Richard had said nothing for a while. The cave was dark and thick with the scent of ancient ash; the blue flames on the stone throne whispered like restless souls. Akumo waited without word, his aged body unmoving, but his eyes cut like razors. Richard stood next to the broken pillar, arms across his chest, his mind churning like a storm.
He thought about everything: the reanimation ritual, the power Akumo showed, the flames that took shape like dragons, the stone shattered by a mere breath, the strength of a warrior inside of a magician's body. Impossible. Unbelievable. Terrifying. And yet… Richard knew the truth.
He couldn't do anything alone.
He had tried once. He had died once.
He did not make the same mistake again.
Richard breathed slowly, willing the heat in his chest to settle. He stepped forward.
"Fine," he said. "I agree. I am not able to reach what I want without you. Allies like you do not appear twice during a lifetime… or after death.
