"I sensed no ripples of power from her," Lansseax mused, her brow furrowed. "No divine energy, no sorcery. Aside from an uncanny intelligence, she seems no different from any common beast."
She turned to Lucia, her expression turning grave. "I've wanted to ask since the summoning... is it truly necessary to be this wary of the Two Fingers? Or the god they serve?"
Lansseax was no fool. She saw exactly what Lucia had done. He had bypassed the world-shaking might of a Maliketh or the martial wisdom of a Blaidd to pull a creature that was essentially harmless. When Lucia had entrusted her with secretly scanning the fox while Malenia played with it, he wasn't acting like a proud Empyrean—he was acting like a man hiding from a mortal enemy.
"Sister," Lucia asked after a long silence, "how much do you truly know about the Shadow Beasts?"
"They are creatures of this world," she summarized thoughtfully. "The Two Fingers act as a bridge, allowing an Empyrean to reach through the mist and claim the beast that mirrors their soul. Under the gaze of the Greater Will, a contract is forged—never to be parted in life or death."
"But there is more," she continued. "The mist carries a 'blessing.' It takes the trait an Empyrean desires most and amplifies it to a god-like scale. Look at Maliketh. Years ago, when he was Gurranq, he was a Beast Clergyman of the Sky Temple. He was a master of court affairs and a legendary warrior, yes—but he was nothing like the terror he beca after he was bonded to Marika."
"I t him once in the capital after the Temple was founded," she recalled, a shiver crossing her shoulders. "The pressure he radiated... it was indescribable. It was heavier than Godwyn with the Erdtree's backing. He was a walking furnace of divine power. A single wisp of his aura was enough to paralyze the bravest knights."
"The trait she desired was power," Lucia murmured. "And the Greater Will gave it to her—along with a leash."
He couldn't tell her that in his past life, he had seen what happened when that leash was pulled. Behind every 'honor' bestowed by the Fingers stood a hidden executioner. If an Empyrean like Ranni attempted to go rogue, the Shadow Beast would go mad, its soul-contract turning into a death warrant.
"Suspecting the Greater Will is a dangerous ga," Lansseax sighed, her tone apologetic. "I brought you here to keep you safe from the decline of Farum Azula, but I never imagined they would na you an Empyrean. I've thrust you into the eye of the storm."
She saw the undercurrents of Leyndell clearly. Marika was an eternal god, and Radagon was her perfect avatar, yet the Greater Will had appointed five different candidates for the throne—Godwyn, Ranni, Miquella, Malenia, and now Lucia. It was an insidious gamble. The Greater Will didn't care which Law won; it was rely placing bets on every horse to ensure the next era still served its interests.
"It's not your fault," Lucia said, shaking his head. "As long as I hatched from that egg, this destiny would have found . Whether in Farum Azula or Leyndell, the Fingers would have co knocking. My arrival here just moved the schedule forward."
He looked at his sister with newfound resolve. "We can't retreat now. All I can do is seize enough power to hold the trump cards before the balance collapses."
He took a breath. "Two days ago, I felt a shift in my Dragon Bloodline Inheritance. I'm going into seclusion to try and break the first seal. I need you to watch the world outside while I'm gone."
"The Inheritance?" Lansseax's eyes widened. "Lucia, I was over a century old before I even tried to touch that seal. I didn't succeed until I was two hundred. It is a violent, soul-searing process. Are you sure?"
"I know the risks," Lucia replied, his voice calm and rational. "It's a trial. I won't push past my limits."
Lansseax searched his face for any hint of recklessness, but she found only a cold, calculating stillness. She nodded reluctantly.
"Then be careful. No power in this world is worth your life."
"I know," Lucia whispered. "I know."
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