A lost treasure

Seth shook Henrietta awake, and when she gave him a questionable look.

“It’s snowing.”

At first, she didn’t understand what Seth meant by that, but soon realization hit her, and she also stood up. “Is it starting?”

“Yes. The enemy has begun moving.”

Henrietta covered herself with a set of clothes, as did Seth, and they both teleported inside the throne room.

Elise, followed by Cain, John, and Molly, also arrived soon after, with serious looks on everyone’s faces.

Seth waited for everyone to sit down and said: “We already know the alliance has relayed orders for their troops to move all at once at first snow.”

“As expected, each kingdom has split its armies in two. Half of them are working with earth ascended to deal with the blood race while the other half are marching towards the capitals of Oath and Endora as we speak.”

“I want you to send two letters to all the ascended and soldiers at the borders.”

“One of them will be an official order from King Lian to hold the line, while the other will be from Iris towards all the ascended of the academy. Tell them to have the kingdom’s armies pull back. They should hide in fortresses along the way back to the capital and not attack the enemy unless sieged first.”

“Since there are no ascended in the enemy ranks, there won’t be many losses by the time the letters arrive. This retreat might make Ronald suspicious something is going on, but he won’t back down.”

“Won’t the troops refuse an order from Iris over one from the King?” asked Elise.

“They won’t. Iris has control over the ascended, and the troops rely on ascended to even have a chance of fighting the enemy. If anything, mention King Lian’s treason in the letter but make sure it’s subtle.”

After everyone nodded, Seth turned towards Caitlin and said: “Once the enemy army arrives at the Capital’s doorstep, it’s your turn. I know it’s hard, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for you.”

Caitlin sighed and nodded: “I know… I’ll prepare mass siphon.”

“Necros will supply you with everything that you need.” Seth nodded and continued: “The situation in Endora will be taken care of by Maya, so all we have to do is get it over with the circus.”

Turning towards the kneeling Lian, Seth said: “You’ll make an emergency announcement, informing the capital that war has officially begun. Make sure to inform them of the enemy soldiers’ numbers and assure them everything will be alright.”

“Understood, master.”

“The rest of you, start exposing the royal family’s crimes, both true and falsified by you all.” Said Seth, turning towards Cain, Molly, and John."

“Elise, you’ll be by the king’s side, but make sure to appear distraught whenever in public. We want the people to start worrying despite the king’s assurance.”

“Got it.” Replied Elise.

“Necros, you’ll start using this chance to increase the protection taxes, have your people act more lawless, and make sure to make as many people as miserable as possible.”

“Yes, master.”

“Good. Everyone has their own thing to do, so get to work. We must finish this by the time the enemy arrives at our capital. This leaves us about three months. We’ll pull the curtain when the enemy has surrounded us.”

“What will you do?” asked Elise.

“I’ll have to do something I’ve been delaying for a long time. Don’t worry. We’ll be back here by the time the enemy arrives.”

After everyone nodded and went to carry on their respective tasks, Henrietta asked: “What are you doing? Is it dangerous?”

“It shouldn’t be.” Said Seth while kissing her lips. “If it were, I wouldn’t take you as well.”

“Are you taking me with you?”

Seth nodded and extended his hand: “You don’t have anything to do anyway. Or don’t you want to come?”

Henrietta smiled and grabbed his hand: “I’ll come with you to the end of the world.”

Seth chuckled as space energy started moving around them: “Not the end, but it is close to the bottom.”

The next time the two appeared, they were deep inside Oath’s underground. Seth continued teleporting further down for six whole days, deeper than even Necros had ever been.

The hot temperature would have long killed any human that dared to come close, but Seth and Henrietta had their destruction energy to protect them, so they were not concerned.

Henrietta kept trying to ask where they were going, but Seth would only smile mysteriously and refuse to answer.

As they teleported past an underground lava lake, Seth finally stopped and looked ahead. Henrietta followed his sight while holding his hand but couldn’t see anything other than what she had already seen the entire way. Lava, earth, and more lava.

As she wanted to ask Seth what they were doing there for the nth time, lava jumped out of the lake right in front of them and took the form of a giant lizard.

Henrietta immediately rose her destruction energy, ready to fight, but Seth squeezed her hand and said: “She’s not an enemy.”

“She?” asked Henrietta, looking at the lizard in front of her with a weird face. “Not even mentioning how you know that, how is ‘she’ not a threat?”

“So you came here as well… seat of destruction.” A soft voice drifted through the air, and all the lava started bubbling.

“D-did the lizard speak?” asked Henrietta, staring widely at the monster in front of her.

“She’s not a lizard.” Whispered Seth before stepping forward and bowing towards the lizard, stunning Henrietta completely. “Honored to be in your presence, Guardian of Fire.”

