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Lelouch was then led down a hallway, his amethyst eyes turning towards the west, glancing out of the window where the last light of the sun was shining through the heavy mist hanging over the camp. It was the first sunset he had been given the opportunity to properly enjoy, in decades perhaps.
The former emperor of Britannia had always been complimented for his alacrity and decisiveness, but moments such as these made him feel keenly the effects of time and the toll that decades of isolation had exacted from him.
Outside, groups of trucks stood beside a site where the construction of what appeared to be a provisional Church for workers deployed in this base had recently begun, so vital to the interests of the Catholic Church. He had been given a woollen comforter to protect against the desert cold and a sandy overcoat meant to wear when outside.
Others including guards and uniformed employees, moved about periodically in coordinated shifts whose pattern he could not decipher at a glance, all with standard spiritual arms holstered at their side. Through the window, he could see the other automobiles rhythmically moving around on makeshift roads.
Abundant security cameras and armed guards holding what appeared to be modern automatic rifles were positioned throughout the premises. Lelouch remembered that he was even frisked and scanned with several detectors multiple times before he had been led inside. Clearly, the base was well guarded, protected against both the supernatural and the mundane.
He glanced over at the silent guard stationed at the entrance after they stepped out of headquarters, and nodded in acknowledgment as his apparent escort scowled and continued onwards. William Orwell had called for the man as soon as Lelouch had finished eating and ordered him to follow.
He had wordlessly obeyed, sparing his escort a polite nod that was returned by an impassive stare. The walk back was awkward, to say the least.
The man walking ahead of him had a distinct aura surrounding him, a sombre countenance that made him nearly inapproachable. His face was stern and very distinguished, which complemented the way he dressed—a smart white suit over a blue-dress shirt whose colour was only enhanced by his pink tie and brown loafers.
Yet, the most striking feature about him was the neatly combed hair which was dyed green in a shade he'd never quite seen before— dyed from what he could see. Green was the colour of Earth, of Archangel Uriel and the elements he accompanied.
He led him from a distance of several paces, far enough for the sound of his own footsteps to be drowned out by the sounds of the bursting base around him. The oppressive atmosphere had made it a difficult task to bridge the gap, physical or otherwise, with his statement that it would not be a long trip being the only words spoken so far. As his surroundings changed, he allowed his body to take over the habitual journey home while his mind toyed with various ideas.
Perhaps this was the wrong approach, as he'd certainly never gain either trust or information this way. Introductions, then, coupled with half-truths. The foundations of an amicable relationship as he'd come to learn.
Lelouch strode forward with a purpose, pace becoming normal only when he was striding aside with the man who had been entrusted with his supervision. "Alchemy is an art rarely seen nowadays."
The man paused, and Lelouch took advantage of his patience, and spent the next few seconds in silence, considering his next words as the man slowly turned towards him. "Aqua was right. You are a perceptive one."
"It was rather obvious— that chain clasped on your pocket. It is a spiritual arm created to shorten alchemical processes if I'm not wrong about the inscriptions carved on it" Lelouch stated, glancing at the golden chain in question. "The three primes of which material substance is composed if we go by the works of Paracelsus alongside the twelve ideograms from Pernety's zodiac represent the alchemical magnum opus in a series of twelve operations corresponding to the zodiac."
The man paused and let his eyes linger on him, gaze containing traces of surprise and something else entirely that Lelouch could not quite name. He scoffed, yet Lelouch could tell that his eyes contained no traces of disdain or contempt. "That was passable, I suppose."
Lelouch remained quiet as the alchemist openly studied him as if he were some interesting mystery he couldn't quite solve. His steel eyes wandered over him, taking in his face for perhaps the first time. Though not so openly, Lelouch too took a measure of him in return. Alchemy was a rare art, and he had nothing much to go by other than assumptions and theories.
"Not many know the intricacies of Great Art but I suppose all this can wait for the moment." He shook his head, before continuing onwards unhindered. Lelouch nodded and simply followed after him— it seemed that he would have to deal with a difficult man this time; not that it would be a problem, he'd dealt with enough of them in both his lives and Lelouch doubted that this man could surpass Tohdoh or Suzaku in terms of foolhardiness.
Lelouch walked beside the main with restless thoughts and came to a stop at the entrance of what seemed to be your standard barrack, indistinguishable from the many others he had walked past if not for the subtle, almost indiscernible aura engulfing it. Enchantments— somewhat intricate and so very faint. To even mention them in the same sentence as the ones protecting Saint George's Cathedral in England would be an insult, but nevertheless, they were of a comparable nature.
