Completed The Consequence of Treason

[Harry]

Rays of the sun shone through gaps in overcast weather over Vel Anir. Splotches of light ebbed and flowed as the clouds far above shifted over the great bastion of humanity. In the streets of the city, dense crowds of people carried out their daily tasks, the densest being in Anir Square. Hal and Talus resided in a single, large and rather luxurious room several blocks from Anir Square. The room was one of many within a residence hall owned by House Virak. It was no coincidence that Hal, whose mentor was a Dreadlord prized by House Virak, was able to stay during the duration of his mission. Casement windows lined the walls, one of which was cracked open. Hal leaned against the windowsill, staring out of the narrow crack. Curtains covered the other windows, letting no light into the spacious room other than where the apprentice stood. Even several blocks away, he could hear the distant clamor of business and whatnot in Anir Square.

Despite appearing to be, Hal was not idly resting near the opened window. All manner of establishments and buildings lined either side of the paved street below. At the end, several buildings away was one that stood alone. If any buildings were separated, it was by narrow alleys. The one that held the boy's interest, however, had ample space between it and the surrounding buildings. It was even gated, with thick, tapered iron bars protruding up from a short wall of stone surrounding the building's yard. Banners of a low noble's house hung from poles on every corner of the manor. Guards stood outside.

Talus and Hal have been watching the house for a week, sometimes leaving to scout the yard and to track the movement of those that came and went. The head of the house was, allegedly, committing treason against the kingdom of Vel Anir. It was tasked to the two apprentices to investigate and uncover the noble's schemes and to either apprehend or assassinate them.

Within a week, they had found little to act on.

"No movement," Hal repeated for the fifth or sixth time within two or three hours. He'd stopped keeping track of the time long ago.

 

[Talus]

This was, undoubtedly, the nicest room that Talus had ever stayed in.

His own mentor had long ago sworn to House Weiroon, but they thought his abilities next to useless and thus mostly ignored him. Of course, Fenn had tried to assure Talus as best as he could that it was an act, but seeing his current surrounding he wasn't entirely too sure about that.

"We need to get in there." It was not like Talus to be impatient.

Talus had always been the most calm of their class, but sitting here and watching for almost a week had driven him to the edge. Nerves had not gotten to him, but at this point boredom threatened his sanity.

"He's not going to slip up." Master Fenn had always said that most people could put on a play until they were forced to step out of their own zone of comfort. "We need to force him to do so."

Talus glanced over at Henry, clearly annoyed at all of this.

Patience was a virtue, but this was getting tiresome.

 

[Harry]

"The only exploitable information we've gathered is that he sends out servants to shop in Anir Square at morning and couriers of sorts after sunset," He mostly ignored Talus' impatience. The scarred apprentice was blunt in his delivery. Whenever it was his turn to watch or go out to gather information, he was uncharacteristically deft about it as well. He'd handled their task so far in a calculating manner.

"I'd rather not make a move on the manor, at least not yet." His head sharply turned to glance at Talus. The light shining in through the narrow crack flashed in his eyes, making the already sharp blues glow with intensity. Taking a rash action was not like Talus, though Henry understood Talus' sentiments. They did have to act. He agreed with his friend on that.

"Nightfall is a messenger's friend, and even more so ours. We track the courier and either discover information that will aid the mission, or we don't. Either way, the courier will not return to the manor. That disappearance alone will rattle them. Then, perhaps it will create an opening to infiltrate the manor.”

He looked back out the window. Eyes settled on banners decorated with colors of the sun and earth. Talus may or may not know of the loose alliance between the lesser House Oudin and High House Pirian. Whatever treasonous actions House Oudin has committed, they have certainly fumbled and stepped on the toes of House Virak.

Selene had stressed the importance of this mission's success.

Oudin seemed to be a name that Henry couldn't quite get away from.

 

[Talus]

It was a sound enough strategy. Taking the messenger would likely spark something, but it wouldn't have been Talus' first choice.

Over these last months Fen had always told him that the best way to get someone to do what you wanted was by putting them into a position where they could do nothing else. Taking the messenger wouldn't achieve that, but breaking into the manor might.

They wouldn't have to kill anyone, simply make it known that something was happening.

Still, this was Hal's mission, and Talus wasn't about to tell him how to run it. He knew that he was only here because of Hal. Since he'd been taken under the wings of Fen, Talus had taken on much of the same position as his Mentor.

Which was of course to say; not much of one.

