#the treasure seeker

[theshatteredrose]

The Necromancer’s Cauldron (Chapter 4) - Etrian Odyssey 5 Fanfiction

AN: Again, sorry for the delay. Last week has been wild and again writing has my go-to for a wonderful distraction. Anyway, hope you enjoy reading~

Ao3 | Wattpad | Inkitt | FFNet

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Chapter 4:

Drayce sat in his chair at the dining table, his elbow resting upon the table as his attention was focused upon the piece of parchment that held a rough sketch of the floor plan of the third floor. He twirled a pencil idly with his fingers, pondering on what he and his guild should do for the day.

Because of the golem statues, they had covered a large swath of the floor already. Yet, there was still much of the floor they hadn’t ventured into yet. And he would hazard a guess that a certain Owl Beast saw that part of the floor as their territory.

They needed to find a way to deal with that FOE. A way that didn’t involve fighting.

The sound of the front door creaking open pulled Drayce from his thoughts. He immediately perked his head up and he pushed back his chair. He left his map on the table as he took to his feet. He reached the threshold of the dining room archway just in time to watch as Zohar stepped into the foyer and close the door behind him.

He had to admit, he felt himself breathe a sigh of relief.

“Zohar, there you are,” he greeted, immediately gaining the man’s attention. He moved closer, only to pause mid-step when he took note of the solemn, silently frustrated expression on his face. “You ok? You’ve been gone all day and night.”

Zohar managed a tight smile. “Yes, I’m fine.”

That was a lie. A blatant lie.

“I apologise for worrying you,” Zohar continued before he turned, making the motion to move toward the stairs.

“Um, Fiorello told me,” Drayce blurted out before he had the chance to reconsider. “About your…job.”

Zohar paused in his steps, his shoulders instantly growing tight and tense. “Did he now?”

Drayce wrung his hands in front of him. “I’m glad he did. I mean, now, I can be a little more understanding. You know?”

Zohar didn’t respond. He didn’t resume his journey, either, which Drayce took as a good sign.

“Is everything all right?”

Finally, Zohar uttered a quiet sigh, his shoulders losing some of their tension in a form of defeat. He turned around to face Drayce, appearing tired and weary. Clearly, it had been a long, stressful night.

“The victim was the woman that accosted me yesterday.”

Drayce’s eyes widened. “What?”

“It appears as though she had found a necromancer that does not abide by the rules.” Zohar reached up to tiredly pinch the bridge of his nose. “It is very…concerning.”

“What happened?”

“No.” Zohar’s voice was sharp, startling enough that Drayce took a half step back in surprise. Zohar soon caught himself and he dropped his hand to his side as he turned to give Drayce a small smile. “You have enough to concern yourself with.”

That wasn’t necessarily true. No busier than he had been regarding the two previous floors of the labyrinth. So that wasn’t entirely it.

“You’re purposely ensuring that I don’t get involved, aren’t you?” That wasn’t an accusation, but a pointed observation.

The smile faded from Zohar’s lips and he uttered another sigh. “…It’s a side of life I do not wish for you to witness.”

Both ominous but intriguing.

“I know of some of the rules,” Drayce revealed as he began to fidget with his hands again. “What…happens when they are broken.”

“That specifically is what I wish for you not to witness.” Zohar reached up to rest a hand on Drayce’s shoulder. “Please understand.”

Drayce could never deny or dismiss someone’s protectiveness. Zohar had his reasons. He had no right to brush that aside. Besides, stomping his foot and making demands wasn’t going to help him in any way. Spitting out orders wasn’t the best foundation for an efficient guild.

“Ok, ok. I won’t stick my nose in it any further.” He thumped his hand against the centre of Zohar’s chest lightly. “Just, don’t push yourself, ok? You really don’t have to deal with things all on your own.”

A flicker of relief appeared in Zohar’s icy-blue eyes and the corner of his mouth twitched into a half smile. Now that they were standing close toward each other, Drayce noted that Zohar’s weariness wasn’t just from fatigue. He tried to hide it, yes, but it was evident in the slight dark rings under his eyes.

He was worried. Puzzled. And unsettled.

That case of his…

Just as Drayce was about to suggest that Zohar tried to get some rest, as he was clearly quite weary, the sound of footsteps moving down the stairs left those words on the tip of his tongue. He peered around Zohar and saw that it was Fiorello who had ambled along the stairs.

“Ah, you’re finally back,” Fiorello said in a form of greeting toward Zohar. He then walked over to him, and lightly smacked him on the leg. “Be considerate and give some warning next time, hm?”

“My apologises,” Zohar answered simply.

Folding his arms behind his back, Fiorello turned his attention toward Drayce. “Ah, Drayce, you’re running low on Ariadne Threads. You may need to send someone to the markets.”

“Nah, I’ll go,” Drayce immediately offered. “Feeling restless for some reason. Besides, Zohar hasn’t had breakfast yet.” He turned and poked Zohar lightly in the centre of his chest. “And after you do, get some sleep. It’s been a long night, right?”

He decided not to give Zohar time to reply, as he would either offer another apology or dismiss his concern in order to reassure him. And, nope, Drayce wasn’t having it. With Fiorello there, he’d ensure that Zohar got some rest.

“Tell Ashton I’ll be back soon.”

… … … … …

Drayce rested the paper bag filled with Ariadne Threads in the crook of his arm as he rested his other hand on his hip. He shook his head in slight dismay as he stared down at the figure lounging casually on the wooden park bench.

“Man, again?”

Did Kyrell wander from the labyrinth just to fall asleep somewhere else? That guy really could sleep anywhere! But at least it wasn’t in the middle of the monster filled labyrinth again.

Perched on the back of the bench, seemingly snoozing himself, was Raven. They honestly looked peaceful, even if the bench looked rather uncomfortable. He should probably leave the two be.

Just as that thought flickered through his mind, Raven snapped open his beady white eyes and looked directly at him. He then released a happy little chirp, his little red tongue lounging from the corner of his beak. His little squark immediately awakened Kyrell from his sleep.

With a snort, Kyrell peeled open his eyes and lazily lolled his head in Drayce’s direction. “Hm,” he murmured as he stretched his arms over his head. “We need to stop meeting like this.”

“I guess so.” Drayce gave a short laugh as he dropped down onto the bench next to Kyrell. Raven fluttered from the back of the wooden seat and chose to perch himself on Drayce’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but reach up, to poke the wraith on what he guessed was the cheek.

Faelen was right; Raven was incredibly squishy!

It was a strange feeling; solid, but malleable. It wasn’t a gooey type of squishiness, either. He was sure there was a more scientific way to explain it, but squishy worked best.

“No Nashoba today. You can play fetch sometime later.” That seemed to cause Raven to unceremoniously roll off of his shoulder and plopping down onto his lap. And that caused Drayce to laugh once more. “Raven is quite the character, isn’t he?”

“He has his own unique charm,” Kyrell replied. “And set of skills.”

Drayce regarded the necromancer with a curious tilt of his head. “Yeah?”

“Some necromancers are able to share their skills with their partnered wraiths.”

Now that was surprising. “Really? Does that mean Raven can fall asleep in random locations, too?”

