Chapter 386: Children of Noir Part 1

The servants had rushed ahead of Loh the moment they had spotted her walking through the manor’s gate. A few of the troupe’s minstrels and actors followed behind her while carrying Vayu on a stretcher. The Noir guards went to stop them but quickly stepped out of their way as they recognized Loh leading them.

The rooms blurred by as Loh quickly strode through the manor, almost breaking into a run. She kicked open the hardwood door at the end of a long corridor and stepped into her grandfather’s study.

Elzri Noir was at his desk as usual. Even when he wasn’t working at the magic academy as its principal, he worked at home as lord of a Great House and Ruling Family of Hollow Shade.

Her grandfather hadn’t changed since the last time she had seen him. His long white hair was immaculate as usual, without a single stray strand. The black orichalcum mage necklace hung between his shoulders, lustrous and pristine for all to see.

Lily, his vampiress secretary, leaned over next to him, holding an open ledger in front of him while muttering in a low voice.

“Ah, there you are. Good,” Elzri looked up at his granddaughter’s appearance and waved Lily away.

The vampiress bowed to them both and left the room silently.

Loh waited until the vampiress was out of earshot before she turned on Elzri with a scowl, “Is that all you have to say to me? You have heard what happened at Undergrowth, yes? Weren’t you at least a bit worried? Would it kill you to show at least an ounce of concern for your family’s well-being?”

Elzri took a deep, almost tedious breath. He clasped his hands together in front of him and looked her in the eyes. “Ismene arrived a few days before you and she explained to me the situation. Yes, I was worried about your well-being, but you’re a high-master who excels in shadow magic, I assumed you would be fine. And when Lily came in a few moments before you, informing me of your arrival, my assumptions were confirmed. So forgive me if I am not completely dumbfounded to see you alive and well.”

“You don’t even care to know what I’ve been through these last few weeks, do you?” Loh whispered in a taut voice.

“Believe me, I am quite interested in knowing what kind of problems you have gotten yourself intertwined in, but right now we have a bigger problem. Where is Stryg?”

“He’s fine.”

Elzri narrowed his eyes, “Where is he?”

“That doesn’t matter right now.”

“I disagree.”

“You’re right. We have a bigger problem. And I need your help,” Loh said.

The door creaked open, Lily stood in the doorway with an apologetic expression. She cleared her throat and bowed her head, “I’m sorry to interrupt, my lord. There are some people outside. They claim to be part of some musical troupe. …They are carrying young master Vayu Glaz in a stretcher. He seems to be very injured.”

“What?” Elzri stood up from his chair and glanced at Loh.

She met his steely gaze and matched it, “I told you, I need your help.”

Kaitlin pushed past an indignant Lily and walked in, “Bring him in.” Her companions carefully carried Vayu into the room.

Vayu’s grey skin had turned an almost pale white. His clothes were drenched in sweat and his breathing was so faint it seemed almost gone.

Kaitlin looked Lord Noir over with a skeptical eye. “So, you’re the ‘great’ Elzri Noir. I can see the resemblance. You look like her.”

“And who might you be?” Elzri asked calmly, though Loh noticed a subtle trace of annoyance.

“I’m the healer who’s kept this young man from meeting the gods of death for the last week and a half. And you’re supposed to be the one who can keep him away from them for a little longer. I hope she was right about you.”

Elzri glanced between Loh and Kaitlin and finally settled his eyes on Vayu’s prone form. His expression darkened, “I’m surprised you’ve kept him alive this long…”

“Can you save him or not?” Loh asked desperately.

