Upon entering the citadel, he saw that it was bustling with activity. Undead seemed carefree and joyful as they went about their day with a very positive demeanor. Even though they did not know him, many greeted Raxyas and welcomed him to the citadel. It was a most unusual sight, as citadels are often gloomy settlements whose residents are wary of strangers and are certainly not ones for displaying such joy. Raxyas made his way to the cathedral. Upon arriving, a guard stopped him from entering.
Rust Stripes: Halt! Only redeemers from the citadel of Karghna or undead with the master's permission may enter the cathedral at will. Identify yourself.
Raxyas: My name is Raxyas. I'm a redeemer, hailing all the way from Hal—
Rust Stripes: Wait... Raxyas? THE Raxyas?! It can't be... So you're back! You're *really* back! Boy did your little scheme backfire, eh?
The guard lets out a hearty laugh. Raxyas was not amused.
Rust Stripes: So, master Za has demoted you to errand boy, is that what's going on? And look at that weak, scrawny vessel! Can you even summon your weapon in that state?!
Raxyas invokes his gladius. The guard was surprised.
Rust Stripes: Well, that would be his signature weapon... And with your eyes, there's no mistaking it! So tell me, what is the most hated redeemer in Mortmundus doing in Karghna?
Raxyas: I have an important message from Za... It is about the future of all undead.
Rust Stripes: Now, isn't that incredibly vague! I'm not sure we can just tell the master that Raxyas of Halgorth came here to discuss such an unspecific matter...
He was at his wit's end and did not bother covering up the real message behind his visit.
Raxyas: It's about what will happen when our souls are freed. Or, more specifically, what won't happen. There is no freedom... There is only damnation.
The guard didn't seem to like hearing this. Raxyas feels a slight headache. He hears the entity's voice inside.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : you can't just say that out loud...!
Rust Stripes: ... Listen here, redeemer from Halgorth. I don't know who's told you this, but if you think master Qu has been wrong all these years... You must be a bigger fool than rumors say. If it were for me, you'd be on your way out of our citadel and back to yours. But, turning you away would be a breach of conduct when you come to master Qu with such a serious topic. Come with me.
The doors open and Raxyas is escorted inside. Qu sat on a throne just as large as Za's, and seemed to be in some deep trance.
Rust Stripes: Master, Raxyas of Halgorth is here. He brings news of one's fate after our passage through Mortmundus. Something about salvation being a hoax...
Qu seemed to be in some sort of trance, although upon hearing this, he immediately snaps out of it.
Qu seemed to be in some sort of trance, although upon hearing this, he immediately snaps out of it [https://img.wattpad.com/b419c76c944f7e9650b631c9bc4b427a2e08fd09/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f486f56396c4235454176707878773d3d2d313238373231393334392e313732393039313466623335366266653731323033393636333738372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
He looks at Raxyas as if attempting to read him. In a hand gesture he signals his guards to leave. Then, the cathedral went silent, with only he and Raxyas within.
Qu: A redeemer comes to me, with a vessel less than half the size of what it should be, for someone with such a status. Not only that, this redeemer has been said to be the sole culprit for Mortmundus having spiraled into the hands of the Thirteen as it has... And what does he do? He comes speaking of what happens after we depart from the world of the dead. This is all quite intriguing, isn't it, Raxyas?
Qu inhabited a very tall vessel. It wasn't as large as Za's, but it was at least as tall. He had purple eyes, with some sort of flower for pupils... Hyacinths.
Raxyas: Master Qu, I am sorry that I come to you under these conditions, but-
Qu: Raxyas... When you proved that you were the most qualified redeemer to take down the Thirteen, I must admit that even I believed you could do it. Or rather... I knew you could. When news came of your failure, I suspected something had to be wrong. And now I see the state you are in... I know Za. We've known each other from long before you even set foot in Mortmundus. I know he would not do this to one of his redeemers. So, before anything else Raxyas, what I want to know is... What exactly did you get yourself into?
Raxyas takes a deep breath.