Raven suddenly made a strange sound. It was a string of sounds; the same noise repeated several times. Low, guttural “hur hur hur”. Was Raven…laughing? He must have been as Kyrell responded by reaching over, and poking the very top of Raven’s head with an index finger, earning a strangled squark.

Again, Drayce had to laugh at their antics.

Zohar had a similar relationship with Theodore.

“Necromancers truly have strong bonds with their partnered wraiths, don’t they?” he chuckled.

“Do you know why?”

Kyrell’s question caught Drayce by complete surprise. “Huh? Ah, well, no.” He shrugged, subconsciously slumping back into the bench. “I mean, I am curious. Very curious. But…getting too deep into the world of necromancy, I’m just intruding. Or something. It’s not a world meant for me, I guess.”

A world that Zohar seemed intent to keep him away from. He had his reasons; Drayce was sure of it…

Kyrell placed his hand upon Drayce’s shoulder, prompting him to turn his head toward him to find him smiling gently. “You are very considerate.”

Drayce flushed lightly. “Ah, well…”

“There are many things you can learn, however,” Kyrell continued. “Not all within the world of necromancy is forbidden.”

That made Drayce feel hopeful. “Really?”

Kyrell’s smile remained polite, until his eyes flickered over the top of Drayce’s head. The kindness on his face dissipated into a strange mixture of stoniness and guilt as he dropped his hand from Drayce’s shoulder quickly. The sudden change prompted Drayce to immediately turn to where Kyrell’s gaze was focused. And he was surprised to realise that the one who stood several feet away, with an expression of forced stoniness of his own was none other than Zohar.

Drayce blinked. “Zohar? H-hey.”

What was he doing out and about? He wasn’t out on another job, was he? He had to eat and sleep at some point!

Kyrell gave a short, humourless half laugh as he rested his hands to his knees and pushed himself to his feet. “Seems that I have overstepped my boundaries.”

“Huh?”

Raven fluttered from Drayce’s lap to perch himself upon Kyrell’s shoulder one more. And rudely stuck his tongue out at Zohar. Baffled by the pure tension that suddenly fell over them, Drayce took to his feet, also. Unintentionally placing himself between the two tall necromancers.

“I best take my leave,” Kyrell continued as a small smile soon reappeared on his lips and he regarded Drayce with a small nod. “I do look forward to our next meeting Drayce. Though, I do hope I’m not asleep at the time.”

“Yeah, sure. Take care.” Was all Drayce could muster, still puzzled by the obvious pressure that weighed in the air.

Without another word, Kyrell turned his back to Drayce and walked away. His shoulders were relaxed, and his pace casual. He soon disappeared from view around a bend in the path and a band of trees.

The tension remained, however.

“What’s wrong?” Drayce asked.

“Who was that man?” Zohar’s tone was almost biting.

And it caught Drayce off guard. “Huh? His name is Kyrell. He was in the labyrinth when I met him. Sleeping under a tree. Why? Do you know him?”

A clearly agitated frown appeared on Zohar’s lips. “…You’re not asking other necromancers for information, are you?”

That…was an accusation.

And that made Drayce feel agitated. “What? What are you asking? I was just having a normal conversation with Kyrell. Besides, if he wants to tell me something about him as a necromancer, he’s allowed to. I’m also allowed to talk to other necromancers, aren’t I?”

“That is not what I am saying.”

“Then what are you saying? Is this about me looking into necromancy?”

Zohar maintained his stoniness. “Some things are best left unknown.”

“But I need to know,” Drayce insisted, desperately. “If I don’t know the rules, how do I know that I’m not breaking them? I don’t want to offend anyone. I mean no harm, Zohar. Or is an Earthlain like me offensive to necromancers, regardless?”

It…it felt as though everyone was allowed to learn about necromancers and necromancy but him. He didn’t like being kept out of the loop. He wasn’t fragile. He was a treasure hunter. An archaeologist. He could handle it!

He just…

Zohar remained unfazed, however. “That is not-”

“Drayce!”

Drayce lifted his head in surprise. He instinctively turned in the direction of the voice, knowing immediately that the voice belonged to Blayke. He watched, in a somewhat stunned state as Blayke jogged over to him. His pace wasn’t hasty, but he most certainly wasn’t enjoying a morning jog.

“There you are,” Blayke chided lightly. “Did you even make it to the markets?”

“Huh?” Drayce soon remembered how and why he was out of the guildhouse, and that he was still carrying said reason. “Oh, right. O-of course I did. See?”

Blayke arched an eyebrow at him for a moment before his face creased into a confused and suspicious frown. He stared at Drayce blankly for a moment before he turned his gaze to over Drayce’s shoulder.

“…Something wrong?” he asks as he turned his attention back to Drayce.

“No, it’s nothing.” An instinctual response, but hopefully it was enough. “What’s up? Ashton hunting for me already?”

Blayke continued to look suspicious, but thankfully didn’t press further. “No. Not yet. Actually, we’ve been summoned to the Council Hall. Seems like Ramus needs to speak with us. As soon as possible.”

Ramus? He must have a request he wanted to ask of them. Perfect.

“Ok, got it,” Drayce answered as he slipped the bag carrying Ariadne Threads into a pocket of his coat. “Let’s go.”

He focused his attention forward, intent on moving toward the main street to hail one of the many carriages that worked day and night. Blayke didn’t immediately follow, likely lingering back for a moment in bewilderment at the sheer tension that had fallen over Drayce and Zohar. He soon joined him, however.

And, luckily, they were able to hail a carriage relatively quickly. Better yet, the driver was one they had countered before, so immediately knew of their destination.

Drayce climbed in first with Blayke right behind him. They took their usual positions; Blayke situated behind the driver while Drayce sat across from him.

“Did something happen?” Blayke asked him again, and Drayce knew that he couldn’t bluff his way with a dismissive answer.

“Zohar and I had a minor…disagreement, I suppose,” he revealed, his gaze turning to stare out the window. “Don’t worry about it.”

Kyrell said that he was considerate. But was he? Was he being…inconsiderate instead? Damn it, was he being belligerent?

He shook his head to clear it. He would have to dwell on it later. Likely when he was lying in bed, trying to sleep. Replaying the argument over and over again. That was something to look forward to.

“What do you suppose Ramus needs to speak with us about?” Drayce queried as he turned his gaze back to the man that sat across from him.

Blayke folded his arms across his chest and leaned back into his seat. “Not a clue. All I know is that it’s important that he speaks with us as soon as possible. That’s it.”

Man. The lack of information was frustrating sometimes.

They fell into silence, Drayce looking out the window in a desperate attempt to stop himself from replaying his…conversation with Zohar. He needed to get his head on straight. Ramus deserved his full attention.

The carriage ride seemed longer than usually, but they finally reached the courtyard of the Council Hall. They do the well-practiced routine of hopping out, paying their driver, and hurrying into the main hall. Where Ramus, ever dutiful and hard-working, stood at the head of a line of explorers and locals.

They naturally received a few disgruntled looks as they skipped to the head of the queue. But Ramus’ expression brightened immediately upon seeing them, which was always nice.

