Unable to remove my eyes from Silas, I think back to all that we've been through together. We met nearly a year ago in the Underworld. The man was a leader of many other Undead, but with a purpose that was beyond that. He wanted to see the sky. And... we helped him escape to the surface.
Past that, though... while he has been quiet and often on his own, he has still been a good friend. He's protective, darkly hilarious in his own way, and dependable. He's chivalrous and kind. I don't think I've ever seen him be rude to anyone that wasn't to him.
We fought together. We bled together. We celebrated together. To me, those are the things that matter most. He's a good man. A good friend.
Just now, though... Everything has changed. To him, we met only a little while ago. And... I feel sick to my stomach seeing him this way. But... is there anything I can do?
Squinting my eyes, I peer into Silas' soul, hoping that there is any indication of a piece my Dominion can latch onto. I scan every inch of his soul, the charred and scattered piece that remains, but I don't see any way to fix it. I can put him back together and connect the disjointed parts, but...
What's gone is gone.
What should I do? Do I... argue with him? That would hold no purpose other than to antagonize him. Silas is obviously on edge, likely from the discomfort of losing memories and his damaged soul. It also seems as though Mie has been keeping him up to date with the current memories he should have, seeing as he knows me, and he doesn't seem too bizarre in that way. Instead... I'll go along with it.
My friend chose this path. I don't know why, but I will respect it. If this is how he wants to live his life... or his undeath, then I won't stop him. He's always been without a purpose since he saw the sun's radiant beams. But right now... Right now, I see a glorious purpose behind that pale flame.
"You're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Something from waking up from the coma, I suppose. Let me... let me see what I can do."
Silas waits patiently for me to answer, but his foot taps on the dirt through my words and thoughts. He's patient, yet not that patient. The Undead nods, then returns to following the swirling sands with his eyes while I change my focus.
"Mie. Why is he doing this?"
I ask the woman while I search for a way to break out of this thing. She is hardly able to form a coherent sentence without crying, but I get some information from her. He's doing this for her, to resurrect Kate.
A pretty lofty goal. I'm not one to dissuade him, though. I only wish the method he chose wasn't so drastic. Exhaling heavily, I raise a hand to the golden sands, finding a willowy connection between the Sigils and the Ether that holds the Concept of Time within the walls.
The Sigils and miniature souls around it seem to possess miniature but unintelligent souls, able to guide the Ether outside and around the sands on their own. A million tiny minds help regulate the skill, allowing it to function without any oversight. The few remaining Sigils are the largest gatherings of these souls, and I can tell that by taking the Sigils from it, we have weakened its function.
Stepping forward, I tug on my soul, drawing it out from my flesh and toward one of the Sigils where the mini-souls gather. The instant they come into contact, a rush of feelings, emotions, and general force overwhelms my mind, but I quickly rebuff the attack.
This is only an automatic response from whatever Remington set up. It doesn't hold any strength that can genuinely overpower my soul. So, I clench onto that Sigil with my Dominion and squeeze.
The noise of a Sigil cracking and breaking into a thousand miniature souls is akin to that of a whistle, only a thousand times higher pitched and more piercing. Upon breaking one node, the wall doesn't shatter. Remington's too good for that.
He builds his skills sturdy and adaptable in a way none can understand. He wouldn't have held Usen for a thousand years if they weren't. An artist of Ether, an architect of the world's most fundamental powers, that he who is was. Again, I reach to destroy another node, going through them one by one until only a lone collection of souls remains.
As I stare at the final piece of the puzzle, I remember what Johnny spoke of regarding another way of using Ether. The book he read described manipulating infinitely tiny pieces of Ether to replicate the effects of grand machinations. Here, with all these minor souls, I see what he means by it.
The Ether around us isn't all that impressive in volume. It's only about the same amount a Power like Primrose or Richard could wrestle at once for any of their skills. But its efficacy is beyond belief. In awe, I analyze the final node before I reduce it to nothing but flowing souls that deteriorate rapidly without a vessel.
But I reach out for them, taking the miniature things with my soul. And I feel a rush when they enter me. Memories, that of something not sentient nor actually living, pass through my mind. The memories are of untold eons doing... nothing until they are called, created, and summoned for a purpose.
The sensations are bizarre, and I cannot recall anything of substance from the memories. But it's not useless as I feel my soul grow in size, my Dominion a little more responsive, a little bit... stronger. Clenching a fist as the distance Godly war resumes, I feel... amazing. Better than ever before.
I see now. Dominions. They can grow, but each has to do so in their own way. Lennon's Dominion develops through battle as the man pushes himself beyond his limits. His soul responds notably to stress and the act of overcoming that stress. Eli's is likely similar, focused on learning, replication, and clever manipulation. His Dominion will probably grow whenever he is at his limit for copied Powers, and he uses them beyond what they should be capable of.
As for mine... My Dominion governs my soul. It is adaptable, formless, and ever-changing. It makes sense that I could... assimilate other souls to fortify my own. I wonder... Are Gods similar?
