Ch.31

Leo lay dying and I felt time freeze. Sighing as Alpha and Beta appeared, I nodded to them. "It's ok now, he can know."

Leo gasped. "Know what?"

I smiled. "That I'm an Avatar as well. I'll explain more later but for now you need to focus on the moments just before you told Piper you were one so that we may rewind time back. Every breath you take weakens the collective so be quick about it."

He gasped and I nodded to Alpha and Beta, visibly weakening for their eyes to see as I poured my power and magic into them to complete the task. It was for their benefit mostly but it still sucked away a lot of power as it was nearly seven hours of time reversing all around the planet.

I grunted and Beta helped me stay standing as I told Leo who was standing now in his place when it had happened before. "A price for the answers you sought. If I don't pay it, we wouldn't have enough power in the collective to implement the change."

Beta sighed. "And still it has taken a toll on the collective as well."

I snorted. "It had to be done as you said before. Just remember my compensation for this."

Alpha nodded. "We will. For now you must go and rest. We will need you stronger by the time we're ready."

I sighed. "That will be a challenge all it's own. For now Leo, you must not tell Piper or any of the girls until they're ready. Once they are, you may tell them what you wish about me. Phoebe already knows but has chosen to lock the memory away so as to protect me from the Elders, demons and even that idiot mortal, agent Brody. I've been able to use my powers repeatedly to protect this family as a result."

Leo nodded. "Your secret's Sade with me, you know it is."

I sighed. "If Phoebe asks about me say I'm in the underworld gathering more powers and slaughtering demons for now."

I walked away unsteadily to the doorway, emphasizing my supposed weakness to them all. When I reached my training room, I entered it and quickly recovered the magic I lost, drawing on the ley lines and the ward stones in secret.

While I did I noticed the nexus pooling energy at an incredibly fast rate and understood why that was. All the ley line nexus's fused together created one hell of a magic magnet and it's gathering not only through the earth like normally, but through the air and water as well. Even the sun was pouring magical energy into the ley lines and from them into the nexus.

A marvel in and of itself to witness. I continued to gather my magic as I returned to full strength moments later then began training. My appearance remained gaunt and tired looking even after I was back to full power. I hid my strength almost completely from the collective and let them think the training room was helping an it's I slowly revealed it was at a snails pace.

Instead I continued to work on my body and mind. Leo helped make excuses for me and visited me outside the room a few times to ask me questions on how long I've been an avatar and why I became one.

For the first I answered honestly and the second I told him simply. "Power to protect what I wish to. My enemies are more vast then you can comprehend and soon in the next few years if nothing is done, they will read their ugly heads and destroy our family if I am not ready. The power of three isn't yet strong enough to stop them and even I, with more power then the average avatar am not certain of the outcome yet. I must get stronger and being an avatar can give me that, so it's a give and take relationship. I give them the power to implement the change and keep it that way and they help me collect powers during the change through you and the sisters killing the demons."

Leo frowned. "Who could your enemies possibly be?"

I shook my head. "You don't want that answer, at least not yet. Even you aren't ready to know. Suffice it to say they are the reason you saw an empty void at the end of the cycle of good an evil. They are the final cause, the ultimate evil from whence all evil in this reality sprang forth from. It will take more than even I have in me to defeat them right now and so I let them slumber, while I prepare for the final battle. Even the avatars can only stalk them with their change. It won't last forever and now you understand why I'm gathering strength."

He nodded solemnly. "What can I do to help? If they're the biggest threat there is, what can I do to stop them?"

I sighed. "Bring me the Source's grimoire. I won't use it unless absolutely necessary but it's not safe where it is, I must hide it where no living being can touch it. It is one of their conduits into this world and one of the many ways they influence it."

He nodded seriously and I sighed. "When it's time Leo, I will help you become stronger than you can imagine and you must stay as good and true as you've always been. Follow your heart and use the love you feel for Piper and our family to stave of the temptations to use that power unnecessarily."

He swallowed and I closed the door behind me as I went back into meditation. I closed my eyes and remember the connection the Source has with them and prayed that was all their might. For if it wasn't, this would not be an easy battle. I was going to have to do an extreme act of evil soon and I hoped it didn't tip the balance scales too much or we'd all be dead before I could be ready for that fight.

