Elinor glared at Demon as his head tilted with his smile, keeping the pleasant chime in his voice. “I want you to order Tiffany or Edmon to go to a certain mountain; I will guide them down its depths. Within that maze is a glowing fist-sized stone; they must simply break it.”

A low note left Elinor’s throat; she held her hand against her chest as her laughter grew stronger. Demon didn’t seem to think her response was appropriate, his smile faded.

“Is such a request entertaining?”

She slowly regained control of her mirth; her eyes gradually opened to study him, and there was a deadly glint in her ghostly green irises. “Do you think I am a naive little girl?”

Demon’s perfect features creased as he shifted to a different position in his chair. “Excuse me?”

“Do I really need to repeat myself? If there is one good thing that has come from this seed inside of me, it’s the clarity and bite it instilled. I don’t know what kind of society you’ve explored, but where I come from, we have countless legends and myths. Fiction that could fill the world an immeasurable number of times.”

“I see,” Demon’s tone died with uncertainty. “What—does that have to do with you laughing at my request, and asking me if I think you are a naive little girl?”

“A puzzle, Demon,” Elinor responded with a smirk. “All of your questions, everything you’re searching for, such as this seed inside me. It’s all a part of a puzzle and a fairly obvious one at that. I must thank you for your first appearance. First impressions really are as important as my father taught me.”

“What—is a puzzle? How can I be doing this—puzzle when I do not know what it is?”

“You’re serious,” Elinor giggled, cold eyes fixated on the man in front of her. “How long have you been an explorer? How many civilizations have you truly watched, trying to understand?”

“If you want…”

“If I want to know, then I’ll need to offer something in return?” Elinor asked with mirth. “I’m not asking a question; I’m accusing you of lying.”

Demon’s eyes narrowed. “I am no liar.”

Elinor huffed with a weak shrug. “Then, a mistranslation. In any case, I do not believe your definition of an explorer and mine are the same. To me, an explorer is a person that goes to many places; they learn and understand different cultures to document, experience, and seek new horizons. With what you’ve explained to me about yourself, and what I’ve seen, you mask yourself as an explorer. What you truly are, I don’t quite know, but I have some ideas.”

His smile returned, and he let a light laugh slide through his throat. “I see, a mistranslation, that is possible. I am communicating with you through the weak link I was able to create before your servant locked my progress. Is that why you laughed? You recognized that our communication was a little faulty?”

“It really interests me what kind of civilizations you’ve observed, Demon. How could you not know what a puzzle is? A puzzle is a game to pass the time in my world, but at its base, it is just an object in pieces that must be put together to create a whole, or to complete something. You talked about a plan; well, a puzzle is similar but different. There are many pieces to this conversation that fits into a whole … the grand plan.”

“Fascinating … a puzzle, you say, and you’ve figured out how all my pieces fit to uncover my grand plan? I think your world would be the most wonderful place to visit. From what little I have observed from your memories, it is advanced in many unconventional ways.”

“You’re sealed, trapped by something, and you need someone’s help to break free. It’s obvious, which is why I asked if you think I am naive. You’re a hidden monster in the soil, a mist of darkness seeking freedom, and what could you possibly offer to compel me to release such a threat?”

Demon’s wicked smile returned as his eyes creased. “Oh, you are so delicious. I have not met many creatures that would think of such a concept. I am a hidden monster in the soil … a mist of darkness seeking freedom … such imagery. Now it is I that wonders what kind of history your world has experienced to produce such creatures?”

Elinor looked down upon the man, eyes challenging him to present anything worth her interest. Demon mirrored her posture, arm resting on his chair’s side while propping up his head with the back of his hand, and after several seconds of silence, his smile grew.

“I did not expect the seed to draw out of your past experiences this kind of personality. Your world’s history must be filled with contrasting colors; that expression is simply divine. Your definition of an empress … one that rules above all … it’s fitting. The more that seed grows…”

He went silent again as he studied her; his tongue slid past his teeth to glaze his lips. “Whatever or whoever created such an event that caused this phenomenon to take place on your planet … What have they created? To attach such power to creatures with a history and base nature like yours is … reckless. The fusion of that seed to such spirits … such mutations and there is another that was brought back to this world. Such an exciting period in this planet’s history and I have seen much.”

“Are you going to keep wasting my time with this flattery?” Elinor asked with a dry tone. “You’re far from powerless or some weak creature; I felt your real presence. I’m dancing with the devil, but you seem to be a rather ill-informed demon. Now, I’m waiting.” she stated, tapping her right index finger against the armrest.

“For my offer? You call me a creature of evil, yet are still open for negotiations,” he mused, showing glossy teeth. “I have not experienced creatures with such hubris … most fascinating.”

