After the fight with Hermes had resolved, the Hearthspeaker had whisked away Kael to talk, and Emily found herself with a bit of spare time before things could be resolved. This meant that without guards, she could finally see the city in its entirety, but even with this newfound freedom, she found herself uninterested, given all that had happened.

Instead, Emily found herself arriving at the Chieftains' lodge. When she stepped through the glass doors into the heart of the tree, warmth and the scent of polished bark greeted her. The lodge was carved from the living trunk itself, with walls that curved and were smooth, glowing faintly amber in the soft light of the hanging lanterns. Beneath her, the floor curved naturally with the trunk's grain, leading into a broad common room where trophies from all kinds of beasts hung on the walls: claws, skulls, and fangs mounted on woven mats or tied with sinew to carved totems. Low stools, hide-covered benches, and rough-hewn tables surrounded a central fire pit, offering a space to sit and relax. Above, spiraling stairways wrapped around the inner walls, vanishing into balconies and doorways cut cleanly into the heartwood—each one a private chamber nestled high in the tree's embrace.

When they won, she had expected some resistance to the fact, but as of yet, no one had stepped out of line. Not even the other Chieftans were interested in messing with the results. When Hermes' Shaman had finally woken up, she had thrown a fit, but no one had been willing to support her. Now the rumor was that she would be leaving the city, and Emily couldn't be bothered to stop her.

So here she sat in a quiet room with a low fire crackling next to the bench she'd commandeered.

Other Chiefs eyed her warily as they went about their tasks, but none interfered with her wallowing.

The reality of what happened out in the dunes was not lost on Emily. In fact, she was having to consciously restrain herself from attacking the people here. The knowledge that these men and women had neither tried to rein Hermes in nor opposed him—in many cases, even agreeing with him—didn't sit right with her. The least of which were the people who died as collateral in his little war.

Whatever his motivation was, she was pissed that she had gotten mixed up in all this. That, and the fact she couldn't shake the feeling of regret. A sensation Emily was not all that familiar with.

Though she had nothing to do but wait.

The wandering fangs had moved closer towards the center of the city, but they were all in a state of limbo until Kael returned.

It was during those hours that Emily spotted Ra making his way into the room with Alex on his heels.

He lowered his head to the surrounding Chiefs before searching for Emily. When he found her, he made a beeline for her safe corner.

As soon as they arrived, Alex stepped to the front with the small mirage beast on his shoulder.

"I kept my promise, so why are you hiding in here?"

Emily pressed her lips together.

"Why would I be hiding? I'm just waiting for Zauren to send for me. I have some things to ask the man."

Alex hummed.

"Right, well, consider this your invite. He's ready to see you now."

Emily squinted at Alex and then at Ra to see if he was lying, but the man simply shot her his usual smirk.

"I suppose we'd better head out then, shouldn't we?" she sighed.

Emily got up to follow them. As they left through the front doors, Emily noticed the tense air about the room fade and shoulders droop, but she didn't pay them any mind.

Instead, she quietly followed the duo through the city and took in the destruction. Hermes had been more thorough than she first thought. With buildings needing emergency care to prevent collapse.

Emily quickly lost interest and turned back to Alex, reaching out to pet the little fox.

"So, any idea when we're blowing this popsicle stand?" she asked.

Ra gave her a puzzled look, but Alex just snorted as the tiny creature hissed and scrambled to his other shoulder, clearly offended.

"If you mean when are we leaving, then, in the next few days. Kael has already officially denied the position open to him in favour of helping us progress on our mission."

"Much to the Hearthkeeper's disappointment," Ra muttered.

Emily didn't know how to respond to that. Alex had been pretty set on trusting Kael, and perhaps this was why. Even when a great opportunity came up for him, he turned it down to honor his deal with them.

Or maybe there was an ulterior motive, who knew?

Either way, Emily was surprised he made the decision so quickly.

They walked on until they arrived at the entrance to the roots, which was now free of rioting citizens, but the signs of their presence were not.

Destruction had swept through this area, and as far as Emily knew, their conflict with Hermes had not touched these outer edges. The gates had been hit with rotting welts of beetle excrement, while the floor was littered with discarded rocks and trash.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Luckily, with the death of their figurehead, most of the unrest had simmered down. The people were still unhappy, but it became apparent that the object rallying them had disappeared.

The gates were open, but there was still a heavy guard presence in this area. When they arrived, Ra was let through, and they followed him down into the winding passages.

Alex was walking beside Emily when he cleared his throat.

"You…When we're done talking to the Zauren, you should come back to camp. I'm sure everyone wants to see you."

Emily didn't reply at first, so Alex changed tactics.

"Ashe told me to tell you she wants to see you when you have time."

Those words had more of an effect, sending Emily's stomach lurching. They hadn't exactly left things on the best of terms.

"Yeah, okay," she muttered.

Before Emily knew it, they were standing in front of the same doors that led to the wells.

"This guy likes it down here, doesn't he?" Emily remarked.

Ra turned to her as the doors creaked open.

"The Hearthspeak has many duties. And even now, he is working hard to fix the problems that arose during his short absence."

Emily rolled her eyes but didn't say anything more. The doors had fully opened, and the dock revealed Zauren sitting in his usual spot. Although there was one key difference.

Beside him lay a golden flame reminiscent of a pyre.

