“He smiled, saying, "Seek her throughout the world."
I said, "Why tell me of the world? My world is here, between these walls and the sheet of glass above; here among gilded flagons and dull jewelled arms, tarnished frames and canvasses, black chests and high-backed chairs, quaintly carved and stained in blue and gold."
"For whom do you wait?" he said, and I answered, "When she comes I shall know her."”
- Robert W. Chambers, The King In Yellow (1895, 2nd Era)
“Colin,” Erec tried to get his friend’s attention for the third time—but, like the other two failed attempts, Colin ignored him and continued leaning over on the desk in the laboratory. They were in a sterile room within the depths of the Seventh Cavern. Officially, as of Erec’s return to the Kingdom, the only functioning branch of Vortex Industries left on the planet as far as he and VAL were aware.
Lionel, the trusted steward of his estate, had taken great care to complete the last steps in preparing the research facility in Erec’s absence. Now, they had the all-clear to start working—but Erec had yet to hire staff. Despite being back for three weeks, he still had the Academy to contend with and the fallout of their return. It was just starting to reach a point where he might pursue more personal projects like this.
Yet the empty space of the lab, the fact almost no one knew about it, and Colin trying to escape the Academy had an unintended effect.
Colin had claimed a space in Erec’s lab. Carving out his own desk to throw himself into the work of Glyph experimentation. He’d spent this whole weekend like this, hunched over with a pen, working countless slips of paper and filling them with theoretical glyph work.
Erec rubbed his eyes.
“You missed a line,” VAL buzzed, and Colin paused, crumpled the paper, and threw it onto the white tiled floor of the lab amid the rest of his mess.
“Damn it all,” Colin swore, “If I’d included that line, it would have over-charged the glyph and looped around.”
The two of them had developed a potent alliance and, in the confines of this lab, made it near impossible for Erec to steal either of their attention.
“You can’t just hide in here; if I’m to go to this event, then you will as well,” Erec said.
Colin sighed. Then, finally, he set his pen down, only to shoot Erec a withering glare.
“As I’ve informed you, rust-bucket. House Lucuentus and House Nitidus are not on friendly terms; they are curs of polite society, and I shall not grace their function with my presence. I will not attend.”
“Yeah, you said that when I first showed up, but again, that kind of falls apart when faced with the fact that your father is attending.”
“Cheers to him. If his recovery is proving well enough that he feels compelled to waste his time with our societal enemies, then may he waste it. I, on the other hand, shall stay at my desk and work.”
“Your desk?” Erec asked.
“Indeed, I’ve claimed this space in your laboratory in the name of my house. Rejoice in my company, for its tie to the Nitidus line has undoubtedly boosted the value in this otherwise barren room.”
Erec scratched the back of his head. “This isn’t about you wanting to avoid going to a Lucuentus event—we both know that’s not it, Colin. You could care less. You’d show up and insult the family, and it’d be another day for you, and few would bat an eye. Hell, I know you’re not much of a people person either, but I don’t think that’s why you’re so reluctant to attend.”
“As I’ve said, I’m reluctant to go because I have work to do. With these eyes, I’ve uncovered much about magic that leaves me with a plethora of possibilities to explore. A simplistic mind like your own can’t hold the weight of such discoveries to marvel at, so I pity you the way I pity an ant.” Colin snorted and then moved to scratch more notes on the page.
This behavior from Colin was… New. On one hand, Erec was happy his friend had ignited a passion for Mysticism. On the other, he wished that between Garin and Colin, the two could balance one another out and find the in-between for preparing for the future and taking care of themselves—because as Erec took in the rest of the lab, Erec could see a lazy cot in the corner with dirty clothes and empty plates near it. Colin might be diving into the depths of magic, but it came at the cost of taking care of himself and taking in the bags under his friend’s eyes; if a fight were to break out, all of this work would have no point under these conditions.
Some of this behavior was that of a fevered mind trying to track discoveries. Erec knew VAL well enough to see that echoed in his friend. But the difference was that Colin was also using this to escape reality, much like Erec had thrown his all into the expedition to run from what the Kingdom had been demanding of him.
“You can’t avoid her forever,” Erec said.
Colin’s pen tore through a new bundle of paper, which he promptly balled and threw into his pile of garbage.
“That one wouldn’t have worked anyway,” VAL’s voice buzzed through the room, finally gliding away from Colin. It’d manifested a smaller cube than its main ‘body,’ secured in Erec’s Armor. It left a duplicate in the lab to facilitate operations, but Erec made it swear to keep its presence here unknown to those outside the Order. The last thing they needed was the Church marching into his land and jump-starting a war with the Count of Audax for harboring illegal tech before they were prepared.
As eager as he might be to kick start that, he knew it wasn’t the right time yet. But he was determined to start learning—he didn’t want to be a piece in others games anymore.
“I can, and I shall,” Colin swore, ignoring VAL.
“How is that?” Erec responded.
“We will marry, I’ll give her half of the estate to dwell, and I shall reside in the other half; there is no reason we must see one another nor act any more cordial than demanded.”
Erec sighed, pulling out a lab chair and sitting in it, resting his hands in his lap. “Alright, so you’re not into her—I get that, Colin. But I don’t think ceding half your ‘estate’ to a woman you’re not interested in is the right path. I’ve talked to Alexandra; I get the feeling that if you were honest with your feelings about this to her, she’d probably be right there next to you fighting against this entire thing proceeding—if that’s what you want, then I’m by your side too. I don’t care much for the formalities of nobility. Never have. But you have to have the courage to take what you want for your life.”
