"So how are things going for you? It seems you are enjoying the literature." Elder Azelle redirected the conversation. He truly knew nothing more than what he had told her. Many of the elders through history have attempted to unravel the secrets proposed by The Ancestor, but it has always been fruitless.

"Well, I don't know if 'enjoying' is the word I would use." A scowl appeared on her lips as she stared daggers at the books on the table. Although she was absorbed into them, it seemed like every other page she ran into trouble understanding the contents.

Elder Azelle laughed - not at all unfamiliar with the struggle. Even Liter and himself have experienced difficulties with the books in this section.

"Just learn what you can Adria, if you get stuck simply move on and come back to it later." He rubbed his chin thinking. "You have plenty of time so there's no rush-"

"Oh! That reminds me, do you know an ancestor named Eephie?" Adria's eyes suddenly flashed with an intensity as she asked a question which has been lingering on her mind for a while now. Even the elder was a bit shocked. What was she talking about?

Adria brought the small book she had found to the elder, handing it over carefully. She had no idea how old the book was, but it has taken a spot of incomparable importance in her mind. Without realizing it, it had become incredibly valuable to her.

Elder Azelle took the book from her. Her attitude towards it did not go unnoticed. Gently, he ran his hand over the cover. There was no title inscribed onto the front or spine of the book. Even the back of the book was blank and completely smooth.

The longer Elder Azelle inspected it, the more shocked he became. He and Liter had gone through this room innumerable times reading everything inside. But this was the first time he had seen this book. He was sure that they had never come across it before.

When he opened the book, his eyes scanned across the words at lightning speed. Reading through every word that was written in just a few minutes. Finally, he came to the last page, and in the bottom corner he saw the signature.

"Eephie"

The elder closed his eyes, letting everything he saw settle into his ocean of thoughts. For some reason, he felt unsettled, but failed discern why.

"I don't recall any Eephie in the notable records of the past." He told Adria, who was looking expectantly up towards him. This Eephie had left an incredible impression onto her, and she was eager to know more about this person.

"However, next time you see Liter he should know at least something about them." Elder Azelle thought for a moment, handing the book back to Adria. "Presumably she was another child like you who headed to the desolate world above…"

"Mm. Understood." Adria nodded her head, Liter would most certainly know.

"How about you stay for the next few days and finish what you are working on? It seems like you have made really good progress, and you should try and keep the momentum you have."

"Of course, Elder, once I finish with these I will head out for a bit to stretch my legs. Can you send Liter in the next time you see him? I want to ask him about Eephie."

"Mm. Of course. Well, I must go. I just wanted to check in on you." The elder smiled and made to leave. For a moment the elder’s demeanor had slipped up when he thought about Liter. Adria didn't understand why but she felt a small doubt form in her mind when she saw his expression.

Before she could ask though, the elder stepped out of the door and the light flashed signaling that he left the domain The Ancestor had set in place. Adria considered going after him but decided not to. She had more to study, and if there was something on the elder’s mind, she was confident he would tell her when he was ready.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

She went back to the table and buried her head into the books. After a moment her ears popped, and she felt a throb in her temples.

"Hmm?" She looked up and rubbed her ears. "That was odd." She just shook her head and went back to reading.

Outside of the room, Elder Azelle had his hands against the door. The barrier surrounding the space was glowing bright blue.

"Adria… I'm sorry. But I will be back." After debating with himself for a while, he chose to seal Adria in the room. Inside she would be safe, and presumably the barrier would keep any sickness out if she wasn't already exposed.

Finally, he turned around. His shoulders sagged under the invisible weight on them.

"That book… Liter… where are you? Is there some connection? Eephie…" He mumbled quietly, but no one heard.

…

The next 24 hours passed uneventfully. At the warehouse everyone was focused on channeling into the attunement energy which pervaded the space. Many of the volunteers relaxed their vigilance. Almost everyone inside was feeling better. Honestly, none of them had even realized that they weren't feeling their best until they had focused on healing. That realization alone scared most of them into a pattern of absorbing and processing the energy around them.

Pride was the only one who kept a close eye on everything that occurred. But he too was beginning to doubt himself. It wasn't too hard to believe that he was overreacting. However, when he thought back to what had become of Tommy, he chose to stay vigilant. No matter what, it was better to be prepared.

"Pride, come on man. Just take a break for a bit, this is a good chance to work on our energy."

"Yeah, we all know the risks, but with all of us here… even if someone were to… you know - Like Tahmel, we would be able to handle it."

Pride didn't bother to respond. He knew that no matter what they were told, they had not seen Tommy for themselves. They wouldn't understand. He could barely accept it, and he was there firsthand. Even with the alcohol, his mood remained at an all-time low. The only thing that would make him feel better at this point would be if everyone got better and they all treated him to a pint.

Another night passed.

The elders outside had established a decent camp in front of the warehouse. They didn't know how long they would be there for, or what they were looking for to consider the people inside as healthy. Many of them felt that they were just waiting for something to happen. The unknown unnerved them and kept many of them on edge.

There was a small commotion near the other citizens who had set up nearby. Elder Azelle and Trisha could be seen making their way towards the warehouses from down the road.

Elder Azelle waved to them. "Has there been any word from Pride yet?" He spoke to everyone present, not just the other elders.

The elders merely shook their heads. It has been entirely uneventful.

"Elder Azelle, what is it that we are looking for exactly? How will we know when they're better?"

The friends and family who had decided to stick around were also paying close attention. They were looking for anything that might provide them some comfort.

"After a few more days I will go inside and check on the sick and the volunteers who went in with them. If the damage to their souls looks like it has reversed… that will be the only defining condition we can test them on." Trisha responded evenly offering explanations to the family and friends of the sick.

Other than her, they were hard pressed to come up with any other way to identify the disease. The cough in and of itself was not a reliable enough factor.

While Trisha talked with the elders and the family, Elder Azelle walked to the doors of the warehouse. From the outside it looked completely innocuous. If it weren't for the link of Common Heritage they all shared, this warehouse would seem just like the others.

"Pride." Elder Azelle reached out to talk first. Although there has been no word yet, it never hurt to check.

"Yes elder, I'm here." Pride was still standing close to the door, so he remained where he was.

"How are things inside?"

"Everything seems to be going fine. All of the sick are focused on processing the massive amounts of energy in the building. No one is slacking. Even the coughs have ceased completely. However, I can't say whether or not that is because of the soup covering it up or them actually getting better."

"Hmm. What do you think it is?" Elder Azelle was not inside, so he could only trust Pride's view on the matter. Pride thought for a moment. Looking at the room - at all the sick. They truly seemed to be getting better, but…

"I still feel uncomfortable."

Elder Azelle just sighed in response. Although this wasn't conclusive evidence by any means, Elder Azelle still understood the importance of it.

"Alright Pride, we will give it another day before Trisha goes in to check on them. By then… we should be able to tell something." The elder turned and walked back towards Trisha and the rest. All they could do now... was continuing to do nothing.