ã€ŠThe Realms of Remembrance [Fantasy Worlds Based on Human Memory]ã€‹


 Chapter 1 - A Home of Ruins

    Chapter 1 - A Home of Ruins

    Nine storeys above the cobbled roads, Adam barely managed to keep his balance on a narrow windowsill. As the cold nightly wind numbed his face, he held the wooden window frames at his sides with a tight grip. He stayed as still as possible. After all, even his slightest movement could make the delicate wood creak. And, now that he¡¯d risked scaling the side of the grand building, there was no way he¡¯d let the bastards at the other side of the stained-glass window know he was there.

    Seemingly unaware that Adam was listening to their every word, three of Dorenland¡¯s most powerful people relished the luxury of the Hall of Scents. Adam was just able to see their lounge through a blemished part of the black glass that obscured him. The blurry shapes of the velveted sofas, the buffet tables that nearly collapsed under mouth-watering delicacies, and the giant silver censers which were undoubtedly spreading divine odours. It must¡¯ve been awfully warm in there, while Adam had to clench his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering.

    Frustratingly enough, for the entire time he¡¯d been there, the trio he was eavesdropping on hadn¡¯t said anything that was useful for his investigation into the Taint. Instead, they preferred to flap their lips about who was seen with whom or how Jeremiah was bound to become the next chieftain of Gotterburg.

    Adam bared his teeth as he saw that thick-necked nobleman lying on his side, draining his goblet with insufferable slurps. It still felt unreal; after Adam¡¯s long exile, the two-faced swine who¡¯d ruined his life was right there, barely twenty feet below him. The very same man for whom Adam had made an elaborate graduation speech, years before. Who had even entrusted Adam with his anxiety and doubts over his life¡¯s choices. Once. Although Adam¡¯s fingers itched to ¡®greet¡¯ his ¡®old comrade,¡¯ he controlled himself. By sheer force of will, he suppressed the traumatic memories of the bodies in the ruined city, the trials Jeremiah had rigged, or the attempt to execute Adam.

    Adam looked away from the broad-shouldered bastard. Gritting his teeth, he focused on his breath in an attempt to calm himself. He could already feel the deep beats of his left heart all the way up the sides of his neck. Although the unnatural heat the organ sent through his veins was welcome, the last thing he wanted was for that cursed slab of meat to betray his presence.

    Easy now. Adam slowly released his breath in a cloud of white vapour.

    If he truly wanted his normal life back, the last thing he should do was punch some extra dents into Jeremiah¡¯s nose. No, there was a better way. If the information he¡¯d gathered was correct, the corrupt idiot was secretly involved with the Taint. And from all the time Adam had spent in the army with Jeremiah, he knew that he¡¯d get a little less discrete as the alcohol flowed.

    ¡°¡­think of the lives of the people!¡± A gaunt shape in the lounge pointed sideways in exasperation. Adam recognized it as Horace, a rather unhealthy-looking guild master with a pencil moustache. ¡°Listen. We have the manpower to finally push the attack and end this horrible war!¡±

    Jeremiah stretched out his broad arm for some more food. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s the people you¡¯re concerned about? Not the silver mines held by the Penduli rebels, not the business interests. No, this mighty trading guild wants to save the people.¡± Jeremiah snickered. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Listen, the Royal Army has retaken Gotterburg, the largest city in the region!¡± Horace broadly gestured around them. ¡°What more evidence do you need that we finally have that Penduli scum on the backfoot? So, seize the moment; claim your glory! Send your army south to conquer the Penduli¡¯s other cities now that we have the chance.¡±

    ¡°Tell me,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°What good are military conquests if we let the Penduli change our memories to whatever they wish? The Taint has spread even further than we thought. And every victim the Penduli manage to infect has their memories changed to serve the Penduli¡¯s schemes. Who knows how many Tainted are in Gotterburg right now? Who knows how many Penduli are hiding amongst the population?¡± He spun his broad goblet between his fingers. ¡°But we¡¯ll find them. My soldiers are turning over every stone until¡ª¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that!¡±

    Jeremiah cocked his thick head aside. ¡°No? How about that personal assistant of yours, does she have time now?¡±

    Horace made a few sputtering noises but furthermore remained silent.

    ¡°She was Tainted for months,¡± Jeremiah stated, letting every word sink in with the gravity it deserved. ¡°Right under your nose. Did you ever find out how many shiploads of gold and weapons she redirected to the Penduli?¡±

    ¡°Poor lass,¡± Osterhild said. By the round shape of her curly hairdo and her stiff posture, Adam could easily recognize her. The high official within the Starwing Order, a grand religious organization, neatly sipped from a cup. ¡°She can¡¯t stop crying that she doesn¡¯t remember what she¡¯s done. Not unlike some of those commanders who¡¯ve been Tainted to join the Penduli, along with their troops.¡±

    ¡°But with all due respect, there is no cure anyway!¡± Horace exclaimed. ¡°The only way we can stop this misery is if we drag the Penduli queen to justice and end the war.¡±

    Jeremiah loudly smacked his goblet down on a table. ¡°If my army travels south, Gotterburg will be vulnerable!¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s what the Penduli want us to fear!¡± the frustration shone through Horace¡¯s voice. ¡°They want us to waste our time while they recover, press the attack, and Taint even more people all over Dorenland!¡±

    ¡°I see your point.¡± Jeremiah lay back again. ¡°Too bad military campaigns are so¡­ expensive.¡± Although it was hard for Adam to make out the blurry shapes, it looked like Jeremiah rubbed an open palm with his left thumb; an old Dorenish gesture often used by tax collectors to emphasize how empty their hand was.

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Horace said. ¡°Where is your price tag exactly?¡± He sat up and moved his head sideways as if looking for something underneath Jeremiah¡¯s boot.

    Jeremiah chuckled humourlessly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve always admired your courage. Willing to risk losing your chieftain¡¯s favour¡­¡± He slowly shook his head. ¡°The masters of other guilds wouldn¡¯t even dare.¡± Although Adam couldn¡¯t see it, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to imagine the lopsided, self-satisfied smirk on Jeremiah¡¯s ugly mug.

    ¡°Brave enough to have supported you and the war effort with numerous donations already,¡± Horace replied stiffly. ¡°And since we are meeting in this fine establishment, I gather your purse is filled enough for now.¡±

    Osterhild calmly stirred her cup with a spoon. ¡°Gentlemen, let¡¯s not forget: as long as the Penduli spread their heresy, the Mist may come to Dorenland. All lands populated by those who denounce Aves¡¯ teachings will be destroyed in the end.¡±

    ¡°Urgency, yes, indeed,¡± Jeremiah nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s settled; I¡¯ll send my bannerman south in the greater war effort, supported by the parties who remain loyal.¡±

    Horace sharply turned his head to Jeremiah but seemed to hold his tongue for now. He put his wine goblet away with a brusque movement.

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    ¡°Meanwhile,¡± Jeremiah continued, ¡°I¡¯ll personally lead the effort to secure Gotterburg of all the Penduli and Tainted.¡±

    Some people never change. Knowing how hungry for glory Jeremiah had always been, it sounded like he was just squeezing money out of the guilds for things he wanted to do anyway. And now, forces controlled by his bannermen would leave Gotterburg while he had tight control over how the Penduli and Taint were handled there. Ideal, for someone who had some even dirtier business to hide.

    Jeremiah turned his attention towards Osterhild. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ my agents told me the Starwing Order has found a most interesting lead! My sincerest compliments.¡±

    Adam¡¯s breath halted. Despite the risk of being heard, he adjusted his pose so he could press his ear against the cold window.

    ¡°I confess I¡¯m a bit confused about this¡­ location several Tainted have described,¡± Jeremiah continued. ¡°Endless tunnels, filled with visions of the past? Meeting relatives who¡¯ve long been deceased? Supposedly, there are abominations ¡®made of wild emotions.¡¯ People even claim they¡¯ve been attacked by depression itself.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sounds like your typical Dorenish backyard,¡± Horace deadpanned with a sour undertone in his voice. ¡°How high were these ¡®Tainted¡¯ exactly?¡±

    Jeremiah chuckled and waved his fat, stubby finger. ¡°No, no. The stories of separate individuals were remarkably consistent.¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Osterhild stated calmly as she placed her cup on a table. ¡°I forbid both of you to speak of this. Or to pry into the Starwing Order¡¯s matters further.¡±

    A heavy silence fell and Adam quietly groaned in frustration. If he would¡¯ve still believed, he would have prayed to Aves to make Jeremiah continue.

    ¡°I agree that discretion is of importance,¡± Jeremiah said, an understanding, diplomatic undertone in his deep voice. ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Jeremiah did an even poorer job of hiding his frustration than Horace. ¡°What good is all this secrecy among allies? The Starwing Order has hidden command posts in Gotterburg! Rumours of a secret police force go around, without any approval of nobility! As chieftain¡ª¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not the chieftain yet, are you? Not until the king decides you will be. And we all know he¡¯s wise enough to let High Priestess Zachalynn tell him the Lord¡¯s will in these matters.¡±

    Adam grinned, regretting he wasn¡¯t there to see Jeremiah¡¯s ego deflate. Forbidden pamphlets he¡¯d seen came to mind, which showed the king as a dog on a leash held by Zachalynn the Archpriest. Funny, and painfully accurate. Maybe Osterhild sees through Jeremiah¡¯s nonsense as well.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°We are blessed with the Archpriest¡¯s guidance.¡±

    Although the conversation switched to less-heated subjects, the curt tension between the three was clearly palpable.

    Bizarre. That ¡®location¡¯ sounds like a fairy tale. But if it¡¯s nonsense, why would Osterhild be so secretive about it? Hmm, maybe Oliver knows more, he¡¯s a Talon of Aves after all. Adam smiled to himself; even though their investigation into the Taint hadn¡¯t officially begun yet, he¡¯d made a good head start.

    And soon, he¡¯d finally see his old friends again! It was actually happening; something he had been yearning for during the long years of exile. A soft voice in the back of his head wondered whether he¡¯d still be able to laugh with them in the way he¡¯d used to, but he quickly silenced it. He¡¯d grown up with those people, hadn¡¯t he? Together, they¡¯d relieve the poor citizens of the Taint. And hopefully, Adam¡¯s name would be cleared and he¡¯d be able to walk the streets of his hometown as a free man again.

    If not¡­ he¡¯d find another way to do it.

    Adam waited until the waiters came to bring the next course of luxurious dishes and put fresh herbs in the giant censers. Assuming the noise in the lounge would cover his own sounds, he started lowering himself to the stone ledge below the window.

    As soon as he crouched, a merciless creak sounded from the windowsill. He froze in his tracks and felt the colour drain from his face. The tense discussion in the lounge had stopped as if everyone was listening. Two of the waiters muttered something inaudible. Unable to see what was happening, Adam desperately listened for any sign they¡¯d heard him or were coming towards the window.

    His mind raced; he was pretty sure they couldn¡¯t see him, at least. The black panels of the stained-glass window, which depicted a holy scene of Aves the owl god, should obscure him with his dark cloak. However, if someone would open the window, Adam wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d survive the inevitable fight with Osterhild and Jeremiah. He glanced down behind him, but dropping down nine storeys didn¡¯t seem like an elegant way to start his investigation either. Despite the cold, a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead and into his short beard.

    The clatter of dishes and cutlery set on tables sounded from inside the lounge. Jeremiah sighed in delight. ¡°Ah, honeyed boar! I told you, the chef around here¡ª¡±

    Without a second thought, Adam hastily lowered himself the last bit until he stood on the stone ledge below. Feeling his rapid heartbeat, he clenched the stone wall as if it were a piece of driftwood in an ocean. The conversation in the lounge continued undisturbed; Adam sighed soundlessly in sweet, sweet relief.

    Finally able to move freely again, Adam forced his stiff muscles to climb down the Hall of Scents. He carefully stayed out of the bored guards¡¯ lines of sight; they didn¡¯t show any sign of noticing him as he slipped behind idealized statues of old chieftains for cover. After the long, dangerous route down the intricately decorated building, Adam could set his boots on the cobbled streets again. Soon, he walked through the narrow alleys of Gotterburg toward the city centre, where he was supposed to meet up with Oliver.

    He was walking through one of the dark alleys when he caught a whiff of a familiar scent in the city air: sweat. Yet, he didn¡¯t see anyone. Adam frowned but kept walking and focused on his hearing. There were footsteps behind him, irregular and oddly muted, as if someone didn¡¯t want to be heard. Are those¡­ the guards? Would they sneak up on me like this?

    Adam burst into a sprint. Behind him, two dark-cloaked and masked figures came out of hiding and bolted after him. In front of Adam, a similar warrior sprang over crates at the side of the alley. The man raised both hands, holding them in the Ironglass gesture.

    Novaseers, damn!

    Soon, a glowing screen¡ªwith its blue, intricately decorated surface reminding of stained glass¡ªwas conjured into being between Adam and his opponent. The Ironglass Invocation already blocked the width of the alley and was still growing upwards.

    Adam glanced back. The assailants behind him prepared Invocations as well. One was conjuring a chain of cold, blue Ironglass links between his hands. The other held both hands in the Marrow gesture. Soon, he¡¯d undoubtedly hold weapons of the corresponding razor-sharp material. Seeing the threats around him made Adam¡¯s blood run hot. His left heart beat rapidly, sending waves of heat through his veins.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± it whispered softly.

    Adam groaned. Stay quiet, you sinister piece of shit! He feinted a dash to the right side of the Ironglass screen and abruptly changed direction. The Ironglass chain conjured by the attacker behind him shot out toward the place he¡¯d just been and clanged harmlessly against the cobbles. Adam growled and jumped. He set his feet against the bricks of the left wall, kicked off to jump even higher, and vaulted over the Ironglass screen meant to block his way. Pale white throwing knives of Marrow flicked by, passing barely an inch above his shoulder.

    Adam landed and ran towards the Novaseer in front of him. His opponent switched his gestures from Ironglass to Marrow, conjured a sword of the pale white material, and swung it downwards with a raspy shriek.

    Adam grinned savagely. Halfway through the swing, Adam¡¯s left lower arm blocked the Novaseer¡¯s wrist. Then his right elbow slammed into his opponent¡¯s temple with an audible crunch. Roaring like a beast, Adam hurled the man over his shoulder and towards his other opponents. Adam sprinted out of the alley, took lefts and rights, and climbed over walls to shake his attackers off.

    His left heart sent waves of fury through him. A primal instinct welled up not to run away, but finish off his attackers. To assert dominance over those who threatened him and show them whom they were dealing with. To make them pay for attacking the Fist of Gotterburg.

    A cold shiver ran down Adam¡¯s spine. No! I¡¯ve drawn more than enough attention already! Adam kept running, trying to suppress the dark, sinister emotions his left heart sent through him. Who were those Novaseers, did servants of Osterhild at the Hall of Scents see me? Are they part of the Penduli?

    Or, has someone found out who I really am?

 Chapter 2 â€“ A Whisper of Rage

    Chapter 2 - A Whisper of Rage

    Walking over the broad cobbled roads of Gotterburg, Adam glanced over his shoulder for any sign of his attackers. The flickering orange light of the street lanterns showed wealthy old men, dressed in fine furs and feathered hats, who conversed tersely in the sign language of the elite. Children squeaked in laughter as they hid from their parents in the destroyed carcasses of buildings, trying to evade bedtime.

    It seemed like Adam was safe, for now. He released a tense breath and continued walking towards his meeting spot with Oliver. Although their investigation would start tomorrow, Oliver definitely needed to know about the attackers and all Adam had learned at the Hall of Scents. The sooner they could take action the better.

    Although Adam enjoyed being in his trusted childhood city again, it was painful to see signs of the war everywhere. Streets that should¡¯ve smelled like meat pies, sourdough bread, and wine carried the scent of ash. Many of the colourful murals on the cosy, timber-framed houses were ruined. In red paint the word ¡®Traitors!¡¯ had been splashed all over the merry depictions of closets and furniture on an abandoned carpenter¡¯s shop.

    Where the old shoemaker¡¯s shop used to be, there was a wide gulley in the ground that cut right through the street and buildings alike. When Adam got closer to the trench filled with mud and debris, he could see the huge body of a gale bat at the end. Its armour, decorated with the bronze scale insignia of the Penduli, apparently hadn¡¯t been able to stop the ballista bolt that stuck through its chest.

    After the ambush, Adam had deliberately chosen a busy route to his meeting spot with Oliver. His attackers would have needed some guts to make a second attempt here, out in the open. And even though something inside Adam wouldn¡¯t have minded giving them another well-deserved knuckle sandwich, it was better to draw as little attention as possible.

    However, walking in the open presented another problem: he might be recognised.

    When Adam neared a group of people rebuilding a butcher¡¯s shop, he moved to the other side of the road. Gerald, a bearded veteran, sat in his wheelchair as he sawed timber. Adam groaned internally; he would¡¯ve loved to greet him and share stories as they had done during the War of the Prophet. However, even though Adam was innocent, he knew all too well Gerald may see him the same way as most of Dorenland did: as a traitor who caused the great disaster of Ziecherhein.

    Adam subtly lowered the broad-rimmed and feathered hat he¡¯d reluctantly bought, in an attempt to blend in with Dorenland¡¯s strange fashion trends. Although he had put effort into his disguise, he couldn¡¯t be sure if it was enough.

    He had his previously long dark hair cut short and had grown a neat beard. Although his brown skin tone was darker than the pale complexion most of the Dorenish population had, he didn¡¯t stand out in a multicultural city like Gotterburg. The last thing Adam wanted was to draw attention to his jagged scars, so he kept his neck covered and wore bracers over his wrists. He was even mimicking the stiff, dignified walk that lots of men around here employed in their attempt to appear older and thus wiser.

    However, two recognisable aspects of his looks were difficult to hide: his tall, broad-shouldered build and the colour of his eyes. The deep shade of green, which almost seemed to glow, was unnatural and often caused people to stare. Luckily, the last time most of his acquaintances here had seen him, his eyes had still been brown.

    Gerald didn¡¯t seem to notice Adam, at least, he just kept sawing timber as he whistled a merry tune. With a soft sigh, Adam walked away from his old friend.

    Although Adam knew he shouldn¡¯t, he looked up at the sky. Between the broad columns of smoke from the scarred city, something unnatural was visible from miles and miles away. Something that most people found as normal as the forested mountains by now. Ever since the disaster, a sinister green shimmering, like a tree-shaped aurora, rose from Ziecherhein¡¯s ruins to the dark clouds. Adam scrunched up his face and shook his head, suppressing the old memories of screaming men, collapsing buildings, and bright green light the best he could. Lingering on what had happened back then wouldn¡¯t help him at all.

    After a while, Adam entered Brewery Square and looked around for Oliver. Many priests and other officials of the Starwing Order had gathered there to support the citizens with food and spiritual guidance after the siege. Tired-looking civilians bowed and prayed towards long columns with woodcarvings showing Aves¡¯ blessings to the world. The villagers kissed their rings and piled bits of food as offerings, mumbling requests of protection against the Taint.

    ¡°¡ªact of divine justice!¡± a priestess cried out to a circle of praying people. Clad in the complex feathered and jewelled regalia of her station, she raised a woven standard of Aves, the divine owl. ¡°So, those filthy Penduli rebels thought they could claim lands that rightfully belong to us! They thought it wise to submit themselves to the Crimson Urges of the left heart! And what did that bring them?¡±

    ¡°Damnation!¡± voices in the crowd replied, although some civilians seemed to agree more out of fear.

    ¡°Indeed!¡± the priestess continued. ¡°Why do you think tendrils of the Mist grow to cover whole continents, while holy Dorenland is safe? Because He destroys the lands of the unfaithful! So, every single Pendulum forms a risk to all of us! Even if it¡¯s your ¡®sweet¡¯ daughter or your old grandpa, it is our duty to report¡ª¡±

    Really now, can you back those claims with even a shred of evidence? No? What a surprise. Adam walked away, trying not to look too bitter. Of course, he detested the Penduli. However, the way the war had steadily evaporated the tolerance for people who didn¡¯t follow the ways of the Starwing Order was more than worrisome.

    Upon seeing a blonde, stocky man orating to a group of civilians, Adam sighed in relief and smiled. At least Oliver hadn¡¯t changed much. His curly hair was a little too neatly done and the brightly polished silver badge of his rank was hard to miss. His uniform of the Talons of Aves consisted of heavy, night-blue robes adorned with a silver constellation that identified the individual¡¯s regiment, and a black feathered cloak around the shoulders.

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    ¡°¡ªuntil we, a group of three Talons of Aves, used our Invocations to tear the Penduli¡¯s monsters and barricades apart!¡± Oliver exclaimed with a dignified, dramatic undertone. ¡°The filthy rebels quivered in fear, for every Pendulum knows they can¡¯t answer the might of proper Novaseering!¡±

    Adam raised an eyebrow, wondering why the city hadn¡¯t been retaken earlier if that were the case, but he let Oliver have his moment. Some in the crowd around him listened with awe and wide eyes. Others clearly wondered when it would be socially acceptable to leave.

    ¡°¡ªand drove them OUT!¡± Oliver boomed. Polite applause followed from the audience.

    It¡¯s been a while¡­ could I still joke around with him, or have endless conversations about nonsense the way we used to?

    Adam exhaled, shook his head, and walked towards his old friend. ¡°Oliver! Oh, I mean, my apologies, good sir¡­¡± Adam picked up his hat, held it before his chest and bowed with exaggeration. ¡°May this humble traveller have the honour, the privilege, to address this extraordinarily fine specimen of manliness and chivalry?¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes twinkled happily, and he clearly tried to repress a smile. ¡°Ahem. The proper title is Avurion second class,¡± he said in the fakest posh accent imaginable, waving towards his intricate badge. ¡°However, I¡¯m in a good mood today. Henceforth, you are allowed to remove your undignified nose from the dirt and address me.¡±

    Adam and Oliver looked at each other for a moment, trying to keep a straight face, before both of them burst out laughing. Oh, how I missed this.

    "You¡¯re alive! You really are!¡± Oliver said with his boyish grin as he walked up to Adam for an embrace. ¡°Come here, you old dog!¡±

    Adam hugged him like a long-lost brother.

    Suddenly, scorching heat rose in Adam¡¯s left heart and rushed straight towards his head. Along with it came an overpowering primal need, a vital necessity, for Adam to defend himself and tear any threat apart. Adam widened his eyes and gasped slowly, his mind racing for what was going on.

    ¡°Gur Asaar,¡± his left heart whispered with a voice of pure rage.

    What?! No! Not again! Keep quiet you damned piece of¡ª

    Oliver quickly let go of him. ¡°Huh, are you okay?¡± He studied Adam¡¯s face with a worried expression. ¡°Wow, you look flushed all of a sudden!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Adam laughed and made calming motions with his hand, although his mind felt strangely slow and blurry somehow. He could feel the deep pounding of his left heart all the way up his throat. ¡°Just a nasty headache from the long trip that comes up sometimes.¡± He hoped that sounded at least vaguely convincing. Of course, he¡¯d tell Oliver the truth one day. However, explaining a pious Talon of Aves that your left heart had started whispering? To say that wasn¡¯t easy would be an understatement.

    Oliver nodded slowly. ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± His gaze flicked from Adam¡¯s unnatural eyes to the bracers with a hint of pity; he knew about the scars, after all. ¡°Of course, I understand.¡±

    Grateful that Oliver didn¡¯t push the question, Adam smiled and placed a hand on Oliver¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Such a relief to see you¡¯re all right after the siege. You¡¯re not wounded, I hope?¡± There were lines of fatigue beneath Oliver¡¯s smiling eyes. The last time Adam had seen him, Oliver¡¯s boyish face didn¡¯t have wrinkles of worry.

    ¡°Just some bruises, I got lucky.¡± Oliver quickly glanced around them and whispered. ¡°That damn siege was a nightmare. The Penduli were well entrenched and made us bleed for every street we had to conquer. A lot less ¡®glorious¡¯ than the higher-ups within the Starwing Order want the people to know.¡± He peeked around again and continued even softer. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to believe it at first, but Zachalynn really changed after she came to power.¡±

    Adam nodded sadly. ¡°Well, you always said how strict she was, as a teacher, I guess that part didn¡¯t change.¡±

    Oliver groaned, closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°You have no idea. The amount of control she has¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°She forces us to spread propaganda nonsense like this ¡®flawless victory of righteousness,¡¯ bah! Can¡¯t wait until we can turn the Starwing Order back to normal again. I swear, if I was the Archpriest¡ª¡±

    Adam suppressed a snicker. The number of times I¡¯ve heard that sentence¡­

    ¡°So, times have been¡­ err¡­ rough,¡± Oliver said, staring blankly into the distance. ¡°But how have you been?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± Adam scratched the back of his head and quickly double-checked whether they were within hearing distance of anyone. ¡°I kind of got ambushed by some black-clad Novaseers.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened and he cursed softly. ¡°Damn those Penduli! How did the fell-handed bastards find out so fast?!¡±

    Adam blinked. ¡°About¡­?¡± He pointed subtly at himself.

    Oliver shook his head. ¡°No, you actually look sophisticated for once, so as long as you keep that stupid hat on you should be all right. That little weight you¡¯ve gained works for your disguise as well, smart. No, the problem is¡­¡± Oliver leaned a bit closer. ¡°Many people who investigate the Taint, from both the Royal Army and the Starwing Order, end up missing. You may be the first who escaped such a kidnapping or assassination attempt.¡±

    Adam nodded, ignoring the temptation to return Oliver¡¯s jokes. ¡°Someone doesn¡¯t want us finding out.¡±

    ¡°Right, but if this is the case, then how did the Penduli find out you¡¯re involved? We might have a mole on our side.¡±

    ¡°About that, I gathered some interesting intel¡­¡±

    After Adam¡¯s update on what he¡¯d heard, he and Oliver sat down on the base of a statue group at the side of the square.

    ¡°You¡¯re a bloody idiot.¡± Oliver groaned, clenching his eyes shut and rubbing his temples. They had sat down on the base of a statue group at the side of the square.

    ¡°Maybe, but this is Jeremiah we¡¯re talking about. Do you imagine him being so open if we invite him for tea?¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Oliver grunted begrudgingly.

    ¡°So, we have several leads for our investigation.¡± Adam counted on his fingers. ¡°Firstly, this strange location the Tainted talk about, which sounds like the Penduli have some bizarre hidden facility nearby. Osterhild knows more about this, so, could you, Caine, and Emily use your contacts within the Starwing Order to arrange an audience with her?¡±

    Oliver thought for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s way up in the hierarchy, but maybe Caine can pull some strings. We should be damn careful though. If she finds out what you already know and how you¡¯ve learned it, we¡¯re done for. And secondly, we have the Penduli who attacked you.¡±

    ¡°We should find out who they are and who sent them. Maybe we can lure them into a trap somehow if they try and attack me again¡­ And thirdly, we have Jeremiah.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Oliver looked Adam in the eyes. ¡°Look, I understand you detest the man. How he framed you for the disaster of Ziecherhein is unforgivable... But if what you say is true and he is going to be chieftain, we have to be really careful.¡±

    The corner of Adam¡¯s mouth twitched as he repressed the pitch-black memories. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m wrong about him?¡±

    Oliver looked away with a tightened jaw. ¡°No, but I sure hope you are. If he¡¯s involved with the Penduli he¡¯ll be a damn powerful enemy. And if he¡¯s going to lead all the Royal Army¡¯s forces in Gotterburg, this investigation will be¡­ dangerous, to say the least.¡±

    Adam grinned. ¡°Nothing wrong with a couple of risks, right? Lighten up, we¡¯ll finally be teaming up with Caine and Emily again! We can just sneak inside¡ª¡±

    Oliver subtly raised a hand; behind them, a couple of priests walked by. ¡°Shh¡­ I get that you want to start but we¡¯ll have to discuss plans of action with Caine and Emily first on the morrow.¡±

 Chapter 3 â€“ A Curse of Memories

    Chapter 3 - A Curse of Memories

    Adam tried to relax as he and Oliver walked through the nightly streets of Gotterburg. Surrounded by the comfortable hum-buzz of people around them, Adam couldn¡¯t shake the feeling he was being watched. Wary of any sign of the attackers, he talked with Oliver about the progress of the war.

    Adam tensely rubbed the scars on his wrists as Oliver prattled about some promotion. Why was my damn heart acting up so much, is something wrong? Is it because Oliver is a Novaseer? Adam took deep breaths. In our investigation, we can probably gain access to locked-away knowledge of the Forbidden Arts. Maybe then I can finally find out how to prevent that slab of meat¡ª

    ¡°I SAID.¡± Oliver looked attentively at Adam. ¡°Have Catherine and Eric gotten to Gotterburg as well? I¡¯d love to meet them.¡±

    Adam blinked. ¡°Ah, not yet. Cath still has some business to arrange with other higher-ups of her guild before she can travel here to start a new silver smithy. When she does, she¡¯ll take Eric along. We both agreed Gotterburg still seemed a tad dangerous for such a young child.¡±

    Oliver nodded. ¡°I can imagine. Is Eric a wild one like you used to be?¡±

    ¡°Wild? Me?¡± Adam said innocently. He looked at the burial poles they passed; long wooden columns containing the ashes of Gotterburg¡¯s former chieftains. Once, he and Caine had speared pumpkins on the crowned tops and painted smiling faces on the carved exteriors showing the chieftain¡¯s accomplishments. The city guards hadn¡¯t been too happy about that, for some reason. Adam grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about. But Eric is calmer, Cath sure hopes he stays that way.¡±

    ¡°Ha! I can imagine.¡± Oliver chuckled and rubbed his hands. ¡°Ah, tomorrow is going to be great, I sense it! Emily is so excited we¡¯re finally meeting up again,¡± Oliver said with a twinkle in his eyes.

    Adam gave him a sly smile. ¡°Ah, can¡¯t wait to see her, eh?¡±

    Oliver huffed indignantly. ¡°Oh, come on, that was ages ago! I¡¯m just happy we can cooperate in the investigation!¡±

    ¡°Of course, always happy to cooperate with a certain someone.¡± Adam wiggled his eyebrows.

    ¡°Ugh, shut up.¡± Oliver playfully punched Adam¡¯s shoulder and they laughed.

    Adam rubbed his beard. ¡°Hmm, I do wonder what Caine will say when you start singing serenades to his sister though.¡±

    Oliver sighed and rolled his eyes. ¡°You never change, do you? Besides, if Caine would ever judge my choice of women, he¡¯s an even bigger hypocrite than Zachalynn. Rumour has it that he stole a new lover from some poor bloke.¡±

    Adam sighed. ¡°Some people never change.¡±

    Along the street, a sadly common procession passed by: moose-drawn carts and carriages that transported Tainted to medical outposts. Most of the Tainted looked normal, a young woman even complained to one of the priests that nothing was wrong with her. The symptoms differed, however. Desperately clinging to a piece of cloth, a lad squeezed his eyes shut and whispered ¡®I¡¯m sorry, dad¡¯ over and over again. An old man whimpered incoherently, waving his arms in front of him. An elderly woman tried to comfort him, despite the endless weariness in her voice.

    Oliver looked at them with pity. He whispered a small religious blessing, wishing them well.

    Adam refrained from staring since most of the Tainted seemed blatantly annoyed or ashamed with the crowd¡¯s attention. Poor souls. We¡¯ll come back to heal you, one day. He frowned. ¡°Say, Oliver, where are Caine and Emily since they couldn¡¯t meet until tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Emily is in the Starwing Grove for work. Caine was apparently given his parents¡¯ old mansion¡ªthe lucky bastard¡ªand he¡¯s still over there.¡±

    Adam stopped walking. ¡°Wait, so Caine is at home, twiddling his thumbs while all of us are finally in town?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, I guess?¡±

    A devilish grin appeared on Adam¡¯s face. ¡°Let¡¯s sneak in and surprise him. Climb the wall and go through the window, just like old times!¡±

    Oliver chuckled. ¡°Yeah sure, as if such a childish act even remotely befits a man of my stature!¡±

    Not long after, Oliver was climbing the grapevine of Caine¡¯s mansion. ¡°For the record,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I think we¡¯re making a mistake right now.¡±

    ¡°Shh! Keep quiet!¡± Adam said from the ground, waiting impatiently for Oliver to drag himself through the window. Five storeys high and richly decorated with religious murals and wood carvings, Caine¡¯s mansion was one of the most beautiful buildings in town. Although Adam wasn¡¯t really unbiased. Growing up as a ¡®street rat,¡¯ this house had always been like a palace to him. Caine¡¯s parents had even taken him along for small trips, preparing extra food as Adam was ¡®way too skinny.¡¯

    Smiling in excitement, Adam rushed up to the window. He carefully lowered himself into the old luxurious library where Caine had taught him to read once. Here, I can be myself. Here, I don¡¯t have to hide behind a false name. Pressing a finger to his lips, Adam gestured to Oliver that they should move further. The paintings of Caine and Emily¡¯s ancestors looked down upon them as they snuck through the wide hallway. Colourful carpets, only affordable to Dorenland¡¯s elite, muffled their footsteps.

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    Suddenly, the voices of Caine and a woman sounded downstairs.

    Oh, by the night... Caine has a new lover. And why else wouldn¡¯t he come out to greet us earlier? ¡°Uhm, maybe we should go...¡±

    ¡°No! Listen!¡± Oliver hissed, keeping his eyes closed in concentration. Adam raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°¡ªwhy so many Penduli had to hide in town while others died defending it!¡± the unknown woman said.

    ¡°The numbers of the Royal Army combined with the Talons of Aves were too great, we all would have died!¡± Caine replied. ¡°However, informants tell us the bulk of their forces will soon leave Gotterburg and go south to conquer more of our cities. Then our troops can emerge, retake Gotterburg and cut off the supply lines of the Royal Army. The Queen of Glass will send fresh troops from Oberia to aid us. Then, finally, the Royal Army will be cut off and trapped like rats.¡±

    ¡°Retake!?¡± an unfamiliar voice shrieked. ¡°Good people died for the Penduli while we could have helped them! People, with friends, dreams, and families!¡±

    ¡°And their unavoidable loss will be mourned,¡± Caine said with a tired voice that left no room for disagreement. ¡°But to have thrown our own lives away as well would have been pointless. Now, we will surely be able to avenge our fallen comrades.¡±

    Adam became aware his mouth hung open. The discussion continued down below but he barely heard it. No. This is a joke, a trick. Caine would never join the Penduli, right?

    Oliver¡¯s face was ashen pale. ¡°That vile snake,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°This must be a mistake, it¡ª¡±

    ¡°A mistake?!¡± Oliver hissed. ¡°Oh, of course, it¡¯s perfectly normal to plan military masterplans for the opposing side of a war by accident!¡±

    Adam glared at him, pressed his finger to his lips and mouthed the word ¡®idiot.¡¯

    A door in the hallway opened. Adam¡¯s eyes widened and cold sweat broke out of his back when his son, Eric, walked out and looked at them. The skinny five-year-old boy wore one shoe and just a sock on his other foot, his dark hair stood out in all directions.

    Eric waved. ¡°Hi! Are you lost?¡±

    What! How could he be... here? In a nest of Penduli? Adam swallowed. His heart pounded faster and faster although he tried to take deep breaths. He wanted nothing else than to grab Eric¡¯s hand and run out, but Eric could make a ruckus if Adam startled him. ¡°Eric, playtime is over,¡± he whispered. ¡°Please, listen to your father. We need to be really, really, quiet and go back home.¡± He reached out his hand.

    Eric cocked his head to the side and squinted in confusion. ¡°Huh? Uhh¡­ daddy is downstairs. But¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯m not allowed to talk with strangers.¡±

    Adam gaped wide-eyed as ice-cold horror washed over him. Eric frowned up at Adam, nervous and puzzled, but there was no recognition in his eyes.

    What? No, this¡­ is a game, right?

    ¡°Eric Jonathan Roosenburg!¡± Catherine¡¯s voice singsonged. Sweet relief to hear his wife washed over Adam until he realised she had used Caine¡¯s last name. A shiver ran from the base of his skull down his spine. At the end of the hallway, one of the doors opened and she stepped out. Catherine wore pearled hairpins in her long blonde curls and an unfamiliar, feathered dress of undoubtedly expensive fabrics. ¡°How many times have I told¡ª¡±

    She gasped at Adam and Oliver, becoming even paler than usual.

    Adam pressed a finger to his lips and quickly used sign language. ¡°What are you and Eric doing here? Caine is a Pendulum! We need to leave, now!¡±

    Catherine clenched her fists. ¡°Eric, honey, could you come here, please?¡± she asked clearly, making her vowels just a tad longer in her eastern Dorenish accent. The blue eyes Adam knew so well bore into him with a rage he¡¯d never seen before.

    As Eric innocently walked to his mother, Adam¡¯s hands quivered. He tried, he tried so hard to see even a glimpse of recognition, of a joke, of anything in her. Yet all he saw was a woman prepared to defend her child to the death. His breaths quickened and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

    Eric looked up at his mother. ¡°Mom, who are they?¡±

    Catherine shook her head, took his hand and made him stand behind her. She raised her chin defiantly at Adam.

    ¡°Cath, dear, come on.¡± Adam laughed shakily. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny.¡±

    Oliver firmly placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Adam, we must go. Now.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Catherine said icily. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you learned our names. But if you take one step closer, you¡¯ll bloody regret it.¡±

    ¡°Daaaaaad!¡± Eric bellowed. ¡°There are strangers!¡±

    Adam stood as if frozen, nailed to the ground. Strangers? Dad? His stomach turned. Vaguely, he was aware that running footsteps sounded downstairs and that Oliver yelled something at him. However, Adam¡¯s mind had slowed down. Something inside him screamed that there must be a logical reason, that this simply couldn¡¯t be true. ¡°Cath, please, you¡¯re scaring me.¡±

    Eric grabbed Catherine¡¯s dress with a tiny hand and hid behind her legs. She laid a comforting hand on his head, while her eyes bored into Adam¡¯s like two searing pools of hate.

    ¡°Adam, wake up!¡± Oliver whispered and turned Adam¡¯s head towards him. There were tears in the corners of his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the Taint! I can only imagine what this is like for you, both Caine and your family... But he must¡¯ve adjusted their memories, they¡¯re not the same Catherine and Eric that you used to know! We must leave and get reinforcements from the Starwing Grove so we can save them!¡±

    In a blur, Adam noticed the door that swung open and the people that stormed out. Flanked by warriors , Caine ran straight towards Adam¡¯s wife and son. Oliver groaned and yelled something, but Adam¡¯s sluggish mind didn¡¯t follow. All his focus was fixed on Caine. The man who he had grown up with, playing with toy soldiers and pulling pranks. The man he¡¯d supported through all the hardships of the War of the Prophet. The man Adam had been so excited to see again.

    He¡¯s older now¡­ Caine¡¯s long black hair hung loose in disarray and there was a stubble on his chin. There were lines of tiredness in his olive skin. His yellow eyes had lost their mischievous twinkle. A slightly slouched and tense walk had replaced the overconfident swagger.

    Catherine and Eric smiled with pure relief to see him. An image that burned into Adam¡¯s retinae. Caine laid a comforting hand on the small of her back and said something, but Adam couldn¡¯t hear it. His mind slowed down again and his inner voice silenced. Searing heat flowed through his veins. The beats of his left heart resounded through his body, bringing a deep red fury, and the primal need to protect his family at all costs.

    Adam clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. No, I can¡¯t lose myself¡­ Breathing deeply, he tried to push the Crimson Urges back.

 Chapter 4 â€“ A Gathering of Friends

    Chapter 4 - A Gathering of Friends

    Yells and furious accusations echoed through the luxurious hallway of Caine¡¯s house. As one, the four Penduli that had walked in with Caine drew their weapons and formed a defensive row in front of Caine and Adam¡¯s family.

    ¡°¡ªyou traitors!¡± Oliver roared.

    ¡°Big words for someone so miserably outnumbered,¡± a young, handsome Pendulum said with a posh accent. He casually waved his shortsword to emphasize.

    ¡°And you¡­ ¡®Talon of Aves,¡¯ ¡± Oliver yelled at Caine. ¡°Did the Penduli bribe you, or do you just enjoy shitting on all your vows? You swine! For how long have you been doing this behind our backs?¡±

    Caine smiled sadly at Oliver. ¡°Hello, old friend.¡± He sighed. ¡°I knew a day would come that you would find out. And I truly hoped I could convince you to join the good cause before it would come to a confrontation. However¡­¡± Caine¡¯s yellow eyes bored into Adam¡¯s with rage, even interlaced with a hint of confusion and pain. ¡°Both of you have sadly become too much of a threat.¡± He laid a protective hand on Eric¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Get your filthy paw off my son,¡± Adam said with a cold, dead voice. Trembling in pure hatred, he glared at Caine. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± He took a step forward. ¡°You had to Taint my wife? You had to steal my family?!¡±

    Caine squinted and huffed indignantly, but kept his hand on Eric¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, you play your part well!¡± Adam roared. ¡°But how many times did I save your sorry ass back in the War of the Prophet? How many cold nights did I support you after your mother turned to the Pure?¡± Adam laughed incredulously. ¡°I actually was¡­ happy, to know I¡¯d see you again! Can you believe that? And now, my own family doesn¡¯t even recognize me anymore, you FILTH!¡±

    The room was silent. The four Penduli turned towards him, eyeing him warily, with weapons ready to strike.

    ¡°Daddy¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Eric breathed as his tiny hands grabbed Caine¡¯s. Caine embraced Eric even tighter as he scrunched his face up at Adam in a peculiar mixture of rage, confusion, and disgust.

    ¡°By the night,¡± Catherine sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I knew you used to hang out with some strange folk, Caine. But this madman is something else.¡±

    Adam clenched his jaws together, ignoring a small spasm at the side of his mouth. The off-hand remark cut him like a knife into a fresh wound. Seeing the way Eric and Cath looked at Caine broke something inside of Adam. A foundation of trust in his life, knowing that he was welcomed and loved, crumbled and left a gaping void. Oliver¡¯s voice echoed in his mind: rumour has it that Caine stole a new lover from some poor bloke.

    The Penduli chuckled softly. A dark company of grins and drawn steel in the palace of Adam¡¯s childhood, one of the few places where he always used to be safe. He exhaled as his heart sent fresh waves of heat and blind rage through him, warming his muscles.

    Caine glared at Adam, his face like a blank mask. ¡°I used to know him, but that was long before he turned into the deranged, unstable pawn we see here.¡±

    Catherine gently let go of Eric, without looking away from Adam and Oliver. ¡°Ismael, Beor, take Eric to safety. Taris, my glaive.¡±

    One of the Penduli threw her the large, two-handed weapon. Vague blue shapes of feathers shimmered along its edge, betraying that the blade had been Instilled with Novaseering. Two of the Penduli left their formation and gently picked up Eric. He cried and reached out for his mother as they took him further down the hallway. Catherine squeezed her eyes shut and tensed her jaw.

    Adam groaned internally to see Eric taken away by Penduli. Daddy¡¯s coming, buddy. Don¡¯t you worry. But maybe it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t witness what¡¯s to come. He threw his broad hat and travelling cloak aside, revealing his trusty long leather coat. ¡°We¡¯ll see who is unstable after I¡¯ve had my hands on you.¡± He cracked his knuckles and glared at Caine.

    With a grim frown, Caine made the warrior¡¯s greeting before combat by raising his right hand in a vertical outstretched gesture before his chest. Catherine and the two remaining Penduli did the same.

    Along with Oliver, Adam returned the gesture. For a moment, he vaguely remembered how they had made the same gesture before sparring together, in happier, simpler times. As all of them stood still, Adam quietly wondered how it could have come to this. The air near Caine blurred and shimmered, as he gathered the invisible Oquira around him.

    Ready to peel me away from my family, eh? He cracked his neck to the side as red-hot rage flowed through him. Go ahead and try.

    Adam bolted forward at full speed. Oliver raised both hands in the Marrow gesture, forming six bright white and feather-shaped daggers out of his own Oquira. With a flick of his wrists, he flung the Marrow weapons.

    Caine¡¯s reaction was fast as lightning. Adam could barely follow the speed at which the Novaseering prodigy stretched his thumbs and middle fingers and conjured a wide octagonal screen. With shrill shrieks, three of Oliver¡¯s feathers bounced off Caine¡¯s Ironglass Invocation.

    Catherine twirled her halberd and deflected the three Marrow daggers that flew at her. With a howling battle cry, she vaulted towards Oliver, who barely dodged the downward slash of her glaive.

    Feeling the hot blood coursing through his veins, Adam charged Caine as fast as possible.

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    ¡°Out of my way!¡± Caine yelled at two Penduli who had moved to cut Adam off but hastily jumped aside.

    Adam knew his former friend, and from the way he curled three fingers and a thumb, Adam knew he¡¯d fire a broad Shrike Invocation. As it would be tricky to dodge from this distance, Adam skidded to a stop, crossed his forearms before his face and set his feet right for the impact. With a high-pitched rushing sound, vaguely resembling the wind, Caine¡¯s Invocation surged towards Adam. It was only visible by the dust on the floor being blown away by sheer force.

    The savage cold bit into Adam¡¯s arms right before the impact of the Invocation hit them like a charging bull. Grinding his teeth in the gruelling effort to stay upright, Adam trembled under the relentless pressure.

    However, Adam hadn¡¯t practised fighting Novaseers for nothing. He knew their tricks, and after countless hours of training, his flesh had become well accustomed to the feel of Invocations.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his left heart whispered, sending waves of heat towards his arms.

    Adam bared his teeth and pushed back against the Shrike. With a burst of force, he spread his arms outwards to the sides. Caine¡¯s Invocation was split in two and ravaged the ancient colourful carpet and floor alike, leaving gaping grooves. As the soothing heat from his heart gathered in his aching arms, Adam charged at Caine again.

    Oliver formed a Marrow boomerang and hurled the pale, razor-sharp weapon at Caine.

    ¡°You two haven¡¯t trained much these years, huh?¡± Caine scoffed as he conjured a long chain of Ironglass links. The end of his chain shot out and wrapped itself around Oliver¡¯s boomerang. With a seemingly effortless wave of his arm, Caine swung his chain and hurled Oliver¡¯s Invocation at Adam.

    Adam jumped, twisting his body in mid-air to soar over the boomerang. With a grunt, he drove his fist into the flat, brittle Marrow surface and shattered the weapon.

    As Caine switched his attention to Oliver, the two sword-wielding Penduli charged Adam. A burly, blonde woman with a zweih?nder sword came at him from the right, while the posh Mr. Handsome with his shortsword and shield ran from the left. Quick as a snake, Adam dashed to the right side of the woman and ducked beneath a sideways slash of her zweih?nder. Mr. Handsome hissed in frustration; Adam kept stepping around her, dodging her attacks and making sure she stood between them.

    The woman bellowed and heaved the zweih?nder high above her head.

    Oh wow, so subtle, I sure wonder how this genius is going to attack.

    With ease, Adam stepped to the left to dodge her downward swing. He grabbed her wrist and hit her temple with his left elbow. Twisting her wrist, he relieved her of her zweih?nder and raised it just in time to parry a sideways cut from Mr. Handsome.

    As they crossed blades, the lad gave a cocky smirk and swung his shield sideways. Adam stepped back to dodge it. Surprisingly experienced, probably trained in a castle, but with sloppy footwork.

    Adam pretended to place his back foot wrong and made a fake wince, lowering his guard just a bit. Mr. Handsome grinned fiercely. He lunged forward for a mighty thrust with his blade.

    Just before Mr. Handsome¡¯s front foot hit the ground, Adam¡¯s boot swept it sideways. The lad¡¯s eyes widened. He awkwardly stumbled to the side, waving his arms to keep balance. Not so cocky any more, eh? Adam swung his head towards the lad¡¯s face. With a crunch, his nose flattened on Adam¡¯s forehead.

    The sound of running footsteps neared him from behind. Adam rolled away and barely dodged Catherine¡¯s glaive. With a cold shiver, he realized she would have taken his head clean off.

    ¡°DAMN YOU!¡± Catherine yelled as she gave a sideways kick. Adam used both arms to block the attack, powerful enough to topple a wall.

    Catherine¡¯s face, the same face that used to smile when he had tickled her, or sing songs for him when he was sick, was red with blind rage. This can¡¯t be real! How can I fight her?! As his own battle fury fizzled out, hers burned like an inferno. Her glaive made her even more dangerous; even though she wasn¡¯t a sorcerer herself, the weapon had been Instilled with Novaseering to become lighter without sacrificing durability. Therefore, she could swing the glaive even faster than normal ones.

    Adam evaded her attacks out of reflex. Although he saw the errors in her combat style, like her exposed side, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to use the opportunities to hurt his beloved.

    He stepped aside to dodge a kick but was too distracted, allowing her to sock him in the jaw. With her other hand, she stabbed with her glaive.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± Adam¡¯s heart hissed.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened as survival instinct kicked in. He ducked beneath her thrust, twisted her wrist to disarm her and threw away her weapon. ¡°Cath! Snap out of it, please!¡±

    A blue vein pulsed on Catherine¡¯s reddened forehead. ¡°GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!¡± She jumped up and raised her right foot high. Adam stepped back to dodge her downward axe kick, which broke a wide hole in the floor and sent splinters flying.

    From the left, Oliver hurled an Ironglass bola, made from round weights and linked chains. Catherine gasped and tried to evade the bola, but Oliver¡¯s Invocation wrapped itself around her and dragged her to the wall.

    Veins in Oliver¡¯s neck bulged in the effort of his Invocation. ¡°I won¡¯t harm her! But we need to leave, their reinforcements are coming!¡±

    Even though he believed Oliver, all of Adam¡¯s mind was fixated on Caine. The bastard stood farther in the hallway and blasted one of Oliver¡¯s bolas apart with a Shrike Invocation.

    Adam felt his face redden as he charged. ¡°You fell-handed freak! RELEASE MY FAMILY!¡±

    Caine raised one hand in the Ironglass gesture and the other in the Marrow gesture. ¡°Your family?¡± he sneered while forming three harpoons in the air. Each had a solid Ironglass shaft, covered in holy symbols, and a serrated head of Marrow. ¡°So that¡¯s why they¡¯re in MY house, calling for ME when your insane ass breaks in here!¡± With a flick of his wrists, he fired the first harpoon.

    Adam¡¯s thoughts stopped and he bent backwards. When the harpoon passed over him, he grabbed the terribly cold surface of the Ironglass shaft. ¡°I can imagine brainwashing was your only option to interest a lady,¡± Adam growled through gritted teeth. Sprinting forward, he threw the weapon back at Caine with all his might. ¡°When you¡¯ve got a mug like yours!¡±

    Caine nimbly stepped aside to dodge. With both hands in the Ironglass gesture, he waved them from the sides in Adam¡¯s direction. ¡°They¡¯re my family, you piece of filth!¡± Caine hissed.

    Adam¡¯s breath stopped. Caine had reshaped the two other harpoons into Ironglass chains, which flew at Adam from the sides. He jumped up and soared through the air towards Caine, causing the chains to miss him and entangle each other with a metallic rattle.

    However, Caine had switched both hands to the Shrike gesture. The air around them shimmered with the intense amount of Oquira.

    Adam roared like a beast and raised his fist. Just the moment before Caine would have been within his arm¡¯s reach, Caine fired his Invocation from point-blank range.

    NO!

    With a rushing sound like an intense gust of wind, the barely visible Shrike hit Adam dead-on in the chest. Biting cold and pain surged through his body. The relentless power of the Invocation sent him flying backwards and blasted him right through the ceiling, forcing the air out of his lungs. With a wheeze, he tried to breathe in again but he crashed through the roof as well. Tumbling through the evening air amidst the shattered roof tiles, Adam growled in agony.

    He landed on the slanted roof, his jaw hitting one of its ridges. Like a broken puppet, he slid over the roof tiles and fell to the ground. Out of reflex, he awkwardly tried to roll but only caused his shoulder to hit the ground first with a painful crunch.

 Chapter 5 â€“ A Crawl of Perseverance

    Chapter 5 - A Crawl of Perseverance

    Adam squeezed his eyes shut and screamed soundlessly. Every part of his body hurt as he lay between the bushes of Caine¡¯s garden in a crumpled heap of limbs.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± Adam¡¯s left heart hissed, sending comforting heat all over his body. As much as he hated the sinister organ, he sighed in relief when the unnatural energy alleviated his pain. Gradually, slowly, his bruised and battered flesh mended. With a groan, Adam rolled himself over onto his belly and gasped when a sharp pain shot through his chest. Baring his teeth, Adam bit through the agony and stretched out his arms. Inch by bloody inch, he pulled himself forward to Caine¡¯s house. Daddy¡¯s coming, buddy, don¡¯t you worry. He cracked his neck to the side, puffed out his cheeks and pushed himself up. His knees and arms trembled, practically screaming in protest, as he forced himself to get up. I¡¯m coming for you.

    An explosion rang out high above Adam, and Oliver flew through the same hole Adam had just been blasted through. Spinning around in mid-air, Oliver dodged two Marrow knives thrown at him and conjured linked chains of Ironglass. He whipped them out, wrapped them around the chimney, and swung down.

    ¡°WE MUST LEAVE!¡± he roared when he landed near Adam. ¡°They¡¯ve brought reinforcements, there¡¯s no way we can fight all of them!¡±

    Adam groaned, barely able to stand up straight due to the shiver in his legs. With trembling fingers, he tried to wipe the blood off his face. Up above, behind one of the windows of the beautiful house, Eric peeked down at them. When he saw Adam looking back, Eric widened his eyes as if he¡¯d seen a monster and hastily pulled the curtains shut.

    That was too much.

    As if he¡¯d just been punched in the stomach, Adam bent forward, closed his eyes and screamed. At least, before the deep coughs of his painful lungs interrupted him. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± he wheezed.

    Oliver stepped in front of him and laid his hands on Adam¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We can¡¯t save Catherine and Eric with just the two of us! They¡¯ll never believe us now that they¡¯ve been Tainted!¡±

    Adam gritted his teeth and shook his head. Even though he knew, deep down, that Oliver was right.

    ¡°The Starwing Order must know of Caine¡¯s betrayal,¡± Oliver continued mercilessly. ¡°Especially the other Talons of Aves! What if he reaches people like Emily first, and tells her a different story? Or what if he Taints them as well?¡±

    Soft sounds of many footsteps that stormed down stairways came out of the house.

    With a reluctant groan, as if he had to rip his own arm off, Adam slowly turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll save them, Oliver, I swear it! I don¡¯t care what vile sorcery Caine pulled off to do this!¡±

    Oliver sighed in relief and hastily supported Adam with an arm around his back. Together, they stumbled out of the yard and into the streets.

    Gradually, Adam¡¯s rage made way for a hollow dread. Although it still felt unreal, impossible even, the realisation of all that had just happened began to set in. He remembered his day with Catherine and Eric at the beach. How he had held a giggling Eric on his shoulders as he ran through the shallow water. How Cath and Eric had ¡®buried¡¯ Adam in the soft, warm sand, and ran off to ¡®steal¡¯ his dry clothes afterwards. Bitter grief tore through him, like a cold, dark chasm of loss. He shivered. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t want them to get hurt, you know?¡± he said softly. ¡°Eric¡¯s birthday is in just a few weeks¡­¡±

    Oliver¡¯s face was ashen pale. He swallowed and squeezed Adam¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll do anything in my power to get them back, my friend. What Caine did is¡­ I¡¯ve no words for it. But we¡¯ll get that fell-handed bastard, by Aves, and I¡¯ll be there every step of the way.¡± He nodded grimly. ¡°But for now, we must hurry to the Starwing Grove and warn Emily, before he turns everyone against us!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adam breathed. With an effort of will, he kept himself from looking back. Although the heat reserves of his heart seemed mostly depleted, the sinister organ still sent waves of comforting warmth to his legs. Ignoring the sharp pain in his wobbling knees, Adam picked up the pace.

    Adam felt the deep, strong beats of his heart in his neck. Panting, with sweat beading on his forehead, he forced himself to keep moving through the winding streets.

    Jeremiah will make his bannermen within the Royal Army move south. Which happens to be precisely what Caine and the Penduli forces are preparing for. I wonder how much Caine had to pay him. Or maybe the Taint was enough.

    Like corpses that bobbed up in a bog, memories of all that just happened kept reappearing before his mind¡¯s eye. The terrified look in Eric¡¯s eyes, how Cath almost decapitated him, and Caine¡¯s face before he had blasted Adam through the ceiling. Adam bared his teeth and shook his head in an attempt to push the memories away again.

    Adam carefully scanned the faces around him as he and Oliver ran past the trusted stalls with street food. Now that he¡¯d discarded his hat and cloak, people might recognize him. And since he¡¯d always loved browsing the stalls and meeting the traders from all parts of the known world, familiar faces were everywhere.

    Adam¡¯s gaze darted over the crowd as he zig-zagged through the masses. Hastily, he took a turn to the left, before the twins with their stall of salted giraffid meat and marinated crocodile tails could see him. Scents like sharp spices, roasted hazelnuts, and smoked swordfish washed over him as he jumped over crates. People gasped and sprung away, although he wasn¡¯t sure whether they recognized him or if they were startled by two idiots running past them. Up above on the wooden bridges that crisscrossed between the shops¡¯ higher storeys, a group of shaggy veterans peered down. Smoking their long pipes, they eyed Adam and Oliver curiously and whispered something to each other.

    Adam sighed, the urge to take a less conspicuous, longer route almost overwhelming. No, Emily needs to know about Caine as quickly as possible. He checked again if they were being followed but could only see Oliver lagging behind.

    Oliver panted and wiped his reddened forehead. ¡°By the night, how can you move so fast?! I know you¡¯ve developed resistance against Invocations, but he just blasted you through the roof!¡±

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    ¡°Training and exercise, my friend,¡± Adam said, trying to ignore his guilt for lying. Who knows how he¡¯ll react to my heart? I¡¯ve already lost one friend too many today¡­ ¡°Remember what our old captain used to say?¡±

    ¡° ¡®Two-hundred push-ups a day keeps the enemy away,¡¯ ¡± Oliver droned, mimicking the nasal voice of their old captain.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Adam said, pushing back the nagging memories of how strong he used to be. How he physically was a miserable, clumsy shadow of the man who they used to call the Fist of Gotterburg. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Caine following us? Is he taking a different route?¡±

    Oliver barely dodged a guy who tried to make his dog stop chomping down on a slow-roasted camel. The short stall owners angrily clicked their tongues in their southern accent.

    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t know!¡± Oliver said. ¡°Too bad none of us got the idea to leave sooner, you know, before we had to fight everyone in the hallway? Maybe then we wouldn¡¯t have to run our asses off right now!¡±

    Adam rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, here comes Mr. I-told-you-so. Yes, I should¡¯ve stayed perfectly calm and stated my discontent at the unfurling events. The next time my family is Tainted by a homicidal maniac, I¡¯ll be sure to give it a try,¡± he said, drenching his words in sarcasm.

    After a while, they neared the Starwing Grove of Gotterburg. Like a separate walled town within the city, it was the religious organisation¡¯s main base of operations in the region. After they had run through the open gates, Adam saw the many architectural jewels within the Grove, luckily unmarked by the Penduli¡¯s control or the siege. He couldn¡¯t resist peeking up at the Nest of Rebirth, high between the pearly white branches of the towering Trees of Ivory. Long ago, when Adam and his older brother Joshua were still in touch, they and Caine had unleashed piglets in there during the adulthood ceremony of some posh family. The hilarious chaos that ensued had even been worth his mom¡¯s scolding. Simpler times, Adam thought bitterly.

    He and Oliver ran towards a tall sky-blue structure built to resemble an upright owl¡¯s wing, which towered over the rest of the Grove. Adam sighed in relief when he saw that two Myrmidons flanked the entrance. The twenty-foot-tall constructs of blue marble were immensely powerful military units of the Starwing Order. Their vaguely human-shaped bodies, covered in mosaics, holy symbols, and statues of saints, were powerful vessels of Novaseering. However, for some reason these Myrmidons weren¡¯t animated at the moment, making them stand still as statues.

    Adam frowned, worry growing in his gut. ¡°Why is no one guarding this place?! And why is it so deserted here, is that normal?¡±

    ¡°No, it definitely isn¡¯t!¡± Oliver panted, his voice echoing through the entrance hall. ¡°Hurry, Emily should be at the Talon¡¯s Circle!¡±

    Adam and Oliver ran through a wide central courtyard. Built to resemble the mythical mountain valley of Aves, the lush courtyard made abundantly clear that the Starwing Order wasn¡¯t shy of coin. Oak trees and silvered statues of the holy gestures decorated the inner ring of each floor. Small canals led to small waterfalls to the lower floors and ended up at the fish-filled pond at the centre. It never fails to impress, although that¡¯s probably the point. I wonder how much taxpayers¡¯ money was invested into this.

    Adam focused on his hearing. Besides their footsteps and the soft hooting of owls, he heard the vague scraping of metal in the distance. He groaned and forced his tired legs to move even faster. ¡°There¡¯s fighting going on, move!¡±

    Oliver burst into a sprint and led the way over the narrow stairways and bridges within the courtyard that connected the different floors. The sounds of combat grew clearer and clearer as they approached the silvered doors of the Talon¡¯s Circle: the scrape of something sharp against a shield, the thud of a body hitting the ground, and a battle cry from Emily.

    Adam and Oliver nodded to each other and the latter quickly formed six Marrow knives with Novaseering.

    With a thundering boom, Adam kicked open the doors to the wide circular room. Armoured soldiers, dressed in the reds and blues of the Penduli, tried to take Emily down. Her chestnut hair waved around her pale face while she swung her Marrow halberd in well-practised manoeuvres. As soon as one of the Penduli glanced back at Adam and Oliver¡¯s entrance, she capitalized on the man¡¯s distraction and relieved him of his head. Several other Penduli lay still on the colourful carpet already.

    Adam roared like a beast and charged. Before the Penduli archer in front of him could even nock his arrow, Adam twisted the man¡¯s neck with a snap. Oliver jumped up and threw his daggers, hitting one of the soldiers in the chest and another in the throat.

    ¡°COWARDS!¡± Emily hissed. She deflected the swing of a heavy mace with her Marrow halberd although it shattered in the process. Before the last attacker standing could strike again, she grabbed one of the white shards from mid-air and jammed it into his temple.

    ¡°Nice move,¡± Adam managed to say between his panting. He puffed out his cheeks and laid his hands on his trembling legs. The heat from his heart seemed exhausted so there was no quick relief. How did the Penduli get into the heart of the Starwing Grove? Did they kill the guards and deactivate the Myrmidons? He glanced around. ¡°Maybe we should¡ª¡±

    With a furious battle cry, Oliver finished off a Pendulum on the ground by flicking a knife at his forehead. The man limply dropped a spear and his eyes rolled back. All other Penduli were far beyond a state where they could be questioned.

    ¡°¡ªkeep one of them alive¡­¡± Adam continued slowly.

    Oliver blinked. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Might¡¯ve been clever,¡± Emily said sheepishly, with a slight wheeze in her voice.

    ¡°Right. Anyway.¡± Adam looked up at her. ¡°Nice to see you, how¡¯ve you been?¡± His eyes darted towards the splashes of blood on her uniform of the Talons of Aves. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± he asked in a more serious tone.

    Emily chuckled. ¡°Hiya, nice timing there.¡± With a gloved hand, she wiped a lock of hair from her heart-shaped face. Sadly, her olive brown skin still had its pale, unhealthy undertone. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The bastards snuck up on me, but I heard them coming.¡±

    Adam sighed in sweet, sweet relief. He wanted to hug her, but remembered just in time she avoided physical contact as much as possible. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you.¡±

    She smiled radiantly up at him. Her big orange eyes didn¡¯t even flash towards his neck or wrists, which he greatly appreciated. ¡°You really are alive.¡± She said with a hint of marvel. In a mischievous smile, she raised one corner of her mouth. ¡°A tad on the quick side to be so out of breath, though.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Adam wanted to answer with a witty remark, but the words eluded him. How do I explain this?

    Oliver cleared his throat. ¡°Your brother is a traitor and could be here any minute. We were in his¡­ I mean, your parents¡¯ old mansion and heard him planning military operations for the Penduli. We barely survived when he and Catherine attacked together with other Penduli.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened and she looked back and forth between Oliver and Adam. ¡°What¡­ hold on, you guys fought?¡±

    Adam nodded slowly. ¡°He Tainted Catherine and Eric to believe Caine is their husband and father,¡± he said tonelessly, clenching his shaking fist. ¡°They didn¡¯t even recognize me anymore.¡±

    Emily took a few steps back, her face became even paler than usual. ¡°Guys, this better not be some kind of joke¡­¡±

    Adam shook his head. ¡°I wish¡ª¡±

    ¡°CAINE¡¯S NEAR THE CEILING!¡± Oliver yelled. He leapt back and hastily raised both hands in the Ironglass gesture.

 Chapter 6 â€“ A Journey of Awakening

    Chapter 6 ¨C A Journey of Awakening

    After Oliver¡¯s outburst, Adam¡¯s eyes darted towards the beautiful, silvered ceiling of the Talon¡¯s Circle. Caine sat on one of the ostentatious chandeliers in a relaxed pose, as if he was waiting for them after one of their old pranks.

    ¡°I knew I could find you here,¡± said the man Adam used to love as a brother. The bastard raised an arm.

    Adam immediately dashed away to grab one of the Penduli¡¯s dropped swords. However, a deafening, roaring noise erupted from the floor. Adam¡¯s eyes widened. He jumped back out of reflex when a pattern of bright, green light shone right through the thick carpet over the entire breadth of the floor. The air became thick as a bizarre, unfamiliar Invocation surged into life. The blinding light of concentric circles and symbols that Adam didn¡¯t recognize burst up all around him. There was no escape.

    Damn it! Adam wanted to roll away, but the Invocation slowed down his fall somehow and he hadn¡¯t even hit the ground. A green glow of tingling, unnatural energy appeared all over his body. It took forever to raise an arm. He wanted to look at Caine but even the movement of his eyes had slowed down. By the time he¡¯d caught sight of him, Adam hung in the air as if frozen in time, trapped by Caine¡¯s unfamiliar Invocation.

    Caine stood utterly still as well, with an open hand stretched out and an intense frown on his face. How is he doing this? He¡¯s not making a Novaseering gesture¡­ so it¡­ Adam¡¯s thoughts slowed down. Everything around him grew darker. A cold shiver ran down his spine before even the sense of touch faded. Pitch-black darkness clouded everything from sight, except for Caine, whose features were clearer than ever. It was like nothing other in the world existed. Adam couldn¡¯t tell how long he looked at the man he thought to be his friend before his vision faded into nothing.

    Soon, blurry images flashed by Adam. Although he couldn¡¯t remember why, he was running over the vague streets of Gotterburg, the lovely city as it used to be before the wars. However, the colours were warped and strange for some reason. The comfortable hum-buzz of people on the streets sounded oddly distant.

    Adam grinned widely. There was no tension in his neck or shoulders for the first time in years. Finally, there was no weight of a difficult past he had to carry wherever he went. He was¡­ happy. He was free.

    A laughing Oliver of about ten years old ran to the left of him. A young version of himself ran to Adam¡¯s right.

    ¡°Oh man, the face of your butler!¡± the young Adam said. He wiped tears from his eyes, still brown at the time. ¡°I wonder how long it¡¯ll take before they find out we¡¯ve released chickens in the library as well!¡±

    Adam¡¯s mouth moved on its own. He said something, although he couldn¡¯t quite make out his own words.

    A veil of darkness moved over their surroundings and all the cosy colourful buildings disappeared. The three friends ran, as if nothing was wrong, into a pure black nothingness. Slowly, they drifted further and further apart in the hollow darkness, although Adam had never intended for that to happen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Oliver¡¯s voice sounded as if he was far away. ¡°Both of you can stay at my place! My dad made meat pies!¡±

    The sound of the cheerful voices dampened until nothing remained.

    After what felt like weeks of nothingness, Adam woke up by a raw, merciless pain that burned through his head. He couldn¡¯t see, couldn¡¯t hear, and everything spun around him. His heart sent heat through his body. Although his limbs, if he still had them, felt absent. What, where am I? Am I dreaming?

    Slowly, he became aware of sounds around him, like screaming and the clatter of falling glass. He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids were heavy and his vision was strangely blurry. He only saw vague shapes of green and blue. Rough hands picked him up and laid him on a flat surface of some sort, as if he was a slab of meat ready to be butchered. Beside him, what seemed like pale bodies lay motionlessly on other tables. Blurry figures moved in the chaos around him.

    Damn it, Adam! Don¡¯t let them do this to you! He grunted, baring his teeth in the effort to sit up, only to fall back down again. Come on, get up! Adam growled and squeezed his eyes shut as he forced his body to rise. Yelling voices came towards him from the left. Something heavy hit Adam on his temple before he could react. He saw nothing but darkness and bright dots before his consciousness slipped away.

    When Adam got to his senses again, wheels softly creaked beneath him. The muffled steps of a large animal sounded somewhere in front of him. It smelled of fires, and there was an earthly scent that reminded him of fungi. He lay on his belly. Wood pressed uncomfortably up against his chin and made his head bump up and down. His splitting headache was gone, but he still couldn¡¯t see for some reason.

    Huh, what¡­ happened? Am I in a cart? Where are Emily and Oliver?

    Absent-mindedly, he tried to move his arms, but there were bindings around his wrists. He gasped, feeling the blindfold on his face and the gag of sturdy straps in his mouth. He groaned in shock and anger, and struggled with all his might, but even his feet were bound together. Oh no. No, no, NO! His breathing became faster and faster.

    Old, repressed memories bobbed up. How the suffocating water had been all around him, how he had struggled with all his might to tear free. How his lungs had burned in desperation.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart whispered.

    Adam squeezed his eyes shut and bit into his gag with all the strength he had in him. The jaw muscles at the sides of his head clenched and ached. His breaths came even faster and he lost the feeling in his legs. Yet, he kept on biting. And bit by tiny bit, the fibres of his gag loosened.

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    Sharp pain erupted in his cheekbone; he was hit by something hard. A small crack sounded from Adam¡¯s neck. The cart stopped.

    ¡°Quiet, you mad piece of shit!¡± a gruff, female voice whispered from somewhere in front of him. Something hard pressed into his chin and pushed Adam¡¯s head up. ¡°You¡¯re damn lucky you¡¯re still drawing breath. But one more sound, just a peep, and I¡¯ll give you what you deserve here and now! Got that?¡±

    Adam couldn¡¯t even nod from this position. All he could do was try and calm his rapid breathing before it got out of control.

    ¡°Careful!¡± a male voice breathed, somewhere to Adam¡¯s left. ¡°Lord Caine¡¯s Command was to¡ª¡±

    The hard object was pulled away from Adam. ¡°I know the Command, you idiot! And you should know better than to doubt me!¡±

    Silence followed. The cart started moving again.

    Adam waited a while before he bit the gag again, as quietly as possible. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the blood rush to his face, as he bit through the last bit. He spat out the cloth and soundlessly gasped for air. Waves of relentless headache battered him. Laying his head on the wooden surface, he focused on his breaths. Easy Adam, you can do this.

    ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t go east, to the Node of Caine¡¯s house?¡± the male voice whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the Roots are on the move. The Overgrowth has spread and infected three Nodes west of this one. Even the Node of the Starwing Grove...¡±

    The woman made a fake gasp. ¡°What, really? The Roots are spreading? Who would have known!¡± Adam could almost feel how she glared at the guy. ¡°They¡¯ve conquered those days ago. The  library here is out of the question as well; the Roots have swarmed all of our resistance. Even a couple of other intruders have been spotted.¡±

    The man groaned.

    ¡°Silence. The last Command we received was to bring him to the Palace of Origin, so that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡±

    Adam found a small ridge between the planks he lay on. Gratefully, he rubbed the edge of his blindfold against it to push it up. ¡®Lord Caine¡¯, eh? Arrogant twat. You truly found some loyal subjects among the Penduli, haven¡¯t you? The planks ground against his cheeks and the skin around his eyes. Bit by bit, Adam managed to pull the blindfold upwards on its right side, although its left side became even tighter. It¡¯ll have to do.

    The lacquered, black planks became visible, which turned out to be part of a war chariot of some sort. Adam turned his head a bit to look up.

    He seemed to be in a town inside a huge cave. Broad buildings, hewn out of and based upon stalagmites and stalactites passed by. A strange light shone on both crumbled remains and proud domed roofs, decorated with hieroglyphs and many, many statues. Most of the intricate decorations depicted Caine and an elegant woman. They were pictured as mighty Lords or powerful Novaseers. However, many buildings were reduced to ashen shells and hollow ruins with the unmistakable scars of battle. Many of the large trees that lined the street were still smouldering.

    Adam curled his lips in confusion. By the night¡­ where¡­ am I? Adam¡¯s mind raced. He¡¯d visited many cities around the world and searched through even more ruins of ancient cultures. However, he¡¯d never seen a place with an architectural style or hieroglyphs even similar to this before. Some battle was fought here, recently. Is this some far-away territory of the Penduli?

    The man who walked in front of him whimpered softly when they turned into a different street. Adam¡¯s eyes widened. Most of the buildings here were overgrown with masses of strange plants, reminding him of a fungal infestation. Thick purple and brown vines curled around statues of Caine like constricting snakes. Leaves with savage thorns covered ruined households and their broken furniture. Bushes of thorned vines and trunks reached two storeys high and grew fast enough for Adam to see them move. Even the system of towering aqueducts was affected; purple vines hung from their elegant arches of obsidian.

    Adam was vaguely aware that his jaw hung open. Unwillingly, he remembered how Jeremiah shared stories of the Tainted. Remarkably consistent stories about endless tunnels and ¡®beings of wild emotion.¡¯ And something about visions and dead relatives showing up?

    Cold sweat broke out on his back. Is this where the Taint is applied?

    Adam¡¯s instincts screamed at him to get out. To bust out of his bindings somehow. To run back to Gotterburg no matter what. His eye darted around for a way to escape. Squirming on his belly, it took all of Adam¡¯s willpower to stay quiet. To keep his breaths from becoming too loud. Damn it all! Okay, calm down, Adam. Just¡­. Breathe.

    After a while, Adam managed to force his brain into a path of reason. Most likely, he was trapped by some offshoot of the Penduli, crackpot enough to call Caine a lord and make statues of that human turd. All of the strange thorns and bushes seemed messed up enough to be part of the ¡®Overgrowth¡¯ his captors talked about.

    This place is bizarre¡­ did they Taint me already?

    Adam frowned and mulled it over. He could still think and reason perfectly. Aside from being mighty uncomfortable, tied up like a sausage, he didn¡¯t feel differently. Nor did he notice any gaps in his memory. His surroundings seemed way too clear and consistent to be some kind of hallucination either.

    Annoying as they might be, Adam doubted that the people who were moving him on the stupid chariot were powerful enough to apply something as sinister as the Taint. They just seemed to follow commands and guide this chariot through enemy ¡®Root¡¯ territory. Maybe this ¡®Palace of Origin¡¯ they talk about is where they want to Taint me?

    Adam arched his back to look in front of him. Both the large, flightless bird which pulled the chariot and his remarkably short and broadly built captors looked¡­ exotic. Sadly, there was no sign of another chariot with Oliver or Emily. The strange people wore long black robes, sashes, and a long cylinder-shaped headpiece, embroidered with golden floral patterns. Despite their elegant, almost regal way of movement, they¡¯d apparently dyed their curly hair green. Their staffs seemed perfectly suitable for combat.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened when he took a closer look at the bird. By the night, a terror bird! Its build reminded him of the cassowaries of the Oberian islands, but its body was way more muscular. Its broad, predatory beak, which stood at least nine feet high, was powerful enough to kill horses. Wrappings muffled the steps of its clawed feet.

    Truly an amazing creature. The problem was that they had been extinct for centuries.

    Adam¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when the man turned his head a bit, looking anxiously at the vegetation. His skin was a dark shade of blue, except for the green symbol tattooed on his oddly sloped forehead. A bead of sweat dripped down his prominent eyebrow ridge and into his well-groomed curly beard.

    Adam frowned. What? I¡¯ve never heard of a people with blue skin and green hair before, not to mention a forehead like that. They speak without a trace of a foreign accent though¡­

    The man turned his head a little further; his eyes were exactly the same as Caine¡¯s. No matter how hard Adam looked for differences, their shape and the shade of yellow were unmistakable. Okay, Caine, I know you¡¯ve spent some time being promiscuous, but these are some weird-ass children you¡¯ve got over here.

    Adam laid his forehead flat on the planks, trying to process whatever was going on around him.

    He exhaled softly. I don¡¯t know why you did it, Caine, or where you brought me. But I know that I¡¯d rather burn than let you get away. He clenched his hands into fists behind his back, shivering with rage. Your filthy goons told me enough; you are near, or at least close enough to give them commands. ¡®Other intruders¡¯ were spotted near this library, which may very well be Oliver and Emily. I¡¯ll find them, and then we¡¯re coming for you, ¡®old friend.¡¯

 Chapter 7 â€“ A Nest of Roots

    Chapter 7 ¨C A Nest of Roots

    The only sounds around Adam were the soft creaking of the chariot and the muffled steps of the terror bird that pulled it. As quietly as possible, Adam had chewed through several of the ropes that bound him. However, despite the impressive collection of rope strings stuck between his teeth, he wasn¡¯t free yet. After multiple back-bending and neck-twisting manoeuvres, he still wasn¡¯t able to loosen the bindings around his wrists or his feet. His blindfold still allowed only one eye to see. Adam tried to wiggle the rope strings between his teeth loose with his tongue and groaned soundlessly when even that failed.

    Right, what are my options? I could let Caine¡¯s humanoid foot-wipes take me to this ¡®Palace of Origin¡¯ they talked about. Sounds like the place where their ¡®esteemed Lord¡¯ would be, and maybe his servants will let some more info slip along the way. Hmm, palaces do tend to be heavily guarded, though. Plus, I need to check out this library for Emily and Oliver, which should be relatively close.

    Another option was to make a lot of noise, drawing the attention of these ¡®Roots.¡¯ Theoretically, the enemy of his enemy could¡¯ve been his friend. However, if they were affiliated with this Overgrowth, he doubted they were the kind of company he¡¯d like to drink tea with.

    Adam lay at the rear edge of the chariot, waiting until it would enter a bumpier part of the road again. Hopefully, he¡¯d be able to land quietly before the blue idiots noticed. Soon, they hit a pair of uneven street tiles and Adam rolled over the edge. However, a piece of his coat clung to one of the planks. It caused Adam to fall with all the grace and subtlety of a sack of potatoes.

    Shit.

    The green-haired strangers ran towards him. ¡°You said you bound him tightly!¡± the middle-aged woman with a prominent eyebrow-ridge hissed.

    ¡°I did! Just¡ª¡±

    ¡°I think I told you to stay quiet!¡± the rather hypocritical woman hissed. She rushed up to Adam, heaving her staff.

    Well, guess it¡¯s time for plan B.

    As his hands and feet were still bound, Adam rolled to the right to dodge the incoming strike of her staff. Dirt flew up from where his head lay a split second ago. Adam roared as loud as he could.

    His opponents shivered and looked around. The rustling of leaves sounded through the massive thorn bushes of the Overgrowth in the vicinity. A scent reached Adam that reminded him of copper and uprooted ground. The terror bird raised its head and looked around in alarm.

    ¡°You imbecile!¡± the woman hissed hysterically, raising her staff again. Before she could strike, Adam swung his legs to the side and hooked his feet behind her leg. She fell with a yelp. Something hard struck Adam on his temple. Adam groaned and shuffled away from his attacker, but he was quicker and raised his foot to kick again.

    Having few other options, Adam lunged forward to bite the man¡¯s foot. However, the man quickly darted away and hit Adam¡¯s bound arm with his staff. Adam growled in pain, right before the staff of the woman cracked down on his legs.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart whispered, sending waves of heat towards the bruised and chafed parts of his body.

    With a grunt, Adam rolled to the side and dodged a strike to the head. He tried to create some distance, or at least not to lie in between them. However, his opponents were faster; the woman readied her staff and the man moved around him.

    Using the same strategy twice, eh? Tsk tsk. I¡¯ll need to get close though, they have the advantage of both speed and range.

    Adam rolled over onto his back, his feet directed at the woman. She swung downwards, but Adam kicked out his legs and deflected the staff sideways towards the ground.

    ¡°He¡¯s still dangerous!¡± the man said as he ran towards Adam¡¯s head.

    Adam used the velocity of his sideways kick to turn upright and sit on his haunches. ¡°Damn right I am,¡± he growled. At full force, he sprang towards the man and head-butted his sternum. Bones in the man¡¯s chest cracked loudly. Wide-eyed and wheezing, the man stumbled back and clung to the chariot for support. The terror bird made honking and screeching noises in clear panic as it tried to loosen its reigns with its beak.

    Adam lay on the ground again and turned his legs towards the woman.

    Suddenly, a small round object fell a couple of feet to her right and burst open, spraying thorns in all directions. She yelped and took a few stumbling steps. Her right side was covered in thorns and her arm hung limply from her shoulder.

    Rasping, shrieking, and clicking noises erupted from the bushes of the Overgrowth to their right. Four gaunt creatures, vaguely humanoid in shape, darted out. Their bodies were almost completely covered in the same vines and thorns as the Overgrowth. Feverish eyes looked through the roughly carved, driftwood masks, each with a glowing green symbol at the forehead.

    One carried a crude pouch out of which it pulled a fist-sized nut, similar to the one that had sprayed the thorns. The other warriors had arms that ended in gnarled scythes or spiky claws.

    The terror bird screeched and ran towards them. The man stumbled when the chariot was pulled away behind him. Wide-eyed, he stared at the attackers and tried to lift his staff. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a Shepherd amongst them!¡± he gasped with difficulty.

    The woman¡¯s mouth opened in shock and the colour drained from her face.

    Adam crawled away towards the side of the street, capitalising on her moment of distraction. Not my fight, good luck. Behind him, the sounds of exploding nuts and shrieking battle cries erupted. He hid behind a pile of ruined household items, like a dining table and a baby carriage.

    Stamping its feet on the ground, the terror bird kept several Roots at a distance with its savage beak. The man already lay on his belly, he whimpered as two Roots carefully bound his hands behind his back. Despite the odds, the woman kept swinging her staff with her one good arm. She hit one of the Roots hard enough to tear its head from its misshapen shoulders. Adam frowned in confusion when the Root¡¯s body crumbled and dissolved into a pile of dirt, bugs, and twigs. She didn¡¯t pay attention to it though, as she stared further down the street.

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    A bizarre group of about ten Roots walked towards her. They were clumped together tightly, carrying a wooden, throne-like chair and their supposed leader between them. The Shepherd was an emaciated figure, whose whole fragile body was made of driftwood; the same material as the other Root¡¯s masks. The Shepherd held a long standard, covered in unfamiliar symbols and reminding Adam of the standard-bearers within armies.

    Slowly, the being turned its head towards the woman. The back of its deformed skull was elongated and twisted upon itself to form a spiral, like the shell of an ammonite. The air became strangely thick when it got closer. A strange power radiated from the Shepherd, prickling Adam¡¯s skin as if he stood in intense sunlight.

    The woman closed her eyes and exhaled before she hoarsely screamed her war cry and charged the Shepherd.

    A Root beside the Shepherd reverently held up a purple quill. Devoid of emotion, the Shepherd used it to write in the air. One of the symbols on its standard glowed in green light. Several thorny vines on the ground reacted immediately: they writhed like snakes and lashed out towards the woman. She deflected multiple vines by twirling her staff, but others reached around her and wrapped her ankles. Despite the bloody gashes caused by the thorns, she kept fighting.

    Adam frowned. What kind of sorcery is this? The Shepherd isn¡¯t using any kind of gesture, so it can¡¯t be Novaseering. Or can it replicate the gestures with its quill somehow? It could be part of the Forbidden Arts, but I don¡¯t see any sign of emotion so that seems unlikely. The green colour is similar to whatever sorcery Caine used in the Starwing Grove though...

    Emotionlessly, the Shepherd wrote in the air again and a different symbol on its standard glowed in green. As the strange Invocation activated, similar symbols appeared all over the gnarled surfaces of the vines. The thorned pieces of Overgrowth that were wrapped around the woman¡¯s ankles spread the symbols over her skin. Once the nasty enchantment had reached her face, she froze in her tracks and seemed completely immobilized.

    Adam hastily turned towards an alley to his right and crawled as fast as he could. His arms, legs, and chin ached but he didn¡¯t care; all that mattered was getting out of sight. Way to go, Adam, get distracted! Surely that won¡¯t get you bloody murdered around here! Somewhere behind him, the terror bird screeched. The hissing, clicking noises of two Roots followed, although one of them was quickly silenced.

    Adam sighed soundlessly as he reached the alley and crawled in, hoping to find some cover.

