Marcus...
When he woke up from his dream his head was still throbbing horribly. Every sensation was painfully heightened to the point he shoved his face into his pillow and around his ears to muffle it.
"Oh god...make it stop...," he groaned as he stumbled into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked into his own eyes and it didn't seem that they had changed color or shape. In fact, it looked perfectly normal.
Its not like he got food poisoning because that was usually paired with nausea, diarrhea, and cramps. In fact if he had to compare it to anything, it felt more like he was recovering from the world's worst hangover.
He did have one possible solution.
If he used his ability to manipulate the electrical signals in his brain then maybe he can block some of them off. The moment he tried using his magic though his sense erupted in his mind and it nearly caused him to black out again.
"Son of a...one more try," he said as he slowly pressed two fingers to his temple and then prepared for the pain as he tried to use his magic once again. He grimaced as he fought through the pain but then it began to fade as his senses dimmed and he could feel everything go back to normal. He then slumped against the wall of the bathroom while holding his fingers up against his temple. He knew that eating the dragon heart was the cause for his headaches but he didn't understand how it was causing it and he wanted to figure it out. The one thing that did puzzle him though was the sensation he had before he passed out from the dream. He was able to see everything around him as if he had echolocation or something very similar. He wasn't sure if that was a permanent thing but if it was he wanted to learn how to control it as soon as possible.
As he sat against the wall he spent the next several hours slowly adapting to his heightened senses. It was a painstakingly long process but when he was sure he could stand again normally and sound was no longer painful for him he stood up and took in a deep breath.
It was such an uncomfortable and yet also intriguing sensation to hear the air move through his lungs as he breathed. He then sniffed the air and realized that he smelled horrible. He hadn't showered since he moved in and needed to clean himself.
As he stepped into the shower and transferred some of his spiritual energy into the shower, it felt as if he were being blanketed with a heavy rainfall. What was even stranger though was that he could 'see' every individual droplet of water that fell as it hit the shower floor.
The most that he could see all around him was about fifteen feet in every direction, even underground. When he increased his out put of energy it then expanded until he could see all the way outside his house.
So it was linked to how much every he was emitting from his body...? If that was the case then that was an easy fix.
As soon as he had gotten himself cleaned up, clothed, and restrained himself to the lowest limit he possibly could, he then made his way to Samael's shop.
When he arrived he could overhear Samael swearing and hammering away at another one of his projects.
The moment he knocked on the door Samael shouted, "Who's there? I'm busy!"
"Uh...its me, Marcus. Is now a bad time?"
He then overheard Samael shuffling in the room and then a loud clang, followed by more swearing which meant he probably tripped over something until he made his way to open the door.
"Ah, its you. Yeah you can come in," he said as he turned around and welcomed Marcus inside.
"So, what do you need today? Another special order?" Samael asked as he kicked a broken helmet.
"Kind of. Ever since I came here I've only been able to memorize a handful of words written in Erebus's form of English. I can speak it fluently but I can't read or write it. Do you have anything that can-" he was stopped mid sentence as Samael turned around and smacked his knuckles against Marcus's forehead.
"There ya go. Now go away," he said as he turned back around and picked up a broken hammer. Its handle had probably snapped when he swung it too hard.
"Wait, what did you just do?"
"You said you needed something to help you read and write Erebus's language right? So I imprinted on your mind the ability to read and write it. On the house," he said and his eyes went right back to glaring at his broken hammer.
Well that was...anticlimactic. He was hoping for some kind of trinket that would allow him to learn on his own and possibly give him other uses if he dug deeper into it but this...this was such a boring solution.
Samael then looked at him and his eyes gave him a look as if to ask, Why are you still here?
He then let out a sigh and said, "Okay, there is actually something else that might benefit you. You probably only have surface level knowledge on rune formulas right?"
Marcus nodded.
"Alright. Head to Duranell's library and take this," he said as he lifted a chain from around his next with a metal sphere and a key attached to it.
"Ask for the books on rune formulas and also specifically ask for a large book with a lock built in and a raven on the cover," he said before he tossed Marcus the key.
"Um, thank you," Marcus said gratefully and Samael waved him away in annoyance.
