Kaelith followed her voice and looked up in horror. Theron was wrapped too tight in the vines, clearly suffocating as they constricted his body and covered his face. He struggled weakly, his limbs twitching, scales dulling rapidly as Elyndra drained his essence. Golden light flickered and faded from his dragon-scale patterns, leaving them dark and brittle. His chest heaved in shallow, desperate gasps. Pain radiated from him visibly, his bonded beasts somewhere outside howled in shared agony, and Kaelith felt a sharp, tearing stab in his own heart , as if part of his soul was being ripped away.
Kaelith was torn apart inside. He was the reason Theron had been dragged into a war he never wanted. With a heavy, breaking heart, he signaled his people to stop fighting.
"Good boy," Morvath rumbled in dark approval.
Elyndra's vines released Theron just as he was about to collapse to the floor, only to catch him again at the waist, lifting him like a broken trophy. Elyra's eyes watered at the sight, tears spilling down her glass-like cheeks. Theron's body looked burned and broken, his scales darkened and cracked, faint smoke rising from where the vines had seared his skin. He hadn't been wrong when he said he felt different. She should have listened.
Theron groaned again in pain, a low, guttural sound that echoed through the chamber. Kaelith looked at The Table with burning resolve, his voice raw. "What do you want?"
Nyxara, goddess of Secrets, leaned forward with a sly smile. "Now you're talking. Give up your battle and work for The Table. You do whatever we ask of you."
Kaelith froze. "Never."
Elyndra looked at him, her vines tightening slightly around Theron's waist, making him gasp. "Then Theron will work for us. Who knew he was the one the ancient goddess of fate passed part of her gifts to? We all thought he had no potential."
Morvath added, his voice like grinding stone, "With his gift, we could alter destinies and lives in this realm and beyond."
Kaelith looked angry and torn, his crimson eye blazing while the blue one churned with cold fury. 'How did The Table find out about Theron's gift? They've hidden it for a millennium. Why did they find out now? Who betrayed us? Who drugged Theron?'
A lot of questions remained unanswered. He hoped to whatever supreme being was left out there that it wasn't Lirael who had betrayed him… and that Theron had not been right about her all along.
Theron groaned again in pain, a low, guttural sound that echoed through the chamber. He looked down at them and smiled weakly. "Why do you look so worried? I'm okay… just hurts a little."
For the first time, Kaelith was afraid. He had known Theron all his life, and now it seemed like Theron was being taken away from him. "Can I do whatever it takes to get you down?" Kaelith growled.
Theron responded sarcastically, his voice strained. "Since when do you need my permission for anything, Kae?" Then he shut his eyes.
"Good boy," Kaelith whispered.
Kaelith shut his eyes and began whistling. It sounded like death calling, high, piercing, unbearable. The sound crawled deep into skulls, paralyzing every thought. Everyone clamped their hands over their ears. Even The Table groaned and writhed on the floor of the Obsidian Throne. Elyndra let Theron drop sharply. Kaelith flew forward and caught him in his arms.
The whistling stopped. Everyone lay groaning and writhing. The Table disappeared in a hurry, fleeing for their lives. Kaelith held Theron close, supporting Elyra with one hand, and gave quick instructions for everyone to depart. Then he vanished with Theron and Elyra back to Crimsonspire.
Rushing into the palace, he laid Theron down gently. Elyra tried to heal him, her hands glowing with life essence, but it only eased the pain for a moment. Theron's scales remained dark and brittle, his breathing shallow.
Out of desperation, Kaelith picked Theron up again. "I'll be back in three days at most," he told Elyra. "I need to find a way to save him."
Elyra's eyes widened. "Are you going to Asreak City? Where his mother, the goddess of fate rules? You know she hates you Kae." She looked worried, knowing the city was filled with wandering dead souls that would not make things easy for Kaelith.
Kaelith simply nodded, holding Theron securely, and took off into the fractured sky.
As he approached Asreak City, wandering souls began clinging to him like hungry shadows, trying to pull Theron from his arms. Kaelith fought them off with shards and bursts of void, his body covered in grime and the stench of death. Red lightning struck continuously around him as his emotions spiraled out of control.
Finally, he reached the gates of Fate's palace and banged on the door repeatedly, panicking and scared while holding Theron on one shoulder.The door opened. Seraphyx, the goddess of fate, stepped out. Her eyes filled with shock at the sight of her adopted son in Kaelith's arms.
"He is gone, kethari," she said coldly. "Why bring him now? There is nothing even I can do. Give my son back to me and be on your way, Va'chael."
Little god… Chaos.
Kaelith stood frozen, still clutching Theron. Seraphyx struggled with him, trying to take the body. "He could never have been spared of the chaos you bring, and I warned him. But he was too attached to you, ash'kael."
You fool.
Finally, they ripped Theron from his hands and shut the gate against him.
Kaelith stood outside in the storm of red lightning, empty-handed and broken.