Fate of Mirithia [LitRPG, Isekai]

Meera followed Lainor as they traversed the forest. The walls to the Winter Spire would soon be in sight, and then there would be no turning back. She knew she was going into the lion's den, and whether she would return, she had no idea, but she had to do it. For as long as the Heirarch lived, the path ahead would remain blocked.

Elrasil's death also meant the death of the Glacidrak, and that would take care of one hurdle to reach the Warlocks of Winter's Embrace. After killing him, all she would need to do would be to find a way to deal with the cold.

But before all that, she needed to kill a man whose strength she did not know. If he could grant immortality to others, she hoped against hope that he wasn't immortal as well, then she might as well be walking into a trap. But still she had to try.

She looked to Lainor's back. "You know what this reminds me of?"

He slowed his gait to walk beside her. "What?"

"The time that we were escaping from Drurith, and you led us straight to the dragons," Meera said.

"Don't worry, there are no dragons in the Winter Spire," Lainor replied. "Not after the one that you killed in battle."

Meera smirked. "What if Elrasil has created more?"

"That would be doubtful, since it hasn't even been a day. It takes time for him to create these things, you know."

"I see." Meera nodded. "Then maybe you'll just hand me over to the Cultists when you get me to kill your beloved leader."

He scoffed. "I haven't forgotten your threat. I really do love my grandmother. Perhaps the only one that I truly care for in these worlds. Don't worry, I'm going to do my best so that our plan succeeds."

Meera nodded and decided to say what was on her mind for a while now, ever since her conversation with Ingdis. Something she should've seen a long time ago, but since she wasn't in enemy territory yet, she still had time.

"If not the dragons or the cultists, then I'm guessing you'll just betray me to the Cosmarians."

Meera's eyes met Lainor's, and he paused mid-step, and there it was. The admission was evident in his eyes. Before he could react, she activated Druvis Might and lunged for him. She gripped him by the neck and slammed him into the tree.

He grunted but didn't dare more, as a chakram floated just above his head, ready to end his life if he made a wrong move or tried to activate a skill.

He raised his hands. "What is this, Meera?"

"Shh!" She shook her head lightly. "You're not allowed to talk yet."

With her free hand, she ripped off the glove on his hand, and her eyes widened. His hand was molten red, like lava morphed to take the shape of a hand. She left the heat radiating from it. She was sure it was the same for his leg.

"So, Rothedon gifted you a new leg and an arm, and in return, you do his bidding now," Meera said. "I'm guessing it was he who asked you to kill your beloved Heirarch?"

"How did you know?" He asked, still unmoving, but a calmness had settled over him.

"I have my sources. I just didn't know the crippled man that he had enthralled was you."

Internally, she thanked Prince Manazhar for taking her into the Rawaki jungle. If he hadn't, she would've never run into Dara, the Keeper of the Jungle. Without whom, she would've never learned about this. When Ingdis mentioned that he had somehow had his arm and leg working again, that connected the dots, and she knew that Lainor was the man that Rothedon had enthralled.

Lainor shrugged. "If you let go of my throat, I'll be able to explain everything to you. No lies, I promise."

Meera didn't move from her spot. She glared at him, trying to discern what ways he would employ to escape, but she was sure, even if he did, she could still take him out if he tried to fight. Slowly, she let go of his throat and backed up a step.

"If anything, aside from your mouth moves, I will chop it off," she threatened.

"I'm not trying to escape, I promise."

Meera replied with a deathly cold stare and inching her chakram so close to his forehead that it was practically touching it, ready to scalp him if he made the wrong move.

"Fine, have it your way. Yes, I'm a Charred Rider now."

Meera's eyes widened at that.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"And no, I've not gone raiding with them and destroyed any villages. I was tasked to do one thing alone. Use you to kill off the Heirarch."

Meera folded her arms and squinted. "And turn the Cult against me."

"I assume so. Though why Rothedon wanted to do that is not something he shared with me, and before you ask, no, I didn't ask him. I was more concerned with my life."

Meera stared at the man, whom she was about to kill, or would've killed, if she didn't need him to gain entry into the Winter Spire.

"What do you get in exchange for this task?" Meera asked.

He averted his gaze and didn't speak for a long moment. She pressed her chakram deep onto his forehead until a bloody line formed, which leaked blood onto his face.

Finally, he flinched. "Okay. I'll tell you." He swallowed. "In exchange for assisting you in killing Elrasil, he said that he would make me the next Frostcaller Heirarch."

Meera squinted, and it didn't take a genius to figure out how he was going to do that. Her nostrils flared, and she found her anger rising once more.

