As soon as she realized she was awake, Celeste's eyes shot open. She lifted her upper body and searched her surroundings, gathering as much information as possible in a short amount of time. She was surrounded by grey walls and sitting on a bed, but she was not alone. Opposite her was a bed barely big enough for the woman on it.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she realized Cruxia was still breathing, but worry immediately set in as she saw the state of her injuries. A bandage had been wrapped around a splint to immobilize the swollen shin and allow it to heal correctly with time. The swelling of her eye, bottom lip and cheek had worsened. The red area around her eye had taken a dark violet shade.
The wound in her hip didn't look much better, either. The greyish colour and the sickly greenish veins had spread; it had already tainted a good portion of her muscular stomach, and Celeste couldn't be sure if it hadn't spread already to her upper thighs. She would have to undress the woman's lower body to figure that out. Even if Celeste would do that, there wasn't anything she could do to help Cruxia. She had no healing powers or any powers to help the Yxal.
Many Anxoyal and even Tenarians were capable of magic, Celeste had not been blessed with that gift before, and her ascension had not changed that. She knew about many Anxoyal who developed such powers after their ascension. Some got them immediately, and for others, they manifested over time. Sometimes even over several years. But there were also lots of Anxoyal without magical powers. It was different from individual to individual.
For now, Celeste was not blessed with such powers, which would be helpful in her current situation. She wanted to help, but she could not treat any of Cruxia's injuries. But she could find someone who could help Cruxia.
She had to figure out where she was first. She was not in chains, and the room was not locked either; the door was open, meaning she could leave anytime. She doubted the Yxals had her; if they did, she would be dead or in a cell. This meant she could only be with those creatures that fought the Yxals.
She needed to learn more about this strange group of races supposed to hate each other. They must share a common goal; otherwise, they wouldn't fight together. Among them, she had seen many Anxoyals with wings that were coloured anything but the typical gold, silver, bronze or even pure white feathers. Their wings were crimson, black, grey, and even dark green.
She wondered who they were and what they were doing with Shadowliths, Aetherial Elu'vani and Crimson Sylphs. They were the most unlikely band of warriors she had ever seen. She was wondering what brought them together in the first place. She was hoping to find that out, among other things.
She hoped she could talk to their leader, Rion. Perhaps they could even help her return her to Tenaria, but only after they treated Cruxia. She wouldn't want to go without the woman. She had to figure out what to do with her. She doubted she could take her to Umbral and keep her as a guest; Cruxia would most likely become a prisoner there. But Celeste couldn't leave the Yxal behind either since the other Yxals were still after her.
Cruxia had not won the fight against Deamoen or Malcoroth, as he preferred to call himself now. That meant she had not proven her innocence. She was about to lose when their saviours showed up. She knew too little about the Yxal culture and their gods to guess how they would react if they met her again. She could only assume Malcoroth still wanted Cruxia dead. He would not stop until he found and killed her.
Celeste carefully got up from the bed, wincing as she felt the slight sting in the back of her knee where Karilla's dagger had severed her muscles. She turned her leg to look at it, noticing it mainly had healed; only a tiny mark was left, which should disappear with time. Her enhanced regenerative powers were working correctly, at least. She had to try to summon both of her wings if she would get the chance. Since their saviours didn't put any magic-suppressing objects on her, there was no way for them to prevent that unless they had used dark magic on her.
Despite her wound almost being healed, she still felt a sting whenever she moved her leg. Nevertheless, that didn't stop her from walking over to Cruxia. The Yxal was lying on her back; her left lower leg had been put on top of a pillow on a box, so it rested above the level of her head. Her good eye was closed just like her mouth, and her chest rose and fell in an irregular rhythm, which made her suspect that the reason for this was either a nightmare or the pain caused by her wounds.
The dark-haired woman wished she could take the pain or nightmares away, but she was unable to do either of them. She didn't want to wake Cruxia either, knowing she would need as much rest as possible. Worrying for her was all she could do at the moment. That and seeking out those who brought her to this place, wherever it was.
