Chapter 40 - Translation

Chapter 40: The Prison in the Mountains III The being in the deepest reaches of the prison had been there for a great many centuries, since long before the prison had been abandoned. In fact, the prison had been built for the specific purpose of containing it and some of its brethren. The men who captured it had wanted something from it, they had wanted it so badly that they had imprisoned it in this remote place, but it had been so long that the being couldn’t quite recall what they had asked it for. Perhaps its memory would return when it had shaken off the last bits of sleep. But what had awoken it in the first place? The being looked around in confusion. Its surroundings were no different from when it had last opened its eyes over ten thousand years ago. But it had definitely woken up for a reason, it was at least certain of that. Several more groggy minutes passed while the thing analyzed its current situation until it finally found what had disturbed its sleep. There was a faint clanging sound resounding throughout the room, that of a very distant sword striking against a wall, to the best of its knowledge. The sound was nearly imperceptible, so much so that almost anyone else wouldn’t have heard a thing. But this being’s senses were sharp indeed, and the millennia of silence and isolation had made it very sensitive to strange noises in the complex above. It summoned all the power it still possessed and tried to peer through the wards holding it in place. It didn’t have much power left, most of it had been sapped away by its restraints, but the wards were incredibly ancient and had long since begun to fail, so its magic senses slipped past with little difficulty. Despite this, the being couldn’t help but sigh in dejection. It had truly fallen far, as everything holding it down had decayed to the point that it would have been able to easily rip and tear it all apart if it were still in its prime. Its magic senses shot through this lowest level and began rising up, permeating the entire prison complex. It took some time, especially since the being was still so weak from its long slumber, but it eventually caught sight of Leon, following the flow of magic towards the first of the doors sealing off this level. It didn’t believe its own magic senses, at first. It had been down here so long that it no longer quite trusted itself to see the truth. Hallucinations are rarely so obvious, after all. It watched Leon try to open the door several times, to no avail, and turn around to search the rest of the prison’s living quarters. Leon poked around the meeting halls, the cleaned-out library, the still and silent living spaces. Leon was fairly thorough, stopping to check out every unlocked door he passed, but not exactly going through every deserted room with a fine-tooth comb, either. Eventually, Leon arrived at the entrance to the prison lord’s chambers. The opening of that door with the golden mural slightly altered the flow of magic within the prison. It wasn’t enough for Leon to notice, but the being watching most certainly did. It was left shocked, as it finally began to entertain the possibility that Leon wasn’t just a figment of its imagination. It watched Leon closer, examining each and every wisp of magic that was emitted by the young man. It was left exhausted from the exertion, but it considered it completely worth it, as it gave it a chance to finally escape from this accursed place. [Someone… has found this place…] it said to itself. Leon was real. It doubted its senses no longer. The strain of using its magic senses for so long and from such a distance had left it unable to communicate with Leon, but the last thing it saw before it needed to rest was Leon settling into the prison lord’s bed, so it knew it had some time. It withdrew its magic senses and began to consciously build up its magic reserves, getting ready to speak with someone for the first time in dozens of millennia. — Leon slept wonderfully that night. The prison lord had a taste for the finer things, and his bed was something he had particularly obsessed over. It was so big that Leon almost lost himself in it and so soft that he sank down quite deep. He had never been so comfortable in his entire life. The soft sheets, the warm covers, and especially the fluffy pillows were all things he had never once thought about. Artorias had told him so many things about the luxuries