Do they also grow in their own ways? Are there things they must do to become more powerful?
This must be why it is so hard to become a God. There are so many conditions. One must develop their Dominion to a certain extent, formulate a grand skill that uses Conceptual Ether, and finally, they have to live long enough to do both as well as all that came before.
Something tells me, too, that the Dominion aspect is the harder one to discern. It's not easy to figure out how to grow your Dominion and capitalize on it. As for me... I have six easy ways to capture a soul, even if I don't know how to do it quite yet on my own.
Unholstering Lily, I spin the cylinder of the Colt, smiling at the six new rounds nestled within the weapon. Lily even approaches me herself, grinning from ear to ear, literally with those bloodied fangs.
"See? Six more! Oh! Also! I won't need to recover after each shot anymore! The Cardinal will take any excess that I can't instantly handle! Then, I can ask for it back later! Isn't she awesome!? Well... I might have to recover after two or three, but I'll be all good after one now!"
I nod with Lily's energetic hops and skips. She's right. That is amazing. Six bullets. Plus, now that I'm a Dominion, she won't be able to steal as much of my lifespan. Or, more accurately, my life is more meaningful, meaning she takes less in exchange.
But I've done enough reminiscing at this point. It's time to move.
"Silas. Mie. Lily. Gather around. I have an idea."
The duo nods with one head before standing a few feet to my right, and Lily gets right behind me. That timer is still ticking down. It's almost gone, though, meaning the battles are soon to roar into action. That means I need to hurry. I need to find a way to break out of this place.
But... the Crimson Court isn't some typical bar with a door to walk through. I need to find... something to grab onto.
With my eyes, I can see that space is distorted, overlayered, and stretched to accommodate thousands of arenas. Tightening my focus, though, I peer closer, Ether flowing into my eyes and allowing me to peek through the disheveled space itself.
I see all eight thousand and sixty-four of these arenas. A few more even pop up with every second. But... I need to find my friends. I don't care about all the demons forced to fight each other. I search and scavenge through the battlefields for nearly a full minute before finding Otto and Marion.
But they aren't all I see. I see their opponents as well. Two Virtued demons, their bodies covered in violet chains. Shit. I need to hurry. Gritting my teeth, I reach out with my soul, my Dominion, and grab onto the space itself. Doing so, at first, is a battle against futility, but I don't relent even as I fail to find purchase.
My soul expands from my body, and with a hundred new arms, I twist the air before me, focusing upon the Ether saturated thickly through the atmosphere. And as I inspect it, I find a hint of a soul. It's tricky, hard to see, and hidden by something I don't quite understand, but I find it nonetheless.
Now, I know I am far too weak to cancel out this whole thing with my Dominion. That'd be stupid to even try. So... I don't. I latch onto that meager bit of the soul I can witness and twist, forcing it to change the arena as I want it to—to connect two battlegrounds.
My teeth creak, and my head pounds with agony as I meet a steel wall with my soul. The Natural God refuses to budge, shouting at me through our subtle connection.
"CEASE YOUR FUTILE AMITIONS FOR FREEDOM!"
The words are harsh, so awfully spoken into the atmosphere, and they cut into my very skin, but the noise only reinforces my endeavor. Bleeding from the eyes, I feel something give, only it's not me. A shimmering door appears in front of me, possessing no frame or handle, just an opening in space.
Hurried, knowing this will only last a moment, I yank Silas to follow me, and we tumble through the portal just as it closes, falling beside Otto and Marion.
"Hey! Wyatt—?"
"How'd you guys get here? We were just thinking we were dead meat."
I smile at my two friends and quickly reassure them. Now that I know that works... getting out of here isn't an impossibility. I might just need Blodwyn.
"I broke through. It was not easy and angered the Court, but it was the only way out of here. Unless you want to fight for all of eternity, of course."
Otto grins, ecstatic to not have to die here, while Marion keeps his head cool. He points over at their opponents as the counter reaches less than ten seconds. The demons across from us seem to be discussing something quietly with each other.
"What about those two? Are we going to fight or just leave them?
Silas crosses his arms as he shrugs and answers for me. I have already started searching for the leverage point of the Crimson Court's soul here. It took me over five minutes last time, so worst case...
"Wyatt'll be busy for a few. We'll have to hold them off if they want trouble."
Surprisingly, though, a human is not the next to speak. Instead, it is the female demon who... even more surprisingly, isn't corrupted by Darklight. I've gotten so used to it that I think I just imagined they were.
"Wyatt... Wyatt... Are you Wyatt Graves? I am Inerea, and this is Odyss. If you are who I believe you are, then we mustn't be enemies."
For a moment, I pause on my inspection of the Ether and flowing concept of judgment to look at them. Huh? What does she mean by that?
"Yeah? And... why? Are you not a demon?"
The male demon with dark chitin for skin and pale blue eyes grins as he laughs ceremoniously. To him, his words are nothing but the most apparent course of action.
