Summons

A day, like every other day. I volunteered to escort Whisper to her temple, seeing as how Angel was with our Liege, and Magistrate was on business, and how we haven’t seen Geburah in quite a while… So I’d rather not be bored. Besides, the Labyrinth is a nice place. I mean, just take out all the mad ghosts who want to kill you, the nephwracks who want to turn you to the service of Oblivion, and the Morthwrights who want to just drag you down with them. What do you end up with?

I know, not much.

So I decided to escort Whispers to her temple for today’s sermon. Nice girl, that one. Very devout. I remember when I went to collect her, she even murdered her own sister because she wasn’t believing. She was just imitating. And I can understand that. No space for wannabes, I suppose.

So Whisper starts with her sermon. Her voice is always melodious, yet hinting to a profound darkness. I’m pretty sure her connection to our Malfean lords runs much stronger than the one to our Liege. As long as she does her job, I guess.

I’m hiding in the shadows, letting Whisper do her thing, when the pain hits. A strong pain deep in our soul, like a shard of it was extirpated from our very essences. Makes me even drop to the floor in silent agony. Then I hear our master’s voice, summoning us, asking for help.

Seems things won’t be as boring as I thought they would be.

I take a quick glance at Whisper, and she’s doubled over on the floor, gasping for air. Her followers quickly go to her aid, trying to determine what the problem is. Our eyes meet, and all that had to be said was said. She can manage herself here, in the Labyrinth; she was here for a full year before joining us. I’ll go check what’s up with our Liege.

I quickly envelop myself in darkness, and race to the temple doors. As I open them, a flurry of blows cascades in from outside. I defend myself in time by the sheer force of my essence-fueled sword parries, and the preternaturally malleable weapon at my disposal. My sword reshapes at my will to defend me from the claws of the hungry ghosts now pouring into the temple.

I pull back, partially dematerializing my form to make it even harder for them to hit me, and take a look at the situation. The ghosts and other Labyrinth creatures are now entering the windows as well, and closing down around both me and Whisper. Whisper’s followers are doing their best to defend her, but as most of them are peaceful ghosts and mortals, they don’t stand much of a chance. Something must be done, and soon.

With a flick of my sword, she rebalances herself for maximum accuracy, and as I touch her to my forehead, my anima blossoms, my caste mark cracks open, bleeding, and the blood blossoms around my blade, enveloping it in dark fury.

Time seems to stand still as I dance around my attackers, a pattern inspired to me by the Malfeans. I slash and thrust and slice, seemingly at random, yet leaving a thick red line, the glittering essence echo of my blade as it moves through the air and plasm of my enemies. By the time I’m done, I did 2 full circles of the temple, and destroyed about 25 ghosts. All in about 3 seconds.

Yeah, I know. My training’s paid off.

But they keep pushing in. It seems to be an unending wave. I begin to prepare for another circuit, as I ask Whisper, “What will you do? We have to get out”. Whisper looks at me, noticing he doesn’t have many more followers between her and our enemies, and she yells back “Just go.”, softness in her voice disguising the latent power in the sound. I immediately uinderstand, and again activate my Anima, yet instead of slashing at the enemies in the temple, I slash at the first, stab at the second, and use the sword stuck in his body as a pole, vaulting me above the whole group, and taking me outside.

Once outside, I continue, essence guiding my movements, as I keep razing all enemies between me and my Liege. It worries me that he would summon us with such hurry. I worry for Angel, who was with him, and doesn’t know restraint. I worry for Geburah, where could he be? I worry for Whisper, who is still in there with the hungry ghosts. Magistry should be safe, although when he hears the summons, he will plunge for the source, seemingly within the Labyrinth.

Most of all, I worry for the sudden pain in my soul. Have I lost something…?