Malakai could see the hope in Luna's eyes as she gazed at him. She was obviously hoping he would change his mind.
But unfortunately, a chance to access a fountain of Vitaeon wasn't something he was going to let slip.
He was participating, no matter how she felt.
"Yes," he replied after a second.
Luna sighed, frowning. She glanced at Grunde, as though seeking support, only to find him staring at both of them in confusion. He clearly had no idea what was going on, or what they were even talking about.
Hesitantly, especially when it was clear there was nothing she could say to convince Malakai, she nodded. "I'll inform my mother. Only she can decide."
With Lina gone, the trio continued their walk through the coven. Malakai felt like he had already seen the most important thing.
To him, there was nowhere nearly as significant as the massive tree of the coven head.
'Too bad I can't sneak in.'
He suspected the fountain was located underground. He'd been inside the tree and had seen no sign of any water. It was unusual for something like that to be above the tree, which narrowed his options.
Regardless, it didn't change the fact that it was the domain of the coven head. And from the quick glance he'd taken at the guards stationed outside, there was no way he was sneaking in without being noticed.
'This competition is the only way.'
Unlike the city, Malakai had no army to command. He could have chosen to storm the place, but he had to make do with what he had. It was unfortunate, but it was reality.
Although Luna kept talking as she showed him around the coven, Malakai's thoughts were elsewhere.
'Does the city know?'
His mind churned. A natural fountain of Vitaeon was nothing short of a treasure. It was the sort of thing that could spark war between even the grand clans of the Dome.
The Vitaeon Malakai had consumed before was artificially made in a lab, created through the refining of Vita cores and some other things. But artificial Vitaeon could never match the potency of the natural ones.
From what Malakai had read over the years, natural Vitaeon had no grades. It was a phenomenon of nature, one that affected all living beings equally.
He'd never encountered a natural one before, but he knew just how rare they were inside the Dome. Even grand families couldn't openly claim one. Doing so was a quick way to paint a target on your back.
Still, while he had no firsthand experience, he had no doubt that this was natural.
From what he had seen so far, the Gor'Mekhai had no access to technology. That alone made the idea of them creating artificial Vitaeon impossible.
'That fountain is the way,' Malakai thought. The way to power. The way to the strength he had been searching for.
He simply had to get access to it. And if defeating a few Stalkborn elites was the price, then so be it.
"I'll stop here for today," Luna suddenly said, snapping Malakai out of his thoughts. "The other places are on the far side of the coven. It feels like too much to go all the way there." She smiled faintly. "You're a part of the coven now, so I'm sure you'll see them over time."
Luna smiled and gently ran a hand across Grunde's cheek. "Grunde too."
Grunde eyes lit up, nodding like a puppy who'd just been given a treat. They were about to kiss when Malakai's sharp voice cut through the moment.
"So we're done here?"
Grunde shot Malakai a what are you doing, little bro? look. Luna cleared her throat, slightly flushed. "Yes, we're done."
Luna's eyes widened slightly as she remembered. She'd taken Malakai's things before the competition started.
"Here." She pulled his scythe from her back and handed it to him. And then his utility belt. "Thank you again. For your help."
Malakai nodded, then turned to Grunde. "Get ready to leave within the hour. The rest of the squad will be looking for us."
Grunde deflated a little, but nodded. There really weren't any other options.
After that, Malakai walked away from the couple and began making his way across the coven. It was almost noon, and most of the residential areas were nearly empty.
The men were gone, and so were most of the women. He only saw the occasional child running around, their mothers nearby, always keeping a close eye.
Malakai let himself observe the coven from an unbiased lens. If he was being honest, the Gor'Mekhai weren't bad people. If they were the savages he had thought they were, he would have been ripped apart by now.
Clearly, the city was in the wrong here. Walking around the coven, Malakai could see the signs, decades to centuries of life etched into every corner. It was obvious: the Gor'Mekhai had been here first.
'But it won't change anything.'
In the end, it all came down to who had the power.
'Something is keeping the city from acting brazen,' he thought. Otherwise, the Gor'Mekhai would have been wiped out by now.
Despite his wandering thoughts, his feet still carried him back toward the massive tree. The Vita here made him feel… whole.
The sudden voice made his gaze sharpen. Malakai glanced around, trying to find the source, but saw nothing. Who?
His eyes locked on the great tree. He ignored the two silent guards flanking the entrance and peered into the darkness beyond. He couldn't see anything, but he had no doubt, that voice had come from there.
Malakai hesitated. Now that he'd heard it a second time, he recognized it. 'The coven head.'
He suddenly remembered Luna's words.
'She's the one who decides if I can join the competition or not.'
This might be his only chance to convince her.
He let out a deep breath and began walking toward the giant tree. With every step closer, the Vita in the air seemed to explode around him.