Theurgy: Forsaken Oaths (Book Two)

Chapter 26 The Undead Centurion

Lyse didn't know how to describe the experience.

He had been in deep meditation before; using void often required such a state of mind, but there was a certain serenity. And that was what he felt when he went into mediation. But then, when the drug entered his system, it was like a shock to awakeness. Except he did not wake. Euphoria overwhelmed him; this spike in awareness threatened to overtake every last one of his remaining senses. It took a lot to keep a level head, and he felt the wisdom of Athena keep him from tipping too far over the edge. And once he did that, he felt in control once more. But there was something else there too. This mysterious guide was in the back of his mind, pulling on his feet to move him. He relinquished himself to that and that alone. Moving along, eyes closed, trusting this feeling to lead him where he wanted to go.

Ryan observed Lyse. Thankfully the streets were utterly empty given the curfew, and most of the military police were caught up at the docks rather than where they were going. When he inhaled the bit of dust, he noticed a brief disturbance in Lyse's natural flow of avra. Sure, it was still as serene and as fluid as before, but it was at the same time disturbed. This was no ordinary stuff at all. Lyse stumbled about, looking like he would fall several times only to regain balance last second. He knew this was a dumb decision, but it was Lyse's to make. He would have to see where this plays out and make sure this guy doesn't kill himself before they could deal with Talin. He stayed out of sight, his dark cloak lending him invisibility at night and carefully watching every other shadow to make sure they weren't being protected or even followed. So far, nothing seemed off. They were headed towards the center of town, the open market where many of these victims went missing. Ryan was curious exactly how people could disappear in such a crowded space like this. So many eyes, it is impossible that no one saw someone being taken away or anything.

Lyse arrived at the market finally. The night grew cold at this hour, and the empty market area created a strange atmosphere. Rarely had he seen such a commercial place so deserted of human life. Every vendor spot had been shut down, and goods were taken into storage for the next day. The only noteworthy feature was the structure Lyse had mentioned. During the day, it was filled with beggars hassling passersby. But at night, not a soul could be seen. It was simply too dangerous, after all. It takes only a somewhat curious monster to stumble into town and have himself a feast on the needy. But that was where he was headed.

Perhaps it was instincts or intuition, but something told him to move. Ryan leaped from the shadows, grabbing him by the shoulders before he could step inside.

"Alright, I think we're here," he said. "Snap out of it already."

"But she's right there," Lyse said in low tones. "She's calling to me. So . . . beautiful."

Ryan struck Lyse across the face, stirring him from his meditative state. Lyse, in confusion, blinked twice as the pink light that had been there slowly faded from them. "Did you . . . did you just slap me?"

"It worked," Ryan suggested. "Anyway, it seems like your hunch was right. Look."

Lyse looked to the shrine. It wasn't very special looking. The traffic has indeed left it to disrepair over the years, and nothing of outward notoriety called out to him. So, he looked deeper. Taking a deep breath, he further delved into the wisdom of Athena and took a much closer look at the structure than before. By its looks, it was from the same ancient civilizations that had existed before Thiria, before the war in heaven, that had devastated reality itself. The more he examined it, the more curious he became of its make. It didn't look like something of a solid foundation, nor made for such heavy foot traffic. With the way, the arches were carved and their size, it was hard to believe this was a shrine to the old gods. Because it wasn't, he examined the ground, the large stone ring in the center space. He placed his hands directly in the center and used void to see through its construction. Using void to see through solid objects always produced a somewhat fuzzy visual. But as he dug deeper, he noticed the space suddenly became hollow, as a large chamber fell directly below them. That was when it dawned upon him. He pulled back.