Interlude 4: Taken Bait

As he walked by the carriage next to the gate, Jackson turned and walked down the path toward his brother-in-law’s mansion. The place had been around for nearly two centuries, ever since Ordwell took the position of Minister 187 years prior. Of course, Jackson had only become his brother-in-law nearly twenty years ago when Ordwell and Jackson’s sister, Lily, married.

Jackson let himself into the mansion and began walking down the corridors. As he reached the end of the first one, he found a sulking young girl sitting in front of the doors to the dining room.

“Have you seen Aria yet?” He squatted down and patted the girl on the head as he asked her the question. Underneath the beanie she wore, he could feel two small bumps on either side of his hand squirm a bit as he patted her.

“Yes…” The girl refused to look up at Jackson.

“So why’re you sad? Shouldn’t this be a joyous occasion?”

“She’s different than she used to be.” The girl shook her head as she spoke. Jackson could feel an anger hiding deep inside of her as she spoke. “She can use magic now.”

It all clicked together in an instant.

“So you’re mad she can use magic now, Yuuki?” Yuuki nodded her head. Jackson let out a long sigh as he patted her on the head again.Yuuki couldn’t use magic. More accurately, she will never be able to use magic. She says it has to do with her bloodline but won’t say anything more than that. Now her friend, who she hasn’t seen in years, comes back able to use the stuff. It would make Jackson jealous as hell if he were in her shoes.

“There’s something else… She’s strong with it. She was able to stop Sarman’s blue fire spear without breaking a sweat.” Now that was something newsworthy to Jackson. His nephew’s spear made up of blue fire was the strongest attack he could make right now. For Aria to stop it without breaking a sweat, she must surely have a strong connection to her magic.

“I see. So she is even stronger than my nephew, huh? I’ll keep that in mind.” Jackson looked through the doors into the dining hall to see it was a mess. Multiple servants were cleaning food stuck everywhere. The walls, windows, and even the carpet were full of it. It looked like a hurricane had come through the room.

“By the way, is Ordwell in his office?” Yuuki nodded. “I see, I’ll go see him now then. Oh, and if I see Sarman, I’ll tell him to come comfort you.” As Jackson walked away, he looked back at Yuuki and winked at her. Her face was already growing red at what he said, but the wink sent her into full blush mode as she tried to hide it.

“Ah, to be young and in love.” Jackson whispered under his breath as he walked up to the door that led to his brother’s office. He could hear an argument on the other side as he knocked. Disregarding any sort of response, Jackson opened the door to see his brother and nephew going at each other.

“I got an urgent intel delivery for one Mr. Chapman.” The two family members of his stopped mid-argument to turn to the door. It was clear that neither had even heard him knock over their raised voices.

“Uncle!” Sarman, Jackson’s nephew, was the first one to say something to him.

“Jackson.” Ordwell followed up with a simple greeting.

“Hey Sarman, can me and your old man have a few minutes in private?” He watched as his nephew deflated in energy.
“Yea, it’s work-related, right? That’s more important than me.” Sarman walked by his uncle, used to being second fiddle to the needs of his father’s work.

“Hey, kid,” Jackson grabbed his nephew’s shoulder as he walked by and leaned in to whisper to him. “Your needs and wants are important. Don’t forget that. But so are others. You gotta balance them. And I just so happen to know that there is a damsel in distress out by the dining room.” Sarman sighed as he shrugged his uncle’s hand off of his shoulder.

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s not like that between us.” Sarman walked to the door of the office and stopped. “But… Thanks, uncle.” With that, he disappeared, closing the door behind him.

“And this is why I told you that you should tell Sarman and Yuuki BEFORE bringing Nic and Aria here.” Jackson quickly turned towards his brother-in-law, who had moved over to the desk in the center of the room.

“You’re right, you’re right. I just wanted it to be a surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to turn out like this.” Ordwell was holding a picture frame in his hand. Jackson knew what was in it, he had seen it many times already. It held a small portrait drawing done of Ordwell and Lily from back before she got pregnant with Sarman.

“He turns eighteen here soon, right?”

“Next month, right before the University classes start again.”

“Then it’s been seventeen years and ten months since…”

“And I still think about her every single day…”

Silence hung in the air as the two thought about the loved one they had lost on that day so long ago.

“You said you had an intel report?” Ordwell changed the subject as he put the picture frame down on the desk, turning to Jackson.

“That’s correct. I’m sure you saw the smoke while making your way into the city. They took the bait and broke Jack out of the place he was being held. They disappeared into the plains surrounding the city. Since they haven’t been found yet, I’m sure they have made their way to the forests.” Jackson stood straight as he gave the report to Ordwell. A smirk grew on Ordwell’s lips as he listened.

“They took the bait…” Jackson turned and looked out the window behind the desk. It looked out over the entirety of that side of Mount Sanum. In a sense, it let Ordwell see the entirety of this portion of the city. “Now, we’ll just have to see what side Jack lands on in the end.”

Jackson had said everything he had in the report. With the sun already set, it was about time for him to return to his own family. They were surely waiting for him to get back before starting their own dinner.

“Soon, I’ll have avenged you, Lily…” As he was walking out the door, Jackson heard Ordwell talking to himself.