Chapter 111: Crown of the Mists

Achlys stood over Charon before extending the pale crown down to him. "This is now yours, boy. I pray you prove yourself worthy soon." He took it gingerly, unsure how he felt about the item. It also reminded him of what she said about bonding with the artifact. "Why do you have the crown, but the Warden didn’t have anything?" She tilted her head as if confused, her gaze lingering on his form, yet somehow looking beyond him. It took a moment for her to respond, and once she did, she sounded uncertain. "It appears my brother willingly entered the union with you, therefore avoiding the requirement for an artifact. Once he has regained his strength, he should be able to manifest it for you to wield. When this happens is up to him." Charon turned the crown in his hands, the mist curling faintly around its edges as if alive. The weight wasn’t physical; if anything, it was light, almost insubstantial, but something about it pressed against his head just by holding it. He squinted, a dull ache appearing behind his eyes as he felt tears well up at their edges. ’Gods above, is this what a demi-gods artifact is like? I feel like I should get rid of it right now, like it’s dangerous.’ When he spoke, his tone betrayed his hesitation. "So I just... wear it?" Achlys’s form rippled, like the mist itself was suppressing amusement. "You may, yet be warned. It is no simple relic. Even I am not attuned to its true powers, for it was created by Death himself to hold my essence. No aspect of it will be forthcoming until you have proven yourself capable." ’Of course, nothing is ever simple these days. First chains, now crowns. What’s next, a whole set of cursed jewelry?’ Still, he lifted it slightly toward his head, only to stop midway. The pale shimmer seemed to grow colder, and the longer he stared, the more he sensed a presence inside. He frowned ’No, not one presence. Multiple. I can feel them all swimming in... something.’ Charon didn’t like it. Achlys leaned closer, her tone low. "Be wary. The crown remembers every hand that has touched it. Fail to command it, and it will remind you of their torment until you break." Charon lowered it immediately, clutching it tighter but refusing to put it on. "Yeah, that sounds like a big problem to have. Sounds fitting. The powerful artifact comes with a curse." She did not argue. Instead, she studied him with that same unreadable intensity before turning away, her outline dissolving briefly into the mist filling the onyx cave. ’The Warden chose me on purpose, Achlys came unwillingly, and this crown... it feels like both at once. Like it wants me, but is uncertain why.’ Charon exhaled and raised it once more, doing his best to mentally prepare himself for whatever was going to come next. ’Please don’t mind control me, please don’t mind control me, please don’t mind control me!’ He even felt tempted to put on the Mask of the Jester to guard against such issues. The moment he lowered it onto his wavy black hair, he felt the cool metal press against his temple. It grew damp, wetting his forehead instantly. Although it was initially uncomfortable, the sensation slowly turned acceptable, the weightlessness of the object relaxing. ’I guess I have a crown now. How do I wear it with the Warden’s robes? Do I have to keep my hood down at all times?’ Realizing that wasn’t the most pertinent train of thought, he shifted tracks to what the crown itself could do. He activated his holo-pad once more to bring up the artifacts information, much like he did with the Mask of the Jester. [Relic Name: Crown of the Mists] [Relic Rank: Novice] [Relic Effects: The wielder of the Crown of Mists can tap into the abilities of Achlys herself, temporarily assuming them as their own. Beware, all who share the strength of Death, for his power comes at a great cost.] [Relic Description: Death was unlike the other gods, for he waited to create his spawn. He watched mortal life be born, grow, and inevitably enter his domain, and throughout it all, he learned from their actions. He saw the dangers of power run amok without the possibility for connection, and sought to solve that by bridging the gap among his own demi-gods. For this purpose, he created -$&@(!~ children to serve him. First, he summoned &!(~!^$, then %($##)*, and third, he made the Crown of the Mists alongside his daughter, Achlys, demi-goddess of the mists and sorrows.] Charon stared at the words on the holo-pad until they blurred. Parts of the description were clear, but the sudden distortion in the text unsettled him far more than if the entry had simply stopped. ’It’s different than before. Rather than cutting out, certain parts are explicitly redacted. Why would the machine do that?’ His eyes narrowed. ’No, the holo-pad is an interpretive device. It wouldn’t go out of its way to exclude certain data unless it was unable to translate it.’ He tried to think about how the item worked, which was difficult as he had only used one after arriving on the Noctis Vrex. Before then, he was aware of their existence, but had no personal experience. ’I need to operate under the assumption that the device isn’t the problem, rather the artifact itself. Could it be the one censoring the information?’ He looked up at Achlys. "How much do you know about the crown?" She vanished before appearing at the foot of the altar, her hand tracing some of the grooves. "Very little. I have had four summoners before you, and none of them cared much for the crown. They sought me for my ability to grant them access to the title of Archon, not for the power I could directly provide, nor that of my artifact." Charon cocked an eyebrow. "You don’t know anything about the item created specifically for you? It has the power to make you a summon, but you haven’t bothered to research it?" Achlys’ form wavered before manifesting in front of him, a long glaive in her hands. Although it outwardly looked similar to the one she used in the fight against Alastor, there were key differences, such as the lack of a glow and that the weapon was less detailed. "You know nothing of the gods. We are bound by the artifacts, not the other way around. I am denied the ability to truly understand it, or else the gods would risk their spawn gaining full control. I lack knowledge due to my very existence, not through laziness." Charon could tell that she was deeply offended by his words. Although she couldn’t hurt him, she still felt pushed to the point of drawing a blade, something he wasn’t intending to happen. Raising his hands placatingly, he tried to de-escalate. "Hey, I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to rile you up. I’m just trying to understand everything. It’s a lot to deal with." She scoffed. "For a weak mortal. None of my previous companions acted this way. Were they so ignorant, I never would have agreed to bond with them." Leaving her barb hanging in the air, she walked back to the altar and continued to study it for reasons unknown. ’She lives here, you would think she has seen it plenty.’ Taking the crown off his head, he balanced it on his palm and stared at it, hoping for its secrets to reveal themselves. ’It allows me to tap into Achlys’ abilities, but how does that work? If I wanted, could I use the mist to create weapons, like she does?’ Deciding it was the perfect time to test, he raised it to his head and walked to the open center of the cave. Raising his hand, he took a calming breath and called on his mana, willing it to flow through his body and into his palm. ’Time to use a demi-gods power.’