Chapter 324 - Outburst

The glowing shrine in the center of the five concentric rings didn’t evade Char Char’s attention for long. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the small grey shrine of familiar construction.

The shrine of the White Maiden… I found it…

She took a hesitant step into the chamber, feeling the ground rumble around her from an unseen force. Her body tingled as a wave of spiritual energy pulsed across the estate, marking the completion of the Clockwork God’s ritual of which she was unaware.

A shimmering white light appeared within the shrine’s small alcove as an ancient seal within the shrine was broken. The light congealed into a teardrop brooch made of multi-coloured gold, inset with the largest emerald Char Char had ever seen. The deep green gem glimmered brilliantly from within, expertly cut and polished. The delicate, swirling gold of the amulet’s body evoked imagery of flames and clouds, so fluid and full of life that it gave the impression that the amulet was alight with a vibrant flame.

As Char Char stood enraptured by the beauty of the brooch a soft, gentle voice spoke in her ears, “This is the amulet of the Sun God, from the fallen nation of Ying Chu. It has been hidden here for a millennia, but have now been revealed by forces that wish to take its power for themselves.”

“Those forces must not succeed. I implore you, Char Char, to take the amulet and keep it hidden and safe.”

Yuzu spoke these words in a mysterious, prophetic tone, in the voice she used as the White Maiden. She purposefully over-dramatized the story, turning her request into a ‘quest’ that she thought her adventure-prone friend would find appealing.

White Maiden, where have you been!? Of course I will help you! Don’t worry, I’ll be the hero you need and take the amulet to safety. You can trust me!

Due to Char Char’s Rebel pathway Yuzu couldn’t use Fate Cycling to pick the best delivery and combination of words. However this was roughly Yuzu’s expectation of Char Char’s reaction to her proposal.

After all, the Char Char she knew idolized the White Maiden and would never turn down the opportunity to be a hero.

To Yuzu’s great surprise, Char Char hesitated.

The white candles around the room flickered animatedly, casting shifting shadows across the chamber. Char Char’s deep almond eyes gazed upon the emerald brooch with a brooding contemplative look that Yuzu thought wasn’t possible for the mercurial girl.

Yuzu frowned, feeling pressured by the delay. The battle in the ritual chamber was still ongoing, she didn’t have time to waste making sure Char Char grabbed the amulet. At the same time, she absolutely needed to make sure it was done.

She gave a tug at Char Char’s smoky black thread, trying to connect it to the brooch’s silver string. As she tried to tie the threads together she felt a brief resistance from Char Char’s thread. Her fingers passed through the black thread as the she failed to fix the fate of the Chaos girl.

“N..No.” Char Char muttered tensely, “This doesn’t feel right.”

“Everyone’s missing, people are dying, and then just by pure chance I stumble upon your shrine?” She stepped backward toward the door, the cautionary lessons from Firuzeh playing in her head, “Isn’t this too convenient? How do I know you’re actually the White Maiden? You could be someone or something trying to trick me.”

What kind of reaction is this? Yuzu groaned to herself. Too convenient? Fate is practically the domain of convenience!

The symbol of the White Maiden was literally carved into the floor. She was guided to the shrine by a red fox. The White Maiden spoke mysteriously directly into her ear! How much more convincing did Char Char need?

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Yuzu had the perfect response to Char Char, though. A meaningful phrase that she had spoken in private to Char Char on the small forest plateau. That Char Char, who had just survived the blood eclipse had come to the White Maiden to pray. In that vulnerable moment, she heard the words from the White Maiden which comforted her heart.

“Fate rarely turns out the way we want it to, Char Char.” Yuzu spoke with great poise and reverence, “We can only do what we can.”

Char Char stared at the glowing shrine, pausing for a moment before muttering, “I need to find Firuzeh!”

She spun on her heels, much to Yuzu’s surprise. The words that Yuzu thought would be so meaningful to the girl surprisingly had zero effect.

“Wait!” Yuzu’s composure broke as frustration bubbled up in her. “You have to take the amulet!”