In my mind's eye I saw demons, not like those of the ones that walk the earth these days but the demons I felt billions of years ago inside Heremus. They were the old ones and they reminded me much of Maloker in the presence they let off. Hordes of them slept in their little hell dimension, trapped by their counterparts those that broke off from them to be called the first Elders.

They'd worked together to revive the body and essence of Heremus, who was not actually an old one but a god whom my mother killed, or more like destroyed most parts of. They were using the powers and magic witches and the magical creatures came by naturally in their cycle to collect the power of the all, the primordial essence that gave off magic as a byproduct of why it really was, a spark of creation and destruction left behind by my mother and the other gods of creation and destruction.

Once amassed it would revive him and he'd be able to consume the all, growing into a primordial god or even god king, depending on the amount and how prepared he was when he absorbed it. Now it was just a race for time for me and the caution I need to get prepared for it.

Leo brought me the grimoire the day before he was sent to collect and keep safe the seer, am upper level demon whom saw a vision of the utopia the Avatars can provide and knew enough about all the upper level demons to end them. She wanted to become human for her efforts and to that end I'd sat in when she made her demands.

Piper wrote the list and I listened to her go on and on while Piper talked to Leo about being done with the demons. I ignored Piper and Leo's talking and told her. "Go on, I'm making a list of my own."

She smiled and got comfortable, adding a few dozen more things. When she finished saying. "One last thing and it's a dealbreaker. It's something only the Elders can give as well. I want to be made human."

I frowned. "Why do you assume that only the Elders can make you human?"

Leo spoke up, having heard us. "Because the Elders are the only ones who have the spell that can do so."

I snorted. "I don't need no stinking spell the Elders have to make a human body and transfer a consciousness into it. That's a dumb excuse."

The seer's eyes shot up. "You can do that?"

I shrugged. "I can do better than the Elders, I can give you your very own soul as well. It's a process and a painful one but I can give you everything on this list easy enough."

Piper asked. "You can?"

I nodded. "Phoenix blood and tears, dragon's heart, essence of eternity and a dash of my lifeforce to start and she'll be a bonafide human mortal before days end. What's more I can make her an immortal human witch like Prue since she has her own magic's."

The Seer jumped up and hugged me. "Yes yes!"

I chuckled. "Tell you what, you hand out with my wife for a bit and she'll protect you while I go and kill a dragon and tear out it's heart. The rest I have with me already."

The Seer turned to say. "Demons are coming."

I sighed. "Leo, do a brother a solid and use that power I showed you."

He nodded and turned to face where the Seer pointed and seconds later they came in threes. Leo absorbed their powers leaving them powerless before vanquishing them. Once they were all gone, Paige and Phoebe came in. "What's going on up here?"

I chuckled. "Just a demon attack love. Leo has it handled."

I could already feel their powers adding to my own as I transferred them to my coin for later. I passed the Seer off to Phoebe. "I need you to protect her for a few hours. Use my powers and your link to me to defend her and yourself. A barrier with a demon destroying element would be enough to keep you both safe, just make sure to exclude her when you make it so it doesn't kill her as well. Leo, care to give me a lift, I'm not as strong lately as I was before."

He nodded. "Where to?"

I smiled. "Ukraine, we're going after the worlds largest dragon breed this time. It's heart will be potent enough to create life when combined with the rest."

I gave him a mental image of some mountain ranges and he orbed is there. When we arrived I sighed. "This isn't going to be pretty. You'll want to stay here."

I walked into the cave system and found a sleeping Ukrainian ironbelly, the bulk of the herd as it was. The rest of the males were meek by comparison. I orbed it's heart into my hand and spun a preservation spell on it while it still beat. The dragon wailed in anguish and with it's last breath, shot fire at me and out the cave entrance behind me.

Luckily I was immune to fire or that might have actually hurt. I chuckled and left after collecting the corpse and preserving that as well. I headed to Leo who was putting out his clothes that were on fire. Smiling I told him. "You really need to lighten up. It's just a small bit of fire."

He wasn't amused and only asked. "Did you get what we came for?"

I nodded. "Poor dragon never saw it coming. Oh well, let's get to the house, I've some alchemy to preform and a body to make. Oh, almost forgot, I'll need eight pints of blood from the hospital, refrigerated until it's time."

He sighed and orbed us to the basement like I asked and I filled the tub with the ingredients except for the dragon's heart. With a bit of magic and extreme heat, it molded together into a mass and dissolved, leaving a perfectly circular red stone.

