Chapter 61: Citadel

(Chapter 61 Citadel)

"Keep up! Don't get separated on the sandstorm!"

"Stay together! Don't get separated in the sandstorm!"

Falric shouted to the caravan as the raging storm whipped around them. Their vision was nearly obscured by the swirling sands, making it difficult to navigate through the harsh desert terrain.

"Brother?"

Penance called out, her voice muffled by the howling sandstorm. She had wrapped her arms tightly around Tempest's back and rested her head against him, seeking comfort and reassurance amidst the blinding, swirling sands.

"I'm still here, Penance. Keep your head low, we'll get through this."

Tempest said, his voice steady despite the howling wind.

After a while, the sandstorm finally subsided. Tempest immediately ordered Rohan to conduct a body count. Thankfully, all one hundred fifty men who had set out on this expedition were present and accounted for.

"Teacher, look."

Cyno said, pointing toward something partially visible. It appeared to be the tip of a building, though the entire structure was likely buried beneath the sand.

"Impossible..."

Cyrus murmured, his eyes widening in disbelief. Without hesitation, he dismounted from the Sumpter beast and hurried to the tip of the buried building. With urgent, determined motions, he began to dig at the sand with his hands, desperately uncovering what lay beneath.

"Cyno! Help me out here!"

Cyrus shouted, his voice tinged with urgency. Seeing his teacher's unusual behavior, Cyno rushed over and joined him, both of them working together to clear the sand from the partially buried structure.

"What are you two doing?"

Tempest asked, his curiosity piqued as the entire caravan came to a halt. He watched as Cyrus and Cyno fervently dug through the sand, their actions drawing the attention of the rest of the group.

"I apologize, Mister Tempest, but my role as your guide through the desert ends here. I must verify whether this is indeed the Citadel."

Cyrus explained, his determination evident in his voice as he continued to dig through the sand.

"Citadel?"

Tempest inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"It is a grand library that once stood proudly here in the desert, it was one of the few structures that survived the collapse of the Scarlet King's civilization. However, it mysteriously vanished beneath the sands eighty-eight years ago. Coincidentally, one of the most brilliant scholars of the last century disappeared around the same time..."

Cyrus explained to Tempest.

Tempest let out a weary sigh as he observed Cyrus and his student tirelessly digging through the sand. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke, his voice tinged with both curiosity and impatience.

"I need a guide through this desert, and you've been doing your job well so far."

Tempest said, his impatience evident. He clicked his tongue in frustration before turning to Rohan

"Rohan, have the men take a break here and get some shovels. We're wasting time delving into ruins again."

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The caravan came to a halt once more, encircling the partially buried structure. The men quickly set to work, digging tirelessly to uncover what lay beneath the sands. After some time, their efforts revealed an opening in the structure, and the tall tip of a spire was exposed, revealing an open window that hinted at the secrets hidden inside.

"This had better be worth the trouble, Cyrus."

Tempest muttered, his patience wearing thin as he eyed the newly uncovered structure.

"It will be, I assure you."

Cyrus replied confidently, unfurling an old illustration of the structure.

"What we've uncovered is merely the tip of the Citadel. The entire building beneath is much larger. Perhaps the sandstorm earlier shifted enough of the desert to finally reveal it."

Cyrus concluded, and Tempest couldn't help but feel a surge of intrigue. What they had uncovered was only a small fragment of what lay beneath the sands, evidence of something far grander and more significant.

"Your Grace, we are ready to move out whenever you are."

Rohan said, standing with twenty men prepared and waiting behind him.

Tempest eyed the group carefully, and then he spotted Hatsume, hiding behind the knights, she immediately jolted, and when Tempest spotted her, Tempest grabbed her uniform and made her look at him.

"Don't do anything stupid."

Tempest warned his voice firm and commanding.

"G-Got it, chief!"

Hatsume replied, her usual eccentricity momentarily subdued. She couldn't help but shiver slightly under Tempest's stern warning, though she still managed to offer him a nervous smile.

"Good, let's move."

Tempest commanded firmly. His men swiftly followed his orders, setting up a sturdy ladder down the newly uncovered window. They carefully positioned the ladder to ensure it was secure before beginning their descent into the depths of the structure.

"My Archons, pretty dark down there..."

Hatsume remarked, peering cautiously out the window. She swiftly retrieved a flare gun from one of the many pouches on her belt and fired it into the darkness below.

"Looks like a library, chief."

Hatsume said to Tempest, her voice filled with a mix of awe and curiosity as she peered through the flare's light.

"I knew it! It is the Citadel! Let's go Cyno!"

Cyrus exclaimed, excitement evident in his voice. Without hesitation, he began descending the ladder, eager to explore the ancient structure. Cyno, with a resigned sigh, followed closely behind his Teacher, ready to assist in uncovering the secrets of the long-lost library.

"Let's go, Penance stay close to me."

Tempest instructed, his voice firm yet reassuring. As he followed Cyrus and Cyno down the ladder into the structure, his men began to descend in an orderly fashion behind him.

"It's so dark in here..."

Penance remarked, her voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space. The flare cast long, flickering shadows on the walls, illuminating only a small portion of the vast and hidden interior of the Citadel.

"Take out your torches."

Tempest commanded. His men quickly complied, drawing their torches. As Tempest's Delusion activated, a vibrant flame danced in his palms before splitting into smaller flames that ignited each torch. The sudden burst of light revealed intricate details of the library's grand, yet ancient, interior, casting away the oppressive darkness.

"Rohan, take three knights, and accompany those two, don't get them lost."

