Geral let out a sigh of frustration as he rubbed his sore eye.

"Can you please stop poking my eyes? And what do you mean by the Darkwing tomb?"

He recalled Anabella mentioning that her surname was Darkwing. Could this be her family's tomb? How did they end up here?

Finally, Algar provided an explanation.

"This is Anabella's tomb." - she confirmed - "It's where she was initially buried and later resurrected as an undead. All undead beings have a deep connection with their place of birth, and this tomb holds a strong resonance for her. If an undead person dies and their body is placed inside the tomb within a day of their death, there's a high likelihood that they'll be reborn."

Geral scratched his brow, wondering.

“But her body was not burned in the Hora's temple as she requested. Did it work, even if that inquisitor burned it in the field? Did you pick up the ashes?”

Algar shook her head.

"No, the part about burning her body in the Hora's temple was just a cover-up. The ceremony is supposed to ensure a peaceful afterlife, but it was only a subterfuge to allow you to take her body and prevent it from being buried or burned there. Burning an undead's body makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for them to be reborn. The tomb's power plays a significant role, and this tomb may bring up that power, but the chances of rebirth are diminished, depending on the damage the body has suffered. As for the inquisitor, she didn't burn Anabella's body. It was Sarah's."

Geral let out a gasp of surprise.

“Sarah's? Do you mean Sarah is dead? How?”

Algar shrugged; she did not know many details about Sarah.

"The story I heard from the girls was quite unsettling. Apparently, Sarah tried to poison Anabella and then attempted to kill Zera when she intervened to help. Fortunately, Awa arrived in time to save them both and ended up killing Sarah."

“Why would she try to...”

Geral left the sentence unfinished. Could the fact that he had used Sarah to please him have anything to do with that? But even then, why would she try to kill Anabella? To him, it did not make sense. He shook his head in confusion.

Algar observed him closely, sensing his inner conflict, but opted not to push the matter further, at least for the time being. Her only concern was to return home, back to the safety of the giant Morewa forest, where the elves lived, on the far side of the Denka Republic.

"I have no idea," she said, "all I know is that we had a body that we embalmed just like you did, and then when the opportunity arose, we swapped them out. Anabella had instructed the girls on what to do in case of her death."

He sighed, feeling a little pained. Anabella had instructed the girls but not him. Why? Maybe because of his illness, she hadn't had the chance. "Okay," he said, "when can I talk to Anabella? And why did she call me 'papa'?"

Algar shook her head and let out a huff. This human really didn't know anything. How could you claim to be married to an undead and not know anything about them?

"For an undead," she began to explain, "the first people they meet inside their tomb when they wake up are their parents. It's like a chick hatching from an egg. They open their eyes and see you and say, 'Mama.' That's when they become 'impregnated'; that's how it works. That's how you can create very loyal armies of the undead. You should understand that she will no longer be the Anabella you know. She will lose much of her magical power and some of her memories, maybe all. Some memories may come back over time. This is the price to pay for being reborn. Since you woke her up too early, she may have lost more than she would have otherwise. Let's hope she forgets that she met us."

"Oh!" Geral exclaimed.

He let out a heavy sigh; somehow, everything that was going wrong seemed to be his fault.

He had hoped to find his Anabella; that's what Olomuc had let him believe, and instead, he got this messed-up situation where she was calling him Papa.

Algar continued.

“I owe her my life, I am in her debt, but I doubt I can make the border guards allow her to enter our kingdom due to her being an undead, but maybe we can arrange for her to stay at one border settlement. I must at least make that work. You could eventually stay with her there. I plan to help her and her daughters in order to pay my dues. I want to bring these girls that she names her daughters to my home. Father will help me.”

Geral hesitated. This would mean separating him and Anabella from the girls. While their 'marriage' had been just a stratagem to fool the slavers, it had evolved into more than that.

He was aware that the thread that linked his heart to the girls', the connection by which he could feel if they were feeling well, or if they were happy, or in danger, was the result of a spell from Anabella and that the strength of the thread depended on their true feelings. Anabella had explained this to him, and if the girls didn't want the connection, it could be severed in a matter of days.

However, he could feel the connection between them now more strongly than ever. There were mutual feelings on both sides of the thread. The girls loved him, and he cared deeply for them. It was an incredible feeling to be so connected to someone on such a deep level, to feel it in his heart and soul.

So what now? Should he cut the connection? Were they better without him?

"Listen, Anabella will return, and though she may be weaker, she will eventually regain her strength. It will take some time, but we will take care of the girls. I don't believe she wants to be separated, and I don't want that either. I'm confident the girls would agree with me."

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Algar let out a weary sigh, indicating that Geral's understanding was still lacking.

"You don't seem to comprehend. Anabella is essentially a new person now, and a very unstable one at that. She'll need time to process and understand the world around her, to reconcile her old memories with her new experiences. Moreover, if she sees you as her undead father, she'll bend over backwards to please you. She'll feel obliged to fulfill your every desire and can intuit your wishes just by looking into your eyes. I implore you to grant her some space and time to discover what she wants for herself. So, what's your plan?"

While Algar was growing increasingly frustrated with what she saw as Geral's foolishness and obstinacy, Geral was becoming more and more impatient. Rather than focusing on finding out where they were and where the girls were, they were wasting time debating hypotheticals and uncertainties. What if Anabella regained her memory and everything returned to normal?