I picked it up and called Leo. He came and the Avatars appeared. "You called for us?"

I nodded. "The essence of eternity needed to jumpstart the Seer's new body and soul will need to come from my soul. I need you four to pluck a wing from it. I'm incapable of harming my soul like that and I can't predict how I'll react so I'll need you all to freeze time and be ready to send me into space if it gets bad. Leo, I need you to pluck a single feather from my phoenix soul. I'll loan you the power to do so but you must be quick about it as that same power can consume your own soul if exposed to long."

He nodded and I brought out my soul while they did as I asked and I gave Leo a bit of my soul's power of reincarnation. I grunted. "Now!"

Leo moves and ripped off a feather while my soul screamed from being wounded. I reacted on instinct as my world went green and I heard a faint yell. "Damien, it's me, don't do this!"

I shook my head and realized I'd had him pinned to the wall by the throat. I released him. "Sorry about that, I'll need time to recover from that or even I'll suffer serious losses."

I turned to the Avatars. "Thanks."

Alpha only nodded. "You are furthering our efforts for the change. There is no need to thank us, quite the opposite in fact. It is us who should be thanking you for your sacrifice. Few would risk their own souls to bring about our mission. It is a noble sacrifice."

I shrugged and grabbed the feather and power of reincarnation from Leo. I said. "Leo, go get the human blood then have the Seer keep her end of the deal. Once she's shown her vision to Phoebe, bring her here. I'll be ready to make her human."

He nodded and vanished like any Avatar would. Alpha asked. "Do you need help with anything else?"

I sighed. "Not unless you can get me some blood from an angel of death. Not for this mind, but for my own uses. Else, it's fine."

They nodded and disappeared while I continued to work. Next I put the dragons heart in the tub after cleaning it out and Leo brought in the blood. He saw the stone I had in my hand and asked. "What's that?"

I smirked. "The philosopher's stone, or a quick one time use of one anyway. It'll mutate the blood, heart and essence of the Seer into one whole and allow the essence of eternity to take root, forming her soul."

He nodded and said. "Phoebe took the Seer out so it'll be a bit before they get back."

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I can transfer her essence at any time, it's the body I'll need her opinion on unless she wishes to look like demon herself for the rest of her life."

He shrugged. "I'll go ask her."

He orbed away and I sighed as I began the steps to making the body itself. I can always alter her looks later with magic if she wants so I made her a duplicate of herself which looked remarkably like Cordelia Chase from the Slayer reality.

When I finished he'd come back and mentioned not making her a virgin and I just chuckled at that. I'd added a bonus for her of enochian runes on her ribs that would block her from all sight except a select few.

He arrived with the Seer and an irritated Phoebe a bit later. She asked. "Why didn't you tell me you were an Avatar?"

I sighed. "I did. Hell, I told you I'd been offered the position as an Avatar before I ever excepted it. You just locked it away. I guess it's time to remember. Just lock away the rest as you separate it."

She shuddered. "Oh god!"

She sat down and I went to her side while rubbing her back. The Seer looked over her new body from above and inspected what she'd soon look like. When Phoebe finished sorting it all and locked away the larger portion, she gave me a kiss and I returned to the matter at hand.

The Seer said. "It'll do."

I chuckled. "I've added a bonus tune work on the ribs so it'll be sore for a bit but you'll be protected from all senses and Vision sights but your own. No one except me will be able to find you with magic or technology. You won't even appear on cameras. They'll have to spot you by sight just to find you and this world is big enough that it's unlikely especially with the soon to be dead demons."

She nodded. "Thanks, I think. Let's get it over with."

I nodded and put a palm over both her heads, old and new. I hummed as my magic buzzed before transferring all she was through me like an express lane, ripping the evil essence out of her and cleansing the rest as she arrived in her new body.

The moment I released my magic into her, jump staring her heart, she sat bolt upright and screamed. When my ears were thoroughly tested for pitch, she calmed down a bit and I gave her a glass. "Drink this and you'll be healed and completely human, you'll even grow a soul over time, but be warned, all birth is painful, rebirth is doubly so."

She didn't hesitate and drank that. I stunned her body and her face was one of agony. I told Leo. "Get her some clothes and take her somewhere safe where the others can get the demon information from her. Once they're done, I'll have made all the arrangements for her new life. Make sure to put her in a soft bed or something first. The stunning spell will wear off and it's only keeping her from physically reacting to the agony she's feeling. It does nothing for the pain. Make sure she doesn't kill herself either."