Raxyas: I... Well, me and Xayn, another redeemer from Halgorth, were on our way here. But, along the way my attunement picked up the presence of one of the members of the Thirteen. We couldn't wait, we had to go to them and ensure we damned them for good. But unfortunately...
Qu: ... You bit off more than you could chew, I presume?
Raxyas: Yes... We were defeated. Thankfully, we weren't the only ones there. A group of undead took the member of the Thirteen by surprise, and managed to prevent Xayn and I from being destroyed. They then took both of us, stripped me of most of my power, and as for him... All they've told me is that he's alive and that if I play my cards right I may see him again.
Qu: They... Stripped you of your power?
Raxyas: Yes. It would seem that they, too, have access to forbidden knowledge. They managed to take my power and divide it amongst themselves... Apparently what the Thirteen sought was my power. As such, by splitting it among themselves, they claim that the Thirteen's plans were severely crippled.
Qu: This is fascinating... We seem to have much to discuss. One moment, Raxyas.
Qu turns to one of his guards in the cathedral.
Qu: Tell Bazren to come to the library. It is urgent.
The servant nods, and immediately darts off into one of the cathedral's adjacent rooms.
Qu: If you don't mind, Raxyas, we will continue this conversation someplace else. Come with me, please.
Qu gets up from his throne and leads Raxyas into one of the doors of the cathedral. This door lead to a room filled with books, blueprints, research notes, and white watcher boxes... Lots and lots of white boxes.
Qu: I don't know if Za told you, but amongst all the master channelers of Mortmundus, I am one of the most devoted to the acquisition of knowledge regarding this world we were cursed to live in. Everything you see here is the culmination of the work of several generations of undead, some of them came to Mortmundus many tens of thousands of years before even I did.
The library was massive. Bookshelves taller than Qu himself towered above them. There had to be thousands of documents there. It was truly impressive.
Raxyas: Master Qu... I have to be honest with you. I don't think Mortmundus has any hope of being saved without your help. And... I think master Za shares the same opinion.
Qu stopped for a moment. Raxyas' words seemed to evoke something inside him, something that seemed to hurt him deeply as he thought of it. He felt a minor headache.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : pain. great pain in him...
Qu: Raxyas my boy... It is so very difficult to know how perilous the path we tread is, especially when we are focused solely on getting to the end of it. Sometimes, that end is nothing more than a mirage. We inevitably fall off this path, and only when we do, do we look back and see what we were truly doing. Not only to ourselves but to those around us, as well...
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : a lesson learned in the hardest manner possible...
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Qu's words made Raxyas think. In the past, confidence had blinded him into following a path of destruction, which he firmly believed would lead to the salvation of Mortmundus and, consequently, his own. Perhaps if he had taken a step back, he would be able to see things for what they truly were and wouldn't have fallen prey to the Thirteen's schemes. Or, perhaps there was nothing he could do, and as master Za said, he was destined to fail from the beginning, no matter what.
Raxyas: I think we're constantly falling off paths. Or, at least, we're constantly redirecting ourselves. What you say makes a lot of sense to me master Qu, but at the same time, I can't help but feel that it's when we fall off these paths or when we're forced to redirect ourselves, that we get closer to the path we should truly be treading. Perhaps I could have done something to stop the Thirteen, or perhaps nothing could have prevented this outcome. Either way, the path I took still taught me something: that arrogance alone cannot beat them. So, I'm getting back up, and taking a different path, now. And this time, I know I can't go alone.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : ... hmm...
Qu: Good, Raxyas. Good. And don't worry... You weren't the only one making mistakes. I've made my fair share of them too, but much like yourself, I'm course-correcting now. And one of the biggest mistakes I made, too, was underestimating the Thirteen. However, this time...
The doors of the library open. Somebody comes inside.
Qu: They will not be so lucky.
Out of the corner of one of the bookshelves, comes an undead with pink eyes. Her pupils were star-shaped.
