Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

Evian found his perception pulled into a dark room not too big and not too small but teeming with the potential to be massive. The backdrop was black with a hazy wave of Grey.

"Where is this?" Evan wondered, marveling at how his voice echoed within the space.

He didn't receive an answer but he did see the scroll that had been tormenting him for minutes under the guise of a trial. Prompted by an urge, he stretched a hand towards it and the moment the tip of his fingers touched the parchment, it shattered.

Every single one of the words and symbols that used to be on the scroll burst free, scattering around and dotting themselves against the walls of the space glowing against the dark backdrop.

*Gasp*

With a long gasp akin to one taking a big gulp of air after a long inability to breathe, Evian returned to the outside world, still on his knees and his face covered with Sweat.

[Congratulations. You passed.]

Evian moved his fingers first, getting used to having control of his body again,

"That- That was intense," he said with obvious difficulty.

[Your mind nearly broke due to the mental strain so there will be after-effects but they will wear off eventually.]

'I- I see.'

Taking constant breaths, Evian straightened his posture before slowly getting to his feet. His body felt as strong and healthy as ever- It was his mind that was weak. It made him feel woozy but just as the Decadent Assistant had said, the effects were quickly wearing off.

With a wave of his hand, he retrieved the Larnak Spear and dumped it on his bed. As he stared at the markings etched all over it, he was no longer confused. For every symbol, there was a meaning he could surmise from the words/symbols now etched into his mind and they all just gave a hint of the power the weapon held.

The Spear was constantly charged with Spiritual energy that kept the enchantments active and the steps for modifying it for Evian's Eldritch use was to corrupt the enchantments.

After letting the wooziness of his Mental weakness fade away, Evian closed his eyes, grabbed the shaft of the weapon with both his hands, and flooded it with Eldritch Energy that pulled his Perception into the Weapon.

The Spiritual space within the Spear glowed with the 'righteous' feeling of Spiritual Energy that was tiered into stages. From the First stage to the Sixth stage (One Star to Six Stars).

Evian focused on its third stage, the equivalent of a Three Star weapon which was equivalent to the Third Martial Order and his current level of Decadence. He let loose his Eldritch Might properly guided by the information of the Wraithic Weapon's Modification Manuscript.

The process was slow but it progressed nicely as Evian corrupted the symbols as well as the space he was in until it became swarmed with the grey hazy smoke of Wraithic glory.

When he opened his eyes with his mind out of the space within the Spear, he smiled as the Weapon oozed Eldritch energy.

'Now,' he thought enthusiastically, 'A test.'

He lifted the Spear and his grin got even wider at its manageable weight. His grey eyes glittered as he adored the designs etched all over the weapon while he felt a strong sense of ownership courtesy of his Eldritch energy currently swarming through it.

He swung it casually and his eyes bugged as the spear channeled the Eldritch energy he was feeding it into a forceful wave that slammed into the wall of his room...

*Bang*

... And cracked it in the very first show of the innate Might it possessed regardless of the Star it ever got limited to.

"Incredible!"

-

-

•••

*Tah* *Tah* *Tah*

The heels of Daria and Myrine's shoes were sharp against the smooth stones of the Estate corridors.

Daria decided not to break the awkward silence not out of courtesy or respect really, it was more about trying to make amends for the compromising position she had been caught in just minutes before.

"You know," Myrine said suddenly, "That's not the sort of services I required from you.

You were called for an exorcism, not... Not for that!"

Daria sighed,

"I didn't set out for that..." she started only to pause suddenly when Myrine suddenly came to a stop,

"You were supposed to rid him of a deadly omen- you were not meant to corrupt him."

That caused Daria's face to twist with confusion,

"Currupt him?" she repeated, "Me, 'Currupt' him? That's laughable."

"No," Myrine said, "No, it's really not."

"I didn't corrupt him," Daria said resolutely, "There was nothing to corrupt. Evian knew exactly what he was doing."

"You're lying!" Myrine said.

Daria shrugged,

"I'm not. Evian came on to me, not the other way around."

"That's a lie," Myrine shook her head, "I know my son..."

