Star Eater

Chapter 544:

Lucia's Point of View

Pendragon Estate

Something was wrong. Arthur's voice seemed tired and bitter. All of us were silent as he moved slowly. Almost like an old man would. His face was sunken in around his eyes as large bags hung underneath them. A soft groan escaped his throat as he carefully moved to his nearby armchair. Marina quickly moved to help him. As did Camoa and I.

He sat down with our help and his head leaned back. Arthur closed his eyes. We all were quiet as we watched him. My eyes watched his chest as he continued to rub it over and over again. His breathing was quick. Almost like he was trying to stop himself from vomiting.

"Arthur," I called out to him softly. "Are you okay?"

His free hand slowly raised and gave a weak wave. "Yeah." It quickly fell limply back to his side. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Ayda spoke next. "Are we going to talk about what you saw?"

Arthur's eyes opened at that. "Ayda!" Alwin chastised.

"It's fine. Where's your mother?" Arthur inquired as he looked around.

"She went to help Cassidy with something." Alwin answered. "Take a moment if you need it."

At that, he leaned forward and looked at Camoa. "I have a few questions for you." Arthur told the Druid.

"I can imagine." Camoa responded as she moved to the couch across from him. "Would it be alright to ask a few of my own?"

Arthur didn't reply as he steepled his fingers together. "Why did I see more of the past than the future?"

Blinking, Camoa seemed surprised by the question. "I'm unsure. The past is volatile. Many try to see their own past, but usually are unable to. Our world, Crevalis, is all connected by magic. This includes time. The planet itself is a living memory of what has happened as its magic."

We watched as Arthur's lip twitched at that. "Explain." Was all Arthur uttered.

Camoa summoned some vines to show an orb. "Many in this world believe in Davost. The one true goddess of the world. She is said to be the beginning of life on Crevalis itself. While there are other gods, they are usually considered lesser, but one name mentioned throughout history is hers. Only hers has been passed down."

"Okay..." Arthur let out slowly.

"We Druids believe that Davost and Crevalis are one in the same. They are just different names. The world is alive, and it keeps history as you would expect. So, when you look into the past, it shows you moments in time from someone who was present. There is only one person present, and that is the magic flowing throughout this world. Thus, the only reason I can give you is perhaps Davost wanted to show you something."

Arthur did not look happy at that. The front door opened at that moment and Aydalia returned with Cassidy in tow. I watched for a moment as they brushed off the snow before coming in. Both looked curious about what was happening, but at my slight shake of the head, they remained quiet.

Turning back to Arthur, I saw his eyes had hardened. "Davost..." He muttered angrily. "If what you say is true, then what she showed me is useless. I would've preferred to have been shown the location of her library."

"Her library?" Camoa repeated.

"I'd love to talk to her again, but I don't have magic." His eyes then drifted to Ayda for a moment, and she seemed surprised at that. "Is there anything Aydan left you in that book of his that talks about a library?"

Ayda sputtered in surprise. "Uh... No. There is no mention of a library. I am still struggling to understand everything, but there is no mention of Davost's Library." The Elf was quiet for a moment before she continued. "Aydan mostly speaks about a magic that is everywhere."

Arthur spoke softly. "Original Magic."

"Yes! He apparently used this magic often in tune with his own. Before I attempt anything, I am taking my time reading his work thoroughly. There are little mentions through the entirety of it to prior passages. Almost like he had a thought, and wrote it down."

"As if it was done through trial and error?" Arthur asked back.

"Precisely." Ayda answered. "When did you visit Davost's Library last?"

His eyes shifted down. "The last time was with Aydan. Davost summoned me from there..." Arthur told the room, and many were silent as they were unsure of how to take the news.

Camoa spoke in disbelief. "You've spoken with the Goddess?" Arthur's gaze shifted to her. "Do you think she is still in her library?"

"She wasn't in her library. Davost was... I don't know how to explain. It was almost like..."

Aydalia suddenly cut in. "Davost was in a sperate realm entirely." We all turned to her in surprise. "It looked to be formed out of her own magic, which gives credit to Camoa's theory about here and Crevalis being connected. That kind of magic would need an almost limitless supply. Something that can be regenerated endlessly."

"A planet's worth of self-sustaining magic..." Camoa whispered.

My eyes quickly shifted back to Aydalia. "How do you know this?"

Begrudgingly, Alwin's mother gestured to Arthur. "One of the memories I saw from Arthur was of a High Elf. She had white hair that shimmered beautifully. Her power seemed almost unreal even in the memory and it's not something I can even comprehend. This is mostly speculation from the small tidbit I stole from Arthur."

Camoa slid to the very edge of the couch. "How was she? What was she like?" The Druid inquired, earnestly.

Arthur didn't look very impressed. "She was kind of a bitch."