She moved her hand to Cruxia's face, considering whether she should carefully touch it. She had no clue why that idea had just come into her mind; she was just feeling the urge to do so. Nonetheless, she removed her hand before she did something she might regret. Not to mention, she didn't want to wake up the other woman accidentally.
She regarded the warrioress for a few more moments, wondering who had been the one to wrap bandages around her breasts to cover them. They must have removed her upper body armour to see how far the wound had spread. It reminded her of an infection spreading and claiming more and more cells with time. She had no idea what it meant or if it could be stopped. She just had an awful feeling about what would happen once it had claimed most of her body. Would Cruxia die? Can it still be cured afterwards? Was it even deadly in the first place?
She had to find out if their saviours had any tools to help her. She had to speak to their healers and doctors if they had any. She hoped they did; otherwise, it would look grim for the Yxal. They had to find a way to help her. They had to. Celeste couldn't lose Cruxia, not after everything they had gone through together.
It was the first time since Celeste had woken up that she looked down at herself to see what she was wearing and if she was wearing anything. She no longer wore the dirtied, simple clothes Cruxia had given her before they had left Chesa's house to meet the warlords of the Deathchanter clan.
Instead, she wore fresh beige linen clothes that were just as simple as her previous ones. She was happy with everything that was not smelly or dirty. Nor did she mind that someone had dressed her while she was unconscious. Before she went out with her former group, she would have undoubtedly minded, but after all the shit she had gone through, she no longer cared. There was always the fear that someone might have taken advantage of her while she was unconscious. She didn't feel any pain in her lower regions or any discomfort inside her body, so she ruled that out for now. Worry was all she felt at the very moment.
She glanced one last time at Cruxia before slowly leaving the room, checking her surroundings before she went through the door. She came to a long corridor with several adjoining rooms. She could hear cries of agony and grief but also chatter in several languages. Tenarian was one of those languages.
She walked through the corridor, carefully peering into the rooms whose doors were opened. She saw wounded creatures, some of whom were getting treated while others just lay in their rooms alone. Tenarians, Shadowliths, Aetherial Elu'vani, Crimson Sylphs, and creatures that shared similar features with Tenarians but were much shorter than them. They were the size of Tenarian kids, but most of them had long beards.
She could talk to one of the Tenarians but didn't want to bother them because they already had enough on their plate with their injuries. The leader should be the best fit to help her and give her the required answers. If he would cooperate, at least.
She eventually came to the end of the corridor leading to the building's exit. It was dark outside; torches and braziers radiated light so as not to leave everyone in total darkness. A tall pillar in the middle was glowing goldenly; four Tenarians stood around it, pointing their hands at it while muttering words Celeste could not hear from her current position. It seemed those four were keeping the spell cast on the pillar intact.
The pillar radiated much more light than the torches and braziers, which were mainly spread over the outer area of the settlement to enlighten those areas the pillar could not reach. Nevertheless, not every spot was enlightened; paths and small corners were left in the dark.
The infirmary was on top of a hill, so Celeste could get a good overview of the settlement. She regarded her surroundings curiously, spotting numerous huts, houses, and tents scattered throughout the settlement without direct order.
She had yet to learn where the leader could be; none of these houses looked extraordinary. The leader could be in any of them. She turned around to look at the two guards in front of the infirmary's entrance. The one on the left was a female Tenarian with dark blue hair and fair skin. The one on the right was a male Crimson Sylph with blood-red skin and long, pointed ears. The sclerae of his eyes were black, and his pupils had a similar colour to his skin. Unlike the Tenarian, the man wore a helmet, but she could see his raven hair regardless since it reached his arse.
"I need to speak to your leader," Celeste told them. The guards looked at her and then at each other. The Crimson Sylph nodded at the Tenarian, who stepped forward. "I will bring you to him."
Celeste followed the guard, who led her to the glowing pillar first and then to the left until they came to a wooden house that was not much bigger than the other wooden houses in the settlement. Above all, the stone houses were much larger than the ones they had just approached. It was not even guarded from the outside. Celeste assumed they wanted to keep the spies from figuring out immediately which house the leader was living in. The presence of the guards would immediately tell them the leader's location.
