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Page 4070

He could feel so much of the continent up here. So many souls in distress. Crying out in silence.

He hadn't seen it like this in a very long time.

Indeed. Before visiting the wolf and possibly making things even worse for these beleaguered people, he should at least do something to help them.

Where were the hotbeds of misery?

Lingering traces remained in the lands directly below. A terrible aftermath. Abolish's work, indeed. He was certain of it, now. They'd invaded Sair, eh? And now were making a move into Intar.

Ah. He sensed quite a bit over there. Intar was a gigantic nation--and certainly no stranger to turmoil. But it had been peaceful when he left. And now...

Now it was as bad as he'd ever sensed it. The land itself was crying out to him. To everyone. Tearing itself apart even while invaders were arriving. Taking advantage of the mayhem.

Malicious bastards. Their auras were so obvious. Clouds of wicked intent, moving with delight.

Hmm.

If he moved against them, they would scatter. Then he would be stuck hunting down their frightened remnants for quite a while. Was that the best use of his limited time?

Probably not, Tenebrach told him.

But it sure would feel nice, Sermung countered. And hadn't the two of them learned by now? Obsessing over optimal efficiency was never good. It only led to frustration. The more important thing was to remain flexible, no?

Hmph. Do what you like. A bit of indulgence was well-earned, thought Tenebrach.

Sermung smiled to himself. Thanks, pal.

Just make sure they regret ever being born while you're at it.

Aright, well, that might be a little excessive.

Render them to dust. Show them no mercy. Their fear of you will be key, in the future when you must depart again. So you must make that fear as crippling as possible.

Hmm. Fair point. But in that same vein, they can't spread fear of me if they're all dust, now can they? Plus, it's Abolish. A dramatic show of force is just as likely to excite them as it is to strike fear.

Stop making sense and just do as I say. The wrobels will buff out any psychological errors we make.

Maybe we've been merged too long, Tenebrach. You're power tripping again.

Only because you're undervaluing yourself again. You're the most powerful being in the world. Act like it, for a change.

I'd rather act like myself, if you don't mind. And he leapt from the cliff.

I do mind, as it so happens.

Well, I'm sure you'll get over it.

Page 4069

Well.

This changed things.

Sermung knew something of the Prime Hunter. The Great Wolf. He knew that Koh's victims oftentimes did not die when he devoured them. Instead, they were imprisoned for centuries--or even longer. So there was a chance, at least, that Jonah yet lived.

But freeing him... now that was a whole other matter.

Any prison worth its salt would have to reside within a higher realm. Nothing less would be able to contain the Primordials. Which meant that time would be moving more slowly there, relatively speaking. So if Sermung went to go retrieve Jonah, he would be losing more time again. Much more time, potentially.

Plus, he'd have to find the place, first. Perhaps Koh could help with that, but he doubted it.

And even if he did manage to pull off such a feat, it would not be what Jonah wanted. In fact, it was entirely possible that Jonah had himself orchestrated the events that led to this outcome. Unlikely, perhaps, but possible.

Such a cruel fate for the boy.

Yet another example. Too many to count.

His thought processes faltered. Struggled. Hesitated. Did they even want to learn more? Of the endless misery permeating the world?

That was the problem with knowledge, wasn't it? As much as it empowered, so too did it open one's mind to the abyss.

Sermung didn't need that, right now. That was a foe that he was not prepared to face again. One he might never be.

It seemed to him that the older one got, the more vulnerable to it one became.

Madness. Despair. Two sides of the same coin, he'd come to believe. He wondered, at times, if it hadn't already been tossed. Flipping in the air. Perhaps it was just a matter of which way it landed now.

Foolishness, of course. Deadly, foolish, and an oversimplification.

Ah. He'd made Tenebrach mad again.

Stay on task. Keep looking. Pay attention.

The Hunter was close. Sermung could visit him. It might not resolve anything, but it would at least be informative. And he'd always been curious to see the ancient beast at full strength. He'd never had the privilege before.

Yes. Best not let this opportunity pass by. Theoretically, they were allies.

If it somehow turned into a fight, though... the resulting fallout could be...

Sermung weighed the option in his mind. Consulted Tenebrach's memories.

Perhaps they should attend to other matters first.