Enoria is preparing for war with Irithara, and the team sans Kaleth are doing the best they can to put a stop to it before it progresses even further.
Their plan? Find Mereria, get her help with killing Relioth, and save Kaleth in the process. They...
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Mel stared in fear at the forest around and beneath him. Kaleth had taken him to the roof of the building so Mel could stretch his wings, but it only made him realize where he was right now.
"We're in Carcer?" he asked Kaleth, who was standing next to him, looking at the Eternal with a concerned frown. After the last time Mel had been here, he never wanted to go to Carcer again. Yet here he was.
"I'm sorry, I would have told you. I didn't think you'd recognize it," Kaleth replied, looking even more worried now. Mel shook his head. While it was scary being here again, he knew...well, he hoped nothing would happen to him this time. Kaleth wouldn't allow that, would he?
Mel sighed as Kaleth put a hand on one of the horns on the side of his head. He seemed much more uncertain of the action now, unlike back in the cell. Mel leaned into the touch, although he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Kaleth seemed to be more emotionally driven now, but Mel supposed that wasn't enough to get over his discomfort when it came to showing affection.
Still, Mel would take what he could get. He wished he was strong enough to change forms, though. He really wanted to hug Kaleth.
"It's...it's okay," Mel tried to assure Kaleth, although it didn't really sound convincing. Kaleth gave him a doubtful look but didn't say anything. "Um, but why are we here?"
"I'm here because Carcer is the largest source of Eternal energy in Enoria. You're here because Relioth is an idiot."
There it was again. The insubordination that Mel just couldn't wrap his head around. If he spoke this way about Mereria, she'd make him regret it immediately. Yet Kaleth had just called Relioth an idiot, about half an hour after punching him, and it was all perfectly okay.
Nevertheless, Mel decided to ignore that and ask something else. "What does Eternal energy have to do with anything?" He knew Carcer was where most of the captured Umbra were being held so that their power could be turned into electricity, but that didn't really explain why Kaleth was here.
Kaleth averted his gaze, choosing to stare at the concrete surface under their feet. "I'm sure you've noticed I'm stronger than I was when we saw each other last."
Mel's eyes widened. "You mean...."
"I've been absorbing Eternal energy, yes," Kaleth finished for Mel. He didn't sound very happy about it. Mel gawked at him. He supposed it was possible for Kaleth to absorb their energy—him being a Garen, and all. But this much? And permanently? Shouldn't this kill him? Then again, Kaleth was far from the usual member of the Garen family.
"My power won't grow on its own," Kaleth continued. "I have to take it from others. Once I do, however, the maximum amount of the power I can wield increases permanently, no matter how much of it I use up."
And Kaleth had been doing this for a whole month? Just how strong was he after so much time? There had to be some limitations, right? Mel certainly hoped so, but he didn't believe it all that much. The word 'aperios' basically translated into 'limitless'. What would it do to Kaleth if he kept this up? Would he become even more violent? Or was that just Relioth's influence?
