Chapter 444 - Advancement of the Soul

This ended up being a long one! Took me the extra day to get everything to where it needed to be, but the extra effort felt well worth it. Super pleased with how this turned out! Hope you enjoy.

What Hump saw next brought his mind back to his time in the gorger’s lair. Menos’ soul was bound. His essence restricted so that he could not call upon it at all without Wizard Charles’ permission, let alone cast a spell. All colour drained from the wizard’s face, and sheer terror filled his eyes—the kind of terror that only a person who had had their soul in the grip of another could understand. There was no fighting back once the man had his grip on Menos. It was sheer domination, the kind Hump had only ever seen once, and it was terrifying to see it at work.

There were many dark magics that Hump had been taught to fear—necromancer, mind magic, curses, and spells of torment—but this was the one he feared most. He would never forget the agony as his soul was torn at by the gorger’s will. It hadn’t crossed his mind that there might be a wizard that possessed the same set of skills, yet here Wizard Charles had completely taken over another wizard’s soul.

Fortunately, Wizard Charles was no monster. For all the power he possessed, he used it responsibility.

Hump approached the wizard. “Wizard Charles, a moment please.”

The two of them stepped out into the hallway, huddled in the dull light. Hump glanced each way but there was nobody around.

“What is it?” Wizard Charles asked.

“What will happen to him now?”

The man appeared conflicted by gave a subtle shake of his head. “It is not for me to say.”

Hump clenched his jaw, frustration building in him. “I want to be involved. I want to help!”

“Humphrey…”

“—He came for me,” Hump said. “Poisoned my friends. Attacked us in the streets. I can’t just ignore what happened and hand him over, never to receive answers. Never to know whether he will live or die. I need to be involved. This was my capture.”

“I will take him to the Order,” Wizard Charles relented. “What becomes of him then, I do not know. It is not my decision to make. For now, he is restrained by my magic. I expect Aldric will ensure any questions regarding you are answered—the man looks out for you for you, truly.”

Hump gave him an appreciative smile. “I see. That is reassuring. But do we have time for Wizard Aldric to return from the north? Realms colliding with out own sounds rather urgent.”

Charles gave Hump a glance—it was only for a fraction of a second, but Hump caught a glimpse of regret. A mistake. Dots connected. His mind raced as realisation came to him. The many things that hadn’t added up, the decisions from the commanders that Hump had questioned.

Aldric never left Elenvine. Or perhaps he left with a way to return.

But why? Hump thought, trying to fill in the gaps of missing information.

There was only one reason he could think of. There had to be a spy in their midst. A member of the Three Eyes allied with Anthony. It made sense. The warlock had been a member of the order, and any wizard as powerful as him would have no difficult time making allies.

“Aldric isn’t in the north,” Hump muttered. “Attacking the stronghold from our realm was never the core of the plan. You need them to think our forces are committed. Or… you think there’s a spy. Surely I was not considered?”

Wizard Charles snorted. “No offence, lad, but you are not that important. No. It was simply need-to-know, and you are both new to the Order and of too low rank. Or at least, you were... I believe the strength you have demonstrated in the battle with Menos proves otherwise. You may be brought into this yet. But until then, I have already said too much. Leave Menos to me.”

Hump frowned, feeling conflicted. Count Daston had already informed him that there were people working against Kassius and the warlock plot in Elenvine. Were the two sides involved together? At the very least, it had set some of his worries aside. It seemed Emilia was right, and those in command were more competent than Hump had given them credit for.

Wizard Charles had already done him a favour answering his questions. He could not probe further, at least, not without being discourteous.

“I should at least help you get Menos to Aldric,” Hump said quietly.

“There is no need,” Wizard Charles said. “As far as anyone else is concerned, we will simply be two friendly professors taking a stroll. If you want to help, ensure Torvik gets home safely and has everything he needs. And talk with him. Torvik’s insight will be valuable, I am sure. Menos is not of sound mind, who knows what he might have said.

Hump nodded. “Understood. The fact that I know this won’t be a problem, will it?”

Wizard Charles sighed. “Not exactly. I may never hear the end of it from Melissa though. And you may find someone knocking at your door one of these days.”

Brilliant, Hump thought. A random knock in the night from a mysterious wizard was exactly what he wanted…

Things were moving, and it was in a direction he could not predict. There were too many forces at work, and he knew almost nothing about any of them.  The only thing that seemed clear was that it seemed war was returning to Elenvine sooner rather than later.

When they returned to the Department of Astral Cartography, the others had freed Wizard Torvik from his confinement and Dylan was tending to him, his nature essence encompassing the man. Already, Torvik was looking better.

“You will come with me, Menos,” Wizard Charles instructed, striding over to the man. With a simple flick of his wand and short command, an illusion fell over Menos, concealing his wounds and returning him to his usual appearance. “You will cause no disturbance, you will answer my questions, and in return, you will not be brought to harm. Is that agreeable?”

