There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
For the first time in days, Vandrad had taken some time to rest. He had been a stalwart statue in the command center, which was the best description of the meeting room beneath the manor. He’d finally reached a point of looking so sickly that his loved ones had insisted that he get some rest or, in their words, to at least try. He didn’t think that he would find any sleep when he laid down but exhaustion had a funny way of wringing itself to a person despite their concerns. He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept but it was late afternoon by the time his consciousness roused from the darkness of rest.
Groaning, he pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. Mythal and Saffron, within days of each other. Fate could not have programmed a better scheme to throw upon their shoulders and yet here they were. Lux’s sanctimonious hijacking had been unprecedented, though that really spoke more to the rest of them than of the Seal. They’d grown complacent, comfortable even, with both of the Seals, viewing them as additions to the group, even allies, in Victoria’s sense. However, they were still unwieldy weapons of destruction and even the Seal of Conquest had once overtaken Serilda in a misaligned attempt to prove herself superior.
And Saffron. He knew that Cedric was running down every possible lead but in his gut, he knew it was Seberg. His murderous granduncle had set his attention on her with a curiosity only sated by terrible punishment and torture. And while he knew that the Fairy Tail mage was strong, he feared for what the Rhaegarian had planned for her. Worse was, just like Mythal, there was little to no evidence of where to find them. He couldn’t imagine that Seberg would hide Saffron away, as he would probably want to showcase his defeat of her in such a way that it would invite a challenge. He’d want to ruffle feathers.
“Well, you’re not wrong,” He Who Is agreed, leaning up against the wall nearest the door. Vandrad’s head twisted around to look at him, settling into a glare as he rose to his feet.
"I am in no mood for your games,” the king spat, pulling on the clothes he had discarded before sleeping.
“You keep calling them games when they’re really more like lessons. You’re a student three different ways, Vandrad; Victoria, Ryori and myself. Difference is, I only show up to administer tests while the other two provide the material needed. I know that seems like an insult but trust me, it’s not. Especially for Ryori; she had to work to get herself to the level she’s at. And I mean, really work.”
"You talk of a ‘test’,” Vandrad spoke up, having dressed himself. He made it a point to cut through the idle chatter and get to the meat of the meeting. "What is it?”
“It’s more of a choice, really. But I’m here to provide the information you need to make a rational decision. And while it is hardly going to be the hardest decision of your entire lifespan, it is easily a top five.”
The king stared at the Judge, scrutinizing every word he spoke. Yet, despite his obstinance to He Who Is and his colorful demeanor, there was a deeper sense of… concern. It probably arose from his own connection to the man, which gave him pause. "What choice?”
“If you want to save both Mythal and Saffron’s lives or if you only want to save one.”
It was several minutes later that Vandrad would arrive back in the command room, rejoining the group that had gathered. There was a sense of urgency in his step, an alertness that had been lacking before he’d been sent to collect himself. Taken at face value, it could only be assumed that he’d gotten the sleep he so desperately needed and had come back with a clear head. Yet even as he reconvened at the map table and sat down, he would seem distant and lost in thought.
Before he could answer any questions as to what was bothering him, Patricia and Cyrene would come rushing into the room. “We have something!” the good doctor cried out in excitement.
“It was brief and we’re… honestly not sure it’s even Lux but while we were configuring the machinery, our scans picked up a burst of magical energy. It only happened for a second but we were able to register and analyze it. It seems to resemble dreadether or is, at least, in the same family. Since we know that Kingdom Darkness consists of a more raw form of dreadether, we feel safe in saying that it could very well be what we’re looking for. Maybe it’s even Mythal, trying to send out a signal,” Cyrene explained further, holding a printout from their machine. She laid it out on the table as Patricia continued.
“The problem is that we hadn’t fully integrated the machine to provide exact coordinates. As you can see, it caught the detonation of magic similar to how we’d read an earthquake. What we know is that it was in eastern Fiore, near the Mysterious Canyons. Unfortunately, that is a lot of room to cover and investigate but it’s better than scouring the entirety of Ishgar.”
Vandrad stared at the map silently, despite whatever chatter was occurring around him. After a moment, he stood to his feet once more. "We need to prepare to move this command center to a forward base at the Mysterious Canyons. That way we can have everyone available to scour and look for any sign of Lux. I want everything packed up and ready to go in fifteen.”
The indistinguishable sound of Cedric’s teleport ripped through the air, even as the room began bustling. There was a definite pause as everyone stopped to look at the former Dread Master, haggard and worn. Yet there was no blonde woman beside him, speaking to his lack of success and preparations could continue at the moment. However, there was a sense of conflict, like people weren’t sure if they would all be going to Mysterious Canyons or some would be pivoting to search for Saffron.
