A Girl and Her Demons

A Meeting of the Minds

Chapter Twelve - A Meeting of the Minds

                Scarlet was prepared now for whatever she was to face in the upcoming dream. She wondered if it would be different now that the seal on her magic was released. She drifted off to sleep and awoke sitting at a table. The hall was lit only by a fireplace directly behind her. All around the table were different sizes, shapes, and textures of the beasts and minions that the onyx skinned man had sent at them. At the head of the table sat the onyx skinned man.

                “Scarlet, thank you for joining us. We hoped you would be dropping in soon. Please indulge us with your presence for as long as possible.” The onyx skinned man spoke in an entirely different tone than he had in any of Scarlet’s other dreams. He spoke in a very human tone with no sense of demonic presence in his voice any longer.

                “We have not been properly introduced and I assume that no one in Capitol has told you my name yet. I am the previous Eternal, Nightshade. I have since abandoned that name and my lieutenants now call me the Netherlord. I would like to explain to you how this all came about.”

                “For years, I had studied dark powers and had surpassed many of my mentors. Eventually, the High Council decided to promote me to one of their own. I continued to study the dark magic and practice new techniques in my office. I learned that I could draw more power from the nether region, the land of the dead. The permanent darkness within the nether gave me extra strength. This extra strength gave me more energy to constantly study more dark magic. I had discovered a Fifth Form. A permanent Form that after you had mastered and executed all Four Forms you could take on the physical appearance of your element.”

                “I brought this research before the High Council and they claimed that no Elementalist had ever discovered the Fourth Form let alone executed it. So, they pushed away my research. I decided to spend time within the nether so I could use the enhanced power there. I executed the First Form which brought attention to me within the nether. I then executed the Second Form which brought all manner of unholy and deathly creature upon me. I fought most of them off and managed to get to a safe place. I transported back to my office and studied how to execute the Third Form. I figured it out and returned to the nether to execute it. Lieutenants of whatever being reigns down there were waiting for me on the other side of my portal. I fought them with my normal techniques and noticed it would not affect them. I used the Third Form in combat and decimated the lieutenants of the lord of the nether.”

                “I knew the Fourth Form would require much time and effort on my part to figure it out and be able to execute it. I also knew it was not safe to return to the nether so quickly after doing what I had done. After several months of study, I was finally ready to attempt Fourth Form. I entered my portal expecting the worse. I expected too little. The Lord of the Nether herself was waiting for me on the other side. She kidnapped me and when next I awoke I was inside a cage as the minions of the Lord of the Nether were snapping all around me. I had no choice I knew that once I executed the Fourth Form I would be able to immediately follow it with the final Fifth Form. I waited until I saw the Lord of the Nether and targeted the Fourth Form at her and I was unaware how powerful it would be. The entire building I was inside along with everything inside of it was destroyed. I was unharmed.”

                “As I left the building to find my portal back to the over world, I found all manner of creature from the nether enclosing on my position. I was gravely weakened after using Fourth Form, much more than I had imagined. The creatures came running at me and circled me. I knew I was dead, until they began to bow. I had killed the Lord of the Nether. I took her place. It was then when I knew I was safe that I attempted the final Fifth Form.”

                “That is when I became what I am today. A crazed, murderous beast bent on the destruction of the Elementalists. I know this sounds evil. Please hear me out. The Elementalist Council is enslaving a people and holding them to a low standard. We cannot evolve with this structure in our land. This is why I brought you here today, Scarlet. I want to explain and discuss with you my goals. I feel as if I could garnish a rather powerful ally from you. You have more power than I had while I was in the nether in your body alone. Imagine your power if you completed the Fifth Form.” Scarlet’s mind raced through all of the information that was said. This was the bad guy, one of us. He was the one responsible for the death of her parents and sister. She could not join sides with him. This was the target and she would do whatever she could to stop him. This was her decision.

                “I’m listening. What did you have in mind?” Scarlet’s mouth spoke. She was shocked. She did not say that. She had no control over what she was saying. She looked down at herself for the first time. The light in the room was not coming from a fireplace behind her, it was coming from her. She was fully ignited as she had been after the ritual. This was not good. But this is all just a dream right?

                “I am glad you have an open mind about this. I know that you are very powerful, possibly even more powerful than me.”

                “I am more powerful than you.” Scarlet yelled in a voice that did not seem like her own. It came from her mouth though, she felt herself make the sound.

                “Of course, the prophecy states that clearly. As such, you should be able to achieve Fifth Form quickly. I would like to propose that we annihilate the council at Capitol and we reign over the land as King and Queen, making sure to not limit any Elementalist and allowing them free reign over their powers.”

                “Capitol is nearly impenetrable though. How would you break it?” Scarlet spoke this aloud though her mind already knew the answer.

                “I would use your body. It is already within the walls of Capitol. Everyone knows that you are Capitol’s grand protector. I will come to attack Capitol and you will use your body to turn on those who trust you and we will take Capitol from the inside out.”

                “There may be a problem however. This body is resilient. It may resist and then we may have to do battle. This is dangerous for you and your plan.”

                “I do not doubt your capabilities. You will be able to control the body with time. I will give you a week to take over the body. After a week, I will attack Capitol. I will hopefully talk to you before the attack to confirm that you have controlled the body.” Scarlet did not know what was going on. She was being talked about as if she was not a person but just a shell. What was this thing sitting in the chair she was in? She could not just let herself agree to help the man who slaughtered her family. She focused hard on attempting to push into consciousness with the body in the dream. She pushed herself but she seemed only to be waking herself up. The scene began to fade to black and the last thing she heard was…

                “You have a deal.”