>>5938154You stir the magic deep inside you, almost as if you were about to cast a great spell, only to stop at the last second. Your gambit pays off, and the effects of the tower’s visions slowly start to fade as your own magic takes over. The images of slaughter that were rapidly flashing before your eyes disappear, as does the throbbing sensation in your head. While the measure was only a temporary one, you hoped that it would last long enough for you to finish your ascent. You stand back on your feet, feeling invigorated that your plan worked.
>+2 MAG TemporarilyYou race up the nearby staircase, hoping that perhaps you would catch up with your allies, but to no avail. Even when you stop for a moment to catch your breath, you’re unable to hear anything either above or below. If the other Blackwings were still in the tower, it appeared you were separated by considerable distance. Not knowing where they were, you couldn’t take the chance to go back down and look for them. Time was running short, and the dread you felt gathering at the top of the tower was growing every second. Regaining your bearings, you continued running and running further up the stairs, until, finally, you reached the very summit.
You were as high as the clouds now, able to see them through the exposed roof. A great chill hung heavy in the air. Four large pillars stood at each corner of the floor. At the very top of each pillar, an orb of ominous darkness pulsated vibrantly. A line of energy traced from each tip, meeting in the middle, where a woman was suspended seemingly in mid-air. You did not recognize her, and she appeared to be unconscious. She was in rough shape. Her clothes were torn and ripped, and she was covered in wounds. Though her eyes were closed, you could see from the twisted grimace on her face that she had suffered great pain.
A man stared up, watching her suspended in air. Even with his back turned, you knew exactly who he was. Charles d’Rusalka turned around to lay his eyes on you for the first time in five years. He must have known you were here to stop him. To put an end to his plans and cease the summoning of the Agarthan gods. And yet as he looked upon you, it was not with a countenance of rage or anger or even determination to stop you.
Your adoptive father looked at you the way one might look when seeing a long-lost relative for the first time. His eyes lit up, and a great smile plastered across his face.
“So, THAT is what you look like now!” Anacharsis laughed jovially. “My word! What a fine woman you’ve grown into, Blair! See? I told you that you’d grow taller if you just gave it a bit of time.”
