Chapter 53 - Hall of Records

The great stone doors loomed over Yuzu as she followed Argus into the ancient library. Their footsteps echoed into the shadows of the lightless hall. In the arch of the doorway Yuzu noticed many strange runes that glowed in the light of the moon. They were complex, twisting three dimensional inscriptions that made Yuzu feel like she was being drawn into them. Her head started to throb as she stopped walking.

Argus looked back at her with a frown. “Don’t examine the warding runes. It will corrupt your spirit and drive you to madness.”

“Madness?” Yuzu asked, drawing her eyes back down to Argus. She still felt slightly dizzy as she continued to follow him.

“The spirit body is like a crystal. A strong vessel, but under the right circumstances, extremely fragile.” Argus said, “As a low level Exalted, you should be careful not to subject yourself to the auras of Gods and Demi-gods. If your spirit is not strong enough it will warp and shatter.”

“What do you mean, ‘shatter’?” Yuzu asked.

“Death, if you’re lucky.” Argus replied quietly. He looked around at the shadows as they passed completely through the archway. “There are remnants of Okuron’s power throughout this library. Though he is long dead, even the vestiges of His power are far beyond what you and I can handle. Be careful what you examine while in His domain.”

Argus saw the apprehension in Yuzu’s expression. He shrugged, as if to convey that her worry was not necessary. “The fact remains that He is long dead. The greatest dangers are no longer present. Trust in your spiritual intuition, stay away from things that it warns you about.”

As Yuzu’s eyes adjusted to the darkness she was overcome with awe as her eyes naturally rose to take in her surroundings.

A vast, gloomy hall hundreds of meters long stretched out before her. The walls were lined with endless shelves made of dark stained wood. They rose up three stories high, and were packed with books and tomes as far as she could see. The ceiling above was arched and decorated with intricate designs carved into the stone, though Yuzu could not see them clearly from so far away.

Gigantic chandeliers hung from the roof in myriad sizes and styles. Some were elegant and made of gold and silver, others were black and angular with spikes and chains. There were globes constructed of hundreds of crystal prisms and multi-layer candelabrums with uncountable tiny mirrors arranged in geometric patterns. They all hung silent and dead in the empty castle, their silhouettes making strange shapes along the ceiling.

The light of the moon that flooded into the hall through the giant doorway felt thin and weak, as if the very air was absorbing the light. A quiet grey fog whispered along the smooth stone floor.

“This is the Hall of Records.” Argus said. “These books contain the indices and registers for the rest of the library.”

“I wonder how they reach the books on the top shelf...” Yuzu said quietly as she digested that piece of information.

Argus raised an eyebrow at her as he replied, “What use does a God have for ladders?”

Having waited patiently for her to look around, Argus now started walking into the hall. The center of the hall was filled with endless rows of tables. The tables, like the chandeliers, were of all different shapes and styles. Some were tall, meant for standing at, with ornate stools tucked under their dusty stone tops. Others were low and wide, with cushions directly placed on the floor. Both on and between the tables were intricately carved stone sculptures, ornate ceramic pots, ancient looking weapons and armour. Everything on and around the tables were covered with a thick layer of dust.

“One of Okuron’s popular titles was the God of Craftsmen.” Argus said, “Many of the ancient era’s most famous and rare relics are rumoured to have ended up in this library. However, they are all cursed due to the centuries of exposure to the decaying power in the library.“

They were far enough from the door that it was getting difficult to see in the darkness. Argus stopped at a table where the dust looked like it had been recently disturbed; there was only a thin film on part of the table, with clumps of the wispy grey dust scattered around.

Argus bent down and picked up a bag that had been tucked behind the leg of the table. With a sweep of his arm he cleared the dust from the spot that had been previously disturbed and set the bag on top. He pulled out two brass candle holders with handles and a number of beeswax candles, which he stuffed into his pockets. He handed one of the candle holders to Yuzu. It felt heavy and cold in her hands.

“I leave small amounts of items throughout the library to make subsequent journeys simpler. I don’t dare to bring outsiders here, so I’ve had to carry everything in myself.” He explained as he held his right thumb and forefinger up to the candle in his candle holder. The wick lit immediately, causing a warm flame to burst into life.

