Drakus meandered behind most others after the talks. He had brought much paperwork and taken many notes. What ever changes came from today he wanted to be prepared to make the most of them, to be sure Solaris could capitalise on it. As he came to the teleportation device he mused upon it. Something had been bugging him about the relic, more than just the fact he couldn’t have one. [center][h1][color=goldenrod]Drakus[/color][/h1][/center] [b][u]16th day of Anais[/u][/b] [indent][color=orange][i]Afternoon[/i][/color] Location: Harrows Tower, Basement?[/indent] “[color=goldenrod]Ughh[/color]” Drakus awoke suddenly with a sharp groan, disoriented and confused he shot up to his feet as he rapidly blinked away the blinding effects of a bright light still staining his vision. Unbalanced he stumbled for a bit before finding purchase on the nearby wall. What happened? Where was he? As the room slowly came into focus, a corridor maybe two meters wide, Drakus realised it was not one he was familiar with. He began to process the odd site when his memory came back and he recalled the last word he had said while standing on the teleportation stone. His own voice echoed in his head. ‘[i][color=goldenrod]Basement.[/color][/i]’ Despite what had just happened or was still happening, Drakus felt... Great! Heat rose from his body as he burned off excess mana and the room was already starting to warm. He rode the exhilarating feeling that came with it. It just didn’t seem to end. With a clear mind and proper thought, still he didn’t feel balanced, and soon he understood why. It was not him but the room, the long corridor before him lay on an odd slight incline. It seemed a bizarre design and he couldn’t fathom the reasoning behind it. But that was not all that was out of place. The more he looked upon it the more surreal the room became. Almost dream like. He began to pace up the stone corridor, the soft rug beneath his feet vanishing halfway into the floor. Part of the wall ran parallel to the incline while another part ran at what Drakus believed to be level. The shape and angle of the stone bricks were not consistent either, some shot out with jagged edges reaching for him menacingly. Iron doors that once ran down the corridor now no longer fit their frames. The first door he passed was no longer a door at all but an oblong hole in the stone, the bottom of the used-to-be doorframe ran through the middle of it while the iron door itself jutted out of the floor in the middle of the room like an iron tombstone. Worse than the doors or the floor was the teleportation pad he walked away from. Now no longer runes and sigils painted onto a solid surface it was instead an empty black void calling to him. An endless hole of darkness to and from nowhere, a mesmerising powerful vortex both impressive and equally terrifying. Cautiously Drakus threw a stone into its swirling deep depths but with no sight or sound from it he could only imagine what happened after the darkness consumed it. One thing was for sure, Drakus was not stepping into it. He watched it for a little longer, entranced by the abomination before him, it seemed to suck the very thoughts from his mind. Shaking free from its grasp he moved on, still ever weary and curious of those pads. Hopefully they were not ruined forever. [hr] While some of the doors were in disarray or non existent others still managed to hold in place just enough to bar the lords entrance into what ever lay behind them. Those that barred his path quickly became pools of molten iron, the constant flow of mana quickly replenishing his reserves. So far the contents of the rooms were consistent with what one might expect to find in a basement. Cleaning equipment and tools. Old sheets and spare quilts. After having to climb to enter one such rooms Drakus’s efforts were rewarded with an array of good foods, albeit half of them lay scattered across the floor. He helped himself as he searched the room, sampling the wares as he took some of the well stored salted meats and a satchel of vegetables. A greater find than that was what must be the guards supply room. It was filled with enough weapons to arm a battalion of men to the teeth they seem to be standard issue sabers, crossbows, and sets of armor. The last door at the end of the corridor was still perfectly in place, even the sign hanging from it was unaffected. It read. [indent][i]’Monk Residencies’[/i][/indent] He could have opened it normally but with the abundance of mana in the air there was little reason not to do things the fun way. Armed with a loaded crossbow and a small shield, Drakus heated the door to melting point before sending it exploding in and then stepping easily through the hole. As he enters the residencies, a grim sight confronts him. Beyond the entry hallway, in a barebone stone gemlit room, three monks lie lifelessly draped over a wooden table and chairs, all dead. Having either drowned in their own vomit or been overloaded with mana. He checked the bodies but there was nothing he could do. Beside the dead monks there were multiple doors. Through the contorted doors Drakus could see what must have been the communal sleeping quarters, not that they could be used for that any more. A soft muttering could be heard nearby, it held a familiar chorus to it. A prayer to Anais. It came from one of the distorted quarters. Drakus, following the sound, quickly made his way to investigate. There on the floor was a monk leaning against the wall. He was maybe thirty five years of age. His dark hair that hung over his face and lack of a pin mark him as one of the newer additions to the Brotherhood. He rocked ever so slightly as he recited the prayer again and again, seemingly unaware of Drakus’s growing presence. Drakus had seen this behaviour before, in men overwhelmed in combat by loss or injury. He knelt besides the man and joined him in preyer. When they came to an appropriate ending Drakus interjected with his most calming voice. “[color=goldenrod]Monk, can you tell me what is going on?[/color]” "I... I don't know... Colt and Ren were just discussing, and I... I just felt a tremor..." "And then Dev came in and..." "I woke up... and they were all..." The monk muttered never raising his head. Drakus grabs the man by the chin and lifts his face forcing eye contact. “[color=goldenrod]Yes they are dead now, may they find Anais. We on the other hand are not, now I believe you survived to help me, so pull yourself together and let’s find a way out of here. Your duty is not done yet.[/color]” Drakus spoke with such confidence his words were a matter-of-fact and he sought to give the monk purpose and importance. “[color=goldenrod]Now what do you know of these teleporters? Is this one still safe?[/color]” He asks leading the man back to the only entrance and exit he had soon to this place. The monk slowly got up and followed Drakus. "I... I've never seen them like this before." He again muttered, staring down into the deep portal. “[color=goldenrod]Well what do you know of them!?[/color]” "Not much." "Just how to operate them." The monk was appearing a little less shaken, but he still refused to meet Drakus's eyes by his own will. Drakus was growing frustrated and impatient by the monks slow recovery and lack of useful help. He let an eerie silence fill the room as he stood still staring at the top of the man’s head waiting for his gaze. “...” “[color=goldenrod]...[/color]” “...” Drakus finally spoke, placing a hand on the broken mans shoulder. “[color=goldenrod]Good sir, servant of Anais. What is your name?[/color]” “Je, J Jerome.” He softly stuttered under his breath, still never looking up. Drakus looked down at the poor man, 10 years his better but quivering like a useless weak fool. “[color=goldenrod]There there.[/color]” He said leaning in close. Then in a short sharp whisper he spoke directly into his ear. [sub]“[i][color=goldenrod] Jerome, if it’s safe, come back and get me ok, now go with Anais.[/color][/i]”[/sub] With that he pushed the monk into the broken teleportation device. Now, now the monk looked Drakus dead in the eyes. His own were wide and his face pale, the look of betrayal told all as he disappeared into the darkness.