Raxyas and Xayn had now returned to Nu's cathedral. The rescued soldier was sent off to acquire a new vessel and Raxyas was telling Nu what had transpired. In the meantime, Xayn had healed a good amount, and was almost back to full mobility.
Raxyas: ... And that is why Bazren is not here. Whatever that thing was, if it was not for her there is no way we would have been able to leave that citadel.
Nu: I see... So, it seems like there is no acquiring that box without taking care of the beasts guarding them. All the better, you can carry on with your rescue mission and, once all my soldiers are back, we shall launch a full assault on the citadel, ridding it of beasts and recovering the box.
Xayn: But master Nu, even rescuing them may prove challenging. While the beasts do not typically chase after intruders, they will if they spot any. They are very territorial... We may not be able to rescue everyone depending on where their vessels were destroyed.
Nu: That is bothersome... And are we sure these beasts are as tough as they seem? Is there perhaps nothing we can do with fewer men?
Raxyas: Trust me, I have seen a lot of things in my time in this world, but nothing like that. I do not even know if your full force of soldiers would be enough to take one down, let alone-
A disembodied gruesome head is thrown between the three undead's feet.
It wasn't moving or making any sound [https://img.wattpad.com/496a6d9c1dcd8efe41b5bd7927b38e5c89c098f6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6c786d584c3072532d37327a7a773d3d2d313230313834353833332e313732363932646263323461323861633837303633383230393837302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
It wasn't moving or making any sound.
Xayn: Is that...?
Bazren: Yep. Wasn't so tough.
They looked at Bazren's mangled vessel. It was missing many chunks of bone, an arm, and struggling to fully regenerate.
Raxyas: You barely got out of there, look at your vessel!
Xayn: Still, this is impressive. You did this alone, Bazren?
Raxyas begins healing her vessel.
Bazren: Yeah... They are immune to any attacks that target their flesh, but if you manage to hit their bones with enough force to shatter them, you can immobilize them pretty quickly. After figuring that out he was pretty manageable. Apart from the incredible speed and strength, that is.
Nu: This is fantastic news! Bazren, how many men do you think you need to take down one such beast?
Bazren: Well, one. I can easily do it.
Raxyas and Xayn were shocked.
Nu: Is that so? Very well then! Raxyas and Xayn, you are to assist Bazren in ridding the citadel of any and all beasts. Once you are finished, you may continue with your rescue mission. I trust this should not prove too difficult, Bazren?
Bazren: As long as we can take them one by one, we should be fine.
Xayn: W-wait, should we not bring some more-
Nu: Perfect, most perfect! So it shall be then. As soon as you are ready, please proceed with the extermination process. If you will excuse me, I have some matters I must attend to. Best of luck to you three, although it seems like you will do just fine.
Nu takes her leave, leaving Raxyas and Xayn dumbfounded.
Raxyas: Is she... Serious?! Just the three of us?
Bazren: Oh quit whining you two! We'll be more than enough to take them down. Now, rest up and get ready, we'll be leaving soon!
Raxyas: You should be the one resting up! Your vessel may be as good as new, but your soul... I'm no miracle worker. You should get some proper rest, lest you risk over-exerting your soul and having it unlink from your vessel in the middle of a battle... You can take your time, I've plenty of catching up to do with Xayn.
Bazren: Fine, fine. But don't take too long!
Bazren leaves to finish healing. Raxyas and Xayn talk.
Raxyas: So Xayn... what happened after Zank? What'd they do to you...?
Xayn: One thing at a time, Raxyas... I know you have many questions, I'll do my best to answer them, but even I'm not sure of all the details. After our battle, Incola captured us. They were very mysterious about the whole affair... As if they knew and had planned everything exactly as it had happened. Yet, for whatever reason I got the feeling they weren't expecting me to survive. They spoke of some "unknown variables" that could ruin their plan, I think I was one such variable... They wanted to destroy me.
Raxyas crosses his arms and looks at the floor.
Raxyas: Frankly... It doesn't surprise me they would do that. It seems Incola is not exactly what it seems...
Xayn: What do you mean? What else have you noticed?
Raxyas: Their main objective was to open a portal to the world of the living, with the goal of freeing the people of Mortmundus. But according to what Tentoria discovered, opening this portal will bring ruin to Mortmundus. Many will be sacrificed in order to do it...
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Xayn: Incola will use any means necessary to further their goals, by the looks of it...
Raxyas: Oh yeah, that's them alright. Not to mention that it'd seem that there have been reports of undead souls being absorbed inside citadels... I fear this could be their doing, too.
Xayn: Is that so...? Raxyas, that has been happening here, too! The citadel is so much more empty now than it was... When I first arrived, Ragma had plenty of soldiers, plenty of citizens... But over time, the population has been dwindling. Powerful undead come from the outside, and leave Ragma with more power than they came here with. And what do they leave in return? Empty carcasses...
Raxyas: ... You think for sure it's them?
Xayn: I'm telling you they are. I've spent quite some time here... I know master Nu has a very special partnership with Incola. She's as crazy as that other undead that was her partner a while ago...
Raxyas: You mean master Xi? The vessel-crafter?
Xayn: That's the one... Raxyas, they seek one thing and one thing only: knowledge. And they will go to any lengths to acquire it. Incola provides Nu with all the knowledge they acquire from the outside. In return...
Raxyas: ... Nu provides them with souls, tools, and even more knowledge...
Xayn sighs.
Xayn: You know... Being here, seeing all of this... You know who they remind me of...? Me.
Raxyas' eyes widen.
Xayn: Of course, I never toyed with the lives of anyone... But I, too, placed knowledge above everything else at some point. I should have never left you to become a scholar...
