Those Who Burn by Theo Scoblic (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

“In life, may I be his disciple. In death, may I honor him. In between, may I enact his

will. Hail Rakneth,” I prayed, as I circled the burning fire before me.

I clutched my sacrifices in my hand, preparing to toss them in the fire. I started with the

wedding ring.

“I melt this to teach mortals that real strength comes from isolation,” I said, sticking my

hand into the infernally scorching fire and dropping the ring right in the center.

The next item I put in was a doll.

“I burn this to teach children that hope brings out ignorance.” I put the toy in the same

way I put in the ring. When I was younger, I may have cried, but now, well, now I didn’t feel

anything at all. Most feelings, both physical and mental, had been erased from me completely.

“These sacrifices I collected from a family I passed on the way to Borlay. I taught them

your ways using my own sword and brought out their Burning Eyes. And now, to rid myself of

all things unjust,” I took a dagger that was tucked underneath my belt. “I cut my thumb to remind

myself that pain fuels ambition.”

I sliced off my right thumb and it charred in the fire, no longer connected to my undead

soul’s unholy protection.

“Accept my offerings, and please Burn my powers and soul if they are not adequate. Hail

Rakneth.”

My pact with the demon Rakneth only went so far. As any servant of Rakneth, I was

responsible for the upkeep of my powers. I next placed my sword on the ground and let the blood

from the stump where my thumb had been drip onto the blade. I started to feel a spark of magic

flicker into my body. After about a minute of exposing my sword to the blood, a surge of energy

filled me. The flicker had become a forest fire. My once weakened corpse was now strong. With

my spirit back, so came my greed, and with my greed, so came my ambition. I now felt more

ready for the next day, which I knew would be long. I whisked my cloak through the air,

reducing the once blazing fire to a pile of cold ash, the fire obeying its arcane command.

I picked up my sword and started walking out of the woods I had found myself in. Being

one with the Burning Eyes, I didn’t need sleep, so there was no reason not to continue with my

journey despite how late it was. I was able to walk through the woods with relative ease, and I

soon arrived in Borlay, a town just by the Nephrij mountain, my destination. The place had a

certain presence to it. Cheeriness and peacefulness filled the poor town. It was obvious to me that

those feelings were the reason the town remained impoverished. The dirty village tainted the

otherwise stunningly scenic area, a disappointment to the sparkling mountains and glowing

forests that surrounded it. Everyone was me as I walked through. Mothers told their children to

go indoors, fathers found something they thought they could use as a weapon, and the rest just

ran. I’m sure they didn’t know where they were running, but it didn’t matter to them. I felt their

terror, one of the few things I could feel, and soaked it in. It was like being surrounded by a

delicious aroma. Their tangible dread fueled me. I started walking through the town until a man

holding a big knife yelled at me from what appeared to be a butcher's shop.

“Get your filthy self out of here, you cultist!” He yelled before spitting on the ground.

I slowly walked up to him.

“Cultist?” I asked.

My magic gripped onto his mind, and I presented to him an image. He saw the town

around him burning, everyone gone except for one strange creature. I showed him Rakneth in all

his glory, his hunched back supported by eight legs, tall and brooding. The image of Rakneth

looked directly at him.

“You should choose your words more carefully,” Rakneth spoke.

In front of me, the man’s eyes turned completely red, scorch marks appearing around the

edges. He sweat profusely, clutching his knife as though if he dropped it he’d die. He was

completely still.

“I love your eyes,” I said, holding his cheek. “They look just like mine.”

The man gasped in pain as I held him, my magic fully taking over his body.

“You are now mine.”

The man walked out of his shop and bowed down to me.

“Hail Rakneth,” he yelled, terrifying the townsfolk around us.

“Hail Rakneth,” I replied.

In truth, some of the theatrics probably weren’t necessary, but the fear I caused by giving

him the Burning Eyes gave me a restorative high. I wasn’t able to resist. Most people who are

given the Burning Eyes outside of a temple of Rakneth don’t stay undead for long, but Rakneth

always welcomed a new servant, no matter how temporary. This man was in the same state I was

in. He was undead, and he now saw the world as Rakneth had made me see it. But he was

nowhere near as powerful as me.

He’d act as my servant.

“Take me to the leader of this village,” I said to him.

He took me to a wooden house that was bigger than the rest. Two guards stood out front. They both pointed spears at me.

“Kill them,” I told the butcher, who was still holding his knife.

The guards seemed confused at first but quickly understood what was about to happen

once the butcher ran at them with his knife. A spear went straight through the butcher’s gut, soaking his clothes with blood. The spear stuck out on the other end, guts at the tip. The butcher

walked his body through the spear, dying just before he was able to get to the guard who had

stabbed him. The guard gasped, trying to comprehend what had just happened. The other guard

looked at me with a mix of hatred and horror. I started to walk between them. The other guard

pointed his spear at me.

“I can’t let you proceed,” he managed say, despite the way he trembled.

“No, you can’t,” I responded. “But you will.”

The man stood there, terrified. When I walked past him, he didn’t make a move. He

couldn’t because, just like anyone without the Burning Eyes, he fell victim to fear.

I continued to walk into the building. Before me was an elderly man seated on a throne

behind a small table surrounded by chairs. Two guards stood on opposite sides of the throne.

“I heard screaming outside,” the village leader said. “Was that my men?”

“Your butcher,” I replied.

“Ah. A shame. I will have to hold a burial for him. That is, assuming you plan on letting

me live.”

The guards quivered at this. I took a few steps forward. The guards did as well.

“Ralell, Tamik, please, there is no need to be concerned,” the leader gently told the

guards.

“But sir,” one guard responded, “he’s a monster!”

“I have known this man for a very long time, Ralell. For now, he poses no threat. The

moment you try to hurt him, he will. And trust me, this is not a man you can kill,” the leader said.

“Abelox, please, sit.”

The man stepped down from his throne and took a seat at the table in front of me. I

slowly took a seat as well. The guards did not move.

“You choose to sit as an equal to a traveller while you yourself are above him.”

The leader chuckled at this.

“I am not a king. I do not have total dominion over this town or those who pass through

it. I am only in charge of helping the people of Borlay. Besides, it is only polite to treat an old

friend to a seat at a table together.”

“We are not friends.”

“That is fair. I am a bit old for that. Maybe a friend of your family.”

“I have no family.”

“Then let me be their memory.”

I paused at this.

“You have been away from your home for so long. Please tell me you plan on staying for

a couple days,” the leader said.

“Stop with the niceties,” I asserted. “I am not the man you think I am, and I never was. I

am here on business.”

The part of this exchange that irked me the most was that this poor excuse of a leader

knew more about me than anyone alive.

“Very well,” he affirmed. “What is it you want?”

This rat of a man thought he could ask questions of me. Unfortunately I need something.

“I need to know how to get to the Witch of Nephrij,” I said.

“The Nephrij mountain is large and dangerous. Words cannot describe the path one must

take to get to the witch’s hut. I could tell you, and you would still get lost. I could have some of

my men show you,” the leader said.

“Fine. Me and whoever you send to take me will leave at dawn. Tell them that they can

meet me at the village entrance.”

I then left the building. Just before I had made my pact with Rakneth, I had sworn to

myself that I would never return to Borlay. I had been dragged back anyway.

After my mission is over, I thought to myself, I will burn this place to the ground.