I was glad that Una left without much talk. I feared that she might want to make sure that I also returned home. She could’ve started acting all noble, saying things like: “Teleport yourself, I’ll cover you,” because she was very well aware of my ability. Luckily, everything happened the other way round. But on the other hand, she left her savior behind far too easily. Was I being paranoid again? Or was my intuition reminding me once again that I shouldn’t trust this girl, and that her “romantic” gestures were nothing more than means to an end? Though, after everything we’ve been through, maybe I should stop seeing a disguised enemy in her.

  Or was she, under her patron’s capable guidance, just trying to lull me into safety?

  Anyway, there was no time to think about such things now. I had unfinished business to attend to. My primary reason for coming to Ekheim was to save Una. But now that that was out of the way, I could give one of my old ideas a shot. This city was rich and unguarded, and its new masters were yet to lay their hands on its treasures.

  Hearing the flapping of approaching wings, I looked up and saw the Bat.

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  “There’s… Trouble…” it wheezed. “The people… In the hall… Have… Evacuated… One by one…” It shook its head and fell silent for a few seconds. Longer conversations were more difficult for it than any tough battle. “Through… The escape… Route… But I… Sensed… The energy… Of the Decayed… They are coming… Through… The same route.”

  I frowned.

  “Just as I thought, the creatures won’t let anyone get out of Ekheim. I suppose the abilities of the Mothers were enough to track the flow of the refugees’ energy and send their children there. Well, all they have to do is clear the tunnel,” I said.

  The Bat nodded slowly.

  How horrible it was to walk over the corpses! Theoretically, I could save a few dozen people. But I didn’t want to make the Old Man suffer. For me, for all his Followers, and even for our allies, it was of vital importance that the God of Darkness restores his strength as soon as possible. And even though transporting a crowd of people with the help of Elusive Darkness would immediately make new Followers out of them, thus enlarging the Old Man’s congregation, and the size of his tiny “batteries,” too, that would be difficult for him to do now. I couldn’t tell whether the growth of his congregation would cover his current energy expenditure, or if he’d overstrain himself and wouldn’t be able to get back into the divine ranks in the near future.

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