Re:Creation Book 1: Allegiance

Twenty: Five

As Lysidia made her way back towards the infirmary, she continued to whisper to the leather cuff in her hands. Each time she recited the Gvoriyan prayer, the power she was imbuing into the cuff grew stronger, and she needed it to be as strong as possible.

Earlier that morning, Lysidia had been assisting Vivienne and Elise in monitoring Khelmer's condition. She knew that the deterioration of Khelmer's health was actually a highly favorable turn of events, given her mission, yet when Vivienne asked for her help, Lysidia leaped at the chance. Ever since Khelmer arrived, Vivienne had not allowed him to be left alone for even a second. If she wasn't watching over him, then a guard was. As such, it had been impossible for Lysidia to discretely carry out her task and obtain Ydris's grimoire, the Book of War. To make things more challenging, the knight Vivienne had chosen to keep watch, Bo, was particularly stubborn. He would turn away anyone who tried to enter the infirmary, claiming it was by Vivienne's order.

From what Lysidia could tell, Bo held up his vigilant watch the entire night, although, she didn't really know for sure. She'd fallen asleep rather early in the night trying to think of a way to get past him after her first plan--using the back door--failed when she discovered that the door was, in fact, locked. By the time she'd woken up, Bo was gone and Vivienne had already begun her work. After catching Lysidia poking around the infirmary, Vivienne approached her for help, which Lysidia took as an opportunity to hear first-hand how Khelmer was faring, while also being able to check for herself how his powers were developing.

What she wasn't expecting, however, was for things to take a turn in her favor after all.

Not long after Lysidia's arrival, Khelmer opened his eyes for the first time, though his behavior was rather surprising. At first, he seemed somewhat unhinged and many of his responses to Lysidia and the others were either irrelevant or indecipherable. After a few minutes, he became inexplicably aggressive, threatening to draw Arlhund against them should they attempt to touch him. Next, he was much softer and coherent, all of his potential intimidation replaced by penitet meekness as he apologized for everything he said prior.

While Vivienne and Elise were completely baffled by Khelmer's rapid changes in demeanor, Lysidia had a pretty good guess of what happened to him, and so she left the infirmary, claiming that she knew of a way to control his behavior, hence the cuff she now carried. In the meantime, Vivienne went off to find Lev, Therias, Reif, and Telk, leaving Khelmer in Elise's care.

As the pale light enveloping the cuff pulsed with every recitation of Lysidia's prayer, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. Possessing none of Ydris's power herself, someone with his grimoire would be a major and unpredictable challenge for her in combat. However, if all went well, she wouldn't need to even worry about the god of war's power, and then she could get back on track with her grimoire collection.

Cutting through the castle entryway, Lysidia had to pass by the throne room on her way to the infirmary. She was nearly around the next corner when she felt a peculiar feeling that caused her to halt mid-prayer. Normally, when she was near the throne room, she felt the familiar fuzzy sensation of a gods' power other than the four her collar was tethered to. She knew this to be Tererra's power radiating from the tree at the back of the room, but this time, it felt different. For one thing, the earth goddess's presence felt marginally weaker than before. Not only that, but Lysidia could barely sense something else cutting through the fog of Tererra's power. Before she even had time to try and identify it, however, the second feeling went away, leaving only Tererra's presence in the area.

For a few moments, Lysidia remained where she was, but the second presence never reared itself again. Shrugging it off as a trick of her imagination, she continued on her way.