Chapter 52
Answers at Last
Dyn and Sylas sat opposite of one another inside the cramped room, with the forr shakily looking about and the latter processing Dyns answer still. What followed Sylas seemingly innocent question of what were you planning to do with the Shard?' was a rather long and complex narrative that wound its way back to 'Shard was for imprisoning the Prince, for so ritual I think, I'm not too sure'.
In fact, Sylas wanted to go back in ti and start with another question. Well, he could, but he didnt want to waste another month just waiting. As such, he summarized Dyns overly complex narrative the best he could.
From what the young man told him, he was recruited so few months before Derrek supposedly killed him. Dyn skirted around the details as to why he accepted, and Sylas didnt bother asking since he didnt care. During the few months, he extracted a few minor artifacts from his Orders Treasury and handed them over to the Shadows as he called themthey were n, sotis won, without faces, often appearing in the walls, and in the night.
After being 'killed', he was woken in so underground Temple, alive and well. Furthermore, he'd learned his attunent with energy had grown exponentially, and his strength was far greater. 'Revival', however, didn't co without the price; he was quickly sent off to various corners of the Kingdom in search of the supposed 'missing Shards'. Eventually, his search led him to Ethwar Castle.
It was around the ti Sylas showed up in this world that Dyn had begun planning the heist; his plans were, naturally, interrupted by the Ghoulish invasion and the subsequent arrival of the Prince. After he relayed the new information to the Shadows, they had a new order for himto imprison the Prince in the Shard. Part of the reason why he inford Sylas of everything he did was simply his own amusent, but also because he suspected Valen would send away so trustworthy n to be on the lookout which would ease the access to the Prince himself, especially during the battle.
That part Sylas still found strange as it made little sense but was not the most important part. The one that intrigued him the most, at least for the mont, was what Dyn was mumbling about whilst leaving the castle.
What wasnt there? Sylas asked again.
It another Shadow, Dyn replied, lowering his head. A deserter. H-huh? A traitor.
"I've seen him," Sylas said, causing yet another bout of a shock to erge on Dyn's face. "He wanted to kill the Prince. Why? If he's a traitor, shouldn't he want to protect him?"
I Im not too sure, Dyn replied. After all, he wasnt a Shadow himselfjust a grunt. Even most of the information he had he ca to know through his own ans rather than outright being told everything.
Did you know that Derrek is in the castle?
what?! Hehes here?! How?!! Does does he know about ?!
No, Sylas shook his head. He still very much believes you are dead. He told that the Shard can be used to permanently imprison mbers of his Order. Is that true?
"What?" Dyn scoffed. "I an, yes, I suppose? But not uniquely mbers of the Order. As far as I can tell, the Shard is just a remnant subspace. It's it's like a mini, pocket dinsion. Anything, if it fits, can be stored in there indefinitely. Not alive, but indefinitely nonetheless."
These Shadows, Sylas asked, moving the conversation back. He knew that his ti was limitedthough faint, because he had trained with the natural energy quite a lot this loop, he actually felt a trail of it erge from Dyn into the mirror, likely summoning whatever he was terrified of once more. Do you even know anything about them? Or are you just a pawn? being called a pawn seed to set Dyn awry, causing him to bite his lower lip for a mont before replying.
"II know they're powerful," he said. "So powerful that they have so people in the Palace. I also know that they have at least one tier-Three Mage. They have nurous artifacts. I've seen them. A whole treasure chamber of 'em."
Did you know they worship the Condemned? Sylas asked, but judging by Dyns lukewarm reception, it appeared he was unaware.
No, Dyn shook his head. I only heard a few call themselves Children of the Condemned once or twice, but I thought they only ant it in the outcasts aning.
Sylas fell silent once again even if he didnt truly have the luxury to do it. There were many, many questions he wanted to ask. But wasting a month each and every ti for 10-15 minutes of Dyns half-baked attention Before you realized that the Prince was alive, he asked. What were you supposed to do with the Shard?
I I was supposed to hand it over, Dyn said.
To whom?
I dont know.
Youre starting to yank my balls.
