153 - Lock and Key

Vittoria didn’t call a healer for Sir Spendulon, despite Arielle and Inara’s fervent requests.

Not only did she claim that she didn’t know any dragon or reptile healers, but she also asserted that his nausea was probably a result of being cooped up indoors for too long. He seemed otherwise fine to her, and so she ignored the girls’ pleas and said, “The best thing we can do for him is track down all the demons quickly and get rid of them. So let's focus on that. Alright?"

Arielle reluctantly nodded, although they still kept a close eye on Sir Spendulon for the rest of the day. He seemed largely unaffected by the episode and even had a bit of lizard for dinner–raw, not in the stew form. Then they retired to Inara's bedroom, where Arielle petted Sir Spendulon, and Inara sang to him until he fell asleep.

Arielle also spent the night reading Cornelius’ diary, wondering if there was something she could do to prevent the demonic orb from finding her through the abyss.

From what she gathered from her in-depth study, the abyss was an entity in which different other entities reside, like the Drift and Cornelius Draco and Plutarch and all manner of abyssal creatures. Each abyssal area was distinct but also connected in a way that meant that with effort, one could find another through the abyss. There were doors into the abyssal domains, like the Helleron Ruins where she found Cornelius and the library where she assumed Plutarch was. These doors likely acted as shortcuts to where she needed to go.

There was also an inner abyss that she found by holding Cornelius' notebook. The Drift had found her there. Safe to say, he could move freely within the abyss with no problem.

What if she could get into the abyss and get rid of the demonic orb before it found her? If she meditated, could she find it? Or would the Drift trap her in her body as she feared?

Was there a way to preemptively block access to her soul? She didn't know, having not experimented with the abyss enough. She had been waiting for Professor Valeria to get permission for the lab, so they could begin studying the abyss in depth, but was there something else she could do right now?

The thoughts danced around her head in a loop until she eventually fell asleep.

The next day, Arielle met Elric on a drafty, secluded hilltop, with a tower that essentially leaned on the natural hill of the landscape. There was a drizzle outside, but the way the clouds gathered indicated there would be a storm soon. The ground was also marshy and swampy, and there were bits of corruption hanging in the air.

Not much in terms of essences, though.

“This is Yseult's estate," Elric explained as they walked to a grand door. "It's close to a major city but reclusive enough that he can hide from the world."

"Why is he here instead of at the sect?" Arielle wondered aloud.

"I doubt he wants to sleep in the same room you so thoroughly invaded." Elric sounded amused.

"Oh." Arielle guessed that made sense. Nevertheless, she wasn't sorry for Yseult’s discomfort. He deserved it, for what he had done to Elric.

As they stood and waited for the door to open, Vittoria’s bird materialized on Arielle's shoulder.

"Don't forget what we discussed," she said, and Arielle nodded. Vittoria had taught her earlier this morning how to speak directly to her, without saying words out loud. It was actually easy. It was called directed thought, and she basically had to go through the process of thinking the words, directing them to her lips but never voicing them.

She had also told Arielle that Elric could do the same and that way all three of them would be in constant communication.

After that, Vittoria and Arielle had gone to fetch the blue orb from the cave, and Arielle had brought it along with her for the trip, just in case. Luckily, the blue orb had started following her of its own free will, so she no longer had to trap it in a spell to get it to play along.

"Be careful," Vittoria said. "And good luck."

The portal bird disappeared a few seconds before the door opened.

Arielle moved back as a tall, broad-shouldered, dark-skinned man filled the entrance. He had a grave expression and dark-rimmed eyes that were so green it reminded her of emeralds.

“Mahmoud,” Elric greeted. “Thank you again for allowing us to do this.”

“Anything that can hasten this investigation and conclude my association with Gio Li, I welcome.” His shrewd gaze travelled from Elric to Arielle. He executed a bow. “Nice to see you again, Commander Vittoria.”

Arielle didn’t say anything, as previously instructed.

“Erm, Vittoria is currently busy,” Elric explained. “And this soul clone is nonverbal.”