It was almost as though his association with Fenrith Lavarus had devalued him in the eyes of both the Proctors and Houses.

Talus wasn't entirely sure that was a bad thing either. "Messenger it is."

He said with a shrug, turning away from Hal and peering out the window towards the horizon.

 

[Harry]

Hal felt thankful that Talus agreed with the plan, whether it was due to trust, or respect, or something entirely different.

“We will get in that building. Not tonight.” He didn’t want to rush things. He wanted his first mission to be a resounding success, even if he had to take his time. The first one directly given to him, that is. All eyes were on him for once. Selene’s. House Virak’s. Probably many others he wasn’t even aware of. After all, he was the unlikely apprentice of one of the most renown active Dreadlords.

He let out a deep sigh. It would still be a couple hours until the sun completely dropped. Hal pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. While he tried to act composed in front of his friend, the boredom and irritation had set in for him far sooner than it had for Talus.

“How’s your mentor? It’s been months since we left the Academy.” It was strange, going so long without seeing Talus considering the two would see each other almost every day for over a decade.

 

[Talus]

Talus shrugged his shoulders. "He's uhh."

How did one describe his time with Fenrith Lavarus? Putting it into words was almost more perplexing than the man himself. Talus still wasn't entirely sure if he liked the situation he ended up in or if he held some sort of resentment for it.

"Different." That was a good word for it. "He's nothing like any Dreadlord I've ever met."

Fen had been a powerful juxtaposition to what Talus had expected of his mentor. There had been no beatings, no punishments, not even a raised voice. Oh sure he'd earned verbal rebukes, but more often than not they were mocking, more joyful than truly bitter. "We have rooms outside the city. He treats me...well shit...almost like an equal."

It was certainly the kindest way Talus had ever been treated by a person of authority.

Of course the disparity in that was that by coming under Fen's wing Talus had apparently dropped off of any and all cliffs when it came to every other figure of power. None of the Houses has approached him like they had Hal, none of the Proctors offered him missions, no orders came, nothing.

It was like he'd died. The only time he went anywhere now was when Fen came to him with an offer.

Still, Talus hadn't been wasting that time. Fen and him spent every moment they could training. His swordskill was better now than it had been, his mentor proving to be an exceedingly adept Bladesman. Something he'd never expected. Fen had even managed to teach him more magics.

His head shook, a hand running through his hair as he decided not to share quiet everything with Hal. "Yours?"

 

[Harry]

Henry listened on in silence as Talus spoke, though he kept his gaze trained on the two guards in front of the manor's gate. The gate was small, closed by a latch, and not big enough to fit more than one person through. Henry knew of another similar gate on the opposite side. The boy grimaced and looked away as one of the guards began to scratch his posterior with a satisfied expression.

"An equal. Huh." He echoed, "So there are Dreadlords like that, too..."

Contrary to the hands-on and close mentorship that Fenrith shared with Talus, Selene was much more distant. The longest conversation they held was the one following Proctor Yves Oudin's suicide in the Academy, and even then it only lasted minutes. As stated many times, Hal had a long way to go before he would be of any considerable value to the scarlet-haired woman.

Hal, too, had experienced much growth. Though, almost nothing was directly passed on from his mentor. The older apprentice's training came in the form of consecutive missions. A large portion would be bounties through Anirian territory. Some thieves. Murderers. Anirian Guard deserters. Once, even a band of twenty bandits.

He was expected to complete mission after mission with little to no rest. Within the few months since leaving the Academy, he has turned in seven bounties to Selene and even carried out the assassination of some Cortosi merchant. Many of those were completed in succession. Henry got to keep the coin, that of which he has saved in a coffer buried in the courtyard of House Virak's estate.

Being pushed to his limits on such a consistent basis gave Henry an edge that he did not possess before. He at least had the experience, if not the complete skillset, of a full Dreadlord.

"I can't say much about her. I barely see Selene," An honest answer, "She clearly looks down on me. Well, just about everyone if I'm honest, even if she doesn't show it."

His gut told him to scan his surroundings. Though, nobody could possibly be listening. They would have known by now.

"Do you remember when we ran into Crane during that tournament? She gives a similar feeling, but- how do I put this- less intense. She's similar to you in the sense that she doesn't mince words."

A harmless jab at his friend. Henry again cast his gaze out the window. The smallest of smirks played about his lips, slightly twisting the web of scars on his face.

