"Let's get the most important issue out of the way first. Would you mind telling us where you've been for the last three months?" asked Violett. She sat beside Reed and held him with a steely grip that bordered the line between a loving hug and a pro-wrestling grip.
Both Lu'um and Reed were escorted down to the deepest depths of the spire. They'd moved into what resembled a conference room that did not have any doors or windows. It was self-contained — it neither had an entrance nor an exit which left Reed confused.
Reed mused that the lady's physical prowess was still as overbearing as ever, despite her delicate appearance. Princess on the outside; Beast on the inside. Her formal title was well-warranted, he thought. He didn't like that he was being manhandled, but there was little he could do against the domineering maiden.
"With all due respect, Lady Violett, I'll be the one asking the questions here," Axtorius asserted. He lifted his favorite mug and took a sip from it. His coffee had gotten cold, again. Once more, he heated the warm mug again. He scowled for a split second and then redirected his attention to the task at hand.
His hawk-like gaze shifted onto his vexatious disciple and said, "Look, don't even think about starting with your bullshit, brat." He shot a glance at the indifferent girl beside him and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Something happened, right? You're not leaving this room until you tell us the truth. That's a promise."
Reed groaned. What was he supposed to tell them? The actual truth? They would never believe it, he thought. Sure, he was confident that Axtorius and Violett had a certain trust in his words, but what happened to him was out of this world — in the most literal sense.
It'd be a troublesome tale to sell, even for Reed. He'd gotten himself into a variety of unexplainable situations that defied logic before, but this one took the cake. Unfortunately, he knew that if he lied about what happened, Axtorius would likely tear him a new asshole. Reed swallowed a glob of spit in fear and a cold sweat formed on his body.
Ah, screw it. I don't want to get my ass beat today, Reed thought. He'd the tell the truth, whether not they believed him. He decided that he wouldn't be responsible if they chose to be narrow-minded. The only thing he could do was hope that they trusted him enough, but that was a long shot.
Reed paused for a moment. He recollected the events that transpired after he got dragged into the void from the beginning until now and started his explanation.
He recounted to Axtorius what had happened to him after the spatial tear yanked him into the void: the unnatural duration of time he had remained in there; far longer than what common sense dictated. His creeping doubts about the decrepit dimension and of his temporal displacement when he finally departed.
Of course, he'd withheld what was likely the most significant detail of the story; how he came into contact with Lu'um and what her role in the story was at all. Reed recognized that this ommission would only raise Axtorius's suspicions, but he couldn't come up with a convincing lie at the moment. He was already stretching the truth as far as he could — which was a miracle of sorts.
For once since they'd met Axtorius and Violett, Lu'um spoke up and said, "My name is Maya, and I met Reed when he warped out of the void, not too long ago." She explained that she nursed him while he was unconscious after his return from the abyss. That she aided in him getting back on his feet and helped him on his quest back towards the spire.
What shocked Reed was that she didn't even bat a goddamned eye as she spilled out lie after lie. It was astonishing how adept she was at spinning falsehoods on the move — she was a genuine natural at it — that sent chills down his spine.
Who the hell was Maya? Nursed him back into health? Guided him back to the spire? Her lies had a hint of the truth, but were mostly gross exaggerations of what happened. It was an insidious way of camouflaging the truth; She twisted the facts and also combined them with clever lies to cover for the inconsistencies in her story.
The result: a far more convincing account of the events that occurred after Reed had returned from his three-month hiatus. In any case, Lu'um had cleared herself with a compelling alibi.
She was now a wandering contender who had bumped upon Reed when he was at his weakest and saved his life.
What a load of bullshit, he thought. He couldn't deny that it was a high-grade fabrication; he had to give respect where it was due. Reed felt a cold admiration of Lu'um's skill, that was for sure.
Axtorius and Violett went quiet for a long time after both of them finished giving their accounts. They both had pensive expressions as they looked at each other. What spoken about in this room could never leave these walls; that was what they both immediately thought. If even an iota of what they said was true, it'd spell catastrophe for everybody.
Axtorius looked at Reed and Lu'um with a grim face and coldly announced, "This discussion never occurred, do I make myself clear? You warped into some obscure, isolated part of the North and it took you three months to find your way back. If anybody inquires you where you've been, this will be your story from now on."
He looked at both of them with an intense gaze as his voice shifted an octave lower and he said, "I will repeat myself once more. This. Conversation. Never. Happened. You got lost in the wilderness and Maya saved you. This is your new reality, henceforth."
