Drak had been pacing back and forth across the room, contemplating on his next actions. By now, he was well aware of what he was supposed to do. He approached the woman, albeit keeping a safe distance.
"Do you have any idea why they want us to…mate?" He spoke slowly this time, hoping that slowing down might probably help her understand at least something.
It didn't. The woman was as perplexed as before. Though compared to earlier, her initial guard around him had eased slightly.
Drak's shoulders dropped in helplessness. He tried hand gestures next - as he pointed at her and then at himself, making an awkward attempt to ask the same question.
It looked as though this time, the point finally made its way across, and her face paled.
"I don't know…" tears fell from her eyes,"I was just brought here one day and was t-told…what was about to happen. They chained me so I wouldn't resist…"
Drak didn't understand a word of it, but her facial expressions and confusion told him enough.
"B-But…" the woman lifted her head, frightened. "I happened to see a woman in the other room. A heavily pregnant woman…"
Drak's brows furrowed.
"Um…" She looked uncertain for a moment. Embarrassed, she made a round, swollen-like gesture around her stomach.
Hah? A big…stomach?
"...A child?"
She didn't know the Xul's term for it, so he mimicked a gesture of crawling a child. She nodded frantically.
Drak was taken aback.
What in the world is happening here? Why'd they want us to mate to produce a veil-born child!?
The more he thought about it, the more dizziness swept him into the world of the unknown.
A harsh knock struck the door. "Hey, you two!"
They froze, their hearts climbing to their throats.
"Are you done? What's taking so long? Don't get too carried away in the excitement. She cannot be hurt."
A wave of nausea hit Drak at the blunt words. He glanced at the woman and sure enough, she hadn't understood what was said, but the terror on her face needed no translation.
He approached her and gestured.
We need to act.
—
"Clairette is in this ring?"
Stunned, Zerath held her hand that had the opalstone ring.
"Yes, it's because of her I learned that Priscilla was behind my death. Then Audreya disappeared, and I thought she was behind it too because Audreya had been the only one fighting for justice. But this cave and what we learned today?"
A chill swept past her spine. "Audreya seems to have gotten dragged into a completely different problem altogether. I can't say if," she knitted her brows, "Priscilla has anything to do with this horrifying breeding."
Zerath gave it a thought. "I don't know Lady Priscilla personally, but I've met her during the Festival of Light gatherings. She always reminded me of cousin Astaroth. They're very similar in a sense."
Vivia grimaced. "I attest to that."
"You must be worried about Audreya," his voice softened.
Vivia went silent.
"I am…but in a different sense. I know Audreya very well. She'd never allow this atrocity to happen to her. She won't take it lying down and will fight tooth and nail for her escape. In that way…" she pressed her temple, "she can get a little hotheaded when cornered. That's what worries me."
"We'll find her, Vivia," Zerath squeezed her hand, his voice resolute. "Not only her, we'll find and free every single person abducted."
"Clairette hinted at her work and studies in the Covenant. She believes she had found something that might be related to this mayhem, but before that…"
Zerath's eyes narrowed. "I see why Prince Aeren called for an envoy exchange. He wanted his eyes at Rudaheim because he suspected we might be connected with the humans disappearing in Emberlain. I believe I'll need to have a word with your envoy."
"He must've been selected by Aeren for this task. He should be trustworthy."
Zerath observed her downcast gaze. "Is there something else on your mind?"
"Clairette's death. I don't think any rebels or political enemies were behind it. What if someone knew she loved a demon?"
Zerath said slowly, "Was this Elvin's plan all along? Assuming he learned about Clairette's love, his plan to kill his sister had failed. When he learned you were in Rudaheim, he hatched another plan to kill two birds with one stone - kill you and blame the demons for it. Maybe kill a third bird too in a way that they wouldn't have been indebted to Rudaheim anymore for sheltering you and forced to grant our wishes."
"But you said that the Order, Sir Malphas, was killed the same day I had left Rudaheim. Trying to kill his sister is one thing, but do you think Elvin would've the guts to kill a demon, at such an important position at that? He is the Crown Prince, not just a random person."
"Sir Malphas's dying words pointed to a human. Unless we get some hard evidence of some other forces at play, Crown Prince Elvin is the prime suspect. To that extension, Prince Aeren too."
"Even setting our relationship aside, Elvin's actions alone are enough to trigger a war," she seethed.
"This is the only theory that makes sense. Elvin can't stand demons. Learning that his own sister, also belonging to the royal family, loved one would've been well past his limit."
She clenched her fists. "First the Blessed, Priscilla, and now the Crown Prince. Do people in important positions simply lose their minds!?"
"My lord! Look at this beautiful sculpture here!"
Arzan's enthusiastic voice stirred their conversation, and they glanced in his direction - who was eagerly waving at them.
"I think he wants to show us something," Vivia blinked.
Zerath helped her to her feet and they slowly made their way towards him.
"What happened? Did you find something?"
Arzan shone. "I just found a beautiful sculpture, my lord! You must see it too!"
He urged them to follow him and soon, they reached a corner that looked familiar to Vivia.
Isn't this the same way through which Lady Judith and I had come here?
Arzan pointed at a stone sculpture of a warrior. "See? Though it's a human sculpture, it's so pretty! It's so fine and detailed."
Vivia's memory caught up to her all at once.
Ah yes, this was another thing I wanted to tell him…
"Zerath, I forgot to tell you..! This sculpture is of my-"
She looked up and found Zerath staring at the statue. A distinct light flickered across his eyes, and his lips parted in disbelief.
"Master Nara…?"
—
Dodging the branches and roots that threatened to make Silas lose sight of its target, he continued chasing after the intruder, whose silhouette he had seen escaping before. The tall canopy of trees was working in the culprit's favor, who was deftly using the darkness to his advantage for hiding his tracks like a chameleon.
With a frosty gaze, Silas launched his spear at him, but the latter jumped to the side at the last crucial second. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and grabbed his lodged spear in one swift move. The canopies cleared after some time that revealed a wide water stream flowing downward between the giant tree roots.
That's a wide stream. He won't be able to jump that far. Swimming will only slow him down, and there's the risk of ingesting the poison too, Silas calculated.
That was where Silas hoped for this chase to end - but instead, he witnessed something else entirely.
Rather than jumping or turning back, a nefarious chill bled into the air. The surface of the stream began to solidify - which he then used to slide across to the other side like a breeze of wind.
Silas stood at the bank and watched.
Did he just now…freeze the water?