TurtleMe
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Chapter 432: Fellowship Forged
🕑 Added 2023-06-09 17:01:18 +0000 UTCVajrakor’s presence receded with each step we took while Caera’s strength returned bit by bit. Cramped tunnels gave way to sprawling, ornate halls, and finally, to the open expanse of Vildorial’s primary cavern. From the steps of the palace, the entire underground metropolis sprawled out before us.
Varay eyed me with an air of uncertainty, clearly second-guessing how I’d handled the altercation with the dragon. “I’m going to make sure that Torviir and Bolgar are sufficiently insulated from this situation, then I have my own duties to attend to. Will you be in the city long?”
I glanced at Caera. “Probably not.”
“Be careful, Arthur,” she said, a small frown creasing her brow. “Despite winning back our continent, I can’t help but feel as if Dicathen has never been in more danger than it is right now.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “What’s that saying about frying pans and fires?”
“Except in this case, it is dragon’s fire,” Varay said darkly. She held out her hand to Caera. When Caera took it, Varay pressed something into her palm. “I grabbed this when I heard Arthur was approaching the city. I know I’m only returning what is yours, but I want you to know that, if Arthur trusts you, I do too.” Then her feet lifted off the ground and she flew out into the open cavern.
Caera slid an ornate ring onto her finger, her gaze shifting to me as she fidgeted anxiously. “I am…grateful that you came. And I apologize for striking you, I—”
I waved a hand dismissively. “I deserved worse. You never should have had to endure that, any of it.”
Silence fell between us, and I awkwardly started walking, trying to think of what else to say. I’d been forced to leave Alacrya without explanations or goodbyes; the last time I saw her, she still thought I was Ascender Grey. I wouldn’t blame her if she hated me for my lies, but I comforted myself with the fact that Seris had known the truth and still sent Caera to find me.
“My mother is an emitter—a healer,” I said after a couple minutes just to break the awkward silence. “She can mend your wounds.”
“My wounds aren’t important,” Caera said forcefully, then her mouth clamped shut and she looked away.
“I’m sorry,” I said, watching her from the corner of my eye. “For this, and for lying to you about my identity.”
“I suppose it makes us even,” she said humorlessly, still not looking at me.
A patrol of dwarven guards stopped to watch us, nervously fingering their weapons. I kept an eye on them until we had moved past and they resumed their march.
“Where were you?”
“The Relictombs are built in a dimension all made of aether. The zones just sort of…float, disconnected from everything in this vast aetheric ocean. I used that aether to bring back my old bond, Sylvie, the one who…”
“Who sacrificed herself for you? And you succeeded? In bringing her back, I mean.”
“I did.” I hesitated to continue, turning my senses inward to my aether core.
The broken shards of my original mana core were still fused together within a solid barrier of aether, an almost crystalline structure. The core had taken on a deep magenta color when I originally forged it, but had darkened with each subsequent layer. Now, the three-layered core was a vivid purple sphere resting dark and heavy in my sternum. Each layer provided greater refinement of the stored aether and allowed more aether to be drawn in and stored inside the core.
When I had first forged the aether core, I could hardly condense enough for a single aetheric blast. It had taken significant training and refinement of the core to allow for even two or three blasts, but adding a second layer had increased my capacity exponentially in an instant.
There hadn’t been time to test what my core—and by extension, what I—was capable of doing now, but it felt different, more potent, like a miniature sun trapped in my chest.
Speaking falteringly, I continued, explaining what I had done and why. “Unfortunately, disconnected from the world, none of us were capable of sensing the passage of time.”
“So you spent two months meditating and gathering aether?” Caera asked, sounding dumbstruck. “Grey, that’s…insane.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed. “Honestly, it was probably longer since time seems to move faster in the Relictombs.”
Caera shook her head. “That’s true. It could have been six months for all you know…” She let out a long, weary sigh. “You could have ended up not coming back at all.”
