The Obsidian Empire

Chapter 11: Deceptive Desire

"So... When you touched the amulet, you saw blood on the wall that told you that your sister is safe?" Rosanhi questions from where she sits on the edge of her bed, watching Llwell pace the floor in front of her and Sillavanna. The Paladin hasn't said much since the first day of the trial ended. She was pretty quiet towards the end of the session, but Llwell personally had too much on his mind to pay it much thought.

With arms crossed and his head down, Llwell retraces the events in his mind, attempting to reconstruct the cryptic message he saw upon touching the amulet. It was more than a simple reassurance of his sister's safety, he contemplates, his gaze fixated on the carpet below.

"But it's not just that..." He heaves a sigh, his eyes remaining fixed on the floor. "I can't recall the exact words, but the language was unfamiliar. After the blood dissipated, that was when I could read that Ysve is safe."

Sillavanna watches him and huffs from where she's leaned against the wall beside Rosanhi's bed. "Could it have been Tevilic?" she asks, but Llwell just shakes his head.

"No, it didn't look Tevilic. It sort of resembled elven, yet it wasn't quite the same. 'She is safe' in elven translates to 'anlas yil nasiv,' but that wasn't what I saw."

Shiil marzyn galenvaas.

The language sounds vaguely familiar, an elusive memory at the edge of his mind. He struggles to make sense of what exactly that means, the sounds echoing in his mind without revealing their meaning. Like he's heard the language before but never knew what it was saying.

Rosanhi sighs, adjusting her posture as she crosses her legs. "Regardless of the language, it's a lead. We can send the amulet to Enchanter Lixiss in Tibratall. Perhaps she can shed light on it. Alternatively, Vasati's expertise in numerous languages across Drallilas might prove invaluable. Either way, this is a step forward," she states, her voice remains measured and logical, but Llwell's unease only grows as the next step of the plan is laid out.

His hand burns and trembles slightly, yet he manages to quell it by clutching his arm firmly. Rosanhi's suggestions, though rational, fail to provide him any comfort. Sending the amulet back to Tibratall for Lixiss and Vasati to study implies more time that he has to wait before finding his sister. Someone has her right now. Whoever they are, though they may claim that she's 'safe,' but until he finds her, she will never be safe in his mind.

Mustering his willpower, Llwell halts his pacing, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply to calm his anxiety. He reminds himself that he has to be patient. After all, they still have the trial to worry about. Maybe he should take comfort in the fact that the Magisterium no longer has Ysve as their prisoner, and thus she can no longer be used as leverage against Llwell. Now all that's on the line is the Restoration.

"...You're right. Have the amulet sent back to Tibratall so Lixiss and Vasati can study it, as well as send word to Guardian Ildilyntra to have a look at it. If the language is some form of elven, maybe she'll know about it," Llwell states and uncrosses his arms before turning to face Rosanhi and Sillavanna. "As for the trial..."

Sillavanna scoffs and shakes her head bitterly. "It's a disaster. Those magisters aren't going to confess to anything at this rate. One of them must be guilty, but until we break them down, we'll have no way of knowing who it is," she says.

Rosanhi nods sagely, meeting Sillavanna's gaze. "True. But keep in mind this was only the first day. We've given them plenty to think about, so now we just let them stew on what we've given them. With luck, they'll show signs of doubt tomorrow. Then we can begin getting into their heads until we find the culprit. Patience will be our ally."

Llwell will always admire how undeniably cunning Rosanhi is. She talks of breaking people's minds as if it's as normal as saying hello. He can't help but wonder where she learned to think the way she does. Out of everyone in the Restoration, Rosanhi is definitely the most mysterious in his mind. No doubt because she wants to be seen that way.