King Nathan's Study - Freydessan, Algard
Magnus let out a deep breath as he waited on the chair he was told to sit in. With the size of his own study/library, he felt a little cramped in the King's. Finally though, the door opened instead of the King it was the Queen. A blonde haired woman of average height and blue eyes.
Magnus stood up and bowed. "Queen Lyra. How are you?"
"Lyra is fine and much to my own dismay behaving myself," she said and made her way to the otherside of the desk. "As much as my husband intended to be here in person to speak to you, matters do take urgent attention. However I've some good news for you."
"Well I can't say I'm disappointed that your husband is not here given that you're now here in his stead."
The queen laughed and gestured for him to sit back down before sitting in her husband's chair. She removed a locked box from the drawer and opened it by muttering something in latin, which caused the unlocking of the mechanism. "I need your signature. As soon as you give it, you're free."
"Free?" Magnus asked.
She produced a piece of parchment from the box and passed it to him. Magnus recognised it immediately. The blood vow contract. There was several signatures already for it to be broken legitimately. He looked up in shock. "Why is this happening?"
"When this parchment was signed Magnus, it was when people feared advancement. They even feared this safe haven and there was a lot of fights. Even my husband's father and his grandfather were afraid of what improvement could do. Or perhaps he was tolerating the slowing down of progress for the sake of order. We couldn't very well give fighting vampires and witches then superior technology and ways of using their magic; and they were of course concerns about you and your allegiances; but things are more civilised now and well you're a wise man. You're not going to go around giving them atomic level weapons or time travel or whatever it is you could go about giving that you shouldn't."
"As if! They can't handle alarm clocks some of them," said Magnus. The Queen smiled. "But why? I mean it's one thing thinking something but to act upon it, it's not really the forte of the royals."
"Just enjoy your freedom and the removal of the seal on your powers. With your sudden blood vow removal, your sky is officially a kingdom. You better watch out, I apparently have a thing for men in powerful positions. According to the media," she replied.
"If the sky was, is, my own Kingdom, properly, any officials that I make would be free for my own judgement no matter where they were in this world?"
"Yes, of course. But you will also be judged accordingly to how your officials behave," said the queen. "You've already got them in mind. I can see that. You've probably been thinking about this for years. Camille's on the top of that list I bet."
"I could have my own law enforcement official," said Magnus, thinking.
"For an airship? If you want."
"Who says it's just going to be an airship?" asked Magnus. He picked up a letter opener from the desk and cut into his hand and closed it over. Droplets of a blue liquid began to drop down onto the parchment and then he took a pen and signed his name in the pool his "blood" had made. "I think I'll build a kingdom in the sky. I'll only invite up people that I like. Except it won't be a kingdom, more like… just a nice place in the clouds and I probably will let anyone come live there. I've always believed in free migration."
"Am I invited?"
"Seriously though Lyra, why? Why did your husband do this? The very fact that you're doing this now means that it was his idea in the first place."
"Does there have to be a reason?" asked the queen leaning forward, though there was a mischievous look in her eye. "Who says that it was his idea in the first place?"
Magnus leaned forward too. "Then they would have told me that it was you I was going to see. Furthermore, when people ask that question, there's usually a reason. So what's the reason Lyra for this generous motion."
The queen leaned back, as did he. "Alright, I'll be honest with you. I suppose that even though the sky is your kingdom sort of. You're qualified for other things that to be honest are out of our purview and I speak on behalf of all the royals of all families. The whole fiasco last night with Caspian...everyone's speaking up. He's a joke and he needs to go. We've just not had anyone to replace him with or at least we weren't viewing it logically. No one understands the sentients in the entire Haven better than you do. You understand the humans on earth too. Something that's needed. You could really create your own version of the I.S.A but functional. An I.S.A that works with the Kingdoms, not terrorises it or...bullies or irritates the law enforcement leaders. People like you. You created this place, that means you want to protect it more than anyone. We need a bit of that right now."
"Do you ever wonder why there's never anyone good enough to replace Caspian in the I.S.A because anyone that could, or had the potential, he binned."
"Probably," said Lyra. "I mean there's no doubting he's corrupt but none of us can prove it. He's let criminals go on account of them providing important information in return. That blood spiral thing got out of hand. I know he just got elected leader then but still. Either way of what you decide Caspian is going to go. You can be apart of him being canned or you can go back to your airship and sit in your clouds. What's it going to be, Dr. Croft?"
