XXI

  Lira dressed quickly in the dark. Her roommates, three other Enclave girls, still slept. This morning she was meeting with Ruben, the Elder Didact again. When Keel had brought her back yesterday, he asked when she would want to come back. Despite being so exhausted, Lira wanted to come back first thing.

  She stepped out of her room and into the dimly lit tunnel it was still pretty early, and the workers hadn't been by to refresh the lanterns. Keel was waiting a short distance away, sitting on a bench carved into the rock face, a small basket in his lap.

  "Good Morning Lira." He greeted, smiling pleasantly. Lira smiled back at him, tipping her head slightly.

  Keel pulled back the fabric over the basket, revealing an assortment of fruit and breakfast pastries.

  "Best to start the day with a full stomach! Sleep well?" He asked.

  Lira stared at the basket for a moment, memories of her dreams coming back to her. Strange images of being stuck in a dark room, running through a forest at night while being chased, and being surrounded by horrible monstrosities. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Keel looked at her with a sad smile.

  "I'm sorry my dear. Perhaps once this is all finished, you won't be plagued by nightmares."

  Lira could only hope. Together, they left the tunnels, climbing up a ladder that led to an old well behind a house. Keel peeked over the top, glancing around, before climbing out and helping Lira up.

  "The Enclave has many ways to get around." Keel said, winking.

  The sun was just starting to glow over the distant hills, coloring the sky with pinks and oranges. A mist hung to the ground, mingling with the snow. It was cold, but the cloak the Enclave had provided was pleasantly effective. They walked down an alley and popped out onto a street, one that Lira wasn't familiar with. It seemed to be mostly residential, compared to the busy street the smithy was on. They immediately started going up, approaching the cathedral from a different side than the last time. The stained glass windows seemed to glow in the morning sun, giving the already majestic building an even more angelic look.

  Coming around to the front, Elder Didact Ruben was outside, sweeping away some leaves that fell from the nearly bare oak tree. He looked up as they approached, waving as he recognized his guests. Keel held the basket out to the priest, offering him the remains of their breakfast.

  "And you brought me gifts! How delightful." The old man said, gladly taking the basket.

  They entered the building, which thanks to a blazing fire at the end, was nice and warm. Rather than leading them into the room to the side, the Didact walked down the red carpet running the length of the floor, past the pews. Against a wall at the very end, was a set of wooden stairs going down. They followed Ruben down, the stairs creaking with every step. The room below seemed to mostly be a storage room, with boxes of books, clothing, and an assortment of religious material. Ignoring the mess, they continued on, coming to a door at the end.

  "This is where I help those similar to you, who have the strongest of mental afflictions." Ruben said, opening the door.

  Inside was a single bed against the wall, two chairs, and a small table bolted to the floor. A single lantern mounted to the wall did its best to fight off the gloom. Even with the brightly colored tapestries on the walls, the room was less than inviting.

  "Please lay on the bed. This morning, I wish to go deeper. I believe that there are some secrets locked away, and together we can learn the truths." Ruben said.

  "I think I shall go for a walk this time." Keel said lightheartedly.

  Ruben chuckled as the tall man stepped out. Lira laid down, and Ruben sat in the chair next to her.

  "Are you ready Lira?"

  She nodded, looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

  Ruben gently placed his fingertips on her forehead and closed his eyes.

  Lira immediately felt his presence in her mind. It was much more intrusive than last time, as if he was trying to crawl inside her head with her. She initially resisted the uncomfortable feeling, subconsciously throwing up mental walls.

  'Easy now, let me walk with you.' Came Rubens' voice in her mind.

  Gradually, her defenses lowered. She felt him settling in, gently brushing at her memories.

  'Let's try something different. Instead of remembering something you experienced, I want you to show me how you tap into the energy. What emotions do you feel?'

  Lira thought about this for a moment. Every time she had felt the swell of power, it had been in a moment of danger, when she had to act to protect herself or her brother. The feeling of fear, anxiety, and anger seeped up, like a morning fog. Ruben latched onto those emotions, following the tangled threads like trying to unravel knotted string. Lira was pulled along with him. She saw herself repel the spirit in the infirmary, call to the shadows on the alley, and the fight with the bullies.

  'Ah, it's reaction based. Orin seems to have found a way to tether your emotions to your latent abilities, then enhance them with his own. Let's find out why.'

  Ruben chose a memory, the spirit in the infirmary. Lira felt the fear again, witnessing the ghost manifest in front of them. She had felt the rage within the spirit, angry at Lira. It had known she could see it, and didn't want her to leave. Her response had been involuntary, drawing on energy from within to banish the specter from the material realm. Ruben quickly found the memory tied to the emotion and reaction she had. As he followed the strand, Lira felt a mental barrier rise up, halting their progress.

  'We have found a remnant of Orin's memory. This imprint will be tied to him, and should show us how and why you could do what you did.'

