Adonis's sobs snapped me out of my daze. Did I just travel through time? My hand was still stretched towards Adonis. I looked at the man and caught him staring at us through the corner of his eye. This time, I didn't reappear in front of him. There was something slightly cool in my other hand. When I checked, it was the orb.
So, I guess that wasn't a figment of my imagination. I wish I had gotten his name. More importantly, is he friend or foe? Not that what he's done to the queen is forgivable. What should I do, I wondered. And who is Aurora?
I looked at Adonis and placed my hand on his back. My attention was quickly drawn back to the room. The council members were still frozen.
"You have eight years, Orenthal." The strange man said.
Then his body flickered, and he reappeared behind Dean with a hand on his shoulder. "And you're coming with me." There was a loud thrum. A fissure apparated, and golden strings like curtains opened, revealing the same kind of opaque portal from earlier. Dean's body went limp and he lost consciousness.
I desperately grabbed at the vent. "Hey!" I shouted, shaking the vent. "Get up, Dad!" He slung Dean over his back and stepped into the portal. "Wait…Stop!" I shrieked. He moved unburdened by my pleas. "I'll kill you! I swear!" I slammed a fist onto the vent.
"Will you?" He said, peeking over his shoulder, looking at me from the corner of his eye. His intense crimson gaze was like water to the flames of my fury. Then, as quickly as he appeared, he was gone.
And so was Dean…
I hadn't been here long, but Dean was like a best friend to me during my time here. He treated me—no, to him I was his son. A feeling of hopelessness began swallowing me. I choked down the tears, trying to reorient myself. It all happened so fast.
Adonis scrambled for the door. I wiped my eyes, stuffed the orb in my pocket, and followed after him. The door was still sealed shut.
"Adonis, the inkwell," I said, looking at the case the orb used to be in. The prince clumsily made his way toward the inkwell, rubbing the tears from his eyes. The metallic click resounded through the room, and the door slid open while the bookshelves closed, sealing off the lab.
Adonis and I burst into the hallway, full sprint towards the stairs. My body felt like it was on autopilot. I was trying to get a grasp on everything that's happened, but it was like trying to catch and hold water in my hand. Any solid thought slipped through my proverbial fingers.
"Adonis, wait," I said, reaching for his shoulder. He turned, his eyes burned with a white hot fury. It reminded me of my past as Morgan when I lost my aunt, who practically raised me. Pain like that… It's what pushed me into becoming a detective.
A lump formed in my throat, knowing that nothing I can say right now will help. I can only hope he can turn this into something constructive. "A-are you sure you want to go in there?"
He snatched my wrist out of the air, his frown lines creasing from the intense look he was giving me. "Promise me, Canaan," He said, ignoring my words, balling his free hand into a tight fist. "We'll kill that bastard together."
I was still skeptical of the druid and his claim about the Celtreas betraying Alestrios, but what I know for certain is he took Dean. I'm not so naïve as to think I or we will be able to do anything about it in the near future, but having the prince on my side might help open some doors that would've been otherwise impossible to get past. I gave Adonis a firm shake of my head.
"Let's get stronger. Together." I responded, matching his intensity.
"Why were you guys running?" Rein asked innocently from across the hall. Rein, dammit. This wouldn't be my first time telling a kid they've lost their parent, but… Rein. Adonis looked off over his shoulder, shielding his face from her. An eyebrow rose with curiosity as she grew more impatient, tapping her foot on the ground with her arms crossed. "Hello?"
I scratched the back of my neck, and my gaze fell to the ground. "Rein," I started. "The quee—your mother, she's…" I was interrupted by a loud crash. Our heads all snapped in the direction of the noise. Adonis practically jumped down the flight of stairs.
"Wait!" I shouted.
Dammit. My jaw clenched with frustration. I followed closely behind. Then turned back, "Just stay here, Rein. Please." She had a worried look on her face, but quickly shook it off and started to follow us, in visible protest of my plea. I didn't have time to argue and continued down the stairs. I broke the corner, revealing the hallway that led to the meeting, and finally caught up to Adonis. Rein wasn't too far behind.
"Stay out of here, boy!" The king's voice reverberated through the hallway like thunder. When I reached the doorway, I saw the king standing next to the Queen's lifeless body, still in her seat. The shattered remains of another chair next to them, and Raftle helping Nole off the ground. Headmaster Armand stood between the groups. What happened here? The rage that filled Adonis returned to his earlier despair.
For some reason, I felt guilty, and the dreadful feeling only intensified as Rein gingerly approached the doorway.
***********
A few hours had passed, and different groups of people came through the manor, which I found out was owned by Nole. Some of them, that I assume knew Dean, came and extended their condolences to me, but most spoke briefly with the king and council and then left. The atmosphere was somber, and the manor was filled with hushed voices. Classic politicians, already working to cover up what's happened.
Guards had to pick Rein up and take her home, Adonis went with them. She cried until she lost consciousness. And here I am. Sitting on the stairs overlooking the familiar white and red checkered floor. I rolled the orb around in my pocket while unpacking today's events.
Why did he take Dean? He seemed more concerned about the Celtreas and what they allegedly did. Could it have something to do with the Deity he killed? Or should I call them druids? Now that I've seen one up close, how did Dean even do that? Of course, the one person with answers who's been with me this entire time is now conveniently gone. I bit down on the nail of my thumb, my face wrinkled with concentration. I need to get some air.