When he found his way to the library and stepped inside he had to take a moment to once again appreciate the sheer scale of all the books and information waiting to be read. When he asked about any detailed books on rune formulas and also the one that Samael had told him about specifically which made the librarian raise an eyebrow almost in curiosity before heading off to grab them.
When she eventually returned she came back with she was holding seven books in her arms with the biggest book being the one with the raven on the cover. As he looked over the covers of them he realized he could now understand what was being written on the covers. He decided to pick two of the thickest books and the one with the raven cover to take with him while the others were returned.
He then remembered that he was supposed to read up on Athena and Lycaon about their recounting of Dagon's time during the war. He asked about those books and not long after the librarian came back with two large books with extremely thin pages.
"Be sure to return them within two weeks once you are finished with them," she said and he nodded to her as she put them in a cloth bag and handed it to him.
When he made his way back home he spent the next several days pouring over the vast amount of information regarding rune formulas and marveled at how absurdly complicated and intricate they could be and what they could do if properly written.
There were so many applications he could use them for. From copying his memories and storing them in stone constructs to making wormholes and pocket dimensions and as he dug a little deeper he realized he could in fact recreate all his favorite electronics if he wanted to. It would take time and a lot of resources but he could do it.
As for the information on Dagon...
What he was able to learn about him through the two books he was given were less information about them personally and more just winded interpretations about what they may have said and done during the wars and how it would translate to becoming apart of their 'Dogma' as they called it as well as recounting of the war with Dagon and a little of his personal history.
The books also told him that during Dagon's war he was an advocate for advancement. His time on Erebus would mark the end of an age of stagnation and decay. All the kingdoms around the world were going to war over small and unimportant things to the point that there was no rhyme or reason behind any of it. There was no real discernable goals behind any kingdom's actions that would bring them towards change for the better.
According to the very earliest records in history, before even Dagon was around, the strength of kingdoms around the world hadn't really changed for thousands of years. After Dagon had grown into a man and joined the kings armies he learned the meaning of growth and change and strove to continue down that path, even going so far as to manipulate wars behind the scenes to push other kingdoms into advancement.
After studying the art of blacksmithing and magic he started crafting powerful magical weapons of war and gifted them to the allies of his kingdoms that were soon to fall in their battles, knowing full well that even with the weapons they would lose their battles. From the very start he had given these weapons to his kingdom's allies with the intention that they would be stolen and used by his kingdom's enemies.
Upon claiming these weapons for themselves they would then place greater pressure on his kingdom's allies which would force them to develop tactics and weapons to keep up with the greater threat in front of them.
With the demand for war even greater, it meant that Dagon himself would be sent back out into battle to which he would improve his skills and conquer everything in his path. This cycle of war continued on for decades while the enemy kingdoms clung onto the weapons he had made and even developed greater, more powerful kingdoms around them with Duranell being one of them. It wasn't until Dagon killed the current ruler of his kingdom with its former name lost to time and renamed the kingdom Amaskia before then declaring war on the entire world with the goal of forcing the world to evolve until they were powerful enough to kill him.
Eventually a single man appeared who was seemingly unkillable that would go on to fight Dagon for another century that ended in Dagon's death at his hands. The name of the warrior that fought him is unknown but what they did know was that he used the power of darkness and shadows to fight against Dagon's blood magic-
Blood magic? Dagon used blood magic?
With this information he couldn't help but think that Dagon and Kayron were connected in some way but he decided to look into it another time.
Overall, from what he was able to glean from all of this was that the world of today was founded on the idea of community. A world where people are dependent on each other and the strength of the masses rather than the strength of the individual. Oddly enough, this also translated to political strength as the king held very little sway over the people themselves and mostly helped with smoothing over the political relationships between kingdoms rather than over its own people.
It was rather strange how that turned out. A man who spent centuries becoming stronger and stronger and forcing the world around him to catch up with him ended up driving the world to become almost like a powerful and united hivemind. He doubted that it was actually Dagon's actions that influenced this change in how society operated because his actions clearly wanted something different.
There must be some different interpretation that told the rest of the story. Some hidden messages in the churches he was missing. Maybe some day he would go to one of these churches and listen to what they had to say.
