Thirty-One || Machination

Doll Master had been the one to select the temporary base of operations, and the site he had chosen was on the eastern edge of Old Carona. The building itself stood somewhat apart from the others, possibly a private residence of the rich, and that separation had been part of the reason it had sustained less fire damage than most of its brethren. The building was still fire-scarred and crumbling, of course, but compared to the shattered remains of the rest of the town it was prime real estate.

It was happenstance that the building was relatively unmarred, though; he had chosen it for its location and for its height. The building was four storeys tall – one of the largest buildings in town, second only to the cathedral – and its roof afforded him a view of both the lake and the new Carona, although her walls made it difficult to see much of substance.

The interior had been damaged by time and the elements, and probably looters, but the building was stable and that had been his primary concern. Maya had been kind enough to use the power of the Book to spruce up the interior a bit, generating furniture and lighting, which gave a very eerie effect of having a single cozy room in the midst of the town's desolation.

It was to this little oasis that Doll Master returned Maya. He placed her in the bed she had fashioned, had Psycho Master set the Book of Cosmos down on the couch, and checked on her one last time. She had been unconscious coming away from the Lake Ruins, although only just; he had taken some precautions from there to ensure that she was properly asleep by the time they returned to the base.

When he was certain Maya was deep asleep, he nodded to Psycho Master, and the two of them left the room, and then left the building, finally coming to a halt in the middle of the building's blasted courtyard.

"You called them?" he asked.

Psycho Master inclined his head. "Yes, sir. They'll be here momentarily."

Doll Master closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is a series of complications I was not anticipating," he said quietly.

"If I may, sir," Psycho Master said. "The situation on the altar today was... highly unusual. I don't know how you could have responded better under such shifting circumstances."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Doll Master said, "but I do not quite believe you."

He looked up and scanned the empty courtyard, then turned his gaze skyward. A broad splash of stars scarred the dark of the night overhead, vibrant even with the powerful light of the moon. His gaze wandered around them, past them, across a star-scape that was so rudely interrupted by the battered skeletons of the old buildings.

He turned his attention toward what had once been the courtyard gate.

"It seems," he began, "that there has been a rather significant oversight in the information you relayed to me."

Trap Master was the first to emerge, almost snarling. "Not my fault," he said. "I didn't know he was here 'til this morning. Bit of a surprise, there."

He looked over his shoulder as the second figure emerged; a tall brunette, wearing her hair long. Mode Master stepped forward and bowed, and began to speak as she stood upright. "My apologies, my lord," she said. "The fault is mine. I've spent the last few days remaining near the tavern– although, if I may, the princess made frequent appearances. Much of my news, I learned from listening to her."

"He never showed up with her, I take it."

"No, my lord. I didn't actually see him in town at all until yesterday." She looked over her shoulder. "Trap Master was actually the one who alerted me to his presence."

"We tried to tell you," Trap Master said.

Doll Master nodded. "I'm aware."

"Unfortunately," Psycho Master added, "our day was consumed by travel, and in such close quarters, with Princess Maya joining us, we had no chance to respond."

"Would it have changed anything?" Mode Master asked.

Doll Master sighed. "Significantly," he said. "Well, there's nothing for it now."

"My lord–"

"Further apology is unnecessary," Doll Master said. "The situation is not what I expected it to be. We'll simply have to adapt." He shrugged. "It shouldn't be too difficult."

"So what's up?" Trap Master said.

"We'll have to take some precautions in the interim." He looked back to the building. "I'll have to speak with Maya once she wakes up, although this... this turn of events may be beneficial to keeping her under control."

Mode Master tilted her head. "How so, my lord?"

"She put too much faith in the power of the Book," he said. "Not entirely without reason, I must add, but she believes it makes her invincible. Such perceptions were shattered tonight. She may find it prudent to remain on the defensive for the duration of her stay." He turned to face them again. "Which, in the interim, will give us much greater freedom of movement."

"Great," Trap Master growled. "I was hoping you had some way of getting rid of Miss Priss up there."

"Having a means does not mean perfect execution," Doll Master said. "Speaking of, Narcius, it's time to put your powers to good use."

Trap Master beamed. "Aw, yeah! Who do I throttle?"

"I meant your subtler powers."

He laughed. "All right, all right, I can at least blow somebody sky-high with those."

"Ensure that the altar is properly guarded," Doll Master said. "You have free reign to be as needlessly complex and violent as you like. But," he added quickly, seeing Trap Master's expression light up, "do constrain yourself to the altar and its surroundings, and keep in mind that our intention is dissuasion, not decapitation."

