by Aleron Kong
The pouch he had taken from his Bag of Holding had contained two measures of Blood crystal, meaning one still remained. Even in this time of great need, he wasn’t sure what the item would do to him. Now that he saw the ocean of blood that had almost overcome his mind using just one dose, he couldn’t bring himself to use the second. The 50% boost to his magic would just have to do the trick. He couldn’t even spare the time to wonder what the so-called Blood Coven was. That was a worry for another day. If he had another day. The last measure of Blood crystal remained in his pouch. The counter dropped to zero and Richter reentered normal space.
The world snapped back into focus, full of the scent of blood and the screaming roar of monsters. The chaotic reptile completed its lunge attack, sinking its fangs deep into the mauler’s descending hand. The monster’s arm locked into place, frozen into tetanus by the now lightning-based poison of the adder’s bite. It swung its other long clawed hand at the snake’s dangling body, prepared to slice it into pieces, but Alma had spent Richter’s five seconds in the Shadow Realm well.
She triggered her most focused Psi Blast from only five feet behind the monster’s head. Even the Labyrinth boss had limited resistance to the Deeper Magic of Thought, and its body froze for three seconds, its attacking arm falling limp. For once, Yoshi’s emotions were written plainly on his face. His eyes were open with shock as he spirited Hisako’s unconscious body the final fifty yards to the portal leading to the Entrance Chamber.
The only souls left in the Dungeon to fight the Labyrinthine horror were Richter, Alma and his former pet adder, as perhaps was always the way things were meant to be. As soon as Richter exited the Shadow Realm he began casting. Even as his mental avatar watched the seething blood lap against the walls of his mental defenses, words of Power fell from his lips. The spell came easier than ever before. The incantation seemed to almost want to escape from his mouth.
A red glow surrounded his hands, and five seconds later, he cast Tame! By that time the mauler had shaken off the effects of Alma’ psychic attack, and the cooldown wouldn’t elapse for more than a minute and a half. Another Thought attack was impossible in that moment, and a moment was all the high steel adder had. Even as Alma tried a standard magic attack that was certain not to work, the mauler lifted its arm so that the snake’s body dangled above the ground. The chaotic reptile had started winding its body around the mauler’s arm, but had made little progress in the scant seconds the creature had been stunned.
With an ear-splitting scream of rage, the boss swung its other taloned hand down. Each of the three claws sliced completely through the adder’s body, causing three segments of the snake’s body to fall to the ground and killing the Harbinger instantly. The high steel scales clanged off each other as they fell in a clatter. The snake’s mouth and the remaining four feet of its body remained embedded in the mauler’s hand. Almost in disdain, the monster plucked off the head and tossed it to the ground. That was when it noticed the red glow.
Richter had not wasted a moment since leaving the Shadow Realm. When the mauler lifted its arm to strike the Harbinger, he had already laid a hand on its back leg and prepared to use his Blood magic. He could see his old pet attacking the monster that had almost killed so many of his loved ones. It struck him that, if not for its courage, he could have already lost everything. And that in turn reminded him of how so many men and women, mothers and fathers, children and loved ones, relied on him to do the very same. To stand up against even impossible odds and keep them safe.
In that instant, he realized that everything came down to this one moment. That if he failed, he might lose much more than just mastery of this place. That the mauler might even break out of the Dungeon and kill every single soul in his village. Every man, woman and child that slept easy in the belief that Richter would fight and die for them might die themselves on this monster’s claws and fangs. All of it, everything he had made, everything he had sacrificed for, everything that meant anything in this world… it all rested on this one momentous second.
It was overwhelming, but then a face came to his mind. The face of a young girl that had died. A child that had been murdered because he had been too weak to save her. A child named Petal. He would do anything to have her live again, but he couldn’t bring her back. All he could do was... protect the people that she had left behind.