Pink Star: You called for me, master? [https://img.wattpad.com/4c4879635c0f1f3a9a9f2a25bfc699aff0c62a23/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4e586e594874526f4756525541413d3d2d313238373231393334392e313732383663313933333831663031633534373538343332303436342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Pink Star: You called for me, master?
Qu: Ah, Bazren! You've arrived at just the right time. This is Raxyas, I'm sure you've heard of him.
Bazren looks at Raxyas and nods. Raxyas nods, too.
Qu: Raxyas' mission is to destroy the Thirteen once and for all, although it would seem some unknown group of undead has placed themselves between both of them. They saved Raxyas from being taken advantage of by the Thirteen, but stole his power away from him as payment. Now Raxyas, tell us more about this group of undead, please.
They walk to a large, circular table at the center of the library. They sit at opposing ends of the table, forming a triangle between them.
Raxyas: From what I've gathered, their main goal is to free Mortmundus from its curse. They want to open a portal back to the world of the living...
Bazren's eyes opened slightly upon hearing this, in surprise.
Raxyas: ... And recover the lost secrets of white magic. They believe that to be the key to truly freeing our souls from this world, or worse, from the void... And that brings me to their next discovery... They claim that, as it stands, damnation and salvation both lead to the same outcome: becoming trapped eternally in the void.
Qu pondered about what he had just heard for a moment, then, he turns to Raxyas.
Qu: Well Raxyas, who better to tell us than the undead who's been through it himself? Who do you think is closer to the truth: them... Or us?
Raxyas: I... Think they are closer. In this weakened state, I can more clearly remember experiences from outside Mortmundus. And... Nothing but pitch blackness awaited me out there.
Qu: Hmm. You see, Raxyas, one could argue that, because we were able to bring your soul back, that perhaps you simply hadn't been gone for long enough. Maybe a couple more decades, and you would have indeed re-joined the circle of life. But...
Bazren (Pink Star): That would go against what we know of the process. According to what has been accepted for centuries, the moment a soul is freed from Mortmundus, they experience moments of pure ecstasy, as they transition back into the circle of life. On the other hand, the transition to the void is described as evoking feelings of absolute despair, as if the soul is drowned in a black sea of emptiness. According to what Raxyas has described, what he experienced was indeed the transition into the void.
Qu: Exactly. Raxyas, you are a one of a kind specimen in this regard. You aren't the first undead to have been brought back to Mortmundus after being freed, but you are the only one I know who has had the opportunity to remember those moments so vividly. As it stands, your version of events is the most accurate one we've had since the time the first boxes that describe this process were created. And, between the three of us here, not everything in the boxes can be trusted...
Bazren looks down at the table, thinking about this last sentence.
Qu: But I suspect there is more to this. For some reason, the members of this group have allowed you to come to Karghna, despite making you their prisoner at first. Why is this?
Raxyas: In order for their plans to come to fruition, they need a lot of strength. Without it, there is no hope of opening a portal to the world of the living. That is why they require my power, and why they need the assistance of master channelers. They seem to be enlisting the help of as many masters as they can. And also... They gave me this.
Raxyas shows Qu the purple box he was given.
Raxyas: Apparently, they are similar to some of the boxes you have here. Except, they contain knowledge that is-
Qu: "Forbidden". Yes. Give it here, Raxyas. Let's see what's inside.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ :he has seen more of these before... more than you can imagine. although, he would never tell you about it...
Qu grabs the box with both hands, channeling energy into it. It glows purple, as glyphs begin appearing in one of the box's faces. Qu peers into these glyphs, seemingly acquiring the knowledge they are conveying. Sometime later, the box de-activates and Qu speaks again.
Qu: I see... The information here confirms what you've already told me. Although I must admit, they describe the process of damnation with much greater detail than one can find in the description of the very same process, written in the white, "official" boxes that masters use. This is not to say that those boxes are entirely wrong, of course, but... Over time, one begins to notice certain "gaps" that their knowledge cannot fill. However, this box alone seemed to fill in some of those gaps...
Qu stopped to think for a while. Then he turns to Raxyas once more.
