Curselock

Chapter 190: War Council

Leland breathed slowly, flanking him, Jude and Glenny meandered around. They stayed close, but they for sure were not going to take the first step. That was for their fearless leader, Leland.

They had sat out in the forest for a few more hours after Leland returned from the Berserker Lord’s domain chitchatting. Leland went over his time away once more, adding things he wouldn’t tell his parents or the others. Like what each Lord he met was like, some of Isobel’s combat tips, and about the horrors of seeing so much death.

They comforted him in their own ways. Jude often made snide off topic comments or blatant comments about how his thoughts were dumb. Glenny took the more methodical approach, offering his own experiences or asking important, yet hard to ask, questions. This was especially true when Leland talked about how he has to shepherd recently dead lost souls to the other side.

Leland briefly touched on how Isobel had helped him out of the funk the dead caused, but still took solace when his friends were let in as well. He didn’t so much want advice on the matter, it was what it was, but he wanted them to know. Them knowing was enough. It was nice, he thought.

But now was the moment of truth. They had worked each other up all night for this, and all Leland had to do was take the first step.

And he did. The distance of this step felt like stepping across a ravine with spikes made of stone at the bottom. But that step was all it took before he took another, allowing the movement to carry him into Floe and Gelo’s cave.

Walking down the small hallway into the cave proper, shadows flickered along the way, human and big bear alike, each waving with the light of a campfire. Indiscriminate conversation slowed, Leland’s steps acting like a closing dam. He, with Jude and Glenny right behind him, entered.

All the parents, Isobel, Floe, and Gelo were quietly waiting and watching. They stared at Leland, some with blank expressions, others like a friendly person in a crowd watching a performer enter center stage.

Leland took them all in, collected himself, then spoke:

“I am going to the capital. I am going to see Sybil for myself and I am going to tell Aunty P off. I expect there to be fighting at some point or another, so I am first and foremost going to rank-up.”

A fallen pin could be heard, the cave nothing but stares.

“We are going as well!” Jude added, his boisterous voice causing both his parents to smile.

Isobel was the first to really act. She stood and then mock bowed to Leland. “Lord Mr Harbinger Sir, please allow me to accompany you to the capital to tell Aunty P off.” She unbowed. “Oh, and to see that princess of yours, of course. I want my coat back.”

Leland… Leland scowled at the woman, unable to do anything but. They stared at each other, but eventually he nodded, conceding the embarrassment.

“Add me to the raid as well,” Carmon said, his back propped up against the cave wall. “Wherever my son is going, I am as well.”

“Will you be well enough—”

“Stop right there. Now I am an adult and a very powerful person. I will be fine, you are not to worry about me.”

Again, Leland conceded the point. “Alrighty.”

Jude took a few steps forward. “Mom, Dad? You two will come with us to break into the castle and possibly steal the princess away if she is being mistreated, right?”

Roy’s face was in his hand. Diana didn’t look convinced. Not with the way either Jude or Leland had put it.

“Oh, also, Mom,” Jude continued “Leland gave me this glass shard from the Berserker Lord and I broke it open and all of this dust came out. I inhaled the dust and now I might be a time mage warrior thing. Oh, also, I have this song in me that is just dying to come out. Anyone know how to read sheet music?”

Everyone, slowly, looked at him.

In the corner of the cave, Gelo whispered to her mom, “I thought you got rid of all the hallucinogenic poisonous plants?”

The Guardian Spirit Bear leaned over, “I did,” she whispered back.

Leland scratched his face and looked at Diana. “Please don’t let him explain what information he received to anyone other than you any more than he already has. The Berserker specifically asked me to tell him that it was for you and his ears only… and he told us. So, yeah.”

Roy laughed. “That sounds just like him!”

Even Diana couldn’t help but smile. “Time warrior, huh? Now that sounds interesting…” She stood and motioned for her son to follow her outside the cave.

Leland took a deep breath, turning to the last of the party. “So?” he asked his parents.

Lucia did not look happy, but she also didn’t look surprised or concerned. Obviously she didn’t want her son to venture into an enemy fortress, but she also knew she couldn’t exactly stop him. Not unless she wanted to chain him in this cave for the rest of his life. Her husband was right. It was time to stop treating Leland like a kid but as an equal. Well, as much as a son could be to a parent. That didn’t stop her from being ready when he fell.

And she expected him to fall quite a few times on this trip.

Lucia eventually said, “Fine, but we are making sure you are well prepared before entering the capital. Rank three in your Legacy is a given, but there is much more to power than just that.”

A smile befell Leland’s face. “I would love it if you could teach me that memory recall cantrip as well as help me with silent casting. I’ve already got invisible casting nailed down.”

“Memory recall?” she asked. “Why do you want to learn to do that now? There’s no real combat use cases…”

“Ah. An Archon said something to me in a language I don’t know. I was going to make a contract with the Lord of Speech or Lord of Language to learn the Archon language and then use the memory recall cantrip to figure out what it said to me.”

