I sense the absence of a body behind me as I'm left in this realm, a shattering Lighthouse, all alone with what I can only assume is one of the Mother Below's most influential followers. A Demigod? And based on how she spoke, there is at least one more.

 

Hmm...

 

Shaking my head, I stare at Gorgeous' veiled face. She releases nothing but a welcoming smile as she steps toward me with an inviting hand. An invisible, featureless force hauls me to join her, but I don't. I lock my knees and tighten my hand into a clenched fist. The minor motions, however, take all I have to perform.

 

"Aww... you said we were going to settle this. Are you reneging on our agreement?"

 

The voice is so smooth, so slippery that my head twists to meet its waves. The faint jingles of jewelry only add to the mystique, making it even harder to resist.

 

"You will leave my friends alone. Let them acquire their Sigils peacefully."

 

I demand this of her, knowing it to be useless. I just have to hold onto something, and Earl's recent embarkment is the closest thing that comes to mind. Gorgeous steps closer, approaching the distance where our arms would touch if we were to both extend them. If she was here in person, and not reaching across potentially thousands of miles of space... I'd have already lost it all, I think.

 

"Oh? Will I? I don't believe you have the strength to enforce that. You don't have the strength to do anything, Wyatt Graves. To me, to my mother, you are but... a small dog. Not quite an ant, but not enough to pay more than a glance of attention to."

 

Is that so? She must mean I was an ant at one point, then? A slight smile crosses my face to meet hers. I notice the Motherbound Demigod tilt her head curiously, the motion attracting my gaze irresistibly.

 

Nonetheless, I stride forward, landing my step face-to-face with the being.

 

"Really? Then why do you all want this dog so badly? Hmm? Is it because I have the potential to become much, much more? Or are you scared of my bite?"

 

Gorgeous releases a tiny giggle, one that makes my vision shake and swoon. At the same time, she lashes toward my neck with her hand like that of a viper. In response, I catch her palm, moving faster than I even expected. Faster than I ever have in the real world.

 

We both pause as I hold her dainty wrist. My eyes fall to the porcelain color for a moment before I rip them away. Gorgeous, however, has her eyes tightened, no longer having that playful gleam.

 

"Ah, I see. The Sigil of Souls is quite the opposition to my Sigil Of Charms. Philosopher. Perhaps I can't touch you here. But... She can when She awakes, and she's not the only one. Know this, Graves; you are not the only one with a powerful soul. Eldest is busy now, but when he's done with your father..."

 

My whole vision shatters into a vibrant kaleidoscope of colors with her fading words as she snaps her fingers in her other hand before I sit once more at the table in my house. Earl is practically shivering in fear as I stare at him; not even a moment has passed since we left.

 

"You alright?"

 

I place my hands on the table to stand, but my friend answers before I can push the chair back.

 

"Yeah. Better than alright."

 

My worry accelerates its pace as I immediately walk around the chair to him. As I reach for his shoulder, Earl's eyes twist to face mine, and their normalness relieves much of my concern.

 

"You sure? We just had an encounter with a Dominion."

 

Earl slowly nods his head as if still stuck in a deep, profound train of thought. Then he raises the skull toward me.

 

"Again. I'm ready. Loosen my chains. We need to go when they least expect it, right? That woman's appearance and subsequent temporary power over my mind gave me insight into my Metaphor. That one I took was a Scholar, and the answer is so, so simple. Though, it helps she showed it to me so quickly."

 

I raise an eyebrow at him as I can't do anything other than ask him what he means. His words make sense, but they leave out a crucial part: what his Metaphor was.

 

"It asked about which would take one the furthest, depth or breadth in their steps. At first, it's obvious, depth. The grander one's power, the further they can go, right? But it's more complicated. The wider a foundation, talent, and potential, the further they can go. That is breadth. Knowing a thousand things and focusing on one is far better than focusing upon the only thing you know as the experience with the others will help you with the one."

