Leo stared blankly at the incandescent sun. His eyes turned as if he'd just seen the end of the world. Stuttering, he took a step forward while spreading his arms out a little, scared to even make it repeat itself.
"W-what?"
He tried to quickly follow up so not to anger the voice.
"How would I do that? You said it yourself, my architecture is garbage!"
Indeed, it's request was too much of a task for Leo, not only did the fifteen continents each boast a vast array of kingdoms, some of them empires such as Medius, but aside from the vast number of targets he'd have to take care of, there was also the worry of the people of the kingdoms and their armies! Commiting regicide in one kingdom could turn the whole continent against him, he'd never be able to live a normal life after that. So he couldn't help but ask:
"What about my sister? How can you cure her?"
The voice reached out to him in a reassuring tone and as if having read his mind.
{The terms of our contract will be as follows, in exchange for following my will to the end, you will be awarded the spoils of the contract, those being the full recovery of your sister – through a dosage of the 'cure' you seek. As a byproduct, you will be given acess to the strength of Glacialis forever to be yours.}
It took a slight pause to let Leo process the information, though clearly it was waiting to answer the rest of his thoughts.
{Should you break the one condition, the contract will immediately break, stripping you of all rewards and given powers. The way you achive my will is of no importance, but rest assured, even with your worrying of your sisters future, you and you alone will bear the burden of my will, she will be spared of any consequences that rise from this contract.}
Leo sat and thought about its words. It's words sounded grand, almost royal, but who could expect less from a Tez rank warrior.
'Does that mean, even if I do make enemies of the fifteen continents... Luna wouldnt be affected by it?'
Having heard that, Leo was seriously considering taking its offer, but then again, making enemies of the entire planet was no easy feat. And then there was also the issue of Lunas time, he wouldn't conquer the fifteen continents even if he was given 1000 years, let alone one year!
He was looking up to the sun to soothe his nerves.
{Worry not, child. I shall grant you the power to succeed in your quests, you must only bring me to your sister. As part of the contract, I must ensure the safety and wellbeing of the rewards. Should you accept, your sister will rest deep within this land, somewhere where the Architects Smoke cannot reach.}
The offer sounded too tempting, and with the burning feeling puncturing through his chest he couldn't be more rushed to sign his life away. He didn't understand much of what the voice was telling him, but having understood the basic course of its contract, he was extremely compelled to do it.
{There isn't much time left, Leonidas – your answer?}
Without a second thought, he lunged his arms up at the sky:
"Please! Save my sister!"
{Very well.}
A torrent of snow shifted around the land, the blazing sun raged on as if getting closer to the sky. Atop mountains, and the one he stood on, seracs of ice fell l, creating avalanches all around the valley while the sun melted away the iced out blanket. The runes embedded in his back flew out, circling him violently as the voice threw out some incantation.
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{Leonidas, I, ~~~~~, herby name you the sole inheritor of my will, and proclaim you as the one and only successor of ash, granting you dominion over Glacialis, and its architecture.}
The runes whirled intensely as they flew into the air and spun back around, ready to plunge straight into Leo's heart. As the voice spoke out, different parts of the string of writings changed their shape and colour, some of them turning white, some of them red, this was the conditions of the contract being engraved into its spell.Just before impact, the incantation finished its course:
{I, ~~~~~, name you, Leonidas...}
The runes punctured through his body and wrapped tightly around his heart, sealing the pact as a permanent vow never to be broken, unless for one's entire life.
{The Architect of Ash!}
As the voice chanted down the land, an icy feeling encompassed his insides and only his insides. He could feel the binding magic flowing through his blood, becoming one with him as he'd so easily jumped at the opportunity of salvation. In the next moment the whole world shattered to bits, some snow was grinding at his feet trying to hold his body in place, but that too would eventually fade. The very same light that had saved him once was now radiating in all directions again, shining away the landscape with its brilliant shine and erasing anything that may have been.
And before Leo could even process the sealing of the contract, his world went dark, once again.
^^^
On the other side, things weren't looking too good. The cryptic writings held off the beast for as long as they possibly could, but the limitations placed by Leo's physical ability heavily diminished its chances of winning. Both sides were heavily injured, Leo having suffered several blows to the body, slightly mitigated by the overlaying chainmail and the protection of the runes. On the other side, the blood thirsty worm stood there bleeding with a few puncture wounds in its structure, but otherwise, it seemed like it could attack Leo and still go for more.
The ashen painting from behind emanated with a golden aura, all of it flowing into the back of the sleeping body. His ash blonde hair flailing in the air as more and more essence poured out, both parties could only watch, one wrong mistake in this state and one of them would surely end up dead, even if the wolf had the upper hand – at the moment anyway.
Leo started opening his eyelids slowly, his throat burning intensely as he took in the sight and processed what the hell was happening.
'Hm?'
His eyes jolted open, feeling the smooth texture of the argentine beauty in his hands, feeling the weight on his shoulders and hips.
!!!
Leo tried stepping back as he saw the beast bleeding out from the holes in its body, but to no avail, the runes held him tight in place, all before promptly scrambling away from his body and resting on his sword.
Instead of fighting for him, the runes weaved around and out of his right hand, where the dial enrgavings were, throwing up some interesting information.
[Contract Bind]
[Sucessor: Leonidas
Oath: ~~~~~~~~~~
Duty: Slay The Fifteen Continets
Authority: Glacialis
Authority Recognition: 0
Architecture: Ash
Source: Galcialis, ~~~~~,~~~,~~~~]
Expecting him to understand it all immediately, they dissipated into thin air, like a piece of paper burning in the depths of a volcano.There was a much bigger problem at hand right now though, and that was the starving wolf scratching it's claws across the floor in a rabid manner.
Leo's face remained calm at the sight, not like before, it was quite strange. This feeling he was getting wasn't bravery, or pride, it was something closer to... superiority.
The worm pounced off the floor, extending both claws out like one massive arm of a crab ready to chomp down. But for some reason, its movements felt... slow?
Leo looked at its claws coming down, staring up at the beast as if it were no real danger. Without a second thought, he held tightly to his sword, still retaining some of his fear as a surge of cold shattered through his heart. The runes sitting atop his sword pulsed warmly as an avalanche of snow oozed at the tip of his fingers and spiralled down the silver blood across his swor.
Woosh!
A great spark of ignited across the silver, sending a storm of ashen flames in every direction. Leo having stepped to the side, now having a clear opening to strike, aims his sword straight for its abdomen. And with a swift strike, slashes right for it!
Clash!
With its hind legs the wolf leverages in its lanky body and parries away the danger with its calloused nails. Landing on the opposite side as it tarnishes the very last piece of furniture in the room. Seeing that he missed, Leo couldn't help but waver a little as his head heated up.
'That... should've been it. But... wow, what is this feeling? I feel better than ever, I feel like I could move fifty mountains with one swing of this sword!'
Leo spun his shoulders, shrugging off the heat and got into his unprofessional stance, ready for its next move. At the same time, Leo noticed the dial on his hand with five light still lit up and asked himself:
'What does this even do?'
But he would soon find out, very soon. Because as the dust cleared away from the crash, a red ball spun from behind the foggy mask ready to decimate everything infront. The wolf was attacking!
And the lights lit up again:
Six.