Ultimate Trickster Lord Reincarnation

Burning Sigils

Diane's behavior was unexpected, but the new name was even more so.

While she spoke my attention was caught by something moving under the streetlights. My senses were always attuned so I wouldn't be taken by surprise. A raven jumping around underneath the glow tossed its head about for bird reasons far beyond human comprehension. Always having been a fan of ravens, upon seeing one I must have mumbled it out loud.

The next thing I knew, I was 'Sir Raven.' It was quite the mysterious villain name, so I had to thank Diane for giving me a tasteful pseudonym.

Trecking back to the Swine's Haul had been for the attempt at coercing Diane to work for me. Even though I couldn't use her now, having no money or land to my name, I was sure she could be useful later on. Better to start early in collecting promising baby chicks to raise. How I would convince her, however, would depend on her reaction to seeing me. In my heart, I hoped she would be grateful, but if that wasn't enough I planned to dig and find her secrets. Find what she longed for. So long as she had the slightest of desires, I was confident I could harness it and make her mine. Gratefulness was too shallow to rely solely on anyway.

Right now I couldn't deal in riches or connections, so desires were my only currency for trade. My status as a 'dirty street urchin' loomed. The frilled white top, mask, and dark pants I wore now helped to curb that impression. I felt thankful for clothing stores with shoddy locks. Accompanied by my long dark cloak and androgynous appearance, I gave off a cultured, mysterious aura.

Diane had fallen for that cultivated look hook line and sinker when I had arrived, making claims I was more than happy to oblige in her assumptions that I had connections to the Outreaches as a rich, criminal overlord.

That was my profession, once. Take the girl out of her criminal lifestyle living body, but you can't take the criminal lifestyle out of the girl.

"A deal?" Diane responded to my question, knees firmly planted on the wooden floor.

I kept my hand outstretched. An energy in the air crackled with potential, and my racing heart fed off every electric pulse. The feeling of taking them under your wing, of taking those desires for yourself; I lived for it.

"I will find your parent's killer, and I will let you take their life with your bare hands. Should you so wish." I began, her eyes growing hungry at the prospect, "and in return, you give me a life for a life."

Diane's face crumpled in confusion. 'What life?' her mind appeared to ponder. I cut in on her racing thoughts, the wind rattling at the windows behind me.

"Your life, for the life you will take. Your subservience and trust. Become one of mine, and I will fulfill your every dark desire," I persuaded, voice sultry and thick with sweet delight as I stepped closer to her. My shadow mixed with hers in a tangle of grey tendrils, backlit by the window light. "This will be our gospel."

The energy, an almost burning sensation continued to well up within me. It bit at my fingertips like frostbite and filled each inch of my limbs with an urge, an ache I couldn't describe. Each moment was tense with wanting, and the surges of power nearly caused me to tremble violently. My heart pumped with the rhythm of a man in battle. Trickling sweat traced my neck, led by an unseen force.

Diane stood up, reaching out her arm. We met in a handshake.

The second our hands touched, a rapid, crazed wind whipped up in the room as though a hurricane had fallen in this very spot. Beams of red, gold, and black light sprung one by one from the gaps between our fingers and where our palms met, followed by a roaring, fiery heat searing at both our hands. The room whistled and ached with force, my body tensing under the stress of something, anything, whatever was happening to me. I should have been afraid, but instead, I was ecstatic. I couldn't help but smile wide with zeal, surely showing Diane a most devilish, toothy expression. With her free hand, Diane blocked her eyes from the blazing light and fierce wind. I held tightly, reinforcing my grip, unable to look away as everything that had been building within me escaped in a terrible, beautiful rage.