We were interrupted by someone shouting my name, and I realized we were passing through one of the small markets that dotted the highway. A young elven girl ran up to me, pressed a dried flower into my hand, then sprinted away giggling. Most of those we had passed by simply stared at us, but the focus was always on Caera.
I had grown used to the horns wrapping around her head like a crown, but to the people of this continent, those horns made her look like an enemy.
“Why did Seris send you to Dicathen?” I asked, turning off the winding highway toward the gates of the Earthborn Institute. “And without your pendant to hide your horns?”
“She said she needs—needed you in Alacrya soon. But that was…”
“Two months ago,” I finished for her.
“I was attacked on my way to the tempus warp. An ally of Seris’s, another pupil, betrayed her,” she continued, her words dripping icy venom. “I was nearly captured, only just escaped Scythe Dragoth Vritra. I must have lost the pendant during the battle.”
“So,” I said slowly, letting the word linger in the air. “My friend Haedrig is dead then?”
Caera gave a startled laugh. “Oh my. I hadn’t even considered that.” Her momentary smile faded. She had dark circles under her eyes, and I could practically see her straining to keep them open. “Perhaps you were right. Seris shouldn’t have sent me here. You aren’t even Alacryan. What’s happened to your people, to your…family—you don’t owe us anything. If I’d known…”
I had still been supporting Caera’s weight while we walked, but now she pulled away from me. When she spoke again, it was with an air of resignation. “You have your own battles to fight, I understand that now. If you can just help me get back to Alacryan, I will—”
Gently taking hold of her forearm, I stopped. She did the same, her scarlet eyes full of questions.
“In that convergence zone, the first time we really met, I was just figuring out what was going on. I was ready to leave everyone there to die once I realized you were all Alacryan. You were enemies, and I thought you all had to be twisted, evil monsters. It was simpler for me to think that.” I took a deep breath. “Caera, you showed me the truth about this war. You and Alaric, Seth and Mayla, everyone I met who was just trying to get by on a continent darkened by Agrona’s shadow. You aren’t my enemy. The asuran tyrants who seek to mold this world into their own cruel little playgrounds—or worse, burn our world to the ground. They are our enemies.”
She gazed up at me for a moment, then gave a small shake of her head. “Does anything frighten you?”
I hung my head, suddenly ashamed. “I’m terrified, Caera. Of not being powerful enough, smart enough, clear-headed enough. But most of all I’m scared of losing. Too many people already look up to me like I’m some kind of deity. I just need you to be…my friend.”
Her eyes searched mine for a long moment, her lips slightly pursed, and then she heaved a long, melodramatic sigh. “Fine, fine. And here I was, all ready to start the first Temple of Grey, He Who Walks Among Us.”
I snorted but couldn’t hide my smile as we started walking away. “I’m glad you’ve managed to retain your sense of humor through everything.”
Caera’s laughter died on her lips, her face darkening. “The dragon’s idea of torture was little worse than what any Alacryan child faces when they begin training for their trials.” But each step she took was heavy, and I knew she was hurting more than she let on.
My amusement shriveled within me.
We didn’t speak anymore until we reached the unassuming door that led into my mother and sister’s home in Vildorial, a small suite of rooms within the Earthborn Institute itself. The door opened before I could knock. Sylvie smiled and stood aside, waving us in.
“Your sister had me paranoid you were going to vanish,” she said lightly. “I think she’s planning to shackle herself to you so you can’t leave her behind again.”
“Sylvie!” Ellie yelled from across the room, indignant. “That was supposed to be a secret.”
I led the way in and scooped Ellie into a bearhug. “Does that mean you’re not mad at me anymore?” I asked, crushing her to me.
“Irate,” she gasped, squirming to get free. “Oh, hi Lady Caera, glad my goon of a brother was able to get you out of there.”
I started to release her, frowning. “Did I miss something? How do you—”
Suddenly, Ellie stiffly pulled loose of my grip. She straightened her clothes and looked past me. I followed her gaze to Chul, who had appeared in the doorway behind Caera and me. My brows rose.
