Chapter XXXVI

When Ryokumo opened his eyes, he found himself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was or what had happened to him. All he knew was that his body felt weak, but after a few seconds of simply staring upwards, everything came back to him in a painful rush and he immediately lurched up in a panic.

Hannah?! Where’s Hannah?! Did she get out okay?! Where am I?

“Calm down, Caeli. You’re alright. Take deep breaths.”

Caught off guard by the sudden voice, he turned to find somebody sitting by the bedside, gazing at him with her yellow, catlike eyes. Iris Mackia smiled, though it wasn’t the warmest smile. Instead, she seemed more intrigued, as well as happy that his being awake meant he could answer whatever questions were clearly on her mind. Ryokumo narrowed his eyes and briefly scanned the room in an effort to get his bearings, realizing that he did in fact recognize it, though he had only ever been there as a visitor. He was in one of the Citadel’s infirmary rooms where those who needed more than basic healing magic were taken. The Master of Wind swallowed and pulled back the blankets only to find his leg perfectly attached, though it was still a tad numb.

“Don’t worry about the leg,” Iris said. “I reattached it, good as new. In fact, I’d give it a few more minutes and you’ll probably be able to walk on it.”

Ryokumo nodded then glanced over the rest of his body. He was wearing one of the white infirmary gowns and, while he did feel achy, everything was as it should be. He grimaced, then looked sidelong at the Master of Nature.

“What happened?” he muttered, his mind still hazy, though clear enough for his stomach to churn at the thought that they might have caught Hannah.

“Well, we planned to ask you that very same question.”

At the sudden sharp tone, Ryokumo turned his attention past Iris to see Sinna standing in the room’s doorway, her arms folded across her broad chest as she eyed him. The woman then leaned down to step inside and approach the bed.

“Once I’d gotten Nyx, we ran back to where the attacker appeared and found two guards murdered,” she explained. “I didn’t see any sign of you so we went looking and found you laying half-dead by a shattered windowsill with your leg blown off. So, I carried you here and had Nyx go find Mackia. This was about two hours ago.”

Ryokumo sighed, tensing up as he prepared to ask his next question. “And Seiras’s killer? Was she captured?”

Sinna shook her head. “No, she was not. Unfortunately, we think she escaped out the window and flew over the walls, into the city. Princess Piura has Erika on lockdown for the time being so they won’t be getting away, but for now, they have eluded us.”

He refused to let it show on his face, but at that moment, he felt overwhelming relief. He knew Hannah wouldn’t truly be safe until she escaped the capital city, but being stuck in Erika was still far better than being dead. It meant that the risks he would be taking from here out would be worth it.

“But I’m sure they’ll be found,” Iris chimed in. “For now, I’m just happy you’re not dead, Caeli. We already lost one Master these past two days so it would be a huge embarrassment on the Citadel if we allowed another to die.”

Ryokumo cocked an eyebrow, realizing he shouldn’t be surprised that she was more concerned about the Citadel’s reputation than his own wellbeing.

“Anyway,” the woman went on. “Prince Reigious told me to go get him once you woke up so I’m gonna go find him. Stay with him for a bit, would you, Cartus?”

Sinna gave a curt nod as Iris got to her feet and skipped from the room, leaving the two of them alone. Knowing Sinna, Ryokumo didn’t think she would want to talk to him, so instead, he was about to turn his thoughts to what he would say to the prince, when she surprised him by breaking the silence.

“So, you had it handled, did you?” she grunted. “Don’t tell me that woman was a better wind caster than you.”

Ryokumo scowled. “Shut up. It’s not that. It’s just…”

“Yes? What’s your excuse this time?” she demanded.

Part of him wondered if he should tell her about Hannah before deciding that she would probably just find out when Reigious arrived, so he opted to keep it to himself for the time being. Instead, he merely shook his head and sighed.

“It doesn’t matter what my excuse is,” he murmured. “Either way, she escaped and Seiras’s killer remains on the loose. I just have to hope that they find her soon and…well, let’s just say that I’ve got information that should help.”

Sinna snorted. “Is that so? Well, good, because this situation is a bigger problem than you already know.”

“Meaning?” he growled.

