A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

After Lilith suggested Erik's lack of fondness for their past hurt her, her grimaced and snarled, "Fuck off, Edda! You were the only one who enjoyed your time pulling the wool over the eyes of those who considered you family! Tell me, did you feel anything when you killed the woman who raised you like her own?! The woman who showed you nothing but love and care?!"

For a moment, Erik thought he saw a glint of something in Lilith's eyes, but it was gone before he could figure out what it was. He quickly put it out of his mind and figured it was likely more sadism when he heard her next words.

"Of course I felt something…!" she reacted with mock outrage, before beginning to grin cruelly. "I felt relief! Finally, the bitch was dead, I thought! You think I enjoyed those eighteen years of life, watching them be loving parents without knowing the truth?! Without knowing the real me?!"

Her voice became a little shriller and more emotional. Filled with malice, she spread her arms, and cried out in disgust, "I hated it! My time couldn't come fast enough! God, how annoying you all were! My only regret is that I didn't manage to kill that insipid little beast of a man calling himself my father!"

Erik had begun seething in anger, intensifying with every word she spoke. Slowly driving him into a frenzy. Her careless remarks about Viljar's place in her life fuelled his growing fury.

He couldn't shake the memory of his uncle's anguished face, haunted by the loss of a daughter he still loved—so deeply that even after all she had done, the werebear couldn't bring himself to wish death upon Edda.

It created a fire inside him that was about to boil over, but Elora did what she could to keep him calm. She'd just begun to carefully carve a sigil under Erik's feet that would slowly unravel the sigil currently keeping them from getting to Runa, and keeping it hidden from Lilith by covering it with her omnisense.

As long as they could get to Runa, Erik could toss her in his dimension, which would immediately solve one of their problems.

"I know you're angry, my love, but don't lose your cool!" she stressed in a severe tone. "Talking is good! It gives us time! I need a few seconds to finish the sigil, then a few more to let it do its work."
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At the same time, the fairy also took careful notice of every word spoken by Lilith. She found some curious statements among her words that made the fairy wonder about Edda's true nature.

She did so, because she'd seen Erik's memories, and never liked the way Edda went from a sweet girl in love to a sadistic traitor basically overnight. Especially since she'd lived with them since she was a baby.

It wasn't that she denied the possibility for someone to be such a good actor that even her eyes could be fooled, but neither did she consider it likely.

Yet, some kind of possession, mind control, or brainwashing was also unlikely. The lack of aetherium in those days meant that instant methods of control were nearly impossible, and anything else would need long exposure, which was equally impossible, because Edda, like everyone else living there, barely ever left Frostvik.

But, setting aside that Elora despised an unsolved mystery, she also wanted to provide her husband with answers. Thus, ever since meeting Erik, she'd been compiling a list of possible scenarios that could have led to Edda's betrayal, and every word Lilith spoke led her closer to the truth.

So far, however, a treacherous and sinister personality, combined with extraordinary composure and acting talent, was still the most likely explanation.

Yet, it was not the only one…

Meanwhile, from behind the wall of flames, Rune was trying to get Erik's attention. "Erik! There's nothing you can do here! It's already too late for me! If that's really is you, then your survival is good enough for me! Please if you can flee, then do!"

But, of course, Erik refused. "I'm not leaving you now, Mom. Not when I've just found you again. Just wait patiently for me…" he told her with conviction.

"You don't understand!" Rune exclaimed desperately. "She—"

"Tut, tut, no spoilers, 'Aunty'," Lilith suddenly interrupted her with a gleeful grin. At the same time, she clenched her fist. Instantly, the collar around Runa's neck tightened, cutting off both her air-supply, and her words.

"Gak!" Runa gargled as she clenched the collar and sank to her knees, but her eyes remained fixated on Erik, begging him to flee.

But Erik was far too worried to listen.

"Mom!" he roared as he tried to get closer but was rebuffed by the flames. Enraged, he transformed into beast form and turned back to his once-childhood-crush. "Let her go!" he snarled.

"Hehehe," Lilith giggled playfully, before beckoning him closer. "Why don't you come make me, big boy?"

Erik immediately realized talking was over, and there was now only one way left to keep her busy until Elora came up with a plan.

By fighting her.

Fortunately, Elora had finished her sigil, which was now working to dismantle the fire wall.

Thus, he didn't waste any time. He covered his body in armour, pulled his hammer from his dimension, and charged Lilith with a howl. "Have it your way, you delusional bitch! Let me show you exactly how much I've changed since the day you showed your true face!"

Thundersnow crackled and space rippled as Erik flew forward, knowing he had to close to distance as soon as possible. Even if there was no way for him to defeat her right now, he was sure he could keep her busy for a while, so long as he could force her into close-quarters combat.

Surprisingly, however, Lilith's grin only widened, and she made no attempt to create magic circles, or dodge in anyway. Instead, she simply waited for him to approach.

Her nonchalance concerned Erik, but he had no other plans. All he could do was continue to move forward.

When he reached her, a crackling thundersnow blast appeared on the tip of his hammer. Over the last few weeks of travel, he'd learned to use the thundersnow blast on his hammer, rather than charging it in his maw.

He poured all his power and physical prowess into this attack, knowing it was the strongest blow he could deliver.

His hammer swung at Lilith's grinning face, but only at the last moment did she raise her hand and conjure a dark magic circle. Shockingly, she was almost as quick as Elora was, and her spell activated just as quickly.

A wall of shadowflame appeared, and Erik's hammer slammed into it. The thundersnow blast exploded at the same time, causing the wall of flames to tremble and shake, but it stood fast.

"Not bad," Lilith giggled condescendingly. "Truly! You are very clearly the most powerful second ranker I've ever laid by eyes on."

But then her eyes shone with malice, "Unfortunately, it's not good enough."

Suddenly, she cocked her fist and punched at Erik's chest.

Erik blinked in confusion, knowing that any third-ranked Arcanist would lose miserably in a fist fight with a second-ranked Runebound.

Or so he thought.

Her fist crashed against his chest with massive power, and his eyes widened in alarm. "Shit—!" he exclaimed, but it was too late.

His armour held up, and he didn't feel much pain, but because he hadn't braced himself, he was blown of his feet. Roaring, he flew back towards the wall of fire. He scrambled to try and alter his trajectory in mid-air, but Lilith's blow was too strong.

Fortunately, Lilith didn't go for the follow-up, as she appeared content to watch Erik fly into the flames with an expectant grin.

But, at the last moment, the barrier disappeared, and Erik breathed a sigh of relief. At least, until Elora warned him.

"That wasn't me! Shift your body to either side!" she exclaimed in a panic.

Despite his current state of mind, Erik wasn't one to ignore the fairy's words.

So, he shifted his body slightly.

Then, metal screeching, flesh tearing, and excruciating pain.

"I— I told you… to flee…" came the sobbing, strained, and desparing voice of his mother behind him.