Henrietta quickly followed through and bowed as well, figuring that she couldn’t afford to disrespect whatever entity even Seth would bow to.

“Hehe, seat of destruction; we both know I’m no longer worthy of that title.” Said the entity, its giant form decreasing until it was just the size of an average human.

Seth strengthened his back and shook his head: “if you are not worthy, then who is?”

The lizard stared into Seth’s eyes for a good time before nodding its head. Slowly, the scales all over its body started retreating into her skin, turning into a beautiful red-haired woman, making Henrietta speechless.

‘So we’re here to pick another one.’ Thought Henrietta, wondering how Seth could find this otherworldly beauty.

“I accept your words and bow then, seat of destruction. Have you come to take it for yourself?”

Seth shook his head and looked towards Henrietta: “Not me. It doesn’t suit me at all. She’ll be the one claiming it.”

The woman turned towards Henrietta with a raised eyebrow before shaking her head: “She’ll never be able to find it. You might be able to force your way inside, but she….”

“What are you two talking about?” asked Henrietta, getting more puzzled by the second.

Seth didn’t answer Henrietta’s question and said: “I believe in her. It has also been calling out for someone to come claim it ever since the blood race was released, so I doubt it will not give her a chance.”

The woman fell silent before heaving a sigh and nodding: “Fine. I’ll let her take the trial, but if she can get it depends on her powers alone. You are not allowed to interfere, seat of destruction. Even if I am weak right now, you are weaker, and I will smite you before you can move.”

Seth nodded. “No problem. I won’t act and only watch.”

“So be it. Are you ready, little girl?” asked the woman, turning towards Henrietta.

Henrietta was flabbergasted and quickly asked Seth: “What ready? Can you tell me what is going on?”

“No. Good luck. She’s ready, Komodo. Begin the trial.”

As soon as Seth’s words ended, much to Henrietta’s chagrin, the entire underground space filled with molten lava, and she had to use her destruction energy to protect herself. Seth and the strange lizard were also gone.

‘What the hell is this?’ she asked herself, trying to make her way to Seth, but as much as she searched through the small space, there was no trace of him anymore. With no idea what to do, she tried teleporting away, but somehow ended up in the same spot she started from, leaving her with no choice but to keep swimming.

Deeper inside the ground, over an island swimming above a lava lake, Seth and the woman sat around a small golden sword stuck on the island floor.

“It’s weaker than even I expected.” Said Seth with a sigh.

“After blessing the brat, it had moved here and slumbered for half a millennium, its strength slowly draining away. It wouldn’t last for another half….”

“Why isn’t the Council claiming it?” asked Seth.

“They can’t. They had lived for too long, and their hearts were far from pure. Their strength is also fading. None of them would be able to claim it. I’m curious why are you not claiming it? With your crown, you should be able to subjugate it.” Asked the woman with a curious look.

Seth smiled and shook his head: “I told you. It and I are too incompatible, probably even more than the Council members. It’s also a very annoying prick. “

“Henrietta is still young, and her heart, while not exactly pure, it’s at least true. It will have to be enough.”

“We’ll see.” Muttered the woman, waving her hand, an image of Henrietta swimming through lava appearing in front of them.

Henrietta was already annoyed, but just as she was about to use her destruction source to clear a large area around her, all the lava disappeared, and she found herself on solid ground again.

Looking forward, she noticed she was surrounded by a lava lake, with a small path under her feet leading far into the distance.

Sighing, she understood Seth’s intent and started walking forward, following the path. She tried again to teleport, but she ended up in the same spot she had teleported from.

With her only option being to walk forward, she did just that.

A day passed, two days, a week, two weeks…

Henrietta’s face was filled with exasperation, and she had long tired of yelling Seth’s name around. She had tried walking backward and diving into the lava, but nothing worked. She had even tried threatening him with no sex, thinking that might work, but it was of no use. She even marked the path, thinking she might be going in circles, but that also didn’t seem to be the answer.

Her attempts to use the mark to feel Seth also proved fruitless.

“If I knew this is where you wanted to take me, I would never have accepted it.”

“I’ll come with you to the ends of this world. Great words Henrietta. You had to try to be romantic.”

Tired of doing the same thing repeatedly, Henrietta stopped and lay on her back.

“Fine. I give up. Seth said we’d be back in three months, so I have to wait for that time to pass. Then he won’t have a choice but to come and pick me up. Hmph.”

Seth and the woman were drinking some tea while watching Henrietta. The woman’s eyebrows would twitch at Henrietta’s words, looking straight back at Seth, but Seth remained smiling the entire time.

“She’s already given up.” Muttered the woman when she spotted Henrietta sitting down.

“Of course she did.” Replied Seth, his lips curling up into a smile.