A man stepped out from the shadows to introduce himself. A tall regal looking man with smooth skin, functioning eyes and even clothes that looked out of place but very clean. He didn’t look very dead at all, but appearances can be deceiving. Kolost just didn’t know just how deceptive this one is.

“Well seeing as were going to be working together I best introduce myself. My name is Siddil.”

He bowed deeply, Kolost was surprised at the man’s graceful greeting.

“I was and still am a great mage. Primarily a blood mage but I dabbled in necromancy, and I’m very glad I did. Without my knowledge we wouldn’t have any chance of escaping this place. Are you a mage?” he questioned Kolost

Kolost had never heard of a mage before, and he had travelled a lot of places to meet a lot of people before he was imprisoned and never came across one. Mages were either extremely rare and secretive or extremely dead. Kolost had premonitions after seeing so many souls here that it could be a very real possibility.

“Well that’s very unusual, how did you learn to sense your own soul to move it around so easily without knowing even the most basic principles of magic?”

Kolost was surprised that his ability to move as a soul was taught anywhere, he didn’t meet any disembodied souls on the surface. Then again, he had no idea they existed until a short while ago. Siddil must have been able to read souls or something similar because he saw Kolost’s deep confusion as if it was written all over his soul.

“Wait. Were you even taught soul-sensing?”

He wasn’t.

“Well, you obviously are proficient in it to have flown here from the Seat. So, tell me then how or where you got your ability.”

Kolost just pointed from where he just escaped from. Siddil, would probably understand it being a mage and all. He was getting tired of being interrogated. His inability to respond properly certainly didn’t help.

Siddil seemed incredibly surprised at his answer it seemed as he just stared silently at him for a while.

“You have no reason nor the ability to lie to me. I applaud your enlightenment as I’ve never met someone who’s awakened by themselves. I would teach you more complex techniques, but you’ll have no need for my tutelage if we successfully get out of here.”

“The ritual needed to break out of this cage is quite complex, but don’t worry I’ve had more than enough time to prepare it beforehand. I’ll explain what involves and give you some time to think it through, coming back from the dead needs certain concessions from us.”

Kolost liked this plan less the more Siddil talked, he had scammed a lot of people before so he knew what a desperate man sounded like. But he was also a desperate man. He wiggled his arms to motion SIddil to continue.

“Right. First hell is actually a god’s personal domain, so we're not underground. We’re somewhere in the clouds as the gods like looking down on mortals. There is no barrier against physical beings leaving this realm as nothing can survive the fall anyway. Even if you don’t turn into meat paste on arrival one of the god’s messengers will find you. I’ll explain why that is.

"Second all souls arriving here can never leave without a god knowing about it, something akin to your soul being branded when you die and pass the barrier.”

He didn’t like the sound of branding, one branding a lifetime was enough.

“The monsters locked up here have tried to escape from here, all of them only achieved temporary freedom and were swiftly put back into their place. I never tried escaping; I’ve been waiting for this day. To meet a conscious soul who can aid in my escape and be free once more. Well in a sense anyway.”

Kolost was confused as to how they are getting out of here if they have a brand, and why it had to be two of them escaping together. He didn’t trust Siddil at all but all this talk about gods branding souls made him want to begin his vengeance all the faster. He decided to go though with this plan, didn’t matter what tricks Siddil wanted to pull he would get out of here.

“The only way to escape undetected is to merge our souls together.”

It hadn’t even been seconds and Kolost was already wavering in his conviction.

“It doesn’t sound too appealing but it’s only way out of here. This will create a new persona out of two of us. Think of it like a partnership, we will both be able to understand each other perfectly. You’ll have access to all my knowledge about blood magic among other things. Power independent of the gods, power to kickstart anything you would ever want to do. The new soul would be able to pass through the barrier and we simply float down and restart our lives.”

“I’ll give you time to think over it. Just know this, I know my time and my people are long gone. All I want is another chance to achieve something and experience life properly again. I've grown incredibly tired of this hole. You also know the land better than me so most of our personality will come from you, I won’t fight your control.”

Siddil turned around and walked back into the darkness.

Kolost had some thinking to do.

===============================================================================================

He stared at the sea of souls before him, did they know they were dead or where they are? They probably didn’t, not one of them had ever paid Kolost any attention. He knew there was nothing for him here and escaping was the only path forward with his life. But his fears weren’t unfounded, what if Siddil lied and would just usurp his soul the second they escaped. Or use his unknown mage powers to do unrepairable damage to his memories, what happens when he forgets who he is and gives up on revenge?

A bubbling fury rose from within him, Kolost had heard about fighters going berserk in the heat of battle. They described feeling hot, not caring about anything but separating their foes head from their shoulders. Their vision restricted only to the enemy, out for blood. He understood the euphoria, the desperation and the eventual exhaustion that comes with this feeling. He wanted to see what colour a god's blood is.

If anything this seething anger would survive the ritual, Kolost was sure of that. How much of the rest should he risk, just to have a shot at salvation? Was he willing to make a huge risk even though his journey hasn’t even begun yet? Would it be worth it in the end, when he’s done it all; would he regret?

He was about to find out.