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Chapter 11 - Xerxes The End

Vyntaria, 10th of valtor, 515 ER(Continuation)

Yasmine waited as Daisy retrieved the remat from its niche on the stone wall beside her wooden trestle. After collecting the remat, she then rubbed her finger on the mystical firefly symbol inscribed on the remat (now, this firefly symbol that is inscribed on the remat has a specific color. We have different colors of it; the one you saw Yasmine and Dobbie rubbing was Emberfire, while the one Daisy is rubbing is MysticBloom). Now, as they rub, your brain will start feeling sensations from all the remats around you, as the firefly matches the colors around you with your remat's color, glowing with a soft, ethereal light. The remat's mystical energy resonates with the user's essence, forging a bond that transcends the physical realm. As the remat's magic connects with your mind, you sense a distant presence, carried on the winds of the spirit world. And behold, the firefly symbol on the remat of the one you seek begins to glow softly, signaling that your thoughts have reached them, and they are aware someone is trying to send a message. The remat's magic will amaze you! For now, I'll give you a glimpse of its power, to satisfy your curiosity. Don't worry, the full secrets of this ancient arcane-transmitter will be revealed in the chapters that follow).

So, after Daisy spent some moments rubbing the firefly symbol on her remat, a firefly on a remat in the Avian Sanctum beamed, where a sturdy rack of ornate enclosures held eagles of various breeds, their feathers rustling softly, their sharp talons scraping against wooden perches, and their piercing cries echoing through the air, for in this place, eagles, the most trusted messengers, awaited their tasks.

Two male Handlers, one stout and the other lean and athletic, worked diligently, clad in simple tunics with white surcoats, black baires, red aprons, and worn-leather brown gloves, their movements precise and skilled as they tended to the eagles, preparing them for their important duties. Meanwhile, two formidable warriors, Codex 36 and 38, engaged in a game of cards at the far end of the Avian Sanctum, surrounded by scattered flagons of ale, jesting and reveling in merriment.

The lean attendant, noticing the glow on the remat, hastened his pace with the eagle he was handling and retrieved a scroll attached to its leg. He then approached the remat, his countenance overcome with trepidation. Lowering his head, he retrieved the remat, while the warriors continued their revelry, oblivious to his presence. With a sigh of relief, he touched the symbol, ceasing its glow, and held it to his ear.

"Daisy: 'Hey Rufus, did any eagle bearing the code 556765iz deliver a message?'"

Rufus responded in a weary tone, "Yes, a few hours ago. You can use the code 333viz to check the message."

Daisy's face lit up with joy. "Okay Rufus, got it! Don't worry, your shift will end soon."

Their exchange was friendly and familiar, revealing the affection between the two heartbound. She continued, speaking loudly so Rufus could hear her from afar. "Yasmine, the code for the message is 333viz! Your tag will be given to you shortly!"

Then Daisy returned to her tender communication with Rufus. The woman beside ceased her nail-picking, collected the tag, and handed it to Yasmine through the same opening in the oak door. Yasmine received it with gratitude, her fatigue and thoughts of the task destination evident on her face. She hastened to her destination, walking towards a large, ornate mystic conveyor, its oak wooden structure reminiscent of ancient contraptions.

Approaching the entrance, with a flick of her wrist, she attached her tag to the Conveyor, and a sturdy black portcullis adorned with the emblem of XERXES groaned open, with a creak granting her passage, and she stepped within. A voice resonated from the Herald's Voice in the mystic conveyor, speaking in a feminine tone.

"Liftwarden: 'Which floor would you like to go to?'"

Yasmine rolled her eyes and responded, "To level VI, Liftwarden."

She grumbled as the voice affirmed it, and the Mystic Conveyor ascended to the level. On reaching the level, the Conveyor halted, and the voice spoke out, congratulating her on her wise choice. "Thank you for using the Mystic Conveyor."

She emerged as the portcullis opened and strode to a sturdy oak door, adorned with iron hinges, which she pushed open and entered. Entering, she scanned the chamber, her gaze falling on their routine activities of the council cove daily grind. Locking on her mark, she walks purposefully to the lectern she seeks and stops. On the lectern, a man sits, devouring a hearty stew of yam and beans from a wooden trencher, with a metal flagon containing ale beside it.

Yasmine taps the lectern, gaining the man's attention. He looks up, distracted from his repast and ribald banter with his female crypt keeper, and asks in a perturbed tone:

"Zacky: 'Hello Yasmine, what can I do for you?'"

He asks with a sly look, his eyes fixed on her in a way that disgusts Yasmine, but she answers in a nonchalant tone, her hand resting on her waist.

"Yasmine: 'I got this code from the Earies to give to you.'"

Zacky's face falls, his disappointment evident, but he waves his hand and collects the code. His fellow crypt keeper glances up from her work, her eyes narrowing in scorn and jealousy as she looks at Yasmine handling her remat.

Zacky takes the code, and Yasmine, her task complete, walks back to the mystic conveyor to return to her chamber, her hips swaying in a careless way that Zacky notices. He sighs, his eyes following her, then adjusts his seat and unfolds a parchment with the aid of the code he got from Yasmine to reveal a hidden message.

His brow furrows in curiosity as he reads the parchment, then rolls it up and inserts it into a small, intricately carved cellar under his lectern. The cellar emits a soft chime, and Zacky opens a larger cellar below, withdrawing a new parchment.

His expression changes from nonchalance to worry as he reads the message. With haste, he detaches his remat from its niche, his hand moving with urgency as he sends the message to its destination.

"Zacky: 'Hey, Brown! I've received a grave message, and I presume you have also received the message. I implore you to take it seriously, as it concerns a matter of utmost importance.'"

Brown, taking a parchment from the same cellar Zacky used, reads the message and begins to transcribe it onto a parchment. His remat, still connected to the device, receives the transmission from Zacky, and he nods, reattaching it to its niche.

After writing, he stamps the Xerxes insignia on the parchment, rolls it into a scroll, and calls for Codex 50. As Codex 50 enters Brown's sanctum, Brown says:

"Take this message to the Earies forthwith, and tell them 'it is a matter of great import. They must handle it with caution and haste.'"

Codex 50, bowing, collects the scroll, and with a nod, departs Brown's sanctum. Brown waves his hand in dismissal, and Codex 50, with a sharp, warrior-like demeanor, strides out, passing Codex 51, who nods in acknowledgement, shifts his stance from the right flank to the central ward, planting himself firmly at the midpoint of the vestibule leading to Brown's sanctum.