Devourer

Chapter 28: Weaving Threads

Sarana sat numbly in her seat as the screams of everyone else in the room bounced off the walls of this grey reality. Their blood now black in this grey world splattered onto the floor as life after life was extinguished like small flames. She watched as Lord Pelle, a minor noble in the court, screamed as the beast turned to look at him.

He was a sad little man, a spare for his family. He was the fourth child of his house, the first child was the heir and the heirs married the second child of other houses. The third childs were the spares for either the first or second child. The fourth child and onwards however, were the spares of the spare at best, or unwanted accidents at worst.

Sarana knew he came here to escape his miserable existence back in the courts. No one there acknowledged him, whether he lived or died no one other than his mother would care. He would save for months for one night here, one night to feel like he mattered in this world.

Well in the end, what this place offered was an illusion, the sweetest of lies. Rapture and importance born of smoke and mirrors. But no matter how tender, succulent or alluring, a lie will always remain a lie…

Everyone wants something, Sarana knows this all too well. The key to the contents of one’s mind lie within the fabric of their most profane desires. To many life is a brilliant thing, a beautiful thing, it enchants… often to the point of obsession.

Sarana was no different, she was born a peasant, graced with beauty. So she sold herself to the highest bidder and within her profession she learned how to find what people wanted. More often than not people want to matter, they want to be special when they are anything but special. Sarana thought she knew this, but here she stands... a fool like all the rest…

Her ambition and thirst for power led her right next to the ear of a king. With the ear of the king she found great purpose, a whisper here and a song there. She could make noble houses rise or return to dust. All the great men of the court wanted her favour for she was the great spider, spinning her web around the court. With many eyes and many hands in the shadows.

Sarana felt like a god… now look at her…

A slave to the Syndicate and soon to be a lackey of a princess she sealed away. Or perhaps food for a great beast…

Sarana watched as the beast raised Lord Pelle in one of its arms. Lord Pelle screamed and sobbed as the beast opened it’s maw filled with serrated teeth. Then with a simple movement, the beast tossed him into its mouth. The jaws slammed shut and Sarana heard the crunching of bone as the beast crushed his body within it’s maw.

Sarana watched as the beast turned to see one of Cornenk’s guards who just fired his crossbow at the beast. The steel bolt just bounced off it’s feathered hide and clattered to the floor. There was a flash and Sarana saw a spine the size of a sword impale the guard. The guard was knocked clean off his feet and he fell to the ground. Then he began to gasp as he clawed at his chest. She saw him cough and a spray of black blood shot out of his mouth. His veins bulged as black foam appeared at his mouth. He gagged and writhed as whatever concoction that lived within the beast's body now ravaged him.

Poison… Beatrice was right… this beast had poison…

By now the remaining survivors were huddled in a corner of this grey world. They were hammering on the walls of this small dimension but their efforts were futile. Sarana looked around and saw the broken bodies lying on the floor. The bodies were all cut to pieces by those massive bone blades.

The beast paused as it gazed at the small crowd of screaming and panicking people. Sarana saw it tilt’s head slightly as if pondering something. Then Sarana saw the barest hint of a smile on its face…

??,`°.???.?.???.°`,??

Cecilia watched as her good friend opened his mouth and torched the dozen people cowering the corner of the room. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the smell of the burning flesh, but she had to admit it was efficient and more importantly… illustrative…

“There… all done.” her dear friend said.

“Excellent, thank you friend.” Cecilia said warmly.

It was funny, when she first met with her dear friend she wanted a deal and an ally. In the end she found a friend, both of them surprisingly had a lot in common. They were both outcasts in a way, they both wanted power and they both hated being controlled and chained.

Her friend may not look like it but he did have a soft side to him. Well none of them were sure if he was male or female but they just sort of decided that he would be male for now to make things easier. Well it was mostly Cecilia herself being uncomfortable on what to call him. He didn’t have a name and he didn’t really want to think of one. Cecilia herself didn’t want to name him, that would make him seem like a pet. Also she didn’t want to call him an it, she felt it was vaguely insulting. Again for that he didn’t seem to care.

Although they would need to create the name at some point, if all goes according to plan he would need to interact with other humans at some point. A good way to reduce their unease around him would be to make him seem a little more familiar. Most humanoids fear what they do not understand after all.

