Book 8 – Chapter 3 – Dying Wills

“I knew that asshole hid it there. I was this close to figuring it out, three gods smite me down if I’m lying.”

Hexis really had hidden his little secrets on the exact page I kept looking at, the one that had the only mention of me anywhere on there, and at that just an image.

Turns out one of the hands was pointing out of the page upwards, and tracing a direct line would have it path over a few handfuls of numbers and letters.

Those turned out to be a cypher needed to read the actual contents of the page, which was a convoluted key based on one single interaction I had with Hexis.

To be fair, I remember that one perfectly because it had been the day I beat him at his own godsdamned game, and that equation was a little special to me from that.

Once that was cracked, the actual archive was technically hidden in between all the pages of the document. As in I would need to input a page number into the go-to search bar. The first page cracked open by the Icon was page 12.18394728.

It had taken the Icon thirty two seconds to crack this. She didn’t say much, other than a quick summary on what to type into the page lookup bar, and the rest was history. She did seem oddly quiet. As if walking into my office, handing me my requested report, and walking back out as fast as possible.

On opening the first secret page, I realized why.

Hexis had left me a personal message. Specifically for me.

Apprentice.

I have no doubts you have found this page expecting a table of contents and all the secrets of the world unveiled.

In this presumption, you are entirely correct. I have enclosed every occult fractal the guilds know of. The sum total collected over all our history.

However, before such a thing, I have enclosed one more item of note. My last will. As you are reading this, know that in all probability, I am likely dead. And, as many elders before me, awareness of impending death tends to liberate one’s tongue.

As such, there is something I wish to confess to.

Of no small surprise to you, nor your Deathless clan lord, know that I have come to the surface for less than altruistic reasons.

What may come as an actual surprise to you is with whom I have been conspiring with.

Not a rival guild nor any of the petty squabbling so often found among our kind. No, it was a Feather by the name of To’Avalis. I believe you and him are acquainted, in so much that he seems to have extreme interests in you and your eradication.

He discovered my travel plans to the surface and sought me out to offer a bargain, long before I had even set foot within your clan’s hanger.

The terms he offered were generous. Arcane knowledge beyond anything humanity had discovered.

In return, I would report your actions and secret a tracker on your person. No doubt he would have laid a strong ambush almost immediately upon your re-entry into civilization and then continued to hound after you no matter where you hid.

His arguments were persuasive, I had full faith he would deliver on his promises. In this regard, our pact was irontight as the Feather believed he could trust my greed.

By all accounts, he should have been correct on that front.

I fully intended on betraying any and all information I could find, obtaining the knowledge I desired so that I might reclaim my old glories and comfortable life.

For reasons I will not explain to you, I have changed my mind over the duration of your tutelage.

As for evidence: See the pin I gave you denoting you my apprentice. The one you carry is a duplicate. The true version was crafted by that Feather, and had a tracking device embedded within it. A fact I plan to use against him.

I will wait one full month after you leave, reporting no changes. Once I am certain enough time has passed, I will place his pin within another expedition your clan lord sends. There are dozens sent each week given the activity happening here. Let him hunt down after a target that never returns underground at all.

And yet, I doubt I will emerge unscathed. Even if I am able to escape past his notice and flee to the safety of an imperial fortress, I have no doubts a Feather such as To’Avalis would chase after, simply for this one transgression.

They are immortal, relentless, and follow their directive with single minded focus for centuries without pause.

When To’Avalis hunts me down, I suspect he will wish to speak with me face to face in order to directly obtain your coordinates. In this, I thank you for building my staff to my specifications. Contrary to what you likely suspect, I am quite satisfied with its grievous disregard of basic safety features.

Perhaps I will be able to teach one last lesson to a willing student.

As for the rest of this tome, I would have likely make lofty claims to not reveal this book to anyone or anything, however I believe such a time and era has come to an end.

Unfortunately, nothing you will find in this book will catch the machines by surprise, as anything we could discover, so could they. However, with the contents delivered, I have no doubt you will complete your training and surpass the grand warlocks themselves.

Your winterblossom technique, alliances, and crafted weapons render you largely immune to anything the guilds could send after you if they discover this book within your possession. I would laugh if they even made an attempt to silence you, the arrogant fools that they are.

Thus, what you do with this book is your own choice. May your three gods guide you along your purpose. And may you remain true to your own purpose in life. It is more important than you might think.

Farewell Keith Winterscar, of House Winterscar.
-Grand Warlock Hexis Galrament

Wrath came to my side, sitting down next to me. She had a look on her face, as if she could tell what was going on under my armor.

“I do not know what you are thinking about or reading.” She finally said, “However, I can see that it is having an effect on you. Are you researching a difficult topic?”

She’d probably been keeping an eye on the vitals Journey passively reported out. Probably wasn’t hard at all to figure me out.

I looked over to her. Feeling numb, but not. “I… don’t really know. I finally cracked Master Hexis’s book, and he left a message for me.”

Even Keith Superior hadn’t completely understood why I was feeling anything at all. But he hadn’t lived through that history himself. If I can’t explain it to another version of myself, how could I explain it to anyone else? “I… you know what, just look it over yourself. I don’t even know how to describe it in words.”

I sent her the file. She didn’t even blink, but I knew she’d already read the entire thing.

“I see.” She simply said. “I cannot say he was a good human given his intentions of betraying us. However, he clearly appreciated his role as a teacher. I have fond memories working together with you in overcoming his training methods. I did not ever have a chance to speak to him for long, he seemed intent on avoiding any interaction. In hindsight with this information, I understand why.”

“He’s mostly sure To’Avalis is going to get him. But I know that old asshole, no way he’s actually dead. Is he?”

Somehow, some part of me just knew he was gone. Almost by instinct.

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Wrath tilted her head, “We may have a way of knowing definitively. To’Avalis does not engage without meticulous planning, and teamwork with my elder siblings. If there was a fight between that Feather and Hexis,” She turned to To’Orda. He didn’t move from his spot at the rock, only his eyes turned to match her gaze. “Then I believe he might have some information.”

Lights in their eyes seemed to flicker as they talked to each other silently.

“I am sorry Keith.” Wrath said and I felt my gut drop at the words. “To’Orda confirms there was a confrontation with your old master. It is also the reason why To’Avalis failed to repair his chassis thus far.”

“The godsdamned staff I made for him.” I said, already knowing where this was going. “He used it.”

Wrath nodded. “I have the video footage. Do you wish to see it?”