"Ileza is lucky to have lost to Tyris, or she would have died back then, and today Verendi would be a barren wasteland." Akhton shuddered at the thought, yet the revelation filled him with fury and indignance. Fury for the suffering that had been inflicted upon his people and indignance for having been kept in the dark about the true motive behind Tyris' attack. "My own mother didn't trust me with the truth." He snarled. "The Awakened Council lied to us all!" "Because they knew that idiots like you would have charged into Garlen for revenge and gotten Verendi in even more trouble." Jorl sneered. "Look at you. Fists balled, maw clenched, ready to die like a moron for a lost cause." The two Divine Beasts almost came to blows again, but Orpal remained firm between them. "Jorl is a jerk, but he's right." He said. "There's nothing you can achieve by going to Garlen. If you challenge my brother, he will kill you like all those who came before you. Attack his baby, and the Guardians will do the job for him." "Then what am I supposed to do?" Akhton asked in fury. "Why did you show me that footage?" "You can listen to my proposal." Orpal replied. "Teach me the secret of the Origin Flames, and in exchange, I'll give you my blood. You will gain all my bloodline abilities, and my might will complement yours. "It will allow you to escape your mother's surveillance and have the power to do whatever you want. If you seek vengeance against my brother, we can join our forces. If you don't, that's fine by me." "And what am I supposed to do with your blood?" Akhton did his best to sound uninterested. "More importantly, is it even worth it?" His second question was addressed to Jorl. "You can unify Verendi or at least part of it." Orpal shrugged. "Instead of bitching and whining about the state of your homeland, become the new King Valeron. Lead your people against the corrupt monarchs and drive the Eldritches out of your land. "Become a leader of humans and Awakened alike." "How can I do that alone?" Akhton asked. "Not alone." Orpal shook his head. "Jorl and I will help you." "Only against the Eldritches." The Storm Griffon chimed in. "You can deal with the humans by yourself. Also, if you gain the Council's help, you can turn the tide of the battle against the Organization. "Maybe even establish the first Awakened empire in Mogar's history." The idea was more alluring than Akhton was willing to admit, but he still couldn't trust the other two Divine Beasts. "And let me guess, you guys want a piece of it." "Of this shithole? Please! Verendi is nothing but the home of barbarians whose civilizations are struck where Garlen was a thousand years ago. You have learned nothing from Valeron and kept squandering your resources in petty conflicts. "Even Jiera is better than Verendi. At least its people did everyone a favor and killed all their idiots in one fell swoop. I would start working on a nice plague, if I were you." The contempt and mockery in Jorl's voice were so genuine that the Bastet lost it. He pushed the Vurdalak out of his way and charged at the Storm Griffon in a blaze of Origin Flames and golden light from his Mana Body bloodline ability. The Dead King was taken by surprise, and without Moonlight, he was no match for the raw physicality of an adult Divine Beast. Jorl, instead, laughed like it was a joke, the amusement in his eyes infuriated Akhton even more. The battle ended in an instant, sealed by a single punch. The Storm Griffon's fur was replaced by black hide, and two membranous wings popped out of his back, right below the feathered ones. Four elemental flames, red, yellow, silver, and black, orbited over his head like a crown. The silver lightning coursing through his body resonated with the silver flame and was delivered from Jorl's knuckles to Akthon's jaw through the punch. The might of the Griffon bloodline was amplified tenfold by Life Maelstrom and further reinforced by the expenditure of a fraction of Orpal's blood. The blow was so powerful that it sent the Bastet flying and cracked his skull despite Mana Body's protection. Yet the worst part was the corrupted Life Maelstrom ravaging Akhton's mana flow. Thanks to Orpal's Thunder Soul bloodline ability, not only did the silver lightning's destructive power increase, but it now infiltrated past the golden aura through the very world energy fuelling Mana Body. Thunder Soul affected everything that drew upon world energy, even magical equipment, allowing it to ignore all forms of protection and deliver its might in full at the core of its target. Akhton found himself writhing on the floor in agony, his mouth painfully frothing with blood while his body convulsed. "That's your place, idiot." Jorl's voice was a wet lion-growl brimming with bloodlust. "At my feet, begging for my mercy. That's what happens when a Bastet faces a Griffon. Didn't you learn anything from what happened to your mother?" The cruel laugh that ensued would have driven Akhton mad with fury if not for the truth it held. 'I lost.' He thought, his mind clearing from the red fog of rage. 'A deep-violet Griffon defeated me with just one punch.' "As I said, Jorl is an asshole." Orpal helped Akhton to stand up. "Also, I hope this little display of strength proves the value of my blood to you." "It does." The Bastet nodded, scanning the Griffon-Upyr with his mystical senses. "Your power is worth the bargain, but it feels… wrong. Not because of your undead side but because it's…" Akhton searched for the right words for almost a minute, yet failed. The raw revulsion he felt at the sight of the Upyr also left his mind blank. "Just Wrong." "Very wrong." Jorl returned to his Griffon form, looking at the fading traces of his membranous wings and black hide in disgust. "But you can't argue with results." "No." Akhton savored the pain from his jaw as he turned to watch Syndri burn. "I can't. I'll take your deal, Meln Narchat, but try to cross me and I'll make you regret ever meeting me." Orpal stepped forward to shake the Bastet's hand, but Jorl beat him to the punch. "That's the first smart thing that comes out of your mouth today, kitty." The Storm Griffon said. "Welcome aboard." *** Silvar Region, city of Khidem, two days later. Nalrond and his group stayed at the Singing Dryad hotel for two days to keep their cover intact. Awakened apprentices approached the establishment from time to time to check on them and obtain information about the guests by bribing valets and busboys. Lith and the others never missed a meal, talked fondly of the places they visited, and had even bought a few souvenirs. The Awakened apprentices soon started doubting that Lith was hiding something and came to regret their surveillance. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦 Friya and Nalrond had become much closer and loving to each other, something that would give any recluse who lived only to please their Awakened master an aneurysm out of pure envy.