Ignited, page 9
“That’s right.”
“What can you tell me about the other sins and what they can do?”
Vandrick pondered the question. His eyes trained on the sky. “Well, we don’t really know much. We know there are seven of them and that they are strong enough to fight armies on their own. But they haven’t been seen much for several generations and anyone unfortunate to meet the lords themselves have never lived to tell the tale. The only one we know about is Mr. Gluttony and his spawn. Since they are actually pretty common in most Realms.”
This disappointed Niles to no end, but he couldn’t let that get the better of him. Instead, he asked to continue their conversation about awakening so that he can better explain it to his associates when they’re all able to work.
Vandrick agreed and brought him to one of the larger tents on the side of the school building. Inside, a large table with several maps procured from local shops and surrounding areas were laid out to give them a better idea of the land and the civilization that the humans had nearby.
They sat on opposite ends and Vandrick asked for tea from one of the soldiers maintaining the tent.
“So, what is it exactly you want to know?”
“Well, you’ve told me the origin and a rough explanation of how it happens. So I guess the only thing I really need to know now is how best to use it. Does it act like training wheels or a tutorial until I’ve learned to master it? Also, how does one increase the power of their skills and get new ones?”
“That’s a lot to ask for, so forgive me if I can’t answer it all at once.” The refined Birdman noted with his arms crossed. Niles nodded in understanding and Vandrick pulled his chair a bit more under the table while tea was poured for the both of them. “From what I know, the first generation of a species’ awakened have a similar function to how their and other children have them. I remember when I was young, a strange power allowed me to visually see my strengths, but as I got older I learned how to do self-reflection. A technique which does roughly the same thing but under my own power.”
He sipped a bit of tea and winced, forgetting that he had yet to put any sugar in it. Grabbing a few cubes from a metal tin on a side table with his long fingers, he continues. “Self-reflection takes time of course. A combination of meditation and knowledge of yourself and your capabilities. I’d say the best way to master your Soul Spark is by both meditating and by pushing your limits in combat. Constant use of your skills while trying to concentrate on your body and soul creating the effect is also a good idea. Though I hadn’t heard of that until later in life from some of my co-workers. In the end, the methodology is dependent on the individual and how they use the knowledge they are given by others.”
“So, basically, practice makes perfect.”
“Pretty much.”
““...””
The two of them chuckle at the simplicity of it.
“I personally don’t understand that ‘training wheels’ thing. But a ‘tutorial’, I guess. Though I’d say this system we are given is more like a handicap. It let’s those who are new to their own power use them similarly to someone who has far more experience. Otherwise, those with greater power would end up oppressing those who are incapable of defending themselves.”
“Not quite what I expected, but it makes sense.”
Another sip of his now sweetened tea, Vandrick savors and sighs. “The process involved with gaining strength or to improve on what you already have is quite difficult and is far too complicated in my opinion. At least, the latter part is.”
“Go on.” Niles insists.
“Again, improvement is fundamentally practice and pushing your limits. If you can’t learn how your skills work and know how to improve on them, it’d be nothing more than a pointless struggle.” He leans back in his chair, arms crossed yet again. He thinks for a moment or two, staring at the ripples in his teacup. “I’m... not supposed to really say anything on the subject of getting new skills until you hear the whole story about the war we’re in right now.”
Niles is taken aback by that comment. “Why?”
“It’s a result of an event which has all but rendered an entire race extinct. When all is said and done, our leaders are the ones who need to explain things to your leader. But given the distance between this realm and headquarters, it’ll take a while.”
