The gruesome sight of Asmodeus crushing Circe's heart so ruthlessly was sickening, my blood run cold, sweat started to form on my forehead and my stomach started churning.
What did I expect, she is a Demon after all.
Did my absence of prejudice set me up for failure? I wasn't attached to Circe whatsoever, it's just that the way everything took place was too much for me to even understand.
The flames of divine punishment that Hestia was using before completely disappeared. The caduceus above me had long been gone and I was now in front of a demoness who wanted to pay back a debt to me with her hand still drenched with blood.
Maybe sensing my disgust Asmodeus casted a spell of her own, flames slithered on her body revealing her true form. A form anyone would easily misunderstand as human if not for the little horns protruding from her head. She also had strange tattoos covering her entire body. The only thing that didn't change was her azure hair.
"Now don't misunderstand me. She was bound to die, so you remember the man I was to make her fall for?"
Odysseus.
"Yes, now. I don't mean to imply anything but it feels like you wouldn't really like that, so I just went and used the oldest trick we demons use: exploit language."
"Then why are you not exploiting our contract?"
I had gained enough sense to test the waters. And I needed to know if I had a way to escape this situation.
"Well our contract was easy and quite short, not much to exploit really… you simply wrote down, and I quote: Circe will suffer from divine intervention; and she did, both literally and figuratively, but I must say, your revelations about the World Tree were quite amusing."
"Yeah, sure. I don't what your help. Consider your debt paid."
Asmodeus just shakes her head.
She explained how demons were strictly bound by their contracts, more so than their contractees. But since their contract didn't require borrowing the powers of the demon was then considered an unfair contract to me. Thus she'd have great penalties if not completed.
I was not convinced whatsoever.
Freeing myself from Odysseus I approached the elves crying above Circe's body and said to Asmodeus that our conversation could wait.
She just nodded and was eager to see my antics.
"Elves of Eëä, I don't know what your traditions are, but we surely can't let her in this state, she still needs to pass the Styx."
The crying elves rose and after calming a little approached me slowly.
"We don't usually hold rituals for passing, it's rare for us too pass prematurely and we simply return to the ground into the nature."
"Oh, then let me help with that."
Looking back at Odysseus and Merlin I asked them to get our men back to the ship, and that I would reach them within a week.
"We can't possibly let you alone with a Demon! Dim let me stay! Merlin can get our men back, I'll protect you during your training!"
"Bullshit! I'm his master, of course I'll stay with him."
"Shut up! Odysseus bring our men back and begin preparing for in ship agriculture. You are a craftsman aren't you?
[skill: negative answer (F+) successful]
"Merlin you will go too, with him or back to your place, I don't care."
[skill: negative answer (F+) failed]
What?
"I will not let you with a demon during training, I can't let her have you form a demonic circle of nature."
"That's a thing?"
Asmodeus loudly clicked her tongue. Merlin was clearly onto something.
"Fine, but first we'll hold a funeral for Circe. Miss. Lust care to put her heart in a jar or something?"
"Why? It's such a waste! You should eat it!"
"THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"
Merlin grew interested. And I was reminded of the fact that incubi were in fact demons.
"Wait Dim! She doesn't mean to eat like you think! She means to absorb the circuits in her heart."
"Merlin are you crazy? How can a human even do such a thing? Aren't the magic circuits of an elf fundamentally different from those of men?"
Asmodeus and Merlin were exchanging looks and coming to an understanding Asmodeus gave way to Merlin to talk.
"You need to know the stories of demons and men.
Humans are in fact the last race that came to existence, but also saying that they came to existence is marginally wrong. Why do you think humans, demons and elves can procreate?"
Why didn't I think of this before. I've been quite literally travelling with a half demon myself.
"Because even though they are different races, they all belong to the same species… just like donkeys and horses. Fuck I'm so stupid."
"As expected of you."
Merlin was once again showing a proud smile, while Asmodeus was astonished.
"You are not even trying to deny it?! What kind of human are you? How can you come to terms with such a revelation so easily?"
I was honestly at a loss for words, what was there to deny? Facts were facts after all, even if I didn't like something it didn't mean I could change the laws of the world.
"I don't understand what's there to be flustered about, even if I didn't like the fact that we're all from the same species, which I really couldn't care less about, it's not like I can change the laws of nature."
Merlin was extatic.
"YES YES YES! HAHAHAHA I KNEW I WAS RIGHT WITH CHOOSING YOU AS MY DISCIPLE."
"I don't remember agreeing to be you disciple again after what you did. Either way I don't see the correlation between us being the same and me absorbing the circuits from a dead heart."
"Coff coff… yes, going back on track. Humans, Elves and Demons have some distinct traits to their existence, respectively: adaption to both mana and aura, sensitivity and manipulation to mana and for Demons.."
"Absorbing and imprinting power" concluded Asmodeus.
"That's why other races make contracts with demons, mostly to get power easily, that's also why I don't feel it's fair for me to betray your contract, you didn't ask for my power, but for help in creating your own. That was a breath of fresh air."
"So you're telling me you can absorb Circe's circuits from her heart, and imprint them to me? I don't see what's wrong with that except for the fact THAT IT'S ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS!"
"Merlin I thought you knew me a little at least, what made you think I would agree to something like this?!"
