Adira lifted herself from the ground. Her hand shakingly reached toward the satchel, trying to find a healing potion. At her side, Galen and Skreetha began to do the same. Shadows were weaving through Salgos’s armor, enveloping him. The girl realized that was his way of healing himself.
Only when a healing potion touched her lips, did she slump in relief. This game was even more desperate than her fight with Godslayer. If then she was on the verge of dying, this time she lost, and death did not take her. That felt like cheating, but she did not want to complain about that. The liquid streamed into her mouth, and she did not feel healed. The life force was restoring too slowly, as if her soul was trying to regain its previous strength, but not her body. Only then did she understand that the potions were useless, the Demigod attacked their vitality, not health. Losing vitality made her feel aged 50 years in one minute, and only now she was slowly getting her strength back.
Adira stood up and looked around. Galen seemed to gather himself up quite lively, must be the perks of having level 99. He approached the arachne, Skreetha looked at him devastated, her legs scratched the stone floor plates, twitching helplessly, unable to raise her body.
“I cannot stand. Can not even weave a web.” She admitted looking at the floor in embarrassment. “Give me a potion please.”
Galen shook his head. Three empty vials lay on the ground where he fell before, but that did not help him. Seeing the companionship these two displayed irritated Adira. It was like watching Celene and Kelgan recovering in their camp, caring for each other.
Here she was, always forced to stand up on her own with no one to care. This time, though, it was not her fault, at least not entirely.
“You don’t think you are responsible for your kid’s death, Galen?” Adira spoke with clear malice oozing from her voice.
“I don’t know. Now is not the time to discuss it.” The man replied calmly, but it was clear he was restraining himself. “We all need to think about what we discovered about ourselves today.”
“What is there to think about?” The girl was relentless. “Weren’t you telling us, who is responsible all this time?”
Galen looked at her with an expression that only meant Adira must drop the topic. However, she was unstoppable in her anger, she never was.
“The whole way here you’ve been whining and complaining how bad Verdania was. And now you are not sure who is responsible for your kid’s death? After you swore to take revenge on the kingdom? Why can’t you just answer that?”
“Because I have a conscience! Because what I believe, and what is just are different things. You know how hard it was to answer his questions, why don’t you think about your failure, and stop blaming others?” The man shouted back, but the girl was not listening.
“Where was your conscience when you cold-bloodedly killed those hunters? Your indecisiveness almost got us killed!”
“You are the one to talk. Can you trust someone, Adira? Certainly not the only monster you swore to kill!” Galen repeated Constantine’s question in a mocking voice. The girl cringed, remembering how miserable she felt under the gaze of the Demigod.
“At least I was not making friends with the monster the whole way here. The answer was as unexpected to me as it was for you!”
“You should not fight over it.” A meek voice joined them. Skreetha looked at both of them pleadingly. “We survived, that’s what matters. We need to work together.”
“For what?” Conveniently, another target just presented itself to Adira. “Exactly what you think we must do now?”
“I don’t know.” The monster fell back under the girl’s verbal assault.
“In your plan, we are supposed to fight the Demigod now.” Galen stood between Adira and Skreetha. He gestured at Salgos, knowing full well that the Demigod would ignore whatever he said. He never cared what they said around him, so the archer could speak plainly even in front of him. “You clearly picked his side and doomed that plan forever. Now stop pretending and go serve your Lord!”
The young huntress spitefully glared at him. He met her gaze responding with the same rage she carried. Sensing there was nothing more to say she walked away. Galen leaned to Skreetha with a potion of Vitality.
“I have only two of these. Won’t put you up but would help you recover.”
“You do prove to be a reliable friend.” The monster smiled, taking the vial with yellowish liquid inside.
“I always am.” The man sat next to her.
“Somehow you missed that with Adira.”
“I think the girl is too messed up in her head. I lost my ability to help her.” The man thought for a long moment. “No matter how we got here, Adira turned to pure evil. She is openly hostile to us. Not long until she becomes an enemy, be ready.”
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Adira walked across the circular hall. She heard their muffled talking but was oblivious to their conversation. The only thing she wanted was someone to care for her. Somehow, that wish pushed everyone away. She eventually reached Salgos’s resting place. Perhaps not everyone?
“Have you come to finish me, Champion?” The Demigod met her with a straight question, staying in his healing shadows.
“No, and I don’t think I can.” The girl sat down on the stone. Her feet still felt wobbly, but that was not the reason. She just wanted to crouch on the floor and be as small as possible.
“I thought you had plans.”
“I thought I had allies.”
“I can still call you an ally.” Saglos looked at her, making sure she knew he was serious. Adira smiled, she desperately needed one. Maybe that was not the worst idea. She still needed to figure out many things. The most important one was the Core of Darkness she received from the God of Darkness.
