Black tendrils weaved up from Mirio’s feet, twisting and turning their way up his body, as the veins on his face darkened.

The godstone at his back glowed brightest around his silhouette, as the chitterlings prepared their clattering teeth up against his face.

THUNK

His blue shoulder pauldron smacked to the ground at his feet, as a chitterling tenderly eyed the flesh of his shoulder and lunged forward with its teeth.

Mirio’s muscles twitched as the creature’s teeth scooped up a gob of his flesh in its rancid maw.

*I will fight hardest, when at my weakest…*

The veins in his eyes began to blister and bulge as his racing heart bursted capillaries all over his body.

The chitterling licked its lips in delight, as it swayed over to his collarbone, savoring the scent of his skin as it sunk his teeth deep into his flesh.

The poison flowing in Mirio’s veins left him unable to scream, as though he were in a dream. The only evidence that he was in pain was the sweat beading from his face and neck.

*I will not be defeated by veils of truth…*

The creature licked its lips, and swayed until it met Mirio eye to eye. Even though he was paralyzed he could smell its rancid breath, and see the sadistic pleasure in the creature’s eyes.

The swirls of black magic swelled in size, cloaking his body, and seeping from his wounds, an unstoppable thirst for vengeance calling at him to take over.

… Finally…

A voice whispered from behind him, with a sense of satisfaction and glee.

I was just planning to kill the princess… But I get to remove a thorn from my side too…

Time slowed to a standstill as the words filled his mind, almost as if the voice wanted to savour the moment the creature’s teeth scraped along Mirio’s face.

Isn’t it poetic… You desire most of all to have an identity of your own… And yet you will die…

Faceless

Mirio ignored the violence in Akur’s words, and tightened his resolve.

*I will remember who I am*

The black smoke rising from his body began to spin and whirl into magic circles, flashing with magical sparks of light. The black in his veins, split into red, green, orange, and blue, and bled into the black magic seeping from his wounds.

With all of his might, he closed his eyes, and in that split second, flashed the memories of his life.

Waking in his mothers womb, the horrid mocking and despise of his father, following a sense of mystery to a strange woman in the plaza square, her shining spear calling to him like it held the answers he was seeking.

Training without relent, winning over the other guards, the respect of the adventurers that passed through town, and even knowing the soft and loving touch of Kabi… While it had lasted.

It all flooded back to him, in the form of a single and resolute message.

The sum of all he was, was far more than any of his parts.

He didn’t need to pretend to be a hero, or the strongest, because all he had ever wanted, was just like Akur had said…

To have an identity all his own.

“You are right, that is what I want, my own identity”

And you were always too weak to create your own.

“Also true… I was a child after all…”

Pathetic, and dependent on others for the warmth in your heart.

“Because without it, I knew I was cold”

So you gave them everything, and because of all of it, you will die.

“I might die, here and now, but you will forever live in the nightmare I feared”

ENOUGH!

With a snap, time rushed to catch up to itself, and the creature’s teeth sliced across the right side of Mirio’s face, dragging against bone and sinew, until it caught in the viscera of Mirio’s eye. With a snap of its jaws, it gulped down Mirio’s cheek, and half of his right eye.

His muscles clenched tight, the whirl of magic circles intensifying, into a storm. His remaining eye locked onto the creature in front of him.

His lips peeled back, to reveal his own teeth as his body pulled tight on the lashing of rope that tied him to the godstone.

The creature pulled back by instinct under the pressure of his gaze, sure that an attack would follow it leapt to a safe distance with the other chitterlings.

“You guys, sure are snappy”

“I shouldn’t have underestimated you”

“Don’t worry, it won’t happen again”

The chitterling paused for a moment, reading the content of Mirio’s meaning rather than understanding the words themselves.

CHI SAK NI TA

The meaning of the creature seemed to be saying “too late now, you won’t get a second chance”.

Mirio flicked two of his fingers, and spun it into a sigil.

