Black Onyx - Phoenix Resurrection

Onyx was great. Unlike I who had a million things on my mind, he was relatively worry-free. That allowed him to detect the group of Elders coming our way a bit earlier than I did, though I wasn’t really trying. The guys were extremely surprised to see me. They detected us quite a while ago and thought we were the enemy, coming to intercept us with the intent to kill.

Apparently, they thought the whole team failed and was dead. Well, they were, but it wasn’t because of that. When I destroyed the relic keeping Onyx prisoner, they assumed I had been blown up or something. None of the higher-ups even considered the possibility that I had escaped the shackles of my freedom on my own.

I obviously didn’t grace them with a proper explanation other than confirming I was the only survivor, simply handing over the target as the job required. During the time I had her with me, I extracted as much information out of Lady Chalaste as I could without damaging her mind. She was unconscious most of the time, so that proved to be a bit of a challenge, but I managed.

The higher-ups also didn’t have to know that. Especially after they were annoyingly insisting that I tell them things I didn’t want to say.

How did you survive? Where is the rest of your team? What happened to the bracelet? What’s in that large, suspiciously human-shaped sack on your shoulder? Wasn’t that the one we gave you for keeping the mole safe from enemy detection?

Things like that.

Well, I told them they could go fuck themselves, just in a more polite manner. I also informed them that the sack was mine. They gave it to me, and I wasn’t planning on giving it back. They didn’t like that, and I didn’t care, so there was a bit of a staredown before they relented and just told me to get back to base.

Uh, no.

I had places to be, and people to see. The old men were again not happy with it, at all, but they also had places to be and people to see. Especially after they had the head researcher of the enemy in their hands.

Besides, I was just going to visit a friend…

[I’m back!] I said the famous line. John didn’t get it.

“I didn’t expect you so soon… Didn’t you say you were fighting the Drow?”

[Eh… I was. I caught a special one and I thought you might find it interesting.] I gestured to Onyx who was standing beside me, carrying the Widowmaker who was still in the sack.

“Your golem? It looks… expensive.”

“Hello. My name is Onyx. Master named me that way. Tiny Onyx, hehe.” Onyx said, bowing slightly while still holding the sack.

“It can talk?!” John exclaimed and flinched back.

Onyx nodded and spoke through the mental link again. “I can. It wasn’t easy, but Master Gerald showed me how.”

John stared at the golem wide-eyed for a bit, and then turned to me, looking incredulous. “Seriously? A talking golem and you can use Telepathy? I thought that ability was exclusive to Sky Realm folk?”

I hummed and then chuckled. [Is that so? I had no idea. Exclusive as in like that Domain of yours should be?]

“Ah… You have a point. I’m already breaking that mold a bit, but you… With your stupidly powerful Soul, you could probably do this stuff even earlier than me. Telepathy should be much easier than a Domain though, it’s just that it never occurred to me to try it out. Hmm, give me a moment…”

John closed his eyes and focused, and I could feel him probing my Soul with his mind. It was very crude and noticeable, but soon he established a link.

“Can… Can you hear me?” I saw John open his eyes, but the sound didn’t come from his mouth.

[Loud and clear, though you are pushing way too hard. A mental link should be much gentler. You try this with someone else and they might think it’s an attack.] I replied with a smile.

“Sorry.”

I laughed out loud. [As far as first attempts go, there is nothing to apologize for. You are a natural at this.]

“More like over qualified…” John shook his head and the mental link between us disappeared. He then turned back to Onyx. “So, what is this about? What did you bring? Also, you are going to have to explain to me how a golem can hold a conversation. Is it sentient?”

“I am. I think…” Onyx answered, and I nearly burst out laughing again.

I think therefore I am... Probably. That was a classic! He was good.

I took the Widowmaker out of her sack and placed her on a nearby table. [We have much to discuss, but tell me… Do you feel it?]

“Feel what?” John lifted an eyebrow, but then his eyes went wide with realization. “Oh. Ooooh! I can feel it! Wait, what the fuck?! Both of them?!”

[Yup. We all carry a piece of the Soul-devouring void beast. We’re almost like a family.] I grinned.

“I heard shouting. What is…” Alexandra stopped her question before she finished. She came into the room and looked at the Widowmaker. Adam also came un after her, appearing similarly curious. He stretched his neck over the gathered crowd, a cup of some drink in his hand.

“Who’s that?” He asked, taking a sip.

[Guys…] I grinned and stepped to one end of the table, closest to the Drow’s head. [You probably already know her, but let me introduce you again just in case. I present to you… Olivia!]

There was a bit of a silence.

“Who?” Adam asked with a raised brow.

John frowned, looking at the large unconscious Drow. “Olivia…? How… No, it can’t be…”

“It’s…” Alexandra nudged him in the ribs. “Look at her face. Ignore the color, notice the shape. It is her!”

“What? Impossible.” John took a step closer, looking at the woman’s sleeping expression, unconvinced.

Suddenly the Drow opened her eyes and screamed, going for his neck.