Everyone except Isobel blinked slowly at him.

Spencer was the first out of the stupor. “These contracts of yours are rather interesting. I’m sure that in the time it will take to get you to the third rank, we will think of some powerful combinations.” He turned to his wife. “Right, honey?”

Gradually Lucia’s face warmed, “That’s right. What are the limitations exactly? Also, what contracts do you already have?”

Still smiling, Leland hopped over and began to pour through his grimoire.

After about an hour, Spencer said, “How about some contracts that will go well with Erupting Steps? You always wanted to be a lightning mage.”

Leland nodded. “Sounds good to me, but I don’t want that many extra contracts. I’ll get bogged down if I add anything too complicated right now. You can ask Isobel how long it took me to be able to fight using Erupting Steps Oh! That reminds me! I need more practice fighting while flying. I love flying.”

His mother, a flyer herself, smiled. “It’s the best,” she said warmly.

Spencer looked around the cave. Floe and Gelo were talking to Glenny and Carmon. Roy was excited to speak with Diana and Jude. Which left Isobel the odd woman out.

“Hey, Isobel!” he shouted at her. “Come join us. You’ve seen Leland fight the most. Your input will be quite welcome.”

Isobel hunched an eyebrow at him then smirked at Leland. “Oh I’ve got a few notes. But I stand that Leland knows where to improve himself. Although, if we are talking contracts, I recently thought of a few utility ones he might want to nab now rather than later…”

And just like that, the first meeting of their war council raged on.

Ashford sat quietly reading a book. His master, the Undying Lord and his whole army, read the book as well, through Ashford’s eyes. There was a distinct lack of entertainment in an eternal prison, so the Harbinger could understand his master’s thirst for words despite himself finding the book rather bland.

It had been nearly fifteen years since his master declared him the Undying Champion, fifteen years with a Lord’s voice in his head and a Lord’s will upon his mind. Had he broken yet? No, Ashford would never break. Not like the many other Vile Lord Champions out there. Whether that was because his Lord was locked away and thus weakened, he did not know. Only that it didn’t really matter.

He was here to stay, and his master’s will would be completed.

He had already failed once, and there would not be a second time.

Such was the way with immortal life. Ashford, or birth name, Ash, had lived many different lives over his lifetime. Born as Ash until he aged trippled that of his mother. Her death was hard on him, but that was nearly a millennia ago. Next he went by something completely new in a completely new location. Henry, he think he was called back then. That life didn’t last long. The cruelty of luck forced him from that village.

Next was Barry. Barry lived a long time, but ultimately Barry’s life was boring, so he moved on. It was around that time he received his first order from his Lord. It was just a glimpse into true power and more than a simple request. He completed it with ease, even getting a compliment by the Undying Lord himself.

But Barry was far from enough for the Undying Lord’s Championship. That would come later, after many, many more identities and lives. But eventually he grew tired of these false lives, so he retook the mantle of Ash. Again, luck had a hand and Ash was cast aside for someone more in control. Someone more powerful.

Ash was such a good name, however, and he didn’t want to abandon it again. So he kept it, adding “ford” to go with the local naming conventions of the city he claimed.

Ashford was a good assassin. He made use of his unique Legacy to come back from any job pristine regardless of who or what he was killing. A mansion full of heavily armed guards? No problem, they would all die regardless of how many swords stuck him.

As his claim to fame rose, so did the Undying Lord’s attention. Eventually they clashed and the world Ashford had built crumbled. He had been so close to true power, political power. He had become an ambassador to the Inquisitors at some point. He had met someone. He learned to love again. He wished to settle down.

But that was not to the Undying Lord’s will.

Luckily, once he completed his task, Ashford’s actions would free his Lord and thus free himself in the process. No more being forced to read, for the Undying Lord would be able to read himself. No more having to bend to his will because his will be carried out personally.

All Ashford had to do was consume the Boneforged Monarch’s power and create a key for a certain eternal prison.

A hushed growl overcame Ashford’s mind. He took a breath, snapped the book closed, and got to work.

“Are you awake?” he called to the darkness.

“Yeah, but I’m tired,” a voice called back, this one mortal and high pitched.

“Yeah I don’t care. We have work to do. My Lord has informed me that our trip to the capital will be bathed in blood. We need to prepare.”

The Pathways Witch crawled out of bed and like a pouty child, asked, “And how does your Lord know this?”

Ashford took a deep breath. Working with this infernal woman had always been difficult, but he needed her. Incessant childness and all.

“Because ‘the threads of fate have never been clearer.’”

The Witch frowned, activating her own magic. Pathways dealt with fate, and she needed to see what the big deal was. After just a few seconds of searching, she dispelled her curiosity and instead became obedient. She got to work not a moment later.

There will be blood, there was no question.