Chapter 351: Powers at Play
The Circle of Chains was an organization of monsters. I knew that beyond any shadow of a doubt. It had beat, whipped, and tortured that into my very soul. But this...this was beyond anything I could have imagined, an atrocity so dark it equaled, if not eclipsed, the agony of my own suffering.
When we entered the city, I’d witnessed with my own eyes the scale of the curse placed upon the Last Light Company. Every soldier wearing their armor and insignia had been under the influence of a primitive Heart Crest, only slightly more advanced than what we faced in Heartland. But it was another thing entirely to have the full weight and depth of the curse confirmed by Joel.
A thousand questions spun through my head, leaving me dizzy and despondent. A regular slave crest required great preparation on the part of the slave and slaver. They would engrave the crest on their flesh and then bind it to the slave with magic. It was an excruciating process that left no doubt in the slave’s minds that they were now property, something to be owned and beaten for the rest of their life.
Heart Crests were another matter, originating from the Soul Crest. Once it was perfect, it would completely replace all other forms of magical slavery. What master wouldn’t wish to control their very slave’s desires? It practically made them gods, and left no room for freedom, or truth.
The first one to break the silence was Korra, her hand grasping mine tightly beneath the table. "How did the Circle accomplish this? What’s the crystal you were talking about? Everything we know about Heart Crests says they’re only temporary. The spell’s pretty difficult to cast too, and it must be repeated for every individual target."
Joel nodded. "It is as you say. There are few mages capable of creating such a spell, yet it was done. I’ve heard rumors that a ninth-level priest of the Sun God aided in the development of the crystal, but I found it impossible to bring myself to inquire more." He shivered, his eyes far away and haunted. "There were a lot of things I couldn’t bring myself to do. Loyalty is supposed to be given, not forced!"
"Indeed," Orion said, leaning forward. "But tell us of this crystal. It sounds like the crux of their plan."
The Lieutenant took a deep breath, forcing the shivering fury from his voice. "The king used some kind of magical tool to cast the spell that cursed us. It used a large crystal as a focus, and seems to tie directly into the Shard of Omniscience as a mana source."
"Is that even possible? To harness a shard’s mana?" Korra asked skeptically.