To make matters worse, according to the arrays surrounding the Parliament of Leaves, the Abomination didn’t even exist. The magical formations were still locked on the group of outsiders but were unable to detect the threat of the Soul Projection and defend the Parliament guards.
The black mist was seeping inside the bodies of the soldiers and the representatives on the first row of seats, draining their vitality. The elves were falling onto their knees one after the other, suffering from fits of cough while bleeding black blood from their eyes and ears.
That while the Dragon Lord had yet to move a muscle or cast a single spell.
“Stop! I admit my mistake and apologize for my words.” M’Rael said. “I’ll tell you what you want. Just let my people go. They are innocent.”
“And how do I do that, exactly?” Lith had been trying for a while now to rein the Void in before it triggered a war but to no end.
The Abomination laughed in triumph, feeling the power of the Fringe flooding its ethereal body and giving it substance.
***
Meanwhile, a few miles away, the preparations for the ritual to speak with Mogar were almost complete.
The group had followed Quylla’s improved design for the magic circle, placing the runes for the light and darkness elements at the opposite sides so that they would channel the life force of the supplicant through the other elemental runes and form a Spirit Array.
To complete the magical formation, Solus had to spill a drop of her blood but even that proved to be quite difficult. Between her mass and the toughness of her skin, it took a purified Orichalcum blade to prick at her finger.
“Are you ready?” Nalrond asked her once all the circles in the room glowed with emerald light, amplifying both Solus’ consciousness and willpower so that standing in Mogar’s presence wouldn’t kill her on the spot.
“No, but I doubt I’ll ever be.” She was wielding the Sage Staff in her left hand and the Fury in her right, hoping that the clarity of thought the former granted would be passed on in the Mindscape as well.
The hammer was just for emotional support. Once it had been Menadion’s Fury but after Solus had confronted Bytra for the first time during Vastor’s marriage, Salaark had turned it into Solus’ Fury according to Menadion’s wish and Lith’s plea.
Solus knew that the challenge that waited ahead of her was intellectual and spiritual in nature but the Fury’s presence gave her comfort anyway. It was the only link she had left with her biological mother, a gift made out of love whereas the tower was one made out of necessity.
A simple means to an end.
On top of that, the ruined state of the tower was a constant reminder of how Elphyn’s behavior had spelled ruin for her father first, herself, and lastly her mother. What Elphyn had destroyed, Solus was slowly and painstakingly rebuilding.
Yet the burden from the actions of her old self heavily weighed on Solus’ conscience because they were the same person. Her amnesia didn’t absolve her any more than it could fix the tower.
“Remember that unless you grasp something that we missed the last time, fighting the echoes that Mogar conjures is a waste of time at best and a suicidal act at worst.” Nalrond said. “Take your time, study the echoes, and try to understand their significance.”
“And don’t try to undress them with your mind.” Morok added. “It doesn’t work and it pisses Mogar off.”
“Why should I attempt something so stupid and more importantly, how do you know this?” Solus asked.
“When it was his turn with the ritual, the jackass tried to see me naked via my own echo.” Quylla hid her face in her hands in embarrassment.
“And you told her?” Friya was flabbergasted.
“I’m an honest guy.” Morok shrugged. “Also, every detail can help and I thought that being the smarter person in the room Quylla needed to know. That said, my advice is to try and make Mogar talk.
“I think that the echoes are the bait and she’s the real prize.”
“I’m going to ask help for Nalrond, myself, Lith, and Jiera.” Solus said. “Does any of you have something to add?”
“Ask for the Harmonizers too.” Morok said. “They would solve Nalrond’s, Jiera’s and Zelex’s problems in one go. Three birds with one stone.”
“I agree.” Nalrond nodded. “The last time Mogar stopped me at three questions. If she does the same for you, you should ask about yourself and Lith first since it’s your life you are putting on the line.
“It leaves only one question and using it for me would be egotistical.”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” Solus replied. “You are a friend and an innocent victim. Jiera and the monsters, instead, are the architects of their own misfortune. They made their own bed, they can lie in it.”
“Thanks.” The Rezar gave her a bow. “Whenever you want.”
Solus closed her eyes and slowed her breathing rhythm, reaching a deep meditative state. With each breath, she let the Spirit Magic of the circle and the world energy of the Fringe enter her body, mixing together until they became one.
Once the two energies reached an equilibrium and her mind was clear from stray thoughts, Solus felt a pull on her consciousness akin to that she experienced from her communication amulet.
The difference was that this time her mind wasn’t drawn to something but someone. Even with her eyes closed, a blinding light pierced the darkness around her as she answered the call and was drawn to its source.
The pillar of white light was the sum of Mogar’s consciousness and recorded history so that when she stepped inside of it, it was like entering the Fringe again but thousands of times worse
Countless voices, sufferings, and experiences that comprised Mogar’s mind flooded Solus’ being, but thanks to the circles filled with her essence Solus was thousands of times stronger as well.
She brushed the telepathic onslaught off like it was dust from her clothes, without suffering any wound. The pillar of light burst forward, expanding in every direction and painting the Mindscape white.
It was an empty and barren place that extended as far as the eye could see. Solus stood there alone and suddenly realized that her eyes were now open and that she was standing instead of sitting.
She looked down on her body, discovering that she wore the clothes of her apprenticeship with Menadion. A loose dress resembling a Roman toga and sandals.
“Well, at least this time I’m not naked.” Her voice echoed multiple times before disappearing. “Let’s see if this works anything like my shared space with Lith.”
A wave of her hand changed her outdated clothes into a Voidwalker armor. The Sage Staff was slung on her back and the Fury hung to her hip.
“This is much better.” Another wave of her hand turned the white of the ground into a grassy meadow.
The sky turned blue and the blinding white light was replaced by the soft yellow of the sun. She also added a gentle breeze to break the silence.