 

I can only nod as he seems so confident in this. My Insight is still within his mind, and from what I can tell, he's excited but not being controlled in any way. This is just him. He's not currently manipulated to speak like this. He's simply excited to grow stronger. But at the same time, I can tell he's not physically well. Pushing through Sigils as he has deals significant damage to him. Still... if he is confident... then we can continue.

 

Extending a hand, I loosen his chains once more. They relinquish and provide the man strength of body, mind, and soul, but it's not enough. Earl grits his teeth as I watch him pull out a syringe. A Serum. The higher form of Concoctions.

 

"I brought this in case we needed to use it for the first one. But... I heard the whole conversation between you two. We need to get me as high as possible before that Eldest returns. When he does, the Lighthouses will be barred from us forever."

 

I sigh and agree with him wholeheartedly as he stabs the tip of the syringe into his arm, piercing a vein. The pitch-black liquid enters his flesh as I remember the suspicious points of the liquid. Shaking my head, I simply focus on helping my friend.

 

And seconds later, we are in The Cabin. Only, this time, I feel no gaze staring down upon us. We are alone. Truly. We walk the path again, only much calmer.

 

"What do you think the repercussions of doing this will be?"

 

I press my friend on the risks he's taking. After all, advancing ahead of time is risky for... everyone. For the vast majority, it's an instant death sentence. Even with Earl's tricks, there will be a cost.

 

Earl nods upon the multi-colored road. His eyes glide over the void, the darkness returning his blisteringly-swift thoughts.

 

"They will be steep, but it will be worth it. A single advancement would probably just make me weaker than others at the same Sigil in terms of Ether control and mastery. Physically, too. That's fine, though. Scholar has already made my brain so much faster. I think nearly... fifty percent faster? I was torn between getting a Nightowl or Trapper for my sixth, but I settled with the former. I'll do the latter for my 7th if I ever get the chance."

 

I remain silent as Earl continues one of his ever-so-long rambles. He goes on a bit of a tangent but pulls it back to the actual question relatively quickly.

 

"A Nightowl should let me work far longer and more efficiently, even if the skills it provides are useless, which I doubt they will be. Oh... uh, a second rapid advancement such as this will make me seem like a toddler compared to other 6th Sigileds in Ether control, but I don't need to catch up. I just need to be good enough to make what I must. I don't expect to fight directly like Eli, after all. I can also surmise that for a little while, my Ether saturation will be so bad I can't use much Ether without going over the edge. The natural flow within a 6th Sigiled is enough to worry a 4th Sigiled's system."

 

My head bobs as I understand roughly ninety percent of what he said. Despite it all, a specific point stands out to be against all the information he presented.

 

"How many different Sigils do you resonate with? Like... Gambler, Shaman, Craftsman, Scholar, Nightowl, and Trapper, what else are there?"

 

Earl shrugs as he provides a non-answer.

 

"Don't know. I'm only confident I resonate with Trapper because it was a past option. Beyond that, based on other Occultists and Mentalists I've met, I can only assume that I'd also resonate with those?"

 

"Damn."

 

I only have a single word of reply as the tome reappears in our sight. I merely watch Earl tread up to it as I think back to what Johnny told me about a year ago. I don't remember the exact phrasing, but it went something like this.

 

"Most people resonate with one Sigil at most. The rare few can do two to four. Incredibly rare, one in a million are those who can do more than about five or six. As for doing seven or eight? Couldn't tell you. I have never heard of one. People, in general, can resonate with almost any Sigil, but an individual is highly restricted."

 

I wonder what dictates if someone resonates with a Sigil. Is it their personality? Their interests? Or is it something deeper?

 

Is it, perhaps, the soul itself?

 

I don't know.