He sat back, folding his fingers across his lap. “What I am asking is nothing so grand as what you described. Do I have a plan? Yes. Are there pieces, like in this puzzle you described? Yes, and I find that concept wonderful. A game on your planet, you say?”

When she didn’t respond, he huffed with a slight smirk. “I suppose you’re…” He cut off as most of the scenery around them seemed to disperse in a burst of wind, leaving darkness around the clearing.

Elinor’s focus shifted to her surroundings, gazing past the burning skeletal hand encircling her. The sickly colored flowers and grass still held their shape with the platform and furniture, but the jungle and sky had vanished with the wind.

She leered at the man in front of her, some of his composure faltering. “Losing control? I suppose this is the extent to which your sealed power can manifest.”

She hummed as she looked up at the blackness. “Although, is it a seal? The feeling I had when you first attached to my spirit … it was as if a vast power was scattered. You can’t fully manifest due to something, and that glowing fist-sized stone is connected to that process.”

Demon’s faltering smile turned strained. “You have a rather suspicious and calculating mind. Could you be overthinking it?”

“Then tell me, what would breaking the stone do?” Elinor challenged.

“Why should I tell you?”

She rolled her eyes. “This is pointless. You can’t even present an equivalent option for compensation.”

“Oh?” Demon’s composure returned. “Tiffany’s Protection Charm is nearing its end. Are you sure you can stay calm?”

Elinor’s eyes slid to the flames surrounding her.

The fire is dimming, and it has been shrinking steadily. He’s likely not bluffing; perhaps he doesn’t lie. I doubt I can stop him from taking over my spirit or taking the seed inside me for himself.

Her smirk returned as she glared at the smug man across from her. “What good will panicking do me? If there’s one thing I trust, it’s my parents, and while Tiffany and Edmon aren’t them, they’re the closest thing there is. I trust them to handle what I cannot; it’s what I raised them to do.”

“Such trust, yet your emotions are not flaring as they were. This has something to do with the seed … it’s changing you.” When Elinor responded with a bored expression, he chuckled. “I suppose that doesn’t concern you.”

“Are we over?” Elinor asked, eyes wondering to find something of more interest. “I was sure you’d have some counter offer. Perhaps I overestimated you.”

“Is that right?” Demon smirked, tilting his head the opposite direction. “What about a way home?”

Her eyes locked on him, narrowing slightly. “So, there is a way.”

“With my knowledge, yes, but for you, no. You have lingering sentiment for your world. How would you like to return?” he offered, spreading his fingers.

“Hmm,” Elinor crossed her legs the opposite way. “That is something I did not expect you to offer.” Her eyes dropped to the deck as she thought.

Do I want to return? I should be shouting for joy that it’s even a possibility. Why am I not? What is there to return to? I can assume that this change happened worldwide, which would most definitely alter the place I remember … it won’t be the same place I left. Another issue is the price. What will it cost?

Her focus moved to Demon’s innocent smile, welcoming her to take the deal.

I won’t free him until I know he cannot harm me or my … Tiffany and Edmon, but do I want to go back? My extended family is there, and I am sad that I can’t see them again, but I’m already at the point of no return. I’ve already reconciled to living here the rest of my life with my parents, and living in an organized society that could view my parents and me as abominations is not a good situation to put myself in.

I can’t stop thinking of them as my parents … it will probably take some time. I’m a Mythickin Lich Empress, made this way by a seed somehow placed inside my spirit. Demon is already extremely powerful … he’s beyond powerful, but he still wants it.

Whatever is keeping him dispersed into this energy state must be … if there’s something that powerful on this planet, then who knows what I can do with it? He mentioned Mythical Artifacts and linked this seed to one, but that’s likely because even he doesn’t know what this is, it’s the closest thing he can relate it to.

What do I want, though? My parents are lost, that’s confirmed. My way home is accessible through this devil’s contract, but my previous world would shun me, experiment on me, and if it has changed, then it’s completely unknown. It would be no different living in this world than my previous one if this seed affected everyone around the world. It could even be in the other humans that were captured.

It took me bringing … reforging my parents’ spirits to gain Demon’s attention. He’s limited in his actions. It probably took a substantial effort for him to manifest himself like this to me and try to take me over. He’s after sure bets, that’s why he asked me if there was someone that changed and what they were like.

He can’t do much himself; he needs someone to accomplish his goals. I don’t know if he can muster the strength to take the snake-woman over as he did me, and he’s still digging his heels in, hoping Tiffany won’t cleanse him in time. This is a risky play for him, and he’s all in.

