Following the battle with the pair of ochelons, Bernar and I went to the Master's study. The skin around my new scar was taut and still felt a little odd under my shirt, but I decided to ignore it as best I could.
Well, this will take some getting used to, but it's fine. I've got something the others, aside from Edryd, don't have: The first of many battle scars, I thought, wincing as I tried to move my shoulder, but the pain riddling my entire body was still too fresh for me to walk comfortably.
"How are you feeling?" Bernar asked. "I should be okay to have this conversation with the Master, but I might not wake up in time for training tomorrow," I chuckled weakly.
"I'm not expecting you to show up, but we have to tell the Master what we found before either of us can get any rest," my brother said regretfully. "Fuuuuck. Well, don't mind me if I pass out during the meeting," I groaned before we walked through the doorway that led to the study, quickly realizing the Master wasn't there.
I wonder if he has a copy, I subtly looked over the books on the shelves.
Bernar must have seen what I was doing and joined me in my search, hoping to find a copy of the one they had found in the study in the beast's lair. "Dissection," I muttered repeatedly, running my fingers along the spines of a score of books.
Just as I was doing so, there was a knock on the door that surprised me enough to quickly remove my hand from the row.
"May I enter my study?" the Master asked. I was startled by the knock, but Bernar had seen him coming and pulled away from the shelf long before he entered. "I'm sorry, Master. I was only looking for…" I trailed off, noticing something in his hands.
"For this?" he raised an eyebrow, holding a green book. I looked back at the shelf and noticed it was missing from right where I was about to look. "Y-Yes, but how did you…?" I trailed off as he raised a hand. "I know why you've come, Thoma, and plenty of others like what you found in the cave," the Master cut me off with a smirk.
"We both have a lot of questions, Master. Though he probably has more than I do," Bernar said, trying to take the load off of me since he noticed I was nervously fidgeting.
We have to push him to tell us. Otherwise, I don't know when the next time I'll get the chance to ask will be, I thought.
"I hope I have some of the answers you're looking for. However, you must ask the right questions," the Master said, motioning to the chair. Bernar helped me sit back in the chair with the carvings, as the Master sat with perfect posture in his chair, his hands folded on his lap.
"So tell me about what you found," he began in a warm, yet cautious tone. "With all due respect, Master, you already know what I found," I chuckled weakly. "I do, but I want to hear it from you and how you remember it," he smirked, forcing me to blink as I tried to collect my memories about the place.
"It was well hidden just behind where the beast had made its lair. There was a wall of rocks that could not have been formed naturally, so Bernar and I investigated. We found a study that seemed like no one had been there for many years, and everything was covered in dust. All except for the main desk, where some hand-written papers were strewn across the top of it," I explained, hoping I had remembered everything correctly.
"And what exactly was written on the pages?" he asked, nodding to confirm everything before was correct. I was fiddling with my fingers as I tried to find the right words. "Whoever was in there was trying to copy something from a book by a certain Nexis Pelantyr called Dissection," I replied, watching for any reaction from him.
"Ah, yes. This one I have here," the Master replied, tapping the book on his desk without any change in his features or voice. "The one I saw was old, and a few pages had been torn out, Master. Almost as if they were trying to solve a riddle with the book as their guide," I shook my head, but he didn't look as surprised as I thought he'd be.
Does he already suspect something or someone? I thought momentarily, getting a strange look from Bernar that I couldn't read.
"A riddle, you say? I was wondering how long it would take, after all, it is only a matter of time before it begins," the Master said ominously, making me look at my brother in utter confusion. "What do you mean begins, master?" I asked.
"You're a smart boy, Thoma; I'm sure you've conjured up some form of hypothesis as to why that book was out of place with its pages torn out," he unfolded his hands. I thought about what the Master was trying to get at, but I knew I didn't have enough information, so I decided to push my luck.
"From what I saw, the book contained information about the plant that the gods had given our kind centuries ago," I began, lowering my tone just enough to let him know I was prying for information. "Oh? Tell me more," he raised an eyebrow.
"I believe someone is trying to uncover its secrets; ones that weren't meant to see the light of day again, Master," I finally replied after a long pause.
I was shocked to see a grim smile spread on his face.
