The Dungeons of Savant

Chapter Six: Faisal

I spent the entire night pacing back and forth in my room. I didn't dare go downstairs and face Wyeth. On the carriage ride, home he scolded me. He went on about how he had trained me to be smart and to handle myself. He had no problem in showing how disappointed in me he was.

I knew that there were worse things I could have done. I could have gotten myself killed, or worse got Vivetta killed. Despite that I felt like I had started a war, at least that's what Wyeth acted like. He had decided that I would be training more, leaving next to no time for anything, until I could look after myself and make decent choices during a stressful time.

Which meant hours on end of running, using the powers of a Mersis, and whatever a soldier or a general could use. I hardly had enough time to do anything as it was and now this, I would never leave the house.

While I was mulling over what I could have done better, where I failed, there was a knock at my door. The sun wasn't out yet, so I assumed it was Wyeth, ready to start training as early as possible. When I opened the door, Wyeth wasn't standing there, but Vivetta was.

"Why are you in my house?"

She sighed and looked at the ground. "I need your help."

I raised my brow. "And it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"No..." She looked around as if looking for someone who could be listening. "My father won't be sending anyone to look for Ariadne. We have to find her."

"Wait. what? We can't go against your father," I said, wide-eyed.

"We wouldn't, he didn't ban us from anything. Look, Fai... I saw you when you saw Ariadne today. I know you didn't think she or anybody could be living like that, but it's the case. If you want to help her then help me. I don't want to do this alone." Her voice stayed firm, but I could tell she was really asking.

I bowed my head and weighed my options. If I left without a word, Wyeth would be even angrier with me, but if I brought Ariadne back, and maybe the crooks who took her, I could be redeemed. I sighed then walked into my room, grabbed my sword and walked past Vivietta and towards the stairs.

"Let's go."

"Thank you." She followed before walking in front of me.

We walked out of the house and into Vivetta's carriage. We rode in silence until a question came to mind.

"How are we going to find her?"

Her voice was stone cold. "We'll find a Venidi, and have them track her."

I nodded, but I could feel my stomach knot. Logic told me I had nothing to fear, I knew I could handle most things thrown at me, but I didn't know what to expect from this. It would either end with Wyeth forgiving me, or me living my life training none stop, never getting my chance to be what a Laminar is built up to be.

By the time we got to the Venidi work camp, the sun was up. The carriage stopped and Vivetta and I practically ran out. The camp was large, with tall stone walls in casing the Venidis inside. Despite it being called 'the Venidi work camp,' the Venidi never did much work inside. They only lived there, being pulled out to guide people through Fithu, or hunt for the more exotic meats.

Vivetta marched up to the Adres in front of the gate. "We need to find a Venidi. One that's good at tracking."

The Adres raised his brow. "Aren't you Vivetta the Sari? Don't you have people who run errands for you?"

She rolled her eyes and fixed the Ardes a cold glare. "Are you one to question me, or one to do your job?"

The Adres' eyes widened and shouted up an Adres at the top of the wall, not moving their eyes away from Vivetta.