“Um, hi,” Ellie said, brushing past me and holding out her hand to the half-asura. His hand engulfed hers. “We didn’t get introduced earlier. I’m Eleanor Leywin.”
“Chul,” he said politely as he scanned the small living room.
“You have really pretty eyes,” she added, staring up into the orange and blue orbs.
He looked away and released her hand. “They are like battle flags, proudly displaying to the world that I am descended from the phoenix and djinn races. Our enemies should tremble at the sight of them.”
“Um, of course,” she said, taking a step back and smiling awkwardly. She walked backwards for a few more steps, then turned and marched into the kitchen. “Mom, Arthur is here with more company!”
Regis, who was lying on his side on the floor, his stomach distended, rolled onto his feet to give Caera a small bow. “M’lady. Glad to see you embracing your horns. The trio, back together again at last.”
Sylvie appeared from the kitchen arch wearing an uncertain smile, caught halfway between amused and uncomfortable. “What’s he—oh, really now! Regis! Don’t be crass.”
Just as I was beginning to regret all my life decisions, my mother appeared. She gave me a peck on the cheek as if to assure me that everything would, in fact, be all right, then stiffened at the sight of Caera. “Oh, dear, look at you!” She whisked across the room to Caera’s side, slipped her arm around the startled Alacryan, and then glared at me. “Arthur Leywin! How dare you drag this young woman around the city in this state.”
I opened my mouth to defend myself against this unfair accusation, second-guessed the impulse, and let my mouth slowly close.
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned and patched up,” Mom said, leading Caera toward the hallway that connected to the bedrooms and bath.
“Oh, I’m fine, Mrs. Leywin, seriously, there’s no need to—”
“Call me Alice, dear, remember?”
Caera threw an uncertain look back at me, but I could only mirror her look back as Mom led her deeper into the rooms. A litany of concerned muttering trailed behind them.
“How’d you—”
“Oh, Mom was called in to heal Caera’s wounds when she first arrived,” Ellie said conversationally. “When I heard she supposedly knew you, I went to see if it was true. She’s, ah, pretty cool.” Something about the way Ellie looked at me as she drew out the word “cool” made me squirm uncomfortably.
“What an amusing family you have,” Chul chimed in. He made his way to the couch and eased down on it, testing its strength to make sure it would hold him. When it didn’t collapse, he nodded in satisfaction. “I have looked around this city and decided I have seen enough. Everyone stares at me and there are no enemies to bash. Unless you count the dragons, which I understand are off limits for now. So, when do we start killing basilisks?”
Ellie returned from the kitchen and leaned against the archway. “So, you’re all definitely going to Alarcya then?”
“Our first point of business is to rescue Seris,” Regis said, sitting up and looking serious. “If there is anything of her little rebellion left to save.”
“We are, but we can’t just run off. Caera needs time to rest, and we need to get organized.” I paused, following the progress of a powerful aura approaching us. “There is still a lot I need to wrap my head around. I won’t feel right about leaving the continent until I know certain wheels are in motion.”
“My grandfather will be furious that you didn’t bring me to him immediately,” Sylvie mused.
I shrugged, already heading toward the door. “I don’t think trying to ingratiate ourselves with Kezess is a winning strategy in any situation,” I said over my shoulder.
Opening the door, I looked out into the hallway just as Wren Kain floated around the corner on his stone chair. The titan always wore a look of fused irritation and disappointment, but now he displayed both in abundance.
“Yeah, that’s about how my meeting with the city’s guardian left me feeling, too,” I said, commiserating with Wren Kain’s mood.
“Still more enjoyable than being forced to train an idiot lesser child,” he snapped, pulling up short in his floating throne, which took up most of the hall’s width. His eyes narrowed. “I can see you have something on your mind. What is it you’re planning?”
Chul appeared behind me. One big fist hammered against his chest in a kind of solute. “Elder Wren Kain, fourth of your name, welcome to the strange, claustrophobic abode of Clan Leywin. There will be a great many things here for you to complain about, I’m sure.”
“Complaining is how I get things done,” Wren countered, leaning back farther into his throne.
