Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 40: The Hidden Village

Tsuki, Rein and Cesela had arrived at the hidden, secret village of Demi-humans that had been established by the Esseand government. Since Esseand couldn't afford to come out and publicly mention this village, its location or its existence, everything was done off-script. They were escorted into the village by the elder named Ryoka. After they stepped through the entryway built within a massive tree trunk, they were greeted by an almost breathtaking and tranquil sight. The village itself was built while keeping the nature of the forest in mind. Simple cobblestone buildings and houses were built within the tree roots and trunks. Flowers, moss and vines decorated the exteriors of the buildings. There were even small huts built up into the tree trunks above the ground which were all connected by wooden platforms, stairs and rope bridges. It was a village that was literally taken straight out of a child's fairy tales story. The air within the village was clean and its water was pure as water could ever be. There was no sign of any pollution whatsoever that could cause the air and water to become tainted or dirty. The water was crystal clear and it sparkled by the suns' rays that came through the upper tree brush. Wildlife appeared to live in complete harmony with the Demi-humans as well as the harmless wildlife wasn't afraid to approach anyone. The entire village, culture and lifestyle was heavily revolved and dependent on the nature of the forest.

As they walked into the village, the Demi-humans that were lingering around what appeared to be the main town plaza stopped and converged to take a look at their new guests. Most were curious about them but there were some that were being cautious of their presence due to what the history between humans and Demi-humans. Chatter among the Demi-humans filled the air and although there was some level of caution among the villagers, there appeared to be no sign of any kind of hostility. It was the first time the village had ever received guests that weren't from Esseand so a lot of the villagers didn't know what to make of it.

Ryoka stepped forward into the plaza and turned around to face Tsuki, Rein and Cesela, spreading his arms out in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome to Harukim, my friends. We may not have much to offer you but please feel right at home" he said.

The sight of the village amazed Cesela beyond words. She didn't know what to say or what to do other than to take in the sights and familiar smells of her own kind. It was a village right out of a book and almost didn't seem real to her at first. She had to rub her eyes a bit to make sure what she was seeing was actually reality. "Wow...this place is beautiful" she said. She has never seen such a gorgeous sight like this before.

Ryoka chuckled a bit, turning to face the villagers that had converged on them. "We all had nothing when we were cast out on our own, chased out of our homes, freed from being enslaved or spent out days in hiding. In a strange turn of events, we all somehow ended up here and few to love the nature of this forest in its purest form. With the much appreciated assistance of the Esseand government and their brilliant architectural minds and Earth Artes, we were able to create this village without ruining the forests' natural life" he said. The village truly had a unique feel to it that no other village seemed to have. There isn't another place like it in the world that could possibly match its beauty.

Tsuki looked around as he tried his best to take in the sights of the village. It was quite a lot for him to take in. He's seen a lot of Ersheath already and nothing could compare to this. In fact, the only other place that could probably come close to it is his memories of Tomoha before it was reduced to ash and rubble. "Esseand's architectural style is really something else. It's like the forest formed all around the village itself rather than the other way around" he said. Besides what Tomoha used to look like, nothing in Cayhill could come close in terms of being uniquely designed. Briswater would be the only exception due to its river roadways and the location it was built on but this beats it by far.

Ryoka nodded. "Feel free to explore later if you'd like. For now, let's head over to my house where we can talk" he said. He then walked off into the base level of the village towards a massive tree further in.

They followed Ryoka into the village. Onlookers kept watching them with curiosity and caution. The village was small but compact due to there being four levels to the village that extended up into the trees above the ground. It was like an oversized treehouse. Despite that, life around the village was very peaceful. The fact that the village is only marked on special maps used only by Esseand officials for the safety and well-being of the villagers isolates them further from the public and keeps away any unwanted outside contamination. Not only that but the entire forest is under a constant close observation by the Esseand military from a nearby stronghold that overlooked the plains they came from.

Eventually, they reached another massive tree that laid on the other side of the village. Within the tree itself was another house. Only this time, it was literally inside the trunk of the tree. A good portion of the tree was completely hollowed out with another floor build into. The tree itself was the house rather than the cobblestone houses and huts around them. They were led inside by Ryoka and gathered around a small living space with chairs and even a couch and sat down.

