Assimilation

Jarathus rests his hand on a nearby surgical blade, its silver steel shimmering against the flames of the fire. The hilt is encased in blue runes, which cause it to glow and hum slightly. He reaches to his left, picks up a thick leather strip, and moves it towards Garrick's mouth.

"This will be very painful, so biting down on it will help you bear the pain, at least to some extent". Jarathus says sincerely.

Garrick struggles to keep his breathing steady, making fast, shallow breaths as he opens his mouth and clamps down tightly on the thick leather strip.

Jarathus places the glowing blade near Garrick's chest before placing a hand on it. He experiences immense strength, taking the wind out of him as Jarathus begins to push down on him, heavily restricting his movement.

"Due to the demonic plane of existence perfectly overlapping with ours, I will use that knowledge to lure a demon from its plane of existence and bind it to ours using magic." I don't have to tell you how difficult this is; demons are rarely seen, much less summoned, and even less controlled. When I have the demon I require, I will transform it into pure energy and transmit it through the runes I carved into your flesh. Theoretically, the demon vanishes after you absorb its power, and I serve as a conduit to keep the transfer stable."

Jarathus tells Garrick as much as he tells himself. It has to happen as smoothly as possible, with absolutely no errors allowed. He was so engrossed in discussing the process that he didn't notice Garrick's heartbeat thumping intensely.

"I apologise; if I could numb the pain, I would, but demons are drawn to it; it acts as a beacon, and the more severe the pain, the more powerful the demon." I'll get started immediately.

Jarathus quickly cuts down Garrick's chest with surgical precision as if performing an autopsy. Garrick begins to shake violently as his skin is peeled apart, revealing his bare ribs and innards, striving valiantly but failing miserably to escape his bonds.

"This is only a temporary pain; you can bear it." Jarathus pleads.

Jarathus lays the blade on the table, then grabs Garrick's rib with his hand, snapping the first, then the second, effortlessly until all are gone, revealing the heart. Garrick is biting down so hard on the leather that his teeth begin to crack and break; muffled screams are all that can escape his mouth.

When essential, a small quantity of restoration magic stabilises Garrick's condition; he needs him alive and conscious but in excruciating pain.

The runes carved on Garrick start to glow a pale blue. They are small, roughly a few centimetres long, but they cover the outside and inside of his body. His preparation was a living nightmare, the bones, the naked muscles, organs, and it would only get worse.

"We have found one, and the runes can sense its presence. We must act swiftly." Jarathus soberly declares.

He decisively summons his book as it floats next to him, the pages whirling quickly before abruptly stopping. He then speaks from the page, although it is a language Garrick hadn't encountered before, low guttural tones that ring loudly in his ears, causing the ear canal to quake and bleed furiously.

In front of Jarathus and Garrick, a figure forms from thin air. Long robes embroidered with runes, with tendril-like portions of cloth that move as if living itself, standing around eight feet tall. Instead of the demon's eyes, a rune in either eye socket glows a piercing blue.

"Who...are you...?" The demon inquires, perplexed.

Through all his pain, Garrick goes silent, in awe at this creature he is at the mercy of. Jarathus does not share this sentiment; without delay, he leaps into action, speaking from the book again, causing a sigil to appear beneath the demon.

"You dare to try and restrain me?" Angrily, the demon says. "Trying to restrain and control a demon is insulting beyond comprehension, and by a human, no less."

The demon moves away from the sigil towards Jarathus, but its body contorts and snaps violently, forcing it to retreat momentarily.

"This is no ordinary entrapment sigil; it smells like the Runelord." How long did it take you to reach this level, human?"

Jarathus does not respond, instead concentrating intently on reciting from the text.

"This sigil will only last a few minutes at most; you cannot truly master what you attempt." The demon laughs.

Jarathus stops reciting when he begins to bleed from his orifices.

"Your downfall is hubris." This sigil is used for more than only entrapment; it is also a means of peering into your memories."

The demon finally stops laughing.

"You're lying; no mortal can peer into a demon's memories; it's a death sentence." The demon responds with concern.

"Death is unavoidable, but all I need to do is delay it." Your name is Valavax, is it not?."

The demon lashes out madly. Forcing itself from the sigil with all its might, its body snapping and folding in on itself, writhing violently like a trapped mouse.

"Seeing you behave like a cornered animal is all the proof I need that it is indeed your name." Jarathus states calmly.

Jarathus resumes his recitation; his hand outstretched toward Garrick, the wounds slowly healing and tearing open again from the runes absorbing the power.

"FILTHY MORTAL, YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED!" Valavax screams fiercely and worriedly.

Garrick's runes begin to ooze blood and flash bright blue. Valavax's body begins to bubble and burst as the demonic screeches shake and buckle the room.

In what could be Valavax's final moments, it summons all its remaining power and chants Runespeak in revenge. The room begins to collapse around them all as static arcs around its body.

As the ceiling begins to collapse and Valavax's body fades away, Jarathus picks up the blade again and stabs it into Garrick's heart to complete the transfer while he still has the ability. Just as the ceiling collapses and buries Jarathus and Garrick, a massive blue explosion erupts from the remains of Valavax.

End Chapter