Randomness

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

Fia let out a small sigh. Arcan seemed to be set in his ways. That was to be expected by such an entity beyond several decades old. But further more, though Fia had confidence that the group as a whole could restrain him, it would not be without loss on their side. Fia only knew him for the moment and it was enough to gauge how much power he had. Especially if being angry was enough to shake the vault.
“Oh my. He has certainly left a sour taste in your mouth, hasn’t he, darling? It doesn’t sound very miko like to me.” said Fia. She said these words in a way not to provoke the young miko, instead to encourage her resolve. “You asked before if I would aid you, well, I’ll defer to your decision in this manner. I don’t particularly care about the condition of that room. I only suggested it because I assumed you might want to still purify it. Seeing as you’re in no mood, I’ll only go as far as help our dear masked knight with his investigation.”
“All that said, lets not linger too long. A quick peak and then we should go. Djinn, especially ancient djinn, are quite powerful in their domains. As you can imagine, this vault belongs to Arcan’s.”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

Well, the disturbance was definitely Arcan, not that much consideration was even given to any of the other party members. There was very little reason Jazdia would need to bomb the vault archive, for example. Speaking of, it was that ranger elf that looked to have been injured. She stood, slightly hunched as she was regaining her breath. Arcan stood in the middle, an intense glared pointed at Miwa, yet still poised in front of Jazdia. Rezello stood defensively sword at the ready, And then Verdant. She donned something less adorable than Fia remembered, looking more monstrous with venom in her eyes.
Fia, as well as the others who arrived last, only heard the resolution of the conflict. At least a temporary reprieve. No one stood down and it was clear more was to be said. The altercation was explained by Miwa in passing as she talked down at the ancient djinn. The curse, Jazdia’s curse, was associated with someone called Lythiel. Whoever that was must have been of some importance given the response from Arcan. Fia’s eyebrows rose at the information. Her curse was more than just some revenant’s revenge, it was an attempt to return, to once again reclaim the pride these forests once held. Fia never heard of Lythiel before, but it was certainly big news to the elves, and Arcan himself.
Fia casually walked between Arcan and Miwa. She looked at Arcan first and then at the young miko. The girl had a righteous heart and her attitude matched her resolve, but when it came to matters of the ancient Djinn, even with numbers, they were not to be trifled with lightly.
“That’s enough, dear. As much as I would love for an ancient djinn to follow us on our endeavors, his duty is to this vault.” Fia said in a calm tone. Fia knew she was in a dangerous position, but Fia took that risk trusting her allies to better decide in this situation. Ancient djinn were powerful enough as it was. And it was especially true when when they occupied a space under their reverence. Whoever said Djinn didn’t have a home were wrong. He might not have had anything personal to lose, but he still had ever reason to not hold back against the party should an engagement occur. Djinn were most powerful in their place of dominion. And for Arcan, that was this vault.
“I suggest we clear out that contaminated room as a sign of good will. Let Arcan reclaim that section of the vault. In exchange, we leave here peacefully, and promise not to return. At least until the time in which that curse is no longer affecting our dear Jazdia. Be it cleansed or death. Does that sound amiable, dear Arcan?”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

Fia lagged behind as the elves hurriedly departed towards the source of the distress. Calm as they tried to appear, it didn't take much to see the tension in their demeanor. Still, this became an opportunity in itself. In the moment she remained alone, Fia took some of the valuables from the glass case. Fia noticed early on that none of the cases were locked. Perhaps the vault relied on its remoteness as security, or maybe the artificer who built this the vault never expected it to be so abandoned. Regardless, Fie made sure to grab particularly the one item Eblana seemed most drawn to. Perhaps Fia could gift it in the future, where the ancient djinn was no longer a threat to the party.
“Hmm, yes.” said Fia, now standing near the Vesemir. He only stopped briefly to ask before quickly walking down the hall towards where the others were. Fia has interacted with several djinn of multiple compositions. They were enigmatic and few had any similarities between them. They could have multiple categories in and of themselves if anyone wanted to dedicate the time to do so. Fia spent over a decade going beyond simple study and she concluded that there would be no point. However, they were like most living beings. They could feel, thus also feel threatened. Animalistic, monstrous, or sentient, it didn’t matter.
“And we might just there, darling. I cannot think of anyone else except Arcan who would be able to display enough power to shake the entire vault. Something definitely has him agitated. I hope those dears are able pacify him, one way or another.”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

