eventually grow even more. He didn’t need to play along. It was optional. However, Jake also knew what would eventually come in the future. A fight against a Muadrake. A fight against the other man he saw in his dreams. Dangers in the Overworld he didn’t even know about would eventually find their way to his doorstep and he would need to be ready. Jake could train and continue to grind away on his own to reach those upper echelons of magical prowess on his own but doing so would take time.
How much time did he truly have?
“Fine,” Jake muttered. “I will-”
Suddenly, Jake felt a hand grab onto his shoulder.
“Do no such thing.” A sharp feminine voice cut into the air, silencing Jake’s voice. Altrox’s face contorted as his pleased expression soured.
“Why are you here?” He spat. Jake looked to his right, his vision immediately swallowed up by a pair of bouncing breasts.
“Whoa,” he muttered, his thoughts slipping out of his mouth. He shook off the initial shock and stepped away from the woman. It was the Succubus from when he had met the Gods. She flashed him a hungry smile, the tip of her tongue dragging over her upper lip as she eyed him.
“You are causing quite a ruckus, aren’t you?” She faced Jake and her hand reached out to grab onto his chin. With a firm tug, she lifted his face so their eyes could meet. Before he could look away or protect himself, a pair of hearts appeared within them. Jake felt his heart flutter. A heat washed over him, burning in his chest and groin as he felt oddly attracted to the woman. Like putty in her hand, Jake melted to her touch.
“Go back to sleep, my boy,” she whispered, her voice ringing through his head. He let out a faint groan as he felt the strength begin to slip away from his body. He struggled to fight it, clinging to his awareness as he fell to a knee. The Succubus hovered over him, staring at him with an amused smile as she watched. Altrox wasn’t so amused.
“Syndir, my dear sister,” the demon stood up from his throne and glared down at the woman. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. “Why, are you here?” he repeated.
“Oh, I’m just checking in on my little brother is all.” She shrugged as she crossed her arms over her midsection. “It has certainly been some time.”
Altrox’s eyebrow knit together and his hands curled into heavy fists. Jake pounded a hand into the sand. He bit at the inside of his cheek as he struggled to resist the weight pulling him down. He didn’t have much strength left to fight with.
“You’ve grown, boy. It hasn’t been long since we last spoke but I see you have been through quite a lot. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the kind of man you grow in to…” The Goddess giggled as she watched Jake finally sprawl out on the ground. The boy rolled onto his back and groaned as he reached up for her, trying to grab and pull himself back up.
“If you know what’s good for you, boy…” Her eyes narrowed as his vision began to blur. A pair of red eyes glared down at him. “...Stay away from here.”
“Syndir!” Altrox roared, the echo of his shout fading as Jake lost grip of himself. He fell into the darkness of his mind again, his body dropping away into the nothing. Jake clenched his teeth and snarled, agitated at how powerless he was again.
More than anything, he absolutely hated that feeling. He hated how strong everyone around him was. How weak they made him feel. He hated how such people easily toyed with him and others around them. He hated being unable to protect himself against their tricks. Most of all, he hated how they looked at him like some kind of tool. His power was his alone. It was up to him what he wanted to do with it. It was up to him to decide how he wished to grow it. It was up to him to choose how he wanted to live his life. So where were all of these people coming from, all telling him that they knew what was best for him? How did they know what was best for him? How did they know what he needed? Especially when they couldn’t see what he was dealing with.
Jake’s eyes opened in the Overworld, the sight of rock filling his vision. His teeth almost instantly clenched and the boy sat up, his body hot with annoyance. It was so easy to cast him aside, to push him away, to ignore and deny him. Jake would not deny that his weakness was due to him still being young to the world he was in. However, he hated how everyone he interacted with looked down on him. As if he was a baby or something. As if he needed coddling.
“Good morning.” Jake looked over to see Helena sitting there, cradling a cup in her hands. Lydia was beside her, finishing a meal. Jake glared at them both unintentionally and reeled in his emotions. He let out a sigh and got up off his mat.
“Morning,” he rumbled, rolling up the mat and stuffing it away.
“Bad dream?” Helena asked, likely easily reading the emotion on his face. That, or she was reading his mana with those prying eyes of hers. Hiding it was fruitless, then, but he still didn’t want to talk about it.
“Something like that.” Jake pulled out a set of rations marked for the morning and unraveled the cloth in his lap. The sandwiches were tasteless this time but he ate them anyways. He chewed quickly through the meal, chasing the food with water to slam it all down. The sooner they started walking, the sooner he could get the prior night off his mind. Well, he hoped to at least.
The other two must have picked up on his urgency as they began to pack up their own gear as he closed in on the end of his breakfast. By the time he finished, they were waiting on him. Jake didn’t wait to wipe off his face. He stuffed the cloth into his pack and then secure it all together. He checked that Darius’s pack was latched on tight and then pulled on the straps of his own, tightening it all down. When he was ready, he flipped the pack over and then snatched it up off the floor. His arms and legs flexed and his core tensed as he balanced the weight on his back.
