Lith Verhen/History/Volume 14

## Chapters 1575 - 1712

For several weeks, Lith, Solus, and Tista craft several enchanted items out of Davross, practicing making magic holding rings, swords, shields. They visited the Heavenly Plume many times, move to several different oases to sightsee the natural beauty of the Desert, and spend a lot of time with the family.

The Balkor copycat attacks Lutia with numerous mercenary groups. Aran and Leria are evacuated back to the Blood Desert with Abominus and Onyx informing Salaark of what happened. Tezka manages to protect the Yehvals until Vastor arrives and decimates the mercenaries. While barely surviving against Tezka, the copycat manages to escape amidst the chaos of one of Tezka's spells.

Lith and Salaark arrive shortly after, learning from Tezka that the copycat was responsible. Lith learns from Vastor that the copycat had sent the Yehvals a "Future" card but had hidden it to lure out the copycat. They rendezvous with Kamila at Vastor's home in the Essagor Duchy before meeting with Zinya. Lith and Vastor apologize for endangering the lives of her and the children, but Zinya absolves them of any guilt and proposes to Vastor, thanking him for all he had done for them. Zinya makes Kamila her maid of honor and Vastor asks Lith to be best man.

Returning to Lutia, Lith commiserates the magical tribe losses but the three Kings reaffirm their bond with Lith, who resolves to avenge their fallen brethren. Back in the Desert, Lith resolves to accelerate his crafting projects. He, Friya, Solus, and Tista purify his Davross ingots and test the magical metal in crafting. Salaark reveals to them the true potential of purified Davross. Lith, Friya, Solus, and Tista proceed to experiment with purifying and enchanting Davross, during which Salaark reveals to them its true potential. She lends them white crystals to practice white crystal enhancement.

Lith prepares a birthday party for Solus. She undergoes a breakthrough to the deep blue core, triggering an old memory of her father Threin and restoring four new floors of the tower along with her memory of their functions. Solus gives them a tour of the Workshop, Greenhouse, Armory, and Library. Lith stores the crystals, magical metals, and natural treasures he had accumulated up until that point into the new floors. He asks Raaz to tend to the Greenhouse since he lacks the skills or experience, and Raaz accepts.

 to one of Sinmara's missions. Sinmara talks with Solus, revealing that they had been friends in the past. They accompany Sinmara to confront Aylen Nagaar who is in the process of liberating an undiscovered crystal and metal mine, and learn from Xenagrosh about white core abilities and that Baba Yaga is an Odi. Lith participates in the battle, summoning his [[Origin Dem

Xenagrosh brings Lith to one of Sinmara's missions. Sinmara talks with Solus, revealing that they had been friends in the past. They accompany Sinmara to confront Aylen Nagaar who is in the process of liberating an undiscovered crystal and metal mine, and learn from Xenagrosh about white core abilities and that Baba Yaga is an Odi. Lith participates in the battle, summoning his Origin Demons to counter Aylen's golem army, after which they both gain insights on golem crafting and Solus successfully scans Aylen's spell for the crystals' memory function. Aylen escapes shortly after.

Lith and Solus each craft a Forgemastering hammer from Adamant. He and Solus attempt to craft the Sage Staff for Solus using the Yggdrasill wood from Aalejah, Balor eyes from Trou'Bleskamuz the Fierce, and a green, yellow, and orange altered white crystal. They combine Menadion's Mana Well technique they learned from Salaark with their own Twin Forge technique, but fail due to the unexpected behavior of the Balor eyes and Yggdrasill wood. Salaark helps recycle the materials and offers to explain their mistakes if they join the nest, but they decline.

### Nestrar Uprising

Lith develops his first breathing skill Demon Grasp. One morning, he discovers that Solus has regained her human body and reintroduces her to the family. Solus spends time getting accustomed to her body again. Lith is suddenly contacted by Brinja, who informs him the Crown has decided to withdraw the Queen's Corps escort for Lith's family unless he becomes more involved in Kingdom affairs. She also informs him that the city of Huryole has disappeared, and assigns him a mission to retake several cities in the Nestrar Region from its ex-Ranger Alman Quaron who has instigated a rebellion. Lith is subsequently reinstated as a Major of the army after he accepts.

