Looking at Lundgren's body, Hector smirked. Madelyn had left him for dead before darting off to her father's side. Walking up the Champion dropped an elixer on the man, healing the wounds.
"Kuff!" Lundgren coughed up blood before rising to his feet. "Why would you save me?!" Grabbing his lance, he looked at Hector warily.
"It is simple, I want you to work for me. A General such as yourself will defintely serve me well." Hector switched to a Lance that he hefted up. "We have a duel, I win, you serve me willingly and aid me in my Conquest. You win, well, you get to do whatever you want."
"Humph!" Lundgren was no fool and would not look a gift horse in the mouth. "I won't make the same mistake!"
Lance met Axe as the two Lords locked blows repeatedly. One trying to kill with each strike and the other just matches against the blows. Hector wants to match his strength while looking at an accomplished veteran's movement. It was a great experience to see such movements of a heavy fighter.
Each swing and stab of the Silver Lance caused the air to vibrate. A few quick stabs at the floor destroyed the foundation but also resulted in the Silver Lance getting damaged further.
*Warble!* Hector deflected a strike aimed at his heart and sent a part of the spear sailing in the air. But Lundgren did not stop because the weapon was damaged. Taking a step back on his left foot, the old general put everything into the strike.
'Now!' Hector took two steps in letting the weapon graze his armor. Axe hefted up he slashed in an upward arc, cutting a clean line across his opponent's chest and shoulder. The plates of the armor were scattered to the sides, leaving a disheveled appearance. "You need a better weapon and armor!"
The old man actually outclassed the weapons at his disposal. It couldn't keep up with his fighting style.
Lundgren dropped to a knee as he felt the Brand mark him. He felt something wrap around his soul and bind him to Hector. He did not want to disobey and felt the very thought of doing so pained him.
"This old man will serve you until his ending days, for whatever it is worth." Lundgren had lost twice and the only solace he had that he wouldn't have to put up with this for long as he was old. "Until I die, point and I will follow."
*Ripple!* Accepting the brand helped receive power from Hector. The limitations on the old General were lifted, but that was not all. With a toss of a bottle by the champion, Lundgren uncorked it and drank it on down.
With a way of magic and primordial power, Lundgren reverted to the age of someone in their early 20's. He was the first to take the combination created by Hector's primordial sea and Richard's Aspect of Longevitity in such a way. the combination of the two powers was something akin to the fountain of youth.
Richard didn't need such a thing with his abilities and control, but Hector needed his own ways to entice people and solve the old age of his people. The study of the Primordial Sea and Magic would need a lot more work for him to close that issue. But this method would work for now.
"As far as the world will know, you are Lundgren the II of Caelin. I am sure you had enough lovers that it shouldn't be to much of an issue for it to be believed." Hector looked the man over and was quite impressed. Despite being a noble, Lundgren looked well-trained. With all he knew, to would definitely help in the long run as he was a trained politician and warrior of the land. "Or should we look elsewhere to.."
"No!" Lundgren cut him off, standing up straight. "It is believable. I sent my paramours away to Caelin and Eturia. On my way to secure the throne, I had a few wives, and those who knew who they were are gone. Considering my visual appearance, it won't be hard at all to pass as the eldest son. Securing Caelin will also be easier with my backing, my lord."
"Just call me boss if you want. No need to call me lord unless you like it." Hector searched the room before gesturing to move on. "Let's earn you some good will in helping treat your brother."
"Of course. I have just the medicine to do so."
The two walked off after changing the attire for Lundgren. They needed to finish the fighting at the very least. Spreading that Lundgren had been defeated and his body destroyed would be the easy part.
.
Later that night-
.
As Hector walked in the night air, he was aware of his next options and the danger of them. he needed more elite forces and those to help manage a country. He also needed to expand his powers to the point that he could create living matter. Dark Magic was just so damn hard!
The air stirred as a teleportation circle opened up.
*Dribble!* The air dripped down as dark magic controlled to the point that it only touched directly in front of the circle that moved. Bramimond the Enigma, the hermit who sleeps beneath the Shrine of Seals in Bern, was awake and moving about. As he was one of the Eight Legends who fought in The Scouring, wielding the dark tome Apocalypse, the Silencing Darkness, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Not wanting to fight someone such as this after healing from the wounds caused by Audamorze took a lot out of him, Hector remained non-confrontational for now.
His wayward guest stood in front of him for what felt like forever before he spoke up.
"So, you have been stalking me.. why?" Hector realized it was a good thing he went for a walk outside of castle Caelin. If a fight broke out he would have to use some unfetteterd magic. He took out a cup from his internal space. "Douse."
*Dush!* A small flow of magical water flowed into the cup. Offering to the other was a small sign of helping. Barmimond looked as if it could use a drink.
"Why did you gather the Legendary Weapons?" Bramimond spoke normally, which shocked it more than Hector. "I can not reflect your soul.. how can that be?" Drinking the water brought a wave of pleasnatness that had long been forgotten.
Barmimond was at the point he didn't drink or eat. His body did not require it as far as he knew because of the attainment of magic. But that was a lie, the body could still use those to retain some stability. Also, to maintain his humanity.
