The Way of the Soul Read Online Free PDF Page A

said, “Yes, my Lord. Anything you ask, I will do.”
    Lord Harskill stepped closer and gestured towards his sleek, black clothing. “This do-kha is unique and special. Gods like me receive one at birth. It grows with us. It becomes part of us. And it accentuates our great power.”
    “There are other gods besides you?”
    “My dear, as it is, there are not enough gods to rule over the infinite worlds out there. But that will change. Patience. You’ll see and understand soon. For now, learn. The do-kha needs a person worthy of it, and though you are quite old to be forming this bond, it is your first great test.”
    From behind a crate, Lord Harskill produced a metal canister. He strolled to the middle of the warehouse’s empty section and set the canister down. He unscrewed the top. It made a dull, scratching sound that echoed off the cavernous walls. With grace and care, he placed the top aside and lifted the canister. He paused long enough to look at Reon with a sly grin and then poured the contents of the canister onto the floor.
    A thick, black mass like tar oozed out. Lord Harskill backed away, and Reon noticed a warm aroma like freshly baked bread.
    When Lord Harskill stopped, he said, “All you simply have to do is be accepted by the do-kha. Open your thoughts to it. Allow it to become part of you.”
    A hard ball of ice formed in her chest, and she shivered. The moment she had prepared for her entire life had finally arrived. Years of praying and training by herself, years of debating and fighting with her parents, years of hoping that she would not disappoint her god, and now, if she failed in this task, it would all be destroyed.
    She wanted to throw up.
    Though the black goo looked innocuous, Reon did not doubt its power. The Lord Harskill had said all gods wore the do-kha, which meant it had to be a great and mighty thing. Thoughts of numerous gods and endless worlds flooded her mind. She turned away and breathed deeply, trying to clear her thoughts. Only one thing mattered — being accepted by the do-kha.
    When she turned back with her face set like a statue, she approached the do-kha. After only three steps, it shimmered. From the center of the black goo, a thick piece rose with a sound like glass frozen to the point of cracking. It looked like a tree trunk — thick and strong. Branches grew out, but they all reached in the same direction. Toward Reon.
    She put out her hand, the tips of her fingers close but not touching the do-kha. Before she could look at Lord Harskill, before she could even think to ask a question, the do-kha snapped forward. All of it rushed off the ground, up her arm, and down her body like a cold shower cascading over her skin. She inhaled sharply. The chill air reached down like knives into her lungs.
    “Open your thoughts. Do not fight it,” Lord Harskill said.
    Reon obeyed. Her eyes rolled up, and though she knew she fell backward, she never felt her body hit the floor. Instead, she continued to drop, like falling down a well into the darkness with only one pinpoint of light visible. It rushed upon her. So bright — blinding.
    And then she floated on her bedroom ceiling. Below, she saw an eight-year-old Reon. The little girl sat on her bed holding two dolls — one blond, one brunette. Reon watched and knew this exact moment. She would never forget it.
    Only moments before, she had endured a massive argument with her parents about the fact that she knew Dulmul was a false god. The entire year since Lord Harskill appeared before her had been filled with fights like this. Locked in her room, she stared at these dolls and thought about herself.
    It was at that moment, she decided she must live two lives while waiting for the Lord Harskill’s return. Her outer life would be one of compliance with her parents and their Dulmulim religion. Her inner life, her real life, would be one in which she prepared for the return of her Lord Harskill.
    “Good,” Lord Harskill said. “Now,