[Ransom]

Ransom clicked his helm back onto the rest of his armor. No one else needed to see his emotions.

He had felt that power before, felt it as it coursed through his veins, whispering dark threats and promises to his mind. But he had passed the test, though his mind and body still bore the marks.

“Fools! Do you not see the power that I wield? You shall join me in life or serve me in death!”

The witch advanced at father and son, striking down the bodyguards that dared to challenge her. Ransom watched his father raised his mace and charged, intending to strike the heretic with his massive weapon. The fog that surrounded the grove rushed inwards, crushing Ransom’s breath as it whispered in his mind. His eyes grew wide as he watched his father falter, dropping the mace and falling to the ground. In a last, desperate attempt to save his father, Ransom hurled the sword in his hand with all his might before the world faded into blackness.

Wounded by his sword, the witch was forced to flee by the guards that had survived. Ransom’s father had not survived, and his body was interred in the Chapel of Nienna in testament to his dedication and work.

The elder Deviolana’s savior was captured less than a year later. Ransom personally granted her absolution after a two-week period of cleansing under his supervision.

He continued to lag behind the group, lost in his memories of the past.