Little Hope- War for Academies arc

"Come on in then."

 He said, looking over his shoulder as he led his kids into their home. Although he acted as if he trusted us, internally, I suspected that he was expecting us to attack him and his kids at any moment. Farvakhin entered the building first with me following right behind him. As we entered, the first thing I noticed was how clean everything was. Their house was cleaner than some houses my parents were shown by realtors. You know, the kind where they show the nicest furniture around, knowing it was all for show. Only the cleanness of this house wasn't a facade. Gesturing to a rug that had multiple shoes on it, the man said, "Take your shoes off here, please." After the man and his children finished taking off their shoes, Farv and I followed suit. Leading us to what I assumed was their living room, he motioned to a couch near the window, saying "Make yourselves at home." Farv and I shared a glance of uncertainty, though I didn't know if it was in fear of a trap, or apologetic for our earlier threats. Either way, we sat down on the couch as the man sat on a chair that was directly parallel to us. His kids ran off somewhere, probably to play. After a moment of silence, the man said, "My name is Ishmael. Ish for short. Are you 2 comfortable?" We both nodded yes. Though I was fidgety. If he didn't have any clues regarding Aruna, we were wasting our time. Precious time that we didn't have. "Good, I'm glad to hear that. However, I am curious as to where you guys heard such a ridiculous tale. Myself, my family, my organization, none of us have ever considered or even desired to do anything to your party, let alone kidnap one of its members. As a matter of fact, I find that entire subject abhorrent." Leaning forward he asked, "So who told you 2 that I did such a heinous crime?" Nola. We should've known better than to trust her. There was something seriously wrong with her. Farv said, "It was this science lady. Uh, Nola, I believe." I confirmed, saying "Yeah, Nola. Nola Darwin." Ish nodded as if expecting that answer. "I figured as much. She's always been set out against my organization. Lately, that hate has expanded towards even my children. Entirely despicable if you ask me. I'm sorry that you 2 got caught up in one of her schemes." Schemes? Does this kind of thing happen often? I turned to Farv and saw that he shared a similarly confused look. Turning back to Ish I asked, "What do you mean by that?" He flashed a quick smile before returning to his solemn look. "Oh, we go way back. She and I were once colleagues even. Though, I guess you guys just met her, so you don't know too much about her. Heh. I think she means well, but damn." He zoned out for a second before continuing "Anyways, I want to help you guys with your search. Aruna, was it?" Excited with a returned hope, I said, "Yeah, tha-" "What's in it for you?" Farv interjected. Ish offered a small laugh before saying, "I'm a good samaritan, what can I say! Seriously though, I won't lie. There are a few things I'd like from you 2. Namely, Miko to be honest. Sorry." Me? What could he want from me? Ish looked behind him, to where his kids had gone. He smiled for a second before returning to look at us. "My cause is just. My organization was just. The Purists." Terrorists. "In the beginning, it was just a few of my colleagues and me. Disgruntled employees who were wary of Nola's experiments. Tired of her blatant disregard for the most basic safety protocols, we formed a collective in an attempt to weaken her hold on our society. Diplomatically." He paused for a moment as he fidgeted with the arm of the chair. I already knew where he was going with this. "My organization was made with nothing but peace in mind. But like any organization, as it grew in size, its ideals and values were lost to agendas and greed. It wasn't long before some violent individuals tried to claim our name." He looked me dead in the eyes as he said "I want you to exterminate them." "And I want you to ensure my kid's safety. As much as you can, anyway. There are dark times ahead of us, even if we ignore the brewing war." He stood up, saying that he was going to gather some equipment. Leaving us alone in our thoughts. Leaving us with a lot to take in. Ish isn't responsible for the terrorist attacks. Nola was wrong to blame him. But what did he mean by her experiments? What was she doing to cause him and his colleagues to leave? The falsa mors plant thing? "Miko, we need to find a way to stop Nola." "What do you mean?" Farv balled his hand into a fist and began to tap his temple. A nervous tick of his. "Her experiments, something is extremely off with them. I've been trying to hold off my suspicions, not only because of her hospitality but also because I thought I was being paranoid. Because of the... you know." Corpses. "But I truly believe her experiments could end us all. Even if she's trying to do the right thing." Unable to withstand his troubled expression, I turned my focus to the floor. He was right though. Something about those flowers... the Falsa Mor... seemed so similar to corpses. "Hey, don't look so glum guys. I think I know where to start looking." ... Roan Dammit princess, what have you gotten yourself into now! Didn't I train you precisely so that you wouldn't get into these kinds of trials? How did you forget my strictest commandment?! You were to remain vigilant at all times! I punched the wall with an unrestrained force, cracking its frame. As my informant yelped I cursed myself. Losing your head won't get her back. Yeah, I know. Taking a few calming breaths, I turned to my informant again. He was still shaking from fear. Watching his sweat furrow down his brow, I realized a small comfort. He'd be far more likely to speak now. Walking over to him, I straightened my back to make my already imposing frame even more menacing. Standing at 6'4", I towered over many soldiers. An advantage I used a great many times in battle. This advantage should be even greater against a little man such as him. "So, have any answers crossed your mind?" I asked, my voice booming through the alleyway. He took a sheepish glance at his 3 comrades, fools with far less cunning than himself. Even if I was a disgraced shell of my former self, it was still reprehensible to challenge me. Take heed of your bloodied friends, chap. "I- I told you! I don't know anything! L-leave me alone monster!" Unfortunate. He was just as stupid as his friends. His only advantage was that he hid his stupidity better. With a raise of my hand, I flung one of my swords through his shoulder, pinning him to the wall. "You attacked me, and I spared your life. Don't call me a monster. I'm even willing to use healing magic on you." As I twisted the sword deeper, I ignored his cry of pain and continued, "All I want to know is who hired you. Who hired you to kidnap the princess?" His eyes flung open with fear. As expected, he knew something. Using kindness as a weapon, I slid the sword out of his shoulder a little. Just enough so he no longer felt a pressure burning his body. "Sir- sir! I... I can't tell you! He'll... he'll kill me!" Fine then. I plunged the sword as deep into his shoulder as I could without killing him. As the hilt crushed his collarbone, the man let out a pain-filled shriek. But it wasn't from my sword. His mouth was bubbling as his head spasmed. It was as if he had a stroke, as if he had the devil's touch. "No!" In a desperate bid, I flung my sword out of his body, running to him as he hit the floor. Lump. He had probably died before I even finished my thought to save him. Looking at his body, I knew a simple fact. There isn't a single healing magic in existence that could do anything to help him now. I studied the man's face, trying to decipher what exactly killed him. The spell seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place its origins. All I knew was that the spell was old. Substantially old. This is an ancient spell... That it was. Noting this find in my mental library, I continued the mission. Leaving the dead behind, my search for the princess continued.