What about me? I don’t want to go home. I don’t have much there, and even the thought of seeing Tanner doesn’t have the same heat in my chest as it once did. I’m different. I’ve lost a lot of what I used to desire, which begs the question, what do I want? I’m not truly the human Elinor anymore … so, what should I live for now?

Demon waited patiently, but she knew it was a facade; Tiffany was working to expel him, and she was making progress. She drew in a deep breath before letting it out; she’d made up her mind. “No, I don’t believe returning is something that I want.”

His confidence faltered. “Are you positive? How odd … your seed must be sprouting much faster than I anticipated. What is it that you want? I can most likely grant it.” he pressed.

“I don’t think you can … because I do not fully understand myself. I want to discover what Tiffany and Edmon are like … to see how much of my parents are left. After that, I don’t know, but I don’t find it particularly pressing to return home. Might I want that in the future? Perhaps, however, you’ve confirmed that it is possible, and I believe I have the life-expectancy to figure out how once I wish to.”

“That’s it, then? A shame.” He sighed, scratching his head. “My intervention may have accelerated the seeding process.”

“You needn’t be too disappointed,” Elinor smirked. “I now know you exist. If I do desire something and need your cooperation, I’m sure I can find you again. I doubt this will be the last time we meet, and if you somehow manage to complete whatever it is you’re doing to me, then I lost. What more can I say?”

Demon chuckled. “I must say, I rather enjoy this new you, despite the potential setback. The emotional creature you were before was … unpleasant.”

“I was a teenager,” Elinor shrugged, “and for despising emotions, you exhibit the signs of having them.” she commented.

He rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression. “Oh? Perhaps I do. Now, how interesting is that?”

“Well,” Elinor glanced around the dark space surrounding them. “How long must we wait for this game to end?”

“Hmm,” Demon smoothly rose to his feet, walking forward a few steps to slide his hand through the dimming flames. The skin, muscle, and bone dispersed upon contact, rematerializing as he returned to his chair. “Eight minutes or so. That is, assuming Tiffany doesn’t perform some other strange ritual to prevent me from reaching you.” He sighed. “A competent woman … that’s what you call your female species, correct? The one that carries the next generation?”

“Yes,” Elinor stated with a slight smile. “What about yourself? Could you at least tell me some stories to pass the time? Silence is incredibly dull.”

“Oh, and what would I get out of such an interaction?”

“My reaction, my questions. Aren’t you curious to see how I might respond to your stories?”

“Hmm,” he sat back, cupping his chin with his left hand. “I’ve never thought about that. Is storytelling something your species often does?”

“Extensively.”

“I see … I have come across creatures that recount their history through such methods.”

“It’s not only about knowing history,” Elinor huffed. “It’s about learning from history, and not repeating the same mistakes.”

“Learning from history … such a rare concept. No wonder you creatures are so quick to advance, and your adaptability is astounding. Even though that seed is quite neutral, it would take a highly adaptable being to link with it. I hadn’t considered that until you mentioned it. Yes, I might just learn more from interacting with you. Very well, we have a little time. What do you wish to know?”

“The Toads and the Quen’Talrat; tell me about their war. I’ve heard how terrifying the Elite Hunters were, and I raised one to my ranks … huh, I probably wouldn’t have used that word before changing. Anyways, what’s the history behind that?”

“Really, you wish to discuss such a small event? Fascinating. Although, I suppose you also feared I wouldn’t speak of great events that could give you powerful soldiers or minions. I do know a vast amount of history upon this planet.”

Elinor shrugged. “I’m sure you do, but I’m content with the Quen’Talrat.”

“Very well, I suppose this would be interesting to you based on your recent experiences. The Toads have a much longer history than the Quen’Talrat.” He grinned malevolently. “In the past, the Toads mutated another race into the Quen’Talrat to act as their slaves … that was millennia ago … The Searing Concord; that was one of the more interesting periods in history.

“This planet is quite old, and there are many intelligent races on just this continent alone. That must be important information.” He chuckled.

“Yes, it is,” Elinor replied. “So, the Quen’Talrat were genetically modified, and the Toads did that to them a long time ago? They must have been quite advanced in the distant past. Did they hold a grudge against the Toads for that?”

“Absolutely not,” Demon shifted his legs in the opposite direction, gazing into the darkness with a smirk. “Even the Toads have forgotten their history going back that far, and many creatures rose in power and fell in that time, including the Quen’Talrat. They were vicious and kept in check by many other creatures that shunned them to the desolate lands around you.”

“The volcanic zone I saw before?”

“I suppose. Your minions have taken you to that location, escaping your Toad pursuers. You are on the edge of the former Quen’Talrat Empire … of course, to the Toads, they were collectively known as the Burning Shadow—a reference to their abilities. Shunned by all their neighbors, starved, and left with few resources, and hostile creatures struggling for dominance below their very feet; their anger grew generation by generation.

