Chapter 4
20 years before Present
Seres struggled, bound by spellrope in the circle. The Collective glanced around him and through him; they refused to look at him directly. He looked up, scanning the chamber. No escape routes. He frowned; there was someone missing-Wolf. He didn't even show up. Hiram paced in front of him, watching the clock on the far wall. It ticked; the echoes multiplying and shaking the lone table underneath it.
"Are you sure you will not reconsider," Hiram said, "all you have to do is say yes."
"No," Seres snapped, “I told you I don't want the power!"
"You will not have your soul ripped," Hiram said, "it'd be much easier for you if you just gave in." Seres shook his head.
"Please," Hiram pleaded, "I don't want to do this to you." He glanced at the clock again. Seres stayed silent. The clock struck, thirteen chimes resonating throughout the chamber. Hiram opened his mouth and shut it again. He straightened, seeming to steel himself. "Well then," he said, "...let's begin" He traced a symbol in the air. It hung there, silver, gold and copper lines glittering. “Hazgrazo” The symbol burned into Seres's retinas. It was the only thing he could see. Somewhere, he heard a door open. He sensed Wolf beyond the threshold. Then, he couldn’t concentrate anymore. All he could feel was pain. The symbol hurt; he could feel it branding his soul. He felt a hook, a sharp yank and then another ocean of pain. He vaguely remembers screaming, lost in Elaragnia. Make it stop. Make it stop.
Seres blinked, letting out a loud gasp. "Are you finished yet," he croaked. The spiral-infinity-hourglass symbol glowed; its harsh light bouncing off the walls.
"There is one more piece to go Nightblade," Hiram said. Seres thought he heard his voice waver. Hiram spoke another word and the light grew brighter. Seres flinched. Rainbow light surrounded him, reaching into him. It hooked something and dragged the silvery-sapphire substance out of him. Seres screamed a high shattering sound. The light flashed again, the rainbow strands into him. The symbol broke the echoes of light dissipating. Hiram turned to the collective, "Dismissed" They filed out, two remaining behind-Wolf and Crane. Crane had a tight grip on her brother, who looked like the chamber walls. Hiram glared them, "Leave"
"What," Crane began.
"The new Alezrani and I need to talk."
"Don't call me that," Seres snapped. He got to his feet, swaying.
"It is what you are"
"Not for long," Seres said. He pointed at Wolf, "I," he rasped, "never want to see you again." Wolf opened his mouth, Seres glared at him.
"If I see you ever again," he said, taking a deep breath, “I will kill you."
Wolf nodded, "Understood" He took Crane's arm and pulled her out of the room. The door closed behind them. Hiram turned to him.
"Why didn't you accept," he said, "it would have been easier...your soul would still have been intact."
"I," Seres took a step, staggered and sat down, “was not right for the job. Wolf was, but he refused it. I'm your last resort.” He yanked himself to his feet again, shaking.
“No one wants this job. Remember what happened to the last Alezrani? He destroyed Galaia, created the bolygó, nearly split the multiververse in two! I didn't want to become like that! What about you? Would you have accepted this job?" He stopped, panting. The clocked ticked, somehow muffled by the sphere of silence that surrounded them. Seres looked at him. Hiram looked away. Seres sighed and collapsed, boneless, on the ground. “He will have to take the job eventually.” He stared through Hiram, eyes almost, completely silver. Hiram shifted, straightening out. “The Alezrani does not live long. I will forget and I will use magic and I will die.” He took a breath, choking on air. “After that, he will have to become the Alezrani. And he will die too.”
“We didn’t have a choice,” Hiram says quietly, studying the circle. Seres focused on him. On his soul, Hiram felt.
“You are the head of the Collective,” his voice barely trembled, “you have the final say.”
“I was overruled,” Hiram protested.
“You wanted to be,” Seres said calmly. He staggered to his feet and stepped outside the circle. He swayed again and crumpled onto the cold floor. Hiram studied him for a few minutes before shaking his head. He started towards the door, paused and turned back.
“You will come to accept this,” he said and then walked out of the chamber. Just as he did.
