Amelia felt lightheaded from the overwhelming rush of Essence that flowed between the bond she shared with John. He was humming with the power, but she was putting all she had into keeping Chadwick alive.

Her intent flowed into her Essence as it circulated through her body and changed in functionality, flowed through her hands into Chadwick, and mended his flesh closed. The process was simple, but it took far longer than conventional magic capable of healing. Not only that, too many of his injuries were internal, including a severe concussion from his impact.

She didn’t know what Obsidian had done or even how they were gonna make it out of here alive, but she knew her gryphon had to have found a way. The Essence felt foreign, though it was less inconvenient for her as it was converted from Obsidian through their Oath into her own Essence.

She wouldn’t ever claim to know how Essence and magic worked, but she did know that she could use it. She jumped in fright when she felt Obsidian’s head against her arm. She’d been so focused on healing Chadwick that she hadn’t heard the gryphon approach which was quite astonishing when she saw his new size.

“Rank-Two,” she whispered. She just hoped that the price they had to pay was worth it. She’d have to ask the Overlord.

Obsidian nodded in response and beckoned towards Amadeus with a wing. She got the idea and looked back at Chadwick, considering the options they had available to him. She was still new to her healing ability, but he looked like he wouldn’t wake up for a while.

“There’s no choice,” she said to herself as she tapped Obsidian’s wing and motioned toward Chadwick. Obsidian’s tails wrapped around Chadwick’s waist, lifted him slowly off the ground where his body hung limply in the air, and then placed him softly on Obsidian’s wide back.

Obsidian touched his head to her own before returning back to Amadeus.

“Lovely of you to join us. I should inform you since he’s currently incapable. You will release me. Your gryphon is under Oath-”

“Liar!” she screamed at him. “He can’t have another permanent Oath. I would’ve felt it.”

“Please don’t interrupt until I’m finished. This will be your only warning before I send your gryphon on his way and keep you both here as permanent company. That might be a good idea to do anyway to keep you from dying and weakening him so that he can’t release me.” He looked back and forth between the two of them and then shook his head. “Nevermind. I don’t want to be responsible for anything that might happen to you here. Now,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “do we understand one another?”

“Yes,” Amelia responded through grit teeth.

“Good, now where was I?” Amadeus asked as he placed his finger against his chin in mock thought. “Oh right! Your gryphon has to release me. The seal is located in Ardenia under the Dragon’s Den.”

Amelia gasped and stumbled backward in fear, “Th-that’s a suicide mission!”

“You have three months,” Amadeus said with a flourish of his hand. A large portal opened up in the center of the grand chamber.

Amelia looked at Obsidian and back at Amadeus, and then back at Obsidian. She schooled her expression and stood back on her feet, straightening out her pants.

“Obsidian, let’s go.” She stepped through the portal and found herself standing outside the cave entrance. Obsidian followed her only a moment later. He turned and stared at the entrance and then looked back towards Amelia.

It was strange, but when he looked at her, she felt a deep, bitter sadness full of regret.

She felt unsettled by that look. She watched as he averted his gaze and looked off into the distance. “Wh-what happened?”

She knew he couldn’t respond, but she still felt the need to ask. Without looking at her, Obsidian started walking away. She thought about what Amadeus told her. The only Oath that was inherently temporary and could be used to bind someone already bound by a Heavenly Oath or Demonic Contract was a Neutral Binding.

Obsidian already got a Rank-up in exchange for releasing Amadeus, but that was far from equivalent. She couldn’t imagine what other terms were included in the exchange. There was no way to know, so she decided that focusing on completing the Binding was the only way to proceed.

Anxiety ate at her, taking her mind from their travels. She didn’t pay any attention to their direction. She simply followed after Obsidian who confidently strode forward and hoped that she had healed Chadwick enough to help him recover. There was no telling when dealing with monsters like Amadeus.

The fact that a seal for the Overlord was located in Ardenia in what was one of the three most dangerous places on the continent spoke volumes. The psychopath was only giving them three months as well.

“Why?” she asked aloud and then immediately bumped into Obsidian. He frantically looked side to side - up and down - frantically searching for something.

All was quiet.

She realized too late that it was just a little too quiet.

“Oh shi-” A magical cage flashed into existence around them and shackles exploded out of the walls. They wrapped around Obsidian and he roared in rage as the chains grabbed at Amelia’s limbs and forced her to the ground. Obsidian’s tails stabbed into the side of the cage and he raked his talons across the magical shackles that restrained her ineffectively.

His tails quickly punched a hole into the side of the cage and she gave her a long stare before he fled.

“He’s in the air!” one of their ambushers called out. Her face was pressed against the ground into the chains that bound her and his talons raked against the cage ineffectively. She could see flashes of light as spells were cast and tried to struggle free, doing her best to use her own Essence to corrupt the shackles that prevented her from moving, but it was all in vain.

“He got away, but I’m sure we’ll see more of him,” a familiar voice said, walking over to stand in front of the damaged magical cage that still contained Amelia. “We’ve got something he wants.”