A Challenge and Plans Outcomes

Akash stepped out of the medical tent, the fabric flap swaying behind him. The settlement of the Spire stretched before him, battered but still standing. Vyn and Godric waited just outside, their expressions grim but expectant.

"You're finally out," Vyn said, his arms crossed as he rubbed the side of his growing beard. "We've lingered long enough. The Reem Templars will start spreading tales of their exploits if we're not careful. Can't have them outshining the Dauntless Company, can we?"

"Let them boast," Akash said, brushing past him. "I have more important things to think about."

Vyn fell into step beside him. "Do you?" he teased lightly, but his tone shifted to something more thoughtful. "Tell me, Akash. Are you really going to let Fallen claim that victory?"

Akash didn't stop walking, his eyes fixed on the rubble-strewn streets ahead. "Yes," he replied without hesitation.

Vyn raised an eyebrow. "Even after what you did? Do you understand what it means to kill a Cursed Child?"

"I understand well enough," Akash replied evenly. "I was careless, and Fallen paid the price for it. The kill belongs to him."

"You truly don't get it, do you?" Vyn said, incredulous. "The Cursed Child inherited its Progenitor's manipulation of fate. Arrows and swords couldn't touch it—it twisted the threads of destiny around itself. And yet, you still won. Do you know how rare that is?"

"It wasn't me," Akash said. "Fallen killed the creature, and only through his sacrifice."

"Exactly," Vyn pressed. "Its death was destined, Akash. The Cursed Child was meant to die, but only to the one fated to strike the blow. The stories tell of great warriors falling to it—because the creature chose someone insignificant, someone unexpected, to be its killer. And yet, here you stand. Do you still think this was just another fight?"

"It still feels unfair," Akash admitted after a pause.

Vyn gave a rueful laugh. "Fairness has no place when the Weaver's threads are at play. Its spindle and needle shape the fates of all who cross its path. If the Weaver chose you for this, perhaps it wasn't a coincidence."

Akash said nothing. He wasn't in the mood for philosophizing about fate.

Before Vyn could press further, Imi stormed out of the tent behind them, her face set in a scowl. "You three need to let the dead rest," she snapped, shooing them away.

"We were just leaving," Vyn said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Wouldn't want the Reem Templars thinking we're slacking off, would we?"

"I don't care what you do," Imi shot back. "Just get out of my sight."

The trio moved off, walking into the heart of the Spire settlement. The streets were littered with rubble, buildings torn from their foundations. Claw marks gouged deep into the wood and stone, a stark reminder of the chaos that had unfolded here. Mercenaries and templars worked side by side, lifting chunks of debris and searching for survivors.

As they walked, Akash glanced up at the sky. His gaze fixed on the massive obelisk that floated above the Spire, dark and foreboding. "To think Atta could make something as enormous as a mountain float," he muttered. "Mirak would be jealous."

"It's impressive, sure," Vyn said, following his gaze. "But it sticks out like a sore thumb."

Akash bent down to pick up a stray piece of wood and tossed it to Elys, the sleek creature padding at his side. "Go get it, Elys."

The beast eyed him for a moment, unimpressed, before giving him a light bump with its head and letting out a soft purr.

"Looks like Elys isn't interested in playing fetch," Vyn quipped.

"I thought it might be like old times," Akash said with a shrug.

Godric, who had been quiet until now, pointed to the left. "Hydra corpse," he said simply.

Akash turned to see the mangled body of a four-headed beast sprawled across a pile of rubble. Its scaled hide was torn and stripped of anything remotely salvageable. Beside it lay the body of a one-horned karnen, its final victim.

"A creature like that could devour an entire platoon," Godric said, his tone reverent.

"Be grateful we didn't have to face it," Akash replied, moving past the grisly scene.

"The first King of Reem owned one," Godric said, his voice tinged with nostalgia.

"I know," Akash said curtly.

Godric's eyes lingered on the scaled corpse. "I'd give anything to see the desolation of Tyreth with my own eyes. They say its claws made Dragon Fang Keep look small. Imagine the sheer size of it."

"Maybe sabertooth tigers will be the next sacred animals of Reem," Vyn said with a sly wink. "Elys certainly killed enough karnen to earn the title."

"I'd rather keep him out of combat," Akash said, patting Elys's head. A long scar ran down the side of the creature's face, a reminder of past battles. Elys growled softly in response, his warning clear: he wasn't done fighting.

"I don't think Elys agrees," Vyn said, grinning.

"Very helpful, Vyn," Akash said dryly.

As they moved further into the settlement, the destruction grew worse. Entire buildings had been reduced to rubble, the streets littered with broken stone and splintered wood. Groups of men gathered around a central pile of debris, their eyes fixed on a single figure who climbed to its peak.

Akash stopped in his tracks. "No way," Vyn whispered.

The man atop the rubble stood tall, his presence commanding. He cradled a body in his arms, tears streaming down his face. Karnen corpses lay scattered around him, a testament to his ferocity in battle.

It was Veneres.

The crowd watched in reverent silence as he raised his voice, steady but heavy with grief. "We have won a victory that few could ever hope to claim. Dante often spoke of its possibility, and though I doubted, I see it now. His dream, impossible as it seemed, stands before us. Yet…" He paused, glancing down at the lifeless body in his arms. "Yet this does not feel like a victory."

Akash said nothing. The weight of the battle hung heavy in the air, settling on all of them like a shroud.