The Court of Souls?

“In literature and poetry, a shade can be taken to mean the spirit or ghost of a dead person, residing in the underworld. The image of an underworld where the dead live in shadow is common to the Ancient Near East, in Biblical Hebrew expressed by the term tsalmaveth (lit. "death-shadow", "shadow of death"; alternate term for Hell). The Witch of Endor in the First Book of Samuel notably conjures the ghost of Samuel.

Only select individuals are exempt from the fate of dwelling in the shadow after death, ascending to the divine sphere. This is the apotheosis aspired to by kings claiming divinity, and reflected in the veneration of heroes.”

- The Journey to the Afterlife

***Dedessia, the Sea of Souls, Clan: Carissimi***

***Elona, 16 years old***

“How am I supposed to learn something about myself if Grandma doesn't allow me to leave Yggdrasil? It's like being grounded!” I scratch another number onto the paper. I call it scratching because that's exactly what I am doing. I am not writing, I am manhandling the pen and violating the paper to inscribe numbers on it! There isn't any other way to get rid of my frustration.

“Sis, you know that Doreen won't allow us to leave the clan to explore the surrounding area. She wants us to be able to defend ourselves. And besides that, venturing out alone in this world is like asking for trouble.” Quianna plays the voice of reason, like always. My own voice of reason is missing in this matter.

Her tail curls up behind her while she inspects my work. Then she points at the last line of my calculations. “Are you sure about-”

I raise my hand. “Yes, Quianna. Please don't try to help me with the numbers. We both know that you have a special talent for randomizing them instead of doing an actual calculation.”

Quianna presses her lips together, emphasizing those unbearably cute dimples of hers. They stand in complete contrast to her personality. She may be an idiot when it comes to numbers, but human relationships are frighteningly easy for her. She just has to look at someone and is able to judge a person's character. Then she wraps them around her little finger before they even realize what happened.

When my little sister returned from her quest inside the maze beneath Yggdrasil she was different. I am not referring to her tail, which bears similarities to mine and yet looks more like it belongs to a fish. The elongated ears and the webs between her fingers aren't the problem either.

It's her personality. Ever since she returned she is more- more- I don't know, more mature than me. I think that's the right way to describe it. Doreen explained that the maze does different things to everyone aside from setting off their natural transformation earlier.

According to her it's the dangerous situation and the stress which allows more detailed access to lost memories. Sadly, she must be right. Almost all of my major flashbacks came when I was in a tight situation with my back to a wall.

“I just don't understand why lows and mids are allowed to roam the surrounding area while we are locked up in here. When you look at my power-level I am at least a mid,” I grumble.

I want to fly around and explore the world. Moving in small circles around Yggdrasil is boring. At first I wasn't into the whole 'flying' thing. But after my first fifty crash-landings I got the hang of it. And it's wonderful to take to the skies. Up there I can actually forget for a moment how cruel and unforgiving this world is.

Down here, when I help with Grandma's administrative responsibilities, I get much too involved with the sufferings of our people. This paper for example, with this paper I just damned our normal immortals to hunger. One meal a day isn't much to go with. Though maybe I shouldn't worry so much? At least they will live. What chance would they have if the fighters are too weak to protect them?

Sometimes the climate in this world goes from extreme to downright hostile to life. Those phases can last for years and they are always the cause of great pain and suffering. It's not like our food and water supplies are already in the red, but it's certainly going in that direction. The last year was the harshest so far and it doesn't look like it will get better any time soon.

Doreen took ten of our higher immortals and led them on a hunting party to bring down one of this world's bigger creatures. Once you are hungry enough you will even try to hunt lions for food. The monsters are the only things which stay out in the open while all the creatures which are smaller than a human go into hiding.

They hide inside some deep hole and don't come out until the environment gets better. The result is that we need stronger and stronger hunting parties because the lows and mids can't find any game they can kill.

Suddenly the door bursts open and Chloe steps inside. “Come! Both of you. You have to go to the maze, we are under attack.”

I drop my pen. “What!?”

Mother ignores me and pulls Quianna out of her seat. “Another clan just opened a portal right next to Yggdrasil. They are attacking the food and water supplies. You two, go to the maze where our weak are hiding. The other higher immortals already put up a defence perimeter.”

I follow Quianna and Mom to the balcony. Chloe doesn't waste time and takes Quianna in a princess carry, jumping down. She doesn't spread her wings completely. Instead she just uses them to direct her fall and carry them towards the entrance to the maze.

The maze isn't just an annoying and dangerous way to test young mids and higher immortals. It is also a very convenient bunker to hide in.

I follow them while observing the scene around Yggdrasil with dread. There are several groups of people out in the open, fighting. Mostly mids; the others fled. One of the huge water-balloons which grow on Yggdrasil's roots is burst open and the precious liquid is seeping away. People in black uniforms are filling barrels with water and carrying them off while others are looting the warehouses at the bottom of Yggdrasil's trunk.

We have many of those and I doubt that we store much food on the lower levels, but I'll still have to redo all my calculations!

