Chapter 147: Chapter 147

Henry obliged. They trailed his shadowy figure through the forest for several minutes, weaving through the trees and stepping over fallen branches. After a short travel, a large stone outcropping poked through the trunks.

It was shaped like the jagged tooth of some long dead monster. The white, bleached rock was a stark change from the muted browns and greens of the forest. At its base was the entrance to a cave.

As they approached it, Damien immediately recognized the arch of runes that traveled along the outside of the cave. Many of them were similar or even matched the ones that he’d drawn on his chest.

“Take even more caution than normal,” Henry said. “I know one of my brethren is beyond here, but I can tell that the binding method used on it was different. The binding might just be keeping it inside of the cave rather that restricting it.”

Damien and Sylph nodded. Henry slipped forward, entering the cave. Faint purple energy glimmered around him as he entered, but the cave offered no further resistance. Damien and Sylph followed after him.

The energy tickled as it caressed Damien’s skin like an electric blanket. He grimaced as the buzz faded from his ears. He channeled Ether to his hands as his eyes started to adjust to the darkness.

He could barely make out Henry’s dim form in the dim light, but the path was thin enough that it wasn’t possible to get lost. The smell of stale water and moss permeated the stone tunnel around them.

“Get ready,” Henry said in a tone barely above a whisper after they’d been walking for some time. “There’s a metal door in front of us. Our opponent will almost certainly be behind it.”

They reached the door in question a few feet later. It was made of thick silver metal and completely covered in runes. Damien couldn’t tell how thick it was from this side, but something told him that it could probably take quite a punch without breaking.

“I’m ready,” Sylph whispered.

“As am I,” Damien said, forming a gravity sphere in his hand.

Henry reached out and pressed a hand against the door. Purple energy raced out across it, delving into the runes and flaring in intensity. With a hiss, the runes along the hinges started to melt away. The door swung open with a slow creak. Henry flicked a hand forward, sending an orb of purple light flying into the room and illuminating it.

An old man sat in a wooden chair, a walking stick at his feet and his head in his hands. The man’s hair was pure white and had grown out thick and fluffy, completely obscuring his face and sticking out in every direction. His eyes were closed.

The cobbled floor around him was smooth and unblemished, and the room was about the same size as the one Harriot had been kept in. A small silver chain connected the man’s ankle to a ring in the ground, but aside from that he was entirely unrestrained.

“It Who Heralds the End of all Light,” the man said. His voice was the whisper of a thousand men and women, discordantly overlaid into a mind-numbing symphony. “I detected you some time ago. The Corruption is already present. Why has the cycle not been restarted?”

“There are other forces at play, It Who Stills the Seas,” Henry said. Damien kept the gravity sphere at the tips of his fingers. The old man was, at the very least, smarter than Harriot. He hadn’t shown any emotion yet, and avoiding the fight by confirming that he wasn’t Corrupted would be ideal.

“There are no other forces,” the old man said, his tone flat. “No matter. Release me. Then you can explain why you have chosen to keep an extra mortal vessel with you.”

His gaze flicked to Sylph for an instant. “These bindings interfere with my senses. They have proven to be more problematic than I originally believed.”

“How were you bound?” Henry asked. “Are you aware of what happened?”

“No. I was summoned to the Mortal Plane and found myself bound to this room before I could even begin processing sensory input,” the man replied. “I have been vaguely able to locate the location of the others, although it grows harder. I lost track of one some time ago.”

“That would be my fault,” Henry said. “The Corruption claimed It Who Consumes.”

“I see,” the old man said. “The Corruption has progressed faster than we could have anticipated. It may consume the Mortal Plane entirely within only a few decades. We must begin the process to restart the cycle. Free me.”

“About that,” Henry said. “That bit is the change of plans. We aren’t restarting the cycle. We’re attempting to fight the Corruption. Either destroy it or push it off – whichever happens.”

“That is not our directive.”

“The directive was changed,” Henry said. “We can put an end to the Corruption permanently. Stop the restarts of the cycles. Just finish the enemy off once and for good, It Who Stills the Seas. There’s no reason for us to play this endless game.”

“It is not our place to decide such things,” It Who Stills the Seas said. The old man’s eyes finally opened. They were a deep, stark blue that threatened to swallow Damien’s mind as soon as he made eye contact with the man. “Something is amiss.”

Henry? Maybe try harder to convince him. The old man is scary, but he really doesn’t seem like the Corruption. Can you sense it at all?

“The Corruption made it farther than normal this cycle,” Henry said, shaking his head minutely and casting a glance back at Damien. “Next cycle, it may be earlier still. Eventually we will run out of time. Now is the time to take action, before we cannot any longer.”