_____
​

The sun finally set some hours later. Hal began to lace up a black arming doublet over his white linen shirt. He left the top length of string quite loose. The ends dangled over his chest in a rogueish flair. He picked up a belt and fastened it to his waist. A two-handed saber dangled from the belt.

"Are you ready?" He turned to check on his friend. If they left soon, they would be able to catch the courier before he got lost in the streets.

 

[Talus]

Talus had spent most of the night since their little chat in silence. Though Hal's harmless jab had not hit him too closely, it had sent him wondering.

What kind of person did he want to be?

Dreadlords were feared, universally considered to be the apex of military magic. Yet Fen hardly seemed that way. He was dangerous, that much Talus knew better than most, but he was not cruel or maleficent in his means.

Did Talus want to follow in his steps...or become something more like Hal's mentor? Did he even have a choice at this point?

Those thoughts plagued him even as he pulled on the dirty black leathers of his costume. Armor would give them away, so like Hal Talus had chosen to disguise himself. Two dagger slipped into sheaths on the small of his back, the weapons secured with small leather straps.

He still preferred the sword, but Fen had instilled in him the lesson that he needed to focus on more than one weapon if he was going to survive. "Ready."

The young Apprentice said with a nod as the two of them headed out the door and into a side-alleyway so that nobody would spot them.

"Alive or dead?" Talus asked as they walked towards the street proper.

 

[Harry]

As they exited, he grabbed a cloak that was thrown over a lush chair. The two stepped into the alley, and he cast a glance back at the Virak banners that hung from the establishment. They looked eerie with the torchlight illuminating the house colors. To him, the banner was like seeing Selene herself standing over him, looking down her nose at the young apprentice. Her presence was always felt, even far beyond the great walls of Vel Anir. Even when she was far west, conferring with some young empire deep within the sands of Amol-Kalit.

"Dead," He pulled his eyes from the banner. They snapped to one end of the alley, and with a slight turn of his head, snapped at the other end. Though realistically nothing would be waiting for them, the habit of checking his surroundings became deeply ingrained in him. Even more so than it had been at the Academy. It was second nature now, with him always being on the move and in dangerous places.

"Let's see if we can gather information first. If nothing else, at least about the manor itself."

They stood where the alley entered the main street, under the cover of the shadows. The courier would always go towards Anir Square, but neither Talus nor Hal ever tracked them completely.

The pair did not wait long, and about ten counts after the courier passed, the two stepped out and casually followed. Henry's brows furrowed as he got a good look at the courier's back. They were either a woman or a short man. As he expected, their path took them through the middle of Anir Square

Tailing was not something Hal did often, but enough to not be obvious. It was necessary to complete some of his missions. As they followed the target through the relatively empty Anir Square, Henry scanned their surroundings for a potential ambush. Nothing seemed too out of pl-

"Shit!" He hissed under his breath as the courier suddenly cut to the right and sprinted between two empty merchant stalls.

"Try to cut them off, I'll follow!" Talus was naturally a littler quicker than Henry, especially so with the incredible short bursts of speed his magic could produce.

 

[Talus]

Talus instantly turned on his heel and darted back the way they had come. A map of the buildings and layout around Anir Square was so solidified in his mind that he probably could have drawn it. He knew there was an alleyway they had passed by which lead directly to the street between those two merchant stalls.

The young Apprentice darted as fast as he could.

Without his armor he moved nearly silently, his boots beings the only sound that could be heard as they crashed against the cobblestones. Twice someone got in his way, but each time darted half a step to the right and moved around them.

One of them swore, though the other grew deathly pale at the sight of a man dressed in all black suddenly moved by them.

Such visions were uncommon in the streets of Vel Anir. Thievery and the like was harshly punished, and thus when men ran through the streets late at night it could only be a business that one would do their best to stay out of.

As he stepped forward towards the Alleyway Talus suddenly blurred.

Before his foot landed a ghostly wisp pulled itself away from his form, dashing directly towards the end of the alleyway before Talus' boot struck the cobbles again.

Then he snapped forward suddenly into the ghost and took off running into the street. His head turned to the left, spotting the Courier as he ran directly for him. Hal rushed behind him, the larger lad giving chase as Talus drew his dagger.

With a quick move he stepped forward and into the Courier, the blade sinking into the mans gut just as he turned away from Hal and looked forward to where he had been running.

 

[Harry]

A short man, indeed. The low cry of pain from the man was quickly silenced as Henry pounced on the courier. He threw his hand over the man's mouth but quickly drew it away. The courier's eyes rolled back into his head, and a sickening gurgle came from deep within the man's throat. He foamed at the lips.

