***
Saryn watched the floor as she walked, trying to make sense of the octagonal tiles and the symbols on them. She didn’t see Chuckie stop, which caused her to run into him. She grunted and started to say more, but he shushed her. She edged around him and saw why.
The unchanging hallway had finally come to an end. Like a river flowing into the ocean, the hallway opened into a gigantic chamber that seemed like the one they had jumped into earlier. Only this time, instead of a pile of rubble and dust, a dais was suspended three-quarters of the way to the ceiling. From their low angle, they couldn’t see what was actually on the platform, just flashing lights and changing colors.
“What's that?” Chuckie asked.
Saryn put a finger to her mouth to shush Chuckie, then whispered, “How should I know?”
Chuckie shrugged. “I'm going to find out.” He took a couple of steps forward, but stopped when he heard a familiar voice coming from the dais.
“Saryn! Chuckie! Good to see you.”
“Ceril?” Chuckie asked. “That you, boss?”
Ceril appeared at the edge of the platform and beckoned toward them. “Come on up!”
“Ternia!” Saryn said, relieved. “How are we supposed to get up there?”
“Just walk,” Ceril shouted. “It's fine.”
Saryn and Chuckie shared a look. “Umm,” Chuckie said.
“Really, just walk up here. It’s fine.”
Chuckie toed the ground in front of him, and he finally took a tentative step. The ground rumbled beneath his foot. He took another step and noticed rather quickly that the ground was rising with him. He turned to Saryn, gave her the all-clear, and then the two of them made their way up the rising incline to the dais.
“Glad to see you're okay, boss,” Chuckie said upon reaching the platform. He clapped Ceril on the back.
“Same for you, Chuckie.”
“How did you survive that fall, Ternia?” Saryn asked, an edge of minor hysteria in her voice. She had been fine all the way—until she found out that Ceril was okay, and then she allowed herself the luxury of a small freak out.
“I…don't know,” Ceril said honestly. “I woke up under some rubble. I worked my way out from under it and started walking. Eventually, I made my way here.”
“Where is here, anyway?” Chuckie asked. He looked around the platform and pointed at the silent man standing beside the desk. “And who's he?”
Ceril turned his head toward the hologram. “That's the Archive,” he said. “He’s…sort of a curator for the database that's housed here.”
“I see.”
“He’s a hologram, isn’t he?” Saryn asked.
“I am indeed.” The hologram stepped forward and waved at the newcomers. “Hello, Charons.”
Saryn blinked twice. “Excuse me?”
“This place, this Archive, was built by the Charons,” said Ceril.
“And he knows we're Charons how?” Chuckie asked.
“Because I told him you were.”
“And he knew to trust you because?”
“I…don't know that, either. He said that I have authorization to be here, though.”
“That’s handy,” Chuckie said and stared at the hologram. It stared back at him, periodically flickering. “I don't like it,” Chuckie said at last.
“Me, either, Ceril,” Saryn said, changing the subject. “By the way, about this meeting we were supposed to have with a priest of some sort?”
“Yeah, about that.”
“We missed it,” Chuckie said.
“Obviously,” Saryn shot back.
“The audience was scheduled almost three hours ago by now, I think,” Ceril said. He walked back to the desk and sat down. “Have a seat.”
“Where?” Chuckie asked. The rest of the platform was bare. There were no chairs, except for the one Ceril sat in.
“Archive, we need chairs.” Swirls of what appeared to be dust rose from the ground, and as they rose, the legs materialized, then the seat and back and arms. In seconds, two chairs grew from the platform. They could see them forming from the ground up.
“Did that hologram just Conjure?” Saryn asked.
Ceril nodded. “I think so, yeah. Somehow.”
“I don't like this, Ternia,” Saryn said. “Not one bit.”
“I'm not the biggest fan, myself,” Ceril said. He gestured at the chairs. “They're safe, though.” Chuckie and Saryn sat down, and once they were sitting, Ceril continued. “I have found a few pieces of information in the Archive that could be useful. I don't understand a lot of it. It’s written in the script we saw outside on the tower. The language really is a mixture of Erlonian symbols, and it doesn’t use anything resembling modern syntax. I can glean a little meaning from it, though, here and there. And, as much as I hate to say it, there are pictures that I get a lot more from than I do the words.”
Chuckie snickered. Ceril rolled his eyes.
“Not just illustrations. Maps. I think that this whole world, this whole Instance, was an experiment the Charons were conducting. It may have been the experiment they were conducting, actually.”
“What do you mean?” Saryn asked.
“If I'm deciphering it correctly—and just so you know, I may not be—this Instance was the first one that ever successfully took.”
“Took what?” Chuckie asked.
“Took, expanded, grew, worked, whatever,” Ceril said. “And even if it wasn't the first, it was one of the first. It was called Jaronya—”
“That's familiar,” Saryn said, and Ceril nodded.
“—and was used as, I think, a headquarters for Charonic activity.”
“Like the Sigil?” Saryn asked.
“I think so, yeah. There was a war, though.”
