Chapter 45: Talk with Orpheus part 1
"Nicole, I will be heading out to the orphanage now. Please take care of things in my stead here. I will be back soon" Iris missed the gloomy look that Nicole gave her.
Iris's mind was too far away to comprehend others' feelings right now. She was too busy categorizing what she had seen outside the window.
Orpheus had been outside, looking at something but Iris had no idea what. She only knew that it was nothing good.
Since her feelings had often proven themselves to be right, Iris was willing to bet on them being correct this time as well.
That was why she needed to hurry up and catch Orpheus in the act. Orpheus seemed like someone who would not confess their crime unless caught red-handed in the act.
Iris had a general idea about the area Orpheus could be, so it was easy to speed past everyone.
Not that anyone tried after she gave them an icy glare. People wisely chose to keep their distance away from her.
It was by pure luck that Iris caught up to Orpheus at the right time. The buzzing noise inside her head informed her that Orpheus was still in the area.
"Were you following me? I felt you look at me from the sultan's tower. So, what brings you out here?" Orpheus asked as soon as Iris saw her. Orpheus was not facing Iris, but it still felt like the other saw through her.
"The conversation from earlier, I would like to continue it now. What are you planning here?" Iris felt her wariness come back as Orpheus turned to her. That gentle smile, it was trouble.
"Me? I'm just enjoying Oreta. You see, I'm interested in the architecture of this place so I wanted to have a look at these drains" Orpheus pointed behind her, directly at the water drains.
They were the same drains that Iris had observed before with the sultan.
Was it a coincidence that they had ended up back here? Somehow, it did not feel like it to her.
"Oh, and did you find something interesting about them? Why would a normal person be interested in the architecture of such an ancient style?" Iris tried to probe inside Orpheus's head.
It was a legit question as well.
The drainage system of Oreta was ancient. It was one of the first and many better systems that had emerged over the years. The council had even pushed its ideas out which required no usage of magic.
Generally, those were the systems one tended to choose to study.
"They are brilliant, a great conductor. They will surely help us out pretty soon in our mission" Orpheus commented and Iris felt alarm rise inside her head.
Mission? What mission?
"Oh, don't look that surprised. You were not expecting to carry out your mission alone, were you?" Orpheus asked with the same annoying smile but there was suspicion in it as well.
Iris felt her breath get caught inside her throat, her nerves freezing up.
She felt out of her element when those green eyes looked at her. Iris knew she was giving herself away with her next words but she wanted, no, needed to know what the other knew.
"What mission?" Iris asked and Orpheus let out a loud laugh. She seemed amused by Iris's words and actions.
"Come on, don't be like that. We are from the same side even. You can share your progress with me" Orpheus asked once she stopped laughing. Her eyes still help the echo of that laugh and Iris felt herself getting irritated.
"I genuinely do not remember any mission that you spoke of. We met for the first time today and you behave as if you know me. Who even are you?" Iris asked once her temper reached its peak.
It was the stress of everything getting to her now.
It had to be.
There was no way it was the anger inside her body that was forcing it all out. The fear coursing through her did not mean anything.
"You are serious? But my master said that you were already deployed and were about to achieve your goal as well. The summon is already in motion as well and you tell me you have no idea?" Orpheus asked, finally looking a little worried.
"I genuinely have no idea what you are talking about" Iris felt an incoming headache knock at her head.
She wanted answers and Orpheus was the one who would give them to her.
"I'm talking about the incoming awakening. The sleeping god beneath Oreta's temple - Isis's awakening. You were deployed to wake it up, remember? That was why you were sent here, just as I was sent to awaken Zorg" Iris felt the blood leave her face.
That was the real mission? That?
"Hey, you alright? You look a little faint. Is it my aura? I'm sorry, I was not aware it was bothering you. Generally, I can control that part but the presence of a god beneath Oreta is messing up my powers as well. Since I'm half-god, the powers are in an uprise at the presence of a competitor. It's a miracle that you have such good self-control over yourself"
Iris felt her world shift over itself at those words.
She had expected to get some answers from Orpheus but she got even more questions instead.
The pressure that accompanied Orpheus vanished and her system bombed her with the notifications in an instant.
[System warning - 'The quest of the chamber 2nd part of the quest finished
Hidden quest unlocked.
Mission perimeter: Find the truth behind the court of Isis]
Wake up the sleeping god? No way.
If that happened, then what would it mean for Oreta? About this world as a whole.
"Orpheus, we cannot allow that. This place, these people, they will all die if Isis wakes up. This place would not survive the uprising" Iris felt her breath come up short. Her words were still cold but held a degree of urgency now.
There was a lack of oxygen inside her chest and it pained Iris as well.
A hand came up to Iris's chest and clutched it tight. It took a second to realize that it had been Iris's hand.
"You should have known what would happen once you took this mission. It's too late to back down now since the things have been set into motion a long time ago" Orpheus looked almost sorry for Iris.
But there was also determination in Orpheus's gaze. She was not going to budge in her decision.
"But what is the need to wake Isis up? And why now? We can leave them sleeping beneath Oreta. Or at least get those people to safety first" Iris felt her calm slip slowly but her tone said the reverse.
She had already broken character and the warnings were flashing inside her mind. It was getting too dangerous territory for her and she had to calm down.
[User warning: User doctor is advised to calm their emotions down.
DANGER SIGNS DETECTED: LAST WARNING - The user is advised to calm down or an emergency protocol would be issued.]
"There is a way to wake Isis up without any casualty. We can try that if you want? Just calm down or you will call god's attention onto us. And I, for one, do not want to lose my freedom so soon. " it took some time for Iris to understand what the other said.
But she knew she was getting through to the other.
"Good. If there is another way without anyone coming to harm, I would prefer it over this. But you will tell me everything you know first" Iris demanded.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
daygon_yuuki
daygon_yuuki Orpheus: This town is done for
Iris/ Michael: In a figure-of-speech sense right?
Orpheus: .......
Iris/ Michael: It's not literally done, right?
Orpheus: No, of course not
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone