The Court of Souls?

by Andur

  Anger surges through my entire being. It's like nothing I've ever felt before. Those monsters from Parle have to pay. I'll make them pay!

  But first I have to see to my family. I don't even want to imagine the worst.

  I find my own home mysteriously untouched and sigh when I find Doreen with my parents in the living room. There are also seven other people whom I recognize as our higher immortals. Titho is the only one of them whom I know a little better. She is a good friend of Doreen's.

  All of them wear grim expressions, but when Doreen sees me, she sighs. My mother abandons Shawn's embrace and bulldozes into me, tears in her eyes.

  “I am so glad that you are okay! I wouldn't be able to take it if they had gotten you too,” she sobs.

  Me too? My eyes survey the room. And then I realize that my sister isn't here. “Where is Quianna? What happened?”

  “They took her! They put a slave collar on her and took her with so many others!” Mother cries.

  My world starts spinning as I imagine Quianna being carried off as a slave. If they sell her to some unknown clan, we might never find her. This isn't what I expected. Didn't they attack us for our water and resources? “Why?” No forget the why. “We have to get her back!” I feel my own eyes flaring up in anger.

  Doreen gestures at the couch. “I have had enough. We will get them back. But not blindly. This attack was beyond what anyone can call a resource raid. We will talk to our alliance partners to gain their assistance. And then we will go to Parle and get each and every one of them back!”

  I see her own eyes emit that blue fire of theirs and don't dare to press the matter. When Doreen's eyes change like that she is well and truly pissed.

  As it turns out the eleven people in this room are the only higher immortals we have left. The others are either dead or taken by the slavers, along with several mids and lows. We aren't sure of the exact numbers, but our attackers mounted a huge attack. There are at least a thousand dead and that's already one-fifth of our population. Then there are about a thousand six hundred people who haven't reported in yet.

  Doreen is hoping that most of them are hiding somewhere, but Parle must have taken hundreds of us.

  I feel my own knees starting to shiver upon hearing the devastating news. Such a huge impact on our clan's fighting power could mean our end.

  To mount an adequate defence against spirits you need at least ten higher immortals. The same goes for a good hunting party in times like these. Any less and you take the risk of needless losses.

  I want to take it out on the others for not listening to me. But what would my warnings have changed? We didn't know where to look for a traitor in the beginning. But now we know where to start!

  Carissimi is crippled if we don't get our people back! “How could this happen! Are you now finally inclined to search for the traitor? It must be someone who knows the higher immortals' schedule! Parle must have mobilized thousands in that attack! I saw at least one body clad in black for every one of ours! Did they throw all their lows and mids at us to distract our fighters?”

  Shawn rubs his forehead. “Something like that. They used mostly slaves of weak skill to occupy us while their elite forces captured everyone who seemed worth the effort. They opened several portals right inside Yggdrasil. It was utter chaos. It looked like they were out for a skill grab.”

  My eyes wander back to Doreen.

  Our matriarch stands up and gestures for us to follow. “Five of you, come with me. The rest stays here and protects Yggdrasil. As much planning as Parle might have invested in this endeavour, they still got it as badly as they dealt out. Right now their clan must be weaker than ever. We will make a round trip to all the clans who have a little bit of decency left and call in on our agreements.

  “And the first ones we will visit is Draconis. I am sure that they will assist us, even if I don't think much of their leader.”

  I feel a bitter taste in my mouth when I think about meeting my grandfather again. He may have said that he wants us, but in the end he never again showed up after his meeting with Doreen. If he really cares about his grandchildren surely he would have paid a visit at least once a year. “Why him?”

  Doreen turns around to face me with a grim expression. “As much as I would like to believe in alliances, our partners are still just people who think of themselves first and foremost. I don't want to assume the worst, but at least a few of them surely wouldn't think twice about turning us away after seeing that our offensive capabilities were rendered non-existent over night.

  “I also fear that that's exactly what Parle is counting on. What they may not have thought about is that if Moonray gives us twenty of his men, we might be able to make an impression with the others.”

  19. ~Nightfall.~

  “In Greek mythology, ravens are associated with Apollo, the god of prophecy. They are said to be a symbol of good luck, and were the god's messengers in the mortal world.”

  The Journey to the Afterlife

  Dedessia, the Sea of Souls, Ice Tundra

  Shade, 25 years old

  I sit there on my stone and wait. 'One last test,' he said. And then he will give Legna back. He promised it. When I see Ishaan coming out of our igloo I clench my teeth. I wonder what sick test he came up with this time. Will he test my memories again?

  Well, tough luck if it is about that. Other than some factual knowledge about the multiverse and skills I don't remember anything. It's a big, black nothing.

  But that doesn't mean that I am weak or stupid.

  I may not be as battle hardened in hand to hand combat as Ishaan, but I am sure that I know more about magic than him. My mind is my strength, not my fists. During our long conversations about my memories I noticed that some of my knowledge is new to him. That's when I closed up and revealed only stuff at which he hinted himself.

  It's not like I completely distrust him, but revealing more than necessary also isn't the right choice with someone like him.