Certainly the equivalent of a minor earthquake didn’t mean anything good. Eblana had collapsed into a ball, and Vesemir was very obviously panicked. No sooner had Fia urged the elven woman to consider the freshly discovered jewelry, the vault was turned on its head. Whatever could be said about the weight of the sound, it was suddenly more interesting to Fia than the jewels at hand.
“Displaced?” Fia questioned, but did not expect an answer, "I assure you, dear Eblana and I were on our best behaviour." Given how convenient it was for everything else to be moved around, it felt odd if Fia and Eblana’s shopping spree would have caused the commotion. No, to Fia, the enraged atmosphere was from something else. The curator was the obvious choice. Vesemir was probably on to something about that. Since Arcan was no where near the curatorium nor the workshop, it had to have been something else to draw his ire. “No, darling, nothing of the sort. But dear Arcan lead Jazdia away towards another part of the vault. A library or archive of sorts would be my guess given her request. Just out the door, and farther down the hall is where I last saw them.”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

The mood in the room was rather down. With attempts to change the subject on the matters at hand, such as the enchantments and perhaps planning on where to camp for the night, the atmosphere didn’t actually change. Fia wasn’t really in defense of herself or humanity in general, but it was nice to know that at least Vesemir wasn’t one to hold the crimes of those who once lived in the past to those currently living in the present. Overall, it was not the most pleasant conversation. When uncovering the annals of the far past, at least the far past in human standards, it’s hard to think about what was and what could have been.
“You go ahead, darling. I’ll wait here when you return with our young miko.” said Fia. Rezello gathered the recently enchanted items in his arms before leaving the room. The masked knight paused in the doorway before decidedly making his way farther down the hall. Fia turned to look at those who remained. Mainly the group that traversed into the abandoned forest alone first and the ninja clones. Fia wished Degel were present. His imposing stature might have helped bring more security in the unknown of the vault.
“Well then, while he is off on his errand, I think it is time to lift our spirits. This place hasn’t been visited in a decade, and centuries before that. We are surrounded by countless treasures. Maybe we can find something fun to play with. I bet many of these objects are itching to be used after so many years of dormancy. How about you, dear Elbana? Come join me. Maybe we can find a lovely piece of jewelry to compliment your beauty. It would at least help you get your mind off the spontaneous intimacy.” Fia held out her hand as she spoke. She smiled as she extended the invitation. Fia had already found some items of interest, mostly from appearances alone. Even if items had papers explaining them, Fia would rather experience the different aspects of the artifacts to get a better grasp of their capabilities. She hadn’t even tried as Vesemir was performing his enchantments. But now that there was downtime for everyone, would be a good chance to find something good. “After all, there is a chance we can walk away with something worthwhile, ourselves.”
Fia lingered around one of the glass shelves containing differing forms of jewelry or loose gems. If the teleporter sceptre had any indication, the gems were likely the means in which many items held vast magical power, or at least powers either rare or lost to time. Fia looked up from the case as she admired a particular brooch. Something in the air shifted. The room shook and faint anger could be heard from outside the hall. A force one should be wary to reckon with was stirring. The change was sudden, leaving Fia curious as to what could have changed so rapidly.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

Fia listened to Vesemir as he explained the circumstances in which the lands were abandoned and never reclaimed. Now it made sense why that old elf she used to travel with wouldn’t talk about it. He probably didn’t care what the lands contained because it was easier for him to not think about what could have been had the postwar recovery been more fair. Fia wouldn’t actually know for sure without speaking to him again, and right now it wasn’t clear when that would happen next.
As Vesemir spoke, Fia could tell that the history of that time was not a pleasant one. Of course the war and the aftermath wasn’t pleasant, but Fia could understand that despite the centuries, for the elves, that was not too long ago. Who knows how long it’s been since the humans either left or died out, but their absence, and the elves reluctance to return had left these lands to be reclaimed by the wilds. And whatever effects that carried on since the war and postwar had let those wilds house entities and anomalies more dangerous than most.
“You are right deary. That history is several generations before my time. Generations that might have died out by now. Though war may bring opportunity and bounties, it’s hard to deny the costs others have to endure. Costs that those displaced were forced to pay. I can’t imagine the memory being that fresh and to watch as the offspring of those abusers forget the role of their ancestors.” said Fia. The disparity between the two species life spans was very evident. For humanity, past crimes were hardly carried between generations. Humanity could be born, grow, learn, and die assigning the crimes to those humans of the past. It was easy. But for humanity, that ‘ease’ was not due to malice. They were just short-lived compared to the elves. For those elves, maybe humanity’s mortality felt too continent. They could still be licking their wounds and humanity would have already grown past the need to feel guilt.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

