“What is your name?”
The New One hissed, rushing at me. For a brief moment, the both the ankh I held and the runes which imprisoned the New One glowed red. The New One screamed, a sound of hatred, rage, and pain, as it tried to force itself through the barrier. It failed, however, just as it had failed in its previous attempts to penetrate its cage. On my left arm, a cut appeared, blood slowly running down the newly opened wound. I ignored it however, just as I ignored the other cuts that now crisscrossed my body. After all, the body and mind were inexorably linked together, so stress and pain on one naturally showed on the other.
“What is your name?” I took a sip of water from my waterskin, only the hand holding the waterskin moving, everything else concentrating solely on the New One. It was a war of endurance now. The battle to bind was one thing, but the battle to master was another. I had several advantages, if I didn’t I would already be dead, namely the New One was weakened by the battle and by being bound as well as myself, being having done this many times before had some experience and techniques. Just as a trained soldier had an advantage in a swordfight against a farmer, so too I had the advantage here.
Not that those advantages guaranteed victory. If I was alone, I would have went ahead and killed the New One, or at least eternally bound him, both tasks being simpler than the one I was now engaged in. One only tried to master a spirit or a demon when one had backup, either a fellow exorcist, or in my case a spirit bear that could easily dispose of a New One weakened by the colossal effort of breaking free from its binding. Thus protected, I could afford both the time and the risk of attempting to master the New One.
Still, if necessary, I was fully prepared to forgo making the New One my servant in favor of killing or banishing it. For as Master Covin said, “Desires bow to Death.”
OOC: The elves and/or spirits may take anything they wish from the battle (such as anything the dead enemy mages might have on their persons). They may also destroy the gate that was under construction, though if possible I wouldn’t mind a copy of any runes or symbols that are on the gate in order to take them to headquarters to see if they held any clues on who was trying to build this gate. I suppose a piece of the gate would be helpful as well, for the same reason. Otherwise, once I finish mastering this New One (or killing it if I must), I’ll take care of disposing of the ruins of the gate through prayers and charms and the like.
Slightly longer term, I would like to go to the hunter’s loge to claim my reward for fulfilling their mission, then head back to the capital where my headquarters are located.