Chapter 160 The Purest Blood
Chapter 160 The Purest Blood
Moriath
I darted between towering pines, my cloak snagging on low branches as gnarled roots clawed at my boots. Every instinct screamed at me to keep running.
Toward the song.
But something was following me.
At first, I paid little mind to the rustling overhead, assuming it was only possums or squirrels. Then I looked up. My blood turned to ice.
A serpent larger than any horse slithered silently through the canopy, its scales catching what little light filtered down from the overcast sky. Trees bowed beneath its impossible weight, yet not a single branch snapped.
Its golden eyes swept the forest floor, searching. I had no desire to discover what it sought.
I ran. "Not today," I muttered between ragged breaths. "Whatever you are... not today."
The forest itself seemed determined to stop me. Thorny vines coiled around my ankles. Briars clawed at my cloak. More than once, I could have sworn the trees themselves shifted, closing ranks to block my path.
I slashed through a wall of brambles and stumbled into the edge of a clearing.
Silence.
The song had ended.
Only moments earlier, the phoenix's haunting melody had filled every corner of the forest. It had stirred something ancient within the earth itself—something old enough to make even monsters hesitate.
Now... Nothing.
My gaze swept across the clearing.
A red-haired young woman lay motionless upon the grass, crimson blooming across the front of her white blouse.
The Celestial.
Dead.
Several paces away lay an enormous man, his broad frame pierced by three arrows.
Dead.
Near the Celestial rested a lone black wolf.
It lay perfectly still. Not a twitch. Not a whine. Not even the rise and fall of its chest.
The wolf must have been crushed when Azerath landed.
I frowned. "So..." I murmured. "I imagined it."
There was no Phoenix, no divine miracle, no blazing rebirth.
Perhaps exhaustion had finally begun to cloud my senses.
Suddenly, a low hiss drifted from above. I froze but refused to look up.
"You don't want me, snake," I said quietly. "My blood is tainted with sickness."
The reply came almost lazily, the words stretching like silk. Sssssicknessss... will never kill me.
A chill crawled down my spine.
Slowly, I turned my eyes toward the other side of the clearing. Beyond it lay the Cursed Forest.
The refugees from Dust and Coal had fled there, including frightened children.
And I needed a child.
But pairs of amber eyes blinked from the shadows between the trees.
One pair. Then another. Then dozens.
The wolves hadn't left. They were standing watch, waiting.
I wasn't foolish enough to challenge an entire pack.
I exhaled slowly. "Aetheria, then."
With the Emperor's army returning victorious, the capital would be overflowing with people. Refugees would surely be gathered there, hoping to negotiate new homes or secure work.
Where there were desperate families, there were always children.
I slipped my hand beneath my cloak and wrapped my fingers around the polished white orb hanging from my neck.
A rare purchase from the black market.
Unlike ordinary teleportation sigils and Imperial registered orbs, these orbs left no magical trail for Seers to follow.
Expensive, but worth every coin.
The orb pulsed warmly in my hand.
The forest dissolved into shadow. A heartbeat later...
So did I.
The familiar scent of marble and gold greeted me as I stepped out of the shadows.
Aetheria.
I expected panic, fear, begging and dread. Instead, I found celebration.
The broad avenue leading to the Imperial Palace overflowed with people. Every face was turned toward the palace gates.
Curious.
I pulled my hood lower and drifted into the crowd.
A little boy ran past me before returning to his father's side. Five years old, perhaps. Healthy and strong.
The silver collar around the father's neck caught my attention.
Ember.
They had been the first to receive binding collars before the soldiers ran out.
Poor fellow.
The man wore a plain white tunic, brown trousers, and worn leather boots. No rings adorned his fingers. He had probably given up everything he owned to keep the child alive.
How touching.
How unfortunate.
My lips curled into a smile.
I'd been right to come here.
I edged closer, already considering the quickest way to separate the boy from his father. A scream, swallowed by the cheers. I only needed to wait for the right moment.
The crowd surged forward.
The great gates of Aetheria opened and out came Vaelric Valcor, a smug grin plastered across his pale face.
The procession halted before him, the reinforced shame cart carrying Azerath rumbling to a stop at its center.
Rotten fruit burst against the iron bars. Someone hurled a stone. Another spat.
The dragon never reacted.
I had expected rage. Instead, the man looked...
Empty.
The Emperor strode toward his prisoner. Every eye remained fixed upon Azerath.
The Emperor spoke. The dragon answered.
The accusations came one after another.
The Dust District.
Ashwood.
The murder of the Celestial.
Then came the words that wiped the smile from my face.
"You abducted another child to drain his blood."
My heartbeat skipped. I scarcely heard the gasps around me as my thoughts raced.
Drain...
Blood...
Child?
My eyes slowly shifted from the dragon to the Emperor.
Vaelric Valcor drained blood from children? Could it be? Were we the same?
The trial continued. The sentence was passed. The dragon was led away.
Only when the crowd began to disperse did I move again.
Quietly, I slipped behind a marble column near the palace gates, close enough to hear but far enough to remain unseen.
The General approached the Emperor. A moment later, another soldier appeared, clearly summoned by magic. They spoke in low voices.
I caught only fragments.
"...former Empress..."
"...Kade's steward..."
Then the General spoke more clearly. "The former Empress carries Kade's child. The child's blood should be enough to open the underground vault."
Vaelric smiled. "Well done, General. Despite the burdens of command, your mind remains as sharp as ever. Now, summon a Fleshwright. That child is the key to securing the Empire's reserve of Celestial blood."
Celestial blood.
My pulse quickened. It all made sense.
Aurelion had possessed the Celestial's brother all this time. And Vaelric needed Aurelion's blood to open the underground chamber that led to him.
A laugh bubbled in my throat.
Of course.
The gods had brought me here for a reason.
I no longer needed to stalk the districts in search of children. I no longer needed scraps.
The palace itself held the purest blood left in the world.
I only needed a little. That was all I required.
Enough to quiet the hunger. Enough to sustain me.
The Emperor turned and entered the palace. The crowd slowly dispersed behind him.
I lingered just long enough to watch the guards resume their posts.
Then I saw it.
A serving cart rattled toward the servants' entrance. Kitchen boys rolled barrels of wine through the gate while exhausted laborers carried sacks of flour behind them.
Perfect.
I lowered my head, slipped in behind the workers, and vanished into the Imperial Palace.
No one stopped me.
No one even looked twice.
After all...
Who notices another servant?