Camaz never liked Moulu much, even back when they worked under Sekrelli colors, and he never understood why. They were both information collectors, as their old mentor would say. They came from practically the same place. And sure, Moulu certainly had a different style from himself: rough, abrasive, downright dirty at certain times, but Camaz had worked with plenty of people who were like that. No, there was something else that always bothered him about Moulu and he could never really pinpoint it.
“Where did you get this information?” Camaz asked. “Where did the villagers see this… ghost?”
“Out where Caelis used to rule, around a village called Gendis. Hugs the border of Yscian territory. I thought this ghost would sound familiar to you.”
“If you’re asking if the person those villagers are describing is Aris, I have no idea,” Camaz said.
“Would she have any reason in going to such a village?” Moulu continued. “It would seem she headed there immediately after being kicked out of the Academy.”
If it was Aris, it would surprise him that she made a beeline back east. She had always sounded like she wanted to go to the Heart and find her roots - look at where her mother and grandfather used to live, go to the college her mother used to attend, investigate the Gate that opened in the middle of the Heart. It was why Camaz kept in close contact with Orrna; she was looking for signs that Aris was in the city.
It sounded like Aris had unfounded confidence in her new Shade powers. Did she think she could take on hoards of Unseeing and close all the Gates after absorbing the powers of a Shade? She surely had no idea how, not even the brightest academics knew how to do that. Camaz felt a headache start to form, right behind his left eye. Sharp, in its familiar cone form, appeared hovering just under a rune lantern on the wall and bobbed in time with Camaz’s throbbing headache.
“The girl never sees reason.” Camaz chose an elusive answer. Neither Orrna nor Moulu knew of Aris’s background, even if it sounded like they did. In their line of work, one often had to sound like they knew more than they did - it was a misconception that spies knew everything. They scraped up bits and pieces, filled in the blanks and prayed to the Parts that what they had was the truth. It wouldn’t be far fetched to believe both of them had an inkling of who or what Aris is - Camaz had no intention of giving them the ability to prove it beyond an inkling. “Perhaps she went there to prove herself to regain entry back into the Academy.”
“I had a feeling that the girl didn’t want to be at the Academy in the first place,” Moulu said. “You never did tell us where she came from.”
“Oh, didn’t you hear? I fucked a merchant’s wife twenty-odd years back. Baby came out looking nothing like the merchant - being good looking is hereditary after all.”
“Nobody believes that load of horse shit,” Moulu said.
Camaz shrugged. “I don’t see how it’s relevant, just like how your obsession with the fighting rings isn't relevant. I hear you fight like a man with something to prove down in the pits. Maybe you want to share just who it is you want to impress down there?”
Orrna made a sarcastic ‘oooh’ sound and leaned forward as Moulu’s gaze hardened, something akin to hatred flashing over his dark brown gaze. “Fine, you made your point. Thought you would like that piece of information, maybe you want to go and collect your ward back before she causes more trouble.”
“I kicked her out of the Academy, she cannot return until the administrators say she can,” Camaz said.
“The girl has abilities any spy would kill for,” Orrna murmured. “Do you think it’s wise to just keep her away like that?”
“Abilities need to be fostered and cared for,” Moulu added. “Especially hers. Why did the Academy allow you to just get rid of talent like that is the biggest mystery of all.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“She purposely murdered a sentient creature for a spell,” Camaz said. “Without permission and without remorse. Surely even someone as depraved as the two of you would understand why that requires punishment.”
“A Shade. She used a shadow of the Solvent for a spell,” Moulu scoffed. “Hardly worth the fuss you raised about it, even if you are fond of Shades. Are you sure your ego isn’t just bruised that she killed one of your pets?”
Very few can see Shades - not only did they need to have specific Inner Eye abilities, they needed practice in seeing the shadowy forms. Despite both Moulu and Orrna having Inner Eye abilities, neither can see Shades clearly. “Your opinion on the matter makes no difference,” Camaz said. “You need to convince the Academy, not me.”
“Your indifference to the girl’s fate is astounding,” Orrna interjected. “No surprise you care little for all of us, but you did raise her for the better part of a decade.”
“There is no proof that this girl that Moulu speaks of is Aris,” Camaz said. “And even if she is, even if I travel all the way out east there is no guarantee I’ll find her. Aris is very good at hiding, if you haven’t figured that out by now. And even if I find her, she has no intention of returning and so the entire exercise would be a waste of time, money and effort. So please, enlighten me why we’re having this ‘important’ meeting in the first place.”
“Everyone - and I mean everyone - wants to know why Gates are opening left and right in the empire,” Moulu said. “And the numbers keep growing. Usually in small villages but now even larger villages could become a target, especially in the past year.”
“The numbers had been increasing for years,” Camaz said. “The tally shows that pattern.”
“Yes, the beginning of which coincides with the arrival of Aris being transferred under your care ten years ago,” Moulu said pointedly. “Also coinciding with the fall of the Caelis empire. And now Aris is spotted back out east, back where the Caelisians used to live?”
“I don’t follow,” Camaz said this with expert ease even as the headache pounded in his head.
“Parts damn it, Camaz, the empire’s leaders need to know if her presence is affecting the problem festering out in the east,” Moulu snapped, finally annoyed with Camaz’s aloof expression. “If she has any connection with this problem, you have to tell us. Any connection at all.”
To an outsider - and perhaps even to Orrna - Moulu’s desire to know about Aris sounded like concern for the crisis that was quickly spreading across the land. But Camaz knew better. Ever since they were young, Moulu wandered the lands like a freerunner, never staying in one spot for long. It was easy convincing him to leave Sekrelli intelligence when Camaz transferred to work directly under the Gaian empire instead of one of its child kingdoms. Moulu held no firm allegiances with people, even now when he’s technically works under the emperor’s name.
Camaz wasn’t much different. He may be called Professor and wear robes around the Academy island, but his reason for staying in academics was because it gave him information. The Academy was akin to a tool for him to use instead of a home he would devote his life working for. Loyalty and devotion wasn’t in their vocabulary beyond what is dealt and what is owed, like currency. So knowing that, Camaz knew Moulu didn’t give a rat’s ass about what the empire’s leaders think or about the Gates at all.
It made his question much more interesting - and that much more concerning. “Your worry for my former student is touching,” Camaz said. “As for her supposed connection to the Gates - well, that’s just preposterous. I expected more from you, Moulu, than simply bringing speculations to me. And just so we’re clear, I don’t have to tell you anything. If that will be all - ”
“I have word that Gendis has been destroyed,” Moulu said. “A Gate opened and there were no survivors. People only knew after sending messengers to the village after the village head had been silent in communications for days. Strange because there are usually some survivors, but this time everyone died. Something tragic happened in that village, Camaz. Something big. If your ward was there, she’s probably dead.”
Camaz pinned the spy with a steady stare. “You didn’t start with this information because...?”
Moulu lifted his chin, returning the stare. “I thought my information was weak at best, therefore not relevant. Unless you have good reason to believe Aris is in old Caelisian lands.”
Camaz said nothing for a long time. All he could think about were Orrna’s words to him earlier.
If she dies because you can’t handle a teenager’s attitude, it’ll be insulting enough.
Often, one becomes so caught up hoarding secrets and keeping lies in line that something else gets sacrificed. He had told himself earlier that day he would do better: would that entail that he would have to step out from the shadows from time to time? How dangerous, how terrifying the world is without the lies he could tell.
If that was the case, then it was obvious what he wanted - needed - to do: he had to head out east and find what happened to Aris, the secret he’d been keeping for her be damned.