Chapter 826 (2/2)

There would be no talk of allowing the First Propagator’s plan to allow Tellus to ascend if it came at the cost of Azriel’s life.

Within ten minutes, he found Shal. As soon as Randidly arrived on the farm, Shal stood, as if expecting him. “They sent you? Not that it mattered. I assume the Spearman included some threat about Rumera…?”

After thinking about it, Randidly nodded.

Shal sighed. “Fine then. Let us finish this farce, once and for all.”

“Wait,” Randidly said. He had thought long and hard about this, and he, too, was worried about the Spearman’s relationship with Rumera. Once he had the idea for a solution, all that was left was to offer it; he searched for the right words. “There is… something that I want to give Rumera just in case.”

Shal’s eyes were dark and vicious as he scanned Randidly for any sort of threatening intent. “This gift… is from you…?”

Randidly nodded, hoping that Shal didn’t ask too many questions. After all, Randidly wasn’t sure what would happen if he made an Aether connection to Rumera. She might really be as the Spearman believed her to be; just something that spawned from his images. Less than a real person.

When Randidly made the connection, he would know. And he didn’t think he would be able to hide that truth from his face afterward. So it was with a knot of tension in his chest that Randidly walked into the ramshackle farm in which the two were staying.

For all that outside was practically a warzone, the inside looked warm and cozy. There were two overstuffed chairs next to a roaring fire. Randidly noted with amusement that there were two of everything in the room. Two scrolls, two tables, chairs, two steaming mugs...

Rumera looked up with haunted eyes when Randidly walked into the room. Shal didn’t even bother to explain; he simply walked through a threshold in the back and disappeared into the backside of the house.

So in stuttered sentences, Randidly explained what he was doing. Rumera blinked.

“If it works, I’ll be…”

“Free. Or not reliant on the Spearman, if you still are,” Randidly clarified. Then he shook his head helplessly. “Without looking at you, I can’t really tell. I can sense you possess your specific Aether, but-”

“Fine. Do it.” Rumera said. “Just… please. Don’t tell me what happens. I’ll close my eyes. I… I feel free. I want to hold onto that, even if it’s just a lie.”

And she did so, leaving Randidly to uncomfortably walk up to her and place his hand upon her shoulder. For whatever reason, he closed his eyes too; it just seemed appropriate. With a gentle touch, his Aether Perception Skill flowed through her body, searching for the mooring point that he could attach a connection to.

Before now, he had never considered what exactly-

Then Randidly grinned as he found it and made a connection. I should be more careful about these from now on, but for you Shal… I’ll trust your taste.

Afterward, the Randidly and Shal immediately began running back toward Hastam. Shal didn’t even bother to ask how the process had gone, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

And when he finally did speak, it was on another topic altogether. Looking over at Randidly, Shal said. “You have grown strong. But are you ready for this fight?”

Randidly’s expression was grim. “Perhaps. But I don’t suppose I have any choice now. Losing will mean that all of this death and sacrifice will have meant nothing.”

Shal grunted. “I do not like it. Even now, we know not why we fight. We dance to the tune of another. The duel to decide the fate of Tellus… we are not the true players. We are but pawns.”

There was nothing for Randidly to do but agree. Shal clearly had the capability to ascend with his image, and Randidly would like nothing better than to help that happen. Especially if whatever the First Propagator was doing would endanger Azriel. But without an opponent with a dominant image-

Randidly paused. Based on the Spearman and what he had learned from Ulaat, the Patron of Ash, the source of the image didn’t really matter. It just needed to be accompanied by a Level 99 individual accepting a Great Path. But did both sides need a Great Path?

Ulaat had faced down two images and burned them both away. It wasn’t about the duel, it was about supremacy.

But it made sense that neither the Spearman or the First Propagator would know that. They didn’t have the example that Randidly did. And the System was looking for a powerful image, not pieces that could closely follow its formula. So if Randidly just-

Randidly stopped dead. Shal slowed and turned to look at him. Randidly studied Shal before he spoke. Because if this was to work, what they needed was not a clever plan. They needed Shal to be the most powerful individual on Tellus. “Shal, I have an idea. But for it to work, we need to do a bit of preparation before we head back.”