Chapter 5 - The second oath
Chapter 5 - The second oath
The battlefield no longer groaned. But its breath clung to them still.
Lilith stepped forward first. Her heels sank slightly into the scorched soil, and yet her voice did not waver.
"Master," she said, not quite softly. "Perhaps... you should form a contract with him as well."
Her eyes fell upon Valtor, still kneeling, still fierce. There was no admiration in her gaze — only sharp analysis. A tactician considering a weapon yet to be sharpened.
Valtor, though battered and burned, did not falter. Pride held his spine upright, even as pain pulled at every breath.
"That's great," he muttered, tasting blood and conviction in equal measure. "With a master like you... I'll only grow stronger. I feel it. It's already inside me."
The elf did not speak.
His gaze rested on Valtor, unmoving. But within, tension shifted. Not hesitation — no. He did not doubt his power. He doubted the implications of sharing it.
His power rivals mine. Not quite equal... but close.
Too close. If bound, he cannot betray. But if he does...