    The sound of footsteps and a rasping breath came from behind him, along with the scent of uprooted earth and copper. Adam rolled over onto his back. One of the Roots bolted straight towards him, stretching out its savage, clawed arms. Its feverish eyes narrowed and it screeched in what seemed like desperation.

    No. Not like this. Adam¡¯s heartbeat quickened and trails of heat flowed through his body. It has the advantage of range with those long arms, but they look inconvenient for combat up close.

    The Root pounced; its claws ready to rake. Just in time, Adam raised his legs, placed them under the Root¡¯s belly and kicked out to throw it over him. Shrieking like a swine, the Root landed face-first with an audible crack.

    Adam threw himself at the Root and sank his teeth into its left forearm. Tough vines snapped between his teeth, releasing a disgusting, bitter taste. The arm did seem to lose its strength, but the Root kneed Adam¡¯s chin. Before he could react, the Root raked him across the face with its left claw. Adam screamed, aside from the pain and blood he felt a strange looseness in his nose and lips. His blindfold fell off in shreds.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart whispered, sending fierce waves of heat towards his face.

    The Root raised its arm to slash at Adam again. He roared like a beast, bent forward and head-butted the misshapen creature with full force. With a crunch, its mask shattered. The Root sighed in what seemed like relief and its limbs flopped down lifelessly. Adam squeezed his eyes shut and bit back a scream as warm blood flowed over his face.

    The Root¡¯s body crumbled. Both the vines and the barely visible body underneath withered to dirt and twigs in seconds. A tiny, brightly glowing speck of light flew out of its remains like an insect and disappeared out of the alley. Adam panted for a moment, staring at what remained of his opponent. Oh wow, glad to see a normal phenomenon again. Yep, nothing strange going on in here.

    After he found the brittle remains of his opponent¡¯s claws, Adam moved his bound hands towards them. With a bit of difficulty, he cut through the ropes with the sharp pieces. He sighed in sweet relief. Now that he could use his aching arms again, cutting through the bands around his ankles became a lot easier.

    His legs nearly buckled from sudden cramps, but he forced himself to stumble further into the alley. He crouched down in a corner between mouldy barrels and old crates and focused on his hearing for any sign of combat. However, the only sounds aside from his rapid breathing and the thumping of his heart were soft and distant.

    Safe for now, Adam sighed deeply and tried to release the tension that cramped his shoulders and neck. After the rush of adrenaline, every wound, cut, bruise, and chafe across his body hurt even more. Hesitantly, he felt the hot wounds left by the Root, unsure if he really wanted to know how bad it was. Two long gashes ran diagonally across the left side of his face. The lower one cut through his cheek and upper lip, and the other one split his eyebrow and nose. He groaned, although it did seem the heat from his heart had already stopped the bleeding and was healing his wounds. Although his heart had been depleted of its unnatural energy when he was at the Starwing Grove, his heart had apparently ¡®restored¡¯ some of it during the time he was blacked out.

    He held both ends of his split lip as well as his nose together so they could heal properly. Wait, if the claws went through my eyebrow and nose at this angle, shouldn¡¯t it¡­ Adam rubbed his eye. Oddly cool and hard as a rock, his unnaturally green eye was somehow unharmed amidst the hot skin. How? Adam groaned and let his head fall back against the wall behind him. I can deny it all I want, but the disaster of Ziecherhein really turned me into some damn freak of nature. But I guess I should be grateful, if I wasn¡¯t cursed with this heart, I probably wouldn¡¯t have made it out of Caine¡¯s garden.

    Adam sighed. He knew, just as well as everyone, that using the Forbidden Arts was an excellent way to reach damnation. And even besides the detail of his entire afterlife, having a whispering, seemingly sentient being trying to manipulate him wasn¡¯t exactly the most comforting idea. His heart was like a damn vermin he didn¡¯t understand, burrowed deep into his chest.

    Then again, digging one of his hearts out didn¡¯t seem like the healthiest option. And if he wanted to stand a chance at saving his family and friends, or even survive, he needed every edge he had.

    Lo and behold! How the mighty hero crawls through the dirt! How he leaves his fiendish opponents of walking garden waste behind him in a strategic retreat! How he heroically squats in his castle of garbage in some shitty alley and ponders his next move.

    Adam¡¯s shoulders slumped. How he knows he isn¡¯t half the warrior he used to be. He looked at his scarred left hand. It was hard to believe it had once beaten down Ajax, a general of the Prophet. A move that had made him famous across the land as ¡®the Fist of Gotterburg¡¯, bringing hope during the War of the Prophet.

    But now? The very same arm was uncoordinated and slow. Muscles that once seemed like cables of iron had weakened. An undeniable rim of fat had grown on his belly. If he had faced Ajax and his monstrous mount today, he¡¯d undoubtedly be broken beyond recognition.

    Worst of all: maybe he could¡¯ve stopped Caine if he¡¯d just kept training these past years.

    Adam curled his painful lip into a sour expression and resisted the urge to slap himself in the face. Snap out of your damn self-pity! Oliver and Emily are somewhere out there! He gently let go of his lip and nose, both stuck together in the right shape to his relief. Despite the pain all across his body, he got up again and cracked his neck.

 Chapter 8 â€“ A Whisper of Regret

    Chapter 8 ¨C A Whisper of Regret

    Adam rummaged through the alley and its broken furniture, looking for anything he could use as a weapon. His best choice was a wooden table leg, which he stuck in his belt. He could almost hear his old captain¡¯s nasal voice. ¡®Forget your blade, bow, and trident, and you¡¯ll be the gravedigger''s favourite client!¡¯ Ugh, you¡¯d think I would¡¯ve learned by now.

    To get an overview of his surroundings, he climbed one of the alley¡¯s walls. So, these ¡®intruders¡¯ should be in some library around here. But according to the blue people, the place is swarming with Roots. When he reached the edge of a domed roof, he could peek around from behind one of the many statues depicting Caine.

    Sadly, there was no trace of Oliver or Emily, but Adam was able to take a better look at the bizarre town. For some reason, it had been built at the centre of a strange, hemispherical cave. From Adam¡¯s point of view, he was able to see dozens of broad entrances to tunnels where the sloped ground met the wall. Inlaid in the floor of each tunnel was a patterned trail reminiscent of the veins in a leaf. These trails shone in greenish-gold, like leaves in the summer sun. From the entrances of the tunnels, the patterns flowed into the broad streets in the direction of the town¡¯s centre, outside of his view.

    Besides the peculiar green lights, there was a strange light with shifting tones of red and yellow which shone from somewhere up above. From the shadows it left, Adam could tell the source was somewhere at the cave¡¯s ceiling.

    As a professional relic hunter and a history enthusiast, Adam had seen many ruins and cities of both ancient and modern civilizations. He had studied cultures from all over the known world, even from regions now lost due to the Mist. So, looking at the town, he tried to find traces of familiarity in what he saw to figure out where Caine and the blue people had taken him. He peered with fascination at the hieroglyphs and architectural features, like the domed buildings built in and around stalagmites. However, he¡¯d never seen anything like them.

    Amazing¡­ this truly is a unique and advanced underground culture. A people that have managed to stay secret! I wonder where all those tunnels lead to? Caine¡¯s goons did mention several ¡®other Nodes¡¯ around here.

    Although he could¡¯ve studied the buildings and the tunnels for hours, Adam got up from behind the statue and made his way to the other side of the domed roof. Peering from behind massive, moss-covered burial urns, he looked up.

    The colour drained from his face. He scurried backwards in utter shock when he saw the source of the strange light up above: a humongous, centipede-like being that hung in the air from the ceiling.

    ¡°Schultora,¡± a voice like nails on metal screeched; a voice that emanated from inside Adam¡¯s own head.

    Adam knew the being was horrific at first glance, but somehow, he couldn¡¯t resist to keep looking at it. Similar to the strange tendency to stare at wounds on one¡¯s own body. Or the need to remember one¡¯s worst memories again and again.

    The being hung in t he air in loose curls like a snake, while the end of its immense tail protruded from the cave¡¯s ceiling. Its arthropod-like body shone in shimmering colours of red, yellow, and black like a disturbing deity replacing the sun. Two large, crab-like pincers made slow beckoning movements towards its savage mouth. Above its eyeless, misshapen head floated a halo consisting of savage spikes, seemingly made of red-hot metal.

    ¡°Schultora,¡± the voice screeched even louder from inside Adam¡¯s head. Adam fell sideways on the ground in a foetal position and grabbed his head as his mind was suddenly flooded with memories.

    With unprecedented clarity, as if he was in a life-like dream, Adam saw a younger version of himself. Two priests of the Starwing Order firmly guided him out of the Starwing Academy. If he had been born with a dominant right heart, like Caine and Oliver, he would¡¯ve had the chance to Awaken it and learn Novaseering. But no, the priests had confirmed he had a dominant left heart, which made sure Novaseering was forever out of his reach. Moreover, it meant he was ¡®gifted¡¯ with the ability to learn the Forbidden Arts. A fact that had quickly spread through the grapevine in the streets where he lived, making several people shun him. Adam saw how he had punched walls in Gotterburg¡¯s back alleys until his knuckles bled. He heard his own screams, hoarse with hatred for himself.

    His surroundings changed. Suddenly, Adam saw younger versions of himself and Oliver in front of him. They were sitting on a bench in Ziecherhein¡¯s grand square, long before the disaster had happened. Oliver cried and screamed insults at Adam, spewing out all of his rage, disgust, and disappointment. At the time, Oliver had a girlfriend called Erica , but Caine was sleeping with her in secret. Adam had known, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell Oliver. The young, red-faced Adam stammered for words and quivered in shame. The older Adam convulsed on the ground, as pure, condensed shame and guilt surged through him like wildfire.

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    Suddenly, he was back in Caine¡¯s house and saw how the bastard was holding Eric¡¯s hand. Adam felt weak; a bloated shadow of his former self. After all, if he¡¯d actually trained these past years, maybe he would have been able to save his family.

    Adam winced when he saw himself in the years after the war as he was hiding in his mountain village. A refugee after surviving his trial and execution who had lost contact with his old friends.

    Adam hissed when a burning sensation occurred on his heart, as if a red-hot iron brand was pressed onto it. It left a scorched mark on his heart in the shape of the horrendous creature.

    ¡°Schultora,¡± his heart whispered .

    Adam grasped his chest and clumsily rushed to his feet. ¡°Stop! Leave me!¡± he said, almost falling off the roof in his attempts to flee. He huddled in a corner and squeezed his eyes shut.

    In his old home in Gotterburg, Adam was a stupid teenager again. One who had the gall to yell at his crying mother for not leaving his damned, mostly absent father. For giving money to the needy while they had so little themselves. For being ¡®weak.¡¯ Adam would have given an arm to go back in time and shake some sense into himself.

    Among all the memories that flashed before him, it felt like something huge was coming up. Something hollow and painful that should stay forgotten. It rose from oblivion, like a dark creature from the depths of the ocean. Adam gritted his teeth and forced his eyes shut. Not knowing what memories it held within, he instinctively tried to push it down again.

    ¡°Schultora,¡± his heart hissed. Vague images Adam barely remembered leaked out into his consciousness. The sickening green light that had laid waste to all soldiers within Ziecherhein. He heard the furious cries of a crowd that dragged him along after he had survived the disaster. He saw the dead blue eyes again. The same set of familiar eyes that haunted his dreams so often. If any gods existed, they¡¯d played a cruel joke for letting him survive the disaster of Ziecherhein while so many better, worthier people lay beneath the ground.

    Slowly, the stream of images and sounds subsided and his heart turned silent. The dark presence that had risen sank back into his subconscious again, forgotten.

    Adam shivered from head to toe and grasped his chest with both hands. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his mouth was sour as if he¡¯d been sick. Unsure what Schultora had done to him, he tried to get his erratic breathing under control.

    Cold shivers ran down Adam¡¯s spine. Hiding from Schultora¡¯s horrifying ability, he lay in foetal position atop the mossy roof of some deserted house. Now that the sinister screeches and dream-like visions had left, he felt strangely empty and alone in the ruined town. He was cold and miserable, after reliving some of the lowest moments of his life. Feeling small, like a man who didn¡¯t deserve to be alive, he sat up with difficulty and folded his arms around himself.

    He slapped himself in the face. Pull yourself together! No time to feel sorry for yourself!

    Adam squeezed his chest, trying to check on his left heart. Although it had stopped whispering, it had undergone a disturbing change of some sort. Since the disaster of Ziecherhein, when his heart had Awakened and the whispers had started, it had never said anything else than ¡®stay alive.¡¯ However, his left heart had clearly repeated Schultora¡¯s name just now. Moreover, Adam could still feel the scorched brand in the shape of the disgusting being on his heart.

    One part of him wanted to analyse Schultora, an immense being unlike anything he¡¯d seen or heard of. He wanted to understand what it had just done to him, but another, more primal part of him screamed to never look at it again. To hide somewhere before it can use its ability a second time.

    Come on, Adam, you¡¯re still drawing breath. No matter what crazy things are happening, there must be a logical explanation or a system behind this place that makes sense. There always is.

    Gradually, Adam managed to get his tired brain back to work. He wondered whether Oliver and Emily could have gotten in a fight with the damn beast. If it turned out to be aggressive, there wasn¡¯t much even the two of them could have done. All of them were less than mosquitoes compared to a monstrosity like that.

    However, Schultora hadn¡¯t used its ability on Adam earlier on, while he was in the cart or fighting the Roots and the blue people, even though the beast must¡¯ve been able to see him. No, it had only used its ability when Adam looked at it.

    Adam hesitantly peeked at the town again and avoided Schultora with his gaze. Luckily, he wasn¡¯t bombarded with memories a second time; Adam sighed in relief. From the way Schultora¡¯s light shone on the cave, Adam could tell the abomination hadn¡¯t moved away from its position either. It didn¡¯t even make a sound or show any sign that it acknowledged Adam¡¯s existence. It reminded Adam of how indifferently people would treat an ant near their feet.

    With shaking limbs, Adam slowly walked away from his hiding spot and kept low behind the crenelations on the roof. Avoiding Schultora with his gaze, he resumed inspecting the town for clues.

    Below Schultora, at the centre of both the hemispherical cave and the town, stood a massive segmented pyramid that was partially covered with the Overgrowth. A huge statue of a woman crowned its flattened top. Interestingly, the leaf-like patterns in the streets converged beneath the pyramid. A large spiral, which glowed in goldish-green as well, was inlaid on the pyramid¡¯s flattened top, around the statue¡¯s base.

    When Adam squinted, he saw shapes behind a window at the pyramid¡¯s side: long rows of bookcases. Alright, we have ourselves a library. Adam studied the style of the pyramid and its rich decorations for any similarity to a culture or geographic region he knew until his jaw dropped. Adam felt the blood drain from his face.

    Suddenly, he''d recognized the titanic statue, which looked over the town with a dignified expression. He hadn¡¯t realized it before, due to the statue¡¯s many idealized features, from a more athletic figure to fuller lips and a less pronounced nose. However, now that he was really looking at her, it was undoubtedly the same woman whose likeness was all over the town in both hieroglyphs and statues.

    No matter how he tried to deny it, the truth was inescapable: It was Catherine.

 Chapter 9 - A Library of Recognition

    Chapter 9 - A Library of Recognition

    Adam gaped at the sight of the giant statue, trying to convince himself it depicted someone else. However, even though it was an oddly idealized version of her, with many altered features like smoother skin and a softer jawline, he did not doubt the statue¡¯s identity.

    There was only one conclusion; his wife was worshipped around here, probably for quite some time. And he never suspected a thing.

    Adam drooped his head and squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°Cath¡­ why did you do this?¡± he hissed softly through gritted teeth. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Why is this¡­ happening?¡± Clenching his fists, he glared up at the beautiful face. ¡°I knew you liked attention, but this is rather exaggerated don¡¯t you think?¡± His fists shivered and he shook his head. ¡°I guess my compliments weren¡¯t enough, huh? Starting some insane personality cult of blue Penduli idiots is more to your liking!¡±

    Adam brusquely paced back and forth over the roof and fought the urge to punch a wall or scream. In the end, he sat down against a wall and rubbed his hands through his hair. Calm down, maybe the Taint was placed on her long ago, maybe that made her do this. Which would mean it¡¯s outside of her control. But¡­ how? She was often gone for business trips; did she go here instead? He let his head rest against the wal. Has she been lying to me all this time, pretending everything is okay?

    He remembered how often she¡¯d said she missed the big cities during their peaceful life in their mountain village. How she hadn¡¯t been able to stand the lack of parties, rich customers, and career chances. Guess she couldn¡¯t wait. Makes me wonder. Did Caine even need to Taint her to make her do what she did? To trade a has-been for a respected Talon of Aves with a nice home, and be worshipped by the Penduli?

    Adam opened his eyes and sat up a bit. Wait. Eric didn¡¯t recognize me as well, and there¡¯s no way a six-year-old can lie that well. Adam exhaled and stood up again with shaking limbs. Exhausted from all that had happened, he stared at the beautiful face of his wife.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you did this out of your own will or not,¡± he whispered. ¡°However, I know something must¡¯ve happened to Eric, and I¡¯m going to save him. I¡¯ll cure the Taint and give him the best childhood a boy can wish for.¡±

    Adam clenched his fists, trembling with burning conviction as he turned to one of the many statues of Caine. ¡°You twisted bastard¡­ or should I say ¡®your highness¡¯ now?¡± Adam hissed under his breath. ¡°I may not be as strong as I used to be, but I¡¯d rather die than let you get away with this. I¡¯ll find Oliver and Emily, no matter where you¡¯ve taken them! I¡¯ll fight and train until I burst! I don¡¯t care how many people you¡¯ve brainwashed to guard you!¡±

    Feeling strong heartbeats all the way up his throat, Adam made his way along the rooftops towards the pyramid. The old feeling of purpose and ironclad conviction flowed through him once again. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, ¡®Lord Caine.¡¯ I¡¯ll dive into the Forbidden Arts if I have to; I¡¯d rather damn my own soul than let you corrupt my boy.¡±

    After a while, Adam was close to the pyramid. Hidden behind the statues of his old friend and wife, he had a good view of the marble stairs towards the grand entrance. Rows of bookshelves were visible behind its long windows, but there was no sign of the ¡®other intruders¡¯ that Caine¡¯s minions talked about.

    Adam ducked low and clenched his table leg when he saw movement to his left. Behind a window with gilded ornaments, two Roots were smashing a room to bits. Raking their long claws over cupboards and beds, it seemed like they were looking for something.

    Adam swallowed and snuck behind a chimney. Step by step, he lowered himself to street level. As there was no inconspicuous way to cross the broad street towards the entrance, he took a deep breath and sprinted. Feeling as safe as a kitten in a kennel of hounds, he expected an arrow or a wild Root in his neck at any moment. Fortunately, he made it up the stairs and dashed through the entrance.

    He entered a chique chamber that smelled like parchment and ink. Adam ran behind a long bookcase of lacquered wood and crouched down, ready to pounce at any pursuers. When all remained silent, he looked around with wide eyes.

    The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with paintings, statues, and other likenesses of Catherine. From oil paintings of a young Catherine playing with cards, to reliefs in the vaulted ceiling picturing her at the forge or designing jewellery. Little black shoes and bracelets she had worn as a kid rested upon a dais, right beside a scale model of her baking meat pies in Caine¡¯s kitchen.

    Adam reeled on his feet and tried to take it all in. Everywhere around him were likenesses and possessions of the one woman he¡¯d thought he¡¯d known. The one person beside whom he ached to wake up from this nightmare. A shiver ran from the base of his skull down his spine as he stared around wild-eyed. He curled his lips in disgust at the thought that someone had built such an obscenely large collection about his wife.

    Adam had to lean against a wall as his mind tried to process what was going on. All around him, objects like nail clippers, silvered hairpins, and old dolls were exhibited in glass cabinets like ancient treasures in a museum.

    My dearest, why did you hide this from me? Am I blind that I never noticed? Adam bared his teeth and shivered with anger, although he knew he shouldn¡¯t. Damn it, Cath! I know that this may not be your fault, I know that Caine might¡¯ve Tainted you. But if you wanted to leave and do all this shit you might¡¯ve told me!

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    Adam grunted, torn between the urge to throw one of the paintings through the room and the need to keep quiet. He paced through the broad oaken doors into a similar room, filled to the brim with even more likenesses of Catherine in all shapes and sizes. Adam walked through room after room, each one similar to the last. Strange devices, made of lacquered wood, strings and bronze, were somehow able to mimick the sounds of her voice saying simple words like ¡®good morning.¡¯ Translucent green holograms moved above a dais, which showed her making the same movements over and over again, like walking down stairs. Endless rows of desks with quills and all other equipment necessary to make more likenesses stood at the ready.

    Adam shivered, growing more disgusted by the minute. Caine, seriously, how sick in the head are you?! Did you gather all this shit while you were waiting for your chance to Taint her?

    Once he heard scratching and clicking noises, he slowed down. From behind a closet, he peered into another chamber that was claimed by the Roots and the brownish-purple vines and spiked leaves of the Overgrowth. Several Roots carefully picked up books from the shelves and turned the pages. Others were writing in books or adjusting paintings. Adam gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to storm in and stop the monstrous beings from defiling her likeness.

    Adam tensely rubbed the scars on his wrists while he observed, trying to find clues about what was going on. Since Caine¡¯s goons had said that the Roots had ¡®conquered¡¯ the pyramid, it seemed more likely that the blue people were the original makers of the library. Maybe they had made it for Caine, since they seem to worship him.

    But, if the Roots are their enemy, then who are they aligned with? Can¡¯t imagine the Starwing Order or the king to be all too enthusiastic about these walking vegetables. And why would the Roots be interested in this sickening library about Catherine anyway? It doesn¡¯t make sense!

    Adam quickly shuffled even further behind the closet. A tight group of Roots carried a Shepherd in their midst. It moved its misshapen head from side to side, overseeing the Roots¡¯ activities. As curious as Adam was as to what their interest was in this obscene library, he still backed away quietly.

    Adam explored the library further, avoiding the specific rooms claimed by the Roots. Vainly, he tried to fit the pieces of information together into something that made sense. He wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh or cry when he took a closer look at one of the endless bookcases since all of them were about Catherine. The titles ranged from ¡®Theatre Plays Liked by Catherine¡¯ to ¡®Catherine¡¯s Views on Religion,¡¯ and ¡®What Not to Do When She¡¯s Angry, Part 2.¡¯

    By the night, how obsessed with her are these people?!

    Adam rubbed his beard. Most pyramids he knew of were either mausoleums or places of worship. Either way, all of them had a good reason to be constructed since all of the required labour and materials made pyramids damn expensive to build. And everyone knew that when it came to money, the Penduli were on the back leg compared to Dorenland and the Starwing Order.

    Even if Caine was the supreme ruler of the Penduli instead of the Queen of Glass, and had access to all their finances, why build this?

    It reminded Adam of how followers of the Starwing Order read bizarrely detailed records of Aves¡¯ life, both as a method of worship and to learn Novaseering. Maybe something similar was happening here? However, no matter how strong Catherine was, she was nothing compared to the owl god. Assuming He existed, of course. Besides, not even the Queen of Glass herself was venerated at this level, from what Adam had seen. Adam rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.

    After a closer look, he noticed that all books had a small glowing glyph at their back, and that bookcases were connected to the ceiling by a thin glass tube. When Adam picked up a book called ¡®Weekend in Oberia,¡¯ the glyph on its back disappeared. Adam frowned and opened the book at a random page.

    ¡®...Catherine was so happy that Caine could finally introduce her to the Queen of Glass. She barely slept because of her excitement and her tension on what she would wear for the occasion. She didn¡¯t have to worry; the Queen was more than happy to personally thank her for all her contributions in preparing the rebellion. Caine did feel anxious for the meeting since¡­¡¯

    Adam¡¯s frown deepened. His hand shook when he flipped the pages back to the first page. ¡®Second of the moon of fasting, 1340 A.H.¡¯ Adam clenched the book with whitened knuckles. Three years, huh. This has been going on for so long at least. Before this, she has done enough for the Penduli to impress their Queen.

    Adam ground his teeth. No matter how badly he wanted to believe otherwise, the chance that she was just an innocent victim started to seem slim. Either Caine had somehow Tainted her to deceive Adam for a very long time, or she willingly pretended to be Adam¡¯s wife for some reason.

    Is Eric even my kid, or Caine¡¯s?

    That thought, that possibility, was too much. As a primal rage flared up inside of him, Adam bared his teeth, closed the book with a bang, and rammed it back into the bookcase. As soon as he did, the glyph on the book¡¯s back reappeared. Furthermore, a tiny speck of green light flowed through the tube connecting the bookcase to the ceiling. Mere moments after the light had vanished, the sound of scurrying footsteps erupted in the distance. Rasping screeches from Roots came from multiple directions, like the doorway through which he had entered.

    Marvellous, just what I needed! Adam bolted towards a door behind which he didn¡¯t hear anything. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he ran further and further into the building, trying to find an exit. The unwelcome scents of copper and uprooted earth became stronger as the Roots seemed to gain on him. He jumped over desks and knocked over both statues and closets to block his pursuers. Damn it, I should¡¯ve known these insane compost heaps don¡¯t like it when someone touches their expansive library about my wife. Which isn¡¯t disturbing at all, of course.

    Suddenly, he smelled something odd. Aside from the familiar stench of the Roots, there was a vague hint of vanilla. Emily¡¯s perfume!

    He sighed in relief. It wasn¡¯t every day that he was glad about his sharpened sense of smell, especially if he had to walk through large crowds on hot days. Now, he was more grateful than ever.

    Even though the sounds of the Roots came closer, he chose to take the risk and came to a screeching halt. Closing his eyes, he sniffed deeply and turned his head towards each of the doors near him. He knew she must¡¯ve passed this place a short time ago. bolted in the direction in which the scent was the strongest.

    Emily, I sure hope you know where you¡¯re running towards because I have no idea.

 Chapter 10 â€“ An Illusion of Safety

    Chapter 10 ¨C An Illusion of Safety

    Adam ran through the chambers of the seemingly endless library within the pyramid. Earlier, Adam had caught a hint of the vanilla scent of Emily¡¯s perfume. However, now that the snarling Roots were getting closer and closer, the stench of copper and uprooted earth was all around him. Their screeches, clicks, and desperate cries reverberated through the chambers. The sounds of falling books and breaking furniture came from all too close behind Adam, as the Roots wrecked everything that was in their way. Adam felt the deep beats of his left heart in his neck as he frantically tried to find Emily.

    Soon, Adam stormed through a door to enter a cavernous, dimly lit chamber that reminded him of the ruined temples he used to explore as a relic hunter. The rays of light that cut through a partially overgrown stained glass window revealed rows of giant statues and stone pillars along the sides. At the far end stood a colossal fountain with the statues of Caine, Catherine, and Eric. Although it seemed like a family portrait, there was an odd distance between Caine and Catherine. Only Eric¡¯s statue didn¡¯t show any signs of deterioration.

    Although the sight was as welcome as salt in an open wound, Adam moved towards it. He checked for new doors, but the two other passageways clearly had Roots coming by the sounds of it.

    ¡°Adam!¡± Emily cried out from somewhere near the ceiling, on top of a wide stone arch. ¡°Thank Aves, you¡¯re okay¡­ now get your ass over here, quickly!¡±

    Adam grinned and the tension around his head loosened a bit. She hasn¡¯t changed at all. Embracing the nearest pillar with his arms and legs, he climbed as fast as he could. He puffed out his cheeks as cramps flared up in his calves. I swear, shit like this used to be easier.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Oliver?¡± Adam asked through gritted teeth.

    Emily sighed. ¡°I hoped he was with you!¡±

    Doors slammed open on the other side of the room; a howling mass of Roots poured in.

    Adam climbed even faster. Near the ceiling, each of the alabaster pillars was connected to the pillars next to it with wide stone arches, neatly decorated with chiselled floral patterns. Further up ahead on one of the arches, Emily crouched, frowning at the gathering masses of Roots down below.

    The Roots who tried to follow Adam clicked and screeched in frustration, but weren¡¯t able to climb the pillar. Spears, staves, and other thrown weapons bounced off a couple of feet below Adam.

    Two other Roots, with long claws at the ends of their arms, climbed a statue of Catherine in a traditional feathered wedding gown, which stood nearly as high as Emily¡¯s arch. Adam couldn¡¯t help but notice that the statue wore a different style of dress than the one Cath had worn on their wedding day. Groaning internally, Adam closed his eyes and focused on climbing instead of lingering on the implications that his wife may have been married to someone else as well.

    Emily stood up with a fierce look in her orange eyes. While swinging a rusty metal chain with one hand, she used the Marrow gesture with her other to form a Marrow sickle at the chain¡¯s end. She lashed out with her chain, letting the sharp edge of her pale blade slice right through both the Root¡¯s misshapen arms. The misshapen foe fell with a desperate screech. However, the second Root was able to dodge her second swing and jumped up to her arch.

    Adam panted after climbing the pillar. Puffing out his cheeks, he made his way towards Emily as fast as possible.

    A peculiar sensation prickled his skin, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. Even before he looked down, he knew that one of the Shepherds was there.

    Surrounded by a mass of grovelling servants, like a true master among his herd, the Shepherd stared up at them. With a single wave of its emaciated, driftwood hand, it silenced its subordinates. It didn¡¯t make another move, however, seeming to watch patiently how Emily decapitated the one Root on her arch.

    Emily locked eyes with the Shepherd. With both hands in the Marrow gesture, she conjured a jagged spear of the razor-sharp material. After a hissing battle cry, she threw it towards her opponent.

    Devoid of emotion, the Shepherd wrote in the air with its quill, causing one of the symbols on its standard to light up in green. Several vines of the Overgrowth around the Shepherd rose and shielded the Shepherd, stopping Emily¡¯s spear with a soft ¡®thunk.¡¯

    The Shepherd kept writing, and a curly, jagged symbol Adam hadn¡¯t seen before lit up on its standard. Vines that used to shield the Shepherd intertwined into a new shape and glowed in a greenish-purple light.

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    Adam didn¡¯t want to wait for whatever kind of twisted nonsense the Shepherd would cook up and forced his tired body to move across the arches and pillars towards Emily. Hissing in frustration, Emily fought off the Roots that made their way towards her from Catherine¡¯s statue.

    Then, a chilling bird-like shriek sounded from below, which reverberated through the ruined chamber. Something moved across the room with incredible speed. Adam squinted to discern the purplish-green haze that ran between groups of Roots, flapped its wings, and flew up. Formed out of the same vines and leaves as the other Roots, the creature¡¯s body was shaped roughly like a peacock, although it stood at least five feet high. Its feet, each equipped with a curved dagger-like claw, were ready to strike. Eyeing Emily, it flew with its sharp, predatory beak forward. Its wings and tail were composed of long leaf-like feathers which glowed in endless, mesmerizing shades of purple.

    ¡°Emily! Watch out!¡± Adam shouted. He scrambled over to Emily¡¯s stone arch as the monstrous peacock soared towards her. Almost there!

    Emily ducked beneath a sideways swipe of a big Root in front of her. In the same movement, she nimbly stepped behind her enemy to place it between her and the peacock. Without a sign of hesitation, the peacock swooped down, wheeled around in the air, and sliced the Root clean in half with one of its claws. The Root growled and coughed in what seemed like confusion as its halves fell from the arch. With an otherworldly screech like tortured metal, the peacock came for Emily

    Adam gritted his teeth as he ran, not allowing the stinging pain from his cramped calves to slow him down. Finally, he was on the right arch above the temple-like room and dashed towards Emily and the disturbing peacock.

    Under the wild cheers of Roots down below, the peacock jumped over Emily¡¯s chain and vaulted towards her. It twisted in the air and raised its claws.

    Emily hastily formed an octagonal shield of Ironglass, which blocked the claws with a sound like nails on metal. The sheer force of the impact pushed Emily down, but her shield held, fortunately. Growling, she pushed back to keep the peacock at bay. ¡°Could use a little help around here!¡± she groaned. ¡°You done touring the place?!¡±

    With a roar, Adam raised his table leg at the peacock. Before Adam reached them, the peacock jumped again and flew high into the air. It opened its tail wide.

    The long feathers of the peacock¡¯s tail radiated light in all possible shades of purple. An endless sun of psychedelic, everchanging colours enveloped everything, wiping the ugly world away. All was good, Adam was safe. He smiled and marvelled at the divine beauty displayed before him; a happy, careless world he vaguely seemed to remember from a lifetime ago. One in which he was enclosed, embraced with warmth and voices that cared about him. His woes and worries were long gone now. Forgotten. Why would he even care? No, all Adam desired was for the tail to keep dancing. There was no up, no down, no things he had to do¡­

    Some ugly white feathers shot past the peacock. Adam frowned, how could anyone try to hurt such a beautiful creature? Vaguely, he heard a small voice in the back of his head scream that the current state of affairs might not be exactly normal. An old reflex from the War of the Prophet kicked in; he bit his tongue and the raw pain woke him up from the illusion.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart hissed.

    The world spun around him and he had to crouch with his hands on the pillar to prevent himself from falling off. How long had he been gone?

    Somewhere in the distance, Emily screamed. His vision was blurry, but the purple light definitely got closer. Adam stayed low for just a moment, pretending to be too stunned after the illusion. As soon as the light got just close enough, Adam jumped up. He roared like a beast, surprising his prey like a crocodile that vaulted from the water and hit the blurry mass with a two-handed strike of his table leg.

    The peacock squawked in pain and scraped across Adam¡¯s chest with one of its claws. It flapped its purple wings to dodge Adam¡¯s second swing. Ignoring the fresh pain, Adam squinted at the peacock. The beast ran towards him, widely swinging its right wing, which glowed in blinding purple.

    Adam held up his table leg, ready to block the attack. Wait, its move is too obvious, almost like¡­ At the last moment, Adam bent backwards to dodge the wing. Barely visible behind the brightly glowing wing, the peacock¡¯s claw followed. Just in time, Adam awkwardly blocked it, but his makeshift club was torn from his hands. The peacock cawed and its beak came straight for Adam¡¯s jugular.

    Suddenly, it leapt away before the Marrow sickle at the end of Emily¡¯s chain swung past. Adam felt the wind caused by the weapon brush the skin on his face.

    Emily¡¯s face was torn with rage. ¡°DIE!¡± she screamed, raising her hand for a blast of Shrike. The peacock flapped its wings in mid-air to dodge. Only two tail feathers were destroyed by the Invocation. With an elegant flick of its tail, it flew towards the dark corners of the room.

    The Roots let the peacock do the fighting for them, and they rooted for it with garbled cries. Except for the Shepherd, who watched in silence. With a shiver, Adam realized just how outnumbered they were by the masses of misshapen monsters gathered below them. He moved closer to Emily, near the middle of the stone arch.

    ¡°Back to back!¡± he exclaimed, and they moved into position. His left heart pounded rapidly. However, the waves of heat that surged to his wounds were relatively dim, as if his heart¡¯s reserves were almost exhausted. Emily panted, holding her chain at the ready.

    ¡°Charming place, isn¡¯t it?¡± Adam murmured.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s lovely,¡± Emily said. ¡°I¡¯ve always dreamed of being ripped from the life I know and thrown into some armpit of civilization.¡±

    Adam chuckled. ¡°Where everything tries to kill or capture us. Such a nice break from the everyday routine. Maybe we should run when we get the chance. Surprising, I know, but I¡¯d actually prefer not to get eaten by some overgrown pidgeon.¡±

    She giggled softly and formed an even more savage scythe of Marrow at the end of her chain. ¡°And here I was thinking my knight in shining armour had saved me already.¡± She sighed dramatically.

 Chapter 11 â€“ A Sprint of Precognition

    Chapter 11 ¨C A Sprint of Precognition

    The garbled screams and clicks of the Roots echoed through the ruined temple-like room. Their foul stench was everywhere as masses of the misshapen monsters crowded down below, blocking off all exits. Waving gnarled fists or sharp scythes, they seemed to cheer for their champion, like twisted caricatures of the spectators of Stormball games. Fun events, which Adam used to frequent with his friends. Long ago.

    Now, Adam peered down into the darkness, trying to find the Root peacock. Since he was out of weapons at the moment¡ªhis pitiful table leg had been torn from his hands¡ªhe wondered how he could take that misshapen chicken down. In the lands he knew of, birds that were capable of flight needed to keep their weight at a minimum, resulting in relatively light and brittle bones. Although he wasn¡¯t sure about the anatomy of some creature conjured by the Shepherd, he could try to break a couple of bones with a well-aimed punch or kick.

    From the shadows down below, the peacock soared up again. Its body glowed brightly in shimmering shades of purple, revealing the gnarled masses of Roots on the ground. The beast flew up towards them in a wide arch. Adam squinted at their foe. This glow looks different from the illusion¡­ is it gathering energy for some other Invocation? It sure is taking its sweet time though, could¡ª

    ¡°THE REAL ONE IS TO THE LEFT!¡± Emily shrieked.

    ¡°What?!¡± Adam ducked out of reflex and rolled out of the way. He didn¡¯t see the real peacock, yet he felt the wind brushing over his skin when it swooped by. The fake peacock, made of bright purple light, flew straight towards them.

    ¡°LOOK OUT!¡± Adam yelled as he jumped away from the Invocation.

    The fake peacock dissolved in a flash of intense light, forcing Adam to squeeze his pained eyes shut. A faint brush of air on his skin and the sound of flapping wings were the only warnings that the real peacock was coming for him. He bent backwards, dodging a horizontal swipe of the beast¡¯s claw. Out of reflex, he held up his arms to fend off the other talon, resulting in a trail of pain over the back of his hand. After forcing his eyes to open just a tiny bit, he bent his neck aside; right before the sharp beak would¡¯ve torn his jugular apart.

    Now that the Invocation of bright light was over, Adam¡¯s vision gradually returned. He tried to punch the peacock, but it flapped its wings, causing Adam to hit nothing but air. With an elegant twirl, the Root monster vaulted towards Emily.

    While the peacock spun through the air, something happened within Adam. A single deep beat of his left heart resounded throughout his body. All his thoughts and emotions stopped and all sounds faded away. The only thing that existed for him was the peacock and the way it moved. Deep within the fabric of his being, Adam knew it had jumped like this before. Suddenly, he could read every contraction of its vine-like muscles like a book.

    As if the universe presented him with a choice, his consciousness was filled with the single move that could counter the peacock. The only question was whether he had the guts to do it.

    Adam cracked his neck and sprinted forward. The last reserves of heat from his left heart poured through his legs, warming and empowering his muscles. As if he watched a script play out before him, Adam knew when the peacock would flap its wings and stretch out its legs by reading the minuscule movements of its limbs. He even knew when Emily would jump backwards to dodge.

    And then, at that one fateful moment, it would happen.

    Adam sprinted as fast as his legs let him and fell into a sliding kick. As soon as the peacock landed, putting its weight on one foot, Adam¡¯s boots hit the beast¡¯s ankle with the full momentum of his body. The joint snapped loudly. Squawking in pained surprise, the peacock fell like a mass of flailing limbs.

    Adam blinked; his mind was slow and blurry. Before he could truly process what he¡¯d just done, he fell feet-first over the edge of the stone arch. Adam screamed and grabbed the stone edge, causing him to slam face-forwards against the side of the structure. His feet kicked helplessly in the darkness while his arms trembled in the burning, titanic effort to hold on.

    The peacock hobbled clumsily towards him, but Emily¡¯s chain wrapped itself around its neck. She yanked it to the ground and jumped. Stretching her leg high above her head in mid-air, she formed a pickaxe-like blade of Marrow on her raised heel. The peacock struggled, but couldn¡¯t stand up due to its broken ankle. Adam couldn¡¯t see how it happened, but the whole arch trembled after the sheer impact of Emily¡¯s blade. The Roots down below became eerily silent.

    When the tremors in Adam¡¯s tired arms increased, and his fingers slowly slipped away from the stone, Adam made a garbled cry. Emily ran towards him, grabbed him by his bracers, and pulled him up.

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    ¡°By the night¡­¡± Emily grunted, her face turning red. ¡°What do you weigh?!¡±

    Something in the back of Adam¡¯s mind told him this might be the appropriate time to give a witty reply. Yet, his mind was slow and his head was heavy, as if it was filled with mud.

    When he finally flopped down onto the arch¡¯s surface, the rough stone hit him flat in his face. Adam laughed like a fool between his coughs either way; he couldn¡¯t remember being so happy and relieved to lay safely on bare stone.

    Hazy thoughts swam slowly through Adam¡¯s mind. Even though his body was sore and stiff, he was still breathing and the pile of dirt that used to be a peacock most certainly wasn¡¯t. Only then did he notice the fresco covering the room¡¯s ceiling, barely visible in the dim light. An idealized depiction of Caine as a wise man was placed in the middle of a huge, circular pattern. It consisted of a vast network of spirals connected with lines, all in the same goldish-green colour. The complex design was decorated with small symbols and unintelligible lines of text.

    Huh, pretty. Too bad that ugly moron is in the middle of it all. Perhaps it symbolises¡ª

    A sharp kick in Adam¡¯s side startled him.

    ¡°Wake up, you idiot!¡± Emily hissed. She hoisted him to his feet.

    Down below, the Roots huddled together closely. The Shepherd was at the centre and spread its thin arms wide. The Overgrowth vines on their bodies reached out and interwove into new shapes, seemingly ¡®merging¡¯ the Roots together.

    Although Adam couldn¡¯t make out what kind of bizarre hocus-pocus they were performing, he wasn¡¯t going to wait and see. With Emily supporting him, they hastily made their way towards a long stained-glass window. It was placed high in the sloped wall of the pyramid, behind the fountain with the giant statues.

    ¡°Do you think you can get us through?¡± Adam croaked. His body was so sore and heavy, he almost missed the unnatural heat of his heart.

    ¡°Couple of Ironglass chains should do the trick.¡± One side of her mouth curled up in a teasing smile. ¡°Should even be able to hoist the¡­ heavier among us up there.¡±

    Adam felt his face redden. ¡°Oi! Muscles weigh more than fat you know?¡±

    Despite her tiredness, she weakly grinned in victory. ¡°I¡¯m sure they do.¡±

    ¡°Bah, I knew I should¡¯ve helped the peacock.¡±

    ¡°Ha! And now you¡¯re stuck in here with me!¡± She stuck her tongue out at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me¡­ the huddle of Roots over there does look cosy all of a sudden. Might be room for one more.¡±

    Adam and Emily neared the wall until they noticed something. On top of the head of Catherine¡¯s statue, an unknown female warrior sat in a cross-legged position. Despite the rumbling, shrieking cries of the Roots, she sat utterly relaxed and fiddled with the handle of a savage red sword. The scar of a severe burn covered the right side of her otherwise sepia-brown skin. Her long and broad mass of black hair was bound in tight braids.

    ¡°Going somewhere?¡± she asked in a deep voice. ¡°The years haven¡¯t been kind to you, old man. That fight was a damn disgrace.¡±

    Adam clenched his fists and raised his eyebrows; she struck a nerve with that one. Looks like we found our second intruder. He met her gaze with fury, determined not to show a hint of weakness. Her eyes bored into his as fierce as a lioness¡¯s, although they seemed filled with deep disappointment. She trailed a thumb over the razor-sharp edge of her blade.

    Strangely, the scorched brand of Schultora on Adam¡¯s left heart flared up again as he returned her gaze. Vague feelings, like echoes of Schultora¡¯s ability, emanated from his heart, although Adam repressed and ignored them the best he could.

    ¡°Well, nice to meet you too!¡± Adam said in the most sarcastic tone he could muster, trying to remember if he had seen her before. ¡°I always prefer people to stare and comment on my physical decline instead of using their sword and helping me!¡±

    The warrior was silent for a moment and stared at him in utter disbelief. ¡°You twisted, sick piece of misery,¡± she replied coldly, spitting out every word like venom. ¡°That¡¯s what you have to say to me? Helping you?! You¡¯ve lost your damn mind.¡±

    She stood up and the few rays of orange light revealed more than the scars on her face. The whole right side of her elaborate set of plate armour, decorated with unfamiliar emblems of animals, was blackened. A charred stump hung underneath her right shoulder. An angry vein bulged on the impressive biceps of her broad arm. Softly glowing chains of a green, leaf-vein-like metal were tightly wrapped around her torso.

    ¡°Here I was, ready to finally finish you off,¡± she said, looking at him with disdain. ¡°I could¡¯ve killed you from the shadows while you fought that peacock, but I¡¯m not like you. I wanted you to know who bested ya. To give you a chance to fight back, as a warrior should, you filthy swine! To have you beg for forgiveness while I break your every bone for what you did to me! Even though killing the sad shell of a man you¡¯ve become will hardly satisfy me.¡±

    Adam¡¯s mind raced for what she could possibly mean. Whether she served the Roots, or if Caine had Tainted her to hate him, similar to what he did to Catherine. Emily gave Adam a sideways glance, unspoken questions in her eyes.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Adam growled at the warrior. ¡°Explain yourself!¡±

    A guttural, reverberating roar emanated from where the Roots were gathering, a vastly different sound from what they had uttered before. With slow, slithering movements, a huge monstrous shape crawled towards them from the darkness.

    ¡°Let us through or die!¡± Emily shrieked, waving her chain. However, the way she looked back at the monster betrayed her fear.

    ¡°Ah, Emily, Caine¡¯s sister in the flesh,¡± the warrior said without looking at her. ¡°Leave, I have no quarrel with you. But if you dare to intervene, I¡¯ll crush you nonetheless.¡±

    The familiar stench of copper and earth became almost overwhelming as a colossal, snake-like being neared their arch from behind. The Roots had interwoven their bodies and their Overgrowth vines to form a single abomination and moved as one. The snake curved its misshapen, eyeless head to the same height as Emily and Adam and uttered a growl that rumbled from deep within the monster¡¯s throat.

    The mysterious warrior ignored the snake. She placed her outstretched hand before her chest while she looked Adam in the eyes: the traditional challenge of a warrior.

 Chapter 12 â€“ A Roar of Defiance

    Chapter 12 ¨C A Roar of Defiance

    The eyes of the unfamiliar woman bored into Adam¡¯s with a cold hatred. Well-trained muscles in her one arm bulged as she made the unmistakable gesture of a warrior¡¯s challenge. Somehow, she radiated heat, which prickled Adam¡¯s skin like intense sunlight.

    Despite Adam''s utter exhaustion, his hands itched to respond with the same gesture. Years ago, during the War of the Prophet, he would have accepted her challenge without a doubt. He would have defended his painfully gathered honour to the death. But it isn¡¯t just about me anymore. Catherine, Eric, Oliver, and Emily need me.

    Adam raised an eyebrow. Hmm¡­ if this warrior truly is another intruder like me and Emily, she might not be popular with the Roots as well.

    Behind Adam and Emily¡¯s arch, the giant Root snake opened its maw, causing an overwhelming stench to billow out. Instead of teeth, the monstrosity had rows of whale-like baleens dripping with purple ooze. The snake inhaled loudly.

    ¡°Well?¡± the warrior asked casually. ¡°Cat got your tongue? Grow a spine and face with me a shred of dignity!¡±

    ¡°Damn you and your challenge,¡± Adam said flatly. ¡°I¡¯ve got better things to do.¡± He looked Emily in the eyes, nodded, and jumped off the arch.

    ¡°What?! Wait!¡± Emily screamed. She jumped after him, grabbed his arm and formed an Ironglass chain. The chain¡¯s other end wrapped itself around the arm of Catherine¡¯s statue so they could swing down. ¡°Oof¡­ Muscles were heavier than fat, huh?¡±

    ¡°Cowards!¡± the warrior screamed.

    The snake simply directed its maw towards her and blew. A billowing mass of thick, brown smoke surged from its maw and straight towards the warrior.

    She looked at the monster with savage fury, leant forward like a beast and roared with unforgiving power. Undoubtedly using an Invocation of the Forbidden Arts, she screamed with the cries of a thousand wild animals at once. It was a cry of unmoving defiance against all odds, of survival no matter the cost. The sheer force of her roar blasted the stream of smoke apart in all directions.

    After Emily brought them to the ground, she and Adam bolted to the doors in unspoken agreement.

    Adam noticed a vague, earthy smell coming their way. ¡°Hold your breath!¡± he hissed quickly. Even though he¡¯d inhaled just a tiny diluted bit of the brown mass, Adam felt his thoughts getting hazier and his legs less coordinated. Oof, imagine taking a full hit of this garbage. The doorways loomed up in the distance, but foot-long thorns of the Overgrowth had barricaded them completely.

    ¡°We might escape if we can get them to keep fighting each other!¡± Emily whispered. ¡°Or make sure they stay in each other¡¯s way!¡±

    From the shadows, the hideous maw of the snake shot out towards Emily. She jumped back and formed an Ironglass chain to swing away and dodge its baleens. Adam dashed to help, but the warrior jumped straight at him from up above.

    ¡°Damn you!¡± the warrior screeched, heaving her sword. Using the Forbidden Arts, she enveloped the blade with an orange aura made of shifting shapes like claws, snarling jaws of reptiles, and scissoring scythes of insects.

    Adam weighed the way she held her sword, guessing how she would swing it. Trying to dodge what seemed like a downward slash, he leapt to the side. A quick quiver in her mouth betrayed her feint. As quick as lightning, her arm switched direction and turned her slash into a thrust. Adam dropped down backwards, letting the blade pass barely an inch above his chest. The savage energy of the sword¡¯s aura surged forward in the direction of her thrust and bit a hole into the stone floor with terrifying ease.

    Adam rolled to the side, but her foot caught him right below the ribs and forced the air from his lungs. The kick sent him flying like a rag doll until his back slammed into a stone pillar, which cracked and wobbled from the sheer impact. Small pieces of plaster from the ceiling showered him as he fell to the floor.

    Adam¡¯s vision blacked out for a moment. He wanted to scream, but his lungs convulsed in coughs that stung him to his core. His spine felt like it could crumble at any moment, yet no comforting heat came from his exhausted heart. Adam tried to get up, but the pain was too much.

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    The warrior leisurely walked the distance towards Adam. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did that hurt? My foot must have slipped.¡±

    Farther back in the room, Emily swung with her Ironglass chains to evade the snake. The Root monstrosity followed and effortlessly kept pace with her, blocking the ways she wanted to swing with its misshapen head. It reminded Adam of a cat playing with its prey. Come on, Emily! I guess the Shepherd is controlling that thing from somewhere inside the snake. Maybe if we can hit it¡­

    Emily landed on the ground and dismissed her Ironglass chains. With one hand, she formed a ball of Marrow and used the other to fill it with Shrike and create a Shrike-bomb. However, the Roots that formed the snake with their bodies had taken their masks off. While trying to get up, Adam gasped and almost fell on his face.

    ¡°Help us!¡± Louis yelled. The father of Emily and Caine, with his chestnut moustache and curly hair, tried to free himself from the gnarled masses of the snake¡¯s body.

    ¡°By Aves, do something!¡± Oliver screeched in a high pitch. He struggled with a thick vine that tried to strangle him.

    Adam¡¯s mouth hung open. The snake turned out to be made of people dear to them, trapped and bound together by the Overgrowth vines. Emily gasped as well, her face was even more ashen than usual. She¡¯d already begun to throw the Shrike-bomb, but awkwardly changed direction. The Shrike-bomb hit the ground and exploded; the compressed Shrike was released and sent shards of Marrow flying in all directions. The snake, unharmed by her Invocation, reached out with its maw. Emily barely managed to roll out of the way.

    Adam swallowed, and furiously tried to get to his feet. If all Roots are people, then¡­ who did we take down earlier? And, wait, why did they crumble?

    ¡°We have to help them escape!¡± Emily yelled, swinging away with a new Ironglass chain. She formed a Marrow halberd with her other hand and manoeuvred around her foe.

    The warrior casually turned her head. ¡°Escape, hmm? I don¡¯t think so.¡± She closed her eyes in an expression of intense sadness or regret. She let her head fall back and opened her mouth. A whirling dark-grey cloud of translucent shapes poured out and floated towards the window with a soft hiss.

    Adam groaned as he tried to get to his feet again. Since the warrior was occupied with cutting off their escape route, he studied the snake more closely. Wait, the Shepherd made this thing, just like the peacock. So it could have similar abilities!

    Adam¡¯s gaze darted over the people in the snake¡¯s body, looking at the details. And there, in the back of the snake, was a sickly black-haired woman who cried for help: Vera, Emily and Caine¡¯s mother. The problem was that she had turned to the Pure during the War of the Prophet. And the last thing the Pure¡ªwho smiled euphorically despite any wounds of battle¡ªwould do is ask for aid.

    ¡°The people are an illusion!¡± Adam yelled. ¡°They¡¯re just Roots!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Emily gasped. She glanced at Adam for a split second.

    The snake¡¯s maw darted forward, capitalizing on that one moment of distraction. Emily hastily formed a sphere of Ironglass around herself, barely in time before the snake¡¯s oozing jaws closed around it. The snake threw her to the side and her spherical shield bounced off one of the pillars. A vague shimmer occurred along the beast¡¯s body as the illusion dissipated and the people turned into Roots again.

    Adam watched in horror, panting and finally standing on his feet again. His knees wobbled more than he liked to admit, though. The warrior finished up her Invocation: a disturbing cloud of soundlessly howling, shifting heads of people and animals which blocked the window entirely. Any Overgrowth vines it touched were dissolved like acid.

    Adam groaned, not feeling ready to fight anything. A primal part inside of him screamed to run away, to hide in a corner and live another day.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart whispered, although no heat came from it.

    Adam shivered and felt the blood drain from his face. No. Emily needs me and that warrior hates me too much to let me escape anyway. We only stand a chance if we fight together. He eyed the warrior for a moment and bolted to the side, towards where Emily fought the snake. Biting through the agony that shot through his back, legs, and stomach, he kept running. Step by bloody step.

    Although the warrior was ridiculously powerful, speed didn¡¯t seem to be her strong suit, which he hoped to exploit. He did expect her to use a ranged attack on him though.

    The warrior didn¡¯t disappoint. With a savage hiss, she formed the savage aura around her sword again and swung the weapon sideways. Instead of a straight beam, the energy left her sword in a wide arc which surged towards him. Adam forced his tired body to jump over it and let the Invocation pass beneath him. The exhausted muscles in his legs protested, and when he hit the ground again something cracked in his right ankle.

    Adam yelped. Raw pain made his leg shiver and he stumbled forward. The snake moved towards him, hissing in fury. He swallowed, stood tall, and roared with a dry, hoarse voice. His lungs protested but he didn¡¯t care; if he died it would be with his chin up.

    The snake greedily opened its mouth and swung its tail horizontally at Adam.

    Unable to jump with his hurt ankle, Adam dropped to the floor. The massive tail should¡¯ve passed right over him, but the Roots that formed part of the snake stretched out their arms. Adam growled when the clawed hands dragged him along. As Adam struggled, he vaguely remembered joking about how he wanted to join the gathering of Roots. Not surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t quite a ¡®cosy¡¯ experience.

    The Roots¡¯ filthy hands were everywhere. They grabbed his arms, coat, and feet. As he tried to bite, the Roots twisted his head into a painful angle. Adam yelled and wrestled with every ounce of strength he had left. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough. There simply were too many Roots and he couldn¡¯t move an inch.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± Adam''s heart whispered.

 Chapter 13 - An Embrace of Guilt

    Chapter 13 - An Embrace of Guilt

    Two callused hands of the Roots held Adam¡¯s jaw as tight as a vice. Adam growled hoarsely. His muscles trembled in the titanic effort as he tried to free himself, but the Roots which collectively made up the snake¡¯s tail were everywhere around him. He could barely wiggle his toes.

    Emily ran in his direction, but the mysterious female warrior stepped between them and raised a red blade. ¡°Don¡¯t. Even. Try.¡±

    ¡°Watch me,¡± Emily hissed as she conjured a Marrow halberd. With practised swings, she attacked the warrior and tried to outmanoeuvre her. However, even with one arm, the warrior effortlessly deflected her every move. Seemingly, she enjoyed holding Emily off as the snake crawled closer and closer to the huge statue group.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± Adam¡¯s heart whispered again.

    ¡°Okay then, you damned slab of meat!¡± Adam hissed. ¡°Help me, do something!¡± A pang of guilt shot through him as he remembered his vow, years ago, to never use the Forbidden Arts. All of Oliver¡¯s warnings about the left heart echoed in his mind. Yet, Adam shook his head, as far as he was able to despite the Roots¡¯ hands. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore! I¡¯ll practice the Forbidden Arts to make this through! As long as you¡¯ll help me save my family!¡± Adam closed his eyes and focused on his heart. The one organ he¡¯d tried to ignore for years became the centre point of his being.

    And his left heart answered.

    Suddenly, Adam had a vision. He saw the chitinous, centipede-like body of Schultora and how it hung in loose coils from the ceiling. With a shiver, Adam felt an echo of the horrible ability it had used on him, and several of the old memories came back, like how he had cried in self-loathing after he had yelled at his father.

    However, now that he paid more attention, he saw a different vision rising amongst them: how red-hot energy surged through the veins of a human body, damaging parts of muscle tissue from the inside.

    Adam winced. What? Is that an Invocation I can use against the snake?

    The snake waved its tail¡ªand Adam along with it¡ªas it slithered towards the statue of Catherine and Caine. Adam¡¯s eyes widened; the beast would probably slam its tail against the statue, with him in front. A blow he¡¯d never survive.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart hissed, clearer than before.

    Really? Oh, I was looking forward to being squashed like a fly on some monument to my cheating wife! Especially by some monster that looks like it crawled straight out of a Devil¡¯s anus!

    Adam closed his eyes and exhaled. Instead of resisting the memories and feelings caused by Schultora, he tried to accept them, in the hope of finding something that would help. As all the awful events rushed by, like how he¡¯d lied to Oliver about Erica or how he was the sole survivor of Ziecherhein, it dawned on him what connected all those memories.

    Guilt.

    All the memories Schultora had conjured were of things he regretted with a burning passion. Things he wished he could turn back. He saw the energy before him again, damaging parts of body tissue. The energy felt like the heat that his left heart had sent through his veins earlier on. Marvellous! Great! But how do I get this energy?!

    Then it hit him. The reason he felt guilt, the reason why he pained himself with it, was because he wished he¡¯d done better. And he could turn that pain, those wounds and scars, into one of the best reasons to be better in the future. If he chose to do so.

    Shivering, he envisioned his guilt as an immense chasm within him. A gaping, old wound with immense unexplored depths. A wound he had ignored and repressed for years, never giving it the chance to heal.

    The memories, the excruciating guilt, all washed over Adam as he felt something click into place in his mind. I¡¯ve been running away for so long. Too long. What if¡­ I embrace this guilt? What if I accept the pain of everything I¡¯ve caused? Maybe I can use it as a power to change. Yes, let the pain drive me, fuel me, to finally set things right.

    Then it happened.

    ¡°Schultora,¡± his heart whispered, and the scorched brand of the monster flared up.

    Pain erupted all over his body as if thousands of minuscule centipedes rushed through his bodily tissue. The Invocation, the first one he''d used in his life, damaged his body with the pain of guilt, but extracted extra energy beyond his limit in return. As if a dam broke inside him, an immense rush of heat surged through his veins like liquid fire.

    There was nothing he couldn¡¯t do, for as long as this new energy would last.

    Adam tore his head free from the clawed hands of the Roots and he roared. Like a lion, like the breaking of mountains, like the tearing of a glacier. Instinctively, he converged the heat into his arms and legs.

    The Roots around him screeched and clicked in their attempts to hold on. New vines and strands of the Overgrowth grew and wrapped themselves around his limbs. Adam barked a savage laugh; all of it was no more than a bunch of twigs that tried to contain an aurochs.

    Adam¡¯s muscles bulged with untold strength, breaking hands, thorns, and vines all the same. To tear his legs free was child¡¯s play, but masses of the Overgrowth neared him from all directions. The statue of the dancing Catherine and Caine loomed up ahead with frightening speed as the snake swung its tail towards it.

    Adam set his feet right, with one on the mask of a Root that flailed its broken arms, and jumped. Nimble as a mongoose, he evaded the statue and rolled over the ground.

    With the relentless power of an avalanche, the snake¡¯s tail hit the statue and smashed it to pieces. It hit the outside wall with enough force to crack the stone blocks. Plaster and stones from the ceiling rained down as the entire building trembled.

    Panting wildly, Adam picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground and got to his feet. He felt stronger than ever, and more alive than he¡¯d done in years. However, his whole body hurt from both external wounds and the effect of his own Invocation, which felt like he had been burned from the inside. The newly found energy that surged through him was invigorating, but he¡¯d used a significant part of it to escape from the snake and heal his ankle. He needed to spend the rest wisely.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    To Adam¡¯s left, at the far end of the temple-like chamber, the snake lowered its head, seemingly waiting for him to make a move. There was a gaping hole in its tail, but the remaining Roots interwove their limbs with freshly growing Overgrowth vines. The damage was repaired effortlessly. Meanwhile, the warrior didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry either. Standing to Adam¡¯s right near the back wall, she fiddled with the handle of her blade. Aside from the wounds she already had, she seemed as fresh as if she¡¯d just warmed up.

    Emily ran towards Adam, even paler than usual. Grey rings of weariness lay beneath her eyes.

    Adam nodded at her and puffed out his cheeks. No way we can beat both of them. The snake lay between him and the sloped outside wall, the window within it was still shielded by the warrior¡¯s cloud-like Invocation. Groups of Roots had fused with masses of thorny Overgrowth vines to block the doors at the right end of the chamber.

    However¡­ the outside wall was cracked after the snake had slammed Catherine and Caine¡¯s statue into it.

    Adam and Emily eyed each other.

    ¡°Shall we break through the wall?¡± Emily gestured in sign language.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Adam gestured back with one hand, holding his stone with the other. They nodded at each other and burst into a sprint at the same time.

    ¡°No!¡± The warrior screamed as she bolted after them. ¡°You won¡¯t get away from me!¡±

    Adam focused on the cracks in the wall, about six feet above the ground. Both he and Emily would have to hit it with all their might to stand a chance to get through. Without Novaseering, Adam would have to spend all his remaining heat in a single strike. He¡¯d never done anything like that before, but for some reason, he knew beyond a doubt he was able to.

    The snake curved its body and inhaled loudly, raising its ugly head.

    A sound like the crackling of fire came from behind; the warrior engulfed her body in the orange, savage aura she¡¯d previously used on her sword. She let her head fall back and howled. The aura left her body, split in two and formed the rough shapes of wolves. Snarling fangs, savage claws and snapping pincers appeared and disappeared all along their translucent bodies. They charged towards Adam and Emily, much faster than the savagely grinning warrior.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the smoke!¡± Emily yelled, holding both hands in the Gaolom gesture and gathering Oquira from around her. With an expression of intense concentration, she formed the Oquira into an orb-shaped mass of deep-blue, swirling energy between her hands.

    The snake opened its maw and vomited an unforgiving stream of brown smoke at Adam and Emily.

    Emily threw her Gaolom Invocation, causing it to float in mid-air in front of the smoke. The orb of Gaolom unleashed a massive gravitational pull, forcing the stream of the snake¡¯s filth to float around the Invocation. Although the snake kept spewing its smoke, most of it ended up swirling around the Gaolom, trapped in its gravitational field.

    When the snake stopped exhaling, Emily shifted her stance. She made a throwing motion with both arms towards the wolf-shaped Invocation behind her. The Gaolom orb, surrounded by the swirling mass of brown filth, flew straight towards the wolf. It tried to jump away, but the gravitational force pulled it along. Not long after the smoke around the orb made contact, the savage orange energy that shaped the wolf exploded and tore the Gaolom orb apart.

    Behind Adam and Emily, the warrior snarled in frustration as all of the snake¡¯s filth billowed outwards like a smokescreen. She coughed and wheezed. Note to self: Emily can be scary.

    With a guttural, rumbling cry, the snake moved towards them. Behind Adam, the surviving wolf-shaped Invocation ran straight at him at full speed. Adam pretended to be slower than he was. From the way the wolves had run, and the way one had been pulled along by the Gaolom, he knew they had a mass of some sort. And every time the warrior used her savage, orange Invocation, it had two forms. The first one was around her sword or in the shape of a wolf, where it was ready to strike. Then, the Invocation would ¡®activate¡¯ into a destructive beam or explosion. Adam wouldn¡¯t let that knowledge go to waste.

    The wolf pounced, making a long jump with its misshaped claws outstretched. Exactly as Adam hoped it would. He grinned, switched direction and bolted straight towards the wolf, causing it to pass over Adam. The wolf landed awkwardly, stumbling further in the direction of the snake.

    Perfect. Adam spun around to face the wolf and threw the stone he had picked up after escaping the snake¡¯s tail.

    Upon impact, the wolf Invocation exploded, hitting the snake around the middle and sending screeching Roots flying in all directions. Bellowing with an other-worldly roar, the snake writhed on the ground. Roots that formed part of the snake already began to repair the gaping wound. However, the snake¡¯s body below the wound twitched like a fish on dry land.

    ¡°The Shepherd can¡¯t control the lower body properly!¡± Emily yelled as she swung through the air with an Ironglass chain, dodging a clumsy bite from the snake.

    "On it!¡± Adam growled. Grateful that the heat was healing his ankle, he vaulted over the snake¡¯s quivering tail.

    The cracked wall was close now. Although damaged, it was still made of massive blocks of stone, strong enough to form the sloped outside wall of the pyramid.

    ¡°All or nothing!¡± Adam roared. His heart was beating like crazy. Both of his arms were still wounded, one by the peacock, and one by the snake. The rational part of him screamed that he would never be able to get through the wall in his state. However, the wild heat, along with the primal necessity to get out, drowned out all resistance. He had to get through, there was no other choice.

    Emily ran beside him. With her right hand in the Ironglass gesture, she formed a spiked fist weapon. She used her other hand to compress Shrike around the weapon. ¡°On the count of three! One!¡±

    Adam turned his mind¡¯s eye inwards and focused on his heart. There was way too little time to heal his arms well enough to punch the wall. He focussed on the desperate desire to get through and his left heart answered; he saw visions of rhinos storming at predators, of a bull moose that charged through fences that tried to contain it.

    ¡°Two!¡± Emily panted.

    ¡°You won¡¯t escape me, Adam!¡± the warrior screamed, between heavy coughs due to the smoke. ¡°I¡¯ll find you no matter where you go!¡±

    The snake hissed and curved towards them, but Adam didn¡¯t care. All of his being was focused on the task before him. A great wave of heat surged towards his legs, making his jump all the more powerful. The soft voice of rationality, somewhere in the back of his mind, screamed how suicidal this was. But all doubts were silenced by the raw bestial instinct and untold rage that took control. Adam vaulted through the air and all of his remaining heat gathered in his skull and spine. Roaring like a beast, he prepared for the greatest skull bash in his life. Right beside him, Emily raised her impressive fist weapon of Ironglass and Shrike.

    "THREE!¡± Emily and Adam screamed together.

    Everything exploded around Adam. Under the unrelenting force of their attacks, the mighty stone had no choice but to yield. With the sound of thunder, the heavy blocks were torn apart and rained down on the street outside like broken pebbles.

    Adam fell to the ground and rolled away. They were free.

    The snake screeched. It tried to follow, but the hole in the wall was too narrow for it. With a rumbling cry, it turned around, probably switching its attention to the warrior who was still inside.

    Adam stood, despite the violent shaking in his legs. The world seemed to spin around him. All the heat was gone, leaving nothing but cold and pain all over his body. With Emily supporting him, they stumbled away over the streets of the sinister town.

    ¡°Head-first through a wall?!¡± Emily hissed. ¡°What in Aves¡¯ name is wrong with you?¡±

    Adam struggled to keep walking. Why is the street so wobbly? ¡°Dunno what came over me,¡± he mumbled with slurred words. ¡°Guess I¡¯m glad I helped you instead of the peacock.¡±

    Emily laughed with a raspy voice. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten compliments before, but this is new! We need to hurry though and get you somewhere safe. You need to rest a bit.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about me," Adam mumbled. "I¡¯ll be... fine...¡±

 Chapter 14 â€“ A Taste of Vulnerability

    Chapter 14 ¨C A Taste of Vulnerability

    Laying on the floor of some deserted cellar, Adam was forced to reassess his earlier statement: he most definitely was not ¡®fine.¡¯

    Although all his wounds had closed by now, every single part of his body hurt in one way or the other. He lay on his side in a twisted foetal position, as that was the only way his spine didn¡¯t throb with burning pain. Wanting to stay as inconspicuous as possible, he clutched his rumbling belly in a feeble attempt to dampen the noise. His stomach protested with a keen imitation of the mating call of a whale.

    Adam groaned in frustration. Staring at the dark walls and ceiling of the cellar, while Emily foraged for food, made him feel utterly useless. If even a damn lettuce would come rolling in, he would barely be able to fight it. He¡¯d tried to get up numerous times, but every time his body screamed at him to stop. So here he was. Alone in some stupid room, in some stupid ruined town, waiting for Emily. He scrunched up his nose, repulsed by his situation. It reminded him of hatchling birds in a nest, chirping helplessly for their mommy to bring them worms.

    Enough of this. Maybe if I just¡­ Adam carefully moved his legs and held his back at a different angle to stand up. Gruelling pain shot through his back, neck, and arm like white-hot knives. Squeezing his eyes shut, he flopped down again on the hard floor.

    It would¡¯ve been awfully convenient if Emily could¡¯ve healed him with Novaseering. The problem was¡ªas she had patiently explained again¡ªthere was a high chance she would do more harm than good. Novaseers didn¡¯t have an Awakened left heart, like Adam, to heal their wounds. Instead, they used the complex network of Meridians for healing. With the right heart at its core, this network was comparable to the veins that ran through the human body. Using the signals sent through them by the right heart, they allowed people to consciously and subconsciously control their bodies. It also fulfilled several other important bodily functions, like cooling it in times of heat and defending the body from disease.

    Using the Weaver gesture, Novaseers could command Meridians to redirect the natural healing functions of the body in a more focused way to heal wounds. Furthermore, the Weaver gesture could be used to command and manipulate matter, for example, to knit skin and flesh together where necessary.

    First problem: whether he liked it or not, Adam had an awakened left heart and that meant it was particularly hard to heal him with Novaseering. The vile energies coursing through his veins barely tolerated his own network of Meridians, but Oquira controlled by an outsider was a whole different story; adding that to the mix, without knowing exactly what you¡¯re doing, was about as good an idea as throwing water on an oil fire.

    Second problem: As Emily stiffly reminded him, she ¡®preferred to focus her training on different aspects than healing.¡¯ In other words, she had to redo her healing courses at the Academy five times before she passed. Barely. Many things had changed in recent years, but her ¡®skill¡¯ at healing wasn¡¯t one of them.

    So, Adam had little choice but to wait in the darkness. Clenching his fists in frustration, he imagined how Ajax, his old foe from the War of the Prophet, would have laughed if he saw Adam now. The words of the savage female warrior he and Emily had just fought echoed through his mind. ¡®The years haven¡¯t been kind to you, old man. That fight was a damn disgrace.¡¯

    Adam gritted his teeth. He couldn¡¯t claim she was lying about that; if he had trained these past years, if he had retained even half his old prowess, these fights would¡¯ve gone differently. He hadn¡¯t been able to stop Caine from taking his family or sending them to this damned place. And who was really to blame for that?

    ¡°Schultora,¡± his heart whispered.

    A painful shiver ran down Adam¡¯s spine. Slowly, the realization of what he¡¯d done settled in; he had consciously used the Forbidden Arts. He had used two Invocations, actually. One against the peacock in which he could tell how it would move, and one against the snake in which he had used Schultora¡¯s crazy Invocation.

    Probably, he would have died if he hadn¡¯t done it, but he¡¯d undoubtedly broken his old vow to never practice the Forbidden Arts. He had damned himself and couldn¡¯t expect a warm welcome in the afterlife. Adam sighed deeply and pressed his forehead against the cold floor.

    Had it been worth it? If he¡¯d had any expectations of what it was like to be a sorcerer, he hadn¡¯t imagined laying down like a broken heap of garbage. Whatever it takes. Oliver, Eric, Catherine¡ªwe¡¯re coming for you. Adam tried to release the knotted tension in his shoulders and closed his eyes for just a bit¡­

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Adam was warm and comfortable. Wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, he sat in his leather chair near the hearth in the Three Toads inn. The trusted scents of sweet potato stew, meat pies, pipe-smoke, and ale were all around him. Oliver drank his wine, sitting in the largest, most dignified chair of course. Emily stood at the bar and awkwardly turned down a sad-looking lad. Caine sat with his legs wide and had a pipe in his grinning mouth. A girl without a face sat on his lap and laughed at his jokes.

    With a grin on his face, Adam looked around at the many familiar faces around him. Alef¡¯s blue eyes almost glittered in pride as he showed the locket which held a tiny portrait of his newborn. Several children ran around the inn: the street rats who had roamed the alleys back when Adam was a kid himself. Old housemates from his time in Ziecherhein laughed while playing a board game, as they had done so often back in the Badger. Lucas kept explaining how he¡¯d calculated all possible moves, while Julienne just played something on gut feeling and ended up winning the game, somehow.

    Everything around Adam was fuzzy and blurry. Have I been drinking again? What time is it?

    ¡°¡ªso what do you do when you¡¯re caught skinny-dipping in the swimming pool of the chief?¡± Caine asked everyone around. ¡°Adam and I hid in the bushes until the coast was clear, o¡¯course! Naked like newborn pups!¡±

    Whooping and whistling noises erupted from the crowd.

    ¡°Izabell and Jessica ran off somewhere when they heard the guards,¡± Caine said. ¡°However¡­ there truly was a real hero amongst us!¡± With the dramatic finesse of a circus performer, Caine waved his arm towards Oliver, who closed his eyes and sank back into his chair.

    Caine made a mocking, high-pitched impersonation of Oliver¡¯s voice. ¡° ¡®I paid thirty knots for those pants! And I¡¯ll be damned before I let those pellet-headed guards keep them!¡¯ ¡±

    The crowd laughed. People held up jugs of ale and pipes, cheering Caine on. Oliver sighed and laughed along, but kept his eyes closed.

    ¡°¡ªhe grabbed some sticks with leaves!¡± Caine continued. ¡°So considerate, eh? Hiding the titanic size of his package before the guards get insecure! And this hero just barged back in there! Yelling that the gold-threaded pants are property of¡ª¡±

    Adam laughed and laughed. All the old, trusted stories came by. How Adam had lost a wild chariot race through Gotterburg to Caine. The crowd howled in laughter as Caine acted out how Adam had fallen from the bridge. They laughed even harder when Emily reminded Caine of the time she had won a bet and shaved off Caine¡¯s long black hair. Adam reminisced with pleasure how smooth Caine¡¯s bald head had felt.

    Adam wore his comfortable, long leather coat. The same one that Caine had bought for him, as many places wouldn¡¯t allow poor people in. People like Adam. It was the coat that had warmed him during countless drunk adventures, and the entire War of the Prophet. It was the coat he had worn to the Menhir League, where he chased his dream to research the ancient cultures. After Caine had paid Adam¡¯s tuition fee.

    Caine pointed at Adam with a drunk, wobbling finger. ¡°This man¡ªno, not that idiot¡ªTHIS man! Yeah, Adam saved my ass big time in the War of the Prophet. He lifted my dead moose off me like it was nothing! While I lay there, wetting myself like a pup, this guy beat up three soldiers of the Pure with his bare fists!¡± Caine stood up and walked towards Adam. ¡°I¡¯ve never properly thanked you for that, have I?¡± He spread his arms and they embraced each other.

    A stabbing pain erupted in Adam¡¯s back. Then the pain came again, again, and again. His mouth open in astonishment, Adam looked at Caine, who merely smiled at him. Adam loved the man as a brother, it couldn¡¯t be Caine who was stabbing him, right?

    ¡°You were there for me,¡± Caine whispered. His mouth didn¡¯t grin and even quivered a bit. ¡°Everyone told me to ¡®toughen up,¡¯ that the loss of my mother was simply part of this war.¡± He swallowed. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who really listened to me, in the darkest hours.¡±

    As much as Adam wanted to listen, the stabbing pain continued. He clenched his teeth, trying to force through the pain and thank Caine for helping him off the street. For helping him to put down the bottle.

    After a final stab, the knife came out on the other side of Adam¡¯s chest. Adam tried to pull his hands from Caine¡¯s back, but they stuck like glue. When he pulled again, his arms stretched out like rubber. Useless.

    The people around them were still laughing, but there was no joy anymore. They surrounded Adam and Caine in a wide circle. In their pupil-less eyes shone the white light of the Pure, the followers of the Prophet. After their vows, all of the Pure had forsaken their free will to become mindless puppets in the hands of the Prophet. All to attain a state of endless, painless euphoria. Everyone around Adam smiled in the same blissful grin. Adam¡¯s eyes darted around in panic.

    ¡°No free-willed man is capable of making the right decisions,¡± the deep voice of the Prophet erupted from all around him. ¡°War, conflict, self-harm, and misery¡ªall are products of humanity¡¯s incapability to make the right choices. All with free will hurt themselves and others in their greed, their jealousy, and short-sightedness. The only answer is to turn to the light; to submit to my guidance, join the Pure, and be as one with all others who live in eternal happiness.¡±

    Adam looked back at Caine, but Caine had turned into a gruesome version of Adam himself. The Adam in front of him was covered in blood, had glowing green eyes and grinned savagely. His enormous left heart hung in front of his chest, its heavy beats drowned out all other sounds.

    Cold sweat broke out on Adam¡¯s back as he stared wide-eyed at himself.

    The savage Adam growled like a beast and opened his mouth wider and wider, showing nothing but darkness within. As the black void swallowed Adam, a single question echoed through his mind.

    ¡°Why?¡±

 Chapter 15 â€“ A Feast of Kings

    Chapter 15 ¨C A Feast of Kings

    Soft footsteps creaked in the distance. Adam shook awake and gasped wide-eyed. In a reflex from the War of the Prophet, he madly reached for a weapon and tried to get to his feet to face any intruders. His knees buckled with a sharp, burning pain and he flopped down. He squeezed his eyes shut and bared his teeth. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

    Adam exhaled and focused on the sound of the footsteps. The soft, stealthy paces down the stairs undoubtedly belonged to Emily; he sighed in relief.

    Light poured in when the door to Adam¡¯s cellar swung open. Adam lifted an arm to shield his painful eyes and craned his neck up with difficulty. Charming as ever. ¡°Ugh, could you close the door?¡± Adam grumbled.

    Emily snickered when she saw him crumpled up on the floor. Carrying packages in her arms, she opened the door a bit wider to let more light in. ¡°The fearless knight took some well-earned shut-eye, I assume? Are you sure you¡¯re still alive?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, in the time this took you I might as well have died. Maybe you should throw some food at me to check?¡±

    ¡°Ooh! Who¡¯s a hungry fella?¡± Emily said in a silly voice. ¡°Who¡¯s always grumpy when he¡¯s hungry?¡± She wiggled an old lump of cheese in her hand.

    Adam¡¯s stomach growled like an earthquake when he saw the cheese. ¡°Do I look like a dog to you?! Give it to me!¡±

    ¡°Sure! But just because you¡¯re asking so nicely.¡± She threw the lump of cheese and giggled as it bounced off his forehead.

    FOOD. The cheese was old and stale, yet he wolfed it down like a feast of kings. Relief washed over him as the knots of hunger and worry in his stomach loosened.

    ¡°Ah, the knight still has some movement left in him!¡± One corner of her mouth curled upwards in a mischievous smile. ¡°With the dignity of a lost man in a desert, sprawling towards a cup of water.¡±

    ¡°Har har,¡± Adam said as he checked for any crumbs of cheese that he missed. ¡°Could I get some more? Or do I have to suffer through more witty nonsense first?¡±

    Emily held up several strings of meat. ¡°And what do we say to people who just saved your ass?¡±

    Adam raised an eyebrow. ¡°That for all her talk about ¡®safety and preventing to be heard,¡¯ the princess may be lacking herself. You left the door wide open.¡±

    Adam couldn¡¯t remember being so happy to eat such an old, dry meal. Slowly, his left heart started to pump comforting heat through his body. Despite the guilt, he couldn¡¯t deny being relieved as his pain gradually ebbed away. After a while, he was able to sit upright again with difficulty.

    While uttering a short prayer to Aves, Emily held up the first bite of her food to ¡®offer it¡¯ to the owl god, as was tradition among members of the Starwing Order. When she had eaten her fill, she walked around the ravaged cellar, pretending to inspect the rubble for anything useful. However, Adam clearly felt her studying glances, although he pretended to be too focused on his mushrooms to notice.

    ¡°So,¡± she said eventually and sat down in front of him.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Adam raised a questioning eyebrow.

    ¡°Do you have anything to explain to me?¡± There was no hint of a smile on her face.

    Adam swallowed the last bits of mushroom. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that since we had the delight of visiting this picturesque township, I¡¯ve got a lot more questions in store than explanations.¡± Wait, does she mean my use of the Forbidden Arts?

    Emily¡¯s big, orange eyes didn¡¯t leave his. ¡°Really? How about that woman just now? Seemed rather agitated with you, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Adam sighed. ¡°She seemed ready to pull my head off. Sorry, I don¡¯t have a clue who she is or what she was talking about.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Honestly!¡± Adam continued. ¡°The only thing that was vaguely familiar to me was the way she fought! But I can¡¯t match that with any martial art or warrior tradition I know of.¡±

    Emily was silent. Her gaze darted over his face, probably looking for signs of a lie.

    Bending forwards a bit, Adam told her what he¡¯d learned from eavesdropping on Jeremiah, Horace, and Osterhild. How Jeremiah wanted to be in full control of how the Tainted and Penduli were handled in Gotterburg. This included sending his bannermen and their soldiers south; an operation which Caine and his Penduli had been suspiciously well-informed about. Adam also explained about the mysterious location which was supposedly described by the Tainted.

    ¡°So, I think that is where we are right now,¡± Adam said. ¡°The ¡®endless tunnels¡¯ seem to match and I¡¯ve surely seen an ¡®abominations with wild emotions.¡¯ So far, I haven¡¯t spotted any relatives who¡¯ve been deceased though.¡± He rubbed his beard. ¡°The snake kinda reminded me of my dad¡¯s butt-ugly mug when he¡¯d just woken up, but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t laugh at his sorry attempt at a joke.

    Adam sighed. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m just as puzzled as you are. With the library, the Roots, that charming lady who nearly killed us¡­ it¡¯s unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen before. However, these people surely know about us.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Emily¡¯s eyes darted towards a ripped painting of Caine on the wall. ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re so obsessed with Catherine they have a whole library about her. About the person who is probably Tainted and tried to kill me.¡±

    ¡° ¡®They,¡¯ huh? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s just a bit unlikely that that woman was part of the blue people? She looked completely different.¡±

    Adam threw his hands up in frustration. ¡°Fair point! But what do you want me to say? I don¡¯t know who she is! What I do know is that Caine or maybe even Catherine are able to Taint people, as my own son didn¡¯t recognize me! Maybe they Tainted that warrior to hate me as well!¡±

    ¡°Or you¡¯re hiding something big and you¡¯ve spent your time hiding in here coming up with that excuse!¡± Emily snarled. ¡°Everyone is mind-controlled to hate you, eh? How awfully convenient it¡¯s always someone else¡¯s fault!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m. Not. Lying¡­ ugh.¡± Adam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down for a second, okay? We¡¯re both confused and want to go home.¡±

    Adam looked up at the woman who used to be one of his closest friends and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve really missed you these past years. All the pranks, the careless fun, and our nights out with the four of us. Back in the Starwing Grove, and just now in the pyramid, I was so relieved to see that you were okay. Not just okay, you were giving those Penduli and Roots what they damn deserve. Is there any chance we could work together? If we trust each other, as we used to in the old days, maybe we can find Oliver and make it back in one piece.¡±

    Emily pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. Resting her pale, heart-shaped face on her knees, she looked at him warily. ¡°Trust? In this war, I¡¯ve seen a lot of anger and hatred. However, I¡¯ve never seen anything like how that woman looked at you.¡±

    Adam swallowed, remembering how the endless disappointment in her eyes had cut him even deeper than the cold fury.

    ¡°Must¡¯ve been quite something she¡­ thinks you¡¯ve done,¡± Emily muttered.