  Ishaan arrives and looks down at me, his arms crossed in front of his chest. I have no intention of getting up, so I simply return his stare and say nothing. It's his move and I will reply accordingly.

  “Take her and do whatever you want to do.” Ishaan offers me his hand, palm up, and Legna's green soul orb appears in it.

  I am surprised, to say the least. Didn't he want to give me one last test? Why is he simply giving me Legna and sending me off? This must be a trick.

  I squint and look him squarely in the eyes. “That's some kind of stupid trick, is it not? You will do something childish like pulling away at the last moment when I reach for it.”

  Ishaan's grin widens. “You are suspicious of your own father? Then you are ready to go out into the world. I've taught you well.”

  Tentatively, I reach for Legna's soul orb and take it. The magical formation which is keeping the soul fixed inside seems to be intact. I quickly check if it really is Legna and sigh in relief when I recognize the pattern. She is sleeping, just like Ishaan said. At least she wasn't caught in a cage for the last fifteen years. I look up at Ishaan.

  “You won't come with me?”

  Ishaan shakes his head. “I can't. I honestly don't know what I would do upon meeting your mother. Aside from that, do you really think that I would make a difference in your plan? I've told you everything I know about life inside a clan. I don't understand why you would want to surround yourself with dangerous elements.”

  I look down at the orb. “No. It wouldn't make a difference.”

  Ishaan nods. “Pay me a visit from time to time.” He turns around and leaves me to my own devices. I already knew that he would simply send me off and stay in seclusion on his own. It is simply the type of person he became after years of isolating himself. Will I be any better once I have to deal with other people? I grit my teeth and get up.

  My eyes stay on the orb for a long time. I wanted Legna back so badly that I didn't even consider what I would do once I got her back. I have no b
ody for her. I can't awaken her either. No matter how comfortable a single room in my mind might be, she would go crazy after a while.

  And to be honest I am afraid of the inevitable conversation between us.

  “Hi! I finally got you back! Oh, by the way, it has been a while. Fifteen years is a long time.”

  “Why am I still DEAD!?”

  Yeah. I doubt it would be a lucky reunion. I sigh and close my hands around the orb to absorb it into my body. Maybe I'll find a solution to the problem at some point.

  I look back to the igloo, but the grumpy, old man really doesn't intend to see me off. He is probably brooding in front of the fire pit and enjoying the fact that he is alone again.

  I dive into the shadows to change shape. When I re-emerge I do so with huge, black wings on my back. I copied them from my memories of a raven. One jump and I soar through the skies, laughing. Ever since I saw Legna performing such a feat I also wanted to fly. And now I can do so.

  Of course using wings is absolutely unnecessary. There are tons of other ways to fly. But wings are still the coolest option.

  It takes less than an hour to reach the swamp and from there on I fly close to the ground. If possible, I want to reach the city without being seen. And from there, I guess, I have to play it by intuition.

  The first point on my agenda will be finding Manti, Aswang and maybe my mother. Whomever I get the first lead on. So it will probably be Tisha. They will give me the information I need and I have to secure their safety for what is to come.

  Once that's done, I will pay a visit to my old friend.

  Crossing the swamp on foot was an ordeal. Using my relatively slow wings, it took less than a day. Of course it would have been much faster to open a portal. But without an anchor point, such a task is a little bit complicated. And I need the time to think anyway.

  It's late evening when the city comes into view. I land inside the forest of dead trees which surrounds the city and walk the rest of the way, wondering about the sight.

  When I fled I didn't get a good look because it was night. But now, in the last light of the day, I can see that it isn't much more than the old medieval city I imagined it to be. There is a high city wall, which is probably more aimed at keeping weak people inside than stopping an immortal from getting in. The black palace or castle which is rising high into the sky is much more impressive. Between the city's streets I never got a good look at it.

  I sigh and sit down, closing my eyes. There are enough old trees around the city to hide my presence. I still have to wait until I can sneak in.

  Thinking through my plan, I wait while concentrating on reeling in my aura. My whole plan is aimed at the circumstance that nobody knows about my presence or that I am here. The corners of my lips move upwards. The fact that I am a shade is coming in handy. Once the time is right they won't even know what hit them. They really should have killed me.

  So I wait for nightfall.

  When I feel the last rays of light melting away, I move towards the city. Once again I dive into the shadows, this other cold, dark dimension which is my greatest trump card and my biggest flaw at the same time.

  A single guard is manning the wall where I decided to climb it. Or should I call my current mode of movement floating?

  It doesn't matter. The guard is just a low and doesn't even realize my presence as I move right through him.

  Then I am down the wall and between the city's busy streets. Even at night the main streets are very busy. Still hiding in the shadows, I roam the darker side streets to find someone suitable. It doesn't take long to find a target.

  It is one of the city's guards, tottering down a dark back road. He is drunk and carries a bottle in his hand. As I emerge from the shadows behind him, a thought flickers through my mind as I reach into the pocket of my rugged clothes. He might be a decent man who is simply too afraid to challenge the system? He might have a family?

