Lulith kicked the wall in frustration, "Dammit all, we almost had her!" Quinn, now upright, approached Lulith, "She mentioned purging all mages. Could she be a part of The Covenant of Magical Annihilation that madman Gabriel was talking about being a part of?" I nodded, "That seems likely." Era pointed to a book on the floor, "Looks like she dropped something in a panic." Quinn bent down once he saw what Era was referring to. He picked up a black book from the ground, his eyes widening as he gazed at the title. Lulith looked over his shoulder, "Are these demon symbols?" Quinn shook his head, "Yes, in theory, but that is not quite the term I would use. My mind is still foggy from being sealed away for so long. I don't even really remember how or why I was sealed away."
He seemed to gloss over the contents of the book, "I do remember these symbols, though. These are symbols of elder gods. You humans refer to them as demons, but long ago they ruled over heaven before the goddess cast them out. The old gods lie lower than even my goddess Seraphina can reach." His eyes grew wide, "Oh, this is not good. This book is a summoning book of sorts." I can see the title of the book from here; it reads, "Pacts with the Primordial." Quinn continues, "It gives directions on how to form deals or pacts with the old gods."
Era asks, "Why would these old gods lend power to the people of Eldoria?" Quinn explains, "I would assume that since they have been sealed off from both the surface and the heavens, they try to interact in other ways. I would imagine their hatred for the supreme goddess Azura exceeds even my creator Seraphina. I would imagine a cult like the Covenant that goes directly against the goddess of magic would appeal to them." I ask, "Should we burn the book or something? It seems dangerous, then." Quinn shrugs, "That is your call, Lucius." I walk over to him, ready to take the book and burn it.
Right as I approach, Lulith swipes the book deftly away from Quinn, who doesn't try to stop her. Lulith says, "Wait! It would be foolish to burn such a rare book. I could study it, I could use its power to make myself stronger." I yell out, "Have you lost your mind? Give me the book, Lulith!" Lulith shrinks a bit, "Wait, Lucius, listen. I was cast out by the other dark elves for not having any potential as a mage. Please, I need this. I want to make them pay for casting me out." I walk closer to her, my face getting hotter, "Lulith, give me the book. That is an order." Her rune begins to glow black, she squeals, "No, I need strength. I can't rely on my potions; they strain my body, please." She holds onto the book, cradling it like a baby; she really has lost it.
Quinn holds out his arm in front of me, "Wait, Lucius, I have a suggestion." I turn to Quinn, "Don't tell me you condone this; what she is trying to do is madness, and she would be no better than Avaris." Quinn frowns, "You called me a friend, Lucius. Please listen to me. The way she fights right now is dangerous, no matter how you look at it. You have seen it, my friend, the way she fights is already suicidal." I sigh, "What are you proposing then?" Quinn explains, "Let her at least look at the book. There are many primordial gods. I won't sugar coat it; most of them are evil and hate-filled." I say, "All the more reason to bur-" He interrupts, "Most of them, my friend, not all of them. Let us look together, at least."
I sigh again, "Fine, Lulith. Let's at least take a look at the book some more, but if I think something is off, we need to burn that book. I can see that getting stronger is important to you, so I will grant you this much." Lulith nods, still cradling the book, "Thanks, human." I suggest, "Just call me Lucius. As much as you hate it, we are bound together, so let's at least try to get along." We all gather around Lulith as she scans the different options for primordial gods. It's no wonder Avaris dropped the book; it is super heavy for such a small book, page after page of information. Right away, a page sticks out to us; it is smudged like the page was curled back as a bookmark. The page is called Xeraphus in bold letters, with a total of 19 pages dedicated to Xeraphus alone.
We scan the pages, and it tells of a god that has no facial features, one who plays with people like puppets, being able to manipulate fate itself at his will. The god of puppets is associated with intricate and finely crafted marionettes and strings. He is said to control the destinies of mortals by subtly pulling the strings that guide their actions and decisions. His domain involves manipulation, puppetry, mind control, and the delicate art of influencing others. It clicks for all of us at the same time, and I suggest, "This Xeraphus could be who Avaris was pacted with, and she could have used his powers of mind manipulation to control the king." Era gives me a blank stare, "Good thing we didn't destroy the book, right Lucius." I laugh a little, "Well, you can't blame me; such an ominous book, and anyone would want to destroy it."
