LSRO: Ch359 - Brain Scan

Happy Holidays and all that Jazz!

I'm on an editing spree right now.

Chapters incoming

I know I keep saying this. But this time I think I have more oef my shit together.

~~

Chapter 22

Brain Scan

“Wait, what do you mean we might be looking for the same person?” Quinn asked, unsure how it related to both Adrito and Ardenil. Although perhaps with the latter she could understand it given her relationship with Arnekai.

“Hey little egg,” Hal said, closing the door behind him and glancing at the armchair, which had suddenly grown in size. “Thanks,” he nodded to the Library as he settled down. “That’s just it. From what I can tell while we’ve been giving Drav the benefit of the doubt and blaming all of this on him, which I have no problem doing since he’s a bit of a... not nice person, I do not believe he’s the instigator.”

“Who then?” Lynx moved to stand closer to Hal, his purple eyes flashing once again. Like he was searching a database for potential culprits.

Hal shrugged. “That’s what I don’t know. But I do know that, in order to do this successfully, whoever it is, or whoever they are, must be powerful. Manipulating even a sliver of Drev would be... difficult. The Library’s makeup worked because of strong magic bound to what the Library is, to its purpose. Even a sliver, despite how stubborn or obstinate, would be difficult to overcome for almost everyone I can think of.”

“Then we’re back to square one?” Milaro asked, his confusion obvious.

“No,” Hal said. “I didn’t say that. I said it was difficult, not impossible.”

Milaro laughed. “So you want us to do your dirty work for you.” It was a flat-out statement. He wasn’t asking at all.

To Quinn’s surprise, Hal barked out his own laugh. “How did you know? I do in fact want you to come and do the dirty work. Or at least it’d be more accurate to say - help me with the dirty work because I lack finesse in mind work.” Hal winked at him.

“Finesse and your work shouldn’t ever be uttered in the same sentence,” Milaro grumbled despite the compliment he’d just been paid. But he seemed, strangely enough, amenable to helping.

Quinn watched their exchange closely. They often seemed to be antagonistic, but she thought they both got a measure of joy out of their interactions. And right now, given that she couldn’t really contribute anything, it was fun to watch them.

“Now you’re just being mean,” Hal grinned at him, fangs peeking over his bottom lip. “Careful, or I might think you mean it.”

Milaro rolled his eyes. “What do you need?”

“Now we’re talking!” Hal shifted and focused on Quinn. “I need you too, little egg. Nishpa is already there, but I’ll need Milaro and yourself to round it out.”

“Round what out?” Quinn asked, unsure what it was she could contribute if he also needed Milaro. 

Hal cringed slightly, as if it was a sore spot. “That’s just the thing. It’s quite difficult to explain.”

Quinn crossed her arms and leveled a glare at him. “That’s okay. I’m good with difficult. Try.”

He chuckled. The sound expelled warmth into the room, taking the slight chill of the stone away. “Nispha is working on Adrito right now. We can almost remove him from where you imprisoned him.”

Quinn had the grace to blush. Frankly, he’d be dead if she hadn’t done that anyway. She didn’t know what their problem was.

Hal continued. “She’s also worked with Ardenil a bit since we realized she wasn’t pure evil and moved her to more appropriate quarters...”

“Why is she still in Halschius?” Malakai spoke up.

“Though we have methods there to extract information from unwilling participants, we can also reinforce their protections and help them regain a semblance of control if they’ve lost it. Granted, sometimes we’re the reason they lost it. But the principle is the same. It’s probably one of the best places for her right now.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right.” Milaro said grudgingly.

Malakai just nodded and seemed to fall into deep thought.

Quinn tried to organize it in her mind before speaking, even though it wasn’t one of her strengths. “So, basically, you need all three of us because you have more than one patient to work on at a time.”

“That, and you three are much more subtle when you go mind diving. Sledgehammers work to break things, not necessarily to put them back together. And right now, Nishpa is working overtime as it is.” He paused and looked up, making eye contact with each of them as he surveyed the room. “And something tells me we don’t have the time. It’s of the essence. So... hurrying is detrimental to the mind-healing process. I need more bodies to help do it right, to get the information sooner than later.”

“I like that answer.” Quinn stood up and brushed her hands against her jeans, a little surprised to see she was wearing her soft blue ones. She usually wore joggers or tracksuits around the Library. These were comfortable, though. They’d do. She tucked her hands into the pocket at the front of her hoodie. “When do we leave then?”

Hal joined her, towering over her tiny frame with his eight feet of bulk. “Now sounds like a good time, I think.”

Quinn nodded and began moving to the door when it opened in a hurry with an assistant she didn’t recognize. They shoved a paper bag at her. “From Cook.” was all they said before dashing away again.

Quinn blinked after them and then smiled. She looked inside briefly, only to notice there was a lot more food than just for her. She glanced over at the others. “Well, are you coming?”

Hal and Milaro moved toward the door too, but no one else did. “You too, Mal,” she said.

He lifted his head, and a smile ghosted across his lips. “Yes, Ma’am.” he said with a mock salute and got up to join her just before Lynx elbowed in next to her too.