After a moment of silence, Ryoka started to break the ice. His almost carefree, calm and soft expression turned into a more serious look as he looked at them. "Allow me to speak first. I spoke in confidence earlier due to the actions you took back in the clearing but I have to verify again to make sure. The young girl with you, she truly isn't your slave right?" he asked.

Tsuki shook his head. Now that they were alone, he could understand why he wanted to verify their intentions and whatnot. "No. She's a friend and a companion. We don't look at her nor treat her as a slave" he said.

Ryoka looked deep into his eyes. He could see that he was telling the truth. "Your eyes appear to speak the truth. I can see a strong conviction within them" he said. Upon a closer inspection, he also saw something else within his eyes. However, what he was was too clouded for him to see so he pushed the thought aside as it would do him no good to speculate. "So, where did you find her?" he asked.

Tsuki looked over at Cesela who had her ears down to her head and was holding onto his right arm. He knew that she was aware of what he was about to say and didn't like to hear about it. "In a town southwest of here called Chesberry. It would seem that a Demi-human slave trade was taking place. She was a part of it" he said.

Ryoka stroked his chin in thought. "Slave trade? How did she escape then? I'm assuming she wasn't the only one so what happened to the rest?" he asked.

Tsuki shook his head. "We don't know. The entire operation was wiped out by a single assassin in the dead of night. By the time the town guards took notice, the Demi-Humans that were enslaved were freed. Cesela was being auctioned off when the assassin saved her" he said.

Ryoka's eyes widened a bit in surprise and shock. To be able to take down an entire Sirione slave trade operation by one person, they must have been an incredibly powerful and skilled fighter. "A single assassin did that!?" he said with surprise. He took a moment to process what he had just been told. "If they acted alone, then there's a good chance that they must not of had the support of Esseand" he said.

Cesela shook her head. "He wasn't exactly the talkative type but what he did say was that he was allied with no one. That he was nothing but a shadow. Whoever he is and wherever you came from, I'm very grateful to him. I just wish I was able to thank him before he suddenly left" she said. She owed him greatly for rescuing her from a dark chapter in her life and probably from something that would of probably have been much more worse for her.

Ryoka leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. If Cesela was able to find safety, what about the rest of the Demi-Humans? "What about the rest that were freed? Does Esseand have any idea of where they might have gone to?" he asked.

Tsuki shook his head once more. "No. As I said, they were all gone before the guards arrived. If they're smart, I would imagine that they're trying to lay low for a while until they figure out what to do. We didn't stick around Chesberry long enough to verify it for ourselves but I'm sure Esseand is doing what they can to find them" he said. If Esseand is all for supporting displaced Demi-Humans, then there's a very good chance that Raiku is trying to find out where they're all hiding at.

Ryoka fell into thought once more. If they were laying low, that would be fine. However, Sirione would surely send out their hunters to locate and re-capture them. It was only a matter of time. "I'll have to send out an inquiry to King Raiku on this matter. We can't have our kind roaming around. It's just not safe. Well, nowhere is safe to be honest but having them brought here would be far better than having them out in the open" he said. He sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. Harukim had more than enough space for refugees since they can quite easily expand if needed. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do for them right now though. As he sorted out his thoughts, he looked over at Cesela, who had been holding onto Tsuki's right arm the whole time that they had been talking. In fact, she has practically never left his side since the clearing. "Cesela seems to have become quite attached to you despite everything that's happened with her and the Humans" he said.

Tsuki scratched his cheek a bit, looking away briefly. He wasn't quite sure of why she had been so clingy to him. Given her history with Humans, he would of thought she would keep some distance between them. "She's always been like this since we found her. Apparently, she says I share the same smell as the assassin that saved her which makes her feel safe and secure" he said.

Ryoka tilted his head. Her Faerie breed, which was a fox, had a very strong sense of smell. It was probably their most powerful trait to them. Even though he was a Demi-Human himself though, he didn't know much about the fox breed as there weren't that many out there due to how secluded and isolated the breed is. There was little interaction among other breeds despite being part of the same race. They were a very isolated people. "Same smell?" he asked.

Cesela nodded, looking up at Tsuki. She looked like she wanted to say something but ended up stopping herself from what she really wanted to say. "It's like he says. His smell makes me feel safe and secure. I'm not sure how to explain it myself. It's just a feeling of security I have, that's all" she said, holding onto his arm tighter. She then closed her eyes and looked down. "I also don't want to leave your side..." she whispered faintly to herself.

