Scott narrowed his gaze as he stared at the judge of light. I totally forgot about the judges, and this guy doesn’t look like the type of person to listen to an explanation.

Zara clenched her fists, her movements deliberate and rhythmic, while shadows swirled within Slim's vacant eye sockets, casting an eerie darkness upon the necromancer's skeletal visage. The judge, an imposing figure, remained stoic, impervious to the spectacle unfolding before it. Molten flames crawled up its arms, a serpentine dance that gradually enveloped the entire glistening form.

Hastur’s Gaze is unable to peer through the Status of the Judge of Light!

Fuck… Scott cursed within himself as he quickly grabbed the arms of his companions. Before Zara and Slim could react, the darkness covering the beacons disappeared and an array of dazzling lights erupted from the trio.

“We’re fucked if we fight that bastard,” Scott said mentally while relaxing his grip. “It shouldn’t attack us now.”

The Judge of Light has detected your beacons! You will no longer be purged!

The faceless golden humanoid lowered its fork, causing the molten flames to vanish into the unusual weapon. Then, the judge turned around, taking short, robotic steps as it marched away from the hound extermination crew.

On its tenth step, thunder rumbled across the misty skies, and the surrounding rocks and pebbles trembled in its wake. The judge halted, raising its head toward the turbulent heavens. Three colossal lightning bolts descended from the tempestuous skies: the first obliterated the judge’s weapon, the second amputated the limbs of the humanoid, and the third decapitated its faceless head.

Scott, Zara, and Slim raised their heads, their attention drawn to the origin of the lightning bolts. There, a familiar figure descended from a series of shuffling discs.

Just how powerful is she? Scott thought to himself, locking gazes with Ember who wore a thin smile.

The wind ruffled the robes of the dragonkin as she gracefully descended the golden discs. Zara and Slim's aggressive demeanor instantly disappeared, the skeleton smiling sheepishly at the tall champion.

“Someone looks a little too happy,” Zara commented, wearing a mischievous smile.

Slim turned toward the cat girl, an embarrassed expression gracing his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s natural to be happy when a powerful adversary is vanquished. I should obviously show my appreciation by wearing a smile at least,” Slim explained, but Zara burst into laughter, leaning on the bashful skeleton.

Scott, on the other hand, wore a deep frown, his bedazzling eyes focused on the dragonkin. I thought it would be impossible for her to locate me after the war hammer consumed her madness. It seems she wasn't exaggerating; she really remembers my smell.

“We meet again.” Ember’s soft voice carried into the ears of the trio.

The dragonkin's brows shot up as she narrowed her gaze. “I'm glad to see you've all improved tremendously. I'm proud of you,” she said, coming to a stop in front of the trio.

Ember made a grasping motion, and Slim and Zara flew towards the dragonkin, her soft arms wrapping around their waists. “I feel much better having you two next to me,” Ember said softly.

A bashful smile graced Slim's face, while Zara's cheeks puffed, doing her best to stifle a laugh at the necromancer. Meanwhile, behind his mask, Scott frowned. Are they really enjoying this?

That Slim hesitated to embrace the dragonkin only deepened the masked man's confusion.

Ember refocused on Scott, her smile becoming livelier. “I thought we wouldn't have the opportunity to meet in this barren land again. Your scent disappeared completely three days ago, and now it's very different. What happened?” Ember's voice echoed in Scott's mind, her curious eyes meeting the beautiful yet sinister gaze of the eldritch knight.

“How different is it?” Scott replied with a question of his own. He had no intention of narrating his experiences with the dragonkin, not that he could even remember.

Ember fell into deep thought, then projected her voice into the mind of the half-human. “I can't say exactly. Before, it was a savory aroma amidst bland odors, but now, there's an air of arousal that promises something unfathomable.”

I don’t even want to pretend that I understand what she’s talking about, Scott thought to himself.

“Since you took care of that guy, I assume you're still after the judges, right?” Scott inquired.

“Yes. Unfortunately, I can't divulge much, but I must continue pursuing them,” Ember responded mentally. “With any luck, I'll catch up to you and your friends. Oh, by the way, it seems you haven't taken the pill I gave you. Is there a reason for that?”

“Nothing specific. Why? Did you put something strange in it?” Scott replied.

Ember chuckled, shaking her head. “I'm disappointed you'd think of me that way. It's a meticulously designed pill to enhance physical well-being. I assure you, there are no poisons, aphrodisiacs, or anything you might find strange in it. I dispatch my enemies without resorting to underhanded tactics, and I need no tricks to court someone I admire,” she said with a smile.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The discs drew nearer to Scott, and the dragonkin's arms tightened around the waists of her captives. Slim let out a whimper, grinning from ear to ear, while Zara buried her head in the soft fabric of the dragonkin's clothes. Scott and Ember locked eyes, neither avoiding the gaze of the other. Silence blanketed the area, but it only lasted a moment as Ember's voice resonated in the trio's minds.

“I sincerely congratulate you two on securing sponsors; you've made the right decision,” Ember said softly.

Slim gazed in awe, his skull resting against the soft body of the towering champion. “How did you know?” he asked.

“Although we’re both sponsored candidates, a hierarchy exists among us. I’m sure you know that much, right?”

