Raxyas and Bazren were guided to one of the fortress' rooms, to rest. The one leading them was one of the members of Incola, a member which Raxyas recognized. It was the undead with entirely black eyes. Upon reaching the room, she turns to Raxyas.
Black: I'd like a word with you. In private, if possible.
Bazren walks into the room alone. Immediately, Raxyas feels a sharp pain in his head.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : ROOT OF EVIL... PRISON-MASTER...
Then, just as fast as it came, it was gone. The curse didn't seem to appreciate this undead's presence.
Black: Are you okay?
Bazren: Raxyas gets headaches every one in a while, says he's used to it by now... He's fine.
Raxyas: Yeah... I'm okay.
Black: Alright... Wait, you. Bazren, right? Take this key, and lock the door. Always lock the door. Even if you're not inside the room.
The undead hands Bazren a key. Then, Raxyas and her make their way through a corridor in front of their room. It appeared she was leading him to a more secluded part of the fortress, where they would not be within earshot of Bazren or anybody else. As they walk, Raxyas hears a voice seemingly coming from inside his head. It was Bazren's voice.
Bazren (comm): Raxyas? I hope you can hear me. We shouldn't trust that undead. We shouldn't trust anyone in here at all... Can you activate your communicator while you speak? Whatever she has to say, it may be of use not only to us, but for master Qu, too. Master, are you there?
Shortly after, Qu's voice is heard.
Qu (comm): Yes Bazren, I'm here. Thank you for putting your talk with Ilka through as well, I was able to hear it in its entirety... Raxyas, whatever that undead has to say to you, see if you can find out anything about the location of the boxes. From what I could gather, that fortress seems to be rather large. It would be best if Bazren isn't left to explore all of it in search of the hidden knowledge...
Raxyas hears them both loud and clear. Upon reaching a more quiet place with the other undead, she speaks to him.
Black: I know you don't know me. But I know you... Xayn told me about you.
Raxyas was surprised.
Raxyas: Xayn? You know him?!
Black: ... I do. I'm sorry I couldn't speak with you sooner, but I couldn't afford to raise suspicion. Even now, the time we have to speak is somewhat limited. It won't be long until someone walks by... So, please just listen.
Raxyas nods.
Black: My name is Tentoria. You've probably never heard of me, I am not a redeemer like you. I don't hail from any citadel.
Even though she was no redeemer, judging from the size of her vessel her power was not to be underestimated. Her eyes pitch black. No pupils.
Tentoria (Black): Wherever he is, he must still be alive [https://img.wattpad.com/e9e44d923155480baaef94441b7271a1f1e8ab20/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f63576377574838384b35564f61673d3d2d313234323530353032362e313732383663653332363135353139343938333431373039393231342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Tentoria (Black): Wherever Xayn is, he must still be safe. However, I fear that won't be for very much longer... Ilka sent him on a suicide mission. Sadly, I don't know where he is. I'm sorry, I cannot so much as give you a name of any location to aid you... But I do know that Ilka will want to send you on the same mission. Another box was unearthed not too long ago, but it seems to be heavily guarded by monsters... Monsters unlike any we've seen in Mortmundus before. Entire squads of elite warriors have already been vanquished attempting to recover that box, yet Ilka seems adamant to keep trying... This is why you must do as he says, so you can prove that he can trust you! If you do, I am sure he will send you to recover the boxes yourself. You should be able to meet up with Xayn then.
Raxyas continued to listen.
Tentoria: I know you have no reason to trust me. Xayn thought you might not trust me, too... Which is why he told me to tell you that "there wasn't that much to read. I just took things for granted".
Raxyas seemed puzzled at first. He could not process what Tentoria had just told him fully, as footsteps were approaching rapidly.
Tentoria: I'm sorry, but we cannot talk more. I know some people, I'll make sure they help you out in your next assignment. You should go back to your room now... We'll talk more in the morning! Good luck.
Tentoria hastily leaves Raxyas. He turns back, and heads to his room. When he's a safe enough distance away, he speaks to Bazren and Qu.
Raxyas: Did you get all that?
Bazren (comm): Yes. Although your friend Xayn was quite cryptic with that message...
Raxyas: I think I know what he's talking about. It's... personal. But I trust her. Really.
Qu (comm): Raxyas, are you sure of this?
Raxyas: That message... There is no way she could know, not without Xayn telling her. I trust her. She also seems like an invaluable ally... I couldn't ask her about the boxes this time, but next time I'll make sure to.