  Ruben touched the memory node, and it flared angrily. Lira felt a pain behind her eyes.

  'Here we go Lira, prepare yourself.'

  She mentally braced, and Ruben stabbed at the fragment, ripping it open like a wasp nest. Pain lanced through her head, and she felt herself scream. Hostile emotions flared up inside her, demanding she fight back against Rubens intrusion. She felt her energy redirect itself, targeting the Didact. Before any harm could be done however, he enacted a cage around her presence, both containing the negative emotions, and trapping her in a mental prison.

  'I'm sorry Lira, I know this is uncomfortable. But to get through this it must be done.'

  With Lira now unable to do anything but watch, the didact dived into the memory. A bright light consumed Lira, and she found herself at the steps of a mausoleum. It was nearly pitch black outside, and a cold wind cut through her thin cotton shirt. Something prodded her from behind, and she turned to see the same old man from the previous memory. He held a dim lantern, and was forcing her forward with a staff.

  "You must learn how to control them Orin. If you won't do it willingly, then I have no other choice. A few nights at their mercy should do you good." The old man spat, clearly irritated to do this. He prodded her harder, and she stumbled down the steps. He shut the gate behind her, securing it with a chain and lock.

  "Please! I'll try harder! Don't leave me in here!" She heard herself cry, her voice that of a young boy.

  "Bah!" The man retorted. "You should have thought that way when I gave you the easier choice! I'll be back at the next full moon." With that, he turned and left. With the light from the lantern gone, she could only see rough shapes in the darkness. Hard surfaces surrounded her, and the air was frigid. She curled into a ball in the corner, whimpering. From the darkness, whispers arose. A rattling gasp sounded beside her, and a transparent face, rotten and dead, pressed through the sarcophagus beside her. She screamed and scampered away.

  Faces appeared in the darkness, groaning in pain and agony. She pressed her hands against her ears, trying to silence the noise, but they were inside her head. She screamed again, and a rush of energy came to her bidding. The spirits recoiled, pulling back into the cold stones. Silence filled the void once again. She lay there, crying. Occasionally, a voice would mutter something unrecognizable from a corner of the room. A hand brushed her arm, or tugged at her clothing. The voices gradually got louder again, and the room filled with ghastly shapes. They gathered around her, like patrons watching a show.

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  "Your flesh...give me your flesh..."

  "A nice, warm body..."

  "I can smell your blood..."

  "Let me in..."

  The chorus of haunting requests increased into a cacophony of horror.

  Lira was suddenly pulled way, her vision warping. The images bent and twisted, and once again she was laying on the bed. She was soaked in cold sweat, and panted rapidly.

  Ruben leaned back in his chair, dabbing at his forehead with a cloth.

  "So, Orin was forced to develop his abilities at the hands of an unkind master. That explains a lot. Oddly enough, it appears that he could already communicate with the dead, which means it was likely a divine gift, but it was then twisted and used maliciously." Ruben shook his head slowly. "Under different circumstances, he could have been raised to be a great seer."

  Lira sat up in the bed. The session was tiring, but she wasn't ready to quit. She looked at Ruben and touched her forehead.

  "You want me to go back in, right now? No break."

  Lira shook her head and tapped her forehead again, her eyes firm.

  "Very well." Ruben said, surprised. "I will say, your determination is invigorating!"

  Lira laid back again, closing her eyes. Ruben once again initiated contact, slipping into her mind.

  'Orin said there were others like me. Other orphans he had done this to. Can we find out more about that?' She asked him.

  'An intriguing idea. We will need to find a memory fragment connected to his experiences to do that. It may take a few tries, and It will be a long and painful process. Are you up for it?' He asked.

  'Yes. Let's do it.' She said, reaffirming her motivation.

  They spent the next several hours breaking through mental barriers, exploring memory nodes, and learning what they could. They had to take breaks often, needing to snack or drink water. At one point, Keel returned to check on them. He commented that the state of Liras' appearance resembled that of someone who had been up all night. Judging by how she felt, she believed him. She no longer tried to sit up during their breaks, simply lying there, trying to recover. After a particularly violent session where it was discovered that Orin had killed his previous master, Lira had emptied her stomach on the floor. Ruben left to clean it up while she drifted away in slumber. Ruben let her nap for a couple hours, sitting with Keel in a pew upstairs.

  "Her resolve is remarkable." He was telling Keel. "I can see why Orin was so intent on using her as a subject."

  "You speak as if his work was a good thing." Keel said.

  "What he has accomplished IS extraordinary, however it is very unethical. Once this is over, I will be reporting my findings. He cannot be allowed to continue his work, no matter how interesting it is." Ruben explained.

  "Are you any closer to actually helping her?" Asked Keel, slightly unhappy with progress so far.

