Bring Out The Dead

[Briarheart]

I took one last look around the lab I used to waste countless hours away in. The long, sleepless nights spent trying to get that alchemical formula just right. The spilled cups of coffee that mingled with the dried up stains left on the countertops by failed experiments discarded long ago. So many memories, so many plans gone awry, so many futures that would never come to pass. As much as Red--I refuse to call her Scarlet, no matter how much she insists on complimenting her apparent transformation with an edgier name--promises me that I'm free to return to the Sanctum as I wish, I doubt I could ever willingly come back. Not anymore, now that she's essentially taken my place as the holder of Lichensith's leash.

"Thank you," I offered with a polite smile. "I should have everything I need to continue my work in Corone, but if I return I'll send a raven ahead of time so I don't drop in unannounced."

As we turned and left the lab, locking up behind us as we proceeded through the dark corridors towards the dungeons, I mulled over what the Ar'Tuel had said about her situation.
Her tone remained neutral, but I could sense the meaning of her words. The Master Hand tried to control her, tried to mold her into his successor; but something inside her snapped and now he stands to lose everything he worked so hard for. The irony of the situation was not lost on me. Everything that happened since my departure runs perfectly parallel to how I imprisoned Lye after the Eiskalt conflict and tried to re-educate him on how not to be such a shitty leader. I tried to do it with a kind and firm hand, but my mistake had been to also allow Aurelianus Drak'shal to torture him during that year. What civility can't teach, pain certainly can.

Except, Lye took what we had taught him and twisted it into something far worse than his older ways.

Sure, he was more focused in his dealings after we released him from his cell deep under the Sanctum, but he was also more ruthless. He would disappear for long stretches of time, without warning, scheming with gods-know-who-and-where. He refused to tell any of his inner circle about his machinations, only give us the vaguest of orders that we were expected to carry out with no questions asked. None of us could figure out what he was building up towards.

And then one day he brings home this ginger waif with the weird-ass back tattoo.

Twenty-five men died within the first week. Twenty-five men who fucking deserved it, mind you, but still.

I resigned my post (again) shortly after that... incident. Shortly after that, something must have happened to Red to turn her into an heir that Lichensith could be proud of at first, but apparently she spiraled into something that scared even him. What had he done to her? What did he trigger deep inside of her, that she would fall into the abyss and emerge this unfeeling, uncaring thing that finally made him start remembering all the shit I taught him about treating your subordinates as people and not expendable tools?

Whatever it was, it must've had something to with that book that Advencia delivered.

Oh well. It wasn't my problem, really. Not anymore.

If Red asked me politely, I'd continue looking into the matter when I had the time. Both she and the succubus knew I wouldn't turn down the book, since I'm a sucker for a good challenge. I'd just have to get the stupid thing translated, first.