At the city of Alten, Lith is greeted by Lieutenant Colonel Xolman Pelan and other army officers. However, Pelan's insubordination due to Lith being appointed commanding officer leads Lith demoting him. Pelan's successor Captain Loman Estar guides Lith and the army regiment to the city of Zeska. The mage regiment deploys around the city, but in order to avoid casualties and wasting time on a siege, Lith decides to negotiate alone.

Lith reasons with the city guard and citizens, attempting to discredit Quaron. Lith delivers an ultimatum - summon Quaron to fight Lith in single combat, or he retakes Zeska by any means necessary. He sends Captain Rudra after the messenger and infiltrates the city alone while leaving a decoy behind. Lith infiltrates the City Hall and with Solus' help learns of a mysterious "god" the nobles are colluding with. Lith informs General Berion and King Meron. Meron instructs Lith to maintain the facade of the challenge, though warns him that he will be punished if his gamble doesn't succeed.

Quaron emerges at dawn to answer Lith's challenge and surprises him by demonstrating the ability to cast Origin Flames despite being human. Lith quickly overpowers Quaron, but Syrook the Black Dragon appears and revives Quaron. Lith summons "Tiamat" for backup, though in reality fights Syrook in his Tiamat form while Solus poses as Lith inside the Scalewalker armor to fight Quaron. Solus informs the Royal Court about the Divine Beast.

Solus follows Lith's pre-planned script to negotiate with the Royals and rouse the army regiment to aid them. She fights Quaron, who reveals himself to be Syrook's harbinger, thinking that Lith is the Tiamat's. Syrook summons an army of lesser undead and Lith counters with his Demons. Locrias's soul possesses one of the Demons to assist Solus' fight against Quaron, eventually possessing her body to kill the Harbinger. The backlash from Quaron's death gives Lith an opening to kill the Dragon.

Locrias explains to Lith that he can't move on until the threat to the Kingdom that Thrud and the Balkor copycat have been dealt with, offering his combat and tactical expertise in leading the Demons and agreeing to keep Lith's secrets, though refusing to share any of the Kingdom's in turn. He takes up residence in one of Lith's feathers. Meanwhile, Captain Loman Estar attempts to negotiate Syrook's corpse and equipment, but Lith leaves with it before returning as himself. Zeska quickly surrenders and the army takes back the city. Lith discovers that all of Syrook's believers have mysteriously been killed, while the original dissidents to Quaron's plans are still alive and held captive (later revealed to have been replaced with Skinwalkers by Thrud). The remaining cities in the Nestrar Region follow suit upon news of Quaron's death.

Back in the Desert, Lith shows Salaark the Void Flames he had used against Syrook. He brings Aran and Leria back to Lutia and catches up with Vastor. Lith catches up with Zekell Proudhammer and tours the growing city of Lutia. He learns from Raaz that the newer citizens had petitioned to have his lands seized, led by Baronet Frenon Hogum.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 1591: Purified Davross (Part 1)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 1597: Back and Forth (Part 1)
3. ↑ Chapter 1584: The Pain of Loss (Part 2)
4. ↑ Chapter 1589: Give and Take (Part 1)
5. ↑ Chapter 1594: Training Time (Part 2)
6. ↑ Chapter 1602: Shared Power (Part 2)
7. ↑ Chapter 1614: Chaos and Flames (Part 2)
8. ↑ Chapter 1634: Royal Demands (Part 2)
9. ↑ Chapter 1639: Power Move (Part 1)
10. ↑ Chapter 1642: Trust And Lies (Part 2)
11. ↑ Chapter 1650: Credit and Responsibility (Part 2)
12. ↑ Chapter 1655: Divine Beasts (Part 2)
13. ↑ Chapter 1663: Soul Feather (Part 1)
14. ↑ Chapter 1665: Opening Moves (Part 1)