"These are the Words I have devoured. May the Wheel do what it must to bring about the truth of this Revelation," the Mouth said in a grandiose voice. His words echoed in my mind like beating a drum inside an empty cave, and I could feel my entire body being flooded with a strange sensation I couldn't understand.
It was both satisfying and horrifying at the same fucking time, like a sharp claw scratching an itch and drawing blood from my chest.
Feeling overwhelmed by the sensation, I buckled beneath the weight of his Words, coughing up a mouthful of blood and spitting it onto the floor. "Thoma!" Ysevel shouted, immediately trying to lift me upright, but for some reason, I couldn't allow that to happen.
"What's happening to him?" she shouted at who I assumed was The Mouth. I couldn't explain it, but I could almost feel his eyes and grin growing wider than we'd seen so far. "Answer me!" she shouted, her mana flaring violently as if she was going to launch an unrelenting attack on him.
That's when I sensed Syldir moving into a stance to protect him, not harm him.
Wait… don't, I put a hand on hers, doing everything in my immediate power to stop her. I could feel her confusion, Mom and Kalia's rage, and Bernar's cold, calculating demeanor all at once, as if they were all preparing to fight to the death.
I felt a second urge to cough up more blood, and with it came a strange sensation that something I'd long since overcome had truly come to an end.
I stared at the ground for a moment, seeing the small pool of blood beginning to seep into the armor around my knees, and took in a deep breath, gasping for air as if I'd been holding my breath during his entire revelation.
"My, my! What an astounding Revelation you've brought with you. The first in over a thousand years," he said in an almost dreamlike tone. I managed to stare up at him from beneath my brows and saw his face filled with delight and excitement. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? What did you do to him?" Mom snarled, though I could feel her going for her blade even before she'd made the move to.
"Mom, don't. I'm fine," I said weakly, spitting up the last bit of blood from the corner of my mouth. "I promise, I'm okay!" I said, glancing at her weakly, before immediately feeling a massive hand around the base of my jaw that pulled my head upward.
"So it is you," the Mouth's face was right in front of mine before anyone else had even reacted. His black eyes searched mine, darting rapidly back and forth as I saw their scarlet glow reflected in them. "You're the one she sent to us. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't just see it with my own eyes," he continued, his mind likely wandering within the depths of his memories.
"Whut du yu meen?" I asked, though the words came out more like a mush since my cheeks were scrunched together. Seeing my obvious discomfort, he quickly released my face, slowly drawing his palm back and staring at it with a grin, as if he were pleasantly surprised by something.
"In any case," he began, turning to face Syldir. "What Revelation did you bring me?" he asked, though the look on his face indicated he had an inkling of the answer. "Perhaps this will suffice," she replied, opening the box containing Ed's core. His eyes widened in surprise as he reached for it and held it gingerly in the palm of his massive hand.
"Ah, I see now why you've brought this to me," he said, holding it up to the level of his eyes as he inspected it carefully. "Was it you who did this?" he asked Kalia, but she shook her head. "You, then?" he asked Mom, getting a similar answer. When he finally turned to me, he burst into a fit of laughter, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
"A profound Revelation, indeed, Hand. It seems your ability to choose strong allies hasn't lost any of its potency," he chucked as a wolfish grin appeared on his face. "Now, then. What would you have me do with this poor man's core?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her as he tilted his head, causing his beard ornaments to jingle.
It took us the better part of half an hour to explain everything that had happened to Athar and our plan for Ed's core. As we told him the tale, he grew increasingly surprised that we'd not only been able to defeat Nexis, but even Ed's possessed form. Once we'd finished, he took a few moments to consider everything we'd told him, but when the silence and his incessant pacing dragged on, I began to grow desperate.
I get that there are a lot of ramifications to consider, but there has to be something he would consider valuable enough of a trade, I thought, wondering what could possibly entice a dragon that never wanted to be found in the first place.
Suddenly, he paused and turned to face us with another grin painted on his face. "Very well, then. I will help you, but there are certain conditions that will need to be met," he said, spreading his arms out to his sides. "As you wish," Syldir answered for all of us as if she knew what he was going to ask for, bringing him to clap his hands together.
The moment the sound reached my ears, I felt a wave of mana flow through the air, and when I looked around to see what had happened, I immediately understood that the clap was all it took for him to dispel the barrier he'd hidden himself behind.
The thick air from the Underbelly filled my nostrils again, and I could tell that that trick of his was no laughing matter. I'd be willing to bet that Mideia can pull similar tricks, Bernar sent us with an air of caution. I don't doubt it, but that doesn't make me any less impressed by what just happened, Ysevel said, glancing around the large chamber to confirm what her eyes and senses were telling her.
"Now, then. Are there still more things you need to do here? More Revelations to bring me, I mean," the Mouth said with a wry grin, prompting Kalia to suppress a click of her tongue. "N-None that come to mind," I answered with a shake of my head, causing him to upturn his bottom lip for all of a heartbeat before showing a smirk.
"It's a pity, but before we depart, there is one last thing I need to do. Voices, come to me and heed the Wheel," he commanded, though it wasn't just his voice that resonated through the gloomy halls.
Is that the power of the Mouth of the Twilight Sea? I asked Syldir, getting a nod in reply. I will explain it later. Right now, we need to secure Ed's return before anything else, she said, almost as if letting me know that he wasn't to be trusted fully.
Within the heartbeat that followed our brief exchange, nearly a hundred white-robed people seemingly appeared before us. As surprised as I was, it didn't seem to affect Bernar or Jashad, meaning these robed figures were those Voices he'd just summoned.
Thoma, do you feel that? Ysevel's voice came through, her eyes dead focused on one of the figures nearest to us. Feel wh-...? I cut myself off the moment she shared what she was feeling through our connection.
Focusing on it a little more, I realized something I don't think even Bernar had noticed the first time he saw these figures. They're… dragonkin? But what does that even mean? How is that possible? I asked her, though, before I got my answer, Syldir appeared before us and subtly held a finger to her lips and shook her head. As I said; later, she sent us both before we could ask anyone else.
Mom and her team looked on in confusion and astonishment as the Voices began to write down each word the Mouth said as quickly as he could speak them.
"Thus, the Wheel begins to turn once again, and with each rotation, we come one step closer to a new age. Let all those who bear the Words heed the call to action, and prepare themselves for the war to come, as the Scourge will soon make his move," he began with a dramatic tone.
"Let each of you who bears these Words seek either refuge or strong allies to lean on, as the coming days will be ones of suffering and death for many. Prepare," he said with finality as the Voices' feather pens scratched to a unified halt.
"Go forth and tell all who heed the Wheel: There is little time before he begins to make his move," the Mouth said, flicking his hand outward in a dismissive motion.