A/N: I know it has been long, but I have been caught up in so many exams that I could barely check my wattpad inbox. I will try my best to update before my finals come up.
ADRIAN CHIARO
************
There was definitely something going on between the two girls. Faven and Kezia. He could tell it right from the beginning. Ever since Faven walked in, Kezia was acting a bit weird. Weird for a human. Even for a Zoran or an Astra. Though she had tried to mask it up, she was not affected by Faven's presence. That was something, considering that even Camilla was affected to some extent.
He blinked at Rafe. Why did he bring that subject now? Was it because he had said it casually that he did not understand the importance of it?
He gripped his fork. "I will address that issue later."
Faven's eyes narrowed. After a blink, she put on that unconcerned smile. "Fine. Not like I am going anywhere."
Though Kezia was talking to Camilla about the classes, her heart skipped a beat. Had he not been noticing her, he would not have found the abnormality. Why was he noticing her?
"It's no use for you to be here," Kia grumbled. "This year Snow Ball is going to suck."
Faven played with her spoon but did not eat. "Why so? I thought the organisers were chosen by voting?"
"We voted wrong!" Kia cried softly. "Adrian and Kezia! They are two of the three organisers. I had to drag one last year and the other had not attended a single Snow Ball! I am doomed."
Faven's eyes had a glint. Before he could ponder over it, it returned to its calmness.
Camilla gaped at her. "The Ball is the perfect time for single people. You have a fiance! Why bother?"
"It is a wonderful time for couples too," Kia retorted. "How would you know?"
Alanza asked, "Kezia... you did not attend last year?"
The human looked at them with wide eyes. "Should I have? I thought it was not compulsory?"
Alanza coughed. "It is not. It's just that... no one would ditch it."
"Why did you not come, by the way?" Wyatt leant on the table. "Was it because of the organisation... the people-"
She glanced at Faven for a fleeting second, before Kezia said, "My mother was not feeling well. I had to go home."
Faven looked away calling a waiter. "Is she fine?"
Though the question was out of politeness, there was a deep hidden concern.
"She is," Kezia said. "Thank you for asking, High-Princess."
Before the waiter could come, Faven got up and took her bag. "I have some things to do. See you later."
Alanza frowned but then shook her head.
Adrian sighed. Now was not the time to probe Faven. Even if he could not ask the question now, Faven hated Killian enough to not allow him into Haelnal.
He looked at Kezia who had stopped eating and was answering Camilla like she lost her soul. "Kezia?"
She took a few seconds to snap out of her daze. "Yes?"
"After school, meet me in the fourth room in the energy building," he said. "I will ask Verika to come. We have to start planning right away."
He simply had too much on his plate now. Not to mention, the murders and the Risso family had joined. As much as the weight was heavy for him to carry now, the burden would even be bigger if he ascended as the king. If he could not even take this, he could very well give up his title now.
"I'll come too!" Kia chirped before Kezia could answer. "I'll come! I am bored anyway."
Alanza sneered at her. "Last year when I had too much work, you were never this enthusiastic."
Kia gave her sister a bright smile. "I was... you shooed me away."
Wyatt rolled his eyes. "You never did. You just came on the day of the Ball and enjoyed yourself."
"You know about Alanza," Kia mumbled, putting that smile away. "She would make me do all the work."
Alanza pointed her fry at her younger sister. "You-"
Kia gave her a sheepish grin. "I know you, Alanza."
Rafe nodded. "That's right, Kia. Alanza made me do all the work."
Nysa grunted. "Behave, people!"
Ignoring them, Kezia asked, "For how long will the meeting go?"
A small frown crept on his face. "You have other work?"
She nodded. "I am planning to visit my family."
At this, even Kia gave her a weird look. "You just came back three days ago."
Did she love her family that much? Or was it because she lived nearby that she visited them frequently? Apart from Kezia, no other human attended Ryhar from Morghene and Shorya, the two nearby settlements. And those from other towns and cities never left Ryhar.
At this, Kezia smiled at Kia. "As much as my sister works, when Mykrien hits and winter comes, there is hardly any food for us. I would usually hunt at the weekends, trade the fur and meat for some money. My mother is sick and this way, I would not burden my family."
The table became quiet. There was a slight burn at the tip of his ears. No matter how she phrased it, he was the crown prince of Yalea and what she said was how poor the rule was. He blinked.
