Chapter 18, a new man.

(Reskeme)

Through the haze of sleep, Reskeme heard the sound of boots on stone and the crack of branches as something moved nearby. He opened his eyes, blinking away the dust and grime of the pitted rock he used for a bed. In the moonlight, the shadows coalesce around him, bouncing off the bubbling stream. His breath misted, and he pushed himself slowly to his feet, the pitted stone beneath his feet like sandpaper on his fingers.

For a few long seconds, his mind was lost, confused why he was inside a bloody ritual. Then he remembered this was his ritual. With a heavy heart, he glanced around at the blood markings, and the pitted stone, where demonic essence touched the world. He shivered, thinking of how badly he had misjudged. Again, the faint sound in the distance. Only now it was closer, the sound of leather boots on pine needles and fall leaves crushing under heel.

Through the trees, he saw light bouncing off the leaves. Then another, and another, all fanned out through the forest. They sounded like they were looking for something. He cocked his head, unsure how he could hear them over the rushing stream.

" There is a stream up ahead. Stay weary, the demon is nearby!" shouted a deep male voice.

He shook himself. Of course they are you, idiot. You just opened a freaking rift to the abyss! He glanced down at his naked body, admiring his freckled dark red skin. His hand ached from the cut and his head hurt from striking the hard stone ground.

He stumbled for a moment, the cold making his limbs sluggish. On the rocks in the dark, he righted himself and grasped his time piece. It rested outside the circle of bloody runes next to the second butchered sheep. He grasped his throwing knife from the sheep's carcass with a sickening squelch. Placing the knife and the ancient journal in his cloak, he placed the timepiece on his left wrist. He shivered at the icy cold metal as he slipped his mana gauge over his neck. Glancing at the two dead sheep, Reskeme grimaced.

It would only be minutes before the search party found him. He could see their lights drawing near. Reskeme picked up his cloak, cursing himself for not taking off his clothes as well. What a pain. Even his boots were gone. Rocks and sticks bit into his feet as Reskeme, shivering from the cold, strode upstream. He needed to get away before the people with torches found the ritual site.

Branchs scraped his bare legs and sticks and rocks stabbed the soles of his feet. Either the cold was taking away the pain or his new demon's heart made his skin tougher. With only a cloak to cover himself, Reskeme made his way through the trees, taking a wide circle around the search party. He held the Ancient journal gently against his chest, not wanting the book to slip out of the inside pocket.

Just when he was feeling like he was home free, he almost stumbled into a group of three people who were carrying a Rune lantern. He crouched low behind a pine tree, his finger touching the cold rough bark. Pitch filled his nose as two men and a woman rounded a thick copse of trees. He was crouching in a small indent and searched for nearby cover. His heart race, as he looked for anything to hide behind, but after glancing all around himself, he realized if he moved, they would spot him.

Their dark red robes came into focus, and Reskeme caught the glint of copper badges of the inquisition. Each wore a steel breastplate and chain mail. They carried spears on their shoulders, moving with the disregard for their safety that new recruits often display.

"Why are we even out here so early? My toes are freezing and this armour is chafing." Said the man on the right.

" Shut up Berclay. We are all wearing the same gear. And I weigh almost half what you do." Said the woman of the group.

" Go stuff it Denise! You're not the one who had too much to drink last night." Said Berclay, stumbling. The third inquisitor massaged his temples, his face a mask of unhappiness. It was clear to Reskeme these three were not the cream of the inquisition.

Reskeme listened as they approached. Even if they were hungover and drunk, he would still need to deal with them. Or maybe he could reason with them? Worth a shot. He rose and stepped from his hiding spot into the light of their rune lantern. The woman Denise took a fearful step back while the other two stare at him, their mouths agape.

Reskeme glanced down, his white hair falling over his right eye. In the light of the rune lantern, his dark red skin, freckled by black marks, was on full display. Flushing Reskeme pulled his cloak tight around himself but the damage was already done.

"Demon!!!" Shouted Berclay. All three inquisitors lowered their spears, their hands shaking.

" Hey be quiet. I am not going to hurt you." Demanded Reskeme, raising his hands.

Surprisingly, they settled, gathering closer together.

"But you are a demon." Stated Denise.

" No, I am a figment of your imagination. Just keep walking and I will pretend like I didn't see you." Said Reskeme, reasonably.