Her friend was oddly sensitive, it was like he could sense what she was feeling. He would say the right thing at the right time, give her advice and clarity when she needed it. It was odd to find emotional support in a monster. He seemed focused and clear minded all the time. Never being bothered by much, he had this ability to accept things as they are. He doesn’t overthink, doesn't ruminate on the deeper inconsequential meanings of things. He just is, and the world to him… just is…

Cecilia was privately grateful to him. Her time in the cradle was a terrible four years. No one to talk to except for her jailors. With said conversations usually devolving into her screaming at them…

When she got her throne back she was determined to uphold her end of the bargain. She would carve him a nice piece of her domain. A quiet place to live if he desired, with food as long as he wanted it. If he wished to move on, Cecilia would be a little sad to see him depart but she would respect his decision. She didn’t know what fate had in store for her. With the prophecy and everything, but Cecilia doesn’t intend to be put on another leash or chucked in another cage. She would decide her own fate, that was what she was fighting for.

“Now then you two. I will be plain…” Cecilia said as she waved her hand and shed the illusion around her. Revealing her platinum hair and ruby red eyes.

“I am Cecilia Averlon, heir to the throne of Averlon. I have returned to claim my birthright and I have a very simple proposition for the two of you. If you disagree I will kill you but if you agree you will be very handsomely rewarded.” Cecilia said calmly.

“How do I know you won’t just kill us afterwards?” Cornenk asked.

“Why would I? Have you heard of the phrase, there must always be a king. For one must rule or the society falls to chaos. I know this is no different with Peelers Pit. I once told my father to elevate one of the crime lords.

Crime will happen no matter what, so if the king could control the crime lord then we could better control Peelers Pit. If I kill you then another will rise to take your place. I offer you dominion of this little piece of Averlon.

You will be king of the scum and the filth that live in this cesspit. You will rule with my mandate, and you can feel free to live as lavishly as you want.” Cecilia said.

“Then what about me?” Sarana asked softly.

“Oh Lady Sarana, I know what you did. You were the only one with the means to do it after all. For a complex structure like that to be constructed and maintained requires a level of subtlety that is out of reach to the average courtier…” Cecilia said as she calmly walked up to Sarana.

Cecilia stood over the seated Sarana, her shadow casting over her. Cecilia could see the fear in her eyes. Your deeds always catch up to you eventually... “Oh how I have dreamed of this moment, I ran it through my head countless times. What punishment and cruelty would I inflict on you…

Flay you alive?

Rip your soul from your body and keep it in a jar?

Curse you to burn eternally with magic fire?

So many possibilities… but I had a change of heart.” Cecilia said as she raised her head again and lessened the dominating presence over her.

“Change of heart?” Sarana asked shakily.

“You see I have been conversing with my friend here for a while…” Cecilia said as she thought back to her conversation.

╔═════════ ????? ═════════╗

Cecilia sat on a chair as she looked at her friend who was lounging lazily on the stone floor reading one of her books.

“Friend, could I have your counsel?” Cecilia asked.

“Counsel? I’m not that familiar with human affairs unfortunately.” her friend said as he raised his head slightly to look at her.

“That is why I asked. I need a fresh perspective.” Cecilia said.

“Alright, what do you want advice on?” her friend asked.

“You know that spymaster I spoke to you about?” Cecilia asked.

“Yeah? Why? You decided on how you are going to kill her?” her friend asked.

“No, I was wondering what you would do. If someone wronged you like she has done to me?” Cecilia asked.

“I would see what use I could get out of her. As you know I could eat her and gain some abilities. But I guess it doesn't apply for you humans.” her friend replied wryly.

“Yes I suppose it doesn’t it would make things easier I suppose.” Cecilia said with a light laugh.

“Well I would figure out what I could do with her. From what you told me what that Spymaster did was impressive to say the least. She has a set of unique skills. If what you said about her being the best Spymaster in the region is true then she is one of two things.

A threat or a potential asset...

I may be wrong about this next part but I don’t think I feel this whole vengeance thing like you humans. I don’t care about it that much honestly, or maybe no one has managed to wrong me yet so I can’t relate. To me it seems petty and stupid.

There are two things in your life, assets and threats. Assets should be preserved and threats should be removed. If someone managed to wound me so badly, I would be impressed. I would learn from it and see what I could glean from that wound.

Besides, if you could use that Spymaster, wouldn’t killing her just be for your own fleeting satisfaction? If she owes you a debt, why not put her to work paying it? If you want to kill her later you could always do it later down the road.

So to me… the real question is. Can you use her and is she too dangerous to use?” her friend said.

“Hmmm… thank you friend. That is good counsel. You have given much to think about. Although I do have one last question, why do you feel it’s stupid? I understand why you would say it’s petty but why stupid? Wanting vengeance is not inherently stupid.” Cecilia asked curiously.