“DIVINE LIGHT!”

Blistering light washed the cavern white sending the chitterlings scattering back sheltering their eyes.

Mirio held his remaining eye closed, as he summoned forth his dark blade, slicing through his binds in one sharp motion.

He peered into the world winds around him, and looked up to the entrance of the cavern where a figure now stood beside Gladly. The figure of the man was scarred with ancient elven writing that burned red hot.

Gladly’s eyes swelled with relief, “Valian!?”

The wizard tore off his blood soaked cloak, to reveal his scarred body. His silver hair blew across his face as he pulled forth wells of mana from deep within his flesh.

“Chitterlings… Tough luck kid, but I won’t get another chance to do this”

The relieved expression on Gladly’s face turned to horror as Valian lifted his hand toward the god stone.

“You can’t! He’s just a kid!!!”

“So was I…”

Fire swelled around an intense pinpoint of light at the centre of his palm. It pulsed and shook as it rapidly grew in size. Valian’s wounds opened up, his blood being drawn into the ball of fire as though it were a black hole.

FLASH

The purple crystals that lined the walls of the cave like a geode, lit up with dark orange light, as the inferno swirling through the cavern shook the mountain around it. The blast landed with such ferocity that crystals shattered and broke loose all through the cave, slamming to the ground like a rain of spears.

The chitterlings hadn’t even time to screech, as their flesh was immolated from their bone, until nothing was left but ash. As the whips of flame peeled back to reveal the carnage of the blast, amid the crater stood Mirio’s smouldering figure, his one eye piercing through the smoke and wreckage, his hand held in front of him and trembling as a trace of his warding spell faded.

“Well I’ll be damned, he lives” Valian said as his eyes smiled subtly.

Gladly’s fear melted away and his face warmed as he looked upon Mirio standing before the god stone.

Blood poured down the side of his face, as he turned and lifted his chin to stare at the portal above the obelisk.

“Mage guy, you have any idea how to close this gate? You know… Before more come through?”

Valian turned to Gladly, “He doesn’t even seem mad that I tried to turn him to ash, maybe I was wrong about this one, seems practical”

“Yeah that was what I was saying, the kid is a good seed. I hate to ask, but do you mind…”

“Ah, of course” Valian replied as slicing through the trap with a whip of magic.

Gladly dropped to his knees, and grasped into his satchel, pulling out a shimmering vial, which he then poured onto his wounds, taking special care as he pulled the chair legs out of his guts.

Valian strode down to the god stone next to Mirio, and slapped him on the back, leaving a blood hand print.

“You earned your right to live today…”

“I’m just glad you came along when you did…”

“Hmph… It’s my job”

“What now, how do we close this gate?”

“Couldn’t say, Azmit is one of the strongest mages this world has ever seen, and I doubt he is going to stand by as we try to close this thing”

“Azmit?”

“One of the strongest of the blackhand, he’s working with Rainal it seems. His scrying eye has breached these walls, so he’s watching us, be careful what you say and do”

“Well, shit, and here I was hoping the fight was over”

“Ha, I can’t even count how many times I’ve wished the same. No, not even close…”

…

A flash of light burned on the other side of Dasha’s ice wall. The blue ice was turned yellow for an instant as the mountain rumbled all around them. She gripped tightly to her sword grip and ran to a hole in the ice.

She blinked as she pulled her eye back from the ice.

“The chitterlings, they… They’re gone”

“What?!” Alyssa said as she made her way over to check for herself.

Her lips let out a gentle wisp of fog as she held her eye to the hole in the ice. On the other side she saw smoke and ash strewn around the cavern, and Mirio standing by the god stone with blood pouring down his face as a Silver haired mage, also covered in blood and his body carved in intricate elven runes came over and slapped him on the back.

“They’re hurt, quickly, remove this wall” Alyssa said as she fumbled for a satchel hidden underneath her outfit.

