BAM!
“Major!” Vera and Luka exclaimed in unison as Jax hit the wall.
Cracks formed on the area where Jax landed, and he threw up a mouthful of blood, “Guh!”
Vera and Luka immediately ran to his side as he fell face-first on the floor.
Few hours had passed when Jax and the rest of the army canceled the operation and retreated. After cleaning up and finishing their documentation, Jax with Luka and Vera returned to the Royal Army Headquarters to report.
Initially, Jax wanted to come alone because he knew that Gael had been in a foul mood. He knew that Gael would not be satisfied without venting out his anger. However, Luka and Vera insisted on coming with him because they did not want Jax to bear Gael’s fury alone.
True to their premonition, after Gael read their report, he was so angry that he directly blasted Jax on the wall.
“Failed again?” Gael bellowed while he stood imposingly in front of his study table. Because of the setting sun, the light inside the room gave a faint red tint that made Gael’s face look vicious.
“How many times are you going to disappoint me, Major?” Gael asked him through gritted teeth.
Jax slowly got up while Luka helped him on the side, “I-I was careless. The operation was seen through by Lord Cade-! Argh!”
The shadow around Jax suddenly darkened and crawled, moving directly on his neck. The shadow formed into a hand with long arms and lifted him in the air.
Magic fluctuation filled the whole room, and Gael’s magic pressure rose that Luka and Vera also spewed out a mouthful of blood.
“Guh!” Both of them fell on their knees.
“S-Stop! G-Grand Marshal, i-it is my fault! They had nothing to do with-ugh!” The shadow hand’s grip tightened around Jax’s neck.
“Silence! Excuses! Every single time. All I hear are excuses!” Gael growled, his eyes turned red as black shadows seeped out from him. His magic pressure further intensified, and the whole room tremble.
“Ugh…” Luka and Vera could feel their bones protested under the weight of Gael’s magic pressure. However, they could only clench their fist and endure.
“Find a way to establish communication with your men that managed to enter the Regis Estate Inner Wall,” Gael ordered. “Once you do, tell them to draw a detailed map of the inner wall. Locate their food reserves and destroy it. Find their water system and poison it. Take away their food and water, let’s see if they will still be able to stay within those walls.”
The shadow that held Jax released him, and he fell with a loud thud on the floor.
“Y-Yes, Grand Marshal.” Jax answered as soon as he managed to kneel on one knee.
“Humph,” Gael turned his back on them and moved to the window. He released his magic pressure, and the shadows around the room returned to normal.
Cold sweat trickled down the sides of Luka and Vera’s faces. Even their backs were drenched with sweat.
“I want results, Major. Good results.” Gael said without looking at them.
“Y-Yes,” Jax stood up with difficulty but still managed to salute.
Luka and Vera stood and saluted as well, though their knees were still a little weak.
Once the three left, Gael called for Fiona and issued another order.
“Summon the Special Ops. Tell them to meet me at the usual place,” he told her while still looking out the window.
Fiona bowed and replied, “Yes, Grand Marshal.”
====================
Kyran stared at the clothes sprawled at the foot of the bed.
It was a matching white coat and white pants with gold and red accents. There was also a pair of white shoes that matched the clothes on the floor.
“Why do I have to change?” He asked as he turned to Stella, standing at the side of the bed, looking at him expectantly.
“Why not? You’re going to meet the Conclave Council, you’re not going to tell me that you’ll meet them looking like that.” Stella replied and gestured at Kyran’s clothes.
Because of his fight with Sigma, his clothes had dirt and some cuts. Although, his clothes did not look that bad. It was inappropriate if he had to meet with the Conclave Council formally.
“I have clothes with me, you did not have to-.”
“But your clothes only have dark colors.”
“Its hard to move around when you’re wearing all white,” Kyran replied with a frown.
“Well, you’re not really going to move around. We’ll just sit and talk.”
Kyran’s frown deepened. He did not like dressing up unless he had to. But he had always worn dark colors.