He nodded and left with her and I turned to Phoebe. "You seemed to have made fast friends with her, even flirting from what I heard."

She blushed. "You were listening?"

I nodded. " I had to make sure she gave you her vision of the Avatar's plans before I made her mortal."

I grabbed the Seer's old body and stored it away while Phoebe asked. "What are you going to do with that?"

I shrugged. "Me? Nothing, but she might want it to use as a powerful psychic medium to enhance her own powers. The eyes of a Seer are rare after all. She could quite literally double her powers with them now. So I'm preserving her body until I've finished getting her what she wants."

Phoebe nodded. "Sorry, I thought you'd use it in a spell or as a sex doll, had me getting all jealous."

I chuckled. "Love, trust me, you keep me satisfied enough. I don't need a sex doll and I'd never screw a dead body, particularly a demons either. Well, there was these two vampires-"

She smacked my arm and kissed me before I we went upstairs.

The next morning was bright and happy for myself and Phoebe, only to have Agent Brody ruin it by throwing a potion at me when we went downstairs. The Avatars moved to stop time but I caught the potion and waved them off before socking the FBI agent in the face, breaking his nose and jaw. He went flying and hit the wall.

Phoebe called for Paige who showed up saying. "Kyle! Oh my god! What happened to you?"

He got out through a fat lip. "Ask him!"

He pointed at me and I raised an eyebrow while Paige yelled. "What did you do?!!"

I snorted. "Your boy toy just tried to kill me with this!"

I showed her the potion and put it away saying. "I then showed my displeasure at his attempted murder by punching him in the face. Be happy that's all I did. If he was any other human, I'd have sent their asses to a Chinese prison to be tortured for the rest of their natural lives."

She sighed. "He's just angry because the Avatars killed his parents."

I snorted. "I'm point of fact, they did not. Nor does that give him the excuse even if they had, to murder me!"

Paige frowned. "I get that you're angry but you can't know if they killed him or not!"

I snorted. "As childish and foolish as ever I see. The only thing you know about the Avatars either came from demons, your biased boy toy or the Elders who fear they'll put them out of a job. None of them are reliable and neither you or him seem to know the facts. He was a five year old child, much like you're acting by believing everything he says, when his parents died. He didn't even know the name Avatar until a demon told it to him and yet you'd believe him over family."

She blushed in shame and I waved a hand, healing the idiot. "There, I've not only spared his life for attacking me, but I've healed him as well. For the second time I might add after he's done something childish and rash. Do as you wish, I could give a rats ass what you believe anymore."

I walked back upstairs and went to take a shower while Phoebe laid into Paige for even defending someone she hardly knew over family when he tried to commit murder and ended up putting a police Inspector in a medically induced coma.

It turns out Kyle already told her about inspector Sheridan and she's forgiven him just like she's forgiven him and made excuses for him for trying to kill me. I sighed and wondered if the potion could actually do it. I was an Avatar, sure, but I was so much more besides.

I'd test it but I didn't dare, at least not yet anyway. When I finished my shower I was cooled off enough to not kill the petty human. I dried off and dressed before heading back downstairs to find Phoebe for her laptop. I thought better of it and decided to delegate the work to someone else.

I called my lawyers to have them get everything the Seer wanted using my account and told them to bill me the expenses plus their usual. I was out of work now because the Elders shut down magic school until the Avatar threat is passed.

Having nothing else to do, I fed the kids and watched them play while the three sisters argued. Agent Brody left in a rage and Phoebe was forming her own ideas. Later in the evening she came to Leo and I while we watched the kids play. She mentioned how Malinda Warren had sent Paige and Leo into the past to settle her issues and wondered if we could do something similar.

I waved to Leo. "I've spared the idiot and helped him enough. This ones on you, I'd rather send him into the stomach of a T-Rex about to take a dump."

They both frowned at the imagery of Kyle being shit out by a T-Rex. I shrugged. "I'll be watching the kids in case any more demons show up. You're free to do as you wish."

Phoebe asked. "So it's possible?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah. I can do it, but I'll have to tap into Damien's time portal powers and put limiters on it to keep them from getting stuck in the past. Plus I'll need to tap into the collective for the magic to do it. I don't have that kind of power on my own. Very few in the collective do."