Bazren (comm): She also said something about monsters unlike the ones in Mortmundus... Does that mean there are worse things out there than what lurks outside the citadels...?
Qu (comm): I found that extremely intriguing. I haven't caught wind of any reports stating that. Whatever is happening there, it must be a relatively secluded location from the rest of Mortmundus. Somewhere...
Qu suddenly stops talking.
Raxyas: Master Qu?
Qu (comm): Oh, nevermind... I must attend to other matters, Raxyas and Bazren.
Bazren (comm): Master, how can we ensure you will receive our message if we have something urgent to tell you?
Qu (comm): I'm afraid I cannot always be listening in on you. The communicators cannot be active for long periods of time, since they can get overcharged with energy. Still, I will do my best to check in every hour or so. It's not a perfect system, but it's what we have. Make sure that you do not overuse them, either. A tell-tale sign that they are about to get overcharged is if the sound coming from them becomes choppy and distorted. Now, if you'll excuse me...
Qu stops talking.
Raxyas: I'm almost there, Bazren. We'll talk more in person.
Bazren (comm): Got it.
As soon as he stops talking, the headache returns. The entity comes back.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : you... cannot trust that one. the black-eyed one
Raxyas: Oh? And why not?
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : YOU CANNOT. okay?
The headache intensifies.
Raxyas: You can make my head hurt all you want... It won't change a thing. The more it hurts, the more I learn to ignore it.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : you will listen to us
Raxyas had very little patience remaining for the curse.
Raxyas: I don't give a shit about you or what you have to say! Moreover, even if I was to pay attention to every little thing you spew, that still doesn't mean that I'd be willing to do what you tell me. You were the one who wanted me to think more, right? Well, a part of that process is questioning what I'm told.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : she is all that is evil!
Raxyas: Yeah? Well, she didn't seem evil to me.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : she doesn't know it anymore... or, not yet...
Raxyas: Look, people change, isn't that your motto or whatever? Maybe that's what happened. She changed.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : monsters don't change. isn't that your motto...?
Raxyas: Heh... And I thought you didn't have a sense of humor. Look, I appreciate your input whenever you can predict that something important is about to happen. But, I'll make my own judgements of character. Alright?
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : still a fool...
Raxyas: I'd be an even bigger fool if I just believed everything you told me without batting an eye. Wouldn't I?
The curse makes his head hurt even more.
Raxyas: ... That's right... Keep doing it. The more you do it, the less it bothers me.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : hmph...
The curse subsides.
Moments later, Raxyas arrives at the room.
Raxyas: Alright... So, was that just me, or did master Qu act strangely just then?
Bazren: Well, it's not very like him to just leave sentences unfinished... But it's hard to say, maybe something just came up. More importantly however, this undead Tentoria... You really want to trust her?
Raxyas: Xayn trusted her with something only he and I would know. So we should trust her, too.
Bazren: Very well... We ought to give her a communicator, then. If she can be our pair of eyes and ears on the inside, it should get much easier for us to manoeuvre around Incola as we search for the boxes.
Raxyas: Right, sounds like a plan. Now if you'll excuse me...
Raxyas sits on a nearby bed.
Raxyas: I really need some rest...! This vessel gets exhausted rather easily, and I think I've been pushing it a bit too far lately.
Bazren: Sure, rest up. I think I'll do a little recon...
Raxyas: Be careful, Bazren. I don't know what tricks you got up your sleeve, but don't blow this.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Bazren: I'll be like a cat in the night, don't worry. I'll see you in the morning.
Raxyas: See you... Good luck.
She leaves the room and closes the door.
Bazren: Oh...! Before I forget...
Bazren takes the key, locking the door behind her.
Bazren: Hopefully this will deter them from taking a peek inside...
Bazren turns around, her back facing the door.
To her left, front, and right, were three long corridors. She knew the leftmost corridor led to the throne room, and that Raxyas and Tentoria had gone through the front-facing corridor. Thus, she picked the yet uncharted right corridor, and began walking.
The stony walls of the corridors were lit by torches every few steps. The ground, too, was stone and was adorned by worn red tapestry. After walking for some minutes, she arrives at a fork. Another corridor branched off to the left, out of which voices could be heard.
She takes a peek, and sees two undead talking.
She takes a peek, and sees two undead talking [https://img.wattpad.com/23df48b0c249c2856057fdd6e867e18a39c30282/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3444456869317572384247652d673d3d2d313234323530353032362e3137323934366230633961656262303031353934383536333337332e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Basalt Lambda: ... shit is exactly why that madman has no place joining us. I don't care what Ilka says, I've been to his citadel. You'll never see a more depressed, barren place. Even No Man's Shore seems more inviting than that shithole.