“Drayce, Blayke, thank you both for coming so quickly.”

Drayce smiled back at him. “Well, of course. What can we do for you?”

Ramus motioned for them to follow. “Come, to my office.”

The path to Ramus’ office was becoming increasingly familiar and it wasn’t long until they were welcomed into room. Two chairs sat before Ramus’ neatly messy desk, indicating that he clearly been waiting for them.

After Drayce and Blayke took their respective chairs, Ramus shut the door behind him and made his way to his desk. “It has come to my attention that about an hour ago, a rather destructive robbery had occurred at the museum. The theft; a cauldron hidden in a purposely sealed room. Apparently, the museum curator and staff didn’t even know it was there.”

Blayke immediately furrowed his brow in disbelief. “Not know it was there?”

Well, it was at a museum. With all the other relics and artifacts, it was possible that it became lost or was hidden away somewhere. Drayce had no right to judge; he had no idea how many interesting items that were scattered about the Crescentia.

Still, if they had no idea that it was there…

“I take it, it’s a few centuries old, then?”

Ramus nodded his head as he sat down, an open file in front of him. “Appears so. As you can imagine, they’re at a loss at what that cauldron was or why it was hidden.”

Blayke continued to frown. “In other words, they have no information on it?”

“Again, it appears that way.”

“Hm.” Drayce leaned back into his chair. “There is definitely a reason why it was hidden in the museum. But the more pressing question is; why was it stolen?”

“Not to mention who could have known it was there,” Blayke added. “And if it was hidden in a room, then those thieves definitely had to use some destructive means to get to it.”

That caused Drayce to lean forward in his chair. “Is there much damage done to the museum, do you know?”

Ramus took a moment to shuffle through the file before him. “Information is hard to come by at present,” he finally said, a slight tone of frustration in his voice.

He wasn’t kidding.

Ramus shut the vanilla folder and folded his hands atop of it. “In saying that, that is why I would like you to handle this case, Drayce. To find any information attached to this cauldron. By learning it’s possible name and history, then maybe we can deduce who would have stolen it. And why.”

Drayce grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

Nothing like a good mystery to take his mind off of certain matters.

“And I guess it wouldn’t hurt to stick my nose into the investigation, either?”

Ramus presented him with a knowing smile. “Of course not. This is, perhaps, something I should leave to the council’s scholars, but I feel that you would be far mor efficient in solving this case.”

Drayce gave a short laugh. “With a recommendation like that, I better not fail.”

“Since we’re going full hog on this, we’ll need to visit the museum,” Blayke mused.

Ramus gave another short nod of his head as he leaned back to retrieve something from a drawer. “Yes. I will grand you a certificate of authority to allow you to officially become involved. And, officially, no one has the right to complain.”

Blayke was unable to prevent a sceptical snort. “But they will.”

“More likely than not.” The sigh that Ramus gave was heavy with disappointment and frustration.

“In any case, we’ll be sure to give them hell,” Drayce promised as Ramus finally found the formal parchment he was searching for and signed it off with a flourish. “We’ll get to work right away. Whenever we learn anything, we’ll let you know.”

“Yes, please do,” Ramus immediately replied as he handed over the form. “And do be careful.”

Drayce really couldn’t fault Ramus’ worry. After what happened during the last mission and project. And if a robbery had taken place, then it was highly probable that Keane and his misfit group of bandits were involved.

He sincerely hoped not.

“Don’t worry,” Drayce reassured, retrieving the form with a smile. “Blayke will make sure of it.”

“Someone has to,” Blayke retorted swiftly and pushed himself to his feet. “We’ll take care of this.”

Ramus found comfort in their words, thankfully. “I have faith that you will. Good luck.”

Without another word, Drayce and Blayke hurried out of the office and made their way back out into the courtyard.

Truth be told, Drayce hadn’t aided in a criminal investigation before, though hopefully it wouldn’t be too different from exploring the labyrinth. The investigation of the mysterious cauldron was something that Shashi would relish in, however. If anyone could find long-lost and arcane information, it would be him.

Drayce signalled for a carriage. “Blayke, you head back to the Crescentia to get Shashi, Kamali, and Ashton. I’ll head to the museum and get things started on that end.”

Blayke nudged his shoulder lightly as a carriage pulled up. He made no attempt to jump in, however, insisting that Drayce take this one. “Don’t get distracted by all the other shiny objects.”

Drayce flashed him a smile. “Rude. I am a professional. See you soon.”

[captainkurosolaire]

Chart yer desire's my worldly hearties, Never know, what or who... Will be your eternal treasure NeXt.

[e-adlirez]

Thea Stilton Treasure Seekers Review/Ramble

Behold, an impulsive ramble about a possibly-obscure trilogy that's been translated to English during quarantine-ish, adding to the obscurity.

So the Treasure Seekers, huh? :3

Coming out a little prior but more or less over the course of quarantine and thus a lot of people not having ready access to it, the Treasure Seekers is what turned out to be a trilogy of what it says on the tin: the girls hunting down cool treasures as a result of going down the world's biggest and highest-stakes scavenger hunt written a hundred-ish years prior to the present time.

Gonna be giving MAJOR spoilers for the first book in the trilogy, and there'll (probably) be one post per book in the trilogy. If you haven't read the book, here's a copy on the Internet Archive you can read before skipping ahead to the review, enjoy, it's pretty good. If you've already read the book or don't care about spoilers, please proceed below the cut :3

The story begins with the girls on summer vacation in Scotland. Shenanigans get started when they meet this old hermit woman who has in her house a mysterious heirloom tapestry with a mysterious poem on it.

The tapestry has this poem that talks about a place with sweet winds, petals that will lead you to something beneath them, something about midnight and birds, and an alabaster garden created for the "jewel of the palace" (like me to you), that is guarded by a friend with deep feet. Sounds like a whole lotta cryptic shnit the theory heads would enjoy :D

Anyway so the girls go visit Beitris (the hermit woman) the next day to return something they borrowed from her only to walk into a holdup :D

Said holdup-ers are these two grunts led by this mysterious lady hiding her identity under a black fedora and thick-framed Ray Bans. The girls deal with that situation real quick and get the guys to scarper (if you're wondering how they did that, "the police are coming"), and once it all blows over, they find that the thugs only stole the tapestry despite ransacking the entire place like raccoons. Such a realization leads to a revelation on Beitris's end, so she entrusts the girls with the tapestry's backstory in a segment I will describe as LAAANNNEEEE LOOOORRRREEEEEE (said in a MatPat voice, we'll miss you king :'])

-

The tapestry was a family heirloom passed down to Beitris by her grandmother Petra, who got it from her older sister Aurora Beatrix Lane, who is basically British Amelia Earhart. Wasn't into girly shnit, liked being outside and also archaeology, studied in the University of Cambridge as an Archaeology major and learned how to fly a plane, all while punting early 1900s gender norms into oblivion with her pants and motorcycle. Motorcycle queen, plane queen, archaeology queen, but then everything changed when this British Amelia Earhart did a British Amelia Earhart.