 

Earl's eyes take in the information left behind in the tome as I am lost in thought, wondering what allows him to have such a breadth of Sigil. I feel it might be his own boundless curiosity, to experience and master everything he can. As Earl smiles in wonder, I feel something in the depths of my body gradually vanish. It's subtle, but easily noticeable. I think... the original meaning was for one to reach the Angelic as I have. But... I think it instead merely requires for me to push someone beyond their true limits. And something tells me, something primal and instinctual, given to me by my Sigil... it tells me that without my aid, Earl's journey would have ended at the 5th Sigil. That he would have no future beyond it. Taking in his smile, I feel the joy of helping him just as he always provides me with weapons and tools.

 

And I, too, smile, for all I need to do is find another Philosopher. Time to see Death, I suppose.

 

**************************

Earl 'Miraclemaker' Garner

 

Shambling toward the departing party, I heft the cane at my feet carefully, using it to leverage my own feeble weight. The 6th Sigil I took did more than affect my Ether. My own body is weak, like that of a malnourished man.

 

Though, I'm gradually improving. In a month or so, I should be back to normal, physically at least. To get my Ether manipulation up to snuff, three months at least are needed. But that's fine. I can do plenty as I am now. More than before, that's for damn sure. Still... I think I will always be beneath a normally ascended human. Not that I care.

 

A Polymath, huh? Interesting. Very, very interesting. The fifth Sigil was an Erudite. Unfortunately, I don't have an Absolution or anything to add a prefix to that, but it's plenty for now.

 

I watch Wyatt do a last check of his bag alongside the tools I've prepared for him. A replacement arm made of the Skysbane found in the armories of the Estates, as well as enough explosives to blow a village to kingdom come. That last little bit is a secret weapon I've made—a small ball the size of a bullet, capable of killing leveling hundreds of feet of rock. In the corner of my eyes, though, I notice Virgil triple-checking his blades, the hundred or more knives on his body a constant shock.

 

While Lennon and Kwakiteh bicker about Demonsbane, I amble beside my closest friend. He glances up at me before shoving a sleeping bag deeper into his pack.

 

"Make sure you don't get sidetracked. We need you back as soon as possible, okay? Who knows what will happen soon? Get your father, kill Eli, and find Abraham, hopefully, in that order."

 

Wyatt nods without responding verbally. As he is focused, I lean in, whispering while molding the Ether of the air around his ear to hide the sound from anyone else. The new skill, Whisper, is one I thought of only recently. Scholar sure does give a wide range of applications.

 

"If... if you cannot come back quickly, find a way to bring us to you. Abraham can probably do it if he's still alive. Remember... you are living. Those down there will not see you as a priority."

 

I step away as I finish because Elizabeth enters the demolished and heavily distraught cavern before the Gate Of Death. It truly is something special. Maybe I can find a way to get around it? No, not anytime soon.

 

Eli had to die to get through it, after all, and using him as a gauge for difficulty is pretty sound.

 

Elizabeth runs up to Wyatt, so I shamble to Virgil as he finishes up his preparations. The former assassin nods to me silently while pulling his mask up over his face, leaving only his eyes to be seen. Pivoting my weight onto my cane, I reach behind my back and present a mechanical contraption to him.

 

It looks more like a beartrap than anything else, but it's not. It's a... splint of sorts.

 

"After what happened in Blackreach, I thought of something to help you with. I know you're not very... durable compared to others, but this should help. Put it around a broken limb, whether arm, hand, or leg, and it should mold to fit it, acting like a splint. Plus, watch out for Bonfire. He's... I hate to say it, but... he's becoming a weakness of Wyatt."

 

The man who many of the commonfolk in Onyx Gate now herald as the coming of death, a shadow of life, smiles with only his eyes. It's a lot of emotion for him to show, though, especially to someone who isn't his family.

 

"Thank you. I'm sure it will be vital to our survival if it's genuinely that versatile. And, I'll keep an eye on him, guide him in the right direction if need be."

 

I nod to him, assuring that it is as good as I claim before stepping aside to a loud-mouthed fellow. A skip of my heart threatens to reveal what I whispered to Virgil, but from Emmet Knox's tone, he wasn't listening past my mention of an item.

