Fladd, the academy master, unleashed his fury upon Irgod, his ire spilling over onto Piddruin and Arthian as well. Only Linry and a select few acolytes escaped his wrath.
'So, you thought it wise to send Rodgut and Frisian after that boy, all because he insulted you?' Fladd growled, pacing back and forth like a storm contained in human form. 'Are duels no longer an option in your mind?'
'Master…their actions were their own,' Irgod muttered, his voice faltering under the weight of his master's rage. 'I only instructed them to follow him, not to attack.'
'And that's supposed to justify this disaster?' Fladd barked, his tone sharp enough to cut stone.
Irgod slouched, his eyes glued to the floor. 'No, it does not.'
'Then tell me,' Fladd demanded, his voice colder now, 'how did you imagine this would end? What if that acolyte had discovered your little scheme and reported you?'
'He wouldn't…' Irgod murmured, but his master caught every word.
'And how, exactly, were you so sure of that?' Fladd snapped, his piercing gaze demanding an answer.
Irgod hesitated, weighing his words carefully. His gaze flicked to Linry, frustration flickering in his eyes, but he decided against voicing his full thoughts. Instead, he muttered, 'He seemed the type.'
'The type?' Fladd repeated, his voice laced with incredulity. 'The type? Was your brothers' future – their very lives – worth this baseless assumption of yours?'
Irgod clenched his jaw, swallowing any further retorts, unwilling or unable to meet his master's scrutiny.
'Master,' Arthian ventured cautiously, his voice wavering. 'What did you mean when you mentioned their lives?'
Fladd's stern demeanour softened ever so slightly as he delivered the grim news. 'I've just received word from the college's healing house,' he said, his tone heavy. 'Frisian has succumbed to his injuries. As for Rodgut…he's fallen into a coma.'
The announcement hit like a thunderclap, shattering what composure remained amongst them. Irgod's eyes burned with restrained fury, his neck muscles taut as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. Arthian and Piddruin, along with the other members of the delegation, gasped in disbelief. Shock painted their faces, and the silence that followed felt like a suffocating weight.
Linry, however, stood apart. Her face was carefully neutral, devoid of any outward reaction, but within, her heart raced with a forbidden sense of satisfaction.
She resisted the urge to smile – such an act would betray her in this moment of shared grief.
Despite their shared affiliation, Linry had never felt any attachment to her peers. If anything, she felt vindicated. It had been her decision to share what she knew with Riniock, and now, she found herself quietly pleased with the outcome.
She never liked them anyway.
'This matter,' Fladd said, his tone icy and resolute, 'will be revisited when we return to Ikshar. I will not let this transgression go unpunished. Now, dismissed!'
The group dispersed, each consumed by their own thoughts, weighed down by the grim news.
As Linry prepared to leave the ship and return to the college grounds, Irgod intercepted her.
'This is far from over, Linry,' he hissed, his words laced with venom and barely coherent through his anger.
Linry turned to him with a feigned air of innocence. 'Whatever do you mean?' she replied lightly, her tone almost playful. 'I'm just out for a stroll.'
'You and that boyfriend of yours will pay,' Irgod spat, his voice trembling with rage. 'I may not be able to set foot on college grounds, but my revenge is coming – sooner than you think.'
For the first time, Linry didn't deny the accusation, her sharp mind piecing the puzzle together. 'So that's why he challenged them,' she mused, her voice calm but edged with amusement. 'Because you knew about us.'
'I suspected,' Irgod admitted with a bitter smile, 'but this sealed it.'
Linry tilted her head, her tone dripping with mockery. 'Why not tell the master then? Or are you afraid he'd carve out your ear for keeping it a secret this long?'
Irgod let out a deranged laugh, his composure unravelling. 'Why would I do that? No, no, no. I want to kill the both of you myself.'
Linry's expression remained cool, her confidence unshaken. The idea of Irgod as a threat seemed almost laughable to her. Yet when she thought of Riniock – his potential, his unpredictability – her heart quickened ever so slightly.
'If you only knew what he's capable of,' Linry said, her voice now edged with a subtle menace, 'you'd be begging for an end as swift as Frisian's.'
'That runt?' Irgod roared, his laughter escalating into a manic outburst. 'Don't make me laugh. Even Rodgut and Frisian together would be no match for me, and you think he is?'
Linry smirked faintly, turning her back on him. 'We'll see,' she said simply, her words hanging in the air as she walked away, leaving Irgod seething in his own fury and doubt.
On the other side of the college grounds, Riniock strode confidently into his next lesson. His usual companion, Niann, was already seated and waiting for him in the classroom.
As Riniock descended the steps towards his seat, the atmosphere shifted. The room's occupants turned to watch him, their gazes wary, as though bracing themselves for an outburst or worse – another display of violence.
'Hey, Riniock,' Niann called out, breaking the silence.
'Niann,' Riniock responded, his tone faintly amused. 'Not afraid of me like the others?'
Niann chuckled, leaning back in his chair. 'Did they deserve it?'
'They did,' Riniock admitted, before adding. 'But would that matter if they didn't?'
Niann shook his head, his grin unwavering. 'Not to me.'
Riniock waved him aside with a mock sternness. 'Now, scoot over. You're hogging my side of the bench.'
Settling into his seat, Riniock glanced around, noting the uneasy hush that had fallen over the room. Except for his casual exchange with Niann, the classroom felt steeped in tension, every word a disruption to the fragile quiet.
A few minutes passed before two figures approached his table.
'Riniock Ev Tolgir,' one of them announced theatrically. The speaker was a young man with a surprisingly deep voice and a broad, muscular frame – an uncommon sight for a maegi.
Trailing behind him was a woman Riniock immediately recognised. She had been amongst the applicants during the admission tests and was someone he had argued with before ultimately helping her pass with a verdack feather.
'And who might you be?' Riniock asked, his tone even.
'Siegmun of House Torash,' the man declared with a smirk. 'Pleasure to meet you.'
Riniock studied him for a moment but found no spark of recognition. Siegmun was clearly an older acolyte, likely a year or more ahead.
'I'm retaking Professor Gieller's lessons to pass my Magickal Theorum exam,' Siegmun continued. 'And let me tell you, I'm thrilled to be learning alongside someone as interestingly fun as you.'
Before Riniock could respond, the woman stepped forward. 'Hey, I'm Karia –'
'I know who you are,' Riniock cut in sharply. 'You said you'd remember me, and so do I.'
'Good! Good!' Siegmun laughed heartily, clearly entertained.
Meanwhile, Niann's expression darkened. He glared at the newcomers, his eyes flicking between them as though they were interlopers encroaching on his territory.
'What do you want?' Niann asked, his tone cold and suspicious.
'Oh, nothing much,' Siegmun replied breezily. 'Just thought we'd introduce ourselves.'
'That's it?' Niann pressed, his voice dripping with distrust.
'Pretty much.' Siegmun then turned back to Riniock with a grin. 'By the way, I've been waiting years to see those Ikshari bastards put in their place. Watching you destroy them? Sure, one of em's dead but totally worth it!'
'Uh…thanks?' Riniock replied, unsure whether to take it as a compliment.
'Well, I'll see you around,' Siegmun said, clapping Riniock on the shoulder. 'With your attitude, I'm sure we'll be the best of friends soon enough.'
Karia and Siegmun wandered off to find their seats, leaving Riniock puzzled by the interaction.
Niann, on the other hand, was less bemused and more annoyed. He felt an instinctive unease, a prickling sense of competition. Silently, he hoped Riniock would maintain his usual aloofness and keep Siegmun at arm's length.