Salient Secret 2

22

Vada

George made us teleport him to the Pitcairn island, we've been walking through the forest for what feels like a thousand hours.

"This island is the most secluded island in the world as well as the most uninhabited place in the world," George explains.

"That's great George, but we didn't sign up for a tour of the island, just tell us what the hell we're doing here," Imelda barks, clearly hot and tired. I want to restore her energy, but if I do, I'll be forced to hear all the bugs we pass and I am not in the mood for that right now.

"Patience, we should be approaching the rock right about...now," we stop at a rock. A freaking rock.

"If you brought us all way here too see a rock, I swear you will swim back to whatever Jane Austen book you crawled out of," Imelda harshly says. I silently laugh at her mocking his thick English culture.

"It's not just a rock," George says leaving us all curious until he touches the rock and the ground starts shaking, seconds later the rock splits open revealing a staircase. At this point I believe that every single movie is based on a true story. "Come on now," he says bouncing down the stairs.

"What happens when someone accidentally touches the rock and unlocks a secret staircase?" Rik asks breaking the silence while we're all walking down the poorly lit staircase.

"No, the rock only opens for me," George answers.

"What makes you so special?" Imelda asks.

"Well my dear, I control the earth element," Tanith looks at me wide eyed, clearly thrilled by his answer. She always tells us if she could choose any power to have it would be to control one of the elements. "I used my ability to force the rock open, it's not some magic sword that only works when someone worthy touches it," he continues evidently offended by Rik's question.

"What is this place?" Palmer asks.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he starts and then hurries his way down the rest of the staircase, "...welcome to the Electus archives," he flips the switch which lights up the worlds largest library.

"No ways," Tanith says looking around.

"This is incredible," understatement of the year. It is a massive hallway with books on either side that goes on for miles. These stone walls encase hundreds of dark shelves carrying thousands of books.

"How did you know where this was?" Cassian asks.

"Dane found it and realized he needed me to open it, so he called me and we spent like a month in here just reading books," George answers.

"Wow. Did you come across any books that mention anything that could help us?" I ask knowing it will take forever to find what we're looking for. This place is unbelievably gigantic.

"A few, but I can't remember which ones they were," he answers.

"I found something!" Palmer shouts from somewhere. She comes out holding a big green book titled 'The Wilders.'

"It talks about Cynthia Wilder and her seven childrens lives," Palmer says getting curiouser and curiouser.

"Why would a book about Cynthia be in the Electus archives? She was a co-founder of Salutis," I say.

"I think I know why," Tanith emerges holding a smaller brown book. "Cynthia Wilder was one of the first fulminares ever, by the looks of things, her and Aurelia Peregrina were friends," she continues. In case you forgot, Aurelia Peregrina was the first fulminare, she created Imperium according to the video I saw the day Avery Shaw died. "She was also the first fulminare to go rogue."

"Why would she go rogue?" Imelda asks.

"Because Aurelia wouldn't give Imperium to Salutis," Cassian says walking towards us reading another book.

"So what? Cynthia just left and led Salutis as a fulminare?" I ask not understanding why Dane would give her name as a clue.

"She managed to kill Aurelia," Cassian adds.

"Does it say what powers Cynthia had?" Rik asks.

"Maybe we will find more answers in the Salutis archives," George says and we all give him a strange look.

"Do you know where it is?" I ask.

"Yes I do," he hesitantly answers and starts walking up the stairs.

"I'm going to stay here and see if I can find out more," Cassian says.

"Me too," Palmer adds.

"I guess since Team A is staying, I should stay too," Imelda says sighing.

"Okay then, teleport in and out if you need food and drinks," I say.

"Not needed, there's food and drinks down the hall," George says popping his head back into the room.

"I thought you left?"

"Yeah I was leaving, but then I saw how many stairs there are to climb, I think it will be better for everyone if we just teleport out," he answers.

"You don't say," Rik sarcastically remarks.

"Let's go Team B," I order holding onto George then teleport us back to the house.

"Alright where's the Salutis archives George?" I ask.

"I don't know exactly where they are but I know someone who might know," he answers.

"Might?" Rik asks very unimpressed by his answer.

"Well what other choice do you have?" He asks, rendering us speechless. Our original plan was to steal Kai's keycard to move around Salutis easily looking for information about the archives, something about George's plan seems more reliable. "That's what I thought, now let's go to Australia."