 

"What about me!? You make anything for me?"

 

Sighing, I face Bonfire, a broad smile on his face as the man's hair is now turning silver from the old black. He's dying. Slowly but surely. I can't help him. Not at all. It's all about his soul, but that doesn't mean no one can.

 

I'd wager that if Wyatt could reach a level of strength to combat the Mother Below, he could save Emmet Knox. As Gorgeous said, only those with Divinity can hold Her back. I just hope he's fast enough.

 

Luckily for Emmet, I did prepare something for him. Reaching into my pocket, I give him a tungsten telescope with a quartz-like crystal on the inside. The material on the inside focuses light and, subsequently, heat as well.

 

"Yeah. I made it earlier today, actually. The new Sigils come in handy with the knowledge of the elements. This should allow you to focus your fire better. I used it with the heat in a forge to burn a plank of wood hundreds of feet away. I think you can use it way better."

 

Bonfire lets out a childish grin, one that extends a bit too far on his lips to the point that it is creepy. Nonetheless, he takes the Focus happily, bouncing it from hand to hand.

 

"Awesome! Can I use it now!?"

 

I shake my head at him with a heart that hurries along on its pace with the thought of him using it indoors.

 

"Uh... how about you wait a little bit?"

 

"Awwwwwwww."

 

Lennon brushes past me toward the gate, plopping down by the open entrance to the Underworld as Kwakiteh apologizes on the swordsman's behalf.

 

"Sorry about him, Earl. Did you manage to extract the Ails from Eli's body?"

 

Her question makes my left eye crinkle in response. The Ail, whose name I am unaware of, is the one she mentions. However, I can only use teleportation if I'm willing to risk death in my current situation.

 

"Yeah. There is bad news, though. The eye that let him teleport is nearly depleted of the remnants within it. He must have used it... a lot in that fight and prior to it."

 

Kate laughs, nodding up and down profusely as Mie joins in the conversation, entering my mind, too.

 

"He sure did! What a coward, I tell you! Make better use of it, okay? Sucks that the Arca he used for teleporting was broken! Can't believe the rat had two things for it!"

 

I return an uneasy smile as I know I'm going to be just as cowardly. I try to come up with a response, but Wyatt's 'mother' saves me from having to do so as she strides heavily into the cavern. Weaponless and without tools, she rounds everyone up.

 

"Alright! We're heading off now! Little one, use Hura's lantern."

 

Stepping slightly back, I observe quietly as the blue light of the lantern washes over everyone. Wyatt's eyes fall over Virgil, Bonfire, and Aniwye without worry, but they quickly turn to Kwakiteh and Lennon.

 

"By putting your heart into this, you are placing your life in my hands. Do you understand? Is that something you are willing to do?"

 

Kwakiteh nods sharply, both minds answering as one.

 

"Yes."

 

"Yes. Better you than anyone else here."

 

Lennon, however, is a tad slower. He shits his lips in thought before he stares directly at Wyatt. The armless man places a condition.

 

"I do not trust anyone with my life. However... We can make a Contract. I will put my heart into this, and you will not use it against me. In exchange, and as thanks for before, I will aid you in any single fight you want."

 

Contract? Oh, right. I overlooked the fact that Angels can appeal to the Devil to write binding oaths. The God won't look at anyone lower, though. It's as if they are either too quiet to be heard or not important enough for the figure to care about.

 

Wyatt agrees instantly. Good. He's grown so much. This is not a deal you say no to. Getting Lennon Hull to join you for a fight?

 

Deary me... The two of them could take down any Virtue alive. Maybe even a Dominion. If Wyatt holds that promise until they are stronger... Yes. I'll have to tell him that. Lennon will undoubtedly want to kill a Dominion or a God in the future, but with this, we can point him in the most advantageous direction.

 

The Contract occurs shortly and succinctly as the others place their hearts into the lantern.

 

"I swear, upon the Arbiter, that I will not harm or coerce you in any way with the Death's Lantern."

