Elsewhere, the Seredum sisters and the Mystics had begun inspecting the Sierra Norte de Sevilla. Trained extensively in the manipulation of the metaphysical elements, the sisters began searching through the area immediately.
In the dark of the night, the forest was unusually quiet. Even animals were staying away from the area due to the heavy Ki residue still lingering days after the battle. Some operatives of the Eye were patrolling the region. Ella and Faris, choosing to refrain from being spotted, kept moving atop the trees, carefully. The Seredums, on the other hand, kept walking around on the ground casually, not bothered at all.
"How are they doing that?" Ella eventually asked Faris, whispering and looking down at the sisters standing merely six feet from a patrolling Sokidu. "Those white tights and peculiar look – and no one is bothered in the slightest!"
"That's because they're pretty much invisible down there," the senior Mystic replied, chuckling. "They have allowed it, so we can see them. But to those guys, they must appear as some animal, a rodent or badger or a cat or something."
"Amazing…"
Ella glanced at Faris with a look of disbelief before looking down again. Erina then went and sat on the edge of the river. She dipped her hands in the water and sat there for a few moments.
"What's she doing now?" the young Mystic asked, whispering.
Faris shook his head. "No idea," he replied. "But I've heard the Keepers draw their powers from large bodies of water. It is said that they have a dominion over the waves. The Seredums may not be Keepers but they are direct disciples."
He looked over at the freaked out youngster. "Relax, alright." He smiled. "They're on our side."
Eventually, the Seredum stood up and said something to her sisters. She then tied her hair into a messy bun, took off her poncho, and walked straight into the water. The Mystics kept staring perplexed, trying to make sense of what was happening. Neck deep in flowing water, Erina closed her eyes, stretched her arms wide, and waited.
"O… k… this is officially weird now," Faris whispered.
The duo stared in confusion.
Erina began swimming up the stream against the current. Her sisters walked along. Ella and Faris followed as well.
"Did you find anything?" Eila asked.
Erina shook her head. "It's being blocked."
"What do you mean, sister?"
"I am unable to pinpoint the signals."
Slowly, the eldest sister reemerged from the water. As she put the poncho back on, she called the Mystics down.
"Don't worry," she said. "They won't see you."
Hesitantly, the duo came down and stood beside the sisters.
"What did you find?" Faris asked.
"Those with similar Ki and intentions to the ones you fought here have been moving around all over Europe."
"How did you find that?" Ella asked.
She smiled. "You sense Ki. It feels like waves of energy, right? Well, we can sense and communicate with many other frequencies."
Faris nodded slowly. "Water's in everything living. Animals, trees, people… even the soil remembers what passed through it. If the Seredums can speak to water, then they aren't just sensing the river. They're asking the whole region what moved through it."
Erina glanced at him, mildly impressed. "That is one way of putting it."
The senior Mystic looked at her. "Could you pinpoint a location?"
"I had trouble finding an end of the traces. Certain areas are becoming blind spots. Some are natural, but some feel very artificial."
"Where?"
"Multiple spots along the Pyrenees." She cleared her throat. "Someone or something unusual is blocking access over there."
"Do you think the Alchemist could be doing it?"
"If he can kill our Lord, then he can certainly block us."
'I highly doubt he killed the Keeper,' Faris thought as he paused, adjusting his cap. 'If he knew magic of that kind, he wouldn't need those damned artifacts to fight Hugo.'
"So, yes," Erina continued as she sighed. "There's a good chance that the Alchemist and his Hearth are somewhere in that area."
Faris exhaled slowly. "Pyrenees, huh?"
"Hmm." Erina looked away. "What can you tell?"
"It has remained unwatched since the abolition of the Outsiders." He scoffed. "It's as if the bastards forgot what's there under those mountains."
Eira asked, "You're no Mystic from the Parliament. You're an actual one, Master Naji. Can you sense anything odd there?"
Faris already had his eyes closed. His aides felt his Ki pulsing faster and faster in his body. He was trying to sense for Ki patterns. Mystics were generally believed to be nothing more than experts at defence against Black Magic and the Dark Arts, but in reality, their expertise and dominions of control were far greater.
"Unusual," he eventually said and then looked at Erina. "Definitely unusual."
"The one in Vietnam a couple of years ago," Erina mentioned. "You controlled that. You were the only one who could."
"Mm-mm." Faris shook his head. "That was different. This…" He tilted his head. "This feels unusual."
The Seredum nodded. "You're the authority here. Any other Mystic and I would've doubted. But you know proper Mysticism… you understand Demonic Ki and you know true Demonic repulsion. So, from here on out, you lead the way."
The youngest sister, Eila, looked at the Mystic and asked, "Master Naji, what do you suggest we should do now?"
Faris nodded. "Let's visit some of those blind-spots at Pyrenees. We'll be able to decide the rest once we're there."
Noticing the sudden heaviness in her senior's tone, Ella leaned closer and asked, "What's at Pyrenees? What are you guys talking about?"
He looked over and leaned closer. "You'll know soon enough."
"But shouldn't we send for help?" Eira mused, looking at her sisters. "At least let Master Baylis know about this…"
"I'd give him a little more time." Faris shook his head and took a deep breath. "Let him visit the Bazaar. We might need what he finds there. And we can't send for anyone else either. We came here against their will, remember? So, let's just look into this on our own. Besides… I think we'll be fine for now."
Erina nodded. "As you wish…"
Ella stared silently. Seredums were disciples of Keepers, one with nature, and truly spiritually heightened beings. And yet they were ready to follow the man standing beside her. She took a good look top to bottom – a casual cap, t-shirt, trousers, and canvas shoes, and an easy-going posture. But there was more to Faris Naji than met the eye. She knew there had to be. A man who could oppose the Seear so confidently, deny the Parliament's request to join them, and still be held in high reverence at the Palace – the freelance Mystic was held in the same stature in his generation as Mustaqeem Al-Gohari before him.
"They're no Keepers," Faris asserted, nodding. "Nor can they escape reality. Let's just head over there and fish out the bastards."