Armareth's Tower

David flexed his arm, watching the almost complete circle tattooed on his arm. He could sense Ignis stirring just under the veil of his subconscious. He stretched and then settled against the hard wall, near the curved edge of the house. He heard Jo’s ragged snore and Chloe’s sleepy murmur. He couldn’t sleep. Not because he was scared—at least not for himself, but for the others. The low light cast everything in a near-shadow, but David could see Hanna.

She had peeled off her clothes, cursing about the heat in the town. She seemed undisturbed by Jo’s leering eyes. David tried to look away. He waited until she had put on a thin ash-grey dress before they continued their conversation. Now, she was seated in a stiff, straight pose. her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. David saw the tiny fully formed circle on her arm. It was thin, like a thread. But it shone brilliantly when she moved as if it stole a little of the light in the small room.

“Stop staring,” Hanna whispered, startling David. He blinked away the shock, trying to look innocent. Zoey craned up and chuckled. She settled back beside Chloe. David sighed. He wasn’t sure what troubled him more—being weak, or thinking the others weren’t strong enough yet for what they were about to do.

And Hanna. The woman didn’t talk much. Not about herself and she didn’t have any real plan. David picked up his sword and closed his eyes, stepping into the void of his subconscious. It was like stepping into a deep sea of dark ink. He reached Ignis in a moment, held in the light of one large eye. The dragon seemed larger, stronger. Yet, Ignis didn’t seem menacing. His form shrank until David could see his head and much of his wide, rough neck. The rest of the dragon was shrouded in darkness. In the absence of the chains, Ignis spread like a weathered predator.

“You look comfortable,” David said, sitting in front of Ignis. They were enveloped in the darkness. It swirled, moving like rippling oil. Ignis blinked, groaning as if tired.

“You humans, you always fight with yourself when it comes to asking for favors. For a race of weak-spine children, your pride is quite heavy.”

David smiled. Being lectured by a dragon about pride was hilarious, but the dragon was right. He deliberated how best to ask for what he wanted and in the end, he decided there was no need to think too hard. He didn’t have the time or the patience to dance around the point.

“I need to get stronger,” David said. “For me, but also you. You don’t want to win as much as I do.”

“You don’t want to win,” Ignis said. A sharp sound thundered in the darkness behind Ignis. The dragon looked bored. His eyes were half covered, but still they shone. It was like looking at dull orbs cut out of the sun.

“You want to survive,” Ignis said finally. “To survive, you merely need to beat those you can beat and flee from those stronger than you. It is cowardly, but it will keep you alive. Winning is dominating. It means cutting down everyone in front of you until you are the one standing at the peak of your mountain of corpses. Winning is being the one feared, having no speck of doubt in yourself and honing that belief until it is the one true religion.

“You see what I mean? You want to defeat these weak, bald scrappers, yes? But only because you know, deep in that frail belly of yours, that you can beat them. Against Ziel, you almost ran. You would have vanished if you could. You have to know what you want, then you can ask for help.”

“I want to be stronger,” David replied immediately. He held the dragon’s gaze for what felt like an extension of time. “I want to be strong enough to not be defeated. I want them to survive. I don’t have your pride, and I don’t have your hunger to dominate. But I have my duty. And to carry this burden, I need to be stronger.”

Ignis grunted. Smoke hissed out of his large nostrils. David waited, expecting another berating. The dragon stood slowly. His front limbs were like large trees with scars. Large scars that had never healed completely. He stretched, towering over David. He stared at the beast in awe. There was nothing like Ignis, not even Ziel could compare in size and monstrosity.

His heavy wings flapped once, like a flex of cramping muscle. David thought he would be tossed, but the wind passed him. Then Ignis leaned down, bringing his large head to David until his eyes were overwhelming to look straight into. David winced, feeling the gentle stream of essence.

“I will do you this favor,” Ignis said, his voice the storm of rolling boulders. “But it is not without consequence. Of all my memories the little dragon gifted you, you can use one as you are, yet not fully. I called it Dragon’s Will.”

Of course, David thought. And Ignis chuckled.

“You will have to practice fighting yourself, you have a broad collection of my memories to work with. Some you can use, and others you will have to explore later when you are stronger. Do not rush to your death.”