There was a shift of Menos’ face. A calmness came over him as his essence was restricted. The anger and hate were gone from his eyes and replaced with reluctant acceptance.

“Yes,” Menos said flatly.

Wizard Torvik strode over and gazed down at Menos on the floor, disappointment in his eyes.

“I am sorry to see you in this state, Menos,” Wizard Torvik said. “A true shame that this is the path you chose. I considered you a friend.”

“And I you,” Menos said. “Forgive me, Torvik. I have… lost much of myself. It is only now with my soul bound that I can see just how much. You did not deserve this.” Menos turned to Hump. “And you, Bearer of Infinity, know this—I am not the only one that hungers for what you possess. When the veil between realms opens, and all that dwells beyond descends, many will come for you. You must not let them have it.”

Hump studied the man, trying to figure out his intentions. He did not feel like there was any ploy behind his words. He could only think that the restriction on his soul truly had cleared his mind.

“Why tell me this?” Hump asked.

“Because even I do not wish to see the world burn.” He turned back to Wizard Charles. “I am ready, Charles. Do as you will with me. I will not resist anymore.”

***

Hump stayed behind with Wizard Torvik for a while. The old man was in good spirits despite the ordeal. Most of the talking was left to Hump and Dylan, with Hump asking questions and Dylan gently guiding the discussion to avoid overwhelming his recovering friend.

Wizard Torvik had been held for two days. Menos hadn’t harmed him—on the contrary, he’d treated him with an almost obsessive courtesy. Meals had been provided, his wounds tended to. Hump had wondered what Menos had done to the man to get him to talk, but he had been wrong to think Wizard Torvik had broken at all.

He had not. He had told Menos nothing.

“I am sorry, dear boy,” Wizard Torvik said. “I should have figured it out sooner. Menos came to me asking questions. At first, they were more general—he was interested in the White Flame Wizard and what you were doing for me. I humoured him, but did not tell him much. And then… the questions became more probing. By the time I confronted him, it was too late. He used the Shackles of the Inquisition to bind my essence and kept me locked away.”

Hump gripped the old man’s hand in both of his. “I am just glad to know he did not harm you.”

Wizard Torvik shook his head. “Yet my oversight almost got you killed. When I saw him return, injured and his mind gone… I could hardly believe it. How did you defeat him?”

Hump smiled and relayed the story once more.

And so Menos had talked at length.

“He said they were coming,” Wizard Torvik whispered. “He is convinced the planes are aligning, and I must admit, his analysis was difficult to dispute. It is far from my field of expertise, but I have some understanding of the astral, and this did not bode well. The veil will soon fall. It seems these warlocks have a hand in it.” His eyes had a clouded look as he recalled their conversations. “He was mad, but if even a fraction of what he said is true… All of Elenvine—no, all of Alveron is in peril. We must do something. King Henry must be informed.”

“There are those already working to stop this,” Hump said. “Wizard Charles has ordered me not to speak of this to anyone. I must ask you to do the same, at least for now.”

“Charles said that did he?” Wizard Torvik grumbled. “When I returns, I will speak with him on it. This is not a matter that I can ignore.”

“I’m sure he will appreciate your input,” Hump said.

There was a knock at the door. One of Torvik’s assistants arrived to take over, leaving Hump and the others to return to his safehouse. Along the way, Hump caught the rest of his party up on his discussion with Wizard Charles, but his mind was elsewhere. After all he had heard, all he could think about was a matter he had been putting off for too long.

War seemed inevitable. If demons and warlocks were to break through from other realms, Hump needed his strength. For months, he had used Spirit Overflow to pour increasing amounts of essence into the rest of his core, and after the battle with Menos and his apprentices Hump knew he had reached a breaking point.

It was time to test that limit, even if it killed him.

When he was finished talking, they were all seated in the safehouse living room.

Bud leaned back in his chair. “So… does that mean we’re not going to the Dukedom of Yore?”

“Don’t know,” Hump said. “If this is a diversion, they may still want us to be a part of it. Our orders haven’t changed.”

“I hope so.” Dylan sighed. “I’ll admit, I was looking forward to some time outside of the city.”

“My family is here,” Emilia said. “If we have a choice, I want to remain here. The thought of the city being attacked again with me away is… I can’t lose any more of them.”

“That’s enough reason for me,” Celaine said. “Who cares about orders. We’re adventurers. They can’t just force us to stay.”

“We’re Chosen,” Bud said. “Emilia is a noble. Perhaps you and Hump are free to do as you wish, but the three of us must do as we’re commanded. That doesn’t mean we can’t speak with Count Daston again and try and force the matter.”

“Before that, there’s something I need to do,” Hump said. “For a while now, I have been close to advancing my soul. I can feel myself right on the edge of advancement—even more so after the recent battle—but I can tell that it will be different this time. Dangerous. I didn’t want to risk it before I was prepared and had all of you to keep watch. Now that the situation has changed…”

“You think it’s time,” Celaine said.

Hump looked at her concerned face and nodded. “We need every advantage we can get.”

