Morris grasped the book. "Every time I see you I envision my future! The Grimoire of Forbidden magic!"
"I want to see this future envision of yours," Claudina said coming over him to see the book.
The book had a blackish blue metal cover. A clockwork owl wearing a shredded cape was made with crafting on the metal. Sapphires were used for the owl's eyes while on its tail were dots of smaller sapphires. Multiple chains were connected on the spine. A gold latch with no lock sealed the Grimoire shut.
Morris twisted the owl head to a complete 360 degree. The latch came off like a jigsaw puzzle and opened the book. Claudina crowded to get a look.
The pages of the book were glossy black with silver writing. Magic circles were drawn with the same elegant frequency. But the magic circle were different then the spherical ones used daily. They were triangles, stars and pentagons. Around the edges were single letters with a natural element next to it. Beside the magic circles were paragraphs with lines going out the text to label a specific function of said magic circle.
She recognized the words. "Ancient Language," she mumbled. The word she uses to call out the Stars' Blessing was a word from the Ancient Language. Those who can use Forbidden magic can easily read Ancient Language.
Morris growled under his breath. "To think I must get help from lowlife that I created through Taboo to read a single text! No matter I am the one who will be standing at top not them." He flipped the page. "With today's performance I can convince the others to join me in revolting against the Celestial Heavens."
She didn't say anything.
As Morris flipped the pages she read the few words she could catch. It piqued her interest. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face ever since coming here. "What an interesting Grimoire… Usually they have lengthy paragraphs of the same never ending nonsense. This one however only contains stories and ballads," she quietly said. "It paints the Celestial Heavens in a bad picture. I like it." She added with a childish smile, "I wish it was mine!"
"Agahhh!" Morris slammed the book shut. "Can't read a single thing! This damn book!"
She frowned. "I don't see how it's the book's fault that you are illiterate." She poked the book.
"Poor Mr. Book. What did he do to you for you to act so cruel? One second you were so nice and now you are yelling at it? What are you, bipolar?"
Just as soon as she retracted her hand the light from before blinded her momentarily. "Again with the damn light! My eyesight is going to be even worse than before!"
She opened her eyes to find herself in the masquerade party. The party was in full swing with people wearing elaborated masks made of precious metals, jewels and feathers. The guests were mingling with one another behind their well crafted masks.
"Another one?" she questioned. She looked around. "At least it's not an ugly dungeon again."
As she passed them she could hear the exited twitters of tonight's main event.
"Oh yes I heard…"
"…the most exquisite…"
"A real life user in the flesh…"
"…it won't be long."
"Nothing about Forbidden magic users is exquisite. Expect for me of course." She made her way to the front.
Morris appeared at the top of the stairs. In addition to his hat and cane he also donned a flowing red cape. He outstretched his hands and with a grin said, "My dear guests I, Morris Cosro, welcome you to my annual masquerade ball! Please enjoy yourself to the fullest. At the end of the night you shall see the long awaited show I have prepared for everyone!" This speech followed tremendous clapping from the guests.
In the corner she spied a rattling cage barely covered by a piece of cloth.
"Is that the show?" She ran over and knelt down. "What does it look like hm?"
The moment she met the eyes she shrieked, fell down and tried to crawl away. "N-no, it can't be her! Calm down Claudina! It's not her!" She quelled her heart by taking deep breaths.
Still kneeling she rubbed her shoulders soothing down her nerves. "That's not her! It may be a relative or someone with the same eyes. But it's certainly not her so relax."
She got up but casted a look of utter disgust at the cage.
"Right. Her eyes are warmer than anything else. My dear friend would never look at me with so much hate. She would rather kill herself then ever come to hate me. Besides, the shade of her eyes is lighter. This hideous beast on the other hand is a mockery…"
Throwing one last look of disgust she left the cage with the guards.
First forward to the end, Morris ordered the guards to wheel the cage at the bottom of the stairs. He himself strolled in holding the Grimoire.
