"Why is every fucking record we have incomplete?" Siraye asked no one in particular, throwing yet another scroll aside in the candle-lit study and putting both her hands on her forehead in frustration as she leaned onto the mahogany desk.
I've been here in this damned library for three days without a fucking wink of sleep, and there's nothing here that can tell me how to get to the Underworld, she thought, resting her nape on the back of the tall chair.
She rocked her head to the side, feeling strands of her steel-colored hair falling over to the side, and looked over at the scroll that was entirely unraveled. She let out a frustrated sigh and lazily rose from her chair to pick it up. "I don't think I've ever seen you move that slowly," Aurae's voice resonated from the other side of the library.
"Normally, I'd have to rub my eyes to make sure I was seeing you move clearly," she continued, lightening her tone a little more. "Ugh, I haven't eaten or slept since he's been gone, not until I find what I'm looking for," Siraye replied, suddenly feeling the fatigue settling in. "That's a fair excuse," Aurae said with a shrug as she pulled up one of the study's chairs, setting it on the opposite side of the desk.
"I know it is. That's why I used it," Siraye said with a leaden chuckle. "Still, excuses won't find me the answers I need to get him back," she continued, hardly focusing on what she was doing to unfurl the scroll. Aurae put her hand on the scroll and was met with only a mild resistance before overcoming her friend's stubbornness.
"Listen, Siraye. I've known you since you were a baby, and that was no short amount of time ago," Aurae began, receiving a raised eyebrow in response as soon as the words left her mouth. "I didn't mean it like that, but I have known you and your family for a very long time," she began, folding her hands on top of the desk.
Siraye motioned for her to pause. "If this is going to be another story of how I used to shit myself as a baby, I'd rather not hear about it right now," she said, turning her head off to the side as she stifled a chuckle. "No, it's not one of those. Does everything have to be rooted in sarcasm with you?" Aurae asked, receiving only a tired shrug in response.
"It's about Taegin, actually," she began, eyeing her friend closely. "What does my father have to do with Thoma's disappearance?" Siraye asked with no small amount of confusion on her face.
"Do you recall the story he used to tell you about the time he was trapped in the Underworld?" Aurae asked as she idly played with the inking feather. "Yes, but he never explained how he came back. No matter how many times I'd ask him, he would always say that he couldn't say," she replied, giving her best imitation of Taegin's voice.
Aurae stifled a laugh at the brief impersonation but quickly regained her focus. "Well, what if we could work with Thoma and figure out a way to get him back here?" she asked bluntly. "What? H-how is he supposed to do that when both he and Ysevel are swarmed by those foul creatures?" Siraye asked, not bothering to hide the growth of desperation in her tone.
"Look, before we jump to conclusions about what needs to be done, there is someone Thoma mentioned once. It was one of the Arwydus; Rennyr Virie, I believe his name was," Aurae began, putting her index finger on her chin. "What about him? Can he help us?" Siraye asked as she nearly rose from her seat entirely.
"Well, according to your son, he had certain abilities that were far beyond his understanding. If I'm right about Ren after having heard Thoma's description of him, there's a very good chance he might be able to contact Thoma," Aurae said, gazing straight into Siraye's golden eyes with her red and violet ones.
"H-how can that be? Thoma still struggles to initiate mental communication. I know I've taught him a lot, but how is he supposed to communicate between realms?" Siraye asked, gently toning down her own enthusiasm. "It depends on a number of factors, but the chances of this working are certainly much higher than us finding a way to reach the Underworld ourselves," Aurae concluded after a moment's pause.
Siraye slumped back into her seat and breathed a sigh of relief, however minor it was.
If this works, and I get to speak to my son again, that's only really half the battle won. There's still the matter of getting him back, and in one piece, preferably, she thought, biting the back of her knuckles anxiously.
Within a few seconds of finishing that thought, she quickly slammed both hands on the armrests simultaneously, pushing herself out of the chair in a burst of motion as she saw one of the guardsmen walking into the study, prompting Aurae to do the same. "Commander Siraye," he called out from the doorway.
That's the guard Vyra sent to notify Bernar, she thought, recognizing the man immediately by his armor.
His green, leather and lightly plated armor was speckled with mud and dirt from having ridden nearly non-stop for the past few days since speaking to Vyra. His cloak, once a vibrant green like the canopies of Caegwen, was now muddied to the point where the clasp nearly began to tug at his throat.
"Your Majesty, it is good to see you in good health," he said, kneeling before her. "You've ridden long and far, guardsman. Whatever message you have to relay to her takes precedence over formalities with me," Aurae said, giving him a warm smile.
"Understood, Your Majesty. Commander, I have a message from Bernar," he said, turning his head to look at her. He extended his gauntleted hand to her, with a piece of parchment twice folded and small smudges of dirt on the corners. "It's brief, but the way he said it made it seem like you would know what he meant," the guardsman said as he watched her unfold and read the message.
"Cheeky little shit," Siraye said, allowing herself her first smile in days after finishing the letter. She re-folded the parchment and placed it in a small, leather pouch at her waist. "Thank you for your service, guardsman. I will have it known you're to be rewarded for your exceptional commitment," she said bluntly.
"I was just doing my duty, Commander, but thank you for your kindness. I'll take my leave now," he said, offering the pair of them a deep, respectful bow before turning on the ball of his feet and making his way out of the library. As the guardsman was leaving, Aurae leaned in towards Siraye with a raised eyebrow and a wry grin. Do you even know his name? she sent through their mental connection. "Not a fucking clue, but I'll figure it out eventually," Siraye whispered back tiredly.
Aurae chuckled lightly and returned to her previous position. "Well, I'm glad that whatever was in the letter helped cheer you up. Will you finally be able to get some rest?" she asked. "Alright, alright! I'll get some sleep," she said, raising her hands defensively while Aurae held a deadpan stare.
"I realize that I was being obsessive over this whole situation, but to be fair, I only really had about a year and some change with him before he up and fucked off on me," Siraye said, huffing a sigh. "To be fair, I believe it was you who up and fucked off first," Aurae said sardonically. "Subtle as ever," Siraye replied in a similar tone.
"It really was important work you were doing, so I don't blame you for it," Aurae began, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Well, I'm glad you think so. Hearing your child's voice deafened by the rain as you're walking away and telling him that he's going to be alright, knowing he can't hear you, is not something I would wish on any mother," Siraye said, briefly recalling that night.
"I know, but wallowing in self-pity won't get us anywhere right now, and we have to trust in whatever Bernar told you," Aurae said encouragingly as she took a few steps forward, getting a nod of agreement from her friend in response. "We've got to let Anwill know about this as well. Come on, we've got a letter to write," she continued with a warm smile.