Chapter 13 - New Goals

Lifting his eyelids Ashe saw he was back in the library.

"Ugh… my head" he groaned after sitting up on the floor.

However, he would quickly find himself back on the floor as he just didn't have the strength to hold himself up.

"Ashe! Ashe! Are you okay?" A female voice screamed.

Ashe opened his eyes to find his mom kneeling over him with a worried look on her face.

"I...I'm fine." He said

However, Ashe's words were said so weakly that it just made his mom worry even more.

"Let's get you to the hospital. Roy, you stay here we'll be back soon"

Ashe's younger brother just stood speechless behind his mother.

Ashe was slowly getting back to his senses and interrupted his mom.

"Please mom, there's no need to call an ambulance." As he said those words he slowly stood up from the floor.

"I must have just been tired. I'm fine now" this time his voice was calm and persuasive.

After a brief silence, She hugged Ashe and with a soft voice said.

"Fine. But we're going to a doctor first thing tomorrow."

A smile appeared on both their faces. And tears started to swell up on his mother's face. Roy joined into their embrace timidly.

"It's getting late. We'll talk tomorrow." Ashe's mom said while hurrying the two boys back into their room.

After entering the room, Roy jumped onto his bed. Ashe just sat down on his bed that was opposite to Roy's.

"How was your trip?" Ashe asked.

"It was weird. Mom was always on the phone. But other than that the theme park was fun!"

"I'm glad you had fun. Maybe we'll go together sometime." Ashe continued while getting ready for bed.

"Yeah! And maybe Josh will come with us too." Roy said with a smile.

Ashe just turned off the lights in silence.

"Good night" he muttered.

As he lay in his bed he started feeling warm yet again. Tears started to form in his eyes.

'I miss you… but I should move on, well at least as much as I can.'

Tears were now flowing down his face. Ashe had to accept the fact that he wouldn't see his brother again. The side effects of his denial had started to catch up to him.

'One last try, after this I'll stop chasing you.'

With determination, Ashe closed his eyes.

____________

He found himself alone on the bottom floor of the library. After walking up to the top and entering the entrance room, he hadn't found any sign of life.

'Where's that owl?'

With nothing to do Ashe headed back to the bottom floor of the library. On the way there he looked at the many books that littered the shelves of the library.

'This one looks interesting. Maybe they have pictures.' He thought while looking at a large tome made from leather.

Skimming through the pages he saw quite a lot of weird pictures. Some of them looked like runes while on the other side their consequences.

There was a lot of text, that Ashe couldn't read, all over the rune-like picture. This didn't discourage him, he just grabbed the book and made his way down to the bottom floor.

Ashe put the tome on the floor and started copying the symbol from one of its pages. He was drawing by spreading liquid demon energy on the floor.

The symbol wasn't too complex and Ashe was done in no time.

'Now what? Maybe it's like that contract! I just have to ignite it.'

The energy erupted into flames at Ashe's command, but nothing happened.

In the book, a picture of an insect was neighboring the rune. Because of this Ashe thought that he would at least summon something.

'I should learn to read this language. So many books I could learn from.'

With a sigh, Ashe closed the book and put it aside.

'Sap would usually interrupt me by now. I'll just train for now but it better hurry. What could it be doing anyway?'

____________

'That should do for now. He'll have to bare through this short path but there's no other way.'

Sap was busy mapping out an inconspicuous path through the tunnels of Beruthiell.

Walking through the harbor into the swamp was out of the question. The harbor was arguably the most guarded place in Hevell.

It has a special wall blocking any demon energy from entering inside it, which also means you can't go through it without being registered.

This is because the harbor is the one place where visitors from outside of Hevell are allowed to enter. It's also the place where almost all commerce takes place.

From buying souls and magic artifacts to getting yourself a meal, the harbor was the busiest place in Hevell.

This is why it took Sap so long to make a route through the tunnels that avoids all the trade routes.

'I hope he can withstand the amount of demon energy in the tunnels.' Sap thought as it flew back into its library.

Entering the burrow an immediate scent hit the demon's face.

'Oh? Ashe is back.'

Sap slithered across the room as its size was too small for it to move normally. Such is the life of an outlaw, who can't even own a properly sized library.

A quick and quiet descent was made to the bottom of the library.

"Welcome!" Sap said with a loud tone, hoping to startle the boy.

It worked, as a training Ashe let out a loud gasp while turning around to face Sap.

"Stop doing that!" The little human spoke.

"You must be doing that on purpose!"

"Yes" Sap responded with the closest thing to a smug smile that an owl could achieve.