“What about me?” Yuzu asked.

“Other than myself, you are the first person to venture into this place for over a thousand years.” Argus said.

He tilted his head at Yuzu, looking at her unlit candle, “You aren’t going to light it?- Oh, you’ve never tried it before. It’s simple. Just channel your spirituality into your fingers.”

Yuzu looked at the candle holder with a confused expression. She held her fingers up to it and thought about making a fire, but nothing happened.

“Not like that.” Argus said.

She tensed up her fingers and pinched the wick in perhaps the stupidest looking attempt to light a candle in the history of candle lighting.

“No, not like that.” Argus frowned, “Use your spirituality.”

“I don’t know what that means.” Yuzu grumbled.

“Like when you used your spirit to reach out to me.” Argus scratched his head, “I don’t know how else to explain something so simple.”

Yuzu blinked several times as the cue prompted a small epiphany. Once again she reached out to the candle, but she evoked within her the feeling of touching the threads of fate. It felt strange, as there was nothing to ‘touch’.

“Yeah, like that.” Argus had sat down on one of the stools as he waited. “Just like that but more.”

That doesn’t help me at all! The edge of Yuzu’s lip flickered in irritation as she took a breath and concentrated the feeling of ‘reaching out’ into her finger tips. There was a flicker of a reaction to her effort an instant before the end of the wick burst into a lively flame.

“There you go.” Argus said.

Yuzu frowned as she looked into the warm light of the candle. Her mind flickered to Edwin’s performance, which she had previously mocked and dismissed as a trick. He said previously that he wasn’t yet a Candidate, yet he could still use his spirituality to light them. She wondered how impressive it was to be able to do that.

“If he wasn’t even a Candidate, having such control over his spirituality would be somewhat impressive.” Argus said, surprising Yuzu as she had not vocalized her thoughts. “The monks are fond of over-cultivating the spirit. They see it as a test of their own personal talent.”

Yuzu sensed the derision in Argus’ tone, “Over-cultivating?”

“When it comes to Candidacy, there is no need to put that much effort in. The chance of going mad is very small.” Argus shrugged, ”Still, this is the most basic of basics. Without a catalyst to advance him to Candidate, he won’t get much farther.”

“What’s a catalyst?” Yuzu asked.

“Is that one of the questions you wish to exchange for your assistance?” Argus asked, “I think the answers to three such questions would be fair payment.”

“Let me think about it...” Yuzu frowned as she changed the topic. “Come to think of it, I can’t see any fate threads in here either. It was the same in the basement.”

Much like in the basement, there were no signs of any threads lingering in her vision, whether or not she consciously activated her spiritual sight.

“Fate threads?” Argus asked, looking at her with a curious look on his face.

“What’s the value of the answer to that question?” Yuzu asked, her thoughts matching her words.

Argus couldn’t help but grin in response. “The answer to that is in fact quite valuable. It is likely a core aspect of your path, and would provide deep insight into the qualities of the Fate Domain.”

“Then perhaps I shouldn’t tell you.” Yuzu replied. Her thoughts instantly betrayed her as she couldn’t help but think about it.

Argus rubbed his ears sheepishly as he bowed his head in apology, “Sorry. I had no intention to pry. But knowing now what they are, if your powers are not working it is likely related to the power of Concealment, which was one of the aspects of Knowledge that Okuron controlled.”

Yuzu glanced over at Argus with a slightly confused look on her face. He smiled, “May I use this explanation as payment for your knowledge on Fate Threads?”

“Each of the Exalted Domains have aspects which they preside over. Knowledge for example, governs Planets, Concealment and History, among others. Fate oversees aspects such as Luck, Destiny, and Constellations. One’s path in a domain determines which aspects they are most attuned to and have the most control over.”

“Thank you for the explanation.” Yuzu said, “But there is one thing I need to request - Can you please stop doing that?”

“Doing what?” Argus asked. “Oh, answering your questions before you say-“

“Yes, exactly that!” Yuzu interrupted him, “I know you can read my thoughts and that you can’t help it, but I’d appreciate it if you at least pretended you didn’t.”

“I see.” Argus said, contemplating her words. He bowed his head again in apology, “I’ll stop.”