Tempest said to Rohan, gesturing for him to accompany Cyrus and Cyno, to make sure they wouldn't get lost.

"Got it, Your Grace."

Rohan responded with a nod. He gathered three of his knights and, followed closely behind Cyno and Cyrus.

"What are you doing, Hatsume?"

Tempest asked, his gaze fixed on Hatsume, who was busy tinkering with one of her devices.

"There we go!"

Hatsume exclaimed triumphantly as she held up a device that emitted a bright, pulsating purple light. She had ingeniously harnessed her Electro Vision to power it, creating a powerful light source that cut through the darkness of the ancient structure.

"See?! I'm not doing anything stupid, chief!"

Hatsume said with a confident smirk, her eyes gleaming with pride as she held up her device.

"Ohhh! Nice job! Hatsume!"

Penance exclaimed, her face lighting up with enthusiasm as she gave Hatsume a high five.

"Split into three groups, search for anything of value, but be cautious of where you step and avoid pulling any levers or pressing any buttons. We'll regroup here in an hour. Penance, Hatsume, you two will be with me."

The knights nodded in agreement, quickly organizing themselves into the designated groups.

Tempest, Penance, and Hatsume ventured into the right wing of the library, their path illuminated by Hatsume's device. Meanwhile, the other groups dispersed into the remaining sections.

"Hm, I can't read any of these..."

Tempest muttered to himself, examining a book pulled from one of the many ancient shelves. The text was written in a script that dated back to Deshret's civilization, its intricate symbols and faded ink a reminder of the long-forgotten era.

'Young Pasha? Are you there?'

Tempest inquired mentally, his thoughts reaching out, but he was met with an unsettling silence. The lack of response was disconcerting, making him wonder if something was amiss.

'She's been silent since yesterday... I hope nothing has gone wrong, perhaps she's just sleeping...'

Tempest mused to himself, a hint of concern threading through his thoughts.

"Hatsume, do you happen to understand any of these texts?"

Tempest asked, turning to her with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Nah, chief, these texts are incredibly ancient and complex! But if I can find an alphabet table for this language, I could potentially learn it in about a month or two."

Hatsume replied, her hands busily placing random books into her bag. Her enthusiasm for deciphering new languages was evident, even though she knew it would be a lengthy process.

"Hm."

Tempest muttered, his gaze shifting to Penance, who was intently focused on her kamera. She was busy taking pictures of the library's surroundings, capturing the intricate details and ancient architecture with a sense of awe.

"Hm?"

Tempest noticed an odd-looking book lying in the hallway. He glanced briefly at Hatsume and Penance to ensure they were within sight. Satisfied that they were close by, he cautiously approached the book for a closer examination.

'Don't touch that!'

Nahida's voice echoed urgently in Tempest's mind. Her warning was filled with concern as if she sensed danger emanating from the book.

'Young Pasha?'

'Tempest, my senses are telling me that something malevolent and dangerous lurks in this place. I sense the presence of forbidden knowledge, something that should not be tampered with. Please, for your own safety, leave this place immediately.'

Nahida's tone becomes urgent and anxious.

'I see, very well. Thank you for the warning, Young Pasha.'

Tempest swiftly backed away from the book, his mind racing with the tales of forbidden knowledge he had heard. The destruction of Khaenri'ah was a stark reminder of the dangers that such knowledge could bring. He knew better than to risk his homeland for something so perilous.

".. -. - .-. ..- -.. . .-."

"Huh?!"

Tempest spun around, only to find himself face-to-face with a Primal Construct. He quickly unsheathed his sword, ready for a fight. However, this Primal Construct was unlike any he had seen in the Fontaine Research Institute, its face resembled a sundial. As Tempest raised his sword, the Construct emitted a blinding light, freezing him in place. He felt his body and mind come to a complete standstill as if time itself had stopped around him.

The Primal Construct then vanished from sight, dragging Tempest along with it. As it turned invisible, Tempest's own form became undetectable as well. He felt nothing as the sensation of movement ceased entirely. His mind, immobilized by the Construct's strange power, was caught in a state of suspended animation. His body was completely still, unable to move or react.

"Chief? Chieeeef?"

Hatsume and Penance called out, their voices echoing through the library. They searched frantically, but Tempest was nowhere to be seen...

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"Hyah!"

Tempest swung his sword, but to his surprise, the Primal Construct was nowhere in sight. His senses slowly returned, and his mind struggled to piece together the events that had just unfolded. The sudden shift from paralysis to movement left him disoriented, grappling with the confusion of what had just happened.

"Where am I?"

Tempest muttered to himself as he took in his surroundings. He looked around the room, where ancient texts were scattered haphazardly across the walls. Above, a grand replica of the sky adorned the ceiling, with the sun and moon depicted in vivid detail. In the center of the room, a large sigil of a star with an eye in its center.

But what truly caught his attention was the woman lying on the sundial in the middle of the room. Papers were strewn about haphazardly around her, and she stared blankly at the scripts above. Her hair, a striking gradient of turquoise, cascaded around her as she lay motionless on the ground.

"Ah, it appears that you have become ensnared by it as well, have you not?"

The woman lying on the sundial spoke, her voice echoing softly in the chamber.

"Who are you? Are you the guardian of this place or something?"

Tempest asked, his voice steady despite the uncertainty. He gripped his sword tightly, his eyes never leaving the mysterious figure as he prepared for any possible threat.

"Me? A guardian? Hardly. I am but another individual who stumbled into this predicament after being ensnared by that strange Primal Construct. You may refer to me as Faruzan, and I regret to inform you that you may find yourself locked in here for the foreseeable future..."