Chapter 17: Myrine’s Pressure

Chapter 17: Myrine's Pressure

Evian grabbed the bloody sword lying by his side and stood to his feet.

"I'm fine"

The Captain nodded with a relieved expression bent low over Koln's body as though studying him. He searched the body likely looking for a storage item but Evian had slipped that off already.

"Captain, do you know who he is?" one guard asked.

"Of course," the Captain said with a nod,

"He's Koln the Arcanist. Discharged from the Arcane Church years ago and works for hire. I just wish there was something on him to indicate who sent him.

The Lord will want to know"

Evian's brows furrowed and he considered name-dropping Lord Larnak but eventually decided against it.

A lot had happened in the last hour or so and he was as confused now as he had been when it all started. Without memories of what the Old Evian did or didn't do, Evian wasn't sure what to believe.

What if Lord Larnak had nothing to do with any of this?

What if the so-called Rebellion was indeed just a thieving Crew?

What other secrets did the Old Evian keep?

What if Gillert was all part of an elaborate ploy?

'Damn, when did I become so cynical?' Evian thought and shook his head.

The Captain stood to his feet and reached into a pouch attached to his waist to pull out a liquid that he doused over Koln's body.

"Well, there's nothing more to learn from his corpse," he said before sparking the liquid with his spiritual energy.

*Whum*

The flames blazed instantly and right before Evian's eyes the clothes and flesh of Koln's corpse became ashes, exposing the skeleton and even that was getting broken down at an insane rate.

'Damn. Imagine having that poured on you.'

"Escort the Young Master back to the Estate!" The Captain ordered.

The guards formed a formation around Evian, all looking alert and ready for any attack to come from any direction (except from above) and they started guiding him back the way they had come.

...

A journey that Evian remembered to have only lasted a few minutes when he was being taken by Koln, lasted close to an hour now that he was walking back with a guard entourage all around him.

There was an air of worry all over the Stygian Estate and Evian could feel it even before he walked through the Gates. Once he stepped into the Estate grounds, he felt an intense aura that had him sweating bullets.

Lord Stygian was standing just a few feet into the Estate and he wasn't alone. Notable members of the Stygian Family were standing with him. Just like it had been at the Feast, Evian only paid Lady Myrine and Adrian any attention. They were the ones he actually recognized.

While mother and son hugged, the rest of the Stygians walked over and the Captain of the Search party approached Lord Stygian to give his report.

"The Arcanist who kidnapped Young Master Evian was Koln. He works-"

"- He works for hire, yes. I know who Koln is" Lord Stygian interrupted to say, "Where is the slimy bastard?"

"Dead," the Captain said.

Lord Stygian nodded.

"Well done."

"We didn't kill him. Young Master Evian did"

The eyes of the Stygians widened. Adrian's folded arms even slipped just a bit.

"He did?"

The Captain shrugged.

"Well, I think he did.

Koln died from a stab wound through the jaw and out the top of his head,"

The Captain paused, gestured at the bloody sword in Evian's hand, and then continued.

"It had already happened by the time we arrived. By the look of the scene, an intense battle happened leading up to that conclusion. Also, Koln and Young Master Evian don't seem to have been the only ones there.

We owe the young master's safe return to that battle. It stopped the Kidnapper from getting away."

Lady Myrine pulled away from Evian to look back at the Captain and beat her husband to an important question.

"Who sent him?"

The Captain shook his head.

"Unknown. There was nothing on Koln to suggest the mastermind. I have no idea what the motives of the attacks were"

"It could have been for ransom. Someone might have been trying to shake us down" said a Stygian Man.

"But why go for Evian and not Adrian?" Asked a Stygian woman,

"Adrian is the known genius of the Stygian Family and so far, it's not yet well-known that Evian can now even cultivate.

It's Adrian who is about to get Examined with a chance to join the Martial Temple. If they'll go for anyone to shake us down, logic dictates it would be him."

"Exactly!" Adrian voiced out and eyes turned to him.

The sudden looks he was getting caught Adrian by surprise but he stood his ground and held his head high.

"It's possible the intruders made an error. I must have been their actual target"

Evian had to work hard to stop a snort of laughter.

"You're really jealous that you weren't attacked and kidnapped? How stupid can you be?"