Tales of Six

Chapter 10 : Two walls

Turning away from the locked door, the wood elf lights up a torch with her hand and illuminates the otherwise pitch black corridor. Kaen says thanks, takes the torch from the elf and starts walking forward. The elf stares at Kaen for a few seconds, then lights up another torch on the wall and takes it herself, staying silent. They both slowly go down the cold polished stairs.

Kaen- So, what's your name ?

Elf- ... Why ?

Kaen- This thing might take a while, and it'll get boring calling you "hey".

Elf- ...

Kaen- I'm Kaen.

Elf- I don't care.

The wood elf keeps walking down the stairs carefully. After a dozen steps, the stairs end and they arrive in a wide rectangular room with no door or other exit. The walls look like an off-white stone, with black irregular streaks. And still no other light source than their torches. They have never seen a pattern like this one, and it takes a minute for either of them to speak.

Kaen- Well, that was quick. Already a dead end.

Elf, pensively- No, it's not.

She slowly reaches to the opposite wall from where they arrived, and extends her hand forward.

Elf- There's.. magic here.

Kaen- Wha.. How do you...? Oh right, fire major.

Kaen just stands back, observing, unsure exactly what is happening. The wood elf puts her right hand flat against the wall, and a smile appears on her face. Kaen is confused, until she sees the wall lose its structure and colour as the illusion drops. The water that comprised the wall converges to the elf's hand and forms into a huge wobbly sphere around it, which promptly falls down and splashes on the ground. The other half of the -now square- room is symmetrical, with an opening in the middle of the wall in front of them, just like the one they came from.

Kaen, looking at the opening- Is that real ?

Elf- Should be.

Kaen- Honestly, starting with an illusion ? I mean come on, how are we supposed to trust ANYTHING in here ?

Elf- We're not.

Kaen- So, what's your name ?

Elf- Fuck you.

The elf starts walking cautiously towards the opening, and Kaen follows a bit behind. They both reach it without problem.

Kaen- Well, they wouldn't use the same trick twice, right ?

A room is on the other side of the short, barely ten steps long, hallway. As they enter the next room, they see the exact same thing as when they entered the first. A wide rectangular room with the same dimensions, no door or other exit.

Kaen- .... right ?

The elf seems to have difficulties focusing, she blinks and frowns her eyebrows.

Kaen- Are you ok ?

Elf- I.. I sense magic everywhere, it's.. disturbing. Even through the walls and the floor. It's ... it's overwhelming, I don't think I can...

Kaen, grabbing her by the shoulders- Look at me, focus on what you see right now. Focus on the torch you're holding, the wood and the fire, the wall right there. Get the magic stuff out of your head if it doesn't help.

The elf, looking at Kaen confused- Get off me. Why...

She then stops talking and takes a few deep breaths. She seems better and nods to Kaen.

Elf- Next time you touch me without asking, you lose your hands.

Kaen smiles, then confidently walks towards the wall.

Kaen- So we already know how to deal with that...

*thump*

Kaen hits her head against the hard rock and steps back. As she rubs her forehead with a grimace, the elf chuckles.

Kaen- You could've warned me.

Elf- I thought you knew they wouldn't use the same trick twice ?

Kaen- ... So I was right then. That's what you're saying.

Elf- I'm saying you just willingly walked into a wall and hurt yourself.

Kaen- Well the WALL wasn't supposed to be THERE !

As she says that, her hand waves toward the wall and a tentacle emerges from her shadow and smacks the wall, leaving cracks on it. Kaen freezes and both stare silently at the cracks for a moment, with wide eyes, then at each other.

Kaen, quickly- Gimme a second.

Kaen rushes to the wall and puts both her hands and her ear against the wall, dropping her torch. A flash of orange briefly goes through her irises.

Kaen- It may be a real wall this time, but it's very thin and there's the same room space as the first room.

Elf- Air detection ?

Kaen, doing a little dance- Air detection oh yeah !

Elf- I swear that should be considered cheating.

Kaen- Excuse me Miss I-know-every-active-magic-around-me ? By the way, what's your real name ?

The wood elf just squints her eyes at Kaen without answering. Kaen then grabs back her torch, and positions herself facing the wall. With her left hand, she holds the torch behind her, projecting her shadow over the ground and the wall. Smiling, she lifts her right hand above her head. A few tentacles rise from the projected shadow in front of her.

A second of silence.

Then Kaen brings down her arm.

The sound of rocks being broken by magical dark whips repetitively hitting them is deafening. Soon, a hole forms and reveals the expected sight : the rest of the square room. Kaen dispels the tentacles, and the silence returns as the dust settles.

Kaen, showing the next hallway with her open hand through the wall- Shall we ?

---

Ortelius paces back and forth in the small lab room, as a young adult female wood elf stands over the unconscious body of the intruder apprehended by Maximilien. Her hands hover just over his forehead and his chest.

Elf- Ortelius please, stop.

Ortelius- ... How much longer do you need ?

Elf- You know modifying a memory takes time.

Ortelius- Can't you just erase it ?

Elf- And explain how he got knocked unconscious by your twig friend ? Even I wouldn't believe it, if it wasn't for his ... specialty.

Ortelius- Are you sure he won't wake up ?

Elf- As long as I am not distracted, he shouldn't.

Ortelius- ...

Elf- He got better. That's nice to see.

Ortelius- Hmm ?

Elf- Max. He's controlling it. The mind is still in one piece this time.

Ortelius- ... I'll.. relay the information.

A few minutes pass as Ortelius stares at the sleeping body. Then the elf breaks the silence.

Elf- Don't you think it's time ?

Ortelius- Time for what ?

Elf- To make it legal again.

Ortelius, on the defensive- Look, we talked about this, I don't make the laws, and there are...

Elf- But you're part of the Council ! The real council. You could make a difference. You could help him.

Ortelius- ...

Elf- Or is Theodore still your favourite, even in death ?

Ortelius- Limeia, do your job.

Limeia- And you do yours.