"Gwili trained us to use mana, but it was…" Neko trailed off, averting his gaze for a moment.
Should I say his name aloud? He wondered in the heartbeat that followed. No, just think of his name. Even this place isn't fully protected from unwanted eyes and ears, Pyle said, digging into his thoughts and catching him off guard. Ah, right. I tend to forget you can all do that, Neko chuckled nervously.
It was someone by the name of Ryfon that helped us, though I don't know how much more than that I can say, sir, he continued, prompting Pyle to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"I will be honest when I say that I don't know who that is, but if this person is an ally of Leona's, then that's all I need to hear," Pyle said, careful not to use the name he'd just heard, though Marte had already pieced together what had just transpired between them.
"R-Really? You'll help us, then… Master?" she added the title with a slight pause in her excitement, prompting him to chuckle lightly. "You don't need to call me that, though I appreciate the sentiment. But, to answer your question, yes, we will all be helping. Roburn," he called out over his shoulder. "Yes, Master Pyle?" Roburn asked in a less wheezy tone.
"Round everyone up and let them know we're leaving at first light for the castle. Oh, and be sure to get these two some accommodations, though I suspect it will be far less comfortable than whatever they've gotten used to at the castle," Pyle added with a smug expression on his face.
What does he mean by that? Marte wondered, but when she only received a shrug in response from Neko, she dismissed whatever expectations she'd had.
"Of course, Master. I'll have Rosie spread the word immediately. You two, follow me," he said with a pair of gestures; one for Rosie, the other for them to follow. With a nod, she quickly turned and barked a few orders, causing everyone to swiftly halt their training.
The two did as instructed, and before they had even reached the door, everyone in the training yard was immediately dismissed, likely heading to prepare their things for the journey the following morning.
"Things sure move quickly around here. I wonder what it must have been like for Thoma and Bernar," Neko said idly. "Hah, those two. Did you know there was this one time when Thoma accidentally set his room on fire because he tried to cast a Pyrus spell to stave off the cold?" Roburn chuckled and shook his head. "What in the realms would have led him to do something like that? That's just reckless," Marte joined in on his laughter.
"He's always tried to overreach when it came to spellwork, but I can't deny the little bastard was exceptionally good with mana. Well, not that time, at least, but I digress," he continued, earning him an awkward chuckle from Neko as well.
"How long has it been since you last saw them?" Marte asked plainly. "Too long. Just about two and a half years, I think. I wonder how he's been all this time. Apparently, Ren seemed to think he was doing fine, but I still don't know how he knew that," Roburn shrugged, but his statement caused Marte and Neko to exchange a glance.
Waaaait a minute, Roburn thought.
"You two have seen him, haven't you?" he halted and turned to face them. "Y-Yes. Granted, it was only briefly, but we've met him," Neko replied, but before the last words could even open his mouth, Roburn had already gripped him by the shoulders. "Really? How has he been? Have you seen Bernar as well? What stage has Thoma reached?" he asked rapidly, causing Neko to struggle for words.
"A-Again, I only got to know him briefly, but the first time I met him, I heard he was able to block a surprise attack from Bernar on someone he had confused for an enemy. Not sure what stage you would have to be to move that quickly, but it was apparently over in the blink of an eye," he replied, keeping his answers vague after the strange warning from Pyle.
Roburn, however, felt his jaw plummet to the floor.
"H-He stopped a fucking surprise attack from Bernar? Fifth-stage prodigy, Bernar? What in the fuck have they been feeding them over there in Caegwen?" he asked with a critical whistle. "I'm not sure if it was just the food," Marte chuckled nervously, prompting Roburn to look at her curiously.
"Perhaps you can tell us a bit more about it in the Master's study?" Pyle interjected with a raised eyebrow before Roburn could ask any further questions. "Y-Yes, that might be the better option, Master Pyle," he conceded.
"My apologies, I know you must be tired from your journey, but I'd like to hear more about what's been happening before we set out tomorrow. That way, we can expedite whatever it is Her Majesty might have to tell us," Pyle said, giving them a nod which they seemingly understood.
They followed him up to the Master's study, which had been widely left alone, save for a few scattered documents on the desk. Marte marveled at the detailed chair that told the tale of the Mother Ochelon, but that was quickly dispelled the moment Pyle cleared his throat and cast a barrier around the study.