Piper turned to me. "Are you sure you won't do it yourself?"

I sighed. "I've wasted enough magic on that fool and I'm not exactly at my best right now. I'd barely be able to manage it and without limiters. Leo's way works best."

Phoebe nodded. "That leaves me and Piper for our own project then."

Piper frowned. "Huh?"

Phoebe told her. "We're going to switch powers so you can see what I saw. I want you to experience it so you know why I'm so dead set on this."

I sighed. "You could just lower your shields and let her view your memories. That way she'll see it for herself and you won't be left powerless."

Phoebe nearly jumped. "I forgot all about that! Come sit with me Piper."

They went over to the couch and sat while Leo left to talk with the others and Paige went to convince Kyle to go into his past with her. After ten minutes Piper was smiling and Phoebe was right with her while they viewed the vision.

When they came out of it, Piper said. "I'd like to meet them."

I called the others and Leo showed up with Alpha, Gamma and Beta. Piper told them. "We're listening."

Alpha smiled and they sat down and answered all hers and Phoebe's questions right there and then. When they finished I spoke up. "Piper, you and Paige will be using my swords and Phoebe will be using my power to take other powers on the demons before you vanquish them. No potions necessary, it'll be a straight up slaughter. I'll give you both access to control the blades with your thoughts. Just remember not to cut each other or anything that's not a demon. My blades aren't prejudice and can and will kill anything you'll run across."

Piper frowned. "Why?"

I sighed. "It's both to help me regain my strength and to ensure the powers don't return to the demonic wasteland where more demons are reborn and returned to earth over time. Once the change is complete the portals to that place will be blocked but many can return at the last moment if they're clever enough. The cycle of good and evil is continuous after all."

She sighed. "That's a good enough reason I guess."

Alpha spoke up. "It is also a way to help us repay Damien here back for giving up so much of his power to ensure the collective isn't weakened too much. As it is we'll barely have enough power to implement the change after Leo uses the power of the collective to send agent Brody into the past. And that's with the power of three helping us. Assuming you're in agreement to do so."

She caught herself before sighing. "I'll get back to you after our sister gets back from the past with news of your innocence."

Alpha smiled. "Of course."

Leo went to the attic where I sensed Paige orb in with Kyle. They argued for a bit but in the end they left into the past. I felt the drain from the collective and thought Alpha was being generous to think we'll pull it off even with the charmed ones on our side.

The other Avatars left and with only the power of two, Zankou must've thought they were exceptionally vulnerable because he attacked. I put up a shield around the kids and they reacted while Pandora and Wyatt did the same, covering Chris as well. The triple shield would fend off even the Source if necessary.

Piper and Phoebe fought Zankou until Leo showed up and zapped his ass. A few hours later Leo informed me he was being called by the elders and I told him to use my power to absorb powers if they attacked him.

It was a long five hour wait but in the end I felt the rush of the powers of six Elders bolster my own. I stored it all in my sword and Zankou attacked again. This time Leo didn't need to act as I bitch slapped him across the room for waking the kids. Piper and Phoebe had fallen asleep by me as well and were awake now.

Zankou asked me. "What are you?"

I shrugged. "An Avatar."

He snorted. "No Avatar has the kind of power you do. I haven't sensed anything like your powers since-"

His eyes went wide and he flamed away. I let him be and Piper asked. "Since what?"

I shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me. I'm not the Source anymore and I am in fact an Avatar. My best guess is that he went senile. Very few demons can hack the whole immortal thing in the end. Not to mention if rumors are true he's been imprisoned since just after the previous Source came to power several thousand years ago and he was old even before that. Poor fella."

Piper rolled her eyes and sighed. "I wonder when Paige is going to get home."

I shrugged. "Whenever agent Brody discovers the truth, whatever it may be."

Leo showed up a few moments later untouched. He told me. "I sent the Elders back up there. They weren't happy."

I chuckled. "They chose their fate the moment they decided to kill you. They can live as mortals or the others can give them powers again. Either way it's not our concern."

He nodded and thirty minutes later both agent Brody and Paige returned. She's sent him straight home like he'd asked and came downstairs to tell us what I knew all along. "It seems the Avatars weren't the ones that killed Kyle's parents."

Phoebe sighed. "And?"

Paige asked. "And what?"