"Wait here," the guard said as she opened the wooden door and went inside. Two minutes later, she returned, nodding at Celeste. You may enter."
Celeste didn't need to be told twice. She went inside and followed a short and thin corridor without any furniture. There were no pictures or wallpaper on the walls or even a carpet covering the wooden floor. The bordering room was also simple. She first spotted a table big enough to host six creatures who could sit on the chairs around it. There was also a cupboard to the right made of solid hardwood.
Celeste's eyes fell on the man in the familiar bronze armour; he appeared less impressive without his crimson wings. She studied him carefully, getting the impression that he was a bit shorter than the first time she had seen him. She might be wrong about this because she couldn't recall all the details of the day of Cruxia's trial. She only had the impression he was a bit shorter than she remembered. For some reason, she didn't remember his name. She didn't even remember whether it was short or long.
He was not the only one in the room. Celeste had somehow expected the Anxoyal with the halberd to be in the room, but he was not. She hoped Malcoroth had not killed him. To the leader's left was an armoured woman half a head shorter than him; she had a beautiful face, gorgeous blue eyes and short platinum hair. The hair colour was close to Superion's. There were only a few Tenarians she knew that had platinum hair.
Nevertheless, she doubted the woman was related to Superion since he was the only remaining member of his family. His younger sister fell in battle against Sonder the Sunderer. It was said that in his anger, Superion tore the Sunderer's head off with his bare hands. Superion was said to have had a much closer relationship with his sister than with his twin, who died during the same battle as their sister. Because of war, Superion had lost both his parents and his siblings. Neither of his siblings had any children, which made Superion the only surviving member of his family.
The person to the leader's right was a female Shadowlith whose black robes didn't hide her slim physique. She had a long face, and her blue eyes were much darker than her skin colour. She was not extraordinarily comely, unlike the other woman in the room. Celeste didn't know anything about the beauty standards of Shadowliths, but the woman was at least average, perhaps even above average.
The woman's pitch-black hair was combed to the right side, exposing her pointy ear, which was not as long as the ear of the Crimson Sylph Celeste had seen earlier but longer than a Tenarian ear.
"I was wondering if and when you will wake up," the leader said after minutes of silence. Celeste was uncertain if she was hearing it wrong or if his voice sounded different from the first time she had heard him speak. His voice sounded less imposing and powerful but thinner instead. Something was off with him, but she didn't want to point the finger at him yet. Perhaps she just remembered his height and the sound of his voice wrong. A lot had happened that day, and she was glad she had survived, thanks to him and those who went with him.
"How long was I out?"
"About Eighteen hours. You would have probably slept for at least two days without your powers," the Anxoyal replied.
"I have to thank you for the rescue. In my name but also in the name of my..." She paused for a short moment, looking for the right word. She was about to say friend, but she was unsure if she could call Cruxia that. "Companion," she added eventually.
"How is she?" the Shadowlith asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me that," Celeste replied.
"We need to talk to the healers again. The last time I checked, your companion was stable, but the wound in her hip bothers me," the short-haired woman responded. I am somewhat of a healer myself, but I have never seen anything like this. Trust me, I have seen a lot." She was toying with her short nails while looking at Celeste and talking to her. Celeste had not spent enough time with her to determine if this was some sort of bad habit.
"We have many injured, but we will see what we can do for your companion," the Shadowlith said.
"I think an introduction would suffice," the leader said. He pointed at the Tenarian first. "This is Phione." The short-haired woman waved at her; a small smile could be seen on her lips. The leader's gaze wandered to the Shadowlith. "And this is Nocturiel."
"Pleasure to meet you," Celeste said to the Shadowlith. She was about to add something, but the leader spoke first. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Featherwind."
Celeste's eyes widened in surprise. "You know who I am."
"You have been missing for months, and Tenarian forces are looking for you. You are the only woman in your group that doesn't have white skin. So, it can only be you. Although, I heard you were blonde."