The following pages detail how to form a pact with Xeraphus, and the dangers of doing so, such as his followers becoming mindless puppets of his themselves. It reads: Xeraphus is a god of power and manipulation, but his influence comes with consequences. Worshipers must be careful when seeking his assistance, for they may soon find themselves inextricably bound to the puppeteer's strings. Quinn nods, "I would imagine that most of these gods give their strength at a price." The rest of the pages of Xeraphus explain different powers that he grants to his followers, and most of it was what we imagined. Control over people in various ways seems to be the bottom line for this god, or the usage of string to escape, as we saw from Avaris. Avaris has used her power to turn herself into the red threads and presumably phase through the wall to the outside via the cracks in the foundation of this building.
We glance through the book some more; there are gods of obsession, deception, shadows, madness, dreams, machines, etc. One of the gods seems to draw Lulith in, and the god's name is Syravella. From what we can read, she is mainly the goddess of blood but has other domains, such as bloodlust, carnage, rituals, and vampires. I raise an eyebrow, "Why her?" Lulith responds, "Because look at what she provides and what the price is for her pact." I read a little of the text that follows. She can provide those that form a pact with her great strength, durability, blood magic, and vampirism. I look at the bottom that lists the price for forming a pact with the goddess. The price is that the person who forms a pact will lose their ability to cast magic for good and will forever turn their back on the goddess Azura.
I frown, "That doesn't sound bad, but is that really what you want? That means you will never be accepted by the goddess Azura, even in the afterlife." Lulith nods, "Let's do it. I never cared for the goddess anyway. I need power, Lucius, something so that nobody will ever call me weak again." This seemed important to her, so for now, I will stand aside; this is her choice to make, not mine. Plus, Quinn did add that not every old god is filled with hatred and evil, so maybe this Syravella wouldn't be that bad.
Lulith begins arranging the materials for the ceremony, and it appears that she would have to shed her own blood to complete the pact. Lulith cuts her hand with a dagger and begins drawing a chalice on the ground in her own blood inside of a circle.
She reads from the book that she is supposed to chant a phrase ten times, and the pact would be complete. The phrase is in a seemingly old god language that not even Quinn seems to understand. Lulith chants, "G'rakthuul exalt'rym, D'lanthor vildrak'syth!" She does this ten times, and on the last chant, the symbol in the room begins to glow red. The symbol in the center pushes everyone away, but Lulith, who sits nearest to it. Red magical energy begins to fling debris around the room; Quinn jumps in front of me and Era to protect us from debris. The building seemingly shakes and shudders on its foundation. The energy forms into a ball in the center of the room, and momentarily, the room falls into silence. The only thing that can be heard is the dull pulsing of the red orb and our nervous breathing.
The ball shoots out towards Lulith; it connects directly with her, and she falls to the ground as a symbol is etched on her neck. The symbol is the one from before, the chalice in a circle, and it painfully engraves itself on her skin. She yells out as the power consumes her; her eyes turn from yellow to red, and her hair turns from grey to snow-white. Her teeth begin to grow as fangs painfully rip through her gums, forming in her mouth like daggers. Her eyes glow a painful red, and she is still screaming in agony; we can't get close, as the light coming off her pushes us back. After a minute or so, the light slowly wanes, and she is left on the ground writhing in pain. But when the dust settles, the energy from before disappears.
Lulith eventually regains her composure; she stands up, feeling out her new body, and she glares at us with satisfaction. The look in her eyes is one of a beast finally set free. Then I notice that the rune on her hand has fully faded away. Lulith is no longer under my control; she is a beast that has just been shown her first meal. Perhaps due to her new lack of magic the rune can't use her magic to sustain itself at all. She licks her lips, seemingly ready to jump at us in her out-of-control state. This is the moment that makes me realize we have truly messed up. I had no idea of the danger I would be in. Our impulsive decision to choose the goddess of blood has me questioning my judgment. I mean come on that just sounds evil! The echoing laughter of Lulith reverberates in the room, a haunting prelude to the chaos about to unfold.