Hieronymus dipped his head in thanks and settled down in his blankets, resolving to keep quiet anyway.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Hieronymus peeked out from under the blankets at Kivvien's satchel, staring at it wistfully.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
He watched him, confused and almost positive the avioid had gotten up because of him. He inched toward the satchel.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
He slipped his hand inside and felt for the journal again.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
He took one and started to read, glancing up every now and then to check that Kivvien wasn't watching.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
The book was different than the one he'd been reading before. It was a detailing of various experiments, as before, but this one contained two different writing styles, often with questions written in the margins, asked in Kivvien's neat scrawl, and answered in a messy scribble. Paragraphs of text would alternate between writers, diagrams were drawn in different styles and labeled by a mix of both handwritings.
Hieronymus, delighted by this new find, began reading at once and was soon completely distracted.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
The experiments themselves were focused on using the diluted blood and dissolved remains of demons to create an antidote for the darkness. By the last few entries, the samples of infected earth were more fertile than ever and growing healthy plants in the laboratories.
The messy scrawl of the second writer, however, became more and more scarce as the journal progressed. By the end it was almost entirely Kivvien's writing, with only the occasional note in the margin from the other writer.
Hieronymus looked up as he neared the end of the journal, awed by Kivvien's intelligence and attention to detail. He was also dying to know what this history with the other writer was, and why the writing became less diverse as the journal went on.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Kivvien focused on the path ahead, contemplating his next steps in a more figurative sense. He would meet this madman, take advantage of his intelligence to create a delivery method for his cure, complete his quest, and return home with the acclaim he so had so thoroughly earned. Perhaps someone of such disgrace being his partner at the end would work in his favor. Maybe it would allow him to keep all of the praise and reward to himself and the crown.
Or, it could undermine him. He could be disgraced and shamed for working with someone of such low reputation. He could lose everything.
It all hinged on whether he could effectively hide or distract from this...detour.
