Chapter 217: Setting him free.
Present...
Standing at the jagged edge of the rift behind the temple, Ren stared into the darkness below. The air rising from the depths was warm and smelled faintly of earth and ash. She glanced at Ogain.
"We go down," she said with quiet resolve.
Ogain lowered his massive head and knelt so Ren could climb onto his back. His feathers gleamed with frost, and his breath clouded the air around them.
Calisa bowed respectfully. "Let me come with you," she offered. "I’ll keep watch from above, extra eyes in the sky."
Ren gave him a grateful smile but gently shook her head. "No. Stay here. You and Arkilla must make sure nothing slips through that rift."
The Demon God, watching her, felt a strange ache, moved by how willingly this young woman was throwing herself into danger for her husband.
"Take this," he said at last. "Elcasore is strict in her bargains. If she asks you for something in return for Kaisun... give her back her monster."
The small glass vial in his hand hovered in the air and floated into Ren’s palm. She glanced down at the sandworm, now fast asleep. Not long ago, it had nearly swallowed Ogain whole.
"I can protect you," Arkilla said, stepping forward, her voice serene and urgent. "Let me come."
Ren shook her head again. "Ogain can’t carry that much weight. You know me. Nothing down there can hold me."