At first, it was just a sound bordering on the edge of hearing, like tinnitus. Yet the longer Lith stayed in the Mindscape the clearer the fluctuation in the world energy became.
Luckily for them, the communion didn’t last long so the effects of the ritual were mistaken for a wild surge of world energy the likes happened every decade or two inside the Fringe. Actually, there was no such thing.
What the elves believed to be random events were caused by the werepeople’s attempts to find a way to merge their split life forces in order to return to the outside world for good.
Most of the Dewan had lost faith in receiving the planet’s help but there was always someone among the youths who decided to give it a shot.
Also, Aalejah had unwittingly acted as a distraction.
The people of Setraliie were too busy listening or retelling her stories to mind the anomaly while the members of the Parliament were arguing among themselves and with the members of their respective Clans.
Each representative had turned into a stray boat in a stormy ocean, with every household of each Clan trying to push their own agenda. There was no consensus between the members of the same family, let alone among Clans.
With the passing of time, their differences grew instead of being mended. Those who wanted a peaceful life at the service of the World Tree had no common ground with those who were willing to fight in order to regain their freedom.
By the time Aalejah left the city, a few quarrels had already escalated into brawls.
“Dammit, I hoped I could take my time but it seems I’m up to an all-nighter.” Le’Ahy sighed while clenching the tier one fake magic book that Aalejah had given her earlier.
“I’m really sorry to burden you like that.” The former apprentice of the Yggdrasill gave the huntress a bow. “But I’m sure that Lord Qisal will appreciate your efforts.”
Those words gave Le’Ahy butterflies in the stomach and made Aalejah sick.
‘Wow, I’m turning into a Lith. It’s easy to point fingers until you have the opportunity to manipulate people for your own gain and then turn into the same person you criticized.’ She inwardly sighed.
Aalejah left Setraliie, Warping to random locations to lose any potential tail before reaching the site of the ritual. A mind link allowed the members of the group to share their respective day before discussing the knowledge acquired.
“Teaching the elves fake magic is a great idea on paper.” Faluel said. “But how can we make sure they don’t abuse it against us?”
“We can’t. That’s why I gave Le’Ahy just a tier one book. Most enchanted protections nullify spells that weak and unlike true magic, you can’t deduce the upper tiers of magic from the lower.
“Or better, they can, but it would take them so long that by the time they succeed magic will have already evolved by leaps and bounds again, making their knowledge obsolete.”
“Do you have any idea what is the meaning of the things I’ve seen in the Mindscape?” Lith asked.
“None.” She shook her head. “I don’t know you enough to understand how to put back your shattered self and Dragon physiology was among the subjects the World Tree kept away from apprentices.
“As for Void Magic, I don’t know even its basics so I don’t understand a thing about the alleged blue eight element. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that I’ve never seen an illustration of the creature that smiled at you in the World Tree’s archives.
“Not even a mention so it must be something new. Like you or your brothers.”
Lith nodded, taking once again the first guard shift with Solus and waiting for everyone to fall asleep before moving outside and into the tower.
“Say what you want, but those two are really close. As in way closer than it’s proper. Like us.” Morok snuggled onto Quylla, wishing to have a bit of privacy in order to experiment on his new body with her.
“Since when are you an expert on what’s proper and what do you mean, like us?” She replied.
“Only someone who studied etiquette can make sure to break every single rule. It’s not as easy as I make it seem.” He replied with undeserved pride. “Also, it’s in the way they look at each other.
“There’s as much meaning in their silences as in their conversations because they know what the other one is thinking.”
Quylla found herself covered in a cold sweat, afraid that the weirdly perceptive Tyrant could catch a whiff of the bond between Lith and Solus and maybe even of the tower.
“Yeah, right. Like us.” She snorted, trying to change the subject. “What am I thinking right now?”
“Good gods, I can’t believe I’ve married this idiot.” He replied, hitting close to home and making her blush in embarrassment.
“You’re wrong! Now let’s sleep. All that practice drained me.” She turned around, giving her back to him.
“I love you too.” Quylla was now so red that he could almost see her in the dark without Fire Vision.
Once the camp was asleep, Lith could finally vent his frustration and fears to Solus.
“What if that shitstain on humanity really masters Void Magic beyond what even you and I can do? What if that was just some evil version of Aran after he learns about all the things I have done?
“I mean, right now I’m his hero but if that admiration were to turn into hatred, there’s no telling what he might do. Especially if I teach him everything I know. It would be the classic villain’s origin story.”
“Uhm, yeah.” Solus tormented her long hair, knotting it into tresses just to unravel them and start again. “Sure.”
“What’s wrong?” He asked the moment he finished his rant and finally noticed her odd behavior. “You are not angry or scared. More like embarrassed. What aren’t you telling me? Is he one of your exes?”
Solus’ eyes went wide in surprise and then she started laughing from the heart.
“We do spend too much time together.” She said with a chuckle. “You nailed it in one. Almost. Yes, I’m embarrassed. No, it’s not one of my exes.
“Just someone I know. Someone you know.”
“Who?” Lith racked his brain but most faces were just a nameless blur in his mind.
“By my Mom, are you serious?”
“Dead serious.” He nodded.
“Okay.” She moved behind him, conjuring a dais so that she could place her hands on the sides of his head without a spell. “Here he is.”
Solus materialized a mirror in front of him while using a mix of light magic and their bond to twist his face into a cruel grimace. His lips were curled up and his jaw closed yet the thing that his mouth formed couldn’t be called a smile.
It was the savage expression of a predator ready to eviscerate his victim and eat its entrails while it was still alive.
In the same way, the lines around his eyes didn’t express joy so much as intense hatred and the desire to make everything burn. To inflict upon everyone else the same kind of pain that haunted his mind.