Chapter 427 (1/2)
Chapter 427
Chapter 425: Arew darker and more labyrinthine as we continued Mana beast corpses littered the halls, the detritus of their broken bodies evidence of the titan’s incredible strength The corpses grew larger as ent deeper into the tunnels, and the dungeon beca-in nests
As Avier led the way, I attempted to strike up a conversation with Evascir, but he only suggested I save my questions for one better equipped to answer theh a second level of the dungeon We passed through a chah with dozens of dents clawed into the walls A towering pile ofone several times the size of the others It was sies under its belly—so heat trapped in its three horns, which glowed like coals
“The eaze “A , even for the asura”
Evascir grunted, but sounded pleased with hieon more times than I care to consider, but it is always a battle worth recounting”
From this chamber, it was only a short way to our apparent destination: a second set of large doors, the black wood engraved with the i was inset with soht and flickered with a di to frae leaves the color of autumn flame
Evascir went ahead A tall, reddish stone staff grew in his fist, which he knocked against the ground The doors swung open, revealing a twenty-foot square chamber and another simpler set of closed doors His bestial companion took up position in an alcove at one side of the chamber while Evascir pushed open the inner doors
“They will be waiting in the hall,” he said to Avier, who nodded appreciatively and went through
I did the same, curious who “they” were and where this place was, but withholding my questions Evascir didn’t watch us walk away, but closed the door behind us and returned to whatever his duty was
“Is this sohold?” I asked quietly
Avier’s tale swished in agitation before he paused, turning around to look at me “Those doors have not been opened to a human, elf, or dwarf since they were carved from the first of the charwood to h you have been invited, it rerace will suit you far better here than a dragon’s physique”
Without waiting for a reply, he continued down the hallway
Instead of the dark, rough stone of the dungeon, this interior passage array marble studded with silver sconces fro the walls and across the curved ceiling, adding a bucolic airiness and sweet auturound
The short hallway opened onto a balcony that jutted out froer than that of any royal palace, a wild riot of color coht orange leaves Several globes floated near the roof of the gardens, giving off a pleasant light that felt like ht the dwarves did a good job is let out a muffled whistle “It looks more like Epheotus than Dicathen”
Avier’s head bobbed at the end of his long, reptilian neck “Indeed In some ways it is The charwood trees, the plants, these people you see here, they are all reed or walked around the gardens, chatting or just sitting with their faces turned toward the lighting artifacts Their ray hair and their vibrant orange eyes marked thean turning upward toward us as more and more of the phoenixes noticed our presence Some only watched curiously, but others abandoned their leisure and quickly exited the garden
‘Didn’t think I’d see birds less friendly than our tour guide owl here,’ Regis communicated mentally
I cracked a srunted, as if hearing hts “We will fly froh an underground dungeon, but I did as he suggested after Regis was tucked safely back within e of the balcony, and we drifted out over the garden The asuras still reo with an air of apprehensive curiosity
We fleeen two of the trees, then down into a yawning tunnel entrance This tunnel was much more plain than what I’d seen previously, just bare marble that was covered in ashy black streaks like scorch ht, then drifted back to the left, where our tunnel joined with another Read first at Lnreaderorg
The passage ended abruptly, opening high up into another exceedingly large chamber My first impression was of a theater, with several levels of balconies looking down on a central platforate up to them
Like the other charay marble, but colurew ed with colorful fall leaves
A large circular table currently rested on the central platform, around which sat four people, two of whouess at, but the fourth was both a stranger and somewhat out of place
Avier circled the space once, then landed gently When I slid to the ground, he transformed back into an owl and fluttered up to a nearby balcony, perching on the railing and watching us with his overlarge eyes
The four figures had stood up fro our approach Aldir was closest to me He’d abandoned his severe,pants, and his long white hair draped over one shoulder, but he otherwise seeed The vivid purple eye in his forehead watched ular eyes remained closed
Wren Kain stood to his left, draped in a soot-stained white cloak and appearing distinctly out of place in the grand hall Like Aldir, he looked the same as when I’d trained with him in Epheotus: dirty, tired, and al that stood out was a single bright-orange feather in his hair and the way his observant gaze seemed to burrow into my chest to my core
But it was neither Aldir nor Wren who spoke first
A tall raceful physique stepped past Aldir He was dressed in a golden robe embroidered with stylized feathers and flames over a cream-colored silk tunic and dark pants His hands were tucked into the robes, held together at the waistline by a dark belt Markings like feather-stelowed like coals down the sides of his face, which had the same air of eternal youth as Kezess’s, but where Lord Indrath could only appear dispassionate and s, this man’s sharp-lined face conveyed an undeniable sense of wisdo, but there was so complicated about the simple expression Perhaps it was the way his eyes blazed like two captured suns
“Arthur Leywin, son of Alice and Reynolds Leywin, bond of Sylvie Indrath, reincarnated soul of the Earth King, Grey” The ers through his untae hair “I am Mordain, phoenix of the Asclepius Clan Welcoainstmy words “Thank you for the kind welco hed decision, but I have to ask…am I here at Aldir’s request or yours?”
