Chapter 760: Misplaced Reflections
Chapter 758 – Misplaced Reflection
A dull clap of thunder suddenly sounded in the sky above Faelen – and a few minutes later, torrential rain fell from the sky, enveloping the small city-state located in the southwestern sea like a hazy mantle.
The city’s inhabitants had been wondering where the huge luminous bodies had fallen from the sky after the “lightbursts” that had briefly swept across the sky had disappeared into the distance above sea level, and now the sudden rainfall seemed to be an even more disconcerting omen – the rain was already dark. -In the rain, the already dark night was filled with even heavier darkness, the pale world’s creation turned into a huge mouth that seemed to be constantly writhing and trembling in the overcast clouds, the wind whimpered in the streets and alleys, and the raindrops that rolled up slapped against the windows, cascading and distracting.
Lawrence crossed the lobby of the inn and saw a number of stranded people gathered around the windows, whispering about the flashes of light that had streaked across the sky earlier, about the downpour of rain outside, about the Guardian patrol that had just left, the warmth of the fireplace splintering not far away, and the bright electric lamps fighting off the blanket of night outside the windows like vigilant warriors – -On this disturbingly rainy night, fire and light supported the increasingly fragile security barrier in people’s hearts.
“It’s just normal rain ……” a soft voice came from the small mirror on her chest as Martha whispered to Lawrence, “I confirmed in the spirit world that nothing will happen. ”
Lawrence nodded softly as he looked out the window, seeing the curtains of rain blurring the landscape of the street, the water running down the glass, outlining a distorted light as Martha’s figure appeared at the window, giving him a wisp of a smile.
“I just made a trip to the White Oak through the mirror jump, all is well on board, don’t worry.”
“Tough luck,” Lawrence cooed softly, in a voice that could not be heard by the onlookers, “be careful when you enter the spirit world, this world is no longer safe.”
“I know,” Martha nodded and went on, “Also, I’ve noticed a couple of ships over by the military harbor suddenly leaving and disappearing at full speed into the night to the northeast, two of them are construction ships with large winches and traction arms.”
“They’re there to recover the ‘fallout’, it looks like a luminary has landed near Fae’ron,” Lawrence quickly responded, “…… I hope all goes well.”
Martha nodded gently, before her figure faded away from the window – the hazy curtains of rain and water filling Lawrence’s field of vision anew.
The duty clerics looked at each other in disbelief.
The Sanguine Pope, who resembled a small giant, snapped his eyes open and saw that he was still sitting on his knees in the prayer room, the flames blazing in the fire pit in front of him.
Lawrence subconsciously rose with a burst of anger at seeing this appearance of the other party, but immediately afterward, he sensed that something was wrong, he frowned as he approached the dry body and glanced at the wine bottle in the other party’s hand, “What have you let ‘possess’ you again?”
Frem snapped out of his routine meditation, the visions of the flames passing through his mind tingling.
The strong odor of alcohol hit him.
“I used to, like, really be a person,” the dryad reached up and propped himself up as if trying to bring his sitting position into alignment, and after a few efforts failed to do so, “We went far, far away, and then …… it took a a long, long time to return to this damned infinite sea ……”
And Freem had already crossed the corridor outside the prayer room with big strides at this moment – after leaving the inner sanctuary, his figure suddenly transformed into a flowing firelight that bounced between the countless candlesticks, fire pots and bonfire piles inside the sanctuary, and almost in the blink of an eye, he had crossed the entire upper level of the ark, and came all the way to the building that was located in the entire Fire Bringer’s Ark’s most central building.
“I’m going to make a trip to the archives,” Frem said without looking back, “the others don’t need to follow, and take care of guarding the Chronicle Pillar’s bonfire.”
……
But the moment he entered the room, his movements suddenly stopped.
Shadows of visions still seemed to linger in the ever-leaping firelight, and gradually crumbled over time.
The old captain looked out for a moment somewhat out of breath, and turned to leave the lobby of the little hotel.
However, the “sailor” who would usually jump up whenever he saw the spirit fire didn’t have such a big reaction this time, this dry body just casually put the bottle of wine on the table, and looked at the old captain’s fingertip fire with a bit of stagnation, and slowly lifted his head after a few seconds, “Captain, I’m fine, I just remembered something.”
The Pope’s sudden appearance startled the clerics waiting outside the prayer room, and one of the duty clerics clad in black and red robes immediately went forward to ask: “What’s wrong with you?”
This Pope, the fire transmitter, gradually frowned as he stared at the fire pot for a while, suddenly realizing something, he fiercely got up and walked towards the door.
Lawrence frowned tightly, staring at this abnormal 077 whose state seemed to be a bit off while slowly speaking, “…… Remember something?”
In the night, a dried and withered figure was sitting crookedly on a chair in the room, the faint light of the street lamp spilled into the room from the window and shone on the uninvited guest-he heard the movement of the door opening and slowly turned his head, his skeleton like and dried out face revealing a chilling smile:” Ah …… Captain, you are back.”
While saying that, he slightly raised his arm, and a wisp of translucent spirit flame then jumped and rose at his fingertips.