He raised his hands again. "My friends, it is time for us to say goodbye. Yes goodbyes are always to say the hardest when we had so much fun. But!" He pulled back the cloth. "For us to look back on our goodbye with great memories I have prepared this small attraction to end our evening with!"
The crowd cheered.
The cage rattled violently.
Inside the cage was a bony, shriveled up girl. Her liver spotted skin and wild damaged hair stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the splendor of the ball. The girl bared her teeth at Morris. "I'LL KILL YOU!!"
"Hahaha! What an outlandish way of speaking won't you agree?"
The crowd agreed with positive affirmations.
The cage was opened from the top. Chains were used to drag her out by the neck. The girl stumbled and crawled on the floor. She yelled, thrashed and fought with her long dirty nails.
Morris suddenly graded her by the hair and lifted her scar riddled face. "I would also like to show you all a most wonderful sight about this dirty product. It's eyes. I am sure many would be fascinated by it."
He then made the guards hold up her head as he stretched her eyelids for the guests to see.
Ruby red eyes met the amazed crowd.
"My goodness!"
"Absolutely lovely…I wonder if he would give me the eyes to add to my collection."
"Such magnificent jewels on such a lowly being! Tsk tsk what a waste!"
Claudina expressionlessly stared at the resisting girl. "…My friend and you have the same eyes. Such a pity you aren't her. Else I would have rescued you."
"Now let us begin the show!"
Morris made the girl stand on her feet supported by two of the guards while he himself held the book. "Listen well wretch if you mess up I will send your brother to be defiled by a beast," he hissed in her ear.
The girl flinched. Tears rolled down her eyes. "So hold this book properly. And don't you dare pull anything funny! You want to know where your mother's ashes are right?"
He thrust the book on her now freed hands and moved back to the cheering crowd with a smile.
The girl looked down at the book. A shadow of hopelessness crossed her face before she bit her lip till blood flowed.
"Oh?" Claudina leaned forward in interest. "What are you up to?"
With his back turned to her, the girl twisted the owl head and ripped through the pages of the book. She scoured the pages like her life was in the line. Then she found it.
A crazy manic grin cracked her lips even further.
In a clear shrill voice the girl started to sing.
To the guests and Morris it sounded like a heavenly lurk with how transfixed they were. To Claudina however, she was jamming her ears with how much hateful and cursed it sounded.
"I forgot it would sound like this! This Ancient Language should have been the Vessels for Ri'sh to communicate with one another so it could have been banned! Curses! Hearing it being sung is even worse!"
The flames on the candle grew wicked faces. The jumped out from their wicks and bounced up and down leaving behind small fires that grew in size. The balls of flames danced to the rhythm of the singing.
The whole place was up in flames within a few minutes.
The girl continued to sing as the people now released from their trance started to run for the exit. The exit however was blocked by the burning curtains magically interlocking with one another.
The balls of flames now gave chase to the guests. Morris who looked the most astonished turned to the girl singing. "YOU BRAT!!" He glared at the kneeling guards. "WHY AREN"T YOU STOPPING HER?!"
One of the guards looked up. Maggots had eaten away his face. The others all collapsed with maggots and beetles crawling out of their bodies.
"Never make lower life do a job you can do yourself!"
He ran towards her but the girl sang an octave higher. Ravens ripped through the burning carnage and dove straight for Morris.
He became pale. He tried to flea but the ravens followed him, pecking him with their becks and talons.
The girl sang a note more lower.
The ravens resembled a black tornado with Morris trapped inside. His screams told he was still alive.
The girl stopped singing and closed the book. The ravens vanished leaving behind tattered hat, a broken cane and the hate filled red eyes of Morris.
She smiled at the burning people. She bobbed a curtsy. "And this is the end of the party..." she whispered as flames tickled her feet and smoke curled around her like a mother's embrace.
The Grimoire slipped out of her fingers and landed with soft thud.
She closed her eyes, the happiest of smiles on her face.