Even No Man's Shore seems more inviting than that shithole [https://img.wattpad.com/bd2eedc3d1c5386a363a91e38376b83649885402/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f45464b7142633359333144666a413d3d2d313234323530353032362e313732393436653862373763333165643135383434393735363937332e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Purple Spiral: Ahaha... Well, mad or not, he's still a master. We are in no position to be picky... All help is welcome. Plus, that's not that much of an insult. The new girl, Tentoria, she comes from there, doesn't she? Yet she seems quite intelligent and rational. Perhaps No Man's Shore isn't as bad as they say...
Basalt Lambda: Not as bad...? If you think the Deserts of Za have ferocious beasts roaming around, you haven't seen a thing. Dragons, titans, eldritch abominations... The things haunting the Shore are on another level. If your soul arrives to Mortmundus at the Shore, you're doomed. Even if you're still capable of any rational thinking when you come to, you'll soon be broken if you stay in that hellish jungle for long.
Purple Spiral: So dramatic... The girl turned out alright, didn't she?
Basalt Lambda: That "girl" is even more of a monster than the things lurking there. If your whole time in Mortmundus was spent in the Shore, and you somehow lived through it to tell the tale... I shit you not, under proper guidance that girl could easily cultivate her powers to the point where she could rival even the first masters.
Purple Spiral: Oh, come on. I've heard enough nonsense for today... Sleep well, Okir. You seem like you really need it...
Okir (Basalt Lambda): Ah, whatever...!
The woman lets out a short laugh and heads down the corridor leading to the fork where Bazren was. Bazren channels energy into her hands and feet, activating a magical exoskeleton. With it, she's able to slowly and quietly climb a nearby wall and hang by the ceiling of the corridor, as the feminine undead passes under her.
Purple Spiral: All will be well that ends well, dear Okir, just you wait and see. Ilka has brought us this far, after all...!
She continued walking happily through the corridor, humming some tune. After she was far enough, Bazren comes down from the ceiling and keeps walking down the front corridor, making sure to be careful to not be spotted by Okir while crossing the fork.
As she keeps exploring, torches appear more and more seldom. At some point, the corridor gets so dark that Bazren can barely see. At that moment, from her vessel, she takes an oval device and channels energy into it. The device lights up and begins hovering around her, providing her with enough light to see the path head. She finally reaches the end of the corridor, where a room with a big, metal door blocks the way. There was no apparent way to bypass this obstacle, since no keyhole or knob could be seen anywhere.
Bazren: Master? Are you there?
No response came from the communicator. It was worth a try.
Bazren: Well... Guess that's as far as we're going today.
Bazren prepares to head back, when she hears footsteps heading in her direction. She uses her exoskeleton to hide in the ceiling again, as voices approach.
Okir: There's no respect. No respect. Lin, I was here since you know when?
Linvaes: ... Since the beginning, Okir...
Okir: Since the *fucking* beginning! Me and Ilka, just the two of us. Fast forward to today, we have a full-fledged organization, wind in our sails... And what happens?
Linvaes: ... People only care about what Ilka has to -
Okir: About what he has to say! What a crock of shit! You think he could get as far without me? I may not be the brains, but-
Linvaes: You're the brawn...
Okir: Yeah Lin, I'm the motherfucking brawn. You get me, man. You're not like those assholes. You're a nice guy, you know that?
Linvaes: ... Thanks Okir.
They finally arrive at the room with the metal door.
Linvaes: Oh look, we're already here. And I was having so much fun talking to you.
He wasn't.
Okir: Oh don't worry man, I'll join you today!
Linvaes: Okir, you know I'd love that. But, you also know what Ilka thinks about it.
Okir: Man, screw Ilka! I'm one of the big shots too, I get to make some of the decisions as well!
Linvaes: I wholeheartedly agree, but Ilka has already put you in charge of managing the patrols around the fortress. Have you been doing that?
Okir: ... Yeah sure patrols, whatever. You and I were patrolling just now! Walking down the corridors and all that. It's boring stuff!
Linvaes: Well Okir, boring as it may be it still needs to be done. Especially with our two new guests. Have you made sure they are in their room? We wouldn't want them wandering around.
Okir sighs.
Okir: ... No I haven't. I guess I'll go do that... It was good talking to you Lin, I'll see you tomorrow.
Linvaes: See you, Okir.
They part ways. Okir heads back through the corridor, as Linvaes approaches the door.
