78 No Blood to Shed

Lord Harlan was too stunned to speak. He got out of focus as he unlift the red line of containment spell that he was struggling to obliterate. "Tris is dead? I'm so sorry to hear this but… how? It's impossible", Lord Harlan was so confused hearing about the death of a great warrior.

Tris was known to be very wary, that if only she could sleep with her eyes open, she would. Without any idea what could have happen, Haelan just looked down as she drop her shoulders. "You said your father is Gaius?", Lord Harlan asked with his brows lifted. He looked terribly surprised finding out that Tris ended up with Caluso's messenger. He thought that it could be the reason why she never came back to Nether after disappearing when the war broke.

"Yes, surprisingly he's here in his real form. I do not know how he did it, but I met him once here and he's in transition to become a mystic healer.", Haelan explained. "Lord Harlan, I killed an entity last night and I may become one like my father anytime soon" she worriedly said.

"Helena, do not be bothered after killing a mystic healer. They do not have blood to shed. Your mother have killed so many mystic healers during her time", Lord Harlan said as he held her shoulders to ease her anxiety.

"Oh is that for real?", Haelan gasped as she almost cried happy tears. Then she gaped at Lord Harlan's revelation about the battles her mother had in Nether. "My mother… I didn't know that she lived such a valorous life here", she said. With so many revelations that started to unravel one at a time, Haelan would only prefer to hear the truth from her parents.

"She is one of the warriors that led the team of mercenaries in the company of King Silvius, with a mission kill all mystic healers. She fought against healer soul travelers, something she was so heartbroken to fulfill", Lord Harlan said. "And about your… father? I heard only Celestial Healers have capabilities to open doors and astral project with the actual body", he added. Haelan never heard of such ability, if only she learned more from her mother she wouldn't be so clueless today.

"My mother wouldn't do such thing if she's dead.. or maybe she did before she died", Haelan tried to understand what could have happened.

"Or… some other Celestial Healer brought him along", Lord Harlan suspect that another celestial healer might be behind all of these. Haelan felt a sting in her chest, he remembered the little boy she healed who's named Argus. "Where is Gaius now?", Lord Harlan asked as he subtly try to lift the red line of containment spell once again.

"I do not know Lord Harlan… Time is not on my side here. As much as I wanted to find out where my father is and what's his business here, every second my soul stays in this body… the owner dies a little", Haelan explained.

"I completely understand.. I suspect that your father might be here for the energy stone… the stone that I believe is in your posession. Remember you were able to turn back time? For years, people, entities and even creatures and monsters seek for that piece of a yellow gem that's imbued with dark magic which do not only maximize ones powers but also magically move the hands of time", Lord Harlan said. Haelan thought Lord Harlan could be right. Her father and a couple of transitioning soul travelers aimed at her to forcefully get the arm cuff from her.

Haelan searched for the damask arm cuff that Lord Callaghan threw earlier. As she look in every corner, she found the arm cuff laying on the ground in the darker side of the room. "This stone?", Haelan hurriedly showed Lord Harlan the arm cuff with a yellow gem in the middle. "But Lord Callaghan claim that it's powerless now.", she said.

"Let me see", Lord Harlan took the arm cuff and inspected the stone. "As you know, the stone was first seen and last used by Argus, a celestial healer and the ruler of Caluso that time. It disappeared during the war, at the time when Argus was captured and kept frozen there. Ever since, the stone was never found", he said. "Callaghan is right, this is empty. Where did you get this?", Lord Harlan asked.

"Agalea, the orphan girl who owns this body have had that arm cuff ever since I started possessing her body", Haelan answered as she took the arm cuff and wore it.

"Agalea..", Lord Harlan uttered as ge tried to recall if the unfamiliar name rings a bell. "Helena, we all believe that the attacks here in Nether are related to the search for the stone… ", Lord Harlan admitted.

"I do not have any gem other than this", Haelan said as she assume that it may only mean that the power of the stone is in this girl's body. Haelan thought such possibilities having it known that Agalea is a witch, something that she couldn't tell Lord Harlan.

Lord Harlan realized how Helena is knee-deep buried from all of her dilemmas. Stitching every thread of her problems and solutions, if the power of the stone is embedded on the mortal body of Agalea that's possessed by a celestial healer, she would be in great danger.

"Let's figure that out soon, for the meantime I'll go up for a moment to stop the priests on putting up the apotropaic spells. I'll find a way to lift up the containment spells as well", Lord Harlan worriedly said as he try to curve his lips up.

"I couldn't be more thankful, Lord Harlan", Haelan said with a sigh. She watched him hurriedly went out as she stood in the middle of the room.

Lord Harlan made his way out quickly. He could feel his warm breath as he gasp heavily looking for the priests and scholars working on the wall protection. He hoped fervently that in every second go by, the spells wouldn't be brought up successfully. As he reach Brandeburg's hall, he found the priests who were starting to chant the apotropaic spells. Led by Yereah, who have already requested for the vapors to be spread out in the entire castle, the priests read the spells aloud to encapsulate Brandenburg with a more effective protective spell.

"Stop! Stop!", Lord Harlan shouted with his hands held up high. "Stop this instant!", he repeated as the priests come to an immediate halt.

"How bold of you Lord Harlan to interrupt our sacred ritual", Yereah said with a fixed face. "You know how tremendously valuable this is for Brandenburg", she said as she glare at the old man.

"I believe the.. candles weren't very well prepared. I personally tested them and found some were defective. That's why I sent you the samples to check, do you remember?", Lord Harlan explained as he catch his breath.

"That's what I've heard", Yereah uttered as she made a side eye at one of the priests who seemed bothered of Lord Harlan's claims. "We've had various disruptions, let's resume later", she said as they postpone putting up the spell protection. In fear of bad omen due to the disturbances, the priests couldn't agree more to delay the ritual for a while.

As they move out, a loud explosion was heard nearby. It was followed by another bigger blast that made the ground shook, and the walls shudder. "What's going on?", Yereah panically asked as the priests run out before her.

"Go out now!!", Lord Harlan yelled as he push Yereah out of the great hall before he go back in to look for Lord Callaghan.