Esto - Clarity: Part 3

I didn't know how to answer that question.  The only thing I could think was that if He was in the cavern the, there could be an entire army lurking in the shadows.  After some time an answer came from MidnightSun.  “You said he had a tattoo over his face.”  Adelia nodded.

“When I placed the shell tattoo on Esto and myself it was in an effort to protect us from whatever malevolence had wracked Esto’s mind.  It’s possible His tattoo has power too.”

That thought worried me.  "You're telling me his tattoo allows him to link at will?"  I didn't want to believe it.  "Is such a thing even possible?"

"I saw him link into the apartment" said Adelia.  "I doubt he had a linking book to that location."

"Lets say he can link at will.  Why did he go to the apartment?  Why did the Bahro protect Esto?  And why did they link you away but leave Esto there?  If what you told us is true then this figure was looking for him and still I want to know why."

I had never heard MidnightSun be so verbose.  He was still angry.  I could hear it in the implications he was making.  He didn't trust her.  His mistrust in Adelia was unfounded.  He raised good points, but was leaping to all the wrong conclusions; or so I hoped.

“You said yourself you were protecting us from a malice,” I said to MidnightSun.  I needed to draw his attention to the real problem.  “I can think of few things more malevolent than these people; their leader doubly so.  My madness made me vulnerable.  If he came to the apartment then it would seem he knew where I was.  Perhaps he could feel my presence.”  I had his attention again.

MidnightSun got it.  “The Triple Shell,” he said.

“His Journey.  Yes,” I said.  “We saw the Takes throughout the journey.”  I thought back to the final moments of the Triple Shell; how I found myself in the star fissure and walked a spiraling path.  “He was there with us,” I said.  Each time I went over that moment I was more sure it was true.  It all made sense: the Takes; the Star Fissure; the false journey; and D’ni in the sky.  “Without realizing it we were helping him open a portal to D’ni.”

“But I thought you said the Venalash weren't in the cavern,” said Adelia.

“That’s right,” I said.  “Which means...”

“Which means the ‘journey’ failed,” said MidnightSun.