Chapter 115

With her elven ears, Zee could hear the sounds of battle echoing from both inside the mansion and out in front of it. Yet, she could do nothing. Correction—she could still move, but with a likely dislocated shoulder and her overall weakened condition, she would be a hindrance rather than a help to her allies. Clenching her fists, she seethed with frustration at her inability to assist, hating the fact that she couldn't find Xain herself. "Why can't I do anything?" she whispered angrily to herself, too quietly for the razorhoove behind her to hear.

Her session of self-loathing was abruptly interrupted as the sounds of battle within the mansion ceased. She looked up just in time to see The Fiend leaping out of a gaping hole in the mansion's wall, carrying a severely injured Marcus on his back. "You found him!" Zee exclaimed with relief as The Fiend landed gracefully on the ground, gently laying Marcus next to Lance.

Lance gazed down at Marcus, who reached out a trembling hand to pat his head. Lance leaned in, closing his predatory eyes in a rare moment of tenderness. "Looks like you're doing better than me, Lance," Marcus rasped, his voice weak. He stopped patting Lance and let his arm rest, taking a few deep breaths in and out.

"What happened to him?" Zee asked, her eyes scanning over Marcus's wounds. The Fiend pulled out his pen and notebook, quickly scribbling a response. "He was fighting a demon. Do not worry, I have killed it."

Zee read the note and nodded, turning briefly to Lance before addressing The Fiend again. "He thanks you for rescuing him," she relayed. The Fiend nodded in acknowledgment, preparing to climb back into the mansion.

"Wait, are you heading back in? Shouldn't you rest a bit? You just fought a demon after all," Zee said, her worry evident in her voice. The Fiend shook his head, indicating he was fine, before starting his ascent back into the mansion. Zee watched him go, her concern lingering.

"Don't worry about him," Marcus said suddenly, his voice strained but steady. Zee turned to him, listening intently. "He's better off in this situation than anyone else here, except for that white-haired friend of yours."

Zee's eyes widened at the mention of Grace. "You know about her?" she asked, surprise coloring her tone. Marcus nodded.

"Your full name is Zee Eirina Qinra, right?" he added, shocking Zee even more.

"How did—" she began, but Marcus cut her off.

"Orian told me. He told us about all of you."

Zee scowled, frustration clear on her face. "Of course, him and his spirits," she muttered angrily.

Marcus let out a sigh. "So that's how he knew. He's a spirit user." The realization clicked for Marcus, explaining how Orian had such precise and secretive information.

Marcus let out a cough and a wheeze, prompting Lance to lay his head on Marcus's chest. "Don't worry, I'm not dying yet," Marcus reassured him before turning his attention to Zee. "I have to know, how did you and my friend do that?"

Zee blinked, momentarily confused, before understanding what he meant. "That was my hereditary ability. I can merge with animals, gaining their traits and abilities while keeping my intelligence," she explained.

Marcus nodded, intrigued. "With an ability like that, there must be a condition for it, right?"

"Yes," Zee confirmed. "The animal and I must share the same desire to merge, or else it won't work."

Marcus placed his hand on Lance's equine head. "So, you two must have gotten along," he observed as Lance let out a huff. Zee nodded.

"Yes, but not at first," she clarified. "Just as we were about to start fighting, a portal opened and teleported us to a random room in the mansion. That forced us to stop fighting and figure out what had happened. We discovered that the doors teleport you to different rooms, but we got stuck in a loop of three rooms, each connected by a single door. We tried breaking the door, but walking through the broken door teleported us again. After a while, we started talking about our goals. For Lance, stopping me wasn't his main goal, and for me, it was the same. We both wanted to protect someone—me, Xain, and Lance, you. When I explained my ability to him, we realized our desires matched and we could merge. After merging, we destroyed the entire wall of the room we were in, and, well... you know the rest."

Marcus listened intently, nodding as Zee recounted the events. "So, it was your shared desire to protect that allowed the merge. Makes sense. And thank you, Zee. You and Lance saved my life."

Zee shook her head and raised her hands. "I didn't do anything, it was Nori that saved you, not me," she quickly said, denying that she had helped at all. Marcus noticed that she only excluded herself from the credit, not Lance.

"But you were the one who called him here, so you still saved my life even if you don't think so yourself," he pointed out gently. Zee settled down, though her expression remained conflicted.

"I still don't really know how to feel about that. I wanted to save you because Lance did. You still helped Verandez trap an entire village and threatened to kill us," she muttered.

Marcus closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then reopened them. "I know. However, you still saved me, and I'm in your debt because of that. If you choose to have me and my company punished, then I will accept it," he declared sincerely, surprising Zee for a moment.

"I'm not the one who gets to decide that. It's the ones you harmed for a month who do," she replied. Marcus stared at her for a moment before laying his head on the ground with a sigh.

"You're right. I can see why you and Lance managed to get along," he said. Suddenly, they all heard a roar that pierced the skies. The dragon descended rapidly towards the front of the estate, and they heard a man's excited scream: "This is the best!"