“Ah!” John exclaimed in surprise and reflexively slapped her. The woman folded under his strike, the back of her head slamming into the table beneath. Luckily the wood seemed to be of good quality and was enchanted, only cracking slightly.

“My table!” Alexandra shrieked.

To get the situation under control, I exerted some pressure, locking the Widowmaker’s limbs with Telekinesis. She screamed and tried to wriggle free, but I didn’t let her. With her magic locked away by the Agony Collar, she was as weak as… Adam. Probably. The guy had yet to even reach the Golden Core.

“Let me go! Cowards! I’ll kill you all!” The wild Widowmaker roared, anger rolling off her in waves. She could still use her intent, unfortunately, but with our group being underground in the secret tower in the desert, there was nobody weak enough around to suffer from it. The workers already finished with their construction.

“Oh, yep… That’s her.” John nodded as he watched the large woman scream her lungs off. “The voice is the same, even if she’s…” He turned to me. “What did they even do to her?”

[Lobotomy.] I shrugged. [I mean, not really, but they did scramble her brain. All her original memories were torn out, replaced by… propaganda, I guess? In short, she’s been brainwashed.]

“Oh, you poor thing.” Alexandra said, her voice full of compassion. She leaned closer, allowing the wild woman to see her face. “Remember us, Olivia? My name is Alexandra. We served in the military together.

In response, Olivia snapped her teeth at her, the attempted bite coming short of Alexandra’s face.

“How much did she forget? It wasn’t that long since we got separated, a few decades, but we didn’t change as much as she did. Well, I guess I grew a beard, but surely she can recognize us, right?” John asked and then turned at her, pointing to the other guy. “You remember Adam, right? What about Alexandra?”

[Don’t bother. The original is gone.] I said, shaking my head. [Well, it’s still in there, I just need to bring it back.]

“Liar!” The Widowmaker roared. “Who are you people?! Let me go! Filthy humans!”

[Oh, shut up.] I flicked her in the forehead, and the table received another crack. [You are just as much a human as any of us here. Heck, you aren’t even a Drow, though you kind of look like one.]

“Liar, liar, liar!”

Ignoring her screaming and anger, John looked at me. “What do you mean? What happened to her?”

[Eh…] I sighed and then began stroking my chin, slowly. [I’m not sure how or why they did it, but… The Drow somehow merged her with a Demon bloodline. That is not all, but is the biggest part contributing to her changes.]

I smirked. [Honestly, whoever did this was an amateur. Even back in the Myriad Beast’s Sect, the technique for the merger was much cleaner. The mix here is horrible, as is its compatibility. I already noticed her bloodlines attempting to separate. In a few more decades her body would probably fall apart from the strain.]

Probably why they kept her on ice. Keeping her in stasis would preserve their expensive science experiment for much longer.

Widowmaker roared. “You are lying! Damn you!”

I glanced at her. [I’m not lying. Your body is trash, and you are dying, even if very slowly. I could fix you, of course, but only after we get your mind back in order.] I placed my fingers around her head.

“Don’t touch me!”

I touched her. She fell unconscious.

I looked at John and the rest. [What do you think?]

John hummed, his brows furrowed. “Can you really bring her memories back?”

[With time.] I nodded. [Not all of them, mind you. Some are too far gone, torn beyond repair or simply missing, but I think there is enough to get back a semblance of what she once was. I just want to know if you think it is worth the effort.]

John hummed again, looking at his other two companions. Adam just shrugged, seemingly unconcerned with the decision while Alexandra gave him a pleading look, almost begging for the other woman to be saved.

John sighed. “I’ll have to ask you to help her, I guess. She is… was one of us, before they…” He sighed again. “What about her body? You said it can be fixed? How?”

[Easy!] I grinned. A glass vial appeared in my hand. [Drow blood.]

“Huh? How would that help?”

I smiled, glad to be able to display my knowledge of bloodlines. [It’s simple, really. Drow are a mix of High Elves and Demons. Humans are compatible with High Elves, while High Elves are compatible with Demons. They are the missing link that will stabilize the merger, and hopefully give her an even greater access to her innate abilities.]

“But what if she will still try to attack us?” Alexandra asked.

[By the time I’m done with her, hopefully, she will reconsider her actions. If not…] I dragged my thumb across my neck, the meaning clear.

“I see…”

[Well then!] I clapped my hands and threw my sleeping pet project over the shoulder. [I’m going to need some privacy, as well as peace and quiet if I want to do this properly. Got any free rooms?]

“Ah, uh-uh, just take whichever one you want.” John nodded.

[Thanks. In the meantime, Onyx, stay with these guys so you can get to know each other. Give them a hand if they need help as well, alright?]

“Yes, Master!” Onyx saluted.

“Earth military salute? Really?” John lifted an eyebrow. I just chuckled in reply.

[Alright, I’ll see you later then.]

“Good luck!” Alexandra shouted behind me as I disappeared down the hallway and into one of the many empty rooms. It was a difficult mission I had given to myself and it was time to see whether my abilities were up to scratch.