The ice drew back like a rapid arrival of the spring, until nothing was left but a pool of water. Alyssa splashed through the puddle, and then into the piles of ash covering the cavern floor, picking up the grime on her boots as she went.

“Please, brave champion, you’re hurt!”

Valian turned with his hand held up, “Please, princess I’ll be fine, it will take more than these scratches to…”

“Here, hold still” Alyssa said as her hand cupped Mirio’s face and turned it towards her.

“Oh, of course, the boy, yes good thinking Princess” Valian replied as he cleared his throat.

“Uh thanks” Mirio replied tenderly as his remaining eye locked onto Alyssa’s.

“My god… Your eye!”

Mirio grasped onto Alyssa’s hand as it shook opening the bottle.

“No! Let me do it” she said as she gently declined his aid.

The potion sizzled and burned as it coagulated into a gel on his wound.

Dasha strode calmly behind them carrying the Duke’s arm over her shoulder. The Duke looked on, pained by every step he had taken with the aid of his knight.

“Your eye! They removed it?!” Dasha asked with disgust.

Valian smirked, “In a manner befitting their barbarity”

“What does that mean?” Dasha replied.

Gladly hobbled over to the group, and squinted up at Dasha while holding his side, “It means they scraped it out with their teeth, as he was held down in agony”

“They what?!” She said as she recoiled.

“Damn it…” the Duke growled, his eyes stared up at Gladly, “This is why I didn’t want a kid down here with us, dirty business like this has a habit of leaving its scars”

“I’d be dead if it wasn’t for him, twice now, so I personally am glad he’s here. But I guess, you are right… Sorry”

Mirio rolled his shoulders, and ran his fingers over the hardening gel on his face, “Bah, don’t apologise. Just help me learn a good illusion spell after this is done to hide the scar”

Valian smirked, “I like the kid, he’s practical”

The Duke stared at Valiaon with venom in his eyes, “Does mutilating children amuse you?”

“No my lord, I simply mean to say, he’s earned my respect”

“So… You no longer want to put a mark on his name then?”

“A mark?” Alyssa said as she turned toward Valian, shocked.

“I don’t regret what I asked of you in the past, I had reason to believe he was a danger to the kingdom… But I’m glad you declined”

“A mark?” Mirio said with a confused look on his face.

“It means he felt you were better off dead than alive” Dasha said as she grit her teeth.

“Calm down will you good knight, I will remind you that I just saved all of your lives here, and the Duke knew of my more ruthless tendencies when he took on my services”

Mirio looked down for a moment as his thoughts whirled.

“You almost had me killed, and now you saved my life… Damn, you are cold blooded aren’t you, remind me not to get on your bad side again” he replied with a wry chuckle.

“See, he gets it, can we put that business to the side now. We still have this gate to deal with, unless we want more of those things pouring through”

Mirio gripped tightly on Ember and spun it over his shoulder, “I’ll hold off anything that comes through, while you all figure out how to shut it down”

Dasha stepped up beside him and spun her sword up and over her shoulder in a high guard, “And I’m with you”

The Duke, wobbled on his feet, but looked back at Valian with determination in his eyes, and then down at Gladly, “Well, what are you both waiting for, let’s finish this”

Alyssa slipped back and grabbed onto the Duke’s side to steady him. After he settled some of his weight onto her shoulder she gazed over at Mirio.

“He must become my knight” she whispered into the Duke’s ear, before locking his gaze to hers, “Promise to aid me?”.

“Pfff… Sure the kid is brave, and talented, but what makes you so sure he has what it takes when it comes down to it”

“You want him to prove himself to you explicitly? Have him kneel before you, and bend to your will, so you might decide to recognise him? Typical. Why not just admit that men who walk their own path threaten you”

“Don’t be absurd, I’m not threatened by anyone, least of all this kid”

“Whether you believe it or not, it doesn’t matter, he will become more than any other champion you’ve gotten your hands on”

“Are you serious?”

“Call it a woman’s intuition”