“If you really wanted to help, you would join us in crushing the Vritra,” Chul went on. “Aldir said you can control an entire army of golems at once. That would be a useful ability when we face Agrona’s forces.”
“If Arthur was eager for help in combat, perhaps he shouldn’t have executed one of Epheotus’s greatest warriors,” Wren shot back, the emotion in his voice surprisingly raw and visceral.
“I didn’t,” I answered quietly. It was one thing to keep up the lie for Mordain and an audience of phoenixes, but an entirely other thing to continue lying to Wren, especially considering what I needed to ask him. “Aldir chose to exile himself in that place. It was his suggestion that I use his ‘death’ to earn accolades from both Kezess and the people of Dicathen.”
“Wha—”
Wren cut himself off, glowering at me. “Your story stinks more than titan bear shit. Why would Aldir do that?” The asura huffed before I could answer, then said, “Ah, that damned pantheon and his sense of honor. Of course he did.” He looked me up and down with a disappointed grimace. “I was stupid to believe that you’d somehow killed Aldir anyway.”
“Thanks,” I said, one brow raised slightly. “I’m sorry I had to lie to you, Wren. I wasn’t sure if I could trust everyone in the Hearth.”
“Bah!” Chul burst out, crossing his massive arms over his broad chest. “My family has roosted for too long. None of them would have interfered either way. They see themselves as separate from the world. And perhaps they are, because they have been made to be, no longer welcome in Epheotus but not fitting in here. The Hearth might as well be locked in time. Once the last of the djinn faded…”
Chul trailed off, then snorted and returned back to my family’s rooms.
“Listen, Wren, I need to speak to you. Would you come with me?” I asked, glad to have cleared the air between us so that I could speak my mind more plainly.
Wren’s scraggy brows rose, and he leaned forward in his seat. “So, you do have something on your mind. Fine, lead the way.”
I sent a probing thought to Regis and Sylvie.
Regis groaned directly into my mind in a way I found somewhat grotesque. ‘Too full, I might have ruptured something. Staying right where I’m at, thanks.’
‘I want to speak more with Ellie,’ Sylvie thought. ‘I’m eager to learn more about her spellform.’
I’ll be back soon, I thought, leading Wren deeper into the institute's winding passages.
We hadn’t gone far before a bestial snuffling noise brought me up short. A huge, hairy mana beast was approaching along the hallway, so broad he took up nearly the entire width.
“Boo, I was wondering where you’d been,” I said, standing aside to let the guardian bear pass.
He snorted and grunted before stopping to sniff at Wren, who made his throne shrink in order to clear the way.
“Windom’s gift to your sister, I presume,” Wren noted, peering appraisingly at Boo. “He seems to have been handled well. A strong bond for a teenage human.”
Boo let out a huff that blew Wren’s hair back, then continued down the hallway, his bulk shifting from side to side with each step.
I considered what Wren had said. It was easy to forget that Windsom had gifted Boo to Ellie. So much had changed since then, it was difficult to think that Windsom had ever been anything but my enemy.
“So what’s your plan exactly?” Wren asked a minute later as we made our way down into the lower passages of the Earthborn Institute.
I had to think about this before I could respond. I’d expected to spend some time navigating the new power dynamic of the dragons embedded throughout Dicathen. Mordain’s warning was still fresh in my mind, and I needed to know the people of the continent were safe. Finding Caera in Vildorial had shifted my priorities, however.
“I need to know what’s happening in Alacrya.”
“So you’ll go yourself.” Wren picked at the ends of his messy hair, frowning thoughtfully. “You’ll need eyes and ears here in Dicathen, though. Who do you trust?”
This question also required some thought. “Virion Eralith. He’s dealt with asura before; even Aldir never cowed him. And the other Lances. To be honest, as a group we were pretty self-absorbed and insufficient during the war, but I’ve seen how much Bairon and Mica have changed. I can’t see any of them being subservient to an asura like Vajrakor.”