When he finished reading each book and had memorized all the basic principles on rune formulas he collected all the books had and brought them back to the library. He had come to the library with the hopes that he would learn more about Erebus's religious dogma but he still felt confused. He wanted to learn more about it even if it didn't give him all the answers he wanted.
As he was thinking about that he realized he was walking past a large building that looked to be some kind of temple. The head nun he talked to did mention to visit Duranell's temple when he got the chance.
Ah what the hell. Why not? He thought to himself as he walked inside.
He was met with large square marble pillars holding up the towering dome above drawn with vast murals that seemed eerily similar to Michelangelo's painting of Adam and God in the Sistine Chapel. However the stark difference is that these were much darker and showed gruesome scenes of war. There were paintings of a warrior with two double bladed broadswords with chains attached to the hilts that wrapped around his absurdly muscular arms. It reminded him of a video game character that used similar weapons. Blood was pouring off of his entire body, gushing out of him as if he were a blood fountain. As the blood splattered against the ground it seemed to solidify into crystal spikes jutting out of the ground.
It reminded him far too much of Kayron. The biggest difference between them however is that when Marcus fought Kayron it felt like he was trying to avoid the fight altogether. Now that was partly because he was getting overpowered left right and center but the entire time it was as if Kayron wanted to do nothing more than avoid a direct conflict with him.
Looking at Dagon was different. The look in his eyes depicted on the paintings showed a man starved for battle and bloodshed. This man wanted to have everything thrown at him no matter what the odds were and Marcus had a feeling that he would end up winning regardless of the situation.
As he continued to look at more of the paintings on the ceiling there were images of a fort being taken down by a much younger and weaker version of Dagon using a sword and shield. He stood atop the rubble of the fort as the sun was setting in the background while the knights that were buried underneath the rubble or too frightened to pick up their swords reached out their arms to him to plead for their lives in fear.
All of this imagery surprised him. Why would the world worship such a tyrannical and murderous person?
Though...when he thought about it he did read that before he took over the kingdom he had faithfully served it for nearly a hundred years going to whichever battlefields needed him without question and served his kingdom honorably. He was a figure respected by his kingdom for his valor and honor but also for his strength.
Then he had an epiphany.
The people of this world didn't actually worship Dagon or his beliefs but rather the lasting impacts that his actions left on the world and how it forced the world to adapt and become a better version of itself that was self-sufficient and united on all sides. In the stories telling of his battles when he had overwhelming advantages, he never attempted to fully conquer anything. Dagon always stuck to his kingdom of Amaskia but never tried to expand his territory, preferring to maintain what he already had while putting pressure on the armies advancing on his kingdom.
If he truly wanted to he could have destroyed every kingdom in the entire world without much effort. No one would have been able to stop him if they tried and yet he stuck only to his kingdom continuing to fight army after army as he waited for them to catch up.
Dagon was this world's necessary evil for change.
His eyes then drifted over to three large statues in the center of the temple. One was of a woman in full armor that resembled that of an owl armed with a shield of a gorgon's head and a spear. This one was obviously Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. She stood firm with spear pointed high into the air with her shield resting at her side and a cape floating behind her.
The statue on the opposite side of it was of a man donning Greek leather armor, wolf pelts, and a crown atop his head. He also held a sheathe in his left hand and a katana in his right with the point aimed at the middle statue. This must be depicting Lycaon but he didn't have any wolfish features that matched the stories of Zeus turning him into the first werewolf.
He had to wonder why Lycaon of all people, a legendary Greek king, would be using a katana of all swords. however as Marcus squinted his eyes he noticed the intricate details of it he realized that it was the same katana that Captain Dean had with him in the brotherhood hall.
But...if it really was the same katana then it had to be over ten thousand years old. How could a weapon like that last for such an absurd amount of time? He could worry about that question another day but for some reason Captain Dean had in his possession the sword of Duranell's founding king.
Standing taller than either Athena or Lycaon was Dagon's statue as he held both of his chained broadswords in front of him with the points of his swords aimed at the ground. His arms and chest wide and bulging with muscle as if he were an impregnable wall.
In front of Marcus was a stone tablet with a description written for each statue.
For Athena the text read as so..., Goddess of Owls, a woman of war utilizing every tactic and strategy at her disposal to push against the ominous threat of Dagon's endless assaults.