The man fell off of Talus' blade and crumpled on stone. His body convulsed for the next few moments before settling forever. Wiping a hand on his chest, he glanced up at Talus with a raised brow. He opened his arms to his friends, offering nothing but the warm corpse laid between them. He knelt down, slipping his fingers into pockets and such.

Henry tossed a single pouch up at Talus. Coin. The messenger also possessed a sealed letter. It was unmarked. The dead man possessed an ornate dagger.

"Hm," The blade rasped as it was drawn. There was a rune etched on one side of the blade. He did not examine it further. Without looking up, he offered the blade to Talus, "Want it?"

His free hand continued to probe the body.

 

[Talus]

Talus took the blade without a word, slipping it onto the small loop on the thigh of his leathers. He would look the blade over later, holding the corpse for now as Hal quickly searched over the rest of the dead man.

His head cocked to the side. "Guardsmen."

The one word of warning came quickly. With the dark shrouding them Talus knew that the Guardsmen Patrol would not spot them for several more seconds, but if they stayed here holding a dead man it was very likely they would.

"Kill them?" It was a question that would likely shock Hal.

They all knew that ever since the days of Luther's death Henry had grown harder than he had been in the days of the academy, but the same could not be said of his friends.

The abrupt turn in Talus' own demeanor was a result of his mentor. Fen had instilled a single thought into him on their first mission more than any other; do what it took to get the job done. It didn't matter who you had to kill, didn't matter the consequence.

Do what you were there to do.

Even if that meant killing your countrymen.

 

[Harry]

Henry did not look up. The momentary pause of his hands were the only indication of any thought or emotion. It was only a second or two of consideration.

"Only if they give chase. I'm almost done."

There was nothing on the body to identify the man or the house he served. Only the unmarked letter. He was excited to read it when they returned. He looked up, gave Talus a swift nod, and the two were away. They avoided the guards and Henry soon heard shouting over his shoulder, though nobody spotted them.

On the run back to their room, he thought about what Talus had said before and how much he's changed. He remembered a calm, calculating boy that never shied from killing, but never turned to it so quickly. Against their countrymen, to boot. Hal didn't think any less of Talus over it.

As the two entered the room, Hal let out one deep breath and nodded to himself. A part of him felt relief that they did not have to leave a mound of bodies behind. It would not look good on him.

"It doesn't matter what the letter says," He pulled it from a breast pocket in his doublet, "Tomorrow, we hit the manor."

A small edge of ice formed on his fingernail as he scratched at the seal. It came off with no problem. He brushed his finger against his clothes, wiping the ice away. He squinted at the words for a moment before incoherently muttering them.

"Talus, you know of the system of secret paths used by traitors to sneak apprentices away?" His tone was hushed. Despite that, he still chose his words carefully.

 

[Talus]

"The Underground." That was what they themselves called it, though most of the Proctors refused to use it's name.

It was a great shame of many of the Academies teachers that the Underground could even exist. Such a thing was a sign of their failure. Once, Talus had felt that failure just as his teachers had. Now he just thought it was funny.

The fact that the all great and powerful teachers he'd once feared so much couldn't prevent a few children from running away was...amusing in a strange sort of way.

Even if he had killed some of those runaways himself. "Igot's sister and I killed a few of it's Keepers."

He doubted that Hal knew that. Missions were generally speaking not general knowledge. Though just whom he'd been on the mission with would likely be more surprising to Hal than the mission itself. Still, Talus remembered it all fairly well.

Discovering the tunnels, killing the only man in Vel Inra who'd had the map to properly guide escapees through. All of it had been rather exciting in a strange sort of way.

There was no doubt the Underground had held other maps and tunnels, but he and Daria had made a dent at least.

 

[Harry]

He stifled a chuckle at the thought. Talus may have thought the display of humor to be disturbing, but the irony was not lost on Hal considering they had killed Igot. Talus himself passed the knife through his neck. The older apprentice assumed that the sister did not know, so he didn't bother asking.

He flicked the parchment, his finger snapped against it rather loudly.

"House Oudin financially supports them," Lesser or Greater, the noble houses of Vel Anir possessed ridiculous wealth. To have the financial backing of one was a great boon for any organization. It was a strange thing, considering they had given one of their sons to the Dreadlords. Hal didn't torment himself over it but did wonder if this would change things. He wished he could confer with his mentor over it, but she was leagues away.