“Is that it?” Wren asked, derision dripping from the words. “I’d expected better of you.”
“In less dire circumstances, I would say there are many others I trust. Considering who we’re up against…” I let the statement hang in the air, then continued. “I need your mind, Wren. I don’t think I can do this without you.”
“Intriguing. Do go on.”
“Once I’ve introduced you to your new team.”
A few minutes later, we entered the door of one of several underground laboratories within the Earthborn Institute. The room we entered was more cluttered than the last time I’d visited, with stacks of parchment spread over every surface. Several more tables and shelves had been brought in, and a wide variety of hand-drawn diagrams covered the walls. I couldn’t even begin to take it all in.
Emily Watsken, her curly hair pulled into a messy knot at the back of her head, looked up from her work, and her eyes went so wide they nearly eclipsed the thick, round glasses she wore. “Arthur!”
Her shout immediately preceded the noise of a body part cracking against something hard, which was followed closely by a pained curse and then an explosion. Parchment flew everywhere, and the lab began to fill with smoke.
A figure stepped out through the haze, his eyebrows smoldering. Burning parchment rained around him. “Well, if it isn’t the bane of my existence. Where did you vanish to this time? Land of the gods? A secret third continent full of magical talking lemons?”
“Ugh, that’s the third time I’ve transcribed those notes!” Emily whined.
Something began emitting an angry buzz, and the smoke was pulled to one corner. The room quickly cleared, and I realized an artifact in the corner had drawn in all the smoke. Emily was standing next to the artifact, empowering it with mana. She waved, her hand smudged with dark stains. “Don’t take it personally, Arthur. He’s glad to see you. In fact, he’s been practically distraught at your absence, as its—”
“Oh, be quiet, Watsken,” Gideon snapped, scowling at his pupil. “Anyway, now that you’re back, there are several things to discuss. First, though, who is this?” He looked suspiciously at Wren.
Wren was inspecting a nearby diagram. “Huh, this isn’t the worst. A little rudimentary in its use of mana, but the idea itself is almost clever.”
“Gideon, this is Wrain Kain IV. He’s—”
“An asura, obviously,” Gideon interrupted waspishly. “What do you mean, rudimentary?”
I stepped in between them. “I don’t have time to waste on you two comparing the size of your beakers. Have the dragons interfered at all with your work?”
Gideon managed to look both insulted and self-satisfied. “No, I’ve kept our primary purpose quiet, using the fire salt-imbued weaponry as cover. Windsom himself came to investigate, since he knew me from the war, but he barely looked at the weapons before writing them off as inconsequential and leaving me to it. I don’t think these dragons of yours have much respect for us lessers.”
“Weapons?” Wren turned away from the diagrams, looking genuinely interested. “What’s this about then?”
I explained what we’d already developed. Gideon put in technical details here and there, and Emily made a point to correct us both when necessary. “But the dragons’ arrival has made this even more pressing. Empowering our mages is important, but they make up only one percent of Dicathen’s population. Weapons alone aren’t going to be enough, not really.”
Thinking it through even as I attempted to explain it, I laid out my idea. The others only interrupted to ask a question or point out some contradiction as I circled around my purpose, but confusion and skepticism quickly transformed into interest and then, dare I say it, even excitement.
“It’ll never let a magicless lesser stand up against an Indrath Clan warrior,” Wren said after the entire idea had been laid out. “But it would make Dicathen less dependent on old Kezess.”
“And less subject to his threats to abandon us,” I finished. “Can you handle this? It’ll need to be kept quiet from Vajrakor and the rest of the dragons, of course.”
Wren and Gideon exchanged a look that sent a shiver of pure horror down my spine as I wondered what I had wrought on the world by introducing the two.
Emily’s expression mirrored my own feelings, and she mouthed the words, “What have you done?”
“I’ve been forging weapons since before this continent had a name,” Wren said smugly. “Whelps like Vajrakor and the rest of these baby dragons don’t scare me.”
