Chapter XXX

The silence in the Chamber of the Masters was deafening as Ryokumo sat there, staring at his hands folded atop the table. A brief look around showed that his discomfort was present on the faces of every other Master gathered within the room. Sinna looked as if she were ready to simply get up and leave, Nyx was eyeing the Prince with hesitation, and Iris appeared as if she were about to be sick. As for Reigious, he was merely sitting in his golden chair, eyeing each of them in turn and waiting for one to speak. Ryokumo could tell he was furious. One wrong move could potentially set him off and it was for that reason that they were remaining quiet. At that moment, he wished he could have gone north with Nakoma, if only to escape the conversation that was soon to take place. Then, finally losing his patience, Reigious sat up straighter and broke the silence.

“So you have nothing to say for yourselves?” he growled. “Last night, Seiras was murdered with each of you in the room, and all of you failed to prevent his death. There were four Masters there, yet the assailant both accomplished their assassination and escaped pursuit?”

Knowing that if somebody didn’t respond, Reigious would lose his temper, Ryokumo was prepared to attempt to explain the situation, but to his relief, Nyx beat him to it.

“With all do respect, Your Majesty, there wasn’t much we could do,” the Master of Water explained.

Reigious cocked an eyebrow. “And why is that? You’re some of the most powerful magic users in this country, so why were you so powerless, Nyx?”

“How much do you know about what went down in there?” she asked softly. “What have the reports been saying? Do you know anything about what happened before his death?”

Despite his clear irritation at being responded to with another question, the prince nevertheless answered. “I was told that while the five of you were having your dinner, an attacker snuck in through the window, somehow avoiding your detection, and put two arrows into Seiras before fleeing back into a higher level of the Citadel.”

Nyx nodded. “Well then, perhaps it would be good for you to know that the reason we were all incapacitated was because of Seiras, himself.”

“Oh is that so?” Reigious snapped. “And why is that?”

“He used his new spell on us,” Sinna replied, finally bringing herself to speak. “Peaceful conversation between us quickly broke down and Seiras cast his mind spell on each of us. I’m not sure if you ever had the pleasure of experiencing it, My Prince, but it isn’t something you can easily shake off…especially not when it’s used on you numerous times.”

Reigious listened to her explanation silently and, once she was finished, he narrowed his eyes. “And why would he do such a thing? Why would he cast such a dangerous spell on his fellow Masters?”

“Power,” Iris said simply, her catlike features tensing up as she inserted herself into the conversation. “He wanted to display his power. Right before he died, he was screaming about how much stronger he was. He was gloating about how he took us all down so easily and demanded that we bow to him as if he were some…king. I think that’s all it was. Arrogance and greed.”

“Yes, I agree,” Ryokumo added. “It was always about power with him. And this time, because of his desire to show off, we were all too weak to sense the attacker’s presence and we failed to catch them. For that, I apologize, but at the end of the day, Seiras brought his death on himself.”

Reigious eyed him for a moment before glancing around at each of them once again. He was most likely searching for any sign of deceit in their expressions but, as Ryokumo knew, he wouldn’t find any. They weren’t hiding anything simply because there was nothing for them to hide.

“Be that as it may,” the prince began, “it does not change the fact that a Master of Ijiria, and one as valuable as Seiras, has been murdered, with the killer left to roam free in the Citadel.”

Sinna frowned. “So we really were unable to find them?’

“Yes,” he answered. “We spent all night searching for the attacker, but so far, we’ve found nothing. We don’t have any leads or even any suspects. In fact, we can’t even be sure they didn’t flee out into the city at some point. I’ve ordered the city guards to strengthen defenses at the gates, but I doubt that’ll do much against somebody as clever as this person seems to be.”

Ryokumo sighed in defeat and frustration. “Yes, there's no doubt they’re smart…as well as strong. In order to get to that window, they have to have enough control over wind magic to be able to essentially fly and that isn’t something one can do easily. It took me years to be able to properly remain in midair like that.”

“Then…is it possible that this was a Child of Reiner?” Sinna inquired. “After all, from what Noctis said, Rista Pine was quite powerful with wind magic.”

