Kale blinked awake, the room swimming into focus, his head pounding and his chest tight with pain. He recognized the tapestries of the Scarlet Veil hanging around what looked to be an infirmary.

He shifted, grimacing as he tried to sit up. Bandages wrapped his torso, but his movements pulled at a dull, throbbing ache beneath his ribs. He lifted a hand to his face and felt the new ridge across his nose.

Sadek was sitting nearby, his arms crossed. "They fixed your nose. Said you'll have a scar."

"Great."

Sadek's jaw tightened. He looked as battered as Kale felt, his own bruises still raw, though he seemed to carry them with ease. Liliana was awake as well, watching from the cot beside Kale. Her expression was hard, a silent question lingering in her eyes.

Sadek. Liliana.

Rika?

Where was Rika?

Kale's chest tightened, panic sparking in his thoughts as the absence of her quips, her confident grin, hit him like a blow. The room felt colder, emptier without her.

"Where's Rika?" he asked.

Sadek's face darkened. "Big man took her. Took that damned sword of yours, too."

Pain flashed through him as Kale gripped the edge of the cot. "Rika… and Lifedrinker.

Kale hadn't seen her fall, but he had seen her on the ground.

Cracks ran up her arms, across her head. Her warhammer lay in pieces beside her, shattered beyond repair. She hadn't moved. Had barely looked like she was breathing.

Was she even still alive?

His stomach twisted. If she was dead, why would Voss take her? And if she wasn't, what did he want with her?

Voss hadn't seemed like the kind of man who needed hostages. From what Kale had seen, he didn't need anything. He walked through battle like it was already decided, like nothing could touch him.

So why her?

And Lifedrinker…

A shiver crawled down his spine. He could still feel it, the way it had flooded his body with power, the intoxicating force of it. How every swing had cut through men like they were nothing. How it had whispered to him, pushed him deeper, further, until the blood and bodies meant nothing at all. It had taken from him, drawn something out with every strike, but the cost had been distant, buried beneath the sheer euphoria of wielding it. He hadn't cared.

Voss had it now.

Voss, who had already been unstoppable. Voss, who had blocked his strongest strike and barely moved. Voss, who had been watching him, studying him, as if already knowing the outcome of the fight.

What would he become with that blade in his hands?

Aeloria was still out there. If Voss faced her now, could she stop him? Would she even have the chance? If Lifedrinker had made Kale feel invincible, what would it do in the hands of someone like him?

Was there anything they could do now?

The cot creaked beneath him. His body ached, battered, broken, but the worst pain sat heavy in his chest.

He wondered if they had already lost.

Then his mind shifted back to Rika.

"We have to get Rika back!" Kale said.

"I'm coming with you, Kale. I owe Velanna that much," Sadek said.

Kale looked at Sadek. "Is she…?"

Sadek shook his head. "Didn't make it."

Kale fell back into the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. Every time he thought he was strong enough, he was shown just how much further he had to go, how small he was compared to the enemies closing in. How could they stop Xeroth if they couldn't even stand against Carrion Voss? The thought burrowed into him, a hopelessness he couldn't shake.

"You know if we go after Rika… that means we risk losing the temples. The guardians, the generals, we'll be leaving them vulnerable," Liliana said.

"We can't just leave her behind!" Kale said.

"I know, Kale, I know."

"So, let's go!" Kale said as he tried, but failed, to get up.

"You got a death wish?" Sadek asked. "He tore through us like we were nothing. What's going to be different this time?"

Kale sighed. "I know. But we can't just leave her."

Liliana nodded slowly. "Sadek's right. Voss is beyond what we're capable of now. If we're going to face him, we need a way to even the odds, something that will catch him off-guard."

"We can go to the temples, find the generals," Sadek said. "Gather allies, maybe find something in those places. Relics, powers, that Voss doesn't know about."

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"No!" Kale said. "By the time we've found all generals she might already be dead. And who knows if they'll even help us get Rika back?"

Liliana shook her head. "We should ask Father. If anyone knows how to deal with someone like Voss… he would."

Just as she said it, the door creaked open, and Lady Elaria of the Scarlet Veil entered, her eyes sweeping over the group with a mix of warmth and worry. "You're all looking better than I feared," she said with a slight smile. "How are you feeling?"

Liliana sat up a little straighter. "We've been better. But we're managing."

Elaria nodded, her eyes lingering on her daughter a moment longer. "I heard about what happened. Carrion Voss… I wish it hadn't come to this."

"We're going to ask Father for help. If he knows anything about Carrion Voss, anything that could give us an edge. And..." she hesitated. "There's something else, something I need to ask him about Emeria. We saw some of Serassa's memories, and..."

Elaria's face shifted, just a flicker. Tired, quiet grief.

"I see."

Liliana studied her mother, feeling suddenly like a stranger in her own home.

"I have to ask," Liliana said. "I need to understand."

Elaria didn't meet her eyes. "When you came home, and I told you that you were all we had left... I thought you heard me."

"I heard you," Liliana said softly. "I just... I didn't understand what you meant."

Elaria gave a slow, weary nod. "You were gone a long time."

Liliana looked down. "I thought she might still be out there."

Her mother didn't say anything. That was all. No elaboration. No dramatic reveal. Just the finality of years passed, of mourning already done.

"I never meant to come back so late," Liliana said.

Elaria reached out, not to comfort, but simply to bridge the space between them. Her fingers brushed Liliana's wrist. "You came back when you could."

Liliana didn't answer at first.

Her mother's words were kind—too kind. They didn't carry blame, not even the shadow of it. That made it worse somehow.

