“I understand your reasoning, but there is insufficient evidence to link these individuals to those events,”

“It’s gotta be them!” said Phantasia, “They’re all here! I bet they’re behind the summoning and everything, and they’re trying to get rid of me because Ophion thinks I might be a threat! I bet Queen Thetis knew about this all along, and that’s why she sent me here,”

“That is a possibility,” admitted Faye, “What we do not know is why this place has attracted such attention. Other than the identities of the renegades, our knowledge on events are limited,”

They began the descent into the second crypt. Already burrowing rodents and damp-loving insects had begun to contaminated the previously-sealed chambers. Phantasia wondered how much history would be desecrated by her inquisitive exploration.

“Our investigations have been stalled because of the delicate nature of the defections. Wind Queen Áine has been secluded since the disappearance of Prince Freyr and Princess Titania six months ago, while Earth Queen Kalika and Fire Queen Amaterasu have both been evasive due to the involvement of faeries from their Courts,”

They passed through the second of the crypts and came to the library. Faye’s senses swept over the books and consumed every page of information in seconds.

“Well no one better be trying to use me for their scheming,” said Phantasia, “I had enough of that with Bishop Wotan and Mr Payne,”

“Your unpredictable nature makes you a dangerous risk to any plan,” stated Faye, “Attempting to use you as a component in any stratagem is illogical and counter-productive,”

“I’m glad you see things my way sometimes,” said Phantasia with a smirk, “So, you got anything outta this place yet?”

“I have ascertained several centuries worth of history,” said Faye, “Much is decayed beyond my limited reading ability, however. You have already uncovered the most important information yourself: this place was once a shrine that acted as a bastion against invading forces from the Underworld,”

Phantasia felt let down. She’d hoped Faye would uncover buried truths that changed her very perception of this place, not just re-enforce what shed learned with help from Ceres.

“I apologise, Princess,” replied Faye, “I was under the assumption you would prefer a summarised account. If you would rather I give you a lecture on every event that has occurred here in readable memory then I shall elaborate later. Understand, however, that it may take several weeks to divulge the information verbally,”

“No, its okay! I’m sorry I underestimated you! I was just—”

“You were hoping there would be more to understand than you had already gleamed through your own investigation,” said Faye, “I am not the one you are underestimating.”

As they descended the spiral staircase Ceres had found hidden at the back of the study, Faye continued to announce her conclusions as the waves of her mental probing washed across the walls.

“This is an intriguing construction,” she said, running her fingers along the smooth surface of the tower’s interior wall, “This was not built by human hands, but rather by transmutational magic. We are descending a passageway that connects the Outerworld to a higher plane,”

“The Underworld?” asked Phantasia.

“Not quite,” said Faye, “Rather it is a fringe plane that exists between the Outerworld and the Underworld. Also, I agree with your thoughts that a view of the castle below would be advantageous.”

They stepped through the wall and twisted their bodies so they were standing on the side of the tower, looking down at the citadel below. Nothing had changed from the last time Phantasia had been here, training her endurance. The castle still sat above a dark abyss, its blood-red walls forming a magic circle that focused the four cardinal points.

“So, you’re saying this castle doesn’t actually exist in the Outerworld?” she asked Faye, the concept of the multiple planes confusing her.

Chapter 43
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