"Yes Nusgroth, we deciphered that long back!" Caleb rolled his eyes.

Ignoring his remark, Nugroth continued, "Kar'den's men used to carry every abandoned Lore creature on the brink of death or had just died, back to Sedora to create her soldiers from dark magic. The souls of these creatures were still attached to them as in these souls are still hovering around." He looked around at all of them. "But these souls want to leave this realm. They are at unrest over here. They want to be at peace. Unfortunately, they are tethered to their bodies and won't get salvation until their bodies are burned."

​​

There was a collective gasp amongst all.

"How do you know?" asked Dawn without realizing that her hands had gripped her daughter's shoulders tightly.

Nusgroth tightened his lips. He looked at Dawn and said, "We have many people in the Lore who have had near-death experiences. Not only that, do you know Isidorus?"

She nodded. On her visits to the wizard kingdom along with Daryn, she had seen that old wizard with a long white beard and whose eyes never left his prince—Ileus.

"That man and Adrianna, the wizard queen, had been to the Land of Gaira where they had seen souls! I talked to him about his experience, and from that I conclude that the spirits of the Shadows are around them. Only they can lead them back to where they belong." He shifted in his place. "But for this task, someone has to meet them, hail them, to let them know the solution to their problem. The souls have to lead their bodies in the right path."

Emma and Lazarus sat down on their chairs. "So you mean that someone has to command those souls?" asked Lazarus in a breathy voice. Even he had a feeling of unease in him.

Nusgroth nodded. "And to command those souls, you have to leave your body. You have to let your soul out and lead the army of the souls, which are still hovering around their bodies. You have to hail them. They will be more than willing to help. After all, who doesn't want to rest in peace after death? I am sure none of them want to go to the Land of Gaira."

This time Daryn turned his face away. He rubbed his palm over his face. Land of Gaira was the place where Adrianna had painstakingly thrown Vikra in. "This is so twisted," he whispered.

"This is not easy. We need someone," Nusgroth looked in Bianca's direction, "who can leave their body and command them."

Daryn narrowed his eyes. "Then I am willing to take up this job," he said with confidence.

Nusgroth's eyebrow rose to the ceiling.

"I am able to detach my body from my soul and come back." This was the first of the many kinds of sorceries he had explored with Canton. But he couldn't stay separate for more than an hour at the most, and the wars never got over in that much time.

"A queen born in unnatural circumstances can only kill Sedora…" Brantley said as if in a trance. "Bianca has to— has to—" he choked. His throat became dry. With every iota of willpower he could muster, he said, "She has to detach her body from her soul and command the army."

As if what Nusgroth didn't say wasn't much, Brantley's words were like the final nail in the coffin.

Daryn bit his lip, as tears glossed his eyes. Even though he was able to do the sorcery, it had to be his daughter who was an essential part.

"If Your Highness, Lady Bianca can lead the army of souls, then the Loreans can look forward to a future, otherwise, the Shadows are going to spread like plague and we will be remained with ghost towns," said Nusgroth with hope in his voice, with trepidation in his demeanor and with fear he felt about the future.

Bianca's brow coated with sweat. Brantley immediately pulled her chair towards him and held her hands.

After a moment of silence, Lazarus said, "Now that you have told us the way to win it, which is nearly impossible, do you have any proposition to take it forward… I mean if we can take this ridiculous plan forward."

He continued, "We all need to go to the Land of Gaira. Only there your soul can get detached from your body and your body can be preserved. We would need Adrianna and Isidorus to cast the spell on us and give us space in the hut where the bodies will stay preserved. Since there is a large number of Shadows to be defeated, we need more people to join Bianca." He looked at Daryn who visibly relaxed. "I know that Daryn can perform that kind of sorcery, but how long can he stay without his body?"

Bianca's brows furrowed. "Do you mean that there's a hut near the Land of Gaira where we can preserve our bodies? Even if it is for more than a day?"

Nusgroth chuckled. "Isidorus's body stayed there under the protection of a Mozia for a year! So yes, it is possible."

Bianca jumped up from her place. She looked at her father. "In that case you must teach me how to do that!" Then she cupped Brantley's face in her hands and said, "See such a fantastic solution was always there?"

The dwarf interrupted. "I hope the battle finishes fast. We don't want your bodies away from your soul for long. Sometimes the souls don't want to return…"

Bianca snapped at the dwarf, "I will always return to my husband! So just stop brooding!"

For the first time Brantley's lips curled as he stared at his wee wife. He rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. "I won't let you leave, love."

She curled her hands around him. "I won't let you leave me!"

He laughed against her neck's skin.

Suddenly, the room's air lightened. The tension, which had roiled them since last night, dissipated to some extent.

Once she was assured of herself and felt confident, she turned to her father and said, "While these men make a strategy, you have to teach me how to detach my body from my soul."

"That won't be necessary," said Nusgroth. "Adrianna and Isidorus can cast the spell. You don't have to do anything." He looked around every person in the room. "However, we would be needing more people to accompany Bianca."

The first person to raise his hand was Lazarus. "I will go," he said in his usual cold voice.

"Count me in," said Caleb. He looked at his brother. The two of them had to meet their mother, and had to watch Bianca kill her. Their hearts were seething with so much revenge that only they knew each other's need to meet it. Daryn nodded.

"So that makes four."

"Five!" Brantley intervened. "Don't even think I won't go!"

"I would suggest you stay back, Brantley. You are a great strategist and I would need you to design the game plan for this battle," said Nusgroth.

Before Brantley could protest, Dawn chimed in. "Yes Brantley. I have seen how good you are with strategy. Your mind is razor sharp and you can visualize the scenario very well. Now that we know that Bianca has a way out, things are easier."

Nusgroth pursed his lips. He didn't say that the dark souls tried to pull them to hell. And there were chances that some of them were dark…