The two slowly navigated towards the collapsed tower in the center of the building.
Overgrowth festered over the corridor's entrance, blanketed in thick latticed layers. Artemis raised his talwar, striking down on the sheets of ivy. It slid through the vines like they were nothing, as if there weren't a single obstacle in his way.
He had never wielded a blade as sharp as this, brandished an edge so ruthless that it determined whatever it cut through to be pointlessly defiant to it.
It was enamoring. The smiths and craftsmen of the abandoned city were true artists.
He marveled at the blade for a moment, before looking over towards Ruffliette. She absentmindedly stared ahead into the darkness, as if she sensed something within it, like she was anticipating something.
But she didn't offer any warning to Artemis, she just continued watching, her hand grasping at the knife tucked in her belt.
"Why are you in the city?" Artemis asked of her, trying to free himself of the unnerving silence. "Are you trapped here as well?"
Ruffliette glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye, a faint smile spreading up her lips. "Me telling you about myself wasn't part of the deal, Artemis. You're only supposed to follow and fight with me."
Artemis shrugged. "If we're going to fight together, shouldn't we know more about each other? I'm only trying to pass the time, it's been lonely here…"
He let out a sigh, shaking his head.
Never mind it… I don't need to know more about her.
His heart felt strange. Was it because she was the first person he had encountered in over two years? That must have been it.
It was only because he had been a recluse that he had the urge to make such a connection…
"Because I wish to explore this place." Ruffliette answered suddenly. Her voice was filled with a bit more enthusiasm than before. It was like honey on her voice.
"You wish to… explore it?"
Artemis was shocked. Who in their right mind would want to explore this place?
"Ah… yes. I started at the foot of the city, and gradually made my way up to the palace. It took me a couple of months."
"You… walked that far, by yourself?"
"My Lord was watching."
Artemis's brows furrowed.
Who is this mysterious Lord she keeps talking about? One of the outer nobles?
Then, does she really know where we are?
He had never seen such a big source of light overhead like the one that cast its light over the solemn night.
"Do you know where this city is? It doesn't look particularly Northern or Western…"
"It's indeed neither Northern or Western. But it's also not in the South or East."
It's not Northern, Western, Southern, or Eastern? Where in the Blackbaast is it!?
Seeing his confusion, she added one more note. "It's in the center."
"The center? The Capital is in the center of the Blackbaast. Are you messing with me?"
"Ha… no, not at all. I'm being completely truthful. Here, you can look at my maps! I've been sketching them out since I arrived."
Ruffliette pulled out a small black booklet, flipping to its first page as she casually looked it over. Watching over her shoulder, Artemis felt a sudden pang of agony rush over him. It wasn't physical, it felt like his mind had caught fire, each tendril of flame lapping at its deepest crevices.
He stared at the symbol drawn onto the interior cover, watching as it burnt itself into his vision, like he was slowly being branded with its visage. It was a coruscating, vile symbol, a jagged, three-armed triskelion.
His gaze shook, and he keeled over, grasping at his face. He felt all of his thoughts rush to the forefront of his mind, overloading his train of thought.
[Good work… you fool Prince.]
Darkness overtook him, and he was suddenly sitting at the ornate wooden table suspended in the deepest abyss.
This... this was a Parley!
"You're looking at things you shouldn't, you know?" Lark's illusory voice echoed throughout his head. "Now we're both in danger."
The sign he had seen before suddenly plastered the table, many instances of the terrible sign appearing in the air, littering the heavens above, and filling the abyss like a grand golden sea. It was nauseating, terrifying.
There was nowhere he could look that wasn't bearing the terrible symbol.
And across from him, a tall, lithe woman sat calmly, a curious look on her face.
This was Lark. She looked quite different, but Artemis knew it was her. He could feel it... that vile, nauseating aura that surrounded her was still there.
"In danger? Why? Because of the symbol?"
She nodded.