“Not to mention that Arisa Kirisan tried attacking him with it, as well,” Nyx added. “In fact, it’s that style of power that the Children seem to have taken a liking to. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that one could have crept into the Citadel to assassinate a Master.”

Reigious furrowed his brow then turned to regard Ryokumo. “Why would the Children use wind magic as often as they do? Is there a reason for this?”

The Master of Wind nodded. “Yes, actually. It doesn’t surprise me in the least. Abi’s affinity was, as we all know, nature magic, but that power is predominantly centered around healing. Sure, it has its offensive spells, but not enough so that the user would be a talented fighter. So, when we were in school, I offered to teach her wind magic as well so that she could better defend herself. She was, to no surprise, a natural and picked it up quite quickly.”

“So it would be the natural class to teach her Children,” Sinna finished with a scowl.

The prince exhaled softly and leaned back in his chair, his earlier anger set aside for the time being as he turned to figuring everything out. “Well, if it was a Child of Reiner then it wasn't any of the ones in the dungeon. We checked this morning and not a single one escaped their cells. However, the Citadel security has been rather strict since the attack so I doubt a Child could have snuck in. They would have had to have already been inside.”

“Which also isn’t likely,” Iris said. “I’m sure they could have remained hidden for a few days or so, but not for months. We would have found them by now.”

Reigious nodded. “Agreed. I suppose they could have flown over the gates if they’re as powerful as Ryokumo believes, but it wouldn’t explain how they knew which room you were all in. To me…it seems like it had to have been an inside job…which is why I’m not so sure that Seiras’s killer was a Child.”

“So you believe there really is a traitor in the Citadel?” Nyx inquired.

“It seems like the only way,” he confirmed. “After all, you all went straight to the Niras Lounge right after our meeting. There wasn’t much time for you to tell anybody so whoever did this must have decided almost on the spot…assuming Seiras didn’t tell anybody about his plan to invite you beforehand.” Reigious narrowed his eyes. “Or that none of you ever told anybody where you were going.”

Ryokumo felt a twinge of fear at the prince’s words. After all, he had, in fact, told Hannah where the Masters were meeting. While he knew she would never do something as insane as attempting to assassinate a Master, he knew that if he told them about it, they would immediately suspect her.

“I didn’t tell anybody,” Nyx responded.

“Nor did I,” Iris agreed. “I went straight there.”

Sinna, however, grimaced. “Well, unfortunately, I can’t say the same. I sent word to Alucian before heading to the Lounge, although I know he can’t possibly be behind this. The boy could hardly levitate a pebble, let alone fly.” The woman then snorted, eyeing Ryokumo with a glare. “But what about you, Caeli? I seem to recall you arriving at the Lounge last. What were you doing again?”

Knowing that lying wouldn’t help his case, he reluctantly told the truth.

“I did speak with Hannah before making my way to the Lounge,” he admitted. “And I did tell her where I was going.”

Reigious cocked an eyebrow. “So the apprentice of wind knew where you were? And tell me, Ryokumo, could Miss Lynn have accomplished something like this? Is she powerful enough to fly down to the Lounge window and kill Seiras?”

“If she tried hard enough, I would imagine so,” he reluctantly answered. “That being said, I know my apprentice better than anybody.. She would never murder anybody, let alone someone as important as Seiras. She can’t possibly be behind this.”

“There he goes again,” the Master of Rock snapped. “Having blind faith in somebody just because he likes them.”

Ryokumo turned a glare of his own her way. “Of course I have faith in her. I’ve been training Hannah for years, Cartus. I’m sure if the evidence was pointing in Alucian’s direction, you would be quick to jump to his defense.”

“No, I would not,” Sinna stated confidently. “While I have a great deal of respect for the boy, he is still an apprentice. Were Seiras murdered with rock magic, I would be the first to demand that he prove himself innocent. I do not get attached to those I train, something you should try and consider.”

“I disagree,” he shot back. “I think connecting with your disciple is the first thing a teacher should do.”

“Ryokumo! Sinna!” Reigious shouted suddenly, cutting their conversation off. “Enough of this. You can argue in your spare time, but try to act mature when in these chambers. For the time being, I will have an investigation into Miss Lynn conducted. If you are so confident that she is innocent, Ryokumo, then this should not be a problem, yes?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

He eyed Sinna once more before turning to the prince and shaking his head. “No. Not a problem at all.”