“Wait. Our leader? I thought we already went through this. We don’t have Kings and Queens like the rest of you. And humanity is so stagnated, that it’d be better to just accept small groups like ours as their own faction and tackle each one separately.” Niles stood up and glared at the table full of maps of the human Realm. “In recent years, our people have become complacent and entitled. Only caring about things like eco-friendliness and equality to make themselves look important and benevolent, despite not taking the time to really understand the meaning behind any of it. My conflict with that one tiny subject in the grand scheme of things should be reason enough to accept. Humans are not a united people. We aren’t like the other races who lived by the understanding that they are one people in a world that’s out to get them. We hate ourselves because of words rather than actions. And there are even some stupid enough to believe that one’s skin color classifies race. Bet they’d have a heart attack seeing you and yours.”
Vandrick could only sit in his chair wide eyed. Not once did Niles waver in his little speech. It was a harsh examination of his kith and kin, yet not an ounce of falsehood could be seen. Exasperated, the gentlemanly birdman had no choice but to accept his stance once more.
“Alright then. Sit down.” Vandrick requested. “Considering your feelings on the matter and that your people trust you, I will tell you. But, we wait until your friends Dominic and Bruce wake up to tell everyone at once. Got it?”
“Yes sir.”
“Oh, right! You might have heard some of my people talking about how strange it is to hear people be called awakened.” Vandrick mentions, trying to clarify a bit more. “In truth, today we use the term ‘Ignited’. Awakened is how we refer to the fragment of the creator we have in our soul waking up. When it does, our souls heat up and ignite, granting up the powers we have and such. Ignited is the first stage in ones growth, which turns the stagnant soul into a spark.”
“How does that have to do with the War?”
Vandrick grinned finished his drink, calmly collecting his thoughts. As he is about to begin his explanation, one of the Dwarves in his charge burst through the tent flaps breathing heavily.
“Captain! There’s a problem!” He reports. “One of the humans seems to be showing early signs of possession!”
“What!?” Vandrick exclaimed, jumping over the table with ease and following the dwarf to the school’s gym. Niles followed close behind.
Danica sees Niles coming in and runs up to him. “He just dropped. I thought he was having an epileptic fit, but...”
“It’s not that I promise.” A mole woman said with certainty. “His eyes are bleeding the same black ikor as possession. Sir! Your orders?”
Everyone in the chamber turned looking between Vandrick, the man seizing on the floor, Niles and Réal who was kneeling next to the mole woman who diagnosed the issue. At the door, Nadia supported by Rocco the young bearman and her grandma stood in shock with the rest.
“Clear the room. Someone, tell Elita and if she deems it necessary, make preparations to evacuate.” Vandrick ordered.
Instantly all the soldiers salute and wordlessly guide everyone out. The only exceptions being the four human leaders and Vandrick himself. Once empty, Vandrick turned to the humans with a solemn expression.
“It’s earlier than expected but allow me to explain. This man was infected by one of a few Demon races who can possess people. It’s hard to say which one, but no matter the case, they usually don’t have great physical control, so this is mostly used for communication. Only someone with a weakness to one of those races can be infected and possessed, so don’t worry, this is fairly rare.”
“What’ll happen to him?” Jackson asks.
“That man is... already dead I’m afraid. Possession is quite potent. As soon as symptoms appear, the likelihood of the host surviving has yet to actually occur.”
Understanding this is their first time speaking to a demon, the four became nervous. Even the ignited Niles was unsure about how to handle this kind of situation should it turn sour. The birdman captain on the other hand, was as composed as could be. A man in his station had seen a fair number of possessions, though it’d never been easy to deal with losing an innocent in the process.
The man on the floor soon stops convulsing. A smile formed cracks on his face from ear to ear. Like a scene from a horror movie, his body lifted off the ground on its own, slowly standing it up. The head bobbed from side to side, hair obstructing the eyes, until it raised and the black void where the eyes were became visible. Small white lights shone from the cavities and acted like pupils, scanning the five people standing at the ready across the hall.
“C-c-c-Check, check! C-Can you hear me, Beastman?” It says with a rattling echo that reverberates through the gym.
“Hmph. What do you want? On second thought, before that. Who do I have the displeasure of speaking with today?” Vandrick responds.
“I am one of the Lord’s hungriest servants. Y-you may address me as Wendigo.”
