XLIV | A REPORT
Kly stepped out of the Arridian trading ship with a heavy bag slung over his shoulder and an even heavier heart weighing in his chest. The sky dampened into a deep blue, and the first stars twinkled above him, but he paid them no attention. The knot in his stomach refused to leave him, and he immediately made his way to the cab station to catch a ride to the academy.
It was protocol to report to the recruitment tavern about the success of the mission, but Kly was too caught up in what had happened to really care at that moment. He was more anxious about sharing the information he gathered in Eyazim.
The streets were still busy, despite the darkening sky as families went out for dinner or an evening picnic under the stars. Being on a small island, the city had minimised its crime rate, and it was much safer for people to roam around until the night deepened.
How would they feel if they knew Kly could have handed their peace to an unknown woman who could well be working for the most nefarious man in history? Would those parents be smiling and letting their children lag behind to admire displayed merchandise or run ahead in a game of catch?
Keeping his eyes fixed to the ground, Kly rushed past the crowded street and made it to the station, where he paid extra to get an immediate cab. He stayed silent in the car, too troubled to answer the driver's questions and comments. He dropped a few coins on the driver's seat before jumping out and rushing to the front gates. The guards seemed to sense his urgency, and they let him in without question.
The first thing Kly did was seek out the schoolmaster. Reiton was not in his usual seat when Kly entered the administration building, probably out for a coffee break or to find something to eat as he took care of paperwork. For a moment, Kly thought how underpaid the job was, then he shrugged it off and sped towards Reverdan's office.
The schoolmaster was situated in an office on the top floor. At times like these, Kly resented the stairs that prevented him from fast travel. He climbed them, skipping two at a time, nearly bumping into several mentors leaving their offices or the archives for the day. They only greeted with a curt nod before going their separate ways, and Kly was thankful that he didn't run into Nox.
Once he finally reached the top floor, he passed Silevan's office and went straight to Reverdan's. The door was slightly ajar, and Kly paused outside to catch his breath. He raised his knuckles to knock when he heard muffled voices from the other side.
Ignoring his better judgement, Kly turned his ear towards the gap to listen to the conversation.
"Have you found a suitable candidate for the job?" Reverdan said, and Kly could almost see the schoolmaster stroking his beard in thought.
"Of course," Anélá's voice responded. "You'll only receive the best. After all, more than one royal family will be present."
"Good, good. I want everything to be perfect before the Anniversary Ball."
Kly hesitated. The Anniversary Ball was an annual event celebrating the founding of the academy. It was a crucial event because royal representations from several countries joined in on the celebration.
It was an important discussion to be had, and it would not be wise to interrupt. Still, the weight of what had happened was something Kly couldn't ignore. Taking a deep breath, Kly knocked on the door.
The conversation inside came to a stop, then Reverdan's voice invited him in. "Come in."
Kly pushed open the door and entered the room. Reverdan's office was simple, really. The schoolmaster hadn't taken the time to personalise it in any way. Three couches encircled a low round table, and a shelf with a glass window displayed pictures and the school's panoply of accolades. The shelf underneath was lined with several thick books. Behind one of the couches, Reverdan's desk rested in front of a large window that overlooked the garden. Kly could see the education building from where he stood.
Anélá's eyes burned violet. She was clearly not happy that Kly had interrupted her conversation.
"Kly," Reverdan said. "What a surprise. I thought you weren't due in until next week."
Kly shrugged. "I came back as soon as I finished my job, and I didn't stay overnight in Isla Stadt. I came straight here. Schoolmaster Reverdan, I have something I must discuss with you promptly. It's important."
"If you don't realise," Anélá said, indignantly glowering with stormy purple irises, "Schoolmaster Reverdan and I were in a very important discussion regarding the Anniversary Ball. Surely nothing could be more important than that at this moment."
"Stand down, Anélá," Reverdan said. "I think we have discussed the most important parts of the ball. Look over our ideas and return at a later time."
"But Reverdan..."
"That's an order. I think we're done here."
With a huff, Anélá twirled around and glared at Kly before storming out of the room. Kly couldn't care less. He took Anélá's place and dropped his bag on the ground, absentmindedly grabbing his arm.
"Does it hurt?" Reverdan asked, pointing a pen at Kly's arm.
Kly retracted his grip and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Not really. It's healing well. But that's not what I wanted to talk about."
Reverdan stroked his beard. "I see. What is it? From your tone, I suspect it's rather imperative?"
Kly nodded gravely. He cleared his throat before disclosing the details of his mission to the schoolmaster.
"As you know, I went on a mission located in Arridia. More specifically in a village near Ma'nan."
"I am aware. It's not a mission you would typically go on. A level one, if I recall."