"Of course we are! But... are we sworn enemies? Surely, someone Abraham spoke so highly of wouldn't be so judgmental of other races. I say, we work together, my lord Dominion. You would see us to be of use, of that, I am sure."
Odyss bows as he addresses me with the utmost respect, nearly hitting the dirt with his head. I don't know how to respond to his adoration. I've never... I've never been treated like this, much less from a demon. Beside me, Otto gapes with an open jaw as Marion's focus leaves the opponents for the first time.
"You—you—you—you're a Demigod!"
"A 9th? Impressive. Never would've thought that when I first saw ya."
The two 'twins' speak simultaneously, and I can see how they've grown apart since the older one died. Otto is still capable and intelligent, but he relies on Marion to do most of the thinking to have his own fun.
I don't really have the mental acuity to reply to them as I reel from Abraham's name being mentioned. I take a step forward, only minorly noticing Silas' confusion with all these names.
"You two know Abraham?"
Both of the demons nod up and down swiftly. Odyss smiles widely, the chitin surrounding his mouth cracking open ominously like an insect.
"Uh-huh. Psionic Nails is tough as shit. I've always heard humans are nothing but cattle, minus Him, yet Abraham is obviously different. And from what I can see, you all are the same. If it weren't for him, Inerea and I would have never made it to the Court. Though... this isn't quite what we thought it'd be."
Ideas swarm through my mind as I realize these two demons know the situation on the other side of Hell. But before I can ask another question, whether about my friend or Hell, grand words appear above our heads.
"FIGHT. OR BE JUDGED GUILTY."
Shit.
"Fight! Guys! Just buy me some time! The Court isn't wholly sentient quite yet! I think you can deceive it for a while!"
The four all look at me with confusion for a second before Silas strides forward, sliding his sleeves up. He points backward with a thumb as the gold liquid runs up from his pockets to cover his body.
"He needs a little to break us out. Fight like you're about to die. I'll take Odyss. Mie will help with Inerea, you two."
Addressing Otto and Marion, Silas darts forward, Mie's psychic Shift accelerating his body right at the chitinous demon. The gold in Silas' pockets turns into a weapon as he makes minor Wishes.
"I Wish you were a little more to the left and that I had a spear.."
I stare in awe as Silas finally seems to take full advantage of his absurd Power. Adding in whatever his Virtue gave him, the short words end with Odyss' body shifting to the side from a surging coin, and alongside that, none of his Ether does.
That leaves Odyss open to the strike as the demon's forming... sonic scream utterly misses. A shockwave passes by Silas while Odyss ends with a golden spear in his shoulder, but the two aren't done yet.
A surge of Shift from Mie smacks Odyss and Inerea in the face, sending both hurtling in opposite directions. At this point, Otto and Marion join in, rushing for the female demon.
Seeing their seriousness, I peer into space, squeezing all the potential in my eyes as I probe for that bit of the Court's soul. The battles rage beside me as I see the demons hold their own after the initial conflict, but Silas is far more powerful than he used to be.
From grand Wishes to minor but essential ones, Silas has shifted his whole method of fighting. Only... I don't know what he's sacrificing for each Wish. I can only hope it is not more of himself.
Still, I don't divert my focus, and fortunately, I spot the flicker of its soul only a minute later. Though, a minute of battle is quite long. Without wasting a moment, I rip the soul, twisting it to open a door for us to head to another arena.
Throughout them all, I see Birdie and Lennon against a Demigod and a Virtue, twisted by Darklight. The Dominion is, ostensibly upon first glance, weaker than Gorgeous just by the feeling I get form looking at them.
So, trusting the swordsman, I scour for Abraham, worried for my friend. He made it here. Somehow. Someway. Thousands of arenas pass by my eyes as many finish their battles, entering new ones immediately. And... I find him.
Abraham is standing next to Motherbound of his own, tossing his own teammate away from him as they betray him with tossed daggers of glass. His actual opponents are also Motherbound, all of which are Powers.
I'd have some faith that he could beat them if he wasn't... so injured. His eyes are gone, turned to leaking mush, while his arms are limp and hanging. And so, with far more determination than last time, I contort the soul, no matter how much it backfires onto me.
With that, another door opens. Screaming, I hold it open as long as I can.
"Go through! NOW!"
The others all stop fighting on a dime and rush to me. They aren't fast enough, though, as the Court rages against me. I fall to a knee, struggling to keep it open. To my rescue, Lily forms beside me from hiding within the Colt, and she offers me her hand.
"Hey, Wyatt! I have something to help you! These are all the nearby dead people!"
With the door hanging open, my Colt gives me the souls she has stored up. Writhing from the agony of contesting the God, I take her offerings, the few hundred souls that rejuvenate my mind, body, and soul. They bolster mine, even as it is beaten down by the Court. One after another, the others pass me, and I slide through last, calling out to all the others.
"Kill the Motherbound! Protect Abraham!"
Then, I immediately start to search for the next way out, knowing that we won't have much time before we are forced to fight each other again.