The field was silent, not a single word being spoken. There was a dense air of fear there, the candidates for the enclave sitting and soaking in their apprehension. It felt like their worst nightmare had just manifested right in front of them, and they could do nothing as they watched a man whom they had had so much respect for just moments ago die like a dog on the side of the road.
Sir Ejold's corpse was still there, still oozing puddles of red that the dust of the field didn't seem porous enough to absorb completely.
The scent of death hung in the air, and yet Priya, who was the closest to it, couldn't seem to find it within her to pay much attention to it.
She kept staring at the path Zarek had escaped from, her mind blank, her heart empty. She wanted to rage, but what good would that do?
She wasn't as strong as Zarek.
Sometimes she wished that she could just give her Talents to him. Just how much better would he be? Would they even struggle if she weren't such a mess-up?
But here they were, stuck in a Dream Godsfall Tear with all the disadvantages in the world piled onto them, and there was nothing at all she could do about it.
She could just watch the man she loved so much go off and risk his life without even the chance to stand by his side, and that was killing her on the inside.
Yet, the one thing she had that could support them, the one power she had that could help to turn things around at least in part… just wasn't enough.
It wasn't.
In this world, the moment she used that strength of hers, she would be turned into a heretic and everything Zarek was doing now would be worthless.
The sound of moving feet and an almost sneering air reached Priya. She knew who it was before she even really looked up.
She didn't know much about this Head Priestess—she didn't even know that her name was Belladoll—but what she did know was that this was almost certainly one of Zarek's enemies.
What Priya also knew was that, as limited as they were in their actions, Belladoll was limited as well. Otherwise, they would already be dead.
Priya's gaze was a bit downcast, and even looking at Belladoll now, as much rage as she felt, she could only bury it deep within her.
"It's unfortunate that you all had to see this. Sona, we need to give Sir Ejold a proper burial. I wish I could have taken action personally…" she sighed.
"Head Priestess, your life is too valuable. I couldn't allow you to take such a risk. And yes, of course. We'll lay Sir Ejold down a hero, with the head of his attacker on a stake."
Sona spoke through gritted teeth, her hatred spilling out in her words akin to spewing venom.
She hadn't liked Zarek from the beginning, but now she felt that he was only all the more distasteful.
"You can go and arrange this. We can't allow such an esteemed sir's body to lay here to rot for so long. He deserves better."
"Yes, ye—," Sona suddenly furiously shook her head. "I'm afraid we can't do this, not with a criminal on the loose, Head Priestess. I've already sent orders for the entire enclave to be on lockdown. Those that would be involved in this matter are certainly occupied. We will have to wait. I also have the duty to remain by the Head Priestess's side."
There was a hint of anxiousness in Sona's voice, but clearly not for the Head Priestess. It was obvious that she was carrying the weight of her duties as a Priestess herself and that of an elder sister at the same time.
If she was here… then she couldn't protect Su. And that was her greatest fear.
"Alright," Belladoll said with a smile. She had clearly expected this outcome and didn't seem very disappointed. The fact someone was always attached at her hip to "protect" her was a large part of the reason so many of her actions were restricted. But that was fine. That wasn't what she needed right now anyway. "In that case, I'll just speak to the recruits for a moment."
"Mm." Sona nodded and took a step back, watching with hints of grace and also worship in her eyes. Indeed, this was a good chance to affirm the purpose of what they were doing here and their reason for existing in the first place.
Demons like Zarek should be dealt with, but it also proved that he was very important. Whatever her little sister had managed, it had done something at the very least. If they could just make it more potent…
Belladoll's smile didn't fade as she walked up to Priya, her umbrella rotating in her hands. She was shorter than Priya, but it still somehow felt as though she was looming as large as a mountain.
"I can't tell," Belladoll whispered. "Is that more jealousy or fear I'm sensing? Didn't I tell you that Zarek and I have a bit of a history? It can't be that you think a little girl like you, without even her past memories, could measure up, right?
"You abandoned him once already. That's why he came running to me. You can't just reverse things because you cried a little bit."
Belladoll's smile brightened.
"Don't worry, though. He had a knack for surviving things he shouldn't. Maybe he'll come out of this just fine, even if I can't say the same for your relationship. Well, it might not even make it to that point, because you'll probably die quite soon.
"Once he's out of here, who is going to protect you? I'm sure he thinks that he's clever, that he'll figure out a way to stall for long enough that you all can reverse things. But there's one lesson that the mighty Ashborn Demon hasn't been able to grasp, even in all the lives he's lived.
"He's just one person. And one person is never enough."