  Ruben contemplated for a few moments. "We are helping her understand what has happened, which will be beneficial in itself. Tapping into these hidden memories however, could go either way. Things like this are not easily remedied. She may no longer suffer from nightmares, and her overall mental state may improve. Or, she may be haunted by exposing her to them."

  The Didact seemed hesitant to explain further. "But she wants to see everything. She wants to learn the how and why. If all goes well, she will be stronger at the end of this."

  "Do you think she will ever speak again?"

  Ruben shook his head. "I cannot say. She sustained a head injury on the night her family died, and Orin used that trauma as an entry point."

  The two sat in silence, each caught up in their thoughts. Finally, Ruben rose to his feet.

  "I should go check on her. I will let you know how it goes."

  Ruben made his way down the creaky steps, and towards the door at the back. He stopped suddenly, feeling a peculiar tinge in the air. His eyes grew wide and he rushed into the room. Lira was floating above the bed, tendrils of energy curling around her. Ruben stumbled to her side, being battered by psychic energy. He reached out to touch her, then recoiled as a crackle of energy snapped at his hand. He looked at her in fear. Something was going on inside her mind and he had to stop it.

  Ruben muttered a few incantations, then thrust his hands forward, gritting his teeth as sharp pain pierced his fingers. He placed his hands on her forehead and stomach, channeling his energy into her. Her mind was a torrent of negative power. He had a hard time staying connected, let alone trying to identify what was happening. He mentally fought his way in, raw energy trying to rip him out, like a bear tearing into a honeycomb.

  'Ruben!' Came a faint call.

  He followed her voice, finally finding her presence. She had shield herself in a capsule of psychic energy, while the barrage of hostile power whipped through her mindscape.

  'Help me!' She pleaded feebly.

  Ruben extended his will, encompassing her mental shelter and pulling her to him. He watched as memories that didn't belong to her flashed around them. It was as if the fragments of Orin were trying to destroy her very being.

  'Lend me your strength, Lira! Whatever you have left!'

  Ruben felt an infusion of energy as she let him tap into her willpower. He concentrated it all into a single blast, silencing the flood of memories. Lira's energy levels dropped, and he felt her lose consciousness. He floated in her mindscape, making sure the assault was over. She drifted away, pulled into a slumber from mental exhaustion. Ruben hesitated, knowing he should withdraw, but curiosity was biting at him. What had triggered that? He suspected that in addition to mental barriers, Orin had left some kind of defense. If it detected an intrusion or too many memories unlocked at once, it would destroy the host. Either the Silverblood Psycho-mage cared that little about Lira, or more likely, there was a bigger secret buried within.

  Ruben carefully explored Liras unconscious mind. This was something he very rarely did with people. It goes against consent, and he could more easily cause a permanent, unintentional change. Still, he knew this was perhaps the best chance he had to get some answers.

  He followed the stream of energy the memories had left behind, easily identifiable by their malicious feel. The memory nodes had been blown open and risked seeping into Liras' conscious, so Ruben contained them as he came across them. As he worked, he found one that was entwined with Liras own, though not of Orins doing. Ruben carefully inspected the memory, not wanting to expose Lira's dream state to what he was doing.

  He saw, through Lira's eyes, Orin speaking to another Silverblood. He wore the same style of robes as Orin, identifying him as a magic user, perhaps even a lesser Psycho-mage. Ruben pressed himself into the memory.

  "I cannot afford to lose her." Orin said.

  "But sir, is she really more important? You've put much more time and effort into the other subjects."

  "The others were just a means to an end. Most, if not all, have been ruined anyway. Their minds are incapable of housing such power. She has shown me a new potential."

  The two mages turned to Lira, whose eyes were barely open. Clearly, this had been a subconscious memory Lira never knew she had, but Orin had identified it as important.

  "Dispose of all the others in the main cell. Keep the three I separated yesterday. We need to make room for more subjects. I believe I have finally found a way to accomplish my goal, thanks to her." Orin ordered. The other mage bowed and walked away.

  Ruben removed himself from Liras' mind, his head buzzing. Lira now lay on the bed, breathing slowly. She would likely sleep the rest of the day and night. The Didact hurried from the room, finding Keel laying in a pew with his feet kicked up, idly flipping through a religious pamphlet. He sat up quickly when he saw Rubens flustered appearance.

  "what happened?" He asked straight away.

  "I found it." Ruben said, hardly able to contain himself. "I found the answer. Orin is tampering with the minds of orphans, imprinting his willpower on them to rapidly build a force of powerful magic users. Lira was not the first, and I believe that up to her arrival, many of them were killed when their minds failed."

  Keel's face paled.

  "Worse still, he believes he found the method to make it work, which he discovered while using Lira."

  Keel stood up. "We need to tell the Enclave, immediately."

  "I agreed." Nodded Ruben. "I will leave an acolyte here to tend to Lira, and we can head out."

  The two men separated, Keel going to the door, Ruben fetching an acolyte.