Later that night...
In her old room, surrounded by her girlhood toys and her first instruments of magic–Isetzar now dressed in the black mantle and brigandine of House Sasan's hunting gear confronted Nuriya, now dressed in her white and black house-robes as she read under lamplight atop her childhood bed.
"I've seen enough. Every instinct in my body is going crazy now. I've told the guys to get ready. We should run…Something bad is waiting for you here," Isetzar whispered to Nuriya.
Nuriya, incredulous, turned her head and pulled away from him. Even for her brother, this was going too far.
"Are you insane, Setzya?!"
"Keep your voice down!", Isetzar continued to speak in a low-tone. "Grandfather, he sounded weird. You heard it too, right?"
"Near the end it felt a bit scary with everyone suddenly going silent. But, this wouldn't be the first time grandfather's told stories like this."
"You really didn't think something was off? Is there something in the words he picked? Some code only mages can—"
"Code? What are you talking about?"
"So, it's not that?"
Isetzar scratched his hair in thought and scowled as he continued to ponder.
"Come now, you're the one who's scaring me," Nuriya said. " Honestly, how could you thin–"
"There is something I haven't told you, Niya," Isetzar bolted. "Something I needed to hide. Something Father wanted to hid–"
"Stop it!"
"?"
Nuriya, perplexed and angry, looked at her brother.
"You've been like this ever since that night after El-Daryum," Nuriya said, full of unease and discomfort. Her expression shifted between a contemptuous smirk and pained sadness. "No…You've been like this even before that…year after year, season after season, ever since I did 'that'--you've changed!"
Nuriya balled up her fists in a rage.
"All I wanted back then was to be with you and make you happy! When you pushed me away? I regretted everything. And I wanted so very badly to take it all back. All I wanted was to make you look and be proud of me agai–"
"I am!"
"I'm NOT finished!" Nuriya continued, pouring her heart into every word. Trying her best not to let her frustration overwhelm. Lacing each syllable with drops of venom. "When I realized what you wanted was for me to go away? I did. And instead? You just got angrier! What do you want!? The only time I saw you lighten up was when you saw me get engaged to Valri! And now? You even bring up Father! How am I supposed to take that?!"
"
"....."
Isetzar grit his teeth as his fists clenched, and his lips trembled. He wanted to say something. But he couldn't find the words right now.
"Yeah…."
"Look, I know what I did was stupid," Nuriya closed her eyes, now starting to wet with tears.. "It was childish and foolish and you probably came to hate me the–"
Isetzar slammed one of his large hands on Nuriya's childhood desk.
"!"
"I do not hate you…" Isetzar spoke through clenched teeth and with careful force. "I feel a great many things towards you, Niya…A great many things that I can't even find the words for. But hate? Is simply not one of them."
Nuriya looked at Isetzar's face.
She saw his eyes.
Just like hers.
Nuriya felt her chest tighten, and grabbed a handful of fabric from her clothes and the bed she was sitting on.
"If…I went along with this? What about Grandfather?"
"If I'm wrong–I'll take an earful. I'll take a beating if I must. But we need to get you to Valri as soon as possible. You'll be safe with him. Until we can get all this sorted ou–"
"Young mistress?"
One of the household's servant girls was now at the door.
"Yes?" Nuriya answered.
"The Master wants you at the Grand Hall. He says it's urgent."
Nuriya looked at her brother. Unable to answer.
"Can this wait tomorrow?" she asked. "I'm….feeling pretty sleepy now."
"He insisted, my lady," replied the servant girl. "Master said this was an official summon from the Sasan Patriarch."
The girl then proceeded to open the door.
"..."
When she did? She found Nuriya alone.
Isetzar had hidden just behind one of the secret entrances in the ceiling.
"Is something wrong, my lady?"
"It's nothing," replied Nuriya with a smile. "Tell Grandfather…I'll come shortly after."
The servant girl left soon after that.
And Isetzar reemerged.
"Was that the wrong answer?" Nuriya asked.
"It…." Isetzar sighed. "It wasn't."
He crossed his arms and rubbed his eyelids.
"I still can't believe you, you know?" Nuriya said calmly.
"Sometimes I can't believe me too," replied Isetzar. "But if this is what I think it is? It means I'm too late...There's no escaping covertly now."
"Is it…really as bad as you say it is? I mean, there's still a chance you could be wrong right? You said you hid something. Why keep it a secret in the first place? You mentioned Father earlier…Does this have to do with his dea–"
Isetzar put a hand up to stop her from saying more. "Let's…pray I'm wrong. If I am? Remind me to explain everything afterwards…but like hell am I going to let you enter that room alone."
...