“Who would do such a thing!? And what about our higher immortals?” I call out, barely hearing my own voice because of our rapid descent. “And where is Shawn!?”

“Occupied! They have higher immortals of their own. Shawn is out there, fighting. And I will go too once you are safely inside the maze!” Chloe spreads her wings just in time to slow her fall before hitting ground.

What greets us in front of the entrance is a war scene. Several of our people are fighting a group which looks like some kind of elite force in their black leather armour. Titho, one of our higher immortals, is using a barrier to hold off two men from entering the maze. She is also shielding one of her downed comrades.

One of the two men has a sword and is mechanically throwing blow after blow at Titho's barrier, producing a steady beat of shock waves which threaten to burst my ears.

The other one holds a spear and directs a steady stream of blazing white energy at the barrier to support his comrade's efforts.

My mind can't keep up with this development! Why are they attacking us so violently? What did we ever do to them? Just a few seconds ago everything was so peaceful.

Chloe sets down Quianna. “Run for the entrance and hide.” She doesn't even stop moving and hurls herself at the nearest opponent. He is just a low and is taken down with a single hit. My mother is a minor deity, so everything below a mid shouldn't be a danger to her.

But still, while Quianna is running for the entrance I keep turning around to look back at how Mom is doing. I watch her heading for Titho and then she throws herself into the fight, attacking the spear wielder.

I concentrate my attention back forward to run faster and realize that Quianna is already at the entrance and waiting for me.

That's when Quianna screams and slams both hands in front of her mouth. But her attention isn't on me, she is looking somewhere behind me. To Mom!

And that's when I realize that the steady drumming on Titho's barrier stopped. I look back.

The spear wielder has Titho pinned to the ground like some kind of interesting butterfly, his spear through her shoulder. He reaches into his tunic and pulls out a golden collar, then he kneels down to attach it to Titho who is still putting up a hopeless fight.

Mom is fighting the swordsman, barely parrying the weapon with her bare hands and the claws at the ends of her wings. One look is enough to know that she is weaker than him.

Deep slices are on her forearms and she looks desperate. Suddenly the swordsman steps forward and to the side, drawing the sword over her mid section and brings it up behind her! Her left wing is cleanly taken off and Mom drops to the ground, screaming.

The man steps above her with a grin on his face and grabs the hilt with both hands, pointing the tip down at her.

“Mom!” I reach out for her and try to stop my momentum. Why? Why! She is so far away. I'll never be in time! These people! They aren't worth being called people!

I redirect all my mana to my legs, using my inner mana manipulation to its fullest. My muscles feel like they will rip apart. But the tip of the sword keeps moving downwards and I am too far away. Too far. How can I stop him from killing Mom!

Kill him! Celes of Chimera would never let anyone harm her kin! A god bows to nobody, not even to fate.

Unbelievable power floods through my body and every cell. My view and understanding of this world shifts as something inside me rearranges itself. Suddenly I am so much more than before.

They are so weak! It's a joke to call them gods. Minor village deities. Nothing more.

I don't understand. Why does this other voice in my head sound so vengeful and full of hatred? Is this really me?

My vision blurs into a tunnel and then my outstretched hand closes around the blade of the descending sword. And stops it! My eyes must be as wide as Mom's and the swordsman's. But while theirs show utter surprise, I feel my face distort in hatred and anger. They hurt my family!

A twist and the blade breaks. The man jumps backwards, as if fearing me. My hand moves so fast, it's just a blur of motion and the broken blade flies at the man.

His hand blurs too, deflecting the projectile with the guard of the broken sword. But that's what the other me wanted! The action brought his hand back into reach!

My left hand closes around his wrist and yanks, pulling him back into my embrace. My right arm moves up and around his neck, taking him into a headlock while my legs snake around his torso. A muffled scream is all he manages as my arm applies more and more pressure. He struggles, but I am so much stronger!

See? They already break just from a gentle hug.

My body arches and pulls at his head while my legs keep his torso firmly in place! The head detaches, spine and all! There is so much blood! I never knew there could be so much blood! The bad memories from my fight with the goblins come back alive! Why are my past lives so brutal?

I want to scream and forget what I just did! I killed a person! Not a goblin, but a person! A living, breathing human being!

The other me basks in the satisfaction of having rendered justice. The other me isn't done!

The spear wielder re-evaluates the danger I represent. He pulls his spear out of Titho's shoulder and aims it at me. A burst of searing white light blinds me as I block it with one hand, redirecting the energy upwards. I can actually see the bones in my hand and it hurts a little, but I doubt that there is much more than skin damage.

When the burst stops I just stand there, chuckling, and looking at my hand. It's a little red. As if I got a light sunburn. The other me thrusts her open palm at the gaping spear wielder and I feel a sizeable part of my inner mana bursting forth. It is a short, compressed burst of power, but enough.

The spear wielder's upper body evaporates, no, is blown away. The energy of my thrust was transferred directly to his upper body, while the lower part stayed unaffected. Somewhere at the horizon far, far behind him a rock formation shakes and a hand-print makes a visible dent, then the whole thing crumbles. The remaining lower body falls on Titho, defiling her with innards.