With that realization, he knew what he had to do. Looking at Alma, who was bravely firing a lightning bolt at the mauler even though she was smart enough to know that her tier-one spell would accomplish next to nothing, he sent her his love. Not in a psychic message. He could not risk her interfering. He just willed her all of the love in his heart.
Then, as the severed pieces of the Harbinger dropped to the ground, he poured the second measure of Blood crystal into his hand and said goodbye to his sanity.
Be warned! Using magic beyond your skill level can have serious consequences! Do you truly wish to use a second dose of Blood crystal to augment your Blood Magic? The consequences will be increased twofold. Yes or No?
He couldn’t wait. He couldn’t be logical. He couldn’t let the fear that he had pushed down rise up again. He chose “Yes!” The crimson whirlwind formed again and he had time for one last thought. This time, he did share it. *Alma, I love you.*
She looked down from where she flew, having exhausted all of her ranged attacks. She felt just sick that she couldn’t do more to help her love. The dragonling had even considered getting close enough to claw at the mauler when she heard the sorrowful tone in Richter’s thoughts. Her heart dropped, though she did not know why, *Master?*
She was just in time to see the Blood crystal fly into his nose, mouth and eyes. Richter’s body shook for one second, shocked by the pure power flowing into his mortal frame. In that moment, she checked on his mindscape and saw the beautiful setting she had sculpted was drowned in hot red blood. Only the top of Richter’s mental defenses remained above the flow, and that by only a few feet. Her hyper-intelligent mind immediately connected the dots: why he had refused to bond, that the swirling cloud of red dust must have been Blood crystal, and that he had already used one dose.
A whooosshhh sound caught her attention and she saw a second tidal wave of blood approaching Richter’s mindscape, one that would drown him for sure. Even as her physical body started flying down towards him, her mind reached out, prepared to dive into his mindscape. She knew she could never reach him before the raw id of the Blood wave took control of his consciousness, but she had to try!
She would even have joined him in that madness, except for the look on his avatar’s face. He was looking right up at her with an expression of love and acceptance, one hand raised, telling her not to come for him. That was the last sight she had of him before the wave of hot, salty blood, twice as large as the last, struck his avatar with crushing force. His mind, everything that defined him, was drowned in raw emotion.
The time-stretching effect of his mindscape made it seem to Alma that her master was consumed by the Blood wave almost in slow motion, but it actually took less than a second for Richter to lose control. When the mauler noticed the red glow behind it and bent down to look between its legs, Richter had already laid his hand upon it. By the time the semi-sapient creature registered that this was the man who had hurt it, a savage grin had found its way onto Richter’s face. As it started to reach down with a roar of anger, talons poised to pierce the chaos seed’s body, Richter had already dismissed the prompts telling him the effects of the second dose of Blood crystal.
You have used a second dose of Blood Crystal grown from your own blood to augment your Blood Magic! The previous +50% boost to your Blood magic spellpower has been increased to +100%
Know This! A Blood Coven now knows of your existence and may recognize you by your magical signature
Know This! Your Necklace of Scry Defense protects you from their tracking magic
The mauler’s hand reached down to savage the man that had caused it so much pain
, and Richter looked back with no concern at all. He just stood there with that easy smile on his face. The monster was his. There was no other choice, there was no other way, there was no future in which Richter’s will was not made manifest!
He triggered his Blood magic and the energy in his hand flowed into the monster. Time seemed to not just slow but actually stop. The mind of the mauler struggled to stay free, but against the unbridled passion of the chaos seed and his diamond-strong belief in his own power, it could not endure. The silent resonance that he had already been expecting rung both of their souls and tuned them to ring as one. The major notes of Richter’s soul commanded the minor chord of the mauler. Until their frequencies once again fell out of sync, the monster would follow his commands.
The mauler’s arms quivered, only a few feet away from him, but literally unable to harm its new master. Richter had won. The monster was his. Let The Land itself shake in fear at the rumble of his passing. He was Richter! He was Lord! He was God!
