112 Sleeping in the Cold Below
Most would wonder why I'm still in the ocean. My first hunt was a bust right? Wrong.
I wasn't here hunting for just any material. I was here hunting for a shard of Nox.
That's right. When Persephone and I had our little exchange I was shown a perfect map of every shard in existence across this planet. And much to my shock Nox was a bit cheeky and decided to put one of her shards below the ocean.
As I swam deeper and deeper I found a dark casm before me. It stretched about 50 feet wide and about a mile long. Its edges looked like they had been dug out by a sharp object of some kind. not just a weapon. more like something big landed and was pulled back out. The edges were too clean and the sides chiseled out too nicely to be natural.
As I drew closer I felt the soulful chill of dark energy from it. Dark murky tendrils appeared here and there before dissipating into the waters.
Some poor flounder got to close and I saw it change. It's colorful scales turned dull and grey as it's eyes turned red and malicious. It's body suddenly grew bulbous and menacing as it noticed me and charged forward with a list for blood.
I saw its charge and ignored it as it bounced off my scales harmlessly.
It kept attacking. It's color slowly returning and the red leaving its eyes as it did so. The poor thing suddenly realized what it was doing as it looked up and noticed the much larger creature it was attacking. It quickly swam away frightened.
"Sin. What just happened to that fish?" I asked.
/It looks to be a mix of a berserker skill and dark energy manipulation. Normal creatures get to close and basically become monsters till the effect wears off. But with us around the effects will only be absorbed into power. Though the berserker skill should only be applicable to a single target. And that is normally the being that holds it. So getting that skill would be very interesting to research./ The deep hushed voices echoed through my mind.
I shook my head as I turned back to the casm and dove into its depths. The murky energies began to assault me at every angle. The tendrils wrapping around, slithering with their etherial embraces before dissipating and being absorbed.
My mind felt shocked at first and a bit angry but nothing more.
/Mental Corrosion Inhibited and absorbed. Dark energy absorbed and added to dark attributes.
New skill acquired:
Mob Mentality-Apprentice Class- Causes berserk among those closest to you. Creatures struck by this skill do not care about friend or foe or even bodily injury to themselves. "Must Kill" Is all they will focus on.
Being added to current breath abilities and crowd control capacity./
"Interesting." I though as I dove deeper. The tendrils became thicker and denser as I swam. The crevice grew smaller as I went down.
The tendrils now slammed into me with little effect to slow me down. The power charge I felt grew stronger though. My Mob mentality eventually became Master Class as my immunity to it grew as well. Each bash left me almost without effect. I eventually stopped before a mass of darkness at the bottom of the crevice. It was like a seething wall of dark tendrils that writhed like snakes.
"Do you think you can absorb it Sin?"
/Pfft. Like you even have to ask./
I smirked as I sank my hands into the mass before me.
The writhing increased as tendrils wrapped around me like a cocoon. I began to see images flash through my mind as the energy began to be absorbed.
/Memory fragments found in the power absorption. Does host wish to view them?/
"Why not?" I said
Immediately a fragmented memory played out before me.
A dark world filled with glowing flowers met my eyes. And a bodacious body as well. It took me a moment to realize where and what was happening. Darkness oozed from this woman's body. Her clothes were thin and filled with starlight. Her apparel was barely covering herself and she walked. A dress with a long slit down the side revealed dark flawless skin and beautiful feet in sandals. The lower part of her face was covered by a shawl but her eyes were the color of silver moonlight. Her hair filled with stars and the shapes of moons in all parts of the cycles.
A melodious voice filled the night as she walked. Her voice filled the air like a shanty as a shadow violin rose from the darkness to accompany her flowing chords.
So it's into the Void,
Now me girls and me boys.
From Mother's hands we go.
We'll be be sailing to the sun,
Till the voyage is done.
Then we'll be sleeping in the cold below.
Female demons wearing the clothes of sailors and warriors came from the darkness behind her as she strode forward. Many were armed for fighting with swords, shields, and even a musket here and there.
Some of them bore instruments. Lutes, harps, drums, and a flute joining in with the violin.
Sisters! Below, below
We're going where the winds don't blow,
Yes we're all bound down,
To the deep and we'll all be
Sleeping in the cold below, below.
Sleeping in the cold below
Our sailing ship
Is for the hard and the quick
We roll our load and go
There's a living to be madе
Or there's Hell to pay
Whеn you're sleeping in the cold below
A warship of darkness rose from beneath the small army raising them into the sky. A large creature with an enormous eye floated there. It's largest eye opening into a maw filled with rows of razor sharp teeth.
Sisters! Below, below
We're going where the winds don't blow
Yes we're all bound down
To the deep and we'll all be
Sleeping in the cold below, below
Sleeping in the cold below
There's a man on high
With the Devil in his eye
And a golden hand, I'm told
It can hurt you, it can hold you
He can kick you or console you
When you're sleeping in the cold below
Many of the warriors leapt from the ship flying on demonic wings that looked a mix of bet, insect, or bird. They split up smashing into the creature on any surface but it's mouth if they could help it. Many stabbed it's sensitive eyes and some fell prey to tentacles that threw them into the open maw.
