Thana's Point of View

Unknown Location

Tor was resting inside me. Not that there was much of me left on the inside. Glancing at my fingers, I wiggled them but felt nothing. Returning to my experiments with a sigh was a usual occurrence. Most of my generals were slow to respond to the emergency.

It was suspicious. Although, many admitted that they thought I was merely angry. Once they realized we were under attack, they all began to converge. They received a simple explanation and nothing more. The Anomaly, once known as Mordred, had appeared in the palace. Most were unnerved by the thought of him randomly appearing.

“Tor.” I called out.

He was the one who led him back here, but never before had I seen him run in such a manner. I had yet to receive a full explanation from him either. Tor was injured far more than I had ever seen. If not for Fluffy, this could’ve all gone very differently.

A single tendril appeared outside of my body. “How long until you’re recovered?” I inquired.

Several small sharp teeth appeared as he spoke. “More.” Was his response.

“I know you need more time. Can you give me an estimate?”

“No.”

A frown came to my lips as I walked past many of the vats. “Take all the time you need, but I need to know what happened.”

The Demon of shadows growled. “That man should be dead.” He said in a small voice close to a whisper. “I pierced his heart, tore through his skull, and cut off all his limbs! His head was destroyed along with his body!”

That got me to pause midstride. “My regeneration prowess could be considered second only to yours.” I said as I looked at the tendril. “Yet you’re telling me he can come back from such grievous wounds? Even his from his brain being compromised?”

“Yes.”

A frown came to my lips. “That is concerning, but it also explains how he survived from a Demon Stone weapon through the heart all those years ago. Part of me thought he was turned to dust in that explosion.” Stopping in front of one of my vats, I eyed the child. “Do you think Drevas will have such capabilities?”

“Unlikely.” Tor commented simply.

“Mmh.” I hummed out before I brought my hand to my cheek in thought. “He can die and come back to life. His body can be destroyed and yet reassemble.” Closing my eyes, I thought back to a time before all this. “Where did he come from? What is he? He’s clearly not a Human, and he’s not Aridian, nor is he a True Demon.”

“Maybe he’s an experiment like so many of our own.”

“Who could create such a being?” I asked back.

However, as soon as the question left my lips, an image flashed in my mind. My legs grew weak, and I stumbled into one of the nearby vats. A chill ran down my neck, and I felt cold. It was an all too familiar feeling. None of it added up, so I quickly regained my composure. Standing in front of the vat, I placed my hand on the glass where the child resided.

“No. Arthur doesn’t have original magic, and he certainly isn’t a ward…” Biting my bottom lip in uncertainty. “There are too many inconsistencies. I think it’s safe to assume he was not an experiment of sorts created by anyone. He had no knowledge of me or any of us. If someone made him, he would know exactly who we are.”

“Maybe it’s a ploy to free Lorelei? He did meet with Pestilence and Credo.” Tor offered.

My eyes darted about in thought. “If that was the case, he would’ve ignored me when he appeared. As it stands, he appears to have a personal vendetta against me for my actions in the past. He also cares far too much for these mortals.”

Tor hissed in irritation. “Then what should we do.”

A sigh escaped my lips as I ran my hands down the vat. “We continue to wait for opportunities. One is already in the process of fruition. Upon his return, Arthur will realize his mistake in leaving, and it will give him pause to do so again.” Then I rested against one of the tables. “Drevas is another opportunity as well. As long as we’re careful, take him into account, we can proceed forward like usual.”

“What is waiting for him in Lestrania?” Tor inquired.

“Not what, but who.” A small giggle escaped my lips at the thought. “A runaway project of mine that who never understood I’ve been watching her all this time. She’s created quite the little army.” I smirked at him. “And she has someone I know is very dear to Arthur. It should be interesting to see what he does.”