The warning did little to subdue Trap Master's excitement. "Don't worry, I've had this figured out since we got here."

"In that case, have fun with it! You're dismissed."

Trap Master practically ran out of the courtyard, almost giddy with the prospect. When he had faded into the city, Mode Master stepped forward again. "And I, my lord?"

"Continue your surveillance," he said, "and report to me anything of note that you hear from the town."

She wilted slightly. "Y-yes, my lord." She turned to leave.

"Kirielle," he said, stopping her short. "Every few hours, or if you learn something significant, come back here and speak to me in person. There are a few special tasks I may have for you, I just need a little time to assess the situation."

"Of course, my lord."

"Dismissed."

She had a little more vigor in her when she departed.

"Do you need anything out of the ordinary from me, sir?" Psycho Master asked.

Doll Master shook his head. "Not yet. Remain with me." He turned toward the building and headed for the door. Psycho Master fell in step behind him. "I'd appreciate your assistance, should the princess prove problematic."

. .

The Hexagon skirted just over the tree line, heading roughly toward the town. After a few minutes of travel, it slowed down, and eventually stopped, hovering over a small clearing not far from the town gate. Belle lowered them down, and once the Hexagon itself had settled she motioned for it to release its cargo. Rue and Mint were released from the Hexagon's clutches, and following them shortly were Belle and Duke.

As soon as everyone was on the ground again, Belle cast a veil over the Hexagon, neatly obscuring it from view. Then, in the darkness, she looked quickly between everyone that had gathered.

"So," she said, her voice full of false cheer. "Would anybody care to explain what was going on up there?"

Mint gave it a try, speaking quickly. "Maya decided to defend the altar personally. She's slinging around East Heaven's most powerful Relic to do it."

"Oh," Belle said. "Well, that's marvelous."

"What were you two doing there?"

"Stakeout," Duke said. "We were trying to figure out where they'd set up camp. Then everything started exploding."

"Nobody causes abrupt destruction quite like you do," Belle added, "so when everything started happening we went in to investigate. Good thing we did, too."

"T'ch." Mint folded her arms. "We could've handled that."

"No we couldn't," Rue said. "We really couldn't." He looked to Belle. "Thank you."

She flicked her wrist dismissively. "Like I said before: you don't get the Relic, we don't get paid." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "We're pretty invested in you not dying at this point."

"Whatever the case," he said, "thanks."

For a few moments, nobody spoke. Then, abruptly, Mint coughed into her hand.

"Hey, pretty-boy, we should back into town." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "I dunno about you, but I feel all kinds of crappy after that and maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some sleep."

Rue understood exactly what she was trying to tell him. "Yeah," he said. "That... that didn't really go like I expected it to." He looked again to Belle and Duke. "Are you going to...?"

Duke flashed them a grin, surprisingly bright in the darkness. "My blood's pumping after that little fight," he said. "I won't be getting any sleep, so I might as well keep watch."

"And I have absolutely no faith in him," Belle said, shrugging, "so we'll stick around out here. Get some rest."

They nodded, but before they left Rue turned to Mint and held out his hand. He was still clutching the halo. "I guess you'll want this back."

"Definitely."

"Sorry about the other one."

She took the ring from his hand. "It's fine," she said. "We'll get it when we go back. Besides, I can still kick ass with just the one." She tied it back to her belt. "Let's go."

They made their way back through the forest, not bothering with finding any paths; the gate wasn't too far away and the night was quiet and still. There was also no conversation; Mint led the way in silence, with Rue intentionally lagging several paces behind. He knew she was going to say something – she had to say something – but her silence lingered and he had no desire to start the conversation himself. His head hurt– not in the sense that he had a headache, although one was throbbing just behind his eyes, but his forehead felt lacerated. When he reached up to check, his bandana was wet to the touch.

He needed to lie down. Rest. Think.

They reached the edge of town.

Mint skirted the wall, past the main gate and to the maintenance door. She yanked it open and stepped through, Rue following on her heels. He assumed they were headed back to the inn, but Mint stopped well before it, next to the Adlers' house, and looked inside. The lights were still on.

She knocked on the door.

"What are you doing?" Rue whispered.

"We need to have a little meeting," Mint said. "And if he's still awake there's no reason not to do it now." She knocked again. No response. She tried the door, but it didn't budge.

"Locked," she said. "Lights on. No answer."

"Concerned?" Rue asked.