“They fought amongst themselves in tribal conquest and against the denizens below the surface for many centuries for subterranean resources. It was after their fifth attempt to build a place of their own in this world. It was then that an ancient prophecy was fulfilled, one of their seers foretold an awakening during the second attempt at unification.

”It’s a simple prophecy, really, and could be broadly interpreted. One Quen’Talrat, inheriting all their unique gifts, would become Ke’Thra’Ma, their savior and chief leader. The Ke represented him being over all other leaders, Thra was his mother’s name, and Ma his given.

“He united the warring tribes through sheer power, built up their resources, conquered their subterranean foes with a personal guard, and trained his soldiers, helping them to develop their abilities.

“These Elite Hunters are the ones you mentioned, and they were vastly more powerful than the other races’ top warriors surrounding their land; of course, they’d grown lax over centuries, and their military might had fallen into decay. Has that happened in your world?”

“Yes. Most nations never survive four-hundred years without going through a sharp decline, according to one of my history teachers, that is.”

“Four-hundred years … told by a history teacher, eh?” Demon mused before returning to his story. “Years passed as Ke’Thra’Ma prepared to move against the northern Trelmere race, and he crushed them within a week. It was a slaughter.

“You see, they were on conquest for resources, not servants; almost the entire race was destroyed. It was the remaining Trelmere that went to other nations for help, but their alliance was slow to form. The politics were … delicious.” He chuckled. “It takes a lot of work to gather many different kingdoms, and Quen’Talrat were growing stronger every day. Is your world filled with such debates, or is there a powerful singular leader?”

Brushing her hair to the left as she looked at the meadow, Elinor hummed thoughtfully. “I wasn’t much into politics. My parents were, but I found it boring. However, from what I’ve seen of this world and what you’ve told me, yes, my world was filled with complex political agendas.”

“The more I hear, the more I wish to experience such a race,” Demon swallowed, wetting his lips. “The Burning Shadow … within that time of debates, Ke’Thra’Ma was expanding, experimenting, preparing. He conquered four of the eight great kingdoms of this land before his armies finally fell, and it was with his death.”

“Typical,” Elinor sighed. “The leader falls, and the nation crumbles under the power gap.”

“Indeed, I suppose you have similar cases in your own history. I’m in quite a positive mood, Elinor.”

“Oh?”

“Near the very place you currently rest, Ke’Thra’Ma was pushed back to one of their most heavily defended strongholds, but it eventually fell. It was no small feat and would not have been possible had not their subterranean foe joined the battle. Much of the allied forces lost a majority of their fighting strength on this mountain; however, I suppose in this harsh environment, bodies wouldn’t last long.

“After Ke’Thra’Ma’s death, the Quen’Talrat broke back into tribes, lead by the Elite Hunters, and thus, began the Fire Wars. Try as they might, the broken Empire kept losing ground, and eventually, just about every Quen’Talrat was exterminated.”

“Just about? I was under the impression they’d all died?” Elinor asked, remembering back to Valdar’s statement.

Demon chuckled. “It’s not so easy to destroy an entire race; even the Quen’Talrat couldn’t accomplish it. They survive across the continent, some across the sea, building a new empire. There are many continents and islands throughout this world, caving systems, and secrets long since forgotten by all, but I have a long memory.”

“Fascinating,” Elinor mumbled, tilting her head back to look into the abyss. “You’ve referenced a lot of historical accounts in that story. So, this world is filled with dangers and many different kingdoms.”

“Quite dangerous,” Demon stated. “If you made me an ally, then none could stand against you, Elinor. I have only offered this deal to a select few in my vast existence, Empress of the Dead. An Undying Empire awaits you with my power.”

“You act as if I need you for that,” she smirked.

Demon reflected her smile. “Only time will tell, and allies can quickly become foes.”

Elinor’s eyes dropped to the deck as cracks appeared in the wood, causing her lips to curve into a frown. Her vision lifted to Demon as his countenance darkened, and his wicked grin widened. The searing pressure of his voice slowly returned as fractures spiderwebbed down the bones surrounding her, moss decaying before her eyes.

“Your spirit smolders beneath that calm facade … your protection wanes. The hate in those green eyes you have yet to even fully acknowledge lies in wait; love replaced by fear, security shattered, and now you stand upon the precipice of the burning coals underneath.”

He licked his lips. “How will you respond when that fury rises? How will the dredges of your wrath forge that malleable seed? I’ve grown to love your race … the depths of the madness within. I will watch from the infinite and vast; there is much I wish to teach you, but that will come in time. The moment has arrived.”