Supreme Magus

3143 True Heir (Part 1)

Ryka wanted to rebuke but discovered that Strider had indeed accessed Vidun's data and then erased his access's logs without updating the case file. A second check proved that Kamila was right beyond even what the Titania's heart could deny.

The Zouwu had shut down his service amulet since the previous day and never updated his status or position. Something that he hadn't done once in the several years they had known each other.

"I understand." Ryka nodded. "I'm sorry for doubting you but this is so absurd that it's hard to believe. Yet you are right. Something fishy is going on. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Kamila massaged her temples, trying to shut down the impulse to punch the Titania to splinters and jog her own memory.

"Zeneka region. Xant is a village in the Zeneka region."

"Where, exactly?" The Titania asked.

"Who do you takefor? A cartographer?" Kamila instinctively tried to call Solus to access Soluspedia and the Tower Warp, feeling a knot in her gut when she realized how powerless she was without Lith or Solus.

"I'm sorry. I was just hoping we could save stime." Ryka raised her hands to calm Kamila down. "Strider erased all the data. I can dig it back out but it's going to take time."

The Titania was still talking when Kamila stopped pressing Lith's rune and called every one of her friends on a conference call. Zoreth, the Ernas girls, Faluel, Protector, all those who knew about the real relationship between Lith and Solus were informed of their disappearance.

People like Vastor and the Royals would have to wait.

"I'm going all out." Zoreth said. "I'll mobilize every informant I have and call you back as soon as I know something. Zoreth out."

The others offered to search for Lith but without a lead or tracking method, exploring the Zeneka region would have taken weeks.

"Stay where you are, please." Kamila said. "I'm too weak to do anything and need you to be ready to intervene the moment Ryka retrieves the case files."

"Is there something I can do, hatchling?" Valtak listened to everything and shared her worries.

"You are still recovering." She shook her head. "I'd rather you rest. Yet if you can call a few Fire Dragons for help, I'd greatly appreciate it."

"I can do that." The Father of Fire nodded as something on the back of his mind made his heartbeat quicken.

He had forgotten about the vision he had received in the Mindscape but those events sounded familiar and he could feel something bad was about to happen.

***

Somewhere on the Garlen continent, Fringe of the World Tree, before V'horr's death.

M'lak crossed the Warp Gate, bringing the unconscious Solus to an empty space inside the World Tree. The Heir of the First Awakened had created a room inside their own body to contain the powers of the tower while the Yggdrasill studied the mystery of the failed imprint.

"I'm back, my Lord." The Chronicler laid Solus down on the ground and fell on his knees, offering the Removal Unit containing the stone ring with both hands. "What are your orders?"

'Take out the tower and imprint it. I need to observe the phenomenon from up close.' The World Tree replied.

M'lak obeyed, slipping the ring on his finger and filling it with pure man. At the stime, the Yggdrasill used their breathing technique, Root Cause, to study the ring, the elf, and Solus down to the cellular level.

The Yggdrasill witnessed M'Lak's mana entering the ring, starting the imprint, and then being rejected due to the presence of the World Tree's essence in his body.

'Mogar's rot! That's how. My bond with my Chroniclers seems to be similar to that of a cursed object and its host. To the tower, people like you and V'horr are already bonded to someone and it refuses your touch.

'This is going to make things a lot more complicated.' The World Tree pondered what to do, yet even with all the knowledge they possessed there was no alternative.

'Only a non-Chronicler can bond with Elphyn Menadion, but that's risky. My elves are just blue-cored Awakened which makes them physically and magically weaker than Elphyn.

'On top of that, without my help, my chosen might lose the battle for control. If Elphyn dominates them, I'd be giving her a host and the means to attempt her escape.'

"What do you wantto do, my Liege?" M'lak asked.

'Wake her up and summon one of my Librarians.' The Yggdrasill replied. 'If M'Rael managed to subdue Elphyn with the little information I gave him, we still have a chance, but we have to move quickly.'

Between the trauma and the broken bond, Solus had lost lots of energy. The World Tree didn't care about her, but they knew that any damage to Solus would be reflected on the tower.

The Yggdrasill hadn't gone to such lengths to capture her just to ruin everything on a whim.

"What? Where am I?" M'lak splashed Solus with cold water and she jumped up to her feet, trying to punch him.

The elf was faster, nimbler, and a much better fighter. He dodged the punch with ease and locked her arm in a submission hold. Before Solus could understand what was happening, she was forced to kneel with her face planted against the ground.

Solus recognized the Tree, the Darwen suit, and her brain connected the dots despite her confusion.

"You fucker! You used the information I gave you while we fought M'Rael together to stage everything. Your Chroniclers stole the Ears of Menadion. You framed Vidun by giving him my mother's grimoire…" Yet something was off.

How could the World Tree plan so far ahead without her noticing a warning sign? Predicting the moves of someone as paranoid as Lith was impossible without an informant on the inside. Someone they trusted.

"Strider! Somehow you convinced Strider to help you. When I get my hands on that bastard, I'm going to skin him alive and use his fur as my bathroom carpet!"

'Brilliant! You are as smart as the chronicles of my predecessor say.' The World Tree chuckled like a collector who had gotten his hands on a unique piece.

"And to think that I felt bad for you. That I considered you a victim of M'Rael's cruelty like me!" Solus struggled, but M'lak only had to adjust his grip to keep her pinned down.

'I was his victim and unlike him, I don't want to hurt you or keep you prisoner forever. I just want your help to learn how to craft a tower as powerful as your mother's. I need it to protect Mogar.' As proof of good faith, the Yggdrasill had M'lak let go of her and handed her the stone ring.

'I've already made you recover the power of the Ears. If you don't believe me, summon the tower and see it for yourself. You need strength, no?' They opened a hole in the wooden floor, giving her access to the ground below and the world energy of the Fringe.