“Good,” Reigious growled. “In that case, we shall need to be cautious from here out. As it stands, we do not know whether this was a specific attack against Seiras, or if this person seeks to kill more Masters. So, I want you all on your guard. Do not die. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, My Prince,” they all said in unison.

The emerald-haired man leaned forward. “Now, as tragic as this is, we can’t allow it to get in the way of solving the riddle of the guide. The Korrei-Tarr are departing tomorrow to find Malt Territh. With any luck, the boy will be apprehended and we will have a better picture of the situation. Meanwhile, I want you four focusing on the mystery of Abi Reiner’s guideship. We need answers and we need them immediately.”

“And what of the captured Children?” Nyx asked. “What will become of them now that Seiras is dead?”

Reigious shook his head. “Unfortunately, I do not think we’ll get much more out of them. I intend to have them executed tomorrow morning. That way, we don’t risk Kirisan escaping out into the city.”

Ryokumo swallowed. Yeah…I had a feeling that was coming.

“Now, you’re excused,” the prince snapped. “Be on your—” He stopped mid-sentence as Iris slowly raised her hand, a pained look on her face. “Yes? What is it, Iris?”

Ryokumo watched as the woman slowly got to her feet. She had been oddly quiet ever since the meeting started and he suspected it had to do with whatever Seiras’s spell showed her. Seeing as he would never reveal what he had seen, he hadn’t bothered asking what the other Masters had seen. He could only imagine how painful they were.

Iris looked around the table then slowly bowed her head before them. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t react fast enough. I probably could have healed him, but I was so shaken up that I couldn’t bring myself to move. As a healer, I failed him and I failed all of you. I just wanted…to apologize.”

Ryokumo gaped in surprise. He hadn’t expected true emotion in her words, but he found that he didn’t think she wasn’t lying as she spoke. Her inability to save Seiras had been weighing her down and as she faced them, it was probably the most truthful words she had ever spoken to them.

“It’s fine, Mackia,” Sinna responded after a moment. “I saw the visions as well. I don’t know what you saw and I won’t ask, but it’s not your fault. Seiras cast that spell on you and it was because of him that you were unable to heal him. His blood is on his own hands.”

“Yes,” Nyx agreed. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

Ryokumo could see Reigious eyeing them all with clear distaste at their swiftness and lack of hesitation to blame Seiras’s death on his own actions, but the prince refrained from saying anything. So, Ryokumo decided to add his own opinion.

“Do not let it hang over you,” he said. “It wasn’t your fault.”

When Iris raised her head, her expression was slightly less pained, but he could tell that their words weren’t enough to truly shake the guilt out of her.

***

Once departing the Chamber of the Masters, Ryokumo followed Sinna and Nyx down the hall and toward the disk that would take them to the lower levels of the building. Iris had remained behind to speak with Reigious, so it was just the three of them that stepped onto the levitating silver platform. Ryokumo chanted the spell to take control of it and gradually began lowering them down toward the residential floor. However, once they had begun moving, he glanced back at them and spoke.

“Can we speak in my quarters?” he asked softly. “I want to discuss something with you two and I think it would be best to do so in private.”

Sinna snorted. “And what would you want to talk about, Caeli? If this is about Seiras—?”

“What else would it be about?” he interrupted her sharply. “Of course it’s about Seiras.”

The Master of Rock clenched her teeth, looking ready to turn him down, but to his satisfaction, Nyx responded before the two could continue to argue. “Of course we can speak. After all, you did us the favor of coming to Sinna’s place yesterday, so it’s only fair that we now return that favor. Isn’t that right, Sinna?”

The larger woman scowled. “Yeah, fine. Just make it quick.”

Once the disk arrived at the residential floor, the three Masters stepped off and made their way through the halls, heading now to Ryokumo’s quarters. Part of him wanted to first go speak with Hannah and warn her about the Masters’ suspicions, but he knew he would have to be patient. Dealing with Sinna and Nyx was his first priority. Once he had discussed what he needed to, he would then go straight to Hannah.

