Both men finished reading the documents stolen from Erish Dagrim's brothel and traded stoic looks. Artur and Miris looked uneasy as if some yelling was about to happen, but William wouldn't hold back.
Zho spoke, calm as ever with his jet-black eyes on him. "Where did you get this from, William? In what kind of place were you meddling last night?"
He swallowed his saliva, feeling pointed out. "In the place of someone important enough to possess that Katosi Grail you wanted for whatever reason. Now, would you give me some answers?"
Oraesh sighed and face-palmed with condescension. "I forgot how nosy and bothersome some of you westerners can be. Do you want to know that? Fine. Zho, go ahead. Just so you know you have no reasons to fear us, kid. If we truly wanted to screw you, you wouldn't be here in the first place. You should be thankful. Worse things would have happened to you if it weren't for us."
But what was worse than being dead? William didn't let his aggressive words intimidate him. They were finally going to speak? It was faster than he expected. He looked at Zho, waiting for what he had to say.
"William, I said once that it was half-error, half-intentional that you are here with us. That's true. We have been looking for recruits that match the best requirements to become liches in our order. Artur found someone perfect in your land while being on another unrelated mission for us. That perfect one, however, wasn't you."
Something fishy going on. Zho signaled Artur with his head. The Sunian of green eyes took a deep breath before looking at William and responding.
"That's right, Will. You were supposed to die and be disposed of like the rest on that beach. The best candidate for becoming the next member of the order, believe it or not, was Jacob, that scrawny coward who was sitting by your side in that Uchimi ship. You saw what happened to him, though. Aeschylus still can't figure out how to build back a human brain after it gets splashed all over like an egg on the sand… Zho and I had to take you instead."
"O-of course," spoke Aeschylus. "you know how hard it is to resurrect and connect all those connections and put them like they were before? Got to say that it's still a long time even for someone like me to create a method that doesn't take a whole eternity. If I could—"
"Aeschylus, shut up," ordered Oraesh, the situation not fitting for the old man's childish divagations.
"O-of course. I will take this somewhere safe," Aeschylus lowered his shoulders, took the box with the relics, and walked away.
William frowned in disgust, looking forth and back at his Sunian compatriot and the lich mentor, the former looking ashamed and the latter as stoic as ever. Miris covered her face with her hands.
So, he was there just by some twist of fate? A mere hit of luck? His mind didn't feel any less bitter or scrambled; instead, a burning flame was heating his blood. He spoke his boiling doubts.
"Of course, you knew, Artur. And you…" he looked at Zho and Oraesh. "This means that you took all those men there to suffer and die so shamefully? All so you could take someone into this obscure order of depraved monsters no one cares about?"
"William, please," Miris put her hand on his shoulder, but he pushed it away.
"You think we are so important and influent to do something like that, kid?" asked Oraesh, ophidian yet aggressive. "We've been honest with you. The order's not in the best state, and we need more in our lines. Those ships were Uchimi pirates, and we don't command them or have anything to do with them. They despise the Mauric Empire and anything coming from the west. They captured all those soldiers just so they could kill them and send their heads to the nearing Mauric vessels as threats and warnings. They've been doing that in the last 20 years."
"Then how was Artur there knowing what would happen? And Zho, supervising the executions on that island?" asked William. "Things don't add up. Of course, you have something to do with them."
"We only had a deal," responded Oraesh. "You aren't that young to be so naïve and don't know that any pirate can be bought for money. That's it. We don't care about them or external world politics. It was business.."
"A deal which they broke," said Artur. "You died a little too soon to see what came after on that beach, Will. They were supposed to let me go, but they didn't want to. Zho and I had to defend ourselves, and a bloodbath took place. Our Sunian compatriots were avenged if that makes you feel better. I bet there still are the putrid bodies of those pirates flooding the black sand on that beach, assuming the gulls or the waterflies left anything. But not everyone died. I just got no idea where they could be right now…"
"And why does that letter put that the bodies were going to be sold to necromancers? It doesn't make sense," inquired William.