Raxyas: Xayn, you were following your aspirations.
Xayn: I was following an illusion. I thought I'd find purpose in knowledge... And I read so many books. I know so many things... And yet, I somehow feel like I am more hollow now, than I was when we were banding together.
Raxyas didn't say anything.
Xayn: I'm sorry for having been such a terrible friend. And I'm ashamed that it took finding myself in this predicament to acknowledge this... I shouldn't have turned my back on you.
Raxyas places his hand in Xayn's shoulder.
Raxyas: We both made plenty of mistakes, Xayn. As far as I'm concerned, they belong in the past. All is forgiven.
Xayn smiles.
Xayn: Yes... Now is hardly the time for regret! It's time to right the wrongs that organizations such as the Thirteen and Incola are committing. Together. By my old friend's side. If he doesn't want to bash my skull in, of course.
Raxyas laughs.
Raxyas: Well, I'm still owed at least one skull bash from when you brought me back to Halgorth... But don't worry. As you say, it's time to right some wrongs. Dwelling in what-ifs and regretting the past can only do so much. And at this point, it's done all it can for us. So... It's a pleasure to have you back, Xayn.
Raxyas extends his open hand towards Xayn.
Xayn: It's a pleasure to be back!
Xayn shakes his hand firmly.
Raxyas: Alright, so let me put you up to speed: It's our current belief that both Incola and the Thirteen have access to some intercepting pool of forbidden knowledge, with Incola knowing more than the Thirteen... We suspect Incola has a spy inside the Thirteen, which is how they knew the exact time and place Zank would be when they saved us. Master Za himself agrees with this theory, as well.
Xayn: Master Za?! You spoke to the master?
Raxyas: Oh yes, I went there sometime before I came to Ragma. He's the one who told me about those reports about the missing souls. I... Enlisted his help. He's supposedly assisting Incola now, too. But he specifically said he would only lend his power to me, no one else.
Xayn: Still... I don't like this at all. They are using anything and everything at their disposal to further their agenda.
Raxyas: Yeah... But we needed to cooperate so that we could find out more... About Mortmundus, about your whereabouts... Although, now that we have everything we need, there is no reason to keep assisting them.
Xayn: You have everything you need already?
Raxyas: Well, almost... As much as it pains me to admit it, I don't think we're quite powerful enough to take them down. Yet. But that will change soon, I hope.
Xayn: What do you have in mind?
Raxyas looks toward the tunnel leading to the abandoned citadel.
Raxyas: There is a good chance that that citadel has more powerful vessels lying around. We still have one more of my soul shards... Which I plan on giving you. That means that each of us would potentially be about as strong as Ilkatorza, Incola's leader. With Tentoria on the inside, I think we've got a pretty good chance at stopping Incola and the Thirteen.
Xayn: I think that perhaps you are being a bit too hopeful...
Suddenly, the communicators start humming.
Qu (comm): Are you two there...? I have more news.
Bazren (comm): We are here, master!
Raxyas: Ugh... I told her to go get some rest...
Xayn: What's the matter?
Raxyas: Just a second Xayn, I'll tell you afterwards.
Qu (comm): I see Xayn is already with the two of you, good! I have some news to share with you... It would seem that this tar that you found first in Slynvha, then in the fortress battle, and now inside that citadel... It comes from the void. It is what happens when the void seeps into Mortmundus...
Qu stops for a while.
Bazren (comm): ... Master?
He clears his throat, before continuing.
Qu (comm): Yes, apologies... As I was saying, it forms a black tar-like substance, corrupting what it touches. I believe that Tentoria can, in some way, control this substance, as she seems to have been able to manipulate it to destroy the monsters that attacked the fortress.
Raxyas: Wait master Qu, but the tar is the blood of the watchers... How can that be?
Qu (comm): It is indeed. It would seem that the watchers have some part of the void inside them, if that makes any sense. Which could either mean that, somehow, every watcher is a gate into the void... Or that the void is contained entirely inside the watchers. It could be that they are the void itself... Unfortunately, I do not yet know. But this might mean that, if we are to kill the watchers in the future, in an attempt to fully restore Tentoria's memory, doing so could cause great harm to Mortmundus... Not only because of what might get corrupted with their blood, but also because there is no telling what would happen to the souls trapped therein.
Bazren (comm): And what about their plans regarding Tentoria, master? Any news?
Qu (comm): Sadly, nothing conclusive as of yet. Although I have a hunch that it should not take me very long to figure out what her true role is in all of this. Hopefully, next time we speak I should have something for you.
Raxyas: Understood, master Qu. Thank you for filling us in.
Qu (comm): Thank you, for all the work you are doing to save Mortmundus. When we get to the bottom of all this, hopefully we can all get some much desired rest... But until then, we must march onwards. I will leave you to your duties. Best of luck, everyone.
Bazren (comm): Thank you, master. Contact us soon!
Communications cease. Xayn had a dumbfounded expression.
Xayn: ... What exactly just happened?
Raxyas: Ah, right, let me tell you about Qu and his gadgets...
Raxyas fills Xayn in on how master Qu plays into all that has happened. In the meantime, Bazren rests, in preparation for what is to come. As soon as the three warriors were ready, they exchanged ideas and made their way to the lost citadel once more, with the ultimate goal of obtaining the forbidden box therein.
As soon as the three warriors were ready, they exchanged ideas and made their way to the lost citadel once more, with the ultimate goal of obtaining the forbidden box therein [https://img.wattpad.com/9bea749de0ef1c1a1655dd62e004be83f2dcde85/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3533364b675846313330596f5a773d3d2d313230313834353833332e313732363933313231633961353132303732313637343736303138372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]