"I will take up the position," said Magnus. "But I start right now and I implore the help of anyone I see fit. From any of the law enforcement agencies, any of the clans, and anyone outside The Haven as long as they're willing and within reason."
"Shall we make up another contract? I'll have it signed in an hour."
"An hour?"
"Well he's being ousted tonight," said Lyra. "I want us to get a move on with this. I'm sick and tired of sitting around. We've talked too long. It's time to be doers."
"You can get a new contract made up in an hour. A blood vow takes…"
"It's just a regular agreement. Blood vows are a little bit barbaric these days are they not? Besides, the trouble we had to go to the last time to accommodate the spell given your...differences, makes the whole process even more off putting. All I need is signatures in permanent ink and I have those waiting."
"The accommodation was mostly for the abundance of the copper 2 plus ion that I have in my system, rather than iron," said Magnus. "It's what makes it blue."
"I never asked," said Lyra.
"It's in your eyes. I can just tell you wonder," said Magnus. "I mean if I spent my life around people and animals, all with red blood cells...I'd be a bit bewildered by a blue liquid instead of red. Then again I'm not most people."
"That you're not," said the queen. "Can I get you something to put on…" She turned his hand over and the cut was gone.
"I don't stayed injured for long."
"You'll make the vampires jealous," said Lyra.
"Right now I just want to see Caspian fall," said Magnus. "I can't believe after all this time, you're all finally starting to do something about him."
"But you always expect the worst of us and the best. Sometimes that leads to you being impressed, and other times it's lead to you being very disappointed. Or so Camille says."
"Camille talks about me?"
"Nothing that would get you or her into trouble. But she talks about you as a person. Thank you for paying for the wedding by the way."
"What are bosses for? What are friends for?"
"Come on you. You've got work to do," said Lyra before grabbing his arm and leading him out of the study, not giving him much time to answer.
Montehue's Trailer - London, England
"I didn't sense any magic from the door," said Sophie in the trailer. "I doubt there was a seal of any kind there."
"Maybe but she did say it must have been broken," said Lok.
Everyone had been discussing the strange things that Elenwen had said, while Tersley bustled about the trailer to organise photos and paperwork pertaining to the dig-site.
"She seemed to talk about my family, what could she know about them! I've never heard of her or met her before," said Sophie.
"Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing, Sophie," said Den.
"Titans can't roam free without power enchantments in the area they're roaming free," said Sophie. "Like with your titan Fenris, Montehue."
"That's how they roam free when they're already in an amulet," said Zhalia. "This one was never put in an amulet."
"You really believe her don't you Zhalia?"
"I don't believe anything from anyone," said Zhalia. "But, I prefer that we explore every angle. So that when one of those angles appear and try to kill us, we're prepared for it."
"Zhalia is right. We don't know what we're facing until we find it. We've deal with titans with similar magic before. It'll be fine!" Lok said.
"What if she's right? What if this is more dangerous than some of the things you've done before?" asked Cathy.
"I doubt it's more dangerous than the blood spirals and the betrayer," said Lok. "After that, everything else is a piece of cake!"
"But weren't you aware of just how powerful the betrayer was? You know nothing about what's through those doors in the dig site," said Cathy. "And if the seal that that girl was talking about is really what she says it is, then...it's as powerful as the one on that betrayer! Which means whatever is in there is dangerous!"
"But she's just being crazy Cathy! It's nothing to worry about," said Lok.
"Personally I'd like to know what sort of weed she was smoking," said Harrison. "That bitch was high."
"Her pupils were not showing sign of any dilation," said Sophie. "I believe those are the symptoms of someone on any form of narcotic."
"You know Cathy, if you're worried about this titan in the dig site. You can sit this one out! No one would hold it against you...that much," said Harrison.
Cathy wasn't even going to dignify that with a response. She just sat down near Zhalia and folded her arms.
Selena's Vault - London, England
Selena was in an office she had set up in the vault, taking notes as she read from a very old book. "My Queen," a voice said, bringing her attention to the black-haired woman who had just walked into the room.
"Is it ready?" Selena asked.
"Yes."
"Prepare it, starting with what's on the list first and in the order that they appear," said Selena.
"There's something else your majesty," said the woman. "The Foundation are doing something here. Something about an old dig site. Skeletons coming to life and such."
"It doesn't seem to pose any concern, it's better they use their resources to deal with the situation rather than me. But just as a precaution see what else you can find out. They're here in London. I really don't like vermin on my doorstep."
