The Storm Tower | Vol.4, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

12.

Following their interaction with Madame Alizeh in the monastery's south wing, Makaela and Karin made their way to the east wing to meet up with Ismael and a few other monks who the woman picked out to accompany them on their search for Lumi's tower.

Madame Alizeh assured them that they would be aided by her finest magicians. Ismael was one of her close confidants; a calm, quiet man with a natural affinity for weather magic and lightningweaving. He was also a master botanist; Makaela could've figured that much.

Who else could find a ghostweed in the wild?

She had met the man a few times around Tenzin. He was always cordial. Not entirely friendly, but not rude either. Then again, most of the monks tended to not express any kind of emotion toward her. Karin and Madame Alizeh seemed to be the only people in the compound with a personality.

As Makaela walked alongside Karin, she couldn't help but wonder what they would encounter on their journey. Dread and anxiety hung over her like a heavy thundercloud, ready to unleash torrents of rain upon her head.

They would be traveling straight into the storms that likely surrounded the tower. Not only that, but they would also have to scale and climb up snowy mountains. She wasn't looking forward to catching frostbite. Before they left, she would take a trip to the library to read up on spells that could keep her warm. They would come in hand when they began their ascent into the sky.

There was also a chance they would come across a Shade or two. With Thorian searching for the tower, a collision between the two groups was surely inevitable. If she had to face the man again, she would have to be ready.

She was ready this time.

Even with her limited training with the monks of House Vaya, she already felt leagues stronger than she had a few weeks prior. A duel between herself and Thorian would've been a lot closer now than before.

Still, she would have to be at the top of her game if she wanted to stand even the slightest chance against him. He had the power of Mauvorin and his ring—the Obscurio—on his side. She might have had an Eldenarian artifact in her possession too, but she didn't have a literal god whispering in her ear and feeding her power.

She shook her head.

Dwelling on a potential fight was never good for her mental state. For the time being, she decided to focus on the task at hand: finding Lumi's tower.

She glanced at Karin, whose eyes were practically attached to the glass orb in her hands. Her gaze hadn't left it since they left Madame Alizeh's secret room, almost as if it would shatter to pieces if her gaze moved for one second. An awestricken expression had been stuck on her face for the past few minutes.

"If you keep your mouth open any longer, you'll swallow a fly," Makaela joked.

Karin gave her a sarcastic laugh. "Very funny." She caressed the side of the Andhis as if it were a pet. "I can feel its power inside. It's like standing in the middle of a hurricane. You can see the power—the destruction—but you're perfectly safe as it rages around you."

"Interesting..." Makaela ran her thumb over her ring's golden gemstone. She felt the magic tickle her fingertip. A faint warmth spread across her hand as the gem pulsed momentarily. The feeling she got from the Illumio wasn't quite what Karin described with the Andhis.

The ring flooded her with feelings of hope. When she closed her eyes, she saw the morning sun rising into a blue sky. She felt its warm rays against her dark cheeks, illuminating her body and dispelling the darkness around her.

She wouldn't let Thorian take it. He would have to rip it from her cold, dead body.

If he did try to kill her, she would be sure to take him with her into the bottomless pits of Nordor.