The stunned silence of Pride’s revelation is deafening. In that moment, all eyes laser focus on me, sizing me up. Wondering if I’m as powerful as in my past life. Maybe they could take me on as a group. In truth I wouldn’t stand a chance. Not yet anyway, especially if Abyzou joined them. I’d be dead before I could put up a fight, but they don’t need to know that. Each time memories come back, so does a portion of my power and the knowledge to use it. I just need to play the part believably to buy myself time until no one can stand in my way. The moment of silence seemed eternal, but couldn’t have been more than a minute. Abyzou is the first to break the standoff. “Mmm. That explains the familiar energy around you. To think the weak and insignificant human race capable of enslaving a primal being to do their bidding. Curious.”

Envy’s smoldering form shifts more aggressively, betraying his seething anger. He points at me. “I refuse to believe he is capable of being our supreme leader. Maybe his soul once reigned, but that weakling isn’t my leader.”

Pride crosses her arms, obviously annoyed. “So, you think I’d let him beat me if he was that weak? Do you think I’m weak? Fine Envy. Lets see you take him on all on your own.”

He turns to her. “Well, no. It’s just that nothing I’ve seen of him says there’s anything special about him, that he’s weak. We ripped the power of Kaiser out of his shriveled husk. Baal took most of it and left us seven the rest to split for being loyal to his plan. That was the deal. Even if this is his reincarnation. How could he be anything more than a powerless halfbreed, leeching off the power of his own decay.”

Abyzou moves at that statement. Like a giant whip cracking, her snake body rides a wave to the end. A distant rumble makes it’s way back as debris rain down in the distance. Her hissing becomes deeper. Demonic. “Boy, tell me you didn’t plot with that father of yours not only against me, but our rightful ruler.”

Envy quickly looks up to her, like a child being scolded. “Don’t worry, we took care of it. The only way we were going to feast upon the human world was if Kaiser was out of the way. When the witches offered us an indefinite supply of souls, it was too good to pass up. Surely you see that?”

The dark flames dancing behind her eyes almost burn away the sadness lurking there. “Envy. You don’t know what you’ve done and I can’t protect you from this. You’ve doomed yourself.”

She looks to me, eyes silently begging forgiveness for her foolish child, but knowing what must be done. “If you remember, you’ll know I’ve always faithfully obeyed, Lord Kaiser.” I nod my recognition and she continues. “I know what my child has done is unforgivable. He didn’t understand the true nature of The Nether and its connection to you. For that reason I ask for leniency with him and offer you a deal. You crafted this realm out of the aeth of The Void with your very own hands in another life. Even reincarnated, this world knows your spirit. It’s a piece of you and will only truly listen to you. Swarms of wraith slumber within these grounds. Summon five-hundred of them, and I’ll give you the child myself. If you fail, with a heavy heart I must admit the ruler I once admired is dead, and face you in battle. Are these terms acceptable to you?”

I nod. “The terms are acceptable. I may not be the same person you knew, but I’d hate to lose such a valuable vassal. What say you, Envy?”

“Isn’t that a bit too low?” Envy asks.

“Get your head on right, boy. Did you learn nothing before your stint in the human world? Or have you forgotten? Wraiths are one of the few creatures that feed on the aeth of anyone nearby, especially someone trying to control them. Feeding lulls them into a hypnotically suggestive state, but significantly drains power. Summoning and commanding one-hundred would be a feat for most. Five-hundred or more would be near impossible for anyone other than our supreme lord, even reincarnated as a weak human”

Wrath’s ember eyes flare. “Oh, I can’t wait to see this. Just know, Damien. I respect you both in this life and past. But if you fail by even one wraith, I’m taking my opportunity.”