David felt a subtle nudge, like the beginning of a thought. He lifted his left hand, reaching for Ignis’ head. There were jagged scales that shimmered dark and otherworldly. The father of dragons was the embodiment of power, and David felt like it was something beyond essence. It was darker and tainted, but at the same time, it was soothing, temptingly entrancing. His fingers grazed Ignis’ face and the dragon groaned, rattling David’s entirety.

David almost pulled away, but something held him. A consuming heat built up inside him. It started warm, like the gentle licks of a bonfire, then it raged, ravenous in its hunger. David’s eyes clamped shut, his teeth grinding hard as he tried to lock in the scream fighting to be let out.

It wasn’t pain he felt. It was something worse. Every fiber of his subconscious was charred and reformed. At least, that was what it felt like. Nurend introduced him to pain and death, but this was a hundred times worse. He is going to kill me. Or is he testing me? David questioned everything. But just before he reached his limit, it all vanished. The terror slid out of him like sweat from skin pores. He was back in the void, standing before Ignis, but the overwhelming heat of power was gone. Ignis was back on his belly, eyes, half closed, staring at David.

“You almost died,” Ignis said and David believed him. “You are greedy. That is not a bad thing, I believe. Greed for power is what helped me topple some of the naive children calling themselves gods now.”

David sighed, his heart was still racing, but not out of fear or exhaustion. His body simply remembered. It didn’t feel the horrific pressure anymore, but David’s arm still shook at the memory. He caught sight of the small, thumb-size circle. It was complete now and it was solid black. Yet he felt no different.

“Yet, it was the same greed that led to my fall,” Ignis added.

“What did you do to me?” David asked.

“What do you think that circle is?” Ignis asked. David looked at the circle on his arm one more time.

“It represents essence capacity and strength?”

“True,” Ignis murmured. “But the tower rings also mean insight and mastery. Your sister has gained her first tower ring, but her essence control is lacking.”

“The Wailer Note’s spell,” David said, recalling Nurend’s fear when Chloe used the spell. Ignis moaned.

“That was a powerful spell, she can’t us…”

“David!” Zoey screamed, pulling him away from Ignis. David’s sword clattered on the ground as he leapt up to attack only to find Zoey and Hanna staring at him. Elisha and Chloe were behind them. Jo was by the door. He seemed almost ready to run out.

“What?” David asked, frowning at them.

“You were giving off some serious presence as if you were filled and leaking. What happened?” Hanna asked. David sighed, stretching. His body ached. He hadn’t even thought about the weight of Ignis’ essence on his body. It had felt like a thousand stars burning his mind to nothing.

You have gained twenty percent insight into the skill: Dragon’s Will.

Your Dragon Will can overwhelm weaker foes and stun strong enemies for thirty seconds. As your insight increases, the potency of your Dragon Will increases.

Essence Consumption is not regulated.

“Your tower ring is complete,” Elisha said, pointing to his arm. David looked at it. There was something else he hadn’t noticed before. It was like a fading tongue of fire growing from the ring like a leaf in a vine. It was small, barely noticeable.

“What did you do?” Zoey asked.

“Gained insight?” Hanna asked before David could answer. David nodded. “The more insight about your skill and self you gain, the better you will be. Your tower rings are not just to show how much essence you can control or use.”

Zoey seemed to think on that for a moment. Chloe walked over to David and showed him her rings. The ring line was thick, but now David could see that only one of the musical notes was actually bold, the others were just as faded as the tongue of fire on his.

“It is almost time,” Jo said, calling the attention of everyone.

“Great,” Zoey muttered. She’d been eyeing David, but now she stared intently at her palm. Her Vjognir floated about her in a puff of fur. “I was getting bored of being in here.”

“I wasn’t,” Jo said. He had changed into dark pants and a plain, loose shirt that looked way too large for him. Two daggers were strapped to his waist. He didn’t look like much of a fighter, he didn’t sound like one either.

“You won’t be fighting, Jo,” Hanna said. Then she shrugged. “Well, not for me anyway.”

“You are one black-hearted woman,” Jo muttered. Hanna gave him a mocking smile and went back to coiling her whip around her arm. She tied it to her waist and then checked her dagger. David watched how fluid-like her movement was until Elisha nudged him on the side. David shook his head at his grinning younger brother and turned to prepare too.