I just hope I can get there before Reigious sends soldiers to detain her, he thought, feeling a pang of fury that made him sick. I know Hannah isn’t behind this, but at the moment, I don’t have any proof. But I’ll make sure she’s protected. I won’t let anything happen to her.

When the three of them arrived at his quarters, Ryokumo cast the spell that unlocked the door and stepped inside with the two women at his back. He then motioned for them to take a seat on his couch, but only Nyx obliged. Sinna remained standing beside her, her arms folded as she regarded the room with a sneer. It was the first time either of them had ever been there to visit so he was prepared for her to make some snide comment about the state of his room. However, she must have decided it wasn’t the time as she instead merely snorted and looked at Ryokumo expectantly.

“So?” she demanded. “What did you need?”

He sighed, glancing between the two, before replying. “Look. At this point, I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll just be blunt and ask. Did either of you have anything to do with Seiras’s murder?”

Nyx didn’t react, as if she had been expecting that very question, but Sinna immediately snarled furiously at him.

“Excuse me? Don’t tell me you called us here to accuse us of treason, Caeli?!” She clenched her fists and he half expected them to suddenly harden into stone at that very moment. “Of course we had nothing to do with it! As much as I despised the little shit, I would never have killed a Master!”

“Sinna, please calm down,” Nyx said softly. “I understand why you would be offended, but at the same time, look at it from his point of view. After expressing our concern about how dangerous Ka was, the man winds up dead. While I know it’s mere coincidence, anybody in Caeli’s position would be suspicious.” As always, Nyx was able to calm the woman down with her rationale before turning her half-lidded eyes to regard Ryokumo. “But we had nothing to do with this. I promise.”

Ryokumo nodded, content for the moment that they weren’t lying. While he hadn’t believed that either actually had been responsible, he felt the need to check if only to gauge their reactions. After seeing what they said, he was confident enough to trust them for the time being.

“Alright, thank you,” he said. “I’m sorry for that, but I had to be sure. After all, you promised me allies for my information and so, I wanted to be sure that I could still trust you.”

Sinna scoffed. “Allies, huh? Is that what you want from us? You want help proving your little apprentice innocent?”

“In a way,” he admitted. “But I think it would be more appropriate to say that I want allies to help me find out what really happened. I want to locate the killer before this gets out of hand. I would imagine you’re both of the same mindset?”

“Yes,” Nyx muttered. “I would like to solve this mystery. While I do not mourn Ka’s death, especially after what he did to us, I can’t deny that this murder makes me nervous. Not only was a Master killed within the Citadel’s walls, but the attack itself is strange. Prince Reigious seemed uncertain, but I think I can say with confidence that this was an attack against Ka, specifically. I don’t believe the killer just wanted to murder a Master.”

Sinna grunted her agreement. “That seems likely. After all, they had plenty of opportunities to shoot one of us as well, but they chose instead to shoot him twice, as if to ensure he would die. They wanted that halfling dead.”

“Then the question is why?” Ryokumo stated. “I’m sure Seiras has plenty enemies within this Citadel so it doesn’t surprise me that some would want him dead. However, why now? Could it be related to the spell? Or is there something else going on here?”

“That was what I was considering as well.” Nyx leaned forward on the couch and folded her pale hands on her lap. “I feel as if the timing is too perfect. Why risk attacking when all of us Masters are present? Why kill him now? I want to attribute it to the spell, but the only ones who knew it existed were those of us Masters, the prince and princess, and the Children.”

Sinna shook her head. “That’s only assuming Seiras didn’t try and cast it on anybody else. He might have been cautious not to spill any of his secrets, but he was strangely willing to cast it on others. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he used it on somebody else.”

“So then, was this an act of revenge?” Ryokumo wondered. “Or perhaps it was an attempt to get rid of the spell. Seiras made it plenty clear that he never wrote it down. He liked to brag that its secrets were kept within the protection of his mind. So unless he was lying, his death would mean that the spell is lost.”

“I could believe he lied,” Nyx said. “It’s possible he has notes hidden in his quarters, but if that’s the case, we won’t know unless Reigious decides to tell us. So for now, we should assume the spell is gone.”