Linvaes: Jeez... Gimme a break. Since when am I this guy's babysitter...?
He channels energy into his right hand, casting a circle from it similar to the absorption circle they had seen before. Yet, this circle was blue, and had several glyphs inscribed upon it. As Linvaes approaches the door with the circle cast, it begins to open. When it does, he heads inside, with Bazren following quietly behind.
The doors barred the entrance to a storage room, with shelves upon shelves of magical tools that even Bazren had never seen. They seemed similar in craftsmanship to master Qu's, although she couldn't shake the feeling that they were not his handiwork. She hides behind some shelves, where Linvaes could not see her, but she could still catch glimpses of him. Linvaes was heading to the back of the room, where there was a large, rusty chest. He opens it and throws what seemed like two purple boxes inside.
Linvaes: What a waste...
He then turns to one of the shelves and grabs a spherical artifact like the one he had used before to store one of Raxyas' soul shards. Then, he makes his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Bazren: Bingo...
As Bazren heads towards the chest to grab the boxes, her communicator pulsates. She activates it.
Raxyas (comm, in a hushed voice): Bazren! There's some guy outside asking if we're in here! He's even tried to open the door... I've already answered, but he wants to hear your voice as well...!
Bazren: Shit...
Raxyas (comm, in a hushed voice): What do I do?
Bazren: I don't know Raxyas, make some excuse up... Tell him I went for a stroll or something!
Raxyas (comm, attempting a feminine voice): Dare you disturb Karghna's strongest redeemer?! Don't make me get my flail and bash your brains against the wall!
Okir (picked up by Raxyas' comm): Stop mucking around redeemer, or I'll break this door down right now!
Bazren: Are you kidding me... Tell him I'm outside!
Raxyas (comm): Look, she went for a stroll outside! How come you didn't see her?
Okir (picked up by Raxyas' comm): A stroll?! She can't just go for a stroll, what the hell are the patrols doin- ah...! Right... I'll be right back, then.
Raxyas (comm): He's actually going outside. What's that guy's problem...?
Bazren: He's in charge of patrolling the fortress, but he doesn't seem to be doing a very good job of it... I've overheard as much from his conversation with Linvaes.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ :a fortress of fools...
Raxyas (comm): Shut up! You're not any better!
Bazren: What?
Raxays (comm): Sorry, nevermind that. Please be careful...
Bazren: Don't worry, I haven't been spotted yet.
Qu (comm): Hello? Bazren? Raxyas?
Bazren: Master! I'm glad you're here. Listen, is there any way that we can project the sound coming from the communicator to make it loud enough for someone outside to hear?
Qu thinks for a moment.
Qu (comm): Not without destroying the device, I'm afraid. But yes, it should be possible. Whenever you're listening in on it, just channel as much energy as you can into it. That will overcharge it for sure, but it should also amplify whatever sounds are coming through at the time, at least until it gets destroyed.
Bazren: I guess if push comes to shove we'll have to do that... Thank you, master. On another note, I think I've located the watcher box storage.
Raxyas (comm): Already?! Just like that?
Bazren: I think so. I will transcribe one of the boxes right now master, tell me if you receive it.
Qu (comm): Very well, I will be waiting.
Bazren opens the chest. It was full of purple boxes. She takes out one of them, and places it in master Qu's device. The box is fully transcribed.
Bazren: That should have done it. Have you received it?
Master Qu goes silent.
Bazren: Master?
Qu (comm): Bazren... That box is unreadable. I can't make heads or tails of the information it contains, as if someone purposefully damaged its contents. Where did you find it?
Bazren: It's inside some storage room, in a rusty chest. This room is also filled with strange devices... They remind me of your own, but not quite...
Qu goes silent for yet another while.
Raxyas (comm): Well, maybe you're just inside some old storage room. Perhaps the only boxes they put there are garbage ones that have no useful information. I mean, why else would they be inside some rusty old chest?
Qu (comm): I believe Raxyas may be correct... Tell me, Bazren, what physical condition are these boxes in?
Bazren takes a close look at the inside of the chest.
Bazren: Come to inspect them further, they actually seem pretty old and banged up...
Qu (comm): I see... Most likely these boxes were already retrieved in an unusable state, and were thrown in their due to their uselessness. It is very likely that no box inside that chest contains anything of use, but if you've got time, you should still transcribe all of them. Perhaps there is something we can still use.
Bazren: Very well, I'll do my best. One other thing... I appear to be locked in.
Raxyas (comm): Locked in?!