The woman nodded and then left.
10 PM - London, England
Elenwen walked through the city's streets, wearing a black leather backpack on her back. She had spent the rest of the time of the day trying to pinpoint where the residue of the spirit world was coming from. But ended up just walking in circles.
Suddenly her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out and looked at it.
'Are you almost here yet? They're about to go down'
'I'm on my way. I'll be there.'
Before Elenwen had finished putting the phone in her pocket, she heard a scream. She made a run for it, until she found where it was coming from. Someone had a woman pinned to a wall, a knife to her throat. They were wearing a mask. "I don't have any money," she pleaded.
"And if she did, it's not yours to take," said Elenwen. "Are you hungry? Is that why you're doing this?"
The masked individual removed the knife from the woman's throat and stepped closer to Elenwen. "Who says that it was money that I wanted? Maybe I just enjoy this. Maybe I enjoy their screams."
He started advancing towards Elenwen but she just stayed still.
The Dig Site - London, England
Montehue began to open one of the doors into the secret catacombs that they'd discovered. "They're quite heavy! They've not been oiled in a long long time. We're talking over two thousand years here I'd say."
There was a thud suddenly and Cathy turned around to see dirt falling from above. "They're filling in the hole!" Cathy said.
"Who is?" Zhalia asked, looking up.
"I told you. This is cut-throat. They've probably paid someone off to get this place back and they're starting just now so nothing can be done."
"Who?" Lok asked.
"Weren't you paying attention? The developers who wanted to build a big tower or whatever here."
"But we're here! We'll be buried alive," said Lok as more dirt poured.
"What do we do? Do we proceed or do we hurry up there like scared children?" Montehue asked.
"The last one sounds like a good survival technique," Tersley said.
"I'll go up there and have a word with them!"
"We can't get seperated! Not now! It'll take you forever to get back up there, even with your powers!" Sophie reasoned.
Dirt started to fall from above near where Lok was standing. It landed all over his clothes and head. "Getting in through those doors is our only option."
Suddenly the dirt pouring stopped and then after about ten minutes it appeared as though someone was climbing down the scaffolding. Actually, dropping from the furthest distancing that they could and catching onto a few levels down. They were in a hurry. Zhalia didn't have to wait on the figure getting closer to the ground to know who. Only one person she was expecting would be in such a hurry.
When Elenwen got to the ground, Sophie gasped. "What is she still doing here?" demanded Sophie.
"Relax Sophie, I think she just stopped us being buried alive! We don't know if this new place has an exit or not," said Lok.
"How did you stop them?" asked Montehue.
"I asked them nicely, explaining that you were down here and that they could be prosecuted for murder or culpable homicide. That didn't work out well, so I just knocked them all out," replied Elenwen.
"I'm sure when they wake up, the first thing they'll do is run to the police!" said Sophie. "Well done for drawing attention to us."
"And I am sure if they're running to the police then they're not filling up the hole that we're in. The police will not want them filling it up either. Even if they need to press charges on this one here. Or… they had no right doing this but just wanted to bully the museum because we can't afford the resources to re-dig the hole, trying to persuade us to give up."
"Did one of them have a knife?" asked Zhalia, pointing to a gash on Elenwen's leg. "That mark there was made by one."
"No. Someone was...someone was causing trouble so I decided to show him the error of his ways," said Elenwen.
"What do you mean?" Lok asked.
"Well he had a knife to a woman's throat. When I heard the scream, I ran. Then she got away when I turned up and then I beat him up and left him on the doorstep of the nearest hospital," said Elenwen.
"Was this before or after you told me you were on the way?" asked Zhalia.
"I can't control events after our text messages. And I'm here now aren't I? Shall we proceed? I thought we were all in a hurry here."
"Did you bring what I asked for?" Zhalia asked.
Elenwen took her back pack off and pull out a metallic briefcase, the kind people usually carry weapons in.
"How did that fit in there?" Sophie asked.
"It's bigger on the inside! It had to be!" Lok said. "What kind of magic made that? I want one!"
"Well actually, it's a systematic manipulation of…" began Elenwen with an excited smile on her face.
Zhalia smacked her on the back of the head, making Elenwen tense up and freeze. "Will you please..." began Zhalia.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," said Elenwen, her voice rushed. "I didn't mean...I shouldn't have been talking when you asked me to do something. I'm sorry."
"Look just open the damn case already!" said Zhalia, frustrated. "I don't have time for you to be...you...right now."
