Dyarknesslayers: Dyarkness

Chapter IX

Louis! My boy come and sit at the table, have some hot jasmine tea with me. Why do you look so stressed? A nice hot cup of tea will help you, a tea a day...

"Gives you more tea today. I know, I know..." He grumbled, releasing Tafe, who sluggishly clambered up the stairs with Tristan. Even after all these years now, it still seemed kind of odd, how Gandalf's voice echoed in your head, but not in the real word, it was strange, but then again, so were most Celestials.

Gandalf didn't know of the news yet, he'd stayed back for Hester, Ivy, Sam and the incius child. It was an important job, he knew, but still just to have Gandalf there with him in the trial, re-assuring him, or even giving him more ideas, might just have saved his mother. Surely his 6 million years of experience could conjure up something useful.

So, whatever's the matter?

Louis seated himself beside Gandalf, who'd already poured a cup of tea for him.

"Mum's gone, I did everything I could, but Loveland he did something, some form of sorcery and..." Gandalf placed a single finger in his lip, silencing him. Although his face showed nothing, Louis could see in his eyes that the old Celestial was conflicted, he'd seen to Illyne's trainings from even before she'd taken over as head of the institute. A single tear rolled down his face, which was hastily wiped away. It was that type of loss that was even worse than great heaving tears.

Ah... Your mother was a good person, and I don't believe that she did any wrong, but the world is as it is. Don't ponder on the past, what's done is done. So, who did they assign to take her place?

Louis handed over the envelope over to Gandalf. His face darkened seeing the name on the page. The two obviously might have had a past.

"Who is it?"

Ai, he was a headmaster, at the academy. I think you'll find his style of running a place fairly... extravagant.

Gandalf took another sip of his tea. Extravagant didn't sound extremely appealing to Louis.

"What do you mean by extravagant?"

See for yourself, he's right there

Gandalf motioned to the doors, which opened with a mighty bang. The dark silhouette of an aged man appeared on the steps of the sanctum; wind rustled his long tendrils of hair. Smoke puffed out of a cigar wedged tightly into his mouth, distorting his facial features, only the broad line of silver defining itself by his jawline to halt in an almost mask like beard, could be observed from the thick smog. The man sported a crisp dark leather tuxedo, two sizes too big for him, draped over his shoulders, as the sleeves empty, hung limp at his shoulders.

"Will lookin' at me save the world? I thought not, I expect my luggage up to my room in 5 minutes" With that, Ai waltzed in and up the stairs. Louis turned to Gandalf in exasperation hoping that he could help just a little bit, but he'd already gone.

                                                                  ***

Tristan raced up the stairs to keep up with Tafe. When he'd gotten to the third floor, he almost gave up, that boy was just full of energy, maybe even too much.

"I'll call the police! They'll track you down soon enough, and when they do, you'll rot in prison for your crimes!" Tristan halted in his steps at the voice. It was an unfamiliar one, the sound came from Hester's room. And anything that was alive in there would most likely either be scared out of its wits, or working for Hester. But the voice didn't sound like it was in there working for Hester, nor afraid either, if anything, they were enjoying themselves.