With Thajure's help, Nirdia moved the Zegus to the center of the room. Uron helped Suri move the Feral. Once they were in position, Uron moved the Yomie while Thajure moved the Thawed.
Everything was ready, all they had to do was keen their ears to their Sherpa's voice. Thajure got on his knees over the dead Thawed.
"This, like most rituals, is performed differently depending on conditions. So far, the easiest are Ferals. Suri, are you ready?" Thajure announced.
Not wanting to halt his Sherpa's lesson, Suri nodded. His shoulders tensed up, anxious of what was going to happen first.
Thajure took out a small bag of dust from his pocket. "You're going to have to rub some of this over the important parts of the body. Such as the chest to connect to the heart, forehead for the brain, and back for the spine."
Suri held the bag in his hands. It felt like tightly pact snow was inside, waiting to melt on someone's skin to bring them back to life.
As instructed, Suri opened the tiny bag. Gently undoing the string, then pressing his index and middle finger inside the dust.
It felt cold to the touch, as if it really was snow. He rubbed his fingers on his other hand, before rubbing both of his hands together to spread the dust. Then, he ran his hand over the Feral's forehead.
Her hair got tainted by the purple powder. Using his other hand, Suri spread the powder across her chest. After it was evenly spread, Suri glanced up at Thajure. Who was looking at him with a serious face.
"Good, good. Now turn her over then spread that powder along her spine," Thajure instructed.
Suri grabbed her shoulder, then pulled her until her back was towards him. He looked down at the lifeless body. Curious if that Feral had a shard of herself left inside.
Determined to go through with the entire ritual, Suri began spreading the dust across her back. Once that was done, he glanced up at Thajure.
"Repeat what I say," he ordered. "Uhorm, arnav. Heheri-co. Etero'v, ignooovo. Una, ye'eesi ehon. Vin-be-qie."
Once they were done, Thajure pointed at her head. "For Ferals, they need their teeth and claws to survive. You have to whisper the Fifth Rule's hum while adding the dust."
Suri got to work on spreading the powder between the Feral's teeth and claws. Under his breath, he said the phrases and chants dedicated to the Rule of Live and Death.
On the final claw, Suri was taken back by the sudden movement. The Feral gasped for air, jaw wide open. She scanned the room around her for any threats.
Thajure stepped forward. The Feral flinched. Her body quickly regained heat, blooming like a flower. Color repainted her skin back to the tan it was formally.
"It's okay, it's okay. We brought you back," Thajure comforted the Feral. "You don't need to run."
She crawled to the corner of the room, frightened. "Is the thing dead? Did Trijunn kill it?"
"Trijunn has taken down the goliath, don't need to worry. It is safe. All you need to do now is return to him. Run back to your alphas, Great Feral."
Uron pointed towards the door. It was cast in shadows, tucked away from sight. The Feral bowed, signifying her gratitude. Without another second wasted, she rushed out the door.
Her mind was fixed on returning to Dire and begging to be let back into Trijunn's control. Completely oblivious of the tremendous defeats that had struck her Legion.
No one spoke after the door closed. Suri was left shaken up. His arms trembled, engulfed in fear. Mortified at what he had just done.
It felt like he just killed somebody, except they didn't die. That somebody came back to life, ignoring what had happened to her and wishing to return.
Nirdia followed her peer's lead. She breathed harder, hoping to not let out a scream. Until Thajure softly chuckled. His comforting tone reassured his students they were safe.
"It's fine. Nirdia, you will encounter this yourself. Prepare your hands, that Zegus needs a reawakening," Thajure instructed.
"Yes, Sherpa," Nirdia heeded.
She reached into the fine red bag, ensuring her hands were tainted with this mysterious powder. Just like Suri did, Nirdia began to evenly distribute the powder along the key parts of the body.
Telling it there was a need for a brain, a heart, and movements. Yet ordering it to not revive the lesser desired aspects. Such as digestion and reproduction.
By the end, Nirdia backed off from the Zegus. She watched his lifeless body lie inside a forever dream, waiting for someone to wake him.
