Page 77 of The Last Guardian

“A window?” Eirlys asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes,” Zaidkiel said, crossing his arms. “The problem is, I was unable to follow her, which is not supposed to happen. Not only could I not follow her…” Zaidkiel’s eyes fell on me for a moment, the emerald shifting to a darker shade. “…but her essence faded from her mind too.”

“Without two pillars activated, she shouldn’t be able to navigate the Void without you,” Eirlys said, surprise crossing her immaculate face, “let alone completely drift from her own Void.”

Eirlys tilted her head to me as her palm played with the flame from a candle. “Where did you fall, Alyana?”

My heart raced in my chest. My fingers played with the charm around my neck. “In a dark forest—a rotting forest.” My eyes drifted to Zaidkiel for a moment. “A light flared and urged me to follow to a labyrinth, where a statue waited for me.”

Curiosity was piqued in Eirlys’ eyes. “Waited?”

“Yes.” I swallowed. “The statue moved—spoke to me.”

“What did she say?” the Noxari asked. The crescent moon flared up.

I glanced at Zaidkiel, pleading with my eyes for him to say the words. A hint of amusement crossed his green eyes, and the corner of his lips twitched as he said, “Revekki amathe. And e uni sodaelys.”

Eirlys turned her head in haste, exchanging a look with the commander. “Are you sure about the words she used?”

Zaidkiel’s gaze fell on the ground as he nodded again.

Eirlys’ attention drifted to the cracking fire, the red flames dancing, feeding on the wood. Walking toward the flames, she kneeled before the embers, watching them dying into smoke, consuming the smoldering logs into ash.

“Losing her in the Void can be dangerous,” Eirlys warned, still looking at the flame, and for a moment, I wondered if she could actually see through the layers of fire. Eirlys spoke once more. “You’ll need to seek advice, Commander.” She looked at Zaidkiel over her shoulder. “Kraktos.”

Kraktos? What kind of name was that?

Zaidkiel rubbed his neck as he replied, “I already plan to pay Kraktos a visit for the quest.”

Eirlys turned her eyes on me at last. I cleared my throat, biting my lips. “Who—who’s Kraktos?”

“An old Oralys who resides in the middle of the mountains,” she whispered, “one of the few who still wants to help us overcome chaos.”

One of the few?

“Why is it dangerous to be lost in the Void?” I asked.

“You could fall into the Nhulgur—the space between life and death.” Eirlys’ eyes darkened, the fire playing in her violet gaze. She drifted her attention to Zaidkiel once more. “Kraktos is the best option, and he’s already waiting for you.” Eirlys curled her red lips into a smile as she added, “Both of you.”

“Why both of us?” My voice trembled at the thought of meeting someone called Kraktos. The name alone sent shivers down my spine.

Eirlys’ fingers reach for the fire, her marble skin welcoming it. “He wants to see you too, Alyana Harenvald.” The embers danced on her but never consumed her skin. “He’s the only one who can show you what happened in Perygan,” Eirlys whispered, “what happened to the Guardians.”

“Guardians?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

She had mentioned the Last Guardian—which was still a mystery since we had focused entirely on the Rite since we had arrived—but it was the first time I had heard of Guardians. What were the Guardians?

Ignoring my question, Eirlys rose to her feet and said, “And why and how the Last Guardian was created⁠—”

The flap opened as a man stormed into the tent, shifting the discussion entirely as Eirlys rose to her feet.

“Ten-forsaken, Zaid,” a man said in frustration, a sun etched on his brow. His long, brown braids cascaded over his shoulders, while his dark, almond-shaped eyes stared at the commander. “I was waiting for you to show up for hours!”

Zaidkiel let out a sigh, glaring at the man. “Relax, Seth,” he said lightly, stopping him. “I had matters to attend to before meeting you.”

“Your uncle can’t wa—” Seth began.

“Enough!” Zaidkiel growled, as he pushed himself away from the shelves, stepping before Seth.