The Soul Keeper

"I told you not to call me that a million times." I said, rolling my eyes. I didn't like the attention and hated the weight of that title.

"And I told you a million times – that is who you are. Just like the Lady said, accept it and-"

"Accept my position for what it is and act accordingly, yeah. I know." I finished his sentence for him. "I don't need you to tell me that. I've heard it more times than I can count." I said with a sigh.

"Yet, you do not act accordingly." Lucius replied with a faint smile. "Which is why I question – how did you end up in this game?" He asked after a short moment.

"Pure luck. It wasn't Mother's doing." I said, then glanced at the sky. The sun had set; the colours of the sky had darkened already. "What about you? I doubt even Mother would be able to guess something like this would happen."

He chuckled. "I don't think the Lady's power is that great." He took a few steps towards the treeline. "A walk?" He asked. I nodded and followed him.

"The PORTAL device was given to us by a… benefactor." He hesitantly said. "I don't know his identity, but the Lady trusted that person enough to allow me to use the device."

"I'm sure she regrets it now." I said. "I'm sorry," I added after a moment's hesitation. "It should have been my duty to use it – not yours."

He chuckled. "Don't feel so bad, Kai." His sudden shift from formal to informal surprised me a little. "At least we got to meet again." He grinned as his yellow eyes shone in the dark. "I'm surprised you recognised me though."

I laughed. "I've defeated you so many times, Lucius. I know your style – you can't hide it from me." I paused. "What about you? How did you know who I was?" He knew my name before I even fought him.

"That little trick of yours – the hand switch. I don't know anyone else who can do that. So, let's just say it was an educated guess." His mischievous smile slowly turned into a grin. "I am surprised though – I had thought you'd go with a strength-based character. Instead you seem to have chosen dexterity."

I shrugged. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later – there is something else we need to talk now." I said with a more serious tone. "I assume you tried to find a way to get out of this game."

He nodded as a dark expression appeared on his face. "Yes, I've found out a few things too, but I doubt it's anything you don't know." He hesitated. "We need to either 'complete' the game or 'lose' the game."

I flinched. I hadn't thought about losing the game at all. What would trigger that? Baile Chailce's destruction? Death of the Ereth gods? The Divine Pillars being destroyed?

"Winning seems more plausible." He added after a short moment. "I'm sure you have noticed just how powerful the Ereth Divines are."

I nodded. I couldn't help but shiver as I remembered the power that nearly froze time itself. "But killing the Demon Lord will be just as difficult." I said with a sigh. "The demons are also incredibly powerful – even now, I doubt I could defeat one on my own."

Lucius hesitated. "We don't know that." He said, choosing his words carefully. "No one has seen a demon and lived to tell the tale."

I shook my head. "I did, several times." I pushed a branch that was in my way and sat on the mossy ground. Leaning my back against a tall tree, I gestured to the young man to sit as well. He hesitated, then did as I told.

"I met them a few times," I said, starting to tell my tale. I left out nothing – not even the parts about Asher. At first, it was difficult to speak. As I talked about my mistakes, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Now, looking back at the past weeks, I could see how stupid I'd been.

But as I spoke, it became easier to do so. I had known Lucius ever since I was a child – we'd practically grown up together. He was the closest thing to a brother I had. That was precisely why I felt so pained to see him here, yet so happy to be reunited as well. My feelings conflicted and my mind a mess as always, it helped to talk about all these past events.

"I see." He said after I finished. Silence covered the forest as we sat there and just… thought about stuff. "So," He said after a while. "This Asher guy…" I flinched as I sensed the hostility in his voice. "The Lady will enjoy meeting him, I'm sure."

"Whoa, wait." I said with a hint of panic in my voice. "Mother will absolutely not learn about any of this. Are we clear on that?"

"Well, if the Lady asks…" He started to speak, but I cut him off. "You will tell her that you don't know the full details and she should ask me directly if she wants an answer." I emphasized every single word as I spoke very slowly. "Are we clear on that?" Perhaps it was because he was fine with that, or perhaps because my eyes, glowing purple in the darkness intimidated him.

"Fine," He said with a sigh. "But please be more careful in the future. Having such a 'connection' with someone else… I don't think it's a very good idea."

I could see why he was worried – they were the same worries I had when Asher cast the spell that bound us. "It's fine. The connection – and Asher – have proven very useful so far. And he's not a bad person – he's just as frustrated to be trapped in here as we are." I shrugged. "Besides, I've got a heap of more important and dangerous people to deal with."

He hesitated, then nodded and asked. "You mean the Ereth Divines."

I nodded. "Tomorrow will be challenging." I paused. "Hey, Lucius. How reliable are those three that fought with you?"

He grinned. "Very. They're not the best fighters, but they are perfect scouts and I'd trust them with my life."

"Then, I need you to do something for me." I quickly explained what I wanted from him. He was surprised, somewhat confused even, but he didn't hesitate at all when I finished my words. Promising to do what I told, he bid me farewell and returned to the city.

I contacted Asher right after. He was also surprised, but he didn't protest. He was fine with what I told him. When I returned to the city, I had a faint smile on my face. A smile of confidence, because I knew that I had allies that I could trust – no matter what.