“So what in the name of the lady herself just happened?” Peter asked as they stepped out of the gateway closest to the Absolition tower. The journey from there was short, and relatively devoid of people. Everyone within Thought knew that the very northwestern nine sectors of the city were under the control of the Absolution clan, so people not of the clan would avoid it unless they had good reason.
“So this is all going to sound insane, but I would like to point out it's meant to”. Laurence glanced around and smirked before he continued to speak. “So to begin with, I knew that we were never dealing with a large group of people, but rather a single figure who commanded many mindless puppets. I knew that unless she specifically showed up to try and dominate one of us that she wouldn't appear at all, so I at least was just dealing with puppets.
“Now, over the last cycle I've not just spent all of my time being a hermit. My resources were finite, so I had to make trips out occasionally, and not to mention I picked up Fen and managed to make the child a twin souled Saint, a pseudo-false immortal if you will. I did all that with Jim, who took an interest in the soul... in retrospect I guess in some ways to help me with Cleo. Anyway, I studied the Book of Order somewhat and in the process made a totem that protects me from any form of Order domination. It breaks after five uses, but it's still an incredibly helpful tool”.
“How many of the Books are you actually a Saint of?” Peter asked as the four of them turned down the final street towards the Absolution tower.
“Ah, funny thing about that is that I can probably be considered at least a Saint of every Book but the Book of Chaos. After Cleo... I couldn't bring myself to really touch the thing. Pity really, I would love to look inside but I don't see how it would help me. Anyway, I knew that I could not be dominated but I didn't want this Caesar woman knowing that, so I intentionally split us up. This was my first smokescreen”.
“So the guy selling mangoes had nothing to do with that Rishif dude?”
Laurence chuckled, “Actually, he was Jim's first plant. Not the Rishif I sent you searching for, but he was still important. Anyway, once we are done with the tower I will explain the rest”. They stopped at the end of the plaza that surrounded the Absolution tower. As he looked up at the pure white stone pillar before him he licked his lips and sighed. Taking a deep breath he walked towards the tower, up the wide steps and pushed open the imposing door. Almost immediately he was confronted by a clean cut man dressed all in white.
“Excuse me, this is the Absolution tower of Thought. Trespassers will be punished with the full power of the clan, so explain your presence or remove yourself from here imminently”. The man exuded the strength of a peak power Heaven ranked individual as he stared Laurence’s small group down.
“Heaven rankers are pretty cocky these days huh?” Peter said, turning and smirking at Laurence.
“You’re not wrong,” Laurence replied. “My name is Laurence Absolution, and I am returning to the fold to find my father. I’ll be out of your collective hair as soon as you direct me to where he is currently”.
“Fine,” the man in white replied. “Give me your power rank and the name of the person you’re looking for and I will pass the word up to the tower master”.
“My rank is peak strength Immortal, my epitaph is the War Immortal, and my father is Angus ‘Bloody Gus’ Absolution, the Vital Immortal”.
The young man sent a message through his pointer ring before he looked back to Laurence and Peter. Midway through the message his hand trembled almost imperceptibly as he processed the message he was sending, but he did not drop his demeanour for a single moment, and continued to hold himself with pride before the domineering presence before him. Almost a full minute went by as the man’s pointer ring flashed and he moved out of the way of the group. “The tower master will greet you in the inner courtyard. He ordered me to tell you that he has the information you need”.
Laurence turned and smirked at the man. “Be careful who you confront rudely in future. Looks can be deceiving, and if you had spoken to my companion directly like you did me, he would’ve just killed you. Absolution tower or not”.
As Laurence walked off down the hallway, Peter strode over to the man and leant close to him. His breath pushed away the blond hair that covered the top of the man’s ears as he whispered “It wouldn’t even be that hard. To an Immortal, steel bones are just as brittle as normal ones,” before following after Laurence and Fen.
The Absolution tower was structured very similarly to the Hephaistia tower, but there were small differences in the style of the awnings and the frescoes that lined the walls. The Absolution family had more of a love for white than the Hephaistian red, so any carpets or tablecloths or even simple banners were coloured in white with a gold trim. It gave an air of perhaps undue opulence from a clan that specialised in healing the wounded and helping the sickly.
Laurence moved into the inner courtyard and was presented with the same kind of area as was in the previous tower. There was a wide open area flanked by several doors, a cobbled courtyard, a simple but statued fountain and pond, and a daylight that seemed to ignore the floors of the tower above it. Now that he was less focussed on walking in a place that none had walked in for a cycle, Laurence began to appreciate the artwork and skill behind the makers of the towers.
“Ah, I see my guests have arrived!” A figure walked out from behind the fountain and towards Laurence and his group. “I must apologise about the gate guard, it's a thankless job and it can make one so snappy”.
“It was nothing, but you should really train his mana sensitivity. He didn't even notice he was speaking to two Immortals until we told him,” Laurence replied.
The figure, an austere woman with a bun of tight blonde hair, frowned. “Most disconcerting. I'll test him myself later and see how deeply the problem persists. My name is Lyra, my epitaph is the analeptic Immortal, and I have heard of both of you. I must admit, I am surprised to see you working together. I thought you hated each other”.
“We fought once,” Peter said, “and we were only on opposing sides. It's not like he was part of the group who killed my Rosebush...” He stopped and glanced back at the eternally silent woman who stood behind him, “but they are dead now. Very, very dead. I'd honestly say I don't have any living enemies”.
Lyra raised her eyebrow slightly before looking at Laurence. “I heard you're looking for little Gussy?”
“Little Gussy?” Laurence replied, “I didn't know anyone called my father that”.
“I'm of his grandfather's generation, so I saw his entire unfortunate family line grow up. Little Gussy, poor Gill, and dear little Grace”. She paused as she looked wistfully at Laurence before frowning slightly. “That said... your eyes are less like Angus’ and more like Grace’s and your nose is as sharp... as a Hephaistian’s... Oh my... you're Grace’s baby!” She covered her mouth and tears welled in her eyes.
“My name should be Laurence Hephaistia, child of Grace Absolutex Hephaistia and Creole Hephaistia, but I am an Absolution raised by Angus and Maris. Despite all this I am still an Immortal of Creation and Destruction, as well as a Saint of Life, Death and Order. Please, direct me towards my father so I can continue my quest”.
Lyra sighed, “I’d like to keep you here for a bit longer, but I can see you’re driven by something other than reconnecting with your adoptive clan”. Looking at the people who followed Laurence she smiled. “Fine. Give me your pointer ring and I’ll add the location so you can get there directly through the steles. It might be useful to you in future”.
“Thank you,” Laurence said as he handed over his onyx coloured ring. There was a small flash of light and a pulse of mana in Lyra’s open palms before she returned the ring to its owner.
“You can be on your way now. I’ll see you off”.
They walked back down the long hallway together but just as the group reached the doorway the gate guard walked over.
“Sir Laurence, there’s an old man waiting outside for you. He said his name was Yammy”.
Laurence glanced at Peter and grinned, before throwing a statuette at the man, then giving one to Fen as well. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. Lyra, thank you for the help”.
“Any time, Laurence. I mean you are family, It’s the least I could do”.
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