("Who is it? What have we missed? Are they in danger? We're running out of time. Then what's the next step?")
Leo refused to believe the words of Gekorat. If he was indeed right, then the problem was far greater than anything he could have imagined.
"You know you're talking about Evos, right? Never before has there been such a major issue. All three of them perform their roles with the utmost diligence and precision."
" Why are you complaining, anyway? You want a chance to prevent the fate of this world or not? I also have confidence in the abilities of the three. That's why I don't think it is because of them but some other factors in their system."
"Their system is that which they have built. I may only be a disciple, but in all my experience there have been no major anomalies preventing regular operation. I cannot imagine that anything has slipped by them."
"But maybe it has now, girl! All of us know how big their responsibilities are and the extent of them, they cannot monitor every single individual."
"It sounds completely absurd, if someone is responsible then they must be at least on par with them if not more powerful."
"You never know what else is out there. We both acknowledge they might have a creator. After all, nobody knows anything about their past. They are doing their works, fulfilling their destiny, yet they don't question their own existence. Ever since that time, any question regarding the past has been brushed off or ignored by them. No matter what you think of this, my thesis is not out of the question."
Leo got a headache at the thought of what dangers might be lurking in Evos. He, too, had something important to lose over there. Ellie didn't feel any better when she started thinking about her friends.
"I'll make you an offer, so think about it carefully: I shall be released from this place, change my form and then return. Although there is no way to communicate with you then but I can pass on this news. However, this again involves the risk of my words being leaked, but at least they have additional pieces of information."
"I don't get it. How are you going to return? I understood your state to be irreparable."
"It has been so far, however, given your immense power, it is possible to construct a temporary core. I need you to provide me with your link in order for me to get back."
" You know that even if it succeeds, they will instantly figure out that I' m the one responsible and interrogate you."
"That is why I will be returning in regular form. However, the amount of magic required is far greater than as this medium. It won't be long before the core shatters, thus eliminating all traces."
"What nonsense are you talking about?! You can't return in your regular form, remember the transitional consequences."
"Of course I am well aware of them. There would be few problems returning as a raven, however, there is a certain danger of being discovered giving the enemy an advantage."
"No, apparently you don't seem to be aware of them. It' s been an eternity here, so in your normal form, all those centuries would take effect as soon as your arrival. You would perish instantly, nobody like you or your kind can live for centuries as just a ordinary person."
"Oh yeah? Then what about my assistant?"
"She was a druid, you know that the ability is in her very being."
" Well, you see, we never did find a way for me to return, although there is a way to briefly acquire her ability and thereby stop the aging process. Even if in the end it's only enough for a moment' s reunion, that' s all I need."
"Is it really sufficient for you to return for just a fleeting instant?! Are you out of your mind?!"
"Tch, I don't expect you to understand. During all the years I have stayed here, I often thought what good it will be to stay here for eternity without aging for even a day in this form. I often toyed with the idea of letting myself be eaten by the next biggest creature and just end it all. Even now I am struggling to overcome the shame of the past. Frankly, I just want it all to end, I don't want to start over and live forever again. Perhaps they have missed me, are happy about my return. But as long as I can see it in their expressions, I am glad enough. Even if more pleasant times await me there, I have grown tired of this. An eternity has passed but there hardly a moment. For me, unfortunately, this world forced me to count itself more than my own. But hey, at last I could look at myself again and disappear as my true self in the end. You see I ultimately do it more for me than for you."
"You're right... it really is beyond my comprehension. Things would be so much easier, and even if they all find out I'm behind it, there is still the chance of getting more details on the matter...
"My method is far safer and allows you more time to operate without being monitored as much as possible. Think about it, Noxus can't make you the culprit.
And who knows if I won't make it further than planned? Anyway, I don't want to hear any objections anymore, we both benefit by this step. They''ll get important intel without having your link, and I'll be able to apologize to all my surviving comrades."
Gekorat was deadly serious about his words. Staring more closely into his eyes, Leo began to see the weariness as well as the hope building. There was no way he could change his mind. Ellie seemed sad when she realized what the Raven must have gone through to come to such a decision. Yet she also realized that nobody was able to dissuade him.
"...Tch, what exactly do you want me to do....?"
"Follow me, one of the books should hold the answer."
As they entered the druid's room it was a complete mess. Everything lay scattered on the table and floor.
