Chapter 1216  A Crane

Communication flowed freely through the shadow channel Arthur had forged. Relief surged through him as Marvi relayed his position from within the other dimension.  And then…a revelation.

"There was an artifact, my lord," Marvi rasped. "Something the King used to access this dimension.  I seized the brief opening it created, followed Emma when she was cast through."

Arthur and Lucian exchanged glances.  This was the key, the answer to their desperate puzzle.  "Marvi," Arthur said urgently, "do you know what this artifact is? Where it might be kept?"

"Alas, my knowledge is limited. The King guards his secrets well.  I saw only a shimmering disc, etched with strange runes upon a dais in his chambers."

The plan was already forming in Arthur"s mind, a daring gamble fueled by equal parts desperation and adrenaline. He began outlining his course of action - a full-frontal a.s.sault on the Yalen King, a swift strike to claim the artifact...

Lucian, however, cut him off. "Arthur, a direct confrontation… it"s too risky. We need a subtler approach.  If the King even suspects your intentions..."

Arthur, however, merely shook his head, a familiar reckless light gleaming in his golden eyes.  "Lucian, I respect your caution, but remember – I have slain the Empyrean already. This King, while cunning, is a lesser foe."

A flash of realization crossed Lucian"s face. Of course, Arthur"s perspective was colored by his past triumphs.  The shadow of the Empyrean loomed large, casting an illusion of weakness over the Yalen King.  Yet, Lucian knew this was a different battleground, one fraught with hidden dangers.

He took a deep breath. "Arthur, there"s something else you haven"t considered. The Agard family. They"re still within the King"s grasp.  If your attack alerts him... if he decides that they are a liability, their lives might be forfeit."

Arthur paused, the flicker of recklessness momentarily extinguished.  Uncertainty clouded his eyes. "So you suggest…what?  Infiltration? Subterfuge?"

Lucian nodded, determination sparking within him. "You are still an outsider, unknown to the King and his court.  We should use that to our advantage.  Think of it, Arthur, a strike that emerges from the shadows.  If we act swiftly, we might have Emma back before he even realizes she"s gone."

A plan began to crystallize in Lucian"s mind, a risky gambit born of desperation. "The execution," he breathed, his eyes catching Arthur"s with newfound fierceness. "That"s our point of entry. The day the King intends to eliminate the Agards, that"s when he"ll open the portal to their prison. You, or one of your loyal followers, could enter under the guise of taking them to their deaths. Then, once you"re inside…"

He let the words hang, the rest of the scheme unspoken but clear. Infiltration, rather than confrontation. A stealthy raid, instead of an open declaration of war.

"My father was foolish," Lucian said bitterly, pacing the room. "His obsession with this trap… his pact with the other nations… all because he feared you. But the Empyrean is dead. There should"ve been no purpose in this pointless bloodshed."

Arthur remained silent for a long moment, his golden eyes narrowed in contemplation. Then, an unexpected grin spread across his face. "Not entirely foolish, your father," he mused. "And perhaps I should thank him. He"s setting a stage worthy of my return. After all, what good is an audience if there isn"t a grand show?"

His casual dismissal of the threat lurking within the trap sent a shiver down Lucian"s spine. "You speak of G.o.ds descending, Arthur. You seem… unafraid."

Arthur shrugged, then reached out, summoning his shimmering blade, Nightmare. "A G.o.d? That sounds… interesting." He ran a finger along the edge, a predatory glint in his eyes. "It"s been far too long since I used my full potential. My G.o.dslayer Arts are getting rusty."

"Is that what you used to defeat the Empyrean?"

A hint of disappointment flickered in Arthur"s eyes. "No, Lucian," he said, a touch of amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice. "The Empyrean of Yalen wasn"t worthy of such effort."

Lucian blinked in startled amazement. The world pulsed with vibrant luminescence as his newfound sight pierced layers of illusion to reveal a truth he"d never before understood. Around Arthur, an aura blazed, a strange, shimmering energy that defied both human and seer cla.s.sifications.

"Arthur..."  Lucian"s voice was hushed, a mixture of awe and trepidation. "Though my new eyes cannot pierce through you completely, there"s one thing utterly clear."

Arthur, intrigued, turned from his contemplation of the cityscape below. "And what is that, Lucian?" There was a hint of both amus.e.m.e.nt and challenge in his tone.

"You aren"t human," Lucian confessed. "Whatever essence resides within you, it"s far beyond anything this world has ever seen."

Arthur tilted his head, a slight, ironic smile tugging at his lips. "An insult, veiled as an observation. How refreshing."

