{Third day of Hannah's escape, early morning, Forsaken Tower.}
When Hannah awoke next, it was to a strange feeling in her skull, grabbing the book next to her for a bit of reading as she slowly sat up.
She felt her fingers against the leather when she finally woke up.
She put it down again, concentrating on letting go, even as it felt hard to do for her.
"Mind magic?" She assumed, a type of magic that had been declared extinct ever since the Council of Radiance and the Seven sages had executed the Archon and the Emperor to unite their Lands, redefining what was to be black magic and what was not.
The thought passed through in a second, the urge to simply take a peek inside the grimoir continuously nudging, despite her knowledge of the situation.
That finally brought her out of her bed, taking a piece of rope from her backpack and ensuring that the knot was too safe for her to open without actually being mentally aware.
Next, she pushed the book into her bedroll and once again climbed to the top, where she made sure to mark the towers' location on her map, making sure to look down and remember which direction she had to go, before she went to loot the place.
She scoured coins and a few particularly valuable looking books. She disrobed the skeleton in what she assumed to be the tower's ritual chamber, disrobing it before she pulled it to the ground floor.
Next, she went to open every closet and drawer, taking whatever she could before Hannah finally left the building and prepared the dematerialization.
The structure of the skeleton clearly indicated it as a human one, the lack of defining features such as tusks a dead give away.
Normally, humans would bury or burn their dead, or kill them in whatever way made sense to the guys gods, but given her lack of information, the young half elf decided to follow a tradition she had learned from her mother, and further trained under her aunt.
She sang the song of Natura, meant to recycle people and give their body to the world, ensuring that necromancy had no hold over it.
But as she sang, her own soul did not merely tap into the domain of life, though the winds and trees did join her in her chant, a third voice began to sing along, a smoky, deep bass accentuating her every word.
She was disturbed enough when a fourth voice joined, the grass and magic around her twisting beyond the song's original meaning.
A fifth voice, cold and rasping, joined, the three new voices overwhelming both Hannah and the aspect of Natura she drew upon.
"In the moon's tender embrace,
Beneath the ancient oak's gnarled face,
Elven souls find their final rest,
Where secrets bloom in the forest's breast.
Softly now, the leaves descend,
Their rustling hymn, a veiled lament.
We weave our dirges in twilight's thread,
As roots entwine the living and dead.
Oh, the boughs, they sway and sigh,
Their twisted limbs, a cryptic tie.
To mortal eyes, a solemn rite,
Yet deeper truths stay hidden at night.
The earth drinks deep of sorrow's wine,
As we lay our kin 'neath the silver pine.
Their flesh dissolves, becomes the loam,
And secrets bloom where roots find home.
Oh, the boughs, they sway and sigh,
Their twisted limbs, a cryptic tie.
To mortal eyes, a solemn rite,
Yet deeper truths stay hidden at night.
Whispers echo through the hollows,
Of love betrayed and oaths unsworn.
The oak remembers every tear,
Its heartwood etched with ancient fear.
Oh, the boughs, they sway and sigh,
Their twisted limbs, a cryptic tie.
To mortal eyes, a solemn rite,
Yet deeper truths lie hidden in the night.
When dawn's first light kisses the dew,
The boughs release their spectral hue.
All souls ascend, their secrets spun,
And the twisted grin, knowing what's been done."Once she began, she couldn't stop, her face growing horrified as every voice seemed to whisper their own words into her head,
and after a bit of a contest, eventually united to form these lyrics, words of twisted powers she could not stop singing, and when she was finally done, the skeleton began to spin, twisting as it became a pearl of pure black.
Slowly, the corrupted influence receded, slow enough to at make her pick up the orb before it.
It felt wrong, the mixed scent of sulfur and rot becoming strangely alluring.
The deed already done, she drew upon the crystal with her own magic, the orb unraveling as the powers confined within radiated into her body.
Tonight, something would happen, and although she was unaware of its nature, she knew it to be unnatural, but knew any resistance to be futile.
From that moment onward, her entire body ached, her limbs burning with every step as she made sure to stay in a direct line, marking her path with sigils she didn't concentrate on.
It became a rather lengthy plod, the plants that normally would move out of her way now grasping for her.
She was ripped out of her stupor several hours later by the sound of someone screaming and delighted laughter.
She got closer, a part of her screaming to silence the voice now discernible as that of a woman.
A few minutes later, she came close enough to see what was happening, a richly decorated coach surrounded by six men in plate armor was surrounded by eight men in rugged clothes, wielding anything from pitchforks to rusty short swords.
The stand-off they were currently in was absolute, both sides considering on how to proceed, as the bandit leader realized his rather unfortunate decision.
"You are currently attacking the river lord's daughter, inside her own domain. If you refrain from attacking, you will be taken into custody for a fair trial. " A butler inside the carriage explained, his nose held higher than heaven.
