Chapter 279: Sneaking Out

The three disciples, tired from a long day of training and, in one case, attempted murder, finally rested their weary selves in fluffy beds. The servants left the sleeping quarters with torn, sweaty clothes in their arms. All was quiet. This was especially true since the general, who was usually busy with his "shitload of bullshit" paperwork, had left to escort Kilot home.

The house went dark. Thomas crept out of bed while Frey lifted Elero out of hers. "We shouldn't talk here." Elero whispered, pointing out of the window.

"This is good enough," Thomas whispered back. "We shouldn't go out onto a flat mountaintop, where there is nowhere to hide, unless we plan on running across."

Frey raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you get good at skulking around?"

"Since when did you learn a big word like skulking?" Thomas shot back. "Sorry, I've been around Alexander too much. Now what did the both of you want to tell me, because I can almost guarantee that I have something more important."

Elero and Frey looked at each other, smirked, and relayed the verbal note. With each sentence, Thomas's face darkened. "…make your way to the demon pit as soon as you can. The key to your true salvation lies somewhere in the ruins...I am just a failed parent trying to save what's left of my child." Elero concluded.

"That's…important." Thomas sat back on his bed and scrunched up his lips.

"So what was your important thing?" Frey asked. "Did you get a note as well?"

Thomas shook his head. "Jackal was searching through the ruins as well. I think you both might be looking for the same thing, but…"

"You got us banned." Frey said plainly. "Did the rabbit taste good?"

Thomas sighed, turned his head away in shame, and subtly wiped a bit of drool away from his mouth. "Let's just focus on the present. What could he be looking for down there?" He pulled out one of the wrist crossbows that Kilot had given him and displayed the symbol. "When I met with Kilot, he said that the ruins were from the demon war, but I think that they might be older. Maybe there's some secret weapon."

"Or medicine." Elero glanced down at her broken legs. "It could be anything. The only reason I'm even willing to go down there is because the Notemaker said I should."

"Do we even know who this person is?" Frey asked. "A failed parent? He could be a murderer or something along those lines. He let down his kid."

"Is that a reason to throw all he's done for us away?" Thomas countered.

"This is the first time that one of his notes has put us in harm's way," Frey said.

Elero reached over and flicked them both. "Keep your voices down," She hissed. "Why don't we bring this up to Alexander, someone we do trust."

"Trust…" Frey's voice trailed off.

"What?" Elero asked. She turned to Thomas but the noble wore a similar dejected expression. "What?" she repeated, a little louder. "Don't keep me waiting here. Come on, speak."

"Doevm," Frey began.

"Oh of course," Elero threw her arms up. "Healer, dark mage, what now? Is it some kind of plan or pact?"

"I'm curious about that myself," Thomas leaned closer to Frey. "We talked about why Doevm hid his magic, and what he did with his powers."

"I-I don't know," Frey stuttered as he stood up, but the action was a little redundant as Elero was still holding onto his back with an increasingly painful grip. "I couldn't tell you. We're on our own in this."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Elero pressured, now with bits of life essence coming out of her hands. "I have no idea how much time I have left."

"Let me put it this way," Frey stressed as he opened the door. "If I slip up, some terrible catastrophe could befall us."

"Where are you two going?" Thomas asked as he followed Frey and Elero but stopped in the doorway. Frey raised an eyebrow and Thomas's face paled. "Absolutely not. No way. Alexander would kill us if he found out, and I'm not sure if I'm being literal or not."

Elero opened her mouth to argue but Frey waved a hand at her before turning to Thomas. "Fine then, stay here. What was it that Alexander said? Never leave your room." Several curses later, the three disciples left the house with new weapons in hand. Their destination in sight, they made their way down the cold mountainside.

…

"I guess I owe you some powerstones," Kilot chuckled as he and general Alexander watched the three disciples descend the mountain. He pulled out four glowing crystals and forked them over. "I'll have you know; they hold enough power to enchant two weapons."

Alexander smiled. "I told you that I knew my disciples."

"The young are stupid," Kilot sighed. "but it's our job as adults to guide them to a better path." He looked to Alexander, who was watching on with an absent look.

"That's a bit hard when you have an entire army to lead," Alexander shrugged.

"I don't see an army," Kilot leaned over the cliffside in order to get a better view of the obsidian portal below. "But I suppose if I did see one, it would be because your army had to retreat from the other dimension."

Alexander glanced at the portal before putting a hand on Kilot's shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

"Aren't you going to stop them?" Kilot asked as he backed away. "Humans aren't the only dangers in the night, especially if something slips through that portal."

"If they die, then they die. I have to deal with internal matters," Alexander pulled out a map of the Acrin Kingdom with several 'x' marks around it. "The terrorists may have disappeared, but that doesn't mean that they're gone."

Kilot snatched up the map and scowled. "This is just busywork. I know how the nobles of this Kingdom operate, the other generals too. You're really just using those three to find out what the Von Trike faction is up to, aren't you?"

Alexander gave a faint smile, grabbed Kilot, and the two vanished in a puff of golden life essence, but as opposed to appearing at the Bloodwood forest, when Kilot opened his eyes, the two were soaring thousands of feet in the air. A crater had been left where Alexander had jumped. "Call it a lesson fee. I am the sword of the Kingdom. I deal with political turmoil by not dealing with it. They can poke and taunt me all they want, but no one gets in my way. Even the Magic Academy knows that."