Richter made eye contact and established a mental connection with his new pet. He could feel its anger and hatred walled off behind a lattice of Blood magic that would last for the next forty-eight hours. The tovuut mauler was his.
It was silent in the Dungeon. The iron tang of blood and the corrupt scent of filth were thick and heavy on the air. Richter surveyed the devastation of the battlefield with supreme satisfaction. Once again, he was still standing and his enemies had been laid low. He cast a smug glance at the mauler behind him. The only one remaining was now his slave. This was good.
A mental order was all it took to have the mauler kneel and push its face into the ground. The chaos seed walked up to the giant paying obeisance and unceremoniously pulled Black Ice from its skull. A spray of purple blood fled the wound. Each drop fell upon the churned ground of the Dungeon and was greedily drunk by the soil.
The monster screamed anew and another eight points of its health fell away. Richter thought about healing it, but then he felt its true consciousness try and break free again. Harming his pet had weakened the bond between them, but Richter’s will and Blood Magic were so strong that he barely noticed as he flayed its mind and soul. The mauler’s body showed no reaction, completely under the control of his magic, but its silent screams brought a wicked glee to Richter’s heart. All who opposed him should suffer. This was as it should be. This was right.
Torturing the mauler’s spirit occupied his attention until someone came through the portal. Richter didn’t even notice at first, he was having so much fun taunting and torturing the mauler’s. He did not see the look of dawning horror on Sion’s face as the sprite took in the tableau before him: The monster that had nearly killed them all was now kneeling before Richter with its head pressed into the ground. What truly made icy fingers seize his heart however, was the expression on his friend’s face. There was no empathy, no consideration, only a malevolent glee from whatever he was doing.
The sprite took a step forward, and that was when Richter saw him.
“Ah, good!” The chaos seed smiled with a cruel twist to his lips, “We have much to discuss.” Alma continued to fly nearby, looking at her master with heartrending concern.
The sprite kept his distance and asked the only relevant question, “What happened?”
Richter looked at him with madness in his eyes, “I won.”
Then the chaos seed started giving orders. His savage heart thrummed with pleasure at seeing the horror on Sion’s face. Caulder reentered the Dungeon, and his face also grew sallow with fear upon hearing his lord’s commands. When Sion started shaking his head, Richter decided an example would have to be made. If he didn’t, others might think they could challenge his absolute will. It was a shame. Until now Sion had been useful. Richter drew Black Ice and used the momentary distraction of the lights dimming to close half the distance to the sprite.
All Sion had time to do was reach down for his own sheathed weapon, his eyes wide with shock, before Richter was suddenly there in front of him, a horrid smile on his face and his Named Weapon raised high in the air.
The chaos seed could not wait to feel hot blood splash across his face and taste the coppery tang on his tongue! All he needed to do was…
Richter thought he heard static and then his mind plunged into a fathomless hole.
CHAPTER 88 – Day 149 – Kuborn 39, 0 AoC
“Lord Richter. Lord Richter, are you awake?” The voice was soft and feminine.
“Lady Hisako?” he asked in a confused voice. He felt so weary.
“Yes,” she answered in a relieved voice. Richter thought he saw a golden glow, but then comforting blackness claimed him.
When he woke again, he could feel Alma’s warm body on his chest. He tilted his head down and smiled at his familiar. There was no better feeling than the warmth of one who loved you. Stroking her scales, she picked her head up and thought to him sleepily, *Are you alright now?*
He smiled at her bemusedly, *Of course I am. We won.*
Alma picked her draconian head up, looking directly into his face. Her voice was hesitant, *Do you not remember what happened?*
*What do you mean?*
If Alma could have sighed, she would have. Instead, she just showed him. He saw himself tell Sion that they had won. Then he saw what he had forgotten. He saw himself verbally declare war on the Kingdom of Yves. He saw himself tell Sion to rally the village forces and that they would burn every town they came across. Randolphus and Terrod had reentered the cavern and he’d given them the same instructions. When they’d hesitated, Richter had accused his Companions of treason and told them the penalty was death. He saw himself close with Sion, then raise the blade of his darkstone sword above his head... Suddenly, Alma’s view of him got much closer and he collapsed.
