Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 918: Not Your Enemy ()

"Asrig..." Neveah stuttered in disbelief, "But he’s dead."

Cassian pursed his lips, "I don’t understand this any more than you do, Veah." He admitted, "Information scraped from the mind of a beast is barely anything to go by,"

"But while sending word to Jian, and preparing the second squadron to make flight for Ebonhollow, I realized that if this is by any chance true...if his dead brother came back to life, he will need you at his side."

"Or he will falter." Cassian’s tone was resigned, "And we will fall."

Neveah shook her head slowly. She knew what Asrig’s death meant to Jian. She knew the guilt he had lived with for centuries and how much he loathed himself for ending his brother’s life.

Asrig had been a constant thorn in their side. His presence hovered over everything. His writings a constant reminder of the madness that once ruled these lands.

He was a depraved, evil spawn. But at least, he was dead. She’d comforted herself in that.

No matter how his soul reached into the stronghold, into her...he was dead. And it was all in her head.

Reading his writings had left her entertaining his traces in her head. But he was dead!

If he wasn’t... if all along, it hadn’t been just a trick of her mind, but truly Asrig...

"I’ll go with you." She turned and headed back into the Keep.

Everon kept pace with her, his expression resigned. "I’ll look after Xenon and Eira." He assured her.

Neveah shook her head, "You focus on the healer’s hall. Zephyroth is in your care. And bring Xenon back. The moment he regains consciousness, send him to us. I’ll make other arrangements for Eira."

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Neveah stared at her reflection in the mirror. The battle gear she hadn’t thought she would need now rested on her form, black form fitting suit clinging to her skin, the golden trimmings and armor glinting even in the dim lighting.

Her hair was pulled into a neat ponytail. A circlet nestled on her temple.

Estelle strapped on the last of her wrist guards, and Neveah turned to the young rider clad in a maroon riding suit, with silver armor.

"You don’t have to come with me, Elle." She said seriously.

Estelle shook her head firmly. "We already talked about this. Dante and I...we should have been there with you at the canyon. But we arrived too late." Her tone was heavy, but firm.

"We’re here now."

Neveah didn’t insist.

She grabbed her coat and headed out, making her way to the hall where Garron worked.

Garron was already staring at the door when she walked in. He seemed to be expecting her.

"I will be leaving Keep grounds." She relayed to him.

Garron nodded, "I heard. You are needed elsewhere, so you must go."

She smiled slightly. Garron worried for her as much as Everon did, but he was a man who prioritised duty and service to the stronghold.

Her eyes shifted to Xenon, still unconscious as he had been days ago. "I do not wish to leave his side." She confessed, walking over to gently stroke his hair.

"He will understand. He would want you to stand by Jian now." Garron assured, "And I will send him to you, soon. I swear it."

Neveah leaned down, pressing her lips against his forehead, then his nose, then his lips.

"If you can hear me, hurry back." She whispered, "I need you. Jian needs you."

"I love you, my black fiend. As surely as there is breath in my lungs." She nuzzled his neck, drawing in a sharp breath.

And then she pulled away. "Let’s go."

Estelle nodded and the two made their way to the landing platform where Cassian and Dante waited.

"We can’t afford a delay, so we must divide and conquer." She relayed to Cassian, "I will portal you back to Aloria. Lead the second squadron to provide reinforcements for Ebonhollow."

Cassian inclined his head, "On your command."

Neveah sucked in a sharp breath, clearing her head. She clenched her fists and then unclenched them again, reaching within for that familiar power.

It surged to her call, running along her veins and curling along her finger tips. She stretched her hand out, and the air split open, a portal roaring to life.

Cassian didn’t hesitate, crossing through. Her fingers closed into a fist and the portal shut off.

"Now, for us..." She repeated the motion, and soon, another portal roared to life.

Dante led the way through. Estelle followed and Neveah gave one final look to the familiarity of the Dragon Keep, before crossing.

The unpleasant rush of magic passed quickly and Neveah stepped out, anticipating the ruins of Ebonhollow, but to her horror, she was somewhere else entirely. Completely swallowed by shadows.

"What the..." She glanced around, her eyes adjusting to the darkness to find she stood in the center of a hall.

Tapestries and portraits lined the circular wall, depicting various scenes of winged people.

Fae...

Where was she? And why wasn’t she in EbonHollow? Did that mean Dante and Estelle also hadn’t made it?

Her eyes finally settled on the form of a woman standing by the wall, staring up at a portrait she recognised.

The High Queen of the Fae...in all her radiance and elegance.

"Celeste." Neveah hissed, her hands clenched into fists. "You hijacked my portal?!"

The dark fae turned around, slowly. Taking a few steps closer so she finally came into full view. "If it makes you feel any better, it took several tries."

Neveah’s eyes narrowed, anger surging through her. "I don’t have time for this. If you think you can keep me from getting where I need to be, you should think again."

Celeste shrugged, her expression bored. "We have tested our prowess countless times, Dragon Queen. I know exactly what you’re capable of."

"I also know if you were as powerful as you used to be, it would have taken more than several tries to hijack your portal."

Neveah’s eyes darkened. "I don’t need magic to rip you apart, Fae."

"I didn’t need it when I tore through your storm singers."

Celeste’s brows twitched, but she didn’t react. "I have been the enemy of your kind for centuries." Celeste admitted, "But today...I am not your enemy."