enjoyed by the rich south, but beds were never something he had spoken of, and consequently, were never something Leon had considered. After a lifetime of sleeping in forests, or on hard wooden beds with naught but a few layers of fur, this bed felt almost life-changing. Leon slept for a long time. He badly needed the rest and despite how tense he had been the previous day, he now woke with a huge smile on his face. He really needed to get a bed like this for himself as soon as he could. That smile grew wider as he anticipated what new things he would find when he reached Teira. His smile faltered a little when he remembered the maze he was currently trapped in, but he was confident he could find a way out. Leon enjoyed laying there for a few more minutes, then pulled himself out of bed. There was a bath in the corner, but he was very disappointed to find the enchantments powering it were too decayed to use. He couldn’t see anything he could use to cook with, either, though he figured someone important enough to have a room like this would have had servants bring him food from a separate kitchen. Thus, he could only snack on some bread and dried meat for breakfast. Just as he finished eating and was about to continue going through the room, looking for a map of the prison or anything else useful, he froze. He felt a shiver run down his spine and it felt like something was staring through him. For a moment he hoped he was just being paranoid, but that moment passed when he heard a voice in his head. [Hello…] This voice was very peculiar. Far too deep to be human, and slightly resonant, like there were one or two more people who were saying the same words very quietly at the same time. One of these quieter voices sounded feminine, but the ‘main’ voice was quite masculine, so Leon assumed it to be male. Leon spun around when he heard, his eyes darting around trying to find anything that might look like the thing speaking to him. Of course, he saw nothing, and the voice continued. [It seems… you can hear me… You needn’t… be afraid…] The voice seemed oddly breathless as well as if speaking wasn’t something that came naturally, and it had to exert itself to form the words. [I believe… that we can help… each other… We are both… trapped…] Leon relaxed a little, but still kept one hand on the sword at his waist and decided to try responding. “Who are you? Can you hear me?” [Yes… I can… hear you… My name… is Xaphan…] “Xaphan… ok. You said we could help each other, what did you mean?” Leon knew that this ‘Xaphan’ was undoubtedly much stronger than he was if he could speak directly into his mind. He didn’t think he could be of much help to someone strong enough to do that, but it would still be wise to step lightly. [We are… trapped here… together… I can’t move… but I know this place… You could free me… and yourself at… the same time… with my guidance…] “Could you… be more specific when you say ‘trapped’?” Leon still remembered that the rune used to describe this place was ‘prison’, and the skeleton in the corner had given his life to stay and maintain the enchantments in this place. Of course, Xaphan knew this wasn’t going to be so easy. But, he also wasn’t averse to telling the truth. Or at least, he felt that lying wouldn’t do him much good in the long run. [I am… imprisoned… here… in the lowest cells…] Leon frowned slightly when he heard this. Xaphan seemed to notice, though, and continued, [I understand… your hesitation… I would hesitate… too… in your place… So… I will offer… a token… of sincerity…] Leon felt a slight pressure between his eyes and a very brief twinge of pain. He almost shouted in anger, but then he felt like he could see the all the rooms and hallways in the prison. This only lasted a moment, but the layout of this place stayed lodged in his mind. [I have… given you… the map of this… place… In the very center… of the third floor… is the control room… That is where… you will want… to go…] Again, Leon frowned. In that map given to him, he now knew where the exit was, assuming the map was correct. It seemed to be accurate, from what little he could remember of how he had gotten here, and he could presumably just leave now if that were the case. Of course, that would put him in a very awkward situation with Xaphan. But, his frown didn’t escape Xaphan’s notice this time, either. [You can’t leave… You can see… the way out… but you can’t leave… yet… See