Ero Skill Tree

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine: A New Goal

Liz sat there quietly and intently listening to our story, only occasionally stopping us to clarify things for her. Finally, we finished up.

Liz looked me straight in the eye as she shook her head. "Well, I did tell you to be cautious of the elf."

I had expected something like that.

"I thought you were talking about what I told her! I didn't think you meant like this." I answered.

"But she knew you were going to try and take the relic, didn't she?"

"At some point, but we didn't tell her we were doing it then. Anyway, she didn't seem to be in control of herself, it was almost as if..."

"Someone else was in control of her actions." Liz said finishing my sentence for me.

"You know something about it?"

"No..." Liz glanced across to Altria. "Or at least I didn't. I'd theorised that it could be possible, to those that had undergone the ritual, but this might have confirmed that."

Altria squirmed under Liz's gaze. "Nothing like that is happening to me. I'm sure of it!"

"I don't expect it has, yet. You haven't summoned enough or been doing it for long enough for it to have had that effect. Whereas Lillia has been doing this for a long time."

Hearing Liz say that had me worried, I needed to ask. "How long will she have been under the influence? You don't think that she's been controlled for the entire time that I've been here, do you?"

Liz stopped to think for a moment before answering. "Controlled no. From what I've seen and heard she's been herself, but it seems that someone was collecting information from her consciousness all of this time. They just chose that moment to take control and act. That is, if all of this wasn't of her own volition."

I couldn't believe she would have chosen to do that. "I don't think it was!"

"She wouldn't have, I've known her all of this time..." Altria said loudly.

Serin spoke up next. "I wasn't there, but I don't believe this is what she would have wanted."

"Well, it seems we're all of a similar opinion." Answered Liz.

"But you said if it wasn't her own volition." Altria said.

"I simply meant that it can't be ruled out. From what I know of her, it seems out of character for her to behave that way. If she was putting on an act for all this time, it was a very convincing one!" Replied Liz.

"You knew all of this time, but you didn't say anything. If I'd have known maybe I could have done something before it led to this..." I said while looking Liz in the eye.

She glanced away for a moment. "I'm sorry Theo. I didn't know, I only had a suspicion. I didn't know it was at all plausible, all I had to go on was something I'd heard long ago. I did urge caution to you, but perhaps I could have said more. I didn't want Lillia to know any more in case I was right, and if I wasn't I didn't want her to think I suspected her. You're right, I could have prevented this..."

I realised right away the impact my words had on her. This was something she had agonised about, and I'd blamed her for the outcome as soon as things had turned bad. In fact, this was partially my fault. If I'd only appeared more trustworthy from the beginning, she may have been confident enough to confide in me more.

"I don't think it's your fault Liz. Sorry I said that."

"Thank you, Theo, but I must hold some responsibility..."