"Is there anything we can do for you, uh, mister Old One?" Claire, a hand over her mouth slightly approached the throne, gently spoke to the old man. He ended yet another coughing fit and wiped some blood from his mouth with a handkerchief Vendel had handed him. The Old One turned his head slightly in the girls direction and beckoned with a wrinkled hand for her to come closer.
"What is your name child?" He asked softly, leaning back in his throne but never taking his attention off the girl. Vendel stood and squeezed through a door on the left side of the room. Where he went no one there but the old man knew.
"Uh, I'm Claire, Claire Nunez, sir. It's an honor to meet you. Blinky spoke quite highly of you." The man had a sour expression on his face at the thought of anyone speaking highly of him but he pushed that feeling down and smiled warmly at her.
"Claire Nuñez... a pleasant name for a pleasant child. You may call me Prisca." She heard Blinky behind her whispering to Jim that it meant 'The Ancient' in Latin or something. "It is a lot easier than referring to me as The Old One, all the time." Then his warm smile faded and a hard look came over his face. "You have recently acquired something magical, yes?" Her shocked look was all he needed to continue. "I can sense it from you." Then he paused and pursed his lips. "A little advice. The shadow staff..." He began reluctantly and it seemed like it hurt him to talk, or perhaps he had history with the shadow staff. Claire didn't know, but her curiosity was peaked. "No, the Skathe-Hrün... It is a dangerous weapon. Use it, control it, wield it as best you can child, but never trust it. That is my advice to you."
Claire pulled out the shadow staff and looked at it, studying it before looking up at Prisca, who was simply sitting there, attention on her, neither smiling nor frigid. Then she smiled gently and bowed her head. "Thank you for your advice Mr. Prisca." He simply nodded and gestured for her to rejoin her friends. As she did so he pointed at Tobias. "Your turn child."
Tobias pointed to himself with a confused expression on his face until he was elbowed by Claire, still holding her shadow staff, who passed by him. "Yes, he means you Toby." Her words were slightly harsh and he was going to speak up to her about it but then remembered Prisca was blind and thus couldn't have seen. So instead of arguing with Claire he smacked his forehead with his palm and ran up to the throne.
"Hi, I'm Toby, short for Tobias Domzalski. Everyone just calls me Toby, or Tobes. This place is awesome! What kind of advice are you going to give me?" Then he gasped as if suddenly struck by a thought. "Can you tell me how you did that thing with the weight on my shoulders? That was scary but also awesome!" In the background Jim had his face in his hands and Claire muttered something in Spanish.
Unlike the boys two friends, Prisca wasn't even phased by the overweight boy. "That, my boy, is what's called presence. It is created through a constant pulse of what is known as 'killing intent'. Exerting power over your environ and letting the world know you are the one in charge. Will-power if you prefer. You 'will' your surroundings into becoming heavy." It wasn't like the child could reproduce it. It took a long time to be able to exert your will onto others like that, centuries in fact. No harm in telling him either way, and the boy looked over the moon at the information. "You are a good child Tobias Domzalski. You are loyal and selfless to a degree I have not seen in an age." Toby blushed at the compliment and looked down in embarrassment. "You keep that good heart of your Tobias. It will be difficult, and the road will be fraught will peril and heartbreak, but if you persevere, you will come out of it a better man. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."
"Thanks Mr. Prisca." Toby had calmed down a lot from his earlier excitement and yet he was feeling happier and lighter than he had in a while. Like Claire, he too had received a gesture to rejoin his friends and, unlike how he had approached, left the throne at a more calm pace. Behind him as he walked he could hear a whisper from the old man behind him.
"No Tobias, thank you" It was soft spoken, strained but warm.
Next up was the Trollhunter. Unlike the other Two, Jim was a bundle of nerves. Was he going to have the answers he sought by coming here? Could the old man remove Angor Rot's sigil, or was it there to stay? What kind of advice would he receive? What if the old man didn't give him any? What if he didn't like Jim? He thought about all of these things as he approached the throne.
Suddenly Prisca began coughing again, though this time it didn't seem to be stopping. Jim hurriedly pushed all other thoughts to the back of his mind and rushed to help the ancient from falling off his throne. It was another good few minutes before the coughing stopped and the handkerchief was almost fully dyed with blood.
"I must hurry." Prisca muttered to himself as Jim helped him be righted in his seat so he wouldn't fall off. "You have my thanks Trollhunter, but we have no time to spare, for my time is short. That is why I will get straight to your question. You came here to see if the sigil of Angor Rot could be removed."
Silence once more reigned as everyone waited with held breaths and eager expressions for the question they had all gathered here for.
"It cannot."