“I subdued you in the cave with my own power. Erol didn’t play a part at all,” Riku grumbled.

“Prove it. Let me search your memories. If I find out that Erol tampered with the results, I will destroy you.”

“Fine. I’ll let you search my memories. In return, when you discover that I wasn’t lying you must help me get out of this mess.”

“Deal. I will tell you my true name and teach you the correct way to use me. You may have my previous master’s memories, but they are nothing if you can’t use them.

The sword’s spirit enveloped Riku’s consciousness and sifted through his memories; pausing briefly on various key points throughout Riku’s life. Every time it paused, Riku winced in pain. Meanwhile, not even a second had passed in the real world. When the spirit got to the memories involving the incidents in the cave, it paused and took its time figuring out what happened. It paused interested on the scene where Riku released his power.

Hmm… this child did not lie. I’m curious at the power he unleashed. If he figures out to release it, he would be a force to be reckoned with. Maybe that’s why the staff and my subconscious mind chose him as our new master.

"Kid, my name is Dragic. I will help you out. Remember the feeling when your consciousness separated itself from your body? I’m going to need you to do that.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to take over your body and teach those amateurs a lesson.”

"I thought you were going to teach me, not use my body to perform attacks.”

“I am, but given our current circumstances, you will die before I can teach you anything.”

“Very well.”

Riku disassociated himself from his body and watched as the sword spirit took control.

“You have messed with the wrong person for the last time. I will give you one last opportunity to leave with your lives intact,” the sword spirit said.

The masked men looked at each other and laughed. They moved into a defensive position and steadied themselves to stop any attack directed against them. Unfortunately they did not anticipate Riku vanishing and then reappearing behind one of them, his sword held above his head and an evil smile plastered on his face. Riku swung down and cut one of the masked men’s head off before any of them could react. He reached down, grabbed the head, and chucked it at one of the other masked men, who caught it.

“Heh, you’re next!” Riku said and pointed his sword at his target.

His prey locked eyes with two of his companions and nodded. They vanished, while his mark stayed still. Riku smirked, slid his sword back into its sheath, and charged straight ahead. Five feet away from his target, Riku rapidly unsheathed and then sheathed his sword. Multiple black slashes appeared and moved towards his prey, who tried to defend but failed. His remaining companions watched in horror as he was cut in half, his body parts absorbed by the dark skull that arose. The two masked men reappeared behind Riku and blew darts, intending to knock him out. They were shocked when some of the black slashes changed direction and headed towards them. No matter how hard they tried to dodge or defend against the attack, it cut through obstacles and latched onto their location within seconds. Resigned to their fate, the men detonated themselves, thinking it was better to kill themselves than be killed and absorbed by Riku’s attack.

“You’re the last one. How would you like to die?” the sword spirit asked the leader of the group.

“I don’t believe this. How did this happen?” the leader dropped to the knees in shock.

“Prevent him from moving and detonating himself,” Riku told the sword spirit.

The sword spirit swung the sword and cut off the masked man’s hands.

Riku asked the spirit for control of his body back and then said, “Not so fast you suicidal freak. Tell me everything you know.”

The man raised his head, glared at Riku in hate, and said, “You should be more worried about your companions. We set up a formation and killed and trapped most of them.”

"You fucker, die,” Riku said and cut off the man’s head.

Worried at what his attacker said, he sprinted back towards the campgrounds, where he discovered Sylvia on her knees crying. He looked around and saw the campsite in shambles and the heads of its former inhabitants impaled on stakes on the outskirts of the camp.

“I’m sorry,” he said to Sylvia.

“Who would do this?” she asked.

"On my way back I was ambushed by Lord Mazark’s men. I killed them,” Riku replied.

“So it was Lord Mazark’s doing?”

"Yes.”

“I will kill him. I will rip his head out and leave his body impaled on a stake for crows to eat.”

“You know I have a vendetta against him. Join me on my mission to end his life.”

“Yes…”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What do you mean their talismans shattered?”

“Milord, all five shattered at once.”

“The boy must have gotten stronger. Very well, send some trackers after him and tell them to observe his movements. I am willing to wait and see how strong he gets before he comes to challenge me…”

"It shall be done.”