Fear's Union

Chapter Eighteen

-Xen-

This was not what Xen had intended. Anejo had ruined everything.

If Keles was cold before this expedition, then he was freezing over now. Her inability to keep the matter from Anejo was a source of real friction, and they'd barely spoken since. And annoyingly that was fair. When the young magistra of House Jinq had turned up, it was a sore point for so many reasons. So many reasons.

Anejo wouldn't be instantly recognised, but hers was not a good face on a trip where invisibility was key. Even Kato raised an eyebrow at her appearance, and Kato was barely expressive at all. The whole situation reflected very badly on Keles, and he rightly blamed her. It was all her fault. The atmosphere had been putrid ever since.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Anejo didn't even seem to notice.

She looked around and scoffed, ignoring her friend. It was not unfair to say that Saphos, their destination, was a shithole. In fact, waste was a common feature of the place. It ran along open drains and it was impossible to avoid the smell. She had spent the first two days close to retching, but now, unfortunately, she was getting used to it. Only Anejo seemed completely immune to the putrid place though. Was that wilful ignorance, or was her friend really that filtered? She wanted her friend to feel as bad as she did.

"Xen."

"Who knows? This whole adventure has been an utter waste. Hopefully, they're deciding on the best way to get home."

Anejo tutted. How could she be so positive in the face of this failure? And the ten days in Saphos had been a complete failure. They had found not a scrap of evidence to suggest the Nadari were culpable of anything, and that meant the trip was a waste of time. And because of Anejo's involvement, a destructive waste of time at that. She wanted nothing but to leave this place, but her best friend remained perplexingly motivated.

"It has not been a valueless trip."

"Anejo, we have not found a single suggestion of evidence against the accused."

Her friend did not even register the words. She was too busy staring at Keles and Kato who were perched on a bench not far away. They, along with the other two students, were sitting on a patch of filth, taking a causal lunch break in the meagre heat of the sun. The two leaders were in conversation, and this was annoying. She needed to talk to Keles, and really badly. She always needed to talk to him, such was their delicate relationship, but she couldn't get a word in. His ears were only for Kato. What did they talk about?

"I don't think we've been looking in the right place. What we need is to get close to the Nadari Governor. We need to get into his fortress."

She followed her friend's gesture to a ribbon of stone that was circled by a short stretch of water, and which itself circled a sizeable keep. It was the fort of the Governor, the seat of power in this rotten place. Sole access was across a well-guarded bridge, and such was the paranoia of the elusive ruler, entry was only granted by an excruciating administrative process. One would have better luck seeking an audience with the King of Gorfinia than getting into that place. Not that her friend recognised this.

"Well, it's lucky for us that the option is closed. We have been forbidden from getting close to that building, and for good reason. The Governor is ruthless."

Her words seemed to dissolve over Anejo. There was silence, which gave hope that perhaps her friend was taking note, but it was probably optimistic. Her friend rarely listened to advice, and she shook her head. She smoothed her ragged clothing as best she could.