Tsuki heard her mumbling to herself which made him tilt his head as he couldn't hear what she said. "Hm? What did you say?" he asked.

Cesela's face turned a bit red as she shook her head frantically with a nervous laugh following afterwards. "N-nothing! Don't mind me!" she said.

Ryoka rubbed his chin a bit in thought as he thought more about the fox breed. Unfortunately, he had very little to go off on so talking about what little he knew wouldn't provide much for a conversation between them. It did interest him though. Moving onto other things, he clapped his hands together with a stern nod. "Alright, I think that's enough. I've confirmed your intentions and what your motives are so now we can get to the real part of the discussion. So, to what do we owe this visit?" he asked.

Rein took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. He had his own questions and things he wanted to talk about and he was pretty sure Tsuki and Cesela did as well so this would probably be a long discussion. "I'm sure we all have things we'd like to talk about so I'll start with mine. What can you tell us about the Sirione hunters?" he asked.

Ryoka's right eyebrow raised for a moment. He had picked an interesting topic. "The hunters, huh?" he said. He then fell into thought for a moment to gather his thoughts of what he knew about the hunters as silence filled the room. "The hunters are specifically chosen from Sirione's new and oppressed government. They could be elite fighters in their own military or they can be ruthless warlords. Even simple mercenaries for that matter. Whoever they end up being, they're picked for their fighting skills. This much, I'm sure you're aware of" he said.

Rein shrugged a bit. "We know a little bit of their history and what comprises the hunters. I was hoping you knew something that most people don't know" he said.

Ryoka looked out towards his window and stared at it for a couple moments. "There isn't much about them that isn't known. People don't exactly go out picking fights with them. Frankly, I'd advise against it myself too" he said.

Rein chuckled a bit, leaning back in the couch. "Well, it's a little late for that unfortunately" he said. He can understand why he'd advise not to get involved with them especially after their encounter back in the canyon. That was just them ambushing what appeared to be to them as simple travelers who had came across their target. They weren't exactly prepared for what those travelers were capable of which threw them off-guard.

Ryoka looked over at Rein. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Rein leaned forward, resting his left elbow on his leg. "Well, you see, we already had an encounter with some of them back at the Canyon Pass. They ambushed us as we were coming from the shoreline" he said.

Surprise took over Ryoka when he had told him that they actually had an encounter with the Sirione hunters and actually managed to get out of the encounter with little to no scratches. "What!? And you guys actually managed to fight them off?" he asked.

Tsuki nodded, scratching the back of his head. "We did and ended killing five of the six hunters that ambushed us. The last one got away from us though before we could strike him down though" he said.

Ryoka was almost speechless. To be able to get out of a fight with Sirione hunters unscathed was one thing but to actually kill five hunters was even more amazing. He didn't know how to react. All he could do was give them both a blank stare. "Just who are you two? Something tells me that you're no ordinary fighters..." he said. He sighed a bit, shaking his head and regaining his composure. "Anyway, if they ambushed you, then it's safe to say that Cesela was their main target. Fox breeds of Demi-Humans prove to be very useful for the slave traders and she's also a child as well to boot. Those two factors alone would earn them a good amount of money" he said.

Tsuki shrugged a bit. He already knew something like that was already the case. "Yeah, I kind of figured that much. It doesn't matter though. I won't let them take Cesela" he said.

Ryoka looked at Tsuki and Rein, giving them a stern and serious look, "You two are aware that not only will they try to retrieve her again, they will also hunt you down as well right? Especially if you've already killed several of them already. They may not have anticipated running into fighters such as yourselves before but there are no doubts that they won't make that same mistake again" he said.

Tsuki grinned a bit, making a fist and pumped his arm. "Oh, I'm aware completely. The Sirione issue will have to be addressed at some point in the future anyway so I might as well thin out their ranks now" he said with strong confidence.

