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~
The teleporter was located underneath the giant building. It was only accessed by aa hidden doorway. There was a long way down by use of metal stairs. Ignastius had expected it to be one of those damp spaces like the he encountered on his travels, but it was nothing like he could ever imagine. It felt sleek, cold and inorganic. The walls were gray and extended downwards deep into the earth. As he and the receptionist spiraled down the stairs it began to lighten up. Light seemed to pour out of the cracks in the wall. It wasn't like the sun, fire or the light given off by ame-cristals, but it felt lacking compared to the warmth given by the latter.
"It's strange right? The light here is artificial without the use of magic or fire." The receptionist kept on looking ahead but the giddiness in her voice betrayed her stoic nature.
Nastius stayed silent as they continue their trek down. Only once they were at the bottom did he see the need for the receptionist uncharacteristic excitement. From wall-to-wall big metal squares covered everything, even the floor. He could neither tell whether it was day or night, the artificial lights shone constant and without tiring. There were rows of table in front of him all of them shaped like a brick and were protruding out of the ground. It too was like the surrounding. Behind each table stood one to two people, all of which were wearing a white robe and eagerly looking through papers. When their eyes weren't glue to their workspace they would look ahead.
Further in front of them was a big and strange device. A circle made up of metal attached into the floor. He could feel energy flow from inside as a bright flowing luminosity flowed out.
"Beautiful isn't it."
Nastius was snapped out of his stupor with the voice of the receptionist who had walked more ahead of him. Her sights were set on the peculiar device walking past the preoccupied observers. Once they had reached close enough to the instrument did, he stop to ask what was on his mind.
"How did the merchant's guild get this?"
It was obvious this was the teleporter he was told about, and it was something beyond his own implications. How the church has not confiscated it was another pressing issue.
"All you need to know is that this is the first ever non-magical teleporter not controlled by the church. Once we figure out a way to make more of this, we will bankrupt that derogative church."
A non-magical teleporter.
A situation like this would be groundbreaking but would not shatter the power the church holds. How long would they be able to keep this a secret and how sure are they really are that the church doesn't already know about this were questions Ignastius felt he already knew.
"How we got this though, I can't tell you such a trade secret. One thing you should know is that you should never trust the church. They are craftier than all the nations combine, and they are hiding more than you could ever imagine." The receptionist gave a dire look, her eyes shone no more of child-like-excitement.
Nastius felt this was true but to which extent, he did not know.
"Just step right through the portal and you will be where you want to be in no time. Make sure to keep all personal and valuable belongings close to you. Have a safe trip." She quickly returned to her receptionist mode.
It felt like that was all the answers he was going to get from the guild.
"Also, be careful young prince. Don't make the same mistake as your father."
Nastius did not look back as he stepped through the teleporter. The feeling of being teleported was not similar to the ancient ones before. It felt like a zap of lightning going slinking up his body and then a crisp feeling of cold. As he opened his eyes he was in a cave. It was the same cave he first came through. The knife-like frost of Ignausualt felt welcoming at first but then quickly deteriorated. He looked around and saw no one was there, not even the monk from before. With that he quickly changed out of the light-weight clothing of the previous nations and into a more suited choice of wear.
Words of the last days echoed in his mind. What had his father done that crossed the church so badly and was he going down the same path. The thought of ending up like his father sickened him but also scared him.
A sigh escaped him as he walked out of the cave and into the open. It seemed to be at the end of a snowstorm as he could see many coming out of their house down at the village. He spotted the monk a little way down the mountain deep in meditation. He thought to himself how anyone can meditate in weather like this. Without disturbing the monk, he found his way back to the village.
The air in the town felt darker than before. A few flakes of snow pranced around the ghastly and frightened faces of the villagers. They seem so surprise to see him and some actively ran away from him.
Nastius felt a pit in his stomach; something was wrong. No one wanted to even glance at him, they were scared of him, they feared him. Just like they fear his father.
Why are you looking at me like that? Stop looking at me.
The deeper he walked into the town the more obvious it was that there was a problem. He wanted to look for his steed and leave right away.
"Where is my horse?" His voice was loud enough to be heard above the falling snow but felt thunderous in the hearts of people as they all collapsed on the ground.
"Forgive us, my Lord!"
"Have mercy, my Lord!!"