“Truly?” He straightened and peered at Arielle, reaching out to poke her cheek. “She looks very realistic.”

“Yes, Vittoria invested a lot in making her appear that way. She can talk as well, but she just won't speak as often because, as I said, Vittoria is occupied."

“I see.” The man stepped back and gestured with his hand. “Well, you're welcome to discuss this with him. He’s done nothing today but sit, read, and write. He used to go on regular walks to the garden, but thanks to the rain, he has stayed indoors. He doesn't receive any visitors anymore."

“Does he go to town?"

"Not often. The pain...it's starting to limit his movement. He’s deteriorating quicker than expected. He also doesn’t sleep much as the agony of his suppression is worse at night, and he doesn’t have as much to distract himself then.” His face darkened, his lips forming a line. “It won’t be long now.”

Won’t be long till what? Arielle wanted to ask, but she didn’t voice the question. Elric seemed to understand as his expression also darkened.

The tower was drafty, cold, dark. There were no chairs or tables, very little in terms of decoration, no rugs. It was a stark difference from Yseult's home at the demonic sect, which had been minimalistic but also classically decorated with iron and stone accents, statues and glyphs, luxurious carpets and elegant furnishings.

As compared to that, this place looked empty and dull. Like the home of a man who'd had everything taken from him to settle a debt.

It was also dusty, which meant that he didn't put much effort into maintaining it.

Maybe he couldn’t afford to, considering most of his wealth had been reportedly confiscated.

The staircase was bordered by a tall wall, with intricate carvings on it, and a wooden banister. As they walked up, the banister shook, clearly loose.

Mahmoud and Elric ignored it. Arielle was tempted to fix it, just from the pathological need for order, but she heeded Vittoria’s advice and let it go, not wanting to call too much attention to herself.

Then they finally appeared in a parlor, empty except for a long scroll and a man on the floor, drafting what looked to be a long, winding script.

So this is Yseult.

It was odd that, for all their history and with how much she knew about him, this was the first time she was actually meeting him. He had long hair and soft features interrupted by a hooked nose and downturned eyes that seemed permanently sad, and eyebrows that were slanted harshly on his face. His long hair was tied to the nape of his neck, but it looked lank and wet, thinning at the top.

“Yseult.”

He looked up, his cheeks hollow and gaunt, deep-set bags underneath his eyes. His gaze tracked the group, a snarl curling his upper lip.

“Must I spend the last of my days meeting with you people?" he asked.

“We have a few questions.”

“Of course you do. You seem to enjoy tormenting me lately, Elric.”

"I'm not the reason for your torment, Yseult," Elric answered calmly, and the other man mumbled something under his breath. He rose to his feet with difficulty, wincing as though in pain.

In the meantime, Arielle considered what he was crafting. She'd never seen anything like it before. Was it a magical script? Strange, considering he couldn’t use magic again.

“We actually came to offer a deal,” Elric said. “We want you to open something. In return, we’ll purchase items to allow you some more comfortable quarters."

This is a pirate copy — the real one is on NovelPhoenix.

Yseult raised an eyebrow, and Elric glanced at Arielle.

Ari nodded, and Elric materialized the book.

Instantly, Arielle turned on her [Sensate] and her aura sight, so that she would sense anything Yseult might be about to do to it. She had brought the blue orb with her, and it now danced around, waiting for her instruction.

As Elric walked forward with the book, she paid particular attention to the orbs surrounding it and Yseult's expression.

“My journal," Yseult murmured as he stared down at it with a hunger that made Arielle uncomfortable.

“It is,” Elric said. “You want it back, don’t you?”

His jaw worked as he stared back up at Elric and nodded.

“If you can open it for us, after we're done using it to put an end to this demonic nonsense once and for all, then maybe you can have it back. Along with a few things to make your holdings more comfortable.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better about dying slowly and painfully?” Yseult’s expression was bitter but amused.

Elric shrugged, not answering.

