Elysian (A Kotlc Fanfic)

Chapter 6

"Where is it?" Sophie asked as they leaped to Hushwood after school that day. Dex pointed to a single, unfurled scroll set on the table.
    "It seems that there were records kept of orders made by the councillors in the past. The scroll we found dates way back to when Fintan was still a councillor, and we think it involves Elysian," Tam explained.
    "Didn't Elysian say that she was an elf once? The scroll seems to be about the order by the councillors to store the power source in her after someone attempted to take it," Sophie noted as she scanned through its contents.
    "It looks like she was chosen to be the guardian of the power source as the councillors found her to be one of their most reliable Emissaries. Most of the councillors agreed to the order, and there was only one councillor against it: Fintan," Biana finished.
    "Could Fintan have some connection to her somehow? It could also be one of the reasons why he decided to step down from being a councillor apart from the Everblaze incident. He probably wasn't in favour of the council's choice and decided to join the Neverseen to bring the council down," Linh deduced.
    "We might learn more about what happened from Fintan's cache, since it wasn't in Kenric's. It makes sense that the incident is a Forbidden Secret," Fitz piped up.
    "We just need to find a word from the scroll that seems like it could be a password," Dex said.
    "Look, it says that Elysian has another name. She used to be called Amelia! If she is important to Fintan, could her name be the password?" Sophie asked.
    "It is possible. I'll work on the cache with Tinker once I have time and I'll let you guys know if it works. Don't forget, we have our meeting with Empress Permille tomorrow though," Dex reminded her.
    "Right," Sophie sighed.
———————————————
The next morning, Sophie and her teammates leaped to Eternalia, where Empress Permille currently resided. The council seemed to have built the ruler a separate residence; it's sparkling sapphire walls mirroring that of the councillors'  shimmering castles in the distance. They were joined by Bronte and Oralie, who followed them in to find Empress Permille sitting perched on one of the chairs, as if it were a throne.
Sophie and her friends quickly dropped to a bow in front of the ruler.
"Remember to treat the empress with respect. She may have lost her position, at least temporarily, but she is currently in our care. We will deal with the complications after the ordeal is over," Bronte had reminded them before they had stepped in.
    "Before we begin, I would like to speak with the moonlark," the empress began. Sophie nodded, and the empress spoke her next words in trollish. "You consented to an alliance in the past. I have helped you save those creatures you call alicorns from the timeline of extinction, and now I need you help. This is the my time of need."
    "I understand that I have made a mistake working with that traitor Gisela. She turned against me, and I have nothing to show but ruin. I am sure your council will deliver some sort of punishment for going against my word, but I would very much like to keep my position after this is all over. I will answer your questions provided you convince them to spare me from it," she continued, seeming desperate.   
    Sophie hesitated. The empress had helped them in the past, and she might tell them something crucial about what Gisela was planing. It seemed like the best bargain she was going to get.
"Do you mind the council knowing about you role in saving the alicorns?" She asked. "Do what you must," was all the empress said, so she switched back to the enlightened language. "There is something I need to say," she said as she quickly explained everything. "I'll have to convene a meeting with the other councillors about this, but in the meantime, you have my word that no harm will come to you while you are residing in the lost cities and you will be treated as an equal," Bronte answered.
The empress called over her guards to then answer their questions, and Sophie was surprised to recognise Tarina, her old bodyguard amongst them.
"It seems like Gisela managed to attach some sort of chip at the back of the newborns' necks when we were experimenting on them. They were glowing with a strange hue, and I think it helped Gisela have control over them. She suddenly ordered them to attack and even my guards were unable to hold them off. They were subdued and my bodyguards and I fled to the lost cities," the empress explained.
"Our army comprises of a large proportion of newborns, and there was a mass breeding when the experimented newborns were deemed to be much more feral and efficient killers. They are even more deadly than the ones you encountered at the hive, and they do not have any particular weaknesses that we know of as of now. There are easily thousands of them, and I'm sure Gisela has plans to control the entire army of trolls," Tarina added. Sophie gulped. None of that sounded like good news.
"Is there any way to subdue them?" She asked. "The only way is to trap a group of them together, as they tend to kill each other," Tarina replied.
———————————————
After the eventful meeting with Empress Permille, Sophie leaped back to Havenfield. She wondered how they were going to handle it all. Lady Gisela now had control over the trolls, and she certainly had to be searching for a way to obtain the power source to fulfill Keefe's legacy. How were they even going to stop her in time? She was sure the Neverseen must have their own plans as well. Just because Vespera was dead didn't mean she could count them out yet. How could they stay on top of it all    ? Sighing, she leaned against the bark of Calla's panakes tree, breathing in the earthy scent to quell her rising doubts and worries. Right now, it was going to be one step at a time.