The moon hung high in the night sky, casting its silvery glow over the landscape. A flickering light danced across the ground, revealing three faces briefly illuminated amidst the surrounding darkness.
Near the shoreline, where the Ikshari ship swayed gently against its moorings, Fladd and two senior members of the delegation sat huddled in hushed deliberation. An invisible barrier encased them, muffling their voices to ensure no prying ears could overhear.
'Is everything prepared and in motion?' Fladd, the academy master, inquired, his tone sharp and authoritative. 'Kilban, have you sent word to everyone?'
Kilban gave a curt nod. 'Yes, Master Fladd. The messages have been delivered.'
'And you, Katta?' Fladd turned to the woman beside him.
'All our forces have been informed of the latest plans,' Katta confirmed. 'They're positioned and ready to act once we reach the designated checkpoints.'
'Excellent,' Fladd remarked with a satisfied nod.
The plan appeared to be proceeding smoothly – barring the incident between their acolytes and the college's student.
'Our troublesome acolytes nearly jeopardised everything,' Fladd muttered, irritation simmering beneath his tone. 'Fortunately, their blunder didn't derail the mission.'
Katta shifted uneasily, preparing to speak.
'What is it?' Fladd snapped, his foul mood festering ever since that fateful day.
'I've received a peculiar report from one of our own,' Katta replied cautiously.
'A peculiar report?' Fladd echoed, his voice laced with sarcasm. 'From whom?'
'From a guardian,' Katta confirmed. 'The one we assigned to Linry a few days ago.'
Fladd's gaze shot towards the ship where he assumed Linry was stationed.
'She's not there, master,' Katta continued.
'Then where is she?' Fladd demanded, his tone sharp.
Katta hesitated, scratching her neck. 'This ties into the guardian's report. According to him, Linry has been spending an unusual amount of time with that Gorlean boy.'
A deep scowl darkened Fladd's expression. 'Don't tell me she's been fraternising with that bastard –'
'She has,' Katta interrupted with a grim nod. 'In fact, her absence suggests she's likely with him now.'
Fladd surged to his feet, a searing flame igniting in his palm, the heat radiating his growing fury.
'Master, calm yourself,' Katta and Kilban urged, rising alongside him in an attempt to quell his rage. 'It would be unwise to act against either of them…at least, not yet.'
Fladd's fury simmered, momentarily held in check.
As his subordinates stood ready to intervene, the academy master began pacing within the soundproofed perimeter, his sharp movements tracing a circle around the crackling fire that served as their centre.
'Fetch me Irgod,' he commanded sharply, gesturing towards the ship with a flick of his arm.
Moments later, the disciple was dragged before him. Irgod's irritated demeanour and exaggerated yawn immediately grated on Fladd's already frayed patience.
'Listen carefully,' Fladd said coldly, curling his fingers in a summoning motion, demanding Irgod kneel before him. 'When the time comes, I need you to kill that Riniock. Preferably during the expedition.'
Irgod knelt, smirking faintly. 'As you wish, master. That bastard will suffer unimaginable pain.'
'Good,' Fladd growled. 'And if Linry is with him, kill her too.'
'What? Again?' Irgod blurted, his shocked outburst escaping before he could stop it. Realising his mistake, his hands flew to his mouth, his wide, fearful eyes darting to meet Fladd's.
'You!' Fladd bellowed, his rage exploding as he thrust his arm forward. Irgod was wrenched into the air, choking as he was violently pulled in the direction of his master.
'You knew about this?' Fladd hissed, his voice seething with malice.
'I–I only knew of one meeting,' Irgod stammered, his words choking as he struggled for air.
'And you chose to hide this from me!?' Fladd's voice rose, his wrath casting an oppressive weight over the scene.
'Master…I was going to tell you –'
'Silence!' Fladd roared, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. 'It is unfathomable that all my disciples have proven so utterly incompetent. I have endured your foolishness for the last time.'
Without another word, Fladd's palm, still gripping Irgod's throat, began to glow with an intense orange light. A blistering heat emanated from his hand, searing Irgod's neck.
Irgod let out a blood-curdling scream, but his agonised cries were swallowed by the invisible sound barrier enclosing them. His body writhed in Fladd's iron grip as the flames consumed his skin. The flesh around his neck blistered and warped, taking on a grotesque, hive-like texture. The heat crept up to his face, leaving raw, festering wounds in its wake.
Finally, Fladd released him, allowing the charred disciple to collapse to the ground, gasping for air.
'Fail me again,' Fladd snarled, his voice colder than the night air, 'and I will not be as merciful as I am now. Your task remains unchanged – kill Riniock and Linry.'
Irgod couldn't speak; his voice extinguished, snuffed.
Shaking, he raised his head, his eyes barely able to meet his master's gaze, and gave a weak nod whilst clutching his scorched throat.
'Get out of my sight,' Fladd spat, his tone venomous. 'I don't want to see you again until the day of departure.'
Irgod staggered backward, retreating with his face still towards them, careful not to turn his back on Fladd. Once at a safe distance, he turned and trudged back to the ship, his steps heavy with shame and defeat. But deep within, beyond the overwhelming fear and his growing loathing for his master, a seething vengeance began to stir.
Fladd turned sharply towards Katta and Kilban, his fiery glare cutting through the tension. 'This is the last straw, even for you two. If I catch even a hint of incompetence from either of you, I'll reduce you to ashes where you stand. The headmaster depends on this expedition to weaken the college. We will not tolerate failure.'
'U–Understood,' they stammered, their voices trembling with anxiety.
'Dismissed. Ensure that everything is in place.'
'Yes, master,' they replied in unison before hurriedly taking their leave.
Left alone, Fladd muttered under his breath, a bitter edge to his words. 'Linry…you foolish, naive child. Your father will be deeply ashamed of you.'
He turned to the fire, snapping his fingers with practiced precision. The flames vanished instantly, leaving behind only a faint trail of smoke curling upward.
Fladd exhaled heavily, his frustration evident.
I must withhold any mention of her for now, he thought. I cannot afford to let anything jeopardise the mission before the goal is within reach.