The weight of all eyes on me is intense as I search memories, looking for a starting point. Focusing on summoning in general, I can feel the knowledge there. It’s just beneath the surface, yet won’t manifest. For reasons unknown to me, my mind wonders to blood pacts and I recall part of a conversation with a hooded figure standing in a throne room. The words are broken, not a full sentence. “The blood of the living is rich in aeth… powerful component in magick.” Then a vivid image flashes across my minds eye. One of slashing my arm to pool blood on the floor. The image is clear but the intent isn’t. I turn my arm over and stare at my forearm, trying to keep the memory close. It slips away, leaving me with memory fragments and a headache. I look around at the others who’re watching me intently and know I can’t ask for help. If I do, it might as well be defeat. I have to do this on my own.

Going on pure instinct with memory as a starting point, I rake long black claws across both forearms, forming deep gashes. Then form a circle around me out of the liquid life pouring from my veins. As if on auto-pilot, the process continues from there and flows easily. Without realization my mind connects to a hidden but welcoming force. I can feel the whole realm. The ground, billions of wraith laying dormant beneath it, the locations of every being residing in The Nether. Everything. It’s as if I’ve opened a faucet of knowledge and quickly becomes overwhelming. With great strain, I force my focus on the wraith below. It seems like an endless dark ocean beneath my feet, I can see them writhing in my minds eye. My arms stretch out on their own as my mind reaches for the black waters beneath.

Black flames ignite the blood circle and gravity seems to reverse slightly. The blood pooled at my feet falls upward and the lacerations on my arms close. The last of the blood trails slowly into the rest, all converging into a large blood orb at my feet. The orb shoots high into the sky, then fires into the ground between my feet like a red bullet. A large portion of the black sea turns red in my minds eye. The wind begins to howl as phantom shapes rise from the ground, spiraling around us. They’re cloaked in tattered black rags, and have only a black pit under a hood for a face. Bone arms and hands with the occasional chest reveal they’re more than shadows. Some of the shapes become corporeal while others remain phantoms, but all spiral to the sky, blacking out what bit of light there is.

After a few minutes the wraith stop rising. They swarm around us, the undead moans and shrieks deafening. I can feel my power waining and the drain is intense, so I focus on control. One by one, then group by group I direct them and the wraith begin falling in line. Like soldiers lining up in battalion formation. Sweat beads and rolls down my face as I put the last of the wraiths in formation. Projecting pure strength, I turn to Abyzou. “Is that enough? Or do I need to prove myself further?”

Her eyes slither over the horizon and back to me. “You may be wearing a different skin and personality, but you are indeed my liege, returned home. I tasked you to control five-hundred wraith, and you went beyond. You now control the whole wraith guard of Ignol, five-thousand strong.”

She bows her mountainous head to meet me. “I, Abyzou, eternal sovereign of Ignol - The Dark Abyss, resubmit my allegiance to the Archon of Darkness, Kaiser Erebus. The true overlord of The Nether.” She grabs Envy in her massive hand. “I’m sorry, my child. You know the rules of the realm. Your transgression can’t be ignored, so I’ll help you the only way I can.” Envy squirms, trying to get away. Begging for her to let him go. A dark green aura radiates from her hand, hiding Envy behind the dark light. Envy’s screams echo through The Nether as a tear streams down Abyzou’s face from one eye. After the green light recedes, only two beautiful dark green stones remain. One much larger than the other. She places both on the ground before me. “My liege, I offer Envy to you but may I make a request?”

I’ve already concluded her wish, but let her have this. “Name it and you will have it.”

She glances over the smaller stone, a mere pebble in even my hand. “I trapped Envy’s consciousness in this smaller stone. If you wish, you can absorb all of Envy, but I ask that you give me this stone to keep. That I may always hold my child with me for eternity.”

I nod to her. “You’re aware he’s in limbo and would have freedom with me. Are you sure this is what you want?”

She picks up the pebble and puts it near her eye, like a contact lens. It shimmers, then slowly enters her pupil, turning her pupils a sickly green. “My child has caused enough damage having free will. Now, I will always be able to speak with and watch over him. Let's get this show on the road and get you to Baal.” I pocket the remaining stone as she lowers her giant hand and I climb up. Pointing toward the barren lands, I direct her. “That way.”