Fia chuckled as Vesemir finished speaking. While Fia considered that if they had cleaned out the vault, she could see Arcan’s alternate form, it was still too early to be pulling those kinds of shenanigans. “You are just fine the way you are, darling. You take that book and you treasure it. I’m sure you’ll get more value out of it any of us could with anything else. Except maybe…” Fia paused short of mentioning a cure to Jazdia’s curse. To seek knowledge over a cleansing artifact must mean that ancient artificer never designed such an object, or that it’s not here. Odd considering that he prepared a spell for combating liches. Fia stopped the conversation as Vesemir offered his sincere smile. Besides, there was also Stepan.
“Ah, there you are, darling. You were so quiet and to yourself I lost track of you. Glad to see you were not whisked away by some cursed trinket or nefarious djinn. We’ve only met the one, but given the state of things, there could be others hiding.” joked Fia after Stepan spoke up. However, it was clear that though he were only an outsider, he was curious about the twilight lands. They were valid questions. Fia knew very little of the lands herself. What she knew she learned from an elf she used to travel with and even then his answers were cryptic like it was some kind of secret. All he really said was there lied remains of what would be better off forgotten.
Fia looked back at the two elves, “Easy is always easy. But being blunt will better get the point across, darling. Go with that.”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

With everything that Fia wanted to contributed to the conversation said, she listened as the others spoke among themselves. Miwa got her permission to cleanse the contamination the lich left behind in the front of the vault. However, it seemed like the plan had been expanded to hunting down the lich that caused the contamination to begin with. Fia wasn’t opposed to the idea, but it did feel out of the way compared to what Vesemir had come to the twilight forest to begin with. It sounded like wherever it decided to hole itself up at was in the vicinity of the twilight lands, so maybe it was just a hope and chance for opportunity.
Fia wandered around the displays of different artifacts, getting a feel for some of them as best she could. She would remove some from the wall of their display cases to observe them, putting them back as she finished. All the while she had partial attention to the ongoings of the others as well. Vesemir had dusted off an old enchantment table, blessing different weapons of the others to better combat the undead. Or perhaps it was for liches specifically. Fia didn’t care to have anything of hers enchanted this way. In her experience, her magic was often enough to deal with beings of less than human constitution. And if there was ever a chance it wasn’t, then at least the others would be prepared enough to compensate.
Fia did get some third party enjoyment from the little interactions of the others. Vesemir was eager with his ideals, and Eblana was flustered by the young ninja’s gratitude. To see the female elf’s face grow red and then attempt to hide in a tome was especially amusing. Especially since her ears clearly poked out the sides of the pages, as red as a tomato. It wasn’t long after when the ancient djinn led the serpent yokai, miko, and cursed elf towards another archive. One that contained that hopefully contained the knowledge the latter needed to break her own curse. Fia watched them leave, waiting for them to turn the corner. There didn’t seem much left to enchant. But there was still the rune stone, and the book Vesemir acquired from somewhere within the vault.
“I suppose then that book is your claim from this place? Or are we allowed to learn of its secrets for free? If I’m being honest here, I’d prefer the second, for it gives us plenty to choose from otherwise. However, with a limit of two, it would be appropriate for you to have the final say, darling. That said, I don’t think we can carry that enchantment table with us if it as fragile as you say.” said Fia, completely ignoring the significance of any of the objects within the room. Besides Arcan, her interest in the items were more for practicality and immediate use than any historical or sentimental meaning. She saw the items more as loot than as historical curios.
“At the very least, I’m surprised our dear Stepan hasn’t said anything. He seemed to most into the hidden treasures we’d find than most. I wonder where he has gone?”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

