“So.” Ijyela came out of nowhere, and had her arm around her brother’s shoulder now, squeezing him. “What is this one doing to you this time?”
I blinked, surprised to see the elf act this rough. She’d been graceful all the way from since I’d first met her. Seeing her being physically rough with someone seemed…odd.
Heslia tried to squirm out of her hold. “I was simply giving him a gift,” he said. “That’s all this was.”
She looked at me, and I realized a second later that she was actually looking for confirmation that he’d done that. I nodded, and touched the necklace.
“Wow, these two have trust issues, don’t they?” Nyx said.
Well, he did try to kill us about twenty minutes ago.
“That’s a fair point.”
“Stop it.” Heslia groaned, and finally slipped out of his sister’s arm-lock. He turned to me, and bowed once again. “Thank you for saving us, Diablo. I am unsure of whether I would have been left alive if you hadn’t taken down those skeletons.”
I felt guilty taking credit for something I hadn’t done by myself, but I went along with it anyway. Explaining it would be a pain, and might cause some issues too. “It was my pleasure.” I bowed.
Freya was grinning widely when I came back up.
I sighed. She’s going to tease me about this isn’t she?
A Dark Elf came up to us, stopping a few yards away, and said something in a foreign tongue. Heslia turned, nodding, and waved him away. “It seems I must go now,” the elf said. “I will—”
“Hold on, Heslia,” Ijyela grabbed him by his collar.
The elf rolled his eyes. “What now?”
“We have a question for you.”
“We do?” I blinked.
“The oddity,” Freya said.
Completely forgot that, I realized. “But would he know anything about that though?”
Heslia’s eyes narrowed. “An oddity?” His tone changed.
“Do you know something about this then?” Ijyela asked, loosening her grip on his collar.
“Why do you know about such a thing?”
“Nevermind that. Just tell us what you know off.”
The elf hesitated for a few seconds. “It began maybe a month or more ago,” he said. “There is a delta here, called the Sierra Delta. Among the elves it is known to be a place that holds gemstones beneath the surface.”
“What about this delta?” Freya asked.
“Our men were patrolling the place, looking for any gems we could find,” he said. “However, since a little over a month ago, every single person that I have sent that way has failed to return.”
I blinked. “Captured?”
“I was unsure of what was going on, so I headed there myself a week ago, but I found absolutely nothing. Nothing physical. However, an odd presence exists close to the delta. I am far too weak and magically-impaired to be able to sense the exact source of the presence and go after it. But if it is you Phantom Lord, then maybe you have a better chance.”
“The Sierra Delta,” I said.
“Indeed,” he nodded.
“Is there anything else?”
“That is all I know of this oddity,” Heslia said. “In fact, it is possible this may not even be what you described. However, this is the only oddity I know.”
“That is fine. Any lead is helpful to us.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to—”
“I have another question for you, Heslia,” I said.
The elf sighed. “What else?”
“Where did you get that Dearth stone?”
“Oh.” He patted his pocket. “This was given to us after we finished a quest for the Dargonian Empire. Just a few weeks ago.”
My eyes widened. “The Dark Alliance gave you this?”
“Technically, no,” he said. “A man of the Dargonian Empire was the one who summoned us, but he was also part of the Dark Alliance. So…”
“This is odd,” Nyx said. “The Dark Alliance knows of the strength the Dearth Stone has against you. Why would they hand it away?”
And to a random set of elves at that? I asked.
“You can go, Heslia.” Ijyela released her brother’s collar.
The dark elf stumbled, and his blue hair flew everywhere. He stood up straight for a second, tugging at his tunic, and then made his way back to his people.
“Okay,” Freya said. “Why did the Dark Alliance give these guys a Dearth Stone?”
“Dearth stones are very valuable for creatures of darkness,” Ijyela said. “It is possible the intention wasn’t what you both think it was. In fact, there is no proof this is even the same Dearth Stone the enemy used against us all those many months ago.”
Does it have to be the same one? I frowned. A long time ago, back when an army had attacked my village, they had used a Dearth Stone and an accompanying mass spell to shut me down. It’d almost killed me then.
If someone else possessed that stone now…
“Anyway,” the dark elf said. “Let us get to the main question now.”
“What?” I blinked.
“You didn’t get rid of those skeletons, did you?”
“Busted,” Nyx chuckled.
“Yeah. I didn’t,” I said.
“Figured,” the dark elf sighed. “That attack was not something you’ve used before, and the way it happened was just too weird.”
“I did feel an additional presence,” Freya said.
I froze. “From behind us?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “But why did you ask that? Did you feel something?”
I paused for a second. “I saw something.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“A being,” I said. “Wearing a dark cloak, up at the top of the cliff. It had violet eyes, that’s all I could see.”
“This is news to me,” Ijyela said. “I can’t believe I didn’t sense this presence. Why wasn’t I able to do that?”
“I don’t know,” Freya said. “Maybe it masked itself to lower levels? I only sensed it a few seconds before I reverted from my Demon-Elf Form.”
“Ah,” she said. “Maybe that is why.”
