Chapter 188: Ancient creatures have terrible eating habits

Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Ancient creatures have terrible eating habits

Thalara moved closer.

Druun remained behind her.

His enormous face had hardened.

The moment Lyssara’s gaze drifted toward the ground, Druun growled.

Lyssara heard.

Her eyes lifted.

"We are not here to harm him."

Druun growled louder.

Azren, now chained at wrists, waist and partially around the wings, leaned toward Korran.

"I do not think he believes her."

Korran shoved him upright.

"I can stand myself."

"Then do it."

Soren crossed his arms.

"Speak."

Lyssara’s six wings folded neatly behind her.

"The Veilkin were not the danger."

Raku’s eyes sharpened.

"A dozen people died."

"I did not call them harmless."

Her calm face hardened.

"I said they were not the danger."

A cold feeling moved through Swanly.

Thalara’s clawed hand tightened.

Soren noticed.

He always noticed.

"What are you not saying?"

Lyssara looked beneath them.

"What lies below Ironwood is waking."

Swanly’s hand unconsciously moved toward her stomach, despite the babies no longer being inside it.

"The First Rot Heart."

Thalara’s central eye closed.

"Yes."

Raku looked between them.

"We already knew that thing existed."

"You knew it existed."

Lyssara’s gaze turned toward him.

"You did not know it was calling."

Silence.

Arion’s shoulders stiffened.

"Calling what?"

"Everything that remembers it."

Nobody spoke.

Lyssara continued.

"Yesterday, the Veilkin came."

Her voice remained calm.

Too calm.

"Tomorrow it may be another ancient bloodline."

Swanly’s ears slowly flattened.

"Another?"

"Yes."

"How many are there?"

Lyssara looked toward the forest.

"We do not know."

Korran spoke behind her.

"Enough."

That one word carried weight.

Lyssara continued.

"Old races survived in places ordinary tribes forgot existed."

Her eyes moved to Druun.

"Some beneath mountains."

To Thalara.

"Some behind broken seals."

Then toward the distant forest.

"Some in lands the Rot never fully reached."

Swanly remembered her system’s warning.

Universe instability.

Ancient creatures awakening.

Things possibly crossing where they did not belong.

Her skin crawled.

Lyssara continued.

"They are beginning to feel the Heart."

"What do they want?" Kael asked.

"Different things."

"Such as?"

"Some want it destroyed."

Swanly nodded.

Reasonable.

"Some want its power."

Less reasonable.

"Some believe waking it will restore what the Rot destroyed."

Thalara’s eye opened.

"No."

Everyone looked at her.

Her voice became sharper than usual.

"No."

Lyssara regarded her.

"You know that belief exists."

"It is wrong."

"I did not say otherwise."

Thalara’s roots moved beneath her feet.

"If they open it..."

Her voice dropped.

"...they will not restore the old world."

Swanly looked at her.

"What happens?"

Thalara said nothing.

Wonderful.

Still keeping secrets.

Raku exhaled through his nose.

"And the others?"

Lyssara’s expression changed slightly.

"Some worship it."

Raku closed his eyes.

"Of course."

Swanly almost laughed.

Then Lyssara added:

"And some may attempt to consume it."

Swanly blinked.

"What?"

Azren answered cheerfully:

"Eat it."

Everyone looked at him.

He shrugged as far as his chains allowed.

"Ancient creatures have terrible eating habits."

Swanly stared.

"The giant infected heart buried beneath our settlement?"

"Yes."

"They want to eat it?"

"Potentially."

"What happens if they do?"

Azren smiled.

"That is the exciting part."

Korran smacked the back of his head.

Azren hissed.

"What?"

"That was not helpful."

"I was being honest."

Lyssara ignored them.

"The Heart’s pulse will become stronger."

Tharek finally moved.

His enormous hoof struck the dirt.

THOOM.

Nerin’s broken antler immediately tingled.

He winced.

Swanly noticed.

"Nerin?"

"I’m fine."

Kael looked at him.

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

"You just made the face people make immediately before saying something is fine when it is not."

Nerin flushed.

"My antler reacted."

Tharek looked at him.

For the first time, the Ground-Hoof commander seemed interested.

"You feel below."

Nerin touched the broken antler.

"A little."

Tharek’s gaze sharpened.

"Broken."

Nerin stiffened.

Swanly’s ears flattened protectively.

Tharek did not insult him.

Instead:

"Still useful."

Nerin blinked.

Unexpected.

Tharek looked at Soren.

"The pulse spreads through stone."

His deep voice vibrated through the clearing.

"Yesterday it reached farther than before."

"How far?" Soren asked.

"Far enough."

Soren’s expression cooled.

"That means nothing."

Tharek stared.

"One attack became twenty."

His armored foreleg shifted.

"One season may become hundreds."

Silence.

Swanly felt the threat settle over Ironwood like a shadow.

Lyssara finally said what she had been leading toward.

"Let us enter."

Soren looked at her.

"We can reach the old underground paths," she continued.

"We know ancient seals."

Nothing.

"We recognize more of the creatures that may come."

Nothing.

"We can help stop this before Ironwood becomes a feeding ground for every surviving horror that feels that pulse."

Soren remained silent.

Lyssara took that silence as hesitation.

"You need us."

Swanly saw the exact moment Soren realized it.

His pupils narrowed.

His mouth changed.

Barely.

But she knew him now.

That snake was pleased.

Not because the danger was good.

Because Lyssara had accidentally placed something valuable in his hands.

His permission.

Swanly almost smiled.

Oh no.

Lyssara noticed too late.

Soren moved closer to the territorial edge.

"You arrived here believing you possessed something I needed."

Lyssara’s face cooled.

"We possess knowledge."

"Yes."

"Knowledge you lack."

"Perhaps."

Korran’s upper lip curled.

Soren’s silver gaze moved across all of them.

Then returned to Lyssara.

"But you have just admitted something far more useful."

She went still.

"You need something I possess."

Lyssara’s wings tightened.

Soren smiled.

"My permission."

Korran’s wings snapped open.

"You arrogant beast."

Raku stepped forward immediately.

Arion did too.

Kael’s claws emerged.

Druun growled.

Soren did not even look away.

"Am I wrong?"

Korran’s jaw flexed.

Soren’s smile deepened.

"You cannot enter."

No answer.

"You cannot reach what is beneath my land."

Silence.

"You cannot solve your problem without crossing my boundary."

Lyssara’s face had become stone.

Soren spread one hand.

"And you cannot cross unless I allow it."

Azren started laughing.

Not a chuckle.

Full laughter.

His chains rattled as he bent forward.

Korran looked ready to throttle him.

Azren managed:

"I really like him."

Soren’s face turned disgusted.

"I do not care."

"You should."

"I do not."

"We have similar qualities."

"No."

"We are both beautiful."

"No."

"Dangerous."

Soren stared.

"Unfortunately."

"Possessive."

Kael growled.

Azren glanced toward Swanly.

"Excellent taste in females."

Soren’s tail slammed into the earth.

"STOP TALKING."

Azren looked delighted.

Lyssara pinched the bridge of her nose.

Swanly looked between them.

She was surrounded by lunatics.

Soren faced Lyssara again.

"You want entry?"

"Yes."

"No."

The answer came so quickly Korran actually stepped forward.

"You cannot be serious."

"I am."

"More creatures will come."