“Fortunately, I have a key,” Lindon said. Then he knelt by Ziel and pressed his hand to the ground.
Lindon began to Consume.
There were a number of places like Shatterspine Castle in the Wasteland. Long-abandoned battlefields from ancient experts and powerhouses that could turn fortunes around. Once, Sages and Heralds had competed to find their way into this place. They had found the Grand Oath Array’s working impossible to unravel, and brute force had not availed them.
Perhaps they would have succeeded if they had continued their efforts for longer, if they had worked together, or if Northstrider had deigned to help.
But in the end, they had moved on to easier treasures to claim. As useful as a Herald’s Remnant would be, it was locked inside its own separate prison within. The Grand Oath Array itself wasn’t even within, only clues and fragments that could lead to understanding of its mechanisms. The effort was not worth the reward.
For them.
Lindon Forged the force madra instead of venting it, and a perfect orb of cloudy gray appeared in his left hand. It radiated such power that Orthos and Ziel both took a step back, but Lindon let it drop and continued absorbing.
Dross screamed out harsh laughter, and Lindon couldn’t tell if he was delighted or in pain. He was sorting the residual will that remained inside the technique, but even spread between Lindon and Dross, it still pushed against them as though trying to burst them from the inside.
A second pearl of force madra rolled out behind Lindon, then a third.
When Lindon was soaked in sweat and about to take a break, the field faltered. Sand blew by slowly, as though drifting underwater.
When it dropped, the bird finally took off from the roof and soared into the sky. It fluttered to a halt very quickly, spinning as though to get its bearings.
It wasn’t a sacred beast, only a bird, but Lindon suspected it still must be very confused.
Lindon rocked back onto his feet and caught his breath. “Forgiveness. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Ziel looked to the pearls of force madra. “Don’t know what else you’re doing, but it feels like you could keep everything here for yourself.”
“I could,” Lindon said, and Orthos chuckled.
“That’s more like it!” the turtle said approvingly.
“I want you two to inherit what you can,” Lindon went on. “For you to have authority over it, you must earn it yourself. Anything I retrieved and handed you would give you little benefit.”
“Makes sense, as long as we don’t have to share.” Ziel extended a finger. “And I think we’ve found a friend.”
A speck in the sky was approaching quickly. It didn’t take long for Lindon to identify it as a vulture that seemed to drag a cloak of shadows with it.
[The omen of death appears, drawn to our desecration of an ancient script!] Dross said.
Lindon sighed.
It was a few more minutes before the shadowy vulture finally arrived. It perched on a nearby wall and took a moment to settle its feathers.
“I remember you, Lord Ziel,” the vulture said, in a surprisingly clear and feminine voice. “The Beast King will be pleased to see you in fighting shape once again.”
Ziel sat down and propped up his chin on one hand. “I don’t remember you.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Lindon said over a bow. “I am Wei Shi Lindon Arelius.” He wasn’t certain if he should still use the name “Arelius” now that Eithan was gone, but he supposed Eithan had more right to hand out the title than anyone.
The vulture inclined her head, bowing back. “And who are you, descendant of the black dragons?”
Orthos raised his chin proudly. “I am Orthos! I come to find the tomb of my ancestors and claim his inheritance.”
“A turtle of your lineage ought to be ambitious. The Beast King is occupied in his battle against the Dreadgods, but I hear his voice in my soul. He celebrates the return of the Dawnwing Sect’s young Archlord. He has sent me to ensure that you arrived safely, but I see you have the protection of a Sage.”
Orthos glanced at Lindon, and the two shared a moment of resolve through their bond before Orthos responded. “Soon, we will no longer need it.”
“You have the arrogance of the dragons, if nothing else.” The vulture flapped her wings and extended her neck, eyeing Orthos from another angle. “If you can advance fast enough to help us against the Dreadgods, we’d be grateful, though I personally can’t see why you’d bother. Advancing in a hurry is for humans.”