With Danton and Raneaux of the way, Xera let Coe into his
lab. He had been a little self conscious about the state it was in after it had been ransacked but Coe didn't
seem to mind. In fact ,the way he was eyeing everything over made it more like
he was studying rather than glancing. After a few minutes of perusing the chaos,
Coe found a spot on a side bench to settle down. With both arms he swept
everything off, papers, vials, instruments and all to the floor. Xera presumed
that Coe had through this was how he naturally kept his lab and the extra mess
he had just made was now just another thing he had to clean up and tidy away.
After the day Xera had, all he wanted to do was rest but his bed sheet and
lumpy pillows were buried under a mountain of papers and books and found the idea
of clearing up more of a hassle. He thought this might be the best time to
question Coe while Coe set up his own equipment from his apothecary bag, while
he would have to tidy up around him.
The first question was a fishing question of sorts, trying
to lure out any underlying information. He asked him what he knew about the
word Acardaeum, which he professed to know little. He knew that from just
hearing the word made him feel giddy at the prospect of experimenting with
unlimited resources, time and away from prying eyes to perfect his craft. To
Xera the word had a similar meaning, although far less about experimenting on
people, but understanding the true nature of reality. It was curious thing,
that the world meant different things to both of them, but he kept his idea of
the Acardaeum to himself. He then brought up the next question, which was on
the symbol he had found on a scrap of paper in his room after the ransacking.
Coe half looked over at the design before carrying on with
setting up his workspace. He candidly said to Xera that he had seen the design
on Danton's necklace but Danton had not explained why he was so secretive about
possessing it. Xera cursed to the air. A little taken aback, Coe asked him what
was the matter with him. Xera tried to explain that the design was personal,
something key to his history lost in fragments of blotted memories and sighed. If
Danton knew more than he was telling, then there had to be a reason and
possibly it could be to manipulate him into doing what Danton wanted him to do.
Another curse left his lips directed at Danton before he settled down. Coe told
him that any information he learned from Danton in the morning would be relayed
as quickly as he could. Xera smiled, he
had no idea why Coe believed in him or followed his pursuits but he was
comforted by the support. He thought to himself that even though Danton had
brought him into the fold, Xera knew that perhaps one day, Coe would on his
side.
An hour or two later Coe had managed to create a nest for
himself under the desk and had fallen soundly asleep. Xera, on the other hand,
was kept up by his racing mind. The image of his mother's ring, the scrap of
parchment on the floor and Danton's necklace could not be separate instances to
him. There had to be some connection he wasn't seeing or just couldn't
remember. He grunted in frustration. From the shadows near the door, Umbra
stepped out and startled Xera. He told him that he had been there for most of
the night and thought it was only appropriate that he came to talk to Xera now,
before Coe awoke. He made small talk about what had happened in the ranch, how
Coe hated mutants and how he had told Raneaux to drug him.
Xera nodded along only half listening. Umbra was playing
with a deck of cards, practicing sleight of hand and tricks to keep his dexterity
sharpened. Umbra could see that Xera wasn't interested in how dangerous Coe
could prove to be to the Steadfast and pulled out an embroidered pouch to put
his cards away in. It was a small black cloth, far too small for the cards with
dark purple embroidery. He slipped the cards entirely into the pouch amazing
Xera. He asked what it was, to which Umbra shrugged his shoulders. He explained
he had been given it by a fellow Hawk who had explained they had got it from a old
woman who said it was cursed. This intrigued Xera and that only deepened when
Umbra explained that the design on it; the same design from the ring, the paper
and the necklace, was the reason why.
Xera nearly sprang to
his feet. He didn't believe in the natural confluence of events. Something must
be here and he could not grasp at it, no matter how much his mind desperately
tried. It felt as if the world was teasing him, mocking him for near blank
past. He desperately asked Umbra where the old woman had found it. There was
a few moments pause before Umbra
remembered a detail. He said that the woman may have said it from a lost temple
although he wasn't sure. The details on the exact place were a little hazy but
he remembered that one detail had stuck in his fellow Hawk's mind, it was place
like a mirage, out of step with the universe, an unchanging sentinel. The last
word had stuck in Xera's mind, it was odd to him that the place had been
described as both a temple and a sentinel, a building ever watchful, ever
observing. He asked one last question,
if Umbra knew what the Acardaeum was. He said he had never heard of the world
before tonight, but he somehow knew it was a place of safety, tranquillity, a
place where he was understood and accepted. He knew now that he wouldn't be
able to sleep tonight, he was far too frustrated and now even more confused. There
were no real answers and the responses he got were more confounding that the
question. There was one thing for certain, Danton was hiding something from him
which meant he couldn't be trusted.
No comments:
Post a Comment