For Lycaon the text read as so..., The Wolf King of Duranell, Lycaon Arcadia. A man who wielded a strange sword that would feast on the magic of his enemies and use their own strength against them. A man who was also largely famous for his endless appetite for meat as he was for battle. One of very few warriors who could match Dagon in battle until only the Champion of Shadows stood any hope of defeating him.
Champion of Shadows...?
For Dagon the text read as so..., Dagon, The God King of Blood and dominator of Erebus. A man who held the world in an iron grip of fear, ruling it with strength and power. His actions shaking the very foundations that the world was built upon until the old ways of the world were but ash and dust beneath his heel. Born as a man, lived as a warrior, died as a god.
Died as a god? He must have missed that because he hadn't heard any specific descriptions of Dagon as an actual god in the books he had read. How could a man become a god just from fighting in endless wars?
"I see that you're interested in the old history," a voice next to him said. He was so fixated on the statues and what he was reading on the stone tablet in front of him that he got tunnel vision from it. Even his enhanced senses didn't pick seem to notice the man that seemed to materialize out of thin air as Marcus jumped in surprise.
When he turned his head to look at the man who had talked to him his heart sunk in his chest.
His skin was a deathly pale color like that of a corpse. Cracks surrounded his colorless eyes and his hair was jet black much like his own. He also wore a long black coat and leather boots.
When the man's head turned to look at him he gave Marcus an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, I must have startled you," he said with a kind expression.
"Uh...not at all. I was just a little surprised to see someone get behind me without me noticing. Its a first for me," he said and the man laughed heartily. It was actually somewhat endearing to see such an imposing man laugh with a jolly expression on his face.
"Yes, I bet it was. So tell me, what is it that you find so interesting about these statues?" he asked with an oddly respectful tone. He didn't know why but there was something uncanny about how the man was acting. He seemed to be genuinely respectful and kind but his appearance, which resembled that of a corpse, was disturbing on its own to make him feel wary.
"Well, its just some things surrounding Dagon's legend of him being born a man but dying as a god. It doesn't sound possible to me. Only fools would dream of becoming a god," Marcus said honestly.
"Hah! I have to wonder if that bastard actually died at all. With all the stories they tell about him he's already immortalized in legend, why not go the whole rest of the way!" he said and it actually made Marcus laugh at the absurdity of it.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he somehow faked his death and was secretly watching things from behind the scenes this whole time...plotting...ever so patiently," Marcus said.
"Yes but considering how tired the man was of nothing going on for thousands of years leading up to him being born and then going to war you would think he would lose his mind with exactly nothing going on for the next ten thousand years after he died."
"That's a good point...," Marcus admitted.
"You know, this temple actually has thousands of stone tablets on display here that were carved from the original diaries or journals of Athena and Lycaon. They were probably carved into stone to preserve them because of historical significance despite the fact that no one can read them. The language has been rendered completely undecipherable all this time."
"I just walked into this temple about ten minutes ago but I haven't seen any of these tablets so far. Can you point me to them?" he asked and the man gave him each individual location to the tablets in the temple and told them that they had been lined up in the temple in a certain order so if anyone were to figure out how to read it then they would do so in that specific order.
Marcus then made an obsidian tablet and listed down everything that the man had told him, engraving it into the stone. When he looked up to tell the man thanks he realized that he had completely disappeared.
"What the hell...?" he turned and looked all around him but the man was no where to be seen.
Hmm...
Well it wasn't really a concern at the moment so he decided to make his way through the entirety of the temple and take a look at those stone tablets.
It only took him two seconds to figure out what language they were written in and honestly it should have been obvious to him from the moment he heard about them to assume it would be written in Ancient Greek.
"Oh my god...I can read this!" he exclaimed as his eyes went over the tablets in the hall. They were all written in perfectly preserved Greek letters. He needed to look over each and every one of these tablets so he can read them thoroughly but there was no way they would allow him to take any of them home with him.
He went to one of the temple caretakers and surprisingly enough they had paper copies of each tablet stored for researchers who wanted to make attempts at translating the texts. When he had collected each paper copy for all three hundred tablets and made his way home he collapsed onto his bed not realizing how tired he was.
Maybe he would read up on those texts another day.