Chapter 25: Daisy

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I was able to sleep soundly for the first time in a year, just before I was woken up by Nato shaking me. My eyes shot awake, because I thought we were under attack or something.

"Woah," Nato gasped. "Relax. We're going to see Filaurel with Finn today."

"That's right," I recalled. "The epsilon Mage."

"Wizard," Nato corrected. "He's ancient, and hopefully, he'll know the nature of the relationship between Shtriga's necromancers and the House of Serpents."

"What would he know about that?" I wondered.

"Eris says he knows everything that happens on Arcadis," said Nato. "Come on."

I got dressed and met Finn and Nato outside the ruins of the fortress. Zephyr had already gone to Water Rock with Eris and Haemon to question more locals, so we would go to Filaurel. When we arrived at his place, it was not at all what I was expecting for a Wizard as ancient as him. A house. A normal house.

"I didn't know that Wizards were so... subtle," I observed.

"I know," Finn agreed.

"Marquis lived in a storehouse that had an entire Torribanish landscape inside," I blurted. "It was all illusory, but it felt as real as where we're standing right now."

"That sounds really awesome," Finn chuckled. "With no snow?"

"None," I informed.

"Let's focus," Nato reminded, slapping her hand on Finn's shoulder, and squeezing it with her inhuman strength. I heard a "crack" from Finn's shoulder.

"Ow," Finn whispered.

"Come on," Nato urged, pushing Finn forward.

They could both deny anything between them all they wanted, but from the way they talked to each other, and the way they sounded when they talked about each other, all told me that they really were crazy about each other. On the other hand, both of those things also told me that they were unsure about whether they were ready for each other. It would possibly take one more instance of them saving each other's lives before they were ready to come out and admit it, because I knew that they have done a lot for one another.

"Filaurel?" I called, knocking on the door of the house, then I whispered, "What am I doing?"

"What?" asked Nato.

"I'm betting there's..."

Suddenly, the door opened for us, into a forest!

"Woah!" Nato gasped.

"Is this what you were talking about, Daisy?" Finn wondered. "Because it is awesome."

"Told you," I reminded. Even though I had seen something like this before, I was still in awe at the sight of it. We were in a forest at the edge of a cliff, which overlooked what looked like an entire tower! It looked just like one of the many Towers of Magi, but it looked like it was built from mithril instead of bricks. There weren't any walls keeping people out, and there weren't any guards around it. The landscape surrounding it also took my breath away. The tower rested on a shoreline that had sand instead of snow, with crystal clear water instead of a layer of ice that couldn't be seen through. I could have stared at the view all day, but we had something we needed to do. We made our way through the forest, and to the base of the tower. There were banners on either side of the gates that I recognized instantly. It was Kuvara's banner.

"The Kuvarian Disciples!" I gasped. "No way!"

"Who are they?" asked Finn.

Before I could answer, a man's voice suddenly came from behind me.

"We are independent scholars of magic and the arcane arts," he answered. His voice was coming from a white, transparent projection of an old epsilon Wizard in the snow-white robes of the Kuvarian Disciples. His long hair and wrinkled skin suggested that he was, in fact, thousands of years old.

"Filaurel?" Nato guessed.

"Yes, my child," the Wizard answered. "To have been able to enter through the door to this place, you all must be very powerful, and very virtuous."

"Well, I've done... some bad things," Finn corrected.

"Then Kuvara must have forgiven such a transgression, Guardian," Filaurel guessed. "He has seen it fit to allow you all into his realm, therefore, you are welcome into the Kuvarian Tower."

The projection disappeared, and the enormous gates to the tower suddenly opened, with the real Filaurel on the other side, holding his arms out from his sides.

"Welcome," he greeted.

The three of us followed Filaurel as he led us through the base of the tower. The entire base of the tower was made up of one giant library. The shelves were stacked higher than even the Tower of Magi's library, and had other Mages standing on platforms that were hovering above the ground with storm crystals on their bottoms were collecting books off the shelves or putting them back. They must have been epsilon Mages, with wands or staffs that had radiant crystals on their tips instead of the normal storm, flame, and frost crystals. The Kuvarian Disciples used radiant magic that was outlawed by the Council of Magi, and were forced into isolation because they were hunted by the Inquisition, and slowly being killed off by them. Besides the "forbidden" magic, and the fact that they're all epsilon, their teachings of the diety, Kuvara, have earned them their reputation as heretics and unbelievers across Zenartha, which were punished, in too many places, by death. Kuvara, an entity who was supposedly the deity who gave mortals the gift of magic in the first place, gave them protection in a hidden realm in exchange for learning what they had to teach them. Radiant magic, for more effect in fighting against the Abyss. They use magic to heal, ward, and defend against darkness in all forms, which included necromancy. I hoped that they would know something about Shtriga. Once we reached Filaurel's study, he allowed us to ask our questions.

"So, you are Eris' child, Finn?" he began.

"Yes, sir," Finn answered. "She said you would be able to tell us more about what's going on."

"Well, that much is true," Filaurel assured. "Shtriga was actually one of us once. A Disciple, ever faithful. He fell to darkness during the Third Great War."

"What happened?" Nato wondered.

"Vindria happened," Filaurel enlightened. "The Archdemon of Lust drew Shtriga into her trap with her serpent tongue, and seduced him into becoming the necromancer that you hunt."

"What is his relationship with the House of Serpents?" I questioned.

"Mutually beneficial," Filaurel answered. "As far as we can tell, Shtriga is kidnapping the people of Arcadis to assess if their bodies will feed his rituals, and the ones that don't are given to the Shadows to increase their ranks."

"So, if you aren't fit to be... fuel," said Finn. "You become a monster?"

"Evil, I know," Filaurel understood. "But that is what's happening. I assume you intend to stop it, being Guardians and a virtuous Mage?"

"That's right," I answered.

"Then you have Kuvara's blessing," Filaurel wished. "He will guide your hearts to the right path for this to end, and I offer the assistance of the Disciples."

"Thank you," said Finn.

"We will begin searching for a ritual that may pinpoint the origin of Shtriga's dark arts," Filaurel declared. "If it is dark magic, then we will have knowledge of it. As for you three, I will inform you through a projection as soon as we have something."

"Thank you," said Nato. "We really appreciate it."

"Shtriga is a necromancer who is not to be taken lightly," Filaurel warned. "He is cunning, ruthless, and powerful. He will not hesitate to take innocent lives if he feels you are too close to him. Kuvara guide you all."

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