He didn't smile for long, though.
Adenius had underestimated how hot the fire burns. He screeched, rolling on the ground, his skin scorched off his flesh. His mask heated up, cooking his head. Adenius felt his face tear open like water boiling on a stove. His entire world became pain until Sancmonius' men overcame their shock, extinguishing the flames devouring him.
Unconsciousness knocked at his door, having taken pity. But it could not have him yet.
"Resistance!" Adenius yelled. The heated remnants of his mask distorted his voice into something vile. Something no one could trust or find a friend in. "Resistance!"
Every breath he took he used to scream this one word until he fainted. Adenius embraced the darkness with open arms, knowing he had done his part.
…
Adenius woke a few hours later. Sancmonius had kept several Alchemists as healers. They had reconstructed his tormented flesh, giving him back what he had thrown away. His head was spinning. He struggled to sit up straight.
"M… master!" Tobées said as Adenius began to move. "Lay down! The Alchemists said you are still in bad shape. You need peace and…"
"Please, my dear Tobées," Adenius said. He blinked, startled at his unaltered voice. He had grown accustomed to hearing nothing but what the mask made him. "Your concern touches me, but we don't have the time for such things. Could you please bring me my belongings?"
Adenius stood up, his legs shaky. After a few seconds, Adenius regained the strength to keep himself up without help. His blanket fell off, presenting Tobées with his master's naked body. The younger man looked away, his discomfort carved into his features.
Adenius cared not. "Tobées, please."
Tobées handed him his clothes. Thankfully, Adenius put on his pants first. "They wanted to throw away your clothes," Tobées said. "But… I knew you would like to keep them."
His black uniform had kissed the flames and wore the mark of their encounter. The scorched leather felt rough and stiff in his fingers. "Ah, my dear Tobées, it is such an honor to have you as my apprentice. It fills my heart with joy. Could you please inform me of the current state of affairs."
"Of course. After the attack, the army went into defense, expecting another attack. They were… mad… to say the least. The death of Sancmonius hit them hard. They want revenge. As there was no other attack, they are having a meeting about what to do next."
Adenius put on his mask back. His beloved had suffered the most. The wound Liron had sliced into its steel had opened further. The surface had melted away, revealing the innards of the Machina. All the tiny moving parts and tubes for the world to see. Adenius' little organ. How he loved playing on it. The flames had damaged them, too, turning his voice into one fitting for Drom.
"Better," Adenius said, making Tobées cringe at the sound. "That is good to hear. Tobées, we will join their talks. There, we will assert control over the army and insert you as the leading general of it."
Tobées stared at Adenius, forgetting to blink. "What?!"
"You are still under my tutelage, so you will follow my every command as soon as we have secured your position."
"Ma… master, this must be a joke," Tobées said, struggling not to speak Lors. His accent intensified. "I… I can't… I'm not a full Warpriest yet. They would never follow me."
"It is all good, Tobées. They will all know that I'm controlling the army and not you. But I can't take steer them directly, as no Military army would allow an Inquisitor to lead them. You will be the bridge connecting us, Tobées. You will allow us to operate as planned."
Tobées breathing accelerated, growing hectic. His eyes darted around, searching for any escape. Adenius grabbed his student by his shoulders. "Calm yourself, Tobées."
He wanted to bring him peace, but his distorted voice did him no favor. "Breath. Come, I'll help you."
They breathed together, Adenius directing the pace. At first, he copied Tobées' hectic ones, but he slowed it down, his student following his guidance. Once it calmed to a steady breathing, Tobées had defeated his panic. "I… I think I'm better."
"Good, take your time, Tobées. But not too long because we have work to do. I need you to take control over this army."
The weary eyes of his student sharpened. After all they had seen, they could recognize the truth with ease. "It… it was you. The…"
Adenius signaled him to lower his voice, and he did so. You could never be too cautious. "This was no Resistance's attack. You… you blew up the tent."
Adenius pushed up his mask. He loved it with all his heart, but it wasn't meant for whispers. "Exactly. I had no other option."
"But… but that's insanity. I saw you burning. You screamed and… you had to know you might die, and that you would have to… feel pain and…"
"It frightened my heart, Tobées, but Harras gave me the strength to endure. I positioned myself so the explosion wouldn't kill me. It was the only way to get rid of Sancmonius and ensure we could use his army. I needed them with a righteous anger against the Resistance, and now I have them."
"But… this is… madness. Why go this far? You have the Fides."
Adenius' fingers dug into Tobées' shoulders, a manic smile lightening up the Inquisitor's features. His eyes burned with a divine fervor bestowed upon him by his heavenly father. "Because I have to, Tobées. I have no other option. Without them, I am doomed. Think about it. The only way Liron can defeat my Fides is by bringing Wran to us. The Faeling separated from him with his Vehiculum.
"Why? The only reasonable explanation is to retrieve Bloody Wran. The Archmage will make short work of my Fides. We have to strike them now. But even then, it might be too late. For all we know, Wran is already with them. I can't tell, Tobées, I can't tell."
Adenius giggled, shaking his student. "I have never been cornered like this. No prey had ever forced me to employ such drastic measures. I had to bet my own life for a chance to win. To win, we will have to summon all we can to eradicate Liron. Harras, I can't even imagine what he will do in response to our army. I do hope that Wran is not with them already. It would render our hunt pointless and bring it to an end."
The sounds of the army crept into their tent. The discontent rose among the men. They wanted blood. "This is insanity," Tobées said, freeing himself from his master's grasp. "How are we supposed to find him here? We will never be able to."
"Think, Tobées, think. We need to kill them as much as they need to kill us. Both of us have sacrificed too much already. Neither can return home without a victory. Either we are victorious or we become the fodder for our slayer's legend. They will be nearby, baiting us to come. They have to."
"We?" Tobées asked. "What do you mean 'we' can't return home before winning?"
"Tobées, you are my pupil. They will think you were my accomplice in birthing the Fides. They will execute you if you don't bring them Liron's head."
The younger man took a step back. The exhaustion of the last days pressed down on him, threatening to bring him to his knees. "Bu… but I didn't do anything. I'm innocent."
"When has this ever mattered? The truth is what the Empire says it is. You asked how I could go into Sancmonius' tent knowing what would await me. It is simple. I am a forfeit man. My fate is the flames. Our execution has been postponed, but it is determined. We have nothing left to lose.
"But listen to me. Follow me. Do everything I tell you to do, and we will escape our justice. The Ministry of Public will make us heroes. The ones that avenged Kupferrang. This one deed will outshine all your family's accomplishments. You will become a great general, with the potential to become a Divine General one day. The Empire never discards something useful. Prove your use, Tobées. Prove it, and your future will be one to envy."
Tobées' eyes dulled. He nodded, all tension leaving him. He grew weak as mud in Adenius' hands, ready to be formed into whatever was necessary.
As they left the tent, Tobées stopped, whispering to his master. "Where did you get the bombs?"
Adenius raised his mask, whispering in return. "I always have them. Should I lose, I would intend to take my prey with me. Well, I've played this trick early, but it will be worth it."
The remaining evening transpired as Adenius had guessed. Arguments, rage, and hatred. He brought no end to them but redirected them. Before the Silvermoon rose, Adenius gained control over Sancmonius' army.
What a bore.
But his boredom would not last any longer. All preparations had been made. It was time to go back on the hunt.