The Seredums teleported the group back to the City of Ayn. The Zeta Squad and Faris were immediately rushed to the Northern Hospital. Faris, Ella, Marcus, and Neil had waning Ki reserves and were the most injured as well. They needed immediate intensive care and healing. So, they were taken into the Aquarae – a secluded ward of large glass orbs filled with water. The Ki Manipulators there used the natural healing abilities within water to mend torn networks and coax the body back to balance, a process that could take a day or more depending on the damage.
On the other hand, Camille, Gina, and Hugo were treated inside the emergency ward and then shifted to a shared room.
The Seredums personally delivered the remains of the twins, Ben and Riley, to their parents.
6:30 a.m., Sunday, 6th of August – the Seear, Renekom Mujin, paid a visit to the Northern Hospital. His aides, along with Hedish, went to the Aquarae to check up on Faris and the others and then waited out in the lobby, while Renekom himself had a private discussion with the captain of the Zeta Squad.
"That's the gist of it," said Hugo, after finishing his retelling of the battle. "Don't know what else I can tell you. Already told all this to your assistants…"
Renekom took a deep breath. "Just the two casualties?"
Hugo smiled. "Yes. Just the two. The kids stationed at the outpost."
"What about the bounty hunter?"
"Seems like he's escaped."
"How?" Renekom pushed himself back in his chair and crossed his legs.
"Replacement Elemental Cloning, I believe, is the technical term."
"That technique requires a sizable Ki charge to be inserted into the elements to forge a clone."
"Yup. Otherwise the soul transfer would be impossible."
"But from what I'm hearing, he had already exhausted all his Ki."
"I know. It doesn't add up."
"Was he being assisted by the enemies?"
"Not at all," someone said as they opened the door. Renekom and Hugo looked over. Erina, the eldest of the Seredum sisters, stepped into the room. She had donned attire quite different from her usual garb. A draped ivory kaftan, its layered folds modest but elegant, a silver circlet holding her hair in a neat bun, and a glint of metal shimmering at the wrist – her arrival said nothing, yet commanded attention.
"Oh, Erina, I didn't recognize you there," Hugo said, smiling. Then, looking at Renekom, he explained, "She is one of the Seredums for the slain Keeper of Dubai."
Renekom nodded. "Good morning…"
"My apologies for the intrusion," she said, closing the door behind her. "But I'm afraid there are a few too many whispers going around your ranks regarding Master Baylis here. I cannot let that continue."
"You are letting your emotions cloud your judgement," Renekom said. "The bounty hunter's matter is very delicate in nature, I understand. But just because he helped find your Lord and Keeper does not make him above the law."
"Firstly, I was not talking about the White Bolt." She walked over, hands clasped in front. "And secondly, Master Mujin, you of all people should not accuse us of being emotional. We can see spirits and judge the soul. Do not belittle us."
"Explain then. The White Bolt was stealing Dark Arts Scriptures from right under your noses."
Erina came and stood on the other side of the bed. "And you know this for a fact? Can you prove it? The Dark Arts Scriptures I know about are still safe and sound right where they should be."
"Then how did he learn to manipulate the Dark Ki? How did he use those spells? And most importantly, how did he kill the Keepers?"
"He didn't kill my Lord." She sighed as her gaze drifted away. "I can understand." She nodded once and then looked at Renekom again. "The first time we met him, we felt the same way about him as you do. Observing him since, however, has changed our opinion."
"What does that mean? What is your opinion about him now?"
"We are not at liberty to say."
Renekom stared at Hugo who shrugged and said, "Hey, don't look at me."
A few lines had begun appearing on the Seear's forehead. "That man knows how to get into Ayn now, Hugo." He spoke louder than before as he leaned ahead. "He knows how we are operating and he knows how easily manipulatable we are. Who's to say he won't use that to hurt us?"
The Zaatsu shook his head. "The fact that he already had plenty to hurt us with, but never bothered to do so."
"So, what is his role in all this?"
"I am not sure."
"What about the Alchemist then?"
"What about him?"
"What about him?" Renekom asked, wide-eyed. "Son, I am not in the mood right now."
"Not in the mood, huh?" Hugo scratched his nose then smiled. With a lowered voice, he asked, "Then why don't you tell me where the hell was my backup?"
"Excuse me?"
The Zaatsu looked the Seear dead in his eyes. "We called for backup at 5:42 exactly. The Seredums said they'd arrive at 6:30 and they did. Had they not, we would've been dead, all of us."
"I thought you didn't call for backup," Erina mused with a narrowed gaze.
The Zaatsu looked at her momentarily before turning back towards the Seear. "A backup squad normally takes five minutes to gear up and reach the battlefield and almost certainly never takes longer than fifteen or twenty minutes. Why don't we talk about that? My team was getting pummelled out there and you are here to question me?! I've told this same story twice already in the six hours we've been here!"
"Faris said that there were wizards approaching your region," the Seear explained, leaning back. "No one realized what kind of wizards they were."
"What difference does that make?" Hugo said with a chuckle as he stared with wide-open eyes. "Faris Naji and Hugo Baylis requesting backup and you assume that the threat is not serious?!" He shook his head and added, "Sending a limited squad would've been excusable, but you never bothered to send anyone… why? That was borderline disrespectful!"