"Yep." Mint pressed her hand against the door and concentrated. After a moment, the inner latch clicked, and she pulled the door open. Rue stared at her. She smiled.

"That's a trick the tutors won't teach," she said.

"This is how you keep breaking into my room," he said.

"Sure enough."

They stepped into the house, through the clutter of the shop front. Mint approached the entryway into the dining room when something leapt in front of her and suddenly there was a steel blade pointed at her throat. She froze dead away, perfectly rigid.

"Mira," Rue said quietly. "It's just us!"

Mira looked quickly between the two of them and relaxed, pulling the blade away from Mint. "Sorry," she said. "I've been a bit on edge since those... diplomats... spoke to the town."

"You think they know about Klaus' work?" Rue asked.

"I'm not willing to gamble on them not knowing about it." She stepped aside and allowed them through. "I take it you're here to see him?"

"Is he still awake?"

"Yes. Everybody's in his workshop." She watched them levelly. "Where have you two been? You look terrible. Rue, you're bleeding–"

"It's fine," he said quickly, sliding past Mint. "I'm sorry to be short, Mira, but we really need to discuss things with Klaus..."

She frowned, but didn't move to stop him. "Go on," she said. "I'll be here."

He quickly turned and headed for the back of the house, then down the stairs. He emerged in the half-lit cellar and nearly ran to Klaus, but managed to stop himself from rushing. In the corner, where the lights hadn't been kindled, he saw two smaller, sleeping forms; Prima, of course, and just nearby Elena. He walked softly past them and toward Klaus' desk. Klaus sat silhouetted in the chair, leaning on the table, his head resting in his arms. Rue thought for a moment that he might be asleep, but before he quite reached Klaus the older man moved, lifting his head. He adjusted his glasses and looked over his shoulder, rallying slightly. "Ah, Rue," he said, keeping his voice low. "I wasn't expecting you until morning."

"Mint thought we should talk tonight."

Klaus pushed himself off of the desk, stood up, and walked toward Rue. "You invited her with you?"

"Not exactly."

He heard another set of footfalls behind him, and a moment later Mint appeared at his side. "We got some crazy going on here, Klaus."

"I'd gathered as much," he said.

"I don't think you understand the level of crazy we're dealing with."

"Rue told me much of what already happened this evening," Klaus said. "I'm aware, for instance, that–"

"That doesn't matter," she said quickly. "He hasn't told you what just happened."

Klaus paused. "That's... true."

She pointed at Rue accusingly. "Your boy here nearly broke a Relic."

Klaus stared at her for a moment.

"I'd... I'd appreciate a little more context," he said.

"Maya came out of nowhere hurling spells out of the Book of Cosmos." Klaus tensed at the name and nodded to her. "She tried to subdue Rue with it. Now, look, I've seen that thing before. I got to play with it once. Regular magic can't hope to break through its spellwork. But he took this thing" – she held up the halo – "and just– just sliced through it, and then made it explode. I've never seen anything like it." She paused, then gave Rue a sideways glance. "Don't get me wrong, it was actually kind of awesome, but it's... it's concerning me that you don't seem to be reacting all that strongly."

"There's been a great deal of events all occurring in a very short time," Klaus said. "I'm still trying to process everything." He met Rue's gaze. "I notice your bandana's soaked red."

"It's stopped bleeding. Just..." Rue hesitated, considered his next words carefully. "It... it responded to the Book."

Mint cocked an eyebrow. "Your bandana?"

"No, I mean–" He sighed. "I mean this."

He removed the bandana. He waited. It didn't take long.

Mint leaned in and brushed his hair out of the way. He recoiled and re-flattened his bangs over his forehead, and she stepped back. She examined him for a moment, her expression unreadable, until she said, very carefully, "You've got a rock stuck in your head."

"Acknowledged," he said.

"And this is... normal. For you."

"For me. Yes."

"Which, as previously established, is rapidly distancing itself from what anybody else on the planet would call normal."

"Correct." He paused. "Honestly I was expecting more of a reaction."

She actually laughed. "Artema, buddy, not an hour ago I just watched you nearly blow up a Relic with a circle of phantomite and raw chutzpah. At this point it's getting really hard to surprise me." She looked over her shoulder to Klaus. "You... knew about this, didn't you?"

"I did."

"Did it occur to anybody that maybe I should be informed?"

"It didn't seem relevant," Rue said. He rubbed his temples. "None of this seemed relevant."

"Well you're just getting more and more wrong about that, aren't you?"

"Mm."

