The Broken Halo

[The Aspects of Sins.]

Simon repeated the words, considering the four seeds inside his heart.

[Take Pride for example,] Lilith continued. [A Daemon who believes he should rule might develop the Aspect of Sovereignty. His power could make others obey him, provided he’s strong enough to impose it.]

[That sounds familiar.]

[Yes. But another Daemon might have no interest in ruling anyone. He simply refuses to submit. His Pride could develop into Defiance, making it harder for others to suppress his strength or force their Will upon him.]

Simon looked down at the black wraps covering his hands.

He had once ruled humans. In this life, he had spent years enduring orders from demons he wanted to kill. He understood both desires well enough.

[I’ve wanted people to obey me, and I’ve refused to obey others. Which would that make mine?]

[You don’t have to decide that now. I’m giving you examples, not asking you to choose from a list.]

Lilith sounded patient enough for the moment.

[Some desires matter to you far more than others. You’ll understand which ones shape your Pride as you develop it.]

Simon nodded. He had formed the seed while fighting to survive, with no time to consider where it might eventually lead.

Now, he had the time to do so and ponder on all these things.

[What about Wrath?]

[Someone whose Wrath centres on revenge might develop Vengeance. Imagine an ability that helps him find the one who injured him, or makes his attacks more dangerous against that particular enemy.]

[That’s useful only when the enemy is alive, but when the enemy is dead, won’t the power become useless?]

[Perhaps. Or killing that enemy changes what he wants to do with his power afterward. A Daemon’s life doesn’t end whenever he settles a grudge.]

Simon gave a small hum as he pondered on Lilith’s words.

[Another might develop Destruction,] she went on. [His Wrath could tear apart whatever he directs it toward. Barriers, weapons, buildings. He wouldn’t need to hate every piece of a fortress before bringing it down.]

[But the first could have a greater advantage against the person he’s pursuing.]

[He could. Their strength and how far they’ve developed would matter. Neither wins simply because you prefer the name of his Aspect.]

Simon smiled faintly.

[I wasn’t choosing a favourite.]

[No, but I’m certain you were already imagining how to use them.]

That was true.

He remembered the spear descending from above, the rage he had felt toward the being deciding whether he deserved to exist. There had been nothing careless about that anger. He had wanted to strike the one responsible.

But he had also wanted the attack itself destroyed.

A part of his Wrath was also directed at the revenge and hatred he had in his heart for his past comrades.

[Can two Daemons have the same Aspect and use it differently?]

[Of course. They have different bloodlines, affinities, experiences and techniques. One might work it into his swordsmanship. Another might release it through fire. Sharing an Aspect doesn’t make them copies of each other.]

Simon let that settle.

Seven sins no longer seemed such a small number. Even a single one offered more possibilities than he could explore in an afternoon.

He rose from the bed and poured water from the jug. Lilith remained quiet while he drank.

[All right. I understand the difference. But how do I progress from these seeds to true godhood? What happens when I’ve nurtured them enough?]

Her sigh reached him before he finished setting down the cup.

[You haven’t even tried anything I’ve just explained, and you’re already asking about godhood.]

[I’d like to know what I’m working toward.]

[I told you this would happen. Every answer gives you another question.]

Simon sat in the chair beside the table.

[This is one of the questions I asked at the beginning.]

There was a pause.

[Unfortunately, I remember,] Lilith muttered.

He waited without adding anything. Arguing now might make her stop altogether.

[The seeds grow,] she said eventually. [Nurture one properly, and it can develop into a Tree of Sin. As that tree matures, it can bear Fruits of Sin.]

Simon’s hand stopped beside the cup.

[An actual tree?]

[A spiritual tree. Its roots and branches are real, but you aren’t going to have leaves growing out of your chest.]

He glanced down despite himself.

[Those fruits contain the divine authority you’ve cultivated. Growing that power until you can sustain such a tree and its fruits is part of the path to true godhood.]

Simon leaned forward.

[And my four seeds? Do they grow together?]

[You have four different sins. If you nurture all of them properly, you’ll have four Trees of Sin. Pride, Greed, Gluttony, and Wrath.]

Four trees.

He examined his heart again. The seeds seemed almost insignificant beside what she had just described, yet even now their power had helped him resist opponents he should never have survived.

What would he be capable of when they had grown that far?

[Don’t expect all four to progress simply because one does,] Lilith added. [You’ll have to work on each.]

[I understand.]

Inwardly, he was happy though.

For the first time, he had an idea of what their growth might look like.

[Then what should I aim for first?]

[The Rooting stage. That is the next change you need to watch for.]

Simon gave her his full attention.

[The seed begins putting down roots, strengthening its connection to your heart, mind, and soul. The Sin becomes more stable and more deeply connected with you. Calling on its power becomes more natural as that connection deepens.]

[So the seed itself changes. It isn’t just a matter of releasing more power.]

[Yes. More power alone doesn’t mean you’ve reached another stage.]

He thought about how much the seeds had already changed during the battle. They had formed, settled into place, and answered his Will.

He had a lot to do when it came down to examining his body.

[What comes after Rooting?]

[You’ll learn that later.]

Simon looked up from his chest.

[I only asked for the next stage.]

[And I’ve given you the next stage. Reach it first.]

Her irritation was returning.

[When you’re ready for what follows, we’ll discuss it. For now, work on getting your seeds to take root.]

Simon rubbed his brow. She had told him there were trees and fruits waiting ahead, then refused to explain how to reach them.

Still, she had given him something he could begin working on.

[How will I know when I’ve reached Rooting?]

[You’ll see roots growing from the seed, Blackmoon. And you’ll feel the change in your connection to it. It’s obvious. You aren’t going to miss it while examining your own heart.]

He nodded reluctantly.

Rooting first. He could worry about the rest when he had something more than four newly formed seeds.

His attention moved beyond the room. Sonya and Akaza were nearby, along with Virella and Ammor. They had followed him into this place without knowing much more about it than he did.

He hadn’t forgotten what he wanted to do for them.

[Then how do I use the seeds to help Sonya and Akaza evolve their bloodlines?]

Lilith let out another sigh, longer than the last.

[Later.]

[Are there materials I should start gathering? Enigma is going to speak to the elders. If there’s anything here that we need-]

[We will discuss it later. Not now.]

Simon pressed his lips together.

[I’m tired of talking,] she continued. [I will tell you what to do later when I’ve rested. And you are not touching their bloodlines until I’ve explained what to do. Let them rest.]

He looked toward the door, then settled back in his chair.

He wouldn’t risk harming either of them by trying a method he didn’t understand. Waiting a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

However, his lips could not help but twitch.

[I wanted to ask you about The One, too.]

[God damn it.]