Slim and Zara nodded with excitement, their expressions akin to curious puppies. Ember reached for their heads, patting them gently as she continued. “Without delving into specifics, I gained access to that information due to my current rank. Both of you will have to work harder to avoid becoming mere steppingstones for other candidates.” Ember’s tone shifted to seriousness. “I can assure you, the competition among candidates is more intense than anything you've encountered. A single mistake is all it takes to shatter your dreams and, ultimately, cost you your life.”

Zara and Slim’s visage tensed for a moment as the duo fell into deep thought. The dragonkin who had been staring at Scott all along, flashed a smile at the masked man. “My sponsor tells me you have rejected quite the number of lesser gods. You should be careful not to draw the ire of too many of them. They can be quite nasty to deal with, but I trust you to make the right judgment. After all, you’re the one who cured me of my century old affliction.”

“Can you ask your sponsor a question for me?” Scott suddenly asked.

The God of Darkness is now watching you! The God of Darkness is curious to hear your question! The God of Darkness has stopped watching you! The lesser god of darkness is now watching you! The lesser god of darkness reluctantly permits you to ask your question!

Scott glanced at the system’s messages. It seems each God has a lesser god. Are they their assistants or something? Scott controlled his wandering thoughts as he said, “What happened to the eldritch gods?”

The lesser god of darkness has refused to answer your question! The lesser god of darkness has stopped watching you!

Ember wore a rare frown, as she stared at the flashing system window. “What exactly did you say? I have never seen him react like that,” she said.

“Wait, you didn’t hear my question?” Scott asked.

The dragonkin shook her head. “I didn’t, and I doubt you have the skill to project your words into one’s mind yet.”

Scott’s visage turned ugly underneath his mask. His voice echoed in Zara and Slim’s mind, repeating the same question, and like Ember, neither of the duo heard his question.

I hate this… I fucking hate this. They won’t even let me find out anything about them, Scott’s hands folded into a fist.

Ember lowered her gaze, staring at Scott’s balled up hands. Although he looks angry, why do I feel he isn’t genuinely angry?

The dragonkin dispelled her wandering thoughts, her voice resonating in the ears of the trio. “Your party has gathered sufficient beacons, and it's advisable to commence preparations for the impending judgment path. Another piece of friendly advice: once the path materializes, you must not cease your momentum. Utilize all available means to ensure you traverse the long road without being expelled.”

“What does that mean? Who's going to kick us out?” Zara inquired, unable to suppress her curiosity.

Ember smiled gently, toying with the soft ears of the cat girl. Zara unconsciously released a soft moan, quickly muffling it with her hand. However, her excited tail swayed from side to side as she awaited Ember's response.

“I would love to divulge more, but your party lacks the strength to handle additional information at this moment,” Ember remarked, slowly caressing the cat girl's ears. “I'm confident your sponsors will unveil more when the time is right.”

“Will we have the pleasure of your company again?” Slim inquired, a bashful smile playing on his lips.

“Absolutely. I would have relished the opportunity to join your group, but I still have a few more judges to hunt. It wouldn't be fair to ask you three to wait for me. Besides, the powerful champions in the trial often emerge on the last day. In your current condition, you wouldn't stand a chance against the strongest competitors,” Ember explained, patting the skeleton's head.

The dragonkin shifted her attention back to Scott. “I've etched the scents of your companions into my memory. They should guide me to you if your scent changes again. I look forward to our next encounter,” Ember said with a gentle smile.

Once more, Ember tenderly patted the heads of the necromancer and brawler before flicking their foreheads. The duo gracefully descended from the floating discs, landing on their feet next to Scott.

“Your leader should gather all the beacons and place a drop of blood on them. You'll be prompted to decide whether to forcefully summon the Judgment Road,” Ember advised, her tone turning serious. “Remember, there's no turning back once it appears. You must do everything in your power to race to the end of it.” Ember smiled at the trio, her gaze lingering on Scott as she turned to depart.

“Wait,” Scott said, taking a step forward. “What are our odds of surviving if we wait for the path to open naturally?”

“You will all perish within the first ten minutes. I believe you underestimate the ruthlessness of the Tower of Champions,” Ember replied without hesitation. “For your own good, I hope you don’t attempt something that reckless.”

The discs reshuffled once more, and the dragonkin ascended into the skies, vanishing within the misty heavens.

“I'm going to miss her,” Slim sighed softly, shaking his head.

“She said she’s coming back. You don’t have to be sad,” Zara chuckled, patting the back of the necromancer.

“I'm not talking about that,” Slim muttered, stealing glances at Scott who remained fixated on the spot where Ember disappeared. “The way she looks at us and the way she looks at him are too different.”

The necromancer sighed again, shaking his head gently. Zara burst into laughter, her pats turning to slaps as she leaned against the skeleton.

“I'm confident you'll find someone else to make you feel that way soon enough,” she teased, nearly choking on her words. Slim sighed once more before joining in the laughter with the feline brawler.

“You guys are really weird, you know that, right?” Scott's voice resonated with the ears of the laughing duo.

“Look who's talking. Do you really want to join this conversation?” Zara retorted, laughter bubbling up even harder.

“She’s got a point, buddy. I think you should sit this one out,” Slim added, flashing a friendly smile.

Scott responded with a dry smile behind his mask, unable to dispute the words of the laughing duo. The number of mysteries and oddities surrounding him far outnumbered those of the necromancer and the brawler.

“So, you heard her. Should we let the judgment path unfold naturally, or do we need to forcefully summon it?”