“No,” the old man said, rising from his chair. “We do not make such decisions. That is not our place. My addled senses mislead me. You are not It Who Heralds the End of all Light. Your aura is similar, but it is warped with something else. Not the Corruption, but warped nonetheless.”

“Not warped,” Henry said. “Improved. I am something greater. We could use your help stopping the Corruption, It Who Stills the Seas. Our goal is still the same – the preservation of the Mortal Plane.”

“You have fallen,” the old man said. “You live no more than It Who Consumes. Free me at once – I shall rectify the wrong you have done by failing to execute your duties.”

Henry raised his hands. Tendrils of shadow rose up from the ground, binding the man’s hands and yanking him back down into the chair. They tightened around his body, covering every part but his head in a tight cocoon of magic.

“You will fail,” the old man said, his words no more passionate than if he were ordering lunch. “The cycle will restart.”

“Every single Void creature is bound,” Henry said, shaking his head. “If there is no other choice, I’ll restart the cycle myself. However, I’ll be taking every route possible before that. Maybe you’ll understand some day.”

With loud snaps, the bands of magic hardened into chains, scraping against each other as they wound tighter around the Void creature. They wound up, covering the old man’s mouth and starting to creep up his head.

Something crackled behind him. The back of Damien’s neck prickled. He saw Sylph spin out of the corner of his eye and started to do the same. Before he could even fully turn, a shockwave of gray energy tore through the room.

It picked Damien up and threw him across the room. He tumbled midair, landing on his feet and skidding several feet back before hitting the wall. A portal of crackling red energy shimmered to life a short distance from where he’d been standing.

The chains that Henry had put around the old man shattered. He cocked his head to the side, rising to his feet and snapping his fingers. His body rippled and turned invisible. The only thing that remained of him was the silver shackle on the floor.

Delph and Dredd strode out from within the portal. Dredd held his huge staff aloft in front of him while Delph was unarmed, but that didn’t make him look the slightest bit less threatening.

“What are you doing here, Damien?” Delph asked, his voice cold.

“I’m taking over the moment they make a move,” Henry warned Damien. “We are not in a position to fight both of those men. Your body won’t survive the stress.”

Damien fought down the panic building up to give Henry a small mental nod. The old man remained in his chair, watching the growing crowd impassively.

“I won’t ask again,” Delph said. “This is serious, kids. That shadow – it was the Void. This cave is full of it. I don’t know how it was so well hidden, but you two lead us right to it. What are you doing?”

“I’m not sure you’d understand,” Damien said, drawing Ether into himself conspicuously. He doubted his magic would be much use against Delph, but it didn’t hurt to prepare nonetheless.

“Try me. I’m not even entirely convinced that you’re in control of your body. The records of the Void are sparce, but I know that it can possess mortals. You might just be a puppet,” Delph said, gray light flickering around his hands. “Sylph, get away from Damien. It’s very possible that he isn’t what he claims to be.”

Sylph looked from Delph to Dredd. She didn’t move. Delph’s brow tightened. “Sylph. Move. I don’t have time to explain, but the Void is one of the Mortal Plane’s greatest enemies. They’re creatures capable of terrible destruction.”

“Told you she wouldn’t listen,” Dredd said. “Give it up, Delph. You can start a new experiment. This one is too dangerous. Stop trying to salvage it. The girl will change her mind once the Void’s host is dead.”

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“I’m not possessed,” Damien said. “I got the Void to agree to an old contract. I’m in control of my body.”

“Then why are you here?” Delph asked. “Give me a reason, Damien. I don’t want to do this. I’ve invested into you, but there are certain limits even I can’t break.”

“I don’t think I can explain it quickly, but there’s a force other than the Void,” Damien said. “It’s called the Corruption, and it’s the stone creature that attacked the other town and also the monster that Whisp’s special quest had us chasing.”

“No stone monsters here,” Delph said. “Just you.”

Damien opened his mouth to respond. Delph flicked his hand towards him, sending a bolt of gray energy howling through the air. Henry surged forward, taking control of Damien’s body and instantly casting Devour, absorbing the spell.

“His eyes are black,” Dredd reported. “The Void is controlling him. You wanted time, Delph. You’re running out. I will not allow this creature to leave the room alive.”

Give me my body back.

Henry obliged, returning control to Damien.

“See? I’m in control. My companion just protects me,” Damien said, proud that his voice only shook slightly.

“Proof, Damien,” Delph said. “You’re giving me words, but you just lost control of your body a few seconds ago. That means the Void can control you when it wants to, can’t it? Tell me I’m wrong.”

Well, shit. Can you get us out of here?

Dredd drummed the butt of his staff into the ground. A wave of red energy washed across the room, fading into the stone walls and washing over everyone.

“Teleport block,” Henry hissed. “I can break it, but that’s game over for your chances of ever going back to that school. Are you ready for that?”

