The first thing that he felt was a new warmth within himself that had not been there before. The second he noticed was the flames that covered him. Third he noticed that he his head was being pressed into the bountiful breasts of Hethara. He turned his head up to look at her, she was fussing with his hair, “I’m glad to see your awake Jacob.”

Going back to the fact that he was on fire he said, “I’m glad your immune to fire.” She simply smiled and said, “Would I deserve the name Starborn if I wasn’t immune to fire?” “Fair point.”

It was then that Jacob took the time to take in his surroundings. He was no longer in the cage where the Pheonix had been kept. He was on the stone floor being held by Hethara. Off to the side he saw Carthus, standing looking relieved.

“I’m glad to see that you are awake. Now I know this might not be the best time…” “How much.” Was Jacob’s simple reply. Carthus looked at him with a mixture of pride and sadness. “If you hold true to telling me information you learn later on, I will wave the monetary cost.” Jacob noticed he used the word, monetary, cash, he did not want chase from him. He wanted something else.

“I will instead ask of you three favors at a later date. These are my terms. You must accept otherwise I will have to…” The fire within him raged as the Pheonix heard the gods vague threat. His words stirring memories most vial and traumatic. Jacob worked to comfort the living flame within him. Hethara gave a cold look to Carthus.

“I have some terms of my own. This was a negotiation last I checked.” Jacob smiled, and it only grew wider as the system spoke once more in his mind.

Passive Skill: Negotiating has been obtained

Carthus nodded his head, “You are correct and as you have become an incalculably valuable asset to me, I will hear out your terms.” He paused for a moment before stating, “I would invite you back to my table however…” He said while indicating to his body wreathed in golden flames.

Jacob nodded and closed his eyes, he found himself once more in that white place. The place once black, where he had fought the Roc for supremacy. There he saw them, his totems.

The great mother bear playing with her children, smaller astral cubs that raced from one place to another. Occasionally blinking from existence only reappear a few feet away.

The Roc, a creature that stood as tall as a 50-story building, and whose wings he had seen could blot out the sun. Once he had raged against this fate but had come to accept it. For even if Jacob and his friends had slain him, what he had now was life eternal. The Roc stood with its wings tucked and its head off to the side, seemingly asleep.

Though he did not mean to, the thoughts poured out as audible sound in this place, “I didn’t know spirits could sleep.” So, he turned to the latest of his three totems he had acquired, the Pheonix.

The flames of the Pheonix burned bright and hot, but they could not grasp his skin. He was immune to such things now; he would never fear the flame again. “Can you please let the flames die down.” Jacob asked the bird. “I will not let him hurt you like he did…”

The bird stopped as its flames receded for a moment. Taking the chance Jacob spoke his mind, “I don’t think that Carthus intended for your previous master to die.” The flames began to flare up again, “What do you mean?! He broke the pact!” The flames erupted in every direction, but Jacob willed them back, keeping the flames from traveling too far.

“I don’t think he knew that the man would die if the pact was broken. Tell me was he more valuable to Carthus alive or dead?! He is a god who main goal is profit. What profit could he gain from the loss of someone so valuable?” Jacob screamed to be heard over the roar of the flames. He was uncertain if he had been heard until the flames once more receded.

“Why did master die when the pact was broken?” Instead of directly answering he asked, “How many years had he been alive? How many years did you have the pact with him?” The bird looked confused for a moment, then its eyes widened as if it had remembered something it had forgotten. “356 years.”

“When was the last time he had died while the pact was still in effect?” “123 years before he turned to dust before my eyes. What happened to him, the god did not kill him?” Jacob shook his head, “No, your pact seemed to grant him eternal life. When it was broken, time reasserted itself. Like a beast that runs down its prey. It caught up with him very quickly. Time took what it was owed, and the years left on his life quickly ran out, thus he turned to dust.”

“I truly do not think he intended for the man to die, and when time took him…It seemed he was unable to bring him back. So, he kept you. I think he wanted this.” Jacob produced a small floating image in the palm of his hand. The image was one that lacked a definite shape and size. It was amorphous.

This got the birds attention, “This item seems to spare one from death once and turns to dust as a result. I think he wanted to find how to make these. I bet he hoped he could use it to raise your old master from the dead.” The bird spoke, “Master could return?!” Jacob once more looked upon the glowing amorphous image hovering above his palm, “With something like this, I bet he could.”

What the Pheonix said next surprised him, “I will forgive him if he brings back my friend.” Jacob notice he did not call him master that time, instead he called him friend. “Pull back your flames so I can better negotiate with him. I promise you I will personally see that man raised up.”

No sooner had he said it then did he feel something new. He felt as if a thin line had been formed between him and the Pheonix.

Pact of the Pheonix is in effect...

There was the sound of footstep behind him, he turned to see who had arrived, though he already suspected who it was.

Carthus the god of contracts tread forth. The world shifted and suddenly the white void was replaced with a sandy beach. Several figures stood around them unmoving. Jacob looked to Carthus but simply pressed a finger to his lips, and with that the figure began to move.

Laying down upon the said arm raised as if to defend himself was a younger Human man, he seemed no older than thirty. His shoulder length sandy brown hair swayed in the breeze. His golden eyes were filled with fear. Above him stood a younger Carthus. Around him stood several adventurers who seemed to be of high levels.

The man on the ground begged hm to stop that he did not know what he was doing. Carthus simply smiled, and with a snap of his fingers it was done. Jacob saw as the liquid like living flame of the Pheonix flowed out of him and was immediately set upon and restrained by the adventurers. Carthus seemed like he was about to monologue to the man on the ground, but that is when it all went wrong.

Before his eyes he watched as the mans hair began to turn grey, and then white. His skin began to grow paler and covered in spots. His breath became labored, and both in front of him and behind him he heard the cries of the Pheonix.

Carthus’ smile dropped he leaned down with a glowing palm, seeming to have realized in part his tremendous mistake. This ghost of Carthus screamed as his golden glowing palm meet the man’s chest only for it to pass through meet only by dust as the form of the man collapsed.

“I was under contract to retrieve the bird and question the Totem Master. Greed was my undoing. I wanted to sell off the bird and take every secret from that man’s mind. But no sooner did it happen did I realize what I had become.”

“Your thoughts of profit clouded your judgement. You failed to consider if the man was telling the truth.” Carthus turned such that he held both the Pheonix and Jacob in his field of view. “I could not make right my wrong then. He refused my attempts at resurrection. I must have sunk half a billion gold in all my attempts over the years. But now if you will help me, I can finally complete my pact.”

Jacob wanted to ask only for Carthus to once more place a finger to his lips and point towards the ghost of himself. The ghost knelt over the fallen pile of dust that had once been a totem master and so he spoke in a low, calm voice, “I vow that I will make this right!”