Gideon snorted. “It seems like you’ve brought me an able assistant, boy. I’m sure we’ll manage. Or blow up half of Vildorial in the process. Now, we should really talk about—”
“No time now,” I interrupted, backing toward the door. “When I get back.”
“You just got back,” Gideon grumbled, throwing up his hands.
“Well, bye then,” Emily said from across the room, waving weakly.
I raised my hand in a gesture of farewell, then was out in the hall and already hurrying back to my mother’s rooms. Despite the urgency of everything that needed to be done, I felt a sense of peace. I could see it all laid out in front of me like a Sovereign’s Quarrel board and, at least for the moment, I knew what move came next.
Comments
Delightfully Joyful
I think her being in Cessia's mind has given her two lives of knowledge and a better understanding of Arthur but I also feel theres chemistry with Caera.
This might be dumb but I feel like caera might be a good match for Arthur the way he is now. Tessia alway seemed like a child who admired Arthur for saving her. But regardless can’t wait to see what happens
Quatuor now ?
@turtleme just fyi there’s a typo for Windsom’s name in the chapter. Quick fix that’s easy to miss.
Beto
The horny trio united once again
Breamson 𒉭
Regis is probably the biggest reason Arthur came to accept the Alacryans, simply because he always told him to look in the mirror and not be so hypocritical
Tim
Well, I imagine that if he could have kept his continent completely safe without them, he would have. And these entire last two chapters has really drove that point home: once he's sure he can stand alone, Kezess is out. Also, its not like the OTHER dragons had anything to do with Taci, they just happen to be egocentric sycophants drunk on the power that aether has given them over the other races, so why not use them as meat shields?
Tim
Whoa...I can let a lot of things go around here, but theres no way I can let this slide! Regis is WAY more than comedic relief. He is a central part of who Arthur is currently, and without him Art NEVER would have made it through Alacrya. He just happens to have the personality of an adult middle schooler is all, lol.
Sugoi
Eh, even then. Arthur's words to Caera can't really imply much, especially when we see him say and do much more for Tessia. And Regis is just a horn ball lol. He's made remarks about, uhh the wind user teacher from Alacrya, and Ms. booty shorts from book 8 iirc. Point is we shouldn't really take most of what Regis says literally as his character is mostly comedic relief.
Nik D
Sooo we just ganna forget kessis sent an asura to kill the rest of the hidden refugees after the loss of the war… succeeding with Renia and almost his family.. I’m alittle confused on why Arthur is so cool with Indrath sending dragons to take over. Kind of expect Arthur to be heading to the strongest dragon to whoop his ass and put the dragons under thumb
Arthur Leywin
Well, he is engaged in the moment, thats a plus to the storyteller ^^
Lancelot1864
Chad really doesn't like the word friend zone, even though Caera is literally just a friend LOL
Arthur Leywin
Glad you seem to like it.
Chad
😂 I speak no lies it shall happen eventually
Chad
Hence why he will likely use Sylvia's core caera will soon give him to do so.
Chad
If you don't know how to read. Maybe. Clearly he cares alot about her seeing as I'm pretty sure she's literally the first person he's asked to be his friend/be there for him. He's leaning on her in his time of need. There was also Regis making sexual jokes about her and art to sylvie
Chad
Hellzz yeahhh. It's obvious they're going to wind up together. Guarantee tess winds up sacrificing herself along with Cecilia to help art kill argona or something
Bernardo De Cabrio
@Matthew Are you new around here? Cause if you are, then just a bit of advice. This is just Chad being Chad. You will get used to it... eventually
Breamson 𒉭
Yeah, but I don’t think she did. After all Nico insisted that Arthur has to get this, so I doubt that she wouldn’t take it with her when she knew she would meet him. Although I do now think it’s in her dimension ring. I kinda thought she didn’t put it inside, because I remember her dropping something when she went to the portal, but now that I‘ve reread the scene I don’t think it was the core, but I think it was a part of her bracelet which she used to defend herself in the end? Not 100% sure
Tim
Actually, youre right, we DONT know what she did with it. She might have even left it with Seris. Good catch.