for… yourself… I can wait… I have waited… for so long… what’s a few… more hours?] That certainly made Leon feel guilty, but he was absolutely going to check on this exit before doing anything else. He grabbed all of his things, and very cautiously exited the room, casting one last look back at the bed as the door closed behind him. Xaphan didn’t continue to speak as Leon made his way through the halls. Leon felt that talking was very difficult for this guy, and he was more comfortable traveling in silence, so he didn’t press it. Besides, if things turned out like Xaphan had said, they would have plenty of time to talk later. It took a bit longer than the ‘few hours’ that Xaphan had predicted, as Leon was moving slowly and was constantly on the lookout for any potential traps, but he eventually arrived at the exit. In the process, he decided to place at least some trust in the map Xaphan had given him. It had led him to the door, after all. Along the way, he had even learned why the halls were so confusing and seemed to loop back into each other without overlapping. This complex used spatial gateway enchantments, essentially teleportation magic, in lieu of stairs or magic lifts, and they were set into the walls so subtly that Leon hadn’t noticed when he’d walked through them. Unfortunately, with the state the complex was in, many of these gateways had ceased to function, leaving the hallways leading into them dead ends. When Leon had concluded to the best of his ability that there were no traps waiting for him, he crept forward to examine the exit hallway. He knew that this was indeed the exit, as it was incredibly similar to the way he had used to enter the prison. The air was getting colder, returning to a more normal temperature, but Leon had adapted to the higher temperature inside the prison and shivered a little. There was another door blocking the tunnel out and just like back at the other exit, it seemed like something had forced its way through in an effort to escape. The difference here was that there was a clean hole like something had cut a perfect circle through the doorway rather than torn through like an animal. Climbing through this hole, Leon found the piece that had been cut out still lying on the floor on the other side. A quick jaunt down the long tunnel had Leon at an identical metal plate blocking him from leaving as the other exit. Just like the day before, Leon searched high and low for a runic circle to open the door, but again, couldn’t find anything. He gave the plate a few noncommittal pushes, but it was enough for him to know that he wasn’t going to get anywhere trying to force it open. He sighed and turned around to head back inside. “Hey Xaphan, can you hear me?” he called out. [Yes…] Perhaps he could find a way out on his own, but Leon decided to at least hear out what Xaphan had in mind when he’d said they could help each other. “What’s your plan?”

Chapitre 40 : La Prison dans les Montagnes III L'être cloîtré dans les profondeurs de la prison y croupissait depuis des siècles, bien avant son abandon. En vérité, cette geôle n'avait été érigée que pour le contenir, lui et quelques-uns de ses semblables. Ses geôliers désiraient ardemment quelque chose de lui, au point de l'avoir enfermé dans ce lieu reculé. Mais le temps avait effacé jusqu'au souvenir de leur requête. Peut-être ses souvenirs reviendraient-ils une fois dissipées les dernières brumes du sommeil. Mais quelle force avait bien pu l'éveiller ? L'être jeta un regard circulaire, perplexe. Rien n'avait changé depuis sa dernière veille, dix millénaires plus tôt. Pourtant, son réveil n'était pas fortuit, il en était convaincu. Longues minutes s'écoulèrent tandis qu'il analysait sa situation, jusqu'à ce qu'il identifie enfin la source de la perturbation. Un tintement ténu résonnait dans la pièce, semblable au choc lointain d'une lame contre la pierre, autant qu'il pouvait en juger. Le son était à peine perceptible, au point qu'aucun autre ne l'aurait remarqué. Mais ses sens affûtés, exacerbés par des millénaires de silence absolu, perçurent aisément ce bruit insolite provenant des étages supérieurs. Il rassembla le peu de magie qui lui restait – l'essentiel ayant été siphonné par ses entraves – et tenta de percer les sorts de confinement. Ces derniers, bien qu'anciens et partiellement défaillants, cédèrent sans résistance à sa perception magique. Néanmoins, l'être ne put réprimer un