Curse of the Slave Crest

"Reflection!"

At my cry, the third-circle spell erupted with magic. Ribbons of light, magnified two-fold, blasted toward the collapsed priests, centered on Davin They collided together, forming the epicenter for an explosion of blinding power that shook the walls of the Divine Throne. Shockwaves of holy power broke against my flesh, but were diluted by the distance. Even so, the light scorched my flesh, stinging, burning me all over.

I fell against the wall, panting with effort. My mana was completely dry, but there was no doubt I made the right call. If the full strength of the spell had hit me… I doubted even someone with twice my strength would survive.

Slowly, the dust cleared and the starburst of light faded. The priests were blown around the corridor, lying limply in a mass of cuts and burns. The floor was blackened, the walls scorched, and tremors continued to rock the building.

I stumbled forward, horrified by the sight. Bile rose in my throat, and I bent over and wretched at the stench of burned flesh. Falling to my knees, I stared at the bodies. Had I done that? Were they even breathing?

Through my tears, I saw the priests begin to shift. Muffled groans filled the air, and a wave of relief rushed through me. Even if they had hurt me, the thought I might have killed them was too much.

Davin struggled to his feet. His face was a mass of burns, and most of his hair was scorched away. Molten gold dripped through his fingers, burning his flesh, but he gave no indication of the extreme pain he must be under.

"Did you forget, Filthblood?" he asked, tone choked with fury.

His expression twisted in a primal expression of rage. I scrambled back in horror at the gruesome display. How was he still standing? His words tickled a distant memory, but my mind was fuzzy with panic.

Suddenly, a crimson light shone from my chest, and I looked down to see the slave crest glowing fiercely. Oh.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as waves of torment swept through my veins and nerves, inciting pain far greater than any beating could give me.

Soltair's command rang in my head, forbidding me from harming the church in any way. Forbidden from combat spells as I was, I hadn't taken that part seriously and now paid the price.

I collapsed to the ground, thrashing violently as the pain increased. Crimson bolts of power crawled over my flesh, blinding all thoughts and feelings. I vaguely heard someone screaming, a feral sort of cry, like an animal.

Through the tears, I made out a figure looming above me. His face was blurry, except for his lips, which twisted into a cruel smile. Distantly, I heard the words, "Where you belong," accompanied by a chant.

I threw back my head and screamed as holy light dropped out of the sky, falling upon me like rain. The droplets of light sizzled as they made contact, eating away my flesh like acid.

Eventually, my consciousness began to waver, and my screams died off. I could feel myself twitching feebly, but all sensation was lost besides the thrum of consuming agony.

After an eternity, but likely not more than a few minutes, everything grew still. The Crimson light faded, and I finally managed to draw a few shaky breaths. I forced my eyes open to slits and peered around the room. Davin leaned against one wall, eyes closed. his chest rose and fell shallowly, but he was alive. Most of the other priests were crawling around now, groaning in pain and massaging their burns.

Suddenly, a rush of footsteps echoed down the corridor, and a stream of people burst into sight. Soltair's worried face filled my vision, his arms closing around me. My injuries stung at the contact, but I didn't care. He was here now. Everything would be okay.

"Who did this to you?" he asked in a low tone. I shivered at the anger in his voice, which was so thick it was nearly palpable. It was a side of him I'd rarely seen, and brought a sick feeling to my stomach.

"I-It wasn't their fault," I said through broken lips. "It was mine."

I could tell he didn't believe me, but a crowd of priests surrounded us, staring at the carnage and rushing to the aid of the injured. Soltair carried me out of the shadowy corridor, holding me close while we waited outside. Everything after that was a daze, as I drifted in and out of consciousness. At some point, I was placed in a soft bed and felt the surge of healing magic course through me. Soltair held my hand the entire time, up until I drifted off to a fitful sleep.

My dreams were full of scorching light and fire, chasing me through darned corridors. Every time I was about to escape, I would come to a dead end and would be consumed in the holy inferno. I would wake with a start, only to find myself in another corridor in the same situation. Sometimes, faces would appear in the light. Mostly, it was of those who tormented me, but occasionally Soltair, Trithe, or even Selena would join them, laughing loudly as they burned me away.

As the endless cycle repeated, a soft, incomprehensible voice pierced the vision, and darkness swept in, cutting off the scene. I looked about to find myself in a small bubble of light, surrounded by a raging sea of darkness.

The voice spoke again, and this time I could understand it. "Your fate is not written."

I turned to find the goddess Fate behind me, wearing her beautiful dress and gazing at me with sad eyes.

"Why does it have to be this way?" I asked forlornly. I didn't care that my voice broke with emotion. I only wanted to cry.

She reached out and stroked my cheek with her hand. I flinched at her touch, but a soothing calm swept through my soul. I gradually relaxed, taking deep breaths until I was able to look her in the eye.

"I am the goddess of Fate, destiny, and time. I know where all paths come from, but not where they may lead. Your destiny may seem set, as unchangeable as the darkness of the night."

"What destiny?" I asked.

"Prepare yourself," she said with a soft smile. "Remember, there are always choices. I will follow where you lead."

Questions buzzed around in my mind. What destiny was she talking about? What choices? Before I could ask anything, the bubble of light popped, plunging me into darkness.

I had no more nightmares after that, but slept peacefully. Light streamed through my eyelids as I awoke, but they felt too heavy to open. Struggling, I fought the drowsiness off and rejoined the world of the waking.