“When I was in the Infinity, during my fight with the Godslayer Azalor, I talked to Sylverak and he passed me his core. He ordered me to give it to you.”
“You must do that.” The Demigod stepped out of his shadows and imposingly approached the girl. Adira stood up and backed away.
“Why?”
“I am ordering you to do it. It is vital to me.” Salgos reached with his hand in a demanding gesture.
“I would think about it.” The young huntress backed away even more.
“Now!” The voice of the Demigod thundered over the room. It was the first time he had been this angry. His sheer presence was enough to make Adira’s leg feel weak. Still, she was not the one so easily bent to others’ will.
“No. I want to know why it is important first.”
“It is the essence of my Creator. His title and his power, he passed it onto me. Give it, now!”
“I will keep it until you tell me how you will use it.” The girl daringly stared into Demigod’s eyes. She was immediately forced to activate “Odeum steps” and dashed to the side. The hand reaching to take the core turned into a decapitating grab aimed at her neck. Barely Adira escaped its clutch.
She stumbled on her weak legs and fell onto the ground. Her cast was interrupted. Salgos slowly turned to face her. The girl struggled through the pressure and stood up. A vicious grin spread on her face.
“Oh, I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” She summoned her glaive.
“I hate traitors more than anything.” Salgos summoned his war hammer. They stared at each other for a second, each waiting for the other to begin.
The Demigod acted first. He snapped into motion, faster than “Odium Steps” could carry Adira. The hammer scratched her armor with a loud creak that resonated through the hallway. The force threw the girl to the side, but she left unscathed. Salgos did not press the advantage. He turned slowly, too slow even, affected by the spell. The girl turned the “Odeum Steps” off to reach the ground faster and gain her footing.
The Demigod of Darkness readied his hammer for another charge. The girl popped out of his vision with movements that defied time. He swung the hammer to the side, catching her dash. It crashed into Adira’s side, or at least that was what he expected. The girl barely moved from where she stood.
That was a test. She understood that Salgos could not truly move faster than her. He predicted her movements and attacked faster than she could dodge. So, what if instead she just feints at the attack? The swooshing sound of a war hammer swinging through the empty air was her answer. His snap attacks required him to be prepared. Now that Adira understood his tactic, she will not miss this opportunity. The girl blinked away with her otherworldly speed. She impaled his unprotected side and fell back.
“Talk about traitors.” Holding the key to victory she spoke with confidence. “You took one thing I asked you to give me in return for my service.”
Adira feinted again, forcing another miss. Her glaive impaled him right between his shoulder blades. When he turned, she was not there already.
“You call me a traitor because I did not immediately comply with your demand. I was only asking what you would do with that core. Is that treachery?”
The Demigod turned. An arrow struck him in between the eyes. Galen saw the two fighting. He stood on one knee with his bow raised, ready to fire another shot. A wall of darkness immediately separated Adira and Salgos from the rest of the world. The girl heard a muffled cry from the other side. The man was trying to rejoin the battle. However, Demigod’s magic was not easily dispelled.
Adira did not need anyone. She read Salgos like a book. Her every move was deliberate and served to trick the Demigod. She knew exactly what opening would force a reaction. The Demigod swung down the way the girl wanted him to. The hammer smashed into the stone floor leaving a small hole. Exactly where she wanted it. The girl ran forward, and her legs skipped the floor.
Suddenly she was not running anymore, instead, she was looking for a footing. Her body was lifted in the air. The Demigod caught her by the neck.
“I have been fighting enemies with this ability for a millennium. You all are so confident until you die.” He squeezed her neck tighter. He was right. Adira felt confident and did not realize she was playing into his hand.
“Kill me and you never get the core.” She groaned through her teeth, struggling in the iron grasp.
“Quite contrary. Killing you would leave me with the core.” He growled threateningly, as he brought the girl closer to his face. She scowled defiantly, looking into his red eyes. “But I won’t.”
The Demigod sighed, his demeanor suddenly switched like under a command. Adira froze in confusion.
“You were right. I was unfair to you. I broke my part of the deal first. For that I am sorry.”
He let the girl fall onto the ground.
“The core would give me the right to ascend to Godhood. If this power falls to any God or Demigod, it will change the balance of powers drastically. Titles are not passed easily. That’s why I want to protect the core myself, as its righteous owner.” Salgos turned, heading towards the massive gates. He stopped before it and turned his head to Adira. “I trust you would protect it and choose wisely whom would have. Know this, while carrying a Title you are not protected by the rules of Nature. The Gods will be able to attack you.”
He pushed on the gates. Massive doors cried as they opened, revealing the insides of the dungeon. Salgos marched forward disappearing in the darkness looming after the doors.