He fell back through the abyss, a blinding light surging in through his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath of the putrid city air, coughing and sputtering. He keeled over, saliva falling to the ground as he clutched at his stomach.
This was the effect of damage to his essence. It wasn't just fatigue he was feeling, but extreme agony. It took all he had just to keep himself from screaming, his teeth gnashing against each other.
The combined perils of the strange sign and the true form of Lark had affected him way more than he had expected.
Thankfully, it was easy to hide from Ruffliette, who had her back turned the entire time, glancing through the black booklet in her hands.
"No, never mind, it's alright. I would rather not see the maps. I have a general idea, now." Artemis choked out.
'Oh, is that right?" Ruffliette raised an eyebrow.
Lark said not to learn anything about her, that means I shouldn't look at anything in that book of hers…
Can I trust Lark…?
But Lark helped me with that Sign…
F-ck… why do I have to side with that Spirit now?
His head felt like it had been in complete and utter disarray. It was maddening.
"Are you alright, Artemis?"
"Ah, yes… I've just been a sickly person my entire life. This is what too much of a journey does." He chided.
Of course, this was a blatant lie. Although he had been frail and small only a few years prior, he was never one to grow ill often. Much less so now.
"You don't look particularly sickly."
"Do you know many sick people?"
Ruffliette thought for a moment, glancing up before smiling. "No, I suppose I don't."
His body shook violently as they stepped into the collapsed tower, although he was trying his best to hide it. If Ruffliette became aware that he had started to fear her, how would she use it against him? Moreover, would that diminish her trust in their cooperation, if she had any at all?
If his ultimate goal was to survive the horrors of the abandoned city, then Ruffliette was indeed a key factor he could use.
But what risks did she carry with her? He had to determine this immediately.
Whatever 'Lord' was backing Ruffliette was someone dangerous enough to scare even a Daemonic Spirit.
Moreover, there was the matter of what she had mentioned before. If her information could even be trusted, she had said that the abandoned city he had appeared in was in no single cardinal direction of the underground continent they resided in.
The Blackbaast, the small continent that endlessly floated along an Obsidian Sea in rhythmic cycles was obscured by a craggy cavern littered with star-like crystals scattered against the ceiling. In that abominable world, humanity festered like its plague; it certainly didn't belong, more befitting of monsters than men. And certainly, there were monsters, but most remained oblivious to their existence, protected and guided by the families of Lordship.
Those Lords, Nobles all, were stationed in each cardinal direction of the continent. He first anticipated that this ruined city might have recently fallen during his reclusion, and he had only just learned about it after mysteriously waking up within it.
But Ruffliette had told him that it was in the center.
But the place that lay in the center of that continent was the Capital, Henem! This was the place where he lived, within a grand Palace towering above the city.
How could this abandoned city be where the Capital was?
Was it possible that this abandoned city was actually the Capital?
But it had only been just yesterday that he had received a delivery from his attendants! While he never spoke with them, they dutifully made sure he had all he required to live!
How could it have fallen to this extent in only a day?
Moreover, how could his room have collapsed around him while he was asleep, to the extent that he woke up on top of a pile of bones rather than his bed?
On top of that, the knights that he had been fighting against— rather, the hollow suit of armour— were nothing like he had seen in the Capital, Henem. Of course, they could have changed their presentation in two years, but there was also the matter of the architecture, the buildings, and the plants.
They were all just too… ancient.
There were just too many strange things surrounding this place. He couldn't readily determine that this was the Henem that he knew.
And with Lark refusing to answer his questions, and Ruffliette concealing too much danger, how could he obtain these answers?
So, he was left in the dark. Left without answers.
He did not even know if there was a 'home' to return to…
He let out a sigh, looking sharply ahead.
Artemis only needed to focus on his survival for now. Anything else was perfectly useless.
F-ck that.
No, no! It's all wrong! Why am I trying to justify going along with this!? Because I want to survive, I have to rely on this dangerous woman and the figure I hate most!? I would genuinely rather die than take this course of action!