"Several reasons, maybe because I project myself fully when talking, or my magic is making you normal." Hector made some quick assumptions. He already had a small plan to deal with this living member of the Legendary Heroes. "Your Dark magic is more than your actual body is capable of handling. One reason is that your body is weak and untrained. I can offer a fix for that. But it will cost the Legendary tome you have."
"What method do you have and what will you do with the tome?"
"A ritual spell and the use of advanced magic. To use outside sources to stabilise the breakdown of your body." Hector had fixed himself a cup of water to drink as well. "The magic would use Light, Anima, and Dark to ease the burden on your body and remind you, or to be exact, your soul itself, what is important."
"You have power such as that?" Bramimond watched as Hector ranked from the cup. Eyes glowing with a little magic, seeing beyond the flesh as water flowed into the belly. 'It has been some time since I came across one so talented.'
Before sealing himself away, Barmimond had set several spells to awaken him in case certain conditions took place. The changes to the Legendary Weapons were one. Another when, a swell of magic was located in any location that could cause strange occurrences.
"I have nothing to lose anyway, afterwards I will go to sleep if you fail." Bramimond moved close to Hector and invaded his personal space. "I will kill you if you fail and take back the weapons of my friends."
"Heh, you are well within your rights to try." Hector grinned as he would have to strike in one move to kill Bramimond if the spell failed. 'I need the tome more than I need him to be okay.'
The duo moved further into a clearing before Hector opened a small portal so they could enter his Internal Space. He sent a small spell message to those who could help with the spell at the same time.
It did not take long to set the ritual up and bring those to help with the process.
.
A Split-
.
With a flash of Dark Blue light and Black Red light two figures could be seen.
Bramimond smiled as he looked over his flesh, then turned to look at the other, just like him, but a female. He felt a connection with her and even felt the flow of her thoughts into his own. The bolsters of History of their own life, caused by Richard, brought them back from the brink of the weird circumstance they were in. Not to mention the flowing vitality that they now shared would prevent them from going back to being sealed away.
A Drop of Chaos Water converged in both of them. Creating the impossible while preventing a breakdown. The spell fed on itself to keep the two alive, and as long as they practiced Dark Magic, they would continue to live.
Richard looked on in fascination at his work but dared not speak of what he learned of the ascended human that was Bramimond. The legendary existance was close to becoming with Darkness itself in this Dimension and if not for their involvement, his and Hector's he wondered what would have happened. Bramimond was an actual Champion like they were, and with that came so work they could do to secure him.. them.. it.
The Druid Niime smiled as she enjoyed being part of the process. Unlike her sons, especially Canas, who couldn't help but ask countless questions of Richard, she moved over to the exhausted Hector. Taking in that the magic he wielded cost him something dearly to be able to use such a spell.
"Hehe, you have a lot to learn still." Niime chuckled while helping him up. "Teaching will need to improve, as well as your mental exercises. I felt your concentration dropping midway through. Yet the process of stripping the dragonees was not the issue for you."
Passing a look at the strange waters to the side, Niime marveled at the splendor of it. The Primordial Sea oozed magic and something otherworldly. It was a sight to behold and she wished nothing more than to jump into it.
Seeing the body of Aenir now draped in the robes of a Sage and sitting up, they waited for her to speak. It was the first words the dragoness spoke without the pain and discomfort of the drugs she was under before.
"Thank you for freeing me from that.. life." Aenir's words carried a warmth to them but also a bit of charm that tickled the brain. "I suppose I can not be too mad, as you were the one who also separated me from my dragon heritage."
She was not mad as she was forced into that state for so long and was tortured because of it day in and day out. Having her flesh carved daily and other vile acts done to her person took its toll. She did hate people, however, but the knowledge that those who did that to her were all killed by Hector's party eased her soul.
"The same has been done to your halfbreed children." Hector stood up, feeling the flow of magic had changed. It became more instinctual to use in the Chaos of his soul. "They are alive and still long-lived, made sure of that. The same as yourself, what you do with your life now is up to you. I am sure Bramimond can help you in that regard, or even Athos."
Hector could not get anything else from the woman, really, and Richard had already ascertained her entire history.
"Athos.. he still lives?" A look of conflict washed over her. "Why did he not free me from my confines?"
"I.. don't know. You would have to ask him yourself." Hector was not getting into that as he didn't know himself. He just assumes the man was to busy with other matters and most likely thought she was dead or something. That was the reason Nergal went into madness to do his research and other reasons. "You can find him and ask yourself. After you talk with your children, I suppose."
"Hmm, my children or not with Nergal?"
"So.." Hector rubbed the back of his head, then looked at Richard. I wonder why the other just didn't implant that information in the former dragoness. Richard was still talking with Canas and the others, unfortunately. ".. you can find that information out from Athos as well. I have to go and deal with another sealed Dragoness and another halfbreed."
"Another?" The Bramimonds asked together. The moved eerily in synch.
"The first queen of Bern was also a Dragon. Your friend Hartmut married one unknowingly, then sealed her and the child after finding out. It is such a shame, heard tell she was such a beauty."
"Melitha was a dragoness; no wonder she had such a dignified aura." The male Bramimond spoke. He turned to Aenir with a troubled face. "Despite the ritual giving you a human appearance entirely, I can still feel traces of the might belonging to dragons. Please do not seek to become one a again."
"I have no desire but to reunite my family and catch up on lost time."