"And how can I trust that you're telling the truth?"

"You'll just have to. We can always make you, but I would rather not resort to that.”

Yseult inclined his head and flicked his left hand. A blade appeared in his palm, and he was about to prick his finger when Elric said, "Wait."

He paused.

"Just hold the book for now."

Yseult raised an eyebrow. "That's not how it's opened."

"I know," Elric stated, and Yseult narrowed his eyes at him. His gaze also moved to Arielle, and he clenched his teeth. Sudden rage filled his expression.

"I assume you're the one who stole from me," he said.

Arielle said nothing, just stared at him blankly.

"A clone," Yseult smirked. "You believe she has a way of opening it without my blood?"

"We'll see."

"You're wasting your time," he said. "But of course. You can try."

Elric made the book float over to Yseult, and as Yseult began to reach for it, Elric narrowed his eyes.

“Just touch it,” Elric reminded him, and Yseult nodded.

He moved forward and put his hand on the book

Nothing happened.

Arielle stared at it hard, waiting to see if any of the orbs would rise to the surface, but so far nothing.

Disappointment weighed heavily on her.

“Let him use his blood,” Arielle told Vittoria.

“It might destroy it,” Vittoria said.

"I won't let it," Arielle said.

Vittoria must have relayed the information to Elric because he narrowed his eyes and stared at Arielle for a long time.

Trust me, Arielle tried to communicate with her gaze.

He sighed and nodded.

"Use your blood," he told Yseult, who grinned. Arielle also used [Creature Control] to improve her casting speed.

Yseult lifted his hand off the floating book and withdrew his blade again, pricking the end of his finger.

His blood hung in the air, and with Arielle staring at it, it dropped onto the page.

Arielle finally saw the glyph appear.

Arielle broke the spell right as the corner of the book caught flames. The flames instantly went out, and she threw up a shield to prevent the backlash from ripping through the book, redirecting that energy out the window in a thunderous clap.

Then she analyzed what was left.

The book still wasn't open.

The destructive spell was frozen in place, but there was no other locking mechanism revealing itself.

“What's going on?” Vittoria asked Arielle, and she explained.

“I can't see the lock.”

“Still?”

“Yes.”

Vittoria thought about it for a few seconds and said, “Clever bastard. The lock is the key.”

“What do you mean?”

“The oath spell is anchored in his blood, but depending on whether or not the lock is present, his blood will either destroy the item or grant access. The lock isn’t present, so the blood attempts to destroy the book. If the lock is present, however, the blood will open the book.”

“How could he do that? He didn't have access to the book after I took it.”

“The lock must have been in his blood too, but he has to have removed it somehow. Since he can’t control it with magic anymore, he’s hidden it somewhere, somewhere only he has access to.”

“How?”

“That I don't know. Perhaps he created a second anchor with a compounding spell. Again, only someone extremely powerful would be able to handle something that convoluted.”

“Do you think the High Ascendant helped him?”

I doubt it, but I wouldn't put anything past him. Vittoria thought about it. I'll tell Elric to have Mahmoud search his room and look for any artifacts on his person. Bring it close to the book and see how it responds, if the destructive essences rearrange because of it. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try.

Arielle nodded, and a few seconds later, Elric repeated the order to Mahmoud.

Mahmoud raised an eyebrow, but he set about doing it, asking Yseult questions, while Yseult stood there, a tired yet smug grin on his face. Meanwhile, Arielle contemplated where Yseult could have added a second anchor, one that he could not control but was only present when he needed it to be.

Where would he hide such a thing? How would he know that it would remain hidden, even if his memories were searched and even if he had no memory of it?

Arielle pursed her lips. Know your opponent. Know who he is and what he wants.

Staring at the man, Arielle recalled everything she had ever learned about Yseult.

Vittoria had stated earlier, when they were about to invade the demonic sect, that Yseult would not hide the saint's blood antidote anywhere that wasn't close to him, and he would not leave it to the demons, as he did not trust them. He had also added an extra layer of protection in the vault, as he did not trust anyone else.

