Chapter 325 - Path of Escape

Char Char picked up the ornate emerald artifact from its pedestal within the White Maiden’s shrine. She didn’t stop to admire it, but raised her eyes to the ceiling.

The soft, illusory voice of the White Maiden spoke to her, but now that Char Char knew that it was Yuzu she couldn’t imagine mistaking it for anyone else.

“There’s a room in the servant’s quarters that has a special ritual that will let you escape.” Yuzu said, “Take a left out of the chamber and follow the hall to the end.”

“Before that—“ Char Char said, eyes glimmering, “How long have you been the White Maiden? Have you secretly been a goddess my whole life?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Yuzu replied sharply. Then, thinking that Char Char might take her outburst as a coverup, firmly stated, “Things only started on the day that we visited the shrine in the spring.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Char Char pouted. Her eyes flickered back and forth as she recalled the memory of that day, her mouth widening in an ‘O’, “I knew you were acting strange that day! No wonder!”

Yuzu inhaled sharply, holding back an annoyed retort, “This isn’t the time, Char Char. You need to get out of there.”

“Okay, but you have to tell me everything later!” Char Char hid the amulet in the inner pocket of her jacket, walking quickly to exit the chamber. As she entered the dark hallway beyond the candlelit chamber she held out her palm and lit a flame to light the way.

“Did you see what I can do?” Char Char couldn’t hide the giddy pride at showing off her ability to her friend.

“Yes. Very nice.” Yuzu said. Char Char could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

Char Char continued down the hall, which curved and split off into various other paths and doorways.

“Are you close by?”

“I can hear you so clearly. How are you talking to me?”

“Did you know I’ve been looking for you since you disappeared?”

“I missed you so much.”

Char Char continued to speak out, but Yuzu didn’t respond. She became more aware of the silence that had settled in the hallway, broken only by the scrapes of her footsteps on the dusty stone floor. Even the rumbling in the earth had calmed.

A pensive mood set in as Char Char’s elation at finding her friend calmed down. She hurried her pace, and the end of the hallway eventually came into sight, splitting into two paths at a ‘T’.

“Take a right, then turn left when you see the statue.” Yuzu’s voice came through in a terse instruction.

“What’s happening here, Yuzu? Do you know?” Char Char asked.

“The servants are part of a cult.” Yuzu replied after a moment. It sounded like she was distracted. “They activated the ancient runes in the estate, which somehow separated it from the physical world, in order to hold a blood ritual.”

“They’re not trying to revive a god, are they?” Char Char’s mind flashed back to the God of Life’s attempts to reincarnate.

“No, they’re sacrificing to one to obtain supernatural power for themselves…” Yuzu hesitated, “…I think. I don’t know the whole situation, I can just see what they’re doing.”

“You’re amazing, Yuzu…” Char Char said quietly. Her eyes lit up from a thought, “Do you know where Firuzeh is? Is she okay?”

Or Corbin. The thought flashed in Char Char’s mind, but she didn’t feel like adding him out loud.

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“….She’s alive.”

Char Char heard the hesitation in Yuzu’s voice and stopped walking forward, speaking up to the ceiling again, “Is she in trouble?”

“I have it covered.” Yuzu replied tersely, “Keep going, you’re not far from the stairs up.”

“If she’s in trouble I can’t leave her.” Char Char said.

Now that Char Char was standing still, the halls became eerily silent. Yuzu didn’t reply immediately, leaving Char Char’s thoughts churning within her. If Firuzeh was in danger she had to help. After all, that’s what Firuzeh would do for her.

“I’m an Exalted too!” Char Char’s voice rose, “Let me help!”

“There’s nothing you can do. It’s too dangerous.” Yuzu said, “I’m already doing everything I can.”

There’s nothing I can do? Char Char trembled a bit, hearing those words. For a moment she thought she heard the same tone in Yuzu’s voice that Corbin had used with her — chiding, diminutive, looking down on her.

Does everyone think I’m a useless idiot? Char Char felt herself plunging down into a dark place once more. The doubting thoughts that had plagued her throughout the past few days, forgotten for the moment, came back.