“Only a fool would give you assurances.” Elzri threw off his jacket and pulled up his sleeves, “But only a weak man would give up before even trying.”

~~~

Loh paced outside the bedroom impatiently. It had already been an hour. After Elzri had skimmed over Vayu’s wounds he had ordered his body carried to the nearest empty bedroom and had ordered everyone else to leave.

Servants had come in and outside of the room half a dozen times, carrying basins of water, towels, and potions from her grandfather’s own collection, yet Elzri refused Loh entry.

“Dammit, what’s taking him so long? Usually, he heals people in a matter of a few minutes,” Loh muttered frustratedly.

“You should sit down,” Kaitlin said and patted the chair next to her.

The servants had brought the chairs into the hallway when it became evident that neither of them was going to leave.

“Sit down? So I can do what? Twiddle my fucking thumbs?” Loh snapped.

“So the planks beneath you will stop creaking. It’s terribly annoying and I’m trying to get some sleep. Gods know I haven’t slept more than a wink in the last 10 days.”

Loh stopped pacing but she remained standing. “Sorry, it’s just… Aren’t you anxious?”

Kaitlin nodded, though her eyes were closed. “I understand why you would be, but no, I’m not.”

“Why? It’s like you said, you’ve given everything the last 10 days to keep Vayu alive. Don’t you care even a little about your patient?”

“It’s because I’ve given everything I have that I’m not prancing about like a chicken without its head, no offense.”

“Offense taken.”

“I’ve done everything in my power to keep that boy alive. Whether he lives or dies I can rest knowing I gave it my all. Let the gods of death decide his fate now.”

“No offense but they don’t really sound like the kind of people to be merciful.”

Kaitlin smiled, her eyes still closed, “Not very pious, are you?”

“That’s rich coming from a human.”

“Stjerne may have abandoned your people in favor of mine, but I don’t worship Stjerne, so we are both without the Traveler’s grace.”

“That only matters if you believe in Stjerne to begin with.”

“So you don’t believe in the gods, then?”

Loh remembered the pillar of silver light that struck down the scarlet dragon that had attacked them at the edge of Glimmer Grove. She thought of the frost wolves that had come for Stryg and how he had once mentioned their symbolism as heralds of Lunae.

Loh swallowed, “That’s…”

“It’s alright to not be certain. I was like you before I became an acolyte.”

“You’re a priestess?”

“Once, a long time ago I served in a temple in the Aurous Realm.”

Loh frowned in surprise, “You’re from the Aurous Realm?”

“Just because I am a human does not mean I am from the Jade Realm,” she yawned.

“What? No, I mean, how is any of this even possible? The Schism destroyed the realm bridges three centuries ago.”

“There are other ways to travel between the Null Realms. Our Captain is quite a resourceful woman.”

“So I keep realizing,” Loh said dryly. “Your Captain and I need to sit down and have a long heart-to-heart chat one of these days. If I can ever find her.”

“She’d like that, but I’m fairly certain you won’t. The truth is a heavy burden that most of us are ill-equipped to carry.”

“Is that right?”

“Quite.”

“So, Kaitlin, priestess of the Aurous Realm.”

“Former priestess, I left that life behind when I joined the Singing Willow Troupe.”

“Okay, Kaitlin, former priestess of the Aurous Realm, now a member of a very odd performing troupe, what would you do if your friend was fighting for his life not twenty paces from you?”

“…There are many gods in my realm, several are gods of death, each with a different purpose. If I were you I’d be praying to every one of them, but seeing as you’re not a pious soul I suggest you go to a tavern and get horribly drunk until you pass out, and hope that when you wake up this is all over.”

“You’re shit at giving advice, you know that.”

Kaitlin shrugged, “You’re the one who asked. I’m just the one trying to sleep.”

The bedroom door abruptly swung open and a servant walked out. He bowed low and spoke in a reverent manner, “My lord says you may enter now, young mistress.”

Loh didn’t wait for another word, she rushed into the room and was welcomed by the sight of Vayu lying stone-still on the bed. Her heart dropped and a terrible guilt flooded over her.

Elzri sat next to the bed, sipping a glass of wine. “He’s not dead.”

“Eh?” Loh hurried over to the bedside and stared at Vayu’s pale body. After a few moments, she noticed his bandaged chest moving up and down. She let go of the breath she had been holding and stumbled back in relief.

“It wasn’t easy, he should have been dead days ago, but that healer friend of yours did well, better than most,” Elzri said begrudgingly.

Loh couldn’t believe her ears, her grandfather seldom gave anyone a compliment, let alone to someone he had just met.

“Thank you, for saving him,” Loh smiled warmly.

Elzri raised an eyebrow, “And here I thought you were incapable of gratitude.”

She rolled her eyes. This is why she left this damn House.

“As if you cared about my gratitude. You probably just wanted to get a favor on Lady Glaz for saving her son.”

“Ayda is dead. Her firstborn now sits on the Glaz Throne.”

Loh’s face paled. “What…?”

“The reports are still coming in, we don’t have all the details, but what we do know for sure is that the armies of House Glaz and House Veres were attacked in the valley. There were no survivors. Some say it was a dragon attack. It’s plausible, there have been several confirmed dragon sightings in the last few months, though all those dragons were spotted in the sky from a far off distance. In any case, whatever decimated all those people, Goldelm’s army couldn’t find out. Lord Goldelm and his soldiers are returning now to regroup with the rest of the city’s forces.”

“I don’t… I don’t know what to say…”

Elzri chuckled grimly, “We just lost our second most powerful mage and our most brilliant general along with both their significantly large armies. Our spies report that Undergrowth’s armies are marching towards us and that they are working with the valley tribes, who supposedly have some sort of secret weapon to destroy the shade wall. Our city has never been more vulnerable. What is there to say? How about starting with telling me where our Ebon Aspirant is?”

Loh bit her lip, “He’s safe. Lady Thorn tried capturing him back in Undergrowth but I drew away her forces’ attention while Stryg escaped the city. Vayu helped me, that’s why he ended up like this…”

“So where is Stryg now?”

“I’m not sure…”

“...I believe you,” Elzri sighed. “Stryg’s wife gave a similar answer, but I’m quite certain she was lying. I suppose I’ll have to bring her back here.”

Loh narrowed her eyes, “What are you planning to do to her?”

“Nothing if she tells me the truth, I would rather not anger our Aspirant. But Stryg’s life is more important. If he is in danger I must know, even if it means having a purple mage extract the information out of the girl.”

“You can’t do that!” Loh yelled angrily.

Kaitlin’s sharp whistle interrupted their conversation. She was leaning on the doorway, watching Vayu’s sleeping body. “Wow, you really managed to save him. She really was right about you, your healing abilities are quite special.”

“Loh is well aware of my abilities, she was right to bring Vayu to me. Now if you please, leave. This is a private conversation,” Elzri said curtly.

Kaitlin smiled, “I wasn’t talking about your granddaughter.”

Una walked into the room and gazed calmly at Elzri, “Hello, brother.”

The glass of wine slipped out of Elzri’s trembling fingers. He stumbled to his feet, wide-eyed, and stared slack-jawed at his little sister. “Una…? Is that you…? How?” he whispered in a broken voice.

In all the years she had known him, Loh had never seen her grandfather utterly stunned. Even when he found out her brother Aizel had died he had known what to say. Now he seemed… speechless.

Loh stepped back towards the door and nodded awkwardly, “I’m going to get some fresh air…”

“We’ll be leaving now,” Kaitlin winked and closed the door behind the two siblings.