Twindil frowned as she followed the creature that owned the name Theopalu, her friends just behind her. It was frigid in the Fiendwood where they'd ended up, covered in a thick layer of snow. The land was flat here, with only a few gnarled trees here and there to remind them that there was a landscape underneath the white, coldly crunching blanket. Thick flakes drifted down from a pure white sky, fluttering away from her face with each foggy breath she took.
This cold was still infinitely preferable to the tender mercies of the Romai at least. She found herself strangely missing the conversations she'd had with Dundale though. He had been a curious dwarf, it was a shame that they hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to one another, nor ever would. She found her eyes drifting down to the ground, half-heartedly wondering what was going on underneath the layers of rock and if the dwarves would consider recapturing them. She hoped not.
They were well away from Akan-Var, the Akan-Dark, and those horrid vampires now. Hopefully Hoplite and the others could make it out as well, but that would have to be on them. She couldn't rescue them –none of them could– but Hoplite was capable and she had faith they'd be free soon enough. Even if Lance did what she did, Twindil could hardly bring herself to blame the Watcher for her actions. As Pillar-Born, they really were all monsters, destined to kill and bring an end to this age. She turned her attention back to Theopalu again.
The formerly old elf was smooth-faced now, with nary a wrinkle to be seen on his person. He hadn't said much since his regrowth, no matter how much they all pressed him. He'd casted Maintain Body to restore them from malnutrition and had built a fire using cursed wood to melt the snow. It had been time consuming to wash themselves with little more than melted snow, but it was better than nothing. Theopalu was freed from his bloody coat he'd gained in the reincarnation, if that was even the right word for the odd way he evaded death, and wore his slightly bloodied clothes again acting as if nothing happened. A full day of evading talking wasn't doing well for the group's trust or morale.
That is, all of them save for Elum, who hadn't spoken a word since they'd made it topside. His eyes were strangely distant and almost forlorn, and he numbly responded to any requests obediently. His gray arm was massive now, three-times the size of his normal one, with an orange eyeball embedded into the shoulder. It revolted her, whatever it was, down to the very core of her being. The slitted iris would stare at each of them, and even with her diminished Dok-Ah, she could tell that it didn't trust them.
It may be better if it was amputated, but that would have to wait until Kazon was brought low. Elum needed all his strength to face him, if he was recovering from losing his arm he'd be too weak to fight. Speaking of fighting, Theopalu himself was clearly more capable than he'd let on when her group had first met him. It couldn't be a coincidence that the vampire lord himself targeted him instead of known Pillar-Born. She tried to be understanding of Theopalu's choice not to show off his powers before, but the Maintain Body spell would have saved so much time and hauling supplies that she questioned how taxing the spell was in the first place. How precious was this secret of his?
"Theopalu," Twindil started, "I know you've been dodging the question for a while now, but we must know what you are."
He silently marched on through the snow.
"Are you the avatar of a Pillar-God?" She asked. "You're too old to be Pillar-Born like us, and your lack of fear implies that you're no mere mortal."
"No," he replied with a sigh. "I'm just an old, tired elf-"
"Dung." Alistair hissed from beside her. "Tired old elves don't just 'grow back' after getting their heads blown off. Do you really think that we'll believe that?"
"It's worked so far." Theopalu shrugged, "Look, this is getting awkward, lets just continue on our way-"
"Not a chance!" Alistair shouted, stopping in place.
Twindil followed suit, as did Kid'ka and Elum.
"Just tell us the truth." Alistair told him, "How can I trust your direction if we don't know what you are? You won't get away with playing the fool any longer. Either tell us the truth, or face my hammer!"
Theopalu turned, eyes sharp, "You think that's wise, boy?"
Alistair didn't back down, grasping his weapon firmly. "You know what we are by now. If you're just a mortal elf as you claim, then you don't stand a chance. If you can stand up to me, that's proof that you're something more."
"So you seek the truth through combat?" Theopalu asked, shaking his head. "I would have expected this from Kid'ka, not a son of Draoi."
"What else are we supposed to do when you keep ignoring us!?" Alistair exclaimed.
"Please, just calm down," said Twindil, putting a hand on Alistair's shoulder, "If we start infighting, Kazon wins. Do you really want that?"
Alistair shook his head. "Of course I don't, but I want the truth out of this over-eating sack of flesh."
Kid'ka stuttered, "I sortofish want to know as w-well."
Elum just stared at Theopalu blankly.
"It's not anything worth knowing. It's never helped your kind before." The Watcher sighed.
"Helped our kind before?" Twindil asked, "So you have lived through previous ages then?" The possibility of speaking with an ancient being sparked intense curiosity. What kinds of experiences had this entity been through and why did he hide it through overeating and constant sleep?
"Of course he has," said Alistair. "I knew something was off about you the minute we met. If we're going to keep working together, then we have to know what you are. I'm not backing down." He finished, fully drawing his hammer.
A tense silence passed between them all until Theopalu sighed, "Very well. As you say I can no longer continue to play the fool. What I'm about to tell you is the entire truth of who I am, and why we ended up traveling together."
Twindil frowned, "We hired you by chance, what do you mean?"
"It's never by chance." He corrected her. "It never is, damn it all. No matter how hard I try, I cannot escape my role. I am not a Pillar-Born, first of all, clear that from your mind. I am something different, something that cannot go mad from the divine blood I bear."
"But you do have divine blood," gasped Twindil. "What are you, then?"
