Reaper(Cradle #10)(22)
“That’s quite rude of them,” Eithan said, but Naru Huan kept talking.
“I was aware the Titan was going to wake up, but then there was a second Dreadgod, and then Monarchs fought on my western border. And I hear you fought as well! Successfully!”
“In fairness, I didn’t know about the Phoenix either.”
“Sometimes I wonder why I play at ruling, when everything that matters is decided by the games of the truly powerful.”
“If it makes you feel better,” Eithan said, “everything turned out great!”
Naru Huan looked to Yerin. “You will go down in history as a hero of the Blackflame Empire. Saeya hasn’t stopped talking about your battles since she returned. And to you…” He turned to Lindon with awe and pain clear in his expression. “If you could give me just a word of advice, I would be grateful for the rest of my life. Reaching Sage at Overlord…I didn’t know it was possible, truly. For a moment of your time, I will give you anything within my meager power.”
Lindon didn’t feel like it was the time to mention that he had first summoned an Icon when he was an Underlord.
Eithan raised a hand. “May I point out that I trained these two?”
Naru Huan breathed in for a solid five seconds, and then exhaled even more slowly. He strolled over to Eithan and put a hand on the Archlord’s shoulder.
“I know, Eithan. I do know. You have done more for the Empire than anyone since my mother, but you make it so hard to be grateful. If only you weren’t so…infuriating. All the time.”
“All the time is a little harsh.” A little more humanity cracked Eithan’s smile. “I will allow, though, that I can be a unique experience.”
“Let him kick you,” Yerin suggested. Everyone looked to her—Naru Huan’s face had grown substantially brighter—but she didn’t back down. “You want to show you’re sorry? Let him kick you.”
Eithan’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I’m a little disturbed at how quickly you came to that suggestion.”
“I dream about it every night.”
Naru Huan controlled himself, but Lindon could see that he was holding back excitement. “I would like that very much.”
“Well, if I’m not going to defend myself, I would prefer if you took it easy—”
He didn’t.
The Emperor’s kick contained all the madra, aura, and soulfire of an experienced Overlord. The sudden detonation of air would have leveled Lindon’s house if not for the scripts and his own protection. As it was, air surged out from Windfall for miles, even buffeting some landing cloudships.
Lindon watched as Eithan flew as a rapidly vanishing speck to the west. “I think he might make it all the way to Sacred Valley.”
Naru Huan clapped his hands and shouted. “Bring me a blank tablet!” His escort of Golds on the neighboring cloudship scurried to obey.
Lowering his voice back to normal, the Emperor spoke to Lindon and Yerin. “I need to record this memory while it’s fresh. I can never forget this.”
Indeed, he looked like he’d been injected with a good night’s sleep in an instant.
Kicking Eithan. Lindon would have to try that.
5
Lindon didn’t need to do much to load the people of Sacred Valley onto the cloudships. He didn’t have a role here other than to supervise; in fact, he could have left on Windfall and delegated everything to the subordinates from the Blackflame Empire.
But there were a few things he needed to see to himself.
Orthos was healthier than he’d been since the fight with the Titan, but Lindon only knew that through his bond. He hadn’t visited yet today, so when he landed, he was surprised not to see Orthos. Normally, even an Iron could see Orthos from miles away. It was hard to miss a flaming turtle literally the size of a hill.
He found a handful of Truegolds still packing up the intricate script-circle and other tools they’d used to see to Orthos’ safety for the last several days. All the bustling action in the area stopped when Lindon arrived, as everyone bowed.
Lindon was getting used to that. At least enough to not let it slow him down. “Continue with what you were doing. I’m just here to see Orthos.”
He looked into the forest where he felt Orthos, and would have expected to see him even at normal size. Apprehensively, he asked, “Did everything go…well?”
Little Blue whistled her concern.
An old Truegold woman cleared her throat. “We are assured by Lord Orthos that the process was completed according to plan, but the ways of soulfire are unknown to us. You will have to assess his condition for yourself, honored guest.”
“Lord Orthos?”
“He told us to call him that himself. Should we address him by a different title?”
Lindon supposed Orthos was a Lord now, so he reassured the Golds that they had done well, passed them a scale—which they regarded with awe—and then leaped across the clearing and into the forest.
“How are you?” Lindon asked. He knew Orthos could hear him.
“Well enough to devour some enemies,” Orthos said. “But not so well that I want to fly. You’re a Sage now, just move us there.”
Lindon heard Orthos’ voice, and based on that and his spiritual presence, Orthos should have been right in front of him. He saw only a red glow in some bushes, and an odd thought came to him: had Orthos buried himself in the ground?