“Ad on Aldir and Wren’s part for me to invite you here,” Mordain answered without hesitation “The truth is,time Except…” He paused, and some emotion I couldn’t identify passed over his features, but receded just as quickly “I found myself quite surprised, then, when they turned my head and showedwith you face to face orth the risk”
Although the courtly thing to do would have been to exchange several rounds of probing pleasantries to inch closer to the conversation's true purpose, I didn’t think Mordain or I had the patience or interest in such gaainst the Vritra Clan? Or even Epheotus, if it coht to the point, and a valid question” Mordain took a step back, gesturing to the table “Please, join us There is much to discuss”
As Mordain returned to his seat, I met Aldir’s eye He looked away as he eased into his own chair
Moving around him, I took the seat next to Wren, who bit his lip as he eyed lance at Mordain, then leaned toward me in barely concealed anticipation “So? Where’s the weapon? I can sense the acclorite’s energy within you, but—”
Giving Regis a nudge, I forced hies of is manifested, his jaw momentarily slack with surprise
“A conscious et a better look “And such a unique for, of course, about your state of being when the weapon manifested, and inputs prior to manifestation Personality traits are of pri a conscious weapon, but acquired powers are essential too, of course…” Read first at Lnreaderorg
Wren trailed off, his eyes darting rapidly, and I could just ihts
“Say hello to your creator, Regis,” I said, suppressing a chuckle
Regis blinked, inspecting Wren The flames of his mane were still “Daddy?”
Wren’s brorinkled up, and he frowned at uy who is continued, his tone changing “I’d like to file a co a weapon—I am a really badass one—but did I really have to come in a box with Lava-Burn Barbie? Do you have any idea what this guy has put h?”
Wren seeis and me
Mordain cleared his throat “It seems the two of you have much to discuss With Arthur’s permission, perhaps you could continue this conversation somewhere else, at least for the moment?”
‘You kno ht, socially aard little businessif you’d prefer I go chat with this old loon?’
Go, but keep your eyes open, I sent back I want to know anything you can discover about this place
Wren’s chair floated away fro on a stone conjuration Already talking animatedly, he drifted toward one of the feer entrances to the cha them leave, I returned my attention to Mordain, but it was the table between us that caught ing to life a beautiful cityscape It was a city I recognized
“Zhoroa,” I said, tracing a finger along the roofline of a building that could have been the courtroom I’d seen in the last djinn trial
Mordain let out a sharp breath, and his burning gaze swept to the fourth person at the table, who had still not been introduced The man was broad-shouldered and barrel-chested, wider in stature than Aldir and much bulkier than Mordain, but less tall His face was broad, with soft but handsoe hair that htly darker, and with a sht it
His eyes, though, stood out theinto the caldera of an active volcano, while the other was glacial blue, so light and clear it was almost white
“That city—and its na ti my attention back to him “This table is indeed a relic from when that city still stood”
I pictured Lady Sae-Areum, the djinn woman who sat across a table—this table, I was certain—from Kezess in my visions, and wondered what the connection was between that scene and this place
But I had to put my curiosity aside, because I hadn’t come to learn about Mordain, or even the djinn
“This is all interesting, but I feel compelled to address the reason I ca on Aldir “I knohat I’ve seen with my own eyes, and I knohat Kezess has told me—and offered me I’d like to hear you answer for your cri to interject some complaint, but Aldir stopped him with a small shake of his head “It is only fair Arthur was there, after all, when I used the World Eater technique…” My eyes widened slightly “I felt your presence, though I didn’t realize it was you at the time”
I sed past a lu from Alacrya to Elenoir, where I watched as Windsom battled Nico and Tessia—already turned into Cecilia’s vessel, even though I didn’t know it—and Aldir destroyed the country I’d called ho my sister in the process
Aldir continued to speak, but I didn’t interrupt as he explained what happened afterwards, how he began to doubt his purpose and Kezess’s leadershi+p, was banished froainst soldiers he himself had trained
He retrieved a small box from a hidden dimension artifact and set it on the table in front of ht to co Dicathen, but I was uncertain you would accept, and understood all too well how your people would look at reed, and so we bided our ti castle over the Beast Glades, since Dicathen’s forces haven’t attempted to take it back yet”
“I became aware of them almost immediately,” Mordain interjected “Our security is very reliant on knohen other asura are around But it helped that my sources in Epheotus had made me aware of the situation with Aldir, so I was already on the lookout”
“Mordain welcomed us into the world he has created for his people, and so I’ve waited for an appropriate tihout his explanation, he spoke with the cold efficiency of a soldier delivering an important missive Clerical and absent of any emotion
“Are you not sorry?” I asked, the words raw in
Aldir only nudged the box slightly closer to ht you this small token”
I nearly struck the box off the table to shatter on the floor, but I restrained myself Instead, I deliberately lifted the lid on the box It was full of dark, fragrant earth
“Soil from the slopes of Mount Geolus,” Aldir said stiffly “I hope that, perhaps, itsome small part of the destruction I’ve caused”
Slowly, I closed the lid “Can I regrow the lives you took there, Aldir?”
Aldir did not turn away from me His two normal, very human eyes opened and met mine
“Trees aren’t a culture or a civilization A forest won’t bring back the elves frorew sharped as I spoke, er “Kezess wantsjustice to both our people Even if I choose not to, he’s forbidden e of aether, he’s going to help us protect Dicathen frorona, a deal which your continued existence puts in jeopardy”