Raxyas: This is it.
As they arrived at the gates of Slynvha, there were no guards to be found anywhere. In fact, no undead could be seen roaming the streets. The citadel's buildings seemed completely abandoned.
The citadel's buildings seemed completely abandoned [https://img.wattpad.com/588743ae19ea514f9212b204844d622a2ccb31a1/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f734b467551745944394b647372513d3d2d313139393437323338332e313732393437346231363366353436383833303935353831303538302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Bazren: You weren't kidding... This is terrible. Is this how every citadel looks outside Karghna?
Raxyas: It's usually not this bad. You can at least find undead walking around... Linvaes did warn us. Something very strange is afoot here.
Bazren: Well, it's giving me the creeps. Let's get to the cathedral already...
A sharp pain hits Raxyas' head. The curse was manifesting itself again.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : dangerous. very, very dangerous. you must think, keep guard up at all times. okay?
Raxyas: Ghn...
Bazren: Raxyas! Are you alright?
The curse fades away once more.
Raxyas: Yes...
Bazren: That can't be normal... Have you always had those headaches?
Raxyas: Don't worry about it, let's just keep moving. I'll be fine, I won't act up in the middle of battle.
There's no way he would know... He merely hoped the curse would not manifest itself when he was fighting. They make their way to the cathedral. During their walk there, there wasn't a single undead in sight. The air of Slynvha felt heavy, however, as if to signal that a terrible presence had infiltrated the citadel. Bazren uses the communicator, attempting to let Tentoria and Qu know they had arrived.
Bazren: Is anyone there? We've made it inside. The citadel seems completely deserted.
Tentoria is the first to reply.
Tentoria (comm): Xi is terrible... Please, you must be as careful as you can be.
Tentoria's voice was trembling slightly, though she did her best to hide it.
Qu (comm): Slynvha. Master Xi's domain... Be careful, the two of you. If the reports I've been receiving are accurate, strange things have been occurring inside that citadel. Missing citizens, guards, redeemers...
Bazren: I believe I happened to overhear some members of Incola talking about master Xi. One of them seemed none to pleased too recruit him...
Qu (comm): That is no wonder. Among master channelers, Xi's reputation isn't anything to write home about. It is practically universally agreed upon that, while his mental capacity and talent are far beyond those of your average master, he always had a worrying disregard for ethics as far as his experiments and dealings were concerned. Eventually, we lost contact with him. Whatever he has been up to, it is likely that he did not want any of us to know about it...
Tentoria (comm): Raxyas and Bazren, there is someone I know in Slynvha. Look for a tavern, there will be someone there who can help you. I must go-
Footsteps are heard through the communicator, as Tentoria's voice cuts off quickly.
Qu (comm): I hope you aren't placing your new friend in too much danger. It is invaluable to have her on the inside, but I fear for her safety.
Raxyas: I worry too, master Qu. But Tentoria is tougher than she looks.
Bazren: Indeed. Apparently, she lived her whole unlife in No Man's Shore...
Qu goes silent briefly, after hearing this.
Qu (comm): ... Well, she must be quite the fighter, then.
Raxyas: That I cannot vouch for. Personally, I haven't seen her in battle yet. Though I'd like to cross blades with her someday... I'm sure it would be quite the experience.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : it would be the last thing you do...
They arrive at the cathedral. It looked abandoned, much like the rest of the town.
Raxyas: No guards at the cathedral, either. This is highly unusual... That they would leave their master vulnerable to any who may enter...
Qu (comm): Take care, the two of you. Assume nothing regarding Xi, other than the fact that whatever you're thinking, he's already two steps ahead of you.
Bazren: Thank you, master. We will. We're going in, now.
Bazren opens the cathedral doors. Inside, candles covered the floor and the walls. Countless vessels were hanging from the ceiling and lying on the floor. Deeper within, a small figure was frantically rummaging through some documents. Suddenly, the doors close behind them.
Black Blur: Ah, visitors! Come in, come in [https://img.wattpad.com/667534bd908afde43c492c296cf4bec3d72f5981/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f41317979486e66627959415267673d3d2d313139393437323338332e313732393437663335333632643635383534313039383338393234392e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Black Blur: Ah, visitors! Come in, come in. You have arrived just in time...
It immediately stopped what it was doing and walked over to greet the two redeemers.
Black Blur: My name is Xi, I am the master of this citadel. You seem like capable fighters... Well, at least one of you does. Redeemers from other citadels, I presume?
Xi had an abnormally small vessel for a master. Not only that, it was coated in some black, tar-like substance neither redeemer could recognize.
Raxyas: ... Right. We have actually come here to ask for your assistance.
Xi (Black Blur): Assistance? Oh no my boy, I'm afraid my hands are quite tied up at the moment... You see, I've been making major breakthroughs in the realm of fusing vessels as of late, but it would seem my supply is running rather short... Without more vessels, I am in no position to assist anyone, sadly.
Raxyas: How... Did you get these many vessels...?
