Chapter 1085 (1/2)

Randidly scowled at Salazar and threw up his hands. “I can’t tell you how to feel it. You either do or you don’t. And if you can’t manage to find the core of your star inside yourself, then I’m not going to waste time trying to train you.”

“W-w-well, if y-you would j-just share your t-t-trick-!” Salazar began, but Randidly had dealt with the snake-man's nonsense for long enough. He simply seized his rather skinny subordinate with his claw and tossed him to the side like a ragdoll. Salazar hissed in alarm and tumbled down the narrow alley behind their assigned tent.

Randidly folded his arms across his chest and stared at the collapsed image. “So, this time, let me go alone. I promise to not put myself in danger without first finding you to be my personal meat shield.”

Huffing in annoyance, Salazar pushed himself back up to his feet. “Z-zauna is staying with Yggdrasil. S-so-”

Randidly stepped forward and used Chimeric Avoidance to cut through the intervening space at a speed that shouldn’t be physically possible for him. Abruptly, Randidly was right in front of the other man. With as much gentleness as Randidly could manage while his temper flared, he helped Salazar to his feet while making sure his talons wouldn’t cut through his skin.

Then his Grim Intuition spread outward to scan for individuals in the surrounding area before he whispered to Salazar. “We both saw how some of the images were looking at Yggdrasil after he helped heal some of the most dangerously wounded after the artillery strike. The recovery he could cause was too stark. I fear that some of the image’s greed would get the better of them. As strong as Zauna is, I don’t want to have her face it alone.”

This was only partially true. After all, the stink of Lady Iellaya’s image and Abiodun’s meddling was thick over all of the people that were carefully watching as Yggdrasil did his work among the burnt tents and impact craters sporadically spread around the edge of the camp. Plus, it seemed unlikely that any image underneath Iellaya would have enough gall to aggressively try to seize Yggdrasil as a resource. She would be more circumspect about how she went about acquiring his services.

Yet there was always the chance something would happen. Even if it wasn’t some greedy image that was the real source of danger, the very real Nether bombardment was still fresh in Salazar’s mind. So after a hesitation, he nodded and walked back toward the tent.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Randidly finally turned away from the tent so he could find a place to train his ability to use his Nether cores without being constantly worried about someone watching and reporting what he was capable of to Lady Iellaya. It was fine for them to hear whispers about it, but they would most likely assume that Randidly’s image had adjusted somehow to mimic Nether, rather than the shocking truth that Randidly was learning to utilize Nether.

And to his supreme annoyance, Randidly found himself face to face with Zagnal, the soldier who had helped Randidly immediately after he had arrived on the front lines. From his stance, it was clear that he was blocking Randidly’s path forward.

“It’s been a while since we talked,” the dragon-headed man said amicably. “I figured it was time to catch up-”

“Get out of my way,” Randidly said shortly. It did not seem likely at all that Zagnal’s words were even remotely honest. His arrival to catch up right after a heavy bombardment seemed completely farcical. “We don’t have anything to discuss.”

Zagnal snorted out an ember of flame as Randidly tried to move past him. “Pretty quick to sever old ties, don’t you think?”

“Wasn’t I the one who stuck my neck out for you? And afterward, you were pretty quick to throw your lot in with Lady Iellaya and conveniently forget about any relationship between us.” Randidly barred his teeth at Zagnal.

Zagnal’s hand snaked out to seize Randidly’s arm. “That was a misunderstanding. Between my new responsibilities and your injuries, there hasn’t been much time where we are both conscious and in the base. So I would appreciate-”

The Grim Chimera growled out the barely controlled aggression roiling in Randidly’s chest. “Back the fuck off. How many times do I need to make it clear that I’m not the usual oblivious image? I don’t care you chose yourself over me. But don’t expect to be able to scamper back to me when your new keeper asks you to.”

Tightening his grip on Randidly’s arm, Zagnal leaned forward. “Now listen here, I didn’t want to do it this way, but if you aren’t going to-”

After feeling uncomfortably guilty for putting Yggdrasil into danger by being wounded, being rejected from visiting with Vualla by Terith’s idiotic rules, and finally being followed around by puppy-duo Zauna and Salazar, Randidly had left the tent today with the expressed intent of working off some steam. He needed the outlet dearly.

He hadn’t expected Zagnal to be the method, but at the Grim Chimera’s urging Randidly didn’t think too much about the circumstances.