“Captain ……” The sailor cocked his head, his whole head drooping as if it was going to be torn from his neck, he carried a huge bottle of wine in one hand, and casually gulped a large mouthful down his throat, and the wine flowed recklessly along the ragged holes in his chest and the cracks on his neck It flowed and pattered on the floor, “I found this in my room – don’t get me wrong, I didn’t steal it …… from you, I know the rules, stealing from the captain gets you hanged from the mast! ……”
He made his way back through the stairs and corridors to his temporary quarters upstairs and fumbled for the key to open the wooden door, whose paint was already a bit stained.
Lawrence raised his hand and turned on the room’s electric light, the bright glow dispelled the night and made the ugly dry body not look so weird and appalling, he frowned at the other man with a serious look, “‘Sailor’? What are you doing here with me if you’re not staying in your own room?”
Located below the “big bonfire”, protected by a thick monolithic dome, the “Archives” stored and recorded countless historical scrolls and precious stone tablets.
The archive is brightly lit, and rows and rows of neatly arranged shelves are displayed in the large hall like a giant wall. These shelves, which are stronger and heavier than any conventional bookshelves, are placed on a long track, and the track contains a hidden traction mechanism, which is driven by a steam mechanism, in order to allow the shelves to be moved at any time between the internal bookstore and the external reading room.
However, Frem’s goal was not the shelves that towered over the walls, but the “secret rooms” deeper in the archives. He made his way through all the shelves and tracks to the stone wall at the end of the hall, where he was stopped by two Fire Protector knights in heavy armor, wielding flaming greatswords.
“The chamber is sealed off,” the knights said, his voice low and muffled beneath the heavy face armor, still meticulously performing his duties even with the Pope standing before him, “May I ask the reason for your visit?”
“I need to access the tablets left behind by successive popes,” Frem said in a hushed voice, “I suspect a history line penetration has occurred.”
A slight sound of joints rubbing and clanking came from under the knight’s armor.
“…… Era range?” Another knight spoke up and asked.
“Between 1600 and 1755 of the New Citadel calendar.” Frem said.
The two knights looked at each other and each took a half step to the side, simultaneously lifting the flame shaped greatsword in their hands and placing it above the two notches on the ground in front of the stone wall, one of them looked cautiously at Frem again, “Please confirm the current time.”
“January 22nd, 1902 of the New Citadel calendar.”
The flame-shaped greatsword was inserted into the grooves on the floor, and with a roar of a mechanism in motion, the stone wall slowly receded backward.
“Acknowledged, January 22nd, 1902 of the New City-State Calendar,” the Fire Protector Knight said in a deep voice, “Please return before the end of the day. Godspeed.”
……
“We’ve lost contact with the Sea Song,” the middle-aged man clad in the robes of a deep-sea cleric bowed his head in front of Helena, uneasiness and frustration in his tone, “They maintained intermittent communication with the temporary lighthouse for about an hour after they crossed the 6 nautical mile critical line, and then there was no word. ”
The cleric then paused and added, “After the psychic communication failed, we ventured to turn on the radio, but we still haven’t received a signal from the Sea Song.”
After a brief silence, Helena slowly nodded.
“Stand down.”
“Yes, Pope.”
The middle-aged cleric bowed and exited the room, and the place was quiet once again.
After a long time, Helena rose from her seat as she slowly made her way to the icon of the storm goddess, Gemona, and cast a seabreath wood amulet into the fire pit at the foot of the icon, then raised her head to gaze at the veil-covered goddess.
The goddess’s face was hidden beneath the black veil, as if it were the elusive waves of the sea and fate.
“…… The Heralds we sent to find you are missing, have they arrived safely in your realm? Or …… have they been lost in the vast emptiness beyond the world?”
The goddess remained silent, even the soft sound of the waves did not come.
After an unknown amount of time like this, Helena finally let out a soft sigh, and then she withdrew her gaze from looking at the icon and lowered her head to gaze at the blazing fire pot in front of her.
“Lune, the advance fleet sent by the Church of the Deep beyond the borders has been lost,” she whispered into the fire pot, “Do you still want to continue with the plan on your side?”
“Continue,” Loon’s voice rang out from the flames, “The ‘Laws of Mathematics’ has completed its preparations and will be leaving port for the southern border in twenty-four hours- -we’ve detected a stronger signal in that direction, and it may go better than the Sea Song.”
Helena listened, nodding softly before musing slightly, “On Banister’s side ……”
Her words were interrupted in mid-sentence by a sudden crackling and popping sound in the firepit.
Her eyes widened unexpectedly – Frem’s voice rang out abruptly from the fire, “Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve brought an important piece of information that has to do with the Sea Song.”
“Frem?” Helena said in surprise, followed by a reaction, “The Sea Song, you say? You have information about the Sea Song?!”
“Yes,” the flames crackled, and Frem’s voice seemed slightly distorted, “The Sea Song has returned.”
“The Sea Song has returned?” Helena couldn’t hide her shock at once, “When? How did I ……”
“December 1675.” Frem said calmly.
(End of chapter)