?Chapter 3259 Chained Souls (Part 2)


    Controlling an already stable spell was one thing, conjuring and aiming a new spell with pinpoint uracy was another. In the Yggdrasill''s condition, it would have been akin to trying to write a symphony while someone shouted in your ears and another hammered your toes.


    Meanwhile, the Demon of the Darkness kept killing whoever dared enter the cell and fed the elves to the stone ring. With each victim she imed she would reforge her equipment, crafting a Fury and an Anvil closer to the originals.


    Solus was in shock and disbelief but she had the presence of spirit to hasten the tower''s repairs.


    ''I need to be fast. Maybe it''s not toote to retrieve the shard of my soul. If I can restore my connection with it and use the chain to establish a mind link with Lith, he cane to my rescue!"


    The first two Chroniclers had been enough to umte the life force and mana necessary to restore Solus'' body. The rest she stored in the Bleed to help her in her escape attempt.


    As her wounds healed, Solus'' connection with the Demon grew closer and closer until their minds almost formed a mind link. All the elves in the cell were now dead with the only exception of the Librarian.


    For some reason, the Demon had bound and gagged her with a tier five Spirit Spell that Solus recognized as Griffon Fetters but the Librarian was otherwise unharmed.


    The petite walked to the stone ring, looking at it with a mix of grief and longing. When thest crack disappeared, a smile like sunrise opened on the ck te of her face.


    She bent down, picking the ruined form of the tower up with utmost care and caressing its edges with infinite love.


    "Epphy," The Demon''s voice was the steely grind of a forge at work. "I have returned."


    ***


    Griffon Kingdom, Royal Pce of the city of Valeron, at the same time.


    Kam Verhen reached the antechamber of the Throne Room where two Royal Guards waited for her. She hade straight from the Blood Desert but not before making a call.


    "Here you are, Kami," Zinya waved her hand from a distance while the security confirmed the guest''s identity and that she posed no threat.


    "Thanks foring so fast, Zin." Kam held her sister''s hands with gratitude.


    Court etiquette forbade public disys of affection like hugs and giving each other a curtsy wouldn''t have allowed them tomunicate covertly with a mind link.


    ''Are Kigan and Nelia with you?'' Kam asked.


    ''Just Kigan.'' Zinya replied. I''m sorry, but I had to leave Nelia with Filia and Frey. I understand your circumstances, but with Zogar gone and most of the Eldritches absent, I don''t trust anyone else with my children.''


    ''No need to apologize.'' Kam inwardly sighed. ''Zogar has even more enemies than Lith and unlike Elysia, your children are not under the protection of the Guardians. Kigan will have to do.''


    "Thanks for the vote of confidence.'' The Dark Phoenix scoffed. Just remember, no array or means of detection except for Soul Vision can spot me, but only until I''m forced to take action.


    ''If for any reason my presence is exposed, I''ll be attacked by your enemies during the crisis and by your allies once it''s resolved. To avoid people questioning your involvement with me, pretend you didn''t know about my presence and act scared.


    ''Don''t worry, I asked Zinya toe for moral support and because it''s better safe than sorry."Kam replied. "The pce of Valeron is one of the safest ces in the Kingdom. With the arrays, the Royals, and the Royal Guards, not even a natural disaster worries me.''


    The entire conversation took ce while the Royal Guards led the two women to the Throne Room. Holding hands was a bit unusual but understandable when someone was summoned to the Royal Court in the middle of the night.


    "Your Majesties." Kam walked right under the raised dais of the thrones before giving the King and Queen a perfect curtsy.


    Zinya remained a few steps back and to the side of the carpet to stand witness without disturbing the focus of the Royal couple. She gave her curtsy a second after Kam, receiving solely a nod of the Queen''s head to acknowledge her presence while the King''s gaze was fixated on Kam.


    Meron appreciated how despite the urgent summon Kam wore the pristine white and gold dress that identified her as the Lady Magus and all the insignia of her rank that testified her loyalty to the Kingdom.


    A silver Griffon-shaped brooch attested to her affiliation to the Royal Court while the service ribbons on her breast enumerated her meritorious deeds as a member of the


    army.


    "Lady Verhen." Meron grunted more than speak. "I''m waiting for an exnation for the actions of your husband and it''s better to be a good one."


    Kam maintained a half-knelt position and shared the official version of the events with the Royals, hiding solely the connection between Solus and the tower.


    "He lost his omni pocket and everything in it?" Queen Sylpha was bbergasted.


    Not by the omni pocket, she had discovered its existence after befriending the members


    of the Awakened Council during the War of the Griffons.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. The blueprints for the DoLorean and the trains, my husband''s books about Void Magic, and every reward you have given him over the years are now in the World Tree''s possession.


    "With the Yggdrasill''s resources and time, my husband is certain it''s only a matter of time before they remove his imprint and steal the magical legacy he has prepared for Elysia." That was the part worrying the Queen.


    Military secrets, spells exclusive to the Griffon Kingdom, and the elusive branches of magic that had allowed Lith to be the Supreme Magus were now up for the taking.


    "I understand why he attacked Chl, but why didn''t he warn us of his intentions? Why didn''t Magus Verhen ask for the Kingdom''s help?" The King steepled his fingers, his mind spinning to find a way to do damage control in the worst-case scenario.


    Lith dead and his legacy made public.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "With all due respect, Your Majesty, what can the Kingdom do?" Kam raised her head


    to look Meron in the eyes.


    "My husband had no idea where the World Tree is located and bringing the army on foreign territory would have created a dangerous precedent that would have undermined your credibility in future diplomatic efforts.


    "On top of that, what chances do mortal humans have against a horde of elves? Only Awakened have a chance of survival and the Kingdom have none to spare." Meron grunted again but nodded at her words.


    To make a difference, the King and Queen would have to carry the Saefel Set outside the capital. Not only was it against thew but it would also leave the city of Valeron


    exposed.


    Aside from the Royal couple, Tyris produced only seven more fake Awakened for the Queen''s Corpse and they were already busy dealing with internal affairs that couldn''t be


    dyed.


    "By not warning you, Supreme Magus Verhen gave you usible deniability," Kam continued. "You can honestly im you weren''t aware of his intentions and haven''t yed any part in the invasion."