Plague

Two fangs dug into each other, as if trying to devour the other. Dorin studied their battle, but they were equal in every way. They curved around each other, and Dorin suddenly realized that they had created the same image that was on his hand. 

Dorin didn't understand what the demon meant about infinity originally, but the more he thought about it, the 'eight' on his hand wasn't a number at all. It was the infinity that the demon wanted. 

A pulse went through Dorin's left hand as he neared the fangs, and immediately picked them up again. The fangs merged into a small ball of bone in his left hand, a quarter the size of the white marble from Muata's ego. 'I doubt that'll be enough.'

Dorin needed a new weapon, fast. He looked to the remains of Eki, and broke off all of its antlers and fangs. They might not be able to merge with the ball yet, but he hoped that would change over time. He cut off more of the beast's coat, making a small bag, and used the rest as a cloak. 

As Dorin thought about his next steps, he looked towards the road leading to and away from Tur. 'At least I know which direction I need to go.' He had been wandering aimlessly through the forest before, and finding the village could be seen as lucky or unlucky after what had transpired over the last day. Dorin was just happy to be free for the time being. 

Dorin knew that traveling along the road was risky, but there were only flat plains as far as he could see so he might as well take the beaten path. With a dry mouth and peeling lips, his next step was finding water. 

. . . 

Veri

"Welcome back, old friend." 

"Indeed, Tocho." Veri closed the door of the Spire's throne room as he entered. "I have news from Liranel."

"The fact that you returned so quickly bodes well."

"Maybe not. They treated me well, but I witnessed something that worries me."

Tocho's expression darkened. "Go on."

"The moment I entered, I was led to spectate an ego war."

"Impossible. Why would they even let you see such a thing?"

"I merely told them I was your Envoy, Tocho."

The room became tense as Veri stood silently waiting for his master's response. The freedom that he was promised was still on his mind. 

"So you're telling me that Liranel has at least twenty sparks."

"I think it's much more than that. Their Spire told me that they have forsaken the forging."

"Then they have forsaken humanity itself. We are in this world for a reason, Veri." Tocho banged his fist against the long table between them. "If we let everyone become a spark, we would all be doomed."

Veri didn't know how to respond. He had just returned to his master from a place where he was the only slave in an entire city meant to be filled with them. 

"I need to do something about this. What can you tell me about Liranel's Spire?"

"She seems to have a plethora of ego's, at least twenty five."

"Is that all? An ego alone is nothing."

Veri thought for a moment, but he didn't remember seeing any of her power at all. "There was one woman who won the entire war by herself. It seemed like the Spire knew that she was strong enough from before it even began."

"Was there anything special about her appearance?"

"She had these strange looping rings across her body." Veri remembered the lack of emotion on her face, even when she won. 

"A virtue. . ." Tocho mused for a moment as his face contorted with frustration. "We are in trouble, Veri."

"How do we even know that they are against us? They let me in with no trouble."

"That's the problem. If they didn't want to show you their strength I doubt you would have even been let through the gates."

Veri rubbed his mark, he just wanted to be free. 

"I need to create a plague." Tocho opened a slot in the table and took out an engraved box. "Leave me, I will call for you when I'm done."

Veri felt his heart thundering in his chest. His mind tore at the order he was given, as he couldn't refuse his master. Veri clutched his side, falling to his knees and to the floor in excruciating pain. 

"What the dark is wrong with you . . . get up you useless slave."