Phoebe told her annoyed. "And is Kyle going to apologize for trying to kill the love of my life or are you going to say he doesn't have to because he made a childish mistake."

Even I was a bit surprised by Phoebe's venom. Paige looked taken aback by her anger and sighed. "I'll talk to him about it ok? What more do you want from me? Jeez!"

I sighed. "It's fine. You shouldn't fight over me or anyone. You're sisters and if agent Brody wishes to apologize, that's on him. Though you should warn him that if he tries to kill me again I can't guarantee I won't retaliate in kind and turn him into meat paste with a single punch."

Paige flinched, "I'll warn him. Just don't go turning others into meat paste."

I shrugged. "As if I'd bother."

I got the same message as Leo and he spoke up. "They've got all the information the Seer has on the upper level demons. They are bringing her back here so we can send her to her new life and-"

Alpha and the rest arrived. "We'd like an answer soon. Now that we've the Seer's information, we need you to move against the demons in person to preserve our strength for the great change, if that is you are willing to help us implement it."

Paige was the first to speak. "We'll do it. I'm just as tired as everyone else from dealing with demons. If this means we won't have any more to worry about in the future, I'm all for it, especially now that I know for a fact you all aren't cold blooded killers."

She looked to Piper who nodded in agreement and I waved a hand, making the swords appear at Paige and Piper's waists. I sent them both a telepathic burst of information on how to use them with their minds and allowed them access while warning them repeatedly that one tiny cut on anything including them was instant death and reincarnation.

When I stopped sending them repeated warnings, I told them out loud. "Don't hand them to anyone either or let anyone other than yourselves touch it as the same fate applies for anyone or thing if they do. You, Phoebe and Leo are the only ones other than myself that are immune to holding them. None of you are immune to the cut though."

Paige frowned. "And you are?"

I nodded. "I am. Death cannot stop a Phoenix after all."

I turned to Leo and Phoebe. "You both have access to my powers so you'll be able to take the powers of the demons before deep frying them by the hundreds if necessary."

The Seer spoke up. "That's all good and all but what about my new life?"

I waved a hand and a packet appeared in front of her. She took it and I told her. "Your new life and bank accounts are all inside. I've taken the liberty of leaving your old body in stasis in case you want to use it to boost your powers. It's in a pouch in the wall safe behind that portrait of a unicorn you demanded."

I waved and sent her and the packet orbing away to Beverly Hills where her new life and estate were. Over the next few weeks it had truly begun in earnest as hundreds of upper level demons and thousands of those below lost their powers and were vanquished. It was a basic cleanup job for the sisters and Leo as they went about vanquishing them.

I did my own thing as well and hunted down a very specific demon named Murray. His only powers were throwing fireballs and immortality. He was like a demonic librarian for ancient tomes. When I finally found his lair, dug into his mind and took what I needed, the location of the ancient athame.

It was much like the flaming sword I had locked away near my world tree in that it didn't just kill, it extinguished souls. Although I had to assume it was far inferior as it had many more limits from what I could tell.

The Avatars has come through and bled an angel of death so I had all the ingredients to activate the athame's power. The blood of the wielder, the blood of a witch, the blood of an innocent and the blood of one caught between life and death.

All I needed was it's location and the instructions to go about using it and I got both from the demon's mind but much more besides. I took his vast library of tomes and hidden books as well as his limited powers and vanquished him. I traveled deep into the underworld to the very edge of the abyss where the natural portal connection between the demonic wasteland and the underworld met and right at the edge of the abyss on the far side lay the ancient athame, stuck into the wall itself by the previous Source.

He'd declared it to dangerous to use and put it there as you'd fall into the demonic wasteland if you tried to retrieve it or if you were powerful enough to do so, he'd feel it and know instantly.

I orbed the blade to just above my hand and consecrated it with the blood of each I'd prepared. When the blade glowed, I smiled and took it directly. It's power was strong to be sure, but it wasn't much more special compared to my own blades.

I put it in my inner world next to the flaming sword and left the underworld, heading to the upper plane where the Elders had closed it off with exception to other Elders. I'd prepared and absorbed the powers of the six Elders Leo had gained for me.

That plus death's cloak made it so they'd never notice I was there. I passed into the vaults and took the jar of godly essence and the empyrean blade. It wasn't time yet for the Sphaera of Light and Dark as I wasn't nearly ready yet to take in the primordial essence of the all.