The demon stepped closer to the creature, its eyes locked with the pupilless gaze of the chaos general, and after a moment of silence, the demon spoke with an air of authority.
"Alarion, the great chaos general, you are now nothing more than a prisoner rotting away in this small cage, waiting for death that would not come to you for another few millennia," The demon declared, the words resonating through the chamber and there was no immediate response from the owl-like creature.
"I am here to set you free and return you the strength you once wielded," The demon continued before taking out a small glass container covered in pulsing runes.
A towering cylindrical container resembling glass stood at six feet in height, adorned with runes that shimmered with energy, appearing and vanishing in rhythmic intervals across its surface.
Inside the container, a small black substance floated, pulsating as a beating heart cloaked in a veil of darkness, encased within a second ethereal container crafted solely from intricate runes.
The moment the container emerged, Zlarion's eyes widened, and a suffocating aura cloaked the entire chamber.
The chains quivered as he raised his head slightly above the ground, making the dimly lit runes on the chains binding him pulse with power.
"Demon, what do you want from me in return?" An old, archaic voice echoed, carrying the weight of ages.
"Zlarion, I seek nothing different from what you would want to do, albeit with a small difference,"
"Kill as many Elemental Rulers as you can and those that would come to challenge you, but you can't go on a rampage, nor can you summon chaos minions."
"Very well, demon. I agree to your terms." Zlarion said after a brief silence of contemplating the proposition.
"Swear an oath that upon your release, you will not harm us or any individuals in the near vicinity and that your vengeance will be directed solely at the Elemental Rulers and those who come to kill you, meaning you won't start any battle." The demon said.
Zlarion took the law oath, but he added one extra condition, it being that the oath would last for a decade before becoming invalid, making both the demon and Morgan look at him with startled looks.
"I hadn't anticipated that the dreaded and formidable Chaos Spawns were also fond of joking,"
"The times have indeed changed, and even though the human continent is much weaker than it was the day you invaded our world, there are still old monsters strong enough residing in these lands to kill you," Morgan said, his voice carrying a bit of anger.
"The oath will last for a decade, and if you find that unacceptable, then seek out one of my other kin," Zlarion declared, his voice devoid of emotion, and he shut his eyes, making his intentions clear.
The demon stood in bewilderment, and after a moment of fuming with an enraged expression, he exited the chamber, retrieved a communication slip, and relayed the events to an unknown figure.
"A Century, The Oath would last for a century, and I would personly present my head to you if you could survive that long or stay in hiding, not acting on your untamed instincts," The demon said out loud as he entered the chamber.
Zlarion, keeping his eyes shut, remained, not showing any interest in committing to a longer oath period, causing the demon to appear enraged.
While Morgan wore a visible expression of panic, realizing that if Zlarion refused the offer, there would be no deal for him and his last bit of hope of getting back what he dreamed all his life would turn to smoke, yet he was powerless as nothing he could do to change his situation.
"If you have somehow become a coward in the last ten millennia and plan to hide after gaining your freedom, then know that if you did not fulfill the purpose expected of you, then you will be hunted down personally by one of the seven great Demon Generals,"
"Release him from his shackles," The demon ordered, his voice accompanied by a mocking chuckle.
Morgan, with a relieved expression, retrieved a tattered hide scroll from the folds of his robe, unfolding it carefully, and infused it with a surge of mana, causing the ancient runes inscribed on the hide to spring to life.
Moments later, the scroll crumbled into dust before an almost silent hum echoed throughout the chamber, and a reaction followed as soon thousands of runes started to come to life.
The runes on the chains, the walls, and the floor ignited, casting a brilliant glow that sent shockwaves through the entire chamber. The intense lumination created an ethereal spectacle as the runes danced in chaotic patterns.
Gradually, the brilliance began to fade, and the runes started to dissipate, and the once tumultuous chamber began to stabilize, and after a few short minutes, all traces of the runes vanished.
As the runes dissipated, the shackles that had bound Zlarion in place lost their binding power, and the massive creature moved to the upright position.
The restraints shattered like fragile glass, and the ground, which had endured under the weight of the beast for countless years, cracked beneath him, and the air around him pulsed with mana as it gathered, condensing into inky gray smoke.
Zlarion raised his head toward the ceiling, and as he spread his wings, the remaining chain stuck inside of his body crumbled into dust, and his deformed injuries healed in an instant.
After standing in silence for a few moments, Zlarion's gaze descended to the dark heart within the glass container, and without any more delay, he manifested a dark blade with shifting shades of gray, pointing directly at himself.
In an instant, the blade sliced down his chest through the middle, and dark blood gushed out like a fountain, making the demon and Morgan, overcome with panic, hastily retreated.
Zlarion's chest lay exposed, the prominent ridge spread apart, revealing his large, pulsating heart, and the dark weapon moved once more, slicing through the heart.
However, the creature stood seemingly unfazed, and even his body, which had previously shown remarkable regenerative abilities, displayed no signs of recovery.
The weapon crumbled away, and only then did the glass container break, followed by the runic cube containing the heart, leaving behind pulsating darkness resembling a twisting core of darkness.
The dark heart, carried by unseen hands, moved closer and closer to the open chest of Zlarion before it finally entered the split-open heart, taking its place at the center.
It expanded, merging with the flesh until the entire core turned pitch dark, and as the process concluded, the heart closed and resumed its rhythmic beating.
The chest bone was sealed, and the flesh was mended together, now covered in bloody feathers.
Zlarion held a visible smile, with his aura undergoing a profound change with every passing moment while the surrounding space trembled, experiencing twists and tears that opened and closed in a surreal dance.
'Now I can finally see who the individual is using the command rune of my venerable Queen to send a summoning signal to all of my kin,' Zlarion thought, a tide of anticipation swelling within his forever cold and composed yet now restless mind.
After moments of silence, a giant portal opened, and Zlarion stepped into it, vanishing from the area, giving no heed to the three individuals standing at the doors of the room looking at him in silence.
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