Cassiathon awoke to the scent of steam and the murmur of quiet strained voices. He found himself lying in his bed. The inner turmoil had subsided, replaced by a throbbing pain and an unfamiliar peculiar… lightness. As though he were drifting on a tranquil ocean while perilous undercurrents continued flowing beneath.
He traced the sounds to the war room.
Everyone was present. The Angel, a statue at the forefront of the stone table. Tania stood next, to him arms folded. Morgan bent over a map appearing serious. Celeste remained seated in a corner quietly drinking water, her expression tense.
A fresh presence appeared. Jareth Stonekeep, the goblin belonging to Morgan's group sat on a stool his sharp observant eyes taking in everything. Small and lean, with tanned skin his fingers drummed impatiently on the tabletop.
"...the withdrawal was strategic not complete " Morgan explained. "Raziel is gathering forces at the base of the hills. He's not retreating.. The Thorn-Blight you created at the pass functions like a signal. Every small demon and tainted beast, within fifty miles is being attracted to its corruption."
"The Angel declared, 'It needs to be purified.'"
"We gave that a shot " Tania remarked, irritation creeping into her tone. "The manual breakdown is dragging on.. Whenever Cassiathon interacts with it it just worsens the… the issue."
"Then we take it away entirely " Jareth spoke up his tone a rough rasp. "My people understand rock and soil. We don't battle corruption; we relocate it. Contain it. There are lifeless caverns, in the northern ridge. Geologically stable. We can dig a passage initiate a collapse. Cover the pestilence with a thousand tons of rock. Shut it off let it perish in the shadows."
The scheme was harsh, straightforward and practical. The Angel reflected on it. "The mountain would have a mark.. It would be a tidy one. Can your people accomplish this without being noticed?"
Jareth flashed a smile. "We are fighters. We're miners and engineers. Silence is our expertise."
"Proceed " commanded the Angel.
"That settles the beacon " Morgan interrupted. ". It doesn't explain the General at our doorstep. He's expecting something. Backup?. Instructions."
"He's anticipating me to slip up " Cassiathon remarked from the entrance.
Everyone's gaze focused on him. He noticed concern in Tania's evaluation in Morgan's inquisitiveness in Celeste's the expert judgment in Jareth's and the inscrutable depth, in his father's.
"You ought to be resting " Tania remarked.
"I've taken time to listen to the issue " Cassiathon said as he entered. He noticed their glances. He was altered. They perceived it. The inner conflict was now a armed ceasefire granting him a stern resolve. "Raziel witnessed my actions. He realizes I'm volatile. He's testing for the snapping moment. We have to prove to him that he's not the sole patient one." We must determine what the Queen's forthcoming action will be."
"How is that?" Morgan inquired.
Cassiathons eyes fixed on Jareth. "You possess connections. Merchants, scavengers, individuals navigating the ruins. Information serves as a form of currency correct?"
Jareth gave a nod. "Yes. Dangerous currency."
"I want you to use it. I have to find out where Valentina Rhodes is. She serves as the Queen's eyes and ears. If Raziel is the fist she acts as the nerve. If we locate her and hear her out we could discover their intentions for me."
The Angel of Death observed his son issuing commands devising plans and thinking tactically. The child he had retrieved from the void no longer existed. Instead stood a leader, marked by scars and intensity yet embracing his position.
"A move " the Angel said at last. "To pursue the pursuer."
Cassiathon met his father's gaze. "You taught me to end threats. Morgan showed me how to use chaos. I'm just combining lessons. We bury their beacon. Then, we go find theirs."