“Sylph,” Delph said, oblivious to Damien’s internal conversation with Henry. “You saw it yourself. Damien isn’t in control here, and I’d like to salvage at least part of my investment. This is your last chance. Damien’s fate is sealed.”

Sylph swallowed. She looked at Damien. He bit his lip and gave her a slight nod. Henry could get him out of here, but Sylph was another question. She slipped across the room, quickly moving to stand behind the two professors.

Damien raised his hands and Henry’s power started to bubble forth as his companion took the reigns of his body.

“For what it’s worth, if there’s any of you at all in there, you were a good student,” Delph said.

Dredd raised his staff. Red energy crackled around it, forming into a brilliant bolt of energy above it. Henry’s power surged forth, slamming against Dredd’s magic and tearing at the port block to break it.

The staff wielding professor aimed his weapon at Damien as the bolt of energy grew brighter. It flared. Sylph blurred forward, blades bursting out of her forearms as two scythes sprouted from her back.

She drove all four of the weapons towards Dredd at different angles. Despite the speed and silence of her attack, the professor managed to spin partially, bringing the shaft of his staff up to block the scythes and twisting his body to avoid the others.

The bolt of energy screamed across the room, knocked awry. Damien lunged out of the way as it hit the wall and bounced towards him.

It Who Stills the Seas snapped back into view, lunging towards Damien. The chain at his feet stretched, sparking as it tried to contain him. With a cackle, the old man grabbed the bolt of energy and redirected downwards into his bindings.

A clang rang through the air as the chain shattered. The old man snapped his fingers and transformed into a stream of water that shot past them and out of the cave.

Damien didn’t have time to worry about him. Dredd threw Sylph back with a blast of energy and she slammed into the wall with enough force to crack the rock.

“All of your experiments are failed,” Dredd snarled, aiming his weapon at Sylph.

Damien Warp Stepped forward, appearing between them and casting Devour just before a bolt of energy shot into them. It vanished into the disk.

Henry, can you get Sylph out of here too?

“Not at any decent speed,” Henry said. “The port block will slow me down and leave you both defenseless. The moment both of those professors make a serious move, you’re dead. The only reason they haven’t is that they’re wary of me.”

Damien gritted his teeth. Sylph staggered to his feet behind him.

“What are you still doing here?” She hissed. “Get away!”

“I’m not leaving you behind,” Damien snapped.

Invisible energy wrapped around Damien’s chest, lifting him up and throwing him across the room. It constricted around his body, yanking his limbs taut.

“Stay there,” Delph said, gray light flaring around him. “Dredd, finish the girl quickly. The Void hasn’t taken completely control of him yet, and I don’t fancy fighting both at once.”

Dredd’s response was tracing a circle of red energy in the air before Sylph. A wave of force rippled out from it, buffeting Damien’s hair back. The gravity in the room seemed to triple and the breath rushed out of Damien’s chest. His connection to the Ether evaporated and his body grew weak as all the energy vanished with a pop.

Sylph fell to her knees as Dredd reached into the circle, pulling out a jagged red blade. Without fanfare, the professor raised it and brought it down towards Sylph’s neck. Damien thrust his mental energy out with all his strength, pushing Delph’s magic back and ripping Ether out of the air desperately.

He drew it into himself and blinked across the room, appearing between Sylph and Dredd with his arms raised. Damien reached for Ether to harden his mage armor, but he hadn’t had time to draw in enough after Delph had drained his core dry. He squeezed his eyes shut even as Henry rushed to take over, waiting for the end.

The blade rang as it slammed into metal. Henry stopped, allowing Damien to keep control of his body.

“Open your eyes,” Henry said.

Damien cracked an eye open. Delph stood between them, his gauntleted hand wrapped around Dredd’s sword.

“I think that proves it,” Delph said. He flicked Damien’s arm and the boy yelped. “He didn’t harden his mage armor. I only let him get enough Ether back to cast one spell, and he chose to protect Sylph instead of attacking or running. No Void creature would do that.”

Dredd pressed his lips together. “He houses the Void.”

“And he controls it,” Delph said. “Your job here is done, Dredd. I needed to prove that Damien wasn’t consumed by the Void, and this has done it. You may leave.”

Damein blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. “This was a test?”

“Not until you tried to save the girl,” Dredd said, finally lowering his staff with a sigh. “We came here to kill you. Probably still should.”

“But we won’t,” Delph said cheerfully, clapping Damien on the shoulder. “Love wins out and all that cool stuff. But, much more importantly, I have a few questions for you. Feel free to give me the long version. I’m not going anywhere.”

"But I am," Damien snapped, flicking Delph's hand off. "You have no idea what you just did. We need to find that old man, and we need to do it yesterday. I'm in control of my Void creature, but you just released another one onto the Mortal Plane."

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