"It"s not an insult," Lucian insisted. "It"s simple fact. There isn"t a baseline human who could awaken from death a mere two years ago and defeat beings as powerful as the Empyrean."

Arthur shrugged, his gaze distant. "Many have commented upon my… unusual nature.  Yet, it matters little to me. Human or inhuman, my experiences, my loved ones, my desires… these are the things that shape me, Lucian."

A flicker of uncertainty crossed Lucian"s face. "But… are you ever curious? About the true nature of what you are?"

For a long moment, Arthur stared out the window, his golden eyes reflecting the setting sun.  And then, he turned, his voice tinged with newfound resolve.  "I am Arthur Netherborne, a promise echoing through time," he declared. "The Returning King of Wrath.  That is enough. My days of questioning the unknowable are over, Sier."

Lucian"s brow furrowed. "Sier?"

"Old habits die hard." Arthur offered a genuine smile. "I prefer your new name, Lucian, yet there"s a… persistence of memory. I see you, and it"s not just the seer I see, but the man you were before."

"A man forbidden to use his own name," Lucian said, a wry smile touching his lips. "Such was the "mercy" of my father before casting me out."

"Cruel, indeed," Arthur murmured. "But enough dwelling on the past. Tell me, Lucian, you have three days before this grand execution. What will you do to prepare?"

"Practice.  Hone the skills my cruel inheritance has given me," Lucian replied. "And you, Arthur?"

A predatory gleam sparked in Arthur"s golden eyes.  "Why, fight a giant crane, of course."

Lucian stared, his expression blank with confusion. "A… crane?"

Grin widening, Arthur stood. "The monsters within the Giant Garden have evolved, Lucian, some beyond their natural limits. It"s time I tested myself once more.  Growth is necessary, lest I become stagnant before a greater threat arrives."

***

A pulse of golden mana, and Arthur stood within the heart of Giant Garden. The air crackled with untamed energy, the very essence of the warped beasts surrounding him. Ancient trees towered over him, their roots pulsing like monstrous veins.  And there, rising above the twisted canopy, was his prey.

The crane was enormous, its feathers a shimmering obsidian that seemed to swallow the light. It stood perched on a single leg, its great wings folded, overlooking the valley like a macabre sentinel. Even in its stillness, Arthur could feel the raw power emanating from the creature. This would be no easy hunt.

With a roar, Arthur charged, Nightmare shimmering in his grasp.  The crane, awakened by the challenge, stirred.  A single, crimson eye opened, fixing upon Arthur with a malevolent intelligence.  The battle for the Giant Garden had begun.

The crane let out an ear-splitting shriek, a weapon in its own right as nearby trees shuddered, leaves scattering like withered confetti.  In retaliation, it unfurled its gargantuan wings, the force of the motion whipping up a hurricane-strength blast that flattened a swathe of the ancient forest.

Arthur weathered the storm, bracing himself against a defiant tree trunk as the crane lashed out with its razor-sharp beak. It carved trenches into the earth, each impact displacing enough soil to create a small hillock. He needed to disrupt its rhythm, turn that overwhelming power against it.

Seizing a fleeting opening, Arthur dove beneath a sweeping wing. The feathers lashed at him, each quill capable of piercing steel, but he reached his target - the monstrous leg. Nightmare flashed, cleaving a deep gouge. The crane shrieked, faltering, but Arthur"s victory was short-lived.

The severed flesh began to writhe, a grotesque display of regeneration. The mangled limb reformed with unnatural speed, knitting flesh and bone, and the crane stumbled back into its fighting stance. Fury blazed in its single, beady red eye, promising retribution.

Arthur needed a greater gambit. Darting and weaving between snapping strikes from the monstrous beak, he channeled his mana. The air hummed, the very world around them seeming to shift with the raw power he gathered.

Just as the crane lunged, ready to crush him beneath its feathered bulk, he unleashed the pent-up energy. A torrent of golden light erupted, not directly at the beast, but at the ground beneath it. The earth buckled and ruptured, a sinkhole forming instantly.

The crane, momentarily caught off-balance, lost its footing and toppled sideways. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, uprooting ancient trees and creating a crater where the garden floor had once been.

Arthur, panting from the exertion, surveyed the devastation. The crane was a testament to monstrous evolution, but the rules of nature still applied. Disrupt its terrain, disrupt the very foundation beneath its feet, and its size became a liability. Now, while the monstrous bird struggled to find purchase in the newly formed crater, it was time to deal the decisive blow.