I sighed. “It’s just another mystery added to our list now.”
“Either way, this person helped us, right?” Freya asked.
“Actually, Nyx and I were talking and we realized it’s possible this person was an ally of the Dark Elves.”
“Oh,” Ijyela blinked. “That might very well be the case. But I will have to look into it further.”
“What do we do now then?” Freya turned to me. “Head to the delta?”
Acnologia walked up to us on cue, shaking his wings a few times. “Fly?”
I smiled. Probably
“You should head to the delta,” Ijyela said.
“And you?” I asked.
“I will head back to Ikarius after cleaning up things here. I am not that useful to you on a journey where the power scale is more than twice my level.”
“I understand.” I turned to the elves at the cliff side, watching as they picked themselves up. There were more dead bodies piled up against the walls than before, and less bodies walking amongst their ranks. A lot of them had died in this battle.
“Are you sure you’ll be fine, Ijyela?” Freya asked. “You do have a troubled past with this place.”
“I will be fine, Freya,” she said. “These people will not do anything to me. They did not hinder me when I left many centuries ago, and they will not do so now.”
“If you say so.”
Acnologia knelt and lowered a wing to the ground.
“Come on.” I gestured to Freya as I ran up the wing, seating myself on the Dragon’s back and grabbing the sides of his neck.
“Do you realize that if you become strong enough, one day you could accidentally choke Acnologia doing that?” Nyx asked.
I blinked, and loosened my hold on the Dragon. Great. Now that’s all I’m going to think about eve
ry time I climb onto him.
“You’re welcome,” the spirit chuckled.
“The Sierra delta is due south of here,” Ijyela said, pointing the path out. We basically had to follow the cliff wall, and just stay in the same direction even after it ended.
“Sounds good,” I said, as Freya climbed onto the Dragon as well. Acnologia lifted his wings, and rose a few inches into the air, kicking dust and mud all around him.
“We’ll be back soon,” I said. “See you in Ikarius!”
The dry winds picked up the dark elf’s hair, sending the milky-white shades flowing against the dark ground. A smile curled on Ijyela’s face as she saw us rise into the air.
“I hope I do.”
***
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The touch of the cold clouds grasped my skin as Acnologia flew through them, ascending to the calmness of the upper atmosphere. I looked beneath us till the puffs of black blocked my vision, hiding the cohort of dark elves from view.
Are you sure we won’t lose track of the direction we’re going in? I looked at the Dragon. It would have been a lot easier to follow the cliffside if we were beneath the clouds.
“It is fine, Eternal,” Acnologia said. “A Dragon has a great sense of direction. Additionally, all we must do here is keep moving forward in one direction. That is not hard at all.”
If you say so.
I looked down at my hands, and froze. Blood spurted from my fingertips, as if they were fountains. What the hell?! I jerked my hands to the side, and my body stumbled, losing balance.
Freya grabbed my shoulder and steadied me. “Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah.” I stared at my hands. They didn’t shoot out blood anymore, even though they’d just done that a few seconds ago.
I frowned. Hadn’t they?
“What is the matter, Diablo?” Nyx asked.
What do you mean? I tensed.
“Are we pretending for a second that I’m not a spirit in your mind that can potentially hear every single one of your thoughts?”
My chest tightened. Get out of my mind.
“What?”
Get. Out. Of. My. Mind. I clenched my fists.
“Diablo,” Acnologia spoke. “This is something the two of us feel we need to talk to you about.”
I sat still for a few seconds, and felt the thin air blow past my face, hardly leaving a traceable touch. I put my hand up, feeling the breeze trickle through my fingers.
“Listen,” Nyx said. “You know what we want to talk about, right?”
Yeah. I sighed. And it’s not true. You’re wrong about me.
“Okay, first, calm down,” the spirit said. “This is not going to be a useful conversation to you if you come into this with an agitated mind.”
Fine. I took a deep breath, with my chest tightening as I breathed in, and my shoulders slumping as I let it all out. I felt Freya’s eyes on me once again, but she said nothing, thankfully.
“Good,” Nyx said.
Where do you want to start?
“Dragons do not beat around the bush,” Acnologia said. “I will get straight to it. Nyx and I feel you have changed since the two of us first met you.”
Really? I rolled my eyes. This is just because I felt surprised there was no blood from the skeleton battle, isn’t it?
“No,” Nyx said.
No? I frowned. There was something else? Worse, there was even more?
“Diablo, you may have not noticed it, but recently, your hesitation to delve into a murderous battle has decreased to nothing.”
Well, yeah. I folded my arms. Do you realize the kind of circumstances we’re in? I had to face the Dark Lord TWICE in a span of two days. TWICE.
“I understand that this part of our lives demands jumping into battle, but—”
But what? I know you both mean well. But implying that I’m turning into a murderer is way out of line here.
“Diablo, that’s not what we’re trying to do.”
Sure sounds like it. I don’t know how else to interpret the statement ‘your hesitation to delve into murderous battle has decreased to nothing’. If I’m misunderstanding this, then do help me.
