45 The Sepulchre

"To the Southwing Tower. We're already here, let's just take a peek. I haven't been there for a long time.", Alesso said as they reach the open arch passageway.

As they head out to the parapet walk, the cold night breeze blew on their faces. It was so strong that the hood on Alesso's head fall off his shoulders. His long silver hair glisten in the moonlight as it flew beautifully in the wind.

Haelan squinted her eyes on the dubious archer, who has been questionably giving her leads. Whatever his true purpose is, she thought she'll ride on cautiously. "Do you have a key?", Haelan asked as they reach the tower's closed steel door.

"Do I need one?", Alesso let go of his grip on Haelan then budged the door in breaking it in half after few times.

"Did you just break the door??", Haelan gaped at the strong Paladin with her wide eyes as Alesso effortlessly break the door into two.

"They will fix it tomorrow, dont worry", Alesso said as he put the planks of steel door to the side. "Are you coming or not?", he asked as he enter the flanking tower.

Haelan exhaled sharply as she follow Alesso. She couldn't believe that this Archer Paladin wouldn't be very discrete and careful just to show her the Southwing Tower. Now, she's convinced that Alesso is indeed letting her in for something. As they enter, pitch darkness was in all corners. The deafening silence was overwhelming that even the sound of breathing and footsteps resound in the fortified tower.

"Alesso?", Haelan called the archer in the dark as her voice echoed. Then, she heard a blowing sound that seemed to create flickers in the wind. A little later, the dark turned to light when all the lanterns surrounding the dome shaped tower becomes lit with blazing fire.

Haelan looked around in awe as the fire in the oil lanterns lighted brightly. Her gaze turned to Alesso who just put down his hand after lighting up the tower. Paladins do have the gifts of the deities, she thought, that Alesso could instantly play with fire in a single blow. Their power is so warm, they can create fire in a snap. She wondered if Stellan could do the same.

"Impressed? I'm sure you can do much more", Alesso said as he shook his hot steamy hands. "Look around, I'll keep watch", he said as he stood by the open door. While it's still a mystery for Haelan why Alesso is helping her get in the Southwing Tower, Haelan took advantage to find the books.

"It's a tomb", Haelan whispered in astonishment as she took a good view in the now well lighted room.

The Southwing Tower dome looked very well maintained. The lanterns were clear and well oiled, and the stone floors were shiny and smooth. No dust in the air, and no old smell even when there's no proper ventilation. The colored windows were neatly covered with wooden planks, and the ceiling of the dome was newly painted in aquatint and light brown. Haelan have seen the other parts of the castle, but not as well loved as the Southwing Tower.

In the middle, there's nothing but a small ornated sepulchre with open arched partitions. Upon entering the chamber, she could see some framed oil paintings covered in white satin. Then in the other room as she went further, she found a seemingly altar with gold candelabrum and a small water fountain. At the foot of the water source, there's this small open wooden book case.

Haelan draw closer and crouched down to see the books organized neatly in the storage. Then, she grazed the spines of five books in azure velvet covers with her fingers, as she read their specific titles.

Now that she's been blessed by the King, Haelan trusted that she could finally read the books. She took one book with a book title 'Crests'. As she skim its delicate pages, she found out that the soul traveler's crest can only be disabled using dark magic. The only way that it can regain its powers is placing it under the glistening lights as it rest on the deep snow of the cold mountains of Caluso. She finally found the solution for her broken crest.

She quickly took another book with a title 'Healer Soul Travelers' where there's nothing new that she haven't read. It's just about the abilities of doing astral journey for soul travelers to escape their reality.

The palace holds their crests to keep them away from soul traveling without the King's notice. Perhaps, only the healing abilities of the healer soul travelers were exploited by the kingdom, she thought. As written in the book, their population isn't too many, for not every descendant of the healer soul travelers are given special astral gifts by the deities.

Soul traveling was described in the book as a key to immortality as one live multitude of lifetimes in different bodies. Haelan could only think of Yereah. Since Alesso knew that she's the oldest one in the palace, the King should have known that she's a soul traveler. Or, immortality works differently for priests and priestess, she wondered.

Then, she also read about Celestial Healers, the most powerful and rare ones where there's only one in every generation. Haelan understood that her great abilities define of which, and that every King in the kingdom seek for one to become an invulnerable and undefeatable pair. No wonder Galen called her, his destiny.

Subsequently, Haelan read about the Mystic Healers, the dark ones. It's when healer soul travelers put blood in their hands, they turn dark. They stop from healing and soul traveling, and just turn into mindless entities with demonic forces with only a will to kill and destroy. The books says that all healer soul travelers have vows of peace and healing, and no blood should be shed in their hands. Haelan noted that even the Celestial Healers are not exempted from this.

As she skim more of the books, she couldn't find anything about the stone. Hence, she noticed torn pages in the book. When she saw a map going to Caluso, she tore it off and placed it in Galen's coat together with her hilt and crest.

"Are we done?", Alesso asked as he notice Haelan flipping the book pages too quickly.

Haelan returned the books the way they were. "Yes!", she answered as she stood up and went to Alesso. As she was about to pass the arch partition, she caught a glimpse of one of the paintings that was slightly covered with white satin. Out of curiosity, Haelan pulled down the fabric and was completely taken aback at the woman in the oil painting.

"That's.. That's..", her eyes flickered like shadows as she gape at the painting of a lady warrior.

"That's Tris", Alesso said as he stood by the arch opening. He walked towards Haelan as she stare fixedly on Tris that looks exactly like her mother. She's holding an energy sword made of a blue beam with a dragon hilt, and a staff with a yellow stone on top of it.

"The Legendary Celestial Healer of the Kingdom. Actually, if only you're not a warrior in Brandenburg, I would have mistaken you as a descendant of Tris. You do share the same eye color", Alesso said.

Haelan avoided Alesso's gazes, she wouldn't want to give hints to the Paladin Archer as she shed a light tear. "Why would the King keep these things here?", she asked as if the Southwing Tower is not a mere storage for the soul travelers's stuff, hence, they are memoirs for the King's first love. Despite the hard shell the King show towards his people about healer soul travelers in here, it evidently showed his unrequited love for Tris… for Beatrice, her mother.

Alesso exhaled sharply as he cover the painting with white fabric. "Things you do for love", he said. "So, did you find what you were looking for?", Alesso asked as they walk out.

"No", Haelan said. Alesso has been too suspisciously generous, so she thought it's best not to be equally giving. "The books were no use", she added. Alesso smirked at Haelan's reply.

"Since we're done with our little side trip. Are you ready for your courtesy meeting with the King?", Alesso asked as he smile at Haelan.