Not Alone

As Cyrus told his story to Eugene, the older man sat back, listening. Occasionally he'd ask a question to clarify something, but otherwise he let Cyrus talk. When he was done, Eugene shook his head slowly.

"I can barely believe it," he said. "We're a small community, Cyrus. It's been like that for years. We have to stay hidden, not draw attention to ourselves. If people practice too much, draw attention, they either disappear or turn up dead."

Cyrus took this in. "Why?"

He suspected he already knew the answer to this, but he wanted to hear it said out loud, wanted to hear his worst suspicions confirmed.

"People like Burns and Mizer. They are the top of that particular food chain, but there are others like them. They all work for—"

"The Tower?" Cyrus interrupted.

"The Undertower," Eugene said with disdain. "Self-appointed arbiters of magical power. Nobody really knows who they are, but their people are everywhere."

"What do they want with Thalia and her tree?" Cyrus said. "Will they kill her?"

Eugene gave a sad shrug. "I don't know. I don't think so though. I think they want the tree—" He held his hand up to stop Cyrus interrupting again. "I don't know what for, but from what you've said they want it. We think the tower collect powerful items, artefacts."

"But Thalia's not an artefact," he countered. "They can't collect her."

"But she represents power, she'd flooding the world with magic that many thought lost. I think she's opening the door to bring magical creatures like her back. I don't have a problem with that, but I imagine that there are a whole bunch of people who do."

Cyrus heart sank, his stomach turning knots. "They're going to kill her." He could feel tears prickling at the sides of his eyes. They were going to kill her and it was all her fault. 

"Not necessarily." Eugene stood. "Wait there a moment."

He stepped towards one of the bookshelves, ran his fingers along the spines of identical looking old books. Eventually he found what he was looking for and removed one of them, carried it back to the table.

"This book is an encyclopedia of sorts. It lists all kinds of magic, monsters, fairies." He Slid the book across the table to Cyrus. "These are the only copies that exists outside of the Undertower Library."

Cyrus looked at the book. It was bound in dark blue leather, had no title. The spine had a symbol on it, a stylised medieval tower beneath a hill. It said 'vol ix' beneath it.

"It took me a long time to collect these, and if the tower ever find out I have them, I'm a dead man and this place will be burned to the ground. Just reading it is enough for them to kill you, Cyrus. Are you sure you want to open it?"

Cyrus looked at the man, his forehead creased in a deep frown. Of course he did. He had a feeling that Mizer was not going to forgive their run-in. He'd had a look of murderous intent last time they met.

He opened the book, turned to the first page. It had the same symbol on it.

"The mark of The Undertower," Eugene said, watching him closely. "This volume covers R, S and T. Look up Tree."

Cyrus shuffled through the pages of the book, seeing strange things, entries for creatures called Redcaps, Rusalkas, Sprites and something called Strangers. Ignoring it all he found Tree. 

There was only one entry, it said; 'Tree (of life): The tree of life is a (Sylvan) tree. The magical (emblem) of Earth power, it gradually restores energy into the earth itself. Thought to be the totem of (Gaia). Category: Control.'

Cyrus looked up at Eugene, he didn't understand what the category meant. "What does it mean where it says category?"

"All of the entries have a category, either Control, Enslave, or Destroy. Most are destroy. You have to understand that the Tower want to be the only ones using magic. They see it as their own personal birthrights. 

"Where it says Control, that means an item is powerful enough for them to want to use it themselves. Enslave usually applies to magical races, same with Destroy. If they were too powerful, they were to be destroyed. If they were useful, enslaved."

Cyrus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Could anyone really be so evil? He thought about Mizer and Burns and was in no doubt that yes, they could. "So they want to control the tree, why?"

"I don't know, Cyrus." Eugene leaned forwards, smiled widely. "But if they want the tree, they need Thalia. Without her it's just a normal tree. Look at the entry for Sylvan."

Cyrus flicked through the thin, delicate pages of the book until he found the entry for Sylvan. It said simply: 

'Sylvan (Dryad): Magical Race. Soulbound to trees. Earth & Nature magic users. Extremely dangerous. Live in clans and the Head Priestess of the Clan's soultree is always the Earth (emblem). Category: Mixed: Destroy and Control. See Undertower Archives, vol 3, sect. 15.'

"The Undertower Archives," Cyrus mused. "Is that another book?" He looked hopefully at Eugene. The man had been helpful so far and Cyrus wanted to know more about what he was up against.

Eugene shook his head "No," he said. "I don't even know if they exist, other than these books, nothing has left the tower."

That was a shame. It would have been nice to know what they said. "So do you think they'll keep her alive?" Cyrus asked.

Eugene thought about it. "Yes, I do. I think Thalia is the last of the Sylvan race and they want her tree."

"You said if they killed her it would just be a normal tree." 

Eugene nodded his agreement. "Why?" 

"Because before I left I tried to talk to the tree, it didn't reply." More than anything, this was what Cyrus feared. Was she already dead? And the tree had reverted to a normal tree?

"Don't worry, Cyrus. I'm sure she's alive. The tree is still pushing power into the Earth, I felt it earlier."

Cyrus had as well, so he would have to trust that she was alive for now. "More importantly, will you help me get her back?"

Eugene chewed on the inside of his cheek as he pondered the question. Cyrus watched him and a new worry gnawed at his gut. This guy obviously didn't want a run in with the tower. He would say no and stay safe.

"I won't help you," he said and Cyrus hopes shattered.

"Not alone, anyway."