The land before them was dead. It was not barren, or a wasteland, because even in barren lands things can survive. This land was utterly devoid of life. Even being in it seemed to sap the life force from within Laurence and his companions. Wilted trees and graves lined the simple brick path they walked on, with mires of dirt and mud on either side. The light of day was weak, as if it regretted being there, and even flowing water stank like it was stagnant.
That said, the land was not silent. The screams of the damned, of those who had died in this doomed world echoed long after their demise. They deafened and stunned anyone who was brave, or stupid enough to journey into the realm, then swarmed them, trying to regain the life force that had been taken from them through any means necessary.
As they stepped out of the gateway Laurence and Jim managed to protect themselves and Fen from the vengeful spirits through force of their Immortal mana, but Peter simply stood there, revelling in the screams. He sighed lustily as the damned slammed their incorporeal forms into him. They began by screaming in joy as the unprepared fool stood there, completely vulnerable to their attacks, but as they swept through him their screams of joy quickly became screams of anguish as their essence was devoured every time they touched him. His aura spread out and began whittling away at the nearby ghosts, their screams becoming more and more pitiful. Everyone could see his strength was increasing at a drastic rate as he ate the spirits. His face, normally pallid to the point of being almost transparent, was flushed pink. He roared in joy and only after ten whole minutes of draining the vital essence of the spirits did he create a shield that repelled spirits for the group. It shrouded all five figures securely and cut off the devilish cries within their surroundings.
“So where we going?” Peter asked jovially.
“We have about a three hour walk towards the location the gatekeeper is supposed to be, though I'm not sure how anyone can live here. Thia place fights against life entirely." Laurence glanced around, looking at the landmarks and connecting them to things his father had told him before they left.
“What are you talking about? This place is a holy land of Death! An Immortal of Death ascended here, then killed the entire plane! There is so much to learn about the process of death here, and the souls here are so rich! I can barely believe that this used to be a stronghold for the Dominus clan, it's far more believable that the Mephisto created it."
“If this is the place I think it is...” Jim said quietly, his eyes darting around, “The Dominus didn't do this either.” he glanced at Laurence before returning to staring into the surroundings, “It gives me the creeps."
“The power of an Ascendant Immortal is truly terrifying, but this is not what I imagined a manifestation of death to be like." Laurence frowned and clenched his fists, before looking at Fen. “This shouldn’t be what all Ascensions leave places looking like, but it was certainly a drastic choice for the person who caused this to make.”
“This entire place is a perfect expression of a profound understanding of death, and voiding life,” Peter said, interrupting Laurence. “You might be a Saint of Death but your foundation is truly lacking. Every single thing here has taken on the aspect of Death in an aggressive manner, as an antithesis to all that life is. It’s horrifying, and kind of brilliant."
“I guess it’s because my foundation is different to yours, because all I feel from this place is stagnation. Death is supposed to lead onto life, and life to death. It’s a natural cycle that allows the existence of everything from the most basic micro-organism to Babel herself. Here... here, all I feel is stagnation. This place goes nowhere and because of the after effects of the ascent it can’t go anywhere. It’s one large mausoleum, and I can understand why the next key was sealed here. Nobody should ever come here, the entire world is the antithesis of growth, not just life."
The three men continued to argue the intricacies of the nature of Death through their journey, until finally they arrived at a simple marble building. The building was like a beacon of life in the darkness that was the aura of Death within the realm. It was a pristine white, and pulsed with a flavour that was simply too rich for any of the spirits that floated nearby to consume. There was a heavy oak door that had been worn and stained by use and age, and the remains of a garden that had long since been abandoned to the blight that spread throughout the land. The house itself was protected, but the garden was not.
Glancing through the windows, Laurence was unable to make out a single detail of the home within but that did not discourage him. He trusted his father, and the feeling that he got from the building was that it was likely the only place within the entire plane that could resist the degradation of Death. It was the bastion of the Absolution family without a doubt.
He walked to the door and began rapping his knuckles against the heavy oak. After a minute he heard shuffling and the door swung open to reveal a blond man who looked like he was in his mid-twenties. Dressed in the standard white garb of the Absolution family, he smiled as he saw Laurence and his friends before ushering thm inside. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to show up, Laurence,” he said as he closed the door.
“I know you don’t I,” Laurence replied. “We’ve met before."
“We have indeed, and you left a pretty big impact on me back then too. A boy, younger than me by months, managing to shatter my climbing speed all the way up to the tenth floor. I was impressed and envious, and I was blown away when you disappeared. I saw how tough you were, and it impressed me, cousin, so I couldn’t believe you had simply died on your climb."
“...Quentin?” Laurence asked hesitantly. “Wait, cousin?”
“Yes! And technically it’s second cousin, because of our parents. Either way, would you care to introduce me to your friends? The message uncle Angus sent me was vague at best. You’re working with a Mephisto clan member and a Caesar to access a well that can bring back something?”
“I...” Laurence reached up and clutched the pendant around his neck, letting the crystal dig into his rough skin. “I’m trying to access a Manifestation of an insane member of the Hepahistia clan, from near the clan’s inception. They, a woman called Yoth, created a wishing well to bring back her lover from the dead. Peter needs it, because someone murdered his wife and I need to do the same thing." As he spoke, Quentin’s eyes opened wider and wider.
“Your wife died?” Quentin walked over to a chair in the corner of the room, set by a roaring fireplace, and slumped into it. “This is a lot to take in. Are you okay? When did it happen?”
Laurence smiled painfully, “A long time ago. Her death was responsible for my eternality and I can never forgive myself for letting things happen that way. I regret becoming an immortal, so I will use all of my future to give her the chance of a continued one."
“How bittersweet. I can’t imagine the pain that you...” Quentin stopped and his head shot up in shock. “Wait a second, you said you’re trying to bring her back? You’re trying to circumvent the cycle of reincarnation? That’s insane! Nobody has succeeded before, and if you do then you’ll break everything!”
“Nobody has succeeded that we have heard of. But with the Well of Yoth I’m hopeful. I mean there has to be some reason why my family went so far to hide the existence of the well."
“Why did our family hide it? What are you talking about?”
Laurence smiled before looking out of the nearby window, just staring at the mortific tableau that played out behind a seemingly thin pane of glass. “Not our family, mine. The Hephaistia clan. They hid the well because it’s supposed to grant wishes, but nobody knows whether Yoth succeeded or not. All they know is the location and that it was marked down inside the Book of Creation as complete. It doesn’t mean that the manifestation did what it was supposed to, I know mine certainly didn’t."
“Is that the blue beam of light that is still hitting the Valley of Kings? The one that crystallises everything it touches?”
“Yeah... That’s not crystal. That’s frozen time. I wanted something to stop Cleo dying so I stopped everything."
For a moment there was only the crackling of the fireplace filling the silence between the two men. It stretched on and on before Quentin finally spoke. “Laurence, you’re in way over your head. You’re definitely not the first person who has tried to bring back their loved ones from the dead, in fact that is supposedly how the Mephisto clan came to be in the first place."
“I know how many people have attempted this before, but still have to try." Laurence sighed. “Not to mention, the auger that Peter visited before he found me said that I was the best chance he had. It’s me or nobody."
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