Nuriya changed dress and wore a formal outfit due to the nature of the summons.
She chose her old dress as the former Maiden of Sasan: a flowy priestess' robe made with black and gold silk. It came with a see-through mantle decorated with the image of the sun and wind, and on her head she wore an antlered headdress. Which was expected of her during an official summon by the head of the family.
Isetzar changed nothing.
The coal-black "hunting gear" was the traditional formal attire for Sasan mages: mantle, bracers, brigandine, a white head-scarf wrapped around one's head, stag-skin boots tanned and treated black for better durability.
Only, as one ungifted, Isetzar wore a sword by his side beside a magical instrument. In the House of Sasan's case, usually a wind one. Isetzar carried a hunting horn and flute as part of his attire.
Also, in Isetzar's case, he was already known to wear it frequently as part of his sister's guard.
It would have been perfect for him to escape with.
Now? He's hoping this really is just for formalities sake.
Under the blanket of night with only the light of the moon and a small lamp to guide them, the siblings walked side by side as they navigated the Sasan corridors towards the grand hall.
They didn't speak the whole time.
When they got to the blackwood doors–decorated with the illuminated images of a black and gold stag and a black and gold peacock–Nuriya knocked exactly five times.
"Come in."
They heard their grandfather's voice behind them.
Nuriya and Isetzar came in together and saw the whole family assembled. Everyone sat down with one knee bent and one leg crossed. Everyone dressed in their hunting gear or their clerical robes.
Ul-Sasan included. But only he was allowed to sit with both legs crossed atop a raised dais.
His hunting gear was a magnificent garment of white and gold rather than the black of his descendants and subordinate mages. His head-scarf was Ursan's imperial green.
"Ah, Niya…Setzya…Come, take your seats. Niya? You sit beside me."
Isetzar felt uneasy but decided to let his sister go as their grandfather bade her to do.
Nuriya positioned herself beside the velvet cushion
"Niya? Relax. Why'd you look so nervous?"
"Forgive me, grandfather…Just..nerves as all. This formal summon came so suddenly. Is something the matter?"
"Yes, Niya. There is. Unfortunately," replied Ul-Sasan. "I'm so sorry this had to happen on the eve of your birthday."
Nuriya smiled. Though one that was tinged with a hint of sadness.
"Something suddenly came up, you see. A great threat to the security of our home. Our Holy Empire."
Nuriya's eyes widened.
And Isetzar…
"...."
…softened his shoulders and dared to hope. He found himself breathing easier. Sure, the news is still disconcerting. But, if this is it? Then it wasn't what he was afrai--
"I saw something earlier. Something which confirmed what I had actually been investigating for about two years now. Something dreadful."
"?"
Isetzar's ears perked up.
So much for prayers. So much for hope.
"What should we do, Grandfather?" asked Nuriya.
"We stop it, child. We nip this threat in the bud before it grows into a bramble. While it is still manageable," Ul-Sasan turned to the rest of his family sitting slightly below him. "Before it could wreak havoc on this land which has, for so long, been so very good to us."
Nuriya nodded.
Ul-Sasan smiled and put a hand above his granddaughter's head and rubbed her hair like he always did for her as a child.
"Ah, yes! Give me your hand, Niya," asked Ul-Sasan.
Isetzar's slowed his breathing and put his hand above the hilt of his blade.
Nuriya complied.
For a moment? There was nothing.
But then…
"!!!!!!!!!"
[Fourth Form!]
Ul-Sasan began his invocation.
[Under the Auspices of the Just One, Under the Laws of Heaven and My Authority as Host and Master of All Under Baharaz! I offer my blood for the thorns to drink! Drink and make haste! For my prey is quick and strong!]
Blood-red vines and thorns quickly flowed out of Ul-Sasan's arm like a rushing torrent and coiled around Nuriya's body.
They wrapped around her legs, her hands, and her throat.
Nuriya struggled to breathe and her eyes began to water as she writhed and convulsed and gasped. Her family watched her agonize in silence.
"...!..."
She couldn't move her fingers or say a word.
Her ability to cast magic had been neutralized.
The spell was perfect.
But no sooner than Nuriya had fallen to the floor…
"Arrrrrgggh!"
…That Isetzar rushed and roared to her side. His sword now out and pointed at his grandfather.
Everyone in the hall rose to their feet in defense.
Ul-Sasan raised a hand to stop them from making too hasty a move.
"Careful where you point that, Setzya. You might hurt someone."
Isetzar bared his teeth and his blade as his other arm lifted his sister's struggling body above one of his legs.
"Please, boy. Let us explain–"
"--No need."
Isetzar looked at Nuriya's face. She looked at him in tears as she weakly shook her head.
"I know everything."