    Adam looked into her eyes, trying to make her see that he spoke the truth. ¡°I know, and if I were in your position, I¡¯d ask the same questions. I wish that I could give you the answers.¡± Adam looked away for a moment, knowing he had to breach that one subject. The conversation he¡¯d been preparing, and dreading, for years. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been gone for a long time, after the War of the Prophet and my trial. I can imagine it¡¯s hard to trust me after that.¡±

    Emily winced. There was a hint of old pain and sadness behind her hard eyes. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± she asked softly. ¡°The three of us have mourned for you, can you imagine? I got nightmares from your¡­ execution. When I heard from Oliver you were alive it was¡­ unreal, as if you came back from the dead. I was so happy!¡± Her voice broke a bit. She clenched her hands into fists and punched the ground. ¡°But why? Why hadn¡¯t you told us, or contacted us for all that time? Didn¡¯t we deserve to know?!¡±

    Adam looked her in the eyes, no matter how hard it was to do. ¡°Emily, I am so, so sorry.¡± He sighed deeply. Although he¡¯d practised the conversation so often before, now that the time had come, all the carefully planned words seemed meaningless. ¡°After my execution, I was confused and hurt to my core.¡± He winced as painful memories tried to resurface, which he hastily repressed. ¡°The disaster of Ziecherhein was¡­ I have no words for it. Ziecherhein¡¯s Menhir League, the Starwing Grove, the Badger¡ªall gone. So many good people died that day. So many lost fathers and mothers, hopes and dreams. And for some reason, Aves, or whatever Gods may be up there, let me survive that shit.¡± Adam gave a barking laugh. ¡°Can you imagine? Only me, instead of all those who actually deserved it!¡±

    Adam squeezed his eyes shut, trying valiantly to repress the gruelling memories. He tried not to think about the dead blue eyes of Alef again.

    ¡°However, that everyone thought I¡¯d conspired with the Prophet for causing the disaster, that¡¯s what really hurt me.¡±

    Emily¡¯s expression had softened a bit.

    ¡°I thought everyone, all of Dorenland, believed I was a monster and a traitor,¡± Adam said. ¡°I barely survived, and I thought they would try to kill me again if anyone knew. In my panic, I shut down contact with everyone and hid behind a false name. And I know, I know I should have trusted you, Oliver, and...¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°To still believe me. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°I can only imagine what that was like,¡± Emily said softly. ¡°That¡­ must¡¯ve been traumatic.¡±

    Adam nodded slowly, with a vacant expression. Kind of an understatement.

    They looked at each other for a while. Until she closed her eyes, let go of her mask of doubt and worry, and smiled at him. An earnest smile without mischief. ¡°I am glad you survived though. And I can imagine that must¡¯ve been horrific to experience. And, I mean, there are less capable people to have beside me in a fight.¡± She laughed. ¡°So yeah, let¡¯s work together.¡±

    Adam smiled with relief as tension at the sides of his head loosened a bit. One step at a time.

    Emily clapped her gloved hands together. ¡°So, maybe we should think about our next move! I¡¯d actually prefer not to get kidnapped or whatever these Roots are planning.¡±

    Adam pressed a finger to his lips.

    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± she said with a soft voice.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind paying a visit to Caine,¡± Adam said. ¡°He has some explaining to do, to put it mildly, and I want my family back. However, I think our first priority should be to find Oliver. He was in the same room as us when Caine did his Invocation and I¡¯m not going to lose two of my oldest friends.¡±

    Emily nodded. ¡°Agreed! Plus, having him on board would increase our chances of actually surviving this place or getting to Caine. But we¡ªor I, at least¡ªhave no idea where to find either of them. And we don¡¯t know if we can keep finding food or drinkable fluids in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Adam said. ¡°However, there must be some kind of logic or system to this place, this bizarre civilization, wherever we might be. We just need to figure it out. Just like this strange kind of sorcery that is practised by Caine and the Shepherds.¡± Adam rubbed his beard. ¡°All sorcery is based on rules, just like the laws of nature. And if we can understand how their Invocations work, we can learn to deal with them. And, hopefully, even learn how to cure the Taint.¡±

    Adam cracked his neck and sat up a bit. Although his body still hurt, he could feel the soothing heat from his heart slowly return as he digested his food. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve got an idea of how we could find Oliver! Back during the War of the Prophet, he was captured by the Pure. Caine was¡­ I mean, we were able to find where they¡¯d bound him because Oliver had subtly influenced the flows of Oquira in the air along the way.¡± Adam smiled vaguely. ¡°Back when we were kids, that¡¯s the way they marked the path to our secret hideout in the woods.¡±

    Emily laughed. ¡°Hah! ¡®Secret hideout?¡¯ You mean that drafty cabin?¡±

    Adam felt blood rush to his cheeks. ¡°What? It was amazing! The three of us ate sweets and played card games all night in there. We hunted and sparred¡­ wait, you weren¡¯t part of the group yet back then, how do you know about the hideout?¡±

    Emily raised an eyebrow and chuckled. ¡°Please. You three were whispering and acting excited all the time, so I knew something was going on. I was kinda disappointed when I followed you there though. From the way you talked, I expected a castle at least.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a nosy piece of work, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    She stuck her tongue out at him.

 Chapter 16 â€“ A Labyrinth of Remnants

    Chapter 16 ¨C A Labyrinth of Remnants

    After resting for a while, in which Adam regained some strength, Emily and he left the cellar. Their reasoning was that if Oliver had left the hemispherical cave through one of the tunnels, he had probably left a sign that he did. If they couldn¡¯t find anything, they¡¯d begin the long and dangerous search through the town itself.

    Carefully, they made their way to the edge of town. Although they found many masses of the Overgrowth¡ªand avoided them wherever possible¡ªthey didn¡¯t see any Roots or blue people.

    Where the buildings ended, the ground sloped upwards and gradually transitioned into the walls of the hemispherical cave. Scattered across the slopes were the openings of tunnels that Adam had seen before. Glowing, leaf-vein-like patterns, inlaid in the ground, flowed from the tunnels towards the pyramid in the centre of the town. Taking care not to be seen by anyone, Adam and Emily made their way around the slopes.

    ¡°So, have you picked up anything Oliver-ish yet?¡± Adam asked after a while. He admired two faceless wooden statues of men dressed like the blue people who had kidnapped him. The statues flanked the entrance of a winding tunnel. The light from the mysterious pattern on the ground shone on the bushes and oaks that grew inside.

    ¡°By Aves, I swear if you keep asking me that every five seconds¡­¡± Emily said. She squeezed her eyes shut with a focused expression. ¡°Not that tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Pity.¡± The statues truly were well made, even the hairs on the old man¡¯s arms were visible. The lack of a face was a bit creepy though.

    ¡°If only a certain someone could help me, that would be great,¡± Emily muttered.

    ¡°Hey! I am helping,¡± Adam protested as he peeked into a crudely crafted tunnel, barely two feet wide, that smelled like olives. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can sense Oquira. But I¡¯ll be sure to tell you if I see traces of combat or Roots. Or when you bump into a tree again.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! That only happened once!¡±

    Adam smiled. The advantage of others having their eyes closed was that they can¡¯t see any self-satisfied smirks.

    ¡°And could you stop standing in front of the tunnels? You¡¯re making it hard for me to find Oliver¡¯s trace!¡±

    ¡°How come?¡± He remembered that Caine didn¡¯t need such precautions whenever they had been looking for traces. However, he figured that wouldn¡¯t exactly be the most tactful thing to point out.

    Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°Ugh, look, when Novaseers use Invocations, they¡¯re not using their own energy¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Adam said. ¡°Since people are born sinful¡ªespecially the left heart¡ªthe energy inside the veins is evil incarnate as it submits them to the Crimson Urges. So, using that pisses off the big owl in the sky, who naturally dooms you forever, yada yada. Which is why Novaseers use their Awakened right heart and their meridians to control the Oquira in the air and use it for Invocations. Thanks for listening to Adam¡¯s introduction on sorcery for ten-year-olds.¡±

    Emily clearly suppressed a chuckle. ¡°Point taken. You¡¯re into blasphemy, aren¡¯t ya? Or do you just save that for when you¡¯re talking to a Talon of Aves?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I forgot the part where¡­¡± Adam coughed and imitated the dramatic tone of priests. ¡° ¡®Oquira, the sacred energy of Aves himself, flows from the thousand glowing eyes on His body: the nightly sky. All to hold the earth in His holy embrace.¡¯ Ugh. Come on, I know you¡¯re a Talon of Aves, but how could that ever be true? What would an owl huge enough to form the whole night¡¯s sky and stars even eat to feed that body mass? How could He fly with that weight? And I sure hope He has some enormous divine toilet hidden somewhere. If He uses the same tactic all birds¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just pretend I didn¡¯t hear that. You¡¯re so immature you¡ª¡± Emily stumbled over a rock. Adam suppressed a snicker.

    Emily brushed a lock of chestnut hair from her face with an agitated flick of her wrist. ¡°AS I WAS SAYING. Since Oquira flows through the air like invisible streams of gas or liquid, it is disturbed when bearded buffoons stand in its way. And as Oliver¡¯s trace is probably just a subtle alteration¡­¡±

    Adam nodded and made some space.

    Emily sighed. ¡°Thanks. This is pretty difficult to do, so I could use a bit of silence, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    Quietly, they continued following the sloped edge of the cave for a while.

    "So, I was wondering,¡± Emily said.

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    Adam smirked. ¡°I thought you liked the silence so much?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, shut up.¡± She clearly tried to suppress a smile behind her focused expression. ¡°Were you able to get on top of the pyramid and ¡®associate?¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°To what now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a ¡®no.¡¯ The blue people really urged me to get to the top and associate, whatever that means.¡±

    "Wait, didn¡¯t they tie you up in a chariot?¡±

    Emily laughed. A bit too loud, maybe, but Adam couldn¡¯t say he really minded the sound. ¡°You really have a knack for making people like you, huh? No, to me they were very polite! Two of them tried to sneak me through the streets to get to the ¡®Palace of Origin.¡¯ They didn¡¯t say much though, terrified of being heard by the Roots and all.¡±

    ¡°Huh, guess they liked you better.¡± He rubbed his beard, remembering a bit too clearly how the blue lady hit him on his temple. ¡°Maybe they have a library about you as well, eh? But did you lose them inside the pyramid?¡±

    ¡°No, we got attacked by a horde of Roots near the entrance. The blue guys rushed me in and stayed behind to hold them off. Poor fellas¡­ I wasn¡¯t even able to reach the top.¡±

    Adam frowned, remembering how there had been no guards at the pyramid¡¯s entrance when he showed up. ¡°Bold move... Maybe they¡¯re still alive though; when Roots attacked the blue people who kidnapped me, they didn¡¯t go for the kill. It seemed like they bound them to take them somewhere. But why would the blue people want you to go up the pyramid?¡±

    Adam looked at the flattened top of the structure. Although it was partially covered by the Overgrowth, the goldish-green spiral  around Catherine¡¯s statue could clearly be seen. It was more difficult than Adam would like to admit not to look at the beautiful statue again. ¡°With all the Roots swarming inside, getting to the top is dangerous enough. But once you¡¯ve reached it there¡¯s no way off!¡±

    Emily stood beside him and peered at the pyramid. ¡°Maybe to ¡®associate¡¯ and that spiral are related to the strange sorcery they practice over here?¡±

    ¡°I guess so. Whatever those patterns in the ground are for, they converge beneath the pyramid, with that spiral at its centre¡­¡± Adam softly snapped his fingers and smiled widely. ¡°Wait, the fresco on the ceiling! You know, the one in the room where we fought!¡±

    Emily raised an eyebrow. ¡°You were looking at some stupid paintings while I was fighting my ass off? No wonder you got beaten up so bad.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, a fresco isn¡¯t just a normal painting,¡± Adam grumbled something about the state of cultural education these days while he sat down. He drew lines and figures in the ground. ¡°The entire picture was circular and had an idealized depiction of Caine in the centre. Spreading outwards from it were these decorated green lines that led towards spirals. Each spiral was connected to other spirals with similar green lines and thus formed this immense network, see? At first, I thought it resembled Caine¡¯s network of servants, as the blue people have a spiral tattooed on those protruding foreheads. But what if it¡¯s a map of this place? The blue people did talk about several ¡®Nodes¡¯ as separate locations that were near.¡±

    Emily looked back and forth between Adam¡¯s drawing and the pyramid and her face lit up. ¡°Ooh! The spiral on the pyramid is one of those in the painting! And all these patterned trails in the tunnels are pictured by the lines!¡±

    Adam grinned, gesturing for Emily to go on. ¡°Which means¡­¡±

    ¡°That if we go through the tunnels, we would end up in more caves, or ¡®Nodes¡¯, with other spirals. And if we pick the correct path...¡±

    ¡°We might just find Caine, at the centre of this underground maze!¡±  Adam said, drawing an arrow towards the centre of his drawing. He absent-mindedly rubbed the scars on his wrist. ¡°More like a labyrinth, actually. The fresco showed hundreds of spirals at the very least, so if this is true, and other caves are just as big as this one, the entire complex is gigantic. Would there be more of these disturbing libraries? Why would they build something like this?¡±

    Emily smiled and waved Adam¡¯s worries away with a gloved hand. ¡°Oh, we will figure it out! But if this is true it would be amazing; the first time in history that a painting is actually useful! So, oh Great Cultured One, where would we be on this map and where should we go to find Caine?¡±

    Adam frowned at his drawing. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure. There were markings and symbols beside the spirals, but I didn¡¯t have the time to study them before a certain someone kicked me in the side.¡±

    Emily¡¯s expression drooped a bit. ¡°Riiight, sorry about that. In my defence, the Roots did seem ready to swarm us and turn us into compost. So, if we went through one of these tunnels, we would have no clue in which direction we¡¯re going or where we¡¯re going to end up?¡±

    Adam rubbed the scars on his wrist, deep in thought. ¡°Wait, when I looked at the fresco, it reminded me of branches that grow out of the stem of a tree. They start thick, but they get narrower and narrower. One branch splits up in smaller branches, just like the lines that branch out in different directions at the spirals.¡±

    Emily squinted at Adam¡¯s drawing in the ground and cocked her head to the side. ¡°Really? That is supposed to resemble a tree? Looks more like a horse to me.¡±

    Adam raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, sorry I didn¡¯t take drawing classes before I got abducted to this shithole! Why don¡¯t you demonstrate your skills in the fine arts and show me how it¡¯s done, hmm?¡±

    Emily raised the corner of her mouth. ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m not the one lecturing others about these fancy frescoes. So, a tree, you were saying?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a damned tree,¡± Adam grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll talk slowly so even an uncultured aardvark like you can follow.¡± He pointed at the lines near the centre. ¡°The lines here are the thickest, and they get thinner the closer they get to the edge of the picture. So, if we consistently choose the tunnels with the broadest patterns¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d get closer to Caine!¡± She nodded approvingly. ¡°Not bad. The idea of hundreds of caves, filled to the brim with Roots and Schultoras, isn¡¯t the most reassuring ever. But at least we¡¯ll have an idea of where to go once we find Oliver.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Adam couldn¡¯t deny a sense of pride; he¡¯d finally made a bit of sense of the bizarre place they¡¯d ended up. Step by step. ¡°However, I do believe the current score in finding the right way is one to zero at the moment. Do you mind, my lady?¡± He gestured broadly at the way ahead of them. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to catch you if you bump into something, again.¡±

    Emily¡¯s cheeks reddened. She opened her mouth a couple of times, undoubtedly trying to come up with a witty answer. Finally, she grunted and stomped forward. ¡°Asshole.¡±

 Chapter 17 - A Tunnel of Echoes

    Chapter 17 - A Tunnel of Echoes

    Adam and Emily continued searching for the right tunnel for a while until they ended up at the largest one so far. The patterned trail in the ground, the widest they¡¯d seen, cast the trees and rows of faceless statues within the tunnel in a haunting green light. On closer inspection, the leaf-vein-like pattern seemed to be directed as if it flowed towards the pyramid. The patterned trails of other tunnels appeared to flow away from the pyramid and towards the other tunnels.

    Emily peered at the trail and nodded. ¡°Guess your theory holds up so far.¡± She closed her eyes for a while in a focused expression. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t sense any disturbance in the Oquira, though. Shall we move on, and remember this one as we look for Oliver?¡±

    Adam stared into the lushly grown tunnel, with its hieroglyphs and mysterious statues, and ground his teeth in frustration. It took a whole lot of willpower not to storm in.

    Emily raised an eyebrow. ¡°You okay?¡±

    Adam breathed in and exhaled slowly. ¡°If we¡¯re correct, that fell-handed bastard should be at the centre of this cave system, somewhere at the end of these tunnels.¡± He clenched his hands into fists. ¡°To think I was actually happy¡ªeven excited¡ªto get to see that piece of misery again¡­¡±

    Emily looked away from Adam and nodded slowly. Due to the angle, he couldn¡¯t see her eyes, but the way she clenched her jaw while she peered into the tunnel gave a hint of her emotions. ¡°I swear, if I get my hands on him¡­¡± She gave a frustrated sigh. ¡°Like¡­ I just don¡¯t understand! How¡ªor even why¡ªcould he do this to us?!¡±

    ¡°I guess we became too dangerous for him after we discovered him being some sort of double agent. Maybe it¡¯s the Penduli¡¯s policy to blast everyone who finds out about them through a roof.¡±

    Emily chuckled humourlessly. ¡°Or banish them to some forsaken hole in the ground, how considerate.¡±

    ¡°Have you spoken with him, lately?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Oliver mentioned something about an argument between you two?¡±

    She stiffened and nodded with a tight-lipped expression. ¡°That was years ago, we¡¯ve broken contact since. Yesterday was supposed to be the first time we talked again.¡±

    Adam frowned, remembering how close the two used to be. However, from the manner she looked away, it seemed better not to ask further questions about it. ¡°Ugh, I still can¡¯t believe he was right in front of me! Back in his house, I was like this close to him!¡± He indicated the distance with a thumb and an index finger. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to slack off with my training, I could have had him! And now look where we ended up!¡± He gestured vaguely at the disturbing town and the pyramid. ¡°Ugh, that reminds me, what is the one thing we need here? A map. I was lucky enough to find one, spread out on the ceiling above me as wide as a Stormball-field! Too bad that by the time I notice, I barely have the time to actually study it! And now that woman and that stupid Shepherd are in the way¡­¡±

    Emily looked up with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. ¡°Oh, on that note; don¡¯t forget you also had to touch one of those creepy books, sending a horde of Roots after us. We were kinda close to that weird spiral thing.¡±

    Adam raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wow, thanks, that helps a lot.¡± A vague feeling emanated from his heart as if Schultora¡¯s mark flared up a bit, but Adam tried to ignore it.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, okay?¡± She smiled gently. ¡°You won¡¯t help anyone by beating yourself up.¡±

    Adam laughed grimly. I¡¯m not sure if Schultora agrees. ¡°Easier said than done.¡±

    ¡°We just ended up in a really, really messed-up situation. Sure, you used to be stronger during the War of the Prophet, but this is Caine we¡¯re talking about. You know, the ¡®admired Novaseering prodigy¡¯ who accomplished everyone¡¯s dreams without actually working hard,¡± she said with a bitter undertone in her voice and a dark expression. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine he stopped improving these past years. He looked darn unwell at the Starwing Grove, but he still took all three of us down at once.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll definitely need the three of us to confront him, I know.¡± Adam sighed. ¡°Question is, what will we do with him when we succeed?¡±

    Emily was silent.

    ¡°I want to hate him,¡± Adam continued. ¡°And I do, for all he¡¯s done. But something inside me just hopes to wake up, you know? That he¡¯ll jump around the corner and tell us it was all a prank, with that stupid grin on his face. That all of us can laugh about it, and get a drink.¡± Adam looked at the ground sadly. Why does everything have to be so complicated these days? Why can¡¯t things be as they used to be?

    ¡°I understand,¡± Emily said with stiffness in her voice and body before she moved on. ¡°Although I doubt I¡¯ll be laughing with Caine ever again.¡±

    After a while, Adam peered into a different tunnel. ¡°Are you really sure it¡¯s this one?¡± he asked, scrunching up his nose. The tunnel in front of him didn¡¯t exactly look welcoming; the familiar coppery stench of the Overgrowth was mixed with the earthy scents of mosses and ferns. Thick vines, laden with purple thorns and spiky leaves, had partially taken over the tunnel. Gnarled masses of the Overgrowth entangled the remaining ferns, mushrooms, and trees. The greenish-gold pattern in the ground cast a haunting light on the lianas that hung from the ceiling and the rows of faceless wooden statues that lined the walls.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Emily kept her eyes closed in a focused expression and nodded. ¡°Something or someone has definitely messed with the flows of Oquira around here, but I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s Oliver¡¯s trail. Could be that another Novaseer used a powerful Invocation recently.¡±

    ¡°Ah, perfect,¡± Adam deadpanned. ¡°Out of all the tunnels, it has to be the one full of signs of the Roots, barely any space to manoeuvre and plenty of spots for all kinds of enemies to ambush us. Can¡¯t wait.¡±

    Emily smiled and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Maybe that charming lady we¡¯d met has a Novaseer as a twin sister, who would like to get acquainted with you as well?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d definitely invite her for tea. Although I actually prefer my head to stay on my shoulders, you know?¡± Adam stared further into the tunnel. Oliver, you¡¯d better be in there somewhere.

    Adam and Emily made their way inside, taking care to avoid the Overgrowth as much as possible. Lonely skeletons of large animals, suffocated or pierced by the spiky vegetation, lay between the brambles. The dripping of water and the burbling of small streams were the only sounds around them.

    As Adam¡¯s mind wandered, he noticed markings in the parts of the wall that weren¡¯t covered by vegetation. They were hieroglyphs, similar to the ones in the town, picturing people doing everyday activities like reading books, praying to Aves, or eating together.

    ¡°More frescoes?¡± Emily asked innocently.

    Adam chuckled. ¡°Nice try, but no.¡± He felt the smooth wooden surface of the wall with his hand. ¡°This wall looks like it has been carved in living wood. But that can¡¯t be! There¡¯s no way a tree is large enough to tunnel through it like¡­ wait, did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Adam pressed his finger to his lips. A barely discernible voice like the wind echoed through the tunnel.

    ¡°We expected great things from you,¡± the vaguely familiar, male voice whispered. ¡°And we invested a great deal to make it happen. You don¡¯t want to let us down again.¡±

    Emily¡¯s face paled from an unhealthy grey to white. She brusquely paced further into the tunnel with stiff limbs.

    ¡°Huh, wait! Do you recognize it?¡± Adam asked as he walked after her.

    ¡°No!¡± she said without turning her head towards him. This place is messed up, that¡¯s all!¡±

    Adam blinked a couple of times while she stomped away, trying to connect the dots. What? Has something happened within the Starwing Order? They sure have invested in Caine, and Emily is a member as well¡­ but why would there be echoes here of their conversations?

    Adam and Emily walked further for a while and decided to make some improvised equipment from the available resources. After hollowing out the tough gourd fruits that hung from a few remaining trees, they made handy pouches to hang from their belts. Although Emily had kept her rusty chain, she fashioned a new spear from wood and used a long, purple thorn as the tip.

    The skeleton of a big bird of prey came in handy as well; the largest talons were ideal for making a good knife. Adam had never forgotten his brother Joshua¡¯s lessons on how to fashion weapons out of random materials he had at hand. When Adam was done with the knife, he cut a long piece from a thick branch of the Overgrowth, taking care not to hurt himself on the thorns. A bit of elbow grease later, he had crafted it into a spiked club.

    To Adam¡¯s interest, the Overgrowth reacted peculiarly when it was cut. When removed from the rest of the mass of vegetation, branches quickly lost their purple colours and clearly died. Odd, that shouldn¡¯t happen so quickly. Out of curiosity, Adam cut through the thickest branch he could find. Starting at one side of the cut, decay spread through vines and leaves connected to it, leaving them brown and dead. Luckily, the decay didn¡¯t spread in the direction they were walking, as it could alert potential enemies. However, the Overgrowth reacted to the damage; similar to how the snake repaired itself, fresh purple vines grew towards the withered parts, restoring them to life again.

    So, the Overgrowth needs to be connected to stay alive, although it can regrow and reconnect to lost branches. But maybe we can kill large parts of the Overgrowth somehow by destroying key parts of it? Or by preventing branches from reconnecting somehow?

    As Adam and Emily continued following the pattern in the ground, many openings to strange chambers and other tunnels revealed themselves. One of the large caves had a dense canopy of broad flowers growing on the ceiling, which released a constant rain of pollen. Oddly enough, the spaces in the air where no pollen seemed to fall were shaped like humanoid figures. One of them rolled over the ground and stood back up again, in an ever-repeating pattern.

    Familiar scents like food came from a hole in the tunnel¡¯s wall. The chamber behind it was filled with a slow-moving whirlpool of an unknown liquid with red, blue and green colours. Each time a polka-dotted bubble popped, the scent of a certain food appeared, like caramel sweets or vegetable soup. Adam thought he almost tasted it from a distance. Adam closed his eyes when he smelled the quiche with apple, walnuts, and goat¡¯s cheese that Alef had liked to make when Adam visited him and his girlfriend. Adam hastily repressed the bittersweet memories of better times.

    In an attempt to distract himself, Adam peered into a small dark chamber next to the tunnel. The black emptiness was filled with the chittering of insects, the flapping of wings, and the playful laughter of children. Whooshing sounds echoed through it, like hands trying to grab something, along with the rustling of leaves in the wind.

    Unnatural as the bizarre chambers and sensations were, the most unnerving to Adam were the whispers that occasionally echoed through the tunnels. Although Emily obviously tried to keep a straight face, she winced when it happened again.

    ¡°Out of my damn sight!¡± the voice of a woman shrieked, followed by the sound of shattering glass. ¡°OUT! You fell-handed disgrace! If I¡¯ll see you even near those rats again, I¡¯ll strangle you myself!¡±

    The voice was familiar, somehow, but the echoes were vague and distorted; Adam couldn¡¯t figure out who they belonged to.

    He frowned when Emily stomped on ahead of him, pretending like she hadn¡¯t heard a thing. Yes, let¡¯s start withholding potentially important information about this place. That sure is an excellent tactic to stay alive.

    Adam sighed and closed his eyes. Calm. If it¡¯s a matter of the Starwing Order, she may be bound to secrecy. But if Caine was hanging around with ¡®rats,¡¯ did they know about Caine and the Penduli? Or is something else going on?

    Even though Adam could almost feel the questions burning on his tongue, he decided to let her be. He¡¯d just begun to gain Emily¡¯s trust again, after all.

 Chapter 18 - A Rift of Secrets

    Chapter 18 - A Rift of Secrets

    While Adam and Emily made their way through the tunnel, the light from the patterned trail in the ground gradually dimmed to a soft glow. Although the lack of sunlight or clocks had messed with their sense of time, as they had no idea how long they¡¯d been in there, it reminded them of night-time.

    After setting up a camp, with a small bonfire and makeshift mats they had made from vegetation, they decided to prepare for upcoming combat.

    At first, Emily practised with her new spear. Effortlessly, she switched between the elegant combat stances as taught in the martial arts of the Talons of Aves. In order to use a flexible fighting style, she liked training in both physical combat and Novaseering. Contrary to Oliver, who focused purely on Novaseering and long-range Invocations. He always preferred to keep his hands clean from ¡®distasteful brawls up close.¡¯

    Later on, Emily moved on to conjure and throw Marrow spears at the withered trees on the other side of the tunnel. Although she was more than able to form objects like feather-shaped daggers, she had little experience with larger weaponry or controlling her Marrow from a distance. She figured that especially the last one could be useful when fighting Shepherds.

    Adam started by practising his vaults and rolls, having his faulty landing during the fight with the mysterious female warrior fresh in mind. After all, as he had no armour available and couldn¡¯t use Novaseering, he was particularly reliant on his agility to stay unharmed. Afterwards, he followed his old training routine with several kinds of punches and kicks.

    Adam groaned during his push-ups from a handstand position. Sweat trickled down his forehead and his arms trembled in the effort. Gritting his teeth, he remembered how easy these exercises used to be. Back during the War of the Prophet, he was able to do way more repetitions while wearing severely weighted equipment. Now, not only his strength but his coordination and speed as well were shadows of what they used to be. Then again, there was no way to fix it but to train.

    He silently wondered whether he should try to practice his Forbidden Arts. On one hand, he still felt repulsed by it. Any chance to still redeem his soul sounded appealing after all. And if he slipped up, letting the Crimson Urges take over, it would get dangerous indeed. On the other hand, enemies like the Shepherd were immensely powerful. Could he afford to ignore the advantage of Invocations? And shouldn¡¯t he train to use the Invocations properly to maximise his chances of survival and saving his family?

    Adam pushed his trembling body back up into a handstand. But how could I explain to Emily that I¡¯ve broken my vow? Or did she notice already? I did recover quickly from¡ª

    ¡°Oops! Look out!¡± Emily yelled. A Marrow disc flew off course and came straight at Adam. ¡°Sorry! Sorry!¡±

    Adam startled and dropped onto his shoulder. The razor-sharp disc missed him by a hair¡¯s breadth and embedded itself into a tree trunk behind him. His arm quivered as he had hit his funny bone exactly on a small rock. He mumbled several of the exquisite swear words he¡¯d once learned from their old captain.

    ¡°Ah, yes, an excellent way to catch enemies by surprise!¡± he grumbled. ¡°Could you pick someone else for your target practice?¡±

    ¡°Hey! I said sorry!¡± she replied as she strode towards him.

    Adam stood up with a fake grin. ¡°Oh yeah, now that you mention it. My arm feels way better since you said that.¡± His thumb twitched uncontrollably as the fuzzy, tingling pain spread across his forearm.

    "Pff, it¡¯s not like I aimed for you,¡± Emily said. ¡°I would¡¯ve hit you if I had.¡±

    Adam laughed and shook out his arm, glad that they were talking again, at least. ¡°Really now? Then I guess you wouldn¡¯t mind a little impromptu sparring match?¡±

    Emily twirled her spear. With a smirk, she gathered Oquira, making the air around her shimmer with energy. ¡°And I thought you were still crying about your¡ª¡±

    A whisper echoed through the hallways again, this time it was the eery woman¡¯s voice they¡¯d heard before. The words were strangely slurred this time. ¡°Everything is my fault again, eh? Fine! Leave me here to rot! It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve ever cared¡­¡± The voice disappeared again.

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    Emily¡¯s eyes widened; she froze in her tracks and the Oquira around her dissipated again. Pale as if she¡¯d seen a ghost, she looked around skittishly.

    Carefully, Adam approached her. ¡°Hey, Emily, easy now. There¡¯s no one there.¡± He thought about placing a reassuring hand on her arm but remembered in time she hated to be touched. ¡°Do you... recognise the voices?¡± he asked softly.

    Emily ignored him. She kept looking around, holding her spear ready to strike.

    An angry, pulsing headache formed in the sides of Adam¡¯s head, which he tried to ignore. ¡°Emily, please, everything we learn about this place might increase our chances of survival.¡±

    ¡°Could this place be an illusion?¡± Emily asked suddenly.

    Adam puffed out his cheeks. ¡°Highly unlikely. I considered¡ª¡±

    Her eyes bore into his. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s unlikely! I never studied illusion Invocations, so, do you know if it can be done?!¡±

    Adam was taken aback for a moment. ¡°All of this? Schultora, the library, everything? The effort to do so would be insane. In an illusion, every detail¡ªsound, smell, appearance, or whatever sensation¡ªhas to be explicitly created by the one who makes the illusion. That¡¯s why most illusions occur over a short time and focus on one or two senses like sight and hearing. Usually, they¡¯re used to distract or inform a target. With highly complex illusions covering multiple senses, there is practically no way to get all the details right. That¡¯s how I found out about the snake¡¯s illusion. And remember, we¡¯ve been in this place for quite a while.¡±

    Emily kept staring at him with a wild-eyed look.

    Adam sighed. ¡°King Albert, the guy who ruled over Dorenland 150 years ago. His six-year-old daughter nearly succumbed to fear as their citadel was besieged by Oberian invaders. He ordered Novaseers to keep her in an illusion, a dream world where she could be happy. However, the king didn¡¯t want her to be locked up in a small place in the dream world, so he ordered the Novaseers to let her explore. It took a monstrous effort of four skilled Novaseers to maintain it, even though they made deliberately small and simple environments for her. She kept finding things that didn¡¯t make sense and kept wandering to places the Novaseers had to imagine on the spot. So, a place as big as this? It would take thousands.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes stared glassily at the ground. ¡°But the voices could be illusions.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Adam was silent for a while. ¡°If I can help you somehow¡ª¡±

    She squinted at him and curled her mouth in rage. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± she spat. ¡°You¡¯ll just shrug it off and make fun of me like always!¡± She stormed off before Adam could reply.

    Adam stood dumbfounded. ¡°What? No! I wouldn¡¯t laugh, why do you think I would?¡±

    But Emily kept walking, not showing any sign she heard. Adam frantically tried to remember when he had laughed after she had told him something serious.

    After numerous cycles of what seemed like day-time and night-time in the labyrinth, there was light at the end of the tunnel. Quite literally.

    As quietly as possible, Adam brushed a mass of hanging lianas and leaves to the side. He kept low to the ground and avoided the twigs and other noisy vegetation with his boots. ¡°There,¡± he gestured at Emily in sign language and pointed at the orange shimmer that lit up walls and statues in the distance. It looked like the light of a fire.

    Emily, who stood behind him, nodded. She drew her spear and readied her chain.

    Adam sighed soundlessly. That was about as much interaction with her as he¡¯d get, ever since their last interaction about the whispers that echoed through the tunnels. At first, he occasionally tried to theorize with her in what kind of bizarre place they had ended up. She didn¡¯t seem interested though. So, Adam secretly hoped the strange light in the distance would break their all-too-silent rhythm of following the trail, gathering food, training, and either sleeping or keeping watch.

    Slowly, quietly, they snuck their way forward. The source of the light turned out to be a ramshackle barricade that shielded a corner in the tunnel. It consisted of logs, large rocks, chopped pieces of the Overgrowth, and other rubble. It was strategically placed between the wall on one side and a thick, thorned mass of the Overgrowth on the other. A large wooden statue stood out lonely between the gnarled vines.

    Trying to remain unseen, Adam and Emily got closer until a torn flag of the Dorenland Kingdom came into view: black and blue, with the silver talon of an owl in the middle. Adam¡¯s shoulders slumped as some of the tension was released. ¡°Civilization,¡± he breathed. ¡°Finally.¡±

    ¡°Halt! Who goes there?¡± a male voice cried out from somewhere behind the barricade. ¡°You two approach a proud fortification of the Royal Army! We have archers!¡±

    ¡°Emily Roosenburg!¡± She rose from a crouched position. ¡°A Talon of Aves!¡±

    ¡°Balthasar Hase!¡± Adam said, effortlessly switching to the false name he¡¯d used for years. ¡°I served as a swordsman in the fifth legion during the War of the Prophet!¡±

    Some indistinct muttering sounded from behind the barricade. Adam clearly felt they were being looked at.

    ¡°And with whom do we have the pleasure?¡± Adam yelled.

    ¡°Survivors!¡± a different voice said. ¡°Oh, I mean¡­ sorry sir¡­ SOLDIERS OF THE THIRD LEGION!¡± A small, barely noticeable military flag was waved to emphasize.

    ¡°Do any of you have the plants?!¡± a third voice yelled, a bit too loudly.

    Adam frowned. ¡°What, you mean the Roots or the Overgrowth?¡±

    ¡°You know, THE PLANTS!¡±

    ¡°No! We don¡¯t!¡± Emily shouted.

    As soon as she finished talking, an arrow was clumsily fired. It landed about twelve feet to her left.

    ¡°DAMN IT, GEOFFREY!¡± the gruff voice shouted. ¡°I SAID HOLD YOUR FIRE!¡±

    ¡°S-s-sorry sir! B-but my bowstring is all slippery!¡± A vague metal ¡®clunk¡¯ sounded, as if someone was hit on the helmet. ¡°Err¡­ sorry missus! I mean, err, madam?¡±

    Emily tensed her jaw. Adam tried not to laugh at her grumpy expression. ¡°Can we get in now?¡± she yelled.

    ¡°You have permission!¡±

 Chapter 19 â€“ A Grip of Iron

    Chapter 19 ¨C A Grip of Iron

    One by one, soldiers peered over their barricade to look at Adam and Emily. The troops wore dirty, well-used equipment with mismatched helmets and crude leathers. Under their superior¡¯s stern gaze, they hesitantly sheathed their weapons. They stepped away to keep some distance when Adam and Emily climbed up the ¡®proud fortification,¡¯ which was basically a rickety pile of logs, old furniture like tables and desks, and other rubble.

    A tall man with an ornate beaked helmet, presumably the commander, walked forward. The single feathered arch on his back indicated his higher status within the Royal Army compared to the common soldiers. He pressed his right fist onto his left shoulder in the traditional military salute, Adam and Emily quickly replied with the same gesture.

    ¡°Madam Roosenburg, Mister Hase,¡± the man said with the gruff voice that had yelled at them earlier. ¡°Welcome to our, err¡­ encampment. Glad to see there are others who¡¯ve made it through in one piece.¡± He waved his arm at the tents behind him. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve got some food left for ya.¡±

    At the top, they saw that the barricade shielded a small enclosure. The wall of the tunnel bordered it on one side and the mass of growths with the tall wooden statue was on the other. Eight crude tents and disorderly piles of equipment filled the camp. In the middle was a bonfire with a few civilians, and¡­ Oliver. Adam smiled from ear to ear and sighed in relief. Some of the cramped tension left his neck and the sides of his head. By the night¡­ he is safe.

    Oliver sat near the fire, precisely as he should be: happy, with rosy cheeks, and boring an old man beside him with a story. ¡°¡ªas you can imagine, they always ask how much extra responsibility an Avurion second class, like me, has above a mere¡­ wait a second.¡± Oliver blinked a couple of times, looking up. ¡°Aha, marvellous! You made it!¡± He cheered and waved happily to Adam and Emily. ¡°Took you two long enough!¡± he laughed.

    Adam grinned and waved back. ¡°You better have left some food for us!¡± he said, making his way down.

    ¡° ¡®Long enough,¡¯ he says, ugh¡­¡± Emily whispered and shook her head, although her smile and relief were clearly shining through.

    Adam felt happier than he¡¯d done in days. All kinds of witty responses to Oliver crossed his mind, but why would he spoil the moment? This was a time to celebrate; they had survived and were safe for a moment.

    ¡°Oh! There¡¯s someone I think you¡¯d like to see,¡± Oliver said matter-of-factly. He turned towards one of the tents. ¡°Catherine?¡±

    Adam stopped in his tracks. His breath halted in his throat when someone crawled out of the tent.

    Her long, blonde hair in disarray, Catherine looked up with tired eyes. Her jaw dropped when she saw Adam.

    They stared at each other in dumbfounded silence for a moment. Adam¡¯s eyes widened and his hands shook as his initial relief mixed with fear; she may not recognize him again. Memories of how he was forced to fight his beloved in Caine¡¯s house, how she actually tried to kill him, flashed through his mind. He swallowed.

    ¡°Cath?¡± he asked softly. ¡°Is that really you?¡±

    Tears welled up in her blue eyes. She stood up and ran towards him. ¡°I was so worried!¡± she managed to say between her sobs.

    Adam¡¯s thoughts stopped. All worries and stress of the past days washed away. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he ran towards her. He sobbed and laughed with the broadest smile in years. He saw her, right in front of him, grinning with those cute dimples on her cheeks. Her expensive dress may be travel-stained and filthy but he didn¡¯t care a bit. She was like a beacon of warmth to him, she was the one person beside whom he wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

    Then he realized her shoes didn¡¯t make a sound whenever they hit the ground. Also, it didn¡¯t smell like a camp in here, with fires and people packed close to each other.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened. He came to a screeching halt, held his arms up to protect himself, and yelled. ¡°WATCH OU¡ª¡±

    A blinding flash of intensely bright light cut him off, a flash that dissolved Catherine and all the people and tents around them.

    Adam¡¯s eyes, used to the relative darkness of the cave, squeezed shut in pain. Reflexively, he tried to dash away. However, a white-hot mass of energy hit him square in the shoulder with enough force to send him flying like a ragdoll. Muscles throughout his body contorted uncontrollably as what felt like electricity coursed through him. Adam slammed with his back against the wall at the other end of the enclosure. The air was forced out of his lungs. Groaning in pain, he fell on the cold hard ground.

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    Can¡¯t ever be easy, can it?

    His heart pumped a wave of intense heat through his body. As if the heat resisted the crackling energy of the unfamiliar Invocation, his muscles gradually stopped contorting. Control and feeling returned to his limbs.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart whispered. And he intended to do so.

    Adam growled with rage. His fingers dug grooves through the dirt as he pushed himself up. White-hot with anger, he tried to open his eyes, but still barely saw anything after the flash. Among the blurry colours, he made out something big that stood at the other side of the enclosure, where the wooden statue used to be. The large figure leaned towards a twitching person, covered in small green bolts of energy, who lay on the ground.

    ¡°STAY AWAY FROM HER!¡± Adam roared for all this twisted world to hear. He drew his dagger and club. Despite his shaking legs, making him barely able to walk, he pushed himself forward.

    The huge creature made a weird, rasping sound. It seemed to raise something high up in the air. Jumping to the left, Adam barely dodged the massive limb that crashed into the ground. His opponent swept what seemed like an arm to the side, missing Adam¡¯s head by a hair¡¯s breadth. The wind from the fearsome blow brushed against Adam¡¯s face.

    Adam raised his club, but bolts of green crackling energy gathered on the massive shape that loomed in front of him. As he was unable to see what exactly was happening, Adam jumped back. The strange Invocation, reminding Adam of an arching bolt of electricity, hit the place where he had just stood. Adam made some distance as he let his sight recover.

    The creature he was fighting turned out to be a humanoid that stood more than twelve feet tall and was partially entangled with Overgrowth vines. His blue-skinned right half, gaunt as a mummy, reminded Adam of Caine¡¯s servants. With his green beard and armour of inscribed wooden plates, he may have been a dignified warrior once. His left half was covered by a mass of Overgrowth thorns and vines, which had grown through his arms and legs. The corresponding half of his face was covered by a driftwood mask, like a Root. Vines grew right through his mouth and jaw, resulting in a rasping, gurgling sound whenever he breathed. There seemed to be a bright intelligence in the single, yellow, and blood-run eye that was visible, although it stared at Adam with feverish expression.

    However, its most peculiar feature was the battle standard that towered over his head, attached to the backplates of his armour. Although similar to the standard of the shepherds, it was covered with scrolls, parchments with wax seals, and books with yellowed pages. Instead of the crooked, spiky symbol carried by the Shepherds and Roots, its standard was crowned with a woven, idealized depiction of Caine.

    About twenty feet to the right of the giant, Emily lay on the ground. Although the crackling green bolts of energy had disappeared, her body still convulsed in spasms. Drool came out of her mouth. The giant bent forward, his eye fixed on her gourd pouch for some reason.

    Adam clashed his weapons together above his head and ran towards the giant. ¡°Playing it safe with your illusions, eh?¡± he roared. ¡°Come and get me, you rotting pile of garden waste!¡±

    The giant¡¯s red-rimmed eye shifted towards him. A scroll on his standard¡ªwith an intricate symbol of jagged lines and circles on top¡ªglowed in green; shortly afterwards, green bolts of lightning-like energy gathered around his eye.

    It uses written text and symbols in its Invocations, just like the Shepherd,! Are the Overgrowth vines converting it into¡ª

    A boulder flew right at him. Despite his distraction, Adam managed to duck right before the rock could take off his head. The giant grunted, its right arm still outstretched after the throw. More and more energy gathered around his eye. Adam ran straight towards him, ready to jump out of the way when necessary.

    The giant¡¯s left arm, covered by the Overgrowth, appeared immobile and useless. However, the giant seemed to fall over and reached forward as far as possible, sweeping his right fist sideways. Adam rolled out of the way and grazed the enormous limb with his thorned club. Hissing a garbled war cry, the giant unleashed his Invocation as a green beam, but Adam nimbly jumped away.

    Rationally, Adam knew well that long-range or mid-range weapons were far more useful against large foes than his club and dagger. Bows and spears for example could counter an enemy''s far reach. As Adam had always picked short-range weapons or his bare fists, and preferred to use light armour, he was often at a disadvantage.

    Adam rolled to dodge the giant¡¯s grasping hand, grinning fiercely despite the hard rocks that poked his back. But where¡¯s the fun in playing it safe? He loved the thrill of close combat, even though he knew he shouldn¡¯t. It was one of the elements of the War of the Prophet that he had actually missed during the past years of worry and doubt. To know that one wrong move could mean his end, the heavy beating of his heart, the heat that flowed through his veins¡ªit made him feel alive like nothing else.

    Adam gained some distance from the giant, who bent forward as far as possible but couldn¡¯t leave its place. Focussing on his left heart, Adam tried to reactivate Schultora¡¯s ability. However, no matter how clearly he thought about using his guilt as a power to set things right, nothing happened.

    Typical. My guilt is always there, but when it would actually be useful it¡¯s gone! Couldn¡¯t I feel guilty about that, or something?

    The giant¡¯s eye gathered green energy again.

    His left heart beating rapidly, Adam breathed in the cool air and savoured all its scents. He roared like a bear, for all this devilish world to hear, and charged. Oh, how I missed this.

    The giant bent towards Emily and frantically tried to reach her gourd pouch. An unfamiliar symbol on his standard¡ªa circle containing blurry, interwoven shapes¡ªlit up in green light. However, Adam ran up at him at full speed. The giant swung his enormous right arm at him from the side. Adam roared, spun towards the limb, and swung his weapons.

    Suddenly, the giant¡¯s arm disappeared and a bound Oliver flew towards him instead.

    ¡°Help me, please!¡± Oliver shrieked.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened. Reflexively, he changed his swings, causing the weapons to pass beneath Oliver.

    The giant¡¯s enormous hand grabbed Adam by the head and slammed him into the ground with brute force; Oliver had been an illusion.

    All Adam saw were bright flashes amidst the darkness. Numbed by the crushing pain, he had fumbled his weapons. He yelled, but the enormous hand grabbed his windpipe and squeezed it shut with a grip of iron.

 Chapter 20 â€“ An Impulse of Warmth

    Chapter 20 ¨C  An Impulse of Warmth

    Adam¡¯s lungs screamed for air as the giant squeezed his windpipe shut. He hit the huge brutish arm of the giant with all his strength, but it didn¡¯t even budge a little. Even though everything around him got blurry, the green bolts of energy that gathered around the giant¡¯s eye were clear. When the burn in Adam¡¯s lungs became almost unbearable, a raw, primaeval rage woke inside of him.

    ¡°STAY ALIVE!¡± his left heart hissed, the voice clearer than ever.

    All Adam saw was a blood-red haze. Heaving his fists above his head, he instinctively converged all the heat from his heart into his arms. When the green energy around the giant¡¯s eye seemed ready to fire, Adam attacked. All or nothing. His fists, hot as burning magma, slammed into the giant¡¯s arm with all the strength he had in him. Bones snapped like twigs; the iron grip was broken and sweet, sweet air filled Adam¡¯s lungs again. He hastily rolled away now that he had the chance.

    Howling with pain, the giant seemingly lost control of his electric Invocation. Instead of a clear arc reminding of a bolt of lightning, the energy split up into thin jolts that shot out in several random directions.

    Adam quickly picked up his dagger, vaguely aware his arms were so hot that steam came off them. The giant¡¯s broken arm came for him, but Adam slashed with his weapon and cut a grievous wound. Adam jumped up to his opponent, set his foot against the giant¡¯s belly, and kicked off from it to jump even higher. With a final roar, Adam held his knife above his head with both hands and plunged it deep into the giant¡¯s neck. Turquoise blood gushed out of the wound. Adam fell, hit his shoulder, and rolled over the ground. Everything spun around him as he lay panting on his back. His sluggish, tired head tried to wrap itself around what he had just done.

    The Overgrowth vines that entangled the giant withered and died. The giant emitted a rumbling sigh, which seemed relieved. Along with the Overgrowth vines and the standard, Adam''s opponent crumbled into the familiar dirt, bugs, and twigs. One of the mysterious green sprites flew out of its chest and quickly disappeared into the tunnel.

    Exhausted beyond words, Adam turned over with a groan and crawled towards Emily. Her spasms had stopped, but she lay still in a foetal position. No, Emily, come on. Please don¡¯t be¡­ Slowly, gradually, he pulled himself nearer, but his vision was so blurry that he couldn¡¯t tell whether she was breathing.

    When he lay in front of her, she coughed softly. Adam sighed in sweet relief. He raised his heavy arm, held her gloved hand, and squeezed softly, not sure what he was doing. It occurred to him that he should say something, maybe, but his mind was too slow to find coherent words.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he finally managed to stammer.

    ¡°Hiya,¡± she whispered. Her eyes opened slightly and looked at him with a glassy expression. ¡°You killed that thing.¡±

    He nodded, trying not to let his head fall down.

    ¡°You tough bastard,¡± she said.

    Adam blinked a couple of times, trying to get the gears in his head to start turning again. ¡°You okay?¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°That first Invocation hit me square in the back so that kinda burns like an open fire. I don¡¯t seem to have open wounds though. And I don¡¯t have Corpiogenesis like you of course, so it¡¯ll take some time. But I¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    Upon hearing that term, Adam shivered slightly. Something tensed in the middle of his head in a tugging sensation and released again. Somehow, he knew that Corpiogenesis was the healing effect the heat in his body could perform. How does she know about that? And¡­ how do I recognize that term, I didn¡¯t hear it before, did I?

    Emily carefully tried to reposition a bit, but she hissed with pain and flopped down again. ¡°Ugh¡­ are you sure that resistance against Invocations of yours was worth it to develop? Can¡¯t imagine when that would be useful.¡±

    Adam chuckled softly. All was well, they were safe for now.

    ¡°Adam?¡± she asked vaguely.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Do you always hold hands with people for this long, or are you just happy to see me?¡±

    Adam¡¯s eyes shot open and darted from their intertwined hands to her face. She smiled mischievously and raised an eyebrow at him. As if he was bitten by a snake, Adam quickly jerked back his hand. You idiot! What were you thinking?! He looked away from Emily, resisting the stupid reflex to check if anyone had seen this.

    Emily laughed heartily. ¡°Well, well, the hero saves the princess after all, eh?¡± she said with a raspy edge in her voice.

    Adam stared stiffly at a bland rock beside him and swallowed. ¡°Ahem, so, those illusions! They looked and sounded so realistic¡­ how could the giant have known so much about us? Or about Oliver and Catherine?¡±

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    ¡°Lucky me that you know just the way to deal with... scary situations.¡± Her eyes twinkled as she smiled teasingly. ¡°With your hands-on approach.¡±

    Adam felt the blood rising to his cheeks and he frantically looked for a response.

    A vague moan sounded from somewhere near them, a moan that sounded surprisingly human. Secretly grateful to whoever caused the distraction, Adam pressed a finger to his lips and carefully stood up to investigate. After stumbling around the enclosure for a bit, he noticed the vague lines of a hatch under the ground.

    ¡°Hmmph¡­ mmm here!¡± a muffled voice sounded from beneath, a voice that Adam would recognize out of thousands. Grinning widely, like a child opening his birthday presents, Adam dug out the hatch and opened it.

    Oliver lay on the ground of a dark cellar. Red-faced, gagged, and bound by arms and feet, he crawled towards the hatch like a caterpillar. ¡°Fftop lauffing you baftard!¡± he managed to say.

    Adam grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Ah, no rush, I¡¯ve got to check whether you¡¯re an illusion, right? Let¡¯s see. You smell like a thirty-year-old guy who¡¯s been trapped in a cellar for a while, so that¡¯s one¡­¡± Adam counted on his fingers.

    Oliver¡¯s face turned into a dark shade of purple; a blue vein on his forehead started to pulse. ¡°I¡¯ll ffet you for ffis!¡±

    After teasing a bit more, Adam lowered himself into the cellar and released a particularly frustrated Oliver. Giddy with relief that Oliver was still in one piece, Adam brushed some dirt from the grey feathered cloak around his friend¡¯s shoulders.

    To tidy himself up a bit, Oliver padded the heavy black robes of his uniform of the Talons of Aves. He made sure the constellation on them was clearly visible and pinned the intricate badge of his rank over his right heart. Finally, Oliver carefully checked the silver rings on his fingers, with the religious symbols of the Starwing Order facing outwards. ¡°Under no circumstance will you tell Emily I was tied up,¡± Oliver whispered with the grave sternness of a general talking to his troops. ¡°Got that?¡±

    Adam snickered. Ah, of course. Letting the Roots know what rank they¡¯re dealing with before they pull our heads off is of the utmost importance. ¡°Oh, come on, who cares?¡± Adam asked while Oliver climbed out of the hatch with solemn dignity. ¡°I¡¯ve been tied up as well.¡±

    ¡°You know why!¡± Oliver softly hissed as he stood up next to the hatch. ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡ªah, Emily!¡± His expression instantly switched into a broad smile.

    ¡°Oliver!¡± Emily smiled up at him, and tried to sit up a bit, but flopped down again. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? Oh, by Aves, I¡¯m so glad to see you¡¯re okay!¡±

    Oliver grinned and blushed boyishly. ¡°Likewise! Grand to see you¡¯ve shown that filthy giant who¡¯s boss! It ambushed me with six comrades and locked me up after a fierce battle! I was just breaking the Invocations they¡¯d placed to keep me imprisoned when¡ª¡±

    Emily raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? Without any gestures?¡±

    The slightest crinkle appeared in Oliver¡¯s radiant smile. ¡°Gestures? What do you¡ª¡±

    Emily nodded towards his hands. ¡°You still have red marks from the bindings all over your fingers and wrists, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she said gently.

    Oliver got red in the face. ¡°Oh! Those are, eh¡­ Well, you know¡­¡±

    Adam casually walked by and sat down. ¡°They had bound me like a sausage before they paraded me around in a chariot, so nothing to be ashamed of.¡±

    Oliver glared at him as if all his life¡¯s woes were Adam¡¯s fault. ¡°Jerk.¡±

    Adam smiled broadly. ¡°But I am the jerk who saved your ass, eh?¡± Adam padded the ground beside him. ¡°Come on, relax, we deserve a bit of rest after all that happened.

    Oliver muttered something and sat down in a cross-legged position, as traditional within the Starwing Order. Looking for the right words, Adam placed a hand on Oliver¡¯s shoulder and squeezed a bit. Somehow, saying something heartfelt was always harder for him than banter. ¡°I was worried, you know. When we couldn¡¯t find you, I wasn¡¯t sure if Caine brought you somewhere else, or if the Roots¡­ err¡­¡± Adam coughed awkwardly. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just really glad you¡¯re still in one piece.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ quit the mushy sobbing, will you?¡± Oliver shook his head like a tough guy, but his eyes betrayed other, suppressed emotions. ¡°You¡¯re sounding just like my mother, bah! Oh, all right, I¡¯m glad you made it as well.¡± Oliver grinned and bumped Adam¡¯s shoulder with a fist. ¡°You too, Emily.¡± Oliver smiled and stretched out his hand towards her.

    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± Emily said, shifting her position to lie on her side. ¡°The giant hit me with a strange Invocation, so it¡¯s kinda painful.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s brows furrowed with concern. ¡°That bastard¡­ where are you hurt? I can try and heal it!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, well, it¡¯s on my back, but don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She waved her hand as if shooing his offer away. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it myself, it¡¯s some good practice for me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, of course.¡± Oliver nodded, although Adam could almost see the gears turning in his head. All three of them knew that Oliver was better at healing than Emily. Moreover, using the Weaver gesture to heal not only required precise manipulation of the Meridians and the bodily tissue, knowledge of the way the body was damaged was important as well. Now that she was already hurt and couldn¡¯t see what kind of damage had been done, healing it would be difficult indeed.

    However, it was Emily¡¯s choice. Oliver seemed to think so as well as he didn¡¯t press the subject.

    He cleared his throat. ¡°So, nice of Caine that he sent us on an involuntary vacation to this lovely underground neighbourhood. Like, I knew Caine had an inflated ego, but making an entire civilization treat him like Aves himself is a tad much, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Emily chuckled. ¡°Just a tiny bit. I wonder how he managed to keep all of this a secret.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how sick in the head he must be to make a whole library about my wife,¡± Adam said monotonously.

    Oliver scrunched up his face in confusion. ¡°What, a library? You¡¯re joking.¡±

    With one hand, Adam massaged his painful neck. ¡°Wish I was. He didn¡¯t just have thousands of books about her in there, no. Apparently, that wouldn¡¯t be creepy enough, so he crammed the place full of paintings and memorabilia like old shoes and necklaces as well.¡±

    ¡°Ah, a perfectly normal pastime, of course,¡± Oliver said absent-mindedly as he fiddled with his bottom lip, deep in thought. ¡°He always could get a little, err¡­ infatuated with women, but this¡­¡± After glancing at Adam with a pitying expression, he looked away for a moment, as if he wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°Must be tough for you, old dog. But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get her back.¡± He gave Adam a playful punch on the shoulder. ¡°I mean, with the way you smell right now, you could probably kill Caine by breathing in his face.¡±

    Adam laughed heartily. ¡°Oh really? As if you¡¯re a bouquet of roses.¡± He grabbed Oliver by the shoulders and messed up his all-too-neat blonde curls.

    ¡°Stop it! Stop it!¡± Oliver flailed his arms in a futile attempt to end the relentless assault.

 Chapter 21 - A Glimmer of Trust

    Chapter 21 - A Glimmer of Trust

    As Adam gathered twigs and dead pieces of the Overgrowth to make a small bonfire, he explained to Oliver what had happened to them so far. Although Emily was primarily busy with healing herself, she apparently couldn¡¯t resist making some additions.

    They filled Oliver in about their quite different experiences with the blue people. Emily got all excited when she talked about their fight in the pyramid. With a passionate glint in her eyes, she waved her arms to depict how she swung around the temple-like room to evade the snake. In her enthusiasm, she did end up straining her back, so she continued the story with smaller movements of her hands.

    Adam explained their theory on how the network of Nodes was structured, and how they should find Caine at the centre. With his old academic enthusiasm, Adam described the mysterious application of sorcery used by Caine, the Shepherds, and the giant. Oliver was all ears; especially concerning the sorcery and strange battle standards.

    Oliver was adamant that the Invocations must be some unknown application of the Forbidden Arts. The link with animals was obvious to him due to the peacock and the snake. Plus, both the giant and the Shepherds seemed ¡®rotten enough¡¯ to him to use the Forbidden Arts. Emily and Adam weren¡¯t sure as they didn¡¯t see a sign of emotion when the Invocations were cast.

    That left Novaseering. However, both Oliver and Emily said they didn¡¯t notice any manipulation of Oquira when the strange Invocations were applied. Furthermore, none of them saw any gestures being used. Adam theorized the giant and the Shepherds had found a way within one of the two types of sorcery to hide its tell-tale characteristics, or to use the peculiar symbols in their place somehow.

    With the pleasant chatter of his old friends around him, Adam gradually started to relax. Although it never disappeared completely, the knotted tension in his neck and the sides of his head lessened as he laughed along with the banter. Sitting near the bonfire, he confided in them how he felt about being brutally torn away from his family. How unreal it was not to have Catherine beside him, or not be woken up by Eric in the earliest hours. With a glassy expression, Emily told about her friends in Gotterburg, who were probably worried sick about her. Oliver doubted whether his colleagues could handle ¡®the serious responsibilities of his station.¡¯

    Adam smiled as they set up their makeshift camp. While Oliver and Emily lamented about Zachalynn¡¯s hold over the Starwing Order, and how they couldn¡¯t wait until she was dethroned, Adam was simply happy to still be drawing breath. They were safe for now, and what was even better: they¡¯d found Oliver and were together. It almost felt like the old times again.

    Although one person is missing. Adam sighed and his head drooped. As numerous days had gone by since the events in Gotterburg, the shock had turned into a grim realization of his current situation. And as it did, the cold wound of loss and sadness that lay beneath his rage at Caine became clearer. Even though he hated to admit it, he missed Caine. Or at least the man he used to be. Adam imagined the funny stories the old Caine would have told if he was trapped in here with them, as the smiling companion who mocked everyone and everything.

    After a while, Adam lay on his back on a makeshift ¡®mattress¡¯ of large leaves. With his hands underneath his head, he stared at lianas that hung from the tunnel¡¯s ceiling, covered in the dim orange light of the bonfire. Ever since the War of the Prophet, sleeping peacefully wasn¡¯t exactly one of his strong suits. Especially when compared to Oliver, who lay straight as an arrow and snored like an ox.

    However, there was a different reason he was awake tonight: Emily.

    Having taken the first watch, she sat near the fire, a black shape between him and the flickering light. Quietly, she was reaching her hands behind her back for a while, to heal the damage done by the giant.

    Adam wasn¡¯t sure what confused him more: her reaction when he asked about the mysterious voices or that he¡¯d actually grabbed her hand. Even though Cath had fought him, he was a faithful husband and had no intention to cheat on her. So, why had he done it?

    Furthermore, there was a subject long due to discuss: the small detail of him using the Forbidden Arts. Even though there was no telling how horrified or enraged she would react as a Talon of Aves, he simply had to tell her. With the fights around here, odds were he had to use Invocations again to survive. She would find out anyhow if she hadn¡¯t already, and it would undoubtedly be better if Adam talked with her about it. He would tell Oliver as well, later, but as Emily was usually less strict about the dogmas of the Starwing Order, he hoped she would understand. At least partially. Or, that she wouldn¡¯t immediately cut ties with him. Adam rubbed the scars on his wrist and puffed out his cheeks, preparing himself for what he was about to do. He stood up and walked up to her.

    ¡°Well, well,¡± Emily whispered, laying her hands on her lap. ¡°The prince has awoken from his slumber.¡±

    Adam chuckled. ¡°Mind if I sit with you for a bit?¡± he asked softly, even though he had never met anyone harder to wake than Oliver.

    Emily looked at him, her big orange eyes seemed to glow a bit in the fire¡¯s light. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Adam sat down beside her, taking care not to sit too close. He suppressed his stupid tendency to rub the scars on his wrists again. Damn, why are discussions like these harder than fighting a giant?! ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ err, been thinking about something. Remember when I asked you about the voices in the tunnel, and that you wouldn¡¯t tell me because I would make fun of you ¡®like always?¡¯ ¡±

    Emily looked at him with a blank, yet wary expression. She nodded slowly.

    Adam swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it a lot. I¡¯m not sure what happened in the past, or what I did, to make you feel that way. However, I¡¯m sure I never intended to disrespect you or your feelings. And I want to assure you that I¡¯ll not make fun of you again. Well, when talking about serious matters, of course, I¡¯m afraid the casual jokes are here to stay.¡±

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    Emily snickered, and her expression lit up a bit.

    ¡°Could you please tell me about the voices?¡± Adam asked. ¡°They could provide useful information on where we are or what this place is.¡±

    Emily cocked her head and looked at Adam for a moment. ¡°You¡¯ve really changed, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Emily frowned and warmed her hands at the fire. ¡°Well, the last time we spoke was during the War of the Prophet. And, err¡­ back then you would have never said anything this considerate. Before the war, sure, I had always known you as a friendly guy. But the War changed you somehow.¡±

    Vague memories came up before Adam¡¯s mind¡¯s eye. How the Pure had gone from town to town in all lands they conquered, killing everyone who refused to join them. How the ruins of once-bustling cities had smelled like ash and death. How Adam had grinned and howled in the fury of battle when he led his cavalry in a risky charge against the Prophet¡¯s towering constructs of war. How Adam had challenged and defeated Jeremiah in a duel, fully aware of the risks involved. At the time, Jeremiah had openly called Adam a fell-handed heretic and wondered when he¡¯d betray them for the Prophet, although he was a lot humbler after Adam was done with him.

    Scrunching up his face, Adam tried to repress the inky-black memories again. He held his palms up to warm them at the fire and sighed. ¡°It was a¡­ difficult time. One I don¡¯t like to remember. But how did I ¡®change?¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°I had the feeling the fame and ¡®glory¡¯ had risen to your head,¡± Emily said. ¡°Especially after you defeated Ajax and everyone talked about you as the ¡®Fist of Gotterburg¡¯ or even as the hope for humanity. You boasted all the time about your achievements, even Caine thought it was a bit too much. You talked down to others and the way you enjoyed fighting became disconcerting. I feared the brutal reality of war, the pain, and the fear made you¡­ err, sorry, that was harsh. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±

    Adam stared into the fire with a grim expression. Although he knew he had changed, he¡¯d never thought about himself like how Emily just described him. The vision from his dreams, in which a blood-covered version of himself swallowed him, appeared before his mind¡¯s eye. He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. At least I¡¯m not like that anymore.¡±

    Emily smiled warmly. ¡°Not at all.¡± She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. ¡°Some of the voices belonged to my parents.¡±

    Adam¡¯s eyebrows rose towards his hairline. He remembered the condescending male voice and the female voice slurred by alcohol and tried to match them with the trusted people he knew. When Adam and his friends had been kids, Louis had taken them all on small hikes through the forested mountains around Gotterburg. He had taught them to recognize the sounds of the different owls and liked to joke around. Vera, Emily and Caine¡¯s mother, used to say Adam was ¡®way too skinny¡¯ and always gave him double portions. Growing up poor, Adam had never failed in gratefully cleaning his plate.

    ¡®Fine! Leave me here to die! It¡¯s not like you care¡­¡¯ Vera¡¯s drunk voice echoed through his mind.

    Adam shivered. Although he¡¯d never imagined them saying anything like that, the voices matched. And it was not like Emily to lie about something like this.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­¡± Adam stammered. ¡°But¡­ your parents never said anything like those voices, right?¡±

    Emily¡¯s face was like a blank emotionless mask. ¡°They did. They just liked to play the ¡®happy family¡¯ to all visitors, while our family was rotten to the core.¡±

    ¡°Oof, that sounds¡­ sorry, I¡¯m searching for the right words.¡±

    Emily gave a vague, thin smile. ¡°That¡¯s okay, there are no right words for it.¡±

    ¡°Were they often like this?¡±

    Emily nodded slowly. ¡°Mom was a chronic alcoholic who guilt-tripped us into taking care of her all the time. I was cleaning her vomit since I was seven, I think? No, six. The servants couldn¡¯t know, of course, no bad stories could be told about ¡®the perfect Roosenburg family.¡¯ Dad

    A cold shiver ran down Adam¡¯s spine and he hunched his shoulders a bit. He wasn¡¯t sure if what had happened shook him more than the way Emily spoke about it. She¡¯s completely used to it. This is the life she has always known.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Emily said. ¡°I¡¯m not some broken bird, you know? All of this happened years ago and I turned out fine.¡±

    ¡°Certainly! And that¡¯s no small feat.¡± Adam stared into the fire and gritted his teeth. ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like that, you were children! I wish I could¡¯ve helped¡­ somehow.¡± Adam vaguely remembered how, back when they were kids, Caine sometimes had bruises underneath his clothes. Black and blue marks on his legs and back, that he quickly covered when they were seen. When asked about it, Caine had always laughed and told silly nonsense stories of how he got them, like fighting a moose. Adam clenched his hands into fists when he realized the grim reality. ¡°Did they¡ª¡±

    Emily¡¯s posture stiffened and she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve said too much already. What happened, happened, it¡¯s all in the past and I haven¡¯t spoken with my dad in years. So, let¡¯s stop, okay?¡±

    Suppressing the urge to try and help further, Adam smiled reassuringly at her. ¡°Sure. Thanks for sharing this with me.¡±

    Emily nodded, closed her eyes with a soft smile and placed her chin on her knee.

    A subtle, tingly warmth spread from Adam¡¯s left heart throughout his body. It urged him to sit closer to her, to lay an arm around her shoulders and feel her warmth. To smell the vanilla scent of her hair. The memory of how her hand had rested in his own beckoned him. Adam clenched his jaws, focused on the ground and ignored the temptations the best he could.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Oliver about the voices though, let me do that,¡± Emily said, not seeming to have noticed anything about Adam. ¡°He¡¯s sweet, but he always worries too much about me and will probably make a big deal about it. He already tries to arrange all kinds of favours and promotions within the Starwing Order for me. Not that I want him to, I want to earn my place myself. When Oliver knows, I need him to somehow keep a straight face towards my dad within the Starwing Order.¡± Emily sighed. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s your professional opinion on why the voices of my parents, from the past, would resonate around here?¡±

    Adam puffed out his cheeks. ¡°I can only imagine one person who knows about what happened and has the power around here to implement it. But why would he want his servants to know, or even be constantly reminded about it himself?¡± Adam ran his hand through his beard. ¡°Hmm, I have one idea. Within the Starwing Order, all who learn Novaseering have to study all aspects of Aves¡¯ life story, right? Because to learn about and understand Him grants the basis to practice Novaseering?¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°Ugh, another youth trauma, don¡¯t get me started. I can still recall ¡®The Wind around my Wings¡¯ word by word and that shit is boooring. Oh, wait, you¡¯re saying that¡¯s what Caine is doing? Making his servants study his life so they can learn sorcery?¡±

    ¡°His life and Catherine¡¯s, why else would they build such a detailed library? In history, it¡¯s quite common for immensely powerful creatures to let their followers study their lives so they can emulate their sorcery. Many creatures have been worshipped like Aves to learn Novaseering. The problem is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Caine and Catherine are not that powerful, not at the level of a deity. At least, I hope they¡¯re not.¡±

 Chapter 22 â€“ A Haze of Strife

    Chapter 22 ¨C A Haze of Strife

    Adam stared into their crackling bonfire for a while. Watching how the flames spread from branch to branch, he mulled over how he should bring up that one subject to Emily. Now that he was finally on good terms with her again, he hated to ruin it, but there was only one right thing to do.

    He thought about the right words one final time as he poked the fire with a stick, not entirely sure what he was doing. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to tell you. During our fight with the snake, I really thought I¡¯d die when I was trapped inside its tail. And I couldn¡¯t let that happen, not with Eric and Catherine waiting for me. So, with no other options left, I¡­ used the Forbidden Arts.¡± He studied Emily¡¯s reaction for a moment, but her expression was blank as she looked at him. ¡°It did it again during my fight with the giant, I would have died if I hadn¡¯t,¡± Adam continued. ¡°I hate it, I don¡¯t want to do it, but I can¡¯t use Novaseering and we need everything we have to survive. So¡ª¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Emily said softly.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What, you do?¡±

    Emily smiled. ¡°We both know what the Starwing Order says about the Forbidden Arts, of course, and we both know the risks. But you make your own decisions, and as long as you stay in control, who am I to judge? Not everyone who uses the Forbidden Arts is part of the Penduli, and you¡¯re definitely not one of them. So yes, I totally understand you need it to get a fighting chance and save your son.¡± She looked at the fire and thought for a moment. ¡°Honestly, I think it¡¯s rather brave you¡¯re willing to take the risk.¡±

    Adam blinked a couple of times. That was¡­ easier than expected? ¡°Thanks, and yes I¡¯m definitely aware. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let the Crimson Urges take over.¡±

    Emily nodded. ¡°Good. Maybe you should wait for a good moment to tell Oliver, though. You know he never was a fan of the Forbidden Arts before. Thing is¡­ while fighting the Penduli, he¡¯s had quite some bad experiences with it. And now that Caine brought us in here, with bizarre Invocations being used everywhere, well, maybe he needs a moment to calm down. He might flip when he hears, even though he shouldn¡¯t be surprised, of course.¡±

    Adam grimaced. Is she implying it was to be expected that I¡¯d use the Forbidden Arts? That it was a matter of time?! I never wanted this, damn it! Trying to stay calm despite the casual, back-handed insult, he exhaled deeply.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re understanding,¡± he uttered with a stiff jaw. ¡°But, what do you mean by that Oliver shouldn¡¯t be surprised that I¡¯ve used the Forbidden Arts?¡±

    Emily laughed and raised an eyebrow as if she thought Adam was joking. ¡°Uhm, because you used to do it all the time? Like, during the War of the Prophet and all?¡±

    Adam worked his jaw. An angry headache pulsed behind his eyes, while his heartbeat quickened. Calm, Adam, CALM. She just believes what she was told! He focused on deep breaths to cool off. ¡°Emily, I never did that.¡±

    Oliver made a few grunting and sputtering noises in the background before he went back to snoring.

    Adam looked back and continued softly. ¡°After the disaster of Ziecherhein, people like Jeremiah claimed horrible things about me to shove the blame down my throat and get me executed. That I used the Forbidden Arts all the time, but it isn¡¯t true! My left heart has Awakened somehow during the disaster, but I never actively used it before we ended up here! The fight against the snake was the first time I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Emily hissed. Any sign of a smile on her face had disappeared, replaced by a scorn of anger. ¡°You¡¯re trying this with me? This better not be some stupid joke! We all know you had to lie in court about this, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°It was the truth!¡± Adam said while standing up.

    Emily closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair. ¡°By Aves, I can¡¯t believe this!¡±

    ¡°Me neither!¡± Adam hissed. ¡°Why would I lie about¡ª¡±

    With her face contorted by rage, Emily pointed a jabbing finger at him. ¡°Oh, this is way worse than lying! You¡¯re trying to invalidate my own memories! What kind of imbecile do you think I am?! How many times have I seen you fight?¡± Her orange eyes seemed to simmer like coals in the light of the fire. ¡°And you keep preaching your hypocrisy about ¡®trust!¡¯<sub> </sub>¡± she spat. ¡°Making me talk about my family!¡±

    The pulsing headache of rage spread to Adam¡¯s temples. ¡°I am glad you entrusted me with your family¡¯s past,¡± Adam said through gritted teeth, trying with all his might to stay calm. ¡°But I can¡¯t talk along with this and pretend it¡¯s true! I never¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± Emily hissed and turned towards the fire again. ¡°Suit yourself! I¡¯m done talking.¡±

    Adam stomped back to his stupid makeshift bed and lay down. Oh yes, let¡¯s believe a pellet-head like Jeremiah instead of me! Damn it! Adam wrapped himself in his coat and tried to lie at least a bit comfortably. The thumping in the sides of his head continued, however, and he was way too angry to sleep. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m gonna train until I burst during my shift, blow off some damned steam!

    After turning in bed a couple of times, Adam sighed deeply. Why is this happening? We finally got along again¡­

    The next ¡®morning,¡¯ when the green pattern in the ground shone with bright light again, Oliver chatted happily. Having slept like a baby, he seemed oblivious to the stiff tension between Adam and Emily. Even though Adam was still angry, he tried to get along with Emily and cooperate at least. However, she avoided his gaze and only spoke the absolute minimum while breaking up camp, which pissed him off even more. The two packed their gourd pouches and weapons in silence on two opposite sides of their camp.

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    ¡°Look what I found!¡± Oliver said with a grin on his face as he walked back from the cellar. His arms were full of bags of water, packs of hardtack and strips of dried meat. ¡°Had nothing else to stare at while locked in that stupid cellar. At least we won¡¯t die of hunger anytime soon!¡±

    Adam snickered, despite his bad mood. ¡°Optimist!¡±

    Oliver truly was worth his weight in gold.

    The three of them exited the enclosure and continued through the tunnel. Although Adam and Oliver in particular were curious about the mysterious chambers and other tunnels they came across, it seemed wiser to keep following the pattern in the ground for now. If there was another ¡®Node¡¯ at the end, like the cavern with the pyramid, they¡¯d know part of their theory was correct. Then, they could consistently pick the pathways with the widest patterns in the ground and hopefully end up finding Caine in the centre.

    They walked past various openings to lush and misty underground forests, filled with the vague cries of owls and the laughing of children. After a while, the right wall opened up to show a large cave which resounded with the cawing of animals and a loud rush of water. A mighty waterfall flowed down past stone cliffs and strong trees. Shrouded in the waterfall¡¯s vapour, broad tree-branch-like bridges spanned the distances between the cave¡¯s different walls and led to various tunnels. Strange, brightly coloured birds flew around beside enormous dragonflies who seemed to nest on the wide branches. Bizarre reptiles soared past the foliage, flapping their straight, bat-like wings.

    Wet from the waterfall¡¯s vapour, Adam looked up at the amazing wildlife, eager as a boy in a candy store. Amazing¡­ those reptiles look like the fossils displayed in Ziecherhein¡¯s Menhir League, they should be long extinct! Such graceful creatures.

    Adam frowned when he realized there were patterns in the waterfall¡¯s vapour. Together, the tiny water droplets formed the shapes of children, who played and ran together. The children grew and changed until they wore beaked helmets and plate armour with the tell-tale feathered arcs of the Royal Army on their backs. The knights stood on Aerial Aegises: silvered shields with feathered wings, piloted by the consciousness of a great owl after a complex Instillment ritual within Novaseering.

    Flying on their Aerial Aegises, the knights heaved their tridents and dove down towards Penduli forces. Recognizable by their elaborate vambraces and the Bronze Scale¡ªthe tell-tale symbol of the Penduli¡ªon their chainmail armour, the enemy troops had barricaded themselves behind tree trunks and debris.

    Adam shuddered a bit, trying to figure out if this was yet another illusion. Damn, each time you think this place starts to make sense¡­ Emily and Oliver ignored the battle of waterdrops though, and they walked past in silence.

    In the spectacle of water droplets, several Penduli tried to attack the flying Royal Army knights with two-handed axes. A Penduli Novaseer managed to shackle one of the Aerial Aegises with a chain of Ironglass. His muscular comrade jumped up and conjured a familiar, savage aura around his axe with the Forbidden Arts before he struck the fallen knight. The furious battle continued until the patterns in the droplets faded into nothing.

    Hmm, the knight we fought conjured a similar aura. Now that I¡¯m using the Forbidden Arts anyhow, could I learn that Invocation as well? Walking after Oliver and Emily, Adam racked his mind on how he could learn to properly use the Forbidden Arts. However, he barely understood the basic principles. He knew it was somehow related to emotions, survival, and animals, but he didn¡¯t know how exactly. Although he did use some Invocations once, he never succeeded in replicating them later on. Maybe I can only use it in life-or-death scenarios, like when the giant almost killed me?

    Adam looked up at Oliver. Huh, speaking of the giant. ¡°So, Oliver, are you going to tell us what really happened when you woke up in this place?¡± Adam asked, a bit loudly to make himself heard over the roaring of the waterfall. ¡°You managed to dodge the subject quite well!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, all right.¡± Oliver stroked a few wet, blonde curls from his face. ¡°I woke up, tied up like a sausage and surrounded by a group of Thalers.¡± Oliver raised his eyebrows at the questioning looks of Adam and Emily. ¡°You know, Thalers! Those blue idiots who have Caine¡¯s eyes for some reason? Like, really, what is that about, some messed-up family of his?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, if that were true, I somehow suspect I would¡¯ve known about them.¡± Emily deadpanned.

    ¡°Oh! Of course,¡± Oliver said sheepishly. ¡°So, the Thalers were discussing what to do with me. They wanted to follow some ¡®Command¡¯ of Caine to bring me to the ¡®Palace of Origin.¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s where the Thalers who accompanied me tried to take me as well,¡± Emily said. ¡°I had to get up the spiral on the pyramid to ¡®associate.¡¯ Hmm, as Caine is considered a Lord around here, maybe the Palace of Origin is his home in here?¡±

    One of the airborne reptiles soared a bit nearer and eyed them curiously. Adam eyed it back and eagerly studied its almost alien physique. How can all these animals be here, when they¡¯ve been extinct for so long? Did this population travel underground and stay safe while the ones on the surface died out? He snickered. More importantly, could we take one back home and keep it as a pet?

    ¡°Ah, that certainly sounds possible!¡± Oliver exclaimed as if Emily made a mind-boggling discovery. ¡°Maybe the palace is what¡¯s at the centre of this whole network? Anyway, after the bickering between the Thalers, one of the giants among them brought me along. The same one you fought, actually. Back then, he wasn¡¯t all entangled though, he was more like some dignified leader among the Thalers. In the tunnels, we were attacked by Roots and he fought them off single-handedly. He survived, but those Overgrowth vines began to grow on him and he started acting, uhm¡­ insane. Not long after, he threw me in that stupid cellar.¡± Oliver frowned and shook his head. ¡°If only I had known he was going to lay a trap for you.¡±

    Adam looked at Oliver again. ¡°Happy to see the Roots didn¡¯t manage to entangle you though. How did they infect the giant?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. The battle was pretty chaotic, with shrieking Roots everywhere. My hands were tied up so I had to do a¡­ uhm, strategic retreat. Anyway, I did pick up some intel. The Thalers were talking about war tactics, and from the way they spoke about the Roots, it sounded like they were some new kind of threat to them. Supposedly there¡¯s something called a ¡®Core of the Overgrowth¡¯ they were searching for, although they weren¡¯t sure what it was exactly. They also discussed a different kind of threat, called a Thuraum. Scary stuff. Apparently, one of those things is capable of making many tunnels inaccessible and has a risk of ¡®spreading further.¡¯ The Thalers sent a heavily armed battalion at one of them to ¡®push it back.¡¯

    Adam whistled softly. ¡°A whole battalion for one enemy, and it sounds like that¡¯s not even enough to kill it.¡± Adam imagined an army of Thalers taking on a Schultora-like creature with their staffs and chariots. ¡°Any idea what these Thuraum are or how we could recognize one?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, no idea.¡±

 Chapter 23 - A Cycle of Fear

    Chapter 23 - A Cycle of Fear

    After a couple of days of following the glowing trail in the ground, Adam wondered whether he¡¯d permanently see the leaf-vein-like pattern whenever he closed his eyes. However, the effort wasn¡¯t without results. When Adam passed another turn in the twisting tunnel, he ended up at a giant hemispherical cave: a new Node.

    Although it was approximately a fifth the size of the previous Node, the sight of the underground civilization took Adam¡¯s breath away.Yellowish light from up above, and the goldish-green patterns in the ground, cast shimmering shades on the hieroglyph-covered stalagmites. Unspoiled by Overgrowth vines or signs of battle, the fortified obsidian aqueducts, fortresses and vaulted halls stood tall in all their glory. At the centre of the town was another pyramid, smaller than the last one, with a goldish-green spiral on top. To Adam¡¯s relief, the statue in the spiral¡¯s centre wasn¡¯t of Catherine, but of some tower with a balcony.

    The silence was deafening. As the group carefully made their way inside, even the crunch of their footsteps seemed to echo through the open space. A flock of birds flew up, cawing and flapping their wings with an uncaring racket. Adam rubbed the scars on his wrists and looked around skittishly if anyone had noticed them.

    ¡°Ah, another Node, just like you said!¡± Oliver said softly, padding Adam on the shoulder. ¡°Grand work!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, thanks,¡± Adam whispered. With an uneasy feeling as if he was being watched, he scanned the town and the bushy slopes around them but couldn¡¯t find anything.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Emily sighed. ¡°Now we can check out the top of a pyramid! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Adam frowned. ¡°Wait. The light at the previous Node was a reddish-orange, right? Why is it yellow around here?¡± He explicitly kept his gaze on the ground for now.

    Emily raised an eyebrow. ¡°So? Creative tastes can differ, you know?¡±

    Adam smiled and pointed up dryly. ¡°Ah, of course. I¡¯m sure nightmarish monstrosities like Schultora, who like to replicate the sun, come together on weekends to make sure their colours match the latest fashion.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes. Hmm, still pissed.

    Oliver fiddled with his lips as he looked around, deep in thought. ¡°Sharp observation, maybe there¡¯s a variation of that Schultora you mentioned. We should devise a plan, hmm? One of us can see if the source of the light is dangerous, while the others stand guard?¡±

    Emily stepped forwards and looked up. She scrunched up her face in disgust and turned away, squeezing her eyes shut. ¡°Urgh, damn it all¡­ That¡¯s definitely no Schultora, however.¡±

    ¡°Well, I just said we should make a plan!¡± Oliver said indignantly.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine!¡± she said, trying to keep a straight face.

    Adam sighed. Although he could name quite some things he¡¯d rather do, he knew he had to see whatever was up there.

    Hidden between the trees on the slopes of the newly discovered Node, Adam closed his eyes and let his head hang back. He loosened his shoulders a bit and mentally prepared himself to look at the mysterious source of the light. To behold Schultora in the last Node was, without a doubt, one of the most confusing and disturbing experiences of his life. Although all the extinct animals around here were strange, their existence was easier to grasp than a gigantic creature with such a disgusting effect. Adam still felt filthy since his heart carried Schultora¡¯s scorched mark, hinting at a disturbing relationship he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to understand.

    However, he couldn¡¯t afford to take the easy road. Every bit of information could be vital to unravel the mysteries of this place and come up with a way out. Adam clenched his hands into fists. Eric, Cath, this is for you.

    He opened his eyes.

    A grand hemisphere hung from the centre of the cave¡¯s ceiling, shining brightly in a yellow-brownish light. The hemisphere consisted of a dense mass of small figures that continuously squirmed from its lowest point towards its edges. As Adam looked at it, his stomach lurched and a sour, filthy taste formed in his mouth. The figures were small animals that ran in mindless panic. Rabbits, insects, lizards¡ªall kinds of species kept on emerging from the lowest point, and frantically fled for their lives. Wild-eyed, with mouths open in blind terror, they screamed their soundless cries as they crawled over each other towards the edge, where their bodies joined into the mass again. There seemed to be no end to the continuous cycle of fear up above.

