The Crimson Magister Chapter 11: V1-C11: The Disciple of Mind: Gabriel

Read chapter 11 of The Crimson Magister by Okram on NovelPedia.

Azure glanced back at Aqua, confused, but the confusion did not last. Aqua’s serious expression forced her to focus. The man pulled out a chair as he sat before the trio. He did not speak as he closed his eyes and sighed. "Golden Rose, I presume," he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. His gaze swept over the three women as he continued, "The Golden Rose has already passed into Red Dawn." He crossed his arms as he observed the trio with suspicion, his eyes analyzing the women to the best of his ability. "We were not expecting additional wagons. And yet here you are," he said plainly. Laura was about to speak up before the man raised his hand, not allowing her to speak. "I will not have excuses. You will tell me who you are!" he shouted as he leaned toward the three women. His face turned from Laura to Aqua and then finally Azure. "All of your wagons will be seized, and you will be arrested. But you can cooperate by telling me who you are, which could reduce your sentence for impersonating Golden Rose members." Aqua glanced at her hands, then at Azure. The illusion still held. So why had they been stopped? Something fishy was going on, and she needed to know what. She did not know about the structure of the Golden Rose, but from what she gleaned from Laura's mind, their leader would never abandon them. Before she could do anything, she was pulled from her thoughts by Laura's words. "That is not possible. We are the remaining Golden Rose fighting force." Laura produced an insignia in the shape of a small rose made of pure gold, before placing it on the table. The man picked up the insignia before inspecting it. "This seems to be genuine," he sighed as he handed the insignia back. "You three stay here," the man ordered as he exited the room, leaving the three women alone. Once the coast was clear, Azure was first to ask, "Lady Aqua, what is happening?" Aqua could only shake her head; she did not know, and could not say anything but one thing. "It seems your beloved leader betrayed you, Laura," she said in a quiet tone as she turned to Laura. The two disguised elves were confused, but Laura looked as if the ground had vanished beneath her. Calling it a breakdown was putting it lightly; she was trying hard to process the information while keeping herself calm and collected, but failed terribly. Both Aqua and Azure looked at their former enemy with concern. After all, even if she was the enemy, betrayal would still hurt, and anyone could sympathize with it. "They are lying, they must be lying!" Laura slumped down as she tried to process what Aqua said. No, Fang would never betray Golden Rose or me. She shook her head. He would never throw away the organization he spent so long building up, that Laura was sure. Which meant that the guards were either tricked or worked to deceive her. And yet the guard seemed to be as confused as we were when he saw the insignia. Laura bit her lip as she tried to explain the current situation to herself. Just after what seemed like moments, the man returned with the two hooded figures at his sides. Their grey robes flowed to their feet, their hoods obscuring their faces. A silver eye had been sewn into each hood, and each figure carried a plain-looking staff. These were Disciples of Mind, a group that was responsible for the brainwashing of so many elves. The man took his seat before speaking, "You three will submit to examination of the mind, as is your duty as officers. If you pass, we will let you pass the border." He gestured to the two hooded figures. They bowed, then approached Aqua. Aqua was the first one to be ordered to submit. "You first, young lady, stand up and submit to examination of the mind." Two figures took the stance next to the table as they awaited. Laura and Azure gulped as Aqua confidently stood up and spoke, "It will be fine. The examination can't hurt," she said, winking at Azure. Aqua took a spot between the two figures as she smiled. They planted their stave