Chapter 68

(Cyrus POV)

Understanding the situation we were placed in, it was evident that we were between a rock and a hard place. We could run now, but with so few parties deciding to help, our desertion would be obvious, and we had no idea what the repercussions would be. We also didn't want to push our luck. This was a region where Starbound connected to the Eldertree Sage were granted a boost in power. I was sure that if push came to shove, we could fight our way out and escape, but that wouldn't have been the smartest course of action.

So, we decided to stick with the group for now and lay low in the background. I noticed my father pull up a face mask and suppress his cosmic energy signature even further than he already had before we reached the campgrounds where Lady Arya and the grove's guards were waiting. For some reason, my father seemed tense—very unusual for someone like him.

"Dad, does this Lady Arya frighten you or make you uneasy or something? Because you're not acting like yourself."

He slowly turned his head toward me. "Yes, she does. Not for the reason you think, though."

"That doesn't help me at all, Dad." But before he could answer, I sensed a strong energy signature approaching us.

Turning, I saw a tall, slender woman awaiting our arrival. She had bronze skin, with orange hair braided back behind her head. Her dazzling emerald-green eyes carried a fierce intensity, deeply embedded within them. She was adorned in an emerald-and-white battle dress, with a brass-colored belt lining her waist.

"Welcome back, Commander. I see you've brought reinforcements," she said, scanning the small group. "I was expecting more than this, but I suppose this will have to do. Come now, we have much to do." She gestured for the other guards to show us where we would be setting up camp.

My father and I didn't have much to set up since we traveled light anyway, so we simply waited until we were called for the briefing. 

About an hour later, we gathered in a small amphitheater constructed from the vines and bark of the surrounding astral rainforest. Lady Arya stepped onto the stage and addressed the gathered guards and Starbound parties—about four dozen of us in total.

"Volunteers, I'm sure you're wondering why we have called for extra help near the old ruins. The rumors are true. The Hollow Branch's numbers have been steadily increasing over the past few months, and they have been causing trouble in the outskirts of the Syltharion territory within the astral realm."

"So what exactly do you want us to do, then?" a burly man from one of the parties asked.

"Our reconnaissance has confirmed that they have multiple bases in the outskirts. These need to be destroyed."

"What about the cult members? What do we do with them?" another volunteer asked.

"They are terrorists. Treat them as such. I want them all wiped out by any means necessary."

"Lady Arya, but what exactly are they doing out here in the outskirts? I haven't heard of any killings or attacks on Starbound traveling to and from the Celestial Grove," someone else questioned.

"They are trying to break the seal that contains the great Malakar the Withered," Arya responded sternly.

"I thought that was just a myth," the burly Starbound interjected. "A legend told in the grove to scare people into being good citizens."

"No, it is very much the truth. As time went on, the Syltharion clan never felt the need to confirm or deny it, because we never believed it would get to the point of the seal potentially breaking. But it seems we were wrong in our judgment," Arya admitted. "I'm sure you all have noticed the mutated creatures roaming around lately. That's because of Malakar. With his seal slowly deteriorating, his essence is beginning to seep into the flora and fauna around the area. Malakar wielded a special variant of the Eldertree Sage constellation, according to my sources. Not only was he capable of everything an Eldertree Sage could do, but he also possessed abilities tied to decay and corruption."

I leaned toward my father and whispered, "Variant? What does she mean by that?"

"Some constellations have branch families and clans connected less constellations of the parent one," my father whispered back. "Adam belonged to a branch family of the Syltharions, but a much less prosperous one, only possessing certain aspects of the Eldertree Sage constellation."

Nodding, I turned my attention back to Lady Arya as she continued explaining her plan for striking the cult's different bases and reclaiming the area where Malakar was sealed. The guards and Starbound parties appeared satisfied with the strategy, with no objections raised. It seemed pretty straightforward.

After the meeting, the volunteers dispersed, returning to their respective quarters. My father and I kept to ourselves, setting up our fake quarters far from the others. We waited until dusk, watching as the guards and parties finished their meals, played their games, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

"You ready, Cy?" my father whispered as he lightly tapped my shoulder.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," I whispered back.

Quietly, we gathered our few belongings and slipped away, heading west. The guards and volunteers at the camp remained undisturbed as we moved several miles away, without anything obstructing our path.

Then, suddenly, something grabbed hold of my ankle. PTSD from the shadow hounds in the Rift kicked in, and I immediately channeled cosmic energy into my hand and sliced clean through whatever had ensnared me.

"Impressive reflexes for someone so young, and at an embryonic stage at that," a smooth, elegant voice spoke from the darkness. "But then again, you are his son. I suppose it's to be expected." The voice grew closer.

"Come out. Now." My father's voice was firm. "I don't want to use force."

A soft chuckle. "Ezra, hon, I don't think you would ever put a hand on me, would you?"

From the shadows, a figure emerged out the tree to my left. Almost as if it was once merged with it. The moment I saw those dazzling emerald eyes and fiery orange hair, I recognized her immediately.

Lady Arya.

"In all honesty, I should be the one using force after what you did all those years ago—leaving me for that wife of yours." She leaned against the tree she had stepped out from, her expression unreadable.