“I don’t understand,” Dylan said, leaning forward, one elbow rested on the table and his chin in his palm. “Why is it different this time? You’ve never asked for help before, and my master never mentioned any issues when advancing to the sixth rank.”

“I believe it’s my technique,” Hump said. “The River and Waves, and each of the advancements for it, build upon the soul. Spirit Overflow does so even more aggressively than before, flooding it with essence that requires increasingly more focus to keep contained. I can tell if I go much further, I will need to somehow compress that power.”

“What if you don’t?” Dylan asked.

Hump frowned. “If I fail, I think the walls of my soul will break down. It will definitely cripple me. I might kill me. You can see why I want you standing by.”

Bud straightened. “When were you thinking to do it?”

Hump shrugged. “Is there any point waiting? Might as well do it now and get it over with. The sooner the better.”

The others exchanged glances.

“Are you sure?” Emilia asked. “If this is dangerous, perhaps you should get advice from the Three Eyes.”

“I’m sure, Emilia,” Hump said. “This is my technique. My soul. I can do this. And if we’re heading into battle soon, I need to be at my best.”

“Are you sure you aren’t rushing things?” Celaine asked.

Hump nodded. “I’ve been holding off for a while.”

“Good. Then let’s do it. You tell us what you need, and we’ll make sure it’s done.”

There wasn’t much—water, Essence Elixirs, and a Tonic of Vitality Dylan had purchased for more money than Hump cared to think about. If things turned bad, it might help, though there was little that could truly nullify self-inflicted damage to the soul.

With everything ready, Hump sat cross-legged in the centre of the room, closed his eyes, and turned his focus inward. The others formed a loose circle around him, their silent support aiding his confidence. Nisha’s worry on the other hand, not so much. The little dragon could tell something was up even if she didn’t fully follow.

But that didn’t matter now. He envisioned the River and Waves, descending into calmness as he let his essence surge through him. At first, that was all he did. Time faded away, until he was lost to the motions of his essence, guiding it around his body and soul, all of his channels one part of the same system. At the very centre was his Spirit Well, brimming with essence that was ready to spill out into his core. Once it did, it would take everything he had to keep it inside.

Hump drew a deep breath. There was no point waiting any longer. He was as ready as he could be. The walls of his soul were steady, his mind was clear, is essence was stable.

With a thought, he followed the Spirit Overflow technique and unleashed all the power he had stored up. Immediately, his soul became chaotic. Pain flared in his chest as the walls of his soul fought to contain the flood. Nothing could escape. One crack, and Hump feared the rest would fall all at once.

So he steeled his will with a focus like iron, intent only on the pain. Only on keeping it contained.

***

Celaine paced back and forth at the edge of the circle, eyes locked on Hump. Sweat clung to Hump’s brow, his breathing shallow and quickening by the second. His hands twitched, curled into fists against his knees.

Beside her, Nisha sat still as stone, her purple eyes unblinking, fixed entirely on her Keeper. A change had come over the dragon. She seemed to sense something had changed. No matter what Celaine did, Nisha wouldn’t react in the slightest.

Celaine wondered if the dragon was as nervous as she was. Her own heart was racing. She stopped pacing, clenching her fists at her sides. Something was happening.

The air shifted. A pressure rippled across her skin, radiating from Hump. The room felt suddenly cold as Hump’s soul manifested in a violet blaze. An oppressive weight descended. It pressed on her chest like a hand, stealing her breath. The world seemed still. The very space around him warped, essence churning, caught up in his power.

Hump groaned, his breathing growing more erratic. His body trembled. Essence glowed beneath his skin—threads of red, bronze, green, and blue, pulsing like veins of molten power.

Come on, Hump, Celaine urged silently, lips parting with the whisper.

The world stirred again. The room trembled—not violently, but with a deep, resonant hum, like the straining of strings drawn too tight. Hump’s staff shook, vibrating on the floor nearby. The table rattled. Cups danced in place. Paintings tilted on the walls. Nearby chairs slid an inch as if nudged by invisible hands. Even her bow, slung across her back, seemed to pull toward him.

Celaine glanced at Nisha, yet still the dragon only stared.

No.

Her eyes had changed. They shone with gold, getting brighter by the second. Soon, the golden tips of her black scales glowed too.

“What’s happening?” Dylan asked.

“I… don’t know,” Celaine said. “She must be reacting to Hump’s breakthrough.”

There was a burst of power, drawing Celaine’s attention back to Hump. Flames burst to life mid-air, spiralling like fireflies before vanishing. Grass sprouted between the tiles beneath him, vibrant and green. Others cracked, dirt rising from the ground and compacting, forming clumps that hovered, suspended by an unseen force, slowly orbiting him.

And then all at once, his soul withdrew. The flares of essence stopped, and in their place, Celaine felt almost nothing.

“Is it over?” Bud asked.

“No,” Celaine whispered, as essence shimmered beneath Hump’s skin. His face strained. Nisha closed her eyes. “I think now it truly begins.”