Breamson 𒉭
Well, yeah next chapter could be a Seris pov with only a kinda situation update (hopefully not), but if it’s an Arthur pov I‘m confident he’s skipping the Virion meeting and just going straight to help Seris. However, what I‘m confused about is, did Caera put the core inside the dimension ring? I don’t think she did, but then again I don’t get why she wouldn’t (or maybe it doesn’t fit the storage inside the ring?). So if it’s not in the ring, then yeah, Bairon should have it, but then again I don’t see how they could’ve pulled it off. I mean Varay got the ring off of her so I guess it’s possible, but idk
Tim
Actually asuras ARENT integrated and cant, this was confirmed by Agrona to Cecil. The Asura seem to be dependent on mana in an entirely different way...like, it permeates their cells and they feed off of it like how our cells require oxygen, but integration is literally that, becoming one with the mana core. The core itself vanishes, which is why we see that Tess's beast will was released.
Tim
He literally told her it was the most important thing in the world. And I wouldnt get too excited just yet, next chapter, if its Seris, will just be a situation update, but personally I think itll be a meeting with Virion, more Dragon posturing, and hopefully Caera remembering the core...honestly, I have no idea how NO ONE searched her ring and found it. Vajrakor would know what it was instantly and theres NO DOUBT that he would either killed her or handed her over to Kezess...so that leads me to believe Bairon took it, then kept it once he saw how the dragons were acting. And now that Im thinking about it, he might actually still have the core and Caera probably doesnt have access to it.
Breamson 𒉭
I would guess that considering that she saw the pure hatred Nico had for Arthur, how Arthur without hesitating almost killed Nico, but how Nico literally risked not only his life but also his political position to give her this one thing, that (despite her not knowing exactly what it is), she would kinda realize that it’s maybe important idk
Xandralas Chaos
You guys do know that Caera don't even know what that thing is, right? Nico never told her and where is she supposed to know that he casualy gives a dragon core around like where did ge even got such a thing as if Agrona is giving then out to dinner¿ Are ya'll a bit silly?
Arthur Leywin
Did I just friendzone Caera?
Raymond M
Sylvie has horns too…so now it’s the horny quartet!
OTSojourner
did i call that Art spent 6 months in the Aether plain?
Carth
CAERA x ARTHUR ON TOP
xroninx
Love how Art is just getting walked around this chapter 😂 Caera already knows his family, Alice is like “ya ik you just rescued her from prison but how could you have her walking around like this”, neither of his bonds want to chill with him, Wren talking sh*t to him the whole time and ofc we have Art ditching Gideon before we get 2k words of Gideon’s rambling thoughts. Pure Art, nobody wants to hang out with him besides the insane rambling Gideon who honestly would probably be pretty entertaining.
PlayingUnfairly
His core cannot be integrated anymore, his core is artificial, inorganic, whatever label you wanna put it, it’s not possible anymore since to our knowledge, you’re either born integrated like asuras or you transcend the white core stage like Cecilia did or something similar.
PrimordialPakWire
Dang, this got me so worked up for the next chapter! The interaction between Caera and Arts family was honestly kinda wholesome, but it got me curious to know more about how much Alice and her have gotten to talk. I'm waiting to see how Arthur's third aether core layer expands his abilities, and he's clearly interested in seeing what he can do. A good power boost in the last couple chapters and flags for fighting soon, you just gotta love to see that. Give em hell, Arty-boy! Also, I need the POV that narrates the Wren/Gideon interaction, it's gotta be so chaotic...I neeeeeeeeed it! Thanks TurtleMe for the great chapter! 🐢
namnas
Need more Art and Caera and Art and Sylvie moments. Though they've had little moments, and Sylvie and Art opening their minds to one another, they haven't gotten that time to Really lay it all out yet. We'll get them at some point, maybe soon, but that doesn't quell my need for them.
