Chapter 262 - King (2/2)

”No, there art an oddity abound,” said Asala. ”Tyr, if this truly be him, has grown far beyond the natural limits of his race.”

Li narrowed his eyes as he stuck out a tentative hand, bringing more light towards Tyr's helmeted face. Even when light beamed directly into the helm, there were no features visible. Perhaps the black mass had eaten up all of the king, and it only shaped itself in his image for some reason.

As Li's hand reached closer, the king shrunk back at the growing light, turning away his head and crawling away. The sudden burst of movement from what had seemed like a blackened corpse made everyone in the chrysalis aside from Old Thane and Zagan jump back in surprise.

However, the king did not make any hostile move, instead shirking away like a child afraid of the dark, or in this case, the light. He crawled on all fours several meters away, curling up into a ball, hugging his greaved knees to his c.h.e.s.t as he rocked himself back and forth before growing as still as a corpse once more.

”I see,” said Li. ”No hostile intent.”

Li heard a knocking sound, and he looked back to the chrysalis to see Tia rapping on it.

”Papa, can I come out?” she said. ”I talk to him.”

Li thought about it for a second, fearing for her safety, but then swallowed the concern down. He wanted her to make her own decisions too, and as Old Thane said, what was an adventure without facing the unknown? He nodded, and Tia phased through the chrysalis.

”Only if you stay close with me, though,” said Li as he grabbed her hand, reaching a compromise for his own peace of mind to make sure she was still somewhat protected.

Tia nodded, and together, they walked up to the king. At a certain point, Tia tugged at Li's hand, wanting to let go, and she looked up at him with a smile. ”I go alone. Please, papa?”

Li looked at the king's slumped over figure and nodded slowly, letting go of Tia's hand. He still kept his attention razor focused, however, ready to cast any kind of defensive spell to protect Tia if things went awry.

”I see your heart,” said Tia as she tiptoed forwards, also wary. ”Heart of friend from dragon outside. Good heart.”

As Tia came right up to Tyr, the king's blackened form completely dwarfing her, a change occurred.

The king raised his head from his knees and looked at Tia for several seconds before shuddering.

”Hildr?” came the king's voice. It was raspy. Tinged with a rattle. Warped. Inhuman and definitively not mortal. ”My dear, darling hydra. Is that you?”

Tia shook her head. ”No. She…gone now. Free. She waited for you. Why stay here?”

The king looked at Tia, as if pondering her words, and then shook his head. ”No, it is not you. It was never you.” With that, he put his head between his knees again, falling still.

”You are sad,” said Tia. She scrunched her brows, struggling to get a strong read of the king's inner being. ”But why? You tell your friend to wait, but you never come back. You sit here. Why?”

The king's form did not move, staying as still as a statue.

Li came up to Tia and put a hand on her shoulder. ”I can sense barely any semblance of life from this. I do not think he can be reasoned with. Tia, my dear, go back. It does not seem like we will get any answers as to what this black ooze is, and if I cannot determine that it is safe, I will destroy it.”

His fiery wings flared up, the light and heat starting to rise in intensity.

The king tilted his head up, looking towards the wings. The black ooze around him shuddered, and Li could tell that a flash of hostility rose within the network of darkness, but as soon as it spiked, the king grasped his knees and held them even tighter to himself, like he was a child crying in the dark, and with that, the tendrils stopped moving entirely.

”I see. So, you too are suffering,” said Li. Fire began to form bright white ribbons around his wings. ”I will free you.”