    ¡°Osaehin,¡± echoed a voice like a thousand screeching animals, which seemed to emanate from inside Adam¡¯s head. ¡°Osaehin.¡±

    Adam grunted, baring his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut. Real as the days they happened, old memories flashed before his eyes. The sounds, scents, and painful emotions of his troubled past overwhelmed him with unparalleled intensity.

    He was a kid again and pushed his skinny legs to run as fast as possible. Young eyes darted over Gotterburg¡¯s alleys to find a way out. With a raspy laugh, Joshua and those shady friends of his chased Adam. Earlier, Adam had always looked up to his dear older brother so much, in awe of his skill with knives. Now, Joshua held one with an entirely different intention.

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    ¡°Come out, come out, wherever you are¡­¡± Joshua¡¯s smoky voice sing-songed. He twirled the blade between his fingers in one of his sickening show-off tricks, while Adam desperately hid behind crates of garbage. ¡°Better not be pissing yourself again, eh?¡± Joshua¡¯s friends chuckled as they looked through the alley.

    Everything changed around Adam. Suddenly, he lay down on an old, clammy mattress. He was back at the dark, abandoned storehouse near Gotterburg¡¯s river wharves. The beggars, orphans, street rats and others who sought shelter, like Adam, scurried away in fear. It was the night when city guards came in with torches, clubs, and tridents. They yelled, kicked over the meagre possessions of the poor, and beat up anyone who was too slow. Like rats escaping a sinking ship, everyone fled towards the window. The mass of panicked people swallowed Adam like a sea of stinking bodies. The crowd became tighter and tighter, hotter and hotter until little Adam was squeezed tight between yelling adults. He prayed for all his life that he wouldn¡¯t be squeezed to death.

    Adam was vaguely aware his real body had fallen down. A searing pain emanated within Adam¡¯s left heart as if a red-hot branding iron was pressed into it. The scorched brand of the gruesome hemisphere remained, beside the mark of Schultora.

    ¡°Osaehin,¡± his left heart whispered. ¡°Osaehin.¡±

    Something stirred, deep down in Adam¡¯s subconscious. Something forbidden, like a dark bestial form that slowly made its way up from the forgotten depths of Adam¡¯s mind. It swam closer and closer to Adam¡¯s panicked consciousness.

    Begone! Adam almost yelled in his mind, a vain attempt to gain control over the maelstrom of flashing memories before his mind¡¯s eye. All of this was years ago! Leave me be!

    Everything changed around Adam again. He was older and lay behind the corpse of the moose he had ridden to battle. Holding his breath, he tried with all his might to keep his quivering limbs under control. With loud stomps and nauseating squelching noises, the enemy came.

    Knights in plate armour, richly decorated with the golds, purples and whites of the Pure, thundered past. Even the heavily armoured rhinos they rode had the empty white light in their eyes. Many comrades of Adam¡¯s army ran for their lives, screaming for their loved ones and jumping over corpses and dropped equipment. With euphoric, relaxed faces, as if they enjoyed a casual ride in the countryside, the Pure knights gained on them. One of them blew his gold-rimmed horn in victory and the others raised their battle standards in honour of the Prophet. Squirming in his hiding place, Adam clenched his trembling hands over his mouth. He screamed soundlessly as the knights trampled or speared his comrades with ruthless efficiency.

    THIS ISN¡¯T REAL! Adam squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth in his attempt to gain back control. Slowly, he became conscious of his real body again. However, the stream of memories that came in quick succession was relentless. He saw with horror how Eric¡¯s terrified eyes peered at him from behind Catherine¡¯s legs. Then, an avalanche-like roar of breaking stone filled his mind. The tower-sized living statues of the Pure broke down city walls right in front of him. Suddenly, his mind was filled with intense fflash of green light which felled soldiers left and right.

    All of a sudden, the suffocating water was all around him again. As his lungs burned for air, he could see the sun shining high above him. He even saw the people who watched him squirm. There was no escape¡­

    NO! LEAVE ME! Adam grunted, trying to ignore the terror that flowed through his veins. He focused on his physical body, on his clenched fingers that dug grooves through the dirt, in an attempt to block out the memories. And slowly, gradually, the images and sounds subsided. With chattering teeth and sweaty palms, he lay in a foetal position on the cold ground. The forbidden, dark mass of the past sank back into the depths of his subconscious. Instinctively, Adam repressed any memory that it ever existed.

    ¡°Osaehin,¡± Adam¡¯s heart whispered. And all was silent again.

    By the damned night... If Schultora is linked to guilt, Osaehin is linked to fear, no doubt.

    ¡°¡ªdam! Adam!¡± Oliver said, holding the side of Adam¡¯s head. ¡°Wake up, buddy! Can you hear me?¡±

    Adam opened his eyes with difficulty, it took a moment before the blurry images coalesced into a worried Oliver. Emily stood at his side.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m back,¡± Adam said absent-mindedly. His mind was slow and muddy but gradually started to work again. He sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Ugh, damn that thing. Did you two feel that? All those memories?¡±

    Oliver frowned at him. ¡°What memories? Now that you mention it, it reminded me a bit of, err¡­ unpleasant times. But what in the world do you remember that made you roll over the ground?¡±

    ¡°What? How could you even stay standing?¡± Adam got up with Oliver¡¯s help. ¡°All of it was so real¡­ Times when I had struggled to stay alive as a kid. Multiple fights from the War of the Prophet, even some that I thought I¡¯d forgotten already.¡±

    Oliver hung on Adam¡¯s every word, studying Adam¡¯s face with a peculiar mix of worry and stern attention. ¡°From the siege of Ziecherhein?¡±

    Adam grimaced. ¡°No, fortunately.¡±

    Emily¡¯s face was paler than usual. She held her arms crossed and avoided Adam with her gaze. ¡°I remembered all sorts of things as well. Somehow, I heard the word ¡®Osaehin¡¯ over and over.¡±

    Adam smiled, relieved to hear he wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°Yes! Exactly!¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t nearly as bad for me, though,¡± she continued, still refusing to look at him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t rolling on the ground or anything.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Adam¡¯s. ¡°Did the same happen when you saw Schultora?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, sort of?¡± Adam said.

    Oliver looked up at Osaehin again and squinted with a distasteful curl in his lips as if he looked at some dirt under his boot. ¡°Was this Schultora you told me about an unsettling ornament like this? Hmm, I wouldn¡¯t let Caine decorate my home if he places things like that, I think I prefer oil lamps.¡±

    Adam brushed some bits of grass from his coat. There is some connection between my heart, emotions, and these beings. Schultora and Osaehin. Maybe they don¡¯t have the same effect on Emily and Oliver as only my left heart has Awakened? Because only I have an active connection with the Forbidden Arts?

    ¡°So,¡± Adam said, eager to change the subject. ¡°Shall we investigate the top of the pyramid and see if we can find out what ¡®to associate¡¯ means?¡±

    Emily clapped her hands softly and started walking. ¡°Yes! Finally!¡±

    Oliver huffed. ¡°Wait, we need a plan! It¡¯s a whole town we don¡¯t know! Thalers might be everywhere! We need to investigate what we¡¯re up against!¡±

    Adam nodded. ¡°Fair, but there¡¯s no sign of the Overgrowth or Roots and the whole place seems deserted. This might be our only chance to find an unguarded pyramid.¡±

    Meanwhile, Emily crouched behind bushes and trees and was already on her way into the town. Adam dragged an indignant Oliver along to follow.

 Chapter 24 - An Eye of Unity

    Chapter 24 - An Eye of Unity

    Taking care not to be seen or heard, Adam snuck past the many walls and fortified buildings of the town. In an attempt to find out where they were, he studied the buildings, trying to link their art and architectural style to one of the many cultures he knew. Although he admired how the waterfalls at the walls of the cave were put to use by sophisticated water mills and elegant arching aqueducts, he¡¯d never seen anything like it. Towering buildings, integrated with the colossal stalagmites and stalactites, were covered with hieroglyphs and reliefs, showing ranks of soldiers with overlapping shields.

    The many attributes of the Royal Army and the Talons of Aves seemed curiously out of place in this environment. Although most statues depicted Caine, many likenesses of soldiers and myrmidons were erected beside long military flags. However, most statues in the Node depicted Caine as a dignified lord.

    Why would Caine make so many likenesses of the Royal Army and the Starwing Order in here, when he has betrayed them as a Penduli? It doesn¡¯t make sense!

    Luckily, the group didn¡¯t see any Thalers or Roots. They did encounter a group aurochses, the huge extinct ancestors of modern cows, which wandered through the deserted streets. The bull amongst them warily raised his horned head to the same height as a small elephant. While his herd grazed on garden plants and mushrooms, he kept a watchful eye on Adam, Emily, and Oliver from a distance.

    Adam groaned internally; he would¡¯ve loved to study the proud, mighty beast further. So many extinct animals¡­ Has this place been isolated from the world above ground for ages, which gave these creatures the opportunity to survive? Or did the Thaler consciously keep populations like these alive?

    After a while, Adam had followed Emily up the small stairs to the flattened top of the pyramid. The massive spiral in the floor bathed the statue of the tower in a warm, greenish-gold light. Vaguely familiar to Adam, the tower showed a balcony with two sculptures: Caine stood together with a beautiful woman. Adam scrunched up his nose. Another honey on the side, sickening.

    Along the edges of the pyramid¡¯s flattened top stood many pedestals decorated with symbols that glowed in green. The position of each pedestal was perfectly aligned with one of the tunnels and its pattern in the ground, which ended at the pyramid¡¯s base. And so, looking out over each pedestal gave a good view of its corresponding tunnel. There was also a round notch on the top of each pedestal, as if something should be placed inside.

    Eager to learn more about the strange sorcery practised here, Adam studied the pedestal that corresponded with the tunnel towards Catherine¡¯s Node. Below the round notch was an engraved hieroglyph, depicting a woman in the swirly, colourful art style that seemed typical for the Thalers. Adam squinted and cocked his head to the side a bit before he recognized the hieroglyph as a rough, stylized depiction of Catherine.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, maybe we can use the hieroglyphs on these pedestals for navigation, to see what kind of statue is on the pyramid at the end of each tunnel! Look, this one depicts Catherine. I¡¯m not sure what the notch and that symbol are for though¡­¡±

    Oliver huffed and puffed behind him, bent over with his hands on his knees after running up all the steps of the pyramid. After he¡¯d always focused his training on Novaseering, Oliver had become a powerful sorcerer indeed. However, being relatively out of shape compared to Adam and Emily had its downsides. ¡°Marvellous,¡± Oliver managed to say between his panting.

    When Adam got a bit closer to Catherine¡¯s hieroglyph, unfamiliar feelings rose within him. Although Adam¡¯s heart was calm and didn¡¯t pump any heat through his body, the peculiar emotions of doubt and guilt that came up were definitely not his own. It was like he was wondering how he could hide something, although Adam had no idea what that would be. He frowned and took a few steps back; the strange feelings disappeared again.

    Emily made a startled gasp. ¡°Oh, look at this!¡±

    She stood in front of the spiral. With a loud gushing sound, goldish-green energy seemed to flow through it, towards the tower at its centre. The tower had transformed. Instead of plain white marble, every colour and detail of the tower was clearly visible, as if it was real. The likenesses of Caine and the mesmerizing red-haired woman on the balcony were actually moving, although they seemed oblivious to Adam and Emily, who gaped up at them. Soft bits of sound came from the statue, like indiscernible voices and the shriek of metal on metal.

    Oliver fiddled with his lips and studied the statue with a frown of concentration as if he was absorbing every detail. Adam looked back to check if any enemies had seen the statue¡¯s bizarre change, but nothing unusual seemed to be going on in the deserted Node.

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    ¡°Now what do we do?¡± Oliver asked.

    ¡°Take a closer look, of course!¡± Emily said as she stepped towards the spiral. ¡°We got this far, why¡ª¡±

    Emily¡¯s movements slowed down until she stopped in her tracks, standing still as if frozen.

    ¡°What? Emily!¡± Adam shouted. He ran towards her to get her out, but couldn¡¯t reach her. If he would step on the rushing spiral he would probably be affected as well. ¡°Oliver! Use Novaseering to pull her off!¡±

    Oliver shut his gaping jaw and made the Ironglass gesture. Before he could act, Emily¡¯s body glowed in a greenish-gold light and she disappeared in thin air.

    ¡°Ugh, Emily!¡± Oliver groaned. ¡°Where did you go?!¡±

    ¡°No! Damn it!¡± Adam growled, clenching his fists in frustration. ¡°Why am I so slow? This spiral, and that rushing noise, it¡¯s similar to the Invocation Caine used on us in the Starwing Grove!¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What, you mean she¡¯s been transported to a different location?¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Adam said dryly. ¡°She¡¯s just standing right there, can¡¯t you see?¡± He gestured broadly at the nothingness in front of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Emily! I¡¯m coming for you!¡± Oliver yelled, running towards the spiral. Before Adam could react, Oliver¡¯s feet touched the loudly gushing pattern. His body slowed down as well.

    ¡°No! We don¡¯t know what this thing does or where it leads!¡± Adam growled at Oliver, who stood still as if frozen. ¡°Blindly rushing in worked wonders with the giant¡¯s trap, remember?¡±

    Oliver didn¡¯t, or couldn¡¯t, react. His body disappeared in a goldish-green glow.

    Adam pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Marvellous. Strange for him to rush in without a plan though. Probably because it¡¯s Emily who¡¯s in trouble.

    Adam studied the spiral again, remembering the spiral that had transported them here didn¡¯t have a statue, pyramid, or pedestals. It did have intricate hieroglyphs in the outer rings, which were lacking in the spiral in front of him. Yeah, no idea what these differences mean. For all I know Oliver and Emily might be back in Gotterburg now. Either way, do I want to stay behind and leave them to their fate?

    Adam looked at the statue of the tower, which seemed more real than ever, and he puffed out his cheeks. He walked forward and felt his body slow down. All around him became dark. There were no sounds or smells anymore, as if nothing existed, except for the statue. Adam¡¯s movements stopped completely. Yes, this is just like when Caine brought us into this place. Maybe¡­ Adam tried to think, but his thoughts slowed down until they stopped completely.

    Adam slowly got back to his senses. His blurry dreams, of pure green light shaping the outlines of people and buildings all around him, drifted away to his subconsciousness. It took a while before he realized he was lying on his belly on a smooth, hard surface. Warm sunlight tickled his skin. There were sounds around him, besides the ringing in his ears. The marching of feet, the rattle of chainmail, and the shouts of people trying to keep order. What, where am I?

    With difficulty, Adam opened his eyes a bit. The Node, the top of the pyramid, all were gone. He lay on a flat stone roof instead. The sun that shone merrily on the grey, fortified buildings around him seemed strangely out of place after being underground for so long. Huh, am I out? Are we free? He forced his stiff body to sit up.

    ¡°Ah, Adam,¡± Oliver said, walking towards him at a tense pace. Oliver¡¯s hands quivered as he helped Adam up. ¡°Glad that you¡¯ve joined us. There is something you must see.¡±

    Adam gasped when he looked at their all-too-familiar surroundings. They stood on a high building within Eulenschloss: one of Dorenland¡¯s great fortresses. Enclosed by mountains, the proud fortification was swarming with troops of the Royal Army. Archers and tridentiers marched up the broad walls, dressed in the light blue, silver, and black colours of the Royal Army. The symbol of Aves, the black owl that enveloped the world, decorated their shields and a plume of feathers crowned their beaked helmets.

    Under the commands of their screaming officers, the archers readied their bows and quivers. Many looked over the walls with pale, clammy faces of fear, for another army marched through the mountain valley and straight towards the fortress. An army clad in elegant, spotless robes and equipment of purple, white, and gold. Three legions with tall and proud banners, moved in perfect unison as they were all controlled like puppets by a single unified consciousness.

    Adam felt the blood drain from his face. ¡°No¡­ no, this can¡¯t be happening¡­¡±

    In stark contrast with the messy attempts at order in the Royal Army, the Pure effortlessly adjusted their complex combat formations. Elegant siege towers, shielded with gilded screens depicting the heavens, were readied in ideal positions for the siege. Cavalry that rode heavily armoured rhinos were readied at the flanks. All carried the symbol called the Unity: a gold circle that linked together six pupilless ivory eyes, depicting the ¡®holy community¡¯ of the Pure.

    Although the Unity was a feared symbol, forbidden by the kingdom of Dorenland, the most terrifying aspect of the Pure was their faces. An empty, white light shone out of the pupilless eyes of all that were joined in the Pure. A blissful, euphoric smile adorned their faces in all circumstances. Filled with ¡®the endless happiness of the Heavens,¡¯ they were unable to experience pain in any form.

    Her mouth open in shock, Emily stared at the approaching forces. ¡°How¡­ the Pure were defeated years ago! Have their remnants attacked us with a new army?¡±

    ¡°They haven¡¯t,¡± Adam said softly, trying to comprehend the implications of all that was happening around him. ¡°Eulenschloss, the placement of the troops around the fortress, this army of the Pure¡ªI remember all of it.¡± Oliver and Emily stared at him. ¡°This is a battle from the War of the Prophet, eight years ago, a couple of months before the battle of Stormbridge,¡± Adam continued. His finger shivered as he pointed at the southern wall. ¡°I fought over there, near the second tower from the left.¡±

    And there on the southern wall was the last person he¡¯d expected to see: a past version of himself.

 Chapter 25 - An Embrace of Control

    Chapter 25 - An Embrace of Control

    Wide-eyed, Adam stroked his hands through his hair, struggling to process everything that happened around him. His mind raced for an explanation, a reason to let it all make sense. What¡­ how can this be? Why is this happening to us?

    In the distance, a young Adam looked out over the walls of the fortress. He didn¡¯t have a beard yet and his long brown hair flowed in the wind. He was lean, muscular, and looked powerful in his brown wraith-leather armour: a man in his prime. The young Adam wasn¡¯t wearing bracers yet; the skin on his wrists was still unscarred. Although he stood too far away, Adam knew his eyes still had their trusted sheen of brown at that time.

    Among most soldiers in the fortress, the fear was palpable. People prayed and prayed, feverishly kissing their silvered holy rings or whispering to little figures on their necklaces. Others stared blankly into the distance, looking like they might throw up. However, the young Adam yawned and stretched his legs, warming up his muscles. Like an oasis of calm amongst them, he looked relaxed and clearly eager to fight. A little impatient, even. He pointed at the approaching army of the Pure and smiled at someone beside him.

    The old Adam gaped; the female warrior who had attacked them within the pyramid stood beside his young self, although he could¡¯ve sworn he had never seen her before. Compared to the version they had faced at the time, she seemed young and fresh. Her armour was clean and she still had both her arms. She also lacked the mysterious chains that had been wrapped around her other version¡¯s torso. Unharmed and just as relaxed as the young Adam, the warrior laughed and stretched out both her arms.

    ¡°So, Adam,¡± Emily said, biting off every word with rage. ¡°Very kind to point out that is you indeed, you fell-handed liar. Mind sharing the jokes you¡¯ve told that warrior over there? You know, the one who nearly killed us and who you claimed to ¡®have never met before?¡¯ ¡±

    Adam was lost for words. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°That can wait!¡± Oliver interrupted brusquely. ¡°How can we be here?¡±

    Emily turned away from Adam. ¡°This reminds me of theatre plays in which they travel through time.¡±

    Adam shook his head. ¡°Time travel has never been possible.¡±

    Emily raised her hands in the air in frustration. ¡°Oh no! Things that aren¡¯t supposed to be possible! Well, those certainly aren¡¯t happening every damn day around here!¡±

    Broad columns of purple light appeared at multiple places around the walls. In each column, a translucent image of the Prophet¡¯s face was projected at the same time. A sophisticated-looking old man with neat white hair, a moustache, and high cheekbones. He managed to combine a friendly, fatherly smile with the unmistakable shine of command in his white eyes.

    ¡°My children,¡± the Prophet¡¯s deep voice echoed throughout the fortress for all to hear. ¡°I am not angry with you, for you all are merely confused and misled. Fear not. There is still hope, warmth, and forgiveness for those willing to listen.¡±

    Although Adam and many others knew the Prophet wasn¡¯t present on this battlefield, the projection alone was enough to stir the soldiers. Some panicked, others squeezed their eyes shut or put fingers in their ears, and some looked at the projections with awe.

    ¡°Under the commands of your egocentric, incapable leaders, you crawl through the dirt,¡± the Prophet continued. ¡°You¡¯re forced to live a life of regret, guilt, and suffering, and you¡¯re expected to die for those who never cared about you. You suffer, you always have, through the consequences of actions of others and your own.¡± The prophet smiled sadly. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve this. And those ¡®priests¡¯ dare to expect you to thank Aves? Some Greater Being who falsely proclaimed himself to be a ¡®god?¡¯ How come you have to suffer, when He¡¯s supposed to be so loving toward his followers?¡±

    Oliver shivered, a bitter frown on his face. ¡°I¡¯d never thought I had to hear his filth once again.¡±

    Adam nodded grimly. ¡°Nor had I.¡±

    ¡°¡ªallow me to help you, to save you, and give you the happy life you¡¯ve always deserved,¡± the Prophet continued. ¡°Allow me to free you from the lonely burden of difficult, painful choices. Allow me to guide you, to give you the life you were always supposed to have. Join me, in the embrace of love and unity of all who have joined together as One.¡± The Prophet looked stern, although a hint of sadness was still visible in his eyes. ¡°However, I cannot save those who cling to their lies and resist the inevitable Truth. Shadows and evil must yield to everlasting light. And so, I shall remove the defiled until only the righteous remain. Until all who breathe are Pure.¡±

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    As the columns of purple light disappeared, wildly enthusiastic cheering erupted from the Pure¡¯s army. They sang and sighed in the utter bliss of eternal happiness.

    Adam curled his lips with disgust, he remembered all too clearly what the Pure had done to those who disagreed with their ¡®truth.¡¯ ¡°In the years after the war, have they found a way to change those who joined the Pure back to normal?¡±

    Emily looked grimly back at him before she turned away again. Oh, right, their mother.

    ¡°Many have tried,¡± Oliver said monotonously. ¡°They¡¯ve never been able to return even a trace of their old personality.¡±

    Adam rose, thinking about what they should do.

    ¡°Oh, look!¡± Emily said, pointing behind them. On the roof, strangely out of place in the fortress, was a familiar goldish-green spiral. Emily looked at it with relief and nodded. ¡°That should be the way back to the Node! Let¡¯s get out of here before the battle begins.¡±

    After the initial shock had passed, Adam¡¯s mind started to work again. He shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I know someone around here who has some explaining to do; Caine was in this battle. That statue on the pyramid? I remember now; he was tasked to guard Agatha the Red in a tower. No wonder we didn¡¯t recognize her at first, she changed quite a bit before she founded the Penduli and became known as the Queen of Glass.¡±

    Emily gasped.

    Oliver raised his eyebrows and snapped his fingers. ¡°Agatha, of course! Maybe Caine conspired with her to form the Penduli, as far back as this battle! Time to pay those pieces of filth a visit.¡±

    ¡°Guys! Think for a second!¡± Emily said. ¡°By the night, we¡¯re in a siege of the Pure! We should get out while we still can!¡± Huh, odd, she¡¯s not one to back away easily.

    Oliver shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not much safer back there.¡±

    ¡°Who knows when we¡¯ll get a chance like this again!¡± Adam said. ¡°Caine should be right here. We¡¯re not sure if he¡¯s at the centre of that Node network and he might be guarded by hundreds of giants for all we know!¡±

    Emily angrily pressed her fists into her sides. ¡°So you want to take on the Queen of Glass at her prime with Caine? I didn¡¯t know your death-whish was that urgent!¡±

    ¡°Getting cold feet, eh?¡± Adam laughed. ¡°No, a straight-up fight would be our end, but we can check if we can catch Caine separately or off guard. Also, we might gather useful intel.¡±

    Emily opened her mouth a couple of times as if she wanted to say something, thought for a bit, then nodded stiffly.

    Adam looked out over the large fortress. Eulenschloss was built roughly like a semicircle, with the straight wall built against the mountainside to the east. The long curved wall faced the mountain pass outside. Adam, Emily, and Oliver stood on a barracks near the western edge of the fortress, while the tower where Caine guarded Agatha was near the eastern wall.

    Adam pointed in the distance. ¡°There it is, next to the main keep of the fortress.¡±

    Oliver squinted at it. ¡°So, how are you planning to get us past all the guards and soldiers?¡±

    ¡°I remember where the troops were placed.¡± Adam laughed grimly. ¡°I guess being haunted by traumatic memories has its advantages now and then.¡± He studied the advancing army and the fortress for a moment. ¡°The only way is near the southern wall where we can slip through in the chaos. Problem is, the Pure will get there soon.¡±

    Adam, Emily, and Oliver sneaked over the rooftops, making their way to the southern wall.

    ¡°The Pure will focus on taking the walls to let their troops through,¡± Adam whispered as they hid behind a wall. A guarding Talon of Aves passed by in the distance. ¡°They¡¯ll hit the towers and the troops with trebuchets and long-range invocations.¡± Huh, nice to actually know what¡¯s going to happen on some chaotic battlefield, for once. ¡°Catapults will throw in specialized elite units as well, to cause chaos among our forces. Once they¡¯ve ¡®softened us up,¡¯ their ranged weapons will focus on taking down targets like our ballistae. Their battering ram will go for the fortress gate. Pure infantry will try and take the walls with ladders and siege towers.¡±

    ¡°This is bizarre,¡± Oliver whispered. ¡°Knowing what¡¯s going to happen¡­ you almost sound like one of those crazy ¡®fortune tellers¡¯ in trade caravans.¡±

    Adam chuckled. ¡°One of those predicted I¡¯d have a long, calm life with a steady, administrative job in the city. With a big house and a loyal, loving wife. I really am on the right track, don¡¯t you think?¡± Adam asked as panicking soldiers from the past rushed by below them, massive ballistae were readied, and the Pure prepared their siege weapons to rain death on everyone in the vicinity.

    ¡°Undoubtedly,¡± Oliver deadpanned.

    A melancholic melody of trumpets sounded from the Pure army. The signal that their long-range weapons were almost ready; the final warning to surrender.

    While running over the rooftops, Emily looked out over the massive number of soldiers outside the walls. ¡°How did you survive this?¡±

    ¡°A surprise attack from the rear.¡± Adam pointed toward the exit of the mountain pass, in the distance behind the Pure. ¡°Zachalynn is leading two regiments of heavy cavalry. She¡¯ll wait until the Pure are fully committed to the walls before she charges in. The Pure have their siege weapons at the back of the army so they¡¯ll fall first. Then, the rest of the Pure are trapped like rats between the walls and Zachalynn¡¯s troops.¡±

    Oliver shook his head. ¡°Hard to believe this is the same woman. One day she¡¯s just our Novaseering teacher, the other a war hero, and then the leader of the Starwing Order.

    ¡°People sure change,¡± Adam said with a grim frown. ¡°Weren¡¯t you quite fond of her?¡±

    Oliver huffed and raised a finger. ¡°Were, past tense indeed. And to be fair, she used to be an excellent teacher: precise, effortless authority over her students, and more knowledge and experience than all our other instructors combined.¡±

    Emily scrunched up her face sourly. ¡°Pff, I¡¯ve met bricks with more flexibility though. I got hours and hours of gestures practice in detention for ¡®lack of motivation.¡¯ She just hated that I refused to take off my gloves. And she expected the same damn results from me as from Caine! Anything remotely resembling an ¡®anomaly¡¯ was punished, I guess that¡¯s one trait of hers that stayed the same.¡±

    Oliver sighed sadly. ¡°Painfully true. It¡¯s just¡­ how can someone who did so much good turn out so wrong?¡±

 Chapter 26 â€“ A Halo of Fury

    Chapter 26 ¨C A Halo of Fury

    Adam, Emily, and Oliver ran over the roofs of barracks and bunkers near the southern wall of Eulenschloss, which was packed with troops. Commanders screamed, war horns blared their signals, and squires ran back and forth to deliver messages and distribute supplies like arrows. Heavily armoured tridentiers backed the masses of archers, neatly divided into their military units.

    A myrmidon lumbered past. Mobile temples that ranked among the most powerful military units of the Talons of Aves, the animated statues of blue marble stood over fifteen feet tall. Operated by three Novaseers in a complex Instillment Invocation, each myrmidon was capable of impressive feats of Novaseering.

    In the distance, the Pure¡¯s line of golden-armed catapults and trebuchets were visible. Perfectly simultaneous, they fired their first volley. A line of burning boulders and brazen censers with white gas lit up the sky as it flew in a wide arch towards Eulenschloss.

    The myrmidon near them raised its arms¡ªdecorated with mosaics and small statues of saints¡ªand created a massive octagonal screen of Ironglass. The sunlight that shone through the screen, reminiscent of a stained-glass window with holy depictions, coloured the troops beneath it in shades of blue and gold. Here and there along the wall, Talons of Aves jumped up and fired Invocations of Shrike, Ironglass and Marrow to deflect or destroy the incoming projectiles.

    But it wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°LOOK OUT!¡± Adam screamed, stopping Oliver from jumping to the next building. They rushed back before one of the fired boulders, covered in burning oil, hit the barracks in front of them like a meteorite. With a deafening crash, it obliterated its target, sending bricks and timber flying like pebbles. Dust and rubble rained down before the wounded uttered their screams.

    ¡°We have to get down!¡± Adam roared, ignoring the ringing in his ears.

    ¡°On it!¡± Emily formed an Ironglass chain, wrapped one end around a wide chimney and swung down. Oliver conjured a deep-blue sphere of Gaolom in mid-air. Its gravitational pull allowed Adam and him to safely jump down to street level.

    The road between the buildings they had stood on and the wall was in utter chaos. Tight masses of troops, medics, and squires moved in all directions. Although the palpable fear around them was recognizable, there was something off about the people themselves. Walking amongst them, Adam frowned and wondered what it was. Most people¡¯s faces seemed¡­ bland. They were oddly unrecognisable, lacking any individual traits like different haircuts or jewellery. From the size of their noses to their muscle mass, all seemed perfectly average. Adam warily looked around for signs that this might be another illusion.

    Among the crowd, which became stranger by the minute, a pubescent squire with red cheeks and straw-blonde hair tripped. He grabbed Adam¡¯s arm to keep balance. As soon as the lad¡¯s fingers touched Adam, a strange ripple emanated through the air from their point of contact. Although no one seemed to react to it, the ripple spread like a shockwave in all directions as far as Adam could see.

    Adam gaped at the strange Invocation, or whatever it was. However, everyone ignored it, except for Emily and Oliver.

    ¡°By Aves, what did you do?¡± Adam asked the squire.

    The lad, wearing his way too big uniform, seemed like an actual person within the crowd. He clenched Adam¡¯s arm like logwood in the whirling, screaming sea of people around them. With a pale face and untold horror in his eyes, he looked up at Adam. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so¡­ sorry, sir!¡± he stammered. ¡°There were arrows on the ground and I¡­ I¡­¡±

    Looking into the lad¡¯s terrified eyes, Adam couldn¡¯t imagine he was responsible for the strange ripple effect. Adam remembered starkly how horrifying his own first real fights were. How he was five years old, crying for his mother when other street kids pulled knives at the city guards.

    Adam laid a fatherly, reassuring hand on the squire¡¯s shoulder. The poor guy is way too young for this. ¡°That¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry, but what was¡ª¡±

    ¡°OUT OF OUR WAY!¡± a broad-shouldered medic boomed. He and other white-robed medics marched past, carrying moaning soldiers on stretchers.

    ¡°SWORDSMEN, TO THE WALLS!¡± a commander thundered, leading his regiment of levied troops in the opposite direction. The squire was dragged along by the throng of bodies and disappeared out of view. I hope he survived this fight¡­

    ¡°What was that Invocation?!¡± Oliver screamed at Adam, trying to make himself heard over the noise.

    Adam shouldered past a pair of militia who carried their wide shields through the masses in the clumsiest ways imaginable. ¡°I don¡¯t know! It happened when he touched me!¡±

    On the wall to the right of them, the counter-attack had begun. Mighty ballistae on the walls shot their bolts into the enemy units. Archers fired volleys of arrows. The few Novaseers stationed in the fortress protected the troops and fired their Invocations whenever they could.

    ¡°AND WHO MIGHT YOU BE?!¡± Out of nowhere, a muscular commander with thick eyebrows grabbed Adam by the coat. ¡°Where¡¯s your uniform, huh?¡± he spat. ¡°Spy of the Prophet!¡±

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    Red-hot fury surged through Adam. ¡°I¡¯m on your side, I¡¯m part of the Iron Suns!¡± he said, remembering his old regiment. ¡°Release me!¡±

    The commander beckoned to soldiers behind him and reached for his blade. ¡°Filthy lies! I don¡¯t see a¡ª¡±

    Oliver stepped in between. ¡°I¡¯m an Avurion second class!¡± he roared, pointing to his polished badge of the Talons of Aves. ¡°This man aids us in a top-secret mission!¡±

    An explosion sounded to the left of them. A massive, round object covered in brown plates hit one of the buildings and rolled down to ground level. Screams erupted all around when the object unrolled. It was an Armistherium; an eighteen-foot-long, armadillo-like creature with the white fur and fangs of a polar fox. From its eyes shone the white light of the Pure. It wore ¡®holy¡¯ golden jewellery beside a necklace depicting the Unity and was protected by its massive shell of brown plates.

    ¡°WHITEHEARTH KNIGHTS, CHARGE!¡± an awfully familiar voice bellowed.

    Despite the commander holding him, Adam couldn¡¯t resist looking. At the head of knights with blackened armour and ornate battle standards, a young Jeremiah Voheren stormed at the Pure beast. The blonde man was thinner than the version Adam had seen in the Hall of Scents. Although this Jeremiah already had his trademark cauliflower ears, his nose was still straight; the infamous duel between him and Adam hadn¡¯t taken place yet. This was the Jeremiah Adam used to know; a brash but loyal companion who had often covered Adam¡¯s flank when they fought against the Pure. Of course, he fought in this battle as well. Strange times¡­

    As Jeremiah wasn¡¯t a sorcerer but a knight, he had always focused his training on martial arts and the use of armaments to become a formidable warrior. His heavy¡ªand ridiculously expensive¡ªblack plate armour was Instilled to disrupt Invocations and provide excellent protection against them. As they hindered Novaseering, similarly Instilled armours were unusable by Talons of Aves, but were ideal for non-sorcerers like Jeremiah.

    The Pure Armistherium hissed its war cry and lashed out with its massive paws. Jeremiah caught the blow on his heavy shield and grunted; the claw left grooves over the proud heraldry of his order, the great white hearth at which new members were knighted. Stepping back, he barely evaded the armoured tail of the Pure beast, which lashed out and swiped one of the soldiers off his feet. Jeremiah swung his great mace in return, denting one of the beast¡¯s brown plates.

    The commander who still held Adam by the coat stared at the fight with a pale face and glassy eyes.

    It took all Adam¡¯s self-constraint not to sock him in the face. ¡°You heard the Avurion! Unleash me!¡±

    Emily stepped in, pointing at her robes of the Talons of Aves. ¡°Do you want us to report to the Archpriest?!¡±

    The soldiers behind the commander looked doubtfully up at him and at the battle with the Armistherium. He grumbled something about corrupt religions before he released Adam and ordered his troops to join Jeremiah and the Whitehearth Knights in the fight. Giving directions at Oliver and Emily, Adam made his way up the buildings and towards Caine¡¯s tower.

    In the meantime, the army of the Pure had progressed towards the fortress. Despite the arrows, ballista bolts, and Invocations that rained death on the Pure, they had been able to place ladders on the walls. Three of the Pure¡¯s elegant siege towers had been destroyed by the defenders, their remains stood burning amongst the happily smiling masses of the Pure. However, five other siege towers neared the walls.

    The defenders were prepared. Flocks of trained greatowls attacked the Pure who climbed the ladders, pecking at eyes and lashing out with their talons. Archers had left the sections of the wall targeted by ladders and siege towers to make place for the tridentiers, who moved into position. Armoured with chainmail, the tridentiers each carried a single, feathered wooden arch on their back which symbolized a wing and noted their high rank. In a tight phalanx formation, with overlapping shields and tridents outstretched towards the incoming enemy, they were ready to defend the fifteen feet thick wall.

    Smiling euphorically, the Pure who managed to reach the top of the wall seemed as relaxed as if they played a game. With flails or ritual scythes in each hand, they threw themselves at the defenders with reckless abandon. Clad in intricate, priestly robes adorned with the Unity, the Pure appeared to their admirers as ¡®an army of righteousness, sent to fulfil the Heavenly Plan.¡¯ The Pure slashed around, vaulted, and kicked in wild abandon without any heed for their own safety. Unable to feel pain, many of them kept fighting despite the arrows sticking out of their legs, the gashes through their belly, or even when missing both arms. They literally fought until their bodies physically weren¡¯t able to anymore. Adam recognized a Pure as one of Gotterburg¡¯s old butchers. The serenely smiling, big-bellied man had lost his legs, but kept punching the tridentiers shield wall with one functioning arm.

    The siege towers reached the walls, lowered their drawbridges and unleashed Pure knights onto the defenders. Warriors with many years of experience, wearing terribly expensive plate armour underneath their robes and jewelled chains, the knights visibly struck fear into the tridentiers. A spiked, cage-like construct around the knight¡¯s head served as a helm. A long staff with a curved blade, adorned with a flag depicting the Unity, served as a halberd.

    The knights laughed with serene joy as they swung their halberds with relentless power. They tore into shields and hacked into helmets. The defending tridentiers screamed and fought with all their might, desperately trying to stay in formation under the monstrous assault. However, even when their tridents found the weak spots in the knight¡¯s armour, the enemy kept fighting with the limbs that remained functional.

    The leader of the knights, a dignified grey-haired lady, swung her halberd sideways. Her blow lifted a tridentier off his feet and slammed him into several of his comrades, who tripped and fell. The knight kicked a tridentier who had remained standing with such force he slammed against his comrades behind him, bringing them down as well.

    A young tridentier at the back of the formation was the first to flee, bowing his head in shame and terror. Then came another, and another, until all remaining tridentiers of the unit ran for their lives. The knights took the opportunity to claim the section of the wall.

    Adam gasped; the younger version of himself and the female warrior who had attacked them ran straight towards the Pure knights. A move nothing short of suicidal; how could two combatants survive against a whole unit of well-equipped knights?

    Yet the young Adam roared with a beast-like savagery, his face torn with untold rage. The current Adam¡¯s eyes widened. He felt the blood drain from his face when a crimson vapour appeared around his younger self¡¯s body. A spiked halo of concentric rings, seemingly made of molten metal, appeared above the young Adam¡¯s head.

    In that man¡¯s face, there was no doubt, no caution, and no mercy as he charged, undoubtedly using Invocations of the Forbidden Arts.

 Chapter 27 â€“ A Doppelganger of Sin

    Chapter 27 ¨C A Doppelganger of Sin

    Adam fell behind Oliver and Emily as they ran over the roofs of buildings within the fortress. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he stared at the younger version of himself. A man whose arms were enveloped by a blood-red vapour as if they were set aflame. The spiked halo cast a red light on a face contorted by rage.

    The current Adam¡¯s fingers quivered. No¡­ no, no, NO! I¡¯d never used the Forbidden Arts back then! How is this happening? Is this a gigantic illusion?

    However, all the details seemed to fit when the female warrior exhaled and formed a whirling grey cloud of translucent shapes. The figures within the familiar Invocation manifested into heads of people and animals who soundlessly howled in endless sadness. Pure knights hit by the Invocation didn¡¯t yell, although it dissolved armour and flesh like acid.

    One of the Pure knights lunged forward in an attempt to stab the young Adam, but he vaulted and felled the Pure knight with a mighty downward kick. Laughing in the fury of battle, he punched one of his fist weapons hard enough to tear a hole through the shield of the Pure knight who came next. The blood-red haze scorched his enemies where it hit them. Pure knights tried to encircle the young Adam, but the mysterious female warrior conjured the orange, biting aura around her sword and used it to cleave through two Pure knights in one swing.

    The Pure knights had excellent equipment and outnumbered them by far; there should be no doubt who would win this battle. However, the young Adam and the warrior complemented each other perfectly. While the warrior used the Forbidden Arts from mid-range, the young Adam jumped beside or ducked beneath her broad Invocations to assault the enemy up close. Savage as a pair of ravenous lions, they vaulted, pounced, rolled, and fought all along the wall section. Gradually, the knights were pushed back.

    They, I mean, we are fighting as a team. As if we¡¯ve done so for years. Adam remembered how, back in the pyramid, the female knight had looked at him with fury and disappointment. She hated me for something I¡¯d supposedly done. But¡­ no, this can¡¯t be real! I¡¯ve never seen her before and never used the Forbidden Arts back then! However, something in her movements was so familiar.

    The Pure knights smiled with an empty calmness, a void serenity. Yet, the young Adam grinned like a man who revelled in what he was doing. He laughed like a blood-thirsted hyena, as if he savoured every blow like a fine wine, dodging the enemies¡¯ moves like a true artist of war. The halo above his head shed everything around him in a red light.

    Adam shivered when Emily¡¯s voice echoed in his head. ¡®The War changed you somehow. I had the feeling the fame and ¡®glory¡¯ had risen to your head. Especially after you defeated Ajax and everyone talked about you as the ¡®Fist of Gotterburg¡¯ or even as the hope for humanity. You boasted all the time about your achievements, even Caine thought it was a bit too much. You talked down on others and enjoyed fighting way too much.¡¯

    The young Adam grabbed one of the Pure knights by the cage around his head and threw him. The knight crashed into the fresh Pure soldiers who walked over the siege tower¡¯s drawbridge. With a savage laugh, the young Adam jumped after them into the siege tower, his fist weapons raised. For a moment, he wasn¡¯t visible and all seemed quiet inside the tower.

    A bright, blood-red glow came first, spilling through slits between the siege tower¡¯s planks, lighting it up from within. Right after, a billowing mass of fire, shaped like the roaring head of a lion, blew up the tower¡¯s top half. It took a second before the immense heat, the shock wave of pressure, and the deafening sound of the explosion reached Adam. Pure soldiers who had been climbing the siege tower fell down or were blasted away in all directions, just like the broken timber and nails that rained down. The young Adam jumped out of the inferno, covered in fire, and soared through the air towards a particularly unlucky Pure knight on the wall. Like a meteorite, the young Adam punched down at full velocity, breaking a crater in the wall. The true Fist of Gotterburg stood up and roared his challenge for all the world to hear. The blood-red vapour that enveloped him like an aura formed two bull-like horns beside the savage halo above his head.

    The current Adam almost fell down as he followed Emily and Oliver. He knew he¡¯d fought well in the War of the Prophet, he was painfully aware his skills had deteriorated over time. But seeing the might before him made him feel old, rusty, like a shrivelled echo. He¡¯d been weakened due to his imbecile apathy and laziness, for which he only had himself to blame.

    However, Oliver continued his way over the fortress¡¯ buildings like nothing unusual was happening. As if he has seen me like this dozens of times before. Emily looked at the young Adam for a moment, then she glared back at the old one. Her accusing eyes smouldered with anger. What is happening? To her, I¡¯m just another liar. Just another manipulative dirtbag who tries to play with her heartstrings.

    Fate seemed to be at the side of the Pure as their army assaulted the fortress of Eulenschloss. While their mighty catapults and trebuchets wrought destruction, the soldiers on foot assaulted the walls with ladders and siege towers. However, far ahead in the mountain pass, Zachalynn prepared her heavy cavalry to charge the Pure from behind. It was one of the many battles within the War of the Prophet, one the Royal Army of Dorenland and the Talons of Aves had won already, eight years ago.

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    Followed by Emily and Oliver, Adam climbed the fortified tower where Caine guarded Agatha the Red. The cold wind tore at him as he carefully placed his fingers and boots between the rough stones of the outside wall.

    Emily, who climbed below him, hadn¡¯t said a word for a while. With a scorn of anger, she avoided Adam with her gaze.

    Red-faced and with sweat on his brow, Oliver climbed below Emily. ¡°Stupid tower,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Stupid Caine, stupid siege¡­ why do we have to climb this misshapen heap of rock?¡±

    Adam wiped sweat off his brow. ¡°Would you rather fight through all the guards from your own team? In that case, I sure hope Caine and Agatha are practising a drum concert up there, or they just might be able to hear us coming.¡±

    ¡°Ever heard of rhetorical questions?¡± Oliver asked. ¡°Stupid Adam, making me climb for the second time now¡­¡±

    The siege of the fortress calmed down a bit, like they were in the eye of the storm. Although multiple skirmishes on the wall were still taking place, the Pure¡¯s catapults and trebuchets had stopped firing and most Pure soldiers were repositioning. Four jewelled Armistherii were pulling a massive battering ram forward. The monstrous siege weapon was shielded with thick plates and decorated with ivory statues of the Prophet and gilded scenes of the Heavens. Twelve riveted wheels turned, carrying the monstrosity to the western gate.

    After a while, Adam neared the small balcony from which two voices could be heard. As quietly as possible, Emily, Oliver, and he pulled themselves up to a small plateau with gargoyles that stood a bit lower on the tower. Hiding behind one of the gargoyles and craning his neck to the upper right, he had a relatively good view.

    Adam bared his teeth in seething hatred when he saw the man he used to love as a brother: Caine. Clenching his fists, he resisted the urge to climb up there and slam him against the wall.

    Caine wore the uniform of the Talons of Aves, including the owl-like helm which he held in his arm. Like in many of Adam¡¯s happier memories, Caine was still around twenty-three here. Looking young and sharp, his short black goatee neatly trimmed, he stared at the battle on the walls below. Yet, there was something odd about him. Adam frowned, trying to pinpoint what it was. Caine¡¯s nose, which always was a tad on the big side, was even larger somehow and his slight overbite was even more pronounced. There were all kinds of little features on his face which seemed slightly exaggerated, or hardly visible.

    Adam¡¯s mouth fell open when he took a closer look at Agatha the Red. He knew her from back in the War of the Prophet, but he was sure he¡¯d never found her attractive before. Now he had to blink a few times before he truly recognized her; she was stunning.

    Most differences made sense though. This siege had happened when Agatha was still in her thirties and before she endured years of imprisonment. It was hard to imagine her athletic body becoming so emaciated that she was totally dependent on her signature throne of needles to survive. Founding the Penduli despite her excruciating physical state was the reason she obtained her honorary nickname of the Queen of Glass.

    Here, her hair¡ªkept in a complex hairdo of braids¡ªwas still red as a flame instead of white. Her sepia-brown skin had a warm, orange undertone and her face looked young and healthy. It was like she would age many times as quickly in the upcoming years. However, the power that radiated from her slanted eyes was the same as always; she looked as worthy and unshakable as ever.

    Even from his plateau, Adam the warmth emanating from Agatha. He had trouble looking away from her strangely enchanting face, feeling fuzzy and tingly somehow. Certain features that Adam clearly remembered, like the distinct cheekbones and thin lips, were way less pronounced. Other traits, like her enchanting eyes and smooth skin, seemed prettier than ever before.

    Adam blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out what was going on. Full of questions, he turned to Oliver, who studied the pair in deep concentration, fiddling with his lips. Emily frowned in confusion. Looking at Adam, she quickly pressed a finger to her lips and pointed back up.

    ¡°Hmm, our troops on the western walls did remarkably well, don¡¯t you think?¡± Agatha said as she looked over the battlefield. Her voice, with a subtle Oberian accent, was warm and rich like honey, almost sensual. ¡°Such a relief they managed to hold on for now¡­¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Caine said, his voice sounding strangely off. It seemed even more raspy and nasal than normal, especially compared to Agatha¡¯s. He tapped his helmet with his fingers and sighed. ¡°Ugh, I hate this! Every time the Pure creep behind Adam I want to warn him. Or, I don¡¯t know, do something at least! He gets so reckless these days¡­¡± Caine looked down at the young Adam with worry in his yellow eyes. Adam frowned and cocked his head to the side. Was that¡­ genuine? Were we still truly friends back then?

    Agatha leaned over the parapet and brushed a lock of red hair from her face. ¡°Calm, your friend definitely knows how to handle himself in a fight. And if the situation is dire enough, the general has given us permission to join the action.¡± She smiled vaguely. ¡°I can imagine you¡¯re dying to leave my side.¡±

    Caine laughed and gave her a sly smile. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait.¡±

    Agatha raised an amused eyebrow and slowly turned a glass of wine in her hand. Adam noticed Caine stood closer beside her than he would expect from a guard.

    Agatha looked over the battlefield again, and her expression turned more serious. ¡°How many soldiers have defected to the Pure today?¡±

    ¡°Forty-five,¡± Caine answered. ¡°Fewer than average these days though, it seems your speech put some steel into them.¡±

    Agatha shook her head. ¡°Forty-five lost souls too many. Try to imagine a row of five people, loved and cherished by friends and family. Now imagine nine times as many, lying in coffins. Gone, lost from this world. A tragedy.¡± She sighed deeply, unashamed to show her sadness and grief. Quite unlike many other persons in power.

    Caine snuck a look at her and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s heartbreaking¡­ people seem to answer to the Prophet¡¯s promise of a painless existence more and more. Many don¡¯t see a way out and join out of sheer desperation. If only there was a way to turn them back to normal. If we could figure out what kind of sorcery the Prophet uses, maybe we could undo its effects¡­¡± Caine stroked his goatee, deep in thought.

    Adam knew that look. Lazy as Caine had always been¡ªbeing the ridiculously talented worm who barely had to work to reach his goals¡ªthere weren¡¯t a lot of subjects that had truly caught his interest. This, however, was clearly one of them.

 Chapter 28 - A Man of Dreams

    Chapter 28 - A Man of Dreams

    Adam barely dared to breathe in his effort to stay as quiet as possible. Craning his neck, he didn¡¯t want to miss a thing about the conversation on the balcony above them.

    It was hard to look away from Agatha the Red, although he wasn¡¯t sure why. Back when he¡¯d fought together with her during the War of the Prophet, he hadn¡¯t relished the sound of her laugh. Now, there was something captivating in the way she moved her shoulders, in the subtle grace of her fingers as they moved over the parapet. Somehow, Caine failed to notice the twinkle in her slanted eyes when she looked at him.

    The hint of a smile played on her lips. ¡°Still convinced the Prophet uses an unknown Invocation of Novaseering to do it, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    Caine blinked and looked up from the Pure army. ¡°Ehm¡­¡± He slightly shifted his legs and tapped his helmet. Adam knew the man and although Caine hid it well, he was definitely nervous. In fact, more so than Adam had seen him in a long time. ¡°Well, what else can it be?¡± Caine smiled with a hint of his old bravado. ¡°Everyone knows the Pure practice Novaseering, although they don¡¯t learn it through Aves. And at its core, behind the traditions and dogmas around Novaseering, all applications of Oquira are based on control and rational order.¡± He pointed towards the Pure army. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone controlling others so perfectly as the Prophet.¡±

    Agatha smiled with unspoken questions in her eyes.

    Caine blushed. ¡°Oh, I mean, ahem, you control your subjects as well! Just not as, err, dictatorial¡ª"

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what you mean,¡± she said with a hint of amusement.

    Adam smiled with grim satisfaction. What¡¯s wrong? Lost all your fake confidence? How sad.

    Agatha looked over the Pure army. ¡°The Pure use Novaseering indeed, but I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s how the Prophet controls people¡¯s minds. When someone has joined, it¡¯s like their entire personality is deleted. They¡¯re reduced to nothing but a cog in his machine. Novaseering concerns control, yes, but it¡¯s control over Oquira. Research has never found an Invocation within Novaseering that influenced the minds of others.¡±

    ¡°But the mind can be tricked,¡± Caine argued. ¡°With illusions or other methods to disturb the signals given to us by our senses.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, but how come Novaseers can¡¯t trace this Invocation¡¯s flow of Oquira? While it is powerful and complex enough to control and affect so many people at the same time?¡±

    Caine was silent for a moment. Adam grinned to see Caine¡¯s hands shift a bit in discomfort. Oh yes, lecture that boy, please! I could watch this all day.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like Instinct to me either,¡± Agatha continued. ¡°The Pure seem devoid of emotion with those empty smiles, instead of harnessing the power of their different emotions. Nor do I see animalistic aspects or signs the Ancestor is involved somehow. Some have theorized the Pure to be similar to schools of fish, or swarms of insects. However, even individual animals within those show more signs of free will. Plus, we¡¯ve confirmed the Prophet is a Novaseer, and no person or creature can use both Novaseering and Instinct anyway.¡±

    A cold shiver ran down Adam¡¯s spine. Vague, unfamiliar memories came up, things he was sure he had forgotten. Yet somehow, he knew they were true. Instinct was the true name for the sorcery enabled by the left heart. The Forbidden Arts was just the name the Starwing Order used to describe it, which had become more and more common after Zachalynn had taken over. Instinct was named after the collective memory of all creatures who had lived before, to which all living beings had a differing amount of access. To practice Instinct was to open yourself to this memory, and with that to the insight of endless animals on how to live, survive, and fight. It opened the door to many Invocations that were powered, and linked to each other, by emotions.

    ¡°What intrigues me is the secret research Adam is performing on artefacts from ancient cultures,¡± Agatha continued. ¡°He claims that both Novaseering and Instinct originate from a common forebearer.¡±

    Adam blinked a couple of times. Oliver and Emily turned to him with raised eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about!¡± Adam quickly gestured in sign language.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what he¡¯s been doing, huh? Tsk-tsk,¡± Caine said. ¡°I thought he had more important things going on than joining the long, sad line of people who¡¯ve claimed Novaseering and Instinct are connected somehow.¡±

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    Agatha smiled. ¡°I figured you¡¯d say that. Adam takes his secrecy seriously indeed if he hasn¡¯t told you. Apparently, he found proof of a missing link between the two types of sorcery: a third form which predates them both by millennia. He says there are artefacts from an ancient civilization which still practised this third form before it became forgotten. According to him, the connection between the three types of sorcery is depicted as a V-like shape in their hieroglyphs.¡± With her finger, she drew a V in the air. ¡°This third and oldest type of sorcery would form the lowest point. Based on it, both Novaseering and Instinct have supposedly evolved, which form the two upper points of the V.¡±

    A third form of sorcery¡­ Could that be true? Blurry impressions of his chamber at Ziecherhein¡¯s Menhir League resurfaced in his consciousness. Research notes littered his desk and were hung all over the walls.

    Caine frowned, his mind clearly racing. ¡°If that¡¯s true, that¡¯s¡­ ground-breaking! I can¡¯t imagine the Starwing Order being happy about it, though¡­ Zachalynn and the higher-ups are whispering about nonsense like ¡®heresy¡¯ and ¡®Forbidden Arts¡¯ more and more these days.¡±

    Agatha laughed warmly, a sound Adam could get used to. ¡°Many people within the Starwing Order are stuck in the past. They¡¯re blind to new insights and believe nothing but their dusty books, while the world is alive and constantly changing. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the religion which worships Aves though. It gives people peace, hope, and a certain wisdom. Yet, this giant organization called the Starwing Order uses religion as an excuse to gain power. They use Novaseering, their followers, and taxes to grow filthy rich. Take Zachalynn for example, a true rising star within the Starwing Order. But ugh, hear how she looks down on Instinct, or anyone who isn¡¯t part of the Order.¡± Agatha shook her head. ¡°That hypocrite preaches ¡®empathy.¡¯ However, true empathy includes caring about people you disagree with. And true insight requires being open to new knowledge, to be able to challenge what you¡¯ve learned so far.¡± She gestured towards the Pure. ¡°When faced with a phenomenon that can¡¯t be explained with all the knowledge you have so far, it¡¯s time to look further.¡±

    Caine nodded. ¡°I admit, the Starwing Order has disappointed me more than once. This third type of sorcery sounds interesting though¡­ Let¡¯s assume that¡¯s indeed how Prophet created the Pure. What if we could figure out how their Invocations work and apply them for a good purpose?¡± Caine stared at the Pure with a curious twinkle in his eyes. ¡°What if we could use their removal of pain for the sick? What if we could apply the Pure¡¯s feeling of happiness, but keep free will intact? What if we could influence the minds of people on a large scale, but use it to remove mental illnesses and unhappiness?¡±

    Down below, the Pure¡¯s massive battering ram pounded the gate with deep booms that reverberated through the fortress. Further away, the cavalry¡¯s charge had begun. Zachalynn rode at the head of the heavily armoured moose cavalry which thundered over the mountain pass. The tall, bald woman proudly wore her uniform of the Talons of Aves and raised her lance.

    Caine laid his hands on the parapet and sighed. ¡°Such unnecessary bloodshed¡­ so many people will lose their lives right here. But maybe, with this new type of sorcery, we could prevent wars like this from happening!¡± He looked at her warmly. ¡°Maybe we could use it to make this world a better place.¡± Caine tenderly laid a hand on the small of Agatha¡¯s back. Stepping back, she sternly swiped his hand away.

    ¡°Not here, not now,¡± Agatha breathed.

    Adam gaped. To see Caine¡¯s hand on the small of Agatha¡¯s back reminded him of how Caine had done the same to Catherine, back in his house. Adam gritted his teeth as he sourly remembered Caine¡¯s bragging stories about women he had slept with. How many hearts have you broken? How many lives have you destroyed, you piece of filth?

    Shortly after, a knight in plate armour entered the balcony. ¡°Agatha, Caine, the general is requesting your presence immediately! It concerns strategic deliberations.¡± Agatha and Caine nodded and walked back into the tower. Four heavily armoured knights stepped onto the balcony and took guarding positions.

    Adam followed Emily and Oliver towards a lower platform to avoid being heard by the guards. She and Oliver whispered a heated discussion about what they just heard, and how they had probably missed their chance to get Caine.

    Adam was filled with a blank numbness. After the revelations, he stared blankly in front of him, unable to process what Oliver and Emily talked about. Part of his mind raced about all he had just heard about instinct, the third type of sorcery, his ¡®research,¡¯ and Caine¡¯s vision. However, as the grim realization of the implications dawned to him, another part of him couldn¡¯t deal with all of it anymore.

    Adam gazed at the young version of himself, who fought with the strange blood-red haze Invocation around him. I was so sure I hadn¡¯t used Forbidden Ar¡ªI mean, Instinct before Ziecherhein. Yet here I see how I used to fight. Emily was adamant I used to practice Instinct; she and Oliver don¡¯t seem surprised at all to see how I fought. It seems I¡¯ve seen that mysterious warrior before after all. There are all these revelations, things I had forgotten like the memories from Schultora and Osaehin, but when I do remember them, I¡¯m sure they are true.

    ¡°Hello? Adam?¡± Oliver waved his hand before Adam¡¯s face, Adam blinked a few times. ¡°Ah, glad you¡¯re still around. Why didn¡¯t you tell us about that third form of sorcery? That could be what the Shepherd and the giant were using!¡±

    Adam was lost for words when the inevitable conclusion hit him. Maybe he already knew it for a while but didn¡¯t want to admit it to himself. To say it out loud felt definitive, final, as if he would sign the contract of his doom. He ran his fingers through his hair, desperately wondering what parts of his life he¡¯d lost, in which ways he had been manipulated, and if he¡¯d caused any harm.

    Adam swallowed despite his dry throat, wondering if his friends would ever trust him again. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t remember,¡± Adam said softly. ¡°I should have realized sooner, but my memory doesn¡¯t work as it should.¡± He closed his eyes and shivered. ¡°I have been Tainted.¡±

 Chapter 29 - An Epiphany of Loss

    Chapter 29 - An Epiphany of Loss

    After Adam¡¯s revelation, Oliver opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something reassuring. Adam could almost see how the realization of what he¡¯d said hit Oliver when the friendly smile turned into a bewildered stare. Emily¡¯s eyes grew wide. She looked away from Adam, folding her arms over each other.

    ¡°Emily, I¡¯m sorry for before, I honestly didn¡¯t remember,¡± Adam said and took a breath. ¡°You were right.¡±

    Pain and confusion lay behind Emily¡¯s orange eyes when she looked at his face, probably trying to find traces of a lie. Adam swallowed. See that I¡¯m speaking the truth.

    Oliver looked back and forth between the two with an irritated frown, as if he was left out. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What are you sorry for?¡±

    Emily kept looking at Adam and spoke slowly. ¡°Now that I think of it, it kinda makes sense, you being Tainted. I am¡­ sorry for you. Do you feel different since it happened?¡±

    Adam looked away and thought for a moment. ¡°Hard to say¡­ how can I know if I feel different when I¡¯m not sure which memories I can trust? And I don¡¯t know when¡ª¡± He frowned. ¡°Back at Caine¡¯s house! He Tainted Eric and probably Catherine as well! Maybe he did the same to me when we fought?¡±

    ¡°Why would Caine Taint you like this then?¡± Emily asked. ¡°I mean, he hasn¡¯t made you worship him, right?¡±

    Oliver fiddled with his lips and studied Adam¡¯s face. ¡°Perhaps Adam knew too much. You said you don¡¯t remember anything about your secret research or this strange third type of sorcery, correct?¡±

    Adam squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember. All he got back were vague images of his office in Ziecherhein¡¯s university. ¡°Now that Agatha mentioned it, I think I vaguely recall I did some research, but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Oliver snapped his fingers. ¡°That must be it! We just witnessed Caine and Agatha with these¡­ plans of his. What he wanted to do if he had the Prophet¡¯s sorcery. I bet the Penduli are filled to the brim with his plots! And Agatha thought the research you performed concerned the very same kind of sorcery as the Prophet uses.¡±

    Adam thought for a moment. ¡°Plausible. Caine can supposedly Taint people. If he uses this forgotten sorcery, what I used to know could be a threat to him.¡±

    Oliver and Emily kept talking, maybe to each other, maybe to Adam. However, Adam didn¡¯t catch any of it since he zoned out again, wondering what Caine had done to him, taken from him. A hollow, cold feeling of dread grew in his stomach as he anxiously rubbed the scars on his wrist. With a lump in his throat, Adam grabbed the sides of his head, running his shivering fingers through clumps of hair. I tried so hard to turn everything back to normal. But is there even a ¡®normal¡¯ anymore? What can I be sure of, now that I can¡¯t trust my own mind? Adam thought of the long tunnels, Schultora and Osaehin, the waterfall and the Roots. A bizarre, corrupted place he¡¯d finally thought he¡¯d made a bit sense of. Until he stepped into the spiral and ended up in the past.

    Adam widened his eyes. Wait, she must be here as well. Adam scanned the Eulenschloss¡¯s northern wall and there, amidst the savage combat against the Pure, was Catherine. Tall, young, and beautiful. Her face a blank mask of concentration, she ducked underneath an Armistherium¡¯s claws and sank her glaive into one of the beast¡¯s lower paws. Immune to pain, the monstrous foe kept swiping its claws as it fell on its back. With her long blonde curls flowing in the wind, Catherine jumped up for the finishing blow.

    Adam clenched his eyes shut and suppressed a soft whimper. To see her, even a version of her before they were together, made his heart ache with loss and the desperate desire to hold her again. To be in their warm, trusted cabin in the mountains. To be safe from all the madness going on.

    But is all of this happening at all? Am I imagining this through the Taint?

    With a shiver, he thought of the Tainted that Oliver and he had seen in Gotterburg. Like the lad who had whispered ¡®I¡¯m sorry, dad¡¯ over and over again. Or the old man who had screamed incoherently, too far gone to notice the woman who had been trying to comfort him. Adam knew that, apart from an altered memory, many Tainted developed severe mental issues. Examples included immense confusion, entire changes of personality, or even turning into a vegetative state over time. Some die, while nothing is physically wrong with them.

    Can the Taint¡­ kill me out of the blue? Or does that happen when I die here? Adam vaguely heard Oliver and Emily say something about him needing some time to process.

    Adam looked down below, where the younger version of himself fought like the Ancestor. He kicked one of the Pure¡¯s ladders off the wall. The Pure who climbed it fell to their death, smiling all the while. I used to be so much stronger, more agile, more¡­ everything back then. Adam¡¯s shoulders slumped. His arm, which once made him known as ¡®the Fist of Gotterburg,¡¯ wasn¡¯t nearly as muscular as before. Although he¡¯d lost some weight since he¡¯d ended up in the strange tunnels, his stomach wasn¡¯t chiselled as it used to be.

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    He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the wall behind him. I¡¯m probably some old, broken madman who climbed a tower to spy on a couple of lovers. Who claims to come from the future when the guards kick him out. I deserve nothing less, I guess. Would anyone even miss me if I¡­

    Adam¡¯s grooved and chafed fingers clenched. No, I refuse to give up. He¡¯d made up his mind before his left heart whispered its familiar phrase. Frowning with grim determination, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming the rapid beating of his left heart. He looked at his hands and saw how the thick tendons moved at his command. I can still choose my actions, even though I can¡¯t trust my memories. Even if I can¡¯t trust this ¡®world¡¯ around me, I can still think and reason, which means I must still exist in some form.

    Adam breathed in the cold, fresh air through his nose and gently let it go again. It wasn¡¯t much, but knowing he had some form of control gave him a basis again, a foundation amidst the bog of uncertainty and dread. I could sit here and grovel in my old misery, denying and burying all that happened, as I did since the War of the Prophet. Or¡­ All the events of the past days flashed through his mind. I can get up and make a change. I can discern the truth from the lies.

    Adam opened his eyes and saw that Emily and Oliver sat beside him, giving him the space and time he needed. They looked up at him with warm, patient smiles. There were still people who cared for him, despite everything. A lump grew in Adam¡¯s throat. It was more difficult to smile back than he liked to admit.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Adam said with a raspy edge in his voice. ¡°For standing by me, for being here with me.¡±

    ¡°What did you expect? Of course we are!¡± Oliver said heartily and squeezed Adam¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve all of this shit! But we are with you to the end, buddy. We¡¯ll help you get your true memories back whatever way we can!¡±

    ¡°We were tasked to investigate the Taint as a group, remember?¡± Emily asked softly. ¡°I think we¡¯ve just found an excellent test subject.¡± The left corner of her mouth curled upwards again in her mischievous smile. It was a while ago since Adam had seen that happen, relief washed over him along with a tingly feeling in his stomach.

    Adam laughed. ¡°Oh, yes, experiment away. But, honestly, if it was just me experiencing all this weird shit around here, without being able to trust my own memories, I¡¯d really start thinking I was imagining things.¡±

    ¡° ¡®Weird shit?¡¯ What do you mean?¡± Oliver peered around with wide eyes, glancing at the intense battlefield of the past below them as if he was looking for something. ¡°You mean the dish we just ordered? Yeah, the shepherd¡¯s pie was terrible. Adam, you might want to finish your desert though, before the innkeeper gets cranky.¡± He pointed at an imaginary plate in front of Adam.

    Emily laughed. ¡°Oh, Oliver, come on, give him a break.¡±

    Adam didn¡¯t mind the least, grinning as well. Whatever mess he was in, Oliver, and later Emily, had been with him and experiencing the same things the whole time. Assuming I¡¯m not imagining them, of course. But I refuse to believe that.

    Oliver made a startled gasp. ¡°Down there! We have a visitor!¡±

    On one of the fortress¡¯ roofs, down below, stood the mysterious warrior who had attacked them in the pyramid. Her one arm held up her blood-red sword, with the tip pointing down. Although the battle raged ever more fiercely, and the younger version of herself was still fighting together with Adam in the distance, she ignored it all. Filled with an icy hatred, her eyes were fixed on the old Adam up above. Unlike her younger self, she looked like she had barely survived a gruesome fight, just like the last time they had seen her. Her armour, caked with mud and blood, was blackened on one side. A charred stump hung from her shoulders.

    However, the strange leaf-vein-like chains that had been wrapped around her torso were gone now.

    Her low voice echoed in Adam¡¯s head. ¡®You won¡¯t escape me, Adam!¡¯ she had screamed between heavy coughs. ¡®I¡¯ll find you no matter where you go!¡¯

    ¡°Damn that wench!¡± Emily muttered, glaring down at the warrior. ¡°How did she follow us?¡±

    Oliver looked baffled, his eyes almost perfectly round as he looked at the warrior down below. ¡°What? How can she be both at the wall and down below?!¡±

    ¡°Probably the same way I am,¡± Adam said. ¡°I do wonder what happened to her in the time between this battle and now.¡±

    ¡°Bizarre, how could she be...¡± Oliver rubbed his lip, deep in thought. ¡°She¡¯s the same warrior you told me about?¡±

    Adam nodded slowly. ¡°And trust me, she fights like the damn Ancestor.¡±

    A rumbling sound akin to an avalanche erupted in the distance. The gate on the western wall had fallen and Pure cavalry rode their armoured rhinos into the fortress. The defenders near the gate tried to flee but were mowed down or trampled with ruthless efficiency. Adam stepped back and stared wide-eyed with raised eyebrows. What? No! This never happened, the Pure never breached the walls of Eulenschloss. I was fighting right there on the wall beside it!

    ¡°For Dorenland!¡± the defending soldiers behind the gate screamed, running straight at the charging cavalry of the Prophet.

    And soon, the two forces clashed on the streets. Pure Rhinos stormed straight through units of swordsmen, using their horns to send soldiers flying like ragdolls. Tridentiers screamed their war-cry as they charged the knights of the Pure from the side, stabbing at the thin joints in their opponent¡¯s armour. One of the knights of the Pure broke through the tridentiers and led his rhino through a unit of defending archers, impaling two of them with his lance. A Novaseer jumped up from behind him, conjured a greatsword of Marrow and beheaded the knight. Having lost its rider, the armoured rhino ran amok through the massed forces. Being immune to pain, the rhino ignored the tridents and arrows that stuck out of its leathery hide and continued its rampage.

    Despite the ruthless melee in the streets below, the warrior¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Adam¡¯s. Effortlessly, she planted the tip of her blood-red sword in the stone roof and raised an outstretched hand in front of her chest: the challenge of a warrior.

 Chapter 30 â€“ A Leap of Terror

    Chapter 30 ¨C A Leap of Terror

    Down on one of Eulenschloss¡¯s roofs, the female warrior stared up at Adam. Uncaring about the savage battle going on in the streets below her, she raised an outstretched hand in front of her chest: the traditional challenge of combat. Unflinchingly, Adam met her gaze and stood up.

    Oliver¡¯s eyes almost bulged out of his skull as he looked up at Adam. ¡°No, you idiot! Don¡¯t tell me you plan to accept her challenge?!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Adam said with a grim undertone in his voice. ¡°She knows, or thinks she knows, something about me. And I¡¯m going to find out what, I need my memory back.¡±

    ¡°She nearly killed you both last time!¡± Oliver hissed. ¡°And she wasn¡¯t even giving it her all!¡±

    Emily stood up as well. ¡°She might know more about where we are or how this place works.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ ugh.¡± Oliver groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°You always take way too many risks! The both of you!¡±

    Adam raised his eyebrows innocently. ¡°Risks? Us?¡±

    Jokes aside, Adam remembered the warrior¡¯s vicious attacks. How she had roared to stop the snake¡¯s breath attack. How she had kicked Adam hard enough to send him flying. He felt a vague pang of fear, but that was quickly drowned out by the excitement and adrenaline of getting to fight a worthy opponent. Plus, she¡¯s a skilled user of Instinct¡­ I might learn something useful. Adam cracked his neck, feeling the hot blood flow through him. ¡°There¡¯s no Shepherd to interrupt this time, and there are three of us. She¡¯s tracking us well enough to find us in here. So, even if we can escape her here in Eulenschloss, she can follow us again and attack at the worst possible moment.¡±

    Oliver grumbled something indiscernible, staring at the warrior. ¡°You have a point there,¡± he muttered reluctantly.

    Speaking of the worst possible moments. Adam looked his friend in the eyes, ignoring the childish urge to delay the inevitable. He refused to take the easy road. ¡°There¡¯s more. The fights around here are intense. I¡¯m out of shape and lack any proper weaponry. If we want any chance of survival, I need¡ª¡±

    ¡°To doom any chance of redemption by using the Forbidden Arts?¡± Oliver asked, the disappointment and disgust in his voice clearly audible. ¡°Is that it? I vaguely recall you¡¯ve made a vow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I hate the fact I¡¯m forced to do this with every ounce of my being! I¡¯m not a Novaseer, I have no choice!¡±

    Emily snapped her fingers at them and pointed down. ¡°That¡¯s a discussion for later!¡±

    Oliver walked towards her and looked back at Adam, a mixture of pity, frustration, and sadness in his eyes. ¡°We''ll talk later, but don¡¯t blame me for trying to save your ass.¡±

    Adam looked down as well and swallowed. He remembered the insidious whispers of his left heart and the Crimson Urges that tried to make him cheat on Catherine with Emily. His heart¡¯s connection with Schultora and Osaehin, monstrosities of terrible might, disturbed him to his core. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m playing with fire. He took a deep breath and let it out again. But the Queen of Glass used Instinct as well, and she was always in control, as far as I know. Plus, we do need everything we¡¯ve got to win this fight. He clenched his fists. Eric, Cath, I won¡¯t let you down.

    Down below, the warrior flashed her teeth in simmering rage. ¡°Sure, take your time,¡± she snarled in her deep voice, audible all the way up the tower. ¡°Grow a spine and face me!¡±

    With a shiver in his jaws, Oliver closed his eyes, breathed in and gathered Oquira around him. ¡°Emily, let¡¯s get us to the buildings on her level with Gaolom.¡±

    The three of them jumped from their platform. Before they¡¯d hit the roofs down below, Oliver and Emily used a Gaolom Invocation. The gravitational pull of the deep-blue, spherical Invocation slowed their fall and ensured a safe landing. Adam, Emily, and Oliver made their way to the warrior and surrounded her on the flat roof of the wide, rectangular building.

    The warrior stood unmoving, although her cold gaze was fixed on Adam. ¡°Surprising. From the way you fled last time, I thought you¡¯d piss yourself after seeing me.¡± Her deep voice was easy to hear despite the shrieks of metal on metal and the screams of the injured from the battle down below. She drenched every word in disappointment and cold fury. ¡°Filthy coward.¡±

    Adam stood in front of her and returned her gaze. Huh, either she isn¡¯t afraid at all to take the three of us on, or she hides it exceptionally well. ¡°Actually, despite our cosy meetup last time, I¡¯m hoping we could have a little chat. I have the vague impression you hate me for something. The thing is, I¡¯ve been Tainted and have no recollection whatsoever of who you are or what happened. Any chance that you¡¯ll tell me?¡±

    The warrior laughed with a rough voice. ¡°Really now? How convenient that you forgot everything.¡±

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    ¡°You fight with honour,¡± Adam stated. ¡°You said so yourself. Why would you attack a man who has no idea what he wronged?¡± He gave a knowing smirk. ¡°Plus, I can tell it¡¯s vengeance that you truly want, isn¡¯t it? Would you honestly be satisfied if I die at your hand, without any idea of what supposedly happened?¡±

    The warrior narrowed her eyes: Two pools of endless hatred. ¡° ¡®Satisfied,¡¯ huh?¡± She clenched her fist, quivering with barely contained rage. I guess I¡¯ll think about it while slicing you up and see how that satisfies me.¡± She raised her hand, making the traditional gesture of a challenge again.

    Adam and Emily quickly did the same and Oliver was the last to follow; the challenge was accepted. For a moment, they stood there in silence, while the screams and roars of the brutal fight in the streets below continued.

    With a deft motion, the warrior kicked up her sword and caught it. She vaulted straight towards Adam. Damn, she¡¯s fast! Spinning through the air, the warrior swung her blade in a wide, vertical arc.

    However, Adam had studied the techniques the younger version of her had used in her battle against the Pure knights. He leapt to the side to dodge. Exactly as she wants me to. As soon as her feet hit the ground, the warrior followed up the slash with a mighty sideways kick. Despite her ferocious speed, Adam was ready. He jumped over the kick, blocking the hidden blade on the side of her fur boot with his dagger. Adam roared and punched, but she rolled away at the very last moment, causing Adam to strike a hole in the roof.

    She grinned savagely. ¡°Oh my, quicker than last time. But your stance betrays your next move like always.¡±

    Oliver jumped on a roof behind her, holding one hand in the Gaolom gesture and the other in the Shrike gesture. Frowning in concentration, he conjured a small constellation of four silver-coloured orbs, reminiscent of stars. Compressed to a dense and lethal concentration by the Gaolom, the first Shrike orb flew towards the warrior. Meanwhile, Emily charged her. She had enhanced her metal chain with a Marrow blade at the end and swung it with all her might.

    ¡°So, you want to play as well?¡± The warrior smiled and moved her head to the side, allowing the first of Oliver¡¯s orbs to pass by. Effortlessly, she kicked and deflected Emily¡¯s Marrow blade with the hidden blade on her foot. She jumped up, causing two of Oliver¡¯s orbs to pass harmlessly beneath her and leave perfectly round holes in the roof below.

    In mid-air, she uttered a screech that reminded Adam of predators lunging at their prey. A familiar orange aura appeared around her and coalesced into the shape of a scorpion¡¯s tail at the end of each of her limbs, including her arm stump. The serrated stingers at the ends shot straight towards Adam.

    Adam rolled away to dodge, but the tails followed with a frightening speed. Fear took over; he felt the blood drain from his face. No! Snap out of it, idiot! As a wave of heat from his heart flowed throughout his body, he remembered Osaehin and the endless stream of animals that had fled in pure terror. However, warriors without fear run to their deaths in fights they simply can¡¯t win. Just in time, Adam leapt away. The first tail grazed his arm, leaving a long, singed wound. The Invocation pierced through the roof below him as if it was paper. Adam¡¯s feet barely touched the ground when the other three tails already closed in on him.

    Sweat broke out on his back. I won¡¯t make it! Time seemed to slow. Adam vividly remembered his Invocation of Schultora, and how he had succeeded in using it. Something clicked in Adam¡¯s mind. Instead of suppressing the blind terror, he let it in. I must embrace my fear¡­ Yes, let it help me stay alive!

    ¡°Osaehin,¡± his heart whispered. The corresponding branded mark on his left heart flared up. Part of the heat in Adam¡¯s body changed somehow, transformed, and soon it covered his body as a shimmering yellow glow. His body felt light as a feather.

    Adam didn¡¯t need to look at the Invocations that came for him. He heard, smelled, and almost felt where the threats around him were with unparalleled clarity. Quick as lightning, with red-hot terror running through his veins, he dropped and rolled over his shoulder. Everything to get away from the danger. The second tail soared harmlessly over him. Another aimed its stinger straight for Adam¡¯s chest, but he jumped out of the way like a hare that dodges a fox.

    A soft, rational voice in the back of Adam¡¯s mind was stunned by the speed of his reflexes. He wondered whether he could apply this newfound agility in an attack, but the fear¡¯s hold was too strong. Practically all of his being was focused on evading all threats. His limbs refused any movement, except for those to move out of harm¡¯s way.

    The two tails came for him again and he made a long jump forward. He soared through the air, nimble as a hummingbird. If it wasn¡¯t for the fear clutching his throat, he undoubtedly would¡¯ve laughed and revelled at his newfound agility. Now, instinctively, his eyes darted to all places around him where he could hide. His limbs itched to run away or duck behind a wall. But there¡¯s no place here where I can crawl away from this.

    One scorpion-tail burst from the roof below him. Adam pushed off the roof and twirled away like a mongoose that evaded a viper¡¯s fangs.

    Can¡¯t keep running forever! Baring his teeth, Adam tried to undo his Invocation. However, terror held him in a tight grip; the Invocation¡¯s strange energy embraced him, flowed through him, and left him barely any room to think. Two sources of a sizzling, crackling sound neared him from behind and he felt the colour drain from his face. With a grunt, he rolled to the side to evade.

    No, damn it! It¡¯s fight or die fleeing! Adam stood up and steeled his mind. Although a small, primal part inside of him kept screaming in panic, he roared to break free. I can do this!

    The fear that surged through him halted and the yellowish glow around his body disappeared again. Adam felt how the Invocation stopped draining heat to power itself.

    One of the scorpion¡¯s tails moved towards him, but Adam was quicker. Heaving his dagger over his head, he vaulted at the tail and plunged his weapon right below the stinger. With a hissing sound, the weapon sliced through the Invocation, which quickly dissipated.

    Adam heard two tails coming from behind again. He jumped up, allowing one tail to pass harmlessly beneath him. In mid-air, he readied his dagger and plunged it into the second incoming tail, tearing it apart. However, the stone dagger did crumble to pieces from the savage energy.

    So, this Invocation costs heat while it¡¯s active but enhances my speed, reflexes, and awareness of threats and places to hide. It does prevent me from attacking though, and it¡¯s tricky to ¡®break out¡¯ of when the fear surges through me.

    The warrior stood on a roof in the distance, her arms enveloped by two fresh scorpion tails. This time, it was Adam who charged her.

 Chapter 31 - A World of Echoes

    Chapter 31 - A World of Echoes

    Adam jumped over the gaps between the roofs. As fast as possible, he made his way towards the mysterious warrior. The mass of tightly-woven black curls flicked over her face as she stared at Adam with seething fury. Two curling scorpion-tail Invocations, which enveloped her arm and her stump, were ready to strike.

    However, Emily wasn¡¯t about to let this moment of distraction slide.

    While running up to the warrior, Emily used one hand to conjure a wide ring of Marrow knives around herself. With a flick of her wrist, she caused her Invocation to spin around her, emulating a circular saw. The warrior growled at Emily and tried fending her off with one of the tail-Invocations. However, Emily was too close. The knives sliced clean through one of the tails, although they broke in the process. Emily lashed out with her chain, but the warrior caught the weapon between her teeth. Grunting like a beast, she yanked the chain towards her; Emily yelped as she was pulled along. The warrior¡¯s last tail curved towards her.

    Suddenly, an eight-foot-long wing, with Marrow knives as feathers, cut through both the warrior¡¯s tail and Emily¡¯s chain. The warrior quickly jumped back, barely dodging the other wing of Oliver¡¯s advanced Invocation. Although it took quite some time to prepare, the Owl of Blades was certainly worth the wait. Ironglass bones formed a solid basis for the conjured owl, and the Marrow feathers and talons made it lethal.

    Laughing in the thrill of combat, the warrior sprang away to evade the threats. Emily reformed her circular saw of knives and conjured a Marrow scythe for her other hand. She charged the warrior from the left, while the Owl of Blades honed in from the right. The warrior ducked beneath Emily¡¯s scythe and jumped to the side to dodge both her circular saw and the owl¡¯s wing. Howling in mocking laughter, she jumped up and shattered one of the owl¡¯s talons with a mighty kick.

    Cursing his lack of speed now that he¡¯d deactivated Osaehin¡¯s Invocation, Adam ran towards them. Now that he saw the warrior again, her manoeuvres became more familiar to him, although he still couldn¡¯t remember where he should know her from.

    Nimble and elegant as a cat, the warrior jumped, rolled, and ducked as Emily and Oliver tried to hit her with all their might. A sideways swing of Emily¡¯s scythe and a downwards slash of the owl¡¯s wing finally chased her back. Right in Adam¡¯s direction. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. We have you now.

    The warrior closed her eyes in concentration and set her feet right. Her throat glowed red-hot by the energy she coalesced inside. Adam¡¯s eyes widened. That¡¯s the same move she used against the snake! Right before Adam, Emily, and the owl could reach her, the warrior opened her eyes again.

    And she roared.

    A shockwave spread outwards from her mouth, rippled through the air, and overwelmed them like an avalanche. It was a relentless cry of defiance and bestial fury, like an old tiger¡¯s last choice to fight without surrender.

    The unforgiving heat and pressure hit the three of them like a wall of pure force and slammed the air out of Adam¡¯s lungs. Both he and Emily were sent flying backwards. Emily¡¯s scythe and the Owl of Blades were torn apart, their shards spreading outwards in all directions, just like the stone roof beneath her.

    While Adam was still in mid-air, Oliver jumped towards a roof near the warrior. He stretched out both hands in the Gaolom gesture, his face reddened and contorted in concentration. A swirling, deep-blue sphere of Gaolom energy enveloped the warrior, trapping her inside. The immense gravitational force pulled all the razor-sharp Marrow shards of Emily¡¯s weapons and the Owl to its centre. Bricks and rubble sent flying by the warrior¡¯s roar changed direction and flew straight towards her.

    ¡°Hit her with all you got!¡± Oliver screamed. A blue vein throbbed on his forehead.

    Adam and Emily were still in mid-air as their falls were slowed by the gravitational force. By compressing Shrike in a Marrow shell, Emily quickly formed a Shrike-bomb. After cursing his lack of a weapon or ranged attacks, Adam grabbed a large stone slab that flew near him and hurled it towards the warrior. The slab and the Shrike-bomb accelerated even faster towards her due to the attracting force of the Gaolom. Trapped inside the spherical Invocation, the warrior hung in mid-air, with debris and shards of the Invocations nearing her from all directions.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    The warrior clenched her fists and roared in unending fury, causing familiar blood-red flames to erupt around her body. The blazing sphere of fire ripped apart the Gaolom around her. Oliver groaned as his Invocation had no choice but to yield.