“Ready?” He asked.
“Yep!” “Of course.”
They both answered with smiles and Jake gave them a brief nod before he tore down the wall closing them in. The chill of the tunnel rushed into the warm space, washing over them all like a cold kiss. Jake stepped into the dark and then activated his Night Vision and Sensory magic. The boy checked left and then he checked right. Verifying that they were safe, Jake waved his companions out to follow and then cut his mana from the Light and Fire runes within the resting space. Helena cast her Light Ball spells to provide some illumination around them but Jake stepped out of the light, keeping himself at the very edge of the light as he led the way.
“Jake.” Helena called out to the boy, but Jake was already aware of what was ahead.
Jake stopped and reached for his hips, his hands resting on the hilts of his daggers as he stared into the darkness. He could make out a few outlines but their mana traces were low. He couldn’t quite tell what or who was out there- not yet. Helena cut her Light Ball spells and covered her eyes. Without anything shimmering, the group was shrouded in the dark. Between her eyes and his magic, though, they could see fine. The light spells were more for Lydia. However, the Halfling was calm and trusted Helena’s decisions.
They stood still, silent. Jake eyed the outlines as they crept into his vision. Two figures were up front with a dozen or so behind them. Those in the front were smaller, shorter, and lighter in equipment. Those in the back were well-armed. Jake recognized the formation and released the grip on his weapons. However, he didn’t call out to them nor did he make his own presence known. Instead, he watched as they approached. From their movements, they didn’t know what was ahead of them. If that was the case, then he would test them.
Jake turned slowly and placed a hand to his lips, signalling to Helena to not react. She nodded and placed a hand gently on top of Lydia’s head. Likely doing so to tell the Halfling to stay quiet as well. The boy then turned back towards the approaching group and waited. He stared at the two Scouts in front, watching as they approached with steady and light feet. Their eyes scanned the tunnel ahead of them and their hands smoothly rubbed over the walls as they let the stone guide them. The warriors at their back were barely fifty meters back, far closer than Jake’s teams had been. From the current distance, Jake could hear their heavy steps. If Jake were a Maedra he certainly would know something was amiss.
The Scouts crept along until they were a meager ten meters away before one finally reached out to the other. They stopped cold in their tracks, their heads moving left to right as they looked ahead of them. Jake cut his Sensory magic and his Night Vision. At their current distance, he couldn’t see them. But he certainly could smell them. Before he let himself get spooked, Jake triggered his Night Vision again. The Scouts took another step. Then another. And then another. They were five meters away- within lunging distance.
At that moment, Jake triggered a slew of Light ball spells. One at his side, one at the side of the Scouts, and two in the gap between the Scouts and the Warrior team.
“AH!” “MY EYE!” The Scouts screamed out of fear and jumped back, covering their faces to protect them from the sudden flash in their faces. The Warriors recoiled but instinctively held up their shields and stepped up to protect themselves from whatever was ahead. It took a few seconds, but one of the Scouts eventually was able to see and looked up towards Jake.
“Your techniques need work,” Jake rumbled as he glared down at the two Oryks. He waved to Helena, signalling that it was fine to proceed. The woman triggered two Light ball spells again.
“Who the hell-!?” One of the Scouts started to yell but Jake stepped passed them without another passing glance. Helena and Lydia followed suit, with Lydia giggling and sticking her tongue out at the Scouts.
“Identify yourself!” One of the Warriors shouted, likely the team leader. Jake didn’t answer until they were a few paces off and he didn’t even answer verbally. The boy reached into a pouch on his pack and pulled out his purple card, the one provided by the council.
“Is that?”
“Uh, Sarge?”
The Warriors exchanged glances and looked over their shoulders at the Leader, who sighed and ordered his men to relax. They made a hole and the Team Leader stepped through it. Jake extended the card for the Leader to examine and verify. He looked it over, flipped it to check the back, and then returned it. Jake tucked it away for later.
“We weren’t informed of another team being out here. What happened?” The Warrior Leader asked. Jake looked over his shoulder towards Helena but she was just looking at him. It seemed she was going to let him handle it. If that was the case…
“We’ve cleared the tunnel and need Workers to plant Collector crystals along the route.” Jake wanted to keep the intel sharing to a minimum but if he just brushed them off, there was no telling how far the team would wander. Even without Maedra in the tunnels, having people randomly waltzing through wasn’t exactly a good idea.
“You cleared the tunnel? How-... When?” The Leader blinked and his arms drooped, visibly distraught by likely the waste of time even coming out here. Jake felt a bit bad for them. However, he blamed Darius. If Darius hadn’t properly registered for the tunnel, then it was no wonder another team ended up being sent into it. Thankfully they hadn’t come sooner.
“A day ago. We went pretty far and are just now getting back. We’re a bit tired so I’d like to continue to the village.” Jake adjusted his stance a bit on his feet to show some discomfort and the team leader quickly nodded. He whistled for his men’s attention and let out an order to head back. Jake felt some stress fall off his shoulders.