" He doesn't look so tough. If we capture him, we will get a big promotion." Whisper Berclay to the others. Like flipping a switch, the other two reassessed Reskeme. He was five feet five, and covered in dirt, not to mention he lacked anything other than a cloak, a timepiece and a mana gauge. Aside from the priceless journal and his throwing knife, there was nothing he could use as a weapon.

Reskeme held his right hand into the air and channel mana. He willed green fire around his hand. With an unexpected burst, the clearing lit up with flickering green light. His fist crackled, wreathed in deep green flames. Denise swallowed, and Berclay's face paled. The third man's eyes widen in fear. Shadows danced around the small glade with the crackling rhythm of the flames.

He thought they might run away, but the sounds of shouting behind him in the distance must have given them courage.

"Get him!" Shouted Berclay, rushing forwards spear first. The sharpened steel points glinted, reflecting the green flame. Faster than he had done before, runes formed and a spear of dark green fire launched forwards as if shot by a ballista. A wall of wind formed, but too late to stop Reskemes spear from exploding into Barclays chest. His chest plate cracked from the force and he flew back as if kicked by an enraged donkey. Bones cracked, and the armour tolled loudly like a hammer striking a bell. Reskeme's body exploded with energy, like drinking one hundred cups of coffee all at once as a purple mist flowed from Berclay's corpse and into Reskeme's body.

With commendable courage, Denise and her friend spread out, channeling their own magic while moving in to strike with spears.

The mans spear point shimmered red and caught fire. Reskeme ducked his thrust, feeling the heat of the flames. Their movements felt sluggish as Reskeme avoided the spear. To his side, Denise conjured a scythe of water from the air and Reskeme ducked. He lunged towards her, his fist wreathed in dark green flames. In the woman's panic, she released several of the deadly projectiles with the other inquisitor behind Reskeme. He tucked and rolled, feeling the wind of the scythes, passing far too close.

The man behind him screamed as the blade of water cut his left arm off at the wrist. The man stared at his stump in horror as blood gushed from the wound. Reskeme frantically rolled sideways, avoiding a slash of water that gouged the stone.

Now in range, Reskeme lunged forward and kicked the screaming man's breastplate. He stagger and fell on his side, letting out a high-pitched wail of pain as he clutched his arm.

One more! Reskeme turned to Denise and smiled. She swallowed as he took a menacing step forwards. After glancing at Berclay's mangled body and then the other one who's was screaming like a banshee, she turned and ran, shouting at the top of her lungs. Leaving Reskeme standing over a dying inquisitor. His heart raced wildly, but Reskeme was excited. Whatever that purple mist from Berclay's body was, it felt amazing. He felt alive and full of energy. This was Reskemes first real taste, the first time he got to experience devouring a human soul.

As Reskeme rushed away from the crime scene, he couldn't help but change his mind. Having a demon's heart was amazing.

Far away, locked in the cathedral's vault, Ardivar opened his eyes for the second time. His body tingled as energy suffused his soul. For several long seconds, Ardivar took in the shadowy vault. He hissed in delight. His familiar wasn't a complete waste after all. He just needed more essence, and he could escape. And then, like before, his consciousness faded, and he fell into the black.

Reskeme rushed through the forest, the sounds of pursuers all around him. He crouched in a bush, panting. The thorny brambles tore at his cloak and scratched his skin as Reskeme waited patiently for the two inquisitors to pass by. They shone their rune lanterns about, searching for him.

"I swear he ran this way." Said a familiar feminine voice.

Reskeme took in deep calming breaths, breathing in the scent of juniper berries and pine needles.

" Let's go, we can't let the demon escape." Said an older male voice. That voice it sounded oddly familiar as well. It was deep and raspy. It reminded Reskeme of his only meeting with a high priest of the church.

Fear filled him. How was he getting out of this? He glanced up at the night sky. Stars filled the sky, but the time was five in the morning. There was only an hour or so until light. At which point, the hundred or so inquisitors in the forest would find him for sure.

He pushed himself into a crouch and scurried from his hiding spot after the recent passers by. The other direction was a whole host of shouting voices that Reskeme wanted nothing to do with.