"That is what I meant by begins, Thoma. Can you guess what was on those pages?" he asked, though I could only shake my head in response. "Do you believe they got what they came for?" he prodded again. "No, Master. At least, I'm not sure," I shifted my gaze away from him and shrugged.
The Master raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Why do you think that is?" he asked. "I don't know, Master," I replied. The Master looked at Bernar, and Bernar nodded in agreement as if they had spoken telepathically. "Thoma, I think it's about time I shared something with you," the Master said.
Does Bernar already know this? He didn't mention his name, I thought.
"There are forces that were once great powers that helped us rule this Realm. Elven scholars were the first to interact with them and have researched the cause of their existence for a long time. There is, however, some disagreement among the scholars as to what happened to a lot of the information we once had," he continued solemnly.
"Some say that these powers are the gods themselves, while others claim that they are what helps to maintain the balance between Realms," he explained. "I'm confused, Master. What does this have to do with what was in the book?" I asked.
"There was a time when we had the answers as well, but over a millennium ago, all that vital knowledge was stripped from us. Every book, every scroll, and every memory regarding much of what happened during that time," the Master began, opening his own copy of the book.
"Even this one has had those pages torn from it. Look," he said, turning it towards me. "But why would anyone, or anything, want that knowledge gone? Wouldn't the progress we'd made back then have benefitted this world?" I asked, genuinely confused as I stared at the remnants of the pages left behind, but the Master shook his head.
"Whatever the contents of those particular pages were, they have been lost to time. However, one of the elven scholars had a divination. It was a gift from the gods, warning him that a war would be waged and that the weavings of fate would determine the fate of not just our world, but of all Realms. Unfortunately, much of the information on the source of that prophecy was lost," he explained.
I could feel a weight on my chest, the words hitting me like an ochelon's claw.
"I see," I sighed, trying to maintain my composure.
There's something else behind all of this, but I don't have the knowledge or the resources to determine what that is. If not even the Master has full knowledge of that time period, then who would? I thought.
"Those ravens we saw earlier on our way home; what was that all about?" I decided to shift the focus of the conversation. "The only times ravens leave from the direction of this fortress is when something is being sent somewhere. The approving authority for any transmittal of information has to go through me, and me alone," the Master said gravely.
I pensively stared out the window of his study, watching as the twilight sky settled in more deeply.
"So, whatever it was that raven was carrying…" I began, but didn't finish, already knowing what his answer would be. "Precisely. While the contents of the torn pages have been lost to time, there is still much information in that cave that has been safeguarded for generations," he nodded. "Then, if the beasts were there to protect it, why were they so aggressive? Was that entire fight for nothing?" I raised an eyebrow.
"No, not entirely. When a creature is charmed, it should only ever answer to one master or those it determines are trusted. If that charm is broken and replaced with another, then there is a chance that it could turn on everyone near it, disregarding the old charm entirely," he explained.
"You used me as a test subject?" I chuckled in disbelief. "I wouldn't put it that way, but I suppose that's one way of looking at it," he shrugged. "If you hadn't gone there to kill them, then whatever new charm they had on them would likely be used to transmit information to their new master at the earliest opportunity. I needed to ensure they wouldn't get much more than they likely already had," he continued, prompting me to regard him curiously.
I guess that explains why they were so hasty to try and kill me, I thought, recalling how swift the female ochelon was to attack me.
"I had also not forgotten about your punishment for setting a mana flame loose in your room, and figured this was a prime opportunity to use your skills. Well, that, and I wanted to see whether you could unlock the second stage of mana manipulation," the Master said with a sly grin as my eyes widened in surprise.
"You gambled on whether I could do that mid-fight?" I asked in disbelief. "You're still alive, so I take it you fared well enough against such foes," he said, glancing at Bernar, who nodded in agreement. "Well, aside from the scar on my back, my head feeling like it was crushed, and my shoulders burning like hot iron, yes, Master," I replied with a squint as I tested the skin on my back. "The first of many, Thoma," the Master said with a shallow smile.
I looked about the room pensively, digesting the information I just received. It wasn't often that I got a chance like this to ask such existential questions, and after having heard his real reason for sending me to that sanguine menagerie, I knew I had to keep seeking answers.
"Something troubles you?" he dipped his head, noticing my composure.