"You are correct."
"Then can I also assume that I'm correct in saying that you went there with an ulterior motive?"
"Yes, sir." Kly sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against a couch. He supposed he couldn't hide his side quests forever. "You remember the mission I went on before? A level five down in Paraiba?"
Reverdan nodded. "Of course. You brought your brother back with you."
"And you remember my oral report? About the subject that can't be disclosed on paper?"
"Armatia?"
"Yes." Kly clenched his fists at Reverdan's furrowing brows, not knowing how the old man would react to his news.
"What about it?"
"Well, I went to Eyazim, the ruins of an ancient city said to contain one of the pieces of Armatia."
The wrinkled on Reverdan's face seemed to deepen as he frowned. Kly almost bailed right then and there, thinking maybe he could just say that there was no such thing and move on. But he had seen it all too clearly; there was no denying that the cursed objects of Armatia was real.
"And?"
Kly locked his eyes with Reverdan's hard, expectant ones. "I found it. The legendary piece of Eyazim. One of them, anyway."
Silence fell as Reverdan took a moment to process the news, gently stroking his beard in thought.
"I see," the schoolmaster finally said. "And do you have this piece with you right now?"
Kly lowered his gaze as shame showered over him. "No. There was a woman who somehow followed me there. She took it, and I couldn't do anything to stop her. I've never seen her before, and I don't know how she was able to track me down."
He expected the old man to lash out or expel him from the institution right then and there. Instead, Reverdan just leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes with a thoughtful hum.
"And you're sure this piece was the correct one?"
"I'm sure. The moment I touched it, I saw...horror. Pure pain. The world was in complete chaos." Kly opened his palm and stared at it as if it was the hand that caused all the misery. Unwarranted thoughts of the alluring gem's power filled his mind. He forced them away, disgusted at how much he had yearned to take a power he couldn't control at the cost of everything. "It felt like death. No, it was worse than death. Pure evil."
"All right, I believe you. For now, keep this between us. There's no reason to alarm the rest of the council."
"Why? We know Armatia is real. If the rest of the pieces are found...we have to be ready for it. Or maybe we could all go looking for them, make sure they're never in the hands of the wrong people. We have to do something. We can't just hide in the academy and wait for something to happen."
Reverdan held up a palm to stop Kly's barrage of suggestions. "Kly. It is true that it would be a terrible fate if the other pieces are found, but you must also realise that the woman who stole it from you has only one out of seven. The rest have never been found, or if they have, then it's highly unlikely that they're in the hands of the same people. This confirms the legend of Armatia, and one of the requirements to unleash the power is by the unification of the seven pieces. I don't believe they will all be retrieved so easily. Even then, it would take significantly more energy than what even the most naturally gifted casters hold to activate Armatia. Nothing may even happen in our lifetime, and it's likely that they will be lost in the hands of greedy thieves. In fact, there's more of a chance to unite the gems if we look for them, and I don't intend to put the academy, or the world, in danger."
Kly felt little reassurance, but he couldn't deny the rationale behind Reverdan's argument. His shoulders slumped with resignation. "I guess you're right. But what about the woman. How did she know who I was and that I even found it? She didn't even have an aura, and the magic she used was like nothing I'd seen before. I'm not sure if she was even human."
Reverdan shrugged. "I'm afraid I don't have the answers to that. Try not to think about it. But, if it makes you feel any better, I'll send out a message to all the major guilds and tell them to report any strange activities or suspicious people straight back to here. You should go rest now. You'll be safe in the academy, and I can guarantee that I will personally look into this. Now, look on the bright side. The test is in a couple of days. I have high hopes for your brother."
Kly dragged a hand over his face, feeling the exhaustion in his eyes. "I suppose you're right. Thank you, Reverdan."
"I'm always right," Reverdan replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Now go take a rest. You look like you need it."
"Yes, sir." Kly smiled weakly. He picked up his bag, swinging it over his shoulder, and walked away, his shoulders still heavy with more than just the bag resting on them.
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A/N
Um, hi...
I'm so sorry I skipped the update last week! >.<
Tbh, even if I have everything written and all I have to do is upload them, sometimes, I just don't have the energy, time, or motivation to get on Wattpad and do a quick read over the text before simply clicking a button. Yes, I'm lazy, but I'm just so busy these days that I'm too exhausted to even open Wattpad up on my browser.
Anyway, enough with my excuses. I'm gonna do a double update to make up for not updating last week. There will be no A/N on the next chapter, so the following message will apply for both this one and the next one.
I hope you enjoyed! If you did, be sure to leave a vote and comment, and as always, I love every single one of you guys! <3
See you next week (hopefully...if I don't skip out again lol)!
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