Chapter 8
Allendis opened his eyes letting light set in. He was in a familiar room, one that had consumed his thoughts for an entire day.
He was back in the Argontale Chamber.
Sitting exactly where he was when he first entered.
Wind still blew gently to his face yet the warmth of the fireplace did not do its job besides light up the room.
There were still the two doors that crookedly wrapped around the circular room.
The statue still held its place but besides the vines that wrapped around its arms, he saw two people by the statue having a chat.
Allendis sighed heavily. He clicked his tongue when his thoughts drifted to a few moments ago where he was drugged by Gale.
It must have been the wine or the food. Allendis gripped the armchair, the pressure made the wood groan.
The question was why? If they wanted to, they could've killed them but they didn't.
That meant that he held some sort of value to them or they operated with a code.
A bunch of travelers with wine that only nobility had a taste for and had enough foresight to neutralize them.
Allendis silently gripped the armchair. He wanted to break it but he needed to stay calm.
"I have to say, when Virion said there was another, I thought he was going senile."
Allendis turned around and saw a man with brown slicked hair. He wore a casual shirt that exposed his chest a bit. Clean yet one scar drove down his shirt until covered. His trousers clung nicely to his legs.
Lowen completely turned to him as he smiled. It wasn't like Keg's. His smile never reached his eyes.
"Who're you?"
"My name is Lowen Sparl, a humble merchant."
He was able to provide a name, but Allendis knew that there were hidden truths behind his words. One that he could not yet decipher.
It would be rude to keep him hanging, so he took his hand and shook it firmly.
Virion was right. There were others in this chamber. It is not just him who walks in these walls. He needed to play his cards right. Especially to others that could pose a threat.
Allendis smiled.
"Allendis."
"Just Allendis? Such a strange name."
"You tell that to my mother."
Lowen said, his smile dropping a bit.
"Where are you from?" Lowen asked.
Allendis held his hand gently. Letting fingers run through his dark hair.
"Nowhere. Just a mercenary."
Lowen smiled. "I would hire you under my service but sadly, we are divided by Eddan itself."
He then grabbed Allendis' shoulder as if guiding him forward.
"Come, let me introduce you to the members of the chamber."
They went towards the location of the second door. The door that Virion went to when Allendis first left the chamber.
Lowen opened the door. It was a hallway of similar style as the chamber.
Wooden floors with a stone ceiling. A few paces to the right from the door and there seems to be another room open for all. Like a living room of sorts, it was open for all to see.
The hallway was much wider than what Allendis would've thought, much shorter too.
Halfway towards the hallway, there was a staircase that went up on one side, and a door at the end on the other.
What made the hallway different was that the floors were somehow moving. Not to shift, but it was somehow moving in place. Like it was breathing.
Allendis watched as Lowen guided him with a terse look after his words.
As they entered the lounge, he noticed that there was a large fireplace similar to the one at the meeting room. Only this time, it had some semblance of warmth.
"Here, we'll avoid the old man's prying ears."
In front of the fireplace, there was a couch of bronze design with a white cushion. It was much more ornate, though he should expect it to be such with how oddly…divine this place seems.
There was a table between the fireplace and couch. The room was more rectangular in space.
The entrance to it only had a few pieces of furniture, namely a white vase with an art of a man carrying a boulder on his back made of gold. And a mirror that was tall enough for people to use.
Half of the room felt empty if Allendis was being honest.
They walked towards the fireplace and saw two people around it. One a man in yellow robes standing beside the fireplace of the room. His robe was tattered to such an extent that it was almost pathetic. His most distinguishing feature was something he could not even see.
His eyes and anything above it was wrapped in a bandage of sorts.
How does he even see? Allendis thought.
The other was a woman with dark skin sitting idly on the couch. Skin that was as dark as charcoal. It was unnatural, almost seeping with power underneath her skin. She was wearing a dark robe that showed off her ample chest and hair as white as snow that covered part of the couch.
He almost cursed his narrow view of the world. All he had seen was blood and blades flying at each other.
The woman smiled behind her white hair, looking at Allendis with intrigued eyes. Eyes incredibly golden, it seemed otherworldly.
"What do we have here, Lowen? A newcomer?"
Her voice was alluringly deep. Allendis quite liked it but maybe she designed it to be that way.
"That's right!" Lowen answered in a chipper voice. "Fresh off the doors of death, Sereta!"
Was it obvious from his profession? He never indicated that he died whatsoever.
Sereta chuckled at his words.
"We all do, some way or another."
There was a pause. Something deliberate–no, something curious from her.
"Interesting." She stood up from her seat and looked at Allendis square in the eyes.
Allendis would like to think that he was a fairly tall man. He wasn't a behemoth but he wasn't so short either. But this Sereta was effortlessly matching him eye to eye.
"A fellow Emanator I see. You show more potential than Lowen."
Emanator?
"You think so?" Lowen asked. "If that's the case, then we have another capable ally in the chamber."
Allendis didn't show it but he was getting confused. What does she mean by potential? He wasn't an Emanator.
Allendis felt Sereta's fingers intertwined with his, her other hand was tracing along his chest as if trying to find hidden treasures on it.
