Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 70: Search and Rescue, Part Seven

{Lianna}

As the Fiends noticed the newcomers, the situation turned desperate in an instant.

To his credit, Gareth was quick on his feet, trying to think of a solution even as Fiends rushed to their positions.

"Secure the artifact! Get it away from the explorers!" He called out.

Lianna could see where he was coming from. They’d come here to save them, after all. And, driving the Fiends’ attention from them was probably the best way to do that.

But, how would they save themselves?

Xi tried to embody the answer to that question.

In a flash, the lady dashed up to a nearby Fiend. Her right arm was suddenly coated in lightning.

Using it like a sword, she began shredding that Fiend’s body. The rest of the enemies, and the rest of the adventurers, began moving.

A girl with a greatsword ran up, positioning herself between Lianna and an incoming Fiend.

Lianna scanned her class and saw that she was a Paladin.

[She should be fine, right?]

Scanning the rest of the fight, she found Enverna driving her spear into an opponent as well, while the mage she’d argued with earlier tried to back her up from behind.

Spells were flying left and right, tentacles slammed into people and reached out to grab others, but Lianna was left completely alone.

Which, in her mind, left her with one clear goal.

[I have to get that artifact!]

Lianna ran forward.

Lianna, propelled by a surge of determination, sprinted towards the explorers through the eerie black pool. The water clung to her clothes, creating an otherworldly sensation as she moved with purpose. The Fiends, momentarily distracted by the chaos around them, paid her little attention.

Reaching the explorers, Lianna’s hands closed around the artifact. It emitted a subtle vibration, resonating with an unseen energy. Just as her fingers grasped the mysterious object, a sudden surge of power enveloped her.

[Huh?]

Silence.

The world around Lianna faded away.

She found herself suspended in a vast void. It was a feeling not unlike when The Lover first contacted her directly.

Only, this time it felt...

Wrong.

An enormous eye hovered before her, radiant with an otherworldly glow. Bloodshot and curious, it stared down at her. Its pupil, Lianna swore she could see the entire world being reflected.

Lianna was still holding that artifact.

She wanted to drop it for fear that she’d done something wrong, but as the eye drew closer, Lianna hesitated.

No words were typed in front of her. Instead, a voice spoke.

"An intruder?" The voice reverberated through the emptiness, probing her with an intensity that transcended the boundaries of the physical world. It was so guttural Lianna almost felt like her bones were clicking against each other in her ears. "And this aura of yours... ah, so, she did have a plan."

The eye scrutinized her, its gaze piercing through the layers of her being.

Moments passed like an eternity before the voice echoed again, resonating with a mixture of curiosity and acknowledgment.

Lianna felt chills going down her spine this entire time.

"Hm... Although, after so much time amassing power, couldn’t she have picked someone a little stronger? Ah, well, perhaps her eyes see something mine does not, hehe."

The eye drew so close that Lianna could reach out and touch it if she wanted.

The voice gasped lightly.

"And... One of my own children no less? Hahahahahahahaha!" Its laughter echoed, though there were no walls in sight. "Now, that is bold."

Lianna couldn’t comprehend a word that was coming out of this thing’s mouth. It didn’t help that it also felt as though it was speaking *through* her, not to her.

"It is undeniable that she’s thought of something. Tell me, though, do you have faith in her? Are you confident in your own willpower? When the option comes to take power for yourself, to leave others behind to protect your loved ones, to secure your own safety before thinking about anyone else’s for even a moment, what will you choose? Hahahaha..."

"Who...?" Lianna couldn’t even squeeze the words out, but the voice seemed to know what she wanted to say.

"Leave. Enjoy your small victories while they last, my child. All will return to dust before long."

---

Lianna’s consciousness emerged from the enigmatic vision, returning to the cold reality of Iceditch Valley.

The voice’s haunting laughter still echoed in her mind, leaving a mark on her thoughts. As her eyes flickered open, she found Enverna kneeling by her side, concern etched across her refined features.

"Lianna, are you alright?" Enverna’s voice carried a mixture of relief and worry.

Lianna sat up, a lingering sense of the ethereal encounter playing in her thoughts. The cavern, once resonating with the chaos of battle, had grown eerily silent.