"Ignore this chaos, she always had this habit of having everything lying around. Now, take this book and search for "Core of Magic."
After Leo remembered all the steps, they started the ritual in the great hall. Closing his eyes, Leo centered on the flow of his magic until he eventually identified a core in front of him. He split off a small part of it as he removed it.
"So this is what it looks like. Truly a beautiful sight."
When he opened his eyes Leo saw a glowing golden shard in his hand.
"One last time: Are you really sure? There' s no turning back in a moment."
"Heh, as sure as I've ever been."
He stretched out his hand all the way until the golden shard flew inside the black raven. In a bright light, his appearance changed into that of a man with short blond hair, a scar over his right eye, along with a muscular build.
"Haha, so that's what I looked like...thank you. So I wish you the best of fortune, may you achieve whatever you set out to do."
His stature slowly dissolved until there was nothing left. For a moment there was complete silence, both of them being aware of what would be happening very soon.
"Do you think he made it?"
"Yes, I think he got his last wish. Even though he may be disappearing as we speak they''ll never forget him ever again. Now let's go over the books again, there might be some additional useful stuff."
After looking through all the documents, there was indeed a helpful information that would come in handy along the way.
"So magic itself can't be completely erased?"
"Strictly speaking, no. If an object has been infused with magic, it is protected from eradication unlike living beings. This makes it easier for us but also more difficult, magic transfused weapons are applicable but harder to activate. And by the looks of it, they're more likely to be used against us."
After Ellie and Leo finished sorting everything out, they made their way back to the hidden exit. Concealed in a corner of the hall, they saw a pile of dirt with a torn out sheet.
"Ha, apparently she was more than just his assistant after all."
" Must have taken days."
The raven alone managed to build a small tomb for the druidess along with a document containing her signature. Gekorat was not as cold as he made himself out to be.
" I heard him say that he doesn't have a magic core. Then how was he able to teleport your friend? In the end, he didn't even tell us about where he is now."
"Oh, I know exactly where he is. Remember I said that enchanted objects are preserved? This whole place is one of them, Gekorat himself doesn't have a core, but at least he was able to gain control of this amount. And that is how he was able to get us in or was able to banish us from this place. So he shouldn't be far away."
After opening the passage, they saw their companion lying unconscious in the grass.
"Well, what did I say? The only question left is how long he'll continue to sleep there."
"There's a much quicker way to handle that."
Ellie knelt in front of him and slapped him very hard which woke him up in a panic. He took his sword and prepared to defend himself.
"What's going on here?! Where am I ?!"
"Relax sleepyhead, you were just kicked out."
" So did you get what you were looking for?"
"More or less, if anything it was a mere warning of what was to come. Therefore, you should return as soon as possible and convey it to them. There is nothing more for you to do here."
"And what about me? I'm not just going to abandon my friend! You know he might have intel on the anomalies as well!"
"That may be so, however, safety first. Though he may not look like it to you, he is one of the most important elements in protecting the human kingdom. I have promised the king to bring him back. Once this journey is complete, we will continue on our way."
With that, Leo once again summoned Dionys and headed off back to Aiden.
"Wow, I didn't think his wings were that big. We' ve learned about griffins, but seeing him up close and personal is quite different. The way he majestically glides through the air...it's an incredible feeling."
"I'm sure he appreciates your words."
It wasn't a day before they could see the city from a distance. The griffin landed at the forest's edge and threw Grae off once again.
"Ow, such a rude creature! Couldn't he just have let me dismount?"
"Tell Aiden to keep the citizens from going out of town. Those monsters are definitely not the only ones that will appear. If any of you want to learn more then send Blade, Marah and Luke to scout. The moment they sight creatures bearing the mark, have them stay hidden and report back."
"And what if these things get closer to the city, when the battle is unavoidable?"
"Then I will try to be right here. Until then, though, it's more important to find out why they're here and if they all share a common vulnerability. You know there is much more at stake than just this place."
"Why won't you tell me what happened to that raven Gekorat? This might be the last time we see each other."
"...Let me ask you a question: If you live hundreds of years on a guilty conscience yet hardly ever really live, would you take the chance to start all over again somewhere else under the same conditions?"
"Hmm, a tough question to answer for such a short moment...I'd probably carry that conscience with me anyway, wouldn't I? I think I would accept the offer. Even though I would probably rather never have made that choice at first, I would try to balance that conscience over time and reverse it until at some point I stopped seeing eternal life as a punishment. After all time is not a problem."
