Through the long corridor inside the fourth set of walls separating the Academy from the rest of the city, two distinct sounds echoed between its stone walls, the sound of footsteps and the grumblings of a certain ancient undead.

 

"Stupid humans, thinking they can insult... grrrr, it's a shame stupidity isn't painful." Even muttered, Kia's old language caused the words she spoke to boom like thunder through the silent corridor. "Why are you looking at me like this? I'm right."

 

The elf found the necromancer's grumblings to be amusing although she pitied ever so slightly the two humans in front of them who flinched with Kia's slightest huff and puff but not enough for her to try stopping the mage venting out her emotions. She did watch the girl just in case she worked herself into an angry fervour but otherwise saw her grumbling fit as healthy whatever that meant for an undead.

 

She knew all too well the feeling of being unable to speak what is on your mind and to what dark corners of mind these bottled-up frustrations drag toward. It also helped that the people of Oriripol seemed deathly afraid of mages so she didn't fear the two humans. The two were probably hoping to be anywhere else other than being stuck with the grumbling girl and the elf doubted that the two would notice that Kia wasn't speaking in one of the many languages present in Edor especially when the human woman was showing signs of fear affliction.

 

"Siri, hold my hand." Iris offered her hand as a tribute to please the wrathful deity, saving the humans from going completely insane and more importantly to the elf remaining sane enough to finish their task. "Happy?"

 

"Happy, happy," Kia happily gripped the accepted offering, her face wearing a gluttonous smile while being able to indulge in her favourite of vices. If the girl currently smushing her face on the palm of her hand had a tail Iris imagined it swaying frantically from side to side right. "I was angry? Shouldn't I be angry still?" Kia peeled her face away from the warmth noticing what the elf had done, her expressive mask she wore went through many confused and equally annoyed faces as she frowned and puffed up her cheeks while she stared at the architect of her bewilderment.

 

"I could always take it back." The risen warned causing the pouting necromancer to quickly hide her face, going back to her best impression of a small critter.

 

The two humans tasked with escorting the two undead seem to relax slightly, their shoulder dropping a little while still not daring to look back at their wards in fear that the grumbling nightmare might return. The group walked for a long time causing the elf to frown as she tried to imagine where they were, it genuinely felt like to the risen like she were led in a giant circle. Eventually, the ring of a bell rumbled through the stone, causing the people inside to feel as if the roof was about to collapse. The human pair looked at each other before continuing forward and opening a door, one that looked identical to the doors they had passed already. 

 

After her eyes readjusted to the sunlight Iris realised that she was standing in a garden. A dull greens and browns dominated her vision as large wooden planks infested with vines created a sort of a maze. She felt like she was somewhere in the south as the entire garden resembled a vineyard which had been harvested. Laundry lines had been hung up between the wooden separators and Iris could see many signs that this place was visited quite often.

 

Looking up Iris saw what looked like a side of a large building painted with pinkish-white paint. The two humans seem to carefully weave between the plants and laundry lines, giving the impression they are trying to reach their destination without being seen.

 

Opening a side door to the building Iris felt the soft cushion of the red carpet under the soles of her boots. While sterile the building felt like a countryside mansion, unlike the noble mansions Iris had seen before the walls were empty. No grand paintings, no elaborate heraldry to grab attention rather the corridors were filled with an occasional pot plant basking in the sun underneath a window. Within no time they had climbed two sets of stairs and had walked to the end of a very long corridor, interesting to Iris was the fact of how few doors she had passed through.

 

"Greetings," The same man who had been attracted by the commotion at the gate and who had hurriedly invited Kia into the Academy, his polite words bordering on begging. "Lady Blackworm this will be your lodging while you stay with us," His colourful garment loosely hanging on his frame began to ripple as he opened the door, fighting the strong draft. "We were not informed of your arrival so please excuse us if anything you wish is missing."

 

Peeking inside the room Iris was reminded of Firmusa and the room Umbria had given them. As expected the chamber was a manifestation of luxury any noble on the continent could ask for at least in Iris's opinion. In the middle of the spacious living room was a low table surrounded by cushioned couches in the colour of the wine. Two large windows let plenty of sunlight in causing the bundles of candles on a cupboard to be useless. Beside each window was a door and from the design of each door it was clear what lay behind. To her left was a simple door which the elf better was the servant's room while opposite it was a much larger and fancier door which most likely led to the master's portion of the living quarters. Out of habit, the elf ran her finger along the closest surface, not even a crumb of dust stuck to her finger as she examined it.

 

"I can assure you my team worked very hard on cleaning the room so it's as spotless as a moonless sky. Everything is so clean that you could eat food right off its surface," The magistrate explained, a hint of pride flavour sprinkled through his words. "The previous inhabitant of these chambers had been truly a source of problems in terms of the various filths she had left for us but it could be safely said nothing after them had remained and everything else had been treated by at least a dozen cleaning spells... One more thing if I may."