Chants of all similarities cried back to him.
"What is there to forgive?" Nastius ask again a bit softly.
This, however, only worsened the cries of woes. No one answered his questions and they all begged for forgiveness.
Soon their cries were no different from the ones he would hear savants give his father, from the ones even his own mother give, even unmistakable from the ones he would scream loudly. It felt like standing in the middle of a blizzard.
Nastius did not want to linger no longer and went looking for his steed. He searched through the small barns that stood next to the shambled dwelling the villagers called their houses. There was neither animal nor hay in any of the stalls. He could feel eyes on him as he continued looking and when he turned, he would catch glimpse of them retreating and hiding.
It was starting to frustrate him to no end until he felt a tug on his pant's leg. Immediately he looked down to see a pale young face looking up at him like a monster that would gobble him right up.
"Collin!! What are you doing!!" A shriveled shriek crack through the icy air. A mother's plea through the snow.
"I-I know where your horse is." The voice of boy was like that of a fragile snowflake.
Ignastius kneeled down to the boy and said, "Can you lead me to him?"
A quick nod and a knowing look the boy started to walk towards the smallest house in the village. It was even more run down than the other houses and barely had a stable standing next to it. As he got closer and closer to the it, a bright color screamed into his face. A color he was far too accustomed to. Blood spilled out and across the snow like frost on glass. It was bright, perfectly preserved in the cold weather.
More cries of forgiveness rang through the air.
His horse was dead.
Another sigh came from him and the young boy next to him trembled.
"How will I get to the castle now?" He asked this more to himself.
With no remains left, it was obvious what had happened to his horse. It was killed to be eaten and with the huge amount of blood left behind, it must have been a quick death. There have not been a great deal of food supply coming in lately and the people were starving, even though people from the other nations didn't look to be lacking. Even so it wasn't enough to say much, he had only seen the wealthier part of each nation.
His plan was falling through, how would he be there to welcome the mercenaries he had hired without his father interference.
No. He would have to make it back one way or another. It took an hour or two to get here by horse and it was not like he was that far from the castle. He could definitely make it back, but the only problem was the uncertainty of the weather. Ignasualt was known for its rather erratic weather patterns and surprise snowstorms that left any stranded and dead if they did not know how to make their way through the white terrain. All that was left was the deep drop in temperature. Many would underestimate the coldness of the region and would forsake the benefits of layering as each citizen would do, which would often than not kill them.
However, that also would not be nearly enough.
Another sigh stumble from him, his mind had blocked out all noise and the only thing to bring him back was the vigorous shaking of his pants and a rather oud cry from a child.
"-my Lord!!"
The rest of the villagers looked shocked at the display and were trying to shush the child. It seemed he was in too deep of a thought.
"Yes." Nastius kneel once again to the boy to everyone's bewilderment.
"I know a way you could go back. Follow me." Collin had leaned in to whisper the news in his ears.
With a nod Nastius stood up again and followed the boy but told the rest of the villagers off before he left.
The two walked to a secluded corner of the village where the spacious area turned into woodlands. The boy signal for him to stop before running by himself into the woods.
Ignastius banter on whether or not he should follow the child in to protect him, the woods lately haven't been safe these past weeks. He wondered how his knights fared without him. Hopefully, no one had died but that would be asking for much.
A rustling sound reminded him again of the wondering child, who had happened to just emerge from the undergrowth with a wild smile on his face. He turned back to whisper something into the far end of the woods.
In that moment Nastius felt eyes on him and stared hard at whatever was watching him intently. There it was, in the middle of the woods, blending so well with the snow, anyone could've missed it. The only distinguishing part of it was its two deep brown eyes that also matches the bark of the trees. It was giant wolf.
As the wolf came closer it went from crouching down to standing on its hind legs. Its head reach the towering branches as its gaze pierce down at him.
"This is Havard. He is my friend." Collin turned to him expectantly.
With a cough Nastius clear his throat, "It is nice to meet your acquaintance Harvard."
The wolf gave a sniff and turned his head.
"Be nice Harvard, that's my Lord." Collin tried to persuade the wolf to no progress.
"It is alright." Nastius was sure no creature in this country would care about the goings of human politics.
"Anyways...I asked my friend to give you a ride back home since that happened to your horse." The boy's voice grew silent at the end.