"I am a demi-god, the son of the Unbound Mazeek, born at the end of the Second Age. I am the result of a god laying with a mortal woman, I was born into divinity, unlike all of you. I will not go mad from my heritage." Theopalu sighed again and stared into the sky. "The reason we've encountered one another wasn't by chance. My father Mazeek granted me the duty of raising prospective Pillar-Born to godhood, to train and guide them to the end of the Godling War."
Twindil simply stared, shocked at what Theopalu claimed. She didn't disbelieve him… but such a revelation was overwhelming. The son of Mazeek the Unbound, he who ascended free from the Pillars. Her eyes widened. If that was true, then perhaps Theopalu knew of a way to delay or even stop the madness. Mazeek had done so back in his own era, after all. Had the Unbound god shared those secrets? Were her and her friends actually closer to saving their sanity than they had thought?
"Do you know of a way to stop the madness!?" Twindil pleaded, "If you are who you say you are, then that means you may know of a way to prevent our fate!"
She thought the others would similarly question Theopalu as well, but they all just stared, clearly shocked. Even Elum broke his melancholy to openly stare.
"I do," he replied slowly, "But it isn't something you can accomplish. It would be best to just accept your fate and move on."
Twindil shook her head. "Never! I'll save my friends, no matter what the cost might be."
Theopalu stared back at her. For an instant, the immense age and wisdom of such a long life reflected back in his eyes. He had expected the question and had perhaps answered it many times with never an optimal result. The weariness of it all seemed to deflate his younger-looking body. "I will not tell you. One Unbound is more than enough for this world. I will not allow another to come into existence."
The paladin of Afina felt her heart crash to her feet. Then, determination reasserted itself. "Then I will seek out Mazeek himself. I'll find out what I need to know one way or another."
He winced. "Do not seek him out, Twindil. He plays with people as a child does with dolls, making them dance to entertain himself. He'll do the same with you if you go seeking favors from him."
"Then tell us!"
Theopalu hesitated for a long while, looking up to the sky for a long while before letting out a deep sigh. His eyes examined the group, one by one. At last, he quietly admitted, "Very well. As much as I don't want another of his ilk mucking about our world, I would much rather deprive my father of another toy to add to his sick games." He continued, a deep frown on his face. "If you want to cure yourself of the madness, then you will need to kill a Dragon. Only two of you could be cured."
"Why only two?" Twindil asked.
"We would have to kill Legolanthas then?" Alistair stepped forward, his weapon returned to his side and his eyes were wide with wonder. "That's not something we're prepared for, but if two of us can live through the madness, then so be it."
"Slaying Legolanthas would only save one of you from madness..." Theopalu clarified, trailing off.
"Wait, but Legolanthas is the only Dragon of this age. Why'd you say two–?" Kid'ka froze, staring wide eyed at the demi-god, "You mean that-? You can't mean that half-bloods count…?" He frowned, clenching his jaw. "I refuse, he is an honorable warrior!"
Ice filled Twindil's veins. A cure had been travelling with them for so long now... How terribly ironic to have wished to explore the entire face of Ahkoolis for the answer, only to have the answer be the strongest ally of their expedition. Her body trembled at the very thought.
Theopalu heaved a sigh. "I've told you what you wanted. Now let us be off, Kazon awaits at Castle Blackgaze. The journey will take us weeks if we continue at this pace."
Kid'ka didn't reply, head whipping to Twindil. "I won't let you go after him, Twindil. There are some lines that are not crossed, even if it hurts us!" He told her, his normal stutter gone. "If you do, I will defend him."
"...I don't know." She told him, averting her eyes. Shame filled her at how the idea had wormed its way into her mind so easily. "I don't want this either."
'Dragonling' was the term the pseudo-god had used when addressing the Outworlder. It had seemed so far-fetched before. Now it seemed that what Legolanthas had claimed was true. Hoplite really was the child of a Dragon. It seemed they had all reached that same conclusion, for who else could Theopalu have been referring to?
"If that's what needs to be done." Alistair said darkly, hand going to the head of his hammer, "Then I'll do it."
Kid'ka spun on Alistair fully, drawing his sword, "I won't allow it."
Alistair growled, turning to Kid'ka, "If it would save your life, any of our lives, it is well worth it. Do not stand against me."
"Stop this now!" shouted Twindil. "Kazon remains our priority. We can discuss this after he is slain!"
Kid'ka and Alistair continued to stare at one another, neither man blinking as they held their weapons at the ready. Elum still hung back, apparently uncaring that his friends were preparing to kill one another. Twindil was not so lax, stepping between the two men before they could come to blows.
"I won't allow either of you to spill blood here. Have you forgotten what Kazon has done to us, who he has taken away?" She asked, looking between them both, "Kid'ka, your father's soul hangs in the balance, he will never be free if we don't all work together. Same for you Alistair, will your bride ever be restored to her body if we fight amongst ourselves?"
That seemed to do the trick, both Pillar-Born averting their eyes before sheathing their weapons. After an awkward silence, they all continued on, barely saying a word to one another as they continued on toward castle Blackgaze. The revelations of today would have been enough to make a normal person faint. Twindil herself, as a Pillar-Born, felt close to that point.
Theopalu was the son of Mazeek, tasked with guiding Pillar-Born to ascension by the Unbound. Clearly he seemed bitter at the idea of this, apparently wanting to avoid Pillar-Born as much as was possible. Then there was the matter of slaying a Dragon to stave off their madness. That was how Mazeek had ascended outside of the Pillars, but how had that worked? Did he take the Dragon's soul, drink its blood, something along those lines? Or was it just the mere act of killing the Dragon that did it?
She needed more information before making a final decision. It made her sick to consider it, given that they had fought side by side with one another, but if Legolanthas's death could only save one of two…
That meant Hoplite's death was the other way to save one of their own.