The way back to the sanctuary was beyond awkward. I still felt the sting of anger in my heart, it might as well have been a real blade. Who would've thought that I still had pride in me that could get hurt, after everything that had happened to me? I was close enough to never greeting a stranger with anything but caution and suspicion again. What a sorry life that would be, and what a childish thing to think. And what was I even angry about? The scenarios in my head, on how to get revenge for the little trick the women pulled on me, grew swiftly out of hand and way out of proportions. Again proving the cycle of vengeance to be a miserable substitute for true justice.

Without saying a word, we walked through the huts of the mad Wyldlings, confused, fearful, and angry looks following us, despite the early hours. Whatever they heard and saw in their heads, it must have kept them awake through the night. Was the Wyld itself now plotting to ruin my reputation?

The Mad King greeted us in his grove, laughing wildly, tears streaming down his face, burrowing little clean streaks into the dirt he was covered in. 

"What a wonderful jest! A joke two thousand years in the making, although I am still waiting for the punchline."

"What are you talking about?" I was reasonably miffed, this night had been awful and proceeded to get worse.

"Can't you see it? All these years," he howled in laughter, brushing the tears off his cheeks, "all these broken parts of me. And everything was based on a lie."

"What lie?"

"The greatest lie of all." He snickered. "That the dragons are gone, of course! And here you are bringing me two truths at the same time. That the Dragon of Life has been found, and that Wydlings walk my forest with his flesh on a necklace. And the Dragon of Darkness is alive and well, and walks the earth once more."

There were shocked exclamations behind me, as Kara and Tonja could not believe their ears.

"Surely you joke, Dio. How could you possibly know that?" I went up to him. 

Dio raised his hands, presenting himself as a dancer at a ball.

"I am as much a creature of the Wyld as anyone alive. You bring a splinter of its source to me, and question my ability to recognize what made me what I am?"

"And what about the Dragon of Darkness?"

"Ah, now, there are forces of darkness and life clashing on the same broken soil, as all these centuries ago. I can taste it. The song has changed its tune. Even in death, The Dragon of Life still fights his brother. The Wyld against the creatures of darkness. A poor continuation of the battle I was witness to, but a continuation nonetheless."

"If what you say is true, you must aid me on my quest!" I implored. "The true Wyldlings need a way out. They are harrowed by the forces of darkness and in desperate flight for weeks."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Kara walked up to stand beside me now, watching me from aside with a challenge in her eyes. "True Wyldlings? Does that mean the Bear Clan? What of the rest?"

"I do not mean to tell you of your ways. But Bear spoke to me." Kara looked as if she would punch me for the blasphemy alone. "And it is on his word that I know that Snake has devoured all his peers, after destroying all human gods of the continent." I continued while bitter bile rose up in my throat. "Honestly, I don't care what you or any of your clans do. Do what you want. But I seek a safe path for those that will come." 

"There are no safe paths in the Wyld. There are not even paths in the Broken Lands, unsafe or not. I can help those who come to me, but after that?" The Mad King shrugged.

"If Barak Bloodbraid can find a way, we can too. I even have what he had not. A way to block out the madness." I shook the amber-colored gem in his face.

Kara snorted. "Barak Bloodbraid needed no such thing. He was raving mad long before he came to the heart of the Wyld. A vicious creature of a boy and a cruel man after that." There was so much vitriol in her voice, that I did not doubt her hatred for a second.

"Is he not the [Shaman] of your clan? The one who brought the key to greatness to Sarhain, the Grim?"

"If only he was just that. For me he was my elder brother first, murderer of my parents second, man I had to run into the Wyld from to escape his dark desires, third." She balled her fists. "I do not doubt for a second that this beast of a man is in bed with the Dragon of Darkness. I would even believe it if you told me that he was from the very beginning of his life."

"It doesn't make sense." I reasoned. "The thing I set free, the Dragon if you are right, was imprisoned by a forgotten race of builders. It has nothing to do with the Wyldlings."

"And what do you know of the power of sleeping dragons?" Dio interrupted smiling. "What if he led Barak to his dragon-brother, giving him the strength he needed to beat the humans controlling the mountains, where the dragon was buried under? The dragon fled the light, mortally wounded, and hid in the darkest place he could find. Only to be locked by whoever was there, forgotten heroes if you ask me. That you freed him earlier than planned might be the only fault you have to burden your conscience with."

Could it be true? I was not so sure if it made sense in my head. 

"Then riddle me this:" I asked. "Where did the dark powers of Barak came from? If he found the Dragon of Life, should that not been a source of life and not of dark magics?" 

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"If that sack of shit can do one thing," Kara spat, "then it is to corrupt something good to further his own goals." 

"What is the difference between the life force of a dead dragon and a sacrifice of a thinking and sentient creature? In principle, I mean. Dark forces can and have used the essence of life to do their dark magic forever. It lies in their nature. They do not give freely, they only take and corrupt." Dio clapped his hands as if to calm an unruly class. "Right, children. We are running out of time do we not? We can discuss the ethics and philosophies of light and darkness for the rest of our lives."

"Then I will take my leave and search for the Dragon of Life." I nodded. "Time is of the essence for my brothers in the Wyld. And I am certain to know that Barak hides in the Shattered Sea. Why would he be there, if not to harvest the dragon? It is where I must go." 

"Then I am coming with you." Kara suddenly said. 

"No!" Tonja and I said in unison. 

"You are not ready to leave." Tonja explained. "You have not yet mastered the song of the Wyld." 

