‘What does he mean, this time? If the harvest is good and there are no diseases in Kolga, then why does he worry about losing his child?’ Lith thought.
‘Maybe it’s due to the ritual.’ Solus thought. ‘There’s only one strand connecting the Forbidden Sun to the woman so she must be like us, taking the poisonous energy on herself and protecting the baby.
‘Yet once it’s born, cracking both its life force and mana core might prove lethal.’
‘I find it hard to believe that after all this time they have yet to perfect the ritual.’ Lith replied while looking around the fields and finding another inconsistency.
He could see barns, stockyards, but no building big enough to host the slaves necessary to fuel the Forbidden Magic ritual.
‘The fields are big and we are on foot. Maybe it’s somewhere else.’ Solus had no better answer, focusing all of her attention on the tower that was getting closer with each step they took.
‘Dammit, the energy from the mana geyser is blinding as if I’m staring at the sun, we need to get much closer if we want me to make heads or tails of the enemy’s power.’ She thought while Lith used his regular vision to check their surroundings.
The tower did resemble Solus, but the moment he got close enough to notice its details he could tell that something was off. Sure, the energy from the mana geyser was so intense that it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, but the tower had no presence.
Even in its ruined form, Solus’s tower had an aura of magnificence typical of Forgemastering masterpieces whereas the one in front of him felt like nothing more than a tall bunch of stones.
Even though the tower had been enchanted with self-repair spells, the energy from the geyser caused it to crack and reform non-stop. The damage was small, but big enough for Lith’s heightened senses to notice it.
‘I can confirm that this is no mage tower at all.’ Solus said after studying the mana flow around them. ‘Whatever controls the mana geyser it’s inside the tower but it’s not a part of the building. On top of that, the Forbidden Sun is different from what I expected.
‘It’s indeed powerful, but it’s nothing compared with the Black Star. Not only is the Forbidden Sun weaker, but it also lacks any consciousness. It’s just a mass of world energy, life force, and light element.
‘Yet it lacks the infinite power of the Odi’s Mana Reactor. Unlike the lost cities we’ve met, Kolga is a giant with weak legs. We’re here for just an hour and we’ve already found two weak points.
‘If we find a way to mess up with the geyser, the water dome will fall and destroy the fields. Even if the Kolgans are still able to breathe underwater, they’ll die without food. Also, the lack of consciousness means that we can tamper with the sun as well.’ Solus said.
‘The second is not really a weak point. Placing the sun over a huge ass white crystal and the tower gives it all the protection it needs. How easy is to break inside the tower?’ Lith asked, incapable of seeing arrays due to the geyser’s blinding light.
He couldn’t use an array detecting spell because it would make the arrays visible and blow his cover.
‘Nigh-impossible.’ She sighed. ‘Too many defensive systems overlapping so that one wrong step triggers them all. Besides, we’re here for recon, not fighting.’
‘I don’t plan on fighting, it’s just that the geyser controlling device is inside. If we don’t get so much as a peek at it, we’re just wasting our time.’ Lith replied.
“Do you need a ride back to the city?” A polite male voice asked.
“Yes, please.” Lith turned around, noticing a male who wore such a colorful dress that reminded him of Harlequin. He had green eyes and bright orange hair, which coupled with his dress made him a crime against every dress code Lith knew.
The Harlequin emitted what looked like a firework and one of the flying cars reached their position.
“Thank the gods you called. I was sick and tired of driving around but I couldn’t find a free parking spot near the tower.” A woman said while coming out of the car.
From a brief exchange between the woman and the Harlequin, it turned out that even though anyone could use a car, it couldn’t leave the highway unless the driver received the firework signal or parked it in a proper space.
To make matters worse for the Harlequin, a new designated driver had to accompany all passengers to their destination before leaving the vehicle.
‘I guess this doesn’t work like a taxi.’ Lith thought, glad of not having attempted to call one of the cars before.
“Where do you need to go?” Harlequin took the wheel, swearing like a sailor as more and more people sat down and made their request.
Lith politely let them talk first, learning what directions he was supposed to give.
“Harstrom, on the second ring.” He said.
“I’m sorry, did any of you manage to see the King?” A male passenger asked. “I waited hours to meet him, but he never came out of the tower.”
‘If the King lives inside the tower, then he’s likely to be the one who possesses the artifact that controls the geyser.’ Lith thought.
“Sorry, no.” Lith actually said, quickly followed by the others.
“Problems with your job?” Harlequin asked.
“I’d never bother his Majesty for something so trivial.” The man sneered. “I wanted to ask him to put me on sentinel duty. My wife is pregnant to term.”
Instead of congratulating him, everyone turned somber and wished him good luck. Lith couldn’t see how being a sentinel and becoming a father could be related, but he just followed suit to not arise suspicions.
Once he got out of the car, Lith had Solus check the clock in his pocket. More than two hours had passed since the group had split. If they didn’t come back soon to be relieved of the poisoning, they might start showing its symptoms and be discovered.
***
Kolga, two hours earlier.
Tista and Phloria had a hard time moving around the building rings. They had no idea where they were going and they couldn’t ask for directions. At the same time, they were afraid of meeting someone who knew the faces they wore and that might expose them as spies.
To make matters worse, even though Solus’s suggestions worked like a charm to slow down the poisoning, they felt sicker with each passing second. A nagging pain followed their every move, spell, and even thought.
Darkness fusion couldn’t negate it because the source of their illness affected more than just their flesh. The poison coursed through their mind, core, and body, making them feel as if white-hot worms moved under their skin.
Tista felt like she was back to being a sick child with lung issues. Pain was an old friend and masking it was second nature to her. Phloria had been healthy her whole life and had received the best medical treatment the moment she needed it.
Yet she was also a soldier. She had fought and survived while enduring terrible wounds. Compared to what her own core had done to her during her Awakening, the Forbidden Sun barely pricked her skin. Yet.