  And why should I care?

  My dagger plunges into the back of his head, ending him instantly. I catch his soul as it leaves his body on its own accord. As I retrieve my dagger he falls forward and lies still. Then I use his cloak to clean the weapon.

  In the meantime I already prepare a nice little corner in the back of my mind. Just for him. It's a perfect imitation of the sewers with a lot of slimes in them. He doesn't even last five minutes until he starts spilling the beans. Being dissolved and healed at the same time isn't a nice experience.

  I could have simply read his mind, but doing it like this is so much more fun. Especially if the individual in question belongs to a sick society.

  He knows Tisha and the establishment she is working in. There is also a clear image of her owner in his mind. Apparently she is the slave of a higher immortal named Paolo. I manage to gleam an image of him and her. The other higher immortals also interest me, but aside from three their images aren't very clear in the guard's memory.

  Paolo and five to seven other higher immortals are the only ones who interact with the rest of the population on a regular basis. Only Enwick's face is as clear as a candlelight. He is Inanimatum's leader.

  Using the newly gained information I head directly to the 'Red Tear', the city's amusement house for the higher members of society. It is located on the second ring-street where all the mids live.

  What I find is a wooden four story house which is painted in an original, dirty red. Probably they used blood which turned dark soon afterwards.

  The windows on the first floor are all barred and the shutters closed. But in my current form it is no problem to check the upper floors. Those windows aren't secured against interested eyes. And why should they be? It's not like there are any other buildings high enough to allow an easy view on what's happening inside. And there has to be some kind of law against flying. Even a low should be able to manage levitation magic, but nobody is using it in this city.

  As I check the various windows I find people in various acts of copulation. They aren't the ones I need, so I let them be... for now.

  Other scenes are outright disgusting as I find out that some customers are into the hardcore stuff. Not only on the end of dealing out the pain, but also receiving it.

  I should simply go with plan 'A' and eradicate this place with one of those red orbs. But after remembering about the exact details of that spell I am somehow reluctant to use it. Not only does the spell attack the physical plane, but also the spiritual. It practically shreds a soul to pieces, forcing it to slowly heal on its own. A soul is immortal and no matter how badly it is damaged it will regenerate over time. But the more thoroughly you damage it, the longer the reincarnation process will take. It's possible to increase the healing process of a damaged soul, but not easy.

  So the red orb is something that's hard to take back once unleashed. Using it on someone means that I am angry enough to avoid meeting him again for at least a few hundred lifetimes.

  Of course this is old knowledge which I got from my time back in the multiverse. No idea what the spell actually does in this realm. Dedessia seems to have a few rules of its own. I'll have to experiment once I have some expendable souls at hand.

  It's in the highest window where I find what I seek.

  There is a man who fits the description of Paolo. Orange hair and a little chubby, so it has to be him. He is sitting with his back to the window and writing something on his desk. The room looks like an accounting clerk's place. So the guard's impression that Paolo is the one who manages the city is probably correct. It's not like I suspect that they knew about my arrival and threw me a bait to lure me into a trap.

  Though it isn't bad to have confirmation.

  There is also a single large canopy bed in the room. A black haired beauty with ice blue eyes is sitting on its edge. There are some strands of flaming red moving through her hair. It's like the hair is constantly shifting colours. Empusa. Exactly like Ishaan described her. She is half naked with a silken dress covering the lower part of her body. Her eyes look dead w
hile she is staring at the wall across from her and waiting for an order.

  The man says something and stands up. Then he walks over to the bed while Tisha gets to her knees in front of him.

  I decide that enough is enough and break the safety barrier which was securing the window. It is a good one, but it was probably meant to hold off mids and lows. Nobody ever assumed that a god would manage to sneak his way into the city. Normally the aura of a god leaks so much that other immortals can sense it from miles away. Not mine. I trained hiding my aura especially for this.

  The crevice between window and frame is enough to push my formless body through. Then I float up behind Paolo and look over his shoulder. He is busy rubbing one off in Tisha's face.

  What a sicko.

  Is he always doing that? My attention wanders to Tisha's delicate body and the two most impressive arguments in her favour. One might think that a functioning mind would want more from a woman like that. But I probably shouldn't think along those lines. She is my mother. At least she thinks that.

  For the first time I see something like initiative from Tisha as her eyes widen. Well... probably it's a little disturbing to see a formless shadow grow behind your master. So far I only got Ishaan's opinion of my ability. He finds it very disturbing to see the darkness move in ways it should not.

  Better to act before she decides to scream, or remembers about any orders to defend her master.

  I materialize my hands from the shadows and place one on his head and the other under his chin. Then I twist his head around to face me. It happens fast and with a single yank. This time I want to watch as the life leaves his eyes. He is one of the leaders of this clan. He is the one who threw me into the facility, if I want to believe the rumours.

  In the end it turns out to be a little unsatisfying to kill him this way.

  I expected more. His whole body simply goes limp from one moment to the next. I guess breaking someone's neck by turning his head by one hundred and eighty degrees does that to a man.