She knew how to hunt and hence she was able to support her family. What of those who could not? How many people suffered in his country? He could not support everyone personally, but he could to those he knew.
"You come under the Ryhar district, right?" he asked, breaking the awkwardness.
She nodded.
"Why did you not go to the health facility in Takun?" he asked. "They do it for free there."
Camilla nodded. "The health care is free."
Kezia just stared at them, pursing her lips. Was this her silent way of disagreeing? Though he had little interaction with her, including the night before, she was not the one to swallow her grievances. He glanced at the people next to them and he shook his head.
"What is it?" he asked.
She gave him a pained smile. "I lost one of my friends when the head healer demanded an exorbitant price and her family could not pay. After that, none from my village would go there."
"Exorbitant price?" he echoed.
"I don't know about you," she said playing with her food. "But asking for five silver pieces is quite high for us."
"Five silver?" Camilla yelped. "Isn't that robbery? Might as well ask you to sell your blood."
As much as many healers would require blood to save the diseased, there was an ancient way of strengthening the powers. Through the blood of people and the price of a nuico of human blood would be ten silvers, for human blood was common in the black market. Taking two nuico, or one tremo of blood from humans at one shot would render them unconscious for days. Taking three would literally kill them.
There had been a few royals who had strengthened their powers through the blood. The Ithera Royals, one of the three titled families of Zordang employed this practice. No matter how many laws had been passed, they continued to do so.
"That's a lot," Kia said. "Quite a lot for..." she paused and trailed off.
"Us," Kezia finished her sentence. "I am not offended if you are wondering. That's the truth."
Kia shuddered. "I spend in gold. I feel ashamed of myself."
"Don't be," Kezia said. "You have it, you spend it. It's not wrong."
"It's like," Rafe drawled, cutting whatever Kia was going to say. "You have seen too much wealth and you hate it."
Either that or she had truly made peace with the conditions she was living in. Both worked for him. It was not wrong to be ambitious, to want more than what you have. But it would be wrong if you would wish for things that were not yours. Envy others because of it.
There was an indiscernible glint in her tanzanite blue eyes. "I may have seen, Rafe. But that does not mean I should have it."
Alanza smiled but refused to comment.
"But the health care is free," he said quietly. "I am not joking."
Kezia nodded. "I know. I heard the law. The head healer demands money saying that the Baron of Takun is his brother-in-law. Any petition that has been written against him had been stopped by the Baron."
He gripped his spoon tightly. Did they take the Royals of Yalea to be decorations? There were people who dared to go against the laws? He narrowed his eyes. He might take a small visit there with Camilla tomorrow.
He met the Astra's eyes and nodded at her to which she nodded back.
"This is better," Kia voiced, breaking the tension. "There was once a shaman in north Morvos. He was killing the villagers for some kind of ritual."
Wyatt nodded immediately. "Yes. and we got to know about that only after he had killed like a hundred. Putting him in execution was difficult."
Alanza pulled Wyatt's ear. "Talking as if you did the work."
Wyatt pulled away from her grasp and rubbed his ear. "If you want to say, then just say! Why pull my poor ear?"
No country was ever free of corruption. They could only try their best to stop it.
****************
His first class had been cancelled. Apparently, Acarya Nuriya had been called to deal with something in Heosis Academy in Astere. This was quite common. The more experienced the teachers were, the fewer classes they took. Acarya Sahar was nearly never seen in Ryhar. His presence this week was only because the academy had reopened after a vacation.
He dragged himself to the place he usually went to when he did not have his class. The top two floors of the second and third library had private rooms where one could sit in peace and read. The third library was for teachers and in the second library, he had taken the seventh room to be his own.
Cayden leant on the doorway to the library. He played with a dagger absentmindedly. There was a distant look on his face that he rarely saw.
"What is it?" Adrian asked. "Skipping class?"
"It's geography," he said looking up at him. He scrunched his face. "That's a minor for me. Why bother?"
Adrian sighed. "You need to know the terrain you are going to fight on."
"I will have people who will remind me," he said bluntly. "I don't think I need to pass with full marks."
He shook his head and walked up. "You don't. But it would be nice."
A grunt was his reply.
As they walked up, the students from the night batch hurried their way. Their classes might have gotten over and they were rushing to finish their work.