The context behind Aurora Beatrix Lane's disappearance is something relating to her work with her mentor Jan Von Klawitz, who was doing archaeology things with her and probably got up to some wild shnit, but we would never know because Aurora is very secretive about her plans and her destinations, and she only came home to the UK once, after her first trip, and that was when she gave smol child Petra the tapestry to guard because it led to "a very precious treasure", but she can't show it yet for the time being. The vibe was Aurora was planning on using the tapestry to show the treasure it hides once she's done with her archaeology shenanigans.

But then she did an Amelia Earhart but completely untraceable since she never revealed her destinations, so uh there's that :D

-

Back to the present, this little storytime from Beitris has gotten the girls sucked into a rabbit hole. They are now hyperfixated like nobody's business and this Aurora Beatrix Lane is JUST LIKE THEM FR, and as a result they decide that y'know what they still have a few days before classes in Mouseford starts, and while they're at it, they're gonna find Beitris's tapestry and maaayyyybeeee find the alabaster garden. First destination: Girton College at the University of Cambridge, Aurora Beatrix Lane's alma mater.

The girls take a quick jaunt to Girton by train and then by bus to have a lil' chat with the dean, who reveals to them that they're looking for the central archive if they're gonna be looking for the deets on a student from a hundred years ago, but uh the archive is closed for the day, please come tomorrow. (Wonder why, maybe it's because they rode from Scotland to Girton by train which takes a shnitload of time. /nsrs but fr tho I wonder if the original Italian had them drive over there by car-- they did rent an SUV, and going by car would be way faster, like it'll only take a seven-hour drive faster) They come back the next day, are let into the archives, and oop, they find a well-preserved diary with Aurora's initials hidden in the Stanley Library.

Y'know what that means, LANE LOOORRRREEEEE

-

So two months into her accompanying Jan on his excavations, she notes that Jan's been acting a bit sus lately-- being very nervous, being extremely protective over his luggage, being weird about hiding some of the relics he's found, and also a weird-ass incident where while exploring a small village's old castle, Aurora found a hidden chamber with a tome inside that Jan immediately snatched and was like "I'll take care of it don't worry, don't worry about the protocol stuff I'll be fine I'll take care of it". And then he went back to "normal" after that. Hmmmm.

A month later, while Jan was talking with one of his collaborators on their train to England, Aurora stumbled into the tome again, suspiciously in Jan's personal luggage instead of being properly archived and catalogued like it should've been. She read it, saw a thing about the Seven Treasures of the World, and that caused her protagonist genes to kick in since now she's now very tempted to look into finding them and showing them to the world.

After that, she went to some libraries to investigate and eventually decided to confront Jan about the whole treasures thing and his first reaction was he was pissed, calling Aurora a snoop and everything poking into his things. Then after calming down he said "just pretend to not see", but oh no, dear reader, Aurora was not gonna pretend to not see. She ain't gonna pretend to not see the fact that her mentor was actually a treasure hunter and collector who'd been using his occupation as an excuse to snatch some nifty treasures and keep them to himself like every European country who's stolen artifacts from Asian countries ever, ohohohooooo noooo, she's gonna do something about it.

-

The girls scuttle on over back to Scotland and Beitris, to find that uh oh dear, the thugs came back again and this time they were asking about the girls specifically. Beitris pulled the same trick the girls pulled to get them to leave. So NOW the thugs are looking for the girls for whatever reason and wanna know their deal. Anyway, the girls show Beitris Aurora's diary, tell her about the summary, and also that unfortunately some of the pages are missing, and the diary doesn't say shnit about the tapestry so far. Beitris helps by giving them a letter that Aurora sent to Petra about the tapestry and its treasure, but interestingly mentions that she should "only trust Robert".

Since I haven't mentioned him before, Robert Neville was Aurora's flight tutor, a flying medic, and was toootttallllyyyyy just friends with Aurora you guys they were totally just frie--

He is dead in the present time, but his nephew John Neville is a (former) lighthouse keeper for the Ar-Men lighthouse in the IÎe de Sein, Brittany, France. So the girls head on over there, land in France, insert a thing where Vi feels like she's being watched but is like "maybe it's just a me thing, I dunno".

They head over to the Île de Sein, find an old man who turns out to be John, are invited to his house, tell him about their situation, and John mentions that he himself has been researching like crazy too about Aurora ever since hers and Jan's simultaneous disappearance over the same place at the same time in the same terrible storm. And also the fact that Robert was totally devastated when he got the news and spent years looking for her. He gives them his notes that he's accumulated over decades of researching in his pastime (which amounts to just Aurora's trip to Mexico), and tells them that since Aurora was looking for seven treasures, they'll need to find out where her seven trips took place, which will not be easy because Aurora was extremely secretive, and she only made her first trip even remotely public.

First place is Mexico so might as well head on over-- oh god the holdup-ers are back to holdup.

The thugs snatch Aurora's diary and book it before the girls can do much besides get an impromptu ocean bath, and oh dear, the thugs' boss has them now, and it's not the mafia cosplayer lookin' woman. But that's something I'll address later :3

Nonetheless, they carry on since the thugs never stole John's notebook, and they use it to go to the Puuc Route in Mérida, Yucatán (sounds very specific until you realize that Mérida is the capital of the Yucatán, and one thing everyone and their mother knows about the Mayan ruins there like Chichen Itza) to find more clues.

They do some more research on the Puuc Route, find some clues about "an invisible place, guarded by the chattiest of creatures", discover that it means they have to go to Uxmal, get a dub against the unfortunately acrophobic thugs, and realize that yes, Aurora did in fact sneak another one of her diaries in there.

This one doesn't have as much Lane Lore to contribute besides a clue that the girls find leads to Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, India, a city known for its perfumes :3 sounds like "sweet winds", doesn't it? Oh and there's also something about a place with two lakes, which turns out to be Lakh Bahosi, a bird sanctuary about an hour's drive away from Kannauj. The girls head on over and try to do some investigating, but it doesn't take them that long to find a pair of grunts struggling under the weight of a very familiar tapestry while their boss was struggling to supervise them with her heels constantly digging into bird sanctuary dirt.

Anyway so the girls concoct a little scheme to steal the tapestry and the thugs fall for it like fish for a fishing lure, and they managed to scatter with the tapestry. After getting to a private space in the sanctuary, they find a clue that leads them to a set of coordinates that they find is a beeg tree. Oh and the treasure seems to be a present that was made for someone close to Mumtaz Mahal, as in "the jewel of the palace", the woman the Taj Mahal was made for; and the tapestry has a set of coordinates that is leading them to a beeg tree, with deep roots/feet. Oh hell yeah it's all comin' together.

They get to the tree, deal with the mafia lady for a little bit, find the treasure, and it turns out it's a very exquisite perfume bottle made of alabaster called "The Perfume of the Earth". They find a little note from Aurora explaining the treasure and its value and the significance of finding it, and now the girls have found the treasure Aurora had been searching for, and now's the time for a villain reveal?

So I haven't talked about him yet and have glossed over this guy for the entire ramble. See the mafia lady, Cassidy? Yeah she's not the big boss here. It's this guy who has a whole secret base in Denali National Park, Alaska, and has been overseeing everything behind the scenes. And by everything, I mean everything: He was alerted to the whole thing with Cassidy's first raid of Beitris's house, found out about the girls' involvement, and for a good half of the book, was trying to figure out what the girls' motives are for interfering with his line of work and what they might know about this whole thing he's looking for, which is the alabaster garden.