"I used to bleach my hair, but my natural hair colour came through. My companion allowed me to cut my hair while I had to stay with her, so I cut off the blonde parts from time to time."
"You can call me Rion," the leader said, pulling out a chair and pushing it over to Celeste. Take a seat," he said, sitting on another chair.
Celeste did as was told without hesitation.
"Do you want anything to drink?" Phione asked. "You must be thirsty."
Celeste nodded. "Water would be nice."
"What about food?" the platinum-haired woman asked. "You look as if you haven't properly eaten in days."
A chuckle left Celeste's lips. "Honestly, I didn't eat anything the past few days."
Phione nodded. "Let me get something for you," she said as she walked past her to leave the room.
Celeste's gaze lingered on the door for a few moments before it wandered back to Rion and Nocturiel, who sat close to one another.
"I assume you have many questions," Nocturiel began. Although she was not Tenarian, she could speak the language perfectly without an accent.
Celeste nodded. "I assume you do as well."
"You could say that," Rion replied.
"So, I assume you will tell me what I want to know, and I will tell what you want to hear. We trade information for information," Celeste said confidently, bending her upper body forward.
"Sounds like a fair deal to me."
"You won't reveal your face to me, will you?" Celeste asked Rion.
"Only when I'm sure I can trust you. I do not wish to reveal my identity to a potential enemy."
"And how do I earn your trust?"
"We talk first, and then we will see."
Celeste nodded. "May I ask where I am?"
"We are in the east of Umbryssia, near the path to the top."
"That explains why it is so dark outside," Celeste replied. She had never been to Umbryssia, or Shadowgulf as her people called it, but she had heard of the living matter that covered almost the entire opening of the crater in which creatures of the night and dangerous beasts lived. The organic layer blocked nearly all sun rays, making it hard for outsiders to survive there without magic or tools.
It was a dangerous place for natives and outsiders alike to live in. Since Umbryssia bordered west to Dragdom, it didn't surprise her that she ended down there. Now, she was even more curious about how this odd band had come together and why they were living in a place like this.
"Neither Tenarians nor Yxal would dare to enter this place unless they have a death wish," Phione said as she entered the room with a big bottle of water and a big bowl of soup. She gave Celeste a small smile as she placed both in front of her. She regarded her for a few moments longer before she walked over to Rion and sat to his right, which meant he was now sitting between the two strange women.
"So, you are hiding from them," Celeste concluded.
"Not exactly... It's...Complicated," Rion responded. "I wish to tell you more once I know I can trust you."
"Now it's our turn to ask you a question," Nocturiel interrupted. She didn't wait for Celeste's response as she formulated her question. "Why were you with the Yxals, and why was one of them fighting Deamoen of the Shadowfell Clan?"
Celeste regarded the woman who asked the question, thinking about everything. She saw no point in not telling them what happened since revealing the information wouldn't bring her into a bad situation. The only ones that could be affected were the Yxals, and she did not plan on ever meeting them again. "My companion Cruxia was fighting in a trial by combat against Deamoen or Malcoroth, as he prefers to call himself now."
"A trial by combat? For what purpose?" Celeste was about to answer right away when she remembered she could ask another question first. "I'm going to answer that after you give me an answer to my next question."
She saw the irritation in Nocturiel's eyes as she parted her lips to speak again, but she held back when Rion put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her. "Go ahead," Rion said to Celeste.
"You are not a special unit from Tenaria, are you?" She waited for Rion to shake his head. "What are you then?"
"All Keristians and Anxoyal you can find in this settlement once fought for Tenaria, but all of us had a reason to leave our place of birth," Rion replied.
"So, you are deserters?" Celeste blubbered out without thinking about it first. She had not expected anyone to prefer living in this dangerous place at the bottom of a crater instead of the safe and secure kingdom of Tenaria. Usually, Celeste should be averse to them, but for some reason, she was not. She was curious to know what led them to that choice. She almost felt bad for saying that out loud. The past months with Cruxia had taught her to get known to a person first and hear their story before judging them.