    The warrior fell down, enveloped by flames, and grunted as part of the flying debris and Marrow shards hit her along the way. As soon as her feet touched the ruined roof beneath her, she kicked off and vaulted straight towards Oliver.

    ¡°DAMN YOU!¡± she screeched in mid-air, morphing the flames around her into the shape of a charging bull.

    Oliver¡¯s face paled. In a lightning-quick reflex, he formed a shell of Ironglass around himself. Simultaneous with the bull Invocation¡¯s mighty horns, the warrior headbutted Oliver¡¯s shell. With a thunderous boom, Oliver¡¯s shell was sent flying backwards. Adam screamed as Oliver was hurled away inside it and disappeared out of view in the streets between the buildings. Straight towards the savage melee between the Pure¡¯s rhino cavalry and Dorenland¡¯s defenders.

    The warrior landed. Ignoring the cuts and grazes across her body, she looked at Adam over her shoulder, eyes smouldering with rage. Somehow, Adam immediately knew he¡¯d seen her like this before. It was like an old, forgotten memory was triggered, along with a vague, tugging sensation inside his head. A word came up, and similar to Schultora and Osaehin, he knew it was a name. Desdemona. Adam shivered and grabbed the side of his head. Rationally, there was no way of telling right now if it was her name. Yet he was certain, somehow, as if he had always known her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go after Oliver!¡± Emily said as she jumped down and formed chains of Ironglass to swing between the buildings. ¡°Keep her occupied!¡±

    Adam shivered as she disappeared into the chaos below as well, and had to stop himself from following. No, they¡¯ll be fine, might even be in a better position than I am. Every part of his body hurt and he¡¯d already used a significant part of the heat inside his left heart.

    Desdemona cracked her neck to the side and rotated her arm a bit as if she was just warming up. ¡°Amusing. Nice of you to introduce me to Oliver and Emily.¡± Her hips swayed to the side and she casually let her sword¡¯s blade rest on her shoulder. ¡°Not a surprise you ended up falling for her.¡± She gave a subtle, knowing smirk and shook her head. ¡°Poor, stupid girl. She must have a lot of trust in you, leaving you with me.¡±

    Suppressing a vague pang of guilt in his stomach, Adam gave a grim, barking laugh. He spat out some blood from when her roar had hit him and looked her in the eye. ¡°Har har. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure she just ran away because of your smell. I thought you were the damn snake at first.¡±

    Desdemona narrowed her eyes at Adam, while a wound in her cheek gradually closed by her own Corpiogenesis. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand, why did you vermin go through all the trouble to be here? Out of all the Nodes in the Realm? What does Caine know, or what happened back here that you¡¯re after?¡±

    Huh, what does Caine know? ¡°Ah, ¡®why are we here,¡¯ an excellent question! When we¡¯ve finally figured that out, I¡¯ll send you a damned card to let you know!¡±

    Adam looked at the fresh troops of the Pure who stormed through the breached fortress gate and something clicked in his mind. A couple of years after this battle, he and Caine had argued about it in a tavern. ¡®Nonsense!¡¯ Caine had said back then, slamming his mug on the table with the epitome of drunk coordination. ¡®The Pure swarmed through the walls, err, gate! I mean, yeah, and the Novaseers had to wipe them out. I saw it from the damn tower!¡¯

    ¡®The gate? How? I was right there on the walls, you buffoon!¡¯ Adam had replied back then, swinging his own mug. ¡®How do you expect me to miss that? You¡¯re confusing Eulenschloss with the battle of Taleshire!¡¯

    I might be Tainted, but why would Caine alter this detail in my memory? To make me wrong on some battle that happened years ago, just to win a stupid drunk argument in hindsight? I think not. The Pure never breached the walls here, but Caine thinks they did.

    Desdemona frowned at Adam as he opened his mouth a bit; an idea began to form. He remembered the network of Nodes, all connected to each other. He remembered the pyramid library, with all its bizarrely detailed knowledge about Catherine, and how another pyramid brought them to the past. He remembered how the Shepherd¡¯s and the giant¡¯s sorcery seemed to be based on written words, on scrolls and books. There¡¯s a third type of sorcery¡­ and all the written information within a pyramid¡¯s library creates this illusion. No, a simulation rather. So, this ¡®Realm¡¯ probably forms a network of pyramids, of simulations, all based on information.

    Adam laughed. After days of trying to fit the puzzle together, of figuring out where they were, it finally started to make sense. The mystery of how they could¡¯ve been transported out of Gotterburg dissolved as they, in a way, maybe never truly left the place. Adam remembered how different Caine and Agatha¡¯s faces looked, how Caine was uglier, but Agatha looked more beautiful than ever before. Because that is how Caine remembers them! He was probably insecure about his own looks, while he was in love with Agatha. And the Pure never breached the gates of Eulenschloss, but they do in here because Caine believes that¡¯s what happened! And what is the Taint, inexplainable within the domains of both Instinct and Novaseering? The adjustment of memory; the concept that connects it all, and is probably at the core of this third type of sorcery.

    ¡°Did you finally lose it?¡± Desdemona¡¯s deep voice barked. She frowned darkly at him. ¡°What are you laughing about?¡±

    ¡°Because I figured it out.¡± Adam smiled while Desdemona raised an eyebrow. ¡°Right now, we are within Caine¡¯s memory, aren¡¯t we?¡±

 Chapter 32 â€“ A System of Knowledge

    Chapter 32 ¨C A System of Knowledge

    Up on the rooftops, high above the savage melee that raged within the fortress, Adam locked eyes with Desdemona. Both of them were silent while the cacophony of war was all around them: roars of battle, cries of dying troops, and the shrieks of metal on metal.

    Yet, Adam didn¡¯t mind them. He was solely focused on the mysterious warrior and the implications of his new hypothesis. She was resting the blood-red blade of her sword on her shoulder. Her callused fingers idly shifted over the handle as her suspicious gaze flicked over his face. Maybe she was thinking he¡¯d gone mad. Honestly, after his revelation, Adam couldn¡¯t quite blame her. A rational voice in the back of his mind tried to discard his own theory, claiming it was ridiculous. There was no way they could be inside Caine¡¯s memory world, right?

    However, it wasn¡¯t that hard to imagine since the great siege of Eulenschloss was taking place around him. Or at least, Caine¡¯s memories of this battle.

    It made sense that this strange third type of sorcery, out of which Instinct and Novaseering had been born, was connected to memory. Instinct was linked to the collective, ancient memory of countless animals. The emotions needed for Invocations were often linked to memories, like those triggered by Schultora and Osaehin. And before one could practice Novaseering it is necessary to delve into the memoires of a powerful Novaseer like Aves. Learning as much as possible about their life, choices, and techniques provided the initial basis for learning Novaseering. All of it was connected to memory. The more he thought about it, the surer he became.

    ¡°That¡­ was earnest,¡± Desdemona said slowly. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side. ¡°But how did you end up in the Realm of Remembrance, and travel all the way here, if you had no idea?¡±

    Suddenly, the telltale sizzling of an Invocation sounded from the left. Oliver and Emily jumped up from behind a roof and fired blasts of Shrike. Yelling their battle cries and contorting their faces in concentration, they clearly powered the surging beams with everything they had.

    With wide eyes of shock, Desdemona jumped up and raised her arms in defence. The Invocation hit her dead-on. Grunting in pain, she defended herself against the overwhelming assault, which tore off pieces of her armour and sent her flying backwards. As a fresh wave of Dorenland''s tridentiers charged in the streets below, the view of Desdemona was obscured in the savage melee.

    Adam gaped at the battle. His relief that he wasn¡¯t gutted rivalled an odd guilt for what had happened to Desdemona when she¡¯d let her guard down.

    ¡°What are we waiting for?!¡± Oliver barked between his panting. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the Node, NOW!¡±

    Adam nodded and forced his tired muscles to get moving. The three of them jumped from roof to roof to get to the spiral near the place where they¡¯d woken up.

    The tide seemed to be turning in the battle around them. Outside the fortress, Zachalynn¡¯s charge had reached its target. The Pure soldiers never lost their euphoric smiles as they lashed out with their glaives and ritualistic scythes. However, trapped between the heavily defended walls of Eulenschloss at one side and Zachalynn¡¯s cavalry at the other, there wasn¡¯t much they could do. In the distance, the elegant siege towers and the tall battle standards of the Pure were torn down.

    In the streets below Adam, Pure soldiers still ran amok. Armoured rhinos trampled and gored any Dorenish soldier foolish enough to leave their formation. However, Dorenland¡¯s tridentiers had blocked off the main streets by forming phalanxes. Row after row of thoroughly trained soldiers were overlapping their shields and sticking out their long tridents to slay any Pure who dared to come near. The Pure cavalry charged fearlessly, but with Invocations raining down on them from above, even the rhinos had trouble breaking the formations.

    ¡°FOR DORENLAND!¡± the Talons of Aves screamed as they attacked with harpoons of Marrow and blasts of Shrike. Now that the Novaseers didn¡¯t need to defend the walls anymore, they directed all of their fury on the Pure who seemed trapped within the fortress.

    Even one of the giant Myrmidons lumbered down from the walls and into the melee. Javelins hurled by the Pure bounced off the holy engravings on the statue¡¯s body as it pulled a Pure soldier from his saddle and threw him against a wall like a ragdoll. With its other hand, it wielded a long Marrow sword and cleaved through three of the Pure foot soldiers. Without any regard for its own safety, a Pure rhino charged from behind. It hit the animated statue¡¯s knee at full momentum and shattered the mighty joint, causing the Myrmidon to fall in the chaotic melee.

    However, the Talons of Aves attacked from all directions, cleaning the fortress of any who opposed them; exactly how Caine had remembered.

    Stolen story; please report.

    As Adam ran, he consciously didn¡¯t look back at the tower. What if this young version of Caine has recognised us? We weren¡¯t really subtle in our fight with Desdemona¡­ He jumped over the gap between two roofs. Well, there isn¡¯t much we could do about it now, I suppose.

    They were already nearing the peculiar spiral which, hopefully, was their way out. The goldish-green energy inside the shape seemed to be flowing outwards from the centre. Two wide rings surrounded the spiral. The first one was filled with depictions which reminded Adam of the fresco he¡¯d seen earlier; a complex network of caves, connected to each other with little green lines. The outer ring was filled with a multitude of tiny hieroglyphs.

    Some time later, Oliver marched past the towering bookcases in the pyramid library of Eulenschloss¡¯s Node. He waved his arms in frustration. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, preposterous! There¡¯s no way we can be inside Caine¡¯s memory!¡± As he kept ranting, Emily followed politely and nodded along.

    Adam grimaced a bit every time he put weight on his left leg, being exhausted, bruised, and battered after the fight. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t really blame Oliver for having trouble accepting where they were. However, no matter how much he argued, signs which supported Adam¡¯s theory about the Realm of Remembrance were everywhere around them. Absent-mindedly, Adam let his gaze wander across the spines of books. Titles like ¡®The Walls of Eulenschloss¡¯ or ¡®Battle Tactics of the Pure: An Analysis¡¯ came by.

    The library, unharmed by the Roots, smelled like parchment, ink, and polished wood. Chic oaken bookshelves stood three storeys along the walls of the long room. In front of them were several desks, lecterns, and wooden ladders to reach the higher shelves. Life-sized statues of figures from the siege, like knights of the Pure or tridentiers, stood in niches. Hung upside down from the vaulted ceiling, a large maquette of Eulenschloss showed its key points with red dots. Other walls were covered with items like maps of the fortress and paintings of Agatha.

    ¡°¡ªI mean, even Novaseering can¡¯t create entire worlds!¡± Oliver said, frowning distastefully at a statue of a squire, as if the young lad had personally offended him.

    ¡°But doesn¡¯t it make sense if it can do things Novaseering can¡¯t?¡± Emily asked patiently as she prodded a small maquette which showed the fight around the fortress gate. Detailed clay soldiers stood on the maquette, vaguely reminding Adam of the toys he used to play with, a lifetime ago. Emily picked up one of them and studied it. Adam noticed only now that she¡¯d covered a bruise on her right cheek with a lock of hair. ¡°Although it¡¯s a predecessor of Novaseering, it is a third, separate form of sorcery after all,¡± she said. ¡°So, Adam, how do you think all the stuff in here is connected to the memory?¡±

    Adam walked towards her. Enchanting as the vanilla scent of her hair may be, he bravely ignored it and pointed at the back of the maquette. ¡°There¡¯s a tiny glass-like tube over here. And if you look closely, you can see these minuscule specks of greenish light travelling through them... Hmm, it reminds me a bit of blood flowing through veins.¡± Adam nodded to the bookcases and statues. ¡°All of these objects should have tubes connected to them, which lead to the ceiling, and will probably end up at the spiral on top. If you ask me, all the books and other items in here are providing the information used to form the memory of the siege of Eulenschloss.¡±

    Emily looked up to the column where several glass tubes disappeared into the ceiling. ¡°Ah, interesting! And when you placed a book back into its shelf in Catherine¡¯s library, a bigger mote of light appeared, right?¡±

    Adam winced a bit. ¡°Uh-huh, triggering an avalanche of Roots. Not quite my best moment in hindsight. I guess Caine¡¯s memory about Catherine was made up to date when I placed the book back in, to include new changes that could¡¯ve been added.¡±

    Emily played with a lock of her hair and smirked at a painting of Agatha on the wall. ¡°So, let¡¯s say we draw a fancy black moustache on our sexy rebel leader over there and make a similar one on all her likenesses in the library. Then, Caine would remember her like that, right?¡±

    Adam laughed heartily, it felt good to do so after all the events and insights of Eulenschloss. ¡°Well, yes, I think so! Hmm, although there is a separate Node about Catherine, so maybe there¡¯s also one about Agatha? I¡¯m not sure how that would work, but maybe he¡¯d only remember her with a moustache at this specific battle.¡±

    Emily nodded solemnly. ¡°A worthy symbol to inspire her troops.¡±

    Adam rubbed his beard. ¡°The real question is, will it make her more or less attractive to Caine?¡±

    Oliver sighed indignantly and rubbed his temples. ¡°Unbelievable. You two are way too enthusiastic about this heretic hocus-pocus!¡± He glared at Emily specifically. ¡°Does anyone see the irony that a type of sorcery revolving around memory has been forgotten, hmm? Sounds pretty shoddy to me!¡±

    Emily raised her eyebrows. ¡°All right then, does ¡®The Wind Around My Wings¡¯ or other books of Aves provide any clue on what¡¯s going on or where we are?¡±

    ¡°Err.¡± Oliver stared at a hologram that floated above a dais on the floor. It showed a Myrmidon that formed a massive, Marrow trident. With a wide swing, it cut right through a Pure knight, rhino and all. The hologram repeatedly showed the same scene. ¡°Maybe¡­ no, I mean, ahem,¡± Oliver stammered. ¡°I don¡¯t have the books with me, of course.¡± He got a bit red in the cheeks.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Emily said gently. ¡°It just looks like we can¡¯t explain the things which are happening around us with the rules and laws we¡¯ve been taught so far. I¡¯m all ears to other explanations and theories on what¡¯s happening. But in my opinion, Adam has a plausible hypothesis, wild as it may be. And the warrior we fought confirmed it.¡±

    Oliver looked sourly at Adam. ¡°Ah yes, and we all know that bloodthirsty people who try to butcher us are the most reliable source of information.¡± He sighed dramatically. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll play along, until we find out what¡¯s actually going on.¡±

    Adam laughed quietly and shook his head. He really hasn¡¯t changed a bit.

 Chapter 33 - An Omission of Memories

    Chapter 33 - An Omission of Memories

    As Emily and Oliver looked through books of the bizarre library, Adam studied the towering holograms of marching soldiers and siege towers of the Pure. Although the thought of literally walking through Caine¡¯s memories was still bizarre, it was surprisingly easy to get used to. Absorbing as much knowledge as he could, Adam thought of ways to use their insights for a new plan of action.

    As they had expected, all the books, paintings, and other objects they found were in some way related to the siege of Eulenschloss. Since the Roots were absent here, and seemed too destructive in nature, Adam theorized that the library¡¯s contents were made by the Thalers. Presumably, all of the inkwells and equipment for painting and sculpturing were used by the Thalers to continuously update the library¡¯s contents and Caine¡¯s memories.

    Adam sat down at a chic oaken table, ignoring the pain in his leg. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯d say we use what we already know about this place¡ªand our hypothesis¡ªto figure out what to do next.¡±

    ¡°Yes, finally, a plan!¡± Oliver said as he sat down in the largest chair at the head of the table.

    Emily sat down as well, wobbled back and forth in her chair a bit, and swiped a pile of scrolls to the ground.

    Deep in thought, Adam tapped two fingers on the wood surface of the table. ¡°So, I wouldn¡¯t mind finding out which of my memories have been altered and what I¡¯ve forgotten. But I¡¯m not sure how we could do that.¡±

    Emily twirled a feather from one of the inkwells around her fingers. ¡°Well, for a start, Oliver and I could prod your memory. We could ask you questions about things that happened, and if we notice anything odd, we can just tell you.¡±

    ¡°That would be great.¡± Adam gave her a suspecting smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure m¡¯lady wouldn¡¯t take the opportunity to plant some undignified nonsense into my poor brain?¡±

    Emily made a fake gasp and placed her hand on her right heart. ¡°Who, me? I¡¯m affronted by the mere suggestion I¡¯d say anything but the pristine truth! Anyway¡­¡± She swung up her legs and placed her boots on the table, wriggling her toes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you remember your unending commitment to massage my feet after long walks?¡±

    Adam snickered. ¡°Oh yes, and I always feed you grapes afterwards, right? Nice try.¡±

    Oliver looked sourly at the boots on the clean table and cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought. Whatever is going on, I actually think it¡¯s one of our main priorities to clear your Taint and get your memory back somehow.¡± He looked a bit awkwardly to the side. ¡°You¡¯ve, err¡­ been through quite some hardships already, so to say, with your family and all. I think you deserve to get back what¡¯s yours.¡±

    Adam smiled at that. ¡°Thanks. And I do believe it¡¯s possible to get my memories back. Just now, when we fought the warrior, I suddenly remembered her name was Desdemona. Although that¡¯s all I¡ª¡±

    ¡°WHAT.¡± Oliver¡¯s mouth hung open a bit as he stared at Adam with disbelief.

    ¡°That was her?¡± Emily hastily moved her feet off the table.

    ¡°Uhm.¡± Adam looked a bit sheepishly at Emily and Oliver¡¯s shocked stares. ¡°I think so?¡±

    Oliver rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. ¡°He ¡®thinks so.¡¯ ¡±

    Emily shot Oliver an angry look and turned to Adam. ¡°Back during the War of the Prophet, you¡¯ve told us sometimes about fighting alongside her. You did seem to despise her back then, calling her miserably arrogant, but you did seem to respect her skills with the blade. Like how she somehow used to hunt whale turtles single-handedly.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Oliver raised a finger. ¡°Remember that evening Adam got drunk and kept telling the same story over and over again?¡±

    Emily smiled apologetically at Adam. ¡°At the time, there were quite a few of those evenings, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    Adam sighed. ¡°I know, I wasn¡¯t at my best back then¡±

    Oliver frowned. ¡°That night, you kept boasting about how the two of you downed an Enigma.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ooh, right.¡±

    Adam squeezed his eyes shut. He could imagine the Enigmas clear as day. Animated statues used by the Pure to take down walls, Enigmas were roughly shaped like colossal gorillas. Carrying towers with archers on the shoulders, and covered from head to toe in the Pure¡¯s heraldry, they were a fearsome sight on the battlefield. If what Oliver said was true, to take one down with just him and Desdemona would have been insane. ¡°No, can¡¯t remember anything about that.¡±

    Oliver nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Please mention it when something comes back, okay? Anyway, I¡¯ve been thinking. Doesn¡¯t it sound awfully convenient for Caine that you¡¯ve forgotten about multiple matters?¡± He counted on his short fingers. ¡°There¡¯s your secret research about these supposed ¡®memory powers,¡¯ your experience in the Forbidden Arts, and Desdemona who wants to pull your head off. I believe that at some point, Caine has deleted the knowledge that¡¯s dangerous for him. However, let¡¯s say these theories are true and you knew about the powers that locked us in this supposed ¡®Realm of Remembrance.¡¯ Getting your memory back might be our escape ticket back to Gotterburg!¡±

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    Huh, apparently homesickness and urgency beat prejudices against unfamiliar sorcery, who knew?

    Emily nodded. ¡°Sounds good, and if we learn more about the Realm of Remembrance and the memory powers, it would probably increase our chances of surviving in here. We might learn how to defend ourselves against the Taint and other things Caine and his goons might throw at us.¡±

    Adam ran a thumb through his beard. ¡°Great! The info we gather from the Nodes might help us a lot, although we do need to be careful; I believe this place records what Caine thinks has happened instead of the objective truth.¡± Adam explained his thoughts about the gate of Eulenschloss and the drunk discussion he once had with Caine.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re trapped in Caine¡¯s twisted, heretical view of reality?¡± Oliver shook his head melancholically. ¡°Aves have mercy on us.¡±

    Emily frowned and crossed her arms. ¡°But why has he trapped us in here, of all places? What has he achieved by doing so?¡±

    Oliver looked up. ¡°If you ask me, Caine ¡®removed¡¯ us for the same reason he removed some of Adam¡¯s memories: because we are too dangerous for him. He said so himself, right, Adam?¡± He continued in a nasal mimicry of Caine¡¯s voice. ¡° ¡®I knew a day would come that you would find out. And I used to hope I could convince you to join the good cause before it would come to a confrontation. But both of you have become too much of a threat.¡¯ ¡±

    Adam clenched his hand into a fist for a moment, feeling the bitter anger rise in his stomach. ¡°He did indeed. Although I wonder whether he hoped the Realm would actually kill us. The Thalers had tied me up in a chariot at first, and from what I¡¯ve heard from them it seems Caine is personally in this Realm as well. So, maybe he has something else in mind for us? Furthermore, if he would¡¯ve killed us in Gotterburg, there would¡¯ve been evidence. But now?¡± Adam frowned and looked at his hand. ¡°If we¡¯re inside Caine¡¯s memory, does that mean it¡¯s just our mind that¡¯s trapped in here? Are our bodies still in Gotterburg or are these our real bodies? It feels real.¡±

    Emily lifted an eyebrow. ¡°I can pinch you to check.¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡± Adam leaned on the table with his arms crossed. ¡°The thing is, either our minds were removed from our bodies and placed in here, which means that Caine and the Penduli can throw our helpless bodies in a river if he wants to. Or, we were transported in here with mind and body, which means we¡¯re missing and no one knows we¡¯re trapped in here.¡± Adam softly whistled between his teeth. ¡°Gee, wonderful. I wonder which option is more disturbing?¡±

    Emily nodded slowly. ¡°Who knows what¡¯s happening to our bodies if it¡¯s the first one? Would he just imprison us somewhere? Or¡­¡± She shivered. ¡°And what would happen if we die in here, would we die in the world outside? As far as I know, there are two confirmed conditions in which the victim¡¯s mind is tampered with by sorcery. In both, the victim can act like their minds have left them.¡±

    Oliver sighed. ¡°To be part of the Pure, or to be severely Tainted.¡±

    Adam rubbed his eyes with the tough palms of his hands and muttered curses under his breath. ¡°Caine sure knows how to give a good ol¡¯ welcome home present, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it, you know?¡± Emily closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°How can he, of all people, do something like that to us?¡±

    Oliver swallowed and stared with a hollow expression. ¡°It¡¯s insane. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure what he did, of course, but I believe we have to be¡­ realistic. He¡¯s not the same man we used to know, the one we thought we knew. He said himself how interested he was in the Prophet¡¯s abilities. He wanted to use them for a ¡®world without suffering,¡¯ right? Who knows what he¡¯s planning to do?¡±

    The three of them were silent for a while.

    Adam cleared his throat. ¡°In terms of places to visit, there¡¯s this ¡®Palace of Origin¡¯ which should be at the centre of this network. If we follow our old plan, we should end up there.¡±

    ¡°Ah and according to that painting of the map in the last pyramid¡­¡± Emily shot Adam a short, teasing glance. ¡°Caine should be there. But if all of this embodies his memories, would it be really him we¡¯d find? Like, is he always inside his own memories? Or is it some weird memory concept about himself?¡±

    Deep in thought, Oliver fiddled with his bottom lip. ¡°Good question. The place could be heavily guarded if it¡¯s so important.¡±

    Emily looked up at Adam. ¡°Wait, Schultora and Osaehin triggered old memories for you as well, right? We could just visit more of those creatures and see if they can return your memories!¡±

    Adam grimaced. Although he¡¯d rather chew an arm off than visit endless numbers of those things, getting overwhelmed by emotions every time, it could provide them with insights. Furthermore, he¡¯d probably gain access to Invocations from other emotions besides fear and guilt. ¡°True, true. Although I¡¯d prefer looking for Nodes with useful information in the libraries, instead of randomly visiting Nodes and their disturbing creatures.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Oliver said absent-mindedly as he read a book about the Pure¡¯s tactics in battle. ¡°Just imagine how many bragging nonsense stories or women he¡¯s slept with we¡¯ll run into otherwise¡­ Nodes about these ¡®memory powers¡¯ or Caine¡¯s plans for the Penduli sound more useful to me.¡±

    Adam¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Wait, maybe beings like Schultora represent the emotion Caine feels for the Node¡¯s subject! Osaehin could embody fear, so maybe that¡¯s his primary emotion for the battle of Eulenschloss?¡±

    Emily looked up from balancing multiple empty inkwells on top of each other. ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah! Caine seemed pretty darned nervous about standing so close to Mrs. Sexy. I hope the next Nodes contain some juicy news like that.¡±

    Oliver snickered. ¡°And of course, there¡¯s the small detail of an entire army of the most feared faction of the century. Yes, him being scared sounds fitting.¡±

    Deep in thought, Adam stared at the bookcases and tried to wrap his head around the implications of this theory. ¡°That would mean every Node has one, or maybe even several of those creatures. And if all emotions can be represented in such a way, there should be many kinds of these beings we haven¡¯t seen before. Hmm, but Schultora is definitely connected to guilt, which should mean that Caine feels damn guilty towards Catherine. If Caine has some kind of twisted ¡®relationship¡¯ with her, there could be dozens of reasons why he feels like that.¡±

    Oliver shot Adam a pitying expression. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that does sound plausible.¡±

    Adam gritted his teeth as he thought about Caine. What did you do to her, you twisted sack of misery? Were you in a good mood and did you leave it at brainwashing? Or are you treating her like shit as well, huh? You¡¯d better feel guilty. A grim frown appeared on Adam¡¯s brow when he looked at the books around him. An idea began to form. Hmm¡­ maybe this wasn¡¯t the best place to take me, for your sake.

 Chapter 34 â€“ A Book of Retaliation

    Chapter 34 ¨C A Book of Retaliation

    Adam paced through one of the pyramid library¡¯s many hallways and checked over his shoulder if he was truly alone. The group had split up to search the place for more clues and interesting findings. It sounded like the others were quite far away now. Clenching and unclenching his hands, Adam walked past the endless books and weighed his options.

    Caine had given Adam a golden opportunity to get back at him: Caine¡¯s own memories were exposed and vulnerable. If Adam wanted vengeance, he could simply burn books or break Agatha¡¯s breathtakingly beautiful statues. Or, he could add something new. If I want to do this, now is the time. But do I truly want to?

    As an angrily thumping headache pulsed behind his eyes, Adam looked at the books. Books that formed the memory of a man Adam had believed to be his friend. A man who had bewitched his family and had left him here to die. A man who had stolen his memories and had blasted him through a roof.

    He grabbed ¡®Agatha¡¯s Hints ¨C What Are You Trying to Tell Me?!¡¯ As soon as the book was removed from the shelf, the glowing green glyph on the back disappeared. Adam turned to the last page which was still blank.

    ¡°Adam?¡± Oliver called from a distance. ¡°We¡¯ve found quite a room here. I think you¡¯d like the statues and err¡­ other cultural stuff.¡±

    ¡°Just a minute!¡± Adam replied.

    Do I want to stoop to Caine¡¯s level? To alter someone¡¯s memory, is that how I want to fight? Then again, Caine chose to bring the fight to this¡­ After all he took from me¡­

    A surge of raw heat came from his left heart, filled his veins, and made him shiver with rage.

    ¡°Gur Asaar,¡± his heart whispered with a raw, hissing voice. Before his mind¡¯s eye, Adam saw how Caine had laid his hand on the small of Catherine¡¯s back. How Eric¡¯s little hand had clung to Caine¡¯s for protection. How Caine had used his strange Invocation on them, back in the Starwing Grove, to bring them here.

    Adam¡¯s heart beat at an insane speed. The heat filled Adam¡¯s head and made him bare his teeth in a haze of fury. He felt the endless cuts, blow, and grazes he¡¯d suffered since he got back to Gotterburg. From the Penduli, Thalers, the giant, the Roots. From all the endless fights caused by a single man. A man who Adam used to love as a brother. A man who not only targeted Adam, but his family as well as Oliver and Emily.

    Adam¡¯s head was hot as a furnace. Heat like molten iron surged through his veins and made him move his arm. It made him grab a quill and dip it into the ink. Grinding his teeth in rage, Adam placed the tip onto the blank page of the book. Time to quench that sickening ego of yours. You deserve every single bit, you vile bastard.

    With a grim frown and a tightened jaw, Adam began to write. ¡®Of course, I know deep down that both Agatha and Catherine never really loved me. How could they? They just see me as a sack of money, a useful pawn, or a strong arm to do their dirty work. And I¡¯m lucky they do so before they move on to someone else. I never deserved to be in their presence in the first place.¡¯

    Adam shut the book with a white-knuckled grip and slammed it back into the shelf. As expected, the green glyph on the back of the book appeared again. In the glassy tube behind the shelf, a relatively large mote of light travelled towards the ceiling. Adam panted, feeling strangely light-headed and hot.

    Adam still felt hazy when he entered the spacious, richly decorated room on the second floor of the pyramid. Grand staircases, covered in thick turquoise carpets, spanned multiple storeys. Each contained towering marble statues and galleries with exquisite oil paintings of the battlefield. The scents of the room alternated, somehow switching between aromas like Agatha¡¯s perfume, to the stench of fire and blood, and to the toxic white gas in the Pure¡¯s censers. Instruments of bronze, string, and lacquered wood autonomously moved their intricate mechanisms to mimic sounds like Agatha¡¯s voice. A complex setup of drums, hammers, and anvils replicated the thundering sound of the rhino cavalry¡¯s charge against Dorenland¡¯s soldiers.

    Adam felt like he walked through a sacred mausoleum or temple of a unique, advanced culture. Despite the fact that it was all inside Caine¡¯s memory, Adam couldn¡¯t help but admire the art and crafts of the Thalers who had built the place.

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    Adam was studying the fine colour palette and brush strokes of an amazing painting, detailing the battle behind the gate of Eulenschloss, when Emily walked up to him.

    ¡°So, was there something interesting you wanted to check out before you came here?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°Any ¡®frescoes¡¯ or other fancy nonsense?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I just¡­¡± Adam frowned a bit; he knew what he¡¯d just done, but somehow it felt vague, blurry. As if it was someone else¡¯s action instead of his own or some kind of dream. ¡°Wrote in one of the books...¡±

    Emily looked up in surprise and opened her mouth, but Oliver was quicker.

    ¡°You did what?¡± he hissed, storming from behind a closet near them.

    Adam¡¯s frown deepened as he tried to make sense of his own actions. ¡°But, somehow it didn¡¯t feel like something I was doing.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Oliver screamed in a high pitch.

    Adam stroked his beard and spoke softly, ¡°By the night, it must¡¯ve been the Crimson Urges¡­¡±

    ¡°BY THE LOVE OF¡­¡± Oliver threw his hands in the air and stomped away in frustration. ¡°How can a smart guy like you be so¡­ ugh!¡±

    Adam looked at his own shivering hands and his stomach turned. The mere idea that something else had controlled them, controlled him, was unnerving. Violating. Even though a small voice in the back of his mind reminded him he took the risk himself. And now, he had to face the consequences. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

    Emily calmly studied Adam¡¯s face. A welcome contrast with Oliver, who kept pacing through the room, rambling about books and the Ancestor. ¡°Are you okay? Do you think you can feel it coming before it happens again?¡±

    Adam nodded shakily. ¡°I¡¯m good, it¡¯s gone now. I think I got too angry about Caine and let myself get carried away. I was so hot¡­ And my heart was beating like a drum played by an insane bard on a coffee overdose.¡± Adam exhaled another time, and the gears in his head started working again. ¡°If I pay attention and calm myself before my emotions get the better of me, I might be able to stop it.¡±

    Emily smiled and nodded reassuringly. ¡°But what did you write in the book?¡±

    ¡°Basically, that Caine never deserved to be with Catherine or Agatha. That he¡¯s a miserable worm who¡¯s just being used.¡±

    Oliver stopped in his tracks, halfway through spooning up Aves¡¯ holy poems about ¡®Understanding Thyself.¡¯ ¡°For real! Are you trying to get us killed?¡±

    Adam blinked. ¡°Killed? How, by Caine¡¯s hurt ego?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ no, but that¡¯s beside the point! We don¡¯t know the consequences of when you mess with any of the stuff here! We could DIE!¡±

    Adam sighed. ¡°Look, I know I messed up with the Crimson Urges, and I¡¯m sorry. But let¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    Right before Oliver could interject, Emily stepped between the two and waved her hands in a calming motion. ¡°Guys, calm down, please. There aren¡¯t any Roots who noticed, and it seems we¡¯re safe for now. So, let¡¯s just focus on investigating the library, okay?¡±

    Oliver grumbled something indeterminable before he nodded.

    After the group had inspected more sections of the library, they moved on to the pyramid¡¯s flattened top. Adam ignored Osaehin up above as best he could. Although the mere idea of the ominous creature staring down at them gave him a prickling feeling on the back of his neck, its ability of fear didn¡¯t activate as long as he didn¡¯t look at it.

    Looking for a proper new destination, Adam, Emily, and Oliver investigated the pedestals at the edges of the plateau and the tunnels they aligned with. They had theorised earlier on that the hieroglyph on each pedestal could match the subject of the Node at the other end of the corresponding tunnel. At least, that was the case for the pedestal that matched with the tunnel towards Catherine¡¯s Node. Therefore, they wanted to determine which Node to go next by examining the hieroglyphs on the pedestals.

    Due to the high number of pedestals, Adam, Oliver, and Emily had split up. Adam tried to recognize the hieroglyphs in the swirly, stylized art style of the Thalers. Several depicted the sieges or the sites of other battles. The narrow towers of Taleshire castle, or the broad arches of Stormbridge, for example, were easy to recognize. Many hieroglyphs were depictions of people Adam didn¡¯t know, like several grim warriors of the Starwing Order. Two depictions were clear though; Desdemona¡¯s long mass of black braids and her savage sword made her instantly recognizable. The same held true for the Queen of Glass; the frail yet dignified lady on a throne of needles could hardly depict anyone else. Other hieroglyphs seemed more abstract, including intricate writing and shapes, which were impossible for them to decipher.

    After they reconvened, Emily theorized that each Node should be connected to other Nodes with subjects that Caine ¡®associated¡¯ with the first one. The Thalers did ask her to ¡®associate¡¯ on top of the pyramid after all, and why else would there be so many memories of castles and sieges connected to the siege of Eulenschloss?

    Adam was a bit disappointed though; he¡¯d hoped to find a pedestal that depicted himself. If their theories were correct, there most definitely was a Node about Adam somewhere. And with a bit of luck, they could use it to find out which of his memories Caine had altered or deleted, like his lost knowledge about the memory powers. And since Caine remembered Adam in the siege of Eulenschloss, his Node should be connected to it.

    ¡°Look!¡± Oliver called from the other side of the plateau. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Ziecherhein?¡±

    Adam¡¯s stomach lurched upon hearing that name. Vague memories of the trials after the disaster and the aurora above the ruins flashed before his mind¡¯s eye. He closed his eyes and exhaled. By the night, of all places in the world¡­

 Chapter 35 â€“ An Insult of Survival

    Chapter 35 ¨C An Insult of Survival

    With his short fingers, Oliver pointed at the hieroglyph on the pedestal in front of him. ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t recognize it as Ziecherhein. You don¡¯t see its grand Starwing Grove or the Menhir League at all, eh? But I think these swirly patterns on top depict that green aurora effect in the sky above the ruins.¡±

    Adam nodded, the nightmarish tree-like shape that reached towards the clouds was one of a kind.

    Oliver pointed to the depictions which appeared to be black walls,  covered in text and crowned with a statue of Aves flying towards the heavens. Oliver didn¡¯t need to explain what it depicted: the Tomb. After the mysterious disaster, right before the end of the war, all buildings in Ziecherhein were reduced to ruins. Dangerous ruins. All who entered the area fell down and died within hours due to unknown causes. Soon after, the Starwing Order deemed the area to be irreversibly corrupted by a combination of the Pure¡¯s devastating sorcery and the Forbidden Arts.

    To protect the people from the ruins, Dorenland¡¯s king ordered the ruins to be completely encircled by massive, black walls without an entry gate. After a monstrous effort from the kingdom, the corrupted ruins were hidden behind the mass of stone which would be nicknamed ¡®the Tomb.'' A statue of Aves was placed on top of the walls as a reminder of the holy place Ziecherhein used to be. As the Starwing Grove there was said to be the place where Aves ascended to the heavens, the unique statue depicted Him flying upwards.

    Just like the pedestal with Catherine¡¯s hieroglyph, getting close to this pedestal filled Adam with strange emotions that felt like they weren¡¯t his own. It was like a deep melancholy for a better time. A bitter sadness and mourning for something lost forever.

    ¡°It would be useful to go to that Node!¡± Oliver continued, with a hint of excitement. ¡°Adam, you performed your research within the Menhir League of Ziecherhein, right? I¡¯d wager Caine wanted to learn all about it after his talk with Agatha, so maybe we can find info about your research in this Node. Also¡­¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes shifted to the hieroglyph again. ¡°No one, including practitioners of both kinds of sorcery, could explain the disaster of Ziecherhein. And as the Prophet was involved, who most likely used memory powers to create the Pure, I¡¯d say it¡¯s likely that memory powers were used to cause the disaster.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes that makes sense!¡± Emily said. ¡°Especially since most of those Invocations and patterns of memory powers are green for some reason! But, the scale of destruction in Ziecherhein was immense¡­ If memory powers were used to do it, maybe Caine is capable of something similar?¡± Emily shuddered. ¡°We should definitely look into this.¡±

    Adam nervously rubbed the scars on his wrists as he stared at the pedestal. The resemblance of the hieroglyph to what remained of Ziecherhein was unmistakable. He did agree with Oliver and Emily that a lot of useful knowledge could be gained at that Node. However, he¡¯d rather fight another round with Desdemona with two hands behind his back than visit that damned place.

    Oliver cleared his voice. Adam looked back with a tired expression. By the look in Oliver¡¯s eyes, Adam already suspected what Oliver was going to ask.

    ¡°I know that during the trials, people asked you endlessly about it,¡± Oliver said. ¡°But this is too big to ignore. You were there when the disaster happened, and you survived! And we¡¯re glad you did.¡± He smiled. ¡°Could you please tell us what you remember? Every little detail might be relevant. And I know, I know it¡¯s a difficult subject. But we are your friends. And even if there are aspects of the story you didn¡¯t want to say in court, you can trust us with them. We¡¯ll support you, and we won¡¯t judge you for anything.¡± Oliver gave a welcoming smile, although there was something else in his eyes that Adam couldn¡¯t quite place.

    Adam looked at his friend. Hmm, did he rehearse this speech? He might¡¯ve been aching to ask me again for a long time... He sighed. ¡°I have nothing new to tell you, I¡¯m afraid. I was stationed on Ziecherhein¡¯s walls to defend the city, and when the Prophet came with his army, I fought.¡± Adam closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed. No matter how often people had asked him about it, no matter how often he had to tell the story, he still hated every single bit of it.

    ¡°It was a gruesome, bitter fight. The sheer scale made the siege of Eulenschloss look like some insignificant street brawl,¡± Adam said. ¡°For months our grand army had prepared. We had reinforced the walls and defences, and we trained and strategized without end. But it made no difference. The Prophet himself led a colossal army that outnumbered us by fourteen to one at least. And he didn¡¯t just bring the lower-ranked Pure, oh no. To take down Ziecherhein, and rip out the beating heart of Aves¡¯ religion, the Prophet brought the absolute elite units of his army. The ground trembled under the march of all the giant constructs of war. The War Temples, the Enigmas, the armistherium chariots, the Bridge of Heaven¡ªall were there.

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    Adam gave a barking laugh. ¡°Many soldiers prayed to Aves for Zachalynn and her army to hurry and save us. I didn¡¯t, no army can march over 200 miles in one day. Neither did Aves himself come down to protect the holiest site of His own religion, no matter how hard everyone prayed. No. There was nothing we simple mortals could do, no way to change the outcome. All of us were damn sure we wouldn¡¯t live to see the sun rise again. So, with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, all of us fought to our last breath. With the bitter determination to give one last middle finger to the Pure. In our last stand, we vowed to take as many of them down as we could.

    Adam bared his teeth, shivering in old anger. ¡°When the Pure came for the walls, it was like a sea of Pure soldiers outside. The walls trembled under their furious assault. The airborne horrors the Prophet had brought blotted out the red sun. No matter how many Pure we struck down, more of those bastards would take their place. But I fought. On the walls, near the gates, on the roofs, in the gutter, I fought tooth and nail wherever they needed me. I was fighting on the spires of the Silver Library in the Starwing Grove when I got hit on the back of my head. And that¡¯s where my memory gets truly blurry.¡±

    Oliver fiddled with his bottom lip, hanging on Adam¡¯s every word.

    Adam squinted. ¡°I remember falling, buildings collapsing over me, and me crawling my way out of rubble and debris. I¡¯m not sure what happened. My guess is that the whole Library collapsed due to the Pure¡¯s siege weapons. Due to a stroke of luck, I wasn¡¯t squished like a bug between wooden beams, massive stone blocks and all the debris. What I remember then, is that intensely bright blast of green light, not unlike that aurora, which appeared out of nowhere. It shone through stone, flesh, and everything around me. I shielded my eyes with my hands, but the light was so bright I could see their every bone.¡±

    Emily gave a sad nod. ¡°I spoke with witnesses who had seen the light as well. From a hundred miles away at least.¡±

    Adam puffed out his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it, nor do I want to see anything like it ever again. When that ¡®Invocation¡¯ came, or whatever you call something like that, I blacked out and was sure it was the end of me. But¡­ for some reason, it wasn¡¯t. I crawled out of the rubble. I remember stumbling through the broken, deathly silent streets in wild confusion. The same roads we had had so many good times on were filled with the lifeless bodies of combatants, defenders and Pure alike.

    Staring blankly in the distance, Adam continued. ¡°Good people died there, people I cared about. Good old Alef wanted to use his inheritance to start an orphanage, remember? To house kids that had become homeless during the war. He¡¯d promised me he¡¯d teach me to carve animals from wood, just like he always had.¡± Adam shivered. ¡°All too often, I wake up, seeing his dead blue eyes as he lay in a puddle like a crumpled puppet.

    Adam sighed and stared at the ground. He felt old. He¡¯d had his fun, his prime, and even his last stand. Maybe the man he used to be had died that day. Now, he was an empty shell that should¡¯ve been dead, but still walked for some reason. Like a miserable, breathing insult to the brave people who did lose their lives in that siege. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked so many times why I survived, but I¡¯ve no damn clue. People like Alef deserved to live a lot more than I did.¡± As the cold, familiar knife of survivor¡¯s guilt twisted in his gut, the scorched brand of Schultora on his heart flared up. ¡°It was later that I heard the Prophet survived as well. I heard Zachalynn had her holy epiphany, becoming Aves¡¯ true representative in this world, and how she wrought her miraculous victory over the Prophet and his army. However, the whole of Dorenland still longed for a scapegoat for Ziecherhein¡¯s destruction. And soon after, Jeremiah rigged the trials, accusing me of the disaster. And the rest, as they say, is history.¡±

    The three of them were silent for a while. Oliver gave him an encouraging smile. He kept looking at him, with that deep pity in his eyes, as if Adam would say more if he just kept smiling. Slowly, he averted his eyes, although Adam didn¡¯t miss the small hint of disappointment that Adam didn¡¯t remember more.

    Emily took a few steps closer. ¡°It is¡­ horrible. I¡¯m so, so sorry this happened to you.¡± She awkwardly held out her hands as if she wanted to hug him, but retracted them again, and scratched her head. ¡°I¡­ ugh, damn it. Sorry, I¡¯m not good at this.¡±

    Adam laughed, he didn¡¯t care the least about the awkwardness, he was more touched to see Emily being so earnest. She remembers, she knows what all of this did to me. ¡°Thanks, Emily. And don¡¯t worry, finding the right words can be tricky sometimes.¡±

    Emily chuckled softly, cocked her head to the side a bit and looked into his eyes. ¡°Right you are. You really didn¡¯t deserve it, though. For all of this to happen.¡±

    Adam startled a bit when Oliver laid a hand on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s dreadful,¡± he whispered, shaking his head. ¡°But we are glad you¡¯re here. We¡¯re glad you survived.¡±

    Adam widened his eyes, too stunned to return the gesture. He swallowed. They¡­ still care about me. Somehow. They really do.

 Chapter 36 - A Childhood of Scars

    Chapter 36 - A Childhood of Scars

    Standing on top of the pyramid¡¯s grand plateau, Adam leaned on a pedestal with the hieroglyph of some employee within the Starwing Order. Judging by the strange, unfamiliar emotions that welled up inside Adam, Caine probably thought of her as intensely annoying. Vague frustration about a horse-like laugh, constant interruptions, and unending complaints over coworkers welled up. Although Caine did seem to like her¡ª

    Adam scrunched up his face, jerked his arm away and looked for another place to lean on. Dirty bastard.

    Adam, Oliver, and Emily had discussed where to go next for a while now. The main options were to visit Ziecherhein¡¯s Node or the one of the Queen of Glass. Oliver really wanted to visit the first one, considering the possibility the disaster of Ziecherhein had been caused by an Invocation of the memory powers. Things would get dangerous indeed if Caine had gotten his hands on something like that. And by going there they would find out what Caine knew about the disaster at least.

    Adam and Emily preferred to visit the Queen of Glass¡¯ one first. In there, they could most probably find out more about the Penduli¡¯s plans of action. Maybe they could even learn about the Penduli¡¯s plans in spreading the Taint and how the Taint was applied. In the end, the group decided to visit the Queen of Glass¡¯ Node first. Although Adam secretly hoped he¡¯d be able to avoid the Ziecherhein Node altogether.

    Before the group left, they filled their water bags in the streams and restocked food by hunting and preparing several wild birds. They followed the glowing goldish-green trail in the ground which corresponded with the Queen of Glass¡¯ pedestal into a wide tunnel, lushly grown with trees and plants. Familiar faceless, wooden statues lined the walls, which gave the impression the whole network of tunnels was dug into the wood of a gigantic tree. A calm breeze rustled the pink and blue blossoms of great willow-like trees.

    However, strange sounds began to echo through the tunnel. Barely audible whispers could be heard amongst the wind. ¡°After all we¡¯ve done for you¡­¡± Vera¡¯s voice cried.

    Adam snuck a glance at Emily, but she held her head high despite the disturbing whispers of her parents. As if nothing was wrong, she chatted about her work at the Starwing Order, and how she felt more and more alienated from the totalitarian rule by Zachalynn.

    As they walked, the whispers were joined by vague screams that echoed from far away in the tunnel. The shrieks of metal on metal followed, as well as the thumps of great objects that fell onto the ground: a battle.

    Emily halted and peered into the distance of the winding tunnel. ¡°Hmm, could the Thalers be fighting the Roots over there?¡±

    Oliver frowned in the distance. ¡°I doubt it, there¡¯s no sign of the Overgrowth anywhere.¡±

    Adam closed his eyes and focused on his hearing for a while. ¡°There are a lot of those whispers, more than I¡¯ve encountered here before. And many eerie, chaotic sounds I can¡¯t really place. I do hear battle cries of the Thalers, but nothing that sounds like the Roots.¡± He cocked his head to the side and frowned at the pattern in the ground. While its colour used to be a bright goldish-green, it was gradually changing into red as they progressed through the tunnel. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s something different going on.¡±

    Emily raised an eyebrow at Oliver. ¡°Maybe the Thalers are fighting a Thuraum?¡±

    A new whisper echoed through the tunnel. ¡°¡­you¡¯ll shame your father, while he¡¯s done so much for you¡­¡± Emily shivered and moved a couple of steps away.

    Oliver moved away as well. ¡°Plausible. The Thalers described how those spread through tunnels and how whole battalions of warriors were needed to push one Thuraum back. So, let¡¯s be safe and go to Ziecherhein!¡±

    Adam held up a hand. ¡°Wait, if that thing is distracted, it may be the perfect opportunity to observe one. Furthermore, we haven¡¯t seen a lot of Thalers lately, maybe we can ask them some questions.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened a bit. ¡°Oh! True, that would be really helpful! Hmm, maybe we should let me do the talking, though. Before you guys get caught, again.¡± She stuck out her tongue and Adam snickered.

    Oliver immediately stopped walking and turned on the spot with a reddened face. ¡°They had an absolute advantage of numbers over me!¡± His lips quivered in utter indignation.

    ¡°Indeed, so, who was it again Adam had to rescue from a cellar?¡± Emily said sweetly. The left corner of her mouth curled upwards in a mischievous smile.

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    A blue vein bulged on Oliver¡¯s reddened forehead. ¡°This is insufferable!¡± he sputtered.

    Adam waved his hand as if to brush his arguments away. ¡°Relax, you weren¡¯t the only one tied up like an oversized sausage. But it is true that Emily didn¡¯t need to do a ¡®strategic retreat¡¯ from the Thalers like we had to.¡±

    ¡°If we step in there, it might be both the Thalers and the Thuraum coming for us!¡± Oliver hissed with a high pitch in his voice. ¡°As our old captain used to say: ¡®If you go looking for trouble, feeling brave, you¡¯ll book a one-way ticket to your grave!¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Emily admitted. ¡°But the Thaler¡¯s knowledge about the Realm is too valuable to ignore.¡±

    ¡°And we should know how the Thuraum fight so we can devise a strategy before we get attacked ourselves,¡± Adam said.

    Oliver glared at Adam specifically. Eventually, he sighed in deep frustration with wide-open eyes. ¡°Mark my words, you two will be the end of me.¡±

    Carefully, the three of them continued through the tunnel. However, their surroundings gradually changed. Broken old toys of Caine, like the red rocking horse and tin soldiers, lay lonely beside the ferns or in puddles, next to study books and empty bottles that reeked of alcohol. There were reflections on the smooth surfaces of stalagmites that pictured Louis, Vera, and Caine. One showed how Louis happily introduced a young Caine to officials within the Starwing Order. The sturdily built man with his red-brown moustache had proudly laid both hands on Caine¡¯s shoulders. The boy bravely shook hands with all the strange people. However, another one showed how Louis dragged a young Caine away from his toys and pushed him towards the study room.

    Adam shot worried glances at Emily, who walked forward with a tightened jaw, apparently determined not to show a hint of emotion.

    Gradually, more and louder whispers appeared. Ranging from laughter at the dinner table, with the clinking of cutlery, to Vera giving instructions on how to ride moose, to screaming insults between Louis and Vera.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened when they rounded a corner. The tunnel ended in a replica of Vera¡¯s room. It was strangely enlarged as if seen through the eyes of a little child. Vera lay on her four-poster bed, which was merely lit by the red, leaf-vein-like pattern in the ground and the candles on the nightstand. Her gaunt body, dressed in a filthy nightgown, shook as she cried. Her face was hidden by the long, wild mass of her usually tidy black hair. The sour stench of vomit and alcohol burned in Adam¡¯s nose. The expensive colourful carpets were covered with bottles and filth.

    ¡°After all I did for you¡­¡± Vera howled, with an unnatural, loud echo in her drunk voice. ¡°Get out then! Leave me to rot! It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve ever cared about your own damn mother!¡±

    Adam gaped around him. He knew Vera, at least, he thought he did. She had always been so kind and supportive of him. Why had he never noticed what was really going on?

    As the pattern in the ground continued to redden, Vera screamed louder and louder. Visible behind the black locks of hair was a disturbing, stretched-out version of her face. ¡°GET OUT!¡± she howled, throwing a bottle which splintered against the wall behind Adam.

    ¡°She¡¯s not real!¡± Emily hissed, urging Adam and Oliver to move. ¡°Come on!¡±

    They rushed along the trail, which led into a wide wardrobe, while the corrupted version of Vera tried to stand up with jerking, drunk movements.

    As if they¡¯d suddenly ended up in a fever dream, their environments changed again after they walked through the wardrobe¡¯s doors. Now, they were at a family party in the wide gardens outside Caine¡¯s house. Relatives of the Roosenburg family, dressed in expensive garments, sat on chic benches and watched Caine perform. Cheered on by Vera and Louis, the ten-year-old Caine stood on a small stage and showed his Novaseering stances. With sweat beading on his forehead, he conjured a crude Ironglass statue of an owl between his hands. The crowd clapped, but their smiles didn¡¯t reach their hard, judging eyes.

    Vera¡¯s appearance could hardly have been more different from the broken shell they¡¯d just seen. Clad in feathered robes and silver jewellery befitting her high station within the Starwing Order, she seemed like an epitome of elegance. Smiling warmly, she shook hands, cheered for her ¡®little boy,¡¯ and hosted the party with style. It was hard to believe the same person would once willingly join the Pure.

    Louis pointed at Caine and undoubtedly bragged to the elderly gentlemen who sat beside him. Meanwhile, a pale version of little Emily lay in a folding bed, almost forgotten among the family¡¯s other children who were way younger than her. She glared at the young Caine with hard eyes of jealousy.

    Although the people laughed and cheered, there was a strange sense of pressure all around, comparable to the emotions pressed onto Adam by Schultora and Osaehin. This time, it was an overwhelming necessity to succeed, to achieve results no matter what, out of fear of punishment.

    ¡°It¡¯s not real!¡± Emily stiffly bit off the words as she paced on, following the pattern to an opening amidst the bushes.

    When the three of them got out of the bushes, they entered a dark and strangely enlarged version of Caine¡¯s childhood bedroom. With sweat beading on his forehead, Adam wildly glanced around, trying to make sense of whatever he¡¯d ended up in. On a bed just beside him, a young Caine trembled and hid underneath the blankets, covered in jolly, brightly coloured animal motifs. Judging by the smell, the boy was wetting the bed. The screaming voices of Louis and Vera sounded from behind the long oaken door.

    ¡°How could you let this happen, you worthless wench!¡± Louis¡¯ enhanced voice roared.

    Vera¡¯s screaming insults were cut short by the sharp snap of a belt.

    Caine whimpered beneath his blankets, curled up into a foetal position when Louis¡¯ heavy footsteps neared his door.

    Adam pushed through the sickening, overwhelming fear that hung in the room and moved on, following the blood-red pattern in the ground towards the glass doors that should lead to the balcony.

    After Adam, Emily, and Oliver practically ran through the doors, they found themselves on the edge of a cave the size of a small Node.

 Chapter 37 â€“ A Battlefield of the Mind

    Chapter 37 ¨C A Battlefield of the Mind

    Adam gaped as his senses were bombarded from all directions in the Node-like cave. The scent alternated between the stench of alcohol and vomit, to trusted family meals, and dusty hallways. An overwhelming cacophony echoed across the cave of a merciless battle and hundreds upon hundreds of corrupted voices that sounded like Louis and Vera. Although the whole chamber wasn¡¯t visible yet due to stalagmites and rocks in front of them, a dirty reddish light shone on the walls and ceiling. It revealed masses of toy soldiers, stuffed animals and other relics from Caine¡¯s youth. Stalagmites were covered with paintings of the Roosenburg family, colourful cardboard creations Caine had made as a child, and chalk drawings on tiles.

    A group of enormous limestone statues that made Adam¡¯s stomach lurch stood on one end of the cave, dominating the room. It pictured the Roosenburg family but seemed oddly misshapen and corrupted. The statues of Louis and Vera clearly used to stand together in an embrace but had been moved apart. Their faces and bodies had undergone so many adjustments and corrections they were barely recognisable. Both disappointed, furious expressions and warm, welcoming smiles had been carved into the stone, seemingly struggling to replace the other.

    Between the parents stood a small, sad statue of a young, kneeling Caine who was running his hands through his hair and almost seemed to collapse in desperation. Several feet behind the three statues, like a lonely afterthought, was the small statue of Emily¡ªa misshapen depiction of a sickly girl who lay in bed.

    Adam stared at the bizarre, unreal cave with wild eyes, his mouth hung open in unnerved confusion. Emily¡¯s face was even paler than usual. Staring at the ground, her trembling figure seemed smaller, more fragile somehow. Yet, she kept walking nonetheless. Oliver¡¯s eyes darted over their surroundings as if he was trying to soak up as much information as possible.

    ¡°If we really are in Caine¡¯s memory,¡± Adam said slowly. ¡°This place, this ¡®Thuraum,¡¯ must depict the issues Caine had with his parents. It¡¯s like an incarnation of the trauma of his youth he had to suffer¡­¡±

    Emily nodded stiffly and opened her red-rimmed eyes. ¡°Undoubtedly.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s gaze studied the disturbing group of statues. ¡°Astounding¡­ I had no idea. What happened back then must have quite an impact on him, if it¡¯s this prevalent after all those years.¡±

    Slowly, with visible reluctance, Emily neared a rock behind which she could see more of the cave. ¡°Let¡¯s look for the quickest way past this.¡± Adam and Oliver followed.

    The battle on the cave¡¯s floor was like a mad fever dream.

    Tightly organized units of Thaler soldiers, armed with staves, slings, and chariots, marched against bizarre abominations that wore white masks. The monsters seemed to depict different aspects of Caine¡¯s trauma, like the shadowy, corrupted versions of Louis that beat into the Thalers with belts and slide rules. Other creatures seemed like they had been humanoid, once, with their masks and black robes, but their bodies had gotten mutated into forms similar to Osaehin and Schultora.

    One black-robed monster reared up its long body, radiating guilt, and revealed Schultora-like pincers. It lunged into a unit of Thalers armed with spears. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t need to do this if you would just listen!¡± it screeched with a haunting version of Vera¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s your own damned fault!¡±

    Many corrupted scenes played out around the battlefield, luring Thalers away from it. Small, Caine-like figures desperately tried to reach the toys on the ceiling, yearning for a happy childhood. But the study books that covered the floor dragged them down like vile quicksand.

    In contrast, scenes on the other side of the room showed good times. At a chic dinner table, Vera patiently taught a young Caine the etiquette of dining with high officials of the Starwing Order. All to help his future career. From how to greet monks¡ªnever show the palm of your hand when you bow¡ªto the positioning of napkins on the table. When the young Caine made a vivid impression of grumpy old R¨¹deger, Vera tried to reprimand him but couldn''t stop herself from grinning. When she made a snorting noise in laughter, she briefly looked shocked and attempted to rein herself in, before she doubled over in red-faced laughter at herself. For a brief moment, her elegant social mask was forgotten. Caine almost dropped from his chair as he laughed with his mom.

    In another scene, Caine and Louis lay on their backs on top of the roof of their mansion, looking at the stars. The five-year-old Caine rested his head on Louis¡¯ belly as his father explained the proud history of their family. How Caine was special, a prodigy even among the Roosenburg family, and destined to do great things in life. Young Caine closed his eyes with a smile, seeming primarily happy to spend time with his dad.

    Looking at it filled Adam with Caine¡¯s yearning to forgive his parents, to forget the pain and bask in the warmth they¡¯d given him as well. Yet the pain, the pressure, the guilt, and the loneliness pressed onto him like an anvil.

    Thalers at the sides of the battlefield were lured away. One of the giants among the Thalers laid down his weapons and embraced a friendly-seeming mirage of Louis of an even greater size. Only to be stabbed in the back by a smiling version of Vera, who whispered something in the giant¡¯s ear.

    Adam squeezed his eyes shut, shook his head and took a few stumbling steps back. Don¡¯t¡­ get yourself dragged into this mess. Analyse, and filter out the useful details. He exhaled slowly. Focusing on the rational aspects, trying to repress any of the strange emotions, he observed the battlefield again.

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    Every time one of the Thalers or monsters died, a familiar green sprite flew up from the crumbling remains. Adam frowned when he saw that whenever that happened, the other combatants would catch the sprite, although he couldn¡¯t see why.

    At the far end of the room, at the side claimed by the Thuraum¡¯s monsters, was the opening to a strange, deep-red tunnel. Its pulsing interior reminded Adam of an old wound. Unlike normal openings to tunnels in the Nodes, it was actively moving. At its edges, pulsing branches dug into the normal surface of the cave, as if to expand the infected tunnel.

    Inlaid into the scorched, darkened ground inside the tunnel were several trails of the red, glowing pattern. They led outwards into many of the other tunnels, including the one from the tunnel Adam, Oliver, and Emily came out of. Adam noticed the desperate Thaler forces were strategically positioned to defend the few goldish-green patterns on the cave¡¯s floor. In a place where the Thuraum¡¯s monsters broke through the Thaler formations, trails of the red pattern spread over the ground and intertwined with the green trails, forming a new connection. The part of the green trail that led to a tunnel to their left was cut off, and its green light dimmed to nothing.

    Oliver stared silently at the scenes below, observing in deep focus.

    Emily had distanced herself a bit from the disturbing view. She leaned against a wall, with her knees pressed to her chest. She angrily squeezed her eyes shut as she embraced her legs.

    Adam moved towards her, checking if Oliver wasn¡¯t paying attention to them. ¡°I can only imagine what this must be like for you,¡± he whispered to Emily. He looked at the disturbing group of statues and a cold shiver ran down his spine as he imagined what she must¡¯ve gone through as a child. What can you say in a situation like this? ¡°I¡¯m here if you want to talk. Or if I can, err¡­ help, somehow.¡± Oh wow, yes Adam, very smooth.

    Emily gave a vague, quivering smile and took a deep breath. ¡°I know you mean well, thanks, but please let me be. I really don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± When a particularly agonised scream from Caine echoed in the background, Emily squeezed her eyes shut again. ¡°Ugh, damn it! Don¡¯t look at me!¡± She turned away from Adam, and he quickly walked up to Oliver, giving her some space. Together with Oliver, he observed the battlefield down below for a while. Luckily, none of the combatants gave any notion they knew the group was watching.

    ¡°It¡¯s, err¡­ quite something in here, isn¡¯t it?¡± Oliver glanced at the toy building blocks that dangled on strings from the ceiling. ¡°Quite an unsettling style of decoration.¡±

    ¡°Quite,¡± Adam said dryly. ¡°I think some of the parts on the monster¡¯s bodies reflect Caine¡¯s emotions about all that happened back then. Like Schultora¡¯s guilt for ¡®not studying enough.¡¯

    Shakily, Emily got up and walked towards them. ¡°I was thinking the same. It¡¯s¡­ bizarre. Caine was always the golden child; my parents adored him. Yet, I see so much fear, so much pressure, anger and guilt. I think those skeletal, gaseous parts with howling faces depict sadness, or loneliness perhaps.¡± Emily frowned, her eyes showed a hint of pity besides the confusion and pain.

    Adam looked at the sad, overwhelmed statue of his former friend. Despite all that had happened between them, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the child he used to be. A victim of his parents¡¯ actions, which had probably scarred him for life. Has the trauma about his parents driven Caine to become what he is now? Is this why he wanted to create this ¡®better world without suffering¡¯ he told Agatha about?

    Oliver looked at the battlefield with a distasteful curl on his lips. ¡°There are a lot of dark, savage parts on those monsters with a scorching red vapour around them. Doesn¡¯t it remind you of the Invocation the past Adam had used during the siege of Eulenschloss?¡±

    Images flashed through Adam¡¯s mind. How his younger self had blown up a siege tower of the Pure with a ball of fire in the shape of a lion¡¯s head. How Desdemona had stopped their combined assault with a roar of endless defiance. How her piercing eyes looked at Oliver with blind hatred before she formed her Invocation in the shape of a bull. ¡°It¡¯s rage, defiance, and hatred,¡± Adam said with a hollow voice. ¡°I remember them now.¡± On his left heart, he felt a slight itch in the place of a nearly forgotten scorched mark. Words he barely remembered bubbled up to his consciousness. ¡®Gur Asaar.¡¯

    Oliver¡¯s eyes flashed to his. ¡°Does this give you any other new memories?¡±

    Adam shook his head. ¡°Just some insight into which emotion grants access to certain Invocations I¡¯ve seen in here.¡±

    Emily glanced over the battlefield. ¡°But are all these monsters the Thuraum?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Oliver stated without a doubt. ¡°The Thalers clearly spoke about each of the Thuraum as a single, wildly dangerous entity. Each one spread across the tunnels and needed a lot of troops to ¡®push back.¡¯

    Adam rubbed the scars on his wrists. ¡°What if the Thuraum is a Node, instead of one of these monsters?¡± He pointed at the blood-red tunnel, through which several fresh monsters ran towards the battle. ¡°Many concepts, about which Caine has memories, have their own Node, right? Caine¡¯s trauma about your parents might have its own Node as well. I¡¯d guess that tunnel would lead straight to it.¡±

    Oliver gave Adam a questioning look. ¡°But why would the tunnel look so¡­ odd then, if it¡¯s just the path to another Node? And what would those monsters be?¡±

    ¡°The Thalers worship Caine,¡± Emily said. ¡°They serve him with good intentions and I¡¯d guess they work to maintain his memory the best they possibly can. But a trauma can¡­¡± She was silent for a moment, looking for the right words. ¡°Mess up a mind quite a bit.¡±

    Adam smiled at Emily, his academic curiosity coming up. ¡°Exactly! The Thalers try to keep Caine¡¯s memories functioning and stable! But the misery and wild emotions of trauma wreak havoc in his memories. That might be why that tunnel and those red trails in it are breaking up other patterned trails in the ground and connecting with them themselves. The trauma tries to ¡®spread¡¯ by making more and more connections to other Nodes!¡±

    Emily nodded. ¡°It seems fitting for a trauma that it wants to expand. That a trauma likes to increase the number of connections, of associations in your memory, that lead to it.¡±

    ¡°So that it lingers in your mind, no matter how hard you try to suppress it.¡± Adam frowned, thinking of his own pain from the war, the disaster of Ziecherhein, and everything that had happened within his own family. A cold shiver ran down his spine. If Caine has a Realm of Remembrance, it would make sense if everyone has one. How many of those Thuraum would be in my Realm of Remembrance? ¡°Hmm, I do wonder, if this is a trauma, then what would the Roots be?¡±

    Oliver scratched his chin. ¡°Hmm, could be a different kind of trauma? Or maybe it¡¯s another kind of psychological issue? Hard to say. Anyway, the patterned trail we were following leads straight towards the Thuraum Node, or whatever that tunnel leads to. We have no idea to which of these other tunnels our trail was supposed to lead. So, maybe we should delay our audience with the Queen of Glass and go to the Ziecherhein Node.¡±

    Emily shook her head. Although she clearly had to push herself to do it, she looked down again. ¡°No, now that we¡¯ve come this far, I¡¯m not leaving without talking to a Thaler first.¡±

 Chapter 38 - A Clash of Morals

    Chapter 38 - A Clash of Morals

    Adam ignored the nightmarish surroundings as best he could. Although he, Emily, and Oliver were still bombarded with the sounds and smells of the battle between the Thuraum¡¯s servants and the Thalers, they seemed relatively safe behind formations of rocks. Positioned a fair distance behind the battle lines of the Thalers, they weighed their options in questioning one of them.

    Emily pointed at an elevation that reeked of high command. Protected by a palisade, both Thalers and giants with richly embroidered garments and tall headdresses observed the battle from afar. Many wore complex, painted masks and carried staves with elaborate woodcarvings. Amongst them were many banners covered in green glowing hieroglyphics, which displayed glowing altering symbols.

    Although the Thalers present there would undoubtedly know a lot about the Realm, there was no way to tell whether they¡¯d be hostile. Many of the other Thalers seemed rather preoccupied with beating up the disturbing offspring of Caine¡¯s mental issues. So, Adam, Emily, and Oliver set their hopes on the Thalers who ran back and forth from their high command, carrying scrolls and supplies.

    Adam, Emily, and Oliver waited for the right opportunity. A group of messengers ran by, but one of them lagged behind as he¡¯d hit his foot on a rock. The skinny male Thaler ran with a scroll in his hand, sweat beading on his blue, sloped forehead. There was a brave but failed attempt for a beard on his mostly bare chin.

    Emily raised her head from behind the rocks and gave her most charming smile. ¡°Hey! Over here!¡± she whispered, waving her hand. ¡°Could you please help me?¡±

    The Thaler¡¯s face paled and his eyes went wide as if he¡¯d seen the Ancestor himself. His hand darted towards the sheaved dagger on his hip, and his mouth opened as he looked at his mates. Right before he could scream, Adam¡¯s big, chafed hand came from behind and covered his mouth tight as a vice. Ironglass shackles that Oliver conjured bound the Thaler¡¯s hands together in the blink of an eye. Adam lifted the Thaler from the ground and moved him behind the rocks. The Thaler¡¯s mates had no idea and ran on.

    ¡°Told you he wouldn¡¯t cooperate and be hostile,¡± Oliver whispered dryly while the three of them brought the Thaler a safe distance from the battle.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Adam breathed, lifting the Thaler effortlessly over his shoulder. ¡°Three silver knots for you when we get out of here.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this by the way,¡± Emily said. She sat before the Thaler who was bound to one of the stalagmites. Adam and Oliver sat on the lookout to check if the other Thalers or the monsters noticed them, but were ready to step in if needed. ¡°I¡¯m just confused as other Thalers have been so kind to me.¡±

    The Thaler gave a barking laugh. ¡°That was before we discovered you¡¯re with these madmen.¡± He glared at Emily, his voice shivered with anger. ¡°You have no idea how disappointed Lord Caine is about you. How betrayed He feels.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s face reddened a bit, but Adam shook his head and waved his hand in a calming gesture.

    Emily closed her eyes for a moment, exhaled, and smiled at the Thaler again. ¡°We¡¯re just lost in here. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for everyone if the three of us can get out and back to Gotterburg? Maybe you could¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, cut this hypocritical nonsense!¡± The Thaler spat, baring his teeth. His yellow eyes, which seemed exactly like Caine¡¯s, narrowed in rage. ¡°We know what you did! The three of you entered the memory of Eulenschloss and dared to adjust Lord Caine¡¯s memories!¡±

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t!¡± Oliver said with an angry frown.

    Oh shit, the book!

    The Thaler laughed. ¡°How stupid do you think we are? We are one with the Realm! We¡¯re not sure yet what exactly you¡¯ve changed in the library, but that¡¯s a matter of time. Just like the moment we¡¯ll capture you.¡± He gave a dark grin. ¡°You think you¡¯re tough, huh? With the three of you? You are nothing compared to the endless amounts of Corrupted spawned by the Thurauma or the hordes of Roots. Yet Lord Caine sent all those armed battalions to look for you. You messed up, bad enough that the Lord Himself got involved.¡± He glared at the three of them. ¡°You want to get something out of me, eh? I¡¯ll give you this.¡± The Thaler spat in front of Oliver¡¯s feet. ¡°Surrender. For every inch of harm you do, His wrath will be greater.¡±

    Oliver rose with a furious expression.

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    ¡°Oliver, calm down!¡± Emily hissed, shaking her fists in frustration. ¡°By Aves, this won¡¯t help!¡±

    Oliver quickly formed a whip of Ironglass shackles. ¡°You will answer our questions!¡±

    Adam looked at the whip. In the back of his mind, vague, forgotten memories resurfaced of dungeons. Echoes came to him of a lashing pain across his back and questions, lots of questions. Damn, that must be from the interrogations after Ziecherhein, the nerve of those people! Adam suppressed a shiver and looked back at Oliver. ¡°Stop,¡± he said, his voice cold as the grave. He folded his arms over each other and blocked Oliver¡¯s path.

    The two of them locked eyes. Adam held his head high, looking deathly calm at his old friend. A blue vein appeared on Oliver¡¯s red forehead as he stared furiously at Adam, but he did stop.

    A deafening battle cry sounded in the distance, reminding Adam of how Louis had yelled at his own wife. Adam and Oliver quickly glanced in the direction it came from, before locking eyes again and speaking softly.

    ¡°I thought you wanted information from these people?¡± Oliver hissed.

    ¡°Not like that,¡± Adam said, looking at Oliver¡¯s whip. ¡°I won¡¯t lower myself to that level.¡±

    ¡°Oh, how noble you are,¡± Oliver answered, his condescending voice absolutely drenched in sarcasm. ¡°I expected you to know better after the War of the Prophet! Those ideals are nice to have in peacetime, true! But now, the fate of our entire country is in danger, and every bit of information we find now can potentially change the outcome of the war. If Caine reaches his goals, and the Penduli swarm the houses of innocent people, how will you explain to the stacks of corpses that the well-being of one enemy was more important?¡±

    Adam frowned. So now we see your new face, forged in the war. Sad. He nodded to the whip in Oliver¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ll torture the man with that,¡± Adam said coldly. ¡°So, you go around torturing people whenever you think it¡¯s fitting, whenever you judge someone to suffer? While your anger is clearly clouding your judgement? How does that make you better than Caine, huh? Besides, we¡¯re supposed to be a team in here, and this is quite a decision you make for the lot of us.¡±

    Emily stepped in between the two of them, raising her voice. ¡°Stop it, both of you! Seriously!¡±

    Oliver glanced at Emily. He opened his mouth for a response before he closed it and glared back at Adam. ¡°That¡¯s rich. Someone who consciously practices the damned Forbidden Arts, even though he sees all the disturbing monsters associated with it, is lecturing me on morals. Did the Crimson Urges tell you to do that? Or do you still have a shred of your own will left?¡±

    Adam laughed humourlessly and raised an eyebrow. ¡° ¡®Disturbing,¡¯ you say? Speaking as a man who spreads Aves¡¯s values of ¡®love, peace, and compassion for the fellow man¡¯ with a damned whip, I sure wonder what you think is ¡®disturbing.¡¯ ¡±

    The two of them stared at each other, none budged. The Thaler in the back laughed loudly.

    ¡°Oh, conflicting morals! I¡¯m so moved!¡± He said between his wheezing laughter. ¡°You talk as if torture would work on someone who isn¡¯t human! I don¡¯t care about my life, you idiots, Caine is whom I live for. And if I serve him better by becoming One with the Realm again, I gladly will!¡±

    The Thaler grinned as he rolled his eyes back. In seconds, his skin paled until it was almost white. He sighed calmly before his body crumbled to dust. A green sprite emerged from his chest and tried to fly away, but Adam reflexively caught it in mid-air. As soon as he touched it, the sprite transformed into a fist-sized object of stone-like material. It had the shape of the fossilized shells of ancient ammonites, in a green so dark it almost seemed black. In the middle of the spiralling shape was an empty notch.

    Huh, that¡¯s interesting. Adam quickly put the ammonite into his gourd pouch. ¡°We have all the info we could get, so let¡¯s sneak out of here before the Thalers spot us.¡±

    Oliver dissipated his whip. He walked up to Adam and exhaled. Some of the tension seemed to leave his shoulders and neck, although his face didn¡¯t lose its red hue. ¡°I think I understand your opinion, Adam. Wanting to take the moral high road and all, I get it. But sometimes, choosing to miss opportunities in war can have disastrous consequences, you know that. The bitter reality leaves no room for naivety. Sometimes you need to do what no one likes to, but it is for the better, it causes much less suffering in the grand scheme of things.¡±

    Adam clenched the ammonite in his hand while he looked at his friend. All kinds of answers flashed through his mind, like that the world doesn¡¯t get any better if you defeat monsters, but become one yourself in the process.

    An ominous unearthly screech sounded in the distance, further in the cavernous chamber. It was followed by unearthly howls of pain among the Thalers in the melee.

    ¡°Let¡¯s agree to disagree for now,¡± Adam said. ¡°We can talk later.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please! And it¡¯s high time to get out of here!¡± Emily said with relief in her voice, moving quickly. ¡°Before we find another reason to delay our visit to Ziecherhein, eh?¡± She looked around and winked conspiratorially at Adam.

    Adam got a bit red in the face. He closed his eyes and snickered. Damn, 1-0 for Emily.

    <hr>

    The three of them darted as fast as possible past the disturbing set of tunnels that they came from. They went back in the direction of the Eulenschloss Node, from where they could travel to the Ziecherhein Node.

    Emily stiffly paced in front, clearly eager to leave the troubled memories of her family behind her. Not too keen to reach their new destination, Adam walked at the back. Visiting Ziecherhein, or whatever Caine remembered of it, meant coming face to face with a past he much preferred to forget. Guilty thoughts ran through his head, of detours and other routes by which they could prevent going there entirely. He cursed his own cowardice. Of all the memories Caine had to delete, why didn¡¯t he pick those ones? Adam sighed. No, I won¡¯t help anyone by running away. He clenched his jaw and stiffly paced on. Only way to go is forwards.

 Chapter 39 â€“ A Scroll of Answers

    Chapter 39 ¨C A Scroll of Answers

    Monkey-like screeches and the deep croaks of frogs echoed through the lushly grown tunnel. The glow of the goldish-green patterned trail was waning; the Realm¡¯s equivalent of twilight had started. Hoping the cycle of bright and dim light corresponded with day and night in the world he knew, Adam counted how long he¡¯d been there.

    His shoulders slumped. Eric¡¯s birthday should be tomorrow, but I¡¯ll never make it home in time, will I? The image of his gift¡ªan actual fossilised tooth of an ancient reptile, carefully stored in the inn back in Gotterburg¡ªflashed through his mind. He thought of how he planned to give Eric a big raspberry pie like always. Suppressing a groan, Adam realised fate had turned him into the one thing he never wanted to be: an absent father. He continued his way, staring at the ground in silence.

    After a while, Adam, Emily, and Oliver found a clearing amidst the great trees with their blue and pink blossoms. Befitting the mind of a man who¡¯d turned his back on the Starwing Order, the open space had a weathered and crumbling statue of Aves in its centre.

    They made a campfire and some makeshift mats from branches, large leaves and other similar materials. The flickering orange light of the campfire was dancing on their faces as they warmed their hands.

    Adam picked up the ammonite from his gourd pouch and rubbed his thumb over the smooth, dark green surface. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about these. Every time one of the Roots, Thalers, or servants of the Thuraum died, one of those green specks appeared. And all combatants from the battle seemed adamant on obtaining them.¡±

    Oliver drank from his waterbag and looked curiously at the ammonite. ¡°Any idea what they¡¯re used for?¡±

    ¡°Nope, but they must be important somehow if the people around here take the risk to grab one in the middle of a brutal melee.¡± Adam idly rubbed the smooth, hard surface of the ammonite, which was oddly satisfying.

    ¡°Ah, interesting,¡± Emily said calmly. ¡°Your ammonite looks less valuable than mine though.¡±

    Adam¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to spoil your moment,¡± she said smugly as she put her hand into her gourd pouch and pulled out an ammonite with a glowing orb at the centre. ¡°Ta-da!¡±

    ¡°Where in Avesname did you get that?¡± Adam asked, staring at her ammonite in disbelief.

    A subtle, sly smile formed around Emily¡¯s mouth. ¡°Remember the peacock? One of those specks flew out when I killed it, so I grabbed it out of reflex.¡±

    Adam¡¯s face reddened a bit. ¡°You WHAT? I was¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, and these as well!¡± she said casually as she pulled two purple, leaf-like feathers from her pouch. ¡°Look! They¡¯re still shiny!¡± She waved them around a bit, the shifting shades of colour drawing everyone¡¯s gaze.

    A pulsing headache formed at Adam¡¯s temples. ¡°I WAS BARELY HANGING ON FROM THAT STUPID ARCH! And before you helped me up you grabbed some stupid feathers first?!¡±

    Oliver shook with laughter, spilling water all over the place.

    A mischievous smile played around Emily¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hey, feathers and an ammonite!¡±

    Adam raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, pardon, I missed the memo that shiny rubbish is clearly the priority over here.¡±

    ¡°Details, details¡­ I did save you, right?¡± She flicked her hair back with a casual flick of her wrist. ¡°Are you gonna tell me those big, strong arms of yours couldn¡¯t hold out that long?¡±

    Meanwhile, Oliver almost rolled over in laughter.

    Adam sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose between his fingers. ¡°You truly are hopeless, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Ha! And proud of it!¡± She stuck her tongue out at him.

    ¡°So, you just waited to show your ammonite until I found one myself?¡± Adam grumbled.

    Emily shrugged. ¡°Nah, after we escaped Desdemona and the snake, I wasn¡¯t sure yet if I could trust you, so I kept it to myself for a moment.¡± Adam grimaced a bit at that. ¡°Hey! Can you blame me?¡± She counted on her fingers. ¡°Out of nowhere, those Penduli attack me in the Starwing Grove. The two of you storm in to tell me you fought my brother. We end up here. We have that cosy reunion with Desdemona who almost cuts us to pieces for something she thinks you¡¯ve done. Oh, and you didn¡¯t remember her. Seems like enough reasons to think some kind of weird betrayal is going on to me.¡±

    Adam scrunched up his nose. Being deemed untrustworthy, even though it was a while ago, left a bitter taste in his mouth.

    ¡°And err.¡± She laughed sheepishly. ¡°I kinda forgot afterwards. But look! My ammonite is fancy!¡± She showed it to Adam and Oliver. The notch at its centre was filled with a small orb that glowed in a familiar shade of green. As if it was aware that everyone looked at it, the fossil seemed to quiver ever so slightly,

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Oliver leaned forward and nodded approvingly. ¡°Fancy indeed. Any idea what we could use it for, except to hang it above a fireplace?¡±

    Emily shook her head and used the light of the fire to get a closer look at it. ¡°Oooh, do you think this contains the peacock¡¯s soul?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Oliver rubbed his chin as if he contemplated it. ¡°Don¡¯t know if that would fit in there, how much space do non-existent nonsense concepts take up exactly?¡±

    Emily waved her hand through the air as if shooing his words away. ¡°Aves hasn¡¯t written anything about memory worlds either, so souls may exist just as well! Oh, I¡¯ve seen a play once in which the heroic princess had to save her mother, whose soul was splintered and trapped inside THREE cursed crystals of DOOM! But she could only break inside the evil wizard¡¯s castle with the legendary sword of the Chosen One and¡ª¡±

    Adam cleared his throat before Oliver could rant about the amount of nonsense in those sentences. ¡°Emily, wasn¡¯t there something else in your pouch we should talk about¡­?¡±

    Emily looked a bit glassily at him, then she snapped her fingers. ¡°Right! I was, err, just getting to that!¡± Out of her gourd-pouch, she took the scroll from the Thaler they had questioned. It was made of a beige parchment and closed with a wax seal in the shape of the Thaler¡¯s spiral. Emily casually broke the seal and cleared her throat. ¡° ¡®To General Seijek Caineborn III. Campaign report against the Childhood Thuraum, sector Mohena-82. The Thuraum and its Corrupted attacked several Associations, like the one that connects the Eric Node to the Node of Lord Caine¡¯s mansion. Our defences successfully managed to avert the assault. Sadly, our attack on the Thuraum¡¯s Association to the Halls of Self-Image within the Palace was unsuccessful. The House of the Mothers remains untouched by the Thuraum itself, luckily, although Vera¡¯s presence is noticeable. Several of the Thuraum¡¯s Corrupted assaulted the vacation Node by surprise. Although they¡¯ve been eliminated, four happy memories with the family have been lost. The investigation into the mystery of the Roots continues. Some of the Roots are able to send and receive Commands as well, which hinders our efforts. The search for the ¡®Core of the Overgrowth¡¯ and the supposed ¡®Lord of the Roots¡¯ remains unsuccessful. For the prosperity of Caine, commander Kehuan Mikhaelborn XII¡±

    Adam smiled as a sense of academic pride came up. He leaned towards a grumpy-looking Oliver and wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say that confirms a couple of our ¡®hypotheses,¡¯ eh?¡±

    Judging by the intense, frustrated frown, Oliver tried to think of a way he could weasel himself out of it. Then he sighed and his shoulders slumped. ¡°It seems so. Yes, yes, all hail Adam the All-Knowing.¡± He droned with a dry sarcastic voice, rolling his eyes.