"I see... Stay true to yourself Jures Grae and it will soon serve you and those around you."
And with these words, Leo said goodbye to Grae and the city for a long time. Together with Ellie, they left for the south, in search of yet another medium, an opportunity to get to the bottom of the situation.
As they traveled, their mount came to a stop once again. This time not with the sense of similar to their origin but its recall. Leo knew how to call and use the griffin, but he was not its master.
"What's wrong with him? Why is he flying away in the first place and why haven't you done anything about it?"
"Because there's nothing I can do about it. The fact that he's being summoned back means that they might know who's behind Gekorat's return after all, or that there's a problem in Evos."
"I thought he was left to you, then what does the mark on his forehead mean?"
"How do you know-? Right, you're one of them, after all. The brand doesn't determine ownership, that's all I can tell you."
"How many more secrets are you planning to keep locked up? At least tell me if he will come back to help us soon."
"I'm afraid we're on our own for a while. Not like this is the first time for you, so you might as well get used to this world."
"A deceptively clever way to put it."
Once again, they had to spend the night around the campfire. While Ellie quickly fell asleep, Leo's thoughts were storming in his head. If there truly was a problem in Evos, to what extent would it be. Was Gekorat true to his word or did he even make it?"
In the midst of these concerns, a gentle voice popped into his head.
("I want everyone to be afraid of me. That way I can' t ever get hurt. But you...you ruined it. I should hate you, but I can't.")
"Maybe you should have... not yet, it's not time yet!"
By the time he awoke, it was morning. He was dreaming these words and yet he could not make out who it was that spoke them. Quickly he realized that there was no more time for thinking about it from now on."
" You will stay calm if you don't want to die!"
When he opened his eyes he saw a group of people before him. They were wearing masks in front of their faces and held weapons in their hands. Amidst them was Ellie, tied by her hands and mouth sealed shut, trying to struggle free. Without Leo noticing, they had snuck up and were threatening the two of them.
"Stand up slowly and turn around! One false move and the girl is dead!"
Two of the men tied his hands behind his back and dragged him along to the big squad.
Initially, he was just waiting for the opportunity to free both himself and Ellie though a closer look at the masks would make that idea disappear. Painted on them was the same symbol he had recently carved out of a bloodthirsty monster. This left him utterly confused, yet one thing was clear to him at this point. If he wanted to find out more he had to surrender to his enemies for the time being. They pulled a sack over their two victims' heads and collected their equipment.
" I knew it, he is one of them just as she is! You take them with you and make sure they don't try any tricks! Soon it will be decided what to do with them!"
"Why soon? We have a rule about what to do with such people! Why don't we just kill them on the spot and go on with our mission?"
"Because WE alone are not allowed to make such decisions. Haven't you seen his gear? Unless we have complete lucidity of him we must not proceed so easily! The last thing I want is to draw HIS wrath upon us! Now, let's take them to their final judgment!""
With that, any backtalk fell silent and off they went on their way. As they walked, Ellie kept making attempts to free herself or scream. Her attempts stopped when she received a blow to her stomach. She sank to the ground but was pulled up again. About an hour later, Leo started to hear many more voices. At last, they reached their destination.
" Take them straight to him, there is no time to lose! Our mission has only just begun! Gather everyone, let them all witness his blessing!"
They kept walking until Leo and Ellie were suddenly hit in the back. They both went to their knees over hearing the cheers all around themselves. As the sack was removed from their heads, they saw a large gathering of people. From adults to children, everyone had shown up, all of them gazing at the two with nasty looks on their faces.
" As I can see, two more sinners found their way to us. You' ve all done a good job my servants!"
A masked man was sitting on a throne right in front of them. Throughout his body, he had carved strange marks. Some of them were still very fresh, others turned into scars. His mask was bigger and had the face of one of the monsters nailed to it. It was as if they were staring into the face of one of the deadly critters. He stood up, walked around Leo and Ellie, getting a closer look at their figures. Ellie kept wildly trying to break free. Leo noticed that she was trying to use her magic, but the cuffs absorbed all attempts.
("So that means they have magical objects and are familiar with these monsters. Just what is going on here?")
Leo took a kick to the face and went down hard. Blood ran from his nose but he didn't make a sound under his sealed mouth.
