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Revelations (Ceil's Journey Part IV)

By Evan Drake

Ceil walked into her room feeling lighter than air. The last few weeks have been good to her. Her room she had destroyed with her dangerous magical experiments had finally been repaired and she was able to move back in. She couldn't wait to resume her experiments. Knowing that her ideas hadn't come from some magically imbued statue under the college only strengthened her resolve. Any actual testing, however, was restricted to outside to avoid a repeat. Thankfully, there were no more incidents.

Now that the wolf who attempted to blackmail her about her killing Arch-mage Lianea was under her control. She felt a little bad holding it over the wolf's head he was seeing a non-mage which was a serious problem in Vulpran. Served him right. She was more than happy to keep his love affair a secret, but he had to let fear overtake him and threaten her.

It didn't matter. Now she was informed beforehand if anyone took a special interest in her during the investigation into Lianea's death. She calmly stayed one step ahead of the guards until they were finally forced to put the investigation on hold until new evidence came along. Ceil knew the chances of that were slim to none. No one had any way of knowing she was the one who killed Lianea. Any evidence had been destroyed and the only one who suspected the truth had been silenced.

Things finally began to calm down. Life had to continue even with the mysterious murder of the Arch-mage. But the culprit remaining at large left a heavy tension in the air. Everyone suspected each other. Several mages left the college unable to handle the stress that one of their own could be a traitor. Fights and arguments broke out daily. Any incidents were usually quiet and isolated, but the entire college felt like a coiled spring.

All that tension boiled over when the time came to choose the next Arch-mage.

Normally, the succeeding Arch-mage is chosen by the previous one. In the event of an untimely death, the senior mages convene and choose the next Arch-mage. Lianea hadn't chose a successor so the task fell to the senior mages.

The rumors someone killed Lianea to take her place spread like wildfire throughout the mage's college. The senior mages spent more time arguing and pointing fingers. The junior mages and apprentices broke into factions, each supporting a senior mage to become Arch-mage and find Lianea's killer.

Ceil was surprised she didn't care about any of that. She wasn't on anyone's radar and that was good enough for her. It was nice not having to deal with stares and whispers. She also had the help of a certain wolf to point out anyone who did try to set their sights on her.

A knock at the door pulled her away from her happy thoughts. "Come in."

The door opened and Deana entered the room. If there were anything Ceil wished had improved over the last few weeks, it was her sister. Deana wasn't a senior mage, but she wasn't spared the accusations. More mages blamed her than anyone else. The stress left the vixen a shell of her former self. Her once lustrous fur was now dry and matted. Her robes were often dingy and wrinkled. Her eyes were sunken and bloodshot.

"Hey, sister," Ceil said, trying to offer a cheerful smile. But seeing her sister resemble a walking corpse had a way of draining any felicity she could muster. Today seemed somehow more listless than usual. Ceil fought to keep her ears upright and avoid showing concern.

Deana looked Ceil's way. It was the only sign she received her sister was actually paying attention to anything she said. Deana shuffled over to the bed and sat down.

"So what's new?" Ceil asked.

No response. Ceil wrung her paws, trying to think of a way to make this less awkward.

Deana mumbled something Ceil didn't hear. She cupped her ear and stepped closer.

"I didn't hear that."

"They're going to make me the next Arch-mage," Deana replied, barely above a whisper.

Ceil could barely contain her excitement. With Deana as the Arch-mage, her future was all but guaranteed. "Hey, that's great isn't it? Usually only a senior mage can become Arch-mage, so that they chose you is an accomplishment."

"They didn't have much of a choice," Deana said. "They found Lianea's will. She named me as successor to become Arch-mage."

"Wait, she can do that?"

"We had it authenticated. It was written by her."

Ceil sat on the bed, her smile so wide, her cheeks hurt. "Well that's even better. No one can dispute it. Now all this silly fighting can come to an--"

"You're missing the point, dammit!"

Ceil's ears fell as her smile slid of her face.

Deana faced her, bloodshot eyes turning even redder preluding the start of more tears. "That Lianea named me her successor... The fact we where lovers... It all points to me being the one who killed her!"