“Because those who want vengeance are predictable, those who wear their hearts on their sleeves are predictable. What is predictable is weak and what is weak does not survive for long…

There was a group of adventurers that was supposed to check on you. I trailed them for a day or so and I found one of the adventurers was rather smitten with another. So I snatched one of them and used her pain and suffering to goad him to lose his cool.

Sure enough he lost his head and he charged into the forest to fight me alone. He didn’t last very long...

He behaved exactly how I expected him to, so he ran right into my waiting mouth…” her friend said with a smile.

“I see… that is good counsel friend…” Cecilia said with a grateful nod.

╚═════════ ????? ═════════╝

“So no you will not spend the rest of your existence as a jar on my table. No, I will use you. You will work for me to topple my fathers vile rule.” Cecilia said matter of factly.

“And how will you prevent our betrayal?” Cornenk asked.

To an uninformed observer this question might be seen as stepping on a Griffon’s tail. But everyone alive in this little pocket dimension was no fool. A service bought with threats is fragile, so this question is perhaps the most important of all.

“Hmmm good of you to ask that question. If you didn’t I might have just killed you anyway.” Cecilia said with a cold smile.

“Tell me do you know why I was locked in that accursed cradle?” Cecilia asked.

At those words it all started to click in Sarana’s mind. By helping lock her away they were now complicit in this great deception. The angels do not discriminate, they would burn them all if they found out…

Cecilia smiled as she looked at how the orc’s face went slightly pale at her words. The two of them had the same face when she said those words. They were rather good at hiding it to their credit but the subtleties of reading a face is the domain of nobles, not commoners. What’s more Cecilia had to extract information from those around her just using leading questions and reading their faces. No one trusted her after all and everyone who was allowed contact with her, feared her.

“Do you sir? And yes I do know you had a part to play in this. It’s written all over your face. But just to be sure I have to ask… were you party to the construction of that accursed tower? I wouldn’t lie if you did, because if you did my life now determines yours…” Cecilia said.

“I… made the workers that built the cradle disappear…” Cornenk said numbly.

“Is there anything else you know?” Cecilia asked coyly as she slowly approached him.

“I know it was you that was locked up there and… some rumors about a prophecy. That’s about it.” Cornenk replied.

“Good, now let me tell you why the crown princess of Averlon was locked in a ridiculously expensive prison. When I was born a seer made a prophecy about me, it said I would destroy Heaven’s precious little order. It was no ordinary seer, the seer once served the Divine Council in High Heaven. So believe me when I say this, if Heaven finds out about me, about the prophecy, about your involvement in this secret. They will burn you to ash.” Cecilia said as she arrived in front of Cornenk.

“So before you are two paths, you can be ash and embers or you can work for me. As long as I live and the secret holds then you can do whatever it is you want to do. Your involvement in this secret has sealed your fate.

Fate is such a curious thing isn’t it? The seer said my prophecy would be her last. My father then proceeded to kill her to keep the secret and the first piece fell into place.

Then a group of idiot adventurers released my friend here into the world. The prophecy said I would... venture forth to undo the work of Heaven the day I came of age. Sure enough on my birthday I met my friend here and when the clock struck midnight I was free…

Now the first people I run into when I return to Averlon are the two of you? The two people who have as much reason to fear Heaven as I…

It’s almost too perfect don’t you think?” Cecilia said with a smirk.

Sarana gulped as she looked at her smiling face. Yes it did seem a little too perfect…

??,`°.???.?.???.°`,??

It was true all this time I felt it was a little too perfect. Not just for her but also for me…

The tablet in the tomb where I woke up had some interesting words…

The child will remind the world of the truth that it has tried so hard to forget

That was written about me. Cecilia had a different prophecy apparently, but her prophecy was awfully similar…

She will venture forth to remind the world of the truth it has tried so hard to forget

That was the line in her prophecy. Curious don’t you think? Honestly, everyone seems so fixated on Cecilia’s prophecy. But no one knows about mine, I’m not complaining though. The limelight doesn’t really interest me, what I do enjoy is the lack of attention this omission has given me. Not that surprising, humanoids in this world seem to think the world revolves around them. Again that’s not surprising, considering what I know from my past life. But now that I’m not human it has given me a new perspective. By all means let the spotlight fall on them, I’ll wait in the shadows...

An unseen predator is afterall the deadliest...

I guess you could say I’m a…

Phantom Protagonist...

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