He dulled his senses as he walked past a crowded area. Who would want to listen to the rhythm of a thousand heartbeats? Smell their scents and see what he should not?
Walking past them, he opened his room and sat on a chair. Next to him, Cayden sat down, but held his head by his palms.
"Why don't you go back and sleep?" Adrian asked, picking the book he had left yesterday.
Cayden shook his head. "Next class is energy. I can't miss it."
"That's the only class you get through without sleeping."
He snorted. "And Astronomy. Don't forget that."
He rolled his eyes. "And that."
Cayden made a face at the book he was reading. "The study of stars and the sky is fascinating."
Adrian blinked at him. "No one is stopping you. If you want, you can choose astral physics in Kaimein Saiz in Morvos."
Cayden frowned. "As much as that academy is good at astral physics, it is known for necromancy. I am not interested in that."
"Are you going for necromancy?"
"No."
"Then why bother?"
He mused. "That's a good question. I will consider this."
Adrian rolled his eyes again. "Why are you here?"
"I was bored," Cayden said. "I was trying to find something in the library. But I, unfortunately, overheard the conversation between two girls. It was highly disturbing. I tried to follow them, but it was like they had vanished. Was it because they learnt that I had been eavesdropping or did they want me to hear what they spoke?"
"What did you hear?" Adrian asked, closing his book.
Nearly nothing disturbed Cayden. His methods of torture could bring the deeply hidden truths from the mouths of highly trained assassins. There was a reason why Cayden was close to him.
"Something about a dagger," Cayden said. "A dagger that could break the seal."
A cold wind gently breezed past his neck. At that moment, it was not soothing as it usually would be. It was chill to his bone as a fear rooted itself in his heart.
He clenched his hands under the table. Let it not be the seal he thought about.
"A seal." Cayden closed his eyes. "A seal that is on the gates of other realms."
Many worlds existed by the side of Thaelm. And everything would be fine as long as the worlds kept to their space. The Gates served the purpose of keeping the worlds in their space and time. There could not be any breach.
Creatures from the other side had tried to come here and many people from this side had tried to go over to the other side and it had resulted in a battle that lasted for more than fifty years. Finally, they had sealed it and appointed the Lexushast to guard them. More than any family, the Chiaros had paid the price for that seal. Just like Rexi from Astras had.
"Is someone messing with the gates?" Adrian somehow found his voice after a while. He could not bring himself to tell again.
"I don't know," Cayden said. "But it seemed like the dagger had a life of its own. The girl was whining to the other about how it would backlash every time she used it. From what I heard, if she could not satisfy the dagger, she would die."
"Satisfy the dagger?" he mused. "What does that mean? Does she have to try opening the gates time and again?"
"I wanted to hear more," Cayden said. "I tried to near them, but they found me and left."
"So what you heard was not their intention," he said. "Good work."
Cayden held his face with his fingers as he rested his elbows on the table. "Did you not like tell me that eavesdropping was bad?"
"If the information would decide the life and death of a million people," Adrian said, pausing. "Then you can eavesdrop."
"That's..." he shook his head. "I am not going to argue with you. I will lose my mind. So... Why are you here?"
"My first class is cancelled," he said. "I am here to get some things done. So that in the evening, Kezia, Verika and I could start planning."
"I nearly forgot that you are involved in this." He stood up and patted his shoulder. "Good luck, buddy."
He sneered at him. "Get lost."
As he walked by, he suddenly stopped and turned. "I almost forgot. I was planning to find you. Acharya Sahar wanted to find you."
Adrian frowned. Acarya Sahar had never sought him. It had always been the other way around. Why was he calling now? Adrian had planned to meet him this night. After all, he did do things that Acraya Sahar had warned him not to.
He looked up, glaring at the poor messenger. "Where is he?"
"In the Acarya's office."
Cayden left by the time he closed his eyes. Though the academy grounds were peaceful, his ears caught the loud sound of mighty thunder, shattering the peace the summer had worked hard for. High above, the clouds churned with a grating noise and the winds mercilessly cut everything that was on its way. For a moment, he could not differentiate between the storm that brewed out and brought rain and the one picking its pace in his heart and brought havoc.