II really dont! Dyn exclaid. I I just know that I was supposed to wait in the abandoned mine and that a man in a cape would co and take the Shard from . A cape? Again? I swear, thats all!
Man in a cape? Whos that?
I I dont know, Dyn replied. I only heard rumors. So people talk about him, you know? Like how he can do things, inhuman things. It doesnt make sense, Sylas sighed inwardly. If their goal is to entrap Valen for whatever reason, why did the caped dude off him that night of the ambush, then? And who the hell is so easily identified via the fucking cape?! Like turning the living into the dead.
Thats murder and and, well, weve all done it, Sylas sighed, shaking his head.
No, not that, Dyn replied quickly. Living into the dead.
wait. You an Ghouls?
Could he be the source? Sylas mumbled indistinctly. Dyn ntioned they had soone in the Palace. Maybe its him? Soone from the Royal Family whos easily identified by a cape Id have to ask Valen. Hm? Looks like your Master is back, Sylas said, glancing at the mirror. Took him long enough.
Y-yyou knew?! But but why
You should leave, Dyn, Sylas said. This no longer concerns you.
without needing to be told twice, Dyn sprinted out of the hole in the ground and vanished. A re mont later, Sylas saw the mirror crack slightly as a phantom appeared within, a featureless face, a form of smoke.
Who are you?" just like the figure held up by the harness of chains in the sky, the phantom spoke directly into Sylas' mind. The difference, however, was that the figure in the sky nearly broke Sylas' psyche completely and turned him into a thing, while the phantom's was a whole lot akin to Sylas' own inner voice.
A concerned third party, Sylas replied, cracking a smile. Wondering why half the Kingdom seems to have a hardon for my castle and my Prince and my people.
ah, you must be the fake ssiah I have heard certain things about, the phantom said. The man who foresaw the invasion. Who guided the Princes hand. The charlatan who fancies himself a swordsman.
You seem to know an awful lot about that charlatan. As though you were keeping an eye out for , though Sylas said it casually, inwardly, he was actually quite shocked. If he was already drawing the attention of the figures larger than life, then Valen wasnt as good of a blanket as he thought.
rely hearings, the phantom said. I am quite curious, however, as to where my servant is and what you had done with him.
Nothing, Sylas replied. Ive no use for the terrified boys. Its the n who loom over them that interest . Like you. And the caped cock. And the deserter who nearly offed the head of my Prince. Though there were no evident expressions to be seen, the lengthened pause before the phantom spoke told Sylas that he had shaken the figure considerably.
For a charlatan, you seem to know an awful lot.
And much more, Sylas said. Condemned, I have to inform you, hardly care for their supposed children. Theyre breeding an army, an army that wont care that a cult bends over for their gods. An army that will devour us all without compromise.
you have witnessed the Well? Ha ha ha, you have witnessed it! It it is true, then. The Old Writs are true.
Ah, this must be the part where I get confused. Goddammit. Just wing it, juuuust wing it. And because I have witnessed it, I can boldly proclaim you all are fucking morons who should have been aborted before birth. Though I hardly can imagine your little rituals had any impact on what I had seen, if they did you have condemned the whole world, yourselves included.
Humph, brainless mutt. Spare your sophistry. You cannot possibly imagine the world we wish and the world we shall have. It doesnt matter. You wont live to experience it, anyway. But, as you have truly, resolutely made my day, I shall grant you a swift, painless death. It is more than I grant to even my favored Generals who disappoint .
Ah, yes, of course, Sylas rolled his eyes, sighing. Looks like one ti is hardly enough to learn everything I need to know. At least, tell whos the caped cock? Just how deep does your venom run in the Royal Blood?
to the roots, the phantom crackled, though didnt elaborate. Now farewell, o' fake ssiah. May your fake gods grant you eternal rest. A few tendrils of smoke escaped the mirror and shot toward Sylas eyes. He didnt resist, knowing that resistance would just prolong his suffering.
Following a mild headache and slightly scorched throat, he found himself dying, once more. At least, he mused, this death was quite fruitful. Hed finally gotten so actual answers and could begin to piece the puzzle whole. After a few more loops of this, that is.
You have died.
Save point Ignorant Awakening has been initialized.
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