My eyes search the battlefield, but there is no one here who is worth my effort. Most of the attackers broke and ran when I dispatched their leaders. The rest are currently being cleaned up by our fighters.

Again I get this tunnel vision as I step towards Titho who is lying on the ground, her eyes moving left and right in despair. Apparently the spear wielder ordered her not to move.

I kick the body away and kneel down, forcing open the slave collar. I try to avoid hurting Titho while doing so. Luckily the metal feels like clay between my fingers, so I have her free in no time.

When it is off I point at my mother who is still on the ground and holding the ugly wound on her torso. “Heal her!”

Without waiting for an acknowledgement I head out to search for other attackers. I use the new stepping technique to zoom towards the area where I saw the most fighting when I had a better view from above.

There I find six of their immortals fighting seven of ours. And we are barely holding our ground. I zoom in directly on the leader and attack him from behind while he is busy with Shawn and another immortal.

My strike goes through, but the brown haired, bulky man barely notices it. There is a visible imprint of my fist in his metal armour. Though all it accomplished is that he bristles with anger from taking a hit to the guts. “What's this? Now you already need three people for me? And one is just a teenager.”

“Elona! What are you doing? Get out of here!” Shawn calls out in utter terror from behind me.

“So she is your weak point? Elona. I'll have fun with her once I've you out of the way.” The walking mountain of a man moves with more speed than his size suggests. In a moment he is in front of me with both hands raised high in the air. Then he brings them down to crush me with a double hammer fist.

But all I do is step forward, into his attack. For a moment we look like lovers in a tight embrace as our lips almost touch each other. Then my arms embrace him and I use my wings as a lever to utilize his forward momentum.

I throw him over my hips, crushing him heavily into ground and landing on top of him. The force makes him gasp and before he has time to react I have wrapped myself around his body.

He roars as my wings close around us and make it impossible to move. Though his arms are still free.

I barely notice his attempts at getting in a good blow. They hurt and bruise me, but some instinct inside of me doesn't allow to let go! He is mine!

When nothing else helps, he grabs my horns and pulls. At first he manages to pry my head away from his chest. But as my fingernails dig through his metal armour and into the soft skin beneath it, they draw blood. And touching him is all I need. I feel his power rapidly flowing into me.

This feels so good! I want more! Without even realizing I shift higher on him like a boa constrictor to get into a better position.

Slowly he loses the strength to fight me. His rugged, unshaven face is so close, but I don't care. He will do the job until he is empty. Ever so slowly my face closes in on him and all I can concentrate on are his lips. A moment before they touch he turns his head away and screams. His voice has a high pitch and lost its manly tone.

I am a little disappointed at such a let-down. “What? Didn't you want to have fun with me?” I exhale into his ear as our cheeks brush past each other and I shiver as even more energy is transferred to me.

This power of mine doesn't collect just mana, but life-force and vitality itself.

He tries to squirm his way out of my grasp as my lips touch his neck. But it's hopeless. For him at least. I shudder in ecstasy as his power drains into me and I feel the bruises which he caused on me healing.

A shudder runs down my spine and a burning sensation spreads through my hips. I close my eyes and moan. Then I realize with embarrassment that I came. Just a little, with such a guy.

Curse this ability!

When I open my eyes the moment is over and the atmosphere destroyed. I am hugging a shrivelled, dried up corpse. “Gods, I hate this ability,” I mumble with a fair amount self-loathing.

Remembering about the battle, I unfold my wings and sit up atop of him. It seems like the enemies fled and the fight is over. I am surrounded by Shawn and his comrades at a respectful distance. It also seems like Doreen returned with her hunting party while I was... busy with my opponent... or should I say victim?

Let's call him a snack.

No! How the hell did that come to mind? Am I falling for my instincts?

Grandma is standing in front of me and eyeing me warily. “Elona? Are you... you? Or who am I speaking to? You are leaking a lot of your aura. Could you try to tone it down a notch? The pressure is a little unsettling.”

Ah, now I get why they keep their distance. They are afraid that another personality is in control. And... erm... I've just eaten someone. That might be a tad bit unsettling. I focus on my mana and pull it into my core, sealing the leakage. That guy filled up my reserves and I must have lost control when I came.

“Yes and no. I think I am a little bit someone else.” My eyes wander to the ground. “I think I was the goddess Celes in a past life.”

I touch my lips in thought, trying to remember as much as possible from my flashback. “Queen of the realm of Chimera. Wow. My old lives sure had flashy titles.”

Then my eyes catch Chloe who approaches us from Yggdrasil's direction. She is assisted by Titho and Quianna because she has trouble walking and is still missing a wing. When she sees me she abandons her helpers and bulldozes into me, pulling me up and into a tight embrace.

“Oh, I am so proud of you! Your first kill! And a big one at that! Now you are a real succubus!”

Please. Let me die. I don't want this lewd ability.

.