“Before coming after the two of us, this woman snuck down into the dungeon and butchered every last guard that was posted there,” she replied bluntly. “She then rescued Kirisan and the other Children and, as of now, we have yet to find any trace of them within the Citadel. It seems they most likely got out into the city as well…which means we’ve allowed another guide to be set loose.”

Ryokumo clenched his teeth, having already been told as much by Hannah. Yet, as relieved as he was to know that Kirisan and the others got out alive, he couldn’t help but realize the weight of what his apprentice had done. She both killed a Master and released a rogue guide on the city, two actions that were utterly detrimental to the safety of Ijiria. If Reigious ever found her, she wouldn’t be simply executed. He would do far more to punish her for her actions and, should they ever learn that he allowed her to escape, the same would go for him.

And she did this all for me. She killed Seiras and released the Children all because she knew it was what I wanted. And in the end, she planned to have me kill her to clear my name and prove that I had nothing to do with her actions.

He fought back the tears that threatened to flow, not wanting to break down in front of Sinna. His apprentice, while still alive, was gone. She was a fugitive from Ijiria and it wasn’t certain that he would ever see her again. If she escaped Erika, she would most likely flee north to Trovia and when that happened, they would never cross paths. It was what needed to happen if she wanted to survive, but it didn’t make that fate any less painful to him.

Why do I lose everything I care about? he wondered. What have I ever done to deserve this? First, I lost Abi. Then I lost my relationships with Nigreos and Album, and now my apprentice has left me. I've even got a relationship I can’t remember. What do I have left now? What is there to fight for?

For a moment, his thoughts shifted to Eric Reiner, the son of his best friend, who was currently being hunted by Nigreos and Album in Omaruo. If the two of them erased him rather than bringing him to Ijiria then there truly would be nothing left for him to do. Once Hannah was safely outside of Ijiria, he wouldn’t have any purpose left.

What reason would there be to live then?

“You’re not very talkative,” Sinna muttered.

He shrugged. “I was royally defeated, Cartus. I thought I had the situation under control, but in the end, I allowed her to get away. We had an opportunity to learn more about Seiras’s murder and I allowed it to slip through my fingers. What do I even have the right to say after embarrassing myself so thoroughly?”

“Well, in your defense, she was strong,” the Master of Rock grunted.

Frowning, questioning whether he had actually heard her correctly, Ryokumo looked up at her in surprise, wondering why she was defending his actions at all, only to find her staring back with a stern expression.

“Even I struggled to deal with her,” Sinna went on. “And I wasn’t fast enough to return. This defeat is on both of our hands and I refuse to let it remain that way. If you’re willing to work with me, I want to find her. I want to make this right.”

Internally, Ryokumo felt sick at the thought of Sinna trying to hunt and kill Hannah, but he knew he couldn’t allow any conflict to show in his features when he responded.

“Of course,” he said. “I want to fix this as well. I’ll do what I can to make up for tonight.”

At that moment, before she could reply, the door was pushed open and Prince Reigious stalked inside with Iris on his heels. The emerald-haired man glanced between the two of them before regarding Ryokumo with a torn expression. He then smoothed out his clothing and motioned for Iris to shut the door.

“Good to see you’re alive, Ryokumo,” he began. “And while I’m sure you need your rest, we need to discuss what happened. Sinna already told me some of what went down tonight, but I need to know what you saw as well. What happened after Sinna left?”

“Quite a lot,” he replied softly. “In fact, I’m not even sure where I should begin.”

Reigious frowned. “Then tell me, what happened to you? Was this woman really powerful enough to defeat you in a fight? And I assume you’ve already been told about the Children, yes?”

The prince seemed slightly unnerved and Ryokumo could tell that he wanted to rush through the conversation so he could get back to his duties. He couldn’t imagine how much chaos had spread throughout the Citadel given the fact that they were once again attacked from within. Seiras was dead, the Children of Reiner had escaped, and one of the Masters had almost been killed. If any of that got out to the public, it could be disastrous for their image.

“Yes, Cartus already told me what’s going on,” Ryokumo confirmed. “And…well, I can say that it wasn’t the girl’s power that helped her to defeat me.”

Reigious cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, simply put, I noticed something when Cartus and I fought her,” he explained. “She was avoiding her as much as she could and going after me directly. I thought it was odd at first, but now I understand why. She had an advantage over me.”