Elenwen opened up the case. There was six small crystals in a designed placeholder and then one (seventh) large crystal. The crystals were all white, the small ones all perfect circles. The large crystal was bulky and rough, and wasn't cut like the rest of them. "You put the smaller ones around the titan and then you cast slipsnare on the big one. It activates the trap and then the titan goes into the crystal. To be honest it's more complex but I'm trying to simplify. The tricky part will be holding the titan in place while the smaller crystals surround it."
"That would be impressive if it were required or needed," said Montehue. "But it's not."
"If I'm correct though then the Casterwills couldn't complete a mission or rather they had to go for the alternative of locking the titan away. That wasn't good for the titan or the people of the world today," said Elenwen. Camille had given her advice on how to handle Sophie. "I'm sure a Casterwill like you will want to finish what your family started. It's your legacy. So I want you to have this."
She passed the case to Sophie once she closed it over. "Fine I'll take this but only because if it can do what you say it shouldn't be in the hands of such a lunatic who thinks she beats up criminals."
"She had a bigger on the inside bag, Sophie!" Lok said. "Maybe those crystals really do do what she says."
"Frankly I've had enough of standing around here talking," said Montehue. "Let's go get this business sorted out. You lot can stay here if you like. This way Tersley."
He proceeded to go back to attempting to open the door. "It's still pretty heavy. I actually had help the last time," said Montehue.
"I promise I won't tell Dante that," said Zhalia. "How much help?"
"12 people for each side," said Montehue.
"We can summon…" Lok began before Elenwen gestured for Montehue to move to the side which he did out of sheer curiosity. Elenwen began to pull the door and Motehue's eyes widened as it began to move.
"You're right, it's heavy!" said Elenwen. She was moving it but it was still a struggle.
When the door was fully opened, Elenwen leaned against the wall. "Are you alright?" Montehue asked her.
Elenwen nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine," she said.
"She just needs a minute to get her breath back," said Zhalia. Everyone started pouring in through the door while Zhalia approached Elenwen. "Did you pull a muscle or something?"
"No," said Elenwen simply. "I don't think so."
"I thought you weren't that strong since Caspian did what he did," said Zhalia.
"I'm not."
Zhalia raised an eyebrow. "I see," she said. "So you're still stronger than humans even though…you're not as strong as you used to be. What are your limits?"
"I'm no good against moving vehicles but I could pick the front of one off the ground stationary. Maybe lift the whole thing above my head depending on the size and cars weights tend to change, I mean they're all made up of different materials aren't they?"
"Come on," said Zhalia. "We need to catch up with them."
Elenwen nodded and began to follow Zhalia onward.
"The skeletons are just lying dormant," said Sophie as they passed many alcoves with them in it.
"We both saw them!" said Tersley.
"I'm sure you really believed that!" snorted Harrison.
"What we see and what's happening can be two different things for all we know. Or perhaps they were moving around and such when they were seen. Or perhaps what we're seeing right now isn't the case. That's the thing thing illusions, you don't know what is and what isn't what's actually happen and that's also the thing about a possible titan that can manipulate things, you also don't know. A roaming titan, no amulet though… it'd not be difficult to form psychic links with all of us and use our own knowledge against us," said Elenwen in a low voice. Her eyes hadn't even blinked. She was just standing. It was almost like she was talking more to herself, expressing thoughts that were coming out rapidly. It was borderline sinister. "There's nothing worse than second guessing everything you do or see or say or hear or feel or smell or taste or sense. Every thought could be planted even. Of course that depends on how powerful the titan is and how intelligent it is but imagine if it did..if it could be in your thoughts...then to some degree it could know why we're here. I imagine such an intelligent being would be… defensive or maybe it'll be careful. That's the thing with abused sentients of any kind, some snarl from the corner they're backed into...others take so much and snap and others….plan and thing and pick off. Still...you're all pros so you should be fine."
"I thought you said we weren't pros!" Lok said, freaked out.
"Let's get going. I have other things to do here in London," said Elenwen.
"Not if I kill you," snarled Zhalia.
"We'll deal with whatever happens, when it happens," said Lok. "Let's not get worried."
"Seriously did you have to bring her along?" asked Sophie.
"It's probably just waiting patiently for me to come and claim it," said Montehue. "Which is honestly disappointing."
"How far did you get in these catacombs again?"
"Not that far," said Montehue.