************
It took him ten minutes to reach Acarya Sahar's study. The library for Astras was quite close to the Acarya's office. A few students greeted him and a few avoided the path he walked on. But there was one who nodded his head at him. Ragnor Kansi.
"I have information you told me to get," Ragnor whispered when he walked past him. "Lunch?"
Adrian did not stop. He just nodded and walked away and none, not even the person Ragnor was talking to could detect the conversation between them.
He knocked on the door when he saw the door give way beneath his hand. Adrian rose his eyebrow and stepped in.
"Close the door," Sahar commanded from behind the shelves present on the left side of his room.
He did as he was told and neared the shelves.
"Where is it?" Sahar muttered to himself. Which was followed by the noise of parchments and books falling down.
"Acarya?" he called out as he saw the Zoran crouching down, digging through the papers.
Though the light was dim, he caught a name. Magnor Tisdor.
Tisdor. His eyes widened. Was Kezia this genius's daughter? If she was, it would explain everything except one. Magnor was an Astra. How was Kezia a human? Ow did she end up being so poor? Was she like Lucia Risso? Was her mother... a Zoran? Was that why she was targeted?
This was not right.
Acarya Sahar looked up and gave him a smile. "Adrian. Here you are."
He glanced at the name again. Did Sahar want to talk to him about this?"
"Here I am," he said, keeping his voice neutral. "What do you want, Acarya?"
He stood up and fondly caressed the book he held. "I was just lost in the memories, Prince. Forgive me."
Adrian cleared his throat. "Lord Magnor was your student, Acarya?"
"He was my disciple," Sahar said, stressing the last word.
He kept quiet. What should he ask?
"Tisdor," Sahar whispered. "Interesting, isn't it?"
Adrian blinked as he glanced at the other books that were safe from this Acarya's hands. "Talking about Kezia Tisdor? Is that why you called me here?"
Sahar gave him a long look before he untangled himself from the mess of parchments and made his way to the table. Adrian followed him and took a seat after Sahar motioned him to sit.
"Kezia is not related to him," Sahar said. "By any way. I checked."
The Black Markets and the Behind Alleys were becoming powerful nowadays and they could forge documents so perfectly that even the Royal courts could not judge what documents were fake and what was real. Either a bag of gold or a knife to the throat would do the work. If she had the means, she could have just changed her father's name.
He did not open his mouth. If what he thought was true, she had her own reasons to conceal. If it was not, he would be just thinking too much. Whatever it was, Adrian would not tell it to him.
Was it going to be about his past disciple? As much as Sahar knew about him, he was the only one who would encourage him to venture into the unknown. "Acarya... I have been reading-"
Sahar placed the book on his table and held his hands up. "Talk to me about that later tonight, Adrian. I have a vague feeling of what you might be reading. We will talk about that after your classes? Right now, I want to talk to you about the Gates."
His body stiffened unconsciously. Before Sahar could note it, he willed it to relax. Was this related to the female behind Sahar? Was she the one doing this?
"What about that?"
Sahar looked at him fondly. "If only you were to be my disciple."
A small shudder ran up his spine. If he was stupid enough to do that, he might as well sell his soul the creatures on the other worlds. He might respect Sahar and even see him as a parental figure, but if he accepted to be his disciple, he could no longer live his life the way he wanted.
"What about the Gates?" he pressed.
Sahar sighed. "A ripple in space has appeared in Yalea."
He tried his best to conceal the shock, but it still made its way to his face. "In Yalea?"
Sahar nodded. "The Gates have been disturbed. Vrakyl Kunoe has sighted some strange signs. There had been a wraith in a small village."
"Where?"
"Where else?" Sahar said. "In Yalea."
"What village?"
"A village near Verok," he said. "Hekial... if I am not wrong."
Adrian leant on the chair. "What caused it?"
Sahar pursed his lips. "Are you ready to hear it?"
An ominous sign crept into his heart. The Frayhah Sea that flanked the academy on the east crashed on the beach, warbling with the winds. From the Acarya's office building, the sea was a lovely view. Perhaps that was the reason why many preferred the rooms that had windows facing the east.
He nodded.
"A servant of Mihir," Sahar said. "From what I gather, the Gods want to return to Thaelm."
A/N: Any theories? I am always here to listen (see them)
I might give an update or two before my finals begin. I will let you guys know when.
Until then,
~Quill