Xi: Oh, it was thanks to my citizens, of course! They have humbly offered them to me, in exchange for more capable bodies to move around in. But alas, there are only so many undead in Slynvha...
Bazren: ... Where are their souls?
Xi: Ah, worry not! I have kept them inside these handy contraptions an old acquaintance of mine has made.
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Xi shows them a collection of spherical artifacts, identical to the one Linvaes used to capture the shard of Raxyas' soul, earlier.
Xi: She calls them soul spheres. They are capable of storing a number of souls inside! Quite convenient gadgets...
Raxyas: If I may ask... Who exactly is this friend of yours, and how did she craft these...?
Xi: Ohoho dear redeemer, I'm afraid there are things I cannot share. I do hope you understand. Now, I promise you this: find me some more vessels and I'll assist you in any way I can. But please, make haste! I must continue my research.
Bazren: Where are we even supposed to look? The entire citadel seems deserted...
Xi: Oh, I'm sure you'll find one undead or two hiding around. They will be happy to be of use to my research, I'm sure. Now, go! And do come back soon.
Xi hurries both Redeemers outside of the cathedral...
Bazren: Wait, and what is that coating your vess-
... closing the doors as soon as they leave.
Bazren: He didn't even ask for our names...
Raxyas: He's completely devoted to his research, getting more subjects seems to be all that's in his mind... I don't know how I feel about this.
Bazren: If those soul spheres are keeping the souls safely inside, then I don't think there is much cause for alarm. We should look around and see if we can find that tavern Tentoria told us about! If there's anyone still in this citadel, that would be a good place to look for them.
The duo search through the many alleyways and dead-ends of Slynvha. After a long walk, they finally stumble upon a building that resembled a tavern. Light could be seen through the windows.
Raxyas: This should be it...
Raxyas carefully pokes his head inside.
Raxyas: Hello?
The tavern was almost entirely empty. The only undead inside was the barkeeper. He did not answer Raxyas.
Bazren: I'm getting a bad feeling about this [https://img.wattpad.com/bc54a31a1dd7c1e6b684b73ffc7e7edbf4db9c75/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f47515648375836332d76636e71773d3d2d313139393437323338332e313732393438303035653732353739633237323136353330383437372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Bazren: I'm getting a bad feeling about this...
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : this one has seen much. i have seen much of him, too...
Raxyas: Is it alright if we come in?
The barkeeper pierces both of them with his gaze, for a moment. Then, he finally speaks.
Barkeeper: Sit at the counter.
Cautiously, Bazren and Raxyas take a seat in front of the undead barkeeper.
Barkeeper: Were there guards following you?
Raxyas: Guards? We haven't seen a single one since we came to Slynvha.
Barkeeper: I see. I guess it has come to that. Terrible...
Bazren: What is actually going on in this citadel? Why does the air feel so strange here?
Barkeeper: I'll answer all your questions. But first, you must answer one of mine... How is the girl?
Bazren: ... What girl?
Barkeeper: The one with tar-colored eyes.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : black blood in her sockets...
Raxyas and Bazren stop for a second, before he realizes who the barkeep is talking about.
Raxyas: You mean Tentoria...? She's doing alright, I suppose. We really don't know her too well. Although, she didn't seem too pleased to know we were coming here...
Barkeeper: That is no wonder, given that her own blood got spilled in this citadel...
Bazren: ... What do you mean?
The barkeeper hesitates for a moment, before deciding to continue.
Barkeeper: ... Tentoria shares a special connection with the watchers. Some time ago, people found a dead watcher by the citadel gates. Tentoria and I were not too far from here ourselves. At around the same time, Tentoria went into a trance-like state. She wouldn't talk, she wouldn't move, she would just look up at the sky. Eventually, she came back to. At the time, she seemed just fine, as if nothing had changed. But since then, every once in a while, she started having flashbacks. Flashbacks of a life that she acknowledged as her own, yet from long ago.
Raxyas: The watcher's death... Gave her visions of the past...?
Bazren: That sounds insane... How can she be sure it was her life? And how can you be so sure of what she saw?
Barkeeper: I trust that girl like no one else. She saved my soul from becoming completely broken.
The barkeeper sighs.
Barkeeper: You see, certain tragic events took place during my time in Mortmundus, some of which caused me to be banished to No Man's Shore. The things you see there... Undead losing their minds, breaking, becoming violent beasts... If it wasn't for Tentoria, that too would have been my fate. Luckily, I met her not long after I was sent there. The girl was the best fighter I had ever seen. But, she carries a terrible burden... I would know. We all did things we are not proud of, even before we arrived at Mortmundus.
He stops himself for a moment. Then, he clears his throat and straightens his back before proceeding.
Barkeeper: Though that is not for me to discuss with you. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask her yourselves.
Bazren and Raxyas were visibly intrigued. Still, they had to focus on their mission.
Bazren: We'll be sure to ask her when we next see her. Is there anything you can tell us about what is happening here in Slynvha?