Sophie's eye's scanned a wall they were walking past as a boltflare they'd case illuminated a message in red coloured and dripping writing. "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever?" asked Sophie. "It's written in blood!"
She touched a black part of the wall and almost fell back. "Uhh, I...there's a magic on the walls. It's really strong!" she gasped.
"Are you alright? Do you need some water?" asked Elenwen.
"I don't need anything," snapped Sophie.
"There's something familiar about that message," said Tersley. "I can't place it."
"It's Ginny," said Lok.
"Who is Ginny?" asked Elenwen. "Is she in danger?"
"Ginny Weasley! Have you been living under a rock or something! Every knows about Harry Potter and Ginny is one of his friends!" Den said.
"I don't know who any of those people are!" said Elenwen.
"They're witches and wizards and they go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"There is no such school, I'm sure I'd know about it!"
"It's not real! It's from books," said Sophie.
"Movies too," said Lok.
"More fiction," said Zhalia. "Does that constitute a psychic link like you were talking about?"
Elenwen walked up to the dripping writing and touch the blood before tasting it from her finger. "Hmmn," she uttered. "That's the thing about a prison for a powerful titan… I suppose it'd have its own security measures.'
"All this standing around, we're barely in yet," complained Montheue.
"Of course," said Sophie. "It might not be a titan that's causing all or any of the illusions. It could be magic placed here to ward off anyone trying to come in."
"Perhaps we should turn back," said Elenwen. "Malanacoius seal on the door…"
She trailed off and Sophie sighed. "I'm sure if I could find the source of the magic, I could perhaps use breakspell."
"Wait," said Tersley. "You said the seal was to stop people getting in. if this is a prison, then the entrance isn't the most guarded area. There could be worse things ahead."
"Good. Something to cure this boredom." Montehue said.
Elenwen turned to Zhalia. "Or maybe it'll be fine and the Casterwills believed the malancious seal would be enough, and threw in some enchantment magic in the walls to create illusions off the most basic of psychic links just in case something went wrong with the seal. Writing in blood but they couldn't simulate the taste of iron. In fact, I tasted nothing and I felt nothing but stone. I'd need more data but I'd say whatever illusion magic was at work here… it's not taking into account sensory perception beyond the course for most people that'd have been enough. Especially in times where gods were worshiped, and people feared everything. Even now...people see skeletons come to life...they probably run the other way. Cause there's something unsettling about the dead four thousand feet below a city through big heavy doors that had to be prised open by twenty four people."
"Unsettling wouldn't be what I'd call it," said Cathy.
"Fun right?" Lok elbowed his sister playfully.
"Question is," said Elenwen, still directly talking Zhalia. "Why? Did they not think the seal would last? If not, then seekers would have to get in to fix it. Stop the titan. But was it that Mr Tersley said… there are other security measures in a prison. And maybe we're being told to stay away so that we don't interfere with them."
They suddenly came to an open gateway. "Let's keep going," said Lok. They made their way through the gate way and found themselves in a large open area with walls at all sides of the room. A large fountain was in the middle of the room, water spraying and pouring in it, and bricks around the edge of the pool part. The rest of the room was made out of stone.
"This is a dead end," said Harrison.
Suddenly the walls started moving towards them and the gate that they'd come through had disappeared to be replaced by more wall.
"Are you strong enough to push walls?" asked Zhalia, looking to Elenwen who was staring at the fountain.
"That fountain," said Elenwen. "I can't explain it, I just know something's wrong but my head isn't...It's not…"
"It's...an anachronism!" Sophie said suddenly.
"A what?" asked Lok.
"Lok what is your plan to deal with this situation? I thought you were team leader?" asked Cathy.
"Sophie. I don't mean to order you around, that's absolutely not what I'm doing. I don't dish those out. I believe in free will absolutely, that being said, could you please please use breakspell on that fountain?" asked Elenwen.
"Breakspell!" Sophie shouted, aiming her hand, that wasn't holding the case that Elenwen had given her, at the fountain. The spell hit the fountain and the walls went back to normal. Another illusion of sorts but now the fountain was no longer there but a set of wooden doors in the ground.
"Oh geez! We're going down more," said Den.
"For the record, I was going to cast breakspell anyway! I absolutely did not need you to ask me! I know more about magic than you!" said Sophie to Elenwen.
"Does it matter? Before it was an absolute that we weren't going to be crushed by stone walls, it could have result in our death! I don't care if you're smarter than me! I just care that we're all still alive!"
"I...well...I do too! So stop saying that I don't!" Sophie replied.
