B6C6 Salem

"You said the land here used to be fertile."

"Hundreds of years ago, yes. It's not so distant that the murals on the ruins don't show it, and we have texts and scriptures at Shade that agree – not to mention stories passed down through generations. The land was rich, and so too were the people who lived here."

"Then… how did that change? How did it become a desert?"

"The legends say a great cataclysm changed the land. The ground shuddered and shattered, forests were swallowed and the rivers dried up. The grass died and the soil turned hard and brittle, all in a matter of months. Great fissures rent the plains, growing into ravines that swallowed towns and cities whole, and soon after, when the land had crashed back together again, it had become as it is now."

"It was a geographical thing, then? A quake…?"

"That is how the people today remember it, but among our people, a different truth is known. I should not tell you, but I believe you will know enough in time. I also think you need to understand... both what happened, and why it's so important I come with you. Why I forced my presence on you all." Sun settled down and began to speak, his voice so quiet that no one other than I could hear it. "I mentioned before an ancient civilisation that ruled here. They were known as the Ashari, and this their Kingdom before it was renamed. They were a proud and cultured people with rich history, art and literature. They were also powerful and wealthy, and had embarked on many conquests against other Kingdoms."

"Inevitably, the pride of the Ashari worked against them. The other Kingdoms – more than the four at the time – banded together to wage war against the Ashari, who saw themselves as too powerful to ever deign to negotiate with the lesser peoples of Remnant. This alliance marched into the country, and although the Ashari were able to beat them back time and time again, victory remained ever out of their grasp."

"In fury, the King of Ashari turned to a new way to win this war and claim dominion over all of Remnant, as he believed was his right. He was approached by a mysterious stranger offering rumours of a ritual that might grant him his desire, should he be willing to pay the price."

My entire body tensed. I knew instantly what this was.

"The King responded immediately, and gathered those who would feed the ritual. Through their blood, their sacrifice, a great demon was drawn forth. With pale skin and bright red eyes, she asked of the King his wish. He made it, and Vacuo was never the same. The Ashari fell into ruin, and now all that remains of them is us, their ancestors, the Del'Ashari. Our pride shattered, our hearts humble, we now guard the tombs of our ancestors to ensure that no other Kingdom makes the same mistake our own did, that no one else suffers for our forgotten pride." Sun met my eyes and smiled grimly. "You know this creature," he said. "You have met her."

"Salem…"

The glass in my hand creaked a little as my fingers tensed. It all fit, from the method to the summoning, to the inevitable betrayal. I recalled Merlot, an arrogant monster, and Tyrian, a broken shell of a man, each tortured in their own way.

"Sun," I asked, looking up to him. "What did he wish for? What was the King of Ashari's wish?"

"Make my people stronger."