“Between who?” Chuckie asked.
“Charons,” Ceril said. “It was pretty nasty stuff. The order had broken into two factions, and they just about wiped each other out. Or, at least out of, Jaronya. At one point, there were five major cities on Jaronya.”
“Five?” Saryn asked, astonished. “Whole cities? There were that many Charons?”
“I’m assuming,” Ceril continued. “Of those cities, Meshin, the one above us, was the largest. It served as the capital, and I think the central spire we were heading toward was the seat of the governing body.”
“This is all fine and dandy, but what does this have to do with anything?”
“Well, it has to do with us getting home,” Ceril said.
“How's that?” asked Chuckie.
“If this was one of the first Instances that ever worked—assuming we're correct in being taught that the technomages started on Erlon—there has to be a connection back there somewhere.” Ceril turned his attention to Saryn. “Right? I mean, I assume that if the connection was made between two Instances that they always occupy the same space?”
She nodded. “Yeah…yeah, there should be. If this Instance originated in Erlonian space, then no matter how much it expanded afterward, there should still be parts of the terrain that overlap. It might only be a sliver if there has been a lot of shift, but they could still be connected.”
“So we find that place and go home?” Chuckie asked.
“I hope it's that simple,” Saryn said.
“Me, too,” Ceril said. “There are maps here, too. Archive, can you download the maps to the tablet, please?”
“It is done, Charon.”
“Also, will this tablet work outside of the Archive? I need to take it with me when we leave.”
“Yes, Charon. I will set the nanites to be unresponsive to recall commands and break their bond with the network. That will program them to remain permanently as the tablet.”
“Thank you, Archive,” Ceril said as he turned to his friends. “Okay, these maps? They are from before the war, before these winged Jaronya, and before the ruins. That means we'll have to do a little work on our own. But I think we should be able to find the locations the old Charons used
to Instance hop.”
“Aren't those marked on the maps?” Saryn asked.
Ceril shook his head. “Not that I can tell. They might be, but I can't read it if they are.”
“Did you ask him?” Chuckie said, tilting his head at the hologram.
“I…” Ceril paused. “No. I didn’t.”
Chuckie smiled. “Archive? That’s your name, right?”
“Yes, Charon.”
“Are there any Instance portals marked on those maps?”
“You do not currently have access to that information, Charon. I am sorry. If you believe that is a mistake, would you like to proceed with verification?”
“Damn right, I would. What do I have to do?”
“Remain still while the verification process is completed,” the hologram said. It leaned close to Chuckie's face and flashed the same colors into his eyes as it had Ceril's. Seconds passed, and the hologram said, “I am sorry, Charon. You do not have authorization to access the Archive. You will be given five minutes to vacate the premises before you are terminated.”
“Whoa, hold on there, Archive,” Chuckie said, hopping to his feet and grabbing his gun.
“Will you verify me, please?” Saryn said, calm.
“Yes, Charon.” The hologram leaned close to her and flashed lights in her eyes. “I am sorry, Charon,” it said. “You do not have authorization to access the Archive. You will be given five minutes to vacate the premises before you are terminated.”
“Ternia?” Saryn asked. “What's going on?”
“I'm not sure,” Ceril said. “Archive, they have my permission to be here.”
“I am aware of that, Charon. They do not, however, have authorization.”
“I thought I had full authorization.”
“To access the Archive,” the hologram said.
“Can I not grant access to others?”
“No, Charon.”
“Who can?”
“As stipulated by order PX1-767, only the ruling council of the Charonic Archive may grant authorization.”
“Wait,” Ceril said. “I thought you said no one was responsible for granting me access.”
“That is correct. Your authorization did not come from an individual.”
“But it came from a council?”
“Technically, Charon.”
Ceril licked his lips as he leaned his head backward, stretching the muscles. “Can you tell me the names of those Charons who made up the council at the time the order was given?”
The Archive furrowed his brow. The holographic man peered at Ceril with his head cocked to the side. “No, Charon, I cannot. However, I should be able to. The information is not restricted from you.”
“Why can’t you then?”
“I cannot seem to locate the information. It appears as though the information was deleted from the database.”
That caught Ceril’s attention. “Why would someone do that? Who could do that?”
“I do not know why someone would delete information from the Archive, Charon. It has never happened before, to my knowledge. As for your inquiry regarding who would delete the information, only the council would have that ability.”
“And you can’t tell who was on the council at that time because it was deleted,” Ceril said.
“Yes, Charon.”
Then it hit him. Ceril asked the hologram, “When was that information deleted, Archive? Is there a timestamp for the event?”
The hologram stared blankly ahead, then said, “Yes, Charon. The information was removed from the database approximately five hundred years ago; however, I can tell you the information itself predates that by millennia.”
Something about that bothered Ceril, but he couldn’t figure out what.
“Boss?” Chuckie asked. “Could you hurry it up a bit?”
Chuckie was right. He didn’t have enough time to dwell on it, no matter where it would lead and what he could learn. As much as he would like to stay and discuss, well, everything with the Archive, Saryn and Chuckie were kind of in mortal danger. He shouldn’t have even taken as long as he did.