"Do you?" Daria interrupted her to ask not with a smug tone but rather a gentle one, "He's changed, Lady Myrine. I think you can tell."

Myrine stared at her as though finding just the right words to use to express the annoyance she was feeling but really, there were none. She did not have to be told to know her son had changed... The way he talked, the silent and vocal confidence with which he carried himself- all of this spoke of his change. A spontaneous change that made him seem like an entirely different person.

She had grown to accept the change knowing there was no going back but there was something about the image she had just witnessed, something about how his hips moved back and forth so powerfully, that made her- giddy? She wasn't sure.

But the image of Evian plowing the Witch was certainly not something she could get out of her mind anytime soon.

"So what exactly is this between you two?" Myrine eventually asked.

"What do you mean?" Daria asked.

"Where is this headed? Should I prepare a massive ceremony for my youngest?" Myrine rephrased as she resumed walking.

Once farther down the corridor, she took a hard turn with the destination being the War-meeting hall where several members of the Stygian Family as well as Captains, not currently out fighting, had convened.

Daria shook her head as she kept pace by Myrine's side,

"You would be overstepping if you did that," she said.

Myrine raised a brow,

"So it's a fling... Interesting," she said, "I'm guessing you'll keep it up until you have to return to the Church."

"I haven't really given it much thought," Daria said.

"Hmm," Myrine let out as they stopped in front of the closed doors of the War-meeting Hall which she placed her hand against, "You should probably give it some thought. It's the responsible thing.

Come on, we'll wait for Evian in here."

She pushed the door open and the noise that had been kept sealed within flowed out boisterously. It was even hard to pick out individual sentences. Up to twenty black-haired Stygians just talked loudly over one another, disagreeing on how best to tackle the issue at hand.

Lord Stygian sat at the head of the massive meeting table with Adrian sitting closely by his side and appearing overwhelmed by the sheer level of disagreement his Father had to preside over not only as Lord of the Territory but also as Head of the Family. As always, Adrian saw this as a teaching moment.

When Lord Stygian raised his eyes from his bickering relatives and laid them on his wife, he sat up,

"Order!" he said loudly with his Pressure spreading for 'caution' which immediately saw a dwindling in the discordant conversations.

"My Lady," he called to her before his eyes quickly found Daria by her side,

"Witch," he said to her with a respectful tilt of his head.

Daria responded with a curtsy that attracted the eyes of Stygian men to her exposed cleavage.

The fact that Evian had carried her into the Estate grounds on his back had spread around already and rumors of what sort of relationship could have warranted that were currently on the mind of most if not all of those in the meeting Hall.

Myrine walked over to the head of the table and called Daria to follow along,

"Let the meeting continue," she said.

"And Evian?" Lord Stygian asked. If Daria, who had arrived at the Estate with Evian was here, then he expected his wife to have summoned their son's presence as well.

Myrine waved him off as she took her seat and made Daria sit by her side,

"He will join us soon," she said.

"Typical!" Adrian snided but no one paid him any mind.

A Stygian Man cleared his throat and picked up his conversation from right where he had stopped before the entire hall got cautioned,

"We need to call our men back. We need to defend our grounds." he said seriously, "The Larnak Knights, coward scum that they are, know better than to push too deep into the Territory. We should use that caution to protect the strength we still have and not waste it on a counterattack."

"Call them back? What about those who have fallen?" asked a Stygian woman whose dark eyes were narrowed in a disposition for violence, "Won't we avenge them?"

"They died to defend our borders as was their duty. Avenging them is not a pressing matter," the Stygian Man retorted.

The Stygian woman shook her head,

"How can you not see this is the best moment to strike? They think we're weak... They believe they have the upper hand. All we have to do is lure them into an ambush within our Territory and strike. If you can't see how that's the best way forward, then you're a damn coward."

"And you're cruel!" retorted the Man angrily, "You won't be at the front lines. You will be here safe while goading others to put their lives on the line for a stupid plan!"

Tensions were rising along with pressures. Lord Stygian made to interfere but Lady Myrine tapped the back of his hand so she could speak first instead,

"Both sides have merit," she said, "Daria, you've been with Evian for a while now. What's your take on all this?"

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