"Stupid rumors," said Oraesh. "Those pirates never knew Zho or Artur are liches or anything about the Zeimey order. People are ignorant and hate anything they don't know. It's tiring to remind you that Sukhuul is not the same as it was 1000 years ago. The dark arts are a big taboo. Point out at someone to be practicing them, and soon everyone will be on their hunt. That must be the purpose of those letters, to which, if you were more clever, you'd know you have nothing to trust them for."
William still didn't like a little bit his condescending tone. If he wasn't a nearly thousand years old powerful necro mage, he would have already smacked his face with a tight fist. Miris put her hand on his shoulder again. This time, he didn't push her away.
"Now, I'm done with this useless drama. I have better things to do," said Oraesh. "As I said, you're dismissed. And Amber, I don't want to hear you raise your voice at us again like we're some of those stupid worms people your age are friends with. Do it and you'll be punished. You don't want to see me angry. Am I clear?"
He didn't put his ophidian eyes from William's brown irises until he answered. "...Whatever. I understand."
"You better do so," Oraesh turned around. He traded a pair of words in their foreign language with Zho, and walked away, his tall and elegant figure giving a mocking aura of condescension William didn't like a little bit.
"You still have lots to learn William," Zho broke the silence. "You'd be punished for this, but I'll let it go this time because you're only a beginner. We have a hierarchy here, so please, be respectful next time you address him. Now get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
William sighed, looking down with his fists squeezed. He thought being told about his fate would be satisfying, but he didn't feel any better now that he knew —assuming they had been honest with him.
The same harsh truth he had to accept since he woke up; he didn't have a choice in the matter, all he knew was that he was given another opportunity to live, and had to adapt to that new life. Whatever came before was gone forever.
He stopped Zho before he left. He still had doubts about another topic. "Wait. The other letter. It's about Bloodsucker, the serial killer terrorizing Inanna. It has taken more victims, and even a local mafia leader is afraid. Any ideas of who he could be?"
"No, but we're investigating that. Perhaps it's something we shouldn't ignore. In any case, take care when going to the town. Especially you, William. I recommend you to think twice before you befriend strangers…"
What was he insinuating? William felt oddly accused. His phylactery almost skipped a buzz when, as the man finally turned around and walked away, a giant, brown moth flew towards him and rested on his back. He remembered the one following him and Visidia last night through the streets of Inanna…
An awkward silence filled the Hall of Progress, the three young liches remaining. "Eh, I'll leave you alone, William. You must need time to think. Just know that I was only following orders to keep quiet. See you tomorrow, guys."
Artur left, not throwing out any of his typical jokes. Even though William didn't resent him, the green-eyed lad looked ashamed and awkward about it. Maybe the best was to take some time to process things. At least he knew some more now.
"C'mon. I can take you to your room. I'll prepare you some tea," said Miris, her hand still on his shoulder. Looking better, both of her arms and legs were all covered in those scratches and scrapes, as if she had been dragged by a giant beast through a field of thorny grass.
"Eh, are you sure? You don't want to go and take care of that?" he asked. "What happened to you?"
"It's nothing. I've taken worse beatings. And it's a long story. I never thought I would have to dive through subaquatic tunnels so much trying to not get killed by mermaids, but my belongings were ruined," she sighed. "And I have no money right now to buy myself even another pair of shoes. But whatever, let's not think about that right now. Let's go."
"Mermaids?" asked William, almost forgetting the fantastical land he was in. "Sounds like Zho gave you and Artur quests harder than what I had to go through. Ah, never mind. You've been liches for a few years while I just woke up as one a few days ago. I bet you could kick my ass if you wanted."
She chuckled. "You're finally calming down. But don't worry, you don't have to worry about that. Artur, on the other hand… hehe, he better watch over his rear."
Both chuckled, and finally left to William's room. All he wanted was to sleep and think about the situation. It was heartwarming —even if he no longer had a heart— that Miris was so caring about him. The girl didn't seem to be involved with Zho and Oraesh as Artur was, so maybe she was in a similar, ignorant situation. It helped him feel a little bit less alone and confused in that place.