A/N: This chapter is probably my least favorite to write. I've been going through a really bad writer's block and creative slump, hence the delayed update. It's not quite up to the standard I would like for it to have, but I needed to get this chapter out. It's a bit brief since the next is supposed to be a little heavier.
Sneaking into the Mageseeker's Complex was a no-go. Initially, anyways.
"As much as I'd love to go back in there, my hands are tied." Lux wished she could wipe the disappointed gleam from Eyrin's eyes and the frustration crossing Sayo's features. In the time she spent processing Jarvan's proposal and the implications behind it, somehow the other three Illuminators managed to unearth an even larger issue adding fuel to the conflict gripping their kingdom. It took a couple of hours spent in the security of her room to unfold the plan, only to end in a damn near dead end. "I've been forbidden to return to the Mageseeker's Complex on the account of interacting with a detained 'criminal' to avoid further stain on the Crownguard name."
Eyrin made no effort to hide her exasperated sigh. "Sylas is no longer in the capital and he might as well be a criminal at this point with how much blood is on his hands. You are no longer bound to that-"
"While that may not pertain to me anymore," the blonde interjected before the raven-haired woman could continue. "My mother has eyes and ears everywhere. Word of my appearance at the complex would only get back to my family within the hour."
"Lux, I could easily bend time-"
"No." The harsh interruption silenced Sayo. Lux stopped to compose herself, letting her pent-up frustration from the day ease off her tone. "That isn't the way to go. We have other alternatives, more subtle ones."
Sayo folded her arms, miffed at being cut off. "I'm offering a solution."
"It's dangerous enough that it simply exists," Lux reminded. "If we must return there, then we can think of more subtle ways going about it."
The white-haired mage leaned back in her chair, jaw tensing. Diffusing the tension came first and the blonde worked her brain over alternatives. "The easiest thing to do is run interference. The night shifts have the fewest guards on post since they will be posted near the dungeons rather than anywhere else. Problem is the archives are kind of close to them but I know of another way in without crossing their paths. If you can hold their attentions long enough, I should be able to locate their tracking information."
"And how do you suppose I'll go about that?"
Lux shrugged. "Inquiries are your best bet as an Illuminator. Otherwise you may have to improvise. You are a bit of a drama queen."
Sayo scoffed. "Hey, that's Noah, not me. I'm not a bitch."
"Language," she warned, receiving an eye roll in return. "If you're not up for conversations, I'm sure you can conjure up some other scheme. You've always been best at that Sayo."
They set to infiltrate a few nights later, though honestly they could have done it the same night Sayo and Eyrin briefed her.
Lux didn't want to admit the majority of Demacians weren't the brightest bunch, but she suppose seeing an ethereal wisp wander their halls late at night warranted some measure of precautions. She managed to sneak into the archives via the back entrance as Sayo toyed with the guards using her focus manifested in a small orb – a wisp. It was a much more likely alternative than trying to approach the Mageseekers under the guise of Illuminator work considering the abnormal circumstances of reaching out to them at this time of night. That, and given the amount of magical persons imprisoned underneath the complex, it would come as no surprise strange phenomenons showed up every now and again.
Which made it all the more perplexing they would chase something they couldn't catch with their hands.
"Okay," she breathed as she closed the doors behind her with a soft click. The room was deathly silent save her own footsteps, measured and cautious but loud to her ears. "Now if I were trying to track down someone with magical abilities, where would I put this information?"
The archives always changed a little every time she passed through as a part of their efforts to thwart anyone coming through and sneaking out confiscated items or other records. Some things were harder to move than others, especially sensitive ones such as delicate magical artifacts or cursed objects. She skimmed the shelves as she passed through but none of them bore any interest.
Lux could do a bit of snooping before completing her objective, right?
The cases closest to the meeting rooms in the back of the archives had been empty when she stopped visiting, but this time around every single one were full. She could feel magical residue pouring off them, yet none of the intrigued her nearly as much as the simple dagger sitting on its stand at the end of it all.
Her eyes widened at the plate at the bottom, explaining its origins.
More specifically - the name.
In honor of Kasim Crownguard, late son of Tianna Crownguard, for his dedication to the service of the Mageseekers.
"Are you sure you saw the wisp come through here?" Lux's blood ran cold when voices echoed from the other side of the room. She hurried down her corridor to look for the other rooms branching from the archives.
