Auxley Audrett, despite Fen's suspicions, turned out to be a very good listener. Frankly, it was a little strange - the previously erratic and tactless woman who boldly cut over him without a shred of awareness seemingly relaxed by a curious yet restrained persona.
Fen certainly did not mind this.
He also suspected this was largely due to the fact she had gained a much more severe interest in the situation - who wouldn't want to try gleam as much information as possible from the first being to ever directly awaken their path?
So far, Fen had also explained in complete earnest, from his encounter with the man to his awakening in the cavern, till his horrifying first encounter with the demonic creature of imitation - which Auxley seemed to at least be aware of, even if she didn't know of it's specifics.
However Fen would now need to be a little more selective with the information he revealed - sure, it would be far too risky to lie, but that didn't mean he couldn't simply omit some information.
Fen continued to think for a while, before continuing his tale.
"That was when we ran into a rather strange group of rift creatures - a large hoard of skeletons, led by some kind of warrior king - who was also long dead of course. We fought for a while, and although the skeletons were almost laughably weak - even for me - individually, as a swarm they were powerful tools of restraint - restraints used by the leader to support his ferocious attacks."
Fen paused for what seemed like dramatic effect.
"Thankfully, we were able to survive - I somehow managed to barely hold off the leader while the creature eviscerated the remaining hoard, before coming to assist me - just in the nick of time too. From this battle, I was able to gleam two very useful pieces of information and weaponary to use against the creature- one being the fact the creature seemed to wield his sword in its left hand - whilst, at least in Thor's body, it used its right for everything else. I didn't know exactly what this meant at the time, it simply could of been its preference, but I doubted it - if it preferred the left, surely it would of used it for everything, averting all suspicion entirely."
Auxley's previously curiosity intensened, her gaze practically piercing Fen's very essence.
"And I suppose you're going to make me wait to tell me why it was so important?"
It seemed Auxley had not been able to contain her original insatiable impatience.
"All in chronological order" he said, grinning slightly, before continuing his anecdote.
"The second piece I received was something physical - an artefact, in the form of a pendant."
Fen held up the aforementioned elegant jade piece hanging from his neck.
"It seems to be a dead artefact though?Otherwise, I would of noticed it immediately."
Fen was sure this was true - and yes, the artefact did no longer work. This was not a surprise to him however.
"As I was about to say, unfortunately, the artefact was for one use only - luckily, that was all I needed. After playing into my act of intense avarice once more, i travelled a little further past the site of the battle with the creature, bringing the artefact and other treasure we found with us - this was when I was able to sense, and somehow… understanding the artefact, also realising I seemed to no longer have any cores."
Auxley yet again interrupted the tale, however this time with a rather calm tone, and not out of a loss of self-restraint.
"Well I can probably offer an explanation for that. Once you first gain enlightenment and begin to develop your path, you begin to naturally… sense, I suppose would be the best word, artefacts. When you're simply someone with unlocked cores you need much more extra information and study to be able to use an artefact, whereas someone walking a path will often simply be able to understand it - the further along the path, the better the understanding of course - and understanding is the key to artefacts, not power. Anyone with some kind of supernatural ability, no matter how useful or powerful should be able to use an artefact, as long as they have the necessary information.
This was a very welcome explanation, Fen thought. Mostly due to it giving him the chance to dodge giving away the information he least wanted to divulge - the information that his pocket watch, or to be specific the mirror at the back of it, had told him an exact description of the jade artefact currently resting upon his person. At first, Fen had been a little stumped at what the description was meant to convey, it reading;
This pendant allows one's dreams to become slightly more than that - not quite reality, but one step closer. If the dream is to break, then so will I.
It had not taken him very long however to realise that it was an illusion based artefact, one that Fen had assumed worked based on the beliefs of the target - they had to believe in the illusion to see it.
Frankly, it had been a perfect find - had he not discovered it, Fen very much doubted he would be sitting here in the lavish plains, and would more likely be lying in place of the demonic creature in those desolate tunnels.
"I see. That certainly does make a lot more sense, and would answer why I was able to understand and use the artefact despite my significant lack of power and experience - I have to say, a significant and important boon. Once I had understood the workings of the artefact, I snuck off in the middle of the night with it, the creature no doubt convinced by my facade of greed yet also slightly cautious of the unknown artefact in my hands, buying me time to make it to the exit."
Fen yet again paused, allowing himself to catch his breath.
"Once I made it to the exit - well that was a little less simple. First, I took off the torn cloth covering a shoulder wound I received in the earlier battle, allowing blood to drip on the floor. Then, once I was in the final chamber I created four as identical as possible runic symbols - something that looked like a spell or activation circle. I was hoping to convince the creature that it had already somehow fallen into my illusion as soon as it entered the chamber, and thanks to a little help from any far too obvious stall for time, it believed so, falling into the true illusion that the artefact I had managed to activate as I first entered the chamber provided."
"Oh and from there it was simple. The creature dove itself head first into the door, believing It could somehow make it through I must assume. Of course the door in question was not about to let it through - the rather obvious arm-sized burn mark on the door had told me as such. It died slowly and painfully - not that I know much about incineration, but I assume it's very agonising."
Auxley let out a sly smile, seemingly unperturbed by Fen's slight bout of sadism.
"I must imagine so. I assume this arm sized burn mark on the door also is what links to the previously mentioned important information?"
"You would be correct, Ms Auxley. That being said, it doesn't fully explain it - even if the creature in one of it's previous forms had an arm destroyed by the door, why would it only be used to the left arm in terms of fighting, but be comfortable with the right for everything else?"
"I suppose it doesn't completely add up yes, but Fen- you were still able to connect the information regardless, and to be honest with you, not everything in life needs to be answered. Take that from someone who's learnt that the hard way, multiple times."
Fen sighed.
"You're right, I just much prefer to not be left in the dark, even for something as minor as this - after all, fate is fickle - It wouldn't be beyond my luck for something seemingly so vastly unimportant to come back to bite me later".