The Void was furious.
Its rage had never waned over time, not even after Lith had achieved the violet core. Lith had simply stopped hating himself and addressed the Void’s fury toward those who threatened the people who he had learned how to cherish.
Now, however, Lith had just become one of them.
The longer he kept his Abomination form, the more Derek’s echo would claw his way out of the black sphere of the undead life force and break free from the restraints of the other life forces.
They were sealed deep inside, their energy separated from the blackness to allow physical matter to turn into pure energy, and incapable of restricting the Void.
To make matters worse for Lith, even though it wasn’t the first time that Kamila witnessed the transformation, it had never lasted for so long. By looking at the flaming hair comprised of darkness element, by looking at that face so alien and yet so familiar, she started asking herself questions.
‘This is odd. I know that Lith can take different forms, but unlike the Voidfeather Dragon, the Abomination looks awfully human. It’s not overly handsome so it can’t be an idealized version of Lith.
‘Where does his Abomination side’s appearance come from?’ She found herself wondering. ‘That thing doesn’t look like a small child so it can’t be related to Lith’s near-death experience at birth. Undead don’t grow up.
‘Yet its pain and fury are exactly like those that emerge on Lith’s face whenever he loses control of his emotions. Solus, I remember Phloria and the others often joke about Lith’s glare as a kid. Was it anything like that?’ She asked while staring and the Abomination’s eyes as one after the other turned white.
As soon as the elemental energy was replaced by Decay, they stared at everyone but Kamila with malice. Four eyes were still under Lith’s control and expressed his discomfort while trying to keep control of his body.
The other three belonged to the Void and gauged the rest of the room like enemies, trying to find any opening he could exploit to rip their throats off.
‘Yes. Sort of.’ Solus replied, not knowing how much she could say without blowing the cover that Lith had painstakingly protected for years.
‘How is that possible?’ Kamila asked
“This is bullshit.” The Abomination clicked his tongue in disgust, saving Solus from the need to reply. “Why should I put everything I have at risk for a bunch of incompetent fools and old fossils?”
Much to Lith’s horror, the voice came out of his own mind and against his will.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Sylpha had noticed his distress as well, but she had no clue about what was happening. “As for your question, I don’t care what you think of us, you have the duty to uphold your deal with the Kingdom, Magus Verhen.”
‘Shut up and let me do the talking.’ Lith said.
‘No.’ The Void replied as it gained control of the fourth eye and tipped the balance further in its own favor. ‘You had your chance. You had lots of chances. Now it’s my turn.’
“Cut the crap, your majesty.” Derek’s voice oozed scorn and spite. “Your titles mean nothing to me. They are nothing but a leash and I’m not your dog. As for our ‘deal’, it is you who is going back on your word!”
His wings unfolded, releasing a gust of wind that forced everyone but Kamila to plant their feet and raise their arms to not get blown away.
“You had promised me a full pardon and a place where to stay in exchange for my help in this stupid war and that’s what I did ever since my return. I took back your insignificant cities. I fought battles that meant nothing to me.
“I wasted what little time I have left on the battlefield instead of spending time with our family. How dare you ask me to go back inside the Golden Griffon knowing that I barely escaped back when its master had yet to return?
“How dare you think that I would put everything at stake for you?” With each question, the Void’s fury rose. With each question, one more eye fell under his control. “I’ve sacrificed too many things over the years to protect what’s mine and I won’t let you ruin everything!”
Lith felt his mind become blurry and fuzzy, as if he had had one drink too many after a long day at work. His consciousness was slowly fading, the blackness drowning it into slumber.
‘What are you talking about? This is just a mission like any other. We have yet to listen to the details and-‘ Lith tried to expand the influence of the only eye he still controlled, but it was pointless.
His meddling only enraged the Void further, cutting him short.
‘This is nothing like the other missions!’ It roared. ‘We are not looking for a way to not resurrect anymore. We are looking for a way to live, you damn idiot! The Golden Griffon is full of Awakened and Divine Beasts and our life force is crippled.
‘Are you forgetting about our child? Would you abandon them just to fight a battle that doesn’t belong to us?’ All seven eyes were fixated on Kamila, moving from her face to her womb.
The part of their mind that still belonged to Lith froze, incapable of finding a single objection.
‘On top of that, what about Solus?’ Derek’s voice asked.
‘What do you mean?’ Between the drowsiness and the confusion, Lith was unable to follow the Abomination’s reasoning.
‘I mean that if we fail, if anything happens to us, she’d be doomed as well, you moron.’ The waves of fury went from hot to cold. ‘If we become enslaved, so will she. If we die, Solus will be at the mercy of the first idiot who imprints her!
‘The Golden Griffon is far away from our friends and there’s no telling if Hystar will notice her presence now that the academy is back to its full strength. I don’t care about what happens to us but abandoning the baby? Leaving Solus to rot in Thrud’s hands?’
“Magus Verhen, is it still you, or is this the Abomination talking?” Sylpha asked.
The telepathic conversation had lasted barely for a few seconds, giving the impression that Lith had just spaced out for a moment while trying to regain control.
“It’s none of your business.” The Void snarled.
“Magus Verhen, I’ll overlook your defiance because you are clearly not yourself right now. Know that the Crown wouldn’t ask you something like this lightly. We are aware of your sacrifices and are grateful for them.
“We have summoned you here because this is our first concrete opportunity to put an end to the war. To put an end to all the battles that keep you away from home. It’s worth the risk.” The Queen said.
“Easy to say for someone who’ll remain in the safety of this castle!” The Void retorted as rage turned his eyes into brimming torches and made his claws grow longer.
He didn’t miss how despite their relaxed stance, those present in the room had started weaving their spells while the Royal Guards were adjusting the grip on their weapons.