"Positive. It vanished through the cracks of the door here. The perpetrator must be in here." 'What the hell Sayo?!' She clasped her hands over her mouth to muffle the surprised squeak from nearly colliding with a statue around the corner. Wasn't the whole point of this to keep them away so she could find what they came here for? Just beyond the statue however was the wisp they sought and it lazily floated down the hallway and through another door.
Fighting the instinct to run, Lux slowly pushed open the ajar door and peered inside. It was dark and empty save the wisp dancing around. She slipped in and closed the door behind herself when strong hands grabbed her.
The blonde sent her elbow straight back into her assailant's stomach. A quiet grunt followed the loosening of the grip.
"Fucking hell Lux!" Sayo wheezed out, coughing and struggling to catch her breath. "What were you thinking?!"
"Me?" she hissed back, dragging the mage away from the door and deeper into the room. "Aren't you supposed to be giving them the runaround?"
"You were taking forever and my magic isn't limitless." Lux pressed her hand over Sayo's mouth when footsteps stopped in front of the door. She yanked the other woman down to the ground behind a table just as it creaked open and torchlight filled the room. The two women managed to tangle themselves in an uncomfortable heap as Lux tried to press as close as she could to Sayo and keep them hidden.
"Anything in here sir?"
'Absolutely nothing! No crazy women sneaking around in here! Carry on!'
"..."
Footsteps stopped short of the table. Lux swore everyone in the room could hear her heart hammer in her chest.
"Sir?"
"..."
The guard near their position moved around the desk. It nearly sent Lux into a heart-attack until the other one spoke up, alarm in his voice. "Sir! The wisp! It's further down the hall!"
The two left the room hastily, slamming the door shut behind them before silence enveloped them. It took a few minutes of calming herself down and getting a grip of her sanity. When she managed to reorient her train of thought, she summoned a small orb of light to give them some vision.
Sayo's cheeks were dusted with a pink and she kept her eyes averted. "You could y'know... move?"
Lux peeled away sheepishly, climbing out from under the table. She had a habit of pulling people into the most inconspicuous places to hide them it seemed. "Sorry, instinct."
"While I don't mind having a lovely woman right up against me, I enjoy being alive. Last thing I need to do is piss Fiora off from feeling up her girl." Her girl. The blonde felt her cheeks heat up, yet the pit of dread in her stomach remained. It was such a pleasant notion, one she had no objections to but-
-the marriage thing...
"Hey, I didn't mean to insult you. You okay?" Sayo's hand on her shoulder shook her out of her thoughts. Lux nodded and brushed her off.
"I'm fine. We still haven't found what we came here for."
The taller woman smirked, drawing from her pocket a few folded documents. "While you were perusing the archives, I took it upon myself to look through the smaller rooms."
"I thought you didn't know this place," Lux reiterated, frowning and grabbing the pages from her.
"I don't. I just followed you." Sayo tucked the sheets away when the blonde handed them back. "Sylas must be on the move again for them to leave so much information around. For such an rigid structure, they sure are disorganized."
"Considering they are dealing with basically full scale war, I'm not entirely surprised." They waited until the coast was clear before slipping out the room as quickly as they came in. Lux waved her hand to dismiss the light orb and sank them back into darkness. Surprisingly enough no guards crossed paths with them and they left through the front doors like a regular stroll on the park.
"Sayo, just how does that wisp work?" Entering and leaving couldn't have been that easy, even with the lack of guards on duty.
Sayo brought her hand up and clenched her fist lightly. "It's part of the magic imbued in the ring itself I suppose. The wisp I normally am only able to send in one direction, however it is capable of moving on its own of free will. Kind of like a familiar, but different I suppose."
"Is it like a mirage?"
"No, it's just magic manifested into a physical... well, sort of physical form. That's all it is."
Demacians were really dumb in that case.
As oddly convenient as that was, she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth however, and having successfully extracted said information she left it at that. "We should reconvene with Fiora as soon as possible. I'm sure she'll want this information."
"Perhaps in the morning," replied Sayo as they headed towards the Illuminator headquarters. "Or when the ruckus dies down at the Mageseeker's Complex. They will be trying to trace the origins of the wisp for a while considering we took longer than necessary to accomplish our goals. Our movements will draw suspicion to the Illuminators if we're not careful."
Maybe she shouldn't have spent so much time going through the archives.