This guy has been keeping tabs on the girls through Cassidy and her thugs, who've been stalking the girls ever since France. He and Cassidy figured out in Paris that the girls are Mouseford students on vacation, and he was the one who gave the orders to snatch the journal from there. He was the one who told the goons to tail them to Mexico, and he was the one who managed to look up the girls' names, backgrounds, reasons for being in Scotland, all from the comfort of his base in Alaska. And only then, only then did he go to India himself to supervise and put a cap to his goons' buffoonery.

Who is this guy? Well, he is a treasure hunter who just wants to enjoy the treasures Aurora Beatrix Lane has hidden from his great-grandfather a hundred years ago. That's right, meet Luke Von Klawitz, the current heir to the Klawitz legacy and the treasure trove Jan Von Klawitz left behind in spite of his disappearance. Unfortunately Jan was better (and old enough) to secure a family legacy of greedy artifact hoarding.

So while the girls were in Lakh Bahosi, Luke was too with the goons and Cassidy (who is not his right-hand man and more just... a subordinate trying too hard to impress him), being the babysitter with these guys on leashes, as he tries to keep their stupidity under control. He intercepts the girls as they're about to leave Lakh Bahosi, blocking their path, and asks about the alabaster garden. The girls obviously don't spill and prolly would've gotten themselves blackbagged and interrogated had a friend they made prior to Lakh Bahosi not shown up in her dad's truck and came in clutch. (It sounds cliche and like it came out of nowhere but trust me it makes sense in-universe-- after the girls left the friend's family restaurant that they were hanging at, Luke's goons came over to interrogate them about the girls and where they went. Subtlety, who is she?)

The girls bring the perfume to a nearby university so it can be brought to a museum, send the tapestry back to Beitris, and return home to Whale Island, to read the last bits of Aurora's second journal and presumably to

So that's the book :D I put in a LOT of spoilers, but I'd say that reading the book is still worth it because you'll be able to get the connecting tissues that tie the organs of this story together. H-hopefully this all made sense . .'''

First things first, if you're not used to how Scholastic kids' novels are written, then uh, you might wanna get used to it, because the English translation of Thea Stilton is very... that. It's not beating the kids' book allegations in English, unfortunately. On the brighter side, though, it's pretty good for Scholastic standards! The pacing's very fast, but it feels about right-- gives me the same energy as diving deeper and deeper into a rabbit hole and going to all sorts of places because of the hyperfixation responsible for consuming their sanity for all of a week or so. The dialogue isn't nearly as atrocious as the worst it's capable of being (oh trust me we'll get to that). The tapestry puzzle and how the girls work towards solving it is very coherent and logical for the situation they are in at the beginning, and it's very satisfying to see everything come together and for things to slowly make more and more sense in the poem despite it being as vague and puzzle box-y as it was.

The Lane family lore is very well-thought-out, and Aurora Beatrix Lane is the perfect spiritual predecessor to the girls, what with her love for adventure, love for travel, strong moral compass, and the strong compulsion to elbow drop every single feminine social rule under the sun. I can totally buy her being someone the girls would totally hyperfixate on researching, because she feels like that kind of compelling character-- a passionate young archaeologist who decided to put her own safety on the line for the sake of what she believed in and to dunk on Klawitz and his selfish (and very illegal) goals of hoarding the treasures of the world to himself.

As for the villain, I'll be real gamers, Luke Von Klawitz is probably the most intimidating if not terrifying villain in the entire franchise. He has drones spying on every corner of the world for him, he has goons he can contact at any time and have them do his bidding (to mixed results it seems), he has cutting-edge technology that he uses for terrifying means, all in the safety and comfort of his secret underground base in Alaska where he has his little basement filled to the brim with historical artifacts he's kept all to himself to enjoy. Lemme run this through you again:

He was able to learn the girls names, the university they're studying in, and why they were in Scotland in the first place, all without ever meeting them face-to-face or having his goons interrogate them directly. All he needed to learn all of this was the (not very helpful) research by Cassidy, and a few commands put into his world-connected supercomputer.

Are you intimidated yet? I sure hope you are :D this guy's got a lotta potential is what I'm saying. He's a bit of a brat who wants what he wants and wants it immediately, but he's also a bit of a chess master who looks over things in the background while his minions do all the work for him. Really the only thing holding him back is the incompetency of his goons, and technically it's not even that they're very stupid-- Cassidy and her grunts Stan and Max are very good at swooping in out of nowhere to wreak havoc, dip in and get out before anyone can do anything about it. They're decent if not good at the job they're usually assigned: low-level grunt work. Unfortunately they're not good at much else, which drove Luke insane this entire book, haha.

The girls' dynamic with Cassidy, Stan and Max was refreshing in the sense that the girls aren't always getting punted by them, and the goons aren't always taking Ls just from physical contact with the girls. Cassidy and the goons always had the element of surprise on their side, being able to show up out of nowhere and do their thing before the girls have time to even blink; but once the girls figured out their whole shtick, it was easy to learn that they are easily outclass-able by five mouse Oxford students in braincell count and thus act accordingly. They force the girls to think fast and come up with some snappy plans on the spot, and the girls force Luke to realize he hired Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and Tweedle Dummy as goons :D

Now uh, I have been complimenting this thing the entire time, but there is one little thing I have an issue within this book, and that is the whole... Power of Friendship thing they've got going on throughout the book.

Yes, unfortunately, the Friendship Curse has claimed this hardcover series too, and while it's not the worst here, it's still... it's still a bit atrocious :D

For instance, the conclusion Cassidy and Luke come to for the girls' reasons for interference is "friendship". Literally, Cassidy literally says to Luke, "It seems they did it out of friendship, Sir", and then Luke responds with an evil cackle and is like "FRIENDSHIP? THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP DOESN'T EXIST IN THIS WORLD! AIN'T NO WAAAAYYYYY THEY'RE NOT FIVE SCHEMERS WHO WANNA GET THE TREASURES THEMSELVES", which is like... I don't get that vibe from Luke anywhere else in the book? Luke values efficiency and getting what he wants-- he's not hired Cassidy to be all buddy-buddy with her, he hired her for a job and she has to work to fulfill said job. He just wants competent employees, and y'know what, that's valid. Not a single part in that have I seen "ew power of friendship". It's very villain for the sake of villainy kind of energy, which I don't think fits Luke with the other bits of information we get of him? He's following his great-granddad's footsteps-- not a single minute of that did that mean "the spirit of friendship doesn't exist get yo head outa the cotton candy"

Then there's... how this applies to the girls.

inhales

WHY DID THEY MAKE VIOLET THE GROUP'S FRIENDSHIP PROPHET GRAAAAHHHH

I probably would make a full-blown rant about this at some point, but one thing I never liked about any of the hardcovers was how Violet of all people is the group's assigned friendship prophet. She'd occasionally make a comment about how uh something something the power of love is the strongest of all, and every single time I don't like it :D

Sure fine you can chalk it up to character development since her early months in Mouseford, but in the earlier books it's heavily established that she's the pragmatic one, the braincell keeper, the one who keeps the girls' group ADHD on track or the one who reminds them that "hey we've been at this for a really long time and it's now 2AM, we should really turn in now". Being a friendship prophet is a Colette thing, not a Violet thing, and I'm not trying to insult Colette or anything like that. I would be far more okay with it if Colette was the one to go on about the "power of love" because she's literally the HOPELESS ROMANTIC! She's the one with her head in the clouds, the one most likely to fangirl about ships in movies, the one who chooses to ship Romeo and Juliet and pretend to not see the entire second act of said play for the sake of believing in love.