"There, now we can speak much more plainly," he began, interlocking his fingers and placing them on the desk in front of him. "Tell me what you can about what we're really walking into. I don't mean to be rude, but I'd rather not make myself look like a fool by not having enough information," he began, nodding for the two of them to begin.
They explained the events leading up to their arrival as best they could, with Pyle filling in a few gaps in their memory or knowledge, given his correspondence with Taegin, though he was genuinely caught off guard by what they had told him about Ryfon.
"By the gods above and below. To think they would have the power and control over mana to raise one's stage so effortlessly," he said, leaning back in his seat and staring at the ceiling. "So what happened next? You returned to Coltend Castle, and it was there that Her Majesty had sent you to come here? Why not just send you directly from Caegwen?" he asked with a curled brow as he leaned forward.
"Because there were two more dragons who arrived, though from what we understood, they were Lady Syldir's personal guards who came to help. I would be lying if I said I recalled their names simply because I was too dumbstruck by one of their comments regarding my species," Marte said with a shake of her head.
Probably best not to pry any further. It might be a sensitive topic for her, he realized the moment she averted her gaze.
"Very well, then. I think I have enough information now to hold my own. Thank you for your time," Pyle said, getting up from his seat and showing them to the door. "Dinner's at seven. Don't be late or you'll miss your chance to eat," Roburn said with a wink as he opened the door for them.
"W-We'll keep that in mind. Thanks," Neko replied with a dry gulp just before crossing the door's threshold. "Oh, and by the way," Pyle began, prompting the two of them to give him a half turn. He'd opened his mouth to say something, but slowly closed it and gave them a warm smile. "I look forward to working with you all from here on," he said after a slight pause.
"As do we, Master Pyle," Neko said, giving him a slight bow before following Marte down the stairs. Roburn watched the two of them for a moment before turning to face his master.
"Well, that was a lot of information to swallow. First the existence of these hegraphenes, then dragons?" he asked as he scratched the back of his head, moving over to the seat in front of the desk and slumping tiredly into its firm embrace.
"Just how in the fuck are we supposed to fight against such a powerful enemy? Even if we had ten dragons on our side, there's no telling how that would end," he began with a pair of raised hands, but Pyle merely closed his eyes and sighed. "I suppose we'll just have to trust whatever Fate decides to bring our way. All we can do now is prepare as best we can," he said, reopening his eyes slowly.
Roburn watched him carefully. There was a strange mixture of determination and resignation that he had never seen on Pyle's face before, not even during their first battle together, nor any day since then. He closed his own eyes momentarily and sighed, feeling the weight of the next words out of his mouth before he spoke them.
"How long do you think we have?" he asked, but Pyle could only shake his head. "In the grand scheme of things, it could be a week or as much as a year. Judging by how quickly things have progressed since the death of Nexis Pelantyr, it stands to reason that we don't have a lot of time," he replied in an even tone. "I guess we'll find out when we get there," Roburn shrugged with a sigh, earning him a slow nod from Pyle.
Meanwhile, Neko and Marte nearly got lost on their way to where their dinner would be served. Like most nights there, it was primarily the same runny gruel the Synners ate daily, save for a few extra mugs of ale and slices of meat generally reserved for special occasions.
To say that they struggled with the meal would be an understatement, but the ale certainly helped them wash it down and stave off the aftertaste. Following dinner, Roburn led them to their room for the night, though Marte had noticed a slight grin on his face when he opened the door to the decently furnished but cold, stone room.
With only one bed near the far wall.
"Sorry, but this was the only available room we have left. It's not very common for us to have visitors, but I hope this will suffice," he said, doing his best to sound polite. "Normally, we'd have you sleeping on the women's side of the dorms but…" he trailed off the moment Marte raised a hand. "I'm not a delicate flower, you know? I've been through worse," she said thoughtlessly.
That's got to sting, Roburn thought, doing his best not to take a sharp breath through his teeth.
"It's more than enough for both of us. I'm sure we'll be alright. Thank you for the hospitality, Roburn. We'll see you at first light," Neko said, though his tone suggested he had certainly felt the sting of her comment.
"O-Of course. The shower's on the right, linen clothes are on the bed, and there's a candle on the nightstand for you if you need to do some late-night… uh, reading. Have a good night," he said, dismissing himself with a bow quickly to prevent his face from contorting any further.
Was he always treading that lightly? I hadn't even noticed his footsteps made no sound until now, Neko thought as he watched Roburn leave before turning his face to the inside of the room once more.