"Uhorm, arnav. Heheri-co. Etero'v, ignooovo. Una, ye'eesi ehon. Vin-be-qie," Nirdia said out loud.
"Very good, Nirdia. Zegus are perhaps the second most complicated. Regardless of where Zegus come from, their physical selves never change. Which makes it difficult to understand what they need to survive," Thajure informed.
He leaned forward. "So it's up to us to decide how it will come back. Generally speaking, we want a healthy warrior back to life. But that healthy warrior can also be a caretaker or a guide."
Thajure opened his hand. "You've got options. What do you want it to be?"
"S - Sherpa, are you sure we're supposed to know these things? I mean... w - we're not THAT advanced y - yet," Nirdia's frightened voice quivered.
"A Thawed learns by their elder. These terms are conditions we agreed upon, not that we must follow. I gift you knowledge, Nirdia, do you accept?" Thajure asked.
Unsure of what to say, Nirdia flinched. "I want this Z - Zegus to be... a warrior..!"
"Legs, arms, shoulders. Every little spot that has powerful muscles. Do it while whispering the Fifth Rule's hum."
Like clockwork, Nirdia's hands drifted across the Zegus' perfectly crafted body. Drifting over every single corner of his being, ensuring its safe awakening.
His heart began beating, roaring to life the spirit of a warrior who fell during one of the many assaults on Yarno's outskirts.
Twin-mutated eyes sparked alive. Their purple glow stuck with Nirdia. She crawled away from the Zegus. His pale hair slowly darkened, bringing him back to who he was.
In his mind, the Zegus recounted the events of his death. The lack of rest catching up to him, no food, water. No will to continue fighting. Broken mental state, destined for a sharp blade to a vein.
"My friends... are they alive?"
Thajure shook his head. "We couldn't recover their bodies. Some were too badly damaged. Such as body parts blown off, or specific bits of their being having too many injuries."
The Zegus felt defeated once again. "Kas needs to end this conflict with Yarno. Their Legions have no reason to bow. He is not understanding what he is doing is torturing us."
"He understands one thing. If he ceases, they will be motivated to push Imbushko. Unless another - more powerful Legion steps in between, our fates lie out there or in here," Thajure responded.
"But also, why did you bring me back? Why was it me, out of everyone else? That assault... it was enough for a thousand lives. No elites to help us, only desperation," the Zegus continued.
Thajure nodded. "For that reason alone. Facing death is one thing, facing death and telling others what you saw is another. But if you want to rest, I can give you that pleasure."
The Zegus calmly lowered his head back onto the cold wooden floor. Waiting for what came next. Thajure carefully made his way over the Yomie. His head pointed down towards the desperate Zegus.
With his hands, he choked the downed warrior back to death. No one remained in his empty frame. Not even his soul. Nirdia felt her head get lighter. It was her coming to terms with what happened.
"I can say, without a doubt, he had a great family. His kids adore him very much, just as his partner wished to have held his hand once again. Makes you think if we will be forgotten or loved?" Thajure concluded.
Nirdia nodded. Her slight gesture caught Thajure's attention. She watched his beaten eyes stare into her own.
"This world can be harsh. That's why you need your little bundles of love and joy. Pet or peer. When you're left alone, you're left in your grave. That's how that Yomie died," Thajure informed.
"She must have been a beloved mommy," Nirdia added.
"Her Yonie is on a death timer. Bring her back to life. When you get to that step, you have to spread the dust in a way that tells her body she needs reproduction," Thajure taught.
Nirdia applied a fresh layer of dust over her hands, then got to work on the Yomie. Her hands masterfully danced over her body. Forehead, breasts, back, even the vagina.
In Demon's mind, he was preparing the next steps. Now that the Zegus and Feral puppets were out of the picture, it was just the Thawed and Yomie.
But in there. Demon knew he would have to fabricate more lies in order to continue pushing forward. Until Nirdia was ready to revive a battered corpse.
For now, his patience continued strong. Secretly telling him he made the right choice.