Ryoka tilted his head a bit at his confident response, interested in where his confidence and determination comes from. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Tsuki then proceeded to explain everything that's happened from what happened in Cayhill, what they're doing now and what they're end goal is. The explanation took a while as there was a lot of things to talk about to try and make sense with. It also gave him a chance to clarify some things Rein as well since he gave him a somewhat simple explanation back at the seaside cave. By the time it had ended, the sun had long since set over the horizon, revealing a clear, starry night sky. The village was lit up by dim, natural lighting around the whole area.

Ryoka rubbed his forehead, staring up at the ceiling. It was quite a lot to take in and had to have a lot of it repeated and clarified further. So much has happened that he couldn't believe it at first. "Unbelievable. So that's what's been going on in the world huh? When you make a new life in the middle of a forest, you get detached from the outside world" he said.

Tsuki nodded. "Unfortunately, that's how things are currently. There's no telling when things will go back to normal" he said. The future that was in store for them was clouded in mystery.

Ryoka looked down at Tsuki. "And you're saying you'll need Sirione's Blessed Flower in order to fight back against these dark forces. I can see why the current situation with Sirione needs to be dealt with at some point. However, I'm afraid it won't be as easy as you might think. As you may well be aware by now, the royal family of Sirione were-" he said. He was then interrupted by the sound of a grandfather clock going off. "Huh, it's that time already? Why don't we pick this discussion up tomorrow? You're our guests and our small village has a unique experience to offer for visitors" he said.

Rein stretched his arms out with a loud, audible groan. "I agree. It's been quite a long day for us. Let's take it easy for tonight" he said, rolling his head around his shoulders.

Cesela soon tugged at Tsuki's sleeve, looking up at him. "Tsuki, if we're stopping the talks for tonight, I'd like to see more of the village. Is that okay?" she asked.

Tsuki looked down at Cesela. They were right; it was a good time to call it a day. After all, it's not like they were in a hurry to be anywhere. They didn't even have a plan of action in mind right now anyway so they were stuck for the time being. "Alright. We'll take you up on your offer" he said. He was pretty beat himself. He could use the rest especially after having to use a lot of the Sigil's power. He was still feeling the exhaustion and exertion from all of that.

Ryoka clapped his hands together and stood up. "Wonderful. Whenever you guys want to hit the sack, head on down to the inn by the plaza. Don't worry about the fee, I'll take care of it" he said.

Tsuki stood up as well and bowed a bit. "Thank you for the hospitality" he said.

Ryoka shook his head, waving his hand in front of him. "Not a problem. We'll meet back up in the morning so we can continue the discussion then" he said.

After they said their goodbyes for the night, they left the Elder's House. Upon exiting, they saw the night life of Harukim. There were no artificial lights or streetlamps. The town was lip up from the glow of exotic plants and natural lighting. It was like the whole village was one giant nightlight. Not too bright and not too subtle. The village life at night looked like a totally different village compared to the day. The natural glow and lighting made the village an even more beautiful place.

Rein stepped forward and looked around, amazed at how much the village changes at night. "It's like a completely different place now" he said. After a moment, he looked back at Tsuki and Cesela. "I don't know about you two but I'm going to call it a day for me and head on over to the inn first. You two take as much time as you want to soak up the area and sights" he said. He then waved them off and started to walk towards the plaza where the inn was located.

Tsuki watched as Rein walked of, shrugging his shoulders and then looked down at Cesela. "Looks like it's just us then" he said.

Cesela looked up at Tsuki, grabbing onto his right hand with a big grin on her face. Her eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation. "Come on come on! Let's go exploring!" she said excitedly while yanking on his arm.

Tsuki had his arm yanked from her excitement, patting the top of her head to calm her down. "Alright, just don't yank my arm off" he said. Cesela was still a child after all. She didn't get to see many things like this that most kids would due to her time in captivity so he couldn't blame her for being a child. In fact, he was pretty excited to see the rest of the village himself too.

Without further delay, they headed out to explore the village in all of its nightly beauty with Cesela pulling on Tsuki's arm, leading the way. They explored every inch of the village as they climbed up to the different levels. The higher they went, the more beautiful the view got. Each level was supported by the tall trees and various support pillars and columns made out of pretty strong wood. The village consisted of four levels. The second level to the village had several places of business and commerce along with an area that appeared to be a stage for performances and such while the third and fourth levels were primarily small huts.