Yuzu’s next words, though, shook her out of it,“I’m doing my best to save everyone, but I don’t know what’s going to happen in a few minutes. The strings get hazy after that, so I need you to get out of there.”

Char Char heard Yuzu’s words clearly, words that were filled with a vulnerable sincerity.

That’s right, Yuzu isn’t like Corbin. She isn’t looking down on me. Char Char realized. She’s looking out for me.

She’s really doing her best to save everyone, including me.

Isn’t that what the White Maiden was always trying to do? She saved hundreds of people, asking for nothing but prayers in return. And she watched out for me too, all those times.

“I’m not afraid of danger.” Char Char said, “If there’s something I can do to help, please tell me. Just like you asked me to help as the White Maiden all those times before.

“…But also, if you really think there’s nothing I can do…” Char Char clenched her fists, “Then I’ll go to the quarters like you told me to.”

Char Char turned to face the direction that she had come from, the directions where the rumbling in the earth originated from.

Maybe, before, Char Char would have already taken off running that way, throwing caution to the wind to try to help. But this time, as much as she wanted to help, she also knew that those good intentions could also put others in danger.

I trust the White Maiden. I trust Yuzu. She thought. If she tells me I need to run, I’ll run.

~

On Yuzu’s side, things weren’t so simple.

Sweat beaded off her temples, droplets running down the side of her face, gathering at her chin and dripping off. She didn’t have the luxury to wipe it off. Her hands remained on the small smoky white orb in her lap as she manipulated the strings hundreds of kilometres away.

She had already helped the other non-Exalted innocents in the area escape through the ritual locations, just as she had helped Old Man Reza, Corbin and Master Reza escape. Her conversation with Old Man Reza, who shared his knowledge of the mystical nature of the estate had helped her immensely. These were old stories, tales his parents and grandparents had told him that had been passed down through the generations.

Now only Exalted and cultist servants were left.

The amulet had been a beacon, drawing the attention of the various Exalted in the surrounding area to it. The multiple strings that originally converged on the amulet had formed a clear result for Yuzu, one which she could manipulate to save Firuzeh, the oji and Cecil.

Yes, even Cecil, who had been skewered by the clockwork spear and smashed into the burning wall. How he could survive such a fatal injury, Yuzu hadn’t yet figured out. She only knew that his string wouldn’t end from the events in this place, and that it allowed her to more easily save the others.

Up until this point the path forward had looked so smooth. But then, at her own request Char Char had picked up the amulet and everything changed.

It was inconvenient, but Yuzu also expected this. After all, the strings didn’t understand Chaos, they didn’t predict Chaos’ actions.

Without the amulet as a focal point the tapestry changed rapidly, the various factions taking completely different courses of actions. The strings of all the Exalted and cultists jumbled together into a chaotic knot filled with violence and death.

Most significantly, the veil that separated the estate from the physical world was about to be disrupted. In a few minutes the estate would be swarming with Exalted from the world outside the estate.

Char Char wanted to help save Firuzeh. Yuzu could tell how important the Exalted woman was to her friend. Frustratingly, since Firuzeh was also a Chaos-aspected Exalted, Yuzu was even less certain about the woman’s fate than the other people she was trying to save.

Her eyes flickered across the threads. The path to the servant’s quarters were clear, Char Char wouldn’t have any trouble reaching it alone. That was the simplest path to get her friend to safety.

Save her friend, fulfill her goal of retrieving the sun god’s amulet. These would fulfill her goals as the White Maiden. Char Char was right in that as the White Maiden, she had indeed leaned on Char Char’s help on several occasions, but that was because Yuzu didn’t have a better way. This time, there was a clear path to success. She’d done her best to save Firuzeh but she wasn’t all-powerful. No one would blame her for not saving everyone.

As the White Maiden, the decision would be easy.

But as Yuzu, as Char Char’s friend…

“There’s no time,” Yuzu said to Char Char, “In a few minutes even the escape route I have for you might not work…”

“…So if you want to help save Firuzeh, you’ll have to move fast.”