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Xanthy choked on her own saliva. "The Sovereign and the Heiress?" Her voice echoed across the dark expanse, her throat constricting at the mention of the two leaders of the organizations that she had run from. Even in the Realm of the Lost, they managed to get back to her.
The being cocked its head to one side. "Didn't you hear me?"
"I—No, I heard you just fine," Xanthy licked her lips even though she couldn't tell if her lips were chapped or not. "I'm surprised that you know about them."
The being threw its head back and laughed. It sounded s foreign in this place of suffering. "Those two are souls whom I wished were never born!" it said, fanning its face with a hand. "Of course, I know them. I know everything that goes on on the island, including their crimes!"
Xanthy knitted her eyebrows. "You mean there is more than what the rumors say?"
The rumors being that the Heiress and the Sovereign had been doing illegal magic for years. Now, there's supposedly more? The being clapped its hands as if it's excited about that fact. "Certainly! They have more plans than that thing they're telling you."
"Plans..."
"What have they told you?" the being leveled its gaze towards Xanthy.
Xanthy tapped her chin as she narrowed her eyes on the grass. Her previous encounters with the heads of the organizations floated to the front of her mind. "The Heiress wants to unite the thrones into one using my legacy," she held up two fingers. "The Sovereign wants the same thing except that she wants me to do the unifying."
The being didn't look or sound impressed. "I see."
"What do you mean, 'you see'?" Xanthy faced the being and waved her hand in the air. "Are they planning something else?"
"Why do you think they want to create one throne from all the thrones?"
Xanthy scratched the side of her face. "Because they wanted to unite the races?" she laid out her palm to what was supposed to be the sky. "Because they wanted to escape destiny and some other vague stuff?"
The being shook its head. "They want to create one throne so that they can access my heart," it put a hand to its chest as if to prove a point. "They want purer magic. They want more power. They are after my core."
"How did they even find out about that?"
"Probably from the old Keiju manuscripts," the being clasped its hands together. "There are many of those scattered around the island. They chronicled everything, from the myths and literature of old, the prayers and traditions, up to the certain truths about this world and what's beyond. The Heiress and the Sovereign perhaps got a hold of one of those tomes."
"Somehow those included a mention of your core?" Xanthy crossed her arms. It wasn't very smart of the Arbotro to leave manuscripts that could endanger the entire island lying around like that.
