Layers upon layers of white frost and ice are all I see in front of me as my vision and consciousness returns. Valery’s made certain to make this prison sturdy, the thick walls encasing me, combined with the vice-grip the Murkling has on me will make escaping nigh impossible.

But that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

From my conversation with King I know I’ve got to curb my own hubris— with the right people and the right opportunity I could be put out of my own misery and all our ambitions and plans will be for naught. The child King has spoken of will never know us and the power and vengeance we’ve lusted for will be lost on us— I have to be careful.

However, divided as they are their power will never consolidate into one being without prior preparations and even though I’m blinded, I’m not deaf. Putting [Greater Cognizance]- Lvl.4 to use I quickly pick up on their thoughts, positions relative to myself and each other as well as where we’re moving.

The constant wobbling couldn’t be anything other than movement, I’m not surprised either, Valery would have to manage some way to return me to Lumina so I can continue my duties or be punished. The latter is unlikely as my escape is at hand.

One of the Mages in her team, a Jerad, is an adept conjurer and my prison is hefted away by one of his creatures.

‘That’s one extra enemy already.’ Though I don’t expect a fight to come of it, it’s good to count potential enemies.

The dead— at least what’s left of them are hauled by one of the injured elves— another Mage, this one adept in evocation— if my memories serve me well she’s the one that started the chant for this ice block to begin with. I’ll be sure to take her out first if it comes to it, competency is dangerous.

“Let’s take a break here,” Valery says, and a sigh of relief chorus’ through. The creature carrying us groans and sets us on the ground, returning to Jerad for pets.

Valery walks off to speak to one in secret, I make sure to listen in.

“How are they, Kelv?”

Kelv, a quick surface scan of Valery’s mind provides barebones information of the broad, tall elf. A caster just like herself and a veteran rebel, the proxy leader second to Valery herself making him just as if not more dangerous than she considering her high opinion on the man.

“Not good, but you know that already. A demon this powerful wasn’t what they were expecting to face when you brought us in. We’ve lost half of what we came with and most of that was done by the demon’s pet slime, Vuius save their souls. That kind of death isn’t good for morale, especially not when Lumina’s made herself public enemy number one to the Emperor.”

Valery groans, hearing your own terrible thoughts about the situation from someone else is painful. Gathering her resolve, she asks the question she meant to from the start, “Do you think…do you think they can keep going? Keep fighting?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“The enemy, if it’s that demon again…I don’t think even I can do it.” She gasps and he sighs, “I know you said this demon is supposed to be the key to how Hescaria survives, how we prosper. I got the whole speech from Lumina but Vuius knows I’m scared. This is against her will and aside from how our two leaders are committing a grave sin whilst leading us into what might be an unwinnable war, I think this demon is going to do what all intelligent fiends do. Betray.”

I can’t say Kelv is too far off the mark, between King and I it’s likely a betrayal will occur where there’s an opportunity for one. Our goals go beyond their squabbles.

“I know, that’s why Lumina’s assigned me to keep watch over it, I’m the only other person capable of subduing it. Also, I’m the only person going against Vuius, the lot of you are just fighting for your Queen, I’m the one bound for an eternity with that thing so I guess I may as well have a head start.”

‘Valery? With us? All the time?’ The groan in King’s voice is evident, having Valery hanging around us all the time is the last thing we need. ‘We’ll have to kill her.’

‘No, if we kill her then Lumina will do something stupid and dangerous to both of us. We can’t fight the Empire by ourselves and if she stops fighting then we lose the war and the pact is broken. I don’t know what happens when a pact is broken and I don’t want to find out.’

King grumbles a bit but doesn’t fight me on the matter. I stop listening to Kelv and Valery as their conversation begins to divulge into the mundane and uninteresting. I pick up on Jerad and the competent one instead.

Huddled at the base of a tree Jerad and…Navi console one another on their lost friends. I don’t bother listening to their sobbing, the information I need lies at the surface of their minds. Reading through it I find that the other two Mage-Warriors involved in my imprisonment have gone to scout ahead just in case the Empire has sent guerrillas in or activated agents.

Valery doesn’t think it likely that they have given the time since I handed over Prince Deran and now has only amounted to two days, it’s unlikely they’ve even reached the capital yet. But the Prince himself holds considerable power and can give these commands, it’s best to be cautious.

‘Too bad she isn’t focusing on the real danger here.’

Had I be thrust into the block before meeting Valery I’d be stuck in here, struggling against the mana running through the solid, trying my best to activate my frozen Seeker Blade to claw my way out or even trying to burst out with brute force. I would have been met with limited success, in fact, doing that would only draw attention to my consciousness and have Valery be cautious of me.

However, since regaining the important bits of my memories I recall the life I had as a Dragon Lancer and Novice Necromancer, even without King’s aid I can get out of this with a simple technique.

To become a Dragon Lancer mastery of the weapon is first required and then mastery of self. I trained under Draenir to master my body temperature at all climates before the ancient Dragon bothered to become my patron, it was merely one of many of his tests and trials but it’s particularly brilliant when mana is applied.

