[OUTDATED VERSION] The Forsaken Race 2 - Darker Times

Chapter 6 - Disdain

The afternoon sky was darkened by an oncoming snowstorm, leaving large dark clouds about the open celestial plane.

Below, Timbur was following Leiytning through a forest of tall pine trees. The ground of the forest was covered in patches of snow, and so were the branches above them. The sparsely fallen leaves and branches were brittle from the cold, and the land was rough and uneven. Though Timbur would get uncomfortable in the cold, Leiytning clearly didn't mind it.

As they went on, Timbur couldn't help getting a bad feeling, but forced himself to trust his master. Even so, he could not help asking the question on his mind.

"Storm Gargoyles hate us. I know Savux has been with us for a while, but I'm still not confident about trusting him."

"As you just pointed out, he's been working with us for ages," Leiytning replied. "As a matter of fact, he has been with us longer than any other informants, and has proven more reliable."

"How did we end up hiring him, anyway?" Asked Timbur. "You never told me."

"That's because I know you usually have issues with outsiders," Leiytning explained. "As for Savux, he had done some studying, and managed to compare the corruption of his own leader to the story of us and Shadow Star. That's why he figured we would be able to help get rid of that leader. We did, and by also helping him when his son was in danger, he pledged his services to us. He hasn't lied yet, and I don't think he will."

"You do put too much faith in outsiders," Timbur muttered. "It's already hurt us once, and I'm afraid it'll happen again. You really need to be more careful with who you trust, so why not limit it to Zyreans alone?"

Leiytning bluntly responded, "It may be risky, but shoving out everyone when there's so little of us is also dangerous. It's just a matter of proper selection. Also, don't be a hypocrite. I've never seen you complain about Leo Ghouls, and you've even recommended using them at times."

"Leo Ghouls don't count," Timbur argued. "They're pretty much our only ally; they always have been. However, if proper selection is everything, then what made you so sure that choosing the sylph was right? All she did was show up on our territory and tell a lie, no different than most enemies we've seen."

"That is for me to know," said Leiytning.

"You've said that many times before, but-"

"And I will say again; I don't want to reveal anything until I have something more solid than a theory. Otherwise, we could just be wasting time chasing falsehoods. Unfortunately, I haven't made as much progress as I'd like. A link between her and Kodin is very possible, but it still doesn't tell us much. There's something else, and I think I know what it is, but I want to keep looking."

Timbur merely nodded, and the conversation ended. 

Meanwhile, Leiytning couldn't help thinking about the subject. Even though he spoke about it confidently, it confused even himself.

Maybe she has ties to someone outside Sybilius, maybe she has ties to a significant resident of Sybilius, or maybe she's not even from Sybilius and doesn't realize it. Either way, what she said a while ago was definitely right. She, or something about her, is somehow linked to some part of our history.

While he wanted to keep thinking about it, he wasn't able to. 

Around them, the trees grew thinner to reveal a snow-covered Griffon's Peak. A cliff stood at the opposite edge of the clearing, with a slanted ledge. The underside of the slant had some icicles, and a small stone tablet was on the ground. Some words were on it, and they were in demon tongue, but nobody bothered reading.