soupir découragé. Quel déclin ! En pleine possession de ses moyens, il aurait réduit ces barrières en poussière d'un simple geste. Sa conscience magique traversa d'abord le niveau inférieur avant de s'élever progressivement à travers l'ensemble du complexe pénitentiaire. L'opération demanda patience, son affaiblissement post-sommeil n'arrangeant rien, mais il finit par apercevoir Leon, suivant les flux magiques vers la première porte scellant ce niveau. D'abord incrédule, l'être douta de ses propres sens. Après une si longue isolation, il se méfiait de ses perceptions. Les hallucinations étaient rarement aussi nettes, après tout. Il observa Leon tenter en vain d'ouvrir la porte à maintes reprises, avant que ce dernier ne parte explorer les quartiers d'habitation. Le jeune homme fouilla méthodiquement chaque salle accessible : la salle de réunion, la bibliothèque vidée de ses ouvrages, les espaces de vie figés dans le silence. Leon inspecta chaque porte non verrouillée sur son passage, sans pour autant examiner chaque pièce abandonnée dans les moindres détails. Finalement, Leon atteignit l'entrée des appartements du gardien. L'ouverture de cette porte ornée d'une fresque dorée altéra imperceptiblement les flux magiques de la prison. Une modification trop subtile pour Leon, mais que l'observateur clandestin perçut aussitôt. Stupéfait, il commença à envisager que Leon ne fût pas un simple fantôme de son imagination. Il scruta Leon avec une attention redoublée, analysant chaque effluve magique émanant du jeune homme. L'effort l'épuisa, mais le jeu en valait la chandelle : c'était son ticket pour fuir ce maudit endroit. [Quelqu'un... a découvert ce lieu...] murmura-t-il. Leon était bien réel. Ses doutes s'évanouirent. L'effort prolongé de perception magique à distance le rendit incapable de communiquer, mais son dernier aperçu avant de devoir se reposer fut Leon s'installant dans le lit du gardien. Il savait donc avoir du temps. Retirant ses sens magiques, il entreprit de reconstituer ses réserves en prévision d'un dialogue – le premier depuis des millénaires. — Leon passa une nuit merveilleuse. Le gardien avait un goût prononcé pour le luxe, et son lit en était l'illustration parfaite. Si vaste qu'on pouvait s'y perdre, si moelleux qu'on s'y enfonçait voluptueusement. De toute son existence, il n'avait jamais connu un tel confort. Les draps soyeux, les couvertures chaudes, et surtout les oreillers duveteux représentaient des délices insoupçonnés. Artorias lui avait tant vanté les luxes du Sud, mais jamais les lits. Après des années à dormir dans les forêts ou sur de dures planches recouvertes de peaux, cette couche lui semblait presque révolutionnaire. Son sommeil fut profond et réparateur. Malgré les tensions de la veille, il s'éveilla avec un large sourire. Il lui fallait absolument un lit semblable au plus vite. Son sourire s'élargit à l'évocation des merveilles que lui réservait Teira. Une ombre passa brièvement sur son visage au souvenir du labyrinthe où il était pris au piège, mais il demeurait confiant dans sa capacité à trouver une issue. Il s'attarda quelques instants à savourer la douceur des draps avant de se lever. Un bain occupait un coin de la pièce, mais les enchantements qui l'alimentaient étaient trop dégradés pour fonctionner. Aucun moyen de cuisiner non plus – sans doute les repas étaient-ils préparés ailleurs par des serviteurs. Il se contenta donc de pain et de viande séchée pour rompre le jeûne. Alors qu'il terminait son repas et s'apprêtait à fouiller la pièce à la recherche d'une carte ou d'objets utiles, il se figea. Un frisson lui parcourut l'échine, comme si quelque chose le transperçait du regard. Il espéra un instant être paranoïaque, mais cette illusion s'évanouit lorsqu'une voix résonna dans son esprit. [Bonjour...] Cette voix était étrange. Trop grave pour être humaine, avec une résonance particulière, comme si une ou deux personnes supplémentaires murmuraient les mêmes mots en synchronie. L'une de ces voix secondaires paraissait féminine, mais la voix «principale» était indubitablement masculine. Leon pivota sur lui-même, scrutant fiévreusement les alentours pour en déceler la source. En vain. La voix poursuivit : [Il semble... que vous m'entendiez... N'ayez... crainte...] La voix semblait à bout de souffle, comme si parler lui coûtait un effort considérable. [Je crois... que nous pouvons... nous entraider... Nous sommes tous