If Colette had a line where she gushed about the power of friendship, I would've just chalked it up to "that cheesy-ass statement is something she'd totally say ngl", as opposed to the jarring whiplash I get from seeing Violet of all people call upon the Power of Friendship.

Again, probably will rant about this at some point (lemme know if you're into that idea), but yeah -m-

Literally just chuck the power of friendship bits and replace them with something more practical/realistic/grounded/whateveryouwannacallit, and it's basically perfect! Even the bits where the girls make friends on their journey is believable! Those don't have to be altered at all! Geuh it drives me insane, almost to the point of wanting to do something about it....

Well, that's enough rambling for today. I can't use up all my steam on this first book-- I plan on making ramblings for the second and third books, after all.

See ya Stilton fans, and for the newcomers from Twitter, welcome :D I hope you enjoy your stay :D

[transgender-battlekukku]

In a chameleon mood today :P

[oscarwetnwilde]

James Wilby in The Treasure Seekers (1996) as Henry Carlisle.

The Scotsman - Tuesday 24 December 1996:

"Henry is a man lost in his own world," says Wilby who plays the character. "He loves to engage the children with his tall stories, but he treats them with respect and doesn't patronise them. He's one of the few adults in the film who treats them as an equal. There's something clever about the way Nesbit creates an interesting story about the adventures of children, that adults enjoy."

-

[n3rd-qu33n]

Map Night: Level 1 Glams!

Tonight for our FC's treasure maps the theme was Level 1 Glams. I absolutely could not resist going as a monk in a wedding dress. Lalli hid her weapons and beat up SO MANY VEGETABLES with her fists and fancy boots.

Lalli also got a bit of a makeover. I'm in love with it and had to play with some of the light in mine and the wifey's (@luc1d17y-ffxiv) FC chambers. Our FC house is on the Primal - Exodus, Empyerum 5th Ward, Plot 60 if you want to come check out the rooms. Lalli's private chamber (which might be a shrine to G'raha Tia) is Room #006, and Astraex's gorgeous room is #007.

Omg, the colors... D:

And bonus! We got a final room and made over 600,000gil!

[black-rose-irl]

Sometimes a game series starts with a little girl having some kind of weird psychic link to her dead grandmother who was a powerful pirate captain and ends with said little girl, now like 100 years old, reading to her own grandchild about how she and her brother travelled through time to save the world and with a heavy implication that she ended up marrying a megalomaniacal evil immortal time-travelling wizard/mad scientist who is the main antagonist of the game series.

[weirdlookindog]

The Mutineers; or, The Devil and the Dice & The Death-Light; or, The Treasure Seeker. A Romance of Intense Interest. Illustrations for two supernatural stories in the Dramatic Tales series. (J. Duncomb, n.d. c. 1817).

[lotro-tooltips-daily]

[pennywhistle2021]

It’s 5/2 Day!

So a month ago I found out there’s a song called “The Big Rock Candy Mountain” and boom, inspiration was born.

I really wanted to do so much more for this occasion, even tried to do a mini-series regarding their adventure in the rock candy mountains or candy hunting in general. But art block, and later burnout slammed me like a ten ton sack of bricks X(

[theplagueraven]

My new D&D character, Viago the aasimar warlock! He's a first generation aasimar because his elven mother is very persuasive. In fact, he has a slew of half-siblings that are all halfsies of some form or another. Everything from typical half-elves and half-orcs, to a first generation tiefling (who is another player character).

Additionally, his celestial father has ended up his warlock patron, because even more family dynamics is always a hoot.

Despite being the ultimate edgy vibes kind of guy, Viago is actually the most boring person you'll ever meet. He's an archivist that works at a library. His hobbies include books, fancy pens, research, and tea. He absolutely will tell you to shush like the most stereotypical librarian ever. He has a good relationship with his family and takes care of his younger siblings.

He looks like a Biblically Accurate Angel™️and super powerful and edgy, but he's actually just really, really average and kinda super lame. I like him a lot.

[theshatteredrose]

The Necromancer’s Cauldron (Chapter 13 *Last*) - Etrian Odyssey 5 Fanfiction

AN: AHH, I did it! The final chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who read this story from beginning to end. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. And that you look forward to the next project I have installed. It should be fun indeed. Appreciated you all and hope you’ll wait expectantly for my next update. Until then, enjoy this last chapter of The Necromancer’s Cauldron~

Ao3 | Wattpad | Inkitt | FFNet

-

Chapter 13:

The labyrinth truly was a different place in the sunlight.

Drayce idly toyed with the bandages around his left arm as he looked around the clearing he had the unfortunate luck to be found captive in.

Now that he was able to better see his surroundings, the clearing was like any other he had previously encountered. It was open, lush with foliage and flora, with a cool pool of crystal-clear water. It would be an ideal location to sit and relax from exploration.

But the large black cauldron was an oddity.

It wasn’t alone either.

A brown blanket. Discarded dark robes. Broken podium. Shreds of coarse rope. A silver knife stained with blood. With his blood.

Everything Drayce endured last night was very real.

A hand resting on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. Drayce turned his head to the side, his gaze colliding with that of Blayke’s.

“You ok?” he asked him.

Drayce gave a small smile. “Yeah, I’m all right.”

Things were vastly different this time around. He wasn’t alone. Far from it. Blayke, Zohar, Caelem, Faelen, Kamali, and their guest Shashi. Mustn’t forget Nashoba and Theodore. He was surrounded by protective and concerned teammates.

Though, he had to admit that he was surprised that Ashton didn’t insist on joining them. Being the determine caretaker he was. Yet, Drayce was glad that he remained in town. For him to watch over the remaining members of his guild. They were still recovering, after all.

He had also hoped to see Kyrell again. To find him in the labyrinth. Sleeping, like how they first met. So that he could thank him for what he did for him last night. And to show Zohar that he wasn’t a threat. He couldn’t be a threat.

Drayce gave a small shake of his head. He would have to search for Kyrell sometime later. He had something important he needed to contend with first.

What should he do with the Blood Cauldron?

“The presence of this thing is truly vile,” Shashi murmured, his nose scrunched up in distain. His expression soon softened, however, as he turned to his brother. And with a raised hand, gently curled a strand of Kamali’s hair behind his ear. “You’re more sensitive than I, so stay back.”

Looking slightly pale, Kamali managed to give a small nod of his head. “Y-yes. Just try not to touch it.”

