💎A Collision of Fates💎 (Straight to Gay) (MxM) (18+)

16 - Landel

Adam turned to Landel as they stood in front of the King's office.

It was the last day of break, the last chance they had to have fun before they caught the convoy back to The Academy. They should've been at Hullit's Lake or The Razor's Tail or something. But, no, they were going to spend the afternoon talking to Landel's dad, because The Goddess was dimming and that was an issue that couldn't afford to wait.

"Why does this feel so official?" Adam said, a tense smile splitting his handsome face. "We saw him a couple hours ago for lunch."

Landel tried to make his smile genuine, but the truth was that he was nervous too. It did feel official. They had told Esteck they wanted to speak to him later, but not what about, and he had seemed open to the idea. Still, though, it was important. Yerda was right. It was better that they act upon the dimming of the Goddess and it be nothing, rather than they do nothing at all.

The most worrying thing was that Yerda had been absent for the break, Landel hadn't seen him once, not at their meals and not scurrying around the castle. At one point, he had even poked his head inside of the scholar's study, and the man hadn't been there. He must've been at the Academy still. But, what did that mean? Were things getting worse?

Standing outside of his dad's study, he felt the weight of their task on his shoulders like the claws of a hrall, digging into him, making him squirm.

"It'll be fine." Landel tried to make his voice sound calm. "Just pretend like its a casual conversation. This is the same man." Landel breathed out and clenched his fists a few times. "Are you ready?"

Adam nodded and then, finally, Landel stepped forward, put his fist to the large, ornate door, and knocked.

"Yes!" His dad's loud, deep voice echoed from beyond.

Landel pushed it open with Adam standing right beside him. He took a breathe and then they walked in.

His dad, as always, was sitting behind his desk. The beautiful piece of woodwork was at the end of a long, imposing walkway. It took them a few seconds to reach the chairs in front of it.

The window that usually dominated the wall behind his dad was covered in dark thick curtains, leaving the room to be lit by a series of candelabras hanging from the wall.

"Please, sit." Esteck said, pointing to the cushioned seats in front of his desk. "You wanted to speak to me about something?"

They lowered themselves into the cushions and Landel cleared his throat.

"Yes, father." He looked at Adam absently. "We have spoken to Yerda at the Academy and he has shared with us some --uhh-- very concerning data."

"Oh?" Esteck straightened his coat and stood up. He walked to the back of his office and pulled back those thick curtains. The room was suddenly filled with the luminescence of the sun. It was so bright, Landel could only squint. "About the Goddess?"

"Yes," Landel said, rubbing his eyes.

"The dimming?"

"Yes, father."

"Hm." Esteck peered out of the window, looking towards the pink crystal in the distance. The monument that towered over everything, the catalyst of life. "I admit, when he spoke to me about the findings, I was quite concerned."

"We were too," Landel said. "We spoke to him about it and, well, he explained that he wants to do more reading on the subject of soul, on the nature of it. He mentioned the works of an ancient scholar."

"Gursish," Adam said. "I think that's what he said."

Landel nodded. "Yeah, Gursish. He... he told us that you had denied a previous request."