As we approached the foot of the mountain, there was a strange scent in the air.
The tracks Mom and Kalia had been following were growing increasingly pronounced and more frequent. Each one seemed to veer off in different directions, which was a clear indication that there was more than one of those mysterious creatures.
The obcasus could have also made multiple trips to find other orbs, Kalia added after having felt my consternation through our connection. That's possible, too, but how likely is it that Mideia brought more than one? I asked, scanning the surrounding area for any potential threats.
The heavy woodline near the base of the mountain made it challenging to see with eyesight alone, so we all resorted to sending out intermittent pulses of Ethereal mana through the ground at varying ranges.
I'm not going to say it's impossible, as that was already disproven by its mere existence in this realm. However, I think it would be prudent of us to assume there are more of them, she added, getting an approving nod from Mom.
"How much longer do you think it will take?" Balgrim whispered just behind me. "We're only moving as slowly as we are because of you, so it's difficult to say. You might be exceptional with earth-based mana, but relying on that for movement is not a good idea," Mom said over her shoulder with a glare, prompting the druid to swallow dryly.
We continued in contemplative silence for a few more minutes before Ed broke it with a question of his own. "Do you think there might be more than one?" he asked, leaning toward me. "Always be prepared for there to be more of those bastards than you thought," I said, giving my best imitation of Garett, which made him chuckle softly.
"It feels like forever ago since we were training there together, but I guess you're right. Besides, it's not like The Masked One would be here controlling them again, right?" Ed asked with a sarcastic chuckle.
The concept of that made me blanch.
"Why the fuck didn't I think of that?" I asked myself, feeling my eyes widen as I stared at the ground. "Think of what?" Ysevel asked with a curled eyebrow. I took a moment to gather my thoughts and immediately began picking up the pace. "We've got to move. If I'm right about this, we're in for one hell of a fight," I said, prompting the others, including Balgrim, to begin moving at a quicker trot.
"Oooookay, you're starting to freak me out now, Thoma," Ed chuckled dryly. "Think about it; If creatures like glicks and daemons can't coordinate attacks on their own, why haven't we considered the possibility that those creatures aren't under someone's thumb?" I asked, prompting everyone, including Mom, to look at me with genuine concern.
"I hate to think about that being a possibility, but I agree with you," Irun said with a furrowed brow. "If what we know about these creatures is true, and that they are, for lack of a better word, necrophages, then why would it want to consume an orb of Leech mana?" he continued.
Because someone commanded them to, Kalia sent the others and I, including Edryd, whose eyes could hardly fit in their sockets when he heard the gravity of her tone in his head. W-What are you saying? You think Balgrim did this? Ed asked, his confused emotions seeping through his words.
I'm not sure he would have the power to command one that large, but perhaps with the help of another, she trailed off, glaring back at him through the slit in her helmet and nearly causing him to trip.
"Ho, there. Are you alright, Ed?" Balgrim asked as he reached to steady him. "I-I'm fine, thanks," Ed replied with a bit of a stammer. There was an obvious sense of distrust in the way he looked at the dwarf, but I was grateful to see he shook it off quickly. "Come on. Let's keep moving," Irun said, patting Ed on the shoulder twice before returning to his original pace.
Balgrim gave Ed a weak smile before returning to a trot alongside the rest of us, but I could tell my friend wasn't done processing everything yet. You might want to help him out. It seems he really doesn't know what we're up against, Ysevel sent me with a nod. Yeah, you're right. Go ahead, we'll catch up, I sent back before walking over to him.
"Ed, are you alright?" I asked once the others had gotten well out of hearing range. Of course, I was still sending them whatever was being said, but it was good enough for me to be able to ask him more serious questions without Balgrim being able to listen in.
Ed didn't answer immediately. Instead, he began pacing back and forth, shaking his head and muttering something quietly I couldn't quite understand. "Hey," I said, snapping my fingers in front of his face to draw his attention. I'd always hated doing that, but it was the only way I could think of to get him to answer.
"What are you hiding from me, Thoma?" he asked, immediately turning on me with a scowl. "A lot, actually," I said with a sigh as I shook my head. "I thought I was your best friend; someone you could tell anything!" he raised his voice and arms simultaneously. "You still are, fuck-face, but there are reasons I couldn't tell you everything," I said, trying to keep my voice as even as possible, not to escalate things further.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? What reasons could you have? I know you don't trust him, but that shouldn't mean you can't trust me, either," he gestured in the druid's direction, prompting me to shake my head. "I do trust you, Ed. Hells, I trust you with my life, but what we're dealing with is something far beyond what anyone we know of in this realm can handle," I said, allowing my emotions to show just enough so he knew I meant every word.
"W-What?" Ed asked breathlessly as his face paled. I took a deep breath and began to explain why we'd come to the Gramm Isles to seek out information on the Great Partition, the real reason. He listened intently, but didn't bother asking me any questions until after I was done explaining nearly everything that had happened until this point.
"Gods above and be-.... Well, I guess there aren't any below anymore," he said with a weak chuckle. "So you've suspected Balgrim of being under Mideia's influence since the day you met him? How the fuck haven't I noticed that?" Ed asked himself. "You didn't know him before coming here with Meliss, right?" I asked, but all he could give me was a shake of his head.
"Well, my mom did, and between her assessment of him, as well as Athar's, that's where we're at now. What we're trying to figure out is why he would be under Mideia's influence, and I have a sneaking suspicion we're getting close to finding that out," I said, already feeling Ysevel's tug on my core to let me know they'd arrived at the end of the trail.
Ed paused for a moment to absorb everything I'd just told him. After a few silent seconds, he gave me a firm nod. "How can I help? I know I'm not as strong as you or the others, but is there anything I can do?" he asked with grim determination, to which I allowed myself a weak chuckle and shook my head.
"Yeah, don't take your eyes off of him. If you think he's doing anything suspicious, call it out. Until we can figure out how to deal with the creature, you'll have to be on guard duty," I said, getting a groan of disappointment in response. "Fiiiine. I hope you know I hate guard duty," he sighed.
Thoma, we've found the creature's den. You're not going to believe this, Ysevel sent with an almost tangible amount of awe in her tone. We'll be right there, I sent back quickly.
"Ready to go, then? Just remember, he already knows we suspect him, but that doesn't mean he's not likely to try anything," I warned. "I know, I know. If he even looks at any of you the wrong way, I'll tell you," he said, offering a balled fist for me to pound with my own.