Chapter 498: One step forward, two steps back
“Sir Morlak of the Mantle, alive and well,” Ihuarah answered the young man, opening his arms wide, “It pleases me also to find you in good health after all this time. My countenance hath changed greatly since the glory of Eoct, what gave my identity away? The hole in my chest, perhaps?”
Alkorm brought a hand to his face, his oversized green sleeves hiding his expression as a crystalline laugh escapes his mouth before he answered, “Yours is a countenance one would be hard-pressed to forget, my friend. But we shall catch-up at a later time,” he turned toward the rest of Sofia’s group as he introduced himself, “Alkorm Diasorian, Seraph and guardian of the Mantle of Love and Hate. It is my honor to meet so many rising stars at once on this auspicious day. How may my presence be required?”
Sofia cast a glance at Cinthia at the mention of the mantle of Love and Hate.
Seraph? I thought Erredis said he lived in the middle of the human peninsula? Have we been that close to a trial tower all this time without knowing? I understand now what Richard meant when he said we would inevitably meet him if we kept leveling…
It was Erredus who explained the current matters to Alkorm, and the story let him in a pensive mood.
“A troubling matter, to be sure… I believe there to be some merit to the planar gate theory, but I must support Richard’s recounting of the events that unfolded back then. There was nothing left of value to salvage from these ruins save for said Fae skeleton and remnant soul, let alone something like this. That being said, however, I can already picture a few ways things might have gone, if you’ll indulge me?”
Erredis pressed him to continue, “We’re listening.”
“Well, these are but conjectures, but here goes,” Alkorm started, walking around with his arms behind his back, “First of all, I am inclined to think that we are onto something here, and I have to wonder if the act of allowing mana to flow freely inside of the once closed-off Eddarinian ruins might be what alerted the Phageid to their presence. Starting from there, a number of possibilities open. If my recollections are correct, there was a significant lapse of time between our Hero acquaintance getting his hands on the tablet and Richard receiving them, something in the realm of six months to a year. More than enough time for a potential planar gate to be extracted from there before we even caught wind of this affair.”
“Would you have not noticed that something was missing?” Erredis questioned.