“It is not that. My betrothed is overbearing and obnoxious, and I don’t care much for her attitude, but a life together isn’t the worst thing imaginable.” Colin rolled his eyes and gave up on working on the glyphs. As well, he should. If Erec learned nothing from the expedition, it was that you couldn’t run from your problems.
“Sounds like a great basis for a relationship,” Erec matched Colin’s tone, and also, to drive his point home, he rolled his eyes the same way Colin did.
“I will marry her. It’s fine for our families to unite, and of all the potential suitors, she’s independent enough that I will have little interaction with her daily affairs.”
“That is neither good for you nor her. You should seek a partner that supports you and can lift up with one another.”
“All I need is myself. And space to conduct my research.” Colin replied.
“Science is a respectable choice.” VAL’s mechanical voice cut through the space as it settled on the table near Erec. “However, if you wish to go down the path of a lone researcher who gives it all to science and their career—excellent choice, by the way, go-getter. Then, it’s best you be upfront with your intentions. The last thing you need is a spouse who’s not on the same page, ruining your work ethic by dragging in unnecessary dramatics and relationships.”
Eric glared at the machine. “That is not the goal here, VAL. Colin does not need to be a loner doing research constantly.”
“I don’t see why not. There’s a certain category of humans who dedicate it all in the name of pursuing research! Why not bring that tradition into the modern era? He also has a wealthy family, so if he needs start-up capital, they can provide the seeds for that venture as well.” VAL retorted.
“It’s not that!” Colin shouted, standing up, huffing, “I like Alexandria. I do. I… Don’t know what to do with her, and I can’t stomach admitting that in her presence, the woman is abhorrent in her overt affections. If she got the inkling that her attentions returning to me after the wasteland was welcomed, Goddess knows when I would find spare time to work. I’ve seen you and Enide, and Garin and Olivia—you waste time that could be spent learning other trades colluding and whispering sweet nothings.”
“As I said, he’s the type of human that would rather sit in the darkness grinding away. Respectable.” VAL once more encouraged.
“I am not. I am not them, and I am not that. I want my space and my independence to be me, and I’m not about to forfeit that.”
“No one said you had to. But I am saying that if you want that, and you want to proceed with this marriage, this is a conversation you should have with her.” Erec pointed out.
“Everyone changes when they get to know another on that level. And I do not want to change. I’m already the prime example of peak nobility—there is nothing another can bring to my character that would enhance it instead of diminish it.” Colin beat a hand against his chest, his eyes wide and livid. The worst part about that statement was the flush on his face. Part of him believed that. He truly did. Not all of him. Erec had seen in the field that there was more going on in that thick skull of his that could change for the better—but… This was like the same kid that Erec beat the hell out of in their trials because of his annoying self-obsession.
“By the Goddess…” Erec groaned.
It was going to be a long night. Garin gave him the task of sorting Colin out and completing this plan. According to Garin, Colin’s attending wasn’t an option. But, after some prodding, what had been an option was whether or not Colin needed to accompany his betrothed.
He didn’t know what his friend had planned for this Gala, but there was more to it, and when it came to societal functions… Long ago, Erec had learned to trust his friend. But staring down the defiant Duchy-Spawn in front of him now, Erec had to muster his courage to face the challenge ahead. Not for the first time did he whisper a small curse to Garin for putting this job on his shoulders instead of doing it himself.
— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —
Bedwyr reclined on the couch in Erec’s study; his brother had his arms slung behind his head and feet kicked up on the table. For once, and for the first time in a long time, his brother was actually relaxed.
“Welcome sight to see you down here this weekend; I would have thought you busy training,” Erec said as he walked in; the study was barebones, given he’d taken the treasury of House Audax and instead launched a bunch of projects intended to enhance the Seventh Cavern instead of furnishing his manor more. Given how little he intended to stay down here and that he’d grown up with nearly nothing… He didn’t see the excessive need to throw a bunch of useless crap everywhere, aside from what was necessary to pass his house as respectable to judging visitors.
This room could be described as one of the most comfortable in the manor. Any artwork he took a shine to—particularly the stone carving of a phoenix—left by the previous enhancements had been moved here. There was a fireplace in the center of the room against the wall, a modest red and gold-trimmed rug, and the most comfortable seating.
Erec’s desk for trips down here was tucked in a corner, which still had his school books propped open.
Bedwyr opened a heavy lid and looked at Erec. “Gwen made me take a break.”
“Gwen’s smart,” Erec said; it was good to push yourself to your limits, but he’d learned that recovery was also a piece of the puzzle when not amid war. That balance was hard to find; Colin, Garin, and even his brother struggled. Though, Erec was doing his best to moderate himself. You had to hone your edge for battle but not dull it through overuse. “But typically, you stay in the Academy for your breaks, don’t you?”
“I do,” Bedwyr said and then sat straighter, his eyes locked on Erec. “But I heard something about that trip you took.”
Erec’s breath caught. This was it, a moment that had been coming for a while. He’d known he should’ve been the one who reached out first, but til now, he kept putting it off. Before Bedwyr even spoke, he knew what his brother was here for.
“Did you see her?”
The air grew heavy; Erec rolled his shoulders and tried to pick his words carefully. Ultimately, he gave up and opted to lay it out there. “I did. Mom’s alive. And she isn’t coming back.”