The Prince glanced at Sinna as if for confirmation and the Master of Rock nodded.

“Yes, it was odd,” she agreed. “The woman seemed determined to kill Caeli at all costs, though I was not aware of any advantage she might have had.”

“That’s because I didn’t realize it until the end,” he said. “You see, it was almost as if she knew everything I was going to do. She was ready for every attack I made and never allowed me to gain the upper hand. Even my best tricks were deflected and…well, simply put… she knew my attacks so well because I was the one who trained her.”

Iris, Sinna, and Reigious all stared at him in surprise, but he went on before they could interrupt with what he was sure would be a volley of questions.

“It was Hannah,” he muttered. “In the end, I managed to knock her facial distortion down and I got a clear view of her face. But knowing who she was threw me off and before I knew it, she cut my leg off and I had lost. I don’t know why she didn’t kill me when she had the chance, but it’s the truth. You guys were correct to be suspicious of her. She’s a traitor and…well, as Cartus put it, I was too blind by my emotions to see it.”

Reigious furrowed his brow as he considered the information he’d just received, his features drawn tightly as if, despite hardly knowing Hannah, this information caused him pain.

“Sinna,” he said after a moment. “Go and make contact with Captain Holm down in the city barracks. Tell him to send every guard at his disposal after Hannah Lynn. I want that girl in our custody as soon as possible.”

“Yes, my prince,” Sinna replied with a quick bow and, seeming still on edge, hurried through the door.

“Well, this certainly is a concerning turn of circumstance,” Reigious muttered under his breath. “Do you know of any reason why Hannah would betray us? Did she ever express any frustrations with the Citadel? And for that matter, would she have had any motivations for killing Seiras?”

Ryokumo shrugged, knowing that if he had any chance of keeping suspicion off his back, it would be within these next few moments. Therefore, he put as much effort as he could into his voice to make himself sound as believable as possible.

“I don’t know, honestly,” he lied. “She was always such a kind and gentle girl. She was talented and she listened to what I had to say without fail. She was the best student I could have asked for and… Well, I can’t think of any reason why she would have done this. However…” He paused for effect, wanting to appear distraught in the eyes of the prince. “Despite all that, she still betrayed me. Hannah took that talent and turned it against both her Master and Ijiria. She tried to kill me and almost succeeded. That’s not something I can just ignore. I’m sick and tired of being betrayed…so if you’ll allow it, I want to do whatever is needed to track her down and apprehend her.”

He could see both Iris and Reigious looking at him in surprise and he could tell just by their expressions that he was believable.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The prince nodded hesitantly. “Yes, I understand how you would feel and I’m sorry you’ve been through this again. Sinna already expressed her desire to go after her so, if you’re willing to work with her, then I will work out what I can to have you heading the investigation. That being said, I do not want to see your emotions getting in the way. Perhaps taking some time to cool off would be beneficial.”

“Thank you, my prince,” he said with a weak bow.

Reigious grimaced and scratched his chin in thought. “Is that all? Or is there anything else?”

“That’s all,” he confirmed. “Apologies. Outside of her identity, I wasn’t able to gain much else.”

“No, that’s perfectly alright,” Reigious replied. “You may have failed to detain her, but at the very least, you got us the identity of the killer. That, alone, is worthy of praise. Thank you, Ryokumo.”

“Of course.”

The prince then excused himself and rushed from the room, probably to attend to what other duties the insane night had brought to him. For a moment, he and Iris stared after him before the Master of Nature glanced back over her shoulder.

“You should be good to go back to your quarters, Caeli,” she told him. “Though I would recommend getting some rest. It seems you have a busy schedule ahead of you.”

He grunted. “Yes, it would seem so. Thank you for tending to my wounds, Mackia. I appreciate it.”

“Well, I am a healer,” she replied with a wry smile. “It’s my job.” Iris then turned and was about to head out into the hallway, but she suddenly stopped and glanced back once again, an almost somber look in her eyes. “I’m sorry about your apprentice. I mean that.”