Ceil slowly shook her head. "No. That doesn't prove anything. Just because Lianea named you Arch-mage, doesn't make you her killer."

"Who else would benefit from her death?" Deana screamed, her voice bordering on a shrill yelp. "She named me the next Arch-mage, so unless they were going to kill me, too, what's the point?"

"Someone's trying to frame you," Ceil replied calmly. She squeezed her sister's hand. "That's all this is. But there's still no proof you did anything. Everyone knows you two were lovers, so what point is there in killing her?"

"It still doesn't look good for me," Deana said, quietly. "There's no official evidence, so they have no choice but to acknowledge it. She sniffled and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her robe, leaving a snotty streak next to the other stains. "It doesn't matter. I refuse. I can't take this anymore. I shouldn't even still be here. If I had left a long time ago, I could've avoided all this."

Ceil firmly grabbed her sister's face and looked her in the eye. "Deana, listen to me. You can't let them get to you like this. Don't you see? Someone set you up. Whoever left you that note wanted you to go into the dungeons so they could kill you and Lianea. They knew you were going to be the next Arch-mage, so they needed you out of the way. Now the will mysteriously turns up after all this time? They're still trying to get rid of you."

Deana's eyes widened until they threatened to pop out of her skull. She slowly shook her head, never looking away. "What note?"

Ceil lowered her paws. Her tail quivered behind her. "Um, I-I found a note in...in your things. It-it said for you to go to the dungeons. I was worried a-about you and I went down there and--" the rest died in her throat. She couldn't continue.

It was an accident. Lianea had been...changed into something. Whatever it was, she was wild and violent. Ceil would've died if she hadn't defended herself. It wasn't that she wanted to kill her. She didn't know it was Lianea until it was too late.

She didn't need to. Deana cupped her muzzle, more tears leaving wet streaks in her unkempt fur. "It-It was you."

Ceil wanted to sink into the floor. No, she wanted to sink deep underground to a place where she would never see daylight again. Where she would never see the look of devastation that adorned her sister's face.

Deana stood and backed away. Ceil jumped up and followed her, the words pouring out of her muzzle. "Deana, I can explain! It was an accident! I didn't mean to! Lianea attacked me! Something changed her; you saw it! She didn't even know she was attacking me! I would've died if I hadn't! I had no choice!"

Her words had no effect. Deana continued backing away, staring at her sister as if she were some sort of monster.

The door burst open and several armed guards rushed inside. They drew their swords and surrounded Ceil.

"What is this?" Ceil asked. "Deana...You didn't."

"You're right. I did," a voice said. An old female wolf, entered the room. Ceil's heart sank. Pernille was one of the senior mages and known for her strict adherence to the rules. "You likely already figured it out, but the will was a fake. Deana's not going to be the next Arch-mage. Even if she were a candidate, you saw to making sure that would never happen."

Ceil looked around, desperate for an exit she knew wasn't there. "It's not what you think. I never meant--"

"Hold your excuses, child," Pernille said, her eyes flashing dangerously. "No one here believes your lies. Never in all my years has an apprentice ever been so bold. Guards, take her away."

The guards grabbed Ceil.

This isn't fair.

They placed a metal collar around her neck. Immediately, her strength left her, and she fell to her knees. It was a special restraint used on mages to cut off their connection to the aether.

How? How did she figure me out? Was it the wolf, whatever his name is? Did he do it?

A guard took each of her arms and hauled her to her footpaws.

But why would Pernille believe him?

Her mind felt heavy. Like she was in a fog. Everything around her shifted as if sitting on top of water. Ceil looked at Deana. Her sister looked away.

Deana, why? What did they tell you? Why would you turn on me?

"Hand her over to the city guard to await transport to the capital," Pernille said. "They'll decide what to do with her. You two over there. I want you turn this place upside down and find the note."

Deana would never set me up. Not unless they had proof, but there isn't any. I burned it.

They dragged her to the door. As they dragged her past Pernille, she caught a satisfied twinkled in the vixen's eye. A single thought jumped out at Ceil:

Pernille killed Lianea