Klaus cleared his throat. "If I could interrupt for a moment," he said, "I believe you were saying something of potential importance, Rue."

"Yeah. When she attacked me with the Book, this– this crystal responded to it."

"Violently," Mint added.

Rue looked down to the bloodstained cloth in his hand. "Yeah, I guess so."

"And – just humor me here, we all know the answer – you have no idea what this stone is or where it came from or why it got so very, very angry at the Book."

Rue gave her a wan smile. "Of course not."

"No. Why would you?" She sighed. "But... okay. That does answer a couple of questions I had. That rock's magic, and by association you are magical. But you can't actually use magic."

"Right."

"But you basically radiate it."

"I– what?"

She untied the halo from her side. "That rock's part of you, right? And it's magic. It either possesses or generates enough magic that, with a little help, it could break through a Relic's power while you barely took a scratch from it. But you don't use magic." She handed him the halo and motioned for him to take it. Uncertainly, he did, and as he touched it the halo gleamed blue. "So you're not doing anything consciously, but the phantomite's still reacting to your magic."

He looked at the ring for a moment, then back to Mint. "Where are you going with this?"

She blinked. "Going? I was... good question."

"Something to keep in mind," Klaus said, "as I imagine you two aren't simply going to step away from all of this."

"At this point?" Mint asked. "I don't think we even can."

"Then we have to discuss what comes next." Klaus looked to Mint. "Rue tells me you're the deposed princess of East Heaven Kingdom?"

She flinched and glared. "Yeah? What of it?"

Klaus laughed and held up his hands. "I don't mean anything by it," he said. "Just that you understand who we're dealing with far better than we do. To that end, what do you think your sister intends to do?"

Mint relaxed slightly, and considered the question. "Well," she said, "I think we have time before they do anything aggressive. Maya doesn't have the guts to attack the town personally, and she nearly had a heart attack when Rue defeated the Book. Chances are she'll go on the defensive, or else hunker down and try to form a plan. Either way, we've got some time to think of a strategy."

"You don't intend to attack while she's otherwise occupied?"

Mint shook her head. "She'll be distracted for a bit, but she still has the Book. While she had that we can't afford to just try running after her... and we probably can't afford trying to sneak out to the altar and grabbing the Relic under her nose."

"Besides," Rue added, "we can't risk Prima while she's here. We won't be able to do anything about the Relic until they're gone."

"So no crushing Maya with Valen's super-Relic," Mint said. She sighed. "Now that I've said it, that sounds like fun."

"But we can't wait them out, either," Rue said. "Not after tonight."

"Doll Master seemed pretty keen on investigating that seal without her knowing," Mint said. "Seems like he didn't intend to go home early, anyway. We're gonna have to do something about them."

"But you don't think they'll do anything tonight?" Klaus asked.

"Definitely not."

He nodded. "Then my recommendation is you two get to sleep. You've had a rough time and exhausting yourselves isn't going to do anyone any good."

They exchanged a glance.

"Belle and Duke are keeping an eye out on the lake," Rue said.

Mint sighed. "Guess we'll have to hope that they're competent."

"Well," Klaus said brightly, "they fought you to a standstill a couple of times, didn't they?"

Mint glared. "Good night, Klaus," she said, and stormed back up the stairs. Klaus chuckled.

"I'm not wrong, am I?"

"No," Rue said. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"I'm sure we will."

Rue didn't move. He stood before Klaus for a several seconds, then finally closed his eyes and released a long, slightly trembling breath. "Can I– can I make an admission, Doctor?"

"No need," Klaus said. "You're scared."

Rue opened his eyes but didn't meet Klaus' gaze, instead focusing somewhere on the floor. He nodded.

"That's perfectly expected," Klaus said. "The whole town's nervous, and they aren't the ones planning on going out there to fight–"

"That's not it," Rue said. "It's– it's me."

Klaus was quiet.

"I don't know what I did," Rue said. "I was just trying to survive. I think... I think I hurt the Book. Or I made it damage itself. Either way, when everything was done, the Book was... damaged. It was damaged. I damaged a Relic. And with everything else that's happened these last few days... I don't know. I don't know what any of it means."

"I understand," Klaus said. "And I'm afraid I don't have any answers."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Klaus said. "Just tell me this. In light of all that's happened, do you intend to give up?"

Rue blinked and looked up to him. "What? Of course not."

"Then what does the rest of it matter?" Klaus asked.

Rue didn't have a response to that.

"Go back to the inn, get some sleep," Klaus said. "Things will be better in the morning."