“As in the cannibal?” Niles asks with his usual curious nature barely hidden behind his nerves.
“Oh my! Y-yes. I guess this Realm’s people know a lot more than was assumed. I heard from agents far west about a small island where they revere demons and monsters as if they are G-gods and malevolent spirits. He-he-hehehe...”
Vandrick peered back as if to ask if it’s true. Réal and Jackson didn’t seem to understand, but Tyrel and Niles both nodded.
“Japan is a land filled with great superstition. We refer to it as the east, but that was when we were on a much smaller planet planet. If he says it’s to the west, then it’d be one of the closest landmasses to this continent.” Tyrel described.
“I see.” Vadrick acknowledged the information and saved it to memory before facing forward. “I guess you’re here to speak of how you plan to use this Realm then?”
“He-he-hehehe. Close, but not quite. We have little use for this land just yet. But soon...” The demonic pierrot puppeteered the corpse to look at the four humans over a few times. “This place has been deemed suitable for our forces’ next major Realm. You should feel honored.”
“What! So you mean to tell me you’re going to do the same thing you did with the Elven Realms of Farlown?” Vandrick’s sudden outburst scared the other four. “You disgusting creature.”
“W-what did they do?” Jackson inquired, sweat beading down his face.
But the Birdman couldn’t answer. He simply clicked his tongue and looked to the ground.
“Oh! S-someone doesn’t like our work, huh? Well, something as small as you wouldn’t be able to appreciate it anyway.” Wendigo chimed with amusement. “Then, why don’t I answer the young one’s question?”
Not a single motion was made from the Captain of the large brigade.
“Very w-w-well. Then I shall begin.” The corpse’s head swivels and rests in a very disturbing position. “One of the Realms to come before yours was the Elven Realm. It was a lush and fertile place, much like this one. It’s flora and fauna were so varied and adept at adaptation that there were some that could live in even the most desolate of habitats. When our great King heard of this, he immediately set out for negotiations. His goal was to trade parts of their bounty with our enormous wealth of knowledge and power. But sadly, the Elves were swayed by other groups to deny our request. And so, the talks broke down and conflict arose.”
“Don’t you dare make it out to be our Allied Forces fault! You waltzed in and demanded they give you complete authority and allow your pure bloods to bed and breed to their heart's content.” Vandrick’s anger filled his words with fury. The plumage on his head puffs up like any animal does to look more imposing to threats and rivals. “That was when they accepted our offer of friendship.”
“But that didn’t give them m-much, did it?” It snickers. “As soon as they declared they were our enemy’s ally, we simply had to take action. Make an example of them. H-h-had they only agreed to our conditions, e-every elf in this world of origin would be a noble under our standard.”
The Birdman balled his fist so tightly, his nails dug into his skin. “You pillaged and enslaved them. Took their resources and turned their home into a wasteland of pure misery, where not even the natural flora would grow.”
At that moment, Niles recalled Elita. Being an Elf, she may live a long time like in the earthly myths about them. But he doubted that she’d old enough to have any memories of her homeland before what Vandrick said the Demons did to it.
“There are practically no more pure blooded Elves in this world anymore. In order to keep their people alive, they had to cross breed with so many other races. The once proud Elf race no longer exists in any form other than a shadow of memory passed down through their bloodlines.”
“E-exactly. So let that be a lesson for you, what were you called again? O-oh, yes. Humans. Remember it well. W-we of the Demon race will seek this land out once our King has chosen the right time. He’s been in such a good mood lately, that I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s within your, miniscule lifetime. Make your choice by then~!”
“So what are you doing now, freak?” Niles explodes. “Why the hell is your Sin Lord causing trouble and making monsters here?”
“M-making monsters? Oh, no. M-mister Gluttony exists only to eat. But my King has forbidden him from starting his great banquet. S-so, as a result of his fasting, his body made children to eat on his behalf.”
