^^ Dimitri as Lightning Marks Him ^^

--- Dimitri ---

I looked at the stars, and grinned suddenly, as their patterns started to make themselves known. "Davila... the stars are different."

She nodded. "Yes. Interesting."

"You don't sound interested."

"I'm not." She said honestly.

"Oh come on!!! Where's your sense of wonder?!?!?!?! The STARS are DIFFERENT!! Don't you understand what that means?!!?" I grinned widely.

She raised an eyebrow. "Duh. Portal."

"No, no, that's not what I meant!!! The portal means we moved, but it's not Dimensional, I don't think... it's Spacial!!!" I grinned more.

"Your face is going to break. Just focus on designing those Runes for me." She waved a hand at me dismissively.

I sighed and nodded, going back to writing.

'Blessed be who loves and respects Great Perun; The Thunderer, God of Lightning, Fertility, and the Sky; the Bringer of Rain, King of the Earth and its Creatures, Slayer of Dragons, Son of the Ymir, Father of Gods, The Eagle of War, The Watcher, Nemisis of Veles, Water Dragon of the Underworld;

The Craftsman, He who is Bearer of the Fulgarite, that which is Perun's own Spear, Axe, and Hammer, Bearer of the most powerful weapon of them all, Perun's Golden Apples, them that call down the Wrath and Rage of the Fierce Sky, and Lay Waste to his many enemies;

He gives the blessings of Light, Fire, and Love, unto those who are deemed deserving of his love, those who hold Fire in their hearts and Lightning in their minds, those with quick wits and empathy, those who war with the evils of the world, not because they are conscripted, but because they are Good, and wish to make the world Good, that their children's children will live happy, full lives. The Fathers, the Warriors, the Kings and the Princes, even those who doubt his very existence, Perun cares not. His heart only holds love for the Good in the World, in all it's forms;

Yet, those who oppose Him, and of whom survives his wrath, will bear no children forthwith, nor lay with any Mate, having lost his Blessing of Fertility, and whose existing children will be cursed with Horrid Veles' Affection, and suffer his savage and cruel attention forevermore, unto their Cursed and Salted Graves.'

"Dark stuff." Tamil hummed, reading over my shoulder.

"Perun was a Dark God." I shrugged.

"Was?" She asked, mystified.

"He was killed by Veles, and eaten, after Veles tricked him into eating one of his own Golden Apples, then Veles died from the apples as well." I explained.

Davila made a small explosion noise, mining her throat shattering and blood spraying quite vividly, whilst grinning savagely.

Tamil gulped, rubbing her throat. "Ouch."

"Mm." I nodded again.

"When was this?" She asked curiously.

"Long ago. Thor and Jormungand took their places, I think." I hummed.

"So why not write about a god that's still alive?" She asked.

"Because that would be disrespectful. Calling on the power of a Dead God is one thing, but a living one? That's suicide. God's don't like to be impersonated." I shivered.

She blinked. "How do you know? I'd find it flattering."

"Because I know a man who was smote by a God because he named his son 'Thorn', meaning Thor's Son. Lightning struck his wife during birth, and killed her, but the boy survived... Both the Father and his boy never walked, nor forged, ever again." I shook my head.

Davila started peeling an apple. "Very true. And remember Racston? He drank his own alcohol, and poisoned himself, because he'd named his son Soma." She commented.

I nodded. "And Tamson, who named her son Odinson-"

"Okay, I get the picture, the gods are very active in your realm." Tamil shivered.

I nodded again. "Exactly. But I am going to write about a Dead God, and speak his praises. Hopefully that helps me avoid the wrath of the Fates, but will give me his latent blessings, as your Chief wrote about his gods." I started translating the verses into my personal code, as easy as breathing.

Tamil gasped and traced a character. "This is beautiful script... what language is this?" She asked.