The spirit remained silent, and so did the Dragon. I found a part of me almost wanting them to speak out, to tell me that was not what they were doing here, that they weren’t calling me a murderer. But I found no such solace in this silence.
See? My hands shook. You can’t even answer that.
“Diablo, listen,” Nyx said. “We don’t think you’re a murderer. But, ever since we started breaking the seals, you just seem…”
My fingers curled into fists. Seem what?
“Different.”
“Your guide to what is acceptable and what isn’t seems to have become muddled, Diablo,” the Dragon said.
What the hell are you both talking about? My eyes narrowed.
“Just think about it,” Nyx said. “Maybe we’re wrong. But just think about it, will you?”
My veins throbbed, and my mind filled with the words I heard. The sounds played back over and over like some kind of sick infinite loop.
I think I need some time alone.
“What?” Acnologia said.
I let go of the Dragon’s neck, and leaned to the side, sliding off his back. Freya yelled just as I dived down, but the sounds around me were all void in the roar of rushing air in my ears.
“DIABLO!” the Dragon yelled, and I heard a tremble of anger in his voice.
I did not care about that and streamlined by body, diving into the clouds. The dark puffs consumed me, and their chilling touch laced every part of my limbs. I dropped out the other side, leaving the light of the upper atmosphere and entering the darkness of the Hexel Ruins instead.
The ground was about two miles beneath me, which meant I had more than enough time to slow myself down. I closed my eyes, opening my body up and feeling the rush of air past me. It was no longer chilling like before, but rather dry and dusty, like how desert wind should be.
I heard a whoosh beside me, and all of a sudden something pushed at me from below. The next thing I knew my descent had stopped and I was rising once again. I opened my eyes, angered. And then froze.
The Dragon had caught me, which I honestly should have expected. But what I was not prepared to face was Freya’s angered expression. I was seated at the base of the beast’s neck once again, but this time facing into the intense eyes of the elf instead of away from them.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” She slammed her fist into my chest, jerking me back. “Who in their right mind jumps off this high in the air?!”
I averted my eyes. “I had it under control.”
Her hand reached out, gripping my wrist, and her hold tightened till my forearm turned white. “Don’t lie to me.” She smiled.
I didn’t say anything and just looked at her, darting my focus between her and the dull clouds behind.
“Why did you just jump off?”
“It…” I stopped. “I had an argument with Acnologia.”
“That’s it?” Her voice rose. “That made you jump off?”
“It’s complicated,” I said. Just stop being nosy already.
“Look, Zoran. I can be as understanding as you need me to be. Heck, I was understanding of who you months ago were when everyone else called you a murderer.”
“I’m not a murderer!” I yelled.
She froze. “R-right.”
“I’m not.” I said once again and turned around, lifting my legs as I seated myself back the right way, facing the front of the Dragon. I couldn’t tell if Freya was looking at me or not, and to be perfectly honest, I didn’t care anymore.
She was probably going to talk to me about this sometime later, and we were probably going to have a tense conversation about what happened. But I really, really didn’t want to.
Speaking of what happened, Nyx and Acnologia didn’t speak a word since the Dragon caught me mid-fall. I waited for a few minutes, thinking
they would speak the first words, but they didn’t, and so neither did I. This wasn’t some petty contest we had. It was more of just us not wanting to speak about what had just happened.
Idiots.
I was certain those two felt perplexed about what they’d said and the reaction it had evoked, while I honestly just didn’t want to talk about it at all. Preferably ever, but that was probably hoping for too much. So I was fine we didn’t talk about it for the course of this journey at least.
I’m sorry, I said, hoping the two heard me.
I got no reply, and heard nothing of the two voices until nearly an hour and a half had passed and the clouds had begun to dull.
“Diablo, I believe we are here,” the Dragon said.
I nodded. “Take us down.”
The Dragon rose for a split second and then ducked, pulling his wings in. We shot through the clouds, and a chilling sensation passed through me once again. Acnologia quickly opened up his wings and we hovered in the air before gliding down to the ground.
It was especially dry down here, and my skin turned rough just from being in the open. I smelled smoke and burning wood in the air and glanced forward.
“Well then,” I said. “I assumed it was going to be two rivers when they told us this was a delta.”
Nope.
A large volcano stood about twenty miles away from us, and a wispy trail of smoke floated from its top. Two streams of boiling magma—one blood-red, and the other ocean-blue—flowed on either side of the volcano, meeting together at the delta and moving forward as a red-blue flow of pure fire.
That looks as pretty as it is dangerous. We were still a hundred yards from the rivers’ meeting point.
I dropped all the previous thoughts and emotions I’d had and decided to focus on just what was happening before me for the moment. Heslia had told us this was where he’d sensed the oddity, which meant we had to be on our topmost mental state if we wanted to find anything of good use.
Well, at least I have to be.
“Wow.” Freya glanced at the rivers of fire, and then at the surrounding regions. There was literally nothing else on the horizon beside the volcano. It was flat, dark lands all around.
Am I supposed to feel relieved by the simplicity, or worried by it?
The Eternal: Infinity - A LitRPG Saga (The World of Ga'em Book 4) Page 13