The scene blurred and Claudina was standing outside of the burning mansion.
"…The Suicide of Grand Duke Morris, King Anthony's brother. The entire estate burned down. Everyone died in the fire; Morris, the servants and the guests." She watched the flames reach up the sky. The night sky resembled the early dawn due to the flames.
"If I am right then this event took 70 years in the past for Sylvester."
She looked down. The door was being burned to a crisp. "However there was no mention about the human experiments he kept down in the basement."
She walked off the distance to sit down on a boulder to watch the scene. "The entire suicide thing must be done to hush up the less savory bits."
She closed her eyes and signed. "The things us nobles do to make sure no one can see past the illusion."
It started to rain. Claudina who was only a bystander in this didn't get burned nor wet.
The rain did little to help the mansion though. The fire had burned most of the foundations.
Claudina first hummed before she started to sing a sad, slow requiem played in the temple for funerals. It was a parting gift for the deceased mostly for the human experiments.
"I guess you may find peace in the next life..." She clasped her hands together and prayed for their safe departure.
Since she rarely prayed she was not sincere on their departure.
The light shone again and this time she found herself in front of a rundown altar.
Vines had creeped in the broken pillars while sun streamed down from the broken ceiling and various cracks. There were stains where the carpet once ran.
An elderly man walked inside the chapel. On his arm he was carrying a bouquet of flowers. He walked right past the broken pews, her and the altar.
Instead he went behind a side door leading up the altar.
Claudina went after him.
They traversed a labyrinth of crooked paths. The man climbed over a fallen pillar when suddenly they were outside. They were now in stone paved garden with arches and broken fountain. The man didn't stop and went through the arches. His pace quickened that Claudina had to jog to keep up with him.
The man finally stopped in front of grave. Rather a row of graves. A statue of a woman dressed in robes and her arms cupped in front of her loomed over the graves. After he placed the flowers on top of the statue's hands he knelt down in front of the graves.
"Whose grave are you visiting, sir?" She knelt down beside him. The names on the tombstones have faded over the years with moss and lichen growing.
"I am sorry sister. Because of me you…" the man mumbled.
He opened his eyes. Ruby red eyes.
His shoulder shook as he tried to hold back his tears. But the dam broke and he started to bawl like a baby.
Claudina stared. "So it was your sister…" She stood up and left the man.
"I don't see a point for crying for the departed. If they have done something for you, then be grateful and leave them be. Why must you bother them with your useless whining? You know they are not going to come back!"
The light shone again. "Hopefully I can get back now." She closed her eyes.
"…Welcome back Saintess."
She reopened her eyes. The disembodied voices were back. She was floating in air. The sky was clear of clouds and gentle breezes blew here.
"Indeed I am back. And now I hope you can send me to reality."
"Of course but first this." A wind vortex appeared with a loud howl. Form inside the vortex the Grimoire came tumbling out.
"This is yours now…" they said together. The book drifted to her face. "Use it well."
She grasped it firmly and hugged it to her chest. 'Finally something of use. Took you all long enough. Oh! The texture of the owl is quite nice. Very nice actually.'
"…We'll send you back now…"
The light started to dim. Ivy appeared out of thin air which wrapped around Claudina's waist and under her arms. They pulled her up in the roaring wind. Just as she entered the vortex…
"I won't forget you. Your story will live on through me…" 'A little pity form someone in the aristocrat you hate~'
The vortex took her shooting up, up, up all the way to the darkness.
Finally she could see the opening of the chest. The vines quickened their pace and hurled her up. She popped out the chest like a jack in the box. She crawled out of it but misstep her footing, slipped and landed on her belly.
"Ow! That hurt…but I got something priceless out of it!" she said holding up the book. She stood up dusting herself as did so. "Now off to revive Baron~"
"Miss Claudina?"
She swirled around. "Oh?" She smiled.
"How did you get here?"
Standing there with a shocked expression and half inside the chamber was…
"Blakeley Anderson?"