He had not returned to militarised grounds since his requiem. This temporary base, which was full of sound and activity could not be compared to the ones used by his Empire, even the smallest of them—only reasonable, since it was not necessary to keep a large entourage to maintain and supply Knightmares, only a few staff was needed to look after the mundane equipment they seem to be using. Which was why he was surprised to see actual enchantments cast upon a single barrack when even the headquarters remained unprotected.
Then again, he doubted any enchantment could protect the headquarters any more than the presence of William Orwell could on its lonesome.
Lelouch was not the sort of man who could deceive himself. His face showed no expression when he entered inside, and followed his escort upstairs, echoes of the pair's footsteps from the walls reverberating as he reminded himself of how diminutive his own person was. He was but a single man, a normal human who, because of his unique soul, could not even properly produce mana on his own.
He remained deep in thought as the green-haired man led him as far as the doors of a second-floor hall, and then stopped. A moment later, he raised his hand and knocked.
"Please enter." A sweet voice answered.
Lelouch closed the door behind him and turned around to face a surprised nun, who closed the book in her hands and stood up when they entered. She seemed young, barely a woman matured. Though her rather large breasts and her shapely figure, only accentuated by her tight habit, seemingly spoke otherwise. Her hands were clad in gloves, and the wimple on top of her headdress covered much of her head but Lelouch could tell she had short blond hair from the rare bang which sneaked out.
"This is the expert, the one Aqua was talking about." The green-haired man unceremoniously jabbed a finger toward him when he noticed the nun's curious stare. "He'd be collaborating with us for an indefinite period of time."
"And this," The alchemist turned towards him, indicating the study they were in, "shall henceforth be your designated workstation. You would work here alongside us, lending your expertise whenever required."
Lelouch glanced at the wide-eyed nun who was staring at them in surprise and sighed. The alchemist had chosen to abandon all thoughts of tack, which seemed scarce in current times. He'd have to handle this himself then, the poor nun seemed taken aback by his sudden appearance enough as it was.
"Before we begin, I suppose introductions are in order." He spoke, suddenly catching their attention as he glanced at them both. The alchemist snorted at his intervention and stepped forward before Lelouch could continue.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." He said, "Izzard Aureolus, a master from the Zurich School of Alchemy and an expert in grimoire organization. You'd be in my care from now on."
"Aureolus?" Lelouch raised a brow in surprise, names had meaning and rarely was anything a work happenstance in the world of supernatural. "You share a name with the infamous Paracelsus. I don't suppose that's a coincidence, is it?"
The man, Izzard, turned towards him with wide eyes, perhaps surprised that he'd managed to grasp the connection. He stared at him for a moment before softly answering. "No, I suppose it's not."
Lelouch turned towards the nun when it became apparent he would receive no further explanations who understood the meaning behind his stare only after a few seconds of vacant eye contact. "It's my turn now, isn't it? Hmmm…"
She thought for a moment, a blank expression on her gentle face as she answered. "My name is Orsola Aquinas, a nun of the Roman Catholic. I specialize in sermons, and in decoding concealed codes. I look forward to working with you."
Almost as if on impulse, Lelouch quickly stepped forward and gently grasped her soft hand and brought it close to his lips before lightly pressing a kiss onto its back in an elegant, practiced motion.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aquinas. I am Lelouch Lamperouge, an expert in deciphering original grimoires." He smiled charmingly as a dash of redness rushed up the cheeks of the seemingly airheaded nun.
"I imagine, that my side of things would be harder to explain." He continued, taking a step back and ignoring the incredulous stare he was receiving from Aureolus beside him, "As much as I would like explanations; courtesy implores me to give them first."
He straightened his back, glancing at the two, and tried to ignore the stare he was receiving from the alchemist. The green-haired man was the quickest on the uptake, and his inquiry made him pause for its seeming simplicity.
"Before we get to business, I simply must ask." Izzard instantly asked, "What is it you did that caught the William Orwell's eye?"
The question was rather innocuous, yet invasive. He could just give her his name but imagined it would be met with dissatisfaction. Fragmented question-and-answer was perhaps not the best solution to this ordeal. The nun was looking at him expectantly as if the answer he provided would somehow explain everything.
"You must've heard all about me already, so there is actually quite little to explain. I was found in the middle of the Judaean Desert, because of the nature of my work, so to speak. As I must provide for myself, I make a living by offering my services as an expert in original grimoires. I am quite good at it, so certain parties tend to become upset when I cannot meet their bloated expectations. I found myself in one of those situations and was forced to seek unwanted help to protect myself. Meeting Mr. Orwell was purely happenstance that occurred after my separation."