“What?” the manifestation said. “I’m coming too. I have some finesse in mind work. How do you think we’ve been recovering so many memories?”

“Sure it was you,” Malakai teased gently.

Despite the dire set of circumstances, Quinn smiled as they made their way to the front doors of the Library. 

Hal eyed her as she approached with the other two. “All of us?”

“Apparently,” she said.

“Straight through to my quarters,” Hal told everyone. “It’s an easier transition now you’ve all been there, and easier for us to get to who we need to.”

The doors opened, revealing the ornately furnished rooms of the King of Halschius. Quinn had never had the time before to truly look around. Universe-ending stuff usually got in the way. Not that it wasn’t now, but she took a moment to appreciate the likely ancient furniture in the massive sitting room. A regal desk in the corner with bookshelves lining one wall. Long windows along the opposite side, the view of which she knew held lava lakes, and explosions on the horizon. Perhaps even soldiers drilling in formations again like she’d seen that one time.

“Come along!” Hal called. He was across the room at a twelve food door with ornate gold and black carvings etched into it. He held it open and ushered them through, closing it behind them. The corridors were so much friendlier than they’d been last time.

“This time around... I like the halls much better,” she muttered. Malakai laughed softly.

The entire structure responds to my moods. I must apologize for that. Last time, when I was fighting my siblings and realized what they’d been doing but had to continue to put them in their place...” He sighed, still taking large strides to get them to their destination. “The halls would have echoed my frustration, probably my anger too. No matter what I try, though... can’t seem to sever that connection.”

No one answered or spoke, and Hal didn’t seem to have expected an answer. They traveled along the lava-bleeding walls in silence, but not an uncomfortable one. Quinn found her attention drawn to the igneous rock the castle was shaped out of and how the lava truly looked like veins split open nested in them. Not her decor of choice, but still stunning.

Finally, they made it to the basement entrance, and Hal paused. “Stay with me. There are people down here you don’t need to interact with. In fact, I’d encourage you not to interact with them. Look all you want, but don’t touch either physically or mentally. Understood.”

They all hummed a chorus of yes, and Hal, seemingly satisfied, led them down the stairs.

Quinn had been here a few times now. This wasn’t the area they did interrogations through dreams. But it was a large underground, mostly visible set of cells. The floor seemed made of white tile as far as she could see, and the walls came up about three feet before they revealed glass where it was easy enough to see into the rooms. She frowned, not having recalled that either time she’d been here. Although to be fair, the last time she’d been busy fighting.

“Who first?” She asked softly, her eyes drawn to a strange being in one of the rooms. They resembled a praying mantis, but had more legs and small beady eyes. She couldn’t hear what was happening in there, but from the visual, she didn’t want to. Instead, she focused her gaze on Hal’s back and his answer.

“Adrito. I believe Nishpa wants to induce a magical coma sooner than later. If we get his questioning out of the way first, we’ll be in a better place to take care of him.”

“Take care of him?” Milaro spoke up. “He tried to kill Quinn on more than one occasion. Are we really trying to save him?”

“Ah yes, that’s another piece of the puzzle, isn’t it. You see... it’s another part of the contagion that’s spreading to infect people against the Library.” Hal grimaced, as if unsure he’d explained it properly. “They can probably clarify anything you truly need explained before we dive in. I’m hoping not to make soup of his brain. That’d be a shame.”

Soup? They? Quinn narrowed her eyes. “What aren’t you telling us, Uncle dearest?” Quinn asked, trying to keep the irritation from her tone. She didn’t think she succeeded.

Hal reached an arm up and rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve learned a lot, but not all of it has to do with fixing Adrito, but instead, examining his actual brain.”

“Brain?” Lynx asked. “You scanned it or something?”

Hal finally stopped, pausing outside the room next to the one Kajaro had occupied the last time they’d been in there. “That’s close, but not quite. He had irregularities in his brain scan. Not just his mind. As if something interfered with the natural way his brain processed information. Took us a while to narrow that down. But we got there. Now we’re trying to find who it was that did that to his brain. It’s more difficult than you think. But... comes down to magical signatures again. We’re extracting the information as best we can in order to hand it over to Harish and Siliqua for examination.”

“You think it’ll match up with the samples we already have?” Milaro asked carefully.

Hal shrugged. “To be honest, I have no idea. I really hope they do, so we have more to go on than nothing at all. But, by our best guess - not these supposed supporters have not done it of free will. So, instead of waging war on these people, the goal is to figure out what’s wrong so we can help them, not kill them.”

Quinn nodded. “I like this situation more.”

“Don’t we all, little egg. Don’t we all?” Hal smiled at her, but it was sadder than usual. He pulled himself up straight and twisted the handle in his grip, pushing open the door to reveal Adrito and a few people working together. 

Nispha looked up and nodded at them all. “Be with you in a moment, currently assessing something.”

The person assisting her turned and waved at Quinn. “Nice to see you again, Librarian.”

Quinn blinked.

Hal smiled. “Ah, that’s right, you know Eugea. I believe you saved her from precisely what Adrito is suffering from. Which is why we needed you here, Quinn. You and your new affinity.”

~~

Weeeeee affinities

Much love

KT