It didn’t take long to reach Elder Lita’s home, but the hours after that felt like an eternity to the brothers. Between the elder and the personal guards she called to her side, they had likely never been safer. And yet, watching Wald lay on a bed in his current condition while hearing the intermittent booms and screams was far from comforting. The person most responsible for them feeling safe beside themselves was clinging to life even with healing pills. And he’d taken that attack for them. They knew he’d done it willingly, and that if he was near death they would have stood no chance, but that didn’t quiet the guilt and fear. Neither emotion was very susceptible to cold logic. The booms had stopped a while ago, but the lack of information on why didn’t help. An unknown amount of time passed before Wald’s breathing stabilized and color returned to his skin, and three throats released the kind of ragged breath that follows a deadly worry not coming to pass.
Sect Master Yartan entered slowly and respectfully to see two dry-eyed youths sitting against the wall staring into the distance, and a mother in a chair, with her forehead on her son’s hand, crying silent tears. “Lita?” he asked in a soft worried voice.
“These are tears of relief, Yartan. He will live, though it was far too close.” she answered quietly.
He let out a breath and said, “Good. We’ve lost too many tonight already. I’m glad he wasn’t one of them, though that feels a bit like spitting on those who are gone to say.”
“What happened, Yartan?” she asked in the same quiet tone.
His tone was gentle as he replied, “Take your time, Lita. We can discuss this lat-”
He cut off as her head whipped towards him, fire in her eyes as she demanded, “Who did this to my son?”
Yartan sighed, but answered, “We don’t know for sure, although what we have found so far points in one obvious direction. There were four groups. The two that attacked Wald and the boys were the smallest. The next largest was a group responsible for placing and protecting an infused ward that blocked most essence signals from outside the elder quarter from entering, so alarms would not reach us. It also had a slight amount of sound silencing mixed in so we’d be less likely to hear noisy fights. The fourth and largest was raiding everything of value from specific locations. Technique libraries, essence ingredient stocks, and other such things. It’s clear that we were meant to think that this was an elaborate heist where people ended up dead as a side consequence. Then came the second layer. Both groups your students confronted had a list of instructions and a map. It showed all of our most promising disciples housing locations, ways to handle them and to enter their houses. The instructions clearly state to kill as many of them as possible to cripple our sect’s future growth. Add to that, that the raiding group hit several places that they should not have known about even as a strong thieving guild, and it is clear that we were meant to think either that a thieving guild was put up to it by one of our rivals, or that our rivals sent people who were pretending to be a thieving guild. There are cracks in this narrative too, however. The raiders knew about places they shouldn’t. They raided hidden caches of resources and knowledge that outsiders should not know about, but they only raided places an outer disciple would know about. The truly precious and hidden ones were untouched, even passed right by on route to others. Then there are the lists of disciples and maps. Both groups were directed to your students first, and then to others. Even though both were out of their way if they wanted the most efficient route through all the targets on the list. Also, Wald is one of our most promising disciples in his age range and stage, but there are others amongst the inner disciples that rival him for potential. The only thing that sets him apart is his void affinity and his connection to the boys. He could be explained away, though it is odd enough on its own. The boys, though? They have plenty of promise, and have been progressing quickly, but their records are locked nearly as tightly as my own, and there are dozens in the outer disciples that should be considered more than them, especially by outsiders with limited access to our records, all of whom were between them and the entrance point the groups used. There is simply no reason to go after them, especially in addition to Wald, unless they were the primary targets, and the rest obfuscation or targets of opportunity after the main objective. Combine that with the clear knowledge of an outer disciple but not beyond that, and I can only think of one likely culprit.”
Elder Lita’s eyes blazed, and she spat, “The elder and his brat. They would go this far for revenge on such a small thing?”
