Chapter 422 - Searching and Speaking

'Do you now where to look?' Loralei asked as she tried to move but Ariana held out her hand to signal her to stop. "No but you need to rest. B-Bertha said that there is a lot of dark magic here and you need to absorb so you can be revived." Ariana said then pulled her hand back and hugged herself instead. 'I don't have to do anything to absorb the dark magic. It's flowing into me automatically and I feel stronger now.' Loralei said as she flapped her fins.

Ariana shook her head no. "Give it a few more minutes. No wait until you can change into your true form, then, then you can help me but right now you just need to rest." Ariana said as she averted her gaze. She couldn't look Loralei in the eyes. 'Fine but I swear it won't take long.' Loralei pouted. "Thank you." Ariana whispered then turned to look at Gautum's office.

'B-but in return you need to talk to me.' Loralei said in a shaky voice. "I don't really feel like talking." Ariana mumbled. 'W-well I d-don't really feel like resting.' Loralei rebutted. Ariana sighed, she didn't want Loralei to move around. "Alright" She finally said. Loralei felt proud of herself. 'So what happened after we parted?' Loralei asked.

Ariana tilted her head slightly downwards and covered the top half with shadow. "You said talk, there was nothing about you asking questions." Ariana replied with a dark tone. 'W-well I like asking q-questions. D-do you r-really think I will m-make small t-talk?' Loralei said with a heavy stutter. "I guess not." Ariana said as she looked at her hands. 'Well?' Loralei urged. Ariana brought her gaze back up and looked at the office once again.

It was a very simple office, it was dark and only lit with a small fireplace that was built into one of the side walls. A green fire gently burned, a massive desk sat towards the back wall and bookcases decorated the wall opposite of the fireplace. To Ariana's surprise the room was well organized, nothing like their classroom. "I ran into trouble..." Ariana started as she walked up to Gautum's desk.

After a while Loralei said nothing she heard the whole story from Ariana and couldn't bring herself to even look at her. She was utterly ashamed. Ariana had already went through everything in the room. She couldn't find the book Otis had told her about. She wished there was more time for them to talk but he only had a heartbeat left in him.

'Did the King... did he say what will happen with Otis?' Loralei finally asked. "All I know is that Otis absorbed the remaining magic... He then gave me that message and disappeared. I don't know if he went to Ingemar or if he... Loralei it was a lot of magic... Do you think he survived?" Ariana asked. 'I can go check but if I leave I don't know if I can come back here.' Loralei said as she bounced forward.

"I don't want to be alone right now." Ariana admitted softly. 'I, I don't blame you... I can understand why you want to push everyone away now. Especially, oh my gosh what is that?!' Loralei shouted as she gawked. "Mmh?" Ariana hummed as she turned to Loralei. 'That! That!' Loralei shouted as she bounced in one place. Ariana got up from the pile of books laying open on the floor. She then walked up to Loralei and bent sideways, so she could see from Loralei's prospective.

"It looks like a door handle." Ariana said. 'I bet you that is where he hid it.' Loralei said excitedly. "At the back of a fireplace? How would he even get it? Oh right, duh, put the fire out... but with what?" Ariana asked. 'Most likely magic.' Loralei said as she stopped bouncing. "Easier said then done. Bertha said he had annoying locks and spells on his office door, I would think he has more for the fireplace-?! What the hell was that?!" Ariana shouted as the room started to shake.

'I don't know!' Loralei shouted as small amounts of debris started to fall around them. The room rumbled again. "Oh my G*d." Ariana shouted as she dropped on all fours and scooped up Loralei. Ariana pushed Loralei under her belly, protecting her from the debris as she balled up her body.

"Well aren't you just a sweetheart." A deep, raspy voice called out. "Excuse me?" Ariana called out as she peeked from her arms. "I said you're sweet. You're protecting your little friend instead of yourself." The voice called out, at that moment Ariana caught sight of who was s peaking to her. Suddenly the room started to shake more violently.

"I'm sorry for being rude but do you know what's going on?!" Ariana shouted as she openly stared at the fireplace. The mantel and apron split in half and acted as the eyebrows and eyes. His mouth was the surround while the flames acted as his tongue.

"Certainly do. There is a security breach and you need to be kicked out." The voice said. "But I can't be kicked out yet!" Ariana said as she lifted up her gaze. "Well that little spell your friend used to get in is now weakening. I don't got a choice love." The fireplace said and Ariana couldn't help but pale. "Bertha..." She whispered. Then she shook her head, she needed to focus.

"S-sir fireplace?" Ariana asked. The fireplace started to laugh whole heartedly and the room started to quake at full force. Ariana pulled Loralei closer against her body. "Cutie I heard everything you said and I know why you are here. Tell you what if you can answer my question you can have that bastard's book for free." The fireplace said. Ariana was amazed.

"Deal!" She shouted in reply. "Good on you but sweetheart you only have 5 minutes left. You're little friend is holding on for dear life." The fireplace said as surround of the fireplace stretched out into a smile. "What is the most important thing to Gautum. You have three guesses." The fireplace said. Ariana furrowed her brows and thought deeply but the room started to practically fissure. 'Ariana!' Loralei shouted as she created a barrier around the two.

"Evangeline." Ariana said. "Wrong." The fireplace replied. "Two more guesses."