“What about the rest?”
“R-rest?”
“That’s not correct, Niles.” Vandrick stepped in, having regained a bit of his composure. “The goblins and other monsters come from other Realms. When a new Realm joins, monsters from every corner are introduced to it like invasive species. I’m sorry for not mentioning that fact with you sooner.”
“He-hehe-hehehe-HAHAHAHAHAHA!” The marionette body cackles and laughs. “My, my! This is truly nostalgic. O-once again, you people refuse to tell newcomers everything, huh? Well, since that’s the case, let me just say this.”
All eyes centered on the possessed puppet.
“Until the King has chosen the time to truly overtake this Realm, it’s considered ‘FAIR GAME’! W-we can do what we want as a means of demonstrating our power. Three of our Sin Lords have been brought here by the world much like other monsters. And their demon troops have begun to establish their domain. Myself being one such example.” The lights in its sunken eyes look to Niles. “My Lord has told me much about you, which is why I came here. Your awakening, bright and shining ignition, brought back my Lord’s most fond memories, so he wished to thank you properly.”
Gritting his teeth, Niles barked at the demon. “You call killing and using one of our people a proper thank you!? You sick son of a bitch!”
“My, no. This is merely a taste of what’s to come.”
Vandrick gritted his beak. “You can’t mean...”
“That’s right. He-hee-heheehe-heHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The corpse twisted in numerous, unnatural ways, breaking and dislocating bones like they were twigs. “I will give you six weeks. I am told snow will have fallen by then. You can prepare all you want or even run as far as you can. I will be coming to you, no matter how far you get. See you in forty days, soon to be deadmen. Ha-he-hahahahahahaHAHAHAhahahahaha...”
With that sudden declaration of war, the body falls apart into a pile of sludge and bone fragments.
The gymnasium became silent. The few drips of black-ish blood falling to the floor from the ribs raises the tension in all five of the men standing there. Réal began to shake and fell flat on his rear end, while Tyrel and Jackson had to lean on the walls and doors to stay standing.
Niles, using the lessons his dad gave him, and Vandrick with his high level of military, separate themselves from emotion for the moment, and step up to the already rotting corpse of the man. After several more minutes went by, not one moving from their positions, footsteps were heard running down the hall. It was Elita and the Molewoman.
“Captain! What’s going on? I heard you wanted to prepare to evacuate, but we didn’t hear from any of you.” She asked with worry written all over her face.
“Gather everyone. It seems, we have no choice anymore.”
With those words alone, Vandrick and Niles left the building from one of the gym exits. The Molewoman was quick to go to Réal’s aid, him being the oldest among the men who were in that ‘meeting’ with a demon.
A few hours later, all the soldiers stood neatly in line and the humans grouped up beside them. As the sun started to drop lower in the ruby red sky, no one would look away or chatter while Vandrick and Réal, who had been calmed by his wife and daughter, stepped forward on the stage that was set up on the backside of the school.
The older of the two, Réal, took center stage after confirming Vandrick’s readiness.
“I’m not really great with speeches and stuff, so I’m just going to cut to the chase. We have less than two months to get ready. After that, this place will likely be a battlefield.”
Chapter 6.1:
Hunger...
Deep in the woods north of the Sault, through the boughs of pine and spruce trees, a massive yet almost silent force moved calmly. Its long, slithering form glided over the ground with pure muscle control. Scales, dull yet striking blue, contrasted against the greenery. In its wide mouth, matted brown fur and a clawed forearm ever so swiftly got slurped in like a thin strand of pasta.
The basilisk sniffed the air with its tongue. Scanning the clearing up ahead for any possible meal or threat, when out of nowhere, it was pinned down by a hand that dwarfed it easily. It flailed its tail and scratched the hand, but even the transparent membrane covering its true skin couldn’t be pierced so easily. As it was lifted up by the giant demon, it panicked and struggled to loosen the grip on itself. That was, before it saw the face of death.