 

"I swear, upon the Arbiter, that I will aid you in a fight of your choice against any foe, in any place, and any time."

 

The deal is enclosed as I sense waves of Ether fill the air with a profound solemness. The whole cavern shudders for several long seconds before the Ether coalesces into two objects, a pair of tiny matching balances hanging at the end of necklaces.

 

With that, Lennon places his heart within the lantern as well. And when they are all finished, a seventh figure emerges. Silas paces right past them all, heading straight into the gate. The long-dead man can't seem to wait any longer to return to his resting place.

 

Wyatt glances at me while the others turn to Silas, the man not responding at all. I give him a quick explanation before pushing him toward the gate.

 

"He's been severely depressed lately. I think those with the Gift Of Undeath have their minds affected after being away from the Underworld for too long. Watch out for him. He's still our friend, only lost. And... hold onto that fight. We'll need it later."

 

After my words, Wyatt enters the dreadful open gate, waving toward Elizbeth, Dakota, and me. As the seven fade into the darkness, Elizabeth sighs heavily.

 

"Once again, he leaves us."

 

I return the exhale, feeling a deep-seated weariness as I can only agree with her. Though, I don't entirely share her sentiment.

 

"Of course. It's been a long time since we were in that wagon. His enemies are no longer wolves and ghosts; they are demons and Gods. Do what you can to help."

 

Elizabeth's eyes flicker with tears as I meet her gaze. She peers at the floor while Dakota groans in a knowing sadness. They both just want to help. I'd have to say I'm the same.

 

"But why? Why can't we keep up with him? I try... so hard... and it's just never enough."

 

I lay my hand on her quivering shoulder and pat her back with the other as tears begin to leak from her eyes. Fortunately, no one else can see her down here. We can't have one of our greatest commanders crying like this in the open. As I do so, I feel a connection that I didn't notice existing in the first place waver, like a tether to the abyss. Squinting, I find a thread, one with a magenta glow, connecting me to the Gate Of Death.

 

Wyatt. He spoke about how I fulfilled the condition for his next Sigil. What kind of Proof needs you to help another? I think I get it now. He's either gaining anchors to tie him down or vessels to pull strength from. Maybe. Maybe it's simply a better tutor to practice on someone else than yourself.

 

My thoughts run at the speed of lightning thanks to my newest Sigils, so Elizabeth doesn't even notice the sidetrack. Nonetheless, I curse myself for the distraction. This is important to her—to me.

 

"I know. I know. But he was already ahead of us. How are we to ever catch up when he moves so fast? Maybe when he comes back, he can help us some more, but in the end, it's on us. I need my Absolution, or I'll sit here all my life. Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Then, get to work. Train until your bones break. If you want to keep pace with him, you'll have to be as crazed as Lennon fucking Hull."

 

The only response Elizabeth has to my words is walking away, clenching her fists into tightened balls of indignation. I simply allow her to walk away, knowing I cannot follow her with my cane. While her footsteps' echo vanishes in the cavern, another emerges. Tomas. He was watching this the whole time.

 

Giving him a side-eye, I demand something impossible of him. Not even Edmund, the greatest teacher in the world, could do what I'm requesting of him. Still, I demand anyway.

 

"Make her strong."

 

The Inhuman Wolf smiles with his canines, releasing but a single nod.

 

"Of course. She's willing to break for this. You know that, right?"

 

I return the nod, not willing to meet his gaze. It hurts so deeply to do this. She... might kill herself in doing this. I'll just have to do what I can to stop her from dying.

 

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. Break her until she cannot break anymore. It is what she wants. I'd be an awful friend to refuse that wish of hers."

 

Tomas' feet then vanish as he only ever allowed me to hear them because he wanted me to. My eyes remain on the darkness of the Gate Of Death as I ponder whether it is all worth it, this mad dash for power. It is a dumb thought. It has to be, otherwise, who would even attempt it? Why would anyone ever fight if it wasn't absolutely needed?