"You planned to betray me, after all." She said through gritted teeth. "After I finished the Heirarch, you would've raised the alarm or dealt with me first by stabbing me in the back and then raising the alarm. The Cult would've hailed you as a hero, and you would've led the assault on the sorceresses, now that you know they aren't strong enough to resist another attack."

And killing me would've made him an Ascendant. That certainly would've helped his rise to the top.

She didn't say that part out, since Lainor didn't know she was an Ascendant, and there was no reason to give him more reason to backstab her. Rothedon had planned this out very well. Very well, indeed. He had wanted Meera to kill the Heirarch, putting the entire blame on her while making sure Lainor would reap the rewards, endearing him to Rothedon even more.

"That's it, we're going back," Meera said, turning back on him.

"Wait," Lainor cried, but he didn't move from his spot. "That was not my intent, Meera. I promise you. You have it all wrong. I had no intention of betraying you."

Then he vanished from the spot. A few moments later, he appeared before her, but she wasn't surprised. She had heard his footsteps. So, it's not a teleportation skill but rather just an invisibility one.

"Listen, Meera, you have it all wrong," Lainor said.

"What did I say about moving from your spot?" She said, through gritted teeth.

"Look, Meera—"

She punched him in the face, dropping him to the floor. He looked up with anger in his eyes, a big bruise forming on his right temple. It was saying something that he didn't simply knock out, but she hadn't put too much strength behind the blow.

He jumped to his feet. "For the last time, cool yourself and just listen to me. Yes, I became a Charred Rider, but what other choice did I have? Elrasil sent me to Rothedon's brat to tell them what had happened on Gethys and that he was breaking ties with them. I thought it would be just Rothedon's brat, but then Warnorinth was there, and Rothedon himself showed up. He made me choose to either become a Charred Rider or die a horrifying death. What would you have done in my place?"

Meera squinted at him but couldn't tell if he was lying. "If you're speaking the truth and I'm still not convinced that you are, then why go through with his orders?"

"Because…" He looked away for a moment before turning back to look her in the eye. "Because I want Elrasil dead. He had the power to heal me, but he didn't. I gave him my life. I did everything he asked of me without fail, but the moment I lost my arm and leg, he cast me aside like I was nothing. I've seen that man perform miracles. Breathe life into inanimate objects, but he couldn't heal me. I don't believe that for one second. A decade of loyal service and death was my reward. Besides, he's wary of me, ever since I've returned."

"How so?"

"He knows that I must've made some deal with Rothedon, as after I returned, I was basically a new man. I pretended to be a cripple for a while longer and then slowly showed that I was healed, stating that my grandmother had performed some runic magic, but he has his suspicions, I'm sure of it. He hasn't called upon me since I've returned, not even once. When I would meet with him or Elder Raevan, almost every other week, and before he gives the order to assassinate me, I want to finish him off."

"And I'm the perfect scapegoat."

He sighed in exasperation. "Rothedon didn't command me to kill you. I swear on my grandmother's life. If it were up to me, I would be okay with walking away from the Cult entirely, but I'm stuck with Rothedon."

"So you traded one despicable master for another…"

He said nothing, but he also didn't look her in the eye.

Meera didn't know what to make of this. On one hand, it felt like he was telling the truth, but on the other, this man had betrayed her before. She was walking into the enemy's home. At any moment, he could raise the alarm, and she would be caught or stuck fighting a thousand cultists and whatever monsters the Heirarch was cooking up.

"So, are we doing this?" He finally asked.

Meera stared at him for a long moment. She had no option but to do this. It was this or fight a war that she had no chance of winning. She could triumph in battle for a day, but how long until she was overwhelmed?

She had worked with Kalrina and was working with the sorceresses. If she could work with those witches, then she could work with him, too. Lately, it felt like she was always working with people she couldn't stand.

She sighed. "Fine. But if you so much as raise your voice or try to disappear from sight for even a second, I will kill you and make my own escape from the Spire, even if I have to claw my way through the glacial walls.

He nodded. "I won't betray you, Meera. You have my word."

"Your word isn't worth much," she retorted.

They walked in silence after that until the boundary wall came into sight. It was so dark that it was hard to tell that there was anything even there. The Heirarch had covered the top of the entire compound with a thick layer of ice. So, escaping through the air was no question; once she was in, the only way out was the way she had come in.

"Your clothes?" Lainor eyed her black and gold armor.

She looked him up and down, then willed her armor to change shape. In mere moments, her armor looked identical to the Cultist's. However, she made some changes to make them look more bloodied and torn. She also ensured that all her chakrams were concealed under her armor.

"Well, let's go for a walk behind enemy lines," Meera stated.