Bazren: ... Yes. The door leading to this room seems to only open when certain glyphs are cast. Though I have no idea how to cast them myself.
Qu (comm): Hmm... Do you remember what these glyphs looks like?
Bazren: Somewhat.
Bazren does her best to describe what she saw.
Qu (comm): I see... I have some experience with such glyphs. Bazren, is the portable torch with you?
Bazren: Yes, I used it not long ago.
Qu (comm): Good, good. If you twist the torch, it should split open at the middle.
Bazren: Understood... And what should I do after I open it?
Qu (comm): See, glyphs require two things in order to work properly: precision, and stability. One of those halves will allow you to draw the glyph in the air. You must do so in such a way that it is as close to the glyph you saw as you can. Then, the other half will allow you to channel energy into the drawn glyph, fixating it to that half of the torch and allowing you to carry the glyph around. You must keep a steady flow of energy going into it, lest the glyph will fade and the door will close on you abruptly, alerting everyone to your location... Do you understand?
Bazren: I do. I'll do my best. Thank you, master.
Qu (comm): I'll be around, let me know if there's anything more I can do to help.
Bazren: I shall.
As Bazren takes the boxes out one by one and transcribes each of them, several minutes pass. She feels the buzz of her communicator once more, and activates it.
Raxyas (comm): Guess who's back...
Okir (picked up by Raxyas' comm): SHE AIN'T FUCKIN OUTSIDE REDEEMER, ARE YOU PULLING SOMETHING HERE?!
Bazren: Shit... He sounds pissed... Overcharge the communicator, Raxyas. It's the only thing we can try.
Raxyas (comm, in a hushed voice): Guess we have no choice... I'm doing it now, speak whenever.
Okir (picked up by Raxyas' comm): IF I DON'T HEAR THE BOTH OF YOU IN THERE IN THE NEXT TWO SECONDS I'M BREAKING THIS GODDAMN DOOR DOWN!
Bazren: I am here! I was just outside... We must've missed each other.
Bazren's voice comes loud and clear through Raxyas' communicator, as if she was speaking from the very room he was in.
Okir (picked up by Raxyas' comm): Ah... Well, yes, we must've. Alright. No more wandering around like that, the two of you! Are we clear on that?!
Raxyas (comm): Cle-*interference*-as clear can be. Sorry about *interference*-at.
Okir (picked up by Raxyas' comm): *interference*-right then.
Raxyas communicator was about to crumble under the overwhelming amount of energy channelled into it. Even so, Bazren could still make out the fading sound of footsteps that could be heard outside. Okir was gone.
Bazren: Close call... Raxyas, can you still hear me?
Raxyas (barely audible comm): Not ve-*interference*- about to los-*interference*.
Nothing but silence on the other side.
Bazren: Master, are you there?
Qu (comm): Yes... It seems the communicator didn't survive being overcharged with energy, as I suspected.
Bazren: I only have a couple of boxes left to transcribe. Have you managed to obtain anything useful?
Qu (comm): It's hard to say. I'll have to take some time to look into the transcriptions with more detail... But I'm not too hopeful, sadly.
Bazren: Very well... I'll finish transcribing the remaining boxes and return to my and Raxyas' room.
Qu (comm): Good luck, Bazren.
Bazren finishes transcribing the boxes. All that is left is to open the door. She twists the oval device, splitting it in two. Then, she takes one of the halves and uses it to carefully draw the glyphs she saw, as faithfully as she could. After she was done, she takes the second half of the device and channels energy into it. As she does, the glyphs become attached to this half of the torch, as if they were connected by invisible rods to it. As she moves the glyphs closer to the door, they cause it to rumble, and slowly begin to open. It didn't seem to open with as much stability and smoothness as it did with Linvaes' glyphs, but it was good enough. She passes through, and as she steps farther and farther away the door slowly closes.
Bazren: ... Done. I'm through, master.
Qu (comm): Good! Fantastic work, Bazren. We may not have acquired much useful information today, but if anything you should now be more familiar with the fortress' layout and how patrols work within. I trust this should make seeking the actual location of the useful boxes easier.
Bazren: Certainly... Thank you for your help, master! We would not have gotten out of this without you.
Qu (comm): Think nothing of it. Remind me to teach you how to cast glyphs sometime, Bazren... If only I had known it would be so handy. It is not a very widely used technique...
Bazren: I shall as soon as I return, master. Now, I'm off to the room once more. That's enough exploration for the day...
Bazren returns to the room.
The two redeemers rest, preparing for the day ahead.