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Roza straightened her shoulders, fire returning to her gaze. “Of course I am. I’ve been ready since the moment we were captured. Let’s end this.”
With a deep breath, I nodded. “Lead the way.”
Zerek glanced between us. “Alright, let’s go.” He moved towards the exit and I followed, the weight of our impending confrontation pressing down on me.
The time had come to face Nyana.
Chapter 29
Theron
Thesoundsofbattleechoed through the cavernous entrance of Hundaelr, despite the city being built deep within the mountain’s belly. Tykas and I stopped in tandem, a united front against Theodas and his gathered force.
The entrance to Hundaelr was both awe-inspiring and intimidating. Someone had carved it out of stone, forming an enormous archway. Ancient symbols ran along the walls embedded in silver and gold, producing an intricate mosaic of letters and runes that told tales of bygone eras. The entrance was lit up by glowing plants that illuminated the darkness surrounding us, casting eerie shadows on the faces of all who stood there.
At the center of it all was Theodas, standing tall and still as he smirked. He was pale as snow, with jet-black hair that hung around his cold blue eyes like a curtain. His thin lips were drawn tight against a sharp jawline while his armor sparkled in navy and gold, enameled with vipers coiling around his body like a second skin. He carried himself like an emperor, surveying us with prideful disdain. Behind him stood a formidable company of soldiers, all dressed in matching armor—Vennorin colors, not Carxidor—their eyes void of any emotion.
“Tykas,” Theodas greeted, his voice dripping with false warmth. His eyes, however, were as cold as the stones beneath our feet. “Finally come back to us? To your rightful place?”
Tykas squared his shoulders, and for a moment, I saw the shadow of the young man who had once cowered in the presence of his elder brother. But that shadow vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the confident warrior Tykas had become. “I’m never coming back.”
Theodas chuckled, the sound devoid of any genuine amusement. “Always the stubborn one. Or was it the stupid one? Doesn’t matter. You belong here, with your family. Withme.“ He took a step forward, trying to intimidate him, but Tykas stood his ground. “Get over here.”
“No,” Tykas said, his voice carrying a strength that made me proud as he glanced at me. “I’ve found where I belong. I’ve found a new family.”
The young man had claimed Zora, Oz, and me as his family. I was ready to defend him, no matter the cost.
“Tykas is one of us now,” I growled, stepping to put Tykas behind me.
Theodas’s gaze shifted to me, his eyes narrowing. But before he could say anything, Tykas interjected. “I’m not the same boy you used to torture, Theodas. I’ve grown. Changed. And I won’t be afraid of you any longer.”
My eyes darted to Theodas’s soldiers, the regimented lines of men and women standing stiffly, obediently. There was something odd about them, something forced. Even my soldiers didn’t have this level of obedience and coordination.
“You don’t have to follow Theodas and my mother,” I addressed the soldiers nearest to us, their eyes vacant. “You don’t have to fight at all. Just put down your weapons and you’ll be spared.”
My words hung in the air for a moment, a sense of anticipation looming around us. But nothing happened. The soldiers didn’t move, not reacting to my words at all. The hair stood up on the back of my neck, a chill running over my skin. Theodas laughed, the sound echoing eerily.
“You think they have a choice, Theron?” He reached out, grabbed the shoulder of one soldier, and yanked him forward, revealing a dark metal collar around his neck. I recognized it immediately. The same collars were used to prevent the slaves in the mines from escaping. But somehow worse. The collars on the slaves made them unable to escape, making them ill if they attempted it. This was...
My heart sank, a mix of horror and anger filling me. “You’ve taken their minds. Their will.” My voice held a mix of revulsion and disbelief. How could they do this? Not even Varzorn had allowed this treatment.
Theodas’s smile was wintry, cruel. “They do what I tell them to do. No questions, no hesitations. Absolute obedience.”
My mind raced, images of a bleak future flashing before my eyes.
If we lost, my mother would put those on everyone. An entire world, enslaved. No will, no dreams, just... empty shells. The entire world under the crushing weight of these collars, their wills stolen, spirits crushed, with only my mother’s commands remaining.
“This is monstrous,” I snarled.
Theodas merely shrugged, his nonchalance infuriating. “Power requires sacrifices.”
I clenched Endbringer tight, my knuckles whitening. “I’m going to rip you limb from limb.”
Theodas tutted. “Then how will you find your precious concubine?”
“What?”
Theodas delighted in twisting the knife, his eyes alight with malicious pleasure. “A patrol caught her.” He said, drawing from his side a sword that I knew all too well. The bone-white hilt, the blade shimmering in the dim light—Kael’s sword, the one I’d given her. As a symbol of how far we’d come. “She’s with Tannethe now, still unconscious, I’m afraid. But I’m sure my sister will enjoyentertainingher once she wakes.”
