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“Would that work?” Raea asked. Her brow furrowed as she muttered to herself. “Someone really didn’t think the system through when they created such a loophole, huh? I mean, if all contracts could end by killing the opposing party…”
“Isn’t it because angels aren’t expecting people to murder them?” Cory asked and tilted her head. “It’s the angels’ naivety that allows something like this to exist. To you, logically, the only way out of a contract is to fulfill the statements of the contract. Why would you add a clause to prevent someone from killing you when they logically shouldn’t?”
“A harpy shouldn’t say statements about logic,” a voice said from behind them. Mathias clopped into the room with his arms crossed. “It doesn’t suit their image at all, damned birdbrains.”
“Should I rip your fifth leg off again?” Cory asked and narrowed her eyes at the centaur. Mathias shuddered and paused mid-step.
“Again?” Ivan asked from the hall. The lizardman had a gathering of archlings behind him. Pyre had ordered him to bring the archlings to his room if Palan and Raea returned unharmed. “When did the first time occur?”
Cory grinned. “When he—”
“Oh,” Mathias said, his voice thundering over Cory’s, “it looks like everyone has gathered. The insane benefactor needed our assistance.” He glared at Cory before nodding at Pyre. “What do you request of us?”
Pyre glanced at Palan. The demon’s body was completely relaxed as if the archlings gathered behind him were no more harmful than ants. He had heard about Palan’s reaction to crowds in the city from Linda. It seemed like Palan had either gotten over the fear, or he was that much more confident in his ability to survive. “I need your mana to set up a targeted portal heading to Eljiam,” Pyre said and sat up. He gestured at the magic circle surrounding him. Lines extended from it to certain spots in the room. “You just need to stand in those positions until the portal opens for Palan and Raea.”
“How did you know I wanted to go back?” Palan asked as a wrinkle appeared on his brow. Was this a trap? Why else would Pyre dissolve the contract that prevented the angel from taking negative actions against him? “This is really a portal leading to Eljiam?”
“Correct. I made it because I destroyed the other one in the tower’s basement,” Pyre said. “You might be wondering why I dissolved the contract between us. That’s because sending someone to Eljiam can definitely be constituted as taking a negative action against another. I’ll be sending you from paradise to hell after all.” The archlings assembled in their required spots. “Do you want me to create a contract swearing on my life that this is a portal meant to send you to Eljiam?”
“Yes,” Palan said. “I don’t trust you after your B.F.G. stunt.”
Pyre sighed. “Fine. I deserved that I suppose,” he said and summoned another contract. He passed it to Palan who read it over and agreed. “The portal will stay active for ten minutes after it’s summoned in case you change your mind. If you want to come back after that … I’m sure there’s some naturally occurring portals or weak points in space where you can create one yourself.”
“Or I can take you with me,” Palan said.
“You could do that too, but I’d greatly appreciate it if you didn’t,” Pyre said. “I’d like to live out the remainder of my life in luxury as the hero who reclaimed the land for the halflings. Someone has to write the new history books, you know? How else will your great exploits be passed on? Think about it. In the future, everyone will know your name as the brave hero who volunteered to enter the capital first during the invasion despite knowing the risks. You’ll be remembered as the one who wiped out the Ingels, one of the great families of the despotic rulers.”
“You have a point…,” Palan said.
“Does he? Does he really?” Raea asked and poked Palan’s side. “I want to come back here after helping you reunite with your sister—who you love more than me and I’m totally not bitter about that at all, you ungrateful bastard.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, what was I saying? Right. I want to come back here. I still have things I want to do like establish the harpies’ homeland and beat up my parents. We’re a partnership; it can’t always be about you. Besides, weren’t the centaurs going to erect a statue of you? They can inscribe your exploits into the base of it. And Pyre can just write his autobiography after we come back.” She glared at the dejected half-angel. “Isn’t that right?”
“You have an unreasonable wife,” Pyre said to Palan.
“And you’re coming with us,” Palan said. He grinned at Mathias. “Remember my image. I expect my statue to be done by the time I’m back. It should be sturdy enough to withstand any earthquake or storm.”
Mathias sighed. “I understand,” he said and saluted. Inwardly, he cursed the unruly centaurs who tried to overthrow his position. Now they all lost. Except for the archbishop, that traitor.
“Make sure the harpies don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone,” Raea said to Cory.
Cory blinked. “Uh, I’ll try?” she said with a questioning tone while tilting her head. “It’ll be hard since I’m coming with you though.”
“You are?” Raea asked and furrowed her brow. “Why?”
“Because you’re my best friend,” Cory said and threw her wings into the air. “And the harbinger. Yeah, that too.”
Pyre cleared his throat. “I’m coordinating the exit location right now,” he said. “Where do you want to go?”
“To my sister,” Palan said.
“To your sister,” Pyre echoed. He scratched at the ground. “And where exactly is that?”
“In a town in the desert,” Palan said. “There aren’t many. It shouldn’t be that hard to find.”
Pyre’s expression darkened. “Looks like we’ll have to do this the tedious way,” he said and sighed. “I’m going to open and close portals randomly until you see a landmark you recognize.” He glanced at the archlings acting as the portal’s power source. “Bear with me.”