“Thanks.” Yuzu sighed. She felt a little bad about making a big deal of it, but at the same time she found the one-sided conversation extremely disorienting. Having her thoughts read was bad enough, at least he could give her the chance to say them.

“I don’t have much familiarity with fate threads.” Argus said after some thought. “None of the texts I’ve read mention them, which isn’t a surprise since the Exalted of the Domain of Fate have historically been quite reserved and secretive.”

He shook his head. “I can’t think of any way to get past the library’s Concealment.“

“I have an idea.” Yuzu said as she reached down into the bag at her side.

As her fingers made contact with the small, yet heavy relic, the world came alive in her vision once more. She had originally intended to take it out, but once observing that simply making contact was enough she cradled it in her hand and left it inside the bag. As countless golden threads materialized in her periphery she was surprised at how relieved and comforted she felt to have them back.

At the same time, she felt the spiritual presence of strange creatures lurking just beyond the darkness. Her eyes gazed out into the shadows as she felt a distinct aura of madness and decay lurking just beyond the candlelight.

“There are... things out there.” Yuzu said quietly.

“Yes.” Argus said, his expression indicating that he had long been aware of them.

“What are they?” Yuzu asked.

“When Okuron perished, these monsters sprung from the flesh of his body as it became corrupted with his dispersing godliness.” Argus said. “Don’t be afraid. As long as we carry a light with us, they won’t harm or approach us.”

Yuzu frowned. And if the light goes out?

Argus looked like he wanted to say something, but bit his tongue as he remained silent. When Yuzu didn’t ask the question out loud he closed the top of his bag and placed it back under the table. His expression turned serious again as he looked up at her expectantly.

Has he really taken my words to heart? Yuzu thought as she looked back at him. He looked like he was about to respond as his mouth opened then quickly shut. He then also suppressed a nod as he raised his hand and scratched his head to hide the action. His efforts were so humorous that Yuzu found herself smiling despite the heavy atmosphere.

Deciding purposefully not to continue the topic, Yuzu looked around and focused on the strings. As she looked around Argus, she saw a white string drifting lazily around him.

“I can see the threads now.” She said. “Yours is white, just like mine. Do you know what it means?”

Argus shook his head, “The threads are different colours?”

“Most of them are golden.” She said, “Some are silver and black. The only white threads that I’ve seen are yours and mine.”

“Interesting...” Argus rubbed his chin as his eyes lowered in thought, “I don’t know what that reason might be. Perhaps it has to do with our connection through fate?”

“Maybe...” She muttered, feeling that that was not quite right. As she continued to look at his string, she noticed a tiny line of thread reaching out into the darkness like a nearly invisible strand of spiderweb glimmering amidst the shadows.

As she touched the thread with her spirit body it did not react, but her and Argus’ thread began gently circling around it. She wanted to follow the thread into the darkness, but an intense feeling of danger rose in her gut before she made the attempt. Argus’ previous words flashed in her mind.

Be careful what you examine while in His domain.

She released the thread, and in response the fate threads stopped entwining it, reacting to her thoughts and intentions.

“What are you doing?” Argus asked, sensing the interaction but not quite understanding what was happening.

“Hesitating.” Yuzu said quietly. She realized that her hands were trembling, causing the light of her candle to shake. After a moment she closed her eyes and whispered, “I’m scared.”

Argus held his candle up to see her better as he asked, “Do you want to leave?”

Yes. Yuzu thought to herself as she looked at Argus. She didn’t want to be here. When it was just the empty hall and the darkness she thought she could just barely hold on, but with those creatures out there she felt incredibly anxious and afraid. She wanted nothing more than to leave this place and go back out into the warmth of sunlight.

The boy’s expression remained stoic, but she could see that he was suppressing a deep sadness. His dark green eyes, which had been resolute and hopeful, quietly lost their lustre as he unavoidably heard her thoughts.

He lowered his candle as he turned towards the exit, turning his face away from her. “Let’s go back, then.”

As Yuzu saw his dejected form stepping away, a feeling grew in her heart that overrode the thoughts racing through her mind. Her voice caught in her throat, preventing her from responding to him, so she spoke through her actions.

Holding her candle high she began walking into the darkness, following the glittering white thread that lead the way into the depths of the dead god’s domain.