    Emily sharply looked up from the scroll. ¡°Hey! I thought of several things as well!¡±

    Oliver sighed, even though he couldn¡¯t suppress a small smile, and continued in the same voice. ¡°Hear, hear. All hail Emily, the Truest Beacon of Wisdom in the Social Firmament. May her insight be a lighthouse in the sombre darkness of human stupidity.¡±

    Emily nodded approvingly. ¡°Sounds about right. I gotta write this down somehow, might be useful when I apply for a new job sometime.¡±

    Oliver laughed and his face lit up. ¡°Well, if we manage to get out of here, I could talk to some higher-ups within the Starwing Order? I¡¯m sure I can arrange a higher position for you. That worked out well when I talked with the Avurions of Taleshire, eh?¡±

    Emily smiled, but she closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Ah, I was just joking. I really appreciate it! But if I want to rise some more within the ranks, I prefer to earn it myself.¡±

    ¡°Ah okay,¡± Oliver said, seemingly deflating just a bit. ¡°Just know that I¡¯m happy to help.¡±

    Adam read through the scroll a couple of times. ¡°Hmm, I think we can presume that the patterns in the ground are called Associations. Makes sense, since they connect Nodes with subjects that Caine associates with each other. And the monsters that serve the Thuraum are called the Corrupted.¡±

    Oliver took some strips of dried meat from his pouch. ¡°Hmm, I agree. I¡¯m especially intrigued by these Halls of Self-Image within this Palace of Origin. Sounds like those contain info on how Caine sees himself!¡±

    ¡°Probably as some king of the world, around whom all society revolves,¡± Adam grumbled. Although after the Thuraum had shown him a glimpse of Caine¡¯s past, he wasn¡¯t too sure. ¡°It¡¯s interesting that the Roots are such a mystery to the Thalers, so whatever psychological concept they represent, it is relatively new.¡±

    Emily frowned. ¡°That could be true, he didn¡¯t look well at all when he attacked us.¡±

    Adam rubbed his beard. ¡°And the Thalers are still searching for a ¡®Lord of the Roots¡¯ and this ¡®Core of the Overgrowth,¡¯ so the Roots seem to have some form of intelligent leadership. Maybe under a Shepherd chieftain or something?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like an even bigger Root beast than what we¡¯ve already seen, lovely,¡± Emily said dryly. ¡°I do find this ¡®House of the Mothers¡¯ harder to place. Like, it¡¯s plural, so who would all those mothers be? Anyway, I can¡¯t imagine a cosy visit to my mom, or whatever version of her is in there, would be a happy tea party. So, let¡¯s avoid that if possible.¡±

    <hr>

    While Adam was making a new knife, Emily fashioned a new spear from the materials at hand. She added the shiny purple feathers near the top, hoping they would distract enemies from the razorsharp tip.

    When they were done, the group had a training session near their campfire before they went to sleep. Oliver was sitting in a meditative pose, as traditional within the Starwing Order. The air around him shimmered as he gathered Oquira around him. With one hand in the Gaolom gesture and one in the Shrike gesture, he¡¯d conjured three of the silver, star-like orbs that floated around him. Frowning in concentration, he practised his control over their trajectories.

    Emily and Adam were assisting each other in their training. She wanted to practice her skills with Gaolom, to conjure small, concentrated fields of it in particular. As Adam¡¯s physical exercises gradually got easier, an increase in gravity was just what he needed. When he placed his hands on the ground amidst a sky-blue field of Gaolom, his handstand push-ups were more than twice as heavy. As sweat was beading on his forehead, he puffed out his cheeks from the effort.

    Even though Adam¡¯s belly was visibly slimmer and the power behind his punches had improved, Adam was far from satisfied. For every exercise, pestering thoughts reminded him of how much better he used to be. The haunting memory of his old prowess made his every form of progress seem weak.

    Since he had little choice but to use Instinct anyway, he felt the pressing need to practice his Invocations. Training and having control over one¡¯s abilities could mean the difference between life and death, after all. Who knew what kind of bizarre opponents they¡¯d face in here?

    Furthermore, the damned Crimson Urges had already made him write in that stupid book. If he wanted to stay in control of his own actions, especially during combat, he¡¯d better learn as much as possible about what he was dealing with.

    However, even though Oliver had his eyes closed, he¡¯d definitely notice if Adam would use Invocations.

    Adam sighed and weighed his options. He has no authority over my actions, of course, but some open communication wouldn¡¯t hurt.

 Chapter 40 - A Loss of Faith

    Chapter 40 - A Loss of Faith

    With hands tucked under the back of his head, Adam lay on his makeshift mat. He stared at the dark ceiling of the tunnel and the shapes of ivy, trying to convince himself that talking with Oliver would be for the best. Judging by Emily¡¯s soft snores and the small twitches in her legs, she had fallen asleep already. As Oliver had taken the first watch near the fire, it was the perfect opportunity for Adam.

    He looked reluctantly at the dark shape of his friend¡¯s back and rubbed the scars on his wrist. Here goes.

    When Adam approached, Oliver looked up from staring at the fire with a sad, worried expression. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± he whispered with a smile.

    Adam shook his head. ¡°I noticed we had some, err¡­ different opinions on Instinct. Would be better if we talked about it while we¡¯re not in combat, eh? I always find an enemy who¡¯s ready to pull our heads off kind of distracting during ethical discussions.¡±

    Oliver didn¡¯t laugh. ¡°You already know my point of view,¡± he said with a sombre undertone in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I applaud your analysis of this Realm of Remembrance and this third type of sorcery. Although I¡¯m not sure about Aves¡¯ point of view on it, I¡¯ve never heard it was Forbidden. What you do helps us to understand what we¡¯re dealing with and get out, hopefully. But why waste your time and effort on the Forbidden Arts?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I think I¡¯ve no choice but to use Instinct around here. Every day we discover more things and beings here that could kill us. If what the Thaler mentioned is true, our combined strength is insignificant to the sheer number of their forces, the Corrupted, and the Roots. We need everything we have to survive, and the advantage that Instinct gives me in combat is simply too large to ignore. As for the afterlife; if the Starwing Order¡¯s is correct in that I¡¯d suffer¡­ Well, I¡¯d rather be damned than let Eric stay in Caine¡¯s claws.¡± Adam thought about their discussion concerning the Thaler and Oliver¡¯s point that during a war, one can¡¯t afford to lose strategic advantages. Hmm, better not bring that up yet. ¡°Furthermore, this ability of beings like Schultora and Osaehin, who are linked to Instinct, can retrieve memories that I¡¯ve forgotten. However¡­¡± He gave Oliver a well-meaning smile. ¡°We are a team. Just like we used to be in the old days, eh? And I don¡¯t want this to stand between us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t try to dissuade you just to be cranky, you know. The thing is¡­¡± Oliver sighed and looked into Adam¡¯s eyes with earnest desperation. ¡°I care about you, you numbskull. And I can¡¯t stand the thought of what will happen to you in the afterlife! I know I can be strict, with both of you in fact. But I¡¯m just...¡± Oliver shook his head and stared into the fire. ¡°I pray every day for Aves to please have mercy on you and Emily. For the Lord to deliver you, and make you see the truth.¡± He looked back at Adam. ¡°I was there when you changed during the War of the Prophet. Helplessly watched it happen, what the Forbidden Arts did to you back then. Thank Aves you¡¯ve gotten back to normal somewhat, but do you think it¡¯s easy for me to see you going down that road again?¡±

    The familiar image from Adam¡¯s dream, of how a blood-spattered version of himself swallowed him, flashed through Adam¡¯s mind. He repressed the memories and stared into the fire as well. ¡°Thanks, Oliver, that you¡¯re concerned about me. But I was shocked to see my younger self in Caine¡¯s memory, and I¡¯ll never become like that again. Just like plenty of other users of Instinct who retained their sanity.¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow. ¡°As far as other people could tell. And many users turned into berserk minions of the Ancestor that way.¡±

    Adam sighed. ¡°Look, I appreciate your concern and that you wish the best for me. I truly do.¡± He stared intently into Oliver¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°But what¡¯s the best for you, isn¡¯t the best for me. You¡¯re happy within the Starwing Order, but you know I don¡¯t believe anymore. You have the right to practice your religion, but that does not give you the right to dictate how I should live my life.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eye twitched a bit. He looked down at his feet and took several deep breaths. ¡°Aves will punish you if you won¡¯t atone, you know that. Just¡­ help me understand. How can you look at the stars and not see proof that He¡¯s watching over us?¡±

    Adam ran a hand through his beard. How do I say this in a way he¡¯d understand? ¡°I haven¡¯t believed for a long time. But what definitively settled the matter for me was the siege of Ziecherhein,¡± he said with a flat voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many people praying to Him as then. They prayed before the Prophet reached the walls and they prayed during the battles. Prayers were often the last thing said by dying soldiers. Ziecherhein is, or was, the holiest site of the entire Starwing Order. It is where Aves himself supposedly ascended.¡± Adam looked up. ¡°So, if He¡¯s truly watching all we do¡ªif He¡¯s that almighty¡ªwhy didn¡¯t He stop the Prophet? Why didn¡¯t He do something?¡±

    Oliver opened and closed his mouth as if he wanted to say something. ¡°His reasons and actions are not for us to understand.¡±

    ¡°Understand? I certainly don¡¯t. I¡¯d guess he exists or has existed in some form or other. There must be a source from which sorcerers within the Starwing Order learn their basis for Novaseering. But let¡¯s assume for a moment Aves is indeed all-knowing and all-powerful. Then He just lets his followers suffer. People like Alef, a priest of Aves who spent so much time praying and caring for others, got killed in Ziecherhein just like anyone else! Why didn¡¯t He protect him? How bad do things need to get before He intervenes? No, if he has that much power, I doubt he¡¯s truly ¡®well-willing and loving towards his followers¡¯ and ¡®ready to smite all sinners.¡¯ ¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t hot, beads of sweat formed on Oliver¡¯s forehead. ¡°What about the Mist, huh? Great walls of smoke which grow over whole continents with people outside of the Starwing Order. What else can cause that other than Aves¡¯ holy wrath? Do you think we¡¯re fighting the Penduli for sport? No! We do so because every disbeliever can bring the Mist to Dorenland!¡±

    Adam gave him an empty look. ¡°Do you really think so? Or is that what those in power of the Starwing Order want the people to believe in order to get more followers and spread their influence? There is no proof for what the Mist is or what causes it! Except if you take Zachalynn¡¯s words into account.¡±

    Oliver stared at Adam in silence for a while. His brow furrowed as if his mind was working overtime. Then his shoulders slumped. ¡°Ha! An interesting perspective you have there.¡± Oliver tried to smile, but his eyes betrayed other, stressed emotions. ¡°I see I can¡¯t persuade you. So, let¡¯s agree to disagree. You should make your own choices, indeed.¡±

    Adam nodded, not sure what to say. He sat beside his friend for a while, who stared into the fire. Oliver¡¯s jaw muscles worked as he frowned, deep in thought.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll catch some sleep then,¡± Adam said as he stood up.

    ¡°Ah, just one thing,¡± Oliver replied, without looking up. ¡°I¡­ wanted to ask Emily something. And I think tonight, at the campfire, is the time it should be done.¡±

    A worried feeling grew in Adam¡¯s stomach, although he kept his face straight. ¡°What would you like to ask?¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow. He smiled at Adam, although the worry shone through his eyes and the tenseness of his jaw. ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve joked about it often enough through the years.¡±

    Adam nodded and smiled back, trying to ignore his gut practically screaming at him that he should stop Oliver. That he should nip this idea in the bud, while he still could. But I can¡¯t do that! I¡¯d better take ¡®hypocrisy¡¯ as my middle name if I did. ¡°You¡¯d like to ask her out?¡±

    Oliver shrugged, although his feet moved uneasily. ¡°Oh, for years, no big deal.¡± He sighed deeply. It was strange seeing Oliver like this. Gone was the steadfast certainty, and the void it left gave a peek at feelings that lay underneath: doubt and worry. ¡°Who knows how many letters I¡¯ve sent her since the War of the Prophet, but I¡¯ve never had the right¡­ opportunity, you know? And you¡¯re right, this place is insane. I want to protect her, to be there for her. I¡¯ve wanted to ask her for so long, I just can¡¯t risk dying without having tried.¡±

    Adam nodded slowly and sat down again, unsure what to say. With the best intentions, he couldn¡¯t remember a single moment where Emily showed she reciprocated Oliver¡¯s interests. Adam¡¯s stomach lurched when he imagined Oliver and Emily together, no matter how unlikely it seemed. Calm down, most probably, you only like her that way because of the damn Crimson Urges. Keep it together.

    Oliver looked pale, he took deep breaths and held his knees while he stared at the ground. Like a man who knew he¡¯d walk to the gallows the next morning. He held up a hand and smiled. ¡°Oh, I know, I¡¯m a good catch. It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯ve never had the skill with women you and Caine always had.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t sell yourself short.¡± Adam smiled, while images flashed before his mind¡¯s eye of him and Emily holding hands, or fighting together against the peacock. But they were replaced with Catherine and Adam, singing Eric¡¯s happy birthday song together. Of Catherine smiling and bringing Adam water when he had a fever. Guilt cut through him like an ice-cold knife in the stomach, although he tried with all his might to keep smiling. ¡°You¡¯re a great guy. No matter what, we¡¯ve always been able to rely on you.¡±

    Oliver smiled and closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again. ¡°Thanks. And I truly hope we can save Catherine and Eric from the Taint. I can only imagine how much you must miss them.¡±

    It was as if someone plunged the freezing knife of guilt even deeper into Adam¡¯s stomach and twisted the blade.

    ¡°Schultora,¡± his heart whispered, and Adam felt the corresponding scorched brand on it shimmer. He shivered, it took all he had to not look down and bury his face in his hands. How can I even look at him? Hoping my close friend gets rejected because I¡¯m dreaming of Emily? What is wrong with me? ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ difficult. I¡¯d love to properly introduce you when we save them.¡± If I even deserve to do so. How did I turn into this sack of shit?

    ¡°I actually wanted to ask you something,¡± Oliver said, looking intently at Adam. ¡°I know Emily and you like to joke around as well. But I hoped that you could leave me the space and time needed. To not get in my way, you know?¡±

    Adam swallowed. His thoughts raced to find a solution, to talk his way out of this. His gut screamed at him not to bar himself from ever having an opportunity with Emily again.

    Oliver raised an eyebrow. ¡°Uhm, that¡¯s not an odd request, I think?¡±

    Adam smiled hastily. ¡°Oh no! Of course. I¡¯ll be curious to hear how it went.¡± He walked back and lay down on his itchy mat. Emily lay a couple of feet away from him in a seemingly uncomfortable tangle of limbs, breathing softly. Her long hair stuck out in all directions. Adam eyed her for a moment, unable to deny the warm, fuzzy feeling that she gave him. He tried to analyse and repress the feelings the best he could. Messed up as the situation may be, to be with Emily would still feel like cheating on Catherine. If he managed to reverse the Taint and Catherine loved him again, he damn sure couldn¡¯t say that he¡¯d been together with Emily in the meantime. No, he¡¯d stay loyal to his family.

    However, the mental image of Oliver holding hands with Emily, unlikely as it may be, made Adam¡¯s jaw and stomach tense up.

    Adam turned to his side and away from Emily, ignoring the itch of his stupid makeshift mat. Ugh, damn Crimson Urges. Maybe it would be for the better, somehow, if Emily and Oliver got together¡­

 Chapter 41 - A Downpour of Loss

    Chapter 41 - A Downpour of Loss

    The next morning, Adam was the last to wake. He shook up, gasping for breath, as his eyes wildly confirmed where he was. He¡¯d dreamt of Alef¡¯s dead blue eyes again. Of the empty, euphoric smiles of the Pure, and the blood-spattered version of himself that consumed him. Adam groaned and wiped the sweat off his face. You¡¯re all right, Adam, you¡¯re safe and with friends. It wasn¡¯t your fault.

    Maybe, one day, he¡¯d actually stop blaming himself and sleep like a normal person.

    He sat up from his makeshift mat, yawned and stretched out his arms. ¡°Morning,¡¯ ¡± He mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Two grumbled replies came from two opposite sides of their camp.

    Oliver sat to the left of him, hunched over in front of what used to be their campfire. With tense movements and a glare so grim it¡¯d make a murderer jealous, he poked into the charred remains with a stick. Working his jaw muscles, he muttered soft curses under his breath.

    Emily sat to the right of Adam, pointlessly organising the contents of her gourd pouch. As far as Adam could remember, it was the first time he saw her organising anything. When Oliver looked at her over his shoulder, she quickly turned away and hastily started to repack again. Oliver sighed and got back to sulking.

    The awkward tension between the two, stretching all the distance between both sides of the camp like a field of static electricity, almost made Adam flop down on his mat again.

    Well, that must have been a jolly nice conversation¡­ Nothing better to spice up our teamwork in getting our asses out of here alive than a little drama.

    Adam suppressed a forbidden smile of relief, knowing he shouldn¡¯t be feeling that way.

    <hr>

    In the following days, Adam, Oliver, and Emily made their way through the broad tunnels back to Eulenschloss¡¯ Node. After refilling their supplies, they picked the tunnel towards the Ziecherhein Node. Since Oliver and Emily were keeping quite a distance from each other in unspoken agreement, Adam was walking in the middle most of the time, which was just a tiny bit awkward.

    Wishing they could return to the time before Oliver¡¯s disastrous conversation with Emily, Adam valiantly tried to alleviate the tension between his friends. However, Oliver was silent as much as possible and brushed off any attempt to talk about the subject, even when Emily was asleep. Resisting the urge to knock some sense into him, Adam let him be. As she probably had no clue what to do, Emily said the minimum to Oliver, only talking in a stiff un-Emily-like politeness. Unsurprisingly, it didn¡¯t make things better at all.

    After a while, they were making their way through thick vegetation. With a frown of frustration, as if the overhanging tree branches and bushes were determined enemies, Oliver brusquely swept them aside to make a path.

    Meanwhile, Emily chatted with Adam, seemingly relieved she had someone uninvolved to talk with. Jumping over small streams of water, she told about friends who must¡¯ve been worried about her disappearance. She also explained how much she preferred the Starwing Order as it used to be before Zachalynn became the Archpriest. Of course, she still firmly believed in Aves. However, she adhered to the style of Achamond, who saw the religion of Aves as a voluntary lifestyle that shouldn¡¯t be ¡®shoved down people¡¯s throats.¡¯ She explained how Achamond was using his influence and connections in an attempt to turn the rising tide of intolerance and discrimination within the Starwing Order.

    Adam was happy to talk and laughed at how she mimicked the ¡®withered, power-hungry bureaucrats¡¯ at the top of the hierarchy. Yet he steeled his mind, trying to suppress any thought or feeling of liking her too much.

    Every now and then, Oliver shot them a venomous glare. Adam had already ignored it a couple of times when he finally answered Oliver¡¯s gaze and raised an eyebrow. Oliver looked away and went back to sulking.

    It¡¯s not my fault she sees you as a friend! And every time I try and talk to you, you give me the cold shoulder. Can¡¯t expect me to stay silent all the time!

    <hr>

    The surroundings gradually changed. Grass made way for small streams and puddles of water. The trees with their merry blossoms were replaced with dreary mangrove trees. Soon, the only dry spot to walk on was the patterned trail of Association at the centre of the tunnel.

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    Eventually, the pattern led into a huge open space; they had found a new Node.

    Inside, rain gushed down in thick drops, obscuring the Node¡¯s contents with a bluish-grey veil. Small strips of land were visible between large bodies of water and huge mangrove trees. To their right, an enormous mass of thorned tree trunks, fleshy flower petals, and purple tendrils of the Overgrowth had claimed a large part of the cave¡¯s surface.

    At the centre of the Node, around the grand pyramid, a Thaler town was built on stone columns and wooden poles to stick out above the water. Adam groaned; familiar thorned vines and flowers of the Overgrowth had grown over the wooden huts and buildings. Luckily, the pyramid itself wasn¡¯t entangled somehow, although that could be a matter of time.

    Adam stiffly avoided the top of the pyramid with his gaze; he knew all too well what he¡¯d see up there. And he was in no rush to look at the replica of the cold stone walls with their ominous inscriptions. Even thinking about it made his breaths short and shallow. Although he tried to breathe calmly, he felt the colour drain from his face and his heart rate increase. He exhaled with a shiver. Easy, Adam, we¡¯ve got another task first, which might be even worse.

    <hr>

    With a truly reluctant curl in his lips, Adam sloshed through the knee-high water. Rubbing the scars on his wrist, he consciously picked the shallowest parts to walk through. Otters, pink river dolphins, and horned fish swam by and eyed the group curiously.

    Eventually, the group found a close gathering of trees, far away from the Overgrowth, where they could hide behind the broad trunks. Relieved to be out of the muck, Adam climbed onto the trees¡¯ slippery, thick roots that stuck out above the water and lay down upon them.

    Emily raised an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°What, I fell down the last two times I looked at one of those emotion monsters,¡± Adam said. ¡°Might as well save me a bruise or two.¡±

    Emily chuckled. ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t judge. It saves me the trouble of catching your heavy ass again.¡±

    Oliver worked his jaw and nodded stiffly at Adam, avoiding Emily with his gaze. He stood on the lookout near the tree trunk, probably hoping it would shield him from the rain.

    Adam sighed. Something inside him was curious as to what he would see up there and whether he¡¯d unlock new Invocations. However, compared to looking up at whatever creature was hanging near the ceiling, there sure was a long list of comfier, safer things he¡¯d rather be doing. Like wrestling a shark or something. ¡°So, if our theory is correct, both this Node and the odd smoke that Desdemona conjured should be associated with sadness.¡±

    Emily nodded at the relentless downpour. ¡°Sounds fitting, judging by the cosy atmosphere around here. So, it should be one sad, pitiful monster up there. Maybe that charming little dog of Mrs. Ludeaux?¡±

    Adam chuckled, remembering when that insane, bulging-eyed mutt had bitten his ankle. It had been hanging on for two whole streets while Adam ran from a shopkeeper. ¡°Nah, I¡¯d say murderous rage is more fitting for that rat. Anyway, let¡¯s get to it.¡±

    Adam puffed out his cheeks and looked up.

    A thick, dark grey mass of shifting clouds covered the ceiling, unleashing their endless rain. Each cloud consisted of the howling faces of humans and animals, who cried in soundless anguish before their face was absorbed into the mass again. Amidst them, a long, skeletal creature swam slowly. With its translucent bones that glowed in a bluish-grey, the creature reminded Adam of the remains of blue whales. Smaller skeletal shapes followed it like an unshakable swarm of parasites, nibbling on the whale¡¯s tail.

    Adam gasped for breath as a bitter cold washed over him. All warm or positive feelings like academic wonder evaporated. A deep, black void seemed to grow inside him, leaving nothing but emptiness. Adam tried to resist, to remind himself of good times, but the merciless hole of loss and ruin swallowed all.

    ¡°Worhaelis,¡± a slow, deep voice echoed in Adam¡¯s head. ¡°Worhaelis.¡±

    Old memories flashed through Adam¡¯s mind. He saw how he lay in bed as a kid, clutching his pillow. His asshole father had left them to their fate. Again. Crying his eyes out, Adam tore up the drawings he¡¯d made for him as a present. Drawings of the ancient ruins and wondrous civilisations his dad had described in epic tales by the hearth fire. Tales Adam could have listened to for hours. With the hollow grumble of his stomach, Adam blamed himself for hoping things would change and wondered what he¡¯d done wrong for his father to leave them.

    Suddenly, Adam was on a boat. He clenched the wooden railing in a white-knuckled grip as he screamed at the waves. There, in the distance, should be the island his sweet old mother was on. Always caring more for others than herself, she had been making sure the population who had survived the Pure¡¯s raid could escape in time. However, all Adam saw was a damned tendril of the Mist; a humongous mass of thick white smoke that reached from the sea to the sky that had consumed the island. Slowly, the Mist¡¯s tendril, shaped vaguely like limb of a sea star, kept growing and curving, swallowing all it covered into oblivion. For nothing that entered the Mist ever escaped.

    Adam¡¯s lips quivered. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried so hard to hold back the tears. The ship¡¯s crew was all around him after all, the brave people he¡¯d have to lead into battle. But he didn¡¯t care for the war right now. All he thought about was the woman who used to hug him when his knees had been bloody again. Who had done all she could¡ªno matter how exhausted or busy she had been or how little money they had¡ªto make Adam a little birthday cake. To make him feel special.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Adam breathed.

    The wooden railing cracked and splintered under Adam¡¯s grip as Adam realised the only family member who had truly cared about him was gone.

    However, the vicious ability of Worhaelis wasn¡¯t done with him yet as he was taken away to the next memory.

 Chapter 42 â€“ A Heart of Fire

    Chapter 42 - A Heart of Fire

    Memories of days long gone flashed by Adam. Trapped in the relentless ability of Worhaelis, he was forced to relive moments as clearly as the days they had happened.

    Suddenly, he was sitting at a table with Caine in the Three Toads Inn, after everyone else had already left. They were in their early twenties again. Adam¡¯s hands, with freshly bandaged knuckles, held a big, crudely wrapped package.

    Caine eyed it with a reluctant smile and pulled his pipe from his mouth. ¡°You sure about this, man? You know I don¡¯t need anything for my birthday.¡±

    Adam grinned. ¡°Yes, you do. Did you really expect I¡¯d just let you pay my tuition money without giving you a proper thanks?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just¡­¡± Caine sighed.

    Carefully, Adam laid the present down in front of Caine. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not leaving until you open it.¡±

    After Caine unwrapped a layer, a hunting hawk opened a groggy eye at the sudden source of light.

    Adam spread his arms. ¡°Ta-da!¡±

    Caine gawped at the bird. ¡°Is that¡­ the main prize of that crazy underground boxing contest?!¡± His wide eyes shot towards Adam¡¯s bandaged knuckles and the bruises on his face.

    Adam grinned. ¡°Happy birthday, you old bastard.¡±

    The memories changed, and Adam saw Caine and him together in many places. Laughing, hanging around on the couch of the Badger, their old student house in Ziecherhein. Then, he saw himself bandaging Caine¡¯s leg behind a barricade on some nameless battlefield during the War of the Prophet.

    Suddenly, was back at his and Catherine¡¯s house in the mountain village. In his chair by the hearth, he gazed lonelily at an old caricature drawing of Caine, Oliver, Emily, and himself, made during one of their nights out. With a tear rolling over his cheek, he thought of the friends he hadn¡¯t seen in years and the gaping void in his heart they¡¯d left. A hole that constantly reminded him of how happy and simple his life used to be.

    Oliver and Emily had come back to him, and he was grateful. However, the hole in his life that Caine had left burned deeply within him. The loss of a friendship he would have risked his life for had left his world a barren, lonely place. Ever since the events in Gotterburg, Adam had pushed the feeling away, deep beneath his fury, but its presence would no longer be denied: he missed Caine. He missed the friend that Caine used to be and the warm, simple times they had together.

    Suddenly, Adam sat in the grand hall of the Guild of silversmiths. Catherine was ceremoniously granted the rank of master, and Adam applauded loudly, smiling like the proudest husband ever. Then, Adam was back in their fight at Caine¡¯s house. Her furious face was right in front of him.

    ¡°GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!¡± she screamed, missing Adam with a kick hard enough to kill.

    Tears streamed down Adam¡¯s face and his lip quivered. Why¡­? Why can¡¯t things be as they used to be?

    Yet, he had trouble remembering how exactly things used to be.

    Memories of the good old times with Caine were clear as day, just like the scenes from the fight at Caine¡¯s mansion. Every sound, smell, and sight was exactly like the day it had happened. However, the old memories of Catherine and Eric seemed to be strangely blurry and undetailed. There were no smells and all sounds were unclear except for the voices of Catherine and Eric. When Adam applauded Catherine¡¯s new rank, the faces of all the other people in the audience were indiscernible. Even the feeling of loss, of missing them, seemed less intense than he would expect it to be.

    What¡­ is happening? Is this Caine¡¯s doing?

    <hr>

    Gradually, the relentless stream of Adam¡¯s memories lessened, and the Node around him came back into view. He was actually grateful for the streaming rain, as it hid the tears on his face.

    Adam¡¯s heart burned in pain as if a red-hot iron brand was pressed into it. It left a scorched mark in the shape of the skeletal whale.

    ¡°Worhaelis,¡± Adam¡¯s heart hissed, in a clearer voice than ever. It reminded Adam of the roar of an open fire and the rumbling of an earthquake. Adam grimaced and grabbed his chest. His heart felt scorched and stretched, as if the different brands on it had a will of their own and tried to pull it apart. He gasped as the marks, including half-faded remnants of forgotten ones, were tugging at his heart in different directions.

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    Adam took deep breaths and gradually, slowly, the lion¡¯s share of the pain subsided. Although his heart still felt as if it had been burned recently. Oddly enough, it felt like his heart had grown in the process. Its beating sounded slower and more powerful than before.

    Adam¡¯s face paled. He panted, still grabbing his chest. That¡¯s¡­ crazy. Did I just give it more power over me than it used to have?

    It dawned on Adam that Emily waved a blurry hand in front of his eyes. He blinked until the moving images became one again.

    ¡°¡ªdam, Adam? Ah, there he is!¡± Emily said, her voice sounding like she sat far away instead of beside him. ¡°Welcome back to the epitome of misery, I guess. Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, all people who groan in pain are all right of course!¡± Oliver shot her a glare before he turned to Adam with a worried expression. ¡°Was it something you saw?¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Adam said, his tongue feeling thick and clumsy. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. Getting that third brand on my heart was no walk in the park. My heart started whispering again as well¡­¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened and shifted towards Adam¡¯s chest. ¡°It what? Whispered?¡±

    Adam sat up with difficulty. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry, it has done that several times before. Like repeating the names of Schultora or Osaehin when I use their Invocations. Or that I should stay alive.¡±

    With ashen faces, Oliver and Emily stared at him. Emily had a mix of cautiousness and worry in her frown. Although a hint of curiosity shone through, Oliver¡¯s blue eyes mainly showed stern disapproval.

    Adam waved his hand reassuringly. ¡°Oh, relax, I¡¯m sure that must be normal for those who use Instinct, right?¡± He laughed uncomfortably as Emily and Oliver kept staring in silence. ¡°Right?¡±

    Oliver slowly shook his head, obviously trying to keep a straight face. ¡°No. I¡¯ve never heard about a heart that could whisper before.¡±

    <hr>

    The three of them sat down on the roots of the tree together, talking about every detail of Adam¡¯s heart, the whispers, and their memories from Worhaelis. Adam described how blurry the memories with Catherine and Eric had been and how guilty he felt about it. Digging through his memories, it dawned on him how few he had of his time with his family, back in the mountains, and how he only remembered happy times. Squeezing his eyes shut in the effort, he couldn¡¯t remember a single argument with Catherine, or having sleepless nights when they were raising a baby, while moments like that should definitely have occurred.

    Scratching his chin, Oliver reasoned that Caine might have tampered with Adam¡¯s recollections of Catherine and Eric, to secure his own bond with them. Although it was hard to be sure, Caine might have failed to remove all memories about them completely, for some reason. Possibly, because Adam¡¯s connection with them was too strong.

    At least, Adam hoped it was.

    When they talked about Adam¡¯s heart, Oliver kept reminding Adam how important it was to share information. He stubbornly ignored Adam¡¯s arguments that Oliver wanted to stay as far as possible from the ¡®Forbidden Arts¡¯.

    However, the group couldn¡¯t figure out why or how Adam¡¯s heart whispered. A heart that had developed a separate consciousness was simply unheard of. They did know that users of Instinct gained limited access to the collective memory of all creatures that had lived. But for Instinct itself to communicate so directly to Adam seemed unlikely.

    Adam theorised with Emily how he could apply his brand of Worhaelis to form an Invocation. Preferring to dodge that subject, Oliver went to study the Thaler¡¯s town from a distance in the meantime.

    Adam and Emily concluded that the underlying concept of Instinct Invocations was to use one¡¯s emotion for a practical purpose. Like using the influence of Osaehin¡¯s fear to evade enemies. Sadness as an emotion could be useful to acknowledge and process hurtful events or to give a signal for help to others. But Adam had trouble linking those insights to forming an Invocation like the cloud that Desdemona had breathed.

    Either way, it was pleasant to sit together, being sheltered from the downpour by the enormous tree trunk they leaned on. She¡¯s just a friend, Adam. Nothing more. You¡¯re just confused because Caine dared to mess up your memories with Cath and Eric. And these Crimson Urges don¡¯t make it easier.

    Adam took a deep breath and looked up at the rain, having trouble finding the right words. ¡°So, I had a vague impression you and Oliver had an, err¡­ emotionally loaded conversation. How are you feeling?¡±

    Emily chuckled. ¡°Nice understatement there. And I think you have quite a good idea what it was about.¡± Emily sighed, pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. ¡°I feel horrible. I tried so hard not to hurt him... He can be strict of course, but he does that because he worries about us so much. And I do care about him.¡±

    Adam nodded slowly. ¡°Just not in the same way he cares about you.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! He¡¯s a great friend, but I just don¡¯t feel that romantic¡±¡ªshe seemed to be searching for words, snapping her fingers¡ª¡°spark, you know? And no matter how old we get, that isn¡¯t going to change. So, all I could do was try to tell him as thoughtfully as possible.¡± Emily rested her chin on her knees and stared into the grey rain. ¡°I actually thought he already understood and had moved on. In several letters we wrote through the years I tried to tell him subtly that I didn¡¯t reciprocate his feelings.¡±

    Adam frowned. ¡°Oof. This runs deeper with him than I thought. Do you think he didn¡¯t get those subtle signs? Or did he refuse to see them?¡±

    Emily closed her eyes and sighed reluctantly. ¡°Maybe I could¡¯ve been clearer, true, it¡¯s just¡­ ugh, I hate situations like this, and I detest confronting people on it even more. I just kinda hoped he¡¯d catch on himself, you know?¡±

    Adam nodded slowly, listening to the calming ruffle of the raindrops around them. ¡°Maybe, after he¡¯s processed this and we¡¯re out of here, we can arrange a date for him with someone we know?¡±

    Emily¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Ohh! Maybe a cosy picnic? I know a nice place in the woods near Gotterburg, at a river, underneath the trees¡­ That would be lovely.¡± She sneaked a look at Adam¡¯s upper arm before she looked at the rain again.

    ¡°Hmm, I think Izabell from back at the Starwing Academy had a thing for him,¡± Emily continued. ¡°But I doubt she ever dropped a hint that didn¡¯t go over his head. Maybe we¡ª¡±

    The sloshing of water sounded as Oliver walked toward them. He looked up with a forced smile. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we made our way to the pyramid.¡±

 Chapter 43 - A Sigh of Relief

    Chapter 43 - A Sigh of Relief

    Peeking from behind tree trunks, they had a relatively good view. The pyramid in the distance was surrounded by thick thorny masses of the Overgrowth vines. The town was built around it in a circular fashion and seemed abandoned. Except for the largest building, big as a mansion, which was guarded by Roots. The proud house, built on stone arches and a network of wooden poles to stand above the water, was richly decorated with intricate green tapestries. As if Caine needed any further support for his ego, small statues of him stood at the corners of the slanted roofs on each story. Behind the house was the only opening amidst the thorns towards the pyramid.

    Emily brushed her wet hair from her face. ¡°Well, seems like we¡¯ll either have to sneak past it or fight our way through.¡±

    Adam rubbed the scars on his wrist. ¡°To hope we¡¯ll stay unnoticed might be the riskier option. When we got near the statue on top of Eulenschloss¡¯s pyramid, it suddenly changed and became way more realistic, with the colours and all. Plus, the spiral around it surged to life and shone way brighter. I¡¯ve got a vague suspicion all the Roots in the Node will see if that happens now and we¡¯d get a tsunami of enemies on our necks. No, catching them off guard and getting them one by one sounds safer.¡±

    ¡°Or, at least dwindling their numbers as far as possible,¡± Emily said. ¡°Before they notice and we have to take all of them on in a chaotic garbage fire of a melee. Lovely.¡±

    Sneaking from tree to tree to avoid being spotted, Adam, Oliver, and Emily made their way to the town at the centre of the Node. To approach the guarded house directly seemed dangerous, so, at first, they neared an abandoned hut on the other side of the town. It reminded Adam of fishing settlements he¡¯d seen in Oberia, consisting of small, simple huts of wood and reeds that were connected to each other with wooden bridges. Thorned vines grew just about everywhere. Inside the huts were the bleak remnants of combat between the Thalers and the Roots.

    If the group were to move over the bridges or from roof to roof, the Roots that were guarding the main building would probably shower them with projectiles. Approaching from the water seemed too conspicuous as well. Moreover, wading through waist-high water would make progress slow and combat difficult.

    So, Oliver¡¯s idea was to climb the system of beams, poles and pillars that raised the village above the water. If they were careful, they could make their way towards the main building unnoticed by moving beneath the other huts.

    After quickly checking their surroundings for enemies, they climbed over the maze of horizontal, vertical and diagonal beams. Adam and Emily, being more used to physical exertion, moved in front. Oliver followed a couple of feet behind them. Out of the three of them, his Invocations were the most powerful since he¡¯d focused all his training on Novaseering. However, his abilities were relatively conspicuous. So, he would let Adam and Emily try to finish the job first and was ready to intervene when necessary.

    The group gradually approached the short side of the main house, which had a roughly rectangular shape. Above them were a small terrace and a shut door, guarded by two Roots. Carefully peaking up at the building¡¯s roofs, Adam could see other Roots who were keeping their feverish eyes on the surroundings. Although the Roots probably had an acute sense of hearing, the relentless rain luckily muffled the sounds of Adam, Emily and Oliver¡¯s approach.

    Emily turned around and used sign language. ¡°First, we can distract and kill the two enemies up there. Then, I can clear the roof.¡±

    Adam and Oliver reacted with a thumbs up. ¡°We¡¯ll go beneath the house and kill the enemies on the other side. Then, we¡¯ll go in together,¡± Adam gestured back.

    The Roots above them could be seen through the crevices between the planks of the rectangular terrace. Adam and Emily climbed from beam to beam, until they were ready to hoist themselves up to either side of the terrace.

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    With nervous tension rushing through his veins, Adam hung from the wooden beams, ready to ambush the Roots on top. He nodded stiffly to Oliver, who returned the gesture and set their plan into action.

    Keeping low above the water, Oliver conjured a small, crudely shaped fish of Marrow which glowed in white. The fish swam to the open water next to the terrace and made circles, just low enough beneath the surface to be visible.

    Adam peered at the Root in front of him, waiting for his chance. Some filthy strips of clothing could be seen between the thorny vines and leaves that covered its gaunt body. Intrusive thoughts kept popping up of who the Root used to be when it had still been a Thaler.

    Adam clenched his jaw and steeled his mind for what he was about to do. Some people in the military had no trouble attacking someone out of combat, but Adam did. He was always the type that remembered all the faces of those he had to fight in the war. He sighed, releasing as little breath as possible. The muscles in his arm began to tremble.

    Still, I suppose killing a Root is different compared to a normal person. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re in control of themselves, and that sigh of relief when you kill one, oof¡­ As Adam looked closer, the movements of the Root¡¯s limbs seemed to be caused by the contraction and relaxation of vines around its body. Adam¡¯s eyes narrowed. What¡­ are you? Do you serve a Thuraum? Memories of the Corrupted flashed before his mind¡¯s eye. He considered the depression Caine used to have, and how it suppressed other emotions like¡ª

    The Root¡¯s masked head jerked to the right; it saw Oliver¡¯s distraction. Immediately, without a thought, Adam hoisted himself up. His body seemed to move on its own when he dashed behind the Root and twisted its neck around. The other Root stared at him with feverish eyes, but the point of Emily¡¯s Marrow dagger already poked out of the front of its throat. Softly, both Roots sighed in relief and crumbled. Emily and Adam plucked the sprites from the air before they could betray their presence. He felt the prickling energy change into the cool surface of an ammonite.

    Adam sighed grimly and looked down. Gilded roof tiles of grand buildings shone from below the water, forming the basis upon which the poles were founded. Adam stopped himself from wondering what architectural jewels were swallowed by the mud and water, and their implications for this world of memories. Later. We¡¯ve got work to do.

    He exchanged a look with Emily and they both nodded. Carefully, quietly, she made her way up the roof as Adam and Oliver lowered themselves. Hearing the rapid beats of his heart all the way up his throat, Adam climbed the poles beneath the building. Two down, but we¡¯ve no idea how many are inside. And if Emily gets into trouble, there¡¯s no way we can get to the roof quickly. He tried to calm himself with deep breaths. She can handle herself.

    Suddenly, barely visible shapes moved under the water in front of him. Hollow reeds, undoubtedly used for breathing while submerged, were thrown aside. Without a thought, Adam burst into action, swinging forward as fast as he could.

    Two of the shapes breached the surface: Roots with spears ready to throw. Before they could scream or hurl their crude weapons, one of Oliver¡¯s Marrow daggers embedded themselves into each of their masks with a soft ¡®thunk.¡¯ A third shape rapidly moved away from them, but Adam grabbed a horizontal beam in front of him and swung forward with both legs extended. As soon as the third Root breached the surface, Adam¡¯s kick connected to the back of its head with all the subtlety of an anvil. The Root sloshed down into the water again and didn¡¯t rise.

    Adam and Oliver quickly grabbed the sprites, checked for more Roots, and made their way to the other side. Peeking up, Adam got a glimpse of how Emily moved towards a Root that guarded the roof of a higher storey. With practised efficiency, Emily dispatched it with a knife to the neck and pulled it back before its fall would alert others.

    Although one of the two Roots on the terrace seemed oblivious, the other turned its head to look up at the roof. Adam wasn¡¯t sure if it had seen Emily, but he couldn¡¯t risk it. He pulled himself up and twisted the Root¡¯s neck. Oliver threw a Marrow boomerang up from beneath the terrace, which curved through the air and pierced the other Root¡¯s chest.

    However, it wasn¡¯t dead. Its feverish, bloodshot eyes opened wide.

    Adam gasped silently. He dashed forward before the Root could¡ª

    The Root screamed its lungs out and made terribly loud, hackling coughs before it crumbled into a pile of misery.

    Adam winced at the raspy racket and hopefully eyed the door. Maybe the Roots inside haven¡¯t¡ª

    The noise of thumping footsteps erupted from inside the building.

    Of course. Adam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Well, Emily called it. And there¡¯s no turning back now.

 Chapter 44 â€“ A Window of Opportunity

    Chapter 44 ¨C A Window of Opportunity

    Standing in front of the door to the house fu, Adam focused on his hearing. From the sound of the garbled screeches and the footsteps¡ªwhich became louder and louder¡ªhe could tell that Roots were running towards the door. And its hinges would open to the inside.

    Perfect.

    Adam held his knife in a backhanded grip with whitened knuckles and waited. His heart thumped strongly enough that Adam could feel and hear each beat in his throat.

    When the footsteps sounded like they came from right behind the door, Adam bolted forward. The Root in front uttered a surprised gasp, which was quickly cut off when the door slammed in its face. Adam cut its throat and pushed the body towards the two other Roots that came close behind. Caught off guard, they barely kept standing.

    Adam jumped up and hit the left Root¡¯s temple with a sideways kick. He landed and punched the right Root¡¯s sternum with all his momentum behind the blow. The Root stumbled and fell back, clenching its chest.

    Adam got a brief impression of the spacious, richly decorated chamber. It was filled with ivory statues, showcases of jewels, and long woven banners covered in symbols. A rasping noise sounded from the right side of the room, in the direction of the pyramid. A Shepherd sat there on a wooden throne, surrounded by fresh Roots. It cocked its oversized head¡ªwhich curved backwards into the shape of an ammonite¡ªto the side and began to write in the air. All of the purplish-brown, thorned vines in the Room snaked towards the Shepherd. Several Roots grabbed javelins or blowpipes.

    Two screeching Roots ran straight towards Adam, swinging the gnarled scythes at the ends of their arms.

    ¡°Adam!¡± Oliver screamed. By the tone of his voice and the shrill sound of Shrike being prepared, Adam knew what was coming. Just like old times.

    Adam ducked right before a two-handed blast of Shrike surged over him and hit the charging Roots dead on.

    Without thinking, Adam jumped to the left and crouched behind a wide, opal statue of Caine. Javelins and blowpipe darts bounced off its ludicrously expensive surface. Although the javelins would do more direct damage than the small darts, Adam was more cautious of the latter. Many civilizations dipped their darts in venom and Adam was fairly sure his Corpiogenesis couldn¡¯t cope with that.

    One Root ran around the statue, raising its blowpipe. However, Adam hurled a chic porcelain vase, which would match perfectly with Catherine¡¯s luxurious taste, at its face.

    As soon as Oliver entered, the symbols changed on the woven banners on the wall. Immediately, most of the Roots directed their assault at Oliver. Using Ironglass chains to move around the room, dodging javelins, he threw boomerangs of Marrow to fell Roots from a distance. Adam dashed behind statues and other obstacles, taking down Roots with fists, knees, and his knife. Screeching Roots stormed out of a stairway, followed by a spear-swinging Emily, forming a perfect addition to the mayhem.

    The Shepherd did something strange. A book and a scroll on its bizarre war banner opened and their hieroglyphic symbols glowed in green. In what was clearly an Invocation of the memory powers, the glowing symbols floated away from the pieces of paper. Together, the markings formed the shapes of a great ape and a blade in front of the Shepherd.

    A screaming Root ran towards Adam from the back, who hurled it over his shoulder. He stomped down onto the Root¡¯s mask with a crunch. Eager to find out more about memory powers, he briefly glanced at the Shepherd in the short moments he could spare in between the fierce melee.

    The Shepherd lifted an ammonite and ran its thumb over it. Starting from the brightly glowing gem in the middle, its brittle thumb followed the ammonite¡¯s spiral. The ammonite dissolved and turned into a large sprite.

    The hairs on Adam¡¯s neck rose; a vague whistling sound neared him. He moved his head to the side to dodge a javelin, which left a nasty cut over his cheek. Adam hissed in frustration and pounced the Root. Piss off! I need to know how this works!

    When he was done restructuring the Root¡¯s head with a hideously old-fashioned porcelain plate, he looked up again. The shape of an ape in front of the Shepherd, previously made of floating symbols, was now filled with purplish-brown thorny vines. Soon, a gigantopithecus, a giant relative of great apes, was formed out of the vegetation. It stood in its full size of at least nine feet.

    Fascinating¡­ The Shepherds can turn the ammonites back into sprites. And they can use the sprites to form creatures like this ape, based on the information in the book!

    The shape of a blade had manifested into a curved sword of greenish metal. Strangely, the blade¡¯s flat surface seemed to act like a moving window into a far-away place. A thick jungle of exotic trees, coloured fruits, and lianas could be seen through it.

    With a hint of confusion in its beady black eyes, the ape picked up the sword. It ran towards Oliver¡ªwho fired Invocations of Shrike and Marrow¡ªbut the ape dodged them with a series of jumps and cartwheels. Screeching its primal battle cry, the ape heaved its sword.

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    Adam bolted towards the beast and elbowed its arm to the side, just in time. The blade hacked a hole into the floor beside Oliver, who took his chance to swing away with an Ironglass chain.

    Adam jumped back to dodge a low, sweeping kick from the ape. ¡°You two focus on the Roots and the Shepherd, I¡¯ll take this¡ª¡±

    Quick as lightning, the ape¡¯s hand came at Adam from the side. Adam raised his arms to defend, yet the impact hit him like a charging bull, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying across the room.

    Adam landed on his feet. He shook out his arms, numbed by pain. Maybe I should stop getting distracted, someday. The ape roared, baring its dagger-like fangs and thumping its chest in bestial rage. Its long limbs and that strange blade beat my range. And it can maul me from up close; an ape¡¯s bite force is definitely no joke. Adam grinned savagely at the prospect of a worthy opponent. Heat ran through his veins like wildfire.

    Adam dashed towards a corner of the room, between rows of showcases and ivory statues showing scenes of Caine¡¯s graduating ceremony in Ziecherhein¡¯s Starwing Grove. Swinging its blade, the ape followed Adam, but the narrow space hindered the large beast¡¯s movement. It was forced to move its blade beside or around the obstacles in an attempt to hit Adam.

    Screeching in frustration, it slashed its blade in a wide sideways movement through a glass sculpture, sending shards flying. Capitalising on the opportunity, Adam jumped up and kneed the ape in its gnarled face. He ducked underneath a swinging arm and roared as he kicked at the beast¡¯s left knee from the side. The great joint buckled, but the beast remained standing and bowed down to bite Adam. Nimble as a cat, Adam slid between its legs, grasped the ape¡¯s sword arm and pressed it against its back. The ape went berserk. It screeched, swivelled, and kicked to shake Adam off.

    However, the armlock Adam¡¯s brother Joshua had once taught him was tight as a vice. Especially after Adam¡¯s years of experience in street brawls, wrestling matches, and battlefields.

    When the right moment came, Adam opened his left hand to grab his dagger and jabbed it right into the vines that made up the ape¡¯s lower arm. But the ape¡¯s grip on the sword didn¡¯t falter. Miniscule specks of green light seeped from the sword into the ape¡¯s arm. Adam frowned.

    Suddenly, the ape jumped backwards, slamming Adam into a cabinet of vases. Pain erupted in Adam¡¯s back and head as both wood and porcelain broke into splinters. Forced to let go and lose his dagger, Adam fell between the ruined remains.

    He groaned in pain as he lay between splintered wood and broken porcelain. In his blurry vision, he saw how the ape looked down on him with murder in its beady black eyes. The ape pointed its blade straight towards Adam''s chest. As fear took over, his face paled and sweat broke out of his back. Fear, which Adam hastily embraced.

    ¡°Osaehin,¡± Adam¡¯s heart whispered, its voice hissing like water on red-hot metal.

    A part of Adam¡¯s heat turned into a yellow glow that covered his body, making him feel light as a feather. He could hear, almost sense, how the long, cold mass of metal neared his skin. At the last moment, he rolled aside. By the sound of a paw rushing through the air, Adam guessed the ape¡¯s next attack. He got to his feet and jumped away before the enormous hand could grab his neck.

    Adam landed in front of a wooden wall, all his instincts tuned to finding a way out, but there was no way to go. The ape turned towards him and slowly heaved its blade.

    Adam¡¯s knees shook. The unnatural, ridiculously enlarged fear that surged through him made the urge to hide away almost overwhelming. Come on, snap out of it! Oliver and Emily are counting on me! The ape charged, swinging its sword in wild abandon. Adam¡¯s body screamed at him to flee.

    Adam exhaled again. Wait, it has moved like this before¡­ As he stared at the charging beast, something happened within him. A single deep beat from his heart drowned out all other noises. The yellowish glow disappeared, and in the place of overwhelming fear came silence. Time seemed to slow. Adam saw every contraction and relaxation in the ape¡¯s muscle-like vines, which moved its limbs forward. Clear as day, as if all movements were written in a script, Adam could predict every step and swing. He knew when the ape would open its mouth to growl, he knew when it¡¯d crouch to lunge at Adam.

    Calm as the depths of the ocean, Adam¡¯s head was free from thoughts. All that existed was his opponent, its movements, and his one choice of how to counter them.

    A decision that was easy to make.

    The ape soared towards him. It raised its sword arm high in the air for a downward slash and stretched out a grasping hand. Heat surged through Adam¡¯s limbs as he dashed forward. Every limb moved exactly as it was meant to.

    Relaxed as a leaf dancing in the wind, Adam moved his head aside to dodge the ape¡¯s grasping hand. He ducked beneath its sword arm, grabbed the mighty limb, and pressed his back against the ape¡¯s body. Roaring in effort, Adam pulled the ape¡¯s arm down, using the beast¡¯s momentum to hurl it over his shoulder. Barely having time to screech in surprise, the ape crashed head-first into the wooden wall. Planks splintered, beams broke, and the ape rolled into the adjacent room, bowling over several standards covered in hieroglyphs.

    When his strange Invocation ended, a deep fatigue washed over Adam. His mind was sluggish and confused, having trouble processing all the sensations around him. Like the wild fight of Oliver and Emily against the Roots. Adam shook his head to clear out the fog.

    Behind the hole in the wall, the ape slowly started moving again.

    How do I kill a creature made of vines with my bare hands, strangulation? Some kind of blunt impact?

    A shimmer of green caught his eye; the ape¡¯s mysterious blade lay on the ground. Staring into the sword¡¯s flat surface, Adam saw a waterfall and proud jungle trees. A group of apes used their long arms to swing from branch to branch. That green energy flowed from the blade into the ape, it could be dangerous to¡ª

    Grunting in pain, the ape placed its hands on the ground and got to its feet. There¡¯s no time! I¡¯ve got to take a risk... Adam lifted the heavy blade with both hands, ignoring the prickling sensation of the strange energy that moved up his arm like light jolts of electricity. His body slow and clumsy like a drunkard, he made a raspy excuse of a roar and jumped into the other room.

    The ape bared its fangs, but it still seemed sluggish from Adam¡¯s last attack. Grunting in effort, Adam used both hands to swing the heavy blade in an upwards diagonal cut, cleaving his target. The ape shivered. Its black eyes went hazy when all life seemed to disappear from its body. After a few wobbling steps, it fell to the side like a toppled mountain. The grey, dead masses of vines crumbled into a pile of dirt, bugs, and dry twigs.

    Adam had won.

 Chapter 45 â€“ A Loss of Control

    <div>

    Chapter 45 ¨C A Loss of Control

    As the giant ape¡¯s body crumbled to nothing, relief washed over Adam, together with the sweet adrenaline of victory. He let his head fall back, feeling the primal desire to drum his fists on his chest. That¡¯s odd¡­ Adam frowned at the blade in his hands. Tiny, prickling specks of light entered his hands, feeling strangely familiar. Heat from his heart surged towards them as if to defend his body from the foreign energy. It reminded him of how the right heart¡¯s network repels diseases that try to infect the body.

    Vague memories came along with the specks of light. How he¡¯d climbed the jungle trees higher than ever to reach the Great Sweet Fruits. How irresistible he¡¯d be to all the pretty female apes if he succeeded. How he had found a tribe of other apes and challenged their old grey-furred leader, only to be thrown off the waterfall. Swinging from branch to branch, he explored the endless sea of green¡­

    Oliver yelped in a high pitch.

    Adam gasped and shifted his grip on the sword¡¯s hilt. He shook his head, clearing it from the ape¡¯s memories and dashed back into the other room.

    The furious battle between Emily, Oliver, and the Shepherd continued. Seemingly immobile, the Shepherd hadn¡¯t moved from its spot near the wall. However, it had conjured a gnarled, round shell of vines, tree trunks and thorns around itself. The trunks reacted to incoming attacks from Oliver and Emily, moving and adjusting to shield the Shepherd from Invocations. The Shepherd¡¯s defences were covered in green, glowing hieroglyphs. Apparently, this particular Invocation reinforced the thick trunks by an impressive amount, since they were able to withstand a two-handed blast of Shrike from Oliver.

    Visible through the holes between his defences, the Shepherd feverishly kept writing in the air with its purple quill. It conjured vines and thorny trunks around its shell that writhed like wild snakes, reminding Adam of how an octopus defends itself with tentacles.

    Oliver and Emily soared through the room, using their Ironglass chains to move around and dodge the seemingly endless lianas and thorns.

    Thick, purple flowers at the ends of vines shot fist-sized nuts at Oliver. He formed a wide stained-glass-like screen of Ironglass in response, upon which the nuts burst open, spraying thorns in all directions.

    A massive vine¡ªwith a set of toothed leaves like a carnivorous plant at the end¡ªcame straight at Adam. He rolled aside, dodging the bite. With a mighty upward swing of his sword, he ¡®beheaded¡¯ his attacker. There was no chance to celebrate though, since small, string-like plants writhed over the ground to grab his feet.

    Enormous thorn bushes grew at an alarming rate towards Emily. She jumped around them, formed a Marrow scythe and dashed forward. Instead of attacking the mass of thorns itself, she sliced through the stem that connected the bushes to the Shepherd. After losing their connection, the thorn bushes withered and died. Just like the vines in the tunnel! Unlike the Roots, ape, or other separate entities, the Overgrowth needs a connection to some central part!

    Apparently, the Shepherd was keen to punish Adam¡¯s moment of distraction. It wrote in the air and the energy that seeped from Adam¡¯s blade changed. It surged over Adam¡¯s arms and formed green glowing hieroglyphs on his skin, causing his arms to move beyond his control. Adam growled in frustration as his arms repeated the motions they¡¯d just performed in reverse order. Uncontrollably, like a drunk maniac who held a blade for the first time, he wildly slashed the sword around in front of him.

    Adam bared his teeth in blind frustration, unable to escape the feeling that the Shepherd was merely toying with him. Even worse, it reminded him all too much of how the Crimson Urges had the gall to take over control. Shivering in rage, he had to step aside at the last moment before he would¡¯ve cut his own leg off. Damn it, stupid thing! How dare¡ª

    At the ends of great thorned vines, six bulbous purple flowers aimed straight at Adam. He dashed to the side, his arms still flailing, but the flowers¡¯ aim followed him effortlessly. Familiar brown, floating spores seeped from the largest flower as it prepared to fire.

    Wild thoughts and options flashed through Adam¡¯s mind, like to dash behind the Shepherd¡¯s other vines, or use Osaehin¡¯s Invocation to dodge. But I can¡¯t evade a broad spore attack like that!

    A surge of heat came from Adam¡¯s heart and filled his veins. No, I refuse to run! I¡¯ll never go down like this while damn Caine holds Eric! Images flashed before his mind¡¯s eye: how Desdemona had gathered heat in her throat before she¡¯d roared in defiance, blasting the snake¡¯s breath of filthy, smoky spores away. He saw how the young Adam in Eulenschloss had roared with animalistic might on top of the walls.

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    A small, nagging voice inside of Adam whispered he wasn¡¯t the same man anymore. That his skills had waned¡­

    ¡°Gur Asaar,¡± his heart hissed. An old, nearly forgotten scorched brand on his heart flared up as rage flowed through him like liquid fire. Thoughts of a weakling! I¡¯ve done this before so I can do it again. Caine will bleed for what he did to me. And his minions. Can. BURN. Heat from all over his body gathered into his throat.

    The flowers in front of Adam fired. Fist-sized, explosive nuts and a billowing stream of spores came straight at him.

    Adam set his feet right, took a deep breath and roared with all his might, spewing out all of the fury, pain and built-up frustration he had inside him. A shockwave of raw, primal power rippled outwards along with a deafening noise he barely recognized. It blasted the stream of spores away like dust. Nuts exploded harmlessly in mid-air, their thorns blown away. Adam¡¯s Invocation shredded the flowers and several vines behind it to pieces.

    Adam felt alive. Invincible. Raging satisfaction surged through him along with the overwhelming desire to charge the Shepherd and tear him to shreds. Why should Adam restrain himself? If he¡¯d just follow his fury, the Shepherd would fall along with¡ª

    Adam gasped and shook his head. What am I thinking?! With deep breaths, he tried to take back control. No! I¡¯m not some beast! Groaning in the effort, he tried to suppress the anger, the Crimson Urges that flooded his mind. Only now did Adam notice the blade was yanked out of his hands by the blast and that his arms moved like normal again.

    In front of him, Emily and Oliver had closed in on the Shepherd from two sides. It had lost most of its vines but used its shell-like mass of trunks and thorns to defend itself. Writing feverishly, the Shepherd commanded the stems to move and block the incoming blasts of Shrike and weapons of Marrow. The hieroglyph-Invocation made its defences surprisingly durable; even with their combined might, Oliver and Emily weren¡¯t able to get through.

    Steadily gaining back control over himself, Adam dashed forward.

    In between the Shepherd¡¯s impressive defences, it opened small slits and holes between the trunks, possibly to see what was going on. When Oliver unleashed a two-handed blast of Shrike upon the Shepherd, the trunks around it moved around to form a mighty barrier. However, small holes were left open at the sides again. Emily held both hands in the Marrow gesture and threw a small dagger. Applying her newly trained control over Marrow, she just managed to curve its trajectory towards one of the slits between the Shepherd¡¯s defences. Focused on Oliver¡¯s barrage of big, conspicuous attacks, the Shepherd was too late to respond.

    The knife pierced the Shepherd¡¯s oversized head from the side before it dissolved into normal Oquira again. The Shepherd¡¯s movement froze in its tracks, and after a moment of stillness, it dropped its pen. After the hysteria of the battle, all was suddenly oddly quiet. A silence which was only broken by a gentle rustling as the Shepherd¡¯s body fell apart. Its war banner, the pen, and all of the vines, leaves, and bushes within the room crumbled along with it. Oddly enough, the symbols on the wall¡¯s tapestries and banners disappeared as well, leaving blank canvases.

    Oliver stared wide-eyed at what remained of the Shepherd. Adam bent over, rested his hands on his knees and panted. The tension in the sides of his head and jaw loosened as sweet, sweet relief washed over him.

    ¡°Yay!¡± Emily laughed in excitement and jumped up. ¡°I did it, ha! It worked!¡±

    <hr>

    Adam moved his right arm around to ease an aching muscle. Each time he raised it above his head, he heard a painful ¡®click¡¯ near his shoulder as the muscle sprung back in place. Grumbling something indeterminable, he rubbed it with his other hand. To be fair, despite his impressive collection of cuts and bruises, he¡¯d gotten off pretty lightly. Better than Oliver at least.

    ¡°Hold still!¡± Emily said sternly.

    Oliver winced. ¡°Ouch! You should apply it to Nyandin Sata, not¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold. Still,¡± Emily repeated even sterner.

    The group was taking a rest within the house where they had fought the Shepherd. His bare and wounded back exposed, Oliver lay down on a luxurious carpet. Emily sat beside him and studied the cuts and the deep purple bruises again. Holding her hands in the Weaver gesture, with both hands in a complex pattern of overlapping fingers, she did her best to treat them. Although she wasn¡¯t an expert.

    Hungry as a hippo after the battle, Adam snacked on strips of dried meat as he observed how Emily worked. Beneath her hands, the Meridians under Oliver¡¯s skin glowed. They looked just like blood veins and lit up in a bluish-white due to Emily¡¯s application of Oquira. The Meridians, connected to the right heart, controlled many conscious and subconscious bodily functions. With her Invocation, Emily commanded Oliver¡¯s Meridians to redirect the natural healing functions of the body in a more focused way to heal his wounds.

    However, to allow another to command your Meridians meant temporarily relinquishing a part of your own control over your body. And if there was one thing Adam had learned about Novaseers, it was that they clung to their own power and control like a drowning man to a floating lump of wood.

    Oliver¡¯s mouth twitched as he tried to lay still. ¡°Ow! It¡¯s the second Sata, connected to the bottom left rib, like¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you want to do it yourself?!¡± Emily hissed.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t, I¡¯m too hurt for that!¡± Oliver said through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡ª¡±

    Adam sighed and focused on his strips of dried meat again. Well, at least they¡¯re talking again.

 Chapter 46 â€“ A City of the Past

    Chapter 46 ¨C A City of the Past

    Adam finally started to relax once again. Although he had an impressive collection of bruises and sore muscles, he also had a full stomach and his Corpiogenesis was gradually healing him. Besides, sitting on one of the comfortable carpets wasn¡¯t all that bad. Especially now that Emily and Oliver had stopped bickering once again.

    With a wide, enthusiastic smile on her face, Emily acted out how she took down several Roots and evaded the Shepherd¡¯s attacks. Even Oliver¡¯s mood seemed to have thawed a bit, although he was relatively silent and apparently still had difficulty looking at Emily.

    Eager to learn more about the memory powers, they listed the strange Invocations they had seen so far. Adam assumed the green, glowing hieroglyphs were used to influence or change the properties of objects or opponents. The uses they knew of were the enchantment on Adam¡¯s arms that made them repeat movements and the durability-increasing effect on the Shepherd¡¯s trunks. Furthermore, the hieroglyphs were similar to those on the pedestals and those within the text of the scrolls and books used in Invocations.

    Oliver was particularly interested in the control over the Overgrowth. The only ones they¡¯d seen so far who were capable of that feat were the Shepherds, and they did so by writing in the air. They were also the only ones who could conjure creatures, like the peacock and the ape. However, the giant also practised the illusions and the Invocations reminding of electricity.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about these ¡®Commands¡¯ the Thalers have talked about,¡± Adam said, rubbing his beard. ¡°They seem to see them as irrefutable orders from Caine himself.¡±

    Emily fidgeted with a small statue of an owl, cut out of emerald. ¡°Ah, now that you mention it, that sounds like the system Caine uses to boss everyone around. We can assume everyone has a Realm of Remembrance, right? Commands could be part of how the system of memories is supposed to work, to ensure the Thalers keep everything running and up to date?¡±

    Adam nodded. ¡°Could be, although it might work differently in Caine¡¯s case, with his memory powers.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, ¡®memory powers,¡¯ ¡± Emily said. ¡°We really need a better name for it.¡±

    ¡°How about Memoryseering?¡± Oliver asked, sitting in his usual cross-legged pose. Adam and Emily looked at him in silence. ¡°You know, based on Novaseering? But you¡¯re actually ¡®seering¡¯ memories now¡­? Okay, maybe that sounds a little stupid.¡±

    Emily giggled. ¡°Just a bit.¡±

    Adam smiled; it was good to hear Oliver mingle again. ¡°My theory on the Commands is that they are sent and received using those.¡± He pointed at the banners on the walls. ¡°Those banners are used by both the Thalers and the Shepherds. As soon as we entered the building, the Shepherd caused the hieroglyphs on the wall banners to change. Afterwards, almost all the Roots went after Oliver. Furthermore, hieroglyphs on banners of the Thalers changed during their fight with the Thuraum¡¯s Corrupted.¡±

    Emily raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh! To give strategic directions to the soldiers, maybe?¡±

    Oliver nodded slowly. ¡°Sounds plausible.¡±

    Adam rubbed his beard, deep in thought. ¡°However, if that¡¯s true¡­ then the sheer number of banners here suggests they controlled more Roots than just the ones we¡¯ve fought.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but wouldn¡¯t it make sense if these Commands work over a long distance?¡± Emily asked. ¡°Like, you said there were hundreds of Nodes at least on that map you saw. And it takes ages to walk between them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, the trip between the last two Nodes took less than a week,¡± Adam said dryly.

    ¡°Which feels like ages for a person who isn¡¯t ancient.¡± She stuck her tongue out at him. Oliver gave an awkward smile and closed his eyes.

    Suddenly, Emily¡¯s eyes widened and she dropped the owl statue. Oliver frowned, as that was probably some sort of ¡®heresy against the feathered angels¡¯ or some other nonsense. ¡°But after the Shepherd died, all the banners around here became blank!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°If those control Roots, it could mean that all Roots in a wide area aren¡¯t receiving instructions!¡±

    Adam shot up to his feet.

    ¡°Huh, isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Oliver asked. ¡°Disturbing the enemies¡¯ communications is a sound strategy! The Roots might just wander aimlessly if they don¡¯t receive any orders!¡±

    ¡°True, if they are normal Roots,¡± Adam said. ¡°But all Roots we¡¯ve seen were led by a Shepherd. They might get sad if daddy Caine isn¡¯t writing them anymore and wonder what happened here.¡±

    Emily stood up and got to the exit. ¡°Which means they could be on their way!¡±

    <hr>

    Adam ran through the rain and up the steps of the pyramid, careful not to slip on the wet stone. Oliver followed, huffing and puffing something about ¡®damned stairs.¡¯ Emily sprinted in front with her hair plastered against her head.

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    The pyramid¡¯s flattened top looked similar to the one of Eulenschloss¡¯ Node. With quick and shallow breaths, Adam tried to avoid looking at the replica of the site of his worst trauma. Which was a challenge, considering the statue took up most of the plateau. No matter how stupid he felt, no matter how he convinced himself it was not the real thing, his knees were shaking and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.

    Luckily, there were no signs of the Overgrowth on the pyramid itself. The goldish-green spiral on the pyramid¡¯s top was in a clockwise direction and burst into life as they got closer. Good, if our theory is correct, the Roots shouldn¡¯t be inside.

    Nervously rubbing the scars on his wrists, Adam puffed out his cheeks.

    I¡¯ve been hiding, avoiding, and running away from the past for so long. But that road has ended. I¡¯ll never heal from my trauma or make amends if I don¡¯t understand what happened. And I refuse to let my story end as the bloodstain in history it is right now. Adam took a deep breath and forced his legs to stop shivering. Adam¡¯s heart beat faster and faster. He exhaled and looked up.

    Each brick of the walls was visible, showing the lines of text in every known language. Although the script was tiny due to the statue¡¯s small size compared to the original, they all knew what every line read: ¡®Begone, for here lie the ruins of Ziecherhein. Remnants of the foul disaster that happened here will kill all who enter. May all remember Ziecherhein¡¯s former glory. May none forgive those who caused the tragedy.¡¯

    Adam felt the colour drain from his face. Despite the tired, desperate voice inside him that screamed he was innocent, he knew damn well who the writers meant: the Prophet and himself.

    A unique statue of Aves flying to the heavens crowned the stone walls. Shifting shades of green twinkled across its gold-flaked surface, caused by the aurora-like shimmering in the air. The downpour couldn¡¯t hide the green streams of light, remnants of the most destructive Invocation in living memory.

    Adam shivered, the urge to hide, look away, or vomit was almost overwhelming. Vague memories emerged of how the green light shone through stone and flesh. Adam closed his eyes and swallowed despite his dry throat. He tried to suppress the same endless questions he¡¯d asked himself thousands of times before. Who caused this and why? Why did it kill combatants on both sides? Why did only I and the Prophet survive? The familiar brand of Schultora on Adam¡¯s heart lit up as the cold, empty feeling of guilt rose in Adam¡¯s gut.

    Adam was startled when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Oliver stood beside him with a cautious smile. ¡°It¡¯s not the real thing, you know. It¡¯s just a memory, remember that.¡± He gave Adam¡¯s shoulder a squeeze. ¡°You can do this. We may not know who caused the disaster, but I have no doubt we can find out and prevent it from happening ever again!¡±

    Emily stood on Adam¡¯s other side and smiled at him. ¡°I think it¡¯s brave of you, returning to all those memories¡­ And we¡¯re here for you every step of the way.¡±

    Adam closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Trying to overcome his own reluctance, he stared at the spiral around the statue¡¯s base. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    <hr>

    Adam lay on his belly. Slowly, gradually, his mind and senses started to work again. Sunshine, strange and unfamiliar after spending time in the Realm, tickled his face and hands. The comfortable buzz of people talking sounded in the distance. The clip-clop of moose and the grinding of wheels neared them.

    ¡°I swear, it¡¯s like everyone drinks in this ¡®holy town,¡¯ ¡± a gruff voice said. ¡°And the prices you pay for food around here are insane!¡±

    A woman sighed with endless tiredness as if they had been through this a thousand times already. ¡°It was your idea to go on another pilgrimage, dear...¡± The two kept on bickering as their coach moved away.

    Adam blinked a couple of times. Marital problems weren¡¯t quite the first thing he¡¯d expected to encounter in here. He pushed himself up with difficulty and gasped.

    Instead of the Tomb, they were in the lovely city Ziecherhein used to be before the War of the Prophet. Adam smiled broadly as his heart ached with nostalgia.

    They stood at the edge of Ziecherhein¡¯s grand square, filled with merry market stalls. An elderly woman smiled radiantly as she walked with a small, giggling child on her shoulders. A teenage couple, almost shaking with nerves from standing so close to each other, bought a bag of sweets. Eyeing the couple from a distance, a group of teenage girls giggled and spoke in hushed voices. A small boy screamed in laughter as he ran away from his mother, zigzagging between the forest of adult legs. The mother panted as she tried to keep up, threatening to ¡®count to three.¡¯ Four young men who smelled like old beer strutted around with haughty looks. They wore the identical long coats of their Academy Association. Three others were undoubtedly being hazed, judging by their dirty clothes and how they fanned cool air at their superiors.

    ¡°Tsk-tsk, the Fasoux Association,¡± Oliver whispered beside Adam with a smile on his face. ¡°Never understood why anyone wanted to join that self-important group of snobs.¡±

    Adam laughed. ¡°And no wonder Caine remembers them.¡±

    On the sides of the square stood the two proud, iconic buildings for which Ziecherhein was known. To their left was the entrance hall that led inside the walled Starwing Grove. Its black and light-blue fa?ade was richly decorated with silvered depictions of Aves¡¯ life and wing-shaped spires that reached for the heavens.

    To their right was the domed main hall of Ziecherhein¡¯s Menhir League: Adam¡¯s second home for years. It was an ancient institution tasked with the procurement and preservation of knowledge. Statues symbolised the multitude of sciences practised in the League¡¯s many towers and castle-like buildings.

    Built centuries ago, Ziecherhein was explicitly meant to be the place where both science and the Starwing Order could meet and flourish together, as two sides of the same coin. A testament to the old, almost vanished belief that science explored the wonders of the world ruled by Aves.

    Adam smiled broadly as he looked at the place where he had spent some of the happiest years of his life. Where he had joked around and laughed with friends. A carefree time when he lived in The Badger: one of the messy but delightful places that housed people who studied at the Menhir League or the Starwing Academy. It was a time when he didn¡¯t have to struggle for his life. Tension left his neck and shoulders, he exhaled deeply. Huh, so this is what being ¡®relaxed¡¯ feels like again. It¡¯s like, for the first time since the damned War of the Prophet¡­ I¡¯m home.

 Chapter 47 â€“ A Time of Peace

    Chapter 47 ¨C A Time of Peace

    Unable to believe his eyes, Adam looked at his beloved city with a broad smile. From the wooden signs with curly logos outside the shops to the town criers and the jolly market. Everything was exactly as it used to be, as it should be. It was a place where he¡¯d become who he was, where he¡¯d forged friendships, where he¡¯d laughed and cried. It was a place that he¡¯d never expected to see again.

    Adam scrunched up his face as tears welled up. For a moment, the weight of all past years¡¯ hardships was lifted from his shoulders. Even the old pain of the War, which always clung to him like a shadow, had left him somehow. Surprised at how it felt not to worry for just a moment, he breathed the free air.

    Adam frowned when he opened his eyes again. Just now, The Red Nose¡ªa bar they used to frequent during their first years at Ziecherhein¡ªstood at the corner of the square. Yet, when Adam looked again, it was the boring shop with expensive perfumes that had replaced the bar later on. Adam sighed and his smile turned sad. The bitter reality was that times change, no matter how he wished they wouldn¡¯t, and everything around him only existed in memories.

    Hesitantly, Adam looked up at the sky. Next to the clouds and the merrily shining sun, there was the vague, shimmering shape of the aurora. A cold shiver ran down Adam¡¯s spine from the base of his skull. No, all of this only exists in ruins.

    Adam¡¯s shoulders slumped. As sudden as it had disappeared, the weight of all that had happened rested on him again. A shadow he expected to follow him for the rest of his days. How can I feel like I¡¯m home for the first time in so long, didn¡¯t I do so during the time I lived with Cath and Eric? What is wrong with me?

    ¡°Schultora,¡± whispered his heart.

    Adam grimaced and grabbed his chest. Besides the guilt, a red anger rose up within him, like an old, simmering fire that would never douse completely. Can hardly do something about it now. All I can do is keep going. He stared at the trusted cobbled streets of happier days in a bitter attempt to feel an echo of his careless days again.

    Emily frowned into the distance. ¡°Huh, guys, do you see those green things as well?¡±

    When Adam squinted, the translucent green shapes of two people were visible on one side of the square. Despite people and market stalls that stood in between, the figures shone through and could still be seen. It was a younger Adam sitting beside Caine on the edge of a fountain. Caine cried with his face buried in his hands. Adam had a reassuring hand on Caine¡¯s back, his mouth opened as if speaking.

    Adam frowned grimly. ¡°That was the night he heard his, I mean, your mother joined the Pure.¡± He¡¯d talked to Caine for hours back then. To all others, Caine had kept on a brave face, accepting condolences. But only when he was alone with Adam, had he started to cry. You actually had the nerve to come to me for help, in the cold and rain. You vermin.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡­ ahem.¡± She swallowed and looked away for a moment. ¡°Why is that memory shining through? Like, isn¡¯t all of this part of Caine¡¯s memories?¡±

    Oliver looked around with a concentrated frown. ¡°It is. But I think some events that happened within Ziecherhein are more important to him than others. Look.¡± Oliver pointed in the distance.

    Adam needed to squint to make out the shimmering shapes that shone through walls, people, and everything in between, but there were more. Many more. As the three friends walked around, they could see many indiscernible figures in the direction of the Green Hare, their favourite bar in Ziecherhein. It seemed like Caine remembered his time at The Badger fondly as well, judging by the plenitude of laughing, happy shapes there. Other green figures were visible through the decorated walls of the Starwing Grove, where Caine had studied at the Starwing Academy.

    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that Caine and Abigail? Oh my¡­¡±

    Adam closed his eyes for a moment at the mention of one of the people in Ziecherhein he least wanted to see again: one of his ex-girlfriends.

    Emily¡¯s eyebrows raised to her hairline as she stared at the shimmering shape of Caine and a skinny girl in some back alley. Their mouths were so intertwined it looked like they held a slobbering uvula-wrestling contest. ¡°No! Abigail, of all people? She¡¯s insufferable! I mean¡­ not when you were with her, of course...¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, she was,¡± Adam sighed. ¡°Was too in love to see it at the time, though.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I remember,¡± Oliver snapped his fingers. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she the one who had cheated, but who also screamed loud enough to wake half the neighbourhood when you weren¡¯t happy about that? And then she had your face tattooed on her arm to try and make up for it, right?¡±

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    Adam grimaced when he pictured that tattoo again. ¡°Don¡¯t forget her trying to burn The Badger down when I broke up with her,¡± Adam deadpanned. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve had healthier relationships.¡±

    With a hard-to-read expression, Oliver looked back and forth between Adam and the shape of Abigail clutching Caine as if she desperately tried to drink his soul. ¡°But surely you''re mad at him for¡­ this?¡± He gestured vaguely at Caine.

    Adam waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Oh, judging by Caine¡¯s stupid doublet, this happened sometime when I¡¯d long broken up with her. Wait, look at those figures, over there at the old stable!¡± Adam gave an evil grin. ¡°Isn¡¯t that an excellent specimen to examine?¡±

    Oliver groaned, staring reluctantly at the shapes of a laughing Adam, Emily, and Caine who carried something big in their midst. ¡°Come on, do we have to?¡±

    <hr>

    The group got closer to the green shimmering shapes near the stable; a monument to one of their many silly, impulsive jokes in the late hours. The mirages of Caine, Adam, and Emily stood as if frozen in time, lifting a sleeping Oliver by his mattress. Grinning widely, Adam looked at how young they all looked, how Oliver held his pillow tight as a lover.

    Now that he was this close, Adam noticed one of the green sprites flying near the mirages. It was different from the others he¡¯d seen before; instead of leaving as fast as possible, this one circled around the green shapes at a calm pace. In an almost teasing way, it flew loops near the current Oliver¡¯s nose, who blew it away with a puff of annoyance. It neared the current Adam next, coming closer and closer as if inviting Adam to touch it. Within the green light of the sprite lay hints of movement. Barely audible bits of laughter even seemed to emanate from it. Unable to resist the temptation, Adam plucked the sprite from the air.

    Suddenly, it was the middle of the night and all the people who had been walking the street were gone. The sprite had disappeared. Adam sprang into a fighting stance; ready to tackle a giant like the last time they encountered an illusion. However, no enemies could be seen. Instead, the green shapes had turned into people of flesh and blood as the memory happened in front of them.

    Adam felt his muscles relax and his smile widen as he watched and reminisced. It had happened at the end of one of their drinking nights. Oliver had been the first who went to sleep. So, naturally, the others decided to lift him into one of the stalls in the stable to have a good night¡¯s rest. The young Oliver snored loudly, clutching his pillow while his curly hair stuck out in all directions. The others barely contained their laughter.

    Adam and Emily watched from a safe distance, with a sulking Oliver behind them. Adam clenched his fists when he saw Caine, grinning right beside the younger version of himself. Yet somehow, beneath the rage towards the person he had become, there was a hint of yearning. Towards a simpler, happier time when he could laugh with Caine as he used to be. Before Caine became¡­ whatever he was today.

    Emily grinned at Oliver. ¡°Oh wow, and it took you hours to wake up! I¡¯ve no idea how many customers passed by you before when they got to their mounts!¡±

    Adam couldn¡¯t resist smiling at that. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we convinced the owner to give us permission.¡±

    Oliver watched with a tired expression. ¡°Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny,¡± he said, an angry blue vein thumping in his forehead. ¡°It took a month before people stopped making moose or horse noises whenever they saw me.¡±

    That set off Emily and Adam even harder. Adam laughed loudly and wiped a tear from his eye. That felt good, happy, despite everything.

    With wide grins, their young alter-egos stumbled out of the stables. The Adam amongst them tripped over a street tile and waved his arms in a not-too-elegant fashion, trying to stay upright. With clumsy, drunken steps, he bumped into the current Adam.

    As soon as the young lad touched the current Adam, an unnatural ripple emanated through the air from their point of contact.

    For a moment, the two Adams blinked at each other in confusion. The younger Adam¡¯s brown eyes quickly swivelled away. ¡°Whoops, sorry sir, didn¡¯t see ya.¡± He awkwardly patted the current Adam¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Good day, I mean¡­ evening. Or, err¡­ good something.¡±

    As the current Adam wondered if he truly was old enough to be called ¡®sir,¡¯ the lad hastily rejoined his comrades and kept on walking. ¡°Did you see that?!¡± He asked as he laid his arm around Caine¡¯s shoulders. His wobbling finger pointed around ten feet beside the current Adam. ¡°That guy looks like me!¡±

    Caine¡¯s mouth curled in disgust. ¡°By Aves, another? This city is too small for two pellet heads with a mug like yours.¡±

    Emily giggled. ¡°Shht! Shhhhhhht! He can hear you!¡± she ¡®whispered¡¯ far too loudly.

    Shortly after the trio had moved away, the green shapes of the young friends returned, as did the sprite that flew around them. It was daytime again, and people of all ages walked the streets as if nothing had happened. Unliving echoes of people, as remembered by one man.

    Oliver fiddled with his lips as he frowned at the green apparitions. ¡°Hmm, seems like we can ¡®activate¡¯ specific memories by touching the sprite that flies around them. It¡¯s odd, though¡­¡±

    ¡°That you stayed asleep for so long?¡± Emily asked innocently.

    ¡°No, that there weren¡¯t any of these green shapes at Eulenschloss! And here, no one on the streets seems to see us. What¡¯s the difference with Ziecherhein?¡±

    Adam frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°I think Caine¡¯s memory of Eulenschloss was one specific event. It was the first and only time Caine was at the fortress as far as I know. So, it was a single sequence of things that happened during the siege. However, Ziecherhein is a location in which he remembers many different events that happened over the course of years. There are buildings from different time periods for example. I bet the events or memories that are most clear to him are the green apparitions. Specific memories that we can activate to see what happened.¡±

    Emily snapped her fingers. ¡°Oh! Remember the moment we first appeared in Eulenschloss from the Node. You also saw all our surroundings in green, translucent outlines at first, right? I think all of Eulenschloss was just another apparition for an event. We ¡®activated¡¯ it and could see what happened, just like the joke with Oliver just now.¡±

 Chapter 48 â€“ A House of Knowledge

    Chapter 48 ¨C A House of Knowledge

    In order to reach Adam¡¯s office, hoping to find clues on his research, Adam, Emily, and Oliver paced through the great domed main hall of the Menhir League. Giant skeletons of whale turtles and gale bats hung from the ceiling. The Oath of Objective Truth was inlaid into the wide floor with golden letters; a constant reminder for researchers not to allow dogma or previously held beliefs to cloud the judgement of objective facts. Amidst the lettering stood a replica of the ancient menhir, around which the first members of the League gathered to share their knowledge.

    Supposedly, the magnificent room of veined marble symbolised the League¡¯s mission to gather knowledge. However, the ridiculous investment to make it so beautiful was probably more motivated by the financial necessity to impress donors and new students.

    ¡°Hmm, you can tell Caine never visited this place much,¡± Adam said, his footsteps echoing through the room.

    ¡°How so?¡± Emily replied. ¡°Because there are so few people here?¡±

    ¡°Huh, now that you mention it. No, because many details are wrong. Look at the cabinets at the sides. There should be all kinds of scientific curiosities, like newly invented medicines and alloys. I guess he didn¡¯t notice them, so they don¡¯t exist here.¡±

    Oliver pointed. ¡°Seem like he did pay attention to those stuffed lizards and those¡­ uhm¡­ things floating in jars. Organs I think?¡±

    Emily scrunched up her nose. ¡°Probably because they are nasty.¡±

    Adam frowned at the bottled flesh. ¡°And judging by the shape, he probably had no idea what they were, either. Hmm, but why are there more cabinets in place of things he hasn¡¯t noticed? Shouldn¡¯t there just be nothing if he doesn¡¯t remember?¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe the ¡®holes¡¯, the things he doesn¡¯t remember, are kind of filled in with things he expects to be there? Like, if you look at a person and try to remember them later on, you can imagine a relatively accurate picture of them, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Oliver and Adam said at the exact same time. They looked at each other for a moment and smiled.