"It's like a parasite." Lark marveled. "It's watching us, measuring us, anticipating us. What actions we'll take, what things we'll experience… it's calculating and measuring the chances of all things that might happen. More than that, it's exhibiting a particular feeling, almost like it's trying to pacify us. If we glance at it any more, we might fall under its spell."
"So what can we do?" Artemis grimaced, trying to shield his eyes. But the sign had etched itself into his skin, into the palm of his hand. His scars had become the sign, the back of his eyelids infused with its swirling intricacies.
"You could kill yourself." Lark shrugged, casually taking another bite of the meat in front of her.
"Not an option." He cursed, turning towards her. He leaned over the table, grasping at her collar as he lifted her towards him, glaring deep into her vile mossy gaze.
"Such a bore…" She sighed, pushing him away.
She placed down the fork and the knife, swiping her hand through the air in order to clear away the table, each item carefully and neatly disappearing.
"I'm slowly dying…" Lark smiled lightly, folding her hands before placing them beneath her chin. "This symbol doesn't just parasitise you, it offers you many things. Besides the calm feeling that the pacification brings, it bestows you with knowledge. Particularly, it drives you to to complete the path to a certain Fate, 'His' Fate… I feel quite overloaded."
'He'? Who is 'He'?
Lark's eyes suddenly widened. They filled with pools of blood, spilling down her cheeks at a rapid pace as she stood up from her seat, reaching out her hand as she pulled at strands of the dark abyss, which ran up her wrist and settled on her arm, writhing.
"I severely underestimated her backing! This figure... he's too otherworldly!"
"Whose!?" Artemis leaned forward over the table. "Who's backing? Who is doing this!?"
F-ck! F-ck! How did this happen!?
She cursed, the putrid web-like pustules suddenly expanding underneath her skin. They burst wildly, sending the luminescent orange liquid within flying outwards, a massive explosion enveloping the dark abyss.
Some of this liquid flew into his eyes, obscuring his sight. He cried out as he rushed to remove it, brushing his sleeve against his open eyelids as he groaned. He shook his hand, trying to flick off the remnant liquid.
All that remained when his vision had cleared was a massive mass of these burst pustules, long and stretched out, just like a web. Slimy, vein-like protrusions poked out of the skin, remnant liquid still churning within.
"I need to- need to focus! Shut the f-ck up, little Prince!"
Dozens of eyes laced with terror spun around, trying to catch sight of all the signs. One by one, they slowly began to dissipate, shattering into thousands of golden specks before raining down into the depths of the abyss.
But looking at this creature, Artemis felt his heart palpate, like it had suddenly run into intense trouble.
An illusory voice echoed out.
"Didn't I tell you not to look at things you shouldn't?"
It was Lark's voice. This otherworldly, monstrous creature… this was what Lark truly looked like!
In an instant, the web-like creature extended to all points of the grand abyss, tethering itself to nothingness as it suspended itself in midair, much like the courtyard of webs Artemis had encountered previously. However, the pulsating mass in the center of all of the strands of flesh was the key sight to behold.
"Just sit there and look away. I'll fix your mess."
Artemis instantly looked down, avoiding the sight of the Daemonic Spirit.
This was definitely something he shouldn't witness for too long.
His arms and legs had begun to wither, whatever fluid had been in them draining slowly. His skin was grey and dry, his veins poking out from beneath. He felt emaciated, weakened. Not only his mind now, but his body.
Of course, this was just what his essence was experiencing, but it closely tied into his innate vigor. When he returned from the Parley, how weakened would he feel?
At least, this time, he had Ruffliette by his side. He could definitely rest this off…
No, it's because of her that this is happening…
Artemis suddenly recalled why he had come here in the first place. That sign within her booklet, it had almost ruined him, and now Lark was actively trying to pick up the pieces!
A limb suddenly shot out of the pulsating mass in the center of the abyss.
"That woman, she really is bad news! Don't learn anything about her, about who she serves! Don't ask her, don't let her speak about it! If it weren't crucial for your survival, you shouldn't have depended on her at all!" Lark forced out her final statement as she raised a gnarled, bloody hand, forcing him out of the Parley.