He spoke up,

"Listen, I made a promise to Anabella to take care of the girls, and I will fulfill that promise. And if she's not at her best, I believe she will recover faster with us, with me and the girls."

Algar let out another sigh and massaged her temples, growing increasingly frustrated with Geral's stubbornness.

However, she realized that his decision ultimately wouldn't matter. They needed to return to the safety of the forest.

They would probably have to wait at the border for her father to arrive and help find a solution. Geral would likely have to stay at the border in quarantine, as strangers were not permitted in the forest. Even with the girls, negotiations would be tough to allow them in, but Anabella, being undead, would have to stay with Geral. If the girls chose to stay with them, it would be their decision.

After finally agreeing to postpone the discussion about the girls' future, Geral resumed his questioning:

"So, will you finally tell me where this tomb is? Where are we, and where are the girls?"

"This tomb is a magical spatial construct that was attached to a plank in Anabella's chariot."

Geral was surprised by this revelation, but it did make sense to him.

“Oh, the plank that did not burn!?”

She nodded.

“Yes, the plank that did not burn. The girls are outside, carrying it.”

His face lit up as he realized how close they were.

“Really? How do I get out?”

“No! Wait! They are currently with one of the republic's border units. The girls are under their protection, but if the soldiers and, even worse, their superiors realize what this plank is, things might get very problematic for us. We should wait.”

So close, and not being able to hug them!

“Then, can I see them?"

"There's a spyhole that allows you to observe the outside, but your view will be limited to what's directly in front of the plank. You can watch without any worries, as nobody will be able to detect that you're observing."

"Great, let me find it. Where is it?"

"Can't you see it? It's not completely covered, allowing some light to filter through."

As he stood there blinking blindly, she gently directed his face towards a specific area, and now he could discern the faint glow emanating from it. "Ah!"

With cautious steps, he made his way towards the source of the light, mindful of each movement. Without encountering any obstacles, he finally reached the spot and positioned himself to peer through the spyhole. To his relief, he was able to observe them. The plank must have been attached to a horse or a mule, hanging on its side with the right side free.

He could see Noviel, Awa, and several soldiers walking and engaged in conversation. He then heard Zera's voice from above; she was likely riding the mule.

His heart had told him that they were fine, but seeing and hearing the girls relieved him of some of the remaining stress. From what he could see, they appeared to be doing well, chatting freely with the soldiers.

Content with what he had witnessed, Geral turned his attention back towards the inside and saw Algar for the first time. She was a graceful and slender elf-girl, slightly smaller in stature than Anabella, clad in a flowing robe, perched upon what appeared to be a substantial root stemming from a colossal plant that partially obscured the scenery. A bit further away, he discerned the figure of Anabella, encircled by what resembled a nest.

"Cover it up again," Algar instructed, her gesture indicating the spyhole. "Excessive light could disturb Anabella's sleep."

Geral couldn't help but roll his eyes at the notion of her considering that faint glow as excessive light. Intrigued by the plant before him, he shifted his gaze towards it before complying with Algar's request to block the spyhole using the leather blinder.

Now engulfed in darkness, Geral remained motionless, hoping his eyes would adjust to the lack of light. He felt Algar's presence as she positioned herself behind him, her gentle hands guiding his movements. Once they were both settled on the root, she began to provide an explanation.

"What you saw is a black lotus, an exceptionally rare plant that thrives exclusively in highly magical environments. It must be several centuries old, if not older. Rest assured, merely moving around won't cause any harm to it; despite its solid and iron-like appearance, it retains surprising flexibility."

How will we know when it's time to leave?" he wondered.

"They will tap on the plank in a specific manner," Algar explained.

"And we will hear it?"

"Yes. The sound resonates throughout the entire cavern."

He sighed, his attention turning back to Anabella.

"Is there anything else I should know about Anabella?"

Algar looked at him intently. "Just be aware that she will be fragile and will need time to reacquaint herself with many things. The extent of it, we will discover together."

"About her name, Darkwing, is something special about it? The way you spoke about it, it sounded like a name that carries reverence and fear. Is there something about that name that I should know?" Geral inquired.

She huffed, looking surprised at him. She raised a brow, intrigued, realizing that he seemed sincere. Married to a Darkwing and not knowing the legend?

"Reverence? No. Fear? Absolutely," Algar replied. "Terek Darkwing was a monstrous figure, a dreadful winged undead that plagued the forests near my home for centuries. There are countless legends surrounding his cruel acts and heinous experiments. He was a relentless force. He had been hunted down and brought to justice, only to return and exact revenge on his captors and hunters. Anabella, I believe, was likely one of his instruments. She must have been a formidable white mage whom he killed in order to transform her into his own 'daughter.' That would explain why she still possessed her white magic while delving into the realm of black magic. It's an exceedingly rare duality within the realm of magic. Eventually, Darkwing himself perished, and Anabella was left as an undead orphan, unaligned with the undead empire. Darkwing was the epitome of such undead horrors, and there are some who still fear his potential return."

"Oh, I did not know that!" Geral admitted, feeling a sense of unease wash over him upon learning about Darkwing's gruesome legacy.

"What do you know, then?" Algar asked, her tone tinged with a hint of desperation.