“I’m sorry darling,” said Fia. In retrospect, maybe she should have actually paid more attention to what the djinn was saying instead of only half listening while trying to figure out the nature of Arcan’s ethereal body capable of physical interaction. “You already told us you had limited information, and I wanted to push just how much you knew. Well, what’s done is done. I’m sorry my dear, Rezello. We may have found the initial problem. Somehow, this sceptre ended up in Scheel, and it along with everyone there was sent back here. What happened to the rest at the other three landing points, their fates were probably not much kinder. Perhaps if you find that necromancer.”
Fia held the sceptre in her hands. It was broken, unable to be charged, but still held the spell within. If it was controlled remotely, then there had to still be a connection. Fia channeled some magic into the sceptre. Like following a string, Fia tried to trace the controller Arcan spoke of. For a moment, Fia could sense it. The controller was close, likely somewhere still in the vault. The contaminated room, perhaps? Either the wizard was still here, or he abandoned it after getting what he wanted. The sceptre was still in the hands of the man who clutched it after the teleportation, so it was unclear if the wizard even knew of its condition. He probably knew that he couldn’t recharge it quickly. Either way, it seemed that lead was cut short.
“If you like, darling, you can have this instead.” said Fia to Rezello. “It seems intimately tied to your backstory, and in its current condition, I don’t think it will be of much use. Its controller is nearby, though. Maybe we will stumble upon it when our darling Miko decides to purify that barred room. There seems like the place to find it. If not, I wonder where else inside the vault that necromancer plundered.”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Fia Blackfire

---

Fia was not swayed by Arcan’s rebuttal of Fia’s desire. Djinn mostly consisted of solitary creatures than anything else. While Arcan might not be as such, Fia was used to these mystical entities being more closed off. Still, Arcan’s true form might be one of those whose presence alone is enough to cause harm. A question Fia could prod later. All of this to say, while the opportunity remained, Fia would try to learn more of what made Arcan, well, Arcan.
But such a moment might have to wait. Grave matters were being discussed, and it would be rude to interrupt such dealings at that time. Fia removed the scepter from her bag as it was becoming the focus of the conversation. Rezello had invested interest in its workings, and Arcan spoke cautiously of it. Damaged as it was, it still exuded power, though not much. A clear vessel to something miraculous.
Fia was already impressed by the mere idea that long distance teleportation could be contained and accessed inside a magical sceptre. To learn the work and reason behind its development, and such rigorous testing it underwent just to guarantee success gave wonder to just how special a find it was. However, to also learn of each defect that had befallen it after its most recent use did put a damper on it. Even if Fia could somehow charge it despite the missing mana defined gem, without the activation ring, or the spell chant itself, it was practically useless. Even if it had power, Fia could not activate it under normal means.
“If I’m hearing this right, those tickets are not something anyone wandering the street would find stuck underneath the farmer’s trolley. And given the complexity of the scepter itself, the necromancer was no mere bystander. He had motive and ability. It’s hardly anyone’s fault such a man found the means of infiltrating the vault to get what he wanted. Whether it could have been avoidable doesn’t matter. It has happened, and they can do is learn from it, darling Mr. Elc.” said Fia. Whether it was used as intended was not fully expanded on, but regardless, it was charged and used recently. At least when compared to when it was built. To only pull a dozen people felt a little underneath its potential.
Fia gave pause as Miko spoke about the last known location of the necromancer, that room just before the foyer, barred shut, and contaminated with malicious energy. “If you wish to speak to Vesemir about it, he and the others have been perusing the cabinet of curiosities for the moment. Whatever they decide, you can let me know. I’ll lend you my magic should you require it of me. I admit I’m a little curious of the lingering energies that the room is contaminated with. Necromancy is one of those schools of magic that has never really come up during my studies.
Fia turned to face Arcan. She turned her head to Rezello. It was hard to read just what he was thinking. The metal mask over his face made it impossible to see whatever expressions he might be having. But the tone of his voice and posture exuded sorrow and contemplation. This was probably the first and biggest lead the knight had towards uncovering what happened in Scheel. “Dear Arcan, you said it could teleport people near it it. Is that the only way? How did the feigning novice wizard teleport people from a city several miles away from the sceptre itself, trapped within that room of the vault entrance? Then to have only twelve individuals appear at one of four landing sites. An entire city disappeared after all; twelve feels low. It sounds like beyond choosing a landing site, the necromancer couldn't choose where anyone would show. This scepter seems the most likely culprit to what happened to that city ten years ago simply because it can mass teleport an army. But what happened isn't lining up. Is there anything else you can recall about it?"