Lord Rowe sat there, staring at Noah, eyes burning.
The man’s hands trembled, his teeth grinding in his jaw.
Noah watched as the man slowly calmed himself down in an impressive display of willpower.
He said nothing, giving the man time to regain his poise.
Finally, Lord Rowe exhaled, the tension bleeding out of him. His mind had gone through the information present before him.
The High Magus wouldn’t lie. Noah Webb was important. And someone had used his image to bait his daughter.
"Who did this?" He finally asked. "Who killed my daughter?"
"I don’t know." Noah answered honestly. "But I do know that if you want answers, they’re in the capital."
Lord Rowe sat there in silence for almost a minute, before he came to a conclusion. He stood up abruptly, and Noah almost poured mana into his shadows.
The man looked down on Noah, eyes blazing. "It seems like I owe you an apology, young man." He said.
Then without another word, he turned, stepping back into the portal. The portal winked out of existence a second later.
Noah stood there, staring at where the portal had been. Then, his mind went over Lord Rowe’s words. And he scoffed in response.
’Yet, you didn’t apologize.’
A smile appeared on his face as he relatched his window, turning back to face the room.
That was one problem gone. The only problem left was the people that had turned Juniper into a hybrid. Whatever happens, he won’t let them go.
Returning his spare uniforms into his wardrobe, he skipped back into bed.
And precisely an hour later, he finally fell asleep.
[][][][][]
A swirling oval of darkness appeared in a dark alley, and a cloaked man stepped out of it.
As the portal closed behind him, he took a moment to survey where he was, and after verifying that he was alone in the alley, he finally stepped out into the streets.
The street lamps stood on the street corners, their yellow light spilling softly around them.
Fortunately, he’d picked a good spot. The light of the nearest street lamp fell just short of where he stood, shrouding him in darkness.
But today, his work wasn’t to simply stand in darkness.
He looked up at the moon, and its light spilled over his face, reflecting off his glasses.
It was Othello, the mad scientist!
He tried to contain the grin on his face, but it kept stretching upwards on his lips. He knew it made him look deranged, but he didn’t have it in him to care.
Because finally, after almost three months of careful study and research, he’d completed it.
The hybrid potion. His life’s work. Ready to be distributed.
His mind went back to the command he’d received. From her.
His heart hammered away in his chest just thinking about her. It wasn’t that she was any more powerful than an average mage. In fact, he could kill her if he so pleased.
No, it was the power she wielded. The utter certainty that even if he touched a single strand of hair on her head, he would surely die.
He’d lived in fear over the last three months as he disobeyed her order. He knew he’d pay for it later, but he just couldn’t do it.
He couldn’t let his legacy be rampaging beasts. And so, he’d completed the potion. Now, it was ready to be disseminated. Fortunately, he’d been able to make the change temporary as she’d ordered. And now, he was here to select the first test subject.
He made his way down the street, before arriving at a nondescript house. He knocked softly on the door in a pattern that hadn’t been an issue to acquire.
A second later, a panel on the door slid open, dark eyes peering at him.
He stood there, a sigil of a wheel pinned to his chest.
When the eyes found the wheel, the panel closed. A second later, there were the sounds of locks clicking and the door swung open.
He could’ve broken the door without breaking a sweat, but that would destroy the entire purpose of his visit here.
He nodded at the man at the door, walking in. The door swiftly closed behind him, the locks jamming into place.
He glanced at the guards present in the entrance hall, but paid them no mind. No matter what weapons they carried, or what spells they possessed, they were no match for him.
He unpinned the wheel sigil from his chest, and handed it to the man standing beside him. With a nod, they stepped out of the way.
He made his way to the end of the hall, where there was a single door. He opened it to reveal stairs leading downwards into darkness.
He followed the stairs down, and after half a minute, it turned. He kept following the twist and turns, walking deeper into the earth. Until finally, the noise reached his ears.
The cheering. The bloodlust.
A smile unconsciously appeared on his face, stretching from ear to ear. At the end of the stairs was an open door. He stepped through and it hit him in the face.
The people, screaming in the tiered seatings, betting on the fighters who kept bashing each other in the face.
He smiled. This was it. The true savagery. The colosseum in the city above was theatrical. Safe. This one was there the true warriors fought.
He strolled among the occupants, until he found an attendant. A quick signal later, and he was led to a private box.
After parting with a few coins, he had wine sitting on his table.
The attendant tried suggesting some paid company in the box, but he had no lust for women. No, he lusted for something greater.
Legacy.
And here, his legacy would be written.
He leaned back, watching as the fight wound down. The winner of this bout was a large man who seemed to rely more on his bulk than his wits. He was... unsuitable.
The arena was cleared, and the announcer stepped into the ring. It was time for the next fight.
Maybe this time, he’ll find his chosen one.