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The Exalt - Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 337: Finding More
🕑 Added 2023-03-27 02:03:59 +0000 UTCCelestina's interrogative tone and question turned Oscar stiff as a board, like a criminal about to approach the guillotine. His blood ran cold as ice, freezing his veins. Oscar opened his mouth but closed it again, clamped shut from the mix of shame and unwillingness. As a good face reader, Celestina had surely seen through him.
"How did you figure it out?" Oscar resigned himself and admitted his guilt with another question.
Celestina sheathed her rapier, unsummoned her dragon anima, and crossed her arms. All actions showed her unwillingness to hurt him, but Oscar only felt worse, seeing how much she trusted him. Yet, he broke that trust. Demon was his responsibility, and Demon killed the innocent with Oscar's hands. As Demon always said, he was Oscar, and Oscar was him.
"When the board game survivor described the unknown Fabricator who wielded a hammer with incredible strength, I immediately thought of you." Celestina drew closer to Oscar. "Their description of the hammer matched yours. I remember those blue swirls. However, I shot down Charles' joke before it could sow any doubt in you."
Celestina stopped a foot from Oscar, looming over him with a regal presence. An authoritative and regal pressure spilled over to suppress Oscar. He lost his breath, struggling to say a word. Right now, she changed from Celestina, his fellow book reader, to Princess Celestina Lovre Dragnar, the will of the Brilliant Drake Empire.
"I wanted to ask you myself. I believe in you. My eyes never failed to see through a person, and I know you're not someone who would kill their ally without a good cause. But the descriptions and your reaction confirmed everything." Celestina leaned closer, a fierce gaze from her emerald eyes. "So, what happened? Was it a conflict? A traitor? Or something else?
It fell to Oscar to answer. His face fell in shame. The hallways turned silent, with the last echoes of Celestina's voice fading. He lifted his head toward the high ceiling, wishing to fly away. With a sigh, he faced forward, matching her gaze.
"Would you believe me if I said I had no control at that time?" Oscar slumped to the floor, kneeling from exhaustion. He chuckled and cursed at himself. A part of him wished to scream out and oust Demon, but Celestina already had too much burden on her shoulders, and this was his problem.
Robert Raeven's lectures echoed from within, reaching his ears and telling him not to be afraid of asking for help. Despite how much it nagged at him, Oscar refused to follow his one-time teacher's lesson. Perhaps he would tell them when they were out, or Demon was resolved.
"Are you ok?" Celestina crouched down with a wrinkle of worry across her fair brow. "What do you mean you lost control? Is it really something you can't tell me?"
"I…" Oscar lost his words, and sweat flowed down his cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for killing him, and I feel awful. I'm sorry for not being able to tell you, but you shouldn't be so focused on me. Not when we're so close to the end."
Celestina didn't respond, not withdrawing her gaze. Then, a rustle came from Oscar's waist. Gol-4 levitated while still tied to Oscar and let out a small sigh.
"Let me vouch for him. Something is happening to him, and he doesn't wish to burden you. I can understand your worry, girl. Please try to be gentler with him. He has much on his mind, mainly trying to help you." Gol-4 said.
Celestina closed her eyes and furrowed her brow in deep thought. After a short few seconds, she exhaled as the usual gentle warmth came from her eyes. Oscar lost the tension from his shoulders. One look from her was enough to let him know it was alright.
"I won't force you to tell. I can tell you didn't mean to do it on purpose, and you regret it." Celestina reached out her hand and patted his head gently in a consoling manner. Her slight smile seemed so clear in these well-lit halls. "Take as much time as you need and tell me when you're ready. Though I'd prefer it if I didn't have to wait too long."
Oscar laughed, slight tears welling up from the corners of his eyes. Wiping them off with his sleeves, Oscar felt light and relaxed, like he had just walked through a gentle shower. Celestina stood up, extending her hand to Oscar, and he gladly took it.