He felt a short surge of faint heat that flowed through him. So faint that if he brought it up, she could easily deny it. It was like lifting his skin lightly. The heat felt focused on a sigular—no, multiple paths under his skin.
Her touch was intimate yet her eyes were focused. Far from emotional and more logical.
"Sereta," the man in bandages spoke. Calm and a lot more meek than Allendis would have thought. "I think our guest is getting quite uncomfortable with your…methods."
In an instant, his hands withdrew from his hand and his body yet her smile and curious eye never left.
"Ah! My apologies! We haven't even introduced ourselves."
She held out her hand for a handshake. Though hers was different. She extended her hand similar to that of a noblewoman, her fingers curled lightly, like expecting a kiss on her knuckles.
"My name is Sereta. A former theurgist of Celeste Academy."
So Allendis did what the nobles he saw do. He took her hand gently and bowed with a fake reenactment of a noble's movement.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Sereta. My name is Allendis. A man of no renown."
Allendis almost laughed at his words but he wasn't lying about the last part.
"Such modesty. You have decent etiquette to boot." Sereta chuckled.
She then turned around and looked at the blind man. Allendis raised his brow.
Is it just me or are the bandages covering his arms and legs now?
"This is Holan. A heretic."
A heretic? Were the residents just a bunch of bottom barrel piles of dirt like himself?
The only thing that Holan's bandages left was his mouth. A smile formed as he nodded in his direction.
"Please pay her no mind. I am a fundamentalist. Her academia views the sacred teachings of Apocalypha as heretical. In this chamber however, I am simply Holan. Pleasure to meet you."
"That's what you are. No one cares about the Apocalypha and their distortions anymore. Even the Golden Cloth has you by life and cell."
Sereta said, her smile never disappearing. Her words sounded mocking yet her tone was strictly logical.
"Be that as it may, the Apocalypha represents the old wisdom of the Sacred Order. A predation of the God-Queen's rule and ideals."
"Alright! Enough of that. You two will give me another chance to end myself from all this talk. We have a guest here, I'm sure he doesn't want to hear both of your opinions."
Holan smiled sadly but nodded all the same.
"You're right, Lowen. My apologies, Allendis, for witnessing something unsightly."
Sereta remained quiet but her curiosity of him still lingered.
"Quite a set of personalities." Allendis said to Lowen. Hearing his words made him laugh.
"I believe that's not even half of it, friend."
Goddess, kill me now. Allendis thought.
"By the way Lowen," Sereta began. "Have you kept up with your studies?"
Lowen smiled. There was a certain charm to it. A performance.
"No, I haven't. At least not until the end!"
Sereta sighed. The first time she ever changed her expression beyond a curious gaze.
"It is important you understand the Principles of Theurgy before starting to apply them. Please don't start being lazy just because you can perform the Principles at a spectacular level."
This caught Allendis' attention. Sereta mentioned potential earlier. That he was a fellow Emanator.
Allendis had only heard stories of Theurgy and not much was good if every mercenary circle refused to talk about it.
"Principles? Do you teach Theurgy, miss Sereta?"
Allendis asked. This got him the eyes of Lowen and Sereta. Holan's lips pursed a bit from where he was standing, while Sereta had a brightened expression. At least, that was what he thought it looked like.
"An avid learner I see." Holan said to himself, just loud enough for him to hear.
Allendis heard that there was power to be had in Chaos. Nations revere them and mercenaries and knights fear them.
He heard stories of them. Individuals blessed by Chaos. Those who could move mountains, destroy the world when poked and could annihilate armies with a single swing of a blade.
It sounded ridiculous. Yet, if he could acquire that power, then perhaps it could help with his current predicament with Gale.
"Yes."
Sereta blinked.
"My, very straightforward. Well if I'm being honest, I would love to teach talents like you. I can provide you some guidance to wake your veins in your next visit—"
"Can you do it now?"
Allendis interrupted her which surprised Sereta. Lowen had a curious gaze and even Holan leaned in a bit.
Allendis was thankful that he had a good stone face. He couldn't let his emotions show to anyone. His real emotions.
A small laugh came from her. "I would but it would be too dangerous. You might have a body that can withstand Chaos but you have no exposure to it."
"In any case," Holan spoke up. "Allendis, do take a seat. I will make you a nice cup of fleur tea. Consider it a welcome to the chamber."
"Thank you, mister Holan. I'm quite thirsty from all my travels." Allendis said as he moved around the couch to sit on it beside Sereta.
"Make two cups of tea Holan, if that's alright. I fear we may have a lot to discuss with our guests and his requests." Lowen ordered.
Holan nodded and Allendis marveled at his movements. Avoiding every obstacle despite the bandages that surrounded his body.
"Come take a seat too Lowen. I'm dying to know what sort of drivel you'll tell our guest." Sereta said.
With a wave of her hand and then slowly stopping, an armchair was made from blue smoke, facing the couch on the side.
Quite the amazing trick. Allendis had never done something like this before.
"Count yourself quite lucky, Allendis. Not many are willing to divulge the extensive study of Theurgy." Lowen smiled.
Sereta mockingly puffed her chest out.
"Of course, it is in my best interest to get rid of such ignorance to people. Theurgy is meant to be shared."
Allendis could not place it but her words were laced with conviction he had never seen before.
He nodded to her.
"What do I need to do?"