Consequences

Chapter 2

Aegus looked upon Kaltaria... or rather what was left of it. Many lay dead, Songs left behind. The whole village was burnt into a desolate wasteland. Aegus still didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe that Ingressus, the boy he had raised, was the one who brought ruin to this place. And he certainly didn't want to believe that Achillean, probably the most innocent Ardoni he had ever known, had helped him in getting the Prime Song.

But that was what they had told him. That Ingressus had murdered the rest of the Masters and three champions. That Achillean had killed Zoltan's daughter to get his hands on the Supporium Prime she was holding.

In a stroke of luck, Thalleous had asked them all to entrust the Prime Songs with someone else before they held the meeting to discuss their next move, wary of the giant target on their backs in safeguarding the Prime Songs, so Ingressus only had his hands on the one that happened to still be in the village. But they knew the Voltaris wouldn't stop there. They knew that Ingressus would return to retrieve the other three.

Which was why they were holding Achillean in Nestoria. Doing everything they could in order to get an answer out of the Nestoris, even if it meant holding him on the edge of life and death. Achillean refused to say a word, and it was when his first pained scream travelled through the room, Aegus couldn't take it anymore and left. He couldn't watch as they tortured the boy he saw as his own son to get the information they wanted, when Achillean may not even have a clue about Ingressus' plans.

' Master Aegus,' the Nestoris looked over his shoulder to see Thalleous, ' Are you alright?' Not trusting Aegus to take care of himself, everyone had insisted the Sendaris champion go with him, and he couldn't refuse if he wanted his secret to be kept. They had every reason to think Ingressus would be after him if they didn't know the truth.

' Did Ingressus really... kill the masters and champions...?' Aegus asked hesitantly. He had to be careful with whatever he said. After seeing what they were willing to do to Achillean, he knew it would probably matter little that he was a master. If anyone found out he had initiated Ingressus into the Nestoris clan to protect him from the other clans, he would be in no better position than Achillean, and he wouldn't be able to do anything to help them then. Though a part of Aegus wondered if it was really worth it anymore, seeing how far the two had fallen.

' ... Yes, I believe so...' Thalleous responded.

' Where were you?' Aegus noticed the Sendaris flinch at the question. The Nestoris master narrowed his eyes at the champion.

' I was looking for the Prime Song,' Thalleous answered honestly, ' I thought that... if I got to it before Ingressus...'

' So you're saying you left the masters, Cyrus and Fiona to fend off Ingressus by themselves?'

' I was doing what I thought was right!' Thalleous argued, ' I didn't expect that he'd... kill all of them...'

Aegus's gaze hardened, ' Right for Ardonia... or right for you?' the Nestoris master was well aware of Thalleous' frequent participation in the tournaments. Even if everyone saw it as a noble act, Aegus suspected that Thalleous had a different reason. The Sendaris had made his obsession with the Prime Songs all too clear. Thalleous simply looked away, silent, as if thinking about how to reply. After a moment, Aegus decided to drop the topic, ' Let's head back to Nestoria, I've seen enough.' He began to walk away, Thalleous following him.

~*~

The strong wind howled, the blizzard obscuring Ingressus' vision. The Voltaris staggered through the snow, using Voltar to balance himself, blood dripping from his wounds into the snow, only to be covered quickly by another layer, erasing the trail of blood. The fight with the champions had been a challenge, and if he didn't find a healer soon, he'd probably succumb to his injuries.