With the topic of Demon kept away, Oscar told Celestina about everything he had been through. For some reason, Gol-4 chimed in, retelling the story of his past and his identity.
"I can't believe this….I did know about other continents, but to think our continent had such a storied past." Celestina held Gol-4 in her hands. "The Forest Heart Clan must have gone to great lengths to erase all traces of yours."
"Have you been to other continents?" Oscar asked.
Celestina held her chin in thought. "Sometimes, I accompanied my father on diplomatic meetings. I know we and the other empires pay tributes to a Primaere faction, the Archex Union."
"I've never heard of them. They must be a new power that rose in the past four thousand years." Gol-4 grumbled.
"They don't interfere much unless they call for a meeting of all vassals. When the divine essence was first discovered, the Archex Union laid down a decision with the consultation of the Primal Council. It was to be between our four empires and no one else." Celestina sighed. "In the end, the divine essence is a boon for them as well."
"Aren't they worried about another Primaere rising and taking over the continent from them?" Oscar wondered how it worked.
"Firstly, with the divine essence increasing the quality and growth of resources, they can siphon more tributes. Secondly, by showing their generosity, they instill more loyalty in the other vassals. And lastly, if a Primaere does emerge from our continent, they'd be inclined to be favorable and a good ally on the council." Celestina explained with a teacher's expertise. "Did I miss anything, Gol-4?"
"Nope. You are very well-learned and observant, my young princess." Gol-4 said. "But you forgot that a Primaere faction already has their own holy lands. They have divine essences of their own, and to ensure balance, the Primal Council makes sure no one tries to get one up on the other."
"Their intentions may have been noble at the conception, but now it's the same as all organizations. All of them are so self-interested they work together to ensure they remain in their seats of power and gain allies. Too much greed could lead to a siege by the jealous others." Celestina scoffed.
"When were we supposed to learn about all this?" Oscar wondered why he had to learn all this from Gol-4.
"Much later. I suppose we're both guilty of hiding things from each other to avoid burdening them." Celestina giggled and tapped Oscar's shoulder. She drew her silver hair back and skipped ahead. "We should be quite far, and yet nothing is happening."
Minutes later, Oscar heard a loud shout and snapped his head toward its direction. He smiled and rushed ahead with Celestina following by his side. He knew this voice, having heard it so many times. His eyes glinted with glee at the figure with green hair.
"Fred!" Oscar shouted, waving his hand.
"Os?!" Frederick looked dumbfounded before a wide smile spread across his face. "Os!"
Oscar twitched when he saw a swarm of large bees, one foot long, with two stingers chasing Frederick. Celestina raised her hand, and a downpour of falling light blanketed the hallway like a thunderstorm. Hordes of bees fell as lifeless husks impaled by several arrows of light, unable to withstand her powerful Ein.
'Shattering Wave' x 'Ripple Shroud'
A shockwave of obliterating Eirin let out earth-shattering cracks, turning many bees into piles of mush. Oscar's bulwark hissed and steamed from the rising temperatures caused by the fearsome explosion of power.
"Great, now I can fight with ease." Frederick turned. Winds gathered around his twin blades, screeching and twisting. It was as though Frederick had mastered the hurricane and unleashed it upon the bees, reducing the remainder of them into scraps.
"I didn't expect to run into a large swarm the moment I teleported here. But thankfully, I ran into the two of you." Frederick cheered and laughed while swinging his swords around with a whistle. He leaped over to Oscar and clasped his shoulder. "Good to see you again, Os, my man. And greetings to you, princess."
"Greetings, Frederick. It's good you're here. We need all the help we can get." Celestina bowed slightly.
"Fred, it's good to have you here." Oscar clasped Frederick's hand. "Now all we need is the rest of us. Have you seen Emily?"
"Emily? Oh, right." Frederick laughed awkwardly. "I left her behind. She probably really enraged right now…."
"What did you do?"
Comments
Pete
Can't see any reason for him to not tell her about Demon.