Then, without waiting for a response, she departed, leaving him mildly surprised. Iris Mackia wasn’t somebody he would probably ever understand and most of the time, her reactions and emotions seemed fake or intentionally misleading. However, earlier that day, he had seen the first genuine side of her when she apologized for failing to save Seiras. And then, as she left, he once again felt as if she meant what she was saying. He didn’t understand what it was that motivated her in life, but he appreciated seeing a more genuine side of her.

But I guess, it doesn’t matter. Either way, I’m grateful she healed me. And she’s right. I should go and rest. I have a long few weeks ahead of me.

***

When the city went on a full-scale lockdown, Arisa Kirisan hurriedly moved through the back alleys of Erika, making her way toward the slums where few ever visited. It was a place for the unwanted and for those who didn’t want to be found and, at the moment, she considered herself to fit both of those descriptions. While she knew the guards would certainly come searching the slums given the location of her mother’s orphanage, she and the other Children knew it better than them and thus, would have an easier time hiding than others. Eventually, they would have to escape the city if they didn’t want to die, but for the time being, the slums would serve as a great place to lay low.

And it seems we’re really gonna need it. I don’t know what’s happening up there, but it can’t be good. I hope Hannah’s okay.

She couldn’t help but think about the woman who came to her rescue and gave her another chance at life. She had believed herself to be condemned to die in that cold dungeon, yet there she was, out in the city once again, breathing the fresh air of the place that, for better or for worse, was her home. It was all because she had chosen to sacrifice herself so they could live. She murdered Seiras Ka and she saved them from their fates. And in the end, she even gave them a piece of information that could be critical to their survival.

“If you ever need help, Ryokumo Caeli can be trusted. He is, and will always be, an ally of the Children of Reiner.”

Hannah hadn’t had the time to elaborate before Arisa was ushered out the window, but her words had been so genuine and full of truth that she had a hard time believing she was lying. She wanted to ignore it, knowing that Ryokumo Caeli was one of the Masters who had been overseeing their torture from the very beginning. It seemed impossible that he could ever be an ally to them, yet she couldn’t help but recall the strained look on his face when Seiras was using his spell on her. That expression made her wonder if, perhaps, there was more to the Master of Wind than she initially expected.

And it’s clear from the way she spoke that Caeli was the Master Hannah was doing all that for. Is it possible that we can trust him? Can Caeli truly be an ally?

Arisa kept the cloak pulled up over her head, then glanced back at the four figures that were following close behind her. Her plan had been to lose them in the city and go off on her own, but they had been adamant about allowing her to take the lead. She didn’t want to, though. After every mistake she’d made while trying to be a leader, she didn’t want to get them killed like she did to the others. She knew they’d be better off without her and yet, there they were, looking to her as the person they should follow.

Don’t they realize I can’t help them! The only reason they were even in the Citadel in the first place was because my stupid-ass plan was a failure! Even if we managed to steal a relic, the Children of Reiner are all but extinct because of me! Why would they ever think coming with me is a good idea?!

Arisa grimaced as she turned down another alleyway before finding herself standing on a rather dirty looking street with rundown wooden houses and the smell of shit and garbage assaulting her nose. She quickly checked to make sure there wasn’t anybody around then took a left and continued on her way.

Everybody likes to talk about how beautiful and magnificent Erika is, but take one look at this place, and it seems like an entirely different city. Every place has its dark sides, but it’s especially bad here.

Nevertheless, it was a district that was often forgotten by the higher ups. They didn’t want to dirty their shoes by ever stepping foot there and so, it was a great place for somebody to disappear.

Arisa led the other Children down the road before stopping just before a decrepit and abandoned apartment building. Nobody lived there anymore. It was just a place for the homeless to sneak into and either sleep or take shelter from the rain. It was where she had hidden with the others after escaping the attack on the Citadel and it was where she wanted them to hide for the time being.

“Come on,” she murmured, then took them through the graffitied doors that led into the lobby.

There was nothing left inside save the stone floor and the remains of the wooden walls, which were also heavily graffitied. Any furniture or decorations that had once been there had long since been looted. Even the former reception desk had been ripped apart for its wood, leaving the lobby feeling quite empty. Arisa glanced back to make sure they were all still there before going into the hallway in the back and making her way to the staircase. The five of them snuck up to the second floor and into another hallway, only stopping when she reached a rather familiar door. It was the apartment she had stayed in the first time and she only hoped nobody else had snuck in while she was gone. Bringing mana to her fingertips, Arisa cautiously opened the door and peeked inside, but to her relief, it was empty. In fact, it was almost exactly as she left it. The main room was devoid of furniture, but when she poked her head into the single bedroom, she found their blankets still where she left them.