“And good riddance,” the Master of Rock spat.

Ryokumo considered everything they had put forth up to that moment and furrowed his brow. With all that taken into account, it did seem as if Seiras’s death was linked to his new spell. The problem was that they knew very little about what he was up to in the weeks before his death. He could only hope that Seiras had told the truth and that his horrible vision spell died with him.

Although…I suppose that with his spell gone, there really is no way to try and use it to bypass erasure. I’ll no longer be able to use it to remember who she was.

It was something he had thought about, but at the end of the day, he decided it was a necessary sacrifice. It just meant he would have to deal with Album upon her return to Ijiria and try and regain his memories through her. Seiras’s spell was too powerful to be spread to other magic users and, despite how twisted it was, Ryokumo was glad the halfling was dead.

It was just one less problem for him to deal with.

***

Time continued to pass as Arisa Kirisan counted down until her death. She knew it would be coming any time now. By telling the Ijirians what they wanted to know, she had served her usage for them and, by being a guide, they now knew just how much of a threat she was. If she were to ever escape, it would be disastrous for them. However, she had come to accept that her life was going to end. It had been full of such misery in the end and she found death to be a relief. All the pain and suffering would end. They could no longer torture her and she could pass on to the next life and put everything behind her. It was what she wanted. She was looking forward to the moment the cell door opened and a guard walked through to cut her head off. Freedom was just before her.

I deserve it anyway. I’ve brought this on myself. I got everybody killed by rallying them to attack the Citadel. I got my closest friends killed by attacking Nigreos Noctis. And now, I’m certain Malt’s days are numbered now that they know how dangerous he is. All I’ve done is get my siblings killed so why do I deserve to live? I don’t.

Arisa swallowed back the dryness in her throat and wondered if they planned to just let her die of dehydration. She hadn’t had any water since the previous day when Seiras Ka had come in to torture her again.

How much longer do I have to wait? Why can’t they just kill me? I want to die. I want it to be over!

Then, as if summoned by her prayers, she heard the sound of the door unlocking and it finally slid open along the concrete. She raised her head, relief spreading through her body as a cloaked figure slunk into the room almost like a shadow, then closed the door behind them.

“I was wondering…when someone would come,” she rasped. “So it’s time to die, huh?”

She expected laughter or perhaps a taunt, but instead, the person responded with conviction, “No. You’re not going to die tonight, Kirisan.”

She frowned, hearing the almost comforting tone of the woman’s—or perhaps girl’s—voice. The figure stalked across the room and raised her palm to touch Arisa’s forehead. Her fingers were warm.

“Benedio,” she intoned.

A healing spell?

Pleasurable warmth then spread from the girl’s hands and into her head, easing the pain in her body and dryness of her throat. It was the most relaxing feeling she had experienced in weeks and it made her almost cry. When the girl removed her hand, Arisa felt as if her body had recovered significantly from all the torture despite the soreness that still remained in her limbs. Once that spell was cast, the figure directed her attention toward the chain and quickly used her magic to unlock them. Each time a shackle released her, it was as if a violent weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and soon, she was free.

“Put this on,” the girl ordered, producing a small folded cloak from within her own before tossing it to her.

Arisa barely caught it and for a moment, she just gaped at it. “I don’t understand,” she murmured. “What’s going on? Am I being released?”

“I’m rescuing you,” the girl replied. “You see, my time in the Citadel is limited so, if I’m going to die anyway, I might as well help as many people as I can, right?”

Arisa frowned. “What do you mean? Are you…breaking me out? You’re betraying Ijiria?”

“Oh, I’ve already betrayed Ijiria,” she replied, as if that were something she was proud of and not the criminal offense it was. “Now, come with me. I don’t have much time before they find us and I still need to break the others out. So put that on and help me.”

“But…” she stuttered. “I mean…who are you? Why would you help me? I haven’t done anything worth saving me for.”

As her rescuer was turning around, she stopped, as if considering the question. “I’m…doing a favor for someone very important to me. And as for my name…” She glanced back at Arisa and raised her head, giving her full view of her youthful features.

“Just call me Hannah.”