The setup and the presence of the guards still made Aalejah's group feel overwhelmed and outnumbered but at least now they could look their hosts in the eyes.
Aalejah spoke first, presenting the facts of Jiera's plague and explaining its consequences in detail without leaving anything out. Then it was Faluel's turn, offering the elves a role in the quelling of the monster tides and the destruction of the lost cities.
M'Rael didn't say anything the whole time and so did Lith. They stared at each other, trying to understand their respective endgames and how much the other party was saying was true.
***
The site of the ritual, a few miles away, at the same time.
Solus came out of the magic circle feeling happy but exhausted. Her body was drained of energy from the mental stress and she was in dire need of rest.
"How did it go?" Nalrond asked.
"I'm going to show you what I saw, but only so that you can start deciphering it on your own." She replied. "There's no point in discussing it without the others. We'll wait for their return to avoid repeating ourselves. Okay?"
Everyone nodded in reply and then Solus shared her experience with the others with a mind link, cutting Morok out of the last part where she had met her parents. Vastor she could show since the Tyrant had no idea who the Master was and couldn't associate the round Professor with anything compromising.
Quylla and Friya nearly wept a few tears when they witnessed Solus' meeting with Threin and Menadion but they had to hold them in to not alert the Tyrant.
"Damn, it seems that you and Lith fucked up." Morok said while looking at the distraught Rezar. "By the way, who's the fatass?"
"You don't know Professor Vastor?" Nalrond didn't know about the Master either, but he had met the Professor many times when he had visited Zinya or Lith's house in the past.
"Who?"
"My mentor at the academy!" Quylla snarled. "The man who taught me everything I know about Body Sculpting. I told you about Professor Vastor a lot of times. I even showed you holograms of our work together."
"If I forgot about him, it means it was boring. I mean, it means I didn't consider him competition. Wait, no, I mean- Lith and Nalrond fucked up. Am I right?"
"Whatever." Quylla tried and failed to not roll her eyes. "What now?"
"Either we wait or any of you guys can take their turn. The meeting is still ongoing and the elves are distracted." Solus shrugged, not knowing how right she was. "You could ask for tips about your violet core and what Faluel needs to become a Seven Headed Dragon, Friya.
"I was limited to three questions so I couldn't discover more than what I've shown you. I know that I'm supposed to have a privileged relationship with Mogar and the fact that she allowed me to converse with my parents confirms it, but the answers she shows shouldn't change.
"Also, my mana and stamina are fine. The problem is that I'm emotionally drained and that's something Invigoration can't help me with. If you want me to go back in there, we have to wait and I don't know how much time we have left."
"You make a good point." Friya checked the communication amulet while tapping her lips with her forefinger.
There was a message Faluel had sent her after moving to the neutral location, assuring her that everything was fine. That and the fact that the runes of her friends were still available reassured her.
Friya sighed in relief, showing the message to the others.
"While Solus rests, I'll take my chances with Mogar. Let's get to work." The magic circles they had prepared were already spent and they needed to be recharged. Being arrays, anyone could set up the runes to conjure the six elemental energies.
The only step that only the supplicant could take was dripping their blood so to turn the elemental influx into an extension of their own Spirit Magic. With the help of the others, Friya was done setting up for the second contact by the time Lith was making the Council's offer to the Parliament.
"Damn, still no more news." Her amulet was the same, with neither good or bad news to offer. "I'm going in. Shake me up if anything happens. I don't give a damn about getting answers at the cost of my mentor and my best friend's life."
"Thanks for your kind words." Morok said with a sneer. "I'm sure that Master Ajatar will appreciate them."
"I like the lizard but I don't know him enough to care. Sue me." Friya closed her eyes and cut off any external noise, starting with the Tyrant.
Her trip to the Mindscape was as quick as Solus' but way more confusing. Friya had never been there and the white void endlessly extending in every direction was disturbing.
There was no noise, making the sound of her own breath deafening, and no color, making her own shadow look like an ink blot tainting the otherwise pristine ground.
Friya looked down at herself, discovering that she still wore her clothes yet her equipment was gone.
"It's okay." She tried to think but it manifested out loud as if she had spoken. "I stand corrected, it's not okay. It's creepy as fuck. Even worse, there's no trace of Mogar. If I'm so insignificant that she stood me up, I swear to the gods that I'm going to cry."
"Nothing like that." Said a manly voice from her back, making her emit a shrill shriek in surprise. "I was just waiting for you to get accustomed to my place before showing myself. I didn't want to split your focus and prolong this meeting for more than it's necessary."
Friya turned around, finding herself facing her father, Orion. Or rather, someone resembling him since he had dark brown hair and chestnut eyes instead of the seven-colored hair and eyes of the apparition in front of her.
Everything else, from his clothes to his demeanor was identical to the original. He was wearing his trademark Knight Guard uniform and looked half asleep and half happy to see her just like when they met every morning for breakfast.
"Dad?" She knew it was impossible, but every fiber of her being was too happy of seeing the reassuring figure of Orion to care. His mere presence was enough to make her feel safe despite the eeriness of the white world around her.
"No, but this Orion must be an outstanding man if you chose him as my appearance over yourself and your boyfriend." Mogar replied. "Now that we are done with the introductions, are you ready to ask me your questions?"
"Not really." Friya inwardly sighed in relief and of course, it was loud anyway. "I need a minute to get accustomed to the rules of this place."
'I'm glad I'm not so self-centered to see Mogar as myself, but what really scared me was the idea they might take Phloria's appearance. I don't think I could have taken that.' She managed to think by focusing on the words instead of their sound.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m