Glad nobody decided to loot this place.

Luckily, there were five bags so they would each have something to keep them warm for the time being.

“Alright,” she began, wanting to get this done as fast as possible. “This place should be safe for the time being. However, there’s no doubt in my mind that the guards will come looking in here so you have to be ready to flee should that need arise.”

“How’d you find this place?” Tylo asked curiously as he eyed his surroundings. “I didn’t even know this building was unlocked.”

Arisa shrugged. “After the Citadel attack, I had to make due one way or another. I stumbled upon this building by accident and realized it could serve as a pretty good spot to lay low.”

“After the Citadel attack?” Lyla parroted with a surprised expression. “Wait, but then does that mean you got away? Why were you in the dungeons then?”

She could feel the confused looks of the four as they realized the meaning of what she had said. They were waiting, curious to know what her story was, but she couldn’t bring herself to be honest. She didn’t want to think about the event that led to her capture nor the lives she lost because of her actions. If they knew that she foolishly attacked the Master of Darkness and that the blood of more Children were on her hands then they would truly hate her, and she wasn’t sure she had the strength to face that.

“It’s a long story,” she murmured. “And I don’t feel like reliving it. What’s important is that you have a place to stay for the time being. With any luck, you’ll be able to find your way out of the city.”

As she spoke, Irin stepped forward with narrowed eyes. “Arisa. Why are you talking like you’re not gonna be there with us?”

“Because I’m not,” she answered simply. “The best I can do is get you here. Otherwise, I’m going off on my own. You’ll be better off without me.”

“Better off without you?! Like hell!” Ardan protested, with the other three voicing similar sentiments. “We’ve been in that dungeon since the attack however many months ago! We don’t know the first thing about how it all went or if we successfully got a relic, or even how many of us are still alive! We don’t know anything! But you said you got away!”

Arisa shrugged, forcing herself to remain calm. “There’s not much to tell. Of those of us who attacked the Citadel, the four of us are the only ones left. Everybody else is dead. As for those who stayed behind, I’m sure they’ve escaped Erika by now and have headed north. I don’t know the fate of the relic. For all I know, Ijiria reclaimed it.”

An ominous silence fell over the room as she told them of their defeat. When thinking about their many brothers and sisters, only to learn that they were all dead, Arisa hated to think what pain they were going through.

“Even so,” Tylo muttered. “It’s all the more reason for you to stay with us. I mean, you were the one who led us after Mom died. So we need you now more than ever.”

“Yeah?” Arisa growled. “Maybe I did take over the leadership role…and how did that turn out? We’re all dead…because of my foolish decision to attack the Ijirian Citadel. The Children of Reiner are extinct now because of me! So why would you ever think that I should help you! I’m just going to get you killed, Tylo!”

“But, Arisa,” Lyla cut in. “You might have rallied us, but we still chose to go with you. I understand why you would feel some guilt for what happened, but we all had a choice. We could have gone with Malt, but we wanted to make a difference. We wanted to avenge our mother! Our blood is on our own hands!”

Arisa shook her head. “Maybe. But you know what? Malt’s still alive. Those who went with him are probably still alive, too. And of the thirty of us that went with me, there are five left. Five! And that’s not even considering the possibility that some of us were erased. I failed us.” She scoffed at how pathetic she was and clenched her fists. “So, I’m going to go off on my own. I’ll cause enough of a distraction that you four can escape into the mines or even the forest. Find Malt and the others and…keep them safe.”

“So you’re just gonna go die?” Ardan snapped furiously. “After everything Miss Hannah risked to help us, you’re gonna throw your life away again?!”

“I am!” she snarled back. “Because I don’t deserve to live! I broke, guys! I told Seiras Ka about Malt’s and our mother’s guideship! I told them everything! Because of me, Malt’s gonna be hunted down by the Ijirians and more of us will die! Don’t you understand?! Every drop of our blood is on my hands! So I need to die! If I can sacrifice myself for you to escape then I will! It’s for the better that way!”