Richter blinked against the harsh truth of the memory. Then it came back to him, how using Blood magic at such a high level had overwhelmed his mental defenses. The crimson ocean drowning his consciousness. Knowing that, it was no surprise that he’d turned into a megalomaniac. He remembered now the thick and salty red wave that had swept over his mental avatar. There had been panic for a moment, but then that was replaced with… a savage freedom. He hadn’t even tried to get free of the Blood magic’s hold. It had felt too good!
Remembering now, he shuddered in both revulsion and excitement. To feel that free… it was something he wanted to feel every moment of every day. It was something a part of him had always craved. It had felt almost sexual. Seeing the reality of what that unfettered emotion did, however, filled him with loathing. He could remember all of it now, including the excitement he’d felt when he’d threatened his friends. It wasn’t an idle threat. He had actually been about to execute Terrod, Randolphus… and Sion. He shuddered again, this time just in fear of what he could become without restrictions.
He played the mental feed through his mind again, stopping at his collapse. Another memory peeked through his mental fog: the static sound. *Did you use Psi Blast on me?*
*Yes, master.* Alma’s tone was sorrowful, but she drew her body upright. She didn’t shy away from the truth, and awaited any punishment her master would deliver.
It was quiet for several moments. His own voice was full of guilt and regret when he answered her, “I’m sorry you had to do that, my love, but you were right. I would rather die than live like that. I used magic that I couldn’t control. Thank you for stopping me before I hurt someone.”
This time, Richter did hear a sigh of relief in his mind, *I love you, master.*
*I love you, Alma.* He swept her into his arms and held her close. Her small face nuzzled his cheek. He was happy for her closeness and her love. Especially so because he remembered something else. The warning about the Blood Coven. He had enough enemies. He just prayed he hadn’t made another, one powerful enough to detect him just because he’d used Blood Magic. Richter had wondered for a long time if he’d just been overly paranoid for wearing his Necklace of Scry Defense. It had saved him thoug
h. It just went to show you the old adage was true. ‘You were only paranoid if they weren’t out to getcha, and they’re definitely out to getcha.’
“I am glad to see you are yourself again, my lord,” Randolphus said, stepping out of the shadows.
“Gaaaah! Oh my god! What the fuck, man?” Richter held a hand to his chest over his thudding heart. He had had no idea the Spy had been standing there.
“It seemed prudent to watch over you after your... episode, my lord,” was Randolphus’s cultured response.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Richter calmed himself. “I still think you just scared me on purpose, but I suppose I should thank you for watching over me. And apologize for what I said while under the influence of the Blood magic.”
Silence reigned for long moments, “Was that the apology, my lord?”
“Yeah,” Richter responded, still irritated from having been scared, “it was.”
“Very good then, my lord.” Richter was sure he saw the bastard smile for a second. “Should I extend those very same apologies to your other Companions?”
Richter eyed the chamberlain, and decided not to reply to the snark, “Anything to report? What time is it?”
“You have slept for several hours, my lord. The sun is just now rising. As for a report of what happened while you slumbered, the tovuut mauler is still in the Dungeon. Your new pet would not allow anyone near you until your familiar ordered it away.”
“I make stay, master,” Alma said excitedly. It was still weird hearing her voice in the real world. She wasn’t nearly as eloquent as when she spoke in his mind, but it was insanely cute.
“Since when can you control my pets, you little beastie?” Richter asked affectionately.
“Not control,” she said with the same happy tone. “Suggest.” Then she sent him a much more detailed psychic communication. She clearly enjoyed speaking aloud, but it was still difficult for her. Alma explained that she couldn’t control his pets, but by forming mental connections with them, she could send them mental images. Her strong psychic connection with him gave serious weight to those “suggestions.”