 

"Go on." Iris replied, her arms crossed low in front of her body.

 

"I have to ask you to refrain from leaving this room until tomorrow. Because of your unexpected arrival, you hadn't been introduced to how life is in the Academy nor do you possess a uniform showing that you belong here and I would dread to think of what shame they would bring to us if they repeated today's mistake once again," The man with dark hair said, waiting for Iris's response. "Farewell." He bowed after receiving a bow from the elf.

 

The risen turned around when she heard the door close and looked around the room. Of course, Kia's eyes lazed over the luxurious room with an apathetic gaze before she turned to the taller undead.

 

"Where are the books?" The petite undead approached the risen and grabbed her arms, splitting Iris's arms apart from each other.

 

"I don't know, probably not here and rather in a library." Iris responded as the girl holding her arm lifted up a pillow. Did she think humans hide books under their pillows?

 

"Why are you annoying? Why did everyone become annoying?" 

 

"I have no idea Lady Blackworm what are you talking about, is something wrong?" The risen, so well versed in serving took the fake pleasant voice along with the smile which went along with it, hiding any sort of emotions behind it so the master wouldn't be worried about anything.

 

"Iris!" Kia rose to her toes and grabbed Iris's chest. The elf tilted to the side and fell on one of the couches causing a pillow to be lunched into the air. "Why are you laughing at me now!?"

 

"I find it humorous that you out of all the people end up in these situations. Most would envy your position," The risen explained while finally freeing the grin she had hidden until now. She stood up seeing her kitten staring at her with wide open eyes resembling the two celestial bodies chasing each other each day over the sky. "A totally not princess who hates nothing more than being treated like one, always ending up as some sort of noble."

 

"I'm not a princess!" Kia screamed. 

 

"But you are a Tyrant." Iris named one of the Ancient's many titles causing the frown on her pearless face to deepen further. "But truly I wonder if next time this happens will they give you a crown to wear?"

 

"Don't say this Iris *Sniff*." Kia seemed on the verge of tears as she involuntary leaned on her teasing creation.

 

"Come on, come on, that won't happen," Iris stroked the necromancer's hair trying to calm her down. "That's something that happens only in fairy tales. Although I do fear you will have to get used to tolerate me being slightly annoying."

 

"Why?" Kia sheepishly whispered, not wanting to hear any more of the horrible news.

 

"You are for now Lady Siri dar Blackworm so I have to be your servant."

 

"You can't be my servant." From her adorably helpless girl, all her meekness vanished replaced with authoritative order. Iris felt strings being pulled inside her mind as Kia's cold words sank in.

 

"We could leave to avoid it," The elf proposed. "But that would mean you couldn't read a single book from the largest library in Edor. In addtion, I wouldn't be your servant constantly but only when someone is around us. Imagine it being only slightly different than when you wait quietly to ask questions when we are in public until no one overhears us."

 

"I do?"

 

"Yes, you do. You hadn't been doing that on purpose?" A similar expression of confusion guested on Iris's face.

 

"I guess so." Kia replied, looking unconvinced.

 

The hoplite carefully scanned the mage's body while her mind prodded the link they shared. Rather than finding if the girl was telling the truth or not the elf found a small package of confusion wrapped around great anxiety.

 

"I guess hearing your creation rebel against the one thing it was made to do scared you so much." The undead elf muttered under her nose as she wrapped her arms around her Sleepyicu who had been staring at her chest the entire time.

 

"You said something?" 

 

"You are tired and you need to have a good rest before tomorrow."

 

"I'm not though."

 

"Are you sure?" A brow rose on the risen's face. "Then close your eyes, rest your head on my shoulder and count to one hundred."

 

"Is there a prize at the end?" 

 

"I don't want to spoil you too much~" 

 

The ancient undead huffed but otherwise obediently did as the risen told her. "One, two..." Common numbers filled the otherwise silent room. The tall elf with a blue flower in her hair lifted her innocently adorable creator, she pulled the door handle on the elaborate door and saw a bedroom with another room attached to it.

 

A heavy-looking desk, stocked with writing supplies stood against the wall closest to the smaller window which was left open, causing the previous terrible draft. Not an arm's length away was a large bed normally meant for two although from the number of pillows, the servants making it today didn't expect more than a single person sleeping in it.

 

"...twenty-eight, twenty-nine, twenty-ten.... thirty..." Kia already struggled to keep her count straight and before the elf knew it, her Sun and Star began to purr out the rest of her count as her consciousness slipped from this world. Not long after the elf who wanted to explore their new home felt something began to gently tug on her mind. The force enticing her to join the terrible monster anchored to her soul with cold soothing tendrils the elf had no resistance to.

 

"Maybe Umbria wasn't so bad." The elf caging the Child of the Gods, Tyrant of the Pale Star, Bringer of Slumber, Rouser of the Dead and The Liege Sovereign of Necropolis and so on inside her warm embrace muttered before she too fell asleep.