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Yartan nodded, “That was my conclusion as well. The boy leaves the sect without explanation shortly after a humiliation, and less than a month later this happens? It’s almost too obvious. The problem is that we have no real proof. Everything points to it, but none of the papers we recovered name who gave the instructions, and we’ve confirmed with truth-telling that none of the surviving members of the groups know anything about where their orders came from beyond members who are now dead. They were told what to do, told a great reward was available, and they were all desperate enough that they took the risk attacking a sect promised. We know who was likely responsible, but if we make public accusations against an elder with just this, our peers will tear us to metaphorical shreds even if the Emperor believes us, and he won’t have the leverage to protect us.”
The boys started, refocusing their eyes and attention on the conversation. This was the first time they’d heard the arrogant disciple had left the sect. Their newfound awareness is the only reason they saw Elder Lita’s face grow ugly with barely contained rage as she snarled, “So you’ll do nothing?! They nearly killed my son! There MUST be consequences!”
The sect master froze; then he drew himself up, his face cracking for the first time to show just a shadow of the anguish and fury he clearly felt. He bit out, “You are a friend, Lita, and in a great deal of pain, so I will let this pass, but remember who you speak to. It is my Den that was violated. My men who lie dead. My promise of safety that was trampled on. This will NOT go unanswered. But neither will we rush and put the whole sect at risk to soothe our emotions.”
Elder Lita’s tension drained so quickly it was like a bag had been punctured, and a moment later she just looked tired. “I’m sorry, Yartan. I do know you better than that. I just… I don’t know how to respond to this any other way than violent wrath. It’s all I do. All I am in moments like this.” she apologized faintly.
Yartan didn’t loosen his stance, but his face softened. “You have every right to be angry and frustrated, Lita, but you’re not the only one. I dearly wish I had something simple enough for you to go hit until you felt better. It would make both our lives easier.” he said.
“What do I do, Yartan?” she asked, “What do I do with these if I can’t use them as fuel?”
“Who said you can’t?” he answered, and then looked to the brothers and the still sleeping Wald, “Focus on them. Make sure they’re ok, and then make sure they’re prepared for the challenges ahead.”
Lita looked to them, and then nodded strongly, saying, “You’ll be moving here where I can keep an eye on you, then-”
Vath’s eyes snapped to hers with a sharp look, and he said one word, “No.”
Elder Lita opened her mouth to reply, but Kaser cut her off. Still staring at the floor, he said in a subdued tone, “We’ve already run from one place that should have been a home. We’re not abandoning the one we finally found.”
Elder Lita’s mouth snapped shut, and she looked to the sect master pleadingly. He answered her unspoken question, “I won’t make them, Lita. I’ll be reinventing the security features of the sect as I rebuild them anyway, I’ll make sure they’re guarded well. Their home will not be invaded again by anyone who couldn’t give you trouble, I promise. But you misunderstood me. I’m not telling you to coddle them. I’m telling you to use your fear and anger to collectively push the three to the point they don’t need your protection anymore. They were all headed in that direction anyway. Use this to move faster.”
She slumped, but nodded her acquiescence. After a moment, she regained some steel in her spine and spoke again with a direct look at the brothers, “You will stay here until the sect master tells me your house is secure. You will be tested out or removed from your classes, and you will be trained directly by myself, Wald, or teachers we bring in. You will not leave the sect for missions until I give the say so, which will be at least the next stage. I will not be moved on this.”
Vath was more than a little annoyed at the restrictions, but he couldn’t say they were unreasonable, so he just grunted in reply. Kaser just mumbled, “Thank you, Elder.”
“Lita,” she responded, “After tonight, you can call me Lita.” She turned to the door and called, “Vela?”
The caretaker entered and bowed, “Yes, Elder?”
“Please find the boys a place to sleep. They’ll be staying here for the moment.” Lita told her.
“Of course, Elder.” the caretaker responded. “This way, disciples.” she added shortly after.
They rose to follow her, pausing to linger near the bed before continuing. On their way out, Lita called out one last time, “Sleep well, boys. Cause tomorrow we work.”
“We will.” came the response, and then they were walking to a set of rooms not too different from the ones at home, and quickly falling into a restless sleep.