Ceril grabbed the tablet containing the maps. He secured it in his pack and said, “Archive, can you please direct us to the nearest exit?”
“Yes, Charon,” the hologram said. “Warning: three minutes until termination of unauthorized access.” Immediately following the warning, shallow stairs appeared. They spiraled toward the ceiling. Ceril and the others started up almost immediately. As they approached the ceiling, the tiles dissolved and purple light gleamed into the chamber. Ceril brought up the rear, and he said, “Go on out. I'll be right behind you. I need to do one thing first.”
Saryn said, “But Ceril—”
“But nothing. I can be here; you guys can’t. For whatever reason, I’m going to be safe in here.”
“He’s right, Saryn,” Chuckie said. “We’re the outsiders down there. We’ll sort it out later. Come on, before we’re all in trouble.”
Saryn scowled. “I don’t like this.” She crawled through the opening.
“Unauthorized access has been contained. Termination protocols disengaged,” the hologram said from the dais.
Ceril walked back down the ramp and stood in front of the hologram. “Hello, Charon,” it said.
Ceril stood. “You were going to kill my friends?”
“They were unauthorized to be in the Archive. I am sorry.”
“But you were going to kill them.”
“They are unharmed, Charon.”
“But they might not have been. Why kill them instead of force them to leave?”
“The data in the Archive is important and must be protected. Unauthorized access is prohibited.”
Ceril gritted his teeth and nodded. There was no use in arguing with a machine. “Archive,” he said, “can I gain access to you again if I need to? You said there was no network.”
“You are correct. However, because you have authorization, you may utilize any of the designated entrances or terminals within the city of Meshin.”
“Can you mark those on my maps?”
“It has been done. The locations have been highlighted on your maps.” The hologram outstretched its arm, palm up, and projected a sample map into the air.
“That’ll work,” Ceril said.
“Is there anything else, Charon?”
“One more thing,” Ceril said. “Is there a way to travel between cities on Jaronya?”
“The most efficient form of travel is by air, Charon. However, I do not believe any of the air transit systems still function.”
“I don't suppose the Archives between each city could connect?”
“The archives are not networked. I am sorry.”
“I don’t mean like that. I mean, could you make this facility physically connect to the other archives? Like how you moved the hallways so my friends could find me?”
“That request has never been made,” the hologram said. “I will perform the necessary calculations.”
Ceril waited. He was almost becoming irritated when the Archive finally responded.
“No, Charon. This Archive does not possess the capability to connect to any other. I am sorry.”
“Thanks, anyway.” Ceril climbed the stairs toward his friends. He didn't particularly like the Archive, but he felt the need to say goodbye to it. It was the damnedest thing. He resisted, though; he didn't want to get too cozy with anything that was willing to kill Saryn and Chuckie, whether it was artificial or not.
As he stepped into the purple sun, Ceril’s eyes closed automatically. The light, despite its ultraviolet shift, was incredibly bright and intense after the subdued golds and silvers of the Archive. Saryn and Chuckie stood at the base of a tower; they were looking upward.
It took Ceril a moment to realize what was different about this tower: it wasn’t in ruins.
Various shades of purple wrapped the exterior of the building; green symbols and words decorated the violet bands.<
br />
“Well, that's convenient,” Ceril said to let his team know he was back. “We made it to the high priest’s temple, after all.”
“Looks like it,” Saryn said.
Chuckie said, “Better late than never, right, boss?”
“I'm not sure about that,” Saryn said, pointing.
Out of the tower came three Jaronya. Their wings were fully Conjured and spread, but they were not flying. It was the first time Ceril could remember them just walking around, and the sight terrified him.
Each of the Jaronya was covered in thick plates of purple armor, and each plate connected to the others with swatches of cloth. The three Jaronya were each armed with a staff that had green energy spiraling up and down its length. Occasionally, a bolt would arc from the top of one staff and bounce to another.
Ceril pushed between Saryn and Chuckie, taking point. He was going to talk with the guards and apologize for being late. Before he could, green arcs of energy shot from the three staves simultaneously into Ceril's legs and stomach. He collapsed.
Chuckie braced his feet and held his hands in front of him. He wasn’t going to let that happen to him. His fear and anger drove him to Conjure red fire from his palms. He directed the walls of flame at the left-most Jaronya, and the Conjured fire encompassed the angel.
The Jaronya took another step, and Chuckie gritted his teeth. Veins popped up on his forehead as he pushed at his Conjured flames.
The Jaronya fell, its wings dissolving along with the rest of its body as it died. Chuckie whipped his fire toward the second angel, but more arcs of energy came from the staves. This time they zapped both Chuckie and Saryn at the same time.
Chuckie’s fire dissipated, and he whimpered as he collapsed, too drained from the force of his Conjuring to resist the attack. Saryn fell, too, interrupting whatever she had been Conjuring before it could even take form.
The Jaronya kept walking toward them.