{-Casrane-}
What they entered next was a grand, but empty room. Painting and text, occasionally interrupted by holes, adorned the walls. There were large gaps between comparatively small walkways, with a few small parts jutting out in a way that reminded her of fountains. In the center, there was something akin to an altar. Light was coming from right above it.
“This is where we need to put the rune,” Bezyu said. She sounded relieved to be done with the trials. Turning to Casrane, she asked, “May I..?”
Casrane nodded and handed her the rune. Bezyu walked back up to put it in its place on the altar, and they all watched how it shined under the ray of light.
After a moment’s rumbling, something else happened, too: all of those gaps became filled with water, and those holes began pushing it out. It really did seem to be an elaborate fountain—turning a room that once seemed devoid of anything into a much more lively appearance. They all had to admire it, for a little bit, until the majesty weared off somewhat.
Myr took to wandering around, and ended up gesturing at some of the writing on the wall. “Bezyu, do you know what this says? It looks like a story.”
“Oh! Yes, of course. I… can’t say I actually know how to read it, but I’ve been told the story many times before. It’s the reason we’ve dedicated a temple to this rune, and how it came to be in our possession.” Bezyu walked towards one of the paintings. “If I remember right, this is the first drawing in the story. The rest all go counter-clockwise. Just give me a moment, and I should be able to recount what it says.”
She glanced across the room at all of the paintings then, with a small nod, started. “News of Emmyth and the things he was doing to the yet-to-be-unified Masylm had spread across to every corner of the continent. Some embraced the opportunity, seeing it as an end to the wars and struggles that have plagued our homes for generations. Some wanted to hinder his progress, revert things back to the chaotic times in which they prospered. Then, of course… there were those who didn’t know where they stood. Those who were beaten by the realities of war, yet believed they had no might to stand without it. That is where Eslasera stood in it all—in the center, unable to make a decision either way.”
She walked to the next painting. “We were valuable to everyone who wanted to tip the scales; we were the piece that they needed in order to let everyone else know which side they should expect to triumph. But we never made a decision, no matter how many people came to us to try to convince us. We didn’t believe in violence for violence’s sake, but we also thought that Emmyth hoped to get rid of runes entirely—which, like today, we depended on for our lifestyle. Then Emmyth came to us personally, and showed us the ‘seed’ of the rune that now sits at the center of the temple.”
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When she glanced back at them, she almost looked surprised—though certainly pleased—that they were still listening. “He explained his goals to us, and showed us what we could do with the rune. He promised it would bring us prosperity, in the same way that he hoped the entirety of Masylm would prosper without the negative influence of runes. We’d been convinced—we felt our needs taken care of, and our doubts quelled. So, we agreed to follow him, and we started to build this temple. After all… something that important will need to be put somewhere safe.”
She paused. “There’s more to it than that, as you can tell, but… it just goes into a record about the temple being built. I admit it isn’t as interesting as the first section…”
“So the rune was kind of like a show of promise between the people of Eslasera and Emmyth..?” Myr asked, observing each of the paintings with a kind of awe. She stopped, though, when she considered how the story continued—how the story led to them. “Do you think the Rune Reactivation Project knew that, when they took the rune? They must’ve known what it did, at least…”
“They probably knew everything,” Llewel grumbled. “They knew exactly what it would do, and what the implications would be. The more ways they had to sow chaos, the better. That’s what their goal is, ultimately.”
A bit hesitant, Bezyu remarked, “You know, I… don’t think I’ve actually heard much about the Rune Reactivation Project before I met you. Can I hazard a guess that it’s nothing good..?”
“Try ‘wants to unleash a power no one really knows how to control,’ and I think you’ve got just about everything important,” Casrane replied.
Bezyu then turned her attention to the twins. “Then was I right in my first assumption, that you’re really Emmyth’s descendants..?”
Llewel nodded. “There’s no reason to hide the fact now—I just didn’t want to admit it in front of everyone else in the inn. I assure you, we’re going to do what we can to fix all of this. I… don’t know how much it’s going to help, specifically, but at least you’ll have one less thing to worry about.”
“I think what you’ve done already has been more than enough,” Bezyu remarked. She glanced back at the rune. “I’m sure the others will be able to rest assured, to know that the rune is back in its place. And I’m sure they’d be willing to thank you, too, for the work you’ve done to put it back.”
“It… might be better if you don’t mention us, actually…” Llewel mumbled. With her questioning look, he explained, “The Rune Reactivation Project shouldn’t know exactly where we are. They’ll probably be able to piece together that we were here, but we shouldn’t give them something definitive. We don’t want to run into any trouble with them.”
Bezyu nodded. “Alright, then. I’ll respect your wishes, and try to keep things vague—but I’m not going to take full credit for this. I know I didn’t do enough to deserve it.” She stepped towards another pathway, one differently marked from the one they’d entered through. “Could you at least stay, for my ‘coworkers’ to meet you? I promise, they won’t share the secret with anyone if you ask them not to. But I know they’ll appreciate your help, and would love to thank you personally for what you’ve done for us…”