    ¡°But did you pay attention to the shape of that person¡¯s ears?¡± Emily continued. ¡°Or the length of their eyelashes? I think what you remember are the main points you¡¯ve actually seen. The rest, the details, are kinda filled in with what you expect to be there.¡±

    Adam nodded. ¡°Sounds plausible. If we could only see the things Caine has explicitly paid attention to, we would be seeing holes or empty spaces everywhere.¡±

    <hr>

    The group walked farther until they ended up at a simple wooden door in one of the hallways. Adam stopped himself from walking through at the last moment, as there was nothing but an inky black darkness beyond the doorway. Adam stared wide-eyed at the empty void that had almost swallowed him.

    ¡°Hmm, you mentioned something about holes and empty spaces?¡± Oliver asked dryly.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ bizarre,¡± Emily breathed. ¡°Oh! Maybe Caine never walked through that hallway? If he¡¯s never been there, he doesn¡¯t have any idea what¡¯s behind the door! So, it¡¯s not ¡®filled in¡¯ with something he expects to be there!¡±

    Adam picked up a rather depressing book from one of the nearby closets, ¡®The End of Identity ¨C A Study on Cultures Destroyed by the Pure,¡¯ and threw it. The darkness unceremoniously swallowed the book, no sound came of something hitting the ground. Adam suppressed a shiver down his spine. ¡°Maybe we should take a different route to my office.¡±

    After a while, the group neared Adam¡¯s office. As they got closer, they didn¡¯t see shimmering shapes in the office¡¯s direction.

    ¡°What if Caine or a young Adam is in there?¡± Oliver asked. ¡°In Eulenschloss, the soldiers and that officer reacted to our presence. Or what if it¡¯s a specific memory, like your oh-so-funny joke with the stables, will they see us standing in the room? Or will the memory just happen in front of us as if we aren¡¯t there?¡±

    Adam worked his jaw. ¡°Hard to say. The apparitions from our joke just now didn¡¯t seem to see us at first. But they did later on, just like in Eulenschloss. So, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised that it¡¯s possible to interact with the events of those memories as well.¡±

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    Emily followed Adam down a winding stair. ¡°Huh, that would be an interesting conversation. Like, how would sober versions of you at the time react when we walk in?¡±

    Adam thought about that for a moment. ¡°Even better: how would the person Caine thinks I was back then react to it? Oh wait, if it¡¯s the version of Caine as he was at the time, would he still be on our side?¡± If his ¡®change¡¯ happened at a later point in time, this version could be a valuable source of help and information. Behind layers of bitterness and rage, a vague feeling of hope rose within him, and he immediately got angry with himself that it did. Maybe he was plotting behind our backs the whole time. And what if he attacks us together with the version of me during the war?

    After they prepared for a battle just in case, Adam opened the door.

    He blinked a couple of times; seeing a room he¡¯d forgotten the contents of, but which almost immediately was as familiar as his own boots was a peculiar sensation.

    The walls that weren¡¯t covered with bookcases were hung full of art, wooden masks, notes, and drawings about sorcery and ancient cultures. Many paintings of wild animals, like lions and great apes, hung together with diagrams depicting their movements in combat. A timeline of history hung above the messy desk. It indicated the alternating periods in which civilisations practising Instinct had the upper hand and those in which Novaseers held the most power.

    Above a cabinet with all too strong beverages, a banner hung on the wall. Adam grimaced a bit to see a message once shown throughout Dorenland. ¡®THERE IS HOPE. Ajax is defeated by the Fist of Gotterburg¡¯ it read. A stylized depiction of Adam taking down the armoured warrior on his abominable mount was shown below. Adam vaguely remembered how proud he used to be. He scrunched up his nose, trying to ignore the bitter aftertaste it left him.

    Upon closer investigation, they could see the translucent shape of Caine who sat on an oaken chair. As expected, a tiny sprite flew around this mirage as well. Carefully, Adam touched the speck of green light, causing Caine to turn into a real person, who seemed oblivious to the three other people in the room. Adam wasn¡¯t sure whether to sigh in relief or groan in disappointment. Together with Emily and Oliver, he moved back towards one of the bookcases to make room for whatever would happen in front of them.

    A young version of himself casually kicked open the oaken door; a beast of a man in his prime.

    His long brown hair hung loose and wild. There was a subtle tension in his steps that radiated power, like the slow, temperate walk of a predator. Even though he wore his trusty, long leather coat, the young Adam was way more muscular, lean, and in shape than the current one. Painfully so. Moreover, untouched by the trauma of Ziecherhein, the young Adam didn¡¯t cover his wrists and neck yet and his eyes were still brown.

    None of that was what shocked the current Adam the most, though. There was something¡­ off about the glance in his younger self¡¯s eyes. An unpredictable tension in the way he worked his jaw. Like an aura of danger that clung to him, as if he could lunge into an attack at any moment. Maybe, hopefully, it was just how Caine remembered him. Although it reminded Adam an infuriating lot of his damned father and damned Joshua.

    However, the young Adam¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Caine. The friends grinned, bumped their left elbows, and shook their right hands, a greeting born out of an old inside joke.

    ¡°Well, well, Caine at the Menhir League,¡± Adam said with a puzzled twinkle in his eyes. He leaned against his desk and crossed his muscular arms. ¡°Must be difficult, with all this scary science around?¡±

    Caine faked an expression of fear as he looked at Adam¡¯s notes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m this close to running away screaming. Although that¡¯s probably because of your smell.¡± Both of them laughed. ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask you a favour. It¡¯s about this research you are performing.¡±

    The current Adam exchanged silent glances with Oliver and Emily. She pressed a finger to her lips.

    The young Adam raised a thick eyebrow. The current Adam silently wondered if they were really that hairy or if that was just how Caine remembered them. ¡°Well, this is going to be interesting. You want a favour about research you well know is secret, and shouldn¡¯t even know about?¡±

    Caine sat down on a chair and sighed. ¡°Look, the war isn¡¯t going as well as it should.¡± Caine stared with lines of tiredness in his young eyes. It was strange to see him, the old embodiment of nonchalance, that tense.

    The young Adam nodded slowly. ¡°Sad but true.¡±

    When did this conversation happen? After the tragedy of Unfall Valley? The loss of the Needles, maybe? Adam squinted and searched his memory for clues.

    ¡°We need all we got to survive!¡± Caine continued. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this sorcery of memory, Reminiscence, and that it might very well be what the Prophet is using. That could be the key to stopping him!¡±

    ¡° ¡®Heard¡¯? Agatha the Red has been talking, eh?¡± The young Adam gave a lopsided smirk and scratched his jaw. The current Adam frowned as his younger self¡¯s jawline seemed sharper and more powerful than it should be. Other features, like the eyebrows and muscular build, seemed a tad exaggerated as well. In contrast, Caine¡¯s younger self seemed oddly skinny and had a bigger nose than Adam remembered. He gave a dark grin. My, my, were you jealous of me?

    The young Adam nodded slowly. ¡°But I agree, I doubt we¡¯ll take the Prophet down without this third type of sorcery. Although I haven¡¯t been able to get it to work yet.¡±

    ¡°Teach me about it!¡± Caine said, standing up. ¡°This is not the time for secrets and political approval, but one for action!¡±

    Adam narrowed his eyes as if trying to catch him in a lie. ¡°Are you asking me on your own, or on behalf of the Starwing Order? Last time I checked, they weren¡¯t such a big fan of me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you in secret.¡± Caine gave the friendliest, most sincere smile that hideous mug could produce. ¡°Come on man, you know you can trust me.¡±

    Trust, eh? The current Adam clenched his hands into fists and the muscles in his arms tensed up.

 Chapter 49 â€“ A Sorcery of Origin

    Chapter 49 ¨C A Sorcery of Origin

    The current Adam clenched his fists tight enough to make the veins on the back of his hands bulge. To see Caine again was infuriating enough. To see him telling his honey-sweet lies to Adam¡¯s younger self was next to impossible.

    You sick, twisted piece of vermin¡­

    Caine closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled. ¡°I hate what the Order is becoming in this war, and how they are treating Insticas like you.¡±

    Adam grimaced. ¡°Ever since the war they¡¯ve been acting damned paranoid. As if everyone who isn¡¯t part of the Starwing Order, or who practices Instinct, automatically supports the Prophet!¡± Adam said with a low, reverberating growl in his voice. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the slurs we¡¯ve been called. Not any more though.¡± He grinned humourlessly. ¡°Now they¡¯re starting to fear us.¡±

    Caine closed his eyes and bared his teeth in frustration. ¡°Ugh¡­ you must understand that all those duels you¡¯re having are making it worse! Do you think Jeremiah has stayed quiet, huh? After you just had to humiliate him in the ring? No, he¡¯s already spreading rumours, using his connections against you!¡±

    ¡°Let them come!¡± the young Adam raised his voice, waves of sickly heat radiated from him, accompanied by the smell of alcohol. ¡°Jeremiah called me a filthy heretic hound of the Ancestor! Oh, luckily it wasn¡¯t in public, just in the presence of the Royal Army, troops of Agatha, and Talons of Aves, no big deal. He loudly wondered when I would betray them. While I fight to protect this world from the Prophet, just like everyone! I duel to show the world we deserve the same respect as knights and Novaseers.¡± He stopped and grinned, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes. ¡°And now, Jeremiah knows what it¡¯s like to grovel in the dirt, to ask for mercy.¡±

    The current Adam winced, remembering Jeremiah¡¯s revenge all too well. The results of the trials of Ziecherhein¡¯s disaster were well known, after all. And now that Jeremiah was going to be chieftain of Gotterburg it would be hard for Adam to return the favour.

    Caine took a deep breath and made calming gestures. ¡°Easy Adam, I get that you¡¯re angry. What worries me is the lack of trust between Novaseers and the Royal Army on one side, and Insticas on the other. The suspicion of betrayal is growing on both sides, which is why I fear for the results of your research. As you are the one who rediscovered Reminiscence, the Order might try to shut it down. They could fear it leads to the Pure.¡±

    The young Adam raised an eyebrow. ¡°Or, they might use it to increase their own power and influence. To explain it as a holy ¡®extension of Novaseering¡¯ or something.¡± He thought for a moment, leaned against his desk again and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re on the same page. It would be good to have you join this research, but I have one condition. If it turns into a success and becomes public, people who know about it will be more likely to give you, the honourable Novaseer, the credit. Would be nice of you to keep in mind that I¡¯ve rediscovered it, eh? Even when you¡¯re boasting around and all.¡±

    Caine huffed indignantly. ¡°Boasting around? As if I¡¯d ever do that about a project like this!¡±

    Adam raised an eyebrow. He closed his eyes and slowly sniffed the air. The corners of his mouth curled upwards. ¡°Liar,¡± he said with a subtle rumbling growl in his voice.

    Caine¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°Okay, okay, maybe just a little. I mean, these are great stories to tell!¡±

    The young Adam didn¡¯t laugh. ¡°I mean it, man. I travelled to several hidden ruins to learn what I know now. I cross-referenced myths from several religions, translated all those old hieroglyphs, I¡¯ve even tracked the old folktales behind children¡¯s songs. I¡¯m not some butcher on the battlefield, I¡¯m more than that. And Reminiscence is my way to make a bigger contribution to the world.¡±

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    Caine raised his hands. ¡°Relax, don¡¯t worry. I will certainly give you all the credit you¡¯re due.¡±

    ¡®Give me credit¡¯? You¡¯ve stolen my discoveries and used them against me!

    The young Adam grinned. ¡°Great to hear!¡± He wrung his hands in enthusiasm. ¡°If we knock our heads together, who knows what we can accomplish, eh? Combining the insight of both Novaseering and Instinct might just be exactly what¡¯s needed to unravel the secrets of Reminiscence.¡±

    Caine smiled with relief. ¡°Undoubtedly. About that, Agatha mentioned that Reminiscence is the original kind of sorcery out of which Novaseering and Instinct have evolved. But those two are so different, how could that be true?¡±

    ¡°Ah, excellent question, my young student!¡± Adam rummaged through books and papers full of notes.

    Caine sighed. ¡°By Aves, you¡¯re going to call me that the whole time, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Adam hung a wide sheet of paper on a noteboard. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to alternate it with ¡®pubescent pupil¡¯ and ¡®he-who-thirsts-for-knowledge.¡¯ And whatever else I come up with.¡±

    The current Adam leaned back against the bookcase. He tried to wrap his head around the idea that he was about to get a lecture from himself on a subject he hardly knew anything about.

    ¡°As a bright pea in the pod like yourself, you¡¯d know that Novaseering uses a series of gestures.¡± The young Adam made some very poor drawings of what were supposed to be hands on the left side of the paper. Emily giggled soundlessly and signalled in sign language, ¡°Looks like a horse to me.¡± She stuck her tongue out. The current Adam made some rude gestures back. Oliver rolled his eyes.

    The young Adam looked at his artistic creation. ¡°Right. Beautiful. The mastery of a gesture, like Marrow, gives access to a series of Invocations. Instead of gestures, Insticas develop certain markings on the heart. These are called Impressions.¡± He drew a crude heart with some scribbles in it, which seemed vaguely familiar to the current Adam. ¡°Each Impression is linked to an emotion or an important concept to living beings. Most are related to survival, like Hunger or Love. Each Impression mastered by an Instica opens the door to Invocations related to it.¡±

    Caine crossed his arms, his eyes darted over the sheet of paper. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the Impressions perform a role similar to that of the gestures?¡±

    Emily gasped softly. ¡°Of course,¡± she breathed.

    Oliver had an indignant expression and blew air through his nose. As if any comparison with Novaseering was heresy. Nevertheless, he seemed to listen with full concentration.

    The young Adam nodded. ¡°And both of them are a specific, specialised form of this.¡± On the lower side of the paper, he drew hieroglyphs. ¡°Symbols, images that carry meaning by representing a concept. Reminiscence uses a predetermined set of symbols, similar to Impressions and gestures. Beings who practised Reminiscence had to deeply understand the symbols in question. And after study and training, they could learn Invocations related to the symbol. Supposedly, there are many ways to apply such a symbol in practice, like inscribing it on a surface or carrying it on battle standards. Anyway, Reminiscence used to be the only type of sorcery during most of the Age of Chains. Until Novaseering and Instinct were created as specialised types, a feat that hasn¡¯t been replicated since. The Ancestor himself developed Instinct, while a being referred to as ¡®the Collective¡¯ created Novaseering.

    Caine frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t Aves invent Novaseering?¡±

    The young Adam laughed. ¡°Religious propaganda. During the Age of Chains, Novaseering had existed for thousands of years before Aves was born.¡± He drew an arrow from the hieroglyphs to the image of the heart and one towards the Novaseering gestures. ¡°Both the Ancestor and the Collective developed their own, specialized set of simpler symbols to fit within their type of sorcery. Instinct condensed the meaning of entire emotions into Imprints. And what is a gesture, but a symbol performed by motions of the hand?¡±

    Caine looked at the young Adam¡¯s drawings. ¡°They are not so different at all¡­ Hmm, Novaseering uses Oquira to power Invocations and Instinct uses Inner Fire. Does Reminiscence have its own related energy?¡±

    The young Adam nodded. ¡°It does, supposedly it¡¯s a goldish-green substance that¡¯s called Origin. Pretty cool, huh?¡±

    The current Adam smiled, hanging on his younger self¡¯s every word as if he was his teacher. Pretty cool, indeed. It was strange, he had forgotten almost everything his younger version told him, yet it felt so familiar. Like he always used to have this overview of how sorcery works, and how each type works in a similar way.

    ¡°Wait.¡± The young Adam pressed a finger to his lips and whispered. ¡°People are coming down the hall and right this way. Judging by the sound of the footsteps¡­¡± He closed his eyes and cocked his head to the left. ¡°Ah, Julienne and Alef.¡±

 Chapter 50 â€“ A Song of Mockery

    Chapter 50 ¨C A Song of Mockery

    The current Adam gasped softly at the mention of Julienne and Alef: two of his old friends. His heart ached to laugh and have some nonsensical banter with Julienne once again, as they¡¯d done endless times in the Badger. The mere idea of Alef, alive and well, halted his breath.

    The young Adam looked at all his notes about Reminiscence and winked conspiratorially at Caine. ¡°Better keep this for ourselves, eh?¡±

    Caine smiled and made an exaggerated bow. ¡°By all means, oh beacon of wisdom,¡± he whispered, drenching every word in sarcasm. He quickly removed the sheet of paper from the note board and laid it underneath other notes on Adam¡¯s desk.

    Someone knocked the door softly. ¡°Is this the lair of the terrible cave bear?¡± Alef asked with a fake quiver of fear in his clear voice.

    The current Adam gave a melancholic smile; he¡¯d almost forgotten the inside joke, born out of a silly song that Caine, Julienne, and Alef had come up with at a party. At the time, the song had stung Adam¡¯s pride a little. Now, he would¡¯ve given a fortune to sing it with them once again.

    The young Adam sighed. Silently, the current Adam mouthed the answer along with him. ¡°No, but enter at your own risk.¡±

    The short priest opened the door slightly and stuck his head through. Wide-open blue eyes looked around the room as if they beheld an abhorrent slaughterhouse. Adam took a deep breath in his struggle to hold back tears; he¡¯d never expected to see his old friend again. Apparently, Caine remembered Alef well; the blonde, curly beard and shiny bald head matched perfectly with how Adam remembered him. However, the red apple cheeks and baby face seemed a bit exaggerated.

    Alef closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°As expected... the monster¡¯s cavern is filled to the brim with the prey and prizes of his rampage across the lands!¡±

    ¡°Hey, scooch over!¡± Julienne said. A bit of playful wrestling later, her head popped up right below Alef¡¯s. Her typical Oberian features, like the bronzed skin with a warm orange undertone, were contorted in a theatrical expression of disgust. ¡°The smell¡­ it burns! How can something even live in this place?!¡±

    Caine laughed loudly. The young Adam smiled as well, although the way he crossed his arms and set his jaw gave a hint of his wounded pride. ¡°Sounds dangerous then, to just barge in here¡­¡±

    Julienne promptly stepped in with big steps. ¡°Ha! Not if the monster has already been drinking at this hour.¡± The current Adam smiled to see their old friend, who used to live in the Badger as well. As always, the short, athletically built girl radiated almost frighteningly good health. The lack of ceremonial braids in her black hair suggested it was one of the few days in which she wasn¡¯t training for her epic gladiator matches.

    Round-bellied Alef smiled broadly and grabbed Adam¡¯s big paw with two soft, balmed hands. ¡°Are you finally done with the books, laddie?¡±

    The young Adam raised an eyebrow. ¡°Says the priest of all people. I was until this guy showed up,¡± he said with a hushed voice and pointed at Caine with his thumb, as if Caine was too young or dumb to understand.

    Alef sighed deeply. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re stuck with him we might as well take him along, eh? Some smugglers managed to sneak supplies past the Pure¡¯s blockade. The Green Hare got their hands on some salted venison, sounds good, eh?¡± He shook Caine¡¯s hand. ¡°Aves sees you.¡±

    Caine smiled. ¡°May he gaze upon us with pride. Sounds tempting, but are you sure we should do that, with the end of the world coming for us and all?¡±

    Alef shrugged. ¡°A falling shadow is to be feared, aye. But in pitch-black darkness, one can appreciate the light even more. Honestly, what could we gain by worrying about what might happen all the time? I can¡¯t imagine a better time to celebrate life and its joys now that we still can.¡±

    Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Ooh, speaking of life and its joys¡­¡± Julienne wiggled her eyebrows at Caine. ¡°That blonde girl with the ribbons asked about you again.¡±

    Caine groaned and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Annabelle, she¡¯s still after me? Yeah, maybe I should talk things over with her.¡± He sighed dramatically as the group walked out. ¡°You don¡¯t know how lucky you are, Alef. Already being happily married, boring and all.¡± He rubbed Alef¡¯s bald head as if it was a lucky charm.

    Alef laughed. ¡°Thanks, I guess? But who knows, maybe there¡¯s still hope for a lost soul like you.¡±

    ¡°For sure.¡± Julienne eyed Caine with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine Annabelle running away from a cosy wedding in the woods. Or Halie, perhaps?¡±

    Caine groaned with a pained expression. ¡°Oh, come on, you all promised you wouldn¡¯t joke about her again!¡±

    The young Adam rubbed his bare chin. ¡°No, pretty sure that was Maria. You know, the one who¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Caine punched the young Adam¡¯s big meaty shoulder.

    The four walked out of Adam¡¯s office, making jokes until the sound died out. The vague, shimmering shape of a waiting Caine appeared before them again, as did the sprite that circled around it.

    Emily snuck a smile at Adam. ¡°You truly were a bunch of idiots, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Adam chuckled. ¡°Undoubtedly.¡± He tried to smile, to feel nostalgic for the good times. However, the image of Alef¡¯s lifeless body after the disaster of Ziecherhein bobbed up again before Adam¡¯s mind¡¯s eye. No matter how hard he tried to repress it, the cold gnawing of guilt in his stomach remained. He shook his head in an attempt to focus on the here and now. ¡°One thing is for certain: Caine had an interesting approach to ¡®give me the credit¡¯ for rediscovering Reminiscence.¡±

    Oliver stared red-faced at the green shape of Caine. ¡°The nerve of that slimy, disgusting¡­ ugh!¡± Oliver shook his fists in frustration. ¡°He took all the knowledge about Reminiscence and made sure Adam can¡¯t remember it himself? I wish I could grab Caine straight out of that memory and¡ª¡± With his hands, he made some suggestive movements that included some creative form of strangulation at least.

    With a tired nod, Emily waved her hands in a calming gesture. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about it now, save it for when we see him.¡± She looked at Adam. ¡°It seems to be even more important to restore your memory than before.¡±

    Oliver stopped his frustrated rambling. He looked up at Adam as if he was the prized treasure Oliver had been searching for. ¡°Indeed, all that knowledge about Reminiscence must still be stuck somewhere inside that thick skull of yours! Or, in your own Realm of Remembrance should I say! Did hearing this make you remember anything new?¡±

    Adam crossed his arms over his chest and squinted, prying his memory for new info. ¡°I can vaguely recall meeting up with just Caine regularly around this time, so maybe those were the ¡®lessons¡¯ on Reminiscence? But I¡¯m not sure where we did that.¡±

    Emily looked around the office carefully. ¡°Seems like it wasn¡¯t in your office. This is the only shape of Caine here and we saw that whole memory.¡±

    Oliver peered at the office with more than a hint of frustration. ¡°Oh, marvellous! And there are memories of you two all over Ziecherhein talking about nonsense!¡±

    Adam shook his head. ¡°Finding those memories by walking around would take a long time. Plus, it shouldn¡¯t be long after this conversation that both Caine and I were stationed in Utenanga Fortress within Oberia. So maybe those sessions weren¡¯t held in Ziecherhein at all. Maybe it¡¯s best if we focus on memories that seem the most useful to us now we¡¯re still in here.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± Oliver said. ¡°So, which memories seem important?¡±

    Adam remembered several fun events, like Oliver¡¯s surprise birthday party, or how Adam and Caine disguised themselves to take a look at one of Emily¡¯s dates. He could still see Emily¡¯s annoyed face before him when she found out who the people with the big hats were. Adam snickered softly.

    Emily counted on her fingers. ¡°Oof there are lots of those. There are the war-speeches of Machtild the Brazen. There¡¯s the Night of White Eyes...¡±

    Oliver nodded. ¡°Back in the Starwing Grove, I saw a group of those green mirages behind the windows of the High Lodge.¡±

    Adam whistled softly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a private area for the highest echelons of the Starwing Order, right? What would they have to discuss with Caine?¡±

    Emily shrugged. ¡°Hmpf, nothing surprising. Just my dad taking his favourite kid along to the higher-ups. Again. Or it¡¯s just a lame overdue parent-teacher conference.¡±

    Adam smiled apologetically. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. And if Caine is close with people like the Holy Council, he¡¯s got some powerful allies indeed.¡±

    Oliver coughed uneasily. ¡°He could be more dangerous than we¡¯ve thought so far. Don¡¯t forget he smooth-talked his way up the Penduli¡¯s ranks well enough to end up in the bed of the Queen of Glass.¡±

    Emily closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. ¡°Okay, fine!¡± She stepped brusquely out of Adam¡¯s old office. ¡°But it¡¯s not my fault if this turns out to be useless!¡±

 Chapter 51 â€“ A Point of View

    Chapter 51 ¨C A Point of View

    Clearly, no expense had been spared when the Starwing Grove of Ziecherhein was built. Proud buildings, adorned with wood-carvings and statues that shone in the sun, had been aligned with perfect symmetry. To honour Aves and the wonderful world of rational order he¡¯d envisioned, every angle, brick and tower had been set with mathematical precision; an effort to approach His holy perfection.

    Oliver and Emily walked up front as they entered the Wing. Its beautiful lush courtyard had been built to resemble the mythical valley where Aves had once taught His first students. The rustling of parchment rose from clerks who hastily prepared for a meeting. With soft plops, frogs and large fish curiously poked their heads up from the central pond. Rich aromas of perfume rose from priests who applied balm on their hands before prayer. Sunlight shone down on the trees and obsidian statues of the holy gestures that lined the balconies of each storey. It was clear that Caine had spent a lot more time here than in the Menhir League as a lot more details could be seen.

    Adam, Emily, and Oliver jogged up the stairs and bridges that were spanning the wide-open space. A row of indignant owls on the armrests hooted and stared gravely at their empty feeding dish.

    Soon, Adam stepped through the grand doors to the quarters which, under normal circumstances, he never even would¡¯ve gotten close to: the High Lodge. The rooms and offices reserved for those ¡®blessed by Aves.¡¯ Or, in other words, those who¡¯d managed to climb the steep ladder of hierarchy high enough.

    It was a lounge unlike any Adam had seen before. The sweet scent of the jewelled hookahs mingled with exclusive perfumes and the herby vapours of the giant censers. Colourful, exotic carpets from lands long swallowed by the Mist had even been Instilled to cool the feet. Even though Adam already had an inkling of how the Starwing Order used their deep purses, including taxpayer¡¯s money, the luxury was more extreme than he¡¯d ever expected. He gaped up at the silvered ceiling with a grand depiction of Aves defeating Volun, the Radiant Emperor. Silently, Adam wondered how many poor families could be fed with the worth of the room¡¯s contents.

    The mirage of Caine was standing at the centre of the room, with his hands politely folded behind his back. A posture of respect and humility within the Starwing Order. He stared at a woman who looked out of a window towards the central square of the Grove. A woman, ¡®chosen by Aves,¡¯ who had found a way to do the impossible and defeated the Prophet. A woman they had once amicably fought side by side with before she came to practically rule the country as the Archpriest: Zachalynn.

    However, this was a version of her from years before she would also be known as the Prophetslayer. The bald, six-feet-tall lady was dressed in an ornate widow¡¯s dress of mourning. Feathers of crows were interwoven with the silk fabric. A lace collar with fine feathers adorned her neck. Adam frowned. That means this memory must¡¯ve taken place after Mechtild the Brazen turned to the Pure...

    Several people were sitting at the sides of the room. People who would, right after the War of the Prophet, join the new Holy Council: the seats of power right under the Archpriest. Osterhild sat stiffly in an armchair and looked sternly at Caine. The shape of her elegant afro matched the curved lines of her old-fashioned facial tattoo, picturing Aves¡¯ talons. She appeared to be stirring a cup of tea, just like when Adam had seen her in the House of Scents in Gotterburg. The old monk R¨¹deger was leaning on his staff and bent forward at a strange angle due to his crooked back. The skin on his face was so wrinkled and saggy it was hard to tell whether his blind eyes were open. Although it mattered not; it was well known he had obtained the exceedingly rare skill to observe his surroundings in minute detail through Novaseering.

    As expected, a green sprite flew circles around the similarly coloured mirages and soared invitingly towards the three friends. Voices with a grave undertone softly emanated from it.

    Emily walked tensely. She squeezed her hands into fists before she looked at the mirage of her father. The balding man with his moustache sat slumped down in a comfortable armchair. He was smoking a hookah as he stared at his son. Emily¡¯s eyes were filled with an old, simmering anger when she looked at Louis.

    Oliver observed the room, a finger pressed to his lips. ¡°What if they see us, just like the soldiers in Eulenschloss? Or the young versions of you people during that stupid joke in the stables? Us barging into this cosy setting might be difficult to explain.¡±

    Adam warily eyed those present in the room. If a fight would ensue, there simply was no chance they¡¯d win. Despite the prowess of the three friends, the combined might of some of the most powerful Novaseers in the country would simply outclass them.

    Emily¡¯s eyes swivelled to her father and back. ¡°Hmm¡­ back with Caine and Adam, we were in plain sight and they didn¡¯t have a clue.¡±

    Adam closed his eyes, recalling what had happened as best he could. ¡°When we were in Eulenschloss, the siege just happened around us at first. However, something changed as soon as we walked through the crowd of soldiers and squires behind the wall.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There was that weird ripple that emanated through the air, just like during that joke! And people only started interacting with us after that happened.¡±

    Adam rubbed his beard, deep in thought. ¡°And at both times, that ripple started when I bumped into someone. At the stables it was my younger self, but back in Eulenschloss it was that young squire. My guess would be the following: when we landed in Eulenschloss and lay unconscious, we accidentally ¡®activated¡¯ Caine¡¯s memory of what happened there. One of those sprites might have landed on us. Anyway, at first, we were merely spectators of the memory of Caine¡¯s memory of Eulenschloss. Quite comparable to what happened in my old office, after I touched that sprite that flew around the mirages. However, as soon as I touched the squire, I sort of ¡®changed¡¯ what happened by interacting with the people within the memory. Afterwards, they were able to see and interact with us, as we became part of the memory.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Emily nodded. ¡°Sounds plausible. If you activate a memory from the green apparitions by touching a sprite, you see the events as Caine remembers them. But, if you interact with them afterwards, you can change his memory. The ¡®what happened back then¡¯ changes into ¡®what would¡¯ve happened if this idiot barged in there.¡¯ ¡± She reached out her hand and the sprite immediately, almost longingly, flew closer. ¡°So, as long as we stay put, keep quiet and don¡¯t change anything, we should be okay.¡±

    As soon as Emily touched the sprite, it disappeared along with the shape of Caine. Adam, Emily, and Oliver quietly walked towards a corner to leave enough space for the memory to manifest.

    The other shimmering mirages in the room had been replaced by people of flesh and blood. A piercing cold washed over Adam, which made sense, considering the insane prowess of the Novaseers collected in the same space.

    Zachalynn stood in front of the wide windows, through which hundreds of people could be seen on the square of the Starwing Grove. It was the annual Firstnight celebration, which honoured Aves¡¯ ascension to form the nightly sky, albeit a more sober version than usual due to the war. A parade moved between the joyful crowd, carrying banners and musical instruments. Puppeteers used long poles and ropes to make great likenesses of Aves ¡®fly.¡¯ Using the poles to steer and move the artful puppets made of black cloth and wood, the puppeteers received many oohs and ahs from the audience.

    Sophia II, the Starwing Order¡¯s Archpriest at the time, stood on a stage at one end of the square. The old lady with grey curls smiled and waved at the audience. She was undoubtedly between speeches about cooperation during the dark days of the war. Agatha the Red, with her radiating beauty, stood beside her as representative of Oberia. She laid a hand on Sophia¡¯s shoulder and whispered something in her ear, the ladies laughed heartily together.

    On both sides of them stood many representatives and leaders of foreign nations. Each of them clothed in uniforms or other garments from their own culture, they formed a wildly contrasting mix of peoples who had allied themselves against the Pure. An alliance called the Free-Willed, in their resistance against the Prophet¡¯s tyranny.

    Branlieux¡¯s curly moustache was almost as luxurious as his gilded armour adorned with medals. Even though his land saw Novaseering as just another field of science, he had apparently been persuaded to join a religious festival. Chohako, matriarch of the Naqlaq tribes, easily towered over him. As her culture practised bodily modifications applied through Instinct, presumably through an advanced application of Corpiogenesis, a bony crest crowned her bald head. Her legs had been reformed to allow for digitigrade movement and strengthened to make her as fast as a horse. Between all the stately leaders with all their spectacular robes, Obo looked as if his country had chosen a random guy from a village to represent them. A typical Dobre, people known to be cheerful yet clumsy, the large man had unevenly divided bodily proportions. Looking around with a hazy smile, as if he was just a traveller who found himself up a stage with world leaders, he seemed primarily interested in the butterfly that landed in his big palm. Although Dobre were falsely perceived to be dim-witted, they apparently had a unique philosophy which allowed them to be content and live in happiness. Unfortunately, they were so bad at explaining it that no outsider had been able to make sense of it yet.

    Soon, Caine walked into the lounge, wearing his uniform of the Warriors of Aves. He nodded towards his father, who returned the gesture before continuing to suck on the mouthpiece of his hookah. Caine glanced a bit surprisedly at Osterhild and R¨¹deger, even showing a hint of nervousness in the shiver of his hand, but recovered quickly. ¡°Aves sees you,¡± he said, his voice humble yet clear, as he stood in the centre of the room.

    ¡°May he gaze upon us with pride,¡± the others replied. Although their smiles were welcoming, their eyes seemed to weigh the young man in their midst. Not unlike judges deciding one¡¯s fate.

    Zachalynn turned towards Caine with a dignified elegance in her movements. As always, an unshakable calm and effortless confidence radiated from her posture. ¡°Caine Roosenburg, welcome home. I heard about your accomplishments on the western front.¡± As she spoke, she bent her left arm and folded it before her chest with the back of her hand facing Caine: a traditional greeting of a Novaseering master towards a pupil. In this way, the master ¡®honoured the pupil¡¯ by granting them permission to speak and acknowledge the master¡¯s authority. A popular method to assert dominance, performed for long years after the education itself had taken place. Furthermore, in the way that Zachalynn bent her wrist, Adam suspected subtler, deeper meanings, understandable only to those high enough within the Order.

    Caine bowed smoothly with an open palm before his chest; the pupil¡¯s expected response, showing humility and respect. ¡°Thank you, master. I¡¯ve never neglected the daily training routines you¡¯ve taught me.¡±

    Zachalynn nodded. The corners of her mouth even hinted towards a rare smile. ¡°I am pleased to hear that. So, Caine, you wished to discuss your secret mission in the name of the Order?¡±

    Adam could almost feel how everyone gazed at Caine. Except for R¨¹deger, who had been sitting still as a statue since Caine had come in. Caine¡¯s eyes darted towards him and Osterhild.

    ¡°All here may know of it,¡± Zachalynn said calmly.

    Caine raised his chin. ¡°I¡¯m tasked to win the trust of Agatha the Red in order to retrieve strategic information of Oberia for the Starwing Order.¡±

    Adam gritted his teeth. So, you¡¯ve been double-crossing people for a while now, haven¡¯t you?

    ¡°However,¡± Caine said clearly. ¡°You¡¯ve all heard the speeches of the Archpriest. How she calls for acceptance between Novaseers of all cultures as well as Insticas. How she says this is a time for people of all religions, traditions, and nationalities to unify against the Pure. How we should admire the differences between peoples instead of excluding each other. Agatha and the Oberians have shown their dedication in cooperating with us in the fight against the Prophet. Therefore, I humbly request my mission to spy on her to be¡­ re-evaluated.¡±

    Caine¡¯s words fell dead like withered leaves in a tomb.

 Chapter 52 â€“ A Conviction of Steel

    Chapter 52 ¨C A Conviction of Steel

    The long-stretched silence in the lounge of the High Lodge was deafening. After Caine¡¯s words, the piercing cold in the room seemed to have deepened by several degrees. Without pause, the high-stationed members of the Starwing Order stared at the man in their midst.

    A brave man, Adam had to admit, despite everything that had happened between them. In the strict hierarchy within the Starwing Order, a request like this, to Zachalynn of all people, may very well mean the end of one¡¯s career. Caine seemed very much aware; judging by the bead of sweat on his forehead, there despite the chill.

    Osterhild tutted her lips sourly, as she stirred her tea with a jewelled spoon. Louis¡¯ eyebrows furrowed and his face reddened. Right when the growing tension in the room reached its peak, and several mouths opened to speak, Zachalynn raised a calming hand. Immediately, all of the built-up agitation in the room seemed to evaporate. The temperature rose again. All future members of the Holy Council relaxed visibly and sat back in their chairs again. Effortlessly, quite as if she stood in front of a classroom of children, Zachalynn had called everyone to order.

    ¡°My dear Caine,¡± Zachalynn said clearly. ¡°I truly wish we lived in a world where we could base international relations upon trust. Where we could count on other nations to uphold their promises. However, the only way we can expect other countries to act is the way they have done throughout history and its many wars: in their own self-interest. If they get the chance to enrich themselves, to exploit our weaknesses, or to direct the Pure¡¯s wrath to our lands instead of their own, they will gladly do so. The Archpriest says what¡¯s needed to keep our alliance together, mingled with her own personal opinions. However, the occupation of Archpriest is merely traditional, meant for the spiritual guidance of the people. She doesn¡¯t concern herself with the daily practice of war, which people like me do for her.¡±

    Adam had to stop himself from laughing. ¡®A traditional occupation,¡¯ eh? Says the person who turned into the effective dictator of Dorenland today?

    Caine¡¯s jaw tensed up. ¡°I understand, master, but with all due respect. Nowhere, in all the scriptures of Aves I¡¯ve read, does He state that Insticas or those of other religions should be mistrusted or even hated. As agreed upon, I¡¯ve read one of the Omitted Chapters of Aves¡¯ life, in which He even befriends another Greater Being of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Know your place, boy,¡± Louis hissed, glaring tensely at his son. It was strange. Adam had only known Caine¡¯s father as a jolly man. He used to compliment Adam for being ¡®big and strong for his age.¡¯ Although the Thuraum and Emily¡¯s story had shown him entirely different perspectives, it hurt to see the other side of Louis in person.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since someone tried to lecture me on the Lord¡¯s words,¡± R¨¹deger said. The old, deaf man moved his shoulder with a series of bony clicks louder than his hoarse voice. ¡°You should know by now that His actions and words can only be interpreted correctly after many years of study. You lack the experience and insight to see his words in the context of the time.¡±

    Zachalynn waved towards the window. ¡°Look at the Insticas gathered here, Caine. People who have willingly become like animals, who¡¯ve turned to primitive habits and uncontrolled emotions for power.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Osterhild said curtly before she noisily slurped her tea. ¡°Mr. Roosenburg, do you know of the Mistresses of Misery? They purposefully deepen their own depression and mental anguish, to use it as a weapon. Would you like them to protect our fearful and traumatised citizens?¡±

    Zachalynn exhaled disapproving air through her holy nose. ¡°Or how about Tur, do you trust him?¡± She pointed down at the head of the Golems. A man who had purposefully accumulated thick layers of muscle and fat to become like a mountain of flesh that radiated physical might. His hairless face grinned, showing rows of elongated and pointed teeth. Zachalynn made no effort to hide her disgust.

    Osterhild scrunched up her nose as well. ¡°Apparently, his grotesque ¡®people¡¯ can transform the energy in their body mass into this vile Inner Fire, using the concept of ¡®Hunger.¡¯ I¡¯ve seen one who dissolved¡ªor rather digested¡ªhis own limbs in a desperate attempt to defeat my agents. Pitiful.¡±

    R¨¹deger gave a dry cough. ¡°Servants of the Prince of Parasites willingly let bugs live inside their flesh, to use them in the Forbidden Arts. In a vile, perverse version of the body¡¯s symbiotic bond with minuscule creatures, they desecrate Aves¡¯ perfect design. Would you like them to guard our hospitals, young Caine?¡±

    Louis shook his head. ¡°Animals, each and every one of them. They lack the discipline and self-control of Novaseers. And since they venerate wild emotions without training self-control, what stops them from joining the Prophet? Why would they turn down eternal euphoria?¡±

    ¡°How could we trust those with such a vile ¡®philosophy¡¯ if some of the strongest amongst ourselves have been turned by the Pure?¡± For a moment, a shade of endless sadness fell over Zachalynn¡¯s steadfast gaze. She blinked and looked up with a conviction of steel. ¡°The Prophet¡¯s hollow promises have spread across the world like a pandemic of drugs. Every day, people all over Dorenland travel to the borders to join the Pure. The weakhearted, the desperate, those who¡¯ve been seduced by evil. And so, this war is primarily a battle of will, of belief. It is our duty to protect our people. To reach our hands out to those lost in the bog of doubt and pain. Our families, traditions, and communities make sure the people have a network to support them during times of pain. The more solid the people¡¯s belief in Aves is, the better they are protected from the Prophet¡¯s lies.¡±

    ¡°To allow other ¡®philosophies¡¯ to flourish in Dorenland means replacing certainty for doubt,¡± R¨¹deger said. ¡°And wherever there are cracks in conviction, the Prophet¡¯s words can take root.¡±

    Osterhild sipped her tea again with an insufferable slurp. ¡°In a war where every misstep, every miscalculation, means the destruction of countless lives, we can¡¯t afford to gamble. We can¡¯t afford to ¡®trust¡¯ other cultures and nations.¡±

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    Zachalynn spread her arms wide, as her sky-blue eyes looked up in veneration. ¡°We¡¯ll hold on to the holy laws that have formed the backbone of our society for generations. May Aves¡¯ words of truth dissolve the poison of hatred! May the Lord lead us to salvation!¡±

    Zachalynn¡¯s compatriots bowed their heads in a small moment of prayer. ¡°In the name of Aves,¡± they said as one.

    Louis raised his eyebrows at Caine. ¡°This talk of animals gave me an idea. We could use your bond with this ¡®Fist of Gotterburg¡¯ to our advantage.¡± Louis sucked on the mouthpiece of his hookah. Adam resisted the urge to slap it out of the bastard¡¯s mouth. Caine was silent. However, behind his back, he clenched his hands into fists that trembled ever so slightly.

    ¡°Is it difficult for you to follow orders?¡± R¨¹deger asked from the other side of the room, having noticed somehow.

    Caine exhaled, quickly opening his hands again. ¡°I will obey, of course.¡±

    Zachalynn nodded. ¡°Good. Adam is a beast we need to keep tightly shackled indeed. When his and Agatha¡¯s inevitable betrayals come, we will be ready. Caine, I expect reports on both of them and I trust you will not disappoint me.¡±

    Caine swallowed and bowed deeply. ¡°Of course, my master.¡±

    As the memory ended, Caine, Zachalynn and the others turned from humans of flesh and blood into translucent shapes again. The sprite reappeared and continued its circles around the mirages.

    Adam crossed his arms. Anger seeped through him as he looked at the green shape of Dorenland¡¯s dictator. So, the country is led by this ¡®holy¡¯ bunch of crackpot discriminating hypocrites? No wonder it¡¯s all going to shit. To think I actually wanted to join the Starwing Order once...

    Oliver stared at the ground with astonishment. ¡°They let him read one of the Omitted Chapters of Aves? They go against the wishes of the Archpriest?¡± Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

    ¡°You twisted bastard!¡± Emily hissed, shaking her fists in anger as she paced towards her father. ¡°Caine was right! And you force him to spy on Adam as well? For what, so your golden child can be a cunt like you?¡± She stomped around the lounge.

    Adam frowned darkly, with a sour taste in his mouth. ¡°That was just vile. Hmm, do you know whether your father and Caine stayed in touch after the War of the Prophet?¡±

    Emily raised her hands in frustration. ¡°How should I know? I cut off contact with them both for years! Ugh, sorry! I know I shouldn¡¯t yell at you, I¡¯m just¡­ so¡­ PISSED!¡± She kicked a golden threaded pillow across the room.

    Oh really? I didn¡¯t notice. Adam thought it best not to say that out loud, as the pillow crashed into a cabinet, sending exquisite wines and liquors flying. ¡°Well, this seems to be the part where Caine turned away from the Starwing Order. I guess he started prying into my research after this.¡± Adam frowned. But how did you come to hate us so? What made you think you could take my wife and child away from me?

    Oliver seemed lost in thought, still staring at the ground with a pale, distraught expression. Must be hard for him, seeing his leaders like this. Emily seems less surprised though.

    Oliver suddenly pointed at the ground. ¡°Wait, look closely, right there. Is that another set of those green mirages?¡±

    Adam squinted at the two shapes, which seemed tiny as they were so far away. It was impossible to say who Caine was with, or what he was doing.

    ¡°But that must be deep underground,¡± Oliver breathed as he rubbed his lip. ¡°Could they be in some secret dungeon of the Starwing Order? Or in the sewers, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Emily deadpanned. ¡°Lovely location for a tea party.¡±

    Adam chuckled at the mental image. ¡°No, judging from the size of the shapes, I¡¯d guess one of the shallower levels of the Vaults below Ziecherhein.¡±

    Both Emily and Oliver looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°What? You know, the Vaults,¡± Adam said, pronouncing it extra clearly.

    Emily nodded with a glassy expression. ¡°Yeah, no bells are ringing over here.¡±

    <hr>

    Soon, Adam led the way through the park towards the Vaults¡¯ entrance, followed by Emily and Oliver. On the way, they passed the entry fair for fresh new students at the Starwing Grove and Menhir League. Associations of all kinds did their best to attract new members. The mountaineers'' club proudly showed off their equipment while the cooks whipped up impressive dishes, sending delicious scents over the park.

    Adam sighed with a smile, thinking about his own golden times in Ziecherhein. ¡°So, was history education that bad at the Starwing Academy,¡± Adam quipped over his shoulder. ¡°Or did you two just not pay attention?¡±

    Emily raised an eyebrow. ¡°Maybe both. But you know what helps more than being a know-it-all about it? Explaining what the Vaults are!¡±

    ¡°Or where we¡¯re going!¡± Oliver added with a disapproving frown, walking at a safe distance from a couple of gladiators.

    Unsubtle as always, the local association of gladiators thought the best way to attract new members was by ¡®showing their skills¡¯ in their non-lethal sport. Apparently, this included sparring everywhere with elaborately decorated weapons or making loud quips and boasts as part of their showmanship. A grateful subject for the artists¡¯ clubs to make caricatures of. Adam fondly remembered how Julienne could throw guys twice her weight across the ring. I wonder where she ended up after the War? Far away from Dorenland, probably, being Agatha¡¯s sister and all. Why is everything so long ago? Adam shook his head sadly and focused on the here and now again.

    ¡°Basically, Vaults are places where everything that is deemed too dangerous for society is locked away,¡± Adam said. ¡°Ziecherhein¡¯s one is particularly huge: an ancient underground labyrinth full of sealed chambers.¡±

    Oliver looked up. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ interesting! What did it store?¡±

    Adam laughed. ¡°Only those at the very top of the Menhir League are authorised to know everything they held in there. As a relic hunter, I had special permission to store dangerous artefacts I¡¯d found within ruins. I know of many remnants of ancient civilisations in there. Keys with haunting Instillments, sheets of music with the names of the Forbidden Saints, foul sorcery from eradicated cults, to name a few. Researchers of the Menhir League could gain permission to¡­¡±

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened. A vague, tugging sensation occurred within Adam¡¯s head and blurry memories flashed before his mind¡¯s eye. ¡°I had access to the Vaults! For my investigation into Reminiscence!¡± he exclaimed.

    A startled blonde girl looked up. Adam quickly shut his mouth, thinking he¡¯d accidentally interacted with the memory. However, it turned out she was asked for a date by a grizzled, way-too-old veteran of student life, who was politely yet firmly rejected.

    Oliver smiled at Adam. ¡°Great that you¡¯ve remembered! Now please tell us more!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still quite blurry. But I know I¡¯ve been down there, reading old parchments and translating old hieroglyphs. That¡¯s all for now.¡±

    <hr>

    Adam led them towards an entrance into the Vaults. Within a barracks near the old city walls, there was a hidden staircase in the basement. After that, the group halted in front of the heavily guarded antechamber.

    Six guards usually prevented passage to all but those with the right documents. However, the armoured men and women stood still as statues. They stared straight ahead with remarkably bland faces and empty expressions. One of them stood beside the unbolted door towards the Vaults, seemingly gesturing a visitor to come in.

    Adam waved a hand before the face of a guard who had only the most basic outlines of a face. ¡°I guess Caine doesn¡¯t remember these people well.¡±

    ¡°Just six nameless guards who granted him access,¡± Emily said.

    With an unnerved feeling in his gut, Adam picked up some torches and walked past the creepy guards. Up on the streets, it was easy to forget they were inside a memory, but things like this made it painfully clear again.

 Chapter 53 â€“ A Symphony of Unity

    Chapter 53 ¨C A Symphony of Unity

    After a long winding stairway, Adam, Emily and Oliver entered the underground hallways of the Vaults below Ziecherhein. As usual within Caine¡¯s memories, the scent was off. Adam smelled only vague impressions of the cold stone, wood, and metal around him. The slow gushing of water through pipes was the only sound. Aside from the vague, eternal scratching behind the doors of cell DH-720, of course.

    Lit only by the group¡¯s torches, doors emerged from the darkness. Doors of all sizes, looks and materials which hid forbidden objects, unknown horrors, and remains of heretical sorcery; everything deemed to be too dangerous by scientists. One pair of heavily bolted stone doors with faded lettering was large enough for a horse and carriage to ride through. Adam could¡¯ve sworn he heard metallic chittering behind the hand-sized bronze doors in the walls.

    Knowing the place well, Adam led the group through the dark hallways and winding tunnels. Past vaulting ceilings, overarching bridges that spanned endless darkness, and grim statues of forgotten gods.

    <hr>

    Deep in the darkness of the Vaults, Adam looked over the edge of a balcony. The light of his torch revealed a deeper level, far down below. Turquoise salamander-shaped stones set into masonry glimmered like stars in the darkness. Somehow, it felt like the eyes were watching them, Adam couldn¡¯t say for sure whether they did.

    ¡°How freakishly big is this place?¡± Oliver asked, his voice echoing in the endless halls of crumbled mosaics and faded reliefs of whales and bulls. Bones of giant animals reinforced the endless, finely decorated walls.

    ¡°Way broader than Ziecherhein,¡± Adam said. ¡°And deep. Very deep. I¡¯m not sure if anyone alive knows how big it is. Or was, after the disaster. But you haven¡¯t scratched the surface. Neither have I, really.¡±

    Emily shone her torch on the remains of a kitchen hearth, surrounded by painted tiles on the floor which depicted small figures baking bread. ¡°Did people live here once?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, long ago.¡± Adam gestured broadly towards the darkness around them with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Ziecherhein was built on top of the ruins of Yrgun, a city of the former Dachmean empire. Many buildings, like its towering necropolises, Domes of Paradise, and mansions survived underground. They have been repurposed, and connected to each other to form the Vaults. Just like the structures that lay beneath Yrgun, those are rumoured to be even older.

    ¡°That leads to what was once a house of a higher-class family.¡± Adam gestured with his torch towards a stone door reinforced with steel. ¡°The chambers where they used to eat and sleep have been repurposed into a dungeon. Specifically designed to keep the last samples of coral fungus under control.¡± Adam gestured to a dark hallway. ¡°That should lead towards a former Hall of Scents. Now, if you¡¯d somehow make it across the traps, you¡¯d find an enormous number of forbidden medicines. Effective and life-saving, but deemed so addictive it¡¯d unhinge society.¡± Adam sighed. ¡°I had preferred to see these wonderful buildings in their original state, of course. Still, there are tons of remains of the ancient days. I can¡¯t show them though, since Caine doesn¡¯t remember.¡±

    Oliver peered curiously at the doors. ¡°Anything in here that might be of use to us?¡±

    Adam shook his head. ¡°From all the inaccuracies and the lack of detail in general, I¡¯d guess Caine has only been here once. Many doors, statues, and hallways that exist in the real world are just blank walls over here. So, I presume Caine hasn¡¯t seen them and the ¡®holes¡¯ are ¡®filled in.¡¯ It actually took me some effort to find the route that Caine took, as pathways I used to take don¡¯t even exist here. We could try to open doors, risking traps which may or not be there depending on how much Caine knows about them. But Caine should have no idea what¡¯s behind doors he hasn¡¯t opened. I think we¡¯d find one of those cosy black voids in there, just like that hallway in the Menhir League.¡± Adam frowned. ¡°I wonder why he would have permission to visit here at all. Not the Starwing Order or the crown, but the Menhir League determines who are authorised.¡±

    Emily nodded towards the shimmering shapes in the distance. ¡°Maybe Caine¡¯s special guest has something to do with that.¡±

    <hr>

    After leading Emily and Oliver farther down the dark halls of the Vaults, Adam saw his destination. The green apparitions of Caine and the sophisticated old man were behind arched doors, finely decorated with painted dragonflies.

    Adam frowned. ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­ I believe this used to be an old amphitheatre. Why would they meet here?¡±

    Emily shone her torch on the heavy doors, revealing three opened metal locks. ¡°Do you know what they stored in there?¡±

    Adam shook his head. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out. You guys prepared for battle, just in case?¡±

    Emily and Oliver nodded stiffly.

    Adam puffed out his cheeks and opened the door. After a series of dark hallways and antechambers, Adam¡¯s eyes were blinded by the sudden amount of light within the amphitheatre. Braziers burned all around the enormous room and lit the ancient stone arches, pillars, and murals. The stage was built as a wide semicircle. Rows and rows of tiered seats allowed hundreds of spectators to watch the performance. The once colourful mosaics, tapestries and statues from the Dachmean empire, which glorified animals and the blessings of Instinct, had decayed. The flickering light of the braziers licked the teeth of fossilized monsters, worshipped epitomes of physical might. Long banners of the Pure were placed in front of the old Dachmean flags.

    Two comfortable fauteuils stood on the stage. The two shimmering shapes sat in them as they faced the seatings for the audience.

    Oliver pointed at one of them with a quivering finger. ¡°Is¡­ is that who I think it is?¡±

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    Adam¡¯s breath halted in shock when he saw the sophisticated old man with his white moustache. Even though Adam¡¯s mind refused to accept this was happening, there was no denying this was the one who, besides himself, was described on the Tomb of Ziecherhein.

    The Prophet.

    The tall and skinny man, dressed in simple robes, smiled with a friendly, fatherly expression. An amulet, shaped like the Unity, hung from his neck. His pose was relaxed, although the sheer authority that shone from his eyes gave a clear message: ¡®I am here to command, you are here to listen.¡¯

    Utterly lost for words, Adam stared at the green shape. His mind raced for an explanation as he felt the colour drain from his face.

    Emily gasped and reflexively took a step back. ¡°WHAT! No, this is¡­ wrong!¡±

    Oliver¡¯s mouth hung open as his eyes flicked between Caine and the Prophet. ¡°But¡­ how could he be here?! In the depths of the Holy City?¡± He looked up at Adam. ¡°During the Siege of Ziecherhein, maybe?¡±

    Adam sighed after yet another of Oliver¡¯s many questions about the siege. ¡°How should I¡­ wait, Caine wasn¡¯t stationed here during the siege. And this whole city has been ruined ever since, so this memory must¡¯ve happened sometime earlier.¡± Adam frowned grimly. I guess now we¡¯ll see where Caine¡¯s alliances truly lie.

    Feeling his heartbeat in his throat, Adam touched the sprite that flew around the ghostly apparitions.

    Their surroundings changed immediately. Caine disappeared. The Prophet turned into a man of flesh and blood, who casually sipped from a glass of liquor. Fortunately, he seemed oblivious to the presence of Adam, Emily, and Oliver.

    A crowd of people who played musical instruments had appeared in the seats of the audience. All wore the fancy, expensive clothes of nobility, the Starwing Order, or the robes of the Menhir League. Their eyes glowed in the white light of the Pure. With a variety of instruments like violins, bassoons, and harpsichords, they played an intricate, complicated symphony. The Prophet listened calmly. Rings of tiredness underlined his closed eyes.

    Adam, Oliver, and Emily stood unmoving in their stances, ready for an imminent attack. They stared wide-eyed at the bizarre scene around them.

    From the outside, the closed door was knocked in a jolly rhythm. ¡°Well, here I am!¡± Caine laughed. ¡°All ready for this ¡®appointment.¡¯ Cosy location, kinda dark. Guess you take my history education more seriously than I thought, eh, Adam?¡±

    ¡°Caine Roosenburg,¡± the Prophet said, his voice calm and deep as the depths of an ocean. ¡°Welcome.¡± Unlike his projections during sieges, the real Prophet didn¡¯t have the white eyes of the Pure. Instead, his irises were a light shade of hazel.

    Behind the door, Caine was silent for a moment. He walked in and shielded his eyes from the sudden bright light. His mouth hung slightly open as he witnessed the spectacle in front of him.

    ¡°Have a seat, my son.¡± The Prophet gestured to the empty fauteuil beside him. Stern, unblinking eyes weighed their subject. The orchestra of the Pure continued playing with euphoric expressions.

    Caine¡¯s body froze. His face paled as he stared dumbfounded. ¡°You,¡± he said softly. He quivered and exhaled before he slipped into a combat stance and gathered all the Oquira around him he could muster.

    The Prophet reacted with all the emotion of a stone. Apparently, he even felt safe enough to close his eyes and slowly take a sip of his drink. ¡°Have a seat,¡± each word filled the room with an unrelenting finality. As if his voice carried the weight of a mountain. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. After we¡¯ve talked, you can choose whether to throw your life away in pointless ¡®combat.¡¯ ¡±

    Caine stood still in his combat stance. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cold, as his eyes flicked towards the exit.

    The silence deepened. The Prophet merely frowned at Caine with those piercing, unblinking eyes. Somehow, the Prophet¡¯s presence seemed to fill the room. The air became heavy and harder to breathe, pressing onto Adam¡¯s chest like a great weight. It was like a sense of pressure enveloped them, suffocated them, in the face of overwhelming power. The orchestra stopped playing.

    Caine shivered. After moments of indecision, he raised his chin, walked towards the other chair and sat down. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked with a smirk of confidence. Yet, the paleness of his face and the nervous tapping of his fingers told a different story.

    The Prophet motioned with his hand and the orchestra continued. ¡°Shh¡­ listen for a moment.¡± He closed his eyes and smiled serenely. ¡°I¡¯ve always marvelled at what humans can achieve if they work together. As one. The people in front of us used to play schemes of politics in their lust for wealth or power. Until they joined me willingly. Now, they cooperate seamlessly to create something precious.¡±

    Caine sat stiffly in his chair, his chest still rising and falling quickly. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re telling me I should join your crew, just because you¡¯ve taught some idiots to hit a drum with a stick?¡±

    The Prophet raised a white eyebrow. ¡°Idiots?¡± He pointed towards a chubby man who played his violin as if he¡¯d never enjoyed himself like that before. ¡°Odoaker the second, he used to be chief advisor of the king. However, his work barely allowed him to attend to his marriage. He was nearly driven to suicide by the cheating of his lonely wife.¡±

    The Prophet pointed to others. ¡°Frederik was a renowned priest across the land but struggled with severe bulimia. His brothers had picked on him for being fat, you see. Narcissa sits over there, former leader of the silversmith¡¯s guild. She had a severe gambling addiction and feared for her life after threats from creditors.¡± The Prophet looked at Caine. ¡°All these people were role models in your society. But did they even get close to happiness? No. Behind their fa?ade of smiles and success, their lives were an amalgamation of suffering. Caused either by faults of their own or the choices of others. The bitter reality of the Impure.¡±

    Caine swallowed. He scanned the crowd and seemingly recognised several people. ¡°As if ¡®living¡¯ as a dog on your leash is any better. There is happiness outside of the Pure.¡±

    The Prophet sipped his drink. ¡°Brief, scattered moments. Insignificant like a grain of rice in a black tarpit of suffering. You should know. After the mistreatment of your parents, you¡¯ve fallen into a plethora of psychological problems. A void you try to fill with pleasures of the flesh and jokes with friends. In boasting, you try to quench your thirst for validation, created by the endless demands of your parents. But it is never enough.¡±

    Caine looked as if the Prophet had hit him in the stomach. He bared his teeth in a mix of pain and anger. ¡°How?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°It is my duty to learn. To remember.¡±

    ¡°As if you¡¯re better,¡± Caine hissed. ¡°Oh, I suffer indeed, from the smell of your breath! You¡¯re a psychotic, narcissistic murderer! You act like some divine ruler, but you¡¯re human just like¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, the feeling of pressure, of unrelenting power, returned in a flash. Caine¡¯s head recoiled as a loud crack sounded from his neck. Groaning, his fake confidence evaporated, Caine sank back into his chair.

    What?! Was that Reminiscence? Adam¡¯s gaze darted over the Prophet for any sign of sorcery, but he hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. With teeth-gritting frustration, Adam realised Caine probably had no idea what happened either, so no sign showed up in his memories.

    The Prophet didn¡¯t even look at Caine, instead, he gazed at his fingers. ¡°Human, am I?¡± the Prophet asked. ¡°A matter of definition, I suppose. I¡¯d say I¡¯ve become a lot more over the years.¡± Slowly, he turned his head towards Caine again. ¡°Anything clever to say?¡±

    Caine closed his eyes in pain, tried to shake his head, and winced. He meekly rubbed his neck.

    ¡°Good.¡± The Prophet spoke as if that single word nailed Caine¡¯s coffin shut.

 Chapter 54 - A Proposition of Happiness

    Chapter 54 - A Proposition of Happiness

    Down in the crumbled amphitheatre, amongst the scent of braziers and the maddeningly complex symphony of the Pure, Caine sat in his armchair. He rubbed his neck with a hint of desperation in his eyes. Alone amidst all the Pure in the audience and the Prophet next to him, he scanned his surroundings, probably looking for a way out.

    The Prophet pressed the tips of his fingers together. ¡°Let me show you something.¡± The air in the empty space in front of them rippled like water until an illusion appeared, like a window to a faraway place. As if seen through the eyes of a bird, the window showed a glorious city. Adam gasped as he recognised the towering buildings reinforced with the bones of great beasts, built with the help of domesticated mammoths. The Pure¡¯s orchestra switched to a tribal song, using drums, snares and a choir of throat-singers.

    ¡°The Dachmean Empire,¡± the Prophet uttered. ¡°Considered one of the greatest civilizations to ever exist. When Dachmea the Great founded it, she started an era of relative peace, civilization, and progress.¡±

    The illusion showed streets with well-fed people wearing exotic fashion styles with headdresses, capes, and colourful furs. They shopped at markets, full of the barks, cries, and howls of animals from all over the world. There were clean streets, professionals who administered medicine, and scientists in debate. Despite the horrendous source, Adam couldn¡¯t help but gaze in awe at a wondrous society he¡¯d only seen the remains of.

    The Prophet¡¯s melodious voice woke Adam, as if from a dream, ¡°However, how much suffering has taken place in even the best of human societies?¡±

    The illusion switched to slums with endless masses of poor people. The view went from family to family, suffering from cold, famine, and disease. It showed men being kidnapped and beaten.

    ¡°It is the natural law of the Impure. Enabled by free will, the powerful will inevitably enrich themselves while the poor are led to suffer.¡±

    The window showed two men and a woman in gilded armour and warpaint. They inaudibly yelled at each other, pointing fingers, and reaching for weapons that quivered with the might of Instinct.

    ¡°The three heirs of the crown. They took a break from their own personal misery to wage war. Unable to accept just ruling part of the Empire, they let their subordinates fight amongst each other.¡±

    The window showed a city burning. People fled in terror as soldiers raided whatever they could.

    ¡°So much death for a flag with different colours. If they had worked together, their society still would¡¯ve thrived today. Instead, they brought their empire and themselves to ruin. Free will, my child, is the greatest curse of all who aren¡¯t Pure. The source of all pain.¡±

    The window disappeared, and the Pure orchestra became visible again. Smiling, together, in euphoria.

    With a fatherly smile, the Prophet turned towards Caine. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you, my child. You have suffered so much in your short life, while you have worked so hard. And now, I give you your reward,¡± the Prophet said, his voice rich and balming like warm honey. ¡°Be free, as one of my Chosen. One of the select few who can apply their intellect and skills to help me build the next evolutionary step of humanity. Together, we¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    Caine stood up with quivering knees.

    The orchestra stopped playing and the Prophet¡¯s friendly expression turned to stone.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather die,¡± Caine said, his voice a raspy and soft afterthought compared to the majesty of the Prophet¡¯s. His face pale as a corpse, Caine tried to take a fighting stance but winced and grabbed his neck. Scrunching up his face in pain, he gathered all the Oquira he could muster. A man who looked death in the eye with his chin up.

    Adam, Emily, and Oliver stared in silence. Even though Adam knew all of this had happened long ago, and knew what had happened between them, something inside him tensed up to come to Caine¡¯s aid.

    The Prophet spun his empty cup between his fingers, quite as if he contemplated nothing more than the fate of an old pair of shoes. Finally, with a twinkle in his eyes, he nodded approvingly. ¡°Brave. Much braver than Zachalynn gives you credit for.¡± He set his cup down and sighed softly. ¡°I understand it¡¯s hard to let go. All your life, you¡¯ve worked for the benefit of others, striving to please those around you. Of course, it¡¯s difficult to finally choose what¡¯s best for yourself. Go then. I invite you to think about my words.¡±

    Caine¡¯s eyes shot to the exit before they frowned in a wary expression. ¡°You¡¯ll just let me leave after I know about¡­ all this?¡± He gestured to the fauteuils, the room, and the orchestra.

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    The Prophet smiled patiently like an encouraging grandfather. With an aura of unending certainty, as if he was the only true adult in a world full of children. ¡°Certainly. I often travel far from the front lines and inside the most well-guarded cities of countries that oppose the Light. Why? To give people like you a chance. And show them that your walls and defences are like air to me. So go ahead. Send troops after me and close off these Vaults. You have no idea how many people within this very country you protect, have seen the truth and work for me. So, return to your life, and see if I¡¯m wrong. Just know that we¡¯ll always be there to welcome you home. To embrace you with the warmth you¡¯ve always deserved.¡±

    Caine shivered from head to toe as he walked towards the exit. He opened the heavy doors, behind which there seemed to be nothing but a cold, dark emptiness. His eyes shot back with a pained yearning to the light and warmth behind him, to the beautiful room filled with music and comfort. To the Prophet¡¯s promise. For what seemed like minutes, Caine stood there in the doorway. A deep frown of doubt split his face as if he was making the hardest decision of his life.

    Finally, with his shoulders slumped, Caine stepped through the door and back into the darkness. However, not without a final glance at the chairs behind him. The room turned silent again as the orchestra disappeared. The Prophet turned back into a shimmering shape.

    <hr>

    Adam, Oliver, and Emily stared in silence for a while.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Emily said in a soft voice, perfectly capturing Adam¡¯s feelings at the moment.

    Adam squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°How?! I mean, there were rumours of course that he could walk through walls, was invisible, and other nonsense. But how could the Prophet have actually been here, with so many of his Pure, in the middle of the war! How did he arrange that appointment for Caine? Why didn¡¯t Caine tell us?¡±

    Oliver sighed and shook his head. ¡°We all know the answer. I fear we just witnessed the moment our dear friend started his descent into the fiend he is now. You saw the doubt in his eyes.¡±

    Emily frowned. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen the full picture yet, though. These were just a couple of moments in time.¡±

    Oliver looked up in annoyance. ¡°Come on, open your eyes. We saw his trauma and heard about his inner pain, which he was desperate to get rid of! He clearly stopped believing in Aves and the Starwing Order. And now, we see him receiving an offer from the Prophet for some elite position, in which he can keep part of his free will! And in Eulenschloss, we heard about his fantasy of ¡®using the Prophet¡¯s methods for the greater good¡¯. As he said it: ¡®to remove pain but keep free will intact.¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°Oh, he turned into a fine piece of crap, all right,¡± she stared into the distance with furious eyes, in a way that reminded Adam of her father. ¡°But we don¡¯t know what happened between then and now. We don¡¯t know if he managed to influence the Penduli with his own ideals or if he serves the Prophet.¡±

    Adam rubbed the scars on his wrist. ¡°Maybe he conspired with the Prophet during Eulenschloss, to manipulate the Queen of Glass. Then again, it¡¯s possible he had plans to use the Prophet¡¯s techniques to start something new himself, outside of the Pure. His eyes aren¡¯t white though, so at least he isn''t fully part of the Pure who remained after the Prophet''s death.¡±

    ¡°True, true.¡± Emily scrunched up her nose as she gazed around the theatre. ¡°However, shall we at least get out of this musty heap of stone and get some sunlight?¡±

    Adam sputtered in indignation at how anyone with eyes could address such a well-preserved jewel of the old times like that.

    <hr>

    After a while, the group had made their way back from the Vaults. Eager to set his mind on other things than the Prophet¡¯s grim drivel, Adam surely didn¡¯t mind walking through the cobbled roads with timber-framed shops in the city¡¯s centre. Jolly songs sounded from the depths of an empty well, sung by young men as one of their silly assignments before they could join an Academy Association. An older member poured down water when one of them mixed naughty words in between the lyrics. Laughter of the others echoed up from the well. Nearby, an old lady complained to a young salesgirl about the high price of her spices. The poor, red-faced girl stammered that she couldn¡¯t help it, but a more experienced employee came to the rescue.

    ¡°So, where to go next?¡± Adam asked. ¡°We know more about Caine¡¯s background and how he transformed into a human turd. But where could we learn more about Remniscence and the Taint?¡±

    Oliver nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the disaster. Maybe we can get your memories back of what happened back then.¡±

    Adam grimaced. ¡°Not sure how that would make me remember anything new about the disaster. I¡¯ve already seen the statue of the Tomb and the vague impression of the aurora. But maybe it would¡ª¡±

    Emily halted and peered into the distance. ¡°Wait, guys! Isn¡¯t that Caine with Agatha?¡±

    Shining through the buildings, multiple green apparitions were visible from inside the Green Hare, the best tavern in town. The one Emily pointed at showed Caine in a fox mask, sitting at a table with a masked, athletic women with complex braids. ¡°Huh, a date during Fiendswell Night. That must¡¯ve been during¡­ the third year of the war, I think? He couldn¡¯t celebrate with us in the capital because of ¡®work duties,¡¯ remember?¡±

    Oliver chuckled softly. ¡° ¡®Work duties.¡¯ He must¡¯ve felt so sad spending the late hours all cosy and warm with Agatha.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow.

    Adam rubbed his beard. ¡°That memory could be interesting¡­ We don¡¯t know whether Caine managed to spread his ideas within the Penduli. The key to that would be Agatha.¡±

    ¡°My thoughts exactly!¡± Emily said. ¡°If Caine managed to convince her, we should know. Plus, I¡¯m aching for some comfort and relaxation after all those tombs or whatever.¡±

    Oliver groaned softly. ¡°You want to listen to them during Fiendswell Night in the Green Hare? The place will be full of partying idiots! We¡¯re bound to bump into people and change the memory!¡±

    ¡°Masked idiots,¡± Adam wrung his hands, warming up to the idea. ¡°We can wear disguises as well. So even if we accidentally touch someone and everyone can see us, we can just blend in with the crowd. No one will suspect a thing!¡±

    Oliver glared at Adam from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Ugh, fine.¡±

 Chapter 55 â€“ A Night of Wonder

    Chapter 55 ¨C A Night of Wonder

    Adam snickered at the traditional full-head mask of a Fiend he had just ¡®borrowed¡¯ to blend in during Fiendswell Night. The wooden, overly dramatic depiction of a rather irritated boar¡¯s head had curved tusks and flaming horns.

    Legend said that the day after Aves had ascended during Firstnight, mythological creatures called Fiends thought they had free game. They had been causing mayhem all over until the faithful prayed and caused Aves to smite the Fiends and restore ¡®pious order across the land.¡¯ To commemorate, the people dressed up, dined, wrestled, and partied during Fiendswell Night every year. The day after, they repented for their past year¡¯s sins in the Starwing Groves. Often hungover as a mule.

    Emily eyed her own mask, with blue scales, needle-like teeth and a multi-coloured veil. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel strange not to pay for this stuff? I know we¡¯re in a memory, but still.¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow. ¡°At least you two got pretty masks. Look!¡± His mask had a long nose, puffed cheeks and a thick bushy beard. ¡°Can¡¯t Caine remember anything better than this?¡±

    Adam laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it matches your pretty eyes perfectly.¡±

    <hr>

    Inside the Green Hare, the group was greeted by the trusted scent of roasted boar, red wine, and the smoke of wooden pipes. Long oaken tables were loaded with drinks and warm dishes. The heads of great beasts that had once scourged the land hung on the tavern¡¯s walls and ceiling.

    Inside, they found many shimmering apparitions of old memories. Like how Caine had shaved Adam bald after a lost bet and how they and their friends had danced during a minstrel group¡¯s performance. Another set of shapes showed how Caine, Adam, and even Jeremiah had shared a meal together during their first year, excited to explore the new city. How times change, Adam thought bitterly.

    Emily raised her eyebrows. ¡°Look at the number of Caine¡¯s memories with girls in here. I mean, wow¡­¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Oliver said rather stiffly. Adam followed his gaze and swallowed. Near the bar, the shape of Caine had an arm around the shoulders of Erica, Oliver¡¯s girlfriend at the time. Back then, Adam had never had the heart to tell Oliver, and the pang of guilt flared up sharply.

    ¡°Ah, there they are!¡± Clearly oblivious, Emily walked up towards one of the cosier tables at the side of the tavern, meant for two persons. With her athletic posture and complex braids that stuck out beneath her mask, Agatha was easy to recognize.

    ¡°Good, good.¡± Adam turned back to Oliver, their ridiculous masks an uncomfortable contrast with the subject at hand. ¡°Back then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Oliver interjected under his breath and walked towards Emily and the green shapes as if nothing had happened. ¡°It must¡¯ve been crowded in here at the time, so let¡¯s be careful.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, right.¡± Adam awkwardly readjusted his mask and walked up to them.

    As soon as Adam touched the sprite that flew around Caine¡¯s shoulder, their surroundings changed completely. Suddenly, all green shapes were gone and the room was filled with visitors in costumes of all colours and shapes.

    The minstrel group with flutes, fiddles, and drums had to play quite loudly to be heard over the laughs and hum-buzz of people having fun. Although the music was less complex and high-level compared to the symphony of the Prophet, Adam preferred it infinitely more. It¡¯s been way too long, indeed.

    However, the shade cast by the War of the Prophet was easy to see. The decorations were few and cheap and the people were skinnier than usual. Instead of intricate, well-made costumes, most guests had clearly made do with whatever they had.

    Despite everything, the visitors seemed determined to enjoy their evening. Two groups of boys competed in some stupid bet to see who could build the highest pyramid of glassware on their table. Two old ladies giggled as they were ¡®just tasting¡¯ expensive liquors. An unfamiliar, burly man with a brown moustache and an apron walked by. Frowning sternly at the glass pyramids, he swiped shards of pottery with his broom and grumbled in a foreign accent. His name tag read ¡®Sloan¡¯. Huh, must¡¯ve been a temporary employee.

    Oliver tapped Adam on the shoulder. ¡°Look! It¡¯s our old captain!¡± He pointed at a small arena where wrestling matches were being held. Captain Ludwig, a big bald man with an impressive beer belly, held his opponent in a headlock. The bearded wrestler squirmed to get away, but Ludwig¡¯s blonde moustache bristled with laughter. ¡°I¡¯d quit if I were you!¡± he intoned with a melodious, deep voice. ¡°Know when to stop, before your head says ¡®pop!¡¯ ¡±

    Adam smiled broadly. The familiar, trusted scenes made the built-up tension and stress leave his neck and shoulders. He felt warm and fuzzy, as his heart pumped hot blood through his veins. ¡°Too bad we can¡¯t have a chat with the old bastard, I¡¯d¡ª¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Emily pointed towards Agatha and Caine.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Adam said.

    ¡°¡ªnice that people don¡¯t recognise me, for a change,¡± Agatha said before she lifted her pink, moth-shaped mask a bit to take a drink. ¡°But the masks are a little odd, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Caine nodded, making his mask in the shape of a spiked sea star bob up and down. He was methodically ripping the label of his drink into pieces. ¡°The convention of the masks is a remnant of traditions passed down from ancient, almost forgotten cultures. Later on, the Starwing Order came in and reformed the ancient, already adapted celebrations in the name of Fiendswell. The masks were simply too popular to abolish.¡± Caine was silent for a while as he brusquely continued ripping the label into even smaller pieces. ¡°Adam told me that, long ago.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, you know.¡± Agatha said patiently.

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s just¡­ how could he be so stupid?¡± Caine threw pieces of the ripped label on the ground in frustration, causing Sloan to stop sweeping the floor for a moment and raise a hairy eyebrow at him. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it, you know?¡± Caine mumbled.

    Agatha cocked her head to the side. ¡°I know the good old days hold a special place in your heart. And he certainly used to be a nice fellow. But you shouldn¡¯t let the past cloud your judgment on what he¡¯s doing now. He isn¡¯t the same man he used to be.¡±

    ¡°Clearly,¡± Caine said, with cold fury in his voice. With a frustrated swipe of his arm, he threw the ripped remnants of his label on the ground.

    Adam shivered with anger, suppressing the urge to deck the man in the face. Oh really, I changed? Says the ¡®loyal friend¡¯ who¡ª

    Adam¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when Sloan brusquely paced towards them, his great hairy eyebrows furrowed in indignation. In the blur of the moment, Adam stepped back and pulled both Oliver and Emily out of the man¡¯s way. Not quick enough though; a strange ripple in the air emanated throughout the entire room as Sloan had touched Oliver¡¯s foot. Realising they could be seen, Adam reflexively tensed his muscles.

    However, the pair at the table seemed utterly distracted by Sloan, who prodded Caine¡¯s chest with a hairy, sausage-like finger. ¡°You. Clean,¡± he said in an outlandish, unrecognisable accent.

    The yellow eyes behind the starfish mask blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve worked at strange places, at strange bars,¡± Sloan said. ¡°But I never imagined guests would just throw garbage on floor. I¡¯ve met animals with more manners than you. Now, clean.¡± He reached out his broom to Caine, who clenched his fists. Agatha waved calmingly and turned towards Sloan.

    Subtly, Adam and Emily walked away and tried to make some distance.

    Oliver didn¡¯t. Smoothly, he changed his posture and way of walking to appear much older. He grumbled with a rough voice and rubbed his leg as he walked past. He took a seat at the table to the left of Agatha and Caine, with his back towards Caine.

    Adam walked away into the crowd and glanced over his shoulder; Caine and Agatha were deep in conversation again. Beneath the table, Oliver made a subtle, waving motion to Adam, signalling him to move away.

    Adam puffed out his cheeks and turned to Emily. ¡°That was close. Did you see how Oliver did that?¡±

    Emily nodded. ¡°He is a good actor, even did some espionage missions before.¡±

    Adam and Emily moved through the crowd, to stand as far away from Agatha and Caine¡¯s cosy corner as possible. People could see and interact with them, just like long ago. However, due to the costume, he finally didn¡¯t have to worry about people recognising him. There was no staring at his strange eyes. He didn¡¯t have to worry about who he was or what he had done.

    The people around him laughed, sang and danced. It was easy to imagine that everything that had happened in the Realm was just a bad dream. That this was just another night out, with many more to come.

    Except this time, he was together with Emily. Just the two of them.

    They chatted casually about the things they¡¯d like to do when they got out of the Realm. Emily talked about friends who she liked to see, and who were probably worried sick about her. Meanwhile, the party around them got more and more lively. People clapped their hands, bumped each other¡¯s feet, and roared at the ones beside them in the Fiendswell dance. Wheezing in laughter, a group of old geezers with arms over each other¡¯s shoulders danced on a table. One of the minstrels played a wild solo on his flute made of brass, to the cheers of his audience.

    Captain Ludwig grunted loudly in the wrestlers¡¯ ring, pulling and pushing at his muscular opponent. With a roar of effort, Ludwig threw the bearded man off balance and hurled him out of the ring. Bystanders screamed and dodged the wrestler, who crashed into a dining table, sending glasses and pottery flying. The couple who ate there got up stiffly, as the man wiped soup from his face.

    ¡°Get your ass back here!¡± Ludwig shouted, stretching his muscled arms.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not done with you yet!¡± his opponent yelled, shattering pottery as he stormed back.

    Sloan looked at the broken mess the man had left and held his broom in a white-knuckled grip. His face shook in anger until he lifted the broom and broke it in two upon his knee. ¡°I quit!¡± he exclaimed and threw both halves on the floor.

    Adam and Emily shook with laughter, Emily held onto Adam¡¯s arm to keep standing. Adam blinked in surprise. As long as he had known her, she had always avoided touching others whenever possible. She cocked her head to the side and felt Adam¡¯s biceps some more.

    She whistled softly. ¡°Someone¡¯s been working out,¡± she laughed. ¡°Too bad it didn¡¯t save you from getting slapped by that ape, eh?¡±

    Adam raised an eyebrow, although he soon realised she couldn¡¯t see that through the mask. ¡°Hah! Says the one who¡­ wait, where did you get that beer from?¡±

    Emily shrugged and lifted her bottle. ¡°Somewhere,¡± she singsonged, pulling her mask up a bit to reveal a smile. ¡°We¡¯re in a memory, so we don¡¯t have to pay!¡±

    Adam laughed. ¡°Hmm, the question is, what happens if you drink or eat something from a memory? You understand I have to confiscate the bottle for ¡®academic purposes,¡¯ right?¡±

    Emily just had time to protect the bottle with her arms, before they ended up play-fighting over it. She giggled as she tried to tickle him. Adam¡¯s left heart sent waves of comfortable heat through his veins.

 Chapter 56 â€“ A Desire of Warmth

    Chapter 56 ¨C A Desire of Warmth

    Adam was in a comfortable blur of talking, laughing, and play-fighting with Emily. All intention of listening to Caine faded in the background as he lost himself in those enchanting orange eyes behind the mask. The welcome scents of liquors, fruit juices, and roasted snacks beckoned as the minstrel group played their merry tunes. All around them, the masked people danced without restraint. Despite the war, they seemed determined to enjoy themselves, to forget all troubles for just one evening. Adam couldn¡¯t say he minded joining them.

    The music changed into a wild tune, initiating a traditional dance. All over the Green Hare, people hastily searched for a partner. Three guys wrestled among themselves in their attempt to be the first to ask a pretty lady. A sweet pair of elderly men gave each other a warm hug before entering the starting pose; they held one hand while keeping the other on their own back. Emily capitalised on Adam¡¯s moment of distraction to sneak under his arm and match up with a random lad. She stuck her tongue out at Adam. Hot blood rose to Adam¡¯s cheeks as he laughed. A challenge, eh? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you. Adam quickly found a lady to dance with.

    The brown-haired woman lacked any remarkable features and wore a simple black cloak and blue mask. When she bowed in the exact way that Caine would¡¯ve initiated a dance, Adam was grimly reminded of the Vault¡¯s creepy guards. People whom Caine barely remembered, so they seemed oddly undetailed and behaved the way Caine expected them to.

    When the music started, Adam led her through the dance nonetheless. Even though it had been years, his rusty limbs had somehow remembered the claps, kicks, and swirling motions well enough. However, all he could think about was Emily. The way she smiled and the way she tickled him stirred something inside of him.

    After he bowed at the lady he had danced with, and everyone hastily searched for new partners, he dashed towards Emily. However, she had quickly found someone else and raised her chin at Adam in a challenging way.

    Adam danced, bowed, and found new dancing partners, all the while getting closer to Emily. Deep beats of his heart sent waves of Inner Fire through his veins. His body felt hot as a furnace. One lady held his wrist and stared in shock as she felt his skin, but Adam hardly noticed. An old desire was flaring up within him. Like a hunt, like an inferno, like hunger and passion.

    Emily moved to the right, but Adam deftly stepped around and in front of her. She opened her orange eyes wide in surprise and smiled radiantly.

    Adam bowed, a true paragon of sophistication, and held out his hand. ¡°May I have this dance, my lady?¡±

    Emily accepted with a curtsey. Just when Adam reached out for her hand, she stepped forward and tickled him again. They laughed until they ended up in a hug, gently moving to the music.

    The world around Adam seemed to disappear as all he felt, all he knew, was the woman in front of him. A woman who swayed her hips to the beat of the music. Whose soft breath kissed Adam¡¯s cheek. A tingle ran down Adam¡¯s spine. He laid his hands on her back and felt how her muscles tensed up and relaxed.

    Gently, she moved his head to the side and whispered in his ear.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear you,¡± Adam teased softly.