I shook my head. "It isn't a Language. It's a Code I made to hide my work... and I keep the code very complicated, and forever evolving. Here, Davila." I handed her the page.

She read it swiftly, memorizing it, and then burnt the paper in her kiln, before starting to carve small lines into the wooden mannequin she'd modeled after me.

The main tendons were outlined, then the bones and joints, as if she were wiring a Homunculi. Main muscles received patterns, as well, which she created by touching a piece of metal I'd electrocuted for her to the wood. Small burn patterns emanated from the spot in a leaf-like pattern.

She drew the Runes, starting on my fingertips, and working her way to my shoulder, spiraling around. Then she repeated them on each limb, and again on the chest, in a spiral that surrounded my heart, and the tail end of the spiral curated around my throat, ending up at the top of my neck, touching my brain stem.

I nodded slowly. "That's gonna hurt."

She grinned. "Nah. You'll be fine, tough guy."

I snorted and shook my head. "Figures. Well, it's almost Moon-high, should get going." I leapt off the carriage, and Davila followed, leaving Tamil to gaze after us.

---

I gazed at the golden apple in my hand as we walked, and smiled at the thought of the progress I was making.

'To think... 2.5... such a random number... Two-and-a-Half Months... I'm to return in Two-and-a-Half Months...

In just 2 weeks, I've ingratiated myself to the Elven Communities, I've most likely gotten Tamil pregnant, and Davila as well (seeing as Ran is Sterile, poor bastard...)

I've created a Troll Market that my father will be proud of... and tomorrow I set off to the Dwarves in the Mountains, to see the once-great Ancient Capital city of Kalægir, which my Ancestors the Fabled Fell Forged from Iron, Blood, and Stone...

I will walk the Stone Halls, and test true Dwarf Steel and Magic Blades... I will become one of the Chaste, the Ultimate Warriors. I will cement my place amongst the stars, and live well, until such a time as I can live no more.

Dimitri the Dwarf... I will make that name known, and feared. Those who would be my Foe's will tremble at my Footsteps. So says I, Dimitri the Dwarf, Son to Wyler the Driven and Lila the Rabid, Warriorborn of the Fell.'

---

The clearing we finally followed Arias' scent to was blackened by what looked like lightning Marks, but smelled wrong.

I stopped Davila, glaring at the marks, and stepped around them carefully, motioning for her to do the same.

She noticed my wariness, and obeyed without question, deferring to my knowledge on Lightning and Magic.

We reached the stone slab in the center, and Arias appeared from thin air, grinning. "Don't worry, it's just a glamour, come on." He waved us up onto the rock, which was risen about six feet.

I jumped up, letting Davila follow just as easily, and then stepped through the layer of air that shimmered unpleasantly.

We stood in front of sixteen different elves, which all smelled like magic of different kinds, and Arias, but the part that brought me up short was the massive amount of spirits that were hidden, watching silently.

The Lightning spirit from the door was even there, sitting atop the Altar, kicking her feet childishly.

I looked at Arias. "Alright... what now?"

"Well, you'll need to be naked, obviously, but that's pretty much all you need to worry about, for now." He shrugged.

"That's it? No ceremony?" I asked.

He shrugged again. "The Chaste were created as an experiment to create Warriors, Dimitri. It's not supposed to be ceremonial. It's a medical procedure, more like."

I raised an eyebrow. "And the moon?"

"Simply for better lighting. And sunlight ruins the Mages magic... or so they say. I think they're being intentionally difficult." He grinned.

I laughed and nodded. "Sounds right." My clothes left my skin easily, and I folded them, setting them on the stone, and handing Davila my weapons.

Then I laid down on the slab, which was barely long enough, and winked at the blushing spirits and Mages. "Don't get distracted, ladies." I teased.

Melina, the healer, laughed and patted my cheek. "Tease. Now close your eyes and relax... Davila will be carving your Markings, and I'll be the conduit for the Mages here, giving the dagger she holds their magic. When it hits you, the Spirits will make themselves known."

