Chapter 2397 Deep Scars (Part 1)

"No. As soon as Nyka is done, we are going to Zeska." Solus replied.

"Isn't it one of the cities occupied by Thrud's army?" Tista tried to sound casual but Solus could hear the eggshells creaking under her feet. 

"Yes, it's one of the cities Lith and I stormed in the attempt to rescue Phloria. It's the reason we are going there. I want to see how things are and make up for the destruction we caused. I owe it to all the people I've killed."

"Are you sure? It doesn't sound like a vacation to me." Tista countered soberly.

"I never said that this is a vacation." Solus shook her head. "This is a trip to learn who I am and what I want. The first step to do that is to take responsibility for what I did and face the consequences."

"Why didn't you do this with Lith? I mean, he's responsible as much as you." Tista asked.

"Because we carry our respective burdens in different ways." Solus replied. "This is my choice and my opportunity to find relief from my sense of guilt without making his own worse.

"Lith may act like he doesn't care, but it's not like that. He took many lives in the attempt to save Phloria yet it was all for nothing. Since the day she died, the blood of Lith's victims dirties his right arm no less than hers.

"If I brought him to Zeska with me, the pain would overwhelm him. He can't forgive himself for failing to save Phloria nor for butchering so many people."

"What about you?" Nyka asked.

"At least I didn't kill Phloria. I wasn't there when she died. Her blood is not on my hands. Despite our bond, that's a pain we don't share and one of the reasons I couldn't take this trip with Lith." Solus replied.

One hour later, Vladion and his family were done with breakfast and the clearing had lost most of its allure to the undead. Mogar looked brand new and amazing, but they couldn't afford to explore it.

It would take much more time than Dawn could give them.

Baba Yaga Warped everyone back to Lightkeep before they got too used to sunlight.

Otherwise after a few days, the joy from the experience would have turned into a scar, reminding her children of everything they had lost instead of giving them the strength to strive for the full-red blood core and sacrifice it to have a second life.

Then, she took Dawn's prisms out of their bodies and returned them to the Horseman, restoring her full strength.

"I'll miss this trinket." The Firstborn Wendigo said with a sigh. "I have no longer a reason to stay here. Farewell, my siblings. If you ever need my help again, Dawn, you know my price."

The Firstborns left Lightkeep one after the other, their faces filled with sadness while they watched the prisms disappear inside the white crystal. Becoming a Chosen of the Bright Day did more than allow an undead to walk under sunlight.

It also freed them from their hunger since all kinds of undead could feed on the light energy that the prism produced. In a way, it was the thing that made them feel alive the most.

Without the need to feed on what had been the source of their obsession in life, they could almost forget the tragic events that had brought them to become undead and that their condition was supposed to help them overcome.

"Are you sure you want to go to Zeska?" The Maiden asked.

"Yes. Why?" Solus replied.

"Let me give you a ride. I can't stay with you but at least I can bring you back to the Kingdom and avoid lots of unpleasant questions." Baba Yaga was talking about Dawn, but thanks to the ambiguous wording the Horseman thought the Maiden was referring to the border customs.

The hut Warped from geyser to geyser, preserving Solus' strength and covering the distance with their destination in a matter of minutes. Baba Yaga stopped in an isolated clearing far away enough from Zeska to escape the patrols' notice.

"Thank you, Malyshka. I hope to see you soon." Solus waved her hand while her friend stayed at the door.

"That's up to you, sister." The Maiden snorted. "As far as I know, you are now free from your duty and I got myself an amulet just to talk with you. Whenever you want, I'm just a call away and so is Lochra. Don't forget about her as well. Goodbye."

As the hut ran away, disappearing at the horizon at breakneck speed, Nyka shapeshifted into Dawn and looked at Solus while squinting her golden eyes.

"Let me get this straight. You are a cursed object akin to a Horseman who hasn't been made by Mother yet she knows and respects you to the point that she has forbidden me to hurt you in any way.

"You also know Silverwing and she doesn't see you as a threat either. Who are you, exactly?"

'You and your big mouth, Malyshka!' Solus inwardly cursed.

"Don't answer. We don't trust each other and you have no reason to open up to me." Dawn disappeared before Solus could think of a plausible excuse.

"Sorry about that." Nyka scratched her head in embarrassment. "She caught me by surprise. I'm still new to this host gig. Let's go."

Tista needed a couple Warp Steps to reach Zeska's outer walls and the sight of the city was far worse than anything Solus remembered.

Most of the battlements were broken and several cracks of different sizes were open along the entire length of the walls. The Orichalcum studded steel doors that once sealed the gates had been replaced by thin wooden boards that could barely keep the wind out.

There was little traffic going in and out of Zeska and even from a distance, Solus could see that lots of buildings in the outer rim of the city were in dire need of repairs. And those were the lucky ones.

"What in Valeron's name happened here?" Solus donned her Great Mage robe and showed her ID to the guards.

"Lady Verhen!" A young man about the same age as Lith yelled in shock, making her name echo throughout the walls and Solus take a step back. "The Golden Knight is here!"

Her name was repeated over and over along with her call sign, making her fear the worst.

"I told you that showing your face was a bad idea!" Tista wore her robe as well and took a deep breath, ready to unleash a twin burst of Cursed Flames at a moment's notice.

Then, the guard kneeled and brought Solus' hand to his lips.

"Wait, what?" She asked in confusion as the guards chanted her name and abandoned their posts to welcome her.

"Thank you so much, Lady Verhen. You saved my life. My unit had been tasked with a suicide mission when you put an end to the war." The guard said.

"If not for you, my hometown would have been destroyed." Another guard kneeled at her feet, grabbing the hem of her robe and kissing it. "The frontlines kept moving forward and Thrud's army was about to invade us."