Rudimentum: Oracle

Chapter 21

Prince Louis and Mage Lorell waited on the top floor of the Mage Academy, the headmaster's room empty besides themselves. Louis leaned against the desk in silence, a round purple rug patterned with yellow runes sitting in front of him.

Lorell stood with one arm over his chest and the other on his chin, his eyes glued to the floor. Candlelight danced with the starlight that poured through the large open windows. Books lined the walls and instruments of science and magic sat organised across various tables.

The door burst open. Their heads turned in unison. Louis's heart thundered and his body trembled. Captain Trebolt marched in, purple rings from lack of sleep stamped beneath his eyes, but determination etched on the lines of his face.

"Captain," said Louis. He pushed away from the desk. "It is good to see you again."

"Likewise," he said, "but you risked coming here your highness. Mordrake may notice."

"He seemed distracted tonight," said Lorell. "My sources told me you were on your way back. We must act as soon as possible and here is the best place. Did you find Lady Macias?"

"Was she the one?" said Louis, his voice an eager burst.

"I found her, and she admitted to having an affair and giving up a boy at the Umbra orphanage, but we cannot be certain until we try it," he said. He handed Lorell a vial of blood. When the weight of his task should have been lifted, it only grew heavier with uncertainty. "It is in your hands now, Lorell. Do what you need to do and let us hope it was the right woman."

Lorell examined the vial, the deep red liquid holding untold secrets. He popped off the cork and the tension grew tenfold. Apprehension quivered through each of their hearts as the importance of what they were doing once again weighed on their minds. All were unaware of the portal that had just opened in the castle throne room returning Princess Elysia. Not even Lorell sensed it.

He raised his hand above the liquid and pulled out a drop of blood. It floated in the air above the purple rug, a tiny red sphere shining darkly in the light. Lorell said, "Once I open the portal you need to be as quick as possible. The longer it is open the more chance he has of realising. I will try to cover the signature as best I can. You will also bring back more than what is the safe amount, but unfortunately we do not have a choice."

"We trust your magic," said Louis.

"We?" said Captain Trebolt. "No. Only I will go through. It is not safe for you."

"I am going and there is no other choice," he said. Trebolt looked to Lorell for support.

"The boy can be stubborn when he wants to," said Lorell.

Lorell closed his eyes and cast the spell. His words echoed quietly in the room and the drop of blood warped in front of their eyes, moving as if it was bleeding in the air. It expanded until it suddenly burst into a dark red portal, the sound like a crack of thunder.

"I will keep it open until you return. If we are right, William and Elysia should be on the other side," said Lorell.

Trebolt and Louis nodded. Together they stepped through the black-red hole. The coldness swept over them like a sudden sheet of ice had rained down. A cell door appeared in front of them where William and another man stood, their scowls dropping into opened mouths and widened eyes.

"William," said Captain Trebolt as they stepped away from the swirling hole. The first thing he noticed was his eye, the scar and discolouring that meant sight no longer existed. Pity rose in his chest.

Confusion knotted William's brows. "Captain? Prince Louis? What? How did you...?"

Trebolt ignored him and unsheathed his sword. They were on the wrong side of the bars. The guards at the table, shocked frozen from the sudden appearance of the portal, came to their sense and bolted upright. Swords hissed from sheaths.