Phione was the one to shake her head slowly and give her an answer. "An outsider might say that about us, but there is much more to that. We are not deserters or traitors; all we do is for the good of Xevas."
"You should start eating your soup before it gets cold," Rion added.
Celeste took the spoon in her hand and carefully tasted the brownish liquid, assuming that it must be some sort of a stew with potatoes and pieces of meat, which taste she was not familiar with. Perhaps it was the meat of creatures that only lived in Umbryssia. It tasted better than expected and much better than it looked. She ate half the bowl and looked again at Rion and the two women.
"You want to know more about Cruxia's trial by combat?" Celeste asked.
Nocturiel's response was a nod. Cruxia took a deep breath before she told them everything she knew about what happened between the eastern clans. Starting from the annihilation of the Corpse-Speaker Clan at the hands of Cruxia's father with the help of the Sceptre of the Ancients. Then she briefly told them that she got captured during a mission without going into much detail, and then she continued talking about the day the eastern clans attacked Narvashok.
She told them that the leaders of the eastern clans believed Cruxia was also responsible for the deaths of the nearly two thousand Yxals that had belonged to the Corpse-Speaker Clan. She explained to them what Cruxia had told her about the Yxal gods and that she could prove her innocence in combat by fighting the champion the accusers chose.
The three had patiently listened to her, and the women's faces remained neutral for now. "Are you aware that another Yxal Clan was completely wiped out in the meantime?" Phione asked her, a curious look appearing in her eyes.
Celeste's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "Are you certain?"
The platinum-haired woman nodded her head sadly. "Gorvask'Thal was attacked and completely wiped out by Tenarian forces."
Celeste couldn't trust her ears. This couldn't be true. Why should Tenaria suddenly attack one of the Yxal Clans while they had rejected any offensive attacks since the end of the last Great War? What did they gain from wiping out one of the smaller clans in Dragdom? The Nine had been trying to keep the peace for decades; why would they suddenly change their plans? Why would they risk war? For what end?
The only logical explanation that came to her mind was that the Nine were still looking for the artefact. The artefact was still a dangerous tool of death and destruction in the wrong hands. It made sense they were still looking for it. But she was uncertain if the retrieval of the sceptre justified killing Yxals that did not attack them first. In her eyes, it did not, but on the other hand, she didn't want any of her people to get hurt. The artefact was something that should not exist. No one should have access to such destructive power.
Celeste was conflicted not only about whether what Phione was saying was true but also about whether Tenaria's action was justified if it was true. She could not determine that now; she needed to think about it once she had time. Unfortunately, she has not been granted that time right now.
"There is no way the Nine would approve a full-scale attack on any of the Yxal clans. They would risk uniting the Yxals against them once again. They would risk another devastating war. My mother would never approve of that, nor would the other members," Celeste finally said defiantly, not wanting to accept what sounded like a lie to her.
"You seem to know the Nine that well that to be able to say that with such certainty," Rion replied amusedly.
"I know my mother, at least," responded Celeste. "I know her for a hundred and sixteen years."
"You may know her as your mother, but do you truly know her as the person she is? Do you know how she is as a member of the Nine? How does she act during their sessions?" Rion asked, his eyes regarded her curiously.
"Well, I never joined any of their sessions since I'm not a member of the Nine."
Before she could say more, Rion had already formulated a response. "I only know your mother as a member of the Nine. I was never friends with her; we just respected each other as members of the same council. We were colleagues, if you can say that. Colleagues might be an understatement, but I assume you know what I'm getting at. I was a member of the Nine for nearly three centuries; I was a member before your mother even joined the council, and she has been in that seat for a very long time. I might not have met her in a long time, but I know what makes her tick, or at least I know what used to make her tick back then."
Celeste decided not to respond immediately and thought about all the previous members of the Nine she knew of. Over millennia, there had been at least a hundred members of the Nine. Usually, either death or dismissal was the cause of the election of a new member. She knew Superion had been the unofficial leader of the council for over a hundred years but had also been part of the council for almost two thousand years. She knew the present members of the Nine, but she barely knew any members from the past.