The silky, smoky forms of future white and silver threads were already starting to flow into the room. The revealed shrine had a powerful spiritual aura, drawing in the Exalted in the area. Even the clockwork god would soon take notice of it.

If Yuzu missed this opportunity to take the amulet, she wouldn’t get another chance.

Yuzu called out to Char Char as the Rebel took a few hastened steps down the hall, “You mustn’t leave without the amulet!”

“The forces here are beyond your control, Char Char, you have to listen to me.”

Char Char’s expression remained resilient, having already made up her mind to ignore the strange voice telling her to do strange things with mysterious artifacts.

She resisted the tugs on her spirit, feeling the entity pull at her, trying to make her return to the chamber.

In fact, Char Char was convinced that it was the White Maiden talking to her. The voice, the calm and feminine aura, it was all so familiar. It filled her with a sense of nostalgia and pain. Pain of loss and being lost. Of the friends she’d left behind and the weeks of praying without receiving a response.

She wanted so badly to believe that the White Maiden had returned to save her, but the self doubt that had been building up inside her reached its peak as well.

Who was she, to receive such intimate attention from the White Maiden Herself? She wasn’t a powerful Exalted like Firuzeh or Kai. She was just a silly girl, reckless and danger-prone. It made sense why the White Maiden hadn’t responded to her prayers anymore.

So for the White Maiden to show up in this most critical moment to save her once again when she was lost and confused and scared— wasn’t it too convenient? Wouldn’t it be so easy for an enemy to manipulate her in this way, as well?

Deep down, too, she thought— If it were really the White Maiden, She would be able to convince me.

So Char Char fled the chamber.

Unfortunately, Yuzu had no such power. She watched the strings with a stunned expression, confused about the strange behaviour of her friend.

Yuzu’s whole body trembled.

Char Char was always hard to predict. She was always messing things up. Even when Yuzu had set everything up perfectly for Char Char and went to stupid efforts to create a fantastical moment specifically to please her friend, Char Char messed it up.

A raw feeling bubbled up inside her. Frustration. Anger. Embarrassment. She grit her teeth, clenching her hands into fists as she yelled into the strings.

“Char Char, you idiot!”

~

Char Char stopped in her tracks, eyes widening as her heart skipped a beat.

An electrified tingle coursed through her body as she slowly turned back toward the open door of the chamber. Her eyes landed on the shrine that was glowing with a soft white halo.

That voice— she knew that voice.

She suddenly realized why the soft, illusory voice of the White Maiden had always felt so strangely familiar to her.

A single word left her lips, uttered so softly that it was barely a whisper.

“…Yuzu?”

A gentle, lofted aura settled around her.

Then the White Maiden groaned.

That now-familiar presence of the White Maiden that had always carried with it a divine composure and grace—

She actually groaned.

Regret filled Yuzu’s soul as she realized what her angry outburst had done. She’d spent so long crafting this perfect and precise image of a deity and one frustrated outburst had ruined it.

For a brief moment Yuzu considered trying to salvage the situation.

I’m here with the White Maiden, borrowing her powers to talk to you. OooOOoOooo, so mysterious!

“…Yuzu… is it really you?” Char Char whispered.

Silence fell upon the chamber. The ground rumbled ominously in the distance, warning of the terrible events that were still in motion not far away.

Tsk.

Yuzu’s lips tensed in a peeved expression as she made up her mind.

“Yes, it’s me.” Yuzu scowled.

Tears welled in Char Char’s eyes as she looked up at the ceiling with a smile, “Yuzu, you’re the White Maiden?!”

Caution sparked in Yuzu’s mind as she quickly checked the strings to make sure no one was in the vicinity to hear her friend’s exclamation.

“Look— you don’t have to tell the entire world about it!” She scolded.

“It’s really you! I found you—” Char Char beamed, recognizing those familiar tones of beratement and aggravation that she hadn’t heard for so long. “I thought I’d never— I’m so— I’m so happy right now!”

“Yes, yes, I’m happy to see you too.” Yuzu sighed loudly, “Now stop being an idiot and grab that amulet!”