A heavy breath escaped his nostrils and he held the letter out. He could have read it out loud but, despite all his reading, he was quite bad at reading aloud.

 

[Talus]

"Huh." Talus wouldn't have called that one.

Fen had said that many nobles in Vel Anir didn't exactly hold the beliefs that most would think of them. His mentor had even asserted that some nobles did not give up all of their magical children and trained them themselves.

For Talus such an idea was ludicrous. Luther had been from House Urahil after all and one of their short lived Proctors had been from House Oudin itself.

Yet if a Minor Noble House with standing could fund the Underground...what was to say that the Great Ones c couldn't do similar things? Lips thinned for a few seconds, his fingers tapping against the side of his leg. "He could know a lot."

Talus pointed out.

"Where the Underground starts, whose involved." Killing him would cut away all that information. "Hell...maybe who runs it."

 

[Harry]

Several thoughts bounced off the inside of his mind. Was Selene aware of the treasonous actions, and intended for Henry to find out in order to see what kind of decision he would make? Was this mission a test of sorts? To see if Henry would be an obedient dog, or unnecessarily probe for the truth? Talus was right. He may know a lot. But was it their place to discover that?

No. He already saw the letter. The courier's body was found soon after they fled.

The older apprentice didn't torment himself with thoughts anymore. Learning more about an organization that was clearly a hindrance to Vel Anir as a whole would most definitely be a good thing. They could learn, and simply pass on the knowledge. In the end, they would complete the mission. Yes. A safe approach where they could uncover something bigger and divert attention- and responsibility- from themselves.

"Let's see what we can learn, then." He nodded, finally composed.

"Tomorrow night, we'll make the move."

There was a long silence afterward. They shared many long silences. Henry sat down in one of the expensive chairs. In the silence, Henry thought. The Underground stole apprentices and gave them new lives away from Vel Anir. It's surprising that no apprentices have ever infiltrated and exposed the inner workings of the organization. Perhaps they have, and just never made it out to report them. He shuddered.

"You've been far from Vel Anir, right? On missions. So far that you could've easily... disappeared. What made you come back?"

He didn't look at Talus. His gaze was focused on his palm, where an orb of ice began to take the shape of an animal. A crane, to be exact. It was an exercise for precise control over his magic.

The idea came from a conversation with Sierra one night about Hal making sculptures of ice. They joked about it, saying how rich Elbion or Allirian merchants would pay for beautiful ice sculptures. It was a childish idea but resulted in a rather effective exercise.

 

[Talus]

It took a while for Talus to answer, the Apprentice considering an answer that would be sufficient.

In truth he had considered the same question half a dozen times, particularly when he had been on his venture with Finn. He had been so far from Vel Anir that no one would ever find him, and with how the Ambassador died they likely would have presumed him dead. It had been the perfect opportunity to run, to get away.

Yet he hadn't. "I considered it, when we were younger."

That first mission in the Falwood, where half their class had turned on them. Talus had nearly booked it I to the jungle and never looked back.

"But now…" He shrugged. "It doesn't seem worth it."

Fen had called it the "sunk cost fallacy", though that was utter nonsense to Talus. "I'm one step away from being a Dreadlord. My mentor is showing me things I never thought possible, my magic is somehow getting stronger, I've even found a way to read better."

Something Finn had shown him.

"I won't be a second or first level, but I'll still be a Dreadlord." And with that title would come freedom. He would be sworn to a House…or something, but no one could beat him, no one could put him in a box.

No one would dare.

 

[Harry]

Henry nodded along. It made sense. With the station came privilege. What did they exchange for that, though? He couldn't help but feel something fundamental for a human being was lost along the way. But, he agreed with Talus. It would all be a waste if it was thrown away now.

He thought of Sierra and what they shared. Something physical. Living. He could protect that once he became a Dreadlord. He wouldn't stop at the second or even first level. His sights were firmly set on the summit. There, the once weak Hal would be truly untouchable.

"Countries would cower at the mere mentioning of us," A peculiar smile flashed across his scarred face for a moment. It was fleeting. They spent their whole youth in fear. It was nice to imagine being the source of it for once.

Well, that goal was a far off one. Henry was still but a mere boy.

 

[Talus]

Talus chuckled. "Maybe you."

The Apprentice was under now illusion about his abilities. Talus was a threat on the dueling field. He'd proven that time and time again. Many had fallen to his blade. He could move faster than most and the...shade he could become could to miraculous things...

But he would never wipe out whole armies.