She was more confident about the members that had come and left since she had entered this world. But that didn't help her much since all those she remembered were either dead or too old to walk without help. Those were no longer able to fly around and fight. She had no idea who Rion could be. She assumed his name was a short version of his real name, but that didn't help her at all. Many names ended with 'Rion'. Superion, Aetherion, Maxxerion and numerous others. She had not the slightest idea of who he might be.
Celeste took a deep breath before she formulated her response. "I might not know her as well as you claim to know her, but at least I know that the Nine do not wish to go to war. The last Great War cost many lives and not only on our side."
It was the first time in their discussion that she received an agreeing nod from Rion. "I can partly agree with your statement. I may not have directly spoken to the Nine in decades, but I have heard from trustworthy sources that they want to prevent another war by any means. Well, most members of the Nine. There is one person that has a different opinion on this matter."
Celeste didn't hesitate to answer since she knew it without thinking twice. "Superion."
Rion snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Exactly."
"He hates the Yxals since his mother's death."
A soft chuckle escaped Rion's lips. "Believe me or not, Superion hates them since he was able to think."
"How do you know that?" Celeste asked, not hiding the surprise in her voice.
"Let's say Superion and I have known each other for quite some time. We were pretty close once. We were almost inseparable, we were...b...br...best friends." Celeste wondered if Rion had meant to say brothers but then corrected himself to best friends. That was the impression she had; perhaps she was wrong. It was hard to tell.
"Honestly, it's hard for me to believe that Superion ever had any friends. And I do not consider those people who pretend to be his friends, hoping to get anything in return by being his lickspittles."
Soft laughter escaped Rion's lips. "I like your spirit, child. I couldn't have phrased it any better."
Celeste cleared her throat, and her expression became serious again. "So, you believe it was Superion's doing? But how? He cannot overrule the council if they all vote against his ideas."
"He may not be able to do that, but who said he wouldn't act alone? There are enough people in Tenaria who are blindly loyal to him, who blindly believe every word he says. People who do his bidding without thinking twice." It was Phione who said that, not Rion.
"Do you have any proof of that?" the light-brown-skinned woman asked.
Phione shook her head. "We can only assume it's his own doing since we know him pretty well and know the other members want to avoid war."
A frown appeared on Celeste's forehead. What they were saying made sense; it suited Superion's character. After all, he always considered himself the most remarkable being in the universe, and everyone was beneath him. Superion acting on his own was not as unlikely as she first thought.
"I see your point, but I still don't see what you are hoping to achieve by telling me this," Celeste said, taking another spoon of her stew, not wanting it to get cold.
Rion moved his chair closer to her and leaned forward as if he wanted to whisper because he was too afraid that anyone would hear. But he had no reason to be afraid because they were alone in the house, and his allies were the only ones that inhabited the settlement. She assumed that, at least, she wasn't able to have a thorough look through the settlement to be able to know that.
"I want to convince you that Superion is not the one he pretends to be. He thinks he is Tenaria's saviour, but in truth, he will be its doom if he continues to do as he pleases," Rion explained, his voice reflecting nothing but pure seriousness.
"I never liked Superion's arrogant behaviour, but I never got the impression that what he was doing was bad," Celeste replied honestly.
"Well, for now, he is close to starting another war that will only end in the deaths of tens of thousands," Nocturiel answered immediately.
"You might have a point," the black-haired Anxoyal said after several moments of consideration.
"He must be stopped before it is too late," Rion replied.
"How are you hoping to achieve that?" Celeste asked curiously.
"We need to convince as many members of the Nine as possible. We should start with your mother and then convince the others individually."
"I assume you want me to talk to my mother?"
Phione nodded. "Exactly."
"Even if you manage to vote Superion out of the council, plenty of people remain loyal to him. That's what you said. He can still cause a lot of harm," Celeste argued.
"He wouldn't be able to command all the viable Tenarian forces if he is no longer part of the Nine, not to mention the Nine would have the option to take him into custody since he proves to be a threat to the Tenarian kingdom."
A thoughtful look decorated Celeste's face as she thought about everything they had said about Superion. "I cannot give you an answer right now; I need more time to think."
