Every time the Void remembered one of Lith’s abilities, he became stronger but he also felt something stirring inside of him.
The flow of knowledge from the human side to the Void created a safe connection between them that the Voidfeather Dragon exploited to draw more energy from the Abomination and heal the human side.
The completion bar marked how close Lith was to making a full recovery.
“Tell me why I’m so fucking hungry!” Derek screamed as his rationality slipped away.
As the sun went down on the horizon, the light and warmth that had fed the Abomination side until that moment disappeared. Without them, the spark of Chaos became stronger.
“I need food. Any food.” Driven by instinct and desperation, Derek’s Awakened senses allowed him to perceive all the life forms in his surroundings.
By the end of the night, Mount Marala had become barren for kilometers and very few animals managed to escape the fury of the Abomination.
***
Zeneka Region, Outskirts of Vidun’s hiding spot, a few hours earlier.
Reaching the village of Xant had been relatively easy, but at that point, things had gotten complicated. Even with Zoreth’s help, locating the site of the ambush had taken a while.
By the time Ryka, Kamila, and the rest of Lith’s friends reached the wreckage of the hunting cabin, the Void was long gone.
“I don’t get it. They assumed a battle formation right before fighting against each other.” The Shadow Dragon took sharp sniffs circling around the remains of the hut while the others kept themselves at a distance to not mess with her perceptions.
“Why did Lith kill Strider?” Ryka sobbed between Kamila’s arms, finding no reasonable explanation for the murder.
The equipment of the Zouwu lay on the ground where the Abomination had left it, the corpse reduced to a pile of ashes.
“He didn’t.” Zoreth replied. “There are traces of Lith’s blood on Strider’s blades yet your friend was killed in one blow. Based on the pattern of their movements, Strider attacked first. Most likely a betrayal.”
“How can you say that?” Ryka said in outrage. “You didn’t know him! He was loyal and honest to a fault. You are just trying to defend Verhen because you’ve never liked Strider!”
“I didn’t like the guy, but this doesn’t change the evidence.” Zoreth closed her eyes in an attempt to hide her annoyance.
“What evidence? Verhen and Strider must have argued about the grimoire, Verhen killed Strider and escaped to not answer for his crimes. It’s the only plausible explanation.” The Titania replied.
“Stop thinking like a little girl at her first crush and use your gods-damn brain!” The Shadow Dragon snarled. “First, tell me in what world your dear friend could wound Lith as much as the blood spats suggest.
“The mass gap, the size of their weapons, not to mention that Solus would have never just stood there and watched. You’ve seen them fight. What chances of victory do you think Strider had against them?”
“None.” Ryka admitted with a sniff.
“Yet he spilled Lith’s blood. Lots of it. Strider even forced Lith to use his Abomination powers.” The Shadow Dragon pointed at the charred stains left by the corrosive black blood. “Also, they weren’t alone here.
“I found the smell of that Vidun guy here and the smell of two more people. And they were both elves.” She knelt and picked up one of the pieces of the destroyed Darwen armor that lay on the ground.
Ryka recognized it as the equipment of the thieves and a brief examination confirmed it. When whole, the armor sealed odors, aura, everything. Yet Ragnarök had burst the Darwen armor open when the blade had made V’horr explode, covering the fragments in entrails and making them easy to find.
“An elf?” Everyone echoed, struggling to explain the presence of such an elusive creature.
“Yes.” Zoreth pointed at the footprints on the ground. “One of them carried Solus away with a Warp Steps while the other stood right here, in front of Strider. He was still alive and I can’t find any sign he tried to stop them.”
“Maybe he was outnumbered and outmatched.” The Titania tried to rationalize the events. “When they attacked us in the Garden, there were many of them. Maybe they used the same strategy here and you can’t smell the other assailants because of the armor.”
“Really?” The Shadow Dragon sneered at Ryka’s stubbornness. “Then why there are traces of Lith’s blood on Strider’s blades and none of the elves? Why do you think Lith kept Kami updated about the mission whereas Strider kept you in the dark?
“On top of that, we all know Lith. How many chances there are he would leave behind loot that he could claim after proving his innocence?” Zoreth jabbed with her thumb at the priceless Adamant equipment that still lay on the ground.
“None.” Ryka had witnessed Lith’s stinginess in person and no matter how much she tried, every theory she came up with was paper thin compared to the Shadow Dragon’s reasoning.
“I have no idea what happened here, but there are a few things I’m certain.” Zoreth said. “Lith would have never let someone take Solus away without a fight, yet there’s no trace of a serious battle between Awakened.
“The craters on the ground bear a single footprint and the residual smell confirms it. Lith left them after jumping around like an idiot. Also, Solus must have been unconscious the whole time.
“Her smell doesn’t move from this spot and there is no sign of resistance as they dragged her to the Gate.”
“To make matters even more absurd, I’m certain Lith survived the encounter. I can pick up his smell all around here like he had some kind of seizure. Yet he didn’t Warp, he didn’t fly, and he didn’t call any of us for help.
“Whatever wound he suffered, it did more than affect just his body.”
“I can confirm Zoreth’s analysis.” Friya did her best to reopen the Warp Gate the Chroniclers had used but the dimensional energy had been collapsed first and then relaxed in order to erase the coordinates inscribed in the spell.
“A very long-distance dimensional tunnel has been opened here and whoever did it took great care covering their tracks. Also, look at this.” She pointed at the now-imprintless Home Stone.
“That thing carries Strider’s smell and no one else’s.” Zoreth nodded.
Ryka checked the artifact and noticed that it had been set to the hut’s coordinates right before Strider’s rune had disappeared. On top of that, it was the same kind of Home Stone that she had seen the Zouwu use many times in the past.
“But why? Why would he do it? He and Lith had gotten on much better terms after meeting with the undead. Strider told me himself.” The Titania fell on her knees, sobbing.
Not only had Ryka lost the person she loved, but she also suddenly felt like that person had never existed in the first place. The Strider who had died there wasn’t the kind and loyal Zouwu she had fallen for.
He was a traitor and coward. The two images were at odds as much as her heart and mind.