"The ones around us right now? What, they'll drop their glamours?" I asked.

She blinked, and Arias cleared his throat. "He can sense Spirits, Mel. No use trying to ask him about it now..." he said simply.

She nodded. "Yes, well, they'll reveal themselves to us, and whichever ones are the same affinity as you will gift you with some of their power. Simple... sort of. It's a lot more complicated than it sounds."

Davila drew one of my daggers. "So when do I get to start stabbing him?"

I flicked her nose gently. "Brat."

I closed my eyes, collecting Lightning clouds above us with my magic, and relaxed as I felt multiple lightning spirits surround us, chasing off the other Spirits by their raw power, which radiated out like the element they also emanated.

"That's new... interesting." Arias muttered, and then the Mages started drawing their magic up, like buckets from a well.

'Weird... why don't they just let it out? Stupid Elf Mages... magic doesn't have to reside so deeply inside you... you can let it fill your skin and bones, and your organs, your muscles, let it mold you into the being you were always meant to be...'

Davila started carving at Mel's instruction, and I stopped thinking of different things, instead focusing on letting my healing power flow through me, scarring my skin under her knife as she cut, so I didn't lose much blood. (It still hurt like hell, but at least I wouldn't pass out from blood-loss.)

The magic from the Mages flowed into my cuts, and created what felt like channels, like my existing Magic Channels, which spread my magic amongst my body.

'Ohhhh, that's why. They don't actually have Magic Channels, so they'd need to give themselves some to do magic like I do.'

Davila made quick work of my chest, arms, and legs, and rolled me over, cutting my back just as quickly, and rolled me back over, making me growl in pain as the tough stone slammed my back. She snorted and cut the final symbol into my chest, and the Lightning spirits rushed me, striking the knife while it was still in her hand.

She reared back, but left the dagger, which stayed just above my heart. More and more, and more, and more, lightning streamed out of the sky like rain, pouring down a giant funnel, of all different colors.

My entire body glowed blue, with the Lightning spreading and dominating my Magic Channels, reforming and recreating them in a more natural fashion, and mixing with my original set, then reforming even that, which hurt like nothing I'd ever experienced.

Nothing in the history of my existence ever had come even Close to the feeling of having my Soul smashed and reforged, like a broken sword.

My muscles, my bones, my organs, every single piece of my body hurt separately, and sequentially, like a being was remaking my body as it saw fit. The pain started in my brain, slowly entering each fold, separately, all the while repeatedly changing my idea of the word 'Pain'.

Pain was breaking a knuckle, or dropping a hammer on your foot, or cutting yourself shaving. Pain was all those things that didn't matter anymore. This wasn't Pain. This was Agony.

My brain apparently finished being filled with liquid Agony, because it faded from my notice, into the background, only to be replaced as the feeling entered my spine. Each vertebra, I could feel separately. Each disk, each rib attacked.

I could tell the location of every organ, tendon, muscle, and bone in my body, which was a new feeling. I knew where my kidneys were, they were the balls of Fire just under my ribs. My liver, a bowl of Lava. My heart, a Star, burning as brightly as the sun. Lungs, inflatable bags of Liquid Lightning.

The oddest thing, during all of this, was that it didn't go away. Normally, pain dulled the nerves after a certain amount of time, and granted blissful numbness, but this never did. If anything, I could tell my nerves were getting stronger, more effective, quickening my reflexes and response-time.

I was sure time passed while I screamed and roared, shaking the heavens with my pain, but maybe it didn't. Heightened amounts of Pain had a tendency to either stretch, or change entirely, the concept of time in the mind. For all I knew, I hadn't even spent a single heartbeat writhing on the Altar, after the lightning had struck.