Sisters! Below, below
We're going where the winds don't blow
Yes we're all bound down
To the deep and we'll all be
Sleeping in the cold below, below
Sleeping in the cold below
Oh Sisters you
So wise and true
When it's my time to go
Won't you lay me down
Under Shadowed Crowns
And I'll be sleeping in the cold below, below
Sleeping in the cold below
Nox the entire time had stayed back gathering power from around her into a great ball that writhed of shadows and starlight. Her brow showed sweat and was furrowed in concentration.
Sisters! Below, below
We're going where the winds don't blow
Yes we're all bound down
To the deep and we'll be
Sleeping in the cold below, below
Sleeping in the cold below
Sisters! Below, below
We're going where the winds don't blow
Yes we're all bound down
To the deep and we'll be
Sleeping in the cold below, below
Sleeping in the cold below
As her last demon was dragged into the creatures mouth Nox screamed and unleashed her power at the creature. Starlight as pure and powerful as anything imaginable struck the beast. It's form wavered like a great illusion before dissipating before the might of her power.
As the ship landed back to the ground it dispersed back to the shadows leaving her alone kneeling on the ground as she quietly, slowly finished her song.
Today we ride,
On the darkened tide,
For there's much we just don't know.
So farewell with a kiss,
Then it's fast for the mist,
Till we're all sleeping in the cold below.
Her voice echoed through the dark night as she reached out toward a glowing flower and plucked in her thin hands before it withered into darkness.
"How much longer must I wait alone in this abyss? Why is a goddess such as myself forced to be alone with that abomination here?" She said. Her voice a whisper as she curled up on the ground and began to sob. This violin dissipating into the darkness once more.
The memory was suddenly broken and I was drawn back out. A burning feeling filled my eyes and chest but the waters made it so no tears could flow down my face.
I opened my eyes and was met by a dark crystal the size of a person's head. Its edges were cracked and it seemed to be embedded deep into the ground.
I gingerly drew my hands into the soil rocks around it. My earth magic making the rock more like putty.
"Even though you were put through something like that. I'm sorry I can't help." I said as I pulled the stone out of its resting place. A light suddenly glowed deep in the stone as a serpents eye suddenly took form.
"You know nothing Pretender! You see a shard of memory and pretend you know me! If I had the power to kill you I would and then steal your corpse to get back what is mine!"A deep hiss came from the stone. Its voice crackling with evil intent and the waters around seemed to shiver as it spoke.
I shook my head calmly. "Then you know nothing about me. A has-been such as you should have raised the next generation to be better. Not to show them what it is like to fall. Perhaps even shown them what not to do in times of crisis. Now because of you many of your juniors have fallen. And I am forced to do something I wouldn't have to if you had just left my family alone." I said as I raised the stone high above my head and opened my jaws.
My body expanded to its real form as the serpentine eye within the crystal widened. "No! Nooooo!" It shrieked as I chomped down on it swallowing the stone whole.
I felt a bone chilling power from deep inside my stomache that made me curl up. The discomfort was immense. Like getting a chill up your spine that cools down your body. Feeling like you can't get warm. Flames sprouted across my body as the feeling began to flow away.
/Host has consumed a God Shard.
Shard identity belongs to Fallen Goddess Nox
Now improving darkness attributes and illusion abilities.
Combining...
Complete.
Hosts Dark/Shadow/ Illusion powers now include and have been replaced with the following.
Title
Darkness Incarnate- Boosts all stats in the dark. Improves illusion and darkness skills to maximum.
Shadow Hunter: Makes it possible to attack an enemy from their own shadow. Can swallow them in their own shadow.
Shadow Fiend Summon: Summon a demonic entity of lesser rank. It's made of shadows and Nether energies and will do its masters bidding.
Nether Field: Creates a field out of Nether energies that will consume the life force of enemies within while strengthening yourself and other nether based summons and creations./
I whistled a little as I heard the skills I had gained.
"Such powerful skills and that's just from a shard of her power. I can't wait to see what happens when I consume the others." I hummed.
I suddenly felt a painful popping sound as something came out of the back of my black arm.
I looked down to see a small chibi version of the woman I saw in the memory. Her head though was completely covered by a black shawl. She looked about confused and looked up at me with her head cocked to the side.
I looked back at her shocked. "Um... Hello?"
Authors Note:
I just want to say thank you to all the people reading. Keeps me wanting to write more and do more for your enjoyment. I will admit this song in here is not mine. It is by someone else. I had to adjust a few things and ask for their forgiveness. But it was a piece I truly thought fitting for this chapter and hope they enjoy it.