Stepping onto the walkway, Emily glanced back when she heard the door swing shut. To her surprise, Alex and Ra had stepped in with her, but she refocused when Zauren opened his eyes to look at her.

"You have my congratulations and appreciation, Emily," he said, his face flush with warmth.

She nodded at this but felt the need to clarify.

"Thanks, but we both know our relationship was transnational. I did what you needed, and in exchange, you help us. Which brings me to my end of the deal…" she said as she removed the bag of hazardous material from her pack.

Zauren's face remained warm, but a distant sorrow appeared in his eyes.

"You know, for all the damage he wrought, Hermes was right about one thing… It is a shame you were not born to our tribe."

Emily shrugged; she'd never been one to dwell on the 'what ifs'. Stepping forward, she handed him the pack. But not before extracting the largest piece and holding it up to show him.

"I want nothing to do with this stuff, but I'm going to hold onto a piece until we leave. Call it insurance. You can have Ra collect it from me when we head out."

She heard a disapproving hum coming from behind her, but Zauren didn't seem to mind.

"Hmm, well, that will be a little difficult since it seems he will be accompanying your mercenary group, going forward. But don't worry, I'll arrange for someone to pick it up."

Emily glanced back at Ra with a frown, but he remained blank-faced.

"Right… oh, there is something I'd like to get your advice on. When I was in the storm, I got infected with some of the energy coming from that mutated creature. Can you tell me anything about it?"

"What?!" Alex called from behind her, but she just shrugged.

"It's my problem, I can deal with it, but I could use all the information you have."

Zauren's face looked concerned at the news, but there was a knowing light in his eyes.

"Come on, out with it," she said.

Zauren nodded and cleared his throat.

"The answer to your question is yes. We call it demonic possession. If enough energy makes its way into your body, you will become one of them. A mutated beast driven by instinct alone."

The room fell eerily silent as Emily's lips became a flat line.

"Is there any cure?"

Zauren wore a conflicted look.

"Yes. A rather simple one, actually, but…"

Emily sighed.

"Stop holding back on me. Tell me all the details…please."

Zauren sighed but went on.

Honestly, the answer is time. The energy within your system will naturally fade in a couple of months—unless you head toward the grey sands or come into contact with more of those creatures."

There was a pause before Emily snorted, her laughter turning into a derisive snicker.

"Are you telling me that if I want to live, I shouldn't head in the very direction I'm headed?"

Zauren's dull expression showed he wasn't joking or lying, which only made Emily snicker even more.

Eventually, Alex stepped in and put a hand on her shoulder. The effect was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. Immediately, her laughter stopped, replaced by a wary sigh. Honestly, by now it was just one more obstacle in her way. Emily didn't believe in fate, but she'd be damned if someone didn't want her to reach the other side of this continent.

Getting her emotions under wraps, Emily smiled

"If that's what needs to happen, then so be it. I'll figure something out. Now I believe there's one last thing we have to settle."

The sudden shift gave everyone a pause, but after a moment, Zauren nodded and reached into his robe.

"I couldn't agree more. I promised you a reward, I believe. Choose one."

His boney fingers unfurled to reveal two large gems clacking together. One blazed with a deep red, while the other a vibrant green. There was a subtle hiss from behind Emily, but she paid it no mind.

Zauren continued.

"Our deserts are known for but three things. The storms, the unwelcoming people, and these gems. You have already seen the sapphires we use, but sadly, because of their importance to our people, I cannot offer those to you. However, while these variants are not as useful to us, they are no less powerful."

Emily stared down at the gems with a grimace; they were not unlike one she owned. However, their quality and shifting energy were clearly worlds apart. She could even see a small amount of source being drawn into each of them.

"So… you're offering me a siphon? But I already have one of those," she said

Zauren smiled.

"This is not something so mundane, Emily. What I am offering you is a piece of the land itself. Either ruby or emerald could function as a sipohon, yes, but these gems offer more than you can imagine. They are the spirits of the land sealed in physical form."

Emily hummed as she listened to him, though his expression of warmth never changed.

"They can enhance the use of Source, mitigate its side effects, and store small amounts of energy for later use. Above all, they can bestow fleeting attunement to a Source otherwise beyond your nature."

The last part caught Emily's attention. Using a source not her own? So, she could use Red and Green sources at will?

Greed lodged itself in the pit of her stomach, and Zauren saw it as a slow smile spread over his face.

"I see I've got your attention. As a reward, I can offer you one, but something tells me that won't be enough for you… "

Zauren's smile dulled substantially, but he forced the next words out.

"Before Teo left for the sands, he informed me of your skill in sorcery. Namely, your terrifying capacity… I would ask your assistance with a rite, and in exchange, I shall give you the other."

The fire in Emily's belly was doused by the memory of the young Shaman, and her mood immediately plummeted.

A smirk pulled at her lips, bitter and joyless—more teeth than smile.

"And what might that be?" she said through clenched teeth.

"...A ceremony to honor the dead. I need not tell you that when Hermes made his move, many of the people who still supported the roots died. Too many of our own have passed in the last day or so. All I ask is that you be there to add your voice and power to the hum."

Emily's jaw eased slightly as an unexpected thought surfaced: Had she ever even been to a funeral? She hadn't gone to her own grandfather's. And after that, for all the funerals she might have wanted to attend, no one involved had wanted her there.

This was the first time she both wanted to go and people called her there. Plus she would get a clear, very powerful item out of it.

"...Sure, when's it happening?"

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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.