Chapter 17
With David dead, I extracted Mercy, forced to push the weapon the rest of the way through his neck. A far easier task than trying to pull it out thanks to the barbs.
I tried to smile at Friar Brown, only to remember I was a skeleton and all I was doing was grimacing with a jawbone.
Friar Brown winced. Maybe bring your illusion spell back.
I need more mana first, but I will cast it as soon as I can.
Thats right, you arent a very powerful Lich, he said.
Thanks, I said dryly.
Not what I meant. I can merely tell. Friar Brown shrugged. I must be honest with you; I dont know much about Lichs. Youre the first Ive met that hasnt been actively trying to kill me.
I decided it was best not to explain how I became a Lich, and how said process meant I was actually a fairly powerful Lich, even if I was currently low level.
Once I had the mana, I cast my illusion spell.
Looking at the furnace, an idea began to brew based off of something Friar Brown had said earlier. If youre okay with a little corpse mutilation, I think I have a way we can destroy this.
These people dont deserve our respect, feel free. Friar Brown was inspecting the chamber, flashes of white and gray magic burning different symbols into the walls and floor around the room.
Using Mercy, I cut off Davids armor and rooted around in his body until I found what I was looking for. I pulled free a death core and could tell it was fairly powerful. Even though Id only been partially responsible for his death, my magic had still had an effect.
I moved to the previous chamber and retrieved the death cores from the bodies there. All except for Julias. Not only had she not been killed by me, her body was just gone. The death cores from the other cultists were quite a bit weaker than Davids, but still fairly powerful. I wandered back through the dungeon, collecting as many of the cores from the lower level as I could. A trail of corpses was left behind me, their chests cut open.
When I made it back to the smithy, Friar Brown was still carving symbols into the walls and floor. What are you doing?
These symbols, he gestured at the things he was carving with a beam of white light, will disrupt the blood magic in this area and make it unusable.
I stood at the anvil, staring at the partially finished ax. I reached for it.
I wouldnt do that, Friar Brown cautioned. True blood weapons contain soul magic, and even though it is not finished, there is a chance it could harm you.
Ill be fine, I assured him. A touch of lore about Lichs, is that were one of the few creatures who can use soul magic innately. I try not to do it because it just feels wrong. But it makes me immune to stuff like this.
Friar Brown frowned. Like soul weavers? That is quite an alarming ability.
Were not nearly as adept as soul weavers are. To be honest, its the ability I wish didnt come with this form. Far too easy to accidentally cross unseen lines with it.
Yes, indeed it would be. Friar Brown gave me a very serious look, and I nodded in understanding at what he was silently telling me.
If I misused it there would be consequences.
Picking up the ax to toss into the fire, I could feel two souls within, which was rather alarming. From what Friar Brown had said, Id expected the weapon to contain soul energy, not actual souls.
Friar, I was going to destroy this, but I cant. I think the souls of those two children are in here, not just soul energy. If I destroy the weapon, Im not sure what happens to their souls.
Friar Brown nodded. I had feared as much. Leave it be for now. There is a soul weaver at the grand temple who should be able to free them.
The blade was actively trying to affect me, but it was in an incomplete state and lacked the power to overcome my own soul. Using a little bit of my own soul energy, I wrapped the weapon just enough to pacify the malignant effects. It should be safe to touch now. Im no expert in the use of soul energy, but I added a little of my own to make it safe.
I lay the weapon back down on the anvil and walked to the mouth of the furnace, pulling out the gathered death cores. Im going to toss these in, I told Friar Brown who was picking up the ax. Are you ready to go? This could cause a bad reaction.
Friar Brown let out a snort. That might be an understatement. Those are pure death magic, putting them in anything would cause a bad reaction. But yes, I am ready to go.
I shrugged and tossed the cores into the mouth of the furnace. Lets be off then.
We left the smithy, and when we were about halfway through the bottom floor of the dungeon, nothing had happened to indicate the cores were destroyed. Well, what do you say, either the reaction wasnt very big or there wasnt enough magic to affect anything.
Olattee will take care of this place later, Friar Brown assured me. It was worth a try.