And when exactly in his life had he ever viewed Lark as an arbiter of his well-being?
He could get answers now. He could ease his worries. He didn't have to act like a fool and follow along with the whims of the people he definitely didn't trust.
He stepped forward, grasping at Ruffliette's sleeve. He spun her around, pushing her down onto the floor. Her back hit the wall, glancing up as Artemis drew and placed his blade against her neck. The edge dug against her throat, Artemis scowling down at her as he spoke in a deep, callous tone, "what are you? Who is your Lord? What is that symbol in your journal!?"
Ruffliette's eyes widened suddenly. Her lips curled up into a freakish smile, exuberant and wondrous. The strange, monstrous smile sent a shiver down Artemis's spine.
"You want to know about my Lord!? I can tell you all about him!"
She leaned forward, the blade cutting into the flesh of her neck, grasping at Artemis's collar. He faltered, trying to pull back.
"Let go! F-ck!"
She held her grip tight, continuing.
"He is the most merciful, the most blessed, the most honourable-!" Her words were cut off, her gaze became glassy, hollow, a pale-yellow shimmer rushing through her irises.
She let go of her grasp on Artemis, falling backwards as she regained her composed, calm demeanor.
"Sorry, I forgot myself for a moment." She cleared her throat, shaking her head. "I apologise, Artemis. That was quite unlike me."
Artemis furrowed his brows, taking another step back from Ruffliette, still holding the silver talwar.
What the f-ck is going on? What was that? For a moment… she turned… crazed, maniacal! That was simply terrifying!
She's crazy! I definitely can't follow her!
So she needs to tell me who she is, who she follows, what she wants.
I need to know whether I need to kill her or not.
"Answer me. Your Lord. Your true alignment. The Sign in your journal."
He spoke plainly, bitterly, pointing the tip of his blade towards Ruffliette, as she had done to him the first time they had met.
"My Lord? You mean Lord Summerrich. He's a Lord in the North, so maybe you haven't heard of him."
Lord Summerrich? He's a Northern Lord belonging to the Runebranded faction. A master of industry, I've heard…
So the mysterious and dangerous Lord that she serves is Lord Summerrich? But what is particularly dangerous about the Summerrich Family? Why would Lark react so dangerously?
Is this even the truth?
"And the Sign?"
"It's something I found in the city."
Lark reached into her pocket, but Artemis emphasised the blade pointed at her, causing her to move slower. She carefully pulled out the black booklet, navigating to its first page as she turned it around, making it face Artemis.
He instinctively glanced away.
"Don't show me that. When you look at it, it doesn't do anything strange to you?"
Ruffliette shook her head, frowning. "No, nothing at all. Why?"
Her eyes widened, flipping to a certain page in the journal before pulling out a small inkwell and pen from her pocket.
"Tell me, what happens when you look at the symbol? Do you see anything in particular?"
Artemis's brow twitched.
What? Is she really interested in the symbol itself? Is this a ruse, or is she really only interested in learning about it? There are certainly easier ways to play it off… does she really know nothing about it?
No... this could be a lie too. I need to be cautious. But can I really kill her based off of this? Of course, who would admonish me? There would be no witnesses. But can I kill someone in cold blood?
This isn't the type of person I want to be...
"Get up. Let's go."
"You don't command me, Artemis. This isn't a part of the deal either. You're the one who follows me, remember?" Ruffliette grinned as she stood up, wiping her sleeve along her neck to draw away the blood.
If she acts up, I can certainly just kill her. If what she said isn't truthful, it doesn't matter. I can beat her in a fight as long as I don't look at that Sign by accident.
Without saying another word, he stepped into the tower, grimacing.
The interior of the fallen tower was shrouded in darkness, except for the light of the night sky that pierced through high above, casting aqueous light onto the aged stone.
However, what the two witnessed inside the tower terrified them, causing them to stumble backwards in unison.
Neither of them could conceal their horror.