After about an hour or so of exploring, they eventually found themselves up on the fourth floor at an overlook with a view of the entire forest and village below them. By this time, they had pretty much seen everything there was to see so they decided to take a short break before making their way back down to the inn. Tsuki took a deep breath as he took in the view. "I've said it many times already but this place is truly magical" he said.

Cesela nodded. "Yeah. It's a beautiful village. I just wish Cheria and the others could see this" she said. She stopped herself when she had brought up the others. They still haven't seen any sign of them. She looked down as she appeared to be a little anxious all of a sudden. "Do you think they're all okay?" she asked.

Tsuki's thoughts went to Cheria and the others when she brought them up. It's already been almost two days since they were knocked off Sky Tower. There was no doubt that all of them are concerned for them. "Yeah...they're missing out on this. I'm sure they're okay. Ramza and Phi are with them so they'll keep everyone safe" he said.

Cesela fell silent for a moment, grabbing onto the rope that acted as a railing for the suspended wooden platforms. "Where do you think they are now?" she asked.

Tsuki looked down at Cesela and saw our anxious she was. He then got down onto one knee so he was eye level with her and placed his hand on top of hers that was holding onto the rope. "It's hard to say without a map. I'm sure they're looking all over for us" he said.

Cesela looked over at Tsuki. "That man wouldn't fight them, would he?" she asked, referring to Flynn.

Tsuki had a flashback to just before they were blown off the tower. Tsuki had broken through Flynn's attack when he was suddenly right in front of him. From his surprise final message he whispered to him and his motives, he didn't seem like a bad person especially if he traveled with Taichi and Emma back in the days of their youth. He soon shook his head of the flashback. "I don't think so. He didn't appear to be an enemy like you said" he said.

Cesela looked down towards the village in thought. "I hope we'll find them soon..." she said. She then suddenly realized something which made her look towards Tsuki again. "You still have that crystal, right?" she asked.

Tsuki had almost forgotten about the crystal he had swiped. He reached into his bag and pulled it out. He's never had a chance to actually examine the crystal because of everything that's happened. Now that he can actually look at it, at first glance, it appeared to be a normal crystal. However, he could definitely feel it pulsing. It was as if it was alive. He could feel the immense power swirling around inside of it. "Well, I can definitely feel its power" he said.

Cesela took a closer look at it, staring deep into it. It was almost as if she could see the Aer inside it swirl around. "It's so pretty. You can almost visibly see its power" she said.

Tsuki looked at the crystal closer and as he did, he found himself unable to take his eyes off it. As he stared into the crystal, he felt his consciousness start to slip. As he did so, he felt some of the power within the crystal being absorbed into his body. When he eventually came to his senses, he found himself in a familiar place: the Celestial Bridge. Only this time, the person waiting to greet him was someone different than before. It was a muscular man with spiky brown hair with a scar over his right eye. He appeared to be in his forties. He appeared to be wearing armor that looked pretty old and ancient that great warriors used to wear centuries ago. However, what was most distinctive about him was the color of his eyes. His eyes were the color of red which were just like what happens when Tsuki's eyes change color when utilizing the Sigil's power. He also felt a familiar presence from the man. He just couldn't connect the dots right away.

The man was standing still as he examined Tsuki closely in total silence. Then, he finally spoke in a deep, gruff tone. "So, we finally get the opportunity to meet. I've been wanting to see the new Sigil Bearer in person that's been borrowing my strength but couldn't quite make the connection" It seems that when your body absorbed some of that crystal's power, it provided enough Mana to make it connect" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head in confusion. Much like with the other person that had been greeting him in the Celestial Bridge up until now, he's suddenly filled with so many questions which he will probably not get answers to. "Borrowing your strength?" he asked. It took him several moments to realize what we was talking about. His comment, his familiar presence and the color of his eyes. It suddenly made sense to him. "Wait, you don't mean...?" he asked.

The man nodded. "The name is Hendrik Johnson, former commander of a once great nation that existed centuries ago and the source of your power boost when the Sigil activates. Well, at least one of your power sources" he said.

Tsuki scratched his head, still a little confused. "One of my power sources?" he asked.

Hendrik nodded. "Yes. My power specializes in all forms of close combat capabilities. Another specializes in all forms of defensive capabilities. You've already used your defensive traits although you were semi-conscious at the time when you were knocked off that tower. There's more but those are subjects left for another time" he said. There was still a lot of things to tell him but now wasn't the right time to do so nor does he have time to explain every little thing as their time was short.