Barkeeper: Aye, the master has gone insane with his research. Over some time now he's been obsessing over creating the perfect vessel. This all started when a group of redeemers found some "fallen god" outside the city gates. It was no fallen god of course, it was just the dead watcher. But the blood of a watcher can corrupt what it touches... Mess with its body and mind. He tried to harvest blood from this supposed god, and use it to perform experiments. At first, he gathered all the vacant vessels outside of the citadel's walls. Then, he started asking for volunteers. Not a lot of undead were willing to give up their vessels however, so he sweetened the pot by promising them new and improved ones after his research was done. Still, there were not enough volunteers.
Bazren: I really don't like where this is going...
The barkeeper nods.
Barkeeper: The master then decided to make examples out of some undead. He started with those that were already mad or mindlessly wandering. He publicly damned them for all to see, threatening the citizens that, if their vessels weren't given up willingly, they would be taken by force. I reckon a good portion of the population was sacrificed because of the master's research...
Raxyas: This is horrible... So those that are still out there, they are in hiding?
Barkeeper: They don't trust the master. They are afraid he will use the souls for something else, for his own research. So they hide within the citadel's walls. It used to be that some would try to escape, but the redeemers were always on the lookout for potential escapees. Those trying to escape were damned on the spot.
Raxyas: And the redeemers... What happened to them?
Barkeeper: Probably the same thing that happened to everyone else. Their souls should be with the master, now.
Bazren: We can't continue feeding his obsession... Who knows what he's really planning?!
Raxyas: No, we cannot... But we cannot return empty handed, either. Incola needs the cooperation of more masters.
A headache hits.
Barkeeper: Incola...?
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : fool...! this one does not need to know more than he already does!
Bazren: Careful what you speak about!
Barkeeper: Don't mind me, I have little interest in the affairs of others. Look, I can tell you one thing with certainty: if even the guards are gone, chances are so is everyone else in the citadel. I haven't left this tavern in a very long time, but the other citizens constantly looked for ways out of Slynvha. Whoever still had their vessel must have made it out of here by now.
Raxyas: But not you? What keeps you here?
Barkeeper: Sorry, redeemer. Any proper barkeeper keeps their fair share of secrets.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : he would never answer that. never. okay?
Bazren: He has told us plenty already. We need to think of what to do with Xi.
Raxyas: I know what we need to do. We need to stop him, no matter what. I'm just thinking of what we'll tell Incola...
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : think before act!
Bazren: Are you mad?! He's still a master channeler, his power cannot compare to mine, let alone yours!
Raxyas: We cannot abandon this citadel and leave all those souls in the hands of that maniac! We have to figure out some way of stopping him. He did not seem so powerful, with his tiny vessel. Plus, masters have an oath, remember? They cannot fight back themselves. Even in self-defence.
Barkeeper: Boy, if you think Xi intends on honouring any type of oath, you've got another thing coming... And make no mistake. Master Xi is probably one of the strongest masters in Mortmundus. His vast experimentation with vessels has led him to design a vessel that can maximize his power. However... At a cost. I have no doubt he could beat you both with a single attack. But, then again so could you. His vessel is what you would call a glass cannon of sorts... Very deadly, but also very weak.
t̴̤̟̜̬̲̥͈͓̫̏͒͒͜r̶̥̫̗̯͔̟̜͖̀̌́͂̋̅i̸͇͇̠̐̾̉̔̇̔͒͝n̵̙̤̿͂̽͒̚͠͝ͅi̸̡̧̧̼̼̞̩̯͐͑̈́́̀͊t̸̢̡̨̨̨̤͎̠̗̯͋̔̐̾́̌̕y̸̡̨̨̹̭̰̟͙̾̅̓̚ : don't get ideas...
Raxyas: Shut up! Get lost!
Raxyas was causing a scene. Again. The curse subsides.
Bartender: ... You okay there?
Bazren: He does this from time to time... He's fine.
Bartender: Is he, now...?
The barkeeper looks deep inside Raxyas' eyes, as if attempting to take a peek inside. Raxyas averts his gaze quickly.
Raxyas: Look, if what you have just said is true, then this is perfect! Bazren, your flail is the strongest weapon I've seen, I'm sure that if you get a solid hit in his vessel will shatter in a million pieces.
Bazren: I'm not going to even attempt to fight a master, Raxyas! Are you hearing yourself right now?!
Barkeep: Heheh, some guts you have... Here, this should come in handy. You can thank Tentoria for it.
The barkeep pulls up a soul sphere from under the counter. There was a familiar wisp floating around inside.
Raxyas: Wait... Is that...?
It was one of Raxyas' shards. Tentoria must have managed to get her hands on one of them without Incola noticing.
Barkeep: That's all I have for the two of you. Now, I believe you have some unfinished business with master Xi to take care of...
Raxyas: Let's go, Bazren. We have to see this through, no matter what.
Begrudgingly, Bazren follows Raxyas back to the cathedral.