Trippier arrived at the location in the forest where he had told Blutox to meet him. Not surprisingly, he met Blutox already waiting with his sword sheathed in his belt and a torch in his hand.
"You came here early, you must want this," said Trippier.
"If it means getting back in the battle and defeating Hex, I'd do anything," he replied.
Trippier nodded understandably. "I see. But I should warn you, I've only heard stories of the success of the Telluria's stone, I can't guarantee it will work."
"That's fine, whatever happens, I'd at least be glad I tried."
"Okay then." Trippier took out the stone and extended his hand which he held it in, adjusting the stone to be at Blutox's chest.
"All you have to do is shut your eyes and open your mind, I'll take care of the rest." Blutox followed the instructions and shut his eyes, remaining quiet while Trippier slowly began chanting some words.
He started quietly but his tone slowly increased, along with a strong gust of wind, followed by an ominous echo that also chanted the words he did.
The stone suddenly began glowing bright green and Blutox felt his knee and other parts of his body weaken, he tried, but ultimately fell to his knees and grabbed his chest with his left arm as his breathing suddenly became uncontrollable.
The war Kanrei looked up to see a mischievous grin on Trippier's face with the Telluria's stone that was now glowing brightly in his hand.
"What did you do?"
Trippier curbed in front of the war Kanrei still grinning from ear to ear. "You fool, you really think there's an artefact that could give you your hand back? Seriously?"
He shook his head disappointedly. "Earlier when I told you about it, I had thought you were going to call me out on my bluff, and I was ready to fight out of whatever situation you threw my way, but you didn't, and you actually came down here, saving me the trouble." He raised the stone and chuckled.
Blutox attempted to snatch the stone but crashed to the ground.
"Now, I not only have your energy and act…" he slipped the stone into his pocket and pulled out the Utagri Al from Blutox's belt. "I also have the Utagri Al in my grasp."
Blutox had not even the strength to rage. He was never one to read books and had no idea what the Telluria's stone does. The Telluria's stone stores the Energy and Act of the victim, allowing whoever takes the stone to use the Act and Energy.
All Blutox thought and wanted was his arm back, his fighting arm, one he could use to strike Hex, but.
"You… you are with Hex."
Trippier groaned and facepalmed. "Hex this, Hex that, not everything is about Hex… see unlike all of you, I learnt to move on and accept things as they've become, now I am an ambitious man who simply wants what he wants."
"I'll kill… you."
"Without an arm or your Act, please… I doubt it." Trippier stood up on his feet and swung the Utagri Al. "It's heavy, but I heard that would happen when it's your first time, am I right?"
"Trippier!" Heyt's voice called out from afar.
The said name turned to the direction the voice came from, it was then he recalled he had told Heyt to meet him in the woods for 'her session' as well.
He quickly hid the sword behind a tree and kicked Blutox's body down the hill before turning in the direction Heyt was coming from.
"You're here," he said the moment she came into sight.
"Was I late?"
Trippier shook his head no. "You are just on time, my lady." He reached for his pocket. "I should warn you though, I have only heard stories and cannot guarantee the success of what we are about to do."
Heyt smiled and nodded understandably. "I understand."
"Okay then." Trippier took out the glowing Telluria's stone and held it out by Heyt's chest. "Shut your eyes and open your mind, I'll take care of the rest."
Heyt looked at the stone and narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that the Telluria's stone for collecting and trapping energy?"
Trippier slowly moved his hand behind his back and pulled out a dagger from his belt. "You know what it does?"
"I may not read much, but I know it takes away the victim's energy and the possessor gets it…" Her words slowly trailed off as realisation slipped in. She raised her head to look at Trippier. "You lied to me…"
Before she could complete her words, Trippier lunged forward and swung his dagger, catching Heyt with a clean cut to the neck.
Heyt grabbed her bleeding neck and fell to her knees, gurgling in pain. "Wh--hy?"
Trippier slipped the dagger back into his belt and kicked Heyt to the ground. He stared at her for a moment before letting out a disappointed sigh. "You brought this on yourself, my lady," he said. "All I would have done is take away your act and you would still have your life, but." He paused and shook his head. "What a waste."
Trippier turned to leave but stopped as a hand held onto his leg. He turned to see Heyt holding him tightly.
"Yo--u… are w--th… Hex?"
"Hex again." He groaned and pulled out his dagger. "I am sick and tired of hearing everyone rant about Hex."
He curbed and grabbed her jaw, raising her head to look her in the eyes. Heyt raised her hand and held his collar.
"I work for me," he said before stabbing the dagger into her abdomen.
She groaned as she drew her last breath. But just before her eyes shut, Trippier noticed it turned completely white and the blade wound he inflicted in her neck and abdomen fully healed.
"What the." He swiftly jumped back to create space between them. "What the fuck was that?"
Heyt exhaled deeply as she stood up on her feet. Along with her now completely white eyes, her white hair turned orange as the colour of fire and strange markings appeared below her eyes, forehead, chest, and other parts of her body.
"What the fuck are you?"
Heyt stayed silent and only outstretched her hands and it got engulfed in flames.
"Fuck!"
.
.
.
Eryth opened his eyes to a strange-looking roof above him. He stayed that way for a moment as his head processed and pieced together everything that happened before abruptly standing up on his feet to take in his environment. He was in a normal room with all the essential things needed in a house around.
"Wendy? Where are we?" He asked the necromancer but no reply.
"Wendy? Wendy, are you there?"
He walked through a door and into another room where he found a young handsome man sitting at a table filling two cups. The man was dark-skinned with short dark hair and dark eyes and had a full beard. He was draped in a green garment and had an earring in his left ear.
"Would you care for some tea?" The man questioned.
Eryth was hesitant for a moment before replying. "Sure, I guess."
"I thought as much." The man slid a cup forward. "Straight from Divinara… try it." He gestured at a seat across from him.
"From the High Realm? Who are you? And where am I?" Eryth questioned while taking a seat and picking up the cup of tea.
The man leaned back on the chair. "Yes, from the High Realm. I am Dun. You are in my domain that I created here in Anaheym, I don't want mortals meddling this way."
He raised his brows. "Dun? As in the god of wisdom Dun?"
The man smiled. "The one and only."
Eryth's brows arched up into a frown. "First Cronometra, the Eye of the realm, the sword of the realm, then the Divine Registrar, now you, I am getting sick of all this." He dropped the cup back on the table.
The god of wisdom's smile disappeared. "You sought out the god's attention yourself, now you have to deal with the consequences that come with it."
….
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