Asmodeus was once again shocked, never had she encountered a human refusing free power for no reason at all.
"You had already forgiven her."
"Of course I had Merlin! Do you even know why she was here in the first place? Because she studied magic and used it on a constellation!"
"For fuck sake Merlin, you more than anyone else should know what exile means."
The demoness at this point was barely holding on her curiosity, how could a human like me have knowledge regarding things that happened before the exiled humans themselves?
"Young mage! How do you know such things!"
"And why would I tell you? This whole situation is crazy. Let me hold a proper funeral for Circe, I'm sick of your arguments on how to best abuse a dead body. I swear no respect for life can be found in both of you."
I lifted Circe's body in a princess carry and left the palace with the elves following me. At this point Odysseus and crew should already be far enough to not cause any issues with the elves behind me, or so I thought.
"SECOND COMMANDER YOU ARE SAFE!"
My men, always so protective, were all waiting outside the palace with Odysseus painting the smuggest expression a man could have, but has he noticed how furious I was his smug rapidly changed.
"Dim, they are our men, don't easily pass judgment on them just because they care for you."
That stunned me, how could I even retort to something like that. I never thought I could ever have people respecting me, but this… this gave me a sense of fulfilment.
"Very well, you all will help with the ritual for the lady of the palace. I will not tolerate any form of disrespect, this is for a fallen life, a life the fell protecting her loved ones. The moment I see one of you having an unhonourable attitude towards these ladies, your hands will fly."
My men all had sparkling eyes, not even looking at the ladies behind me, they just wanted to stand with me.
I ordered them to dig a 3 meters deep hole, big enough for Circe's body to fit, had the elves create flower crowns under my instruction and asked Odysseus to built a small altar, so that I could make an offering.
Everyone was focusing on their job and there was nothing for me to do than just watch.
Merlin and Asmodeus stood beside me.
How can the elves be comfortable with this situation and not bash at Asmodeus?
"They don't care, they simply believe she'll return too nature, they'll also live long enough to forget her."
Nobody ever forgot who Circe is in my world.
"Don't read my mind. I already have and half incubus doing it every day, and still committed the greatest offence he could to me."
"I can't read minds my dear, seeing how you reacted before I thought you might have wanted to know."
Wow, I became predictable uh?
Merlin brought me back to reality.
"They're almost done, think about it seriously Dim, this chance will not present itself again."
"Merlin…"
"Dim. You are thinking only of the negative aspects of this conundrum. But with power, you can create a place where a story like Circe's never repeats again."
"Let's talk about it later."
Once everything was ready the elves laid Circe's body into the grave and covered her with the flower crowns they made before. My men then covered everything with the ground. When everything was done I approached the altar were flintstone and dry wood was readied for me.
The fire was lit.
I took a piece of Arachne's web.
It seemed a fitting sacrifice to me, both had suffered at the hands of gods.
Do I need to make a statement or something? Doesn't really feel like it's my job to do so.
But then again, I was already there and I did orchestrate everything.
"I offer the web of Arachne as tribute. For the lady of Eëä to find solace, for her intention to reach the heavens, for her sins to be forgiven. For her to be reunited with nature."
When the webs caught fire. A brilliant green light engulfed the scene, winds rose timidly and the scent of flowers invaded us from everywhere.
Then a sharp pain hit my chest, it erupted like a volcano and spread like a tsunami into my whole body.
The last thing I remember before losing consciousness were the terrified looks of Odysseus and our comrades behind the blue screen.
[awakening stigma: Will of Nature.]
_______________________
-Odysseus POV-
Everything since arriving at this island had been so intense.
The reassurance to finally be able to refill our supplies.
The saddest of understanding how Dim couldn't wait for me to go and explore together.
The happiness when my patron told me how his fate had been bound to mine and he couldn't abandon me.
The horror when Eurylochus came back telling us what happened and how Dim could have already been a victim.
But he came to me, and although he always cursed and made angry expressions he accepted my presence. When I saved his life from Circe he indulged in my desire. His scent was still lingering in my mind. When I understood his intention, he was the one to reach for my hand.
He called me HIS captain, not theirs.
It was a little, barely noticeable step. But it was one nonetheless.
Then he organised this ritual for his enemy and even sacrificed the web he refused to give my patron.
He truly despises constellations, and he truly understands the value of life.
[the Eternal Owl advises you to pay attention, he's awakening.]
It happened in a split second, everything was going well and a moment later nature itself seemed to bend and rush inside him.
His complexion whitened and he fell to the ground.
"DIMITRIS!"
I reached him at the speed of sound. He was burning.
Filled with panic I momentarily forgot I was a mage.
"WATER! WE NEED TO LOWER HIS TEMPERATURE!"
"No, just take off his upper clothing."
Despite the situation, Merlin was calm. As if he knew something like this was bound to happen.
Following his advice I removed his clothes and what I saw left me at a loss for words.
Sure, my patron said he was awakening, but this was unprecedented.
Flowers linked by thorny vines were being burned around his circle.
"A stigma?" I was shocked, of course stigmas weren't uncommon, but they were generally granted by a contracted constellation, and to my knowledge, he didn't have one.
"Not just a stima, Odysseus. Dimitris is awakening a stigma, not receiving one."
He then showed his chest and flicked his finger.
The same identical circle and stigma were on him.
"The Will of Nature."