Awakened Fawkes

"Variables. More variables." A hollow sound echoed through a prayer chamber deep within the Temple of Light. The chamber's doors and windows were locked tightly, and thick blankets had replaced its curtains, rendering the interior pitch-black and soundproof. At the chamber's center knelt a priest listening devoutly to the whispers of the void. "I shall obey your instructions, my lord." For mortals, time is a fundamental rule, never to be broken. The limitations of their dimension shackle them, binding them as prisoners of fate. While above mortals, beings of higher dimensions are free to manipulate fate—but they do not toy with it lightly, as even the slightest shift could have unpredictable ripple effects, effects that might even impact themselves. Even Zolrath, the seeker of chaos, wielded his powers with considerable restraint. What's more, above he and Orthros lies something else that watches over all. But what if this caution were abandoned? What if someone no longer sought mere chaos, but utter annihilation? The Bounty Hunters Guild Hall was packed. Everyone was gathered around a single bounty notice, but no one said a word. The bounty was urgent, calling for the exorcism of evil spirits infesting a secluded manor belonging to a wealthy recluse somewhere toward the border. The reward? The commissioner's entire fortune—enough to buy half of Oakenfell. A rookie who'd just finished a job barged into the guild hall and declared loudly that he would take the bounty. The Guild Master stomped out of an inner room to stop him. "You think we don't know the price tag on this bounty? Already, eight different hunting squads have set out for that job. Guess how many came back! That's right—none! This is no job for a rookie like you!" The Guild Master already had two outstanding candidates for this thorny bounty hunt: Raine and Fawkes. And they'd be arriving at the hall in just a few minutes. "This mission is exceedingly dangerous, and I'm afraid you're the only two up to the task. I can't stand by and watch any more fools rush off and lose their lives, so I'm counting on you for this one!" The Guild Master's voice was genuine. Raine and Fawkes accepted the mission. Several other hunters volunteered to join their team. While Raine and Fawkes rarely teamed up with others, the extra help was welcome this time. After all, this job might be beyond the capabilities of them alone. The team's leader was a sturdily-built middle-aged hunter who had been the ace of the guild—until Raine and Fawkes had arrived, that is. He assured the both of them that he'd do his best to help them secure this bounty. After checking their gear, the team set out at dawn the next day, reaching their destination at noon. The gates of the estate were open, with scattered footprints at the entrance. The prints were fresh, certainly left by the bounty hunters that had come before. But the footprints only led inward—not a single hunter had made it back out. Team in tow, Fawkes and Raine pushed the manor door open. It was eerily quiet inside, with no trace of danger. Yet the moment they set foot inside, the gates slammed shut, while the sky turned black as night, as if a veil of darkness had descended on the manor. Instantly, Fawkes issued an order. "Back-to-back, everyone! High alert!" Without missing a beat, the team formed a circle, weapons raised and facing outward. The team struggled to see as their eyes were forced to adjust to the sudden darkness. At the same time, the nauseating stench of blood wafted across them in waves—and then the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. As fear crept in, their heartbeats pounded in their ears, nearly drowning out all other sounds. CRACK! A high-strung bounty hunter accidentally squeezed his trigger, causing his flintlock to fire. Now, the fight was upon them. The monsters roared as they surged forward. Their misshapen forms became visible in the flickering light of clashing weapons. Their faces were covered with arcane symbols, smeared in blood, their eye sockets reduced to hollow pits. Their clothing revealed their former identities: manor servants and the bounty hunters who'd come to try their hand. The inhuman monsters seemed impervious to pain. Even after being sliced in half at the waist, they continued to crawl toward the hunting team. But as the fight dragged on, the bounty hunters realized the monsters fought purely on instinct, and by conquering their own fear, the team soon gained the advantage. One last bullet from Raine reduced the final monster to a splattered pulp, and once more, the air fell silent. "Seems like we got them all." Despite saying that, Raine reloaded her