"Not bad, so you have a strong mind! I wonder why I'm even surprised with creatures like you? Brutal, lowly, disgusting beings pretending to be normal people. We all have seen what your kind is capable of. You used your powers to massacre innocent people, to violate them and leave them to rot. Everything appeared to be our downfall, until they came, our saviors, who have changed our destiny. I was allowed to witness with my own eyes as your kind was devoured by them. They may have cost us lives, yet they have BLESSED us all!"
The crowd cheered and cursed at Leo and Ellie. The man positioned himself between the two and looked into their faces.
" You know, I should just feed you guys to them and let you die a miserable death. Still, I can't let them do all the work by themselves. So long as they get your remains they''ll be satisfied."
"Let's show them their meal before it starts. Remove the sheets!"
To the left and right of the throne stood small cages containing some of the monsters. With blood smeared mouths, they screamed at their victims. Leo noticed that these specimens had not been in this state for long. They still had a human form, though they didn't have the strength of those he had killed.
" Hand me the chalice, I shall first test their quality for myself."
The item had a golden glow with red stains inside. It became obvious that their leader was first tasting the blood of the victims before feeding them to their "saviors". A closer look inside the cage would also reveal a large amount of bones. A lot of victims had to have preceded them.
" Now may the ritual begin!"
After he was given a dagger ornamented with silver, they all waited for him to commence.
Leo knew he had to intervene at this point. He had hardly received any useful information during this life-threatening situation. Ellie was shaking all over, she was very afraid of the concept of death as well as its implications. Just as Leo made use of his powers to break his handcuffs, a shriek rang out from the distance. A man wearing all-black armor and pointed ears was dragging two bodies on the ground behind him. The crowd got scared and backed away from him. Giving a cold stare, he threw the two dead victims in front of them.
"W-Why is an elf in these parts! What are you doing here?! Who are you?!"
"I am the owner of this large blade, which is easily provoked. I figured that such children's masks would bring such garbage with them."
"S-sinner, you dare to kill our members. Didn't you see the symbol?! Don't you know who we are-"
"I don't give a fuck who you are nor do I care. All I know is that two of your fuckers raised their hands against me. And just like you lot, I'm not one to forgive."
"YOU MONSTER!"
One of the people couldn't take it anymore and charged the man. The elf disarmed him and jammed his head on the ground.
"If you're going to pull shit like that, you should be prepared for anything!"
He raised his boot and kicked his attacker's skull with full force. Making a nasty crack, he killed another one of their ranks. It wasn't just his manner which made him look like a monster. His black armor featured plates that resembled skulls while his gloves had the shape of claws.
"We have to get rid of him! He must not deprive us of our blessings!"
Reluctantly, a few attacked the elf yet deeply regretted it in the next moment. He took out one by one with precision and used their corpses as a shield until there were none left. The others became afraid of him and recoiled. Then, suddenly, one of the children dared to strike at the man. Under the screams of his parents, he lunged with his sword. Immediately he was disarmed and thrown to the ground.
"Please have mercy! He's just a child!"
He glared at his attacker, then at the cages. It struck him that among those remains were also smaller bones and skulls.
"As if that ever mattered to you."
He then took his weapon and rammed it into the boy's chest. In an instant, his mother rushed at him with a dagger. He seized her hand, took the dagger and rammed it down her throat.
"Feelings over your own life huh? Ignorance is bliss, you know..."
She went to the ground panting with huge eyes. Blood splattered on his face without any reaction. They all fell into paralysis at this sight. Their fear prevented them from moving any further. Thus he approached the leader and rammed his head to the ground as well. Next, he turned to Leo and pointed his blade at him.
"Why are you still kneeling there like that? Getting tired of living? Show them what you're really capable of already."
Leo smirked as his handcuffs suddenly burst. He then released Ellie, who immediately slapped him.
"Was that really all worth it to you?! This is for all the pain I went through!"
Without responding, he watched as the elf picked their leader up by the neck. Utterly terrified, he looked into his enemy's eyes.
"W-what are you? Death?"
"The name is Volt. But to you, I am the one he sends to do his work! Your little cult has messed with the wrong person!"
He squeezed harder until his neck cracked sending his corpse crashing to the ground.
"You all pledged yourselves to him and his cause didn't you? If so, you should do it to the very end."
They all immediately realized that he was not kidding with his statement. Volt appeared as the Knight of Death, whose mission was close to that of Leo.