"How do you even do that? You're a giant but you move so quietly." Ashe asked hoping he could learn from the many mischievous plots he's fallen victim to.

"It's simple. I was born of an owl, and that's what owls do."

"How did that happen? Are you a type of beast?" Ashe followed up, now with more questions than answers.

"I already mentioned this to you but fine, I shall indulge you. Demons are formed when another demon overflows an object with its energy. I just so happen to have been made from an owl." After the short explanation Sap gave Ashe an annoyed look.

To Sap's dismay, this didn't stop Ashe from asking more questions.

"How did an owl get here?"

Sap made a groan-like sound before speaking. "You import one. I hope that's not a foreign concept to you?"

Not wanting to annoy Sap anymore, he decided to keep his questions about its birth to himself.

However, Ashe still wanted to ask one question. So after a brief silence, he asked again.

"Since you keep human 'souls' here in Hevell. Do you know where they are?"

Sap looked at Ashe for a brief moment, almost stunned by the sudden change in topic.

"Kind of. When souls cross over to this planet they are condensed. Turning into a randomly shaped crystal, that has the person's personality and memories engraved inside. Those crystals are used as a form of currency here."

Ashe was stunned. He knew they were demons but he didn't expect them to treat humans as just a currency.

"How can you do that!? Treating living people as objects, that's horrible!" He screamed. Just thinking that his brother could be used as spare change was making his blood boil.

"They're not entirely 'alive' per se. More like eggs, and even if we wanted to, we couldn't bring them back into consciousness." Sap tried convincing Ashe that it wasn't as bad as he thought. It would be troublesome if Ashe stopped willingly cooperating.

"So what? You just exchange lifeless souls for the hell of it?!"

"No no, don't misunderstand me. Those souls are incredibly valuable. That's why we trade with them. Besides, we're no different from Humans. You also trade beast parts for their special properties."

Ashe went silent, he knew that on some level Sap was right. However, it still felt wrong.

"Is there a way to re-awaken a soul crystal back into a human?" Ashe asked, now with a frustrated but defeated tone.

Sap went quiet. It looked as if it was lost in thought.

"Maybe." It spoke slowly as if it wasn't sure of its answer.

"No one has ever done it as it would be a waste of recourses. I'm not much of a craftsman but I would bet on it being possible."

Hearing Sap say it would be 'a waste of recourses' made Ashe seethe with anger. He knew that he needed Sap's help if he were to get his brother back so he held back his anger.

Ashe sat down on the floor closing his eyes and concentrating on calming down.

Sap silently walked around the room and saw the book Ashe took.

It was a guide on how to use Beruthiell's power, accurately it was about the power of fear.

"Did you read this?" Sap said in its classic monotone voice.

Ashe opened his eyes and looked towards Sap, noticing the book.

"I tried but I can't read that language." His voice sounded muffled as if he was holding himself back.

"I'm glad to have a kindred soul with a thirst for knowledge."

Sap also noticed Ashe's sour mood so it knew just the trick to lighten him up.

"How about I teach you some of Beruthiell's spells? Or more accurately how they work."

Ashe looked intrigued at Sap's offer. He simply nodded in response.

"First let's see how your energy manipulation is going." Sap instructed.

"Show me the biggest floating orb you can make."

Ashe concentrated and started making a large liquid orb. It was slightly bigger than a basketball and a lot more stable.

"Try shaping it like a sword." Sap continued.

Ashe instantly realized what Sap was trying to do.

Slowly he managed to make the orb flatten into a liquid sheet. Then he began slowly molding it into a thin sword. When he was satisfied with its look he solidified it and sharpened its edges.

"You've grown in capacity and control. I think you're ready for your first task." Sap said.

Ashe was busy admiring his sword, he only heard one part of the sentence.

"Task?" He asked

"Yes, it's a small task that you need to do before training Beruthiell's power. And it can only be done back on earth."

"What is it?" Ashe sighed.

"You just need to scare someone. Throw a little 'prank' so to speak. Just remember to focus your intention on truly scaring them."

"That's it?"

"Yes, it would be beneficial if you scared them in different ways. Preferably multiple people." As Sap said those words It started approaching Ashe. When it finally reached Ashe it spread its coat-like wings revealing pure darkness.

"Hope to see you soon." Was the last thing Ashe heard before being enveloped in darkness.

____________

Ashe woke up back in his room. it was still dark outside and he was the only one awake.

He carefully got up from his bed and went outside. Only one thought on his mind

'We'll see each other again. just wait!'