"We will grant you that time. You are allowed to stay until your companion recovers, and perhaps you can stay longer if you decide to help us," the platinum-haired woman responded.
"There is much more to discuss," Nocturiel said right after her.
"I agree," Celeste replied after she had eaten the rest of her stew. "I'm curious about Malcoroth. You must know something about him since he referred to you as his old enemy," she addressed Rion.
"Ravakor, Deamoen and now Malcoroth. We know he used those names, but he had many names before. He is by far the oldest Yxal alive. Yxals aren't supposed to get older than three hundred years, but somehow, Malcoroth found a way to cheat death. I don't know how old he is exactly, nor do I know his original name. All I know is that he leaves death and destruction behind wherever he goes. I've hunted him for nearly three centuries, but he always slipped through my fingers. I nearly had him thrice. If you think Sonder the Sunderer or Cerestus the Crippler were the worst Yxals that ever existed, then you didn't get known to Malcoroth yet," Rion explained.
Judging by the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice, Rion seemed to carry regret regarding Malcoroth with him. Celeste wouldn't be surprised if he was blaming himself for Malcoroth still being around and being a pain in the arse to anyone. She had never heard of Ravakor before. She had no idea what he had done and how many lives were destroyed because of him. All she knew was that Malcoroth was very powerful.
"What is his goal?" Celeste asked. "Cruxia spoke to him in their native tongue, so I couldn't understand them until they switched to Tenarian."
Rion sighed. "I wish I could tell you that, but the truth is that neither of us knows. We do not speak Dragda. I'm not even sure if he has a goal or if he just wants to spread chaos and kill people. I'm hoping your friend can tell us more once she regains consciousness. Perhaps he told her something we can make use of."
"She is not exactly my friend," Celeste corrected quicker than planned. "We are just companions that were hunted by the eastern clans."
"Whatever you say. What matters is that we patch her up and find out what Malcoroth told her," Nocturiel replied.
"She is in bad shape," Celeste responded. "Is there anyone in your settlement who might be able to cure her?"
Phione slowly shook her head, and a sensitive expression appeared on her gorgeous face. "Our healers are doing their best to prevent the corruption from spreading, but as you must have seen yourself, it has already spread pretty far. It already affects a good portion of her torso, and none of us know what it would do to her. The corruption, or whatever it is, doesn't necessarily have to kill her...The outcome could be much worse..." She dared not finish the last sentence; worry was reflected in her eyes.
"What do you mean by worse?" Celeste blurted out in a panic.
Phione raised her hands, signalling Celeste to calm down. "It's just a theory...Or more like a possibility...We do not know much about Malcoroth's newest transformation, but something tells us that it was not achieved naturally. There are sinister forces at work, magic of the worst nature. It might be possible that your companion won't die, but perhaps change in a way. What if Malcoroth's corruption was passed on to her? Like I said, it's just a possibility. Before we know more, we should watch her and look for any signs. We cannot allow ourselves to only act when it is too late."
Deep worry was reflected in Celeste's pretty facial features. She did not know what Phione had just told her, but she had to admit she was right. They didn't know much about Cruxia's condition. What it was and what it might do to her. They couldn't condemn her yet but needed to be careful. Any wrong treatment or any incorrect or delayed act could cost them dearly. Not only Cruxia's life was at stake, but the lives of anyone else who lived in the settlement. She could totally understand why the three creatures in front of her were that worried. There was nothing worse than to deal with something they couldn't understand.
"With that said, I think it is time for me to look after her again," she turned her head to look at Rion. "Let me know what else you discussed once I return."
"I assume you haven't been in Tenaria for a long time," Celeste told him.
He hesitated for a short moment. "You could say that."
"Care to elaborate on why?" she asked him.
"I will tell you everything you want once I know I can trust you. Take your time to think about everything we discussed; next time we meet, I will answer your questions if you agree that Superion needs to be dismissed from the Council of the Nine. I will tell you more reasons if you are open to it."
"I'll consider it."
"As I said, take your time."