Hannah froze for a second, drawing the silvered blade she took from home, and held a hand upon the cursed book, as she recited an oath she had been taught by her mother and aunt.
I solemnly pledge to uphold justice, to champion the cause of the vulnerable and downtrodden, to seek equilibrium, fairness, and impartiality, and to wield my influence with empathy and reason.
May my actions transcend bias and prejudice, And may I stand resolute in defense of the powerless, For the scales of justice must remain steady, And the flame of compassion shall illuminate our path.
A splinter of radiance filled her blade, and she repeated the oath, quick and determined to smite her opponents.
I solemnly pledge to uphold justice, to champion the cause of the vulnerable and downtrodden, to seek equilibrium, fairness, and impartiality, and to wield my influence with reason.
May my actions transcend bias and prejudice, And may I stand resolute in defense of the weak, For the scales of justice must remain steady, And the flame of judgement shall illuminate our path.
Something felt wrong this time, and the smell of sulfur confused her for a second, before she repeated it again.
I solemnly pledge to judge the unclean, to champion the vulnerable and downtrodden, to seek equilibrium, retribution, and equality, and to wield my influence accordingly.
May my actions banish bias and prejudice, And may I stand resolute in the face of opposition, for the scales of justice must remain steady, And the cleansing flame shall illuminate our path.
The smell of sulfur was accompanied by a chill creeping along her spine, and she started speaking even faster as she felt the blade brim with power.
I solemnly swear to judge the unworthy, to lead the vulnerable and downtrodden, to seek punishment, retribution and equality, and to wield my influence accordingly.
May my actions banish every doubt, And may I stand resolute in the face of opposition, for the scales of justice must remain steady, And the cleansing flame shall clear our path.
The bad feeling grew, but her haste made it impossible for her to reconsider. Two more times, the negotiations were coming to an end, and she would smite the heretics.
I solemnly swear to cleanse the unworthy, to empower those who seek my aid, to bring Judgement and retribution, and to wield my influence accordingly.
May my actions exterminate every doubt, And may I stand victorious in the face of resistance, for the scales of fate must be reversed, and Infernal flames shall pave our way.
The darkness was obvious by now, and the fighting parties turned their gaze towards her, curious what was happening.
I solemnly swear to cleanse my enemies, to empower those who follow my lead, to be Judge, Jury and executioner, and to punish those who disobey.
My actions will exterminate any doubt, and I will be victorious over any foe, and Infernal flames will pave my way.
Her blade ignited as she once again spoke with four tongues, the smell of sulfur and rot prevalent as green flames extended from her weapon's hilt. Forming an Infernal blade out of a minor ritual knife.
To Mary Riverward, her day had started great.
She was on her way to her future husband when a group of bandits decided to attack her carriage, a throughout vile action for any self-respecting person, a group no bandit belonged to, it seemed.
When she thought her guards had the situation handled, however, the smell of sulfur and rot permeated the air, and the surrounding nature began to twist.
The first hint at the magics' origin came when a blade of sickly looking flames extended from the shadows, and a girl a bit older than her stepped out, eerily illuminated eyes glowing a faint red behind the normal purple, the words she spoke directly attacking her soul, as her flesh began to feel uncomfortable. Everyone froze, the leaders of both sides looking at each other, forming a temporary alliance against the monstrosity.
Hannah wanted to support the noble with radiant power, though they didn't quite seem to plan on fighting on her side, as both groups began to form a united front against her.it was a perilous situation as she looked between them, sighing as she held up her left hand, channeling the well of power within.
"I promise to not harm those who genuinely surrender. If a fight breaks out, none of us will survive, and the darkness will be allowed to spread further lives. No master is worth opposing me, and i you agree, you are welcome to stand by my side and brace for a bloody fight."
It took a while, but three people obeyed, one of the knights and two bandits joined her, Hannah's words like worms nestling in their brains, enhanced as everyone slightly lowered their guard.
"For glory!" She screamed as she realized that talking would no longer be an option, and she charged at the soldiers first.
The fight was hard, though her blade went smoothly through most parries and seared people through the gaps in their armor, anyone hit slowly succumbing to the flames as she brutishly hit people with her blade, the others fighting with stile, and relying a lot less on magic power, considering the fact that access to the arcane arts was rare, and those who survived walking the path of magic were even rarer.
It was no slaughter, but it might as well have been, blades ripping through skin on every angle, and the bandits slowly retreating as they saw what happened to the professional warriors.
Blood rarely ever flew, and no innards were splattered as the cursed flame consumed everyone it struck, until the battlefield smelled like someone brought rotten eggs to a grill party, many empty armors littering on the ground, and the joung lady sitting with her mouth agape, a problem Hannah postponed for later, as she finally had a reason to open the necromantic book. Someone was dying under her watch, and the barely twenty year old bandit had fought well.
As everyone began breathing heavily, she felt an otherworldly rage build within her, and as she screamed for everyone to shut up, it was as if time stood still.
