Somnion could still feel traces of the magics performed here, although months had passed.
But that wasn’t all: faint memories of strong feeling were also left behind. He could feel the pain, the sadness and the anger that had come to pass in this place.
“Where do you think he is now?” he spoke to his uncle.
[Perhaps he went after her in the underworld.]
This was where the Huntress had passed on and where her body had been carried off in the arms of Llyr. Nobody knew where he had dissappeared to.
[Or perhaps not. Not everything is for us to know.]
Says someone who’s dedicated their whole life to gaining knowledge of all sorts, Nion thought. Sometimes his uncle really lacked curiousity.
[Follow me, we can not linger here much longer. He is not happy about our involvement in this case.] the elder demon spoke in Nion’s mind.
And Somnion followed. He’d learned early on not to talk back to or question is uncle. He was a strict and demanding teacher, but it was all very well. He would not learn this quickly, if he wasn’t.
Somnion followed and tried to keep up a healthy conversation, “Isn’t he being ungrateful… considering we saved his life.”
[Perhaps, but the Hunter is a proud creature. He didn’t forgive Tanith for stabbing him and even killed her for that. Considering that, he is unlikely to forgive us for saving him -for the next few centuries anyway.]
“But there are two of us and one of him. We should be fine… we’re just passing through here.” Somnion muttered without thinking.
[Yes, there were two of them, too and she still got killed. Do not underestimate Kilbas just because he doesn’t use magic. He is almost thrice your age and has trained against magical creatures since birth. Go against him unprepared and you will die… as will I.]
Yes, Somnion wasn’t about to admit it, but he was impressed by Kilbas’s speed and reflexes, and hoped he could’ve been there to see the fight.
He could still trace the events through the memories of the forest, but it wasn’t the same as seeing it all with his own eyes.
Take this tree: it still remembered the Hunter flying against it and falling unconscious at it’s root.
He had been lying right here that winter day.
Khepre and Somnion had come as soon as they’d felt the primal magics released by Llyr. They’d hurried here and found the Hunter unconscious and the Huntress dead on the ground. Their friend, the demon Llyr, had lost himself in the magics filling his body and almost lost his sanity.
Khepre had forbade him from touching the Hunter in his need of revenge. “You can not kill him, he is still a necessity in this world” he’d said. And as much as Nion had not wanted to, he had also put himself between Kilbas and Llyr, telling him that he did not want a fight but would still defend the Hunter. It was important for this particular Hunter to stay here, as a new Hunter would bring too many changes to this forest. Right now, it was essential for Nion’s training for things to stay consistent.
The pair had stayed here for hours after Llyr’s departure, making sure the Hunter would wake up. He did, and as expected: he had not been happy. He’d spouted something about rather dying than being protected by the likes of Khepre and Nion. In the end, they’d left him there, when they were sure he would survive, but it was certain that Kilbas did not move from this spot for days afterwards. He’d received a full blast of dark magics and was likely to feel the after-effects in his body for a long time.
[Somnion.]
Yanked away from his memories the younger demon answered, “Yes?”
[We can not linger. I do not wish to clash with the Hunter here again.]
Yes, he would be pissed off if he were to see them.
[And you still have much to learn.]
“I’m coming…”
The demon’s fingers separated from the tree bark and as he lost contact his mind came back to the present. He still had a mission to fulfil.