Nastius scowled at the word home but ultimately consider the facts. Riding a wolf home was something he thought would never happen to him, but it was not like he had much of a choice.
"Would Havard be okay with taking me back to the castle?" He looked at the wolf while he asked the question trying to discern any emotions in its eyes.
His eyes met the deepness of the wolf's eyes, it felt like staring into nature itself and a feeling of vulnerability overcame him. However, that feeling fleeted as quickly as it had come. Another sniff came from the wolf, and it came up facing Nastius. He most definitely underestimated the size of it from the distance. It was way bigger than he thought, and it towered over him. Collin looked like a pebble next to it.
With a flick of its tail the wolf had caressed Collin playfully which earned a giggle, then it circled around them before coming low to the ground.
"Yay! Havard has agreed to take you!!" The boy jumped p and down before giving the wolf a big hug.
After they part the wolf poked him with its nose, ushering him to get on which he did. It was much different than riding a horse. He gripped the soft wisp of the wolf's coat.
He almost fell when it raised up but kept his grip.
"Thank you Havard. Please take care of my Lord." Collin gave one last hug before stepping back.
The wolf huff and puff and then bolted away, avoiding the village and running into the distance. It was as if the wolf knew exactly where he wanted to go.
Nastius felt thrilled as he zoomed through the blank terrain, looking up at the sky. He felt in that moment free from all troubles. Havard's coat of fur felt soft enough to sleep on, but he quickly dismissed such foolish thought from his mind. The journey was not over yet.
As to prove his point the weather started to change. The gray clouds grew darker, heavier and the soft feathers of snow that drifted down became ferocious and unkind, beating into his face. A blizzard had come.
It swirled around him, mocking at his efforts. Every ounce of hope felt drained out of his body. The barely familiar pathway all turned catatonic. Everywhere was covered and it became even harder to see a few feet ahead as the winds grew so robust that even Havard became to slow down and then stopped.
The wolf gently let him down. The temperature was below frigid, and the ice began to harden under his feet. Would they be able to wait this out, he wondered. It was hard to even see his own hands.
Ignastius hated this. He hated how even out of the castle that the environment would still find a way to be against him. He hated this. Why did he even do this? What exactly had he gotten himself into? Why did he persist after all these years? Why hadn't he taken his own life like his mother?
She left him all alone with a monster, to fend for himself. No one would be coming for him no one would be looking to help him. It had always been him and him alone. Everything in his life had been stagnant, almost mechanical since the death of his mother. He did as he was told and shut up like the servants. Nothing mattered, not who he was or what he did. Everything seemed to be wash away in the chilly and stormy region of Ignasualt until there was nothing but white layered snow.
He might have made a mistake leaving in the first place. It felt somewhat exciting to finally be away from it all. Away from him. How foolish he had been to think he could ever get away from him. His poor decision led him to eagerly brace the winter storm, haphazardly prepared and without food or water.
At this he collapsed beside the wolf, cautiously seeking its warm, which surprisingly it turned its head to give; curling up with him.
'Thank you Havard. Please take care of my Lord'
Nastius flickered though the memories of just a while ago. He felt the weight of those words rush through him. All those people of the village who were starving and living in fear came back to him. He needed to return soon to that castle. Especially to the people of the castle: the servants, groundskeeper, chef, and even his own men.
Who will be there to protect them if he failed. There had to be a way to get more provisions from the church.
With a deep grunt Nastius gets back up. He turned back to Havard, giving him a nod and when he felt that the wolf understood him, he climbed back on. After securing himself, he felt a burst of strength from Havard going full force with all his might.
They traveled boldly through the storm, pushing against the heavy howling winds and snow. Nastius felt a cold numbness going through his body but he refused to let himself succumb to death. He gripped Havard with renew vigor, his knuckles turning white and then slightly blue. It felt like hours had gone by as they continue to traverse through the blizzard.
Then he spotted it, a faint light not too far off.
"Havard we are almost there!" He hoped the wolf could hear him through the wind and it seemed as if it did as with the last of its strength it powered through and soon, they almost missed hitting the castle doors if Havard hadn't swerved last minute.
"OPEN THE GATES!!" He screamed at no one in particularly and hen he felt they wouldn't hear him, he jumped off the wolf and went to pound the gates.