"I never said that you didn't!" said Elenwen.
"Girls, girls, girls, there is no need to fight like this! Save that rivalry for when we get to the amulet."
"I can leave if me being here is such a trouble! I do have other things to do!"
"So why are you here?" Sophie asked.
"Several reasons in fact," said Elenwen. "To save you all from being killed, to save the titan that's been imprisoned here, and because Zhalia asked me. It's only because of her that I didn't come down here myself and deal with this situation on my own."
"A situation that you couldn't have dealt with because you needed my magic!" Sophie said. "Magic that you don't seem to have!"
"You're not the only seeker in the universe that can use that spell and it's not the only solution to such a problem! Four and 2 make six just as much as five and one or three and three."
"Guys, I think we should keep going. This mission could very well be time sensitive," said Lok.
"I'm very happy to stop this discussion," said Elenwen. "It's clearly a waste of time and energy."
"There's stairs!" said Lok.
"Finally! We can proceed," said Montehue.
Zhalia sighed. She was starting to get a headache. She was billing Elenwen the aspirin bill when she got out.
Magnus' Library, The Airship
Magnus made his way into the library and frowned. "Camille! Elenwen!" he called. Camille made her way into the library. "Oh there you are."
"I heard about your promotions," said Camille, folding her arms.
"You are now free to disclose all of my secrets Camille," said Magnus. "Elenwen!"
"What? That I choose your clothes for you?" asked Camille.
"Where is Elenwen? I really need to talk to her."
"Elenwen is in London?"
"London? Why is she in London?"
"Something about a Malanacious seal, and her needing a titan trap," said Camille. "An archaeological dig site in London uncovered it but the seal was broken prior to intereference with the door."
"Those don't break easily, something must have done it. I better go get her. Malanacious seals and old Casterwill dangers...It's like leaving a toddler with matches in a wooden house. Just because she's smart Elenwen, doesn't mean she's not going to set fire to the house...she'll just learn how to do it quicker."
"Oh I've not been here in such a long time," said Queen Lyra's voice. "I know you told me to wait but my curiosity got the better of me and I do need to hurry you up you've got a lot to do, Dr. Hello Camille!"
Camille looked suddenly horrified. "Lyra. Sorry about this mess here, he never tidies and he just leaves books all around the place and puzzles and jigsaws and all sorts."
"It's beautiful!" said Lyra. "But Magnus, we need to go. We're about to dethrone Caspian. You need to be there. You need to give a speech. You've got the the briefing with the law enforcement officials too."
"I can't…" Magnus began. "I...well...my friend...she's…"
"It's just some food poisoning," said Camille. "Nothing to worry about! I'll check up on her. And keep you apprised of anything irregular. Also, take the tie off now. It's not the royals you're addressing, it's the public. It'll make you seem younger and more forward moving. Unbutton your shirts at the top. No one likes a stiff!"
"Come on. I'm sure your friend will be fine," said Lyra, dragging Magnus away. "And she's right, you can take the tie off now. It's me you're with, not my husband."
"It'll all be fine!" Camille called after him.
He hoped it'd be. But with Elenwen things never seemed to be fine.
Underneath the Dig-Site - London, England
The stairs went on and on. Seeming to have no end. "I mean there's got to be a point where we reach the core of the earth," complained Lok.
"The maximum we should be able to travel down is 25 miles," said Sophie. "Then it'll get hot. We must be below sea level or the thames surely."
"This place is weird," said Lok.
"It's not the only thing that's weird," said Sophie.
It was a comment directed at Elenwen, but she was too busy staring at the steps as she walked down, lost in thought, to acknowledge.
"Are we really going to let such things surprise us after everything we've seen," said Zhalia. "We don't know much at this point. But the only way of us getting out of here safely is to find this titan."
"I agree. We'll get to the amulet if we keep going," said Montehue.
"I'm hungry," complained Den when his stomach starting to make noises.
"Wait," said Zhalia, coming to a halt and grabbing Elenwen. Suddenly the teens were almost bumping into the back of her and each other.
"What the hell?" asked Lok.
"This is on a loop," said Zhalia.
"That's it I'm bringing out the holotome," said Lok before going into his bag.
Everyone waited while Lok tried to get the holotome to scan where they were but it wasn't picking anything up. "It could defintley be an illusion if the holotome isn't getting anything."
"Like when were all on the island," said Zhalia. "And you were all done for, with the beautiful ladies."