Shashi gave him a reassuring smile before his expression became stoic as he moved toward the cauldron to inspect it. As Shashi moved away, Faelen popped up by Kamali’s side and took a hold of his arm.

“I don’t like it either,” he said. “Maybe we should walk around and inspect the area.”

Kamali gave the sweet rover a small smile. “Yes, that would be preferable.”

“Don’t wander too far, ok?” Drayce couldn’t stop himself from being protective.

He received smiles from the two, Kamali’s polite and patient, while Faelen’s was innocent and cheerful. The pair, with Nashoba in tow, moved toward the natural walls of the clearing, perhaps choosing to stay close to the gentle greenery to take their minds off of the hideous relic located in the centre.

Blayke also watched the two wander off before he turned his attention back toward the cauldron. And a dark scowl immediately appeared on his face. “So, how are we getting this thing out of here?”

Good question.

“I could probably lift it,” Caelem mused aloud, but his ears soon folded atop of his head, an expression of unease gracing his features. “But…”

He didn’t want to touch it. Understandable. Drayce could still feel the cold, brutal metal under his hand from when he was thrown against it.

“It’s alright,” Drayce immediately soothed. “We’ll use an Ariadne Thread. That will take us, and the cauldron, back into town. We’ll have the guards do the dirty work. I think that would ease Egar’s apprehension, too.”

Truthfully, he couldn’t wait to get rid of the thing.

Yet, his strong treasure hunter blood wanted him to edge just a little bit closer. To get a proper look at the dreaded antique under the bright, comforting light of the sun.

With his cannon situated on his back and his shield left at home due to the injury to his arm, Drayce found himself edging closer. Close enough for him to give the menacing object an inspecting gaze.

It was still horrid to look at, yet nowhere near as frighting as it was under the cover of darkness. And in the hands of Nukpana.

He spent a moment watching as Shashi also investigated the cauldron. Moving closer than anyone else, but ensuring that he never physically touch it. And from the scowl on his slightly pale face, nothing he was seeing made him even remotely happy.

Drayce may have to call a quick end to their tentative investigation and get the cauldron back into the city. And somewhere it could be sealed and guarded.

As Shashi moved to inspect the other side of the cauldron, Drayce’s gaze fell toward the ground. Where a strange black substance tarnished the emerald, green grass.

Despite wincing, he ventured a few steps closer. To stare down at the strange site. It truly looked as though the grass has been seared from a violent flame. There was also a strange smell from the area. Not quite like that of burnt meat. It was an acidic smell.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Blayke moved to stand beside him, to also stare down at the ground. “This?”

Drayce eyes flickered over to the cauldron for a second before returning to that of the scorched grass. “That was the place Nukpana had stood. From the last time I saw him at least.”

“Nothing but a smear on the ground,” Blayke murmured. “That’s morbid as shit.”

Drayce had to agree. “Nukpana’s light blue skin was covered in markings. Proof of the laws he had broken.”

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. Those markings. He was literally covered with them. Each one a symbol of the laws he had broken. Hundreds of them, possibly. Sins that eventually cost him his immortal soul. His entire existence.

He still didn’t know what to think about that. Was that truly just?

A hand resting on his shoulder pulled Drayce from thoughts once more.

“Caelem and I will pick up the rest of the rubbish,” Blayke stated, leaving no room for argument. “You stay back.”

Drayce smiled. “Right, right. Let me know if you find an amulet, however.”

Everyone was feeling protective. It was no surprise. After everything that had happened, to him alone, the helplessness they felt during that time still affected them. They needed to do something. To somehow be a part of the situation once more.

Drayce could never take that away from them.

So, he stepped back, leaving his guildmates to take control of their mission. He spent a moment looking for his guildmates, noting that they were all within sight, easing his own worries. Yet Zohar stood alone, a contemplative look upon his face.

“Zohar?” Drayce said his name gently, with a slightly worried tone.

“I am fine,” he immediately replied, giving a small smile as he turned his head toward him. “I don’t wish to venture too close, however.”

“That’s fair.”

“Is your arm bothering you?”

Drayce looked down at his arm, realising that he had subconsciously pulled back the sleeve of his coat to idly toy with the bandages once more. “Sort of,” he admitted as he pulled down the sleeve. “It’s the memory of what happened that makes me wince. The knife is still here.”

That Book of Shadows, however, wasn’t.

He couldn’t help but wonder where it went. Did it hide itself somewhere in the labyrinth, like what the Radiant Moon of Compassion had done? Or had it fled to somewhere else? Rather, to someone else?

Who knows what that tome was capable of. And how many laws was broken to create it.

“There are many unwritten and unspoken rules of necromancy, isn’t there?” Drayce murmured.

“Yes,” Zohar answered. “Yet, they can be simplified by respecting the deceased.”

Respect in general, probably.

Zohar uttered a sigh suddenly. “It cannot be denied that there are many cruel and evil necromancers in this world.”

“There are those who are, unfortunately, greedy and power-obsessed, regardless of who or what they are,” Drayce added.

After all, Nukpana had followers. And they appeared Earthlain in appearance. Not necromancers. Anyone willing to do his bidding weren’t benign, soulful people by any stretch of the imagination.

Drayce’s comments brought a small smile to Zohar’s lips, and he gave a slow nod of his head. “That is very true.” His smile faded away a moment later as his face became sombre, gaze staring out at nothing in particular. “Truth be told, I find it difficult to interact with other necromancers. I feel that it may stem from the possibility that I was murdered by one.”

Drayce was unable to prevent a wince upon hearing the word ‘murdered’, his heart skipping a beat. “I’m sorry. You really don’t remember?”

Zohar shook his head. “No. I believe that is by design.”

Evil. Pure evil.

“How could anyone do that to you…?”

He hoped to find those responsible, one day. To ensure they face justice for their heinous act. If…Ravenous didn’t get to them first.

Zohar suddenly placed his hand against the small of Drayce’s back, pulling him from his musings. He tilted his head back to look up at him in curiosity, earning a small smile from the other in return.

“Come,” he suddenly urged, motion toward a quiet corner of the clearing. “Someone wishes to speak with you.”

“Huh?” Drayce uttered in puzzlement, but allowed Zohar to guide him toward the foliage, to the shades of the tall trees.

As they reached the shady alcove, Zohar kept one gentle hand against his back as he raised the other toward the shadows. Where a strange sparkle of light suddenly started to gather, slowly glowing brighter. And shimmering into two distinct forms. One with flawless armour, the other of regal clothes and long flowing hair.

Wait…Chevell and Diandre?

Their forms remained translucently soft, subtle, but still somehow distinct. Blue coils of mist, clearly of an ethereal origin.

Did Zohar summon them, or…?

Zohar’s hand slipped from his back to rest against the small of his back, allowing him to pull him close to his side as he leaned his head down to speak with him quietly. “Don’t be afraid. I will translate for you. They wish to thank you.”

Thank him? “But I didn’t do anything.”

“Diandre believes otherwise. Your pure blood broke the seal and broke his curse. He is free now. As is Chevell. They can finally be together in the realm of spirits.”

“Ah!” Drayce perked up and turned his attention toward the two ethereal figures. “I’m so glad to hear that. It’s been a long time.”

