34
<span style="font-weight:400">Back at Herdstone. Bigger beastmen herds start arriving. From a few dozens to a hundred at most. They also carried unfortunate humans and dwarves on their way. On the base of the Herdstone, a b sacrificial altar was made. Lak oversees the sacrifices offered as the chief shaman of the Golden Herd. Those who offer much are first to receive the adoption ritual given by Mal. By the time the dawn of the next daye, the Golden Herd number have almost doubled.
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">This brings back memories. Me and all who were still at the tavern when the guard arrived are now sitting in individual cells. Even the barmaid and the old man are also locked up. Courtesy of the witch hunters that arrivedte. We are taken here in case of corruption they say. Apparently simr rapid mutation cases are happening all over the city. How do I know about that? Courtesy of the two clearly nervous guard who sat on a table near the stairs up. Chatting or drinking in an attempt to ignore the Amber wizard who is ring at them while growling nonstop. This has gone on since they put us in the cells. Hispanion, who is actually his wife, keeps trying to calm him down. Back then too when the witch hunter arrived. I’m sure he will attempt to kill them if the wife did not interfere.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Lives sacrificed on the Herdstone</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">24 souls acquired</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Finally, I get to try to forge something. Sitting down and leaning on the cleaner side of the cell, I returned to Sanctuary. Back within Sanctuary, Vriel already finished grieving and currently inspecting the soulforge.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you alright now?” She gasp in surprise as I asked
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe. I don’t know”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good enough.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What happened?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh this?” I look at my soul body that now have the red taint too
<span style="font-weight:400">“I was… attacked. Partially my fault. But you are outside at the time so it’s good” I said as I approached the soulforge.
<span style="font-weight:400">But then I felt stupid as I needed material to forge something. And there is no material here. Thankfully Vriel decides to not pry further.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is this?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It''s a Soulforge. <span style="font-weight:400">For warpsmithing.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You mean like enchanting?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Simr, but this is more powerful.” I touched the anvil.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then it notifies me that I have materials. The Screamers that I captured back can be used as one. Picking a Screamer as the material, it instantly appears on the anvil and shrieks as it burns. Vriel recoils in surprise but watches intently from a distance. Let’s see. Making it soulbound and can be taken in and outside the warp only cost one soul. That much I somehow know for sure.. The rest is trial and error. Focusing on an image of a spear I throw five souls into the fire. 5 more voices join the chorus of screams.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait!” Vriel voiced.
<span style="font-weight:400">I ignore her and start hammering. Emphasizing on sharpness and piercing while also trying to make it have 3 edges. The screaming silenced with each hammering. Growing even more distant until it stops at thest hammer m and the spear is finished. The end result is a bluish long spear with three edges. Precisely what I imagine it to be. Thankfully soulforging is more of an image and willpower thing rather than skill and practice. Because if so, the result will be really bad.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Did I see right? Did you use human souls to make that?” Vriel asks with a tinge of fear in her voice
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, yeah. It’s a soulforge.” I put the spear down and start making a new one.
<span style="font-weight:400">Another Screamer screams as it burns on the anvil. But Vriel grab my hand before I can continue
<span style="font-weight:400">“What are you doing?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Stop this at once.” She demanded as she wedged herself between me and the forge.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Out of the way.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No! I won’t let you use those souls.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why do you care? It’s just some souls.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s precisely the reason! They are souls for Isha’s sake! They weren''t supposed to suffer anymore!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I have to do this for us to survive.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then why do you care so much about me!? But not them?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I made you. You-you are like a daughter to me.” I tried to exin
<span style="font-weight:400">She frowns, conflicted on what I said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then you must know. They are someone’s parents or child or someone’s loved ones.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I know.” I looked at the me on the soulforge again
<span style="font-weight:400">“But you can’t understand, do you?” I looked back at her in surprise
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. Not anymore.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Quiet reigns between us as I realize. It finally clicks. What’s been missing from me. How I could keep up in this world. My empathy is gone. It made so much sense now. How I barely connect to everything that is happening. Even to Kal, Lak, and Druig. The aloofness to the point of uncaring.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I-I can stop for now if you want” I relent.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her pained face is unbearable for me. My motivation for making things is now gone. I turn back and sit somewhere. Now only waiting for dawn as there is little to do even on the other side.
<span style="font-weight:400">Vriel then sit a distance beside me
<span style="font-weight:400">“You said you made me? Can I ask how?” She finally ask
<span style="font-weight:400">“Asahane… was not exactly a good mother figure. She asked for my help to ensure you are conceived. Also some more help before.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“So Tyrion being my father is true then?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Did Teclis tell you that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. It was a daemon that disguised itself as Lord Tyrion. Then he kills my mother.” That was a horrible way to find out who your father is.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why didn’t you tell me?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I told Teclis. Figured the newsing from your uncle will be better received than from me. He didn’t get the chance to tell you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Quiet returns again for a while
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is this soulforging really necessary?” She start again
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, when the daemons of Khorne attack, I have no weapon other than my magic. I cannot bring weapons from outside and Soulbound weapons are the only thing that can be freely brought in and outside the material world.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. You have no other choice then” She took a deep breath. “I won’t stop you anymore”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, you are the only one I have now. And I don’t know what to do anymore” She sighs. “I… apologize for my outburst.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You did nothing wrong. Normal people would do the same thing you did.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I stand.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I will make you some. So at least you can defend yourself if something happens” I said and went to the Soulforge again.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Daemon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I still don’t know your name”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You know my name, I gave you mine.”