After a few moments of relentless kicking and shouting did he finally hear the creaking sound of the gates being opened.
The first face he sees is that of a servant girl with a lantern and two guards. They looked at first shocked to see him and then happy. However, when Havard came into focus their faces were stained with fear.
"Worry not about the wolf. Feed it and shelter it for a while before letting it go on its merry way."
They bowed without answering.
Before leaving Nastius turned back to Havard.
"I am grateful for all you have done for me. Tell Collin he has my thanks. Please continue to look after him and everyone until I am capable of doing so."
It was the first time he was using the word please without any form of fear, guilt, disgust or insecurity, which felt refreshing.
The wolf once again huff at him but otherwise looked content, or as content as a wolf would be.
"Speak not a word of this to the King." He stated with no room for doubt and left.
It did not feel good to be within the gray walls again. As he entered the main castle he is immediately greeted by fleeting servants. They did not look well at all and some of them had bruises on them. That did not sit well with him.
Many servants came rushing to greet him and he wouldn't have mind giving them his regards if it wasn't for the militaristic and ingrained rules that ran the order in the castle. He had to go greet the king.
Without much of a glance back he could feel their worry gaze as he made his way down the familiar hallway, each step felt like sinking into a bog. His breathing grew heavier and heavier until he was face with all imposing doors. On the other side was a terrible beast, but he steeled his nerves and knocked.
"Come in." A dreaded voice called.
Ignastius turned the knob and walked inside.
"First Prince and lieutenant Ignastius Kami Wolfgang of Ignasualt greets King and Brigadier General Crux Rolfphendite Wolfgang of Ignasualt."
The king was sitting by the fireplace, back turned to him.
"Did you accomplish all you needed to." It wasn't a question.
"Yes, sire.'
"Did you happen to run into any mishaps or hinderances." He was testing him.
"No, sire."
Then there was an unmistakable pause and it felt as if everything up to now could collapse.
"You will take full responsibility of what will happen, correct?" An actual question felt strange.
"Yes, sire."
Another pause and Nastius took a deep breathe.
"You may leave."
"Yes, sire." Nastius exited the room as normally as he could but once he was on the other side, he tried to get as far away as he could to finally be able to breathe.
Tiredly, he made it towards his bedroom. Once inside he is greeted by warmth of a fire, a bucket of hot water and some food the servants had set out. He felt every thankful for their quick wittedness and shook off all his clothes, gathering blankets all around him as he sit close enough to the fire to feel its burn. The heat reigniting within him.
~
Outis had come home one day to the twins standing around the table. It felt odd enough that he himself also gathered at the table to see what the fuss was about. There was a letter addressed to him, written in golden ink.
Suspiciously, he continued to stare at it.
"I feel no threat or magic from it master." Sage finally spoke.
With great uncertainty Outis took out his pocketknife and cut opened the letter. As he turned it side to side examining it, it became obvious that it was merely a normal letter. A letter from someone who knew his name did not bode well with him.
So, he read it. It wasn't a very long letter, but he felt as if he had to read it again to get a form of sense from it. And he read it over and over again, but yet things were still not adding up.
"What does it say master?" Basil asked reservedly, holding back his curiosity.
Outis tried to put the word together, "It says that I have been granted a pass to go take the admittance exam at Alexandia Academy. If I pass, I would be admitted and given access to unproclaim knowledge."
Saying it out loud did not make it feel even at least bit tangible. Basil did a little cheer but stopped at his brother concern gaze.
"Isn't this what you wanted master?" Basil felt a bit confuse.
"Well, yes. This is what I wanted. An easy way to slip in the academia unannounced and undisturbed." Somehow, this was not how he expected it to go down.
As he looked through the letter, he could not mistake the official academia seal on the letter. It was valid and this was the real deal.
They did it. Those wacky freaks and their inexplicable voice and weird aura had done it. They had kept their words. Although, he considered it poor choice on their part if they thought he would keep his.
Outis let out a drawn-out sigh. Should he just betray them and cut their losses.
"This would mean you would have to keep your end of the deal, right master?" Sage was the one to break him out of his thoughts. The twins looked at him expectedly.
"I guess I would have to." Feeling the pressure behind their gaze he gave in.
These kids will be the end of me one day.
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