I just threw a dirty look in Kara's direction, making my disdain clear. 

"I don't give a flying fuck what you guys think." Kara said stonefaced. "You are not my mother, Tonja. And you," she turned to me, "will not survive a single day out there, amulet of amber or not. If you will not have me, I will stalk you, follow you and find my brother on my own. His story ends with my hands around his neck, strangling him to death, one way or another." 

"I do not trust you." I crossed my arms. 

"I don't need your trust. I need your sword when we find a Wyldling or creature I cannot control." 

"I don't care. The answer is no. Your personal vendetta is not my concern. You will slow me down." I was adamant. I would not travel with a member of a clan of enemies and even had led me into one trap already. 

"Fine. I'll do it my way then. You will regret your decision before this is over." She stormed out of the grove, cursing all the way. Tonja ran behind her, concern written plainly on her face. 

"You seem to have a way with women." Dio snickered. 

"I am not one to easily forget and forgive."

"Ahh, the pride of the youth. To be young and angry again." He walked over to a tree that immediately slammed a branch down on the mirage, passing through the body without resistance. The leaves rustled and swayed wildly. "I could be. Angry again, that is." The Mad King mused. "It is nothing but a thought away. And the future seems to be a time fit for anger, does it not?"

 "I...I do not know what to say to that." I answered honestly. 

"And it is good that you don't. Because none of this is your decision." He touched the warped bark, his fingers wandering over the dents and fissures. "If the Wyld, the land of the Wyldlings that is, dies, what purpose does a sanctuary for the mad students of the song of a dying dragon serve, then? Is it not time to go down in flames, taking with me what I can?" 

"That can't be the end of your story. Not as long as there is hope left." 

"I am a King of nothing but broken lands. The Wyld has proved as dangerous to the natural order, I swore to protect, as the darkness will be. Too much of a good thing destroys just as well, as they say. Do they? I have forgotten. I have forgotten so much." Wistfully he stared up at the crown of the many trees surrounding the glade. "I have even forgotten how to help you." 

"It is fine. I understand that not every mortal problem is yours to solve." 

"And yet I could do more than to sleep and watch. The force of nature is slow to rise, but unstoppable if unleashed."

He wandered around, touching each and every tree, deep in thought. 

"I cannot unleash anger." He finally said. "Not yet. I still have people under my care and protection." 

"You don't need to unleash anything just yet. The darkness I saw fears the light of day and only managed to get a foothold, because of the Skill that eclipsed the sun for a week." 

"But I hear the old drums of war pounding in my blood. I stir from my slumber. I need to do something." 

"Wait for just two months more. If all goes to plan, I will bring the Chosen of Bear before you, and you can discuss your plans with someone that is born a Wyldling and has influence in the clans." 

"But does he know the plight of the Twice-Born? Not god, not mortal. Destined to die a snack of old monsters or to live longer than anything he ever knew? He does not. You do." 

"Nothing could be farther from the truth. I opened my first gate just last week. I am a mortal in every aspect that counts. I beg of you, what are two months for someone like you?"

He finally let go of the tree he was touching, sighing deeply. He returned to me, all energy sapped out from him. "I can hold for two months." He finally said. "But I feel again. All this made me feel and madness is lifting its ugly head already. And there are but two options. Grow a new tree and start again or jump into the ocean of madness that lurks contained in this grove." He raised a hand to stop me from speaking. "I cannot help you find your way.  They are all locked away. I do not even have Essence anymore. I am just a ghost of a man without feelings. But I can give you two months and shelter for your friends for as long as I can. I can ease their travel in the Wyld, as long as they can cross the marshes and enter the forest, where my shadow touches the treetops." 

"It is all I dare to ask of you." 

To my shock he raised a hand and beside me a tree rotted and died in mere moments, falling to the ground as moist sludge, black and drained of every life. I saw the vision of Dio getting firmer, more real, growing taller, while his grin grew wider and wider. "Ah yes, sweet forgotten fruit you taste so good." he crooned. "Hope. At last." 

I was stunned. All around me the air hummed with power, energy so immense I almost could touch it. 

"How do you plan on finding the Dragon of Life? And what then?" Dio whirled around to me, staring at his now substantial hands with awe.

"I travel southeast until I find the Shattered Sea. I have my means to not get lost." I desperately hoped, at least, that the coin of the Wanderer would help me there. "I need to find Barak. He has taken a lot of slaves and prisoners from the Western Empire of the humans to his hideout, I heard. That can only mean two things. He needs them to work, to harvest the dragon, or he needs them to die, to craft these amulets. Either way, he has to answer for his crimes. But he must have a way to manipulate the Wyld. How else could he use humans as slaves? Would they not succumb to the Wyld? He must have a safe place and it just has to be where the dragon is, nothing else makes sense. I will find his men and follow them back. They have come as far as your forest, they won't be hard to find." I shrugged. "After I found the place, I come and get the Wyldlings."

Dio nodded, grinning. "That plan may even be mad enough to work. If you can brave the Broken Lands and cross the Shattered Sea, that is. Two months, Hannibal. I can guarantee the safety of the young [Seers] and [Shamans] for that long at least. If you do not return, it will be my anger answering the call to battle."

He came close to me, hugging me with a real body. He was a man again and I was speechless. "Whatever happens now," he said, "is inevitable. There is no way but forward. The song will take me in time. But I took 'hope' back to fight a little longer. And to give you something. [Sense Corruption] and [Cleanse Corruption]. You will need it, I fear."