She had been gone for so long. Wandering, fighting, chasing her own cause while the people she left behind—her family—had been carrying their own pain without her.

And now she was here, asking questions years too late, dredging up wounds her mother had already learned to live around.

She felt the guilt rising like a tide, thick in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "For not being here. For not knowing."

Elaria's hand stayed on her wrist a moment longer. Then she let it fall.

"We do what we must, Liliana," she said. "You left for your reasons."

She paused, as if weighing what to say next.

"But if you're ready to understand what happened… then you should talk to your father. Just be careful, and don't lose yourself. You will find him with the prisoners."

With that, she turned to leave, pausing at the door. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Liliana's brow furrowed. "Prisoners?"

Elaria nodded. "Yes. The Keepers managed to take some of your ambushers captive. Your father is questioning them."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving them in silence. "Right," Liliana said, glancing between Kale and Sadek, "it's time we talk to my father."

Kale swung his legs over the edge of the bed, wincing again as he forced himself to stand. "Let's go."

***

They made their way down the stone steps of the Bastion's dungeon, following the muffled cries that grew louder with each level. At the bottom, the Lord of the Scarlet Veil stood motionless before a line of prisoners chained to the wall. One of them writhed in pain, blood seeping from his mouth. With a subtle motion of his hand, the Lord twisted his fingers, and the prisoner's suffering deepened, a silent demonstration of control.

When he noticed them approach, he turned. "Daughter. I'm glad to see you're well."

Liliana's eyes narrowed slightly. "How did you know?"

"A mutual acquaintance of ours."

"The Archivist?" Kale asked.

"Indeed. He thought it prudent I keep an eye out, just in case Carrion Voss made an appearance."

He shook his head. "Sorry about your friend. I've been asking these men where Voss took her, but they're rather… uncooperative."

The Lord raised a hand, a faint pull of blood magic twisting through the air as the prisoner's arm snapped, a scream echoing through the chamber. The Lord tilted his head thoughtfully, then shifted his attention to Kale and Sadek, as if noticing their injuries for the first time.

"Perhaps I can help with that," he said, casting Thirst of the Damned. The prisoner's body seized as blood surged from his eyes, ears, and mouth, thick streams twisting through the air before latching onto Kale and Sadek. The blood forced its way into their bodies, their wounds stitching together with an unnatural, searing heat. The prisoner convulsed, his skin paling as every last drop was pulled from him, leaving only a hollow, lifeless husk slumped against the chains.

Kale forced himself to meet the Lord's eyes. The man's power was undeniable, his command over life and death terrifying in its efficiency. But it wasn't just the power that unsettled Kale, it was the way the Lord wielded it, with neither hesitation nor remorse, as though snuffing out a life was as simple as breathing.

Kale's unease deepened. This was the Scarlet Veil's ruler, the man they were supposed to trust to stand against Xeroth. But how different was the Lord from the enemies they faced? Did he care about anything beyond his own power and control? Did he see anyone, even his allies, as more than tools?

And yet, they needed him. That was the bitter truth. Kale knew he couldn't afford to voice his doubts, couldn't afford to alienate someone who could help them survive, help them find Rika.

The Lord gave the now empty shell of the man a brief, dispassionate glance. "Consider that a courtesy," he said calmly, as if draining a man to death was just another tool at his disposal. "With any luck, we may yet find your missing friend."

The Lord's lips curved into a chilling smile as he turned to the next prisoner, who was now trembling uncontrollably, his wrists raw from tearing at his chains. He stepped closer to the prisoner. "Where is Carrion Voss?"

The prisoner's eyes darted wildly. "I don't know!" he blurted.

"Wrong answer," the Lord said, and with a subtle movement of his middle and index fingers, he cast Blood Boil. The prisoner's veins darkened as his blood began to heat, his skin flushing deep red. "If something comes to mind, do let me know. I don't think your body can withstand this for long."

The man's face twisted in agony, veins bulging and pulsing like ropes beneath his skin. His mouth opened, a strangled scream clawing its way up, but no sound escaped, save for the wet crackle of flesh splitting as steam hissed from his eyes and ears. His body convulsed, swelling grotesquely until, with a sound like tearing meat, he burst apart in a spray of boiling blood and flesh, painting the room in dark, glistening red, somehow missing only Kale, Liliana and Sadek.

The Lord stood motionless, drenched in the gore, his face expressionless as drops of blood ran down his brow. He lifted his hand, his fingers moving with practiced precision, and the blood began to lift from his form, twisting through the air in delicate, winding threads. Slowly, he gathered it into a dense, pulsing sphere above his palm.

He regarded it briefly. "May it strengthen us both." The blood quivered, then vanished, dissolving into the air.

The Lord turned back to the remaining prisoners. "Now then," he said, stepping closer to the next captive, "perhaps you'll be more inclined to cooperate."

"Father," Liliana began, "we saw Serassa's memories. She spoke of Emeria… and of me."

The Lord turned slowly to his daughter, the faintest shadow of surprise flickering in his eyes. "I see."

Liliana stepped forward. "She spoke of Emeria, of things I don't understand. She was talking to someone, someone she trusted. She said Emeria's power couldn't be contained by the Scarlet Veil. And me, she spoke of me, as though she knew something. How did Serassa know Emeria? How did she know me?"

Her father's expression didn't change, but something unreadable flickered in his eyes. Liliana pressed on, frustration threading through her words. "I need answers, Father. What did Serassa know about us? About our family?"

For a long moment, her father said nothing, finally, he nodded. "Very well, Liliana. I think it's time you knew."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.