Lodgings were prepared for Veleria and Adrian. At some point the latter had been taken to them and ultimately nodded off, while Veleria chose instead to take a walk. One of many guards had been tasked to escort her, though she didn’t bother him with mindless chatter. She did ask him if there were any historic sites, though.
One such site had been kept in the sorry state it had been discovered in. It was much like a cathedral of sorts, though the guard had told her its purpose wasn’t entirely known. She approached it with the guard beside her, taking her time to survey the area while the armored elf found a shaded spot to observe her from. The walls had been rather sturdy, seemingly composed of limestone. She ran her gloved fingers over the surface, catching a few stray vines. It really was quite well made, all things considered. Time had not taken so much of a toll that it would fall easily to weather, or mortal use. She came back around to the entrance, glanced back at the guard, and then entered. He didn’t act or say anything, so Veleria figured it was fine.
Inside, sunlight pierced through multiple holes in the ceiling. The style depicted before her was strangely familiar, with ancient dyes coloring the structures a multitude of bright shades, producing a kaleidoscopic effect she knew all too well. She walked forward, her gaze catching faded murals and, ultimately, the centerpiece of the building. Eleven statues were present at the opposing wall. Each statue was missing their head. Confused, she approached the one in front and gingerly ran her fingers over its surface. Marble, these. The statue she was touching sparked something in her thoughts, however. She studied it, noting that it was clothed differently than the others. It wore fine, yet simple regalia. Although the head was missing, parts of the hair had been sculpted into the figure’s back. Long, thick, and rather close in style to her own.
After all, this was her, wasn’t it?
Veleria sputtered at the thought. That made no sense! She looked at the sculpture again, analyzing each feature in agonizing detail. The person depicted was male. Never mind that, the statue was verifiable. Ancient. How could it be her. They weren’t even the same gender.
And yet…
“Just who the hell are you?” She asked it, her eyes lingering briefly before wandering elsewhere. There was a plaque in front of the set.
It was ancient language. She sneered, but as she stared at it, she realized the words were just sitting there.
A pact forged in blood and fire.
Veleria stood there for a while, eyes wide, mouth open. The fire in her chest was raging. She felt like she was going to pass out again. Instead, she gripped the plaque and steeled herself, her free palm putting pressure against her burning chest.
“You hate reading this, don’t you? Pisses you off.” She stated through gritted teeth. “You despise this entire city. The elves, all of it. Well, suck it up. Whatever they did to you, whatever you did to them, this isn’t for you. It’s for me! If you won’t tell me what happened in that pit, then I have to figure it all out myself, and I don’t need you throwing a fit every time you see something you don’t like!”
Just like that, her chest cooled.
“Good, I’m glad we could come to an understanding.” Veleria breathed, looking back at the marble statues before her. “There are eleven here. This must represent the Council of Ten, and then…me, or whoever I think I am. It’s a shame there are no faces.” Then, she returned her attention to the plaque. While she could read it, there was a dizzying effect each time she tried, as if the words she previously couldn’t understand were overlapping with what she now could. She touched it again, realizing how much more recent the plaque was in comparison to everything else in the building.
“Was this built recently? Why…”
“It was commissioned by Lord Cromwell,” said the guard. “Also, I heard you, and I came to check on you. Are you alright?”
Veleria merely tilted her head in the direction of the entrance. She was surprised he even spoke. She did, however, appreciate his input.
“Why did he commission this, here?” She asked, then smiled. “Sorry, I’m fine.”
“You should ask Lord De’Tarsons, but from what I understand it was part of the Autumn Council’s deal with him.”
A deal, with the lich? She once again reviewed the statues. There was significance here she didn’t get yet. She would have to ask Auros for more information, and now she was hopeful that she could get an audience with Cromwell too. He seemed too important to pass up.
She turned back to the guard.
“Thank you for humoring me. Let’s head back now.”