{-Myr-}

Once Reynneak got back, the three players determined what they were going to do next. Llewel and Myr, meanwhile, discussed what they’d heard. It turned out to be the same thing; bits of their first memories after Casrane, and… then something else completely. Everything else about that player was a blur that they ultimately decided wasn’t important. What was, at least on a more personal level, was what Duuzlo’s recordings shared.

On one hand, she was glad to be one step closer to having the same kind of understanding of her past as every other NPC did. On the other… it really wasn’t that good of knowledge to gain. Llewel had offered if part of the reason they didn’t know until now was because Duuzlo simply didn’t mention it. It was the question that made the others aware of the conversation, until finally all five of them knew.

Zetai mumbled something to Reynneak who, in turn, muttered something that sounded like, “One of them didn’t die, they got divorced.”

Then she whispered something to Tinath and received a shrug in response.

“It… really doesn’t need to be a big deal if you don’t make it,” Llewel pointed out. “It’s not like we knew her. Even if we had all of our memories, it still wouldn’t have been like we actually lived through it—it would’ve been coded in us.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that makes it any better,” Zetai remarked. “But if you’re sure about it, there’s another quest around here that we can do. From the looks of it, this guy is moving around a lot so we can ask him about Casrane while we’re there. If not, we can see if Relenri has heard anything from the other innkeepers.”

They all nodded and followed her lead. No one said anything until they found the person they were supposed to be looking for.

He was another scholar. That much was clear by his outfit, different only by color. Myr contributed the monocle as for why he looked more scholarly than David, though his dark glare made him feel much less approachable.

His kind voice betrayed that, though, when he noticed the players. “I see you have a [Kyirius Artifact] with you. Might I ask how you got it?”

“We got it from someone named David,” Reynneak explained. “Are you one of the other scholars he mentioned?”

The scholar seemed disgusted at the thought. “Of course not! That group is always messing with what we’re currently trying to investigate. Instead of asking to share notes, they simply take what they want and leave us with nothing.” He shook his head. “May I see it?”

[Quest: Artifact Recovery

It turns out that Kadol had many of the things he was researching stolen from him. If you return one of them, he’ll give you a small reward. If you’re able to retrieve all of them from the other scholars, then he’ll reward you generously.

Rewards: 100-150 EXP, 500-1,000 coins]

Zetai was already nodding her acceptance, but still asked, “Where are all of the other artifacts? Are we going to need to search all of Kyirius for them, or are we at least having some sort of help with it?”

“My group has been able to pinpoint where all of the other stolen artifacts are.” Kadol marked the place on the map. “Presumably, the other five that are missing should all be around here. I’ve never been in there myself, so I don’t know exactly where they’ll be, but I presume they’ll be rather close together.”

“Isn’t stealing them back just doing the same thing they did to you to them..?” Myr wondered aloud, without meaning much by it. “Wouldn’t it be easier just to ask them to show it to you again?”

Kadol shook his head. “We’ve tried other means in the past, but they don’t respond to any of it. It will be best to solve this problem at its root, so then we won’t have to deal with it again in the future. Or, if you mean to find a way out of the trouble of going, you could simply return the [Kyirius Artifact] to me and be back on your way. You’ll still complete this quest, but you won’t get the best rewards for it.”

“I’m not giving up that much money,” Zetai decided on behalf of them all.

“Is there any more of a plan besides ‘go in there and get them?’” Reynneak prompted. “I’m not having a lot of good feelings about this.”

In response, Kadol gestured for them to follow him. “It will help if you’re able to see where you’ll be going. Just follow me and I can explain everything once we get there.”

He proved to be content with staying quiet for the entire walk there but Zetai, keeping her word from earlier, asked, “Have you seen someone named Casrane?”

“I think we all have, in one way or another,” he mused. “No one dares speak of it, though. Not with things being like they are now. Our survival depends on the fact that we agree to what they’re doing and listen to what they tell us. To disobey them, especially in the mood they’re in now, might as well be suicide.”

“Have you seen her recently?” Llewel prompted next.

“What do you intend to achieve by finding her? You’re not the first group of players that, one way or another, heard about her and hoped to see her for themselves. As far as I’m aware nothing bad happened to them, but… you never know what’s going through their heads. Someone could escape punishment while the next gets the worst of them all.”

“We want to talk to her and make sure she’s alright.”

“You don’t have to worry about her, and I mean that genuinely. It’ll actually be safer for everyone if you decide this is a battle you can’t win and leave her on her own.” Perhaps noticing the kind of look that they were giving him, Kadol sighed. “What the heart wants and the mind knows is best are often on opposing sides. It may be easier to let the heart guide us. Yet in the long term, the mind should be your single guide. You must be close to her if your main reason, of many possible options, is to check on her. But have you ever stopped to consider if she’s truly ever been in any danger?”

They were all quiet for a moment. Right before he seemed ready to claim his point made, a fleeting piece of a memory came to Myr. She mumbled, “She wouldn’t still be here if she hadn’t.”

Honestly, she didn’t even know the weight of her own words. It was just what felt right. She didn’t want to dwell on why it was, or how she knew. Trying to recall any possible explanation didn’t bring any sort of answer, telling her there was no use wondering about it now.

Kadol seemed surprised until a small grin emerged. “I’d be careful, if I were you. Casrane’s safety will be the least of your problems if they realize who you are.”

He didn’t say anything more to them until the time came for him to motion to a large base in front of them. “This is where we need to be.”

Tinath recognized something and, whatever it was, she didn’t like it. “Are you sure this is where we’re supposed to be going?”

Kadol nodded. “I don’t think you’ll find it worth arguing with me. If the code says this is where I should lead you, then this is where you need to be. Were anything to be wrong at all, it was whatever else you think this place is supposed to be.”

“I know what this place is,” she said confidently. She glanced at the other four—specifically the twins—and added, “We should stay away from there, at least for now.”

Zetai didn’t buy a single bit of it. “And why not?”

“Because there’s—there’s—” Tinath’s expression made it clear that she wanted some way out, but couldn’t quite think of something that would convince them to feel the same. She sighed when she faced that truth for herself. “There’s nothing I can tell you that’s going to make you change your mind about going.”

“Right, now—”

“Unless you’re willing to simply believe that it’s going to put Llewel and Myr in danger.”

That earned Tinath the curious looks of all of them. With all the attention on her, she continued, “I can’t really explain why, but I know that there’s someone in there who’s going to want to hurt them. And it’s not the pushovers of the Rune Reactivation Project. They’re people that, once they realize we’re there, aren’t going to let us leave again.”

“Why can’t you tell us who they are?” Llewel asked. Myr could tell that a part of him wanted to just believe her; yet they both knew that the threat alone wasn’t going to be enough to keep them from it.

“I just can’t.”

Kadol didn’t seem very impressed by the whole display. “I don’t believe there’s anything here to be worried about. It may look large and intimidating, but there’s only a few people there. The most that’s going to happen if they see you is a brief battle and that’s all—I daresay they’re not even difficult. You’ll find your concerns well-meaning but misplaced once we’re inside.”