“Of course. We’ll guide you back,” the Leader said. Jake nodded and waited as the Warriors and Scouts adjusted for the walk back, rather than a walk into combat. They packed up their weapons, tucked their shields onto their backs if they could, and the overall mood became less tense. Rather they seemed annoyed and worn out. The anxiety they had felt was all a waste, so Jake didn’t fault them for feeling that way.
“Interesting of you to not say anything,” Helena spoke softly off to Jake’s side. The boy shrugged.
“They’re rank and file. No need to stress them any more than necessary.” The regular Warrior and Scout teams were casual people just trying to make money for food and to support their families. From what Jake learned, they didn’t generally bother with anything other than the current mission ahead of them or what they would do next. The overall goal of going into the tunnels, they knew it of course, but it wasn’t a massive concern or something they let themselves worry over. Such details were left to those with higher rank and responsibility.
“Well aren’t you considerate,” Helena teased. Jake gave her a sidelong glance before stepping off after the Oryks.
The darkness of the tunnel eventually peeled away as they finally returned to the protective lighting of the crystals lodged into the ceiling. They passed the Danger Sign and Jake let out a sigh of relief. He’d done it without thinking but it certainly felt nice to be back in safer territory. The stone wasn’t familiar but the glow of the crystals certainly was. This wasn’t home yet but he knew that from here on, he didn’t need to keep so alert.
He felt even more relaxed when they passed through the hub connecting the tunnels, and then another hub which connected to the final tunnel leading to the village. The moment they stepped into the last stretch of rock, Jake spotted two Guards standing beside a connecting tunnel at the far end. The sight of their stoic figures was practically a gift.
The Scouts funneled passed them first, followed by the Warriors. When it was Jake’s turn, he pulled out the purple card and handed it over. The Guard, though, didn’t take it. He glanced down at the card and then turned away. Jake assumed then that just a look was enough for him to be granted access, so the boy tucked the card into his pack and continued forward. Helena and Lydia showed their own passes and were similarly allowed to pass. It was far easier this way and Jake was thankful for the privilege.
“Seems you weren’t lying,” the Warrior Team Leader said over his shoulder. Jake shrugged. If the boy had been lying, then that meant the Maedra were capable of copying Humans. An impossible task for such a primitive species. While they could mimic certain physical traits, replicating a Human in its entirety was well beyond their abilities. For now, at least. Jake wouldn’t put it past them to find out some way to pull it off.
As they stepped out of the tunnel on the far side and Jake’s vision filled with the view of Ewana, Jake found himself stopping at the edge of the pathway. His eyes glazed over the rock structures, the glowing crystal lights, and the beautiful green moss that seemed to grow on many of the buildings. He took in the sight of the two flows of liquid- one water, one Vein Essence. He could smell the distant mixture of foods being cooked and served. He could hear the faint mix of life strike at his eardrums. He could see dozens of people mingling as they went about their lives.
The first time he came to the village, he was awestruck.
This time, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Jake?” Helena called to him, snapping the boy from his staring. Jake tore his eyes away and returned to his companions.
“Sorry,” he said quietly. “Do you want to cover your eyes, Helena?” Jake asked.
“I do not have any extra cloth, unfortunately. I will need to find a seamstress,” Helena said. She looked out towards the village, her eyes already seeking such a place.
“Will you be okay?” He asked. Without her blindfold, everyone would see her eyes. He wasn’t quite sure how comfortable she was with letting that happen. If necessary, he was more than willing to fetch something for her.
But, Helena wasn’t some princess who needed her hand held. At his question, she only laughed and gave him a wide smile.
“I have been through many things, Jake. I can handle a few passing looks,” she answered with some life to her tone. She then gave a pat to Lydia’s back. “Come. Let us find a place to rest, yes?”
“Actually, I have just the place.” Jake turned and gave another look out towards Ewana before he led his companions down the slope towards the village.
Though he had just returned, it was time for him to take advantage of the offerings of the Council. Things had changed. Jake not only learned how to fight the Maedra, but he had learned how to cut them off and truly clear a tunnel. With the experience he had gained, Jake knew just what kind of team he would need to put together to protect the village. During their walk back, he had put a lot of thought into what he would do going forward. Initially, Jake thought of handling it all by himself. He planned to go down each tunnel, one by one, and clear the nests connected to them.
However, the amount of effort such an undertaking required would eventually break him. He wasn’t arrogant enough to deny that. Jake would need an efficient team of individuals that could move quickly through the tunnels and deal with the large number of Maedra. He needed a team of skilled personnel that he wouldn’t have to worry about. A team that was small and could prepare quickly to move if need be. Jake already had in mind a few individuals that fit the bill but it might take some persuading for a few of them. He just hoped that they would understand his request and be willing to accept the dangers of it.
But first, before he could go recruiting allies and additional companions, Jake needed to meet with someone. Someone who was likely awaiting the news of their return.
It was a conversation he was dreading.
