When the dust settles, silence resumes where the rubble lies scattered and burnt. The blast powerful enough to rip a hole in the infirmary sent shockwaves throughout the academy and has caused the guards to mobilize. Bedtime will have to be postponed to uncover what goes on under the moon.
"Damn humans," Arierane groans as she slowly gets up, her cloak covered in dust.
Exceeding her expectations, Ken turned out to be far more capable than she predicted. Having initially assumed that Ken might have been a scholar at best, finding that he was a warrior of some kind came as a shock.
As she dusts herself off, Arierane looks around. She needs to leave the scene and go after Ken quickly. She might still be able to salvage her objective somehow.
Arierane jogs away from the blast site until it's no longer visible. She slows to a walk and puts up her hood, hoping that no one sees her.
When Arierane approaches the front gate to the campus, she hears footsteps and shouting in the distance. Academy security personnel are likely scrambling to find out what happened. Crossing through the large stone gate, she attempts to leave campus, but not before being stopped.
With a bright flash and a thunderous crack, a lightning bolt strikes her down. Electricity races through her body instantly, and Arierane falls onto the ground, her limbs twitching as she attempts to regain control. She can't even scream, only letting out growls.
Approaching her from all sides are mages—men and women wearing the academy's robes while expressing hostile facial expressions. None of them look young enough to be students, so Arierane can only assume they are of the academy's security. It seems like they were waiting for her.
Control over her body returns, and Arierane quickly thinks of an escape. She swings her arm across and sends a powerful wave of fire at the mages, but the attack is deflected harmlessly into the sky, briefly illuminating the area.
From the mage group, an electrical arc strikes Arierane. The constant stream of electricity immobilizes her and causes her to drop to her knee.
"Now, now, no need for further violence," a calm voice says.
Stepping out from the group is an elderly man carrying a staff from which the electrical arc is generated as if it were a Tesla coil discharge.
The electric discharge ceases, and Arierane falls on her hands, panting from exhaustion.
"Grandmaster Alberich Geiszler," she says in between breaths.
"Miss Arierane. It seems my suspicions were, unfortunately, correct. Would you care to explain yourself?"
She tries to stand; she shakes her head, then she says, "This is a misunderstanding. I was simply passing by." She breaths. "I know not what you suspect."
"I see. You wouldn't know anything about the explosion felt moments ago, would you?"
Arierane shakes her head again and says, "No, I know nothing of that."
"Hmmm... It is not wise to lie, Miss Arierane. You wouldn't dare suggest a proud elf be so unwise given their years."
Arierane's eye twitches at Geiszler's comment, feeling slightly insulted. Moreover, she's shocked Geiszler can see right through her ruse and discover that she's an elf. Looking around at the mages that surround her, there's no way she can escape. She has no choice but to surrender.
"I concede. I am indeed involved with the explosion at the infirmary."
"Wise decision, young lady. Am I correct to assume that you meddled with Kenneth's mental integrity?"
YOU ARE READING
Rothester
FantasyIMPORTANT: "Rothester" is discontinued and has been cannibalized to rewrite it into a hopefully better version called "Gateway Eureka"