He rushed from tree to tree, his senses heightened with fear and excitement from the recent fight. Wait, where did the light ahead go? The trees ahead suddenly turned dark. Reskeme blinked and agale of wind rushed past him. Trees cracked and splinters tore around him. He tumbled several times, coming to rest on his back painfully. His forearms ached and his back throbbed, but Reskeme quickly rose, crouching to show only a small target.

The two figures he was following must have doubled back? He reached inside his cloak, palming his only remaining throwing knife. His heart froze in terror as a man in his fifties stepped out from behind a large tree.

High priest lord Noah drew his sword. The woman from earlier stood behind him, using the high priest like a shield. Around Reskeme trees lay in kindling torn apart by Noah's wind mana.

" Lay down your weapon, demon, and I will make your death quick." Said lord Noah calmly. Reskeme swallowed hard. Lord Noah gave off the aura of a master mage. The air smelled of sweet nectar, as mana whirled around Noah.

Reskemes mouth water. His mana smelled so good. Reskeme shudder. He took a step forwards baring his teeth on instinct. His body vibrated with energy. He could win this, after all those first three had fallen easily.

" Turn on that rune lantern." Said Noah, not taking his eyes off Reskeme. Seeing his one advantage about to fade, Reskeme attacked. He created a rune behind the woman, and a lance of green flames lit her up like a torch. The lance of flames showered gore as it traveled through her neck and up into the sky like a flare for all to see.. She collapse her body twitching, her hands slapping at her face as the green fire rapidly consumed her from the neck down.

"You?" asked lord Noah, his stony facade cracking as Reskeme was brought from the shadows into the light of his green fire.

" Of course, high priest. Who else?" Asked Reskeme. The human torch finally stopped her thrashing, but the flames were still bright, and judging by the fact Noah was sweating profusely, they were hot.

A purple haze rose from the dead inquisitor and rushed into Reskeme. He leaned back, reveling in the glorious sensation. The rush washed over him, his vision narrowed in excitement. If a weak mage was this good, how much power could he take from a master?

Drunk on power, in that moment, Reskeme was more monster than human. With a simply thought green Flames appear around him.

" I see you have let the demon take over." Said lord Noah.

" Why do you care? You were going to kill me, regardless." Said Reskeme, lunging forwards. His bare feet pushed against the soft dirt, propelling him forwards with blinding speed. Lord Noah took one step to the side and tripped Reskeme as he overshot his target. Reskeme tumbled twice and rolled to his feet. Pine needles fell from his cloak, and his skin burned from where a rock gouged his skin.

" Curious. You traded the rest of your humanity for this meager level of power?" Asked lord Noah, the flickering green flames making his stony expression appear distinctly malicious.

His heart thudded in his chest as more shouting came behind him, drawing closer.

Runes formed around Noah, shimmering a brilliant green. Before the battle magic could finish, a grey rune cut him off, forming before his fourth rune could.

Using that as a distraction, he rushed in, his body thrumming as he channel a sword of fire to crash down on Noah. The air cracked as a blade of wind met the fire, deflecting the blade from Noah's neck.

The burning blade cut a furrow in the grass, giving the priest more light to see by. Noah smiled.

" Is that all you got?" Asked Noah, swishing his sword playfully.

Once again, fear nagged at him. This wasn't an opponent he could beat, at least not yet.

Desperate, he launched his throwing knife across the twenty steps. At the same moment, he channeled his mana. A torrent of bright green fire shot down from the sky. With an audible whoosh, the flame crashed around lord Noah. When the torrent of flame faded, a man still stood mostly unharmed, protected by a swirling barrier of wind.

Reskeme grinned. Noah's hair was singed slightly and his face was a little red, like an angry sunburn.

The air shimmered, and with blinding speed, runes formed in front of Reskeme. He could only conjure a wall of flames before a gale struck the wall. It cracked under the gale and then shattered. The wind struck him and he flew like a rock being launched from a catapult.

Bones broke as he struck something. He tumbled with his cushion, rolling for nearly twenty paces. His head swam as he rose, his limbs tangled with an inquisitor. The man screamed as Reskeme rose, clutching his arm, which was bent backward, white bone protruding from his elbow. Reskeme ignored the screaming inquisitor, limping away from his approaching attacker.

Reskemes back screamed in pain, even with his human cushion. He forced himself to keep shuffling, glancing over his shoulder. He swallowed and pushed against the pain as over sixty yards away, Noah ran towards him.