As she finished her rant, she found herself breathing hard, her eyes directed at the ground so as to not see the looks on their faces at her confession. By telling them about what she gave up to Seiras, they would certainly leave her behind and she would be free to do as she pleased. And yet…

“Then let’s make things right.”

Before she knew what was happening, Irin had moved forward and thrown her arms around her, pressing Arisa’s head against her chest as she stroked her hair.

“You’re our sister, Arisa,” she whispered. “And apparently you’re one of our last ones. If you think we’re going to give you up then you’re wrong. The Children of Reiner must stay together because we’re all each other has.”

“And Mom’s never been more right,” Tylo mused, placing a hand on her back. “We can’t lose anybody else. If you told Seiras what he wanted to know, then we need to get out of this cursed city and find Malt so we can warn him. With any luck, he’ll already be in Trovia. We just gotta get there.”

“But…” she stuttered. “I… I betrayed us. I told them…”

“Honestly, I was probably only a few hours away from breaking, too,” Ardan added. “Whatever spell that little shit had, it was awful. If you hadn’t, one of us would have eventually. If not for Hannah…I think we all would have broke.”

“He’s right,” Lyla agreed. “Anybody who holds this against you can’t understand the utter terror that spell inflicted. I’m just happy we held out as long as we did.”

I don’t understand… They still want me? Even after all I’ve done?

Irin gently released her and allowed her to see their grinning faces as they stared back at her. She could see hope and determination in their eyes, the earlier despair all but gone. Even after all they lost, they were still ready to keep fighting.

“We need you, Arisa,” Tylo said firmly. “You were always one of the best magic users anyway. Without you, we’re dead anyway.”

“So lead us,” Lyla added. “Be there with us and help us get out of here. Enough Children have died. We don’t need to add your body to the already massive pile.”

She straightened herself up and looked between them all.

The Children of Reiner must stay together because we’re all we have. She repeated her mother’s words, realizing that she had almost forgotten how important they were. Even after everything, her brothers and sisters had no intention of leaving her behind. They still want me. I still don’t think I can lead them, but…

“Alright,” Arisa replied as confidently as she could. “I’ll do my best.”

***

After departing the infirmary, Ryokumo Caeli walked back to his quarters in a daze. He didn’t remember most of the walk. It almost seemed to him that he teleported from the infirmary to his doorstep, but he didn’t particularly care. He didn’t have any motivation left to do anything. In the coming weeks, he would be helping Sinna hunt down Hannah, but he would at the same time be trying to aid his apprentice in her escape from the city. If he was caught, he would die. He’d never been too opposed to going behind the backs of Ijiria for his own gain, but he’d never been so openly defiant. The closest he’d come was putting up this pocket realm at West Wilham High.

But aiding the killer of a Master is a completely different situation. By letting her go tonight, I committed one of the highest levels of treason possible.

He unlocked his door with a spell and stepped inside, intending to walk straight to his bedroom and go to sleep, but as he was passing through the living room, he suddenly stopped. He sensed a faint yet foreign mana source nearby and for a moment, he wondered if he was under attack. However, he quickly set the possibility aside, knowing that the source would be much stronger if a mage was in his room. He stepped forward, eyeing the various spots before realizing it was coming from the bedroom. Ryokumo brought what little power he still had left to his fingers and stalked down the hallway, but when he poked his head inside, he didn’t see anything immediately out of place.

What the hell is in here?

His eyes darted to one of his bedside drawers where the source seemed to be emanating from. Remaining cautious, he approached it and slowly pulled it open, finding nothing out of place. All that sat within was his spellbook, which typically put out a faint sense of mana anyway, but there was something else mixed within. Ryokumo picked it up and began flipping through it, seeing pages he had written in with notes and spells he needed to remember. However, when he came to the middle of the book, he found something that shouldn’t have been there. Slid between the pages, was half of a page that must have been torn out of a different book.

What is this?

He carefully took it out and flipped it over to look at it, only for his eyes to go wide in shock.

No… This can’t be… Hannah? Did you take this for me? But…this means he was lying.

He wasn’t sure what to make of this sudden revelation, but there was no mistaking what it was that was written on the page. Written upon the page was Seiras’s vision spell, Aniextium, with both the incantation and the instructions on how to cast it.