Anyone except...his brother.

Cornelius' diary showed how close they were and everything he had gone through with Yseult. He also spoke of all the sacrifices Yseult had made for him, which was what caused him to make the sacrifice in return.

Cornelius was dedicated to watching Yseult win.

And Vittoria had said that only someone very powerful would be able to change the terms of the blood oath or add a second anchor.

Someone like the Abyssal Drift.

Or rather, Cornelius utilizing the Drift's powers. Wasn't that how that deal worked? According to everything Arielle had learned in her study of the Church, the Drift granted Cornelius access to his powers to fulfil his wish, while he ran missions for the Drift?

Yseult must not fall, Cornelius had said. Arielle didn't know if Yseult knew about his brother's sacrifice or not, but he ought to, considering he had Cornelius' diary. So Yseult would know that Cornelius would be the only one capable of holding the key and also holding the memories that Yseult had wiped from his head, memories that could help with the investigation.

So what if the other anchor, the lock which was the key, were in the abyss with Cornelius?

Somewhere close to the diary, and close to Yseult, but ultimately governed by a power higher than him, one that was invested in his success. The only one Yseult could ever trust.

But Yseult couldn't communicate with Cornelius. Or could he?

Anchors of the Living, Souls of the Dead.

Did that mean that Cornelius was, for all intents and purposes, dead? And the only thing keeping him here was his deal regarding Yseult? Or was it the other way round? Was he Yseult’s anchor?

If that, then they would be linked in the abyss, as anchors tended to be linked to whatever they were anchoring. More importantly, the spell lock and key would ultimately be linked to Yseult in the abyss.

Suddenly, Arielle had an idea.

She quickly activated her abyssal detection spell that she'd used on the nulloid, with the blue orb and began to look at Yseult and around him. She spotted it almost immediately: the trail of orbs that led into a glyph right on the palm of his hand.

The lock. It had been there all along, just in a surface layer abyssal pocket in the palm of his hand.

Yseult ultimately still held the key even if he didn't know it. However, the second he needed it, Cornelius would remind him of it.

Arielle grinned. At least this way, she wasn't inviting the abyss into her soul.

Merely reaching into the pocket, grabbing the spell and pulling it into reality.

She mentally instructed Elric to ask Yseult to use his blood again.

There was a smugness in the other mage’s eyes as he held his pricked finger over the book. Once the blood dropped on the cover, the spell form rose and upon interacting with the locking spell, it began to morph into an access spell rather than a destructive one.

When it did not self-destruct, she saw the smugness slide of Yseult’s expression.

Arielle's gaze slid to the book, and she used a gust of wind to flip it open.

It opened without problem.

She smiled.

"No," he whispered and pounced for the book, but Elric was already yanking it back, the pages flipping to reveal images and words in black ink. Beyond that, Arielle saw orbs floating about it that indicated there was more to the book, hidden compartments that contained objects.

“No!” Yseult choked, his eyes angry and desperate, reaching out with a shaking hand. “That’s not supposed to–How did you–”

"Yes," Archmage Mahmoud interrupted, staring at the book and then at Arielle. "I would like to know how you managed that yourself, Commander, if you would."

Arielle didn't respond, as Elric murmured an excuse in her stead.

Ari, however, had her thoughts filled with something else, her thoughts travelling far and wide.

Yseult cannot fall.

How powerful was the deal Cornelius had with the Drift? How far-reaching were the implications?

Did Yseult know about them? How did he communicate with Cornelius in the first place?

But there was no way for her to voice these questions without exposing what she knew to Elric and Vittoria, so she kept it for now.

Arielle stared at Yseult, whose eyes spat hatred at her. She wasn't really paying attention, though. Her mind was on the breakthrough she'd just had, one that changed everything.

“You…” He sneered. “You…”

He couldn’t seem to find a word to call her.

Arielle didn’t say anything. She simply gave Elric a nod, turned around, and left the room.

She fixed the banister on her way out.