Lianna looked around. There were no Fiends anymore. Only a few explorers and the adventurers she’d come to this place with.

"I... I don’t know," Lianna confessed, her words laced with confusion. "What happened?"

Enverna’s expression turned contemplative.

"When you touched the artifact, you passed out." Enverna looked away. "The explorers tried to wake you up. The fight wasn’t going our way... We lost someone. But," she looked back at Lianna again, "it sounded like you said the word ’leave.’ And then... The Fiends just left."

"What?"

"They didn’t even care that we kept attacking them. They just slithered away. It was almost like..." Enverna grew quieter. "Like they followed your order."

Lianna’s eyes widened as the realization set in.

From the looks on the other’s faces, they seemed to be thinking the same thing.

The artifact’s power had diminished. Although Lianna couldn’t truly tell what was happening, she knew that much.

"I didn’t mean to command anything. I... I wasn’t even conscious." Lianna mumbled, grappling with the implications of her inadvertent influence over the Fiends.

Enverna placed a reassuring hand on Lianna’s shoulder.

"We’ll figure this out together. For now, let’s focus on the task at hand. The Fiends are gone, and we have the artifact. We need to get these explorers out of here, alright?"

"Right."

Lianna nodded, a resolute determination replacing the confusion in her gaze. The encounter had opened a door to a realm of uncertainty, but with Enverna by her side, she hoped she’d have a little bit of help in figuring out what just happened.

The group emerged from the depths of Iceditch Valley, the air outside carrying a stark contrast to the ominous stillness of the cavern. The explorers, now safely escorted by the adventurers, gathered near the entrance, their expressions a mix of relief and bewilderment, even though they’d lost a few of their own. They were just happy to have made it out alive.

Xi, her demeanor suspicious and tense, approached Lianna with a discerning gaze. The air around them seemed to thicken as if anticipation lingered in the silence.

"Lianna, care to explain what happened in there?" Xi’s tone was laced with hostility, her eyes probing for any sign of deception.

Lianna met her gaze, her expression sincere yet tinged with confusion.

"I wish I could. Something strange happened when I touched the artifact. A vision, a voice... I didn’t command the Fiends to leave. It just... happened."

Xi’s skepticism persisted, but a flicker of uncertainty crossed her features. She scrutinized Lianna’s face, searching for any sign of deceit. After a tense moment, Xi’s guarded demeanor softened, replaced by a grudging acknowledgment.

One of the explorers heard their conversation and said:

"Um, the Fiends didn’t try to kill us when we were holding it... So, maybe it does have some power over them. But, they never did anything as insane as leaving just because we said so."

Xi’s eyes drifted away as she considered that bit of information.

"I suppose that is possible... Lianna, can you do anything with that thing now?" Xi asked.

"No," Lianna shook her head. "As soon as I woke up, the artifact felt like it lost its power. Maybe it was a one-time use sort of thing."

"Perhaps. But, this merits some experimentation. After we head back to the city, I’ll visit you soon and we can see if this artifact can still be used in any way. For now, though, try not to do anything with it, Xi murmured, her hostility giving way to a cautious acceptance.

Lianna nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. The newfound trust, though begrudging, offered a fragile truce within the group.

Gareth, the designated leader for the mission, observed the artifact that Lianna held.

His brow furrowed in contemplation, and the weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders. The decision to entrust Lianna with the object, given its apparent ability to repel Fiends when it was in her hands, came with a caveat - a report to the Watchful Guild.

"Lianna," Gareth spoke, his voice carrying the weight of authority, "I believe it’s best if you hold onto the artifact for now."

"Why?"

"Because, if this thing has any... Permanent effects on people who touch it, passing it around like a hot potato would probably be unwise, right?"

[... I hope it doesn’t.]

"However, the Watchful must be informed of everything that transpired down there. This isn’t something we can keep hidden."

Lianna nodded in agreement, recognizing the necessity of transparency, especially when dealing with powerful artifacts and their potential ramifications.

"Alright, let’s start heading back now," Gareth continued, addressing the entire group. "Once we’re there, I’ll file a detailed report with the Watchful. Whatever questions they have, we answer truthfully, alright?"

Lianna’s eyes fell back onto the artifact in her hands.

[The Lover didn’t say anything about something like this... Was this not part of the plan?]