Chapter 496: Trust (2/2)
I knewaround me when I spent too much time under the effects of the Godrune, and my companions were forced to shut their nificant enhance of e In Epheotus though, where e and had lifetimes of experience that I could never hope to replicate, I had to take every advantage
I also did not fully trust Myre’s intentions “Nohat is it you want?”
Kezess stood before Agrona, not looking atthe asura in all the tirona Vritra He has been let off too easily An example must be made, but I can’t do that with him in this state”
“Use Oludari then,” I said “Let him be the receptacle of your performative justice”
Kezess rounded on“Perforh asura in name, you are nonetheless—”
“Trust,” Myre said, e the word “That is e need now, between each other Trust Antagonisnificant effort you’ve both gone to in order to reach this point in your relationshi+p” She gave me a look of mild disappointment “You are the ambassador of your entire world The archon raceon you are many”
Despite the matronly tone of constructive criticisht, though I wasn’t ready to be Kezess’s eneoal
I relaxed the flow of aether into King’s Ga it this as second nature by now, and helped to take the edge off the fatigue of releasing it When I spoke, I did so slowly to not trip over ize, I spoke too plainly I didn’t mean to offend you”
Kezess returned to his placid facade as swiftly as he had grown angry “My wife is right, as is usually the case”
She sh, there was sadness in her tone “Oludari will not serve the saree that this basilisk deserves true justice Those we both love suffered as his handsin her cave between the Elshi+re Forest and the Beast Glades with the enchanted egg of her only daughter, a daughter she shared with a ht she’d loved—a man who then had her killed so he could experiht of Sylvie and the life she would have had if he’d been successful I thought of Tessia, and the life she did have, imprisoned in her own body as the vessel for Cecilia’s rise to power
“Of course he deserves justice,” I said solemnly “But it seems to me as if he’s had it Take his head and be done with it”
“It’s still not enough,” Kezess said, his anger now directed toward Agrona’s mindless husk “Which is ould like you to heal him, Arthur”
In my current state, I didn’t iht of both Kezess’s and Myre’s stares, the realization was like a heavy stone inpearl will heal hi I had learned about the pearls, I couldn’t believe they’d even suggest it “Even if you’re certain it would…you want to waste it on hi to spend it”
Tessia and Chul were only alive because of the other two pearls My consciousness turned inward, feeling within my extradi the lastpearl Its value to me was incalculable It could be my sister’s life, or my mother’s If I’d had such pohenof his wounds… “It is not your resource to use, regardless”
Kezess darkened Even the bearona see pearl”
I cocked htly, not cowed by his theatrics “I’reat clan Are the others so easily cowed by you? Surely the role of the Great Eight extends beyond the pretense of self-rulershi+p to keep the other races in line”
Myre quickly stepped in, unable to hide the flash of exasperation that crossed her features “Please, Art Take so That pearl could be used to save Sylvie, or Ellie, or Alice But you are the head of your own clan now, and your decisions impact all asura You can’t think only about yourself
“Beyond sirona, together There is much about his actions in your world that we don’t understand, and may never if he isn’t revived Let hiood of all Epheotus, Dicathen, and Alacrya”
I bit back a sigh “I…will think about it” Could Agrona hiation? I wondered, recalling Veruhn’s words
She shot a quick glance at Kezess, who still looked like he was on the edge of an eruption “Then that is all we can ask We’ll return you to Ecclesia and your faain”
Kezess reain behind us Myre bid ain wrapped aroundin silver sand, I was alone
I took in a lungful of the sea air, held it for several seconds, and slowly released it, trying to let the tension flow out with it
The beach around me was ee, the darkness extending farther up the sky as the sun went down I kicked the sand, sending up a spray that shone like glitter in the dying rays of the sun The conversation with Kezess had not turned out as expected, and the very real fear of being overheard had transformed into a more distant and bitter e here, in Epheotus It was an astute question There wasback in Dicathen, and I knew Caera and Seris would have appreciated my presence and help in Alacrya as well But none of the I could acco if Kezess decided to wipe our civilization froration, exoforainst an asuran death squad No, if I was going to protect the people of oal, I had to do it frohts tumbled around inside my skull, I proceeded up the beach toward the city, where I’d appeared on the outskirts of Bonfires glowed in the distance, and soon the e Though distracted by my own ruht These people see They lived a simple life, at least when viewed from the outside
None of theht with the blood of civilization after civilization in my world I didn’t yet understand why, but I kneas true Neither did they realize that they’d built their hoe of a volcano, and the pressure of eruption built every passing day
After slowly hiking along the beach for thirty ures I stopped as soon as I noticed them; they hadn’t seen me yet
Several leviathan children were lined up in messy roith their ankles intermittently in the water as it careeted us on our arrival to Ecclesia, appearing to be in their early teens, at least in comparison to humans Ellie stood with thest the leviathans’ color Zelyna, Veruhn’s daughter, stood facing the instruction, and I i When she h, it wasn’t to wield a weapon, form a combat spell, or even drill them in a martial arts for up and forh shape of a seashell I couldn’t hear what she was saying over the noise of the ocean and the people relaxing beside it, but a pleasant smile came and went across her purple lips as she spoke, and her stores with clear joy
The students began to cast their own spells They worked et sand, which would flow more easily, especially if they were more attuned to water than earth Ellie watched the other students and stared at the ground in turns She could have created anything she wanted out of pureto emulate the leviathans’ efforts instead I watched her until Zelyna spotted roup, she strode my way
As she approached, she see up and down olden eyes, so unlike any other hureen hair that gren the es
“You cost h she appeared relaxed “My father was confident you would return, but I bet hieons in Castle Indrath”
I gave her a chagrined seons, but I have also returned froether “I’ll have to ask fora brow
She flourished her hand, and a round piece of jade, carved with a stylized drop of water with a hook on one side, was resting in her palm “We rarely have need of currency, but e choose to use it instead of si aid, we use jade” She flipped the jade piece toward ht it out of the air “Keep it As a souvenir”
I chuckled and reversed thethe jade vanish into ave on ith you?”
I chuckled at the irreverent hts returned to theto do”
“Such is the nature of your position,” she said with a shrug I regarded her with surprise, and her lopsided sreat clanthe choppy waters of Indrath’s unpleasant tes his way, and you will swi to end up as close to your own goal as you can while still placating him”
“That’s…what your father says?” I asked hesitantly
She let out a barking laugh “Sea and stars, no, of course not The great Veruhn Eccleiah would never speak so bluntly Surely you’ve noticed he enjoys taking the ht of the gull”
We both grinned at that I hadn’t known Veruhn for long, but what she said was obviously true
“Don’t agonize yourself into an early grave over it,” she said, again givingof her shoulders “I’m confident you will be able to handle what’s to come”
I rubbed the back oftheir spells for a long moment Ellie hadn’t noticed ic
“Why?” I asked after the pause
“Back at the dragon wo ceremony” My confusion , “I sahat you did Placing Sylvia Indrath’s core on her altar in the castle I ary of you, and had sworn to keep my eyes on you I…didn’t lad I did”
The look of appraisal returned “You are powerful, Arthur Leywin, and you are intelligent All your peers in Epheotus are also both of those things, some muchoften ardless of race” She looked at th, but it can also be a weakness In you, though, I think it can be transforht, and for all of Epheotus”
Before I could reply, one of the students shouted excitedly and yelled for Zelyna’s attention Ellie looked over finally, saw erly Zelyna’s lopsided s aithout another word
I watched her go, equal parts surprised and confused Zelyna’s affirmation had been entirely unexpected, but her words aboutEpheotus were far more true than she could even know