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The Child of Sight would know of Ettol’s defeat immediately, but his strained relationship with his brethren made him unlikely to go to their aid. And he would be very alert, as well. Ever watchful of Koh’s approach. And, of course, fleeing was one of his greatest strengths.

That would be a time-consuming chase. And perhaps not worth it, at the moment. Better to find a way to catch him by surprise, first. The Dark Domain could block his Sight, but not from afar. Cloaking could be attempted, but it was unlikely to work on its own.

Then, perhaps... yes. Zirat would require a multi-faceted approach. And to that end, a powerful distraction would be helpful.

And what better distraction than to simply continue the Hunt while he knew Zirat was watching?

This was where the angel’s assistance would have proved germane, but oh well. He would have to do without.

Mm.

There was always Xixa, of course, but he no longer counted her among the Children. In her pursuit of the Heart, she had torn herself asunder and become entirely bound to this realm.

A true inhabitant, unlike the others, who merely toured this place and made sport of mortal lives.

Seeking her out could still prove valuable, however. Assuming she did not attack him, she might decide to aid him.

Her mind was always difficult to know. And tracking her down was quite difficult, besides. There was no incarnation to hunt. He would have to summon her, somehow.

Probably not worth the hassle while he still had so many other leads to follow.

Curiously, there was no scent of Azai. Yet he knew she was in this realm. Somewhere. He’d sensed her years ago while still under Ettol’s thrall. Ettol had wanted to speak with her, but she had simply fled, almost certainly because of Koh’s presence.

She was one whom Koh had fought many, many times. And not since the Fourth Age had it ever gone well for her. She must have been very deep in hiding now if he could not even catch a whiff of her.

But what of her two sisters? Irmu and Elya. Had they reincarnated yet? Despite how much the three of them fought and professed hatred for one another, they always sought each other out, in the end. Perhaps because their powers were inextricably bound together. None of them could achieve the peak of their ability without the other two.

So if he found one, the others were likely close at hand.