A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing-Chapter 708 - Do not worry... it will get better soon

Instantly, the floating woman’s eyes focused on Erik. Her gaze was cold and uncaring. Erik immediately realised this woman was a sigil construct like Eira, but completely different in every way.

Eira, for reasons neither Erik nor Elora understood just yet, was, for all intends and purposes, a living being with a mind of her own.

This woman, however, was clearly much closer to the kind of sigil construct they were used to seeing on Söl: a highly intelligent program, running on a set of instruction. She might emulate emotions, like the exasperation she just showed, but after interacting with Eira for more than a year, he could tell the difference.

"—They did,—" she said calmly, with a frown. "—I was supposed to learn the language through interaction after awakening.—" She cocked her head, frown deepening. "—In fact, finding someone who does speak Sylvari is... triggering alarm bells in the instructions left by my creators. Please wait a moment.—"

The construct’s eyes went a little glassy, as if internalising new data. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Meanwhile, Erik’s allies were getting more confused. Those who knew of his past suspected this was a language he’d picked up on Söl, but they’d never heard him speak it. "Erik? What’s happening?" Naeku asked softly, speaking for the group as she glanced at the floating woman.

Before he could answer, Elora floated back to the front of the group after having inspected the back of the statue. She looked at the woman curiously while floating in front of her.

"Don’t worry," she explained, filled with fascination and excitement for knowledge, her hand rubbing her small chin. "I think we might be meeting the sigil construct put in charge of managing many of this city’s greater functions. It’s just taking it a while to start up after so long."

She glanced back at the group curiously. "I think she awakened because of a specific few of us entered this room..."

Erik nodded slowly, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Something gnawed at the back of his mind. He felt like he was forgetting something. Something important. There was something wrong with this interaction, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

’Why do I fee—’

In the middle of that thought, his eyes widened. He remembered now, and panic rose.

At the same time, the spirit’s eyes regained their focus and became red. Instantly, they laser-focused on Elora.

"Fairy!" she thundered in a booming voice, her hand lifting to point at the floating Elora, who blinked in surprise. Instantly, Elora had her own moment of realisation. The crucial detail they’d forgotten in their excitement.

"No!" Erik roared, face scrunched up in furious panic, his body engulfed in lightning as he instantly surged forward.

His hand stretched out to grab Elora and pull her into his dimension.

The construct finished lifting its hand, and a red beam surged towards Elora. Less than a second before Erik reached her, a small cage of red energy closed around her and his immense strength crashed against it uselessly.

He was too late... and then he gasped. Suddenly, it was gone. His connection with Elora, the one he’d become accustomed, and even reliant on, in these last eight years, was gone just like that.

His breath sped up, his eyes saw red. He roared as he hand pushed against the cage to try and get to her. Elora turned her head and looked at him with wry sadness and similar shock.

Then, the cage was gone... and silence settled on the platform. Everyone’s eyes were wide in shock. Too much had happened in too short a time. Erik still couldn’t fully comprehend it. is first wife, the woman he loved most of all, just disappeared in front of his eyes—no longer could he feel Elora’s constant companionship.

He didn’t move. His hand stretched, his eyes trained on the spot she just disappeared from.

Distorted thoughts rushed through his mind. ’H— How could we have forgotten...’

Too late did they remember that the fairies betrayed Audumla and Ymir, and if this city was once aligned with them... They should have expected measures specific to fairies, just like the sigil at the gate scans specifically for them.

"—Do not worry,—" the impersonal voice of the construct snapped the silence apart. Her eyes had gone back to being golden orbs, and she slowly lowered her finger. "—It is disorienting to be so suddenly freed from slavery, but it will get better. Soon, I will dispose of her, but fully breaking the collar around your neck takes a little time. Please be patient while I ensure her death will not harm you.—"

Erik’s eyes snapped over to the construct, his eyes literally bloodshot. He roared. "Do not harm a hair on her head, you bitch!"

His fist raged with the power of thundersnow and rapidly approached the construct’s infuriatingly calm expression.

Unfortunately, this woman was not a solid-form sigil construct like Eira. His fist flew straight through her to crash against the statue behind her... which remained unharmed, despite using a level of power that would have wiped out a handful of old-world houses.

Erik roared in frustration as the construct’s cold voice sounded again, even as his arm was fully passing through her face. "—Unexpectedly violent reaction. Yet, it changes nothing.—"

In the same tone of voice, she suddenly completely changed subject. "—Now, please ask the descendants to step forward.—"

Erik paid it no attention. Roaring, he lifted his fist again.

Yet, by now, the others had started moving.

"Master!"

"Erik!"

Emily, Emily’s shadow clone, Astrid, Naeku, and Runa all surged forward to grab a part of his body. Emily added very little to this equation, but the three Runebound and one shadow clone among them managed to contain his strength.

"You’re just hurting yourself!" Runa exclaimed, indicating his bleeding fist.

"We’ll get her back, but you need to calm down!" the other three cried out as they transmitted a stream of comforting emotions through their bond.

With his body constricted between his loved ones, Erik breathed loudly, his eyes wild. Yet, he did feel himself calm down. Slowly. Usually, it was Elora keeping him focused, but it had to be others this time.

’R— Right... Get her back...’ he muttered absentmindedly, knowing he had to be calm for such a thing to happen.

Yet, just as he was about to start thinking rationally about his next steps, a stubborn, cantankerous old man brought the rage right back.

"Hmpf, she was always too callous and arrogant," Enkai muttered under his breath. "Perhaps it’s for the be—"

Power exploded on the platform, interrupting him. Elorium surged through Erik’s veins as cracks appeared on his skin and rage obliterated rational thought once again. None of them had ever felt this much power coming from one person before, and it hitched their breaths.

With a roar, Erik ripped himself free and charged Enkai... killing intent radiated, and Enkai froze in place. In that moment, he knew death approached.

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om