“Besides,” Stella continued. “There will be a banquet afterward. Everyone will be there.”
“Everyone?” He repeated.
Stella nodded, “Yes. It will be an open banquet and everyone here will attend.”
Kyran sighed and said, “Aren’t I supposed to be ‘hidden’.”
“Don’t worry. Callan already tweak the memories of the people who saw you. They only remembered your magic, not what you look like. Although, everyone knew that the ‘intruder’ was supposed to be locked up inside the main tower. And yes, if they see you they might think it was you. So, we will introduce you as a visiting relative of one of the Conclave Council.”
“Right,” Kyran replied, not one bit convinced. But he knew arguing with her was only a waste of time, so he did not say more and took the clothes.
As soon as he took off his shirt, Stella turned beet red and immediately said, “W-Why are you undressing!”
“How else am I supposed to change?” He replied.
“C-Can’t you tell me first before removing your clothes, that way I can leave!”
Kyran scratched his head. He was not fussy about removing his clothes in front of others. After all, he still had undergarments. It was not like he was going to strip naked.
A thought crossed his mind, and he randomly said, “Wasn’t it you who changed my clothes when I passed out? I mean, I am half naked when I woke up.”
Stella reddened, “It was Nolan who changed your clothes. I only helped with the bandaging…”
“Ah. I see, okay. I’ll change now. Can you leave?”
Stella’s brow twitched. She did say that he should tell when he would change so she could leave. But when he did tell her to leave, he sounded too curt and uncaring that it was a little unnerving.
“Fine. I’ll wait for you at-.”
“Just tell me where to go. You don’t have to escort me around.”
Stella’s brow twitched once again, “You said it yourself. You’re supposed to be ‘hidden’. Before we introduce you at the banquet you can’t-.”
“I have a way to travel by myself,” Kyran cut her midsentence.
Kyran stood and walked over the windows.
“Is it somewhere near? Can we see it from here?” He asked while looking out the window.
Stella looked at him in confusion, but she joined him and also looked out the window.
From where they stood, the northeast tower was still visible. However, they could only see from the third floor up.
“The conference room is located at that tower,” Stella pointed. “See that balcony over there? The conference is above that.”
“Do you have an image with you?”
“Image?” Stella repeated, clearly confused. But she pondered a bit before taking out a golden slip from her storage ring. “The whole map of the Tower of Conclave is there.”
“You’re not going to tell me to use my magic sense to ‘check’ that slip, are you?”
“Oh, right,” Stella replied. She thought for a moment and then took out a semi-transparent orb and showed it to Kyran. “Then how about this.”
Kyran took the orb, and Stella summoned her magic. Several golden clocks in different sizes appeared and formed a small half-sphere around them.
The orb in Kyran’s hand lit up, then his surrounding suddenly changed. He was now standing in the middle of the big room, and in front of him was a round table with fourteen seats. Seven columns were surrounding the hall with sculpted winged humans. Three of the sculptures held a lamp made of light blue crystal, while the other four each held a sword, a staff, a spear, and a tome.
A middle-aged man with wavy long blonde hair and light blue eyes sat at the head of the round table. He wore a long white robe with golden accents, and a long staff was leaning at the back of his chair. On his lap sat a little girl in a pink dress. She had short wavy blonde hair and the same light blue eyes.
Kyran frowned as he realized that the little girl was…
“Stella?” He said.
Suddenly the whole surrounding dissolved, and they were back in one of the private rooms of the infirmary.
“What was that?” Kyran asked and turned to look at Stella.
Stella only smiled at him and replied, “That was the conference hall.”
Kyran studied her expression for a few seconds before going back to the bed.
Since she did not elaborate, he would not pry. He already had an idea that what he saw might be a scene from the past.
Stella’s past.
“Okay. Then I’ll go there when I’m done.”
Stella smiled faintly and said, “Thanks.”
Kyran vaguely understood she was thanking him for not asking.