Hal though?

"In a few years you'll be freezing entire cities." Talus glanced at his friend with a slight smirk. "It'd be amusing to see a few Elbion icicles."

He still carried a small amount of bitterness around that whole tournament. Sure they had gotten out alive, and even done what Archon Crane had told them, but the attitude and ignorance of those students...it'd rankled him.

 

[Harry]

"I guess I will be," Pyromancers could be found all over. It was an easy discipline to learn, basic even. Many renown mages excelled in pyromancy. Many were famous for it. Hal, however, would never excel with it. He struggled to even hold a small flame above his palm.

Not many were like Henry, at least from what he has read. Ice always melted from raging fires. Cryomancy wasn't a particularly rare magic, just outshined by its blazing counterpart. Henry, though, was born with an affinity for it. His ice has never been completely consumed by flame. Though, he had no doubt that somebody like his mentor would completely dominate him should their magic clash head-on. It proved he still had far to go.

His expression turned grim. Brows knit together. He didn't want to freeze entire cities. It would happen, though, wouldn't it? He didn't ask.

"I guess the less people know of you, the better." Talus' magic, in particular. To an unsuspecting enemy, his magic made him nearly unstoppable.

He shook his head. All they ever spoke about was Dreadlord this, Dreadlord that. It always soured the mood.

"Have you ever laid with a woman?" Eyes narrowed at him and icy blues flashed. A smug grin stretched his cheeks.

 

[Talus]

The young Apprentice found the question quite startling. He and Hal, hell, he and hell had never talked about anything of that sort. Fen had asked him one, but that had been mostly so his mentor could jeer and make fun of him.

Crimson colored his cheek. "Yes."

Talus didn't say who, mostly because the name would likely bring up rather dark memories for Hal. Alloi had been his first. A girl that had said she loved him, only to later threaten to turn on him.

Her death still weighed on him at times.

"You?" He asked. "I know it must have been hard to trick someone with that mug of yours but..."

Talus teased with a grin.

 

[Harry]

His expression eased from Talus’ jest, the slyness being replaced for something lighter. A distant expression, almost like the one he used to wear long ago. The corners of his lips curled in a smile that suppressed laughter.

“Believe it or not, I have.” He said matter-of-factly, but he still smiled.

Henry trusted Talus. Completely. Call it esprit de corps, or an unbreakable bond. Whatever term could be associated to it was irrelevant. Henry considered Talus to be his brother. Even then, the words passed his lips with reluctance.

“Remember two months before our final trial? They sent me, Sierra, and two others to squash some group of Cortosi renegades.”

Of course he’d remember. They were several weeks late in returning. And only Hal and Sierra returned. A storm had ravaged their ship on the trip back, leaving the two apprentices stranded on the island. He didn’t need to say any more. Henry’s eyes locked with Talus. Despite the seriousness of the admission, the faint smile remained.

 

[Talus]

Talus tensed almost immediately. "Sierra?"

The implication was more than clear. Talus wasn't an idiot, though apparently he was clueless. A few memories flashed through his mind. Hal making extra effort to spend time with Sierra, Hal making sure he was the one to join her on Coraliv.

Half a dozen other times that something had brought his two friends together.

Shit.

"Are you still?" There was half a breath of panic in his voice. Not because of Hal and Sierra, not because they'd found each other, but because of what could happen as a consequence. If they were caught both of his friends would suffer for it.

He knew that better than anyone else. Thoughts of Alloi crept into the back of his head. How she had wanted to run away, how he'd refused. Her threats of going to the Proctors. The choice that she had left her with and the decision he'd made.

The wrong decision.

"Hal." Talus looked at his friend. "You could both get executed."

 

[Harry]

Hal only held his smile in a silent response. He watched as Talus tensed, probably thinking about all the instances that he'd ignored, or simply just hadn't noticed.

"I haven't seen her since we left the Academy," He shrugged, "Things are complicated. I haven't the faintest idea where she could be right now."

Lips pulled together as he thought. He was well aware of the risks without Talus stating them.

"We could," He nodded in agreement. The crane was melting in his grasp now. "The most dangerous time has passed. We won't see each other for some time. Probably not until we're Dreadlords. Maybe I'll never see her again."

Another shrug, "One day, I'll be in a position where they can't do a thing. Nobody would dare stand against Naja, or Crane."

He finally met Talus' gaze, silent as their intensely blue eyes locked in the silence.

"One day," He echoed, "They won't dare to stand against me, either."