An Ocean of Lies (AFOS II)

Chapter 17: Laurentius

"But the door," another added.

"Soundproofed," Adela dismissed every single possible problem: she was prepared.

"If King Volstad says so, then I'm in, no matter what," someone was trying to make his voice deeper than it was, to hide his fear. He had seen Alaric do it, he knew the tone. He would've smirked, but moths didn't have lips. He twitched his mandibles. Going after Onturian Knights was suicidal, what was Adela planning? What had they trained for, exactly? They could barely wear their capes properly, all crooked and tangled on their staves, why would she trust them with such a delicate endeavor? Why not him? Or a Senior Enchanter? Or one of the Masters, specializing on something? His moth brain kept distracting him, signaling his wings to move and fly towards the utter darkness: a trick of the mind. His human mind knew that darkness was just an illusion, and flying towards the light only brought bad things for stupid moths who believed.

"Yes, rest assured, my dear students: Volstad has our backs. He's asking this of you, and he'll reward you, once he's officially on the throne. Make him proud: make us, mages, proud," she pat everyone's cheeks over the masks, one by one, like a mother. Softly. Lovingly, almost. Only Adela was anything but. There was something wrong about all that, incredibly so. He had to fly away from there, quickly. "Get ready, eat, and we'll meet at the foyer in thirty minutes," she said, opening the door. "I still have something to take care of, in my chambers," she yawned. Yes, Adela, too, needed to sleep sometimes. Perhaps.

His little moth heart, or was it hearts? bumped in a weird part of his anatomy, it was driving him insane. He flew towards his room, where else could he be without attracting attention at that hour? He changed back into himself, his hands shook as he unlocked the door, the key struggled to get into the keyhole. He should've drunk coffee instead of milk, damn the creators. He couldn't go back to sleep after hearing that, not anymore.

He changed his clothes as he pictured Adela and her young crew of acolytes. Volstad wouldn't do that, would he? According to the Onturian church and Jo's grandmother: yes. He was a monster, he wanted to end the world. But no, it didn't make any sense. He had spoken to him, he had told him about Laverna, a little bit. He didn't know the whole picture, but he knew, he hadn't gotten that far by being an idiot, that Volstad was telling the truth. He didn't want a war with the Onturian Church. Killing the Onturian Knights outside was a sure way to make the Onturian Knights retaliate and the Onturian Church have proof of the mages "dangerousness". He couldn't allow that. A war? It was insane. He was just beginning to settle in the City of Ontur, he wouldn't let anyone ruin it for him. And that thing that scared Volstad? The matter that kept him awake, night and day? There was something else going on. War would only make matters worse. Volstad wasn't an idiot, he had questionable taste in books, yes, but he was not stupid.

He had to stop the students, but they followed Adela blindly, it seemed. He looked at the timeteller on his desk, there was still time. He'd need an ally, didn't she say she wanted to help? He hoped she wasn't a heavy sleeper.

He didn't bother knocking. Irene stroke him as the kind of person who always misplaced her books in public places and forgot to lock her doors. She would've lost her room if she hadn't put that ridiculous bow on the doorknob. He was right. Her room was tidy, unlike his own, every crystal and book properly stacked on their shelves. Lots of notes scribbled on papers: return this book by the end of the week, don't forget to buy new firerock for alchemy class (I keep losing it). All that tidiness had a very good reason. He crept near her bed. Her hair was up in a messy bun, her mouth agape. He chuckled. If he had one of those image-capturing trinkets they sold from Ampuria, it would've made a hilarious portrait. He nudged her while muttering a protective ward around him, just in case she was one of those jittery mages who set their houses on fire every time they heard a noise outside. They usually were masters at fireguards to protect their things, but one couldn't be unprepared.