Thaedric made a decision. He won’t let the guardian die, not yet. He didn’t know what he was doing but he grabbed hold of the two threads and held them together and then he poured his own mana into it.

It fought him. The two threads didn’t belong they rebelled to ne held together big Thaedric won’t let them go as he continued to pour his mana into it.

The threads grew hot in his hands, it turned red and explosive power rolled between them. Trying rip the threads apart. Thaedric thought he had lost the battle before it really even started but then it was over and everywhere became calm.

He was now holding a single thread, thick and throbbing with purple light. Thaedric was breathing hard. But he looked over to where the guardian was rotting away and he spoke a single word. "Live."

Power flowed from him to the guardian in waves, living him light headed. His eyes rolled and everything became a blur of darkness and he vanished.

Thaedric opened his eyes, back in the real world. His eyes felt like it was filled with sand and all he could smell was blood. Everything else was numb with pain. Then he passed out.

☆☆▪︎☆☆

The Iridessa stood atop the roof of the farming administrative building, far from the main palace. It was night and he was looking up at the sky, the streaking moon that cast gentle glow down on the calm palace building.

Calm. He nearly scoffed. It was anything but calm but the worse was over for them at least. At least there was no rogue Iridessa trying to kill them.

He was trying his best not to think about what happened. To think about his failure. He clenched his hands. Total failure that he wasn’t even expecting because everything was put together so perfectly.

It was that boy, Thaedric Hydraeus. But how? He had been told he was a useless coward. And that Cormac, he didn’t turn out to be useful before his death. He would have killed him anyway but he would have served him more.

He felt a presence behind him and he stopped the destructive enchantments that quickly build in him. He recognized the aura and he hated it even more.

"Ah! Fancy seeing you here Iridessa!"

He hated when others call him by his former clan name. There was always an hint of gest, sarcasm in it that he didn’t like. Only him could refer to himself as Iridessa!

"Really." He replied flatly, not turning.

The man laughed, a carefree laughter that was as calm as the moon’s light. "Yes! A disturbance happened here and I want to check it out. You won’t be the one responsible, eh?"

The Iridessa did turn then, his four eyes glowing yellow as he looked at the man before him. Malyster.

Malyster has long copper hair and his eyes is like rusted steel, he looks at the Iridessa and smiled. He’s always smiling and that’s one of the reasons the Iridessa didn’t like him.

Smiling is a weapon, used to hide things. "Why are you here, Malyster?"

He raised his two hands and smirked. "Come on now. We are both on the same page here."

"No we are not. You are not suppose to be here. And yet here you are," he paused. "At least you have the dignity to show yourself. I could feel the others eyes on me."

Malyster chuckled. "You can’t blame them. This will be the first big move we will be making. It’s put everyone on edge. Make the excited."

The Iridessa raised his gloved hand as if he would scoop the moonlight from the air. "At least it would save me the time for explaining."

Malyster laughed again and the Iridessa wondered if it is the only thing he does. Or if he does it because he knew it would get on everyone’s nerves. "Not all is lost yet! Don’t you see? This Clan is already done for. With their Bloodscion out of the way for now and the Overlords ignoring them. Even their Scion is a coward fool I hear."

The Iridessa flinched, just a quick movement of flesh that goes unnoticed. He remembered glowing purple eyes and hair flowing behind him. The Iridessa saw no cowardice in that boy. His will is unbroken.

The boy that disrupted his plans.

The Iridessa allowed himself to sigh. "Why are you really here, Malyster?"

"Ah! Yes. You are needed elsewhere. Something about an unbroken before dome."

The Iridessa clenched his hand gently. All the years he spent laying groundwork here and it all came to failure. Because of one boy. "I’ll get back at you. Young Hydraeus."

☆☆▪︎☆☆

When Thaedric opened his eyes he was lying on a bed, a soft bed with a lot of soft pillows for his liking but he had missed it a lot not to settle even further in the soft warm bed.

That was until a voice interrupted him. "You are awake this time so don’t even pretend. My Lord."

Thaedric was sure the last one was added with an eye roll. He opened his eyes and saw Kagerou standing over him, green eyes narrowed but that could not hide the worry in his eyes. "What do you mean this time?"

Kagerou, satisfied that nothing was wrong pull back and sat on a small stool beside the bed. "You’ve been going on and off consciousness for a while now."

Thaedric sat up, and he found it a very difficult task, his body is so weak he limbs trembled with that short movement. "A while?"

"You have been unconscious for three days now."

Thaedric’s stiffened as memories rushed into him. "Three days. Cormac?"

"He’s dead."

Thaedric breath a sigh of relief. ’Finally! Although I wish I was there to do it myself’ but that’s one thing taken care of anyway. "And the others....." apparently that was the limit of his strength for now because he slumped again.

Kagerou sighed wearily.