I shut my eyes and cut off all my senses, focussing within— ignoring the frigid cold paralysing my bones to harness the power of heart as the ancient Dragon called it. The heart is a tireless muscle, endlessly beating and throbbing to maintain a steady flow of blood throughout— even within the ice it beats, slow but maintained.

I cease control of it and have the powerful organ beat faster, channelling mana through my veins and Essence through my muscles. Before long the sudden burst of activity warms me up. Essence flows through me freely and so does mana, mixing the two I manage to light myself on fire within the ice.

It’s a small fire, quenched from existence repeatedly by the ice but it’s not long before I can see past it, the Murkling’s arms loosen as King commands briefly takes control to command it and my feet touch the bottom at last, melting out the Seeker Blade.

‘Ready?’

“Ready.”

Under King’s command the Murkling boils towards a single point on the ice, Jerad startles, muttering nonsenses as he stares at the increasing hole on the ice.

“Valery! Your demon is doing something!” Navi, the competent one springs to her feet and screams. But it’s already too late.

I plant my feet on the soaked soil and stretch. Bones pop and crack all through my back and arms as I flex. Jerad finds some sense and beckons his pet into a hostile stance.

Setting eyes on the monster for the first time, I hesitate to even think of harming such a magnificent creature. It stands tall on four hooves, taller than I at my ridiculous height and dwarfs its master. It has a clean tuft of brown fur forming a mane at its chest that tithers out along its thick neck.

Even in its aggression, the arcs of lightning dancing off its antlers illuminate the mystic power that oozes off of it. At first glance I sense an unshakeable bond between Jerad and the Elk towering over him.

In the seconds I lost admiring what I may have to destroy, Valery returns. I raise my hands as fury, fear and a torrent of emotions flood her face.

“Get back, all of you!” she screams at them.

Kelv takes a strong foot beside her but she shoves him aside with a scowl that shocks him to core, “Valery…you can’t-”

“Get them away from here, Kelv, now.”

Even without the use of [Greater Cognizance] I know her sharp tone isn’t conveying an order to her Lieutenant, she’s pleading with him.

Kelv sputters, losing all words to grapple with Valery’s sudden plea. It scares, no, terrifies him that there are monsters his friend wouldn’t want him to help with, and it only reinforces that itch in the back of his head, the one screaming at him to pick his things and run far away from the Valery that he’s come to know these past few weeks.

He nods and sprints at Jerad and Navi, whispering something to Jerad so they mount the impressive lightning Elk and vanish into the thick of the forest.

Valery doesn’t lose sight of me, her eyes pin me to the spot as she watches me for the slightest sign of aggression— one wrong twitch and she starts chanting carnal.

“I should have never let Lumina do something so stupid. Mother was right, demons are despicable tricksters.” She swears, glaring up at the thin smile on my lips.

Lumina’s warned her of King, the aberrant the pact doesn’t mention or rather, the part I failed to include. In my defence, I hadn’t the slightest idea that King would have the ability to switch places with me and even less that she wouldn’t be encumbered by the power of the pact.

As is, Valery’s carnal is the single reliable weapon against us. Even with King in control it seems the bond crafted between the summoner and the summoned is stronger than the pact with Lumina.

All contracts are null and void when you can’t communicate directly with the identity or identities that signed it. And for all of Lumina’s screams she couldn’t command King to stop, to not leave the Palace, to return.

I shrug at her curses and offer the Seeker Blade as an olive branch, “There’s really no need to send all your friends running off, Valery, I promise I won’t kill them unless I have to.”

She eyes the Blade but doesn’t take it, instead she asks, “And who am I speaking to? The one that calls herself King?” she snorts, amused by the thought, “Or the one called Nil? Why am I even asking? You’re one and the same, aren’t you?”

Again, I shrug, no use confirming or denying her theories on what went wrong and how we’ve managed to render the pact effectively useless.

“All you should focus on is the fact that neither want to kill you now, Valery. I want to work with you, the way we’re supposed to.”

“And how is that?”

“First, you should get it out of your head that you’ve any control over anything now. Without me you lose your war decisively, and Lumina goes down as the last Hescarian monarch, thousands of elves die and millions more are enslaved. The life the Empire let your people live would seem a dignity compare to what’s to come.

“Second, acknowledge that I’m not on your side, I’m not here to prevent loses or do your bidding or anyone else’s, I will cooperate to achieve our interests, an end to this war and the start of mine.”

“The start of yours…I’m not so sure Hescaria will be able to commit her full forces to the war of a demon that lets its people die.” She sneers.

“If I spend all my time running around saving your people from war then it will never be won. Neither of us can boast the power to end this war, but if you let me do as is necessary, then it won’t be long till you’re helping me with mine.”

Her scowl deepens as she shoves Seeker aside to walk up to me, she stares up at me still as she repeats, “You’re saying…Lumina and I should let our people die holding back the line so you can get stronger in peace? Is that what you were running away to do? What power can be found in this hill?”

Maintaining my thin smile, I close the distance between us, “It’s either this or your annihilation, Valery.”