Their wariness turned into scepticism and awe and they levelled him looks full of it, which was quite amusing considering the fact that the largest among them was half a head taller than he.
"I find that rather hard to believe," snorted Izzard, one eyebrow raised at his claims.
"I think I read a novel like that recently," noted Orsola, as the alchemist beside her too nodded at the suitability of the comparison.
He was surprised; he'd expected disbelief, but thought it would be directed at the suspect position he had been in when discovered by William. It was, after all, the event he imagined would arouse the most suspicion. It seemed that they put more stock than he in coincidence.
But that served him just as well, he'd managed to initiate conversation and he knew time combined with appropriate dosages of his natural charm would do the rest of the work for him. It was a start, if nothing else.
"I suppose we have much to talk about then."
"But that's insane."
Lelouch looked to where Orsola was sitting across from him. The girl's hands were distracted from their purpose of turning the pages of the long-forgotten book resting on her lap in favour of being pointed in his direction. Her eyes shined with a dazed glaze, even when pointedly fixed at them.
"Absolutely crazy." Izzard agreed.
Seeing that the words left him completely unperturbed, the green-haired alchemist shook his head and emphasized again. "Completely nuts. Nobody would do that."
Lelouch leaned backward and smiled at those two. It was a big house, a bit old but clearly well-maintained. From one wall hung a sort of banner with a big Hebrew letter 'yud' on it. The tenth letter of the alphabet, representing the tenth commandment— thou shalt not covet. It appeared surprisingly thoughtful.
But that was not what caught his eye. He turned his gaze back to the bookshelf on the far wall, trying to appear discrete. They had the usual masterworks and Lelouch recognized a few others he'd heard of before. From Eretz's Alphanomics and Menelaus Moleman's Kabballah from a Modern Approach to Gebron Aharon's Gematria Since Adam and Rachel Sephardi's Arriving At Aleph. They even had the collected works of Eliezer von Moshe.
Lelouch resisted the urge to stare at the shelf. He had not even seen half of these. A part of him hoped they were not too serious about not coveting.
"I mean, I had thought that this was a tale when you began mentioning angels but this just confirms it."
Lelouch had half a mind to take this particular well of information and hoard it for himself but clearly, that would not so easy. The church had clearly outdone itself this time. But he sighed and reluctantly turned to the other greater source of interest in the room only after finishing his observation of the books.
"Of course, it's true," Lelouch smirked at the alchemist. "The Aramaic language reached Israel around two hundred years before the birth of Christ and its influence spread so wide that most peasants started forgoing Hebrew to this new tongue. Some people started praying in Aramaic and others even began translating the Torah. This, of course, was not acceptable by any means and so the rabbis, who wanted to protect the sacred language at all costs, waged a passionate campaign against Aramaic penetrating into the liturgy."
Complete worlds and eons might separate them, yet some facets of man remained the same regardless. Humans were drinking alcohol five-thousand years ago, and they continued to drink it even now but that was only the least of it.
"In the midst of their zeal, they might have perhaps told the populace that they had to pray in Hebrew for the angels could not understand Aramaic. People took note of this, and one thing led to another before this even became part of the Talmud." Lelouch continued, leaning forward.
"And this is why ancient magicians regularly used Aramaic to write their original grimoires?" Izzard questioned, eyebrows raised in skepticism.
"Idol Theory is a powerful motivator and human thought is more powerful than most imagine," Lelouch answered, enjoying their intrigued faces.
Schneizel had always presented himself as an equal— the amiable comrade who shared in both defeat and victory. Such an approach was effective and the image made him an excellent leader of men and had thousands falling over themselves to curry favour with the affable prince. His half-brother's was a master of diplomacy and manipulation, and he had learned many things from him even though he himself had partaken of his own fair share of the two.
Though he had introduced himself with more flair than absolutely necessary, his charisma ensured that light-hearted discussion broke out soon after as he regaled everyone with tales of kingdoms and princes. Lelouch very much doubted they would be entirely won over with a few stories, of all things, but it had served as an ample icebreaker and soon the sounds of conversation were accompanied by the soft occasional laughter, his own now indistinct among them. The idle conversation continued had continued well for an entire hour, each chatting about their respective hobbies and interests.
Lelouch had genuinely found himself enjoying the cheerful atmosphere that had arisen due to the success of his opening gambit, and realized it was the best mood he'd entertained in a long while.