Seres struggled, bound by spellrope in the circle. The Collective glanced around him and through him; they refused to look at him directly. He looked up, scanning the chamber. No escape routes. He frowned; there was someone missing-Wolf. He didn't even show up. Hiram paced in front of him, watching the clock on the far wall. It ticked; the echoes multiplying and shaking the lone table underneath it.
"Are you sure you will not reconsider," Hiram said, "all you have to do is say yes."
"No," Seres snapped, “I told you I don't want the power!"
"You will not have your soul ripped," Hiram said, "it'd be much easier for you if you just gave in." Seres shook his head.
"Please," Hiram pleaded, "I don't want to do this to you." He glanced at the clock again. Seres stayed silent. The clock struck, thirteen chimes resonating throughout the chamber. Hiram opened his mouth and shut it again. He straightened, seeming to steel himself. "Well then," he said, "...let's begin" He traced a symbol in the air. It hung there, silver, gold and copper lines glittering. “Hazgrazo” The symbol burned into Seres's retinas. It was the only thing he could see. Somewhere, he heard a door open. He sensed Wolf beyond the threshold. Then, he couldn’t concentrate anymore. All he could feel was pain. The symbol hurt; he could feel it branding his soul. He felt a hook, a sharp yank and then another ocean of pain. He vaguely remembers screaming, lost in Elaragnia. Make it stop. Make it stop.
Seres blinked, letting out a loud gasp. "Are you finished yet," he croaked. The spiral-infinity-hourglass symbol glowed; its harsh light bouncing off the walls.
"There is one more piece to go Nightblade," Hiram said. Seres thought he heard his voice waver. Hiram spoke another word and the light grew brighter. Seres flinched. Rainbow light surrounded him, reaching into him. It hooked something and dragged the silvery-sapphire substance out of him. Seres screamed a high shattering sound. The light flashed again, the rainbow strands into him. The symbol broke the echoes of light dissipating. Hiram turned to the collective, "Dismissed" They filed out, two remaining behind-Wolf and Crane. Crane had a tight grip on her brother, who looked like the chamber walls. Hiram glared them, "Leave"
"What," Crane began.
"The new Alezrani and I need to talk."
"Don't call me that," Seres snapped. He got to his feet, swaying.
"It is what you are"
"Not for long," Seres said. He pointed at Wolf, "I," he rasped, "never want to see you again." Wolf opened his mouth, Seres glared at him.
"If I see you ever again," he said, taking a deep breath, “I will kill you."
Wolf nodded, "Understood" He took Crane's arm and pulled her out of the room. The door closed behind them. Hiram turned to him.
"Why didn't you accept," he said, "it would have been easier...your soul would still have been intact."
"I," Seres took a step, staggered and sat down, “was not right for the job. Wolf was, but he refused it. I'm your last resort.” He yanked himself to his feet again, shaking.
“No one wants this job. Remember what happened to the last Alezrani? He destroyed Galaia, created the bolygó, nearly split the multiververse in two! I didn't want to become like that! What about you? Would you have accepted this job?" He stopped, panting. The clocked ticked, somehow muffled by the sphere of silence that surrounded them. Seres looked at him. Hiram looked away. Seres sighed and collapsed, boneless, on the ground. “He will have to take the job eventually.” He stared through Hiram, eyes almost, completely silver. Hiram shifted, straightening out. “The Alezrani does not live long. I will forget and I will use magic and I will die.” He took a breath, choking on air. “After that, he will have to become the Alezrani. And he will die too.”
“We didn’t have a choice,” Hiram says quietly, studying the circle. Seres focused on him. On his soul, Hiram felt.
“You are the head of the Collective,” his voice barely trembled, “you have the final say.”
“I was overruled,” Hiram protested.
“You wanted to be,” Seres said calmly. He staggered to his feet and stepped outside the circle. He swayed again and crumpled onto the cold floor. Hiram studied him for a few minutes before shaking his head. He started towards the door, paused and turned back.
“You will come to accept this,” he said and then walked out of the chamber. Just as he did.