Cirian climbed the elevator inside the Talis Tower in a foul mood. He had failed. No, that would be an understatement. It had been much worse than failing.
He spent the last day piecing together what had happened on the cliff as he traveled from the location the irregular gate had thrown him. He felt minor pain in some parts of his body, but it was his pride that had gotten hurt the most.
That insignificant descendant, Cirian recalled, somehow managing to worsen his mood.
It had only been a few weeks since the day he considered himself the luckiest man alive, now he was cursing his precarious situation. It didn't help he knew exactly whose fault it was, but had absolutely no idea where to find him.
The elevator reached the floor Cirian was headed to, and he felt his legs faltering, not wanting to move forward. Calm down! There are still ways you can salvage this!
Grabbing the reins of his fear, he went through the plan in his head. He was the only one there who knew the identity of the hidden descendant. Currently he had no choice but to inform he had run into problems, but if he played his cards well, he could avoid the worst case scenario.
"Look who the cat dragged in." A female voice sounded from his left, just as he gave his first few steps into the hallway.
Great. This streak keeps getting better and better.
"Jade," He said curtly. "I don't have time to waste with you right now."
Jade was only slightly shorter than him. Dark hair tied in a ponytail and pale skin, she always had an obnoxious smile on her face. Between her pretentious attitude and insidious personality, Cirian wouldn't be able to find someone else he hated as much. But what really angered him was seeing the white of her eyes.
Jade smiled. "Oh, I am aware you don't have time, little cousin. I just left a room with three people very curious as to why you have returned unscheduled."
All three are waiting for me? He thought surprised. Jade must have noticed the reaction he tried to hide because her lips twitched in disgusting satisfaction.
"I am wondering that myself." She said, as she passed beside him. "Don't tell me! You had to flee to save your life!"
Cirian gritted his teeth, but ignored the urge to turn and drive an ice spike through her heart.
"Go play with your toys, cousin." He said, without looking back. "Some of us have important work to do."
Jade laughed. "Always so petty. Don't worry, I'll discipline whoever it was that hurt your feelings. Bye-bye"
Not pausing to consider Jade's last words, Cirian made his way through the corridor. He felt relieved when his own steps were the only sound remaining. Dealing with Jade's antics was not something he wanted to concern himself with at that moment.
On the top floor of the Tower there were only three offices. He had been summoned by the owner of one of them, and now he knew the owner's of the other two would be waiting for him as well. Reaching the door he sought, Cirian drew a long breath before knocking on it. When his hand made the movement upwards he noticed he was shaking. He clenched his fist and exhaled, then relaxed the hand and let it hit the wood lightly.
The door opened for him, and once he entered the room it closed again after a single gesture from a man seated in one of the couches inside, Cirian's uncle.
The office's decor was minimalistic, but the furnishings chosen to be in it were extremely luxurious. Two leather couches faced each other in the middle of the room, with a low wooden table between them. A desk was further inside, just before the window wall.
Standing beside the desk, wearing a black suit, and facing the city behind the window with his arms clasped behind his back, was one of the gods, Raiko Talis.
"Correct me if I am wrong, Cirian." Raiko said, still gazing at the horizon. "Weren't you supposed to be in a mission right now?"
"I am sorry, sir." Cirian replied. "I didn't plan to return. It was caused by an irregular gate."
"After your success in your last mission," Cirian's uncle said. "We had high expectations for your results. Yet here you are, with nothing to show but a poor excuse."
"I apologize, uncle." Cirian said, bowing. The anima pressure in the room kept crushing his will, letting him know the people in front of him were more than just displeased.
Raiko turned his body and walked until he was before the low table in the middle of the room. Cirian was now directly in front of him, on the other side of the table, with the two other people seated in each couch, all three pairs of white eyes locked on Cirian.
"Explain." Raiko said.
Cirian nodded. "As I was moving forward with my assignment, I was unexpectedly disturbed by another descendant. Someone we were not aware existed. He must have been monitoring activity from gods and their descendants, because he ambushed me despite all my precautions. We fought near a gate, and in the middle of our clash the gate activated, sending me back."
The recount was inaccurate in so many points Cirian might as well be telling them a complete fiction. But lying and manipulating was what Cirian did, and he was very good at his job.
Even under all the pressure and fear the presences of the people before him caused, he knew he needed to use his skills if he wished to avoid a sensation far worse, and it wouldn't be the first time he lied to them. The trick, he knew, was maintaining the lie confined to aspects of truth.
There was indeed a descendant he didn't know existed. But Cirian was the one who ambushed him after his investigation on the irregular gates of Athrea led him to that godforsaken region. It had been a gift from heavens. A chance to eliminate another descendant and improve his position even further.
He planned on returning with the descendant's body as a trophy, then informing of his discovery. A lost descendant would certainly be a piece of information the people in that room would value. However, that miserable insect did something Cirian could never predict. His close combat abilities were sharp, Cirian had to admit. But he seemed to barely wield any anima, so Cirian assured himself the descendant posed no threat whatsoever. Then he easily crushed the cliff under their feet with one single movement.
Was the descendant aware of the irregular gate in a gap underneath the cliff? Had he been hiding his abilities the entire time they fought? These questions plagued Cirian's mind ceaselessly.
"A descendant we were not aware existed?" The person seated across from Cirian's uncle asked.
"Yes, mother." Cirian replied. "I believe he had been hiding in remote regions."
"Whose lineage?" Cirian's uncle asked.
This is it, Cirian thought. The chance to reverse the situation back in my favor.
"I am not sure." He said. "It was the first time I saw a descendant with scarlet eyes."
The atmosphere in the room was already smothering enough in Cirian's opinion, but it somehow increased in the very next second Cirian mentioned the descendant's scarlet eyes. He had to increase his anima focus to withstand the oppressive weight over his soul, lest he feared his body would forget how to breath.
Whose lineage this descendant belongs to in order to cause such a reaction from these three?
"It can't be..." Cirian's uncle muttered.
"This changes things." Cirian's mother said, looking at Raiko.
"It doesn't." Raiko said impassive. "We proceed as planned."
Cirian felt his confidence returning to him. He believed he had found an opportunity to capitalize on their unexpected surprise. "Please, allow me to hunt this descendant and correct my mistake." He said. "Now that he has shown himself and lost the element of surprise I'll easily dispose of him."
"That won't be necessary." Raiko replied, walking back to the window wall.
"We have agreed on sending Jade to continue the mission you were carrying." Cirian's mother said. "She will be informed of this descendant's existence."
That snake! Cirian thought irritated. He wanted to ask the people in front of him to reconsider their decision. To let him deal with the descendant instead. He needed to show that insect what meddling with his plans meant.
In the end Cirian decided to accept the small victory of avoiding the worst case scenario, and simply bowed to them.
"Now leave us." Raiko said. "We have much to discuss regarding this new development you brought to our attention."
Stepping out of the office had a liberating effect on Cirian. He was no longer struggling to properly breath. Nevertheless, he was still frustrated for not having the chance to hunt down the descendant with scarlet eyes. Cirian had played with him when they fought because he pursued enjoyment out of fighting, but Jade's vicious nature was different. The way she played with her prey...
Well, Cirian doubted he would ever have the chance to make that insect pay.
Comments (0)
See all