"Are you sure- "
Izzard was interrupted by the ping of a telephone beside him, clearly a message. He scowled and picked up the phone, scowling as his eyes scanned the room. Catching sight of his curious eyes, the alchemist beckoned him closer. Lelouch was surprised to see that he wasn't alone, as Orsola trailed behind him, looking none too surprised. It was a regular occurrence, it seemed.
"It seems that duty calls us once again," Izzard sighed and spoke in bemusement, the reason for which he couldn't quite decipher. "Do these guys really have to interrupt every one of our breaks?"
"Duty? I have not been told what I'm supposed to do." Lelouch asked, suddenly interested.
"Oh, I suppose I've not yet shown you the ropes."
Observing the man's reaction, he soon found the reason for his tone. The nun behind him kept sneaking glances at his back, only to turn away each time, a confused look on her face. Obviously, he hadn't noticed before but he found her antics increasingly amusing now that he had. It seemed that she was indeed a natural airhead.
He turned towards her and raised a brow. His stare seemingly broke the girl out of her dazed state and she turned to him startled, giving him an unobstructed view of her deep blue eyes.
"Sir William told me you volunteered to contribute to our efforts. Thank you very much for joining us!" The nun bowed.
"It was not entirely altruistic. Your gratitude should go to my rescuers." Lelouch answered, unsure what to think about this. The nun had not been informed of his circumstances and he could not muster the heart to correct her.
She rose from her bow and beamed at him. "You're a nice person," she said, apparently mistaking his words for modesty.
He looked back at her and slowly nodded before turning to Izzard, who seemed exasperated. The green-haired alchemist gave him a shrug as if to tell him this was all too common, before he turned and started walking away. Both Orsola and Lelouch wordlessly followed.
"Where exactly are we going?" Lelouch asked once they exited the building.
Izzard just smirked at him in response, before continuing forward. He turned towards Orsola and decided to ask her instead. Apparently, they were headed toward a desert canyon located right beside her base. According to her, it boasted an impressive depth of three leagues at its deepest and was broad enough to swallow the entirety of Solomon's Temple he had woken up in at its widest.
The depths of the canyon once used to be dominated by dry vegetation full of rare and often venomous desert creatures. But that had long changed, no longer were only the creatures inside the canyon venomous. The plants, the rocks, and even the winds inside here had turned toxic. This it seemed, was the crux of the problem.
That their base was located right next to it was no coincidence.
The plants and creatures of the canyon were once valuable resources for the locals who would occasionally visit the place to gather rare medicinal herbs. Yet those same locals would consider even the thought of venturing into the cannon would be the hysterics of a madman these days, and they would not necessarily be wrong.
No one else accompanied them, yet everyone eyed the group as they walked by, pausing and turning toward them in surprise before throwing a few occasional greetings at them. Lelouch was surprised to suddenly be the focus of so many stares, though his face remained blank.
This time he walked across the base with two comrades by his side, his steps indistinguishable from theirs. They had not even bothered assigning guards to watch over him as would have been the norm in any other case, but it was glaringly palpable that such a thing was not even needed. The implications were obvious, the presence of the alchemist was all the protection he needed.
A few discreet glances at their workplace had let him know that his new team had been working on several inane tasks which might seem largely pointless to a casual observer, having to transcribe an entire collection of poems being not the least among them. Yet, the bits and pieces of knowledge he discerned were enough to broaden his knowledge by leaps and bounds.
The alchemist had flared his aura just once when he had been escorting him across the base before. Lelouch had yet to see a single man approach or question him since then.
That was some hours ago, the three of them walked together now. Izzard let the way with Lelouch and Orsola walking behind him.
"Tell me something, what do you know of the creatures that dwell in this place?" The alchemist finally spoke as they kept walking.
"As far as I know the desert is home to numerous plants and animals," Lelouch spoke, furrowing his brows as he stated the obvious first. "But from what Orsola told me, the simple beasts born here in this cannon were especially remarkable and rare. Creatures of all kinds could once be found in this place, of course this has changed over the recent years."
From what he knew, the population of beasts in the canyon could sometimes grow so large that a few would escape toward the desert. Whenever that happens, the locals would send their youth to exterminate them and cull the population of dangerous creatures in the canyon down to a manageable extent. It was one of the few times when members of separate local tribes gathered harmoniously. Of course, even then they would compete with each other and reward the youngsters who contributed the most.
"Good. However, do you know the reason why so many creatures are naturally found to this place? A desert that by all rights should have been barren?"
Lelouch could only shake his head in response. For longer than even he has been alive, it had been a fact of life that all sorts of beasts and creatures could be found in these deserts. It was simply the way things were.
