Chapter 242: Elder Caron’s Fears
The room was plunged in darkness and silence, just how he loved it. That was his comfort zone, most of the time. This time, he was restless, even meditation wasn’t working. And the reason was because of his friend in the sect, Derek.
Caron sat up in his bed, his long dark hair spilling over his head and covering his eyes. His breathing was ragged, and that was because he’d just had a very, very bad nightmare or dream? It was currently morning. Caron practiced a dark technique, and one of its specialties was premonitions. And, his premonitions never failed. It wasn’t sight or vision like that of Seers, but something close. He was more of an oracle...
Well, he had seen something very bad, and if it came to pass, Derek would die. If he dies, the truth about his deeds would come to light, and Caron would be dragged in, especially if the death of Ren comes to light. He was reminded of his findings after Ren fled into the forest. They had worked to seal off the place so it wouldn’t be linked back to them, but through his investigations, he found out that Ren was just like the Black Fang Prodigy. He didn’t partake in any sect trial, but was rather recruited, and that too by Elder Hakar. This brought up the question:
Why was Ren assigned to Derek? Why hadn’t Elder Hakar asked of Ren after all this time?
He didn’t know and couldn’t place his mind on it, but he knew one thing. It was just a matter of time. Elder Hakar was someone with even more power than the Chief Elder. All they knew about him was that he was the direct voice of the Pharaoh. That was enough to tell of his authority. That was why no one dared to speak up or challenge him when he was around. If he was really the voice of the Pharaoh, then that meant that all his actions were direct orders from the Pharaoh.
In all his time in the sect, he’d only seen the Pharaoh once, and that was when he was appointed and inaugurated as an elder. That was all. So if Elder Hakar truly acted on orders of the Pharaoh, that would mean Ren was recruited by the Pharaoh. This also meant that Elder Hakar hadn’t acted based on orders from the Pharaoh, but for how long? His premonition had shown something horrific that made even a lover of all that is dark like him scared.
"Derek... What are you up to?" he muttered as he got up hastily, his expression pale even underneath his hair. He quickly put on his robes and left the room, heading straight towards his friend.
...
Caron moved through the corridors of the Shadow Fang Sect with hurried steps, his robes fluttering wildly behind him. The disciples and servants he passed instinctively stepped aside because of the pressure leaking from him unintentionally. Fear. Pure fear.
His mind replayed the dream over and over again. Blood. Darkness. A beast roaring beneath a crimson moon, and... Derek screaming.
Caron clenched his teeth hard enough to draw blood.
"No... no, no, no..."
Something had already begun moving. He could feel it. Fate itself felt disturbed, like a spiderweb shaking from something massive stepping into it. He arrived at Derek’s residence moments later.
BOOM!
The doors burst open from the force of his push. The residence was silent. Caron’s sharp gaze swept across the room instantly. Wine bottles were scattered across the floor, torn robes filled the room, and the faint scent of sweat and sex lingered heavily in the air. His eyes darkened further.
"Derek!" he barked. There was no response. The sound of footsteps echoed from deeper inside the residence. A bedroom door slowly opened.
Rexi stepped out awkwardly, still shirtless, his crimson hair disheveled badly. Bite marks covered his neck and chest. The fox-kin froze immediately upon seeing Caron standing there like a ghost dragged out from a grave.
"E-Elder Caron?"
Caron ignored his appearance completely.
"Where is Derek?"
Rexi blinked in confusion at the urgency in Caron’s voice.
"He... uh..." His ears twitched nervously. "He left early this morning."
Caron’s heart skipped.
"With who?"
"Calil."
"What did they leave for?" Caron asked slowly.
Rexi hesitated. "They secured an inn in Oasis Temple City..." he answered carefully. "They said something about preparing a mission route."
Caron’s expression changed instantly. The usually calm and sinister elder looked genuinely horrified, and that shocked Rexi.
"Who’s the mission for?" Caron asked.
Rexi subconsciously took a step back.
"Bahamut..."
The room exploded with pressure.
BOOOOOOM!
The candles shattered instantly, windows cracked violently. Rexi nearly collapsed as darkness flooded the room for a split second before vanishing completely. Caron turned immediately and rushed out.
Rexi stared after him with wide eyes.
"What the hell?"
Even during sect wars, Caron had never shown that kind of reaction before.
Meanwhile...
Far away from the Obsidian Citadel, a gigantic serpentine figure moved across the desert like a living calamity. Nagini. Her massive body glided through the dunes smoothly while sunlight reflected off her dark scales. Upon her head sat Bahamut’s group.
The wind blew strongly against them as they traveled toward Oasis Temple City. Bahamut sat at the very front lazily, one arm resting atop a scale while Lily clung to him from behind shamelessly. Her tail wrapped tightly around his waist while her chin rested atop his shoulder possessively.
"You smell nice today," she mumbled happily.
"That’s because you nearly drowned me in perfume this morning."
"It’s called affection."
"It’s called attempted murder."
Lily bit his shoulder lightly.
"Ungrateful mate."
Behind them, Sel sighed deeply.
"I genuinely cannot believe this is my life now."
"You are jealous," Ren said while loafing comfortably atop Sel’s head.
"I am not jealous."
"You sounded jealous."
"I sounded tired."
"You are tired because you are jealous."
Sel’s eye twitched.
Nearby, Exildra chuckled softly while reading a book despite the movement of the giant serpent beneath them. Alana rested beside her, humming happily while braiding Exildra’s hair. Gabi sat quietly near the edge of Nagini’s head, nervously staring at the massive dunes below. Then there was the final member of the group, the Black Fang Prodigy.
She sat quietly beneath a shade canopy formed by Nagini’s scales, her black veil fluttering softly in the wind. Her darkness elemental floated beside her lazily in the shape of a tiny shadow fox, but her attention wasn’t on the scenery.
It was on Bahamut constantly. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly beneath the veil. The more she watched him, the more confused she became. His mannerisms, his instincts, the way he reacted unconsciously, even the way he tilted his head when confused... everything screamed familiarity. And then there was Ren.
The bunny avoided looking at her directly most of the time, but every now and then, she would catch him staring at her suspiciously before immediately looking away.
’You know me,’ she thought quietly.
The strange thing was, she was beginning to suspect Bahamut knew her too, as if something buried deep inside him recognized her existence. Her elemental suddenly floated near her ear.
"You’re staring again."
"I am observing."
"You’ve been ’observing’ him for hours."
"Quiet."
The shadow fox snickered. At the front, Bahamut suddenly spoke without turning.
"You know, staring too much is creepy."
The veiled girl froze slightly while Ren immediately burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Caught!"
"I wasn’t staring," she answered calmly.
"You were absolutely staring," Alana added immediately.
"You looked like a stalker."
The girl’s eye twitched beneath the veil.
"I was simply analyzing him."
Bahamut tilted his head.
"That somehow sounds worse."
Lily narrowed her eyes immediately and hugged Bahamut tighter.
"He’s mine."
"Oh gods..." Sel groaned.
Exildra calmly turned a page.
"At this point, we should let her mark his forehead."
"Good idea," Alana nodded seriously.
"I can carve it into his skin."
"NO."
The group burst into laughter while Bahamut held his head in exhaustion. Above them, the skies stretched endlessly. Ahead of them, Oasis Temple City awaited, and hidden within that city, a trap was already waiting patiently for Bahamut to walk into it.