Qu: Very well, I can't think of a better opportunity. I will assist them, under two conditions: Bazren will be joining you in whatever tasks you are given. Additionally, they must grant me access to every single purple box they have found or will find.
Qu stands up from the table, and walks slowly around it.
Qu: Now... I do not expect them to hold their end of the bargain faithfully. Surely, they can simply choose what boxes they want me to see, and what boxes they want to keep from me. Which is why Bazren will be tagging along... Both of you, please follow me.
They exit the library, and go into another one of the cathedral's adjacent rooms. This one seemed like a workshop, with a lot of contraptions that Raxyas had never seen before.
Qu: This, Raxyas, is my workshop. It is here I spend a great deal of my time, inventing gadgets to facilitate the acquisition and storage of knowledge.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : if only his past experiments were as harmless as these...
Qu opens a drawer, taking a device from it.
[https://img.wattpad.com/a25781faf82088044606a3883ce37098fa4ebc7c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4b756245743557574475464657773d3d2d313238373231393334392e313732396165623865313735336565323531303036343634353832372e706e67]
It was shaped like a box, much like the watcher boxes, although larger in size.
Qu: This is a transcriber. The way it works is simple. You open the top compartment by pressing this button...
Qu presses a button on the top of the transcriber. The top opens up completely, being comprised of a double door mechanism.
Qu: You place a box inside...
Qu places the purple box inside the transcriber. It fit like a glove.
Qu: And, you close the lid.
As Qu closes the lid, the transcriber lights up. It begins whirring, as energy from a concealed compartment located at the bottom of the device is pours into it.
After a while, the machine powers off, and the double doors on the top open automatically.
Qu: And that's it, you can safely remove it.
Qu takes the box, and closes the lid.
Qu: The box is left untouched, and all the knowledge it contains has already been transcribed and sent to a special device I have in the library. There, I can take that knowledge and make more boxes out of it, or simply commit it to paper. Whatever is more convenient.
Raxyas: This is incredible... So, are you planning on having us infiltrate the group, and then transcribe whatever boxes we find within?
Qu: Indeed. Although, I suspect these boxes may be kept in a highly inaccessible location... Which is why Bazren will be tagging along. Not only is she extremely agile, her vessel is also equipped with a lot of tools that I myself designed. As such, it should be easier for her to move around undetected, and transcribe whatever boxes she finds.
Raxyas: But... What if they don't accept? What if they refuse your terms?
Qu: They cannot refuse. They need me more than they need most other masters, for the simple reason that I hold the most complete archive of knowledge regarding Mortmundus. They surely want access to this information, access which will only be given if my conditions are met. Not only that, but much like they still have the ability to choose what information they decide to share with me, I will, of course, also retain my capacity to choose what information I desire to share with them. It seems only fair, no?
Bazren smiles.
Raxyas: That does seem to make sense... Thank you, master Qu. Things feel a little less hopeless, now.
Qu: Now, one last thing, before you leave.
Qu opens another drawer, and takes out four small, similar looking devices from within.
Qu: There will certainly come a time where you wish you could communicate with one another, but are too far apart to do so. These communicators can easily be installed in a place of your vessels of your choosing. When you channel energy into them, whatever you can hear, can also be hard by whoever else has one of these devices installed. You can use these for long-range communication.
Raxyas and Bazren both take one of the devices, and install them in concealed areas within their vessels.
Qu: Needless to say, be very careful with any of my devices. While they are somewhat durable, should they suffer considerable physical impacts, there is a very real danger that they will become damaged, or outright unusable. Moreover, I am giving you four communicators only, as they are all that I have. You may use them however you see fit. I have a communicator as well, so I will be kept up to date with anything that is going on on your end.
Raxyas and Bazren nod.
Qu: Very well then, the two of you. The very fate of Mortmundus rests in your hands. I await your return. Safe travels, and... Good luck.
Raxyas: Thank you very much, master Qu. We will keep you updated.
Bazren: I'll return soon, master.
Raxyas and Bazren depart to return to the mysterious group of undead.