At one point, I thought I might pass out, and drift to heavenly sleep, but the pain reached my waist, and I heard myself make another noise, roaring like a lion that had had its tail cut off as the pain invaded my loins. That pain stayed, as all the rest, as the pain continued down, to my toes, and then stopped, my entire body sensitized. I thought, no, hoped, for a sweet, hopeful moment, that it was over.

Suddenly, my sense of smell started fluctuating, then my hearing, and my eyes darkened, shutting off my sight. My tongue felt like a piece of rubber in my mouth. My skin stopped having sensations, and the pain disappeared completely, something I was grateful for.

Sight was the first sense to return. I could now see the veins of the leaves that fluttered around in a nigh-nonexistent breeze high above us, the breeze I could now feel gently caressing my skin. Dust motes in the air flew across my vision, followed by white blood-cells on the surface of my retinas, and inside my pupils.

I looked further, and saw individual shafts of moonlight and starlight, each collecting to create the whole of a picture of a beautiful half-moon and a blanket of stars.

My skin was next to lose the numbness, when my fingertips, pressed firmly to the stone, could suddenly tell me exactly what type of stone it was, (granite,) when it was last sanded, (20 years ago,) how old the stone was, (between 10-12,000 years,) ... details that were only barely discernible before to all my senses, instead of just one.

That sense remained, and then my taste took the same route, heightening insanely, and I realized I could taste every piece of food or plaque in my teeth, until it was all burnt off by the Lightning that was still arcing even now, but not from the sky, rather from me.

Next was hearing. I could hear the forest creatures going about their nightly business, as if they hadn't seen or heard the lightning storm. My hearing managed to focus, slowly, and I heard the Mages speaking very slowly amongst themselves.

I tested my muscles, one by one, and found them adequately adjusted, but a freezing cold hand touched my forehead, pressing me down, so I stayed still.

Suddenly, the scars drifted down into my skin, which subsequently became as flawless as the day I was born, only to be replaced by a heavily revised version.

This version looked exactly like Lightning patterns on wood, covering my entire body, from the crown of my skull to my toes, waves, ripples, and ribbons of black patterns snaked around my skin, before the lightning stopped.

But, that too sank into my skin, leaving only the branches she'd carved, not the leaves, and I cracked my neck. "Ow." I said clearly.

Arias chuckled. "Indeed... that was intense. It looked like mine felt, so I'm sure you'll feel the need to test it out. Go ahead, it's over." He nodded.

I stood slowly, and stretched my body. "I don't feel much different... beyond the ache, and the senses, but I've always had good senses... these are a slight improvement." I hummed.

He frowned. "I guess there wasn't much to improve. After all, you already had Mage Channels, and you already were a warrior. This ceremony was designed to turn Weaklings into Battle-Mages, not Battle-Mages into... whatever else."

I nodded. "Logical..." I stepped off the platform, and shook myself when the cold air made itself known. "Cold... odd..."

Davila tossed me my pants. "Those might help." She said blandly.

I grinned and dressed, then cracked my spine slowly. "I think I'll go for a run... Davila?"

She grinned and tossed my belt at my face, using my confusion to get a head-start.

I laughed and nodded to Arias. "I'll see you before we leave tomorrow, Chief Arias." I nodded, and then darted after her.

I amazed myself with the freedom of running, like the wind parted before me, and the trees moved from my path. I overtook Davila quickly, and slung her over my shoulder, still running. I realized I still had speed to give, and so I dug deep, and circled the perimeter of the village repeatedly, while Davila laughed and held on.

"I may not like flying, but running is amazing!!!" She laughed, and held on tighter.

I finally tired myself out, nearly three hours later, and so I stopped at the waterfall, and dunked myself and Davila.

She playfully splashed me, and I took my vengeance, with an even bigger, unintentionally electrified wave.

She gasped at the static covering her body, and then pulled me into the shallows, a mischievous look in her eyes.

I allowed her to take the lead, though I protested when she attempted to rip my soaked Oxen-leather pants. Other than that, though, no objections were made.