    ¡°Come closer, then,¡± Emily said with a raspy edge in her voice.

    Her fingers deftly worked his mask up. Orange eyes smouldered as she smiled at him, raising one corner of her mouth mischievously. Gradually, she came closer, running her fingers through the hair on the back of Adam¡¯s head. Adam felt her warm breath on his mouth as he bent forwards.

    A thought shot through his mind, as if a rational part of him had been desperately screaming at him while he couldn¡¯t hear it: he was married.

    Adam gasped as if ice water was splashed over his face. Wide-eyed, he moved his head away from Emily¡¯s lips at the last moment. The Crimson Urges used the Inner Fire in his veins to try and pull his head back, like white-hot tentacles inside his own flesh. His left heart beat like crazy as overwhelming desire pushed, pulled, and tore at the fabric of his being to kiss her, but he couldn¡¯t.

    Adam shivered. ¡°I want to, so badly, but I am married. Sorry, I can¡¯t do this.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes stared at him in confusion. ¡°Huh, but I thought, but you just¡­¡± Briefly, a veil of hurt seemed to fall over her eyes, before they went cold and hard. ¡°Fine then,¡± she bit off the words with ice in her voice. She stomped away and disappeared into the crowd.

    Adam wanted to hit himself. Here I go, betraying her trust. Just another piece of shit that played with her heartstrings.

    Adam¡¯s heartbeat turned erratic. He squeezed his eyes shut as the Crimson Urges used the Inner Fire in his veins to turn his head to the place where she had left him. It pulled at his flesh like the strings of a puppeteer that came from within. His shoulders slumped as a deep sense of powerlessness and futility washed over him. I messed up all hope to ever find love again. Adam heard himself think. I¡­ No! This is not what I believe!

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Adam groaned, struggling to gain back control as waves of headache battered the sides of his head. His heart screeched the name of Schultora and showered him with visions of the consequences of his actions. Despite the veins in his legs that tried to move him toward Emily, like iron wires that tore at his muscles, he struggled in the opposite direction.

    <hr>

    Adam sat on a lone chair, resting his masked head against a wall. His heart had stopped its assault, making him feel strangely lifeless and cold. The brief moment with Emily, which he had taken from himself, underlined the endless void his life had become; a laughable shadow of what it used to be.

    The old craving for a stiff drink came up as he valiantly tried to justify his own actions. That it was merely the Crimson Urges seducing him and that he was married. Even if it was to someone who couldn¡¯t even remember him, who was happy with someone else. He sank even deeper into his chair as the hole of guilt grew. Who am I kidding? I can¡¯t even rely on my own memories while the Crimson Urges are fighting for control. And I mess up my only chances of happiness. Everywhere around him, people were having fun, which only made him feel more alone.

    Then, in the distance, he noticed a stunning woman with long blonde curls sitting by herself at a table. She wore the mask of a skeletal deer, but it would take more than that before Adam wouldn¡¯t recognize his own wife.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. How? Did Caine know Catherine before I did? Adam straightened and his heartbeat rose. He barely noticed how hot blood warmed him as the gears in his head started spinning again. She must¡¯ve been a younger version of Cath, based on what Caine knew about this period of her life. Probably, since the Nodes were connected to each other, this version was based on the sickening amount of information in the library about her.

    Although Adam couldn¡¯t see them, his eyes swivelled in the direction of Oliver, Caine, and Agatha. All the endless questions he had about Catherine during the long stay in the Realm came back to him. Had she been cheating on him from the beginning? Had Caine altered her memory, or had she done it willingly? Had she even loved Adam at some point?

    Was Eric his son, or Caine¡¯s?

    Adam¡¯s hands shivered in the aching need to see her. She was right there. He could feel the warmth of his trusted wife again, he could have certainty, a foundation in his quagmire of doubt. The answers may be right there.

    Adam clenched his hands into fists in anticipation, the deep necessity to protect his kin. To be there for Eric, to save him from whatever sorcery they had put him through. I owe this to them. Adam puffed out his cheeks and made his way towards Catherine. The guests of the Green Hare chatted happily around him.

    And the mighty Fist of Gotterburg gathered all his courage to greet his own wife with an opening sentence. He prepared all his combat prowess in case she kicked the champion in his stomach. Again. Our hero pondered where exactly he went wrong in his life to end up in this rather peculiar position.

    Catherine sat at her table, wearing an elegant black dress with a split at the side. With a casual stroll, not too bold, not too uncaring, Adam walked towards her. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re Catherine, right? Nice to see you again.¡±

    Catherine looked up with a slightly wary expression, squinting up at him through her mask of a skeletal deer. ¡°Hello, have we met?¡± she asked, her slight eastern accent made her vowels just a tad longer.

    Adam lifted his mask for just a moment and smiled. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Adam!¡± He tried to remember any taverns within Ziecherhein that Catherine had mentioned, but couldn¡¯t remember any. ¡°We met at the jewellery fair around here, don¡¯t you remember?¡±

    Her eyes scanned him up and down, although her wariness had lessened a bit. ¡°Really? Oh sorry, I can¡¯t recall. What did we talk about?¡±

    Adam laughed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I make a good impression?¡± He quickly remembered what she would wear to such an occasion, like the intricate necklace she¡¯d told him about hundreds of times. ¡°I complimented you on a necklace in the shape of wings, composed of interwoven bands of different materials. You explained you made it to earn your next rank within the guild of silversmiths. Silver, meteorite, and the bone of a Wraith, am I correct?¡± He saw Catherine smile at him, tension leaving her face. He remembered how she had always complained about pious traditions within the guild. ¡°Too bad you just had the involve the owls in its design.¡±

    Catherine chuckled, raising her long fingers to her mouth. She always had a pretty laugh, civilized yet joyful. Adam felt warm to hear the trusty sound again. Huh, if you¡¯re meeting someone it sure helps if you¡¯ve already known her for years. ¡°Oh, finally! Someone who understands!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I tried to implement the religious theme as subtly as I could, but my master wouldn¡¯t let it go. ¡®We must always honour the Lord in our work.¡¯ ¡± She rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

    Adam grimly remembered the plots of Zachalynn and her council. ¡°Trust me, I know the feeling.¡±

    Catherine took her mask off and tidied her long hair. Although it was undoubtedly her, her face looked strangely different. Her lips were fuller, her skin lacked any imperfections and her nose was less pronounced. Just like the statue on the pyramid in her Node. However, I¡¯m afraid I have to disappoint you.¡±

    Adam felt his jaw tense up. She¡¯s already with Caine! She has a boyfriend, she¡ª

    She raised three fingers. ¡°It was silver, meteorite, and shell of a whaleturtle. I do hope a surprising connoisseur like you can forgive my choice of cheap materials?¡±

    Adam laughed in secret relief and shook his head. Caine must¡¯ve remembered that wrong. ¡°Tsk, tsk, merely the cost of twenty moose for a necklace, disappointing indeed. Might I acquire a drink for a clearly impoverished lady?¡±

    She laughed softly and sat back. Following the etiquette of the higher class, she raised her empty glass, moved her shoulders ever so slightly and lifted her chin at him. ¡°You might.¡± With the subtle grace of a dancer, she crossed one of her long legs over the other.

    However, for just a second, the split at the side of her dress revealed a small tattoo on her thigh: a flower with two butterflies. Adam blinked; he was dead sure she never had a tattoo. Gears in his head immediately started turning, but he quickly looked up at her again. With a glint in her eye, she slowly raised an eyebrow, clearly having seen him look at her legs. ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait too long¡­¡± she teased and took a sip of her drink.

    Adam nodded with a smile before he moved through the crowd in the direction of the bar. His steps had a relaxed spring of excitement in them. It¡¯s her, it¡¯s really her! And we can joke just as well as we used to! Plus, she¡¯d never accept a drink from me if she was already with Caine at the time. He smiled broadly, wondering how that tattoo could¡¯ve gotten there.

    ¡°Adam?! No way, is that you?¡± an all too familiar voice said right beside him.

 Chapter 57 â€“ A Disruption of Impossibility

    Chapter 57 ¨C A Disruption of Impossibility

    Adam¡¯s heart sunk when he heard the voice and sweat broke out of his back. He¡¯d instantly realized who stood next to him.

    Caine.

    He grabbed Adam by the neck, pulled him down and tore his mask off. Adam tensed up for a fight until he heard Caine laugh.

    ¡°By Aves, it is you! Come here, you old pellet-head!¡± Caine pressed his fist on top of Adam¡¯s head and messed up his hair, laughing like a schoolboy who was finally reunited with his favourite toy.

    Rage at all Caine had done to him flared up within Adam. Breathing deeply, he forced himself to calm down. No! He can¡¯t know I¡¯m here!

    The young Caine grabbed Adam¡¯s shoulders and smiled broadly up at him. ¡°Still just as slow, ha! But why didn¡¯t you tell me you were coming over? You¡­¡± Caine¡¯s brows furrowed; his gaze darted over Adam¡¯s face in increasing confusion.

    Emily and Oliver stood several feet behind Caine, gesturing with hasty, irritated movements at Adam to get out.

    ¡°You look older, somehow,¡± Caine said slowly. ¡°Glad you¡¯ve finally taken a haircut, but what happened to your eyes?¡± Caine widened his eyes in recognition. ¡°Did the Pure do something to you, was it the Prophet?¡± he whispered as he laid a reassuring hand on Adam¡¯s shoulder.

    Adam instinctively wanted to jerk back. In an effort of pure will, he clenched his jaws together and forced himself to smile. Caine had the gall to look genuinely worried for him. One part of Adam prevented himself from punching Caine with all his might, another part was strangely touched by Caine¡¯s concern. Maybe he wasn¡¯t a fiend yet at this point in time.

    ¡°I¡¯m working on an investigation,¡± Adam said as calmly as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡± He moved away.

    Caine¡¯s stared in astonishment, his eyes showing white all around, while small jerking movements occurred in his face. ¡°But you can¡¯t be here,¡± Caine said. ¡°Not now, looking like that, I mean, not yet. Wait¡­ what is happening?!¡±

    All people beside Adam, Emily, Oliver, and Caine himself instantly froze in their tracks. A strange, rushing sound like a storm erupted around them. Sharp scents flared up and disappeared again. The Green Hare¡¯s interior kept shifting and changing: banners and paintings that had once hung on the wall, appeared and disappeared again to be replaced with newer ones. The old bar, as it was before the renovations, appeared in place of the new one, and rapidly aged before their eyes.

    Caine¡¯s face and limbs convulsed as if they moved beyond his control. His face aged in seconds, then became younger again. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± his voice echoed through the room, unnaturally magnified.

    Adam ran towards Oliver and Emily and together they tried to get to the exit. ¡°I think the memory is unstable!¡± Adam exclaimed as he tried to elbow his way through the mass of people, who stood still as statues. ¡°The Caine from this memory realized I couldn¡¯t be here at this time!¡±

    With an open mouth, Emily stared at the lights around them that flickered in alternating colours. ¡°So, the whole memory is messed up? Because he realizes it couldn¡¯t have happened in this way? Or is this normal if the memory is changed?¡±

    Oliver¡¯s face was red and contorted with anger. ¡°How can an intelligent man like you be so stupid?!¡± he spat out. ¡°Talking to Catherine! Bumping into Caine while I did all I could to keep everything under control!¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that, I know,¡± Adam said through gritted teeth, damn tired of being talked down to but aware that Oliver was right. ¡°But you¡¯re not free of blame either! Who touched Sloan and made us visible, eh? Despite me pulling your ass away?¡±

    ¡°Stop it! Both of you!¡± Emily said, pushing one of the masked guests away. The man fell down as stiff as a statue, rolling over in the exact same position. ¡°Focus on getting back to the Node!¡±

    Outside the Green Hare and the memory of the Fiendswell Night, the lights weren¡¯t flickering anymore. The buildings stayed as they were. However, day had turned to night somehow and the streets were strangely deserted.

    A shiver ran down Adam¡¯s spine as he walked over the roads of the old city centre, on which people should be found all through the night. Now, a strange unnatural silence enveloped them. The only sounds were their panting breaths and echoing footsteps as they made their way to the Grand Square.

    <hr>

    Adam couldn¡¯t remember ever entering the Grand Square so relieved, yet so unnerved. Not a soul walked across the open space. There wasn¡¯t a gust of wind. Only the stars, the moon, and the flickering orange lights of the street lanterns lit the deathly silent expanse of tiles and buildings.

    On one side, next to the tall wooden burial poles of Dorenland¡¯s heroes, was their way back to the Node: the green glowing spiral, with a circular depiction of the Realm of Remembrance around it.

    ¡°It¡¯s still there!¡± Oliver said and sighed in relief, mumbling a small prayer.

    Suddenly, a dimly glowing wall of Ironglass was conjured in front of them. From the left, a dark cloud, consisting of the howling faces of humans and animals, blew towards them. Adam, Emily, and Oliver quickly jumped back to dodge it. Adam bared his teeth, already knowing whose voices he would hear.

    And there, from the shadows beside the engraved wooden columns to the right of the spiral, came the one man Adam had thought about most in the Realm. The one man he used to love as a brother, yet now hated with every inch of his being.

    ¡°Found you,¡± Caine said emotionlessly. The bluish-white shine of his Ironglass Invocation cast shadows across his fatigued face. Somehow, after spending time in the Realm, it was strange to see the older Caine from the present again. His eyes, underlined with dark rings, burned with a cold anger.

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    ¡°I told you I¡¯d come after you, no matter what,¡± Desdemona said, every word drenched in venom. She strode from the shadows to the left of the spiral, drawing her savage, red blade.

    Adam, Oliver, and Emily took their fighting stances as Caine and Desdemona moved in front of them. Despite the bitter need to give Caine what he was due, Adam tried to keep his head cool and weighed their poor odds. Desdemona didn¡¯t show any new sign of injury after she had taken all three of them on at Eulenschloss. And although Caine was a piece of shit, it didn¡¯t stop him from being competent enough to find a way inside his own Realm.

    Adam clenched his fists. No matter, I¡¯m tired of running. Eric, Cath, this is for you.

    ¡°Look who finally came out to play!¡± Adam said, spreading his arms wide as if to embrace Caine. The beats of his left heart spread heat like liquid fire through his veins. ¡°Ain¡¯t that my good old friend! Disappointed, are we? That your Thalers, Roots, and whatever messed up misery living in your Realm couldn¡¯t kill us?¡±

    ¡°How dare you do this to us?¡± Emily shrieked with a quiver of agony in her voice.

    Caine¡¯s yellow eyes smouldered. ¡°How I could do this to you?¡± He shivered in rage. ¡°So, you genuinely believe that I wanted all of you in here? Invading my Realm of Remembrance, adjusting my memories?¡±

    ¡°We know you needed us gone, Caine!¡± Oliver screamed. ¡°When we found out you¡¯re a Pendulum you said yourself that we¡¯ve become too much of a threat! Tell me, are you controlling our physical bodies right now like the Pure? Did your buddy the Prophet teach you that? Or are our bodies gone as well to remove any evidence?¡±

    ¡°I trusted you with my life, Caine!¡± Adam laughed through gritted teeth, shaking his head. ¡°How stupid I was. All those women you¡¯ve bragged about through the years, just objects of lust for you, eh? How could I think a Fell-handed fiend like you wouldn¡¯t go around my back and Taint my dear wife?¡± He pointed a quivering finger at Caine and roared. ¡°And my boy, my precious boy, he¡¯s innocent from whatever you have against us! And you messed up his mind anyhow!¡±

    Desdemona raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really now?¡± she asked with a low growl in her voice. ¡°That¡¯s what happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing those filthy lies again and again!¡± Caine spat, his face turning red. ¡°Oliver, Emily, how can you trust him, while you know the Crimson Urges have turned him into a madman long ago? You saw how he was during the War of the Prophet and he¡¯s gotten even worse! Don¡¯t you see that he¡¯s using you both to learn about Reminiscence from my memories? He planned all of this!¡±

    ¡°After he screwed over this entire city and all its defenders,¡± Desdemona said with a rumbling growl in her voice. Her eyes never left Adam¡¯s.

    ¡°Oh, now I understand!¡± Oliver laughed humourlessly, red-faced in anger. ¡°We should trust the man who laughed in the face of the Starwing Order while working for the Penduli! We saw you inside your house, asshole! Or was that one of Adam¡¯s ¡®tricks?¡¯ We heard you dreaming of using the Prophet¡¯s sorcery for the ¡®greater good.¡¯ So, tell me, was the Pure¡¯s euphoria worth it to betray your friends?¡±

    Caine furiously pointed sideways. ¡°Zachalynn turned the Starwing Order into a corrupt instrument of oppression!¡± he exclaimed, his face twitching in frustration. ¡°But you¡¯re too busy chasing promotions to see the strings on your wrists! Only the Penduli can dethrone her and make sure people can live their lives the way they want! Ugh, but you don¡¯t see that. I can imagine Adam didn¡¯t even need to Taint you to turn you against me.¡± Caine furiously raised a finger at Emily. ¡°And you! You know the Penduli don¡¯t cooperate with the Pure and never have! Why do you still support¡­¡± He stopped and his eyes flicked towards Adam¡¯s and Oliver¡¯s shocked expressions. Caine laughed. ¡°Oh really, you didn¡¯t tell them?¡±

    Adam gritted his teeth and looked at the woman to the left of him. The woman who obviously tried to keep a straight face under Adam¡¯s glare, although the shiver in her mouth betrayed other, hidden emotions. The woman with her beautiful chestnut hair. The one he almost kissed. Adam remembered how surprisingly open she was to talk about Instinct, compared to Oliver. How she didn¡¯t seem surprised at the utter corruption of Zachalynn¡¯s Holy Council, and had even said Caine was right when he talked up to them. How she hated Caine for what he did, but had never spoken a bad word about the Penduli. The inevitable conclusion was as welcome as a dagger to the throat. ¡°You¡¯re a Pendulum as well, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked softly, with a low rumbling growl in his voice.

    Emily had the gall to try and appear innocent, looking at both of him and Oliver with those big orange eyes, filled with clearly feigned confusion. With the slightest hint of a quiver in her legs, she took a step back. Then, suddenly, her eyes hardened and she clenched her hands into shivering fists of anger. Her mask had fallen. ¡°Yes, I am, and how can you judge me for that?!¡± she snarled. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what Zachalynn has become! You¡¯ve experienced the discrimination yourself and heard the insane drivel those lunatics use to justify it! I refuse to be a pawn in their twisted games of power.¡±

    ¡°You might¡¯ve told us,¡± Adam growled. He adjusted his stance; twisting his body a bit and holding his arms up to be ready for an attack from the left. Ready for an attack from one of the few people in this world he¡¯d felt safe to be around. ¡°With all your drivel about trust!¡± Please, Emily, please don¡¯t make me do this.

    Emily shifted her stance as well. ¡°What choice did I have?! In order to cooperate with you and Oliver who had just been attacked by Penduli? Caine betrayed me just as he betrayed you!¡± She turned towards Caine, her voice quivering in rage. ¡°I heard people within the Penduli were ¡®cleaning up¡¯ and I couldn¡¯t believe it. But out of everyone, I never thought you would stoop that low.¡± Her voice dropped to a barely audible hiss. ¡°Assassins? After your own sister?¡±

    ¡°Surprised that the bloody Penduli betrayed you?¡± Adam asked with all the poison and sarcasm he could muster. ¡°You were a double agent just like Caine! How do we know you¡¯ve not been working with him behind our backs all this time?¡±

    Emily¡¯s face reddened. ¡°I¡¯d never do that!¡±

    Adam tried to read her face, to see what happened behind those bright orange eyes. He wanted to believe her so badly, yet the wound and the anger her lie had left were too deep. Adam groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. Is this how it¡¯s going to be? Three on their side, versus me and Oliver?

    Caine looked at Emily, a hint of desperation in his eyes. ¡°Emily, please, I know we¡¯ve had... arguments in the past. About the mansion, about mom and dad. I know I¡¯ve been a dick before and I¡¯ve been wanting to make it up for so long. Nobody is ¡®cleaning up¡¯ within the Penduli.¡± He exhaled and closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°And I¡¯d never send assassins after you. Those ¡®Penduli¡¯ in the Starwing Grove must¡¯ve been Tainted or impostors.¡±

    Caine turned to Oliver and smiled with a veil of tears in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oliver. I always hoped we could remain friends, despite our differing beliefs. I tried everything to keep us from fighting each other. And even though you¡¯re loyal to the Starwing Order, I¡¯ve never wanted to hurt you.¡± Caine sighed deeply. ¡°We are victims. We never had to fight, but we¡¯ve been brought together in a sickening plot.¡±

    Caine shivered, and slowly those trusted yellow eyes turned towards Adam. ¡°You¡­¡± he said softly, as if he barely believed his own words. Then his eyelids flinched in rage. ¡°You planned all of this!¡± Caine roared, pointing a quivering finger. The air around Caine shimmered in barely constrained power, waves of cold radiated from him. ¡°You and Oliver appeared at my house at precisely the right moment! Just before those ¡®Penduli¡¯ attacked Emily! And what a coincidence; there¡¯s an Invocation prepared in the same room to transport you to my Realm of Remembrance!¡± Caine laughed. ¡°So, you investigate how the Realm of Remembrance works! Supposedly to escape, but actually to find out what I know about Reminiscence. Why? Because that¡¯s the key weapon to defeat the Penduli! That¡¯s why the Tainted appear everywhere!¡± Caine breathed deeply and looked at Emily and Oliver. ¡°I used to love Adam as a brother, I did. But we can¡¯t ignore the Devil that he¡¯s become.¡±

 Chapter 58 â€“ A Roar of Fury

    Chapter 58 ¨C A Roar of Fury

    After Caine¡¯s words, Adam could feel the shift in the people around him. Emily eyed him with caution in her eyes, and she distanced herself a bit from him. Changing her stance to be ready for an attack.

    Oliver¡¯s mind clearly worked overtime as his eyes swivelled from Caine to Adam and back to Caine.

    Adam recalled how alone he used to be. Before he was embraced by the warmth of his dear friends. And how he¡¯d felt after the War, when he¡¯d lost them again. A shiver ran down his spine. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, all three of you. Ever since the War of the Prophet, I thought I couldn¡¯t come back. But for those years, the only thing I truly wanted was to turn everything back to normal.¡±

    Adam looked up with tears in his eyes at Oliver, Emily, and even Caine. ¡°To laugh together, make fun of each other. To go for nights out. To play boardgames, like we did back in our secret hideout, do you remember?¡± He halted for a moment to catch his breath. ¡°When I received Oliver¡¯s letter to get back together, I was so¡­ happy, I¡¯d¡­¡± He laughed and shook his head incredulously. ¡°For what would I plan all of this? Power? To win a war I¡¯m not even fighting in?¡±

    Adam looked at Oliver and Emily. ¡°I know I¡¯m not perfect. But all I wanted was for us to escape the Realm. To survive together and save my family that Caine stole. After all we¡¯ve gone through, would you let Caine talk us into fighting each other? After he ordered the Thalers, Roots, Shepherds and everyone to capture or kill us? You saw how he¡ª¡±

    ¡°And blah, blah, blah!¡± Desdemona said, raising her sword. ¡°All this talk isn¡¯t going to help. I don¡¯t care who you all believe, but Adam is mine.¡± With a shrieking noise, she embedded the tip of her sword in the tiles on the ground. She raised her one hand in front of her chest with outstretched fingers. The challenge of a warrior.

    ¡°May the man you used to be rest in peace, Adam,¡± Caine said monotonously, his eyes boring into Adam with bitter resolve as he made the same gesture as Desdemona.

    Ain¡¯t this the perfect timing to not have weapons on me. Adam sighed and returned the gesture. He swallowed and looked at Oliver to his right. Oliver¡¯s eyes swivelled back and forth between Caine and Adam but rested upon Adam¡¯s and smiled. ¡°Aves knows you aren¡¯t perfect, you stubborn mule. But I believe you, buddy. I said I¡¯d be with you until the end, and I¡¯ll keep that promise.¡± He stepped beside Adam and made the gesture as well.

    Something almost seemed to break inside Adam, but he kept it together. Always my good friend, despite our different views and opinions. He smiled in gratitude at Oliver and then forced himself to look at Emily.

    Emily and Adam looked each other in the eyes. Her expression was hard and icy, but clearly her mind was racing just like Adam¡¯s. He looked at her without flinching. See that I¡¯m speaking the truth. See that you can trust me.

    In the deep pools of Emily¡¯s eyes, he saw anger, pain, sadness, and confusion above all. In that regard, it was like looking into a mirror. The wound of her lie throbbed, but underneath it all lay their shared past. And how they had helped each other through the realm.

    Emily looked back at Caine, and a veil of anger swept over her face before she stepped beside Adam to the left. ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret this.¡± She returned the gesture of a challenge to Caine.

    ¡°Likewise,¡± Adam said, suppressing a relieved smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back.¡± Just don¡¯t stab me in mine.

    Caine¡¯s eyes swivelled to Emily and Oliver with a frown of disappointment. Too bad your tricks didn¡¯t work, asshole.

    For a moment, the five combatants stood there in silence. The air around them turned cold as Oliver, Emily, and Caine gathered Oquira. However, Adam¡¯s muscles were warmed by the Inner Fire that rushed through his veins. Sinister heat that radiated from Desdemona singed his skin from the right.

    It was deathly silent on the Grand Square of Ziecherhein. Adam wondered when the last time was that Oliver, Emily, Caine and himself had come together at this place. How they must¡¯ve laughed and had fun at the cosy spot in their trusty city. Now, they and Desdemona made the gesture of a challenge. Where did it go wrong? How did we end up like this?

    Desdemona was the first to move. Quick as lightning, she kicked up her sword and vaulted at Adam, hissing her war cry. She bared her teeth like a lion and pointed her sword straight at Adam¡¯s chest.

    Adam bolted forward. Quick as a fox, he ducked beneath her stab and barrelled into her legs with his shoulder. Thrown off balance, Desdemona grunted when she hit the ground and rolled over.

    Shackles of Ironglass flew towards him, and Adam jumped to the right to dodge at the last moment. From the corner of his eye, he saw how Caine controlled eight of his Ironglass chains. He swirled several around to fend off daggers of Marrow that Emily was flinging at him.

    When Adam eyed Desdemona again, she had stood up already and hissed in fury. She conjured three translucent scorpion¡¯s tails, one out of her arm, on out of the stump underneath her other shoulder, and out of her snarling mouth. The Invocations of savage, orange energy surged towards Adam, Emily, and Oliver.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Adam quickly rolled aside to dodge the one aimed at him. From Adam¡¯s left, Caine fired his next attack: a chain of Ironglass staffs. The staffs were covered with Marrow serrations at the sides and connected to each other with joints at the ends.

    Adam jumped aside to dodge the barbed tip of Caine¡¯s construct, but Desdemona¡¯s scorpion tail surged towards him from the right. Beset from all sides, Adam elbowed the tail out of his way and valiantly tried to ignore the burning pain all over his arm. He ducked and rolled before the staffs of Caine¡¯s Invocation could encircle him and he dashed behind the burial pole of Doren the Tranquil. There was no time to look at the heroic woodcarvings of Doren¡¯s life before both Invocations hit the column. Lacquered wood splintered and the ashes of the man who had founded the country spewed out. Adam grabbed a chunk of wood and sprinted from behind the ruined column.

    To Adam¡¯s left, Oliver let out a roar, his face scrunched up in concentration. He fired his silver orbs of Shrike, compressed with Gaolom, which shredded through both Desdemona¡¯s and Caine¡¯s Invocations. But while the tail dissipated, the staffs that made up Caine¡¯s chain simply disconnected from each other. At a wave of Caine¡¯s hands, the staffs independently changed direction and shot towards Oliver.

    Adam ran towards Desdemona, who was fighting Emily in a savage melee. Despite Emily¡¯s mastery of her long halberd, Desdemona¡¯s assault was simply overwhelming. Laughing like a bloodthirsty hyena, Desdemona kicked, vaulted, and slashed in wild abandon, driving Emily back.

    Adam leapt at Desdemona, raising his right fist. She locked eyes with him for just a moment and adjusted her stance to counter. However, before he hit her, he threw the chunk of wood with his left hand. She widened her eyes in surprise and nimbly deflected it with her blade. However, when she blocked Adam¡¯s kick that came right after, she was thrown just a tad off balance.

    Emily screamed as she swung her halberd. Although Desdemona nimbly stepped aside, the razor-sharp Marrow barely managed to nick her side. Moreover, on the backswing, Emily hit Desdemona full in the face with the blunt end. Adam punched, but Desdemona ducked and he hit nothing but air. Coming in low, Desdemona stabbed at Emily, who was able to deflect the blade but stumbled back by the brutal force of the impact.

    Before Adam knew it, Desdemona¡¯s blade neared his neck. He grabbed the hilt, twisted the blade away, and bent forward for a headbutt, just as she did the same. The impact hit him like a charging rhinoceros; his vision blacked out for a moment and he felt the shock travel down his spine. Hardened skulls still touching, they snarled at each other in the fury of combat. Adam grunted, feeling the veins in his neck bulge in the effort to struggle for the blade. He was secretly amazed by how her one arm was able to compete with both of his.

    Emily charged from behind Desdemona¡¯s back. She swung a Marrow dagger with her right hand, but Adam saw she also had one hidden in her left sleeve. What if Emily stabs me? She is a Pendulum after all. In a split second, Adam felt his rage for her lie flare up again.

    Emily¡¯s first dagger neared, but Desdemona twisted her body, kicked, and blocked the knife with the hidden blade on her boot. Adam¡¯s opportunity was right there; he could step in and strike the back of Desdemona¡¯s head. However, that would mean coming within Emily¡¯s range. Having no time to think, Adam went for the slower, safer option of a sideways kick. Agile as a mongoose, Desdemona ducked and rolled away, twisting her blade from Adam¡¯s grip and dodging both of their attacks.

    Damn! Adam tried to grab her again, but the moment was gone. With a deft series of jumps and somersaults, she even dodged Emily¡¯s furious blast of Shrike.

    Oliver ran next to them as finished up conjuring his Owl of Blades. ¡°Get them through the spiral, to the Node!¡± he hissed softly. ¡°I have an idea!¡±

    Adam nodded and charged at Caine, who stood about thirty feet from the spiral. Caine raised his hands; nine diamond-shaped surfaces of Ironglass appeared around him, each with a razor-sharp edge of Marrow. Two of them shot forward to Adam, spinning as they flew.

    Adam jumped and twisted in the air, briefly seeing his reflection in the diamond¡¯s surface before he shattered it with a punch. He ducked right before the second could take off his head and continued running.

    Several feet behind him, Emily threw a Shrike bomb. However, Caine effortlessly made his Invocation slide together and form a shield that protected him from the blast and Marrow shrapnel.

    How can I get close? By the whistling sound behind him, Adam knew one of Caine¡¯s razor-sharp Invocations was spinning through the air towards him. To his left, Oliver¡¯s Owl of Blades dodged one of Desdemona¡¯s scorpion tails in mid-air.

    ¡°Some help would be mightily appreciated!¡± Adam screamed as he ran.

    The Owl of Blades flapped its wings and shot right towards Adam, its Ironglass and Marrow legs extended. Oh sure! Let it rip my head off! Wait¡­ Before two diamonds from Caine could hit Adam, he jumped up and grabbed the terribly cold surface of the Owl¡¯s legs. The owl swooped up in a wide arch, evading Caine¡¯s razor-sharp Invocations and flying towards Caine.

    Caine snarled in frustration as Emily threw volley after volley of Marrow daggers, forcing him to use multiple diamonds in defence. Until Desdemona charged her from the side.

    Adam released the paws of Oliver¡¯s Owl of Blades and soared straight towards Caine.

    Caine raised an eyebrow and scoffed, making the diamonds in front of him spin. If Adam dared to get close, he¡¯d be turned into mincemeat.

    But things weren¡¯t the same as when they¡¯d fought in Caine¡¯s mansion. Adam felt all the wounds he¡¯d endured in the Realm, heard Catherine¡¯s furious battle cry, and saw how Caine shielded Eric¡ªmemories of all Caine had done to him flashed before his mind¡¯s eye. Adam¡¯s rage built up to titanic amounts and Inner Fire converged at his throat.

    ¡°Gur Asaar,¡± hissed his heart.

    Adam fell, mere feet away from the spinning diamonds, and he roared like the Ancestor Himself. He roared with all his frustration, all his anger, and all his fury for Caine¡¯s brutal betrayal.

    Caine¡¯s eyes widened. In an instant, he tried to shift the diamonds to form a shield but barely succeeded before the shock wave of hatred was on him. His makeshift shield was blown apart and he flew back, carried aloft by the impact. And he fell, right into the spiral. His body glowed up in green before it dissolved in the strange light.

    Adam laughed wildly in grim satisfaction and dove after him, hoping Oliver had a good plan indeed to return to the Node. Scrunching up his face, Adam focused with all his might to stay awake when he entered the spiral. All his senses blacked out one by one. Come on, come on, I¡¯ve done this before...

 Chapter 59 â€“ A Leap of Terror

    Chapter 59 ¨C A Leap of Terror

    After he appeared back in Ziecherhein¡¯s Node, Adam awkwardly landed on one leg, causing something in his knee to crack. He waved his arms to keep his balance. Slowly, his sight and other senses started functioning again, showing the utter madness around him.

    The top of the pyramid was a battlefield. Roots of all shapes and sizes fought Thalers in unrelenting carnage as the rain splattered down from Worhaelis up above. Adam panted, forcing his body to move away from a giant covered by Overgrowth. It mercilessly smashed its club into a unit of Thalers, felling two of them. A masked Thaler leaped up, conjured a Marrow sickle which neatly slid through the giant¡¯s neck before the Thaler hit the ground again. Somehow, new Thalers came into being around the pedestals at the edges of the platform. Their bodies appeared out of flashes of green light.

    An unnatural, earth-shattering roar emanated from below. The enormous mass of Overgrowth Adam had noticed in the Node before turned out to be a humongous Root monster which stood next to the pyramid. Its hemispherical body was roughly shaped like a mix between a sea anemone and a grotesque fleshy flower. It swung its massive tentacles¡ªmade of vines and the interlocked bodies of Roots¡ªwhich threw desperate Thalers away as if they were puppets.

    Adam darted between the chaos around him, evading fights as he looked for Caine. Oh, splendid idea, Oliver! Go to the Node! We could¡ª

    Something hit Adam¡¯s temple with all the subtlety of an anvil. His vision and thoughts blacked out for just a moment before he found himself flying. The wind and rain brushed his skin as he fell. Like a flash, the idea that maybe he should do something about the rather inconvenient situation flared up in his mind. He widened his eyes and hastily, just in time, he twisted his body to break his fall. At full velocity, he slammed into one of the great blocks that formed the side of the pyramid.

    The air was pushed out of his lungs. Raw pain surged through his body. Adam¡¯s wrecked body rolled over and stopped just in time before he would have fallen over the edge. With his body convulsing in a foetal position, eyes squeezed shut, he screamed in silence. Everything hurt, from his shoulder to his back and legs.

    ¡°Stay alive,¡± his heart hissed, sending desperate waves of comforting heat all over his body.

    With difficulty, Adam craned his neck up, sending painful cracks down his spine. Desdemona looked down at him from the top of the pyramid and grinned savagely. The grim shape of the Tomb and the horrifying aurora loomed up behind her like an omen of doom. Oddly enough, green metal chains were wrapped around her torso. Although they had been when he¡¯d first seen her, they weren¡¯t there when they¡¯d fought in Ziecherhein.

    Roaring with savage laughter, Desdemona engulfed her body in the familiar aura shape of snarling fangs and pincers. She jumped towards Adam like a meteorite, bathed in orange flames, that plummeted down from the sky.

    Adam groaned exaggeratedly as he stood up on wobbling legs, letting his left arm hang limply. The sheer pain made it easy to act like he was too hurt to fight, but the flame inside him still burned like an inferno. He dropped to his haunches, gritting his teeth in pain. Above him, Desdemona raised her blade.

    Instinctively, Adam gathered Inner Fire in his legs and kicked off at full force, launching himself into the air. Desdemona reacted quickly; her blade deftly changed direction for a stab, just as Adam expected. He pushed the blade aside with his lower left arm, feeling the sharp edge slice through his bracer. The pain of the shallow cut was a cheap price to pay. He punched, hitting her full in the face with the force of their combined momentum behind the impact. Something cracked in Desdemona¡¯s jaw.

    Adam¡¯s punch changed the trajectory of her fall, causing her to spin through the air like a bizarre children¡¯s toy. He landed safely at the side of the pyramid and rolled to break his fall, but Desdemona crashed down on a block that stood a level lower. She fumbled her sword, and it clattered the long way down the pyramid.

    Adam lowered himself to her level, his left arm still burning with pain from the fresh wound. She groaned, her face covered in blood, but stood up nonetheless. Her chain has the same pattern as the trails of Association. It wasn¡¯t there within Eulenschloss or Ziecherhein but was at Catherine¡¯s Node? Then it dawned on him.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°You¡¯re part of Caine¡¯s Realm!¡± Adam said. ¡°I get it now; you¡¯re connected to the Realm because you¡¯re Caine¡¯s memory of Desdemona!¡±

    Desdemona spat a wad of blood at him and kicked sideways. Adam had no choice but to block her leg with his wounded arm and yelped.

    ¡°What else could I be?!¡± she snarled as she followed up with a downward swipe from her clawed hand. However, her movements were slower since Adam¡¯s punch and her fall. Adam blocked her arm near the elbow, grabbed it with both hands and hurled her over his shoulder. She landed flat on her back, her head towards him.

    ¡°We used to fight side by side, back in the War of the Prophet!¡± Adam panted as he rushed down for an arm-lock. ¡°Why are you trying to kill me?!¡±

    Desdemona doubled over, stretched out her right leg, and slashed him with the blade on her boot. Adam screamed; hot blood flowed richly out of the line of pain down his eyebrow and through his cheek.

    In the blink of an eye, Desdemona was on him. Adam lay on his back, one arm trembling in the effort to keep Desdemona¡¯s clawed hand away from his face. With an Invocation of the savage orange energy, Desdemona elongated her teeth into fangs. Adam¡¯s other arm quivered in an effort to keep her from biting his jugular out. His heart desperately sent waves of Inner Fire to both arms.

    ¡°Stay alive!¡± it hissed.

    However, Desdemona¡¯s muscular body was heating just as well, undoubtedly empowered by the Inner Fire of her own left heart as she went for the kill.

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened when he smelled something odd: the stench of death. A grey haze lay in Desdemona¡¯s bloodthirsty eyes as she elongated her teeth even further.

    ¡°What¡ª¡± he uttered.

    ¡°Die! Stop your questions and DIE! You¡¯ll finally get what you deserve¡­¡±

    Having no options left, Adam looked up at the shimmering green aurora that loomed high up the Node. Despite the instinctive urge to look away, he thought of the disaster of Ziecherhein, of Alef, and all the other brave people who had died instead of him. That he had dared to survive. He shivered as he embraced the knife of guilt that pierced his soul. I WILL redeem myself!

    Barely able to see through the blood flowing down his face, Adam roared with all the self-hatred he had inside of him. As his left heart screeched Schultora¡¯s name, his Invocation scraped his veins from the inside, damaging his flesh. It burned like savage abrasions all through his body. However, freshly extracted Inner Fire converged in his arms. Gritting his teeth in the titanic effort, Adam pushed Desdemona¡¯s clawed hand and snarling mouth back.

    ¡°YOU FAILED!¡± Desdemona screeched, her face torn in a mixture of pain and intense rage. Veins and tendons bulged all over her red-hot, muscular body. The blind fury seemed to empower her, making her able to return Adam¡¯s force in full. ¡°Despite all your damned ¡®research,¡¯ Zachalynn had to¡ª¡±

    From the corner of his eye, Adam saw two massive tentacles of the Root monster near them. ¡°Watch out!¡± he screamed. ¡°GET BACK!¡±

    Desdemona sprang up and Adam slipped away to dodge.

    The giant appendages¡ªmade of tree trunks, bodies of Roots, and vines¡ªswung straight towards them. Adam sprinted as the guilt made way for fear, and he embraced it. Let it keep me alive. Reflexively, he turned his attention inwards and felt the mark of Osaehin flare up. Held in the tight grip of unnaturally enhanced terror, his body glowed in yellowish light. Nimble as a summer fly and light as a hummingbird, he jumped off the pyramid in the nick of time. The massive tentacle crashed into the stone blocks, sending intricately decorated rubble flying. Desdemona had leapt to dodge, but one of the vines managed to grab her ankle. She hissed curses as it yanked her away through the air.

    Adam soared down through the air alongside the outstretched limb of the Root monster. Far away, the floor of the Node edged closer. Although he¡¯d dropped from quite a height after Desdemona¡¯s kick, it was nothing compared to the long distance between him and the shallow water down below. Pure, condensed fear rushed through his veins and gripped his throat, making his breath come short and shallow. Reflexively, his senses pulled his attention to spots where he could hold on to, hide, or do anything necessary to survive.

    Adam stretched out his hands to a loose vine that hung from the tentacle. The muscles in his arm trembled in the effort to hold on and reduce his velocity, but the vine snapped off. His eyes darted towards the next spot. A mass of Roots with interlocked arms and legs formed the side of the monster. Adam grabbed them, desperate as a baby monkey clinging to its mother. However, due to his momentum, the Roots he held on to ripped loose from their formation and fell down with him. Without a thought, Adam pushed one of the shrieking Roots away in mid-air.

    The awfully shallow water at the bottom of the pyramid was close now. Letting his instincts guide him, Adam took his posture. Like a salmon from a waterfall, like a sea eagle catching prey¡­

    Adam hit the water from an angle, protecting his head with his arms. Pain surged through him, but he¡¯d decreased the velocity of his fall enough to survive. He rolled over the bottom and bumped into a body of some sort. A fish or a combatant, he wasn¡¯t sure.

    He rose from the water, gasping for air. Wild-eyed, he panted and stared around with utter disbelief that he¡¯d survived somehow.

 Chapter 60 â€“ An Illusion of Camaraderie

    Chapter 60 ¨C An Illusion of Camaraderie

    Wide-eyed, Adam tried to get out of the water of Ziecherhein¡¯s Node. Gripped by the fear from Osaehin¡¯s Invocation, thoughts of panic flashed through Adam¡¯s mind. How the humongous Root would squish him like a bug. However, above all, it was the damned water. The uncaring mass of liquid misery that waited to suffocate him.

    Enough! This won¡¯t help me! He took deep breaths. Waves of merciless headache battered temples as his eyes flicked restlessly between the water and the furious fight of the Roots and Thalers. Panicked memories bubbled up, like how his lungs had burned in the need for air, long ago, and how he¡¯d even accepted his fate. Once.

    But not today.

    He kept taking slow breaths. Do it for Eric, do it for Catherine. Come on, you stupid sack of¡­ No. He exhaled deeply, trying to release the anger at himself with it. And finally, when he was only waist-high in the water, he broke the hold of fear after a final push with all his willpower. The yellowish glow disappeared, along with its drain on his Inner Fire.

    Although his limbs were still shaky, he was finally able to think somewhat clearly and looked at the chaos around him. The enormous Root monster continued its rampage, but there was no sign of Desdemona. Up on the pyramid, he saw some vague flashes of bluish-white that looked like Novaseering. There was no telling if it was caused by Emily or Oliver, or if it came from Thalers, though.

    What he was quite sure of, was that something was flying right at him. A certain something bluish near the side of the pyramid reflected the green light of the patterned trails in the ground. When recognition hit him, he tried to scramble out of the water in time.

    It was Caine. Apparently, he was able to fly on a diamond-shaped plateau of Ironglass that used wide wings of Marrow, like an improvised version of an Aerial Aegis. Panting and bloody, with a familiar green chain wrapped around his torso, Caine soared with an impressive speed. A bit too fast for Adam¡¯s liking, even.

    Adam swallowed. His mind raced about how he could get close to Caine since the damned water slowed him down and prevented him from jumping.

    All too soon, Caine was flying circles high above Adam and formed three harpoons of Marrow. Seeing no alternative, Adam growled in reluctance and dove low into the water. With a raw battle cry, Caine fired his Invocations.

    Gasping for air, Adam burst out of the water. As if he held up the ugliest, grumpiest dog in history, he raised a squirming, scythe-armed Root above his head; the same one he had bumped into when he had fallen down. Harpoon after harpoon thudded into the Root¡¯s body while Adam was using it as a living shield. Adam roared as he ran towards Caine, lifting the crumbling Root for protection. The spears dissolved as Caine prepared a new attack. But Adam wasn¡¯t planning on playing a sitting duck; he broke the gnarly scythe from the Root¡¯s arm and threw it.

    Caine¡¯s mouth twitched before he swiftly tried to move his makeshift Aegis out of the way. However, the scythe hit the Invocation¡¯s left wing and shattered it, sending shards of brittle Marrow flying. The Aegis spun out of control and crashed into a strip of dry land. With only a hastily conjured barrier of Ironglass to protect him from the impact, Caine rolled over between the crumbled remains of his Aegis.

    Adam discarded the remains of the Root and charged out of the water.

    Bruised and panting, with one arm hanging limply, Caine stood up. He reached inside his coat and pulled out a bronze symbol. Adam gasped when he recognized the symbol a little too well. The construct with hooks, arches and serrated edges, within two concentric circles, was similar to the one the giant had used on him and Emily.

    Shit.

    Caine aimed the symbol right at Adam, mumbling unintelligible words in his Invocation of Reminiscence. The symbol glowed brighter and brighter, gathering nasty green bolts of energy. Adam dashed away, his mind racing for what to do, but there was no way he¡¯d be in time to evade this attack.

    Finally, he crossed his forearms in front of his head, right before a crackling beam of white-hot energy hit them. What seemed like bolts of lightning surged through his body like wildfire, lighting up all around him. Adam screamed. High and guttural. His muscles convulsed, burned, and tore in the brutal pain.

    However, Adam refused to go down.

    He locked eyes with his former friend as the Invocation continued, and screamed like a horrid beast. Despite the horrible convulsions, his left heart beat louder than ever, sending out all the heat he had inside of him. The Inner Fire fought the electrified Origin all over his body as he forced his legs to keep moving forward.

    ¡°Why?!¡± Caine hissed through gritted teeth, beads of blood dripping down his face. ¡°Why. Don¡¯t. You. Stay. DOWN!¡±

    A fresh, even stronger surge of power shook Adam¡¯s limbs, he howled in agony but kept on moving nonetheless. He saw before his mind¡¯s eye how Emily, Oliver, and himself had struggled through the Realm. How they had fought the peacock, the Roots, the Thalers, the Giant. All because of one man. Adam roared in unending rage as he forced his body beyond its limits, having long lost the feeling in the arms he kept crossed before him in vain protection. He could barely breathe as his chest refused to move. The muscles in his legs almost seemed to rip in the effort.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Still, he walked on, step by bloody step.

    Caine¡¯s face paled; fear replaced the perseverance in his eyes.

    ¡°Time to face the consequences!¡± Adam laughed like a maniac, drunk with pain. Caine¡¯s Invocation became unstable, its power dampening or increasing at unpredictable intervals. Bolts of lightning forked off, hitting the ground at random. Feeling the moment, Adam gathered Inner Fire into his numb arms. When Caine¡¯s beam weakened again, Adam growled and spread his arms, splitting Caine¡¯s Invocation in two. The remaining, crackling energy harmlessly surged past Adam as he moved forward.

    Adam raised his fist. His vision grew blurry while he neared Caine.

    The Fell-handed bastard conjured a small field of Gaolom right beneath Adam¡¯s foot. He stumbled, feeling something crack in his ankle. However, he barely felt it through the pain that ravaged his entire body. Grunting in bitter perseverance, his mind barely able to form coherent thoughts, he hobbled onwards.

    Caine¡¯s mouth opened as if he wanted to speak.

    Too. Late.

    With lurching and wobbling steps, Adam got close enough. Uttering a hoarse excuse of a scream, he raised his fist and punched his former friend in the jaw with all the strength he had left in him. Bone crunched, and Caine¡¯s head bobbed backwards before he fell down in the dirt.

    Adam tried to follow up but his left leg didn¡¯t work. Huh, that¡¯s weird. Before he knew what happened, Adam¡¯s chin hit the hard ground. He panted deeply, his lungs burning in pain. His body felt impossibly heavy, numb with soreness. His left heart felt utterly exhausted. In front of him, Caine lay on the ground, splattered by the rain. His bronze symbol was gone.

    ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Adam asked with slurred words, his lips moving with difficulty. ¡°Why did you Taint my family?¡±

    Caine bared his teeth. ¡°Eat shit!¡± he made jerking movements with his fingers, as if trying to Novaseer, but apparently he didn¡¯t have the strength to properly lift them. He turned his face to the right and glared at Adam. ¡°There¡¯s no one to manipulate, Adam! No Emily, no Oliver, it¡¯s just us. So, tell me!¡± Caine hissed with a hoarse voice. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°To go home!¡± Adam said, trying to drag himself towards Caine. ¡°Out of this shithole inside your head! To get my family back! To¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Caine spat, his face wrinkled in frustration. A red swelling grew where Adam had hit him. ¡°I¡¯m sick of your damned lies!¡± He grunted, trying to roll over.

    ¡°You just wait, I¡¯ll make you sick all right¡­¡± Adam growled.

    As he tried to crawl, he saw how Oliver used Ironglass chains to swing and evade the great Root monster¡¯s attacks. Adam groaned, in his current, broken state, there was no chance he¡¯d be able to help Oliver. As Oliver desperately ducked beneath one of the giant tentacles, the titanic monster crushed Thalers near it with terrifying ease. From this point of view, Adam saw how other trunks and vines that grew from the great Root¡¯s body led into the openings of tunnels. Tunnels that led further into the Realm. That thing is connected to the other Nodes and is bigger than any other Root creature we¡¯ve seen. If we can kill it somehow, would all the thorn bushes and all connected to it die? Wait¡­

    Adam¡¯s eyes swivelled from the monster to Caine and back. He remembered how all the Overgrowth was connected to each other. How the Thalers tried to understand the infection of the Roots, which was so new to them. How the Roots had infested Catherine¡¯s Node and walked around in the chambers of the library. How they wrote in the books, and so, adjusted Caine¡¯s memories. While they left other chambers in the pyramid, entire Nodes, untouched.

    ¡°You¡¯re Tainted,¡± Adam said, staring wildly at Caine. It was unreal, impossible. Yet it all made sense. ¡°The Overgrowth and the Roots aren¡¯t a psychological problem like the Thuraum, they are the Taint. They spread across the Realm of Remembrance, trying to invade specific Nodes. And when they reach a library, they try to adjust parts of the memory.¡±

    Caine wiped the rain from his face with a shivering hand. ¡°What? Of course I¡¯m damn Tainted! What are you trying to¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been Tainted as well!¡± Adam said, pointing a quivering finger at himself as his mind raced for the implications. Although parts of him tried to cling to the hatred, doubt and confusion took over. ¡°I can¡¯t remember so many things, like how to use Reminiscence!¡±

    Caine opened his mouth, his face torn with fury, but Adam was faster. ¡°I haven¡¯t used any damned Reminiscence on you! I just gave everything I had in our fight, risking my own life! Why would I hold back?¡±

    Caine gaped, clearly lost for words for a moment. For the first time in years, Adam and Caine truly looked each other in the eyes. Adam saw the man who had struggled with the Starwing Order led by Zachalynn. Who had resisted the temptations of the Pure. He saw the man who persevered despite his traumas. Who had lived with Adam in the Badger, who had once played with him in the streets of Gotterburg, who had taught him to read and had paid Adam¡¯s tuition for him, so he could chase his dreams. For the first time in forever, Adam truly saw his old friend again. And in Caine¡¯s hurt, yellow eyes lay disbelief, confusion, and pain for all that had happened.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do this,¡± Adam said with a shiver in his voice. The words broke the foundation of hatred, of anger inside him. He looked at Caine¡¯s battered body and the red swelling on his jaw. I¡¯m so sorry.

    ¡°Neither did you,¡± Caine¡¯s voice was dry and hoarse, and his eyebrows furrowed in astonishment. ¡°But who did?¡± He swallowed and looked away with a guilty expression. ¡°Emily damn hates me.¡±

    Adam frowned. ¡°She lied to me about being a Pendulum, but that just means she¡¯s on the same team as you. One where¡­ both Insticas and Novaseers are welcome.¡± Adam¡¯s brows furrowed. Huh, that doesn¡¯t sound all that bad, actually. ¡°But Emily wasn¡¯t there when we fought in your house, so...¡±

    Realisation kicked in. Who hated Instinct, but was always eager to learn more about Reminiscence? Who pushed Adam in trying to remember as much as he could and to ¡®share knowledge?¡¯ Who had ¡®followed¡¯ Adam to visit Caine¡¯s house, helped him escape and brought him to the Starwing Grove so they were transported to Caine¡¯s Realm? Who had always been first to hate on Caine with every memory they saw, explaining them as the steps by which Caine became ¡®the fiend he is today?¡¯ Adam remembered what Caine accused Adam of: entering Caine¡¯s Realm to learn more about Reminiscence. The supposed key to winning the Civil War. It dawned on Adam who had convinced him, in the room with the Thalers and Thuraum, that he¡¯d do all it took to win his war. The one who had said the bitter reality of war leaves no room for naivety.

    Adam felt the blood drain from his face. He shivered from head to toe. Feelings of friendship yelled at him it couldn¡¯t be true, that there must be a mistake. No¡­ no, no, NO! This can¡¯t be!

 Chapter 61 â€“ A Shattering of Friendship

    Chapter 61 ¨C A Shattering of Friendship

    At the same time, without uttering a word, Adam and Caine craned their necks to where Oliver fought the Root monster. He looked back when he saw Adam and Caine, lying on the ground in front of each other, without fighting. They stared at him in utter disbelief.

    Oliver¡¯s expression switched to an icy calmness. ¡®He¡¯s a good actor,¡¯ Emily¡¯s voice echoed in Adam¡¯s head. ¡®He even did espionage missions.¡¯ Oliver spoke words Adam couldn¡¯t hear and the Root monster froze in its tracks. Instead of attacking, it gently picked Oliver up and placed him on the petals of the massive flower on top of its body. After a dismissive wave of Oliver¡¯s hand, the monster whipped out two massive tentacles towards Adam and Caine.

    Adam gaped at the sight; his body was frozen in pure shock. ¡°No, Oliver, after all we¡­¡± Adam stammered softly. ¡°Why?¡±

    Caine turned over and started crawling away. ¡°Adam, wake up! We need to leave, now!¡±

    Adam saw his body move alongside Caine, the man he had hated only minutes ago. It was surreal, like a dream, as if Adam saw a memory happen before him. Barely conscious, his mind numb and slow, Adam pulled himself forward over the wet ground. A gaping wound, an abyss of sorrow, had opened in the place where Oliver¡¯s friendship used to be.

    Adam remembered the dream where he had hugged Caine until he felt the daggers in his back. Only this time, it was Oliver who stabbed him. Oliver smiled at Adam before his mind¡¯s eye. ¡®Aves knows you aren¡¯t perfect. But I believe you, buddy. And I¡¯m with you to the end,¡¯ the bastard¡¯s voice echoed in Adam¡¯s mind.

    Shadows of tentacles covered Adam and Caine as they crawled. Adam elbowed forward, gritting his teeth in his attempt to ignore the gruelling pain. But I¡¯m so tired¡­ His arms weighed like lead; his legs screamed at him to stop.

    When the massive limb came for Adam, he was barely able to roll away. He lifted his arms to defend himself, but it was all in vain. The Overgrowth vines and thorn bushes that made up the tentacle snaked their way around his ankles, knees, neck, and arms. Adam grunted in pointless defiance, but his arms were pressed to his back as a thick mass of vegetation bound him. Beside him, Caine was lifted upside-down by his ankle before the vines bound him as well.

    Slowly, the tentacles moved Adam and Caine towards the flower on top of the monster¡¯s body, on which Oliver stood. Another mass of branches and thorns held Emily, red-faced in fury and gagged with purple leaves. There was no sign of Desdemona.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Oliver said with a blissful haze in his blue eyes.

    ¡°Miserable piece of shit!¡± Caine spat, his face almost purple with rage. ¡°You Tainted both of us! You turned us against each other and planned all of this!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I planned it for years, dreaming about this exact moment,¡± Oliver said calmly. ¡°You¡¯re an irrational, unpredictable bunch of pellet-headed idiots, so I had to improvise a lot along the way. But I did it. Caine, you finally turned up at the right spot in the Realm. And all of you tired yourself out way too much by fighting each other, handing me the perfect opportunity on a silver platter.¡± His chest rose with pride when he inhaled as if savouring a well-deserved moment of glory. ¡°I won.¡±

    ¡°You won?!¡± Adam screamed. ¡°You stabbed us all in the back! You tore apart all the bonds we had! And for what? You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Silence them,¡± Oliver said, with a grin on his reddened face.

    The vines that bound Adam tightened while thorned, purple leaves gagged him. His screams were muffled, so he vainly bit into the leaves with all the strength he had left.

    ¡°Peace and quiet,¡± Oliver whispered. He smiled in a mix of euphoria and manic rage. ¡°And now, for the first time since our childhood, the lot of you will listen to me for once. To silly, short, stupid Oliver! The perpetual victim of all your dumb jokes! Funny, huh, to ridicule me all the time, like your stupid prank in the stables? Hilarious, to break down my every chance for a bit of status! Every single one of you always looked down on me; being better at fighting, better at love, better at careers, better at everything! But not anymore...¡±

    He beckoned at Caine to come closer. Caine tried to wrestle free, but the vines held him tight as a vice and brought him forward.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Oliver breathed, mere inches from Caine¡¯s trembling face. ¡°To not succeed for once, ¡®Mr. Gifted?¡¯ Our very own ¡®prodigy,¡¯ bah! You never had to struggle to succeed. You¡¯re just a gifted piece of shit with rich parents, that couldn¡¯t bat his eyes without rising ranks within the Starwing Order.¡± Oliver¡¯s smile tore with rage. ¡°Arrogant swine! Every day you reminded us of all your great achievements, knowing perfectly well that I grovelled in the dirt! Scrambling for mere change! And the one time I had someone who loved me¡­¡± Oliver¡¯s purple face trembled as he got even closer. ¡°You remember Erica, don¡¯t you, from back when we were eighteen? Don¡¯t lie¡­¡± Almost tenderly, Oliver lifted Caine¡¯s chin. ¡°I saw you two in your memories of the Green Hare.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Oliver started screaming in a high pitch, his eyes bulging in fury as he punched Caine in the face. In his howl, he spewed out what seemed like years of delusional, bottled-up rage and kept hitting Caine wherever he could with wild, unpractised swings. ¡°She. Was. MINE. You. ASSHOLE!¡± Oliver screamed between punches. Caine scrunched up his face in pain and grunted. ¡°For ONCE I had someone to call my own! Did it feel better than all your other women, huh? To steal one behind my back?!¡± Oliver screeched. ¡°Oh! But luckily, I had a good ¡®friend¡¯ who knew all along!¡±

    At Oliver¡¯s gesture, the vines yanked Adam towards him. Adam squirmed and wriggled, trying to find an opening, a chance to get free, but the vines were too tight. Oliver¡¯s fist hit Adam on the nose, on his temple, and in his stomach. ¡°Too bad you forgot to tell me!¡± Oliver screamed between his panting, the blue vein on his forehead almost seemed to burst with fury.

    Oliver grabbed Adam by the hair. ¡°Oh, does it hurt? Is our big man not strong enough?¡±

    In Adam¡¯s fury, he felt the blood rush to his face. He bit the gag of vines and leathery leaves as hard as his exhausted body allowed. His eyes bored into Oliver¡¯s with all the pain, all the hate he had inside him.

    Oliver stared right back and got even closer. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d beat you, eh? The one you never bothered to tell about Reminiscence, while you¡¯ve taught Caine all about it.¡± He backhanded Adam hard enough to make him momentarily see yellow flashes. ¡°See where your damned Forbidden Arts have gotten you? I told you so often. At every turn, I tried to save you because I¡¯ve seen you go down that path before, to your own destruction. Do you know what that¡¯s like? To be powerless to save someone you truly care about?¡± Oliver¡¯s lips formed a thin line after he spoke the words. Old pain lay behind the furious eyes. ¡°That you didn¡¯t Believe, risking the world¡¯s destruction, was horrendous enough. but to blow up Ziecherhein, the holiest site of Aves¡­¡± Oliver closed his eyes and shuddered. ¡°Indescribable. And then, I brought you here. The perfect opportunity to learn about Reminiscence! To remember all you once knew. And what do you do? Turn back to the Forbidden Arts and the same mistakes!¡±

    With a burst of strength, Adam¡¯s teeth cut through parts of the tough vines. Without a chance to spit them out, he swallowed the bitter vegetation. ¡°You never cared about¡ª¡±

    Fresh vines and leaves bound his mouth again. Adam groaned and struggled, but it was futile.

    Oliver laughed humourlessly. ¡°You knew I was going to ask out Emily! You promised you wouldn¡¯t go after her! And who do I see snuggling so closely in the Green Hare?¡±

    Caine gave Adam a surprised, indignant look at that.

    ¡°You actually believed you were married, and you still did it!¡± Oliver bellowed.

    Adam was stunned. He even seized his attempts to bite through the vines. A cold weight seemed to grow in his stomach as his mind struggled to process what Oliver had just said. ¡®Believed?!¡¯ No. No, no, no, you can¡¯t mean...

    ¡°Oh, Catherine is married to Caine,¡± Oliver said matter-of-factly. ¡°Sham of a damned relationship, but it¡¯s true. Truly fascinating what the Taint can do, huh? Try to deny you deserved it, I wonder what the soldiers who died in Ziecherhein would think of it.¡±

    Adam was too stunned to struggle. He remembered how Catherine didn¡¯t recognize him and fought to protect her child. How she had a tattoo he didn¡¯t recognize. How Adam had trouble remembering the little things together, that his memories about her and Eric felt tampered with. They were tampered with, they were all fake. I¡­ Adam remembered Eric¡¯s smile when Adam supposedly sang him a happy birthday song.

    Caine looked at Adam with a pitying, apologetic expression. It¡¯s true. He knows I¡¯ve been Tainted to believe otherwise. I¡¯m¡­ alone.

    Something broke inside of Adam. For so long he¡¯d persevered, struggling despite all the pain and hardships. To save his family, to see them smiling at him again. Only to find out they had never smiled at him at all. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. The grim realization set in that he had nothing to go back to, nothing but regrets and darkness.

    Oliver turned away from Adam, letting the Root monster drag him away with an absent-minded wave of his hand. Then, he turned to Emily.

    For a while, Oliver just stood there, staring at Emily in silence, as she tried to squirm away.

    Oliver spoke softly, with a quiver in his pale lips, ¡°I would have given you the world. Everything you ever wanted.¡± Oliver swallowed noisily. ¡°I planned out every letter, writing and rewriting them a thousand times. To get them perfect. Hoping my words could give you a glimpse of all you mean to me.¡± He shivered, and a familiar blue vein bulged on his forehead. ¡°How often I¡¯ve dreamed about you. How many hours I watched you, admired you from the shadows, these past years.¡±

    Emily stopped her struggle for a moment. She stared at him with utter astonishment in her wide-open eyes.

    ¡°What? It was to keep you safe!¡± Oliver bit off the words. ¡°Zachalynn didn¡¯t trust you so she wanted you gone! So, I did all I could to keep you from harm, to gather proof you weren¡¯t a Pendulum.¡± He closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°I was so¡­ disappointed. You just blindly followed your brother all along.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed in rage. She screamed at him through her gags and struggled despite all the new branches that grew around her to keep her still.

    ¡°The truth hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Oliver whispered. Then he clenched his hands, his reddened face torn with rage. ¡°But how much do you think it hurt me, to see you with men who didn¡¯t deserve you? To watch in the shadows during your dates, telling myself you didn¡¯t know better. After all I¡¯ve done for you! After the promotions I arranged for you within the Starwing Order! After I showered you with letters, attention, and compliments! And then you dare turn your back on me and go with mindless muscle-heads who treat you like shit?¡± He panted, his throat quivering in indignation. ¡°I EARNED YOU!¡± he howled at the top of his voice, eyes bulging.

    Silence fell over them. The only sounds were the vague clatter of rain and the distant fight between the Roots and the Thalers.

    Even though the endless loss and the shock of what Oliver had become hadn¡¯t subsided, fury took over within Adam. He struggled against the vines with trembling muscles. Once again, he bit the vines with all he had, eating through out of pure necessity. Earned?! She¡¯s not a possession! She¡¯s not some coat or rank you can buy or earn! She¡¯s a human being!

 Chapter 62 - A Plot of Envy

    Chapter 62 -  A Plot of Envy

    The flame of Adam¡¯s motivation had flickered upon learning Cath and Eric had never been his family. That he was alone. That those he fought so hard to see again had never been waiting for him at all.

    Now, Adam¡¯s drive flared up again. Bright like a searing inferno. Borne anew by a new sense of purpose: to save Caine and Emily from the demented fiend that Oliver had become.

    Adam¡¯s mind raced for a way out. He remembered the sequence of events since he had gotten back to Gotterburg. Although he used to be convinced Caine was behind everything, he pulled the chain of cause and effect apart and tried to reconnect it in a way that made sense.

    ¡°All of you women are just the same!¡± Oliver sneered at Emily. ¡°All of you just play with the feelings of honest men! In all those years, you knew how I felt, but chose to toy with me, leading me on, never being clear on what you wanted so you could get more out of me! I loved Erica with all my heart, but she just left me for someone more popular. And Zachalynn¡­¡± Oliver shivered in anger. A jealous and bitter man; one that Adam had never expected to hide inside his old buddy. A lonely, childish one, and more dangerous than Adam had ever realised.

    Adam finally bit through the second batch of leaves and vines and swallowed them, ignoring the bitter taste. ¡°You worked with the Starwing Order for all of this, didn¡¯t you? Can¡¯t imagine the Starwing Grove of Gotterburg to be empty by chance. Or that it happened to have an Invocation ready to bring us to Caine¡¯s Realm.¡±

    Oliver cocked his head aside. His chest swelled with pride. ¡°I received approval, yes. But I wrote and executed all the plans.¡±

    ¡°And it was all about Reminiscence: the key to winning the war against the Penduli.¡± Adam laughed. ¡°You were so focused on the disaster of Ziecherhein because you wanted to replicate that Invocation and use it as a weapon. You never cared about retrieving my memories for me, you fished for the forgotten knowledge of my research! Which means¡­¡± Adam frowned as his mind raced. ¡°After Ziecherhein, I had forgotten so much. But it wasn¡¯t you who erased those memories.¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smile betrayed how much he liked the recognition for his scheme. ¡°It¡¯s this analytic ability of yours I counted on. When I found out you survived Ziecherhein, your memories of many things like Reminiscence, the Forbidden Arts, and the Siege of Ziecherhein were already gone. Priceless knowledge locked away behind the Mask of Silence. But I would get it back, one way or another.¡±

    Adam¡¯s mind worked overtime. The Mask of Silence¡­ is that inside the Realm? I¡¯ve seen how memories are stored in the libraries. But I have remembered multiple things I had forgotten before; how would that work?

    In a flash, Adam remembered how familiar Oliver¡¯s whip had been. The one Oliver had conjured to use on the Thaler. How Adam had felt an instinctive pang of fear when he saw it. ¡°You weren¡¯t subtle when you interrogated me, were you?¡± Adam growled through gritted teeth.

    ¡°What was I supposed to do, let the authorities execute you again for being ¡®dangerous?¡¯ ¡± Oliver scrunched up his face and raised his hands in endless frustration. ¡°If you¡¯d only remember, you imbecile, I could prove you were useful to them! I did everything I could to make sure you survived! You should thank me; I took extra care in deleting those memories. And that sack of meat you call a body healed anyway. Do you think it was easy for me to do it, to hurt you? Would you rather have been dead, huh?¡±

    Adam barked a savage laugh. ¡°Oh, indeed, you¡¯re totally the victim over here. I¡¯d fall on my knees in gratitude if you hadn¡¯t tied me up! So, when all your interrogation didn¡¯t work, you planned to bring us here instead. To force us to learn about Reminiscence in order to escape Caine¡¯s Realm. To learn all that Caine knew about it. You made me want to remember what I had forgotten and bring it back from behind this ¡®Mask of Silence.¡¯ All to save a family you made me believe I had.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    A smile of sweet satisfaction spread over Oliver¡¯s face. ¡°And it worked like clockwork. You see, Adam, bringing back forgotten memories is very hard to do, even with Reminiscence. It¡¯s difficult to force someone to remember where they left their keys, right?¡± He laughed. ¡°So, I figured the best chance for you to remember would be if you wanted to yourself.¡± Oliver leaned in towards Adam with an enthusiastic glint in his eyes, as if he was all excited to share and discuss new findings with him. ¡°No better motivation than some internal drive with a little external pressure, right? While your friends were there to support you. And we were there for each other while we learned the workings of the Realm, together. I had already suspected Caine to have been part of the Emerald Circle. And then, Caine confirmed it by somehow being able to partially resist my Taint, so I knew he had secrets on Reminiscence that I didn¡¯t. However, inside Caine¡¯s Realm of Remembrance, all knowledge necessary for me to acquire would be on a platter. All the sensitive info on the damned Penduli wouldn¡¯t hurt either, of course.¡±

    ¡°Proud of it, aren¡¯t you?¡± Adam asked, drenching every word in venom. ¡°Sickening the minds of those who trusted you. Make old friends fight each other.¡± Adam spat at Oliver¡¯s feet. ¡°And now? You¡¯ll deliver us to Zachalynn so she can give you a pat on the head? Was a bigger badge on your chest worth it?¡±

    Oliver narrowed his eyes at Adam, seeming rather disappointed. After a gesture of his hand, purple leaves of the overgrowth cleaned away the spit. ¡°You¡¯re so ungrateful. Always been, really. And na?ve for being blind to the bigger picture. Don¡¯t you see I saved the three of you from the wrath of the Starwing Order? They would¡¯ve executed or assassinated all three of you if I hadn¡¯t intervened!¡±

    Before Adam could answer, new vines from the Root Behemoth grew around his jaw and head to clamp it shut from the outside, preventing him from eating through.

    ¡°But it hardly matters, right?¡± Oliver chuckled humourlessly. ¡°Because it was I that did it. Silly, stupid Oliver, why would anyone take him seriously.¡± He sighed deeply and his head drooped. ¡°How long it took me before I realised your mistakes. All of your messed-up decisions that traumatised me, the stupid man that no one listened to. But not anymore; I¡¯ve grown as a person. While the three of you messed around and caused chaos, I was the only one brave enough to do what is necessary. I don¡¯t need Reminiscence as a weapon, nor was Reminiscence a goal in itself. It is a tool. And I gather knowledge about it whatever way I can, for the greater good.

    Oliver clenched his hand into a fist. ¡°There is so much pain in this world. Suffering, hatred, and¡­ sin. Aves knows I¡¯ve seen it. Heretics like the Penduli roam free and the Mist is covering the world faster than ever. How long do you think it¡¯ll take before everything we love and cherish is gone? How long before the surviving humans are huddled together, waiting for their demise on the only strip of land that is left, enclosed on all sides by the walls of the all-consuming white dread? But you should understand. I¡¯m not the only one who has lost loved ones to the Mist.¡± Oliver looked at Adam. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what truly happened to your mother?¡±

    Adam¡¯s furious eyes bored into Oliver¡¯s. How dare you¡­

    ¡°Getting angry will help no one,¡± Oliver said, not impressed in the slightest. ¡°Have you ever considered we could actually do something about it? Reminiscence must be the key. If we explore its secrets together, backed by the Starwing Order, the four of us could learn to understand and clear the Mist! Not only that; by using Reminiscence within the Order, we can make a new world together. A safe and peaceful one for all future generations.

    Oliver sighed as he walked amidst his struggling former friends. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten what the three of you have done to me. Yet, you have been my partners in paradise as well. I¡­ treasure the good times we¡¯ve had. I missed them, actually. The banter, the parties, or the times I¡¯ve laughed so hard I got tears in my eyes.¡± With a sad smile, he took a deep breath.

    ¡°I have an offer, now that you understand what I¡¯m capable of. Now that you realise I won¡¯t tolerate any ridicule, insubordination, or disagreement.¡± Oliver said with a dignified tone, lifting his chin. ¡°However, in the name of our old friendship, I will have mercy on you. In return, you will atone for all you¡¯ve done to me. And together, we will relive the good times again.¡± A hopeful glint shimmered in Oliver¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ha, without the mistakes of the past, the new times will be even better! And with our combined skills, we can make this world a paradise, as we¡¯ve always been fated to do. What do you say?¡±

    With a gesture from Oliver, the vines and leaves that covered the mouths of Adam, Caine, and Emily released. All three of them yelled together.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE SICK IN THE HEAD! YOU CAN¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªPSYCHOPATIC PIECE OF SHIT! HOW DARE¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªYOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND! HOW COULD YOU¡ª¡±

    The leaves slapped around their mouths, silencing them once again. Oliver sighed, looking mildly disappointed. ¡°I figured as much. That you weren¡¯t ready to see the truth. But don¡¯t worry, the Taint will make you agree with me soon enough.¡± He beckoned at Emily and the vines brought her closer. ¡°And you will be first. I hoped you¡¯d realise yourself that we belong together, but you left me no other choice.¡±

 Chapter 63 â€“ A Core of Infestation

    Chapter 63 ¨C A Core of Infestation

    Adam almost felt his muscles tear in the struggle to stop this monster, Oliver, from getting closer to Emily. With his greedy, hungry eyes fixed on Emily, Oliver slowly walked towards her. Ready to apply the Taint.

    Emily tried to tear free with all her might; tendons stuck out in her neck in the effort. ¡°NO! You Fell-handed swine, let me go! You can burn with your twisted¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Roots and Overgrowth are the Taint!¡± Adam screamed.

    ¡°The Thalers in your Realm can share your knowledge!¡± Caine yelled. ¡°Make them find the¡ªhmpf¡­¡± Vines and leaves slapped around the mouths of Adam and Caine.

    ¡°Silence,¡± Oliver hissed. ¡°You can¡¯t ruin this for me. This one beautiful moment in my life.¡±

    Emily clenched her eyes shut and bared her teeth in desperate concentration.

    Oliver swallowed. His lips shivered as his eyes were fixed on Emily. ¡°You never let me touch you, not even a handshake, so I could never Taint you. I could¡¯ve done it in your sleep, of course. But that wouldn¡¯t have been right for a decent man. Now, however¡­¡± Slowly, he brushed the back of his clammy fingers against her cheek. On one of his silver rings, supposed to honour Aves, a new symbol lit up in green: a hieroglyph of Reminiscence. A symbol Adam had never noticed as he never expected anything new or different to be there on the traditional rings.

    Feeling his face redden in the effort, Adam tried everything he could to rip loose. He ignored the strange, hot pain and the nauseous feeling in his stomach from eating the leaves. Beside him, Caine¡¯s purple face was scrunched up in sheer effort as he struggled, but his fingers were bound so he was unable to use Invocations.

    Emily¡¯s face shivered in her silent scream. Oliver watched her, patiently, as the seconds turned into minutes. The minutes turned into an eternity while Adam tried to pry himself loose.

    Gradually, Emily seemed to relax, although she was still red-faced. She panted and blinked a couple of times. Her hazy eyes seemed to look at the world in a whole different way.

    Memories came back to Adam, how Oliver had embraced him in Gotterburg. How his heart reacted and how foggy his mind used to be afterwards. You bastard! That was when you did it to me! You brainwashed me with a hug?

    ¡°There you are,¡± Oliver whispered. ¡°How do you feel¡­ my beloved?¡±

    Emily blinked and opened her eyes wide at him. She panted softly, seemingly mesmerised as if Oliver¡¯s creepy smile was the most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever seen. Adam¡¯s heart ached and his shoulders slumped in disappointment. He¡¯s got Emily. How¡­ how can we still make it out of here?

    Emily cocked her head a bit and wriggled her shoulders. Not trying to get out, but trying to get closer. The vines and leaves left her mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said, her smouldering eyes never leaving his. ¡°You always have been, how couldn¡¯t I see it?¡± She laughed, shaking her head incredulously. ¡°You¡¯ve always¡­ kept an eye on me,¡± she whispered with a hazy edge in her voice.

    Oliver smiled, squeezing his eyes shut. He sighed in utter bliss. ¡°I did, I¡­ wow.¡± Oliver wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to hear, really,¡± he laughed. With a wave of his hand, the Root monster unleashed Emily.

    She stepped onto the petals on top of the Root Behemoth and rubbed her wrists. ¡°Thanks, you¡¯ve always been so kind to me, so¡­ helpful.¡± She swayed her hips ever so slightly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come a bit closer?¡± she whispered, beckoning him with a finger.

    Eagerly, Oliver stepped forward with a radiant smile on his face, like a boy whose dreams were coming true. ¡°Finally¡­¡± he sighed.

    The corner of Emily¡¯s smile quivered at that. There was the slightest twitch beneath her eyes.

    Mere feet away from her, Oliver suddenly halted and warily narrowed his eyes. Emily¡¯s veil of desire evaporated in an instant as she leapt forward with a furious screech. Oliver raised his arms, causing the Overgrowth to form a shield in front of him. Branches and trunks splintered under Emily¡¯s downward axe kick, but they allowed Oliver to slip away. ¡°DAMN YOU!¡± Emily screamed at the top of her lungs as she fired an unrelenting blast of Shrike, which Oliver blocked with a shield of Ironglass.

    Although Adam¡¯s voice was muffled by the leaves and vines, he roared with endless relief and fury. YES! Get him! Give that twisted maggot what he deserves!

    Tied up like sausages, their voices cut off by the gags, Adam and Caine screamed in encouragement the best they could. Emily¡¯s hoarse voice screeched in blind fury as she unleashed her relentless assault on Oliver. Despite all his plots, he was on the back foot now, hastily defending himself with shields of Ironglass and thick trunks of Overgrowth.

    Caine¡¯s face was almost purple as he cheered for his sister. Adam felt the tendons in his neck bulge as he struggled against his own bindings. To his surprise, his body felt less hurt than it used to; he even felt Inner Fire flow through him again. It wasn¡¯t much, but he was no longer totally depleted. It¡¯s the leaves! I just ate them and my body digested them for Inner Fire!Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Oliver gestured downwards, causing the petals to open up beneath him, and he dropped into the gnarly depths. The Marrow blades at the end of Emily¡¯s Ironglass chains missed him by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡°Grab her!¡± he sneered from deep inside the Root monster as the petals closed the small hole above him.

    The great monster roared like a volcano. Vines and tentacles made of grasping Roots shot out towards Emily. Hissing in fury, she jumped over the first attacks. Twirling in mid-air, she lashed out with her Marrow chain blades and shredded through lianas that tried to take her.

    Her feet touched the surface and she jumped again, right before a mass of thorns shaped like a maw could bite her. With a wave of her arm, she sent one of her blades in Adam¡¯s direction.

    For a moment, he held his breath. However, the blade wasn¡¯t aimed at him; it sliced clean through the trunk that formed the base of all the vines that held him. Adam felt his restraints loosen and he roared like a lion freed from his cage. ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡± He laughed as he tore his crumbling bindings apart.

    ¡°Preaching to the choir,¡± she said absent-mindedly as she ducked beneath a lashing thorn that could¡¯ve taken her head off.

    Adam rolled beneath a gnarled scythe and dashed towards Caine. With a sideways kick, Adam splintered the trunk of the vines that were holding Caine. The vegetation crumbled away from Adam¡¯s old friend. They quickly bumped their left elbows, in the old inside joke they¡¯d once started in the Badger, before Adam pulled him out. ¡°Get over here, you old bastard!¡± Adam laughed. Finally, after all this time, he had his buddy back again.

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait!¡± Caine answered with a wide grin, despite all his abrasions and the swelling on his jaw. He aimed his other hand over Adam¡¯s shoulder and blasted a Root soldier to pieces. ¡°Seriously, how are you still alive after getting distracted so often?¡±

    Emily landed near them. She swung her chain blades and sliced clean through the base of a massive tentacle that itched towards them. ¡°Where¡¯s the traitor?¡± she hissed. ¡°Damn it, we¡¯ll never reach him with this monster and all the Roots still alive!¡±

    Caine squinted in concentration as he gathered Oquira. ¡°To kill them we must destroy the core of my Taint. It¡¯s something that Oliver created when he cast the Invocation on me!¡±

    Adam¡¯s eyes widened as he jumped to dodge thorned vines. ¡°The monster we¡¯re standing on! It¡¯s connected to the Overgrowth in all the tunnels around here, so the core should be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Somewhere inside this heap of garden waste!¡± Caine exclaimed, effortlessly finishing Adam¡¯s sentence.

    Adam roared as he tore vines apart with his bare hands. ¡°Let¡¯s gooo!¡±

    All of the Root monster¡¯s tentacles reached up as the group ran towards the centre of the massive purple flower. Then, the monstrosity froze in its tracks and uttered a high-pitched, disturbing screech.

    On the ground, masses of Thaler soldiers were charging the Root abomination. Units of infantry ran down the pyramid while terror-bird cavalry and swift chariots swarmed towards it from the tunnels.

    ¡°FOR LORD CAINE!¡± the Thalers cried out as one while they hacked into the vines and tree trunks that formed the Root monster¡¯s base. Powerful and huge as it may be, it was forced to direct part of its might to the Thalers as it was attacked from all directions.

    Caine grinned between his panting. ¡°Thought I¡¯d get some reinforcements over here. Now, cover me!¡± He jumped up with his eyes fixed on the central point between the flower petals. Hissing in fury, he fired a two-handed blast of Shrike that left a deep hole in the Behemoth¡¯s malignant body mass.

    Root soldiers, which used to form parts of the Behemoth¡¯s body, rushed towards Caine from the sides. Adam raised his fists and bulled straight towards them. To Adam¡¯s left, Emily panted as she cut through lashing tentacles and thorned vines with her blades of Marrow.

    Caine wobbled on his feet, seeming ready to collapse of exhaustion near the edge of the hole he¡¯d made. ¡°There¡¯s some sort of enchanted shell in there, it probably protects the core!¡± he wheezed with a weak voice. ¡°Could use some help!¡±

    Adam ducked beneath a sideways swipe of a Root before he hurled the stumbling creep over his shoulder. ¡°Emily! Remember the pyramid wall?¡±

    Emily bound several deformed tree trunks together with chains of Ironglass. ¡°Gotcha! Through the hole on three! One!¡±

    Caine squinted as he pushed himself to gather some Oquira again. ¡°What did you do to my pyramid?! Those are important, you know!¡±

    ¡°Two!¡± Adam said as he neared the seared hole. About twenty feet down, a giant nutshell, covered in familiar green symbols, was visible. He gathered the Inner Fire he had left in his left arm.

    Emily leapt towards them, around one hand she¡¯d conjured her fist weapon of Ironglass, covered in shimmering Shrike. ¡°THREE!¡±

    The three friends jumped into the hole before the Behemoth was able to close it.

    Caine fired a two-handed blast of Shrike that struck the nutshell. Adam screamed, raising his white-hot fist just as Emily readied the cold fist weapon with her right hand.

    Right before they landed on the nutshell, Adam and Emily punched down with a deafening crunch. For a split second, the enchanted barrier held. With a metallic groan, the symbols glowed even brighter, but tiny cracks grew between them. The cracks soon turned into a network of fissures throughout the surface. Overwhelmed by the impact, the symbols gave up and dissipated. The broken nutshell crumbled, allowing the three friends to fall through.

    Adam rolled as soon as he hit the bottom of what seemed like a small round room. Wild-eyed and panting, he stared around him. Familiar banners with green symbols stood all around, undoubtedly used to send Commands to Roots. In the centre of it all was a foot-wide symbol made of driftwood, which stood atop a stem that connected it to the Root monster¡¯s body. It was a hooked spiral: the same symbol that adorned both Oliver¡¯s ring and the masks of the Roots.

    Caine groaned and turned over on the ground. With difficulty, Emily pushed herself up with her elbows. Above them, thorned vines reached into the hole and wrapped themselves around Caine.

    Without a thought, Adam bolted towards the symbol, unceremoniously elbowing banners out of the way left and right. As Caine screeched in pain, Adam jumped up and kicked sideways. With a sweet, utterly satisfying crunch, his leg shattered the symbol of the hooked spiral into hundreds of pieces. Bolts of unleashed Origin spread out in all directions and jolted painfully across Adam¡¯s body.

    The vines that held Caine froze in their tracks. In what felt like an earthquake, rumbling shivers seemed to emanate through the Behemoth¡¯s body. The stem that connected the symbol to the rest of the Behemoth died off and crumbled.

    ¡°Get over here before we get buried in the rubble!¡± Emily yelled.