Chapter 377 (1/2)

Chapter 377

ALDIR

The fa castle slowly cah over the Beast Glades The castle seeer the vibrant hub of Dicathen’s Council

One of the large bays that allowed flight in and out had been sh the thin layer ofto a stop just outside of the castle itself The door had been crushed inward, and the floor beyond was littered with corpses

Landing a them, I kicked the body of an armored man over to reveal the cut-away portion of his cuirass Runes htly bluish and clad in a layer of frost

The castle was quiet No noise of battle echoed through the halls, no shouted orders or death yells Distantly, I could detect only three natures within the structure Everyone else, it seemed, was dead

Just as well There would be fewer distractions for as to couarded the hallway I took as I followed the natures Their bodies had been crushed into the floor as if by an enor up to the next floor, several more Alacryans were draped over the steps, their oeapons embedded in each other’s bodies, their faces frozen in masks of utter terror

It was h the castle toward the three natures,corpse after corpse, however, I was consideringan entire day to think as I flew over the Beast Glades searching, I was no closer to a decision

Would I act as a soldier, doing aselse would place the entire Thyestes Clan in danger, but then, I knew that Indrath had sent me for exactly that reason

A test Of loyalty, not of skill It would be another merew soft as I approached my quarry Their voices drifted out of the Council chambers, still breathy with the exhilaration of battle

“—could, but I’”

“I still say we should destroy the portal controls and just leave”

“Perhaps, but that could not be undone, Aya We may do more harm to Dicathen’s future than to the Alacryan forces”

“Mica has always liked it here! Why don’t the Lances set up shop in the castle? If the Scythe returns, ill just kick his ass”

I stepped into the doorway, exaed fro, they did not appear injured Varay Aurae’s white hair had been cut short, cropped in aher severity She was leaning against the far wall of the chamber, her eyes downcast

Mica Earthborn see like a child even while covered in the blood of her enee hammer rested beside her

The elf, Aya, on the other hand, seehost of her past self Her eyes were dark and sunken, her skin pale, and every ered on a body slumped in a chair in the corner From the look of the man, he had been tortured severely before his death

“That won’t be necessary,” I said before any of them noticed me

The three Lances ju around them Color drained from their faces, and their spells writhed and nearly slipped away as panic broke their focus Despite being Dicathen’s most powerful warriors, they were no match for me, and they knew it

“General Aldir,” Varay said, the tip of her ice-sword trehtly as it pointed athere?”

“The Scythe, Cadell, won’t be returning,” I said, standing straight, one hand raised non-threateningly in front ofin confusion, her haht nod “He was killed in a duel with an unknown Alacryan”

Mica and Varay exchanged a glance, but Aya’s eyes never left me

“How do you know this?” Varay asked “In fact, how did you knoere here?”

I kept my eye on Aya as I answered “Alacrya is momentarily distracted, a fact which certainly aided in your assault on this fortress Our spies are still atteeration But…that is not why I around Her voice was cold as frostbite when she spoke “Was it you?”

Both Varay and Mica turned in her direction, but before they could intercede, Aya looked up toher dark hair around her face “Did you destroyaze with the full force of my attention “I did, Aya Grephin And now I’ve been sent her to kill you and your sisters-in-arms as well”

Varay stepped toward the elven Lance, but Aya was already ers spread wide, and visible tendrils of wind coalesced around her, knocking the others back Hera banshee screech of frustration and fury, a wind lance firing from each tendril

I didn’t move as dozens upon dozens of semi-transparent spears of condensed wind-attribute mana crashed into and around me The stone wall splintered, cracked, and crashed down, spraying debris across the rooave way, a foot of solid stone shattering and falling into the space below, but I continued to hover in place

Eventually, the barrage brought down the ceiling, and stones tumbled past er as the rooraded, I decided to e Walk, I ele near-instant burst to Aya’s side My hand wrapped around one of her wrists, and I pushed outithwave that slammed into every cell in her body all at once

Aya stiffened as theback in her head She went liround

A stone hah force to shatter it, the i the dilapidated floor beneath our feet

I ravity in the rooave way Furniture and stone all crashed into the void below, along with Aya’s unconscious body, falling ravity field

The two Lances and I, on the other hand, reh this before, Mica Earthborn Have you forgotten that lesson already?”

“Mica isn’t going doithout a fight, three eyes!” she shouted, sweat beading her brow as she atteravity even further The three walls still standing began to shake

“You’re going to collapse this entire section of the castle,” I pointed out, keeping e several i to me”

“You sure, asura?” Mica shouted “Mica thinks dropping the entire castle on you ht unsteady, the human Lance was able to shi+ft position so she was next to Mica “If he was going to kill us, we’d already be dead!” She had to shout to be heard over the groaning of the castle “Let’s hear what he has to say!”

Mica stared at her fellow Lance for a longher spell A few st the rubble, then all was quiet Suddenly her eyes ide and began hurriedly scanning the dusty space below “Aya!”

“She’ll live,” I noted as the dwarf plunged doard in search of her friend

Varay was inspecting me carefully, her own face a cool mask of impassivity “Why are you here if not to do as you’ve been commanded? I always had the sense that your loyalty was to your master, not us lessers”

I considered my words as Mica reappeared, Aya draped across her arms

“If my life were represented by a tapestry, yours would be but a single thread,” I said “And while your worldits skin, mine remains as static as that saing, unevolving”

I paused, unsure of the words, or even of ood at this But then, I’d never had reason to doubt the path my lord took us on

Lord Indrath had senthow the use of the World Eater technique had strained it Meanwhile, across Dicathen, a boy of my clan would face a much different kind of trial If I failed and he succeeded, there was no doubt the World Eater technique would be passed on to hi this should have solidified h with this task, and yet, I found ames It was a kind of stubbornness I had not seen in myself before No h, I hadn’t been able to convince ht one

Mica scoffed, shooting Varay a disbelieving look “Mica thinks the asura intends to bore us to death”

Varay hissed for the dwarf to be silent, then nodded foryou death, I have brought opportunity,” I said finally, still hovering in the air over the collapsed floor “Your Co over hundreds of refugees”