Renekom sighed and dropped his head. "I admit," he said and looked up. "It was a miscalculation on our part but why can't you admit that trusting the hunter was a mistake on your part?"
Stroking back his hair, Hugo said, "Oh, yeah… that was a mistake alright. Because of that mistake, my team came back alive… because of that mistake, we found the dead Keeper… and because of that mistake, we learned about the Alchemist… yeeeahp yup…" He nodded. "Big mistake."
"Alright, that's enough, Hugo." The bearded man adjusted his robe and leaned closer. "I trusted you based on my peers' good opinion, even against my better judgement. You brought him in instead of taking him out, you kept him off death row, and you had chats with him in private, all of which we allowed owing to the fact that you have an excellent track record and you have given us no reason to doubt you."
Erina's expression hardened, though she chose not to interrupt.
"But the results have us doubting our choices," Renekom continued. "I feel I have let my people down. I have let yet another madman into our home and he has robbed us in broad daylight."
Silence followed. Erina kept staring at the Seear, who had his head down and gaze fixed into his lap. Hugo had pushed his back off the headboard and was sitting cross-legged.
Renekom finally broke the quiet.
"We learn from our mistakes, Hugo," he said and then looked up at the Zaatsu. "Our predecessors made mistakes. The first five centuries led to a conflict which was so devastating that it took a miracle to save us and bring us back to our feet from the brink of extinction. Another five centuries and we created our own apocalypse in the shape of the Basilisk – a most celebrated operative who turned out to be our worst nightmare."
He shook his head as a tsk of disapproval escaped his lips. "These were the mistakes we promised never to make again. It didn't even take ten years… the same mistakes over and over and over." He sighed and looked up saying, "I long to see the day when my people will unite and end their secret affairs with unholy sects, buried initiatives, and clandestine objectives."
Hugo closed his eyes as he shook his head.
"Hedish... and subsequently I... took much criticism for letting you keep your rank, Hugo. Many of your peers and seniors believed you had links to some troublesome outfits."
Erina crossed her arms as Renekom paused. After looking away for several moments, he added, "That White Bolt came across as a bounty hunter on a grim mission. We tried investigating quietly, but that didn't work. He eventually took out Zaatsus in straight combat. We saw the severity of the situation and gave you a task to complete."
Looking at Hugo once again, he said, "Son, this is turning out to be something that just might undo everything you've worked at for the past several years."
Hugo closed his eyes, but Renekom continued. "We have given you a rank," he said, "the leadership of a squad, and our trust and affection. When you won't repay that, we will ask questions and, where necessary, we will reprimand. You have misused your privileges and have taken me for granted."
The Seredum had had enough. Before Renekom could utter another word, she put a hand out saying, "That is quite enough, Master Seear." As he stared blankly, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and then adjusted her bracelet. "How about we all just grow the guts to admit that we haven't fully understood that man yet. The reports of his actions prior to his capture and his actions post that have been nothing short of contradictory. We need to investigate further and deeper before drawing conclusions. Wouldn't you agree?"
Finally gathering himself, Renekom said, "That is beyond the point I was making, Seredum. This is about what a member of the Zaatsu council has done, the decisions he has made and their repercussions. He is an operative of the Eye, an organization I am heading and as such, it is my responsibility to ask him of it."
"No."
"I beg your pardon?"
"This is about you blaming this man for all of our shortcomings. If the White Bolt escaped, it is all of our fault – we should've known it was coming. And when you knew he was out there with Masters Baylis and Naji, why did a distress call not trouble you?"
Renekom shifted in his chair but Erina was not done yet. "You seem very worried now, but you didn't act when it was needed." Her gaze narrowed and arms crossed, she leaned ahead ever so slightly and added, "Was the squad not carrying a ridiculously dangerous person with them, hmm? You knew an altercation might set him free, but you weren't bothered. Do you know why?"
Before anyone could respond, she smiled and pointed at Hugo saying, "Because you trust this man and knew he had the situation under control. So, even you trust him… but just not enough to send backup… any explanation for that?"
With one hand gripping the armrest, the other held out in a controlled but heated plea as he said, "I've said it before… it was a miscalculation on our part! We didn't realize how serious the situation was."
"Then stop playing blame games and let the Zeta Squad continue their mission! And furthermore, we will be assisting them full time from here on out." With a shake of the head, the lady in ivory added, "You can keep your backup at the Palace…"
Renekom did not appreciate the Seredum's tone, much less her taunt. He leaned back and sat up straight. "The Zeta Squad runs under my command," he said, speaking in a deeper voice, enunciating almost every syllable separately. "Your missions go where I send them. I should not be reminding you that, Seredum."
Erina's arms loosened; one hand planted itself on her hip as she leaned into it smiling, clearly entertained by his comment.
"Oh?" she gestured with one eyebrow raised higher than the other. "Since when did we begin falling under your jurisdiction, Seear?"
"The Zeta Squad," he replied, blinking a few too many times and shaking his head. "I meant the Zeta Squad. Not you… of course."
Hugo stretched his legs, leaned back, and rested his back once again on the headboard. "A'ight," he said. "We've been told to rest for forty-eight hours before going on another mission anyway. So, have this debate then."