Chains of Vengeance

Chapter 48: The green chain

Narinder walked purposefully towards his statue, which radiated a soft light emanating from the accumulated devotion of the cultists. He extended a hand and the devotion flowed towards him like a river of energy, filling him with power and strengthening his already overwhelming hold on the cult. Narinder took a deep breath, feeling the connection with his crown deepen. But his thoughts quickly turned to Leshy.

He looked over to where his brother was lying on the ground, exhausted and miserable. Narinder approached slowly, his shadow projecting over Leshy's body. "Get up, Leshy," Narinder ordered coldly. "Follow me to the temple, we are going to perform a ritual."

Leshy, upon hearing those words, a spark of excitement, of hope, lit in his chest. Leshy thought that Narinder would keep his part of the deal. Maybe he could see Kitty again, even if only for a brief moment. Without a word, Leshy slowly stood up, shaky, but determined. With that small hope shining in his heart, he followed his brother, not daring to hesitate.

Narinder arrived at the temple and rang the bell, a deep, solemn sound that echoed throughout the cult. As if answering an ancestral call, the cultists began to quickly congregate in the temple hall. Each of them brought with them a palpable devotion, a mix of fear and reverence for their god. Leshy joined them, his heart pounding. The tension in the air was palpable, and each passing second seemed to stretch into an eternity for him.

Narinder, for his part, watched his followers in silence, his gaze dark and calculating. He knew the time had come to unlock the power of Leshy's relic. But what he hadn't made clear was whether or not he would keep the promise he had made to his brother.

Narinder looked out at the crowd of cultists who had gathered in the temple, his eyes shining with a mixture of adoration and fear. He raised his arms, imposing and commanding, his voice ringing with absolute power.

"Brothers of the new faith," he began, his tone filled with triumph. "I have accomplished what no one else could. Bravely, and with the cunning of a true god, I have obtained the relic of the former god of chaos, the relic of Leshy." His words fell like hammers upon the ears of the cultists. "The chaos he represented is now under my control. His failures and weakness have been overcome by my power. This relic is not just a trophy, it is a display of my invincible will and supremacy."

The cultists erupted in cheers and celebration. The echo of their cries of joy resonated throughout the temple. To them, Narinder's every word was a confirmation of his divinity. His faith in his one true god grew stronger with each passing second. However, Leshy, standing at the back, could not share in that fervor. The cheers seemed hollow to him, and the weight of his decision began to sink him deeper into despair. Narinder's every word reminded him of what he had lost.

Narinder, ignoring his brother's discomfort, raised his own relic. It shone brightly under the light of the temple, its red claw adorned with black chains, radiating a dark majesty. Without hesitation, he plunged it deep into Leshy's eye. A flash of dark energy enveloped the temple, and the relic began to writhe, as if fighting for its very existence.

Suddenly, a flow of energy shot towards Leshy, who was standing too close. His body tensed, and a silent scream escaped his lips as he felt his essence being ripped from him. His skin turned grey, and he fell to his knees, completely weakened. The previously cheering cultists now watched in silence, witnesses to what seemed to be a tragedy, though not one that was fully understood.

Narinder, for his part, showed no mercy. He stared coldly at his brother, before concentrating on the new description that appeared in his mind through the crown: "The power to see evil – Absorb the essence of chaos."

A smile of pure delight spread across his face. Wasting no time, he activated the relic. In that instant, a surge of energy, greater than any sacrifice or ritual he had ever performed before, flooded through him. It was like drinking directly from the well of divinity itself. His body glowed, almost vibrating with the raw power of chaos.