About that time, the first death core was likely broken down by the flames. The effect of that core coming apart caused a cascading series of events that would result in the rest of the cores all coming apart within seconds. I suppose that didnt inherently mean there would be a visible reaction.
Then wailing echoes, like some great creature woke up, rose through the bottom floor of the dungeon.
Was the furnace alive? I asked.
Alive is a stretch, Friar Brown said. Their furnaces are constructs of blood magic, which often results in things containing something that resembles life, more like a false life.
Rumbling vibrated through the floor.
Maybe we should pick up the pace.
The rumbling and shaking worsened as we started to run. Friar Brown actually cast his enhancement spell on me and we both sped away, the friar showing greater speed than he ever had before. We reached the first staircase leading up and sprinted up the stairs. We barely made it out of the circular shaft before an explosion rocked the lower floor.
A wave of red and black energy exploded up the shaft. It washed over us, and though the death magic had no effect on me, the blood magic caused me to gasp in pain. Friar Brown was also affected, but simply shrugged it off like it was nothing, casting a restoration spell on me.
With the shaking worsening, part of me thought the entire ziggurat was going to come down. I later realized that was ridiculous.
When we reached the top of the ziggurat, the shaking had died.
You think we destroyed the furnace? I asked.
At the very least we severely damaged it, Friar Brown said. Olattee will still come and purge this place completely.
***
With the blood cult destroyed, we headed back to the village and assured the villagers that everything would be okay. Once they were calmed, we took the friars cart and headed out of town. His destination was back to the ziggurat. Friar Brown had paid one of the villagers to deliver a note to the nearest temple on his behalf. He needed to stay and guard the area. Going back with him was out of my way, but I felt we needed to talk.
Well, I need to keep moving, I said as we rode in his cart. Assuming, that is, that youre going to let me leave.
Why would I not let you leave? Friar Brown asked.
Well because Im a Lich. I shrugged. And you are a priest of purity.
We saw today what true evil is, Friar Brown said. When I met you, I thought it was strange that such a weak Lich was wandering around this kingdom. I had considered destroying you out of hand, but I saw goodness. I dont know your story, but I do know you are walking the path. As we talked about before, so long as you stay true to that path, Olattee has no issue with it.
Since were being honest I said. Just how powerful are you? Were you here when Slatar was destroyed?
Friar Brown chuckled. Did you ever wonder why you didnt grow in power as you fought alongside me?
I had wondered that. It was one of the things that led me to the suspicion that Friar Brown was leagues more powerful than he let on. Fighting with someone of a much higher level often led to either no or very little experience.
To put it simply, Im at least twice as powerful as David was. When we invaded, I was about at your strength level, but have continued to grow since then.
That meant he was likely over level 200. He probably could have beaten me even at the height of my power. So, why do you hold back?
I wanted to see your resolve, Friar Brown explained. Only someone with great resolve can walk the path set before you. People will judge you, and falling into evil will be a constant temptation. But I have seen you face death and keep fighting, multiple times. Even once you began to suspect me and knew that death would result in you being stuck in your phylactery under my control.
Yea My story is both complicated and simple. I was once human and, in a way, I accidentally became a Lich. Now Im stuck in this body of a monster, while I dont think I truly am one. I hope, at least.
That makes a degree of sense. Friar Brown handed me the reigns, and then pulled out a piece of paper and begin to write. Im not sure how one accidentally becomes a Lich, but I can see you are telling me the truth. At least, something close enough to it that it doesnt matter.
He wrote in silence for several moments while I directed his cart around several trees on our way up the mountain. How long will it take for Olattee to respond?
Friar Brown signed the paper. Oh, they will be here quickly. Places like this represent a direct threat to their power. He handed me the note. This is a letter of introduction to Rhea Caffrey. She should still be head of the temple in Omark. She is a good person and will treat you well, assuming you do the same to her.
Thank you. I took the letter and folded it up, putting it in my pack.
We traveled up to the ziggurat together, and once there, it was time for me to continue my journey. I hope I get to see you again.
If I am ever in Omark, I will seek you out. Friar Brown shook my hand, and as I walked away, he said, Remember to be true to the person who you want to be, and keep walking the path one foot in front of the other.
I laughed. How else does one walk a path? I waved, heading into the forest and back down toward the village.
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