"I was almost done for my beautiful books, not beautiful ladies," said Sophie. "I just want to put that out there. It was Lok and Dante that were swayed."
"I thought I was solving puzzles by my dad!" Lok said.
"In the end we were somewhat saved by Zhalia being sarcastic, grumpy, cynical, and stubborn," said Sophie. "Thanks for that by the way."
"Oh. Don't mention it," said Zhalia sarcastically. "Thanks to that we go to live until we got here where we're probably going to be stuck in an endless loop of a staircase that may or may not be real."
"Sophie cast breakspell on something," Lok said.
"On what? I don't know what the source is!" Sophie said.
"There has to be a puzzle that you can solve to get this. There has to be!" Lok said.
"There isn't one," said Elenwen.
"How do you know?"
"This is a prison! You don't just walk into prison, solve a rubix cube and then have the jailor say...Oh hello there you solved this puzzle, here is this dangerous psychopathic serial murderer? This is the real world."
Zhalia snorted. "Like you'd know anything about the real world. You live in a fantasy place in the clouds."
"Actually I live above the clouds," said Elenwen.
"Excuse my grammatical era. I'll swallow a dictionary as soon as I'm out of this place," remarked Zhalia.
"How on earth do you live above the clouds?" asked Sophie.
"Oh I'd be happy to explain it to you once we're out of here," said Elenwen, a smile appearing on her face.
"It was a rhetorical question and I don't need you to explain anything to me," said Sophie. "Now if you'll excuse me, my friends and I are trying to find a way out of this trap!"
"Death is an option," said Elenwen. "If you want to get out of here."
"How are you so calm then?" Sophie asked.
"I'm not I'm wishing it'd hurry up," said Elenwen. "So I didn't have to sit around for long and listen to you."
"Quite frankly listening to the both of you is giving me a headache!" Zhalia said. "And I already had one when I came in here."
"You should have said," said Elenwen before taking her backpack off. She started pulling out a first aid kit, several chocolate bars, crips, juice, soda, a laptop (which she passed to Tersley to hold), a gun, a climbing axe, rope, her lexicon (passed to Lok), a compass, a history book of seeker magic written by Renée Casterwill (that Sophie inspected with her eyes), and then she pulled out a bottle of aspirin. "Here you go."
"Can I have some chocolate?" Den asked.
"Some juice would be nice," said Lok.
"Sure. I'd probably not eat a lot of this anyway. There's also a preservation spell in the bag so none of the food goes off or goes beyond it's ideal temperature."
"I'll eat when I've had victory!" said Montehue.
"I don't need anything from her,' said Sophie.
"I'm fine," said Harrison.
Zhalia picked up a bottle of water, even she wasn't going to turn down the aspirin. The last thing she needed was a headache getting worse in their unpredictable situation. Elenwen took all her stuff and put it back in the back pack.
"I can't believe your bag was holding all that!" Den said.
"And more. I was only trying to find the aspirin," said Elenwen before sitting on a step. "We might as well conserve our energy while we figure out how to combat the issue we're facing."
"I thought you said death was the only option! You clearly know nothing." Sophie said.
"I said death was an option," said Elenwen.
"Well can we forgo that option so we can get home?" Tersley asked. "I don't want to die down here."
"We won't," said Elenwen.
"Exactly! We won't! We just gotta figure it out," said Lok.
"If we don't, my friend will find me. He doesn't let anything fool him. He'd solve the problem in ten seconds and then he'd take us for cake because he likes cake. In fact he likes a lot of desserts."
"How is he meant to get here?" Sophie asked. "You're seriously relying on your friend. Are they a seeker or just annoying like you?"
"No. But they're amazing. Camille hates me, but she'll tell him where I am. He'll figure it out. He won't let my last moments on earth be with you. Actually he wouldn't let my last moments be on this lousy planet."
"Waiting on one of your friends to save us, that's another option is it?" asked Sophie, dryly.
"He doesn't have to save you if you don't want him to. He's all for free will," said Elenwen.
"Zhalia why don't you summon Gareon and see if he's under the same illusion as we are," said Lok. "Maybe titans won't be affected like we are and he can climb walls."