Chad
Obviously, she is best girl. I get the feeling tess will wind up dying/sacrificing herself to help art kill argona or something anyway
Chad
I didn't say that you're putting words in my mouth. They definitely already love each other but it's been hinted by turtle on multiple occasions that they are discovering their feelings for each other. In fact their was an entire chapter btwn caera and seris where caera was sorting out her feelings for art. I was simply saying them marrying out of love would ALSO make sense from a story telling standpoint as a good way to wrap up the story when it ends. As far as tess I get the feeling she will wind up sacrificing herself to kill argona or something anyway.
Lancelot1864
So you want them to be together politically and not out of love? That's horrible. Arthur’s true love is Tess and he should be with her. Caera and Arthur have both expressed how they don't have romantic feelings for each other
SiI3nt
No, love her as a friend not lover. Don't get mixed up bc turtleme said no ntr or anything like that so art x tess only!!!
Lancelot1864
CurtisxCaera is a possibility lol. I still like Caera and Bairon! They seem to be a good ship! Especially since Arthur and Tess are already together and he shouldn't be with Caera lol
Breamson 𒉭
To unite both continents, wouldn’t it be better to let the king/queen marry someone from the other continent? CurtisXCaera for the win
Tim
What I took from that is that his mana core is actually empty, possibly waiting for him to figure something out. And the fact that its "crystalline" specifically, is pretty interesting as well
Tim
Das Sexxin?
Joel
Caera is mother and sister approved!
Lancelot1864
Arthur and Tess are basically engaged. I don't see how he could get with Caera without him cheating on Tess or her dying, which are both board scenarios. And Arthur has shown no romantic feelings for Caera and has always addressed her as a friend.
Chad
The fact that art wants caera to be his friend and that he could open up to her like that means he cares for her. Definitely to the extent of loving her, but he likely hasn't realized it yet especially because of how much he has going on. Also think about the future. After they defeat all the asura what better way would there be to unite the two continents than for art to marry caera. Artxcaera ❤️🔥
Chad
Are you reading the same story I am? That wasn't friendzoning even though he said friend. The fact that he even wants her to be his friend and that he could open up to her like that means he cares for her. Definitely to the extent of loving her, but he likely hasn't realized it yet especially because of how much he has going on. Also think about the future. After they defeat all the asura what better way would there be to unite the two continents than for art to marry caera
Matthew Ao
like what is this guy saying
Lancelot1864
Dang, Arthur's friend zoned Caera really quick, lol. It's for the best, though. He’s with Tess anyway. Caera’s interaction with Arthur’s family was nice, even if it was short.
T_Don
Interesting exposition about his aether core. Makes me wonder if there is an integration phase for the aether core.
Soundd Wavess
Gideon and wren bouta create the most abominable contraption ever LOL.
Breamson 𒉭
Yeah that’s what I thought. I thought that the second she had her ring back, that she would tell Arthur she has something for him, but then she didn’t………
Chad
Yass time for art and caera to have da sex next chapter. We all know it's gonna happen
Homer L Sanchez
It did urk me that she didn't give him the core. Yea she maybe have forgotten because of the torture but the sight of her dimensional ring should've reminded her.
JakKnife
“Don’t be crass” -Sylv
Homer L Sanchez
Also I love the maybe subtle hints with El and Caera. That maybe El likes her for Art or she knows that Caera likes him :)
Chad
Yass fuck her art and let Regis watch
Homer L Sanchez
K so I'm worried now about Boo. It was just a sentence or two but him being brought up makes me uncomfortable.
Kezess next , then Alacrya and Seris
Breamson 𒉭
Good set up chapter for next week (hopefully, because that only works if it’s an Arthur/Seris/Caera pov), and I really wanna know what happened with Seris in the meantime. Also not sure Sylvie will be able to accompany Arthur, because they have to go into the relictombs again so maybe she stays back? Arthur alone will be enough, so no worries but I would like to see her current strength……… also, why didn’t Caera give Arthur Sylvias core ffs…… but I guess it’s excusable considering she got tortured for like 2 months, but please I need to see him getting the core soon
JakKnife
The Horny Trio is finally back!