“It has, Chevell agrees. He wishes for you to take his amulet. It will protect you should you be drawn into battle against a necromancer again.”

Drayce nodded his head in acceptance. “I promise to take good care of it.”

The two figures linger for a moment, possibly having a private conversation. In fact, that seemed to be the case as Zohar had nodded his head firmly a couple of times. He then raised his hand two the two, waving his hand over them. Where they soon faded into a soft sparkle of light, gently fading.

Then…they were gone.

It was a short meeting, but significant. Very much so. He was glad that the two were at peace now. And together after so much pain.

“What curse was Diandre talking about?” Drayce asked, tilting his head to look up at Zohar once more.

“Shashi had discovered more information,” Zohar began, his arm still firm and warm around his waist. “It seemed that Diandre knew that Matchitehew had wanted to use him in a ritual, wishing to use him to grant Despot greater armies. So, he had prepared himself to be sacrificed. When his blood was placed within the cauldron, he sealed away it’s true power.”

“True power?”

“The cauldron was tied to Matchitehew’s soul. If Matchitehew was defeated in battle, his many loyalists had the skills to…reanimate him. Yet, with Diandre sacrificing himself, he broke ties to the cauldron, preventing Matchitehew from returning to this plane through it.”

Drayce shivered, unconsciously leaning closer to Zohar. “I see. It’s a relief to know that one of Despot’s generals couldn’t actually be resurrected.”

Zohar didn’t immediately agree.

“What is it? Can he still…?”

“Possibly,” Zohar relented. “He may have infused some of himself into the Book of Shadows, too. If it’s sentient, like you said…”

It could be in search of another. To do the very thing Nukpana had tried.

They needed to find that book. But how?

Drayce sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. “We’ll…deal with that later, I guess. I’m glad that Chevell and Diandre were finally reunited.”

“Yes.” Zohar gently pressed his hand against Drayce’s side. “That is also one of the roles of a necromancer. Reuniting star-crossed lovers who had been separated in both life and death.”

Drayce tilted his head back and smiled softly at him. “Ah, now that is something I’d like to learn more about.”

No one who deeply loved each other should be forced apart, after all.

… … … … …

In a city filled with eccentric locals and explorers alike, it was surprisingly easy to track down a necromancer with purple skin with a black blob of a wraith on his shoulder. As much as Ashton wanted to be in the labyrinth with the others, to keep a closer eye on Drayce, there was something else he needed to do.

Something he couldn’t let Drayce know about.

Not yet.

As he entered the central park of the city, a flash of purple from the corner of his eye immediately caught his attention. He turned his head in time to watch as a tall, somewhat muscular Celestian with deep purple hair and skin of a lighter shade move silently down a path. One that led toward a much more secluded area of the park.

“Hey, wait!” Ashton called out, breaking into a jog to follow him. “You…”

That had to be him. That had to be Kyrell.

The man stopped in his tracks after Ashton called out to him. For a moment he kept his back toward him, seemingly contemplating something before he finally turned to face him. “Can I help you with something?”

Ashton decided to get straight to the point. “Drayce. He told me what happened in the labyrinth. He also said that you reminded him of someone. Who?”

Kyrell stared at him for a few intense moments, his expression completely unreadable. Eventually, he spoke. “…Rhain.”

“Rhain?” Ashton’s eyes immediately widen, his heart thundering in his chest. “You know Rhain? Where is he?!”

Years. It’s been ten years since Rhain was taken, ripped away from his loving family. Ripped away from Drayce. From his brother. Could they…?

Kyrell shook his head slowly, regretfully. “Unfortunately, I do not know his current location. I am unable to venture too close, if I did know.”

Ashton felt his heart drop into his stomach. “What do you mean?”

“Sephtis sacrificed my life in a ritual,” Kyrell shockingly revealed. “It did not go as he had planned. If he learns that I am alive, and with the very entity he sacrificed me to obtain, he will burn this entire city to the ground to take back what he believes belong to him. And if he learns that Drayce is here…”

Ashton felt his hands clench at his sides. “I see.”

That…was not what he wanted to hear. Yet, that name, that Sephtis was something that Ashton and Drayce’s family could work on. One small step closer to finding Rhain.

“Rhain?” Ashton questioned softly. “He’s…still alive?”

“Yes,” was Kyrell’s firm response, granting Ashton a tiny sliver of relief. “He is far too useful to Sephtis. Physically, he has not been harmed. Spiritually, however…”

“This Sephtis is-?”

“The cult leader. Sephtis is his latest incarnation.”

“Bastard,” Ashton spat out unwillingly.

Kyrell gave a humourless chuckle. “Indeed.”

Ashton took a moment to compose himself. This was valuable information. “What must be done?”

“I must build Raven’s strength,” Kyrell said, just as a strange little black blob of something appeared on his shoulder. “To do that, I must hunt down other vile souls to feed to him.”

Ashton eyed off the strange little creature warily. Drayce told him about that Raven wraith. About how funny it looked, with its squishy body, yellow beak and beady white eyes. And how it was actually the once thought to be mythical god known as Ravenous.

“This…Raven will defeat Sephtis?” he asked carefully.

Kyrell closed his eyes as he nodded. “That’s my only hope.” He opened his eyes a moment later and focused his attention toward Ashton, his expression curious. “Drayce doesn’t remember anything, does he?”

“No. A curse prevents it. Since he was eleven years old.”

“As I suspected.” Kyrell suddenly tilted his head back, to gaze up at the sight of Yggdrasil. “Drayce is like Rhain in many ways. Kind-hearted, compassionate, far too considerate of others. Far too willing to put his life at risk for the safety of others.”

Rhain…

“I…could not protect Rhain,” Kyrell continued. He abruptly levelled his gaze toward Ashton, to stare intently at him. As that black blob of his hop along his shoulders, momentarily disappearing behind his head.

Only to come out the other side in the form of a sleek black raven. With feathers a shimmering back, and eyes a piercing, fiery red.

“But I will ensure that Drayce remains safe. And that the brothers are reunited. Even if it costs me my eternal soul…”

With that Kyrell turned. And walked away, leaving a smoky, otherworldly trail of mist behind him.

Leaving Ashton to wonder what the future could hold for Drayce. And his entrapped, missing brother.

[captainkurosolaire]

~ Finder's Rebirth ~

Who What We ...B'

[affyboss6]

(via "This Is What An Awesome Metal Detectorist Looks Like" Classic T-Shirt for Sale by Affyboss6)

[transgender-battlekukku]

Welcome to the newest episode of Oscar's barely known blorbos! Today with Loot the Treasure Seeker!

[oscarwetnwilde]

James Wilby’s 1990’s roles, part two. The Woman In White: Sir Percival Glyde (1997) La partie d'échecs: Lord Staunton (1994) Original Sin: Gerard Etienne (1997) An Ideal Husband: Sir Robert Chiltern (1998) The Treasure Seekers: Henry Carlisle (1996) The Siege of Venice: Milord Runbiff (1991) Witness Against Hitler: Helmuth James von Moltke (1996) Regeneration: Siegfried Sassoon (1997) The Dark Room: Dr. Alan Protheroe (1999)