Tsuki had a feeling that there was some other force behind the powers within the Sigil. Every time he fell under the influence of the Sigil, whether he did it himself or if it happened subconsciously, the power he gained felt alive almost. That power also had its own presence. In the brief time he's under the Sigil's influence, he felt as if someone else had entered his mind and partially took control of his body. With all of this brought up, it only raised more questions. "Wait, how do you know of all this? About me falling from the tower and such" he said.

Hendrik pointed to his own set of eyes. "The Sigil is comprised of four power sources. The other three are people just like me. Well, living souls of who were once living people. Since the Sigil exists within you, we all have the ability to see and hear the current world and what's happening through your eyes. Ever since your awakening in Basilwell a couple months ago, we've been keeping a close eye on you" he explained. Just then, the Celestial Bridge start to destabilize. "It's already destabilizing? I guess even with the borrowed power from the crystal, it's still far from enough" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Hendrik crossed his arms. "Establishing a connection to the Celestial Bridge requires deep concentration and a consistent Mana flow which also requires a sufficient and strong source of Mana. Right now, your Mana alone isn't enough to make the connection to here so it's impossible for you to come here without being summoned. The power your body absorbed from the crystal temporarily boosted your Mana reserves but it would seem that those reserves are already near empty" he said.

Tsuki slowly started to make some sense of things. Although, he was still majorly in the dark. "I see. There's still so much I don't know about this. I have far more questions than I do answers" he said.

Hendrik shrugged a bit. "Don't worry. Everything will be explained to you in time. Until the next time, keep growing stronger and don't waver" he said.

Just then, Hendrik and the space around them disappeared. Moments later, he soon found himself back in reality. He could hear a voice calling out to him. When he returned to his senses, he saw that it was Cesela calling out to him. She had a worried expression on her face as she shook his arm.

Cesela wa shaking his arm, trying to snap him back to reality. "Tsuki? Are you okay?" she asked. He had been blankly staring at the crystal in silence with a weird expression on his face for several minutes. That alone was cause for her to worry but not only that, she could also feel a familiar presence along with Tsuki which left her stumped.

Tsuki soon regained his awareness as he looked away from the crystal, still feeling immense power within the crystal. He also felt more drained than he was before. "Y-yeah...I'm fine" he said.

When he regained his awareness, Cesela could no longer feel the other presence. It was a mystery to her as it was the same presence she could feel when the Sigil took over his body. Although this time, he wasn't under its influence. "What happened? You spaced out for a few minutes there" she said.

Tsuki shook his head, placing the crystal back in his bag and placed his hand on top of her head. "It's nothing. I think I'm just a little tired. Why don't we head back to the inn and get some rest?" he asked.

Cesela knew he was hiding something. She isn't so easily fooled unlike most people her age. However, she decided not to push him for details. He did appear a little more tired than before though. "Sure. I think that's a good idea" she said. After all that exploring, she was pretty tired as well.

They then started to make their way down the treetops to get back to the inn which was back on the forest floor. After about fifteen minutes, they reached ground level and entered the nearby inn. They checked in with the clerk since the rooms had already had been paid for and made their way to their rooms. When they entered the room, they saw a country=styled room with three beds. However, Rein was nowhere to be seen.

Cesela tilted her head because she knew that Rein had left for the inn first. "Huh? Rein isn't here..." she said.

Tsuki held his hand up to his chin in thought. It did seem a little weird that he wasn't around. "Hmm...maybe he changed his mind and went out to look around the village" he said.

Cesela looked up at him. "Should we go look for him?" she asked. He was pretty worn out himself so it would be unhealthy if he was out wandering around without tired he was.

Tsuki soon shook his head. "No. I'm sure he's fine. Let's leave him be" he said.

With that, they went to sleep for the night. Almost immediately, Cesela fell asleep. She was probably the most tired out of the three of them since she didn't nearly have as much stamina as Tsuki and Rein did. Tsuki, despite how exhausted he was, laid in bed in silence as he stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't help but remember what Hendrik told him as well as everything else he knew about the Sigil. He had no way to answer his questions though so thinking about them was pointless now. After a while, he eventually drifted off to sleep.

To be continued...