"Hey, you're Dean's kid, right?" I lifted my head. It was headmaster Armand. There was a hardness to her features I hadn't noticed before. The sides of her head were shaved low, and the rest of her Lavender hair was now pulled back and wrapped with a grey band. There were unrecognizable symbols shaved onto the sides of her head. And her posture was rigid, to be expected of a ranking military official, though, I guess.
I nodded my head, "Yes,"
She wore a consoling smile and folded her arms behind her back. "If anyone can make it out of something like that, it would be your father." She started, "I lost my family when I was young, too. To the Grishans no less. For a while after that, I was lost…" She trailed off, looking past me and grinning childishly into the distance. "That was, of course, until I met your father, who, by the way, has been talking you up." She patted my shoulder and nodded. "I pray the nine fates watch over you. This life can be cruel." She said, turning to walk away. Then she stopped making a half turn. "Oh, and they sent for Marin, so sit tight."
Marin and Emry. I winced at the thought of having to break the news to them. Can't be worse than having to tell Cercie, though. The headmaster disappeared into the manor.
"Sorry, headmaster, but I'm going for a walk," I muttered under my breath. I got up from the staircase and made my way to the door. But not before patting my back to feel for the journal I had taken earlier. Still there. And with that, I was ready.
***********
The city streets of Telenor were still quiet. Which wasn't necessarily as unexpected as earlier, considering the fact that it was now dark. Also, everyone is probably on the other side of the city where all the bars and brothels are. The manor or Nole's discontinued event building actually wasn't too far from the main road here. I must have lost track of where we were talking to Dean in the carriage… and those kids.
What a strange day. A temple-looking building caught my eye, with sharp spires and decent stone work. Stained glass, too. Definitely Gothic-inspired architecture or whatever that meant in this world, but the most interesting detail was that it had some of the same symbols that were shaved into headmaster Armand's head carved into the stone.
She did mention something about praying to the nine fates. Must be some kind of religion. Nine realms, nine deities, nine fates, not hard to connect the dots there. Strange though, I was under the impression that very few actually interacted with the deities. And still there's a whole religion based around them.
A gentle fog rose from the cobblestone road as I continued my trek while various threads of thought racked my brain like an angry swarm of wasps.
What was I going to say to Marin or Emry? And how do I even go about starting to plan, trying to get Dean back? The druid said the king has eight years, right around the time Adonis said we would be able to go on one of those trials. He also said the Aberants, or the people who were gifted power by the deities, might as well be one themselves. That feels like my best bet. At least until I get some more information. There's too much I don't know.
I fished the orb out of my pocket and ran my thumb across its smooth, cool surface. It hummed with a strange energy that felt different from mana. There was a feeling…a sensation in the far reaches of the back of my mind, just out of reach, that felt some sort of familial connection with the sphere. My focus was interrupted by a clamoring in the distance. I couldn't make out all the sounds, but I definitely heard what sounded like metal clashing…a fight?
My pulse quickened. There was still no one around, and I was unarmed. Which was only a minor deterrent. I scanned the area for anything useful before my leisurely stroll turned into a hardy sprint.
As I approached, the sounds solidified into the clear and unmistakable sounds of a fight. There was a loud thud accompanied by a wet crunch. I ducked off the main road heading for the commotion onto a small side street with a few locally owned restaurants and merchant shops, slipping the orb back into my pocket.
Then, with a metallic screech, a body slid to a stop at my feet. It was a guard, he was on his back and his breastplate was caved in like he had been hit with a small boulder, he was also missing a leg. A cough erupted from his body with a spray of blood. His body then jerked and slumped. His eyes briefly locked onto mine with a look of regret. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the thin ends of his mustache…like rat tails. The guard from earlier, I thought.
Another clash resounded through the streets, drawing my attention to the altercation. A guard shrank behind his spear as the attacker swung their blade furiously in alternate strikes, keeping him on the defensive. The attacker was clearly toying with the guard and was shrouded in a dark, hooded cloak. I couldn't make out any features.
This must be who the council is after. I guess Nole was wrong. They were not ready.
My eyes flicked back in forth from the body at my feet back to the fight, when I noticed the children from earlier cowering off on the side of the road. Huddled in a small group, still shackled, with their hands covering their ears and heads, shaking. The boy with the green hair stood in front of the group with his arms outstretched, standing like he was a firm wall between the kids and the violence. All my emotions from the day fused and swelled, bubbling up like molten lava preparing to erupt.
With a controlled breath, I called on everything Dean taught me. Drawing on my mana and enhancing my physical strength, focusing on keeping a constant flow. I slammed my foot into the ground and took off at full speed. The distance between the attacker and I quickly disappearing.
The assailant's head shot up as they noticed me closing in on them. And with one sweep of their sword, they waved the guard they were fighting away like a toy, sending him tumbling end over end towards the kids. The attacker glanced at the children, but before they could make a move towards the group, I leapt into the air, aiming a kick at their torso. They quickly slid a foot backwards, evading my kick. I landed between the kids and the assailant, but wasn't able to stop the guard's body in time.
"Melrez, look out!" One of the small voices shouted as the body of the guard crashed into the green-haired boy.