"Question is though, if it's an illusion why did you run into the back of Zhalia? Zhalia said it right the first time. It's a loop of some sort," said Elenwen. "Which means that while we were travelling a section of the stairs became the starting point, and another the finish for the loop. When you get to the finish it sends you back to the star and you don't notice it because it's a spiral staircase. That sort of manipulation, it's a seamless blending. I highly doubt that the Casterwills could do that before they could put titans in amulets or make a titan trap. Because to my knowledge, they don't know how to do it now. It takes power, and thought… great great craftsmanship of the magelogical kind. If it was a titan doing it, it'd take a lot of energy. Energy that it'd find difficult to get. The amount of spiritual energy that they use for their power in the spirit world is greatly decline on the earth."
"But what about that other theory you had, the metals in the air, the hair on the arms, the smell of a burnt fuse plug?" Zhalia asked.
"Could that power up the titan? Maybe? To this extent, no and… since we got in to this place...the scent of the spirit world has become less and less."
Sophie began to touch the walls. "There has to be an enchantment working it," said Sophie. "There has to be."
"The power source," said Lok. "If we take out the power source, then we'll take whatever it is out."
"But where will it be?" asked Sophie, running her hands over the walls.
"I miss Dante," said Lok. "I wish he were here."
"You can't rely on him forever, but I know what you mean," said Sophie.
"Dante would put himself in the place of whoever made this place," said Zhalia.
"So we think like them," said Lok. "They wouldn't want to get caught in the loop themselves, so there would have to be a way to turn it off."
"Probably in the walls. I say we smash the area up," said Montehue.
"Thinking as the people who made this, they'd know where the power source or fail safe was. If there was one, speaking theoretically," said Elenwen. "But the people who didn't would keep on going up or down the stairs. What they'd likely never do though…"
"Is look up!" said Lok.
Everyone looked up. "It's darkness….except for something shining," said Lok.
Sure enough there was something sparkling. "Lok can you go up there with kipperin?" Den asked.
"It's too cramped in this bit to summon him. It's a little high up for hyperstride."
"Do any of you know spidertouch?" asked Elenwen. "You could scale up the wall?"
"Now that's an idea!" said Lok. "Spidertouch!"
He began to scale the wall, up and up and then he yelled down. "It's really small!"
"Bring it down anyway," said Elenwen loudly. "If you can remove it."
"It's just floating there," Lok yelled down. "Hold on, I can almost reach it. Got it!"
He came back down and passed clear crystal with glowing green light, that a glass ringe around it, to Elenwen who was grinning widely. "It's a Cyatan Star. I've only seen these in drawings! These could power the entire earth for 50 million years!"
"Put it on the ground so I can cast break spell," said Sophie.
"It won't work on this," said Elenwen. "You know how phones are starting to get wireless charging? This does that. It...doesn't use wires but it charges anything requiring a power source around it. It replenishes too. Unlike most stars, they're cold. But thi sone's luke warm. It's being overworked."
"How do we destroy it?" asked Zhalia.
"Why would you want to destroy it? These things only exist in the spirit world," said Elenwen. "And here this is. One is actually here! I'm going to take it back to Magnus as a present. He'd love this!"
"You won't get back here to your hermit if you don't get rid of that," said Zhalia.
"You physically can't destroy them anyway. But as I said, it's like wireless charging. You just need to turn it off."
"How?"
"Sophie. Tell it you're a Casterwill," said Elenwen, passing it to her. "Tell it to let you proceed."
"What good will that do?" Sophie asked.
"You've no problem telling it to other people usually," Zhalia muttered to herself.
"Alright then I suppose we can forget it," said Elenwen. "We can stay here forever."
"Fine!" Sophie snapped. She held the crystal up in front of her face and proudly gave her proclamation. "I am Sophie Casterwill and I want to proceed with my friends! Allow us to pass."
The crystal started to glow orange and then Elenwen took it from Sophie. Suddenly the stairs starting moving back into their bend and the stairs became a stone slide until they reach the bottom.
"That hurt!" said Lok.
Elenwen put the star in her bag while she was on the ground . "I hope we find more."
"Let's keep moving before we end up stuck again!" said Montehue, walking up to the door and opening it.
"Can I have some chocolate now?" Lok asked. "I feel like I need some more energy."
"He's not getting anymore," said Sophie, dragging him on.
Elenwen sighed. She really wished she hadn't come along. Whatever she had to face with Selena must have been a lot less stressful than interacting with Sophie Casterwill. Though the frustration she was feeling was nothing compared to Zhalia's or Zhalia's concern. The Foundation agent was beginning to wonder if there was actually going to be a way out of the place.
A/N cutting it here before it gets any longer. Thank you for reading! Thank you thank you thank you! Have a wonderful day!