weapon. "Yes, but we can't afford to let down our guard." Fawkes scanned his surroundings cautiously. "Come, quick! I found something!" At some point, a bold bounty hunter had stumbled into the wealthy estate's vault. Everyone's blood was still pumping from the monster battle, and unlike Raine and Fawkes, they couldn't contain themselves. Despite Raine's attempts to stop them, several hunters pried the vault open. Immediately, a torrent of blood gushed out, and a putrid stench filled their nostrils. Even so, the vault's contents caused them to overlook it all. Inside were piled mountains of gold and jewels, their glimmering brilliance hardly dimmed by the blood that had just soaked them all. "Is this the bounty reward?" The middle-aged hunter froze, spellbound by the treasures before his eyes. Then he let out a sharp whistle, as if sending some kind of signal. Fawkes knew right away what was about to happen, but before he could react, someone knocked him unconscious and he crumpled to the ground. By the time he woke up, he and Raine had already been bound tightly, and the other hunters were counting their riches. "So this was your plan the whole time?" Fawkes noticed that Raine was stealthily working at her fetters and tried to buy her some time. "Executioner Ferran, that's what people used to call me." The middle-aged hunter's words were calm as he surveyed the treasures before him. "Vicious monsters, cunning necromancers, they're all child's play to me. All the bounty hunters treated me with respect. They even called me Lord Ferran. That is, until you two showed up and stole the show." "Greetings, then! Lord Ferran!" Raine couldn't help but respond with cutting sarcasm. THWACK A slap landed hard across Raine's face as Ferran grabbed her by the throat. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to!" With a sickening crunch, he broke one of Raine's fingers. She gnashed her teeth, but couldn't hold back a yelp of pain. "Why don't you just kill us then?" Seeing this scene, Fawkes couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Kill you? Hah! I was the one who saved you from that necromancer way back when! And then you had the audacity to steal my rightful glory. Why on earth would I let you die so peacefully?!" Ferran's eyes flashed with savage malice. Having finished counting the gold, several of Ferran's hunters approached, daggers in hand. "Start with this mouthy one." Ferran gave the order icily, then stabbed a dagger into Raine's leg. Fawkes looked at his left hand, where the necromantic power was sealed away. He'd been resisting it, but breaking the seal might give them a fighting chance right now. But then again, he'd be trading away everything. "Don't give in, Fawkes!" Raine had guessed what Fawkes was thinking and tried to stop him. Those turned out to be her last words, however. As the blade pierced Raine's chest, a vicious roar thundered through Fawkes' mind. He unlocked the seal in his hand, allowing the dark power to shred his sanity and take control of his body. "Take whatever you want of me, but I want them dead!" A guttural howl erupted from Fawkes' throat, echoing with an icy chill. The necromantic power surged out of the seal on his hand like a burst dam. As pitch-black swirls of energy coiled around his body, the ropes that bound him were reduced to ashes. Before Ferran and his hunters could react, all of the blood in the vault surged forth as if answering a call, snaking into countless chains that wrapped and bound their limbs. Waves of screaming echoed as the glimmering of the gold was dimmed and replaced with a crimson mist. When Fawkes finally awakened, he was lying amidst a scattering of remains. He'd fully transformed into an undying Graveborn. He reached out to touch Raine's corpse, but felt only emptiness in his heart. Some of his human emotions and memories had been erased. Fawkes sealed himself within his coffin and used necromancy to control the vile bounty hunters, forcing them to carry his coffin and condemning them to eternal servitude. And Raine... She never moved from that place. In the distance, a mysterious priest had been watching everything, and the outcome had exceeded his greatest hopes. He had sought to create "controllable variables", but other variables triggered by Fawkes had disrupted his plan. While the result was acceptable, the entity he served would be less than pleased. The priest hurried off for his next destination. But neither he nor the master he worshipped—nor even the gods and demons of the higher dimensions—could have foreseen that the merging of worlds would arrive so swiftly. What's more, the one who shattered this fundamental law was a mere mortal...