A day after the encounter with the mystery individual, Kai was finally let out of his quarters. As usual, Liothaire led him, acting as his guide. It was a bit unnerving to have a Lord Class Mage as his guide, but Kai managed to put it behind him.
The Dark Magic Mage walked beside Kai, guiding him through the winding halls of the stone castle. He gave some simple descriptions whenever Kai asked some questions that he was allowed to answer. Now that Liothaire had told him the situation back at Fazzad where Suzy and Ryan were, he felt as though a burden was lifted from his chest, allowing him to focus more on the present.
Liothaire had refused to answer any questions concerning who that mysterious man was, but Kai already had a hunch concerning the matter. Ever since he lost his consciousness at the revival ceremony, he had stopped hearing the voice of the Divine Mage. He could still call up his status, but aside from that, there wasn't anything else he could do, compared to before.
Kai had also asked about that, but Liothaire had sneakily stirred the topic away from that. Kai was a little peeved, but there was little he could do about it.
From what he could guess, the mysterious man who was on his balcony was Lord Kasuyi... It was the only way Liothaire, who was usually flamboyant, instantly turned tame the moment Kai had described the man's appearance. Aside from that, there was also the connection he felt. Kasuyi had explained to him just before he ceded consciousness to Kai, that their souls were intertwined in order to survive and so, they would remain connected through all time.
Some time during their walk, the black, pup with spikes running down its spine had shown up again. It was different this time, if only slightly. Kai noticed that it had grown a bit larger than what it was like before. It's black beady eyes stared up at him curiously as he walked. It's strange physique and constant gazing left Kai a little tense. It was like having something from those childhood horror stories showing up in real life and then staring you down.
Yip!
It barked at Kai as he averted his gaze when it caught him staring. After watching him for a few moments more, it then ran ahead, turning down a corner and disappearing from sight.
Along with its departure, the pressure that had built up in Kai's heart finally lessened.
"What is that>" Kai asked Liothaire warily.
"That is the Guardian Spirit. It is a unique being that was specially summoned by Lord Kasuyi to protect this castle and some of his other assets. Sadly, with his death, it gradually lost its strength and became a slumbering puppy. It was only recently that it was reawakened and started its growth." Liothaire dutifully explained. "In time, the Guardian Spirit will regain its former peak strength. When it does, it will be at least half of the size of this castle."
"Wow. That little thing?" Kai was amazed. When he thought of the sheer size of the castle, and then imagined the little pup to be at least half of that size, shivers ran down his back. Something of that size would most likely be powerful, indeed.
"We have arrived." Liothaire stopped at the corner where the pup had disappeared into. It turned out that it wasn't a corner, but instead the door to a study. Books, upon books, lined the massive shelves that lined the walls. Scrolls were spread over the numerous tables that were placed at intervals in the study. The term 'study' might have been a bit inappropriate to use as reference. A slightly better word would be 'Library'.
The library stretched on upwards; it's many floors were lined with more and more books. Magic scrolls and parchments with inscriptions were flying around, whizzing over their heads. It was a grand sight that left Kai breathless for a moment. A thought flittered through his mind. A thought that urged his to realize how much more of an inexperienced child he was in the world of magic. He could barely cast an icy barrage of arrows, not to mention touching the concept of levitation, yet someone was effortlessly manipulating the movements of all these scrolls and books.
Shaking his head, Kai let out a deep sigh. One that was filled with admiration.
All the moving scrolls and books centered around one table in the middle of the library. A steady stream of reading material went to and fro from this table. Bent over the table was a dark haired man. His hands reached out, snatching random books mid-flight before tossing them back up a few moments later. The books regained their balance before following the stream of books that were being returned to their shelves.
Numerous pens were scribbling about on plain sheets of paper, summarizing whatever it was the man had collected from the books. Kai and Liothaire silently walked up to the table.
"Your Excellency, Lord Kasuyi. I have brought Kai here, just as you asked." Liothaire gave a very deep bow when he stopped before the table. Kai, momentarily stunned, followed the older Mage's example a few moments later.
Kasuyi waved his hand, motioning for them to get up. The pens kept scribbling as he raised his head from the sheets of paper, focusing on the two other Mages in the room.
"I see." His smooth voice was carried by the slight breeze that drifted through the library. His eyes studied Liothaire for a moment before turning to Kai. "Please excuse us, Liothaire. I want to discuss with Kai alone for a moment or two."
Liothaire immediately did as Kasuyi asked, almost bounding out of the library. The only thing that left him from running away speedily was what was left of his pride as a Lord Class Mage.