They waited an hour more until the sun was down and only a few people walked the town. Uthzar welcomed the night. The taverns were not as loud as David expected, and the music sounded like a dirge. It was a town mourning itself.

They walked quickly, following Jo’s lead. The bald man helped them avoid the night patrols. The Stone Sniffers walked the town, berating and bullying and stealing. They walked into a small group of sniffers but Hanna’s whip tore through two pale faces while Elisha’s shadow swallowed the last, snuffing away the man’s shrill cry. When the shadow let the man out again he was dead, eyes wide in shock.

The night was silent again and they continued on their way. They were far into the town now. Here, the silence was different. It was one of fear, not caution. Jo pointed to the only tavern with music. They heard the sound of laughter and merry.

“This is Harthorn’s territory,” Jo whispered, peering from the edge of a low-roofed house. The windows were shut, and there were no lights in any of the houses in this part. As if everyone had disappeared.

“Harthorn?” David asked.

“One of the Hollows,” Jo confirmed

“He is in there?” Zoey asked. Jo nodded.

“Immediately after Balran gave him this territory, he slaughtered a family of four. Just to impose his rule. He placed a curfew on everyone. Asked for tributes and taxes. Merchants were asked to leave their children behind before they travel, so they wouldn’t run away.”

“Enough,” Hanna said, “We are going to ki–”

“No,” David whispered, eyes on the tavern. The torches outside illuminated the two sniffers standing guard. “Wait here, I will do it myself.”

Ignis growled and David felt an urge to do the same. He couldn’t decide on what exactly he felt. Rage? Hatred? What for? He didn’t know these people that were being oppressed.

This was simply another step up the tower for him and his siblings. Yet, he couldn’t mistake the urge to do something.

“If we all do it together, it will be faster,” Hanna said, eyeing him. David shook his head.

“How many is this Harthorn’s squad?” David asked.

“Twenty sniffers. He is strong. To be a Hollow means the stone agrees with you and blesses you.”

David nodded. “Give me twenty minutes. If I am not back, you can come join the slaughter.” Then he walked out of their hideout and made for the tavern. He pulled out his sword, gripped the hilt tightly and broke into a run.

The first sniffer wasn’t fast enough, David’s sword cracked his head open and he twirled on the tip of one foot and parried the second before thrusting his sword through the man’s chest. He heard the gurgling sound as he walked into the tavern.

The music stopped immediately after David walked in, and then the scrambling began.

David saw the Harthorn almost immediately. He was the thick-boned warrior with the most women. He sat leisurely, wearing no armor. David stared at the man in disgust, almost snarling.

Spell: Dragon’s Will

Due to a lack of insight, the potency of Dragon’s Will is reduced.

Essence Consumption is not regulated.

David took a step forward and everyone froze, as if their muscles locked in place. He stared at their dazed faces, the shock and confusion made him want to smile, but he didn’t have time to dally. Harthorn was struggling against the spell. David could feel the man’s effort. He hissed, hating that he was still weak.

David grasped Harthorn’s tattooed head. His scalp was sweaty and strained. He pushed his sword through the man’s mouth and shoved it the rest of the way before the time limit nullified the spell. The Hollow’s strength oozed out of him and he went limp in David’s hand.

Behind him, the other sniffers fell, unconscious from the overwhelming pressure of his Dragon’s Will. David saw the women and the singer in the mix. Wine spilt from a pushed gourd. He picked it up, placing it upright and then walked out of the tavern. Silence washed over the night and David felt an intoxicating kind of elation…and hunger.

“Who is next?” David asked when he rejoined the others. Jo stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. Hanna only nodded after they reached the tavern and confirmed that he’d indeed defeated the Hollow.

“Jo, who is next?” Hanna asked.

“Bas,” Jo whispered, still staring at the bodies. “Bas is the second strongest and holds the center of the town. The Galespring Inn.” Hanna nodded and turned to David, eyes shining with excitement.

“You ready, hero?”

David smiled, but he was looking at the sky. His excitement was waning, and the realization that he needed to be a lot stronger was dawning on him. He sensed Zoey’s eyes on him, but he ignored her. His mind wheeled around with thoughts, fears—worry heaping like a hill-mold. Then it all evaporated when he felt someone touch his hand.

“Let’s go, David,” Chloe said. David smiled at her and nodded.