"There's a singular source of energy that goes right through right underneath the centre of this canyon, a leyline of the world that acts as the breath of the planet and the nature upon it," Izzard explained, he stroked his chin as he looked straight ahead. "It was one of the factors which nurtured the growth of all manners of creatures that could previously be found here. But that no longer seems to be the case, I think Sir William has already told you about the leyline distortions."
Lelouch glanced at the alchemist, trying to recall what his rescuer had told him about the distortions which were apparently caused by pollutants infecting local leylines. He had not taken the matter seriously enough at that time, "You believe that the sudden poisoning of the canyon is also one of them."
"We know it is. There's a reason why the Church has made camp beside it rather than resolving the issue outright." Izzard snorted in derision as if he had seen something particularly distasteful. "Our job here, as you've asked before, is to study the pollutants causing this distortion and trace it back to its source."
"Study it?" Lelouch raised a brow, finally realizing why the Church had sent such precious experts on a remote expedition. According to William, the suspected cause of these distortions was an undiscovered original grimoire.
"We only have an idea of what the source might be, but we have not yet verified it." Orsola suddenly added. "We need to go into the canyon once again to further study it."
Lelouch frowned, glancing at the far end of the base which even now was surrounded by a heavy mist, enshrouding its emptiness. A deeper part of his instinct was drawn to the fog as if some unknown force was beckoning him toward it, and he had to draw his amethyst eyes away with an effort. "Yet from what I've been told that place is heavily poisonous. The winds alone would eat away a person's lungs."
The outer areas of the canyon were apparently dangerous but nothing a magician could not handle, that an entire base had been constructed around it was evident to that fact. However, the danger increases as one ventures deeper into the canyon. Each breath becomes toxic and lethal, increasing in intensity each step of the way. Many high-level magicians had previously tried to make their way to the very centre of the canyon. The smart ones were able to turn back in time. The stubborn ones died, their bodies rotting to nothingness.
Izzard snorted in derision and arrogance. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to? What we regularly do?"
Everyone magician who had read an original grimoire knew how to protect themselves their mind and soul from the poision contained in its the entirety of this expeditionary forces, there were only three people who could venture into the canyon alone, and he was walking beside two of them. Comparing the many magicians who had been unsuccessful before to was nothing short of laughable and perhaps even insulting.
"If the source of this poison is indeed an original grimoire, then it is true that this level of toxicity should be no problem for a true master on your level," Lelouch accepted. Both Orsola and Izzard were exceptional, he did not need more than a single conversation to understand that.
Izzard nodded at his works, wordlessly accepting his praise as a look of satisfaction quickly flashed through his face only to be replaced by aloof arrogance. Orsola just looked confused.
"Do not worry though," Izzard spoke after a moment, glancing at him. "We were only called to study some newly collected samples this time."
"Samples?" Lelouch asked, suddenly curious. As far as he knew, the inherent nature of leylines dictated that they exist in a purely spiritual state.
"Yeah, it's hard to explain but we've extracted traces of infected mana right from the contaminated leyline." Izzard rummaged through the pockets of his suit before taking out a small blue crystal. Lelouch barely had any time to wonder why the alchemist was carrying the crystal around in his pocket before he tossed it toward him. "Here an older one. See for yourself"
Lelouch expertly caught the crystal vial using his slender fingers. He glanced at the alchemist before looking down at the crystal vial in the palm of his hand— it was small, yet felt oddly heavy on his hand. It glowed an exquisite blue, captivating in its beauty as it reflected the surrounding light.
It feels cool and smooth to the touch, and the shades of hue emanating from its surface varied in intensity, from pale and elegant to deep and vibrant in others, all blended together.
As he held the crystal, Lelouch noticed tiny, intricate patterns churning inside its depths, resembling wisps of mist and delicate ripples on the surface of a tranquil pond. Lelouch reached out, eyes transfixed as they peered inside the deeper shrouds of the world only to see ethereal shapes dance and ripple, revealing much about the crystal's mysterious essence.
He slowly opened his eyes, expression calm even as his heart pounded loudly inside his ears. His previous qualms were true, for the essence inside the crystal resonated with the bare quintessence of the golden ring on his finger.
The original grimoire which was spreading disaster and devastation through this desert was the same one he had retrieved previously from the Temple. The same one currently resting on his finger.
Thanks for reading and I'm making an announcement- I'll be changing the name of this story soon. Its previous name had a lot to do with symbolism which would definitely be relevant in the future but would take time to appear.