Cedric looked around at the excitement. “Did you find something?” he asked, hopeful.
"We might possibly have a fix on Lux,” Vandrad explained quickly.
“Oh.” He sounded disappointed at first before realizing that himself. “That’s good. That’s really good.”
"What have you found?”
Cedric sighed. “Nothing. I ran down every avenue I could think to trudge through. I even crossed off anyone else that might have had something to gain by kidnapping her. You’ll hear quite a lovely story from Adamina when you check in her next, sorry about that, Serilda.” Cedric’s hands twitched slightly in anticipation. “I did have… one idea. And since we virtually have nothing else to go on, I was hoping I’d be able to argue my case for it.”
"And what case is that?” Vandrad asked, expectantly.
“Well, there’s a rare few people that have had any kind of interaction with Seberg. Maker was one but that happened unexpectedly. Everyone here was either a victim of him or avoided him like the plague. But there’s one person that worked beside him, nearly every day, and who we still have access to…”
"Xavier,” Vandrad filled in the lingering blank before it could hang for even a moment.
“Yes, exactly. He spent over a century with him. He must have some idea of what kind of places Seberg liked to frequent. So I was thinking; you give me ten minutes with him and I’ll be able to get some information from him.”
Vandrad had been quick with every other response to the former Dread Master, impressively so. Yet at the request before him, he paused. He breathed in and out slowly as he rolled the idea in his head. "Or he could know nothing. Seberg was a unique monster who only worked with Xavier because it helped him hunt my family. I doubt Xavier would have kept track of him, if only for his own safety.”
Cedric’s face twisted in confusion. “But he might have! Anything, no matter how small, could make a difference in helping to find Saffron. Please, Vandrad, ten minutes is all I’m asking.”
"Fine. Ten minutes,” Vandrad relented. "After we’ve found Lux and saved Mythal.”
The former Dread Master had just been starting to celebrate when it turned to shock. “What do you mean, after? Ten minutes is no time at all. All you need to do is let me in and then I’ll-”
"Cedric, I understand. Believe me, I do. Saffron is my pupil and I have been training her for years. And I know what its like for the person I care for to be taken from me. But Seberg won’t kill Saffron. He needs her to fill the gaping hole where his pride once was. He’ll want to dominate and make her submit and she won’t give him the satisfaction. Mythal doesn’t have that opportunity; Lux has stolen his body and, with that, has all the magical power that comes with it. Victoria and Mythal erased a town when they fought years ago. Now? Lux could glass a country. We need to prioritize stopping him before-”
“Prioritize?! Lux is a whiny child who is throwing a tantrum! Seberg is a predator that could really hurt Saffron in the time it takes you to quell that mewling quim!” Cedric snapped back at Vandrad.
"You and I both know that if she were here, Saffron would agree with me. Lux is the bigger threat. And Saffron can take anything Seberg throws at her. I’m sorry, Cedric. Once we’ve taken care of Lux, we-”
The fist clocked him hard, knocking him back a step. He reached up and touched his cheek, red and sore from the hit. Cedric was still standing, mid-pose after his punch. Furious tears threatened the corner of his eyes as he seethed down at the shorter man. “Take your apologies and shove them, your majesty,” Cedric spat at the king. “You’re gambling with a woman’s life, a woman you claim to be your pupil, your friend, against the-”
"And you are putting her above the danger that Lux is because you love her!” Vandrad roared back, his magical energy pulsing off of him in a wave of fury. Just as quickly as it came, it disappeared, with Vandrad growling in annoyance, though it wasn’t clear if it was because of Cedric or himself. "You are manic and irrational and I won’t suffer you in my presence any longer. When we return, I will question Xavier myself and then I will inform you what he says. You should go and get some rest. You are in no shape to be searching for her, let alone the fight that Seberg is sure to bring.”
Cedric’s jaw tightened and loosened several times, petulant, vicious words swimming up from within and dying on his tongue unspoken. His lip quivered in anger before he finally scoffed and shook his head in frustration. Before another word could be spoken, his fingers would fly to his forehead and he would disappear.
Vandrad continued to stare at the spot where Cedric had stood. Sensing the tension in the room, he spoke. “The show is over. Grab what you can and prepare to head out in ten,” he told the room, his tone far softer than it had been a moment prior. Yet he didn’t turn to face anyone yet, still needing to rein his anger in. Though… it still wasn’t clear who he was truly angry with.
Words: 1954 / 6339 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault, @Serilda Sinclair, @Mythal Ragnos |
marzia at shine & gs.
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