deux... prisonniers...] Leon se détendit légèrement, tout en gardant une main sur la garde de son épée. Il décida de répondre. « Qui êtes-vous ? Vous m'entendez ? » [Oui... Je vous entends... Je m'appelle... Xaphan...] « Xaphan... d'accord. Vous parliez d'entraide. Que voulez-vous dire ? » Leon savait que ce «Xaphan» devait être bien plus puissant que lui pour communiquer par télépathie. Il doutait pouvoir aider une telle entité, mais la prudence s'imposait. [Nous sommes... prisonniers ici... Je ne peux bouger... mais je connais les lieux... Vous pourriez me libérer... et vous-même par la même occasion... avec mon aide...] « Pourriez-vous... préciser ce que vous entendez par "prisonnier" ? » Leon se souvenait que la rune décrivant cet endroit signifiait «prison», et que le squelette dans le coin avait donné sa vie pour maintenir les enchantements. Xaphan savait que cela ne serait pas aisé. Mais il n'avait nulle intention de mentir – du moins pas entièrement. Les mensonges grossiers ne lui seraient d'aucune utilité à long terme. [Je suis... emprisonné... dans les cellules inférieures...] Leon fronça légèrement les sourcils. Xaphan sembla le remarquer et enchaîna : [Je comprends... vos réticences... J'hésiterais aussi... à votre place... Aussi... je vous offre... un gage de bonne foi...] Leon ressentit une légère pression entre ses yeux, suivie d'une douleur fugace. Alors qu'il allait protester, une image mentale de la prison tout entière s'imposa à lui. Éphémère, mais suffisante pour qu'il en mémorise la configuration. [Je vous ai... donné le plan de ce lieu... Au cœur même... du troisième niveau... se trouve la salle de contrôle... C'est là... que vous devez vous rendre...] Leon fronça à nouveau les sourcils. Ce «cadeau» lui montrait clairement la sortie – si le plan était véridique. D'après ses souvenirs fragmentaires de son arrivée, il semblait fiable. En théorie, il pouvait donc partir immédiatement. Ce qui le mettrait dans une position délicate vis-à-vis de Xaphan. Son expression n'échappa pas à ce dernier. [Vous ne pouvez partir... Vous voyez la sortie... mais ne pouvez encore... l'emprunter... Voyez par vous-même... Je peux patienter... Après si longtemps... quelques heures supplémentaires...] Ces paroles instillèrent une pointe de culpabilité chez Leon, mais il était déterminé à vérifier cette sortie avant toute chose. Rassemblant ses affaires, il quitta la pièce avec précaution, jetant un dernier regard nostalgique au lit avant de refermer la porte. Xaphan resta silencieux tandis que Leon parcourait les couloirs. Sentant que la communication était éprouvante pour son interlocuteur, et préférant lui-même avancer dans le calme, Leon n'insista pas. Si les dires de Xaphan s'avéraient vrais, ils auraient tout le temps de converser plus tard. Le trajet prit plus longtemps que les «quelques heures» évoquées par Xaphan, Leon progressant avec prudence, à l'affût du moindre piège. En chemin, il décida d'accorder un minimum de confiance au plan reçu – après tout, il l'avait mené jusqu'ici. Il comprit également pourquoi les couloirs semblaient se recouper sans logique apparente. Le complexe utilisait des portails spatiaux enchantés – une forme de téléportation – en lieu et place d'escaliers ou d'ascenseurs magiques. Ces passages, intégrés aux murs avec subtilité, lui avaient échappé lors de sa première exploration. Hélas, nombre d'entre eux étaient désormais hors service, transformant leurs accès en impasses. Après avoir soigneusement vérifié l'absence de pièges, Leon s'approcha du couloir de sortie. La configuration rappelait étrangement son point d'entrée. L'air y était plus frais, revenant à une température normale, mais Leon, acclimaté à la chaleur de la prison, frissonna. Une autre porte barrait le tunnel, percée cette fois d'un trou parfaitement circulaire – comme découpé au laser – contrairement à l'issue forcée de manière bestiale qu'il avait trouvée précédemment. Le morceau découpé gisait de l'autre côté. Un peu plus loin, une plaque métallique identique à celle de l'autre sortie lui barra le passage. Comme la veille, Leon chercha en vain un cercle runique pour l'ouvrir. Quelques poussées timorées confirmèrent l'inutilité de la force. Il soupira et fit demi-tour. « Hé Xaphan, tu m'entends ? » lança-t-il. [Oui...] Peut-être pourrait-il trouver seul une issue, mais Leon décida d'au moins écouter ce que Xaphan avait en tête lorsqu'il parlait d'entraide. « Quel est ton plan ? »