Reed flinched out of reflex and shook his head in acknowledgment. Maya had a somber mein as she nodded in approval. If that was what the old goat decided upon, that was how it would be. No further questions were needed.
Violett picked up where Axtorius had left off and said, "For now, you'll re-enter your class. You've missed a sizeable portion of your training, but I had to be honest; it's meaningless for you given where you're at skill-wise. Not like it matters since the program is at its final stretch anyway..." She caught Reed and Lu'um like two sacks of potatoes and hauled them over her shoulders.
"I'll take these two and throw them into the class, what do you think?" she asked Axtorius, who in deep thought at the moment.
"… What? That sounds fine. You must forgive us, Maya, but we can't exactly let you leave the spire at the moment. We appreciate what you've done for Reed, but understand that you're in a precarious situation."
He shrugged his shoulders and let out a long sigh. "It's too dangerous right now; both for Reed and yourself. I hope you don't mind staying with us, at least until the danger passes..."
Lu'um's eyes flickered for the briefest of moments and then her lips formed a gentle smile. "I understand, sir. I'm all right staying here if I must. Although it's troublesome, I don't regret help Reed…" she trailed off.
Violett cracked a grin and said, "Then it's all settled! I'll take them over to the dorms and get them situated." She tapped her foot on the floor and they vanished in a flash of light.
Axtorius alone sat in the empty room and picked up his cold mug. The coffee had gone cold yet again. He drank it down this time without reheating it and grimaced out of disgust.
Got some extra work to do now, he thought. He would have to make some difficult calls and scratched his head in frustration.
Such was the life of the mentor — cleaning after his kid's mistakes, he concluded.
At least he was a good kid; From the looks of it, the boy took his advice to heart. Even got the attention of a young lass, it seemed. A sly grin formed his face when he thought about it. The brat was getting himself into all kinds of trouble — he was living life to the fullest — that alone satisfied the old man...
Violett jumped through several altars until they arrived at the entrance of the dormitories, which looked the same as they always did. Reed felt a rush of nostalgia, but found it humorous that he felt the emotion. During their training they rarely stayed here, but he couldn't shake the feeling this home. It was an odd feeling that made his chest warm and fuzzy.
"Get yourselves settled in and all that jazz; I'm sure you'll want to catch up with Astor and the gang, right? Ask them for details on anything you need. I need to help the old man, so I can't tend to you both at the moment," she said. Violett disappeared in a flash and they both fell once she let go of them.
Lu'um struck a graceful landing despite the abrupt fall and brushed her hair that'd gotten messy because of Violett's rough handling. Reed fell on his ass with the grace of a dead animal and cursed the princess. He stood up, dusted himself off and grunted, "Goddamnit... that fucking hurt. You think she's still mad, Lu'um?"
An awkward silence followed. Lu'um did not respond as she focused on her hair. She seemed more interested in her hair than Reed's entire existence.
Reed looked at her for a moment and said, "Ooh, my bad. Look, I couldn't come up with a proper story on the fly, Maya. Give me a break; I'm not an expert liar like you. It wasn't on purpose."
She responded, "Don't worry about it, Reed. I wasn't expecting you to cover for me in the first place, so no, I'm not angry at you. I told you already; I'll always cover for what you lack the most." She finished brushing her hair and latched onto Reed in a natural motion.
In a flawless movement, she craned over Reed's ear and said, "I sense your anxiety, Ka'an. You worry. Your companions, no? They are past this door, are they not?"
The damn girl hit the issue in a single blow, once again. He stood in front of the dorm's door and felt his arms turn into lead at the thought of meeting them again. Lu'um sighed and put her head on his shoulder. She put a finger over Reed's chest and coyly dragged across where his tattoo was.
"Then I'll help you as always, Ka'an..." she whispered. With a sudden pull, she caught Reed off guard as she dragged him towards the entrance. With swift, large strides, the amused girl reached the door and burst the door open with a fury.
A resounding boom echoed across the dormitories as the girl marched in with the boy in tow. A magnificent entrance, fit for the likes of king and queens, one might have thought if they saw it.
Reed burst into tears and covered his face in embarrassment; Lu'um proudly walked in with a smug smile on her face.
The duo caught the attention of everyone whether or not they liked it.
Fate was cruel.
Reed finally returned home and now, he desperately wanted to leave it....