Theria checked her domain of force of nature storm surge surged over the chair and a third of the table that would be Theria's if she sat down. She checked out both the Chaosmage and the Necromancer with her ring; surprisingly, both were green. She asked them both if the tea and food were safe to consume; they agreed that they were not poisonous and had no side effects or toxic, although the tea was a slight stimulant. When Theria had blessed the area with her domain for long enough to inspire her confidence, she sat in the third chair and enjoyed a nice roast breakfast and tea; the DireBear sat beside her and enjoyed being fed; for every item of breakfast, Theria took two more were passed to the DireBear. The tea was most refreshing, and when everyone was settled and replete with breakfast, the conversation started to flow.

Theria asked, "My name is Theria, and may I assume I have the pleasure of the company of the owners of two minor Wizards Towers? By reputation, I further presume one of you is Maldûr Murmurer, both Murderer and Necromancer from the North of the Vale and the other Shadowtwist Bloodtaint, the Chaosmage Defiler and Corrupter from the South of the Vale."

The Necromancer said, "By reputation, yes, but I am not as I have been made to appear; I am Maldûr." The Chaosmage added, "And I am Shadowtwist, and some of my reputation may well be earned but from years ago, some not."

Theria then asked, "So did you both know that Iladzimir, the impartial illusionist wasn't impartial and wasn't Iladzimir but rather a demonic eldritch Nameless Terror?" they both shook their heads, and Maldûr spoke. "Until this day, neither Shadowtwist nor I had exchanged words for a generation. Iladzimir had told us both the other wanted an apology and reparations before they would reestablish relations. All the while, portals would open, and undead I did not create appeared; some I could take control of and keep in my orbit and some were sent beyond my scope of power." Shaowtwist interjected, saying. "When we were four apprentices following the great Blue Wizard against the Dark Lord, the four apprentices were given the four minor Wizard Towers here and encouraged to prepare for the next Dark Lord before the Great Blue Wizard left us all so long ago. Myself, Maldûr, Horace the Hidden and Iladzimir, you know we all did our best to get stronger and to be ready. Back then, we all learnt and studied to be stronger and ready, and I got carried away over time and did take land and try to build myself power, but then Horace made a move to stop me, so I countered and destroyed his Tower with him in it. This made me very sad, and I stopped bothering with owning more land. I do not know when that thing supplanted the real Iladzimir, but I do not think that would have fooled the Great Blue Wizard, and I think it wasn't before that antisocial introvert Horace and his Tower were destroyed. Though for the last thirty years, portals would open, and chaos spawn I did not taint, nor defile had started appearing, and I thought it was Maldûr mocking me and the magic I had studied, I did control some to defend my Tower, but only those within the scope of my powers."

"Will we have more zombie attacks in the North?" Theria asked. "Not from me," said Maldûr. "What about unnatural famine and pestilence which have been reported in the North" Theria asked again. "Still not from me," said Maldûr, "not from me either," said Shadowtaint.

Theria asked Maldûr, gazing into his eyes with her hand on her teacup, her ring visible in her peripheral view. "Please forgive my impertinence, but did you cause a King to be killed in the North in the last few months?" Maldûr stared back and said, "No." Theria turned and asked Shadowtaint, gazing at his eyes with her hand still on her teacup, her ring remaining visible in her peripheral view. "Please forgive my impertinence again, but I must know the answer, but did you cause a King to be killed in the North in the last few months?" and Shadowtaint stared back. "No." The green glow on the ring remained and did not flicker any other colour for either of them. Theria asked, "Are either of you familiar with a skeletal centaur used as a messenger?" Both shook their heads. Theria then asked, "Are you familiar with a gargoyle that is possibly also used as a messenger?" neither had seen a gargoyle in many decades.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Theria asked, "So if other or others, are indeed making this mischief by using Portals and blaming you or indeed others for their actions, can you teach me how to open Portals, scan for Portals or block Portals and whom do you suspect of being behind it?" Maldûr replied, "I can use Portals, but alas, this isn't something I could teach; it is advanced Magic to do and to teach it to others is a much deeper magic than I yet possess." Then Shadowtaint interjected, "I too may use Portals, but I can't teach it, I am afraid, but I can tell you that I learnt from an elemental. I can show you how to detect Portal energy so you can see where they are and where they have been; with your skill, focus on this" A blue thread came from his finger and opened a small portal; by concentrating on the thread she could understand the building block of the portal and could sense which direction the bricks were. Maldûr continued, "Regarding blocking Portal, I know this can be done. Portal denial is a thing, but it is a thing beyond me at this time." Shadowtaint continued, "I know not who has done this, whether Iladzimir is dead or lives behind this, or whether Horace's death was faked and he is behind this or the Gargoyle, skeletal centaur or who the dark apprentice is."

Theria continued, "What do you know that they had a Dark Protégé?" both shook their heads.

Theria asked, "What can you tell me about the Dark Continent?" They both had been there long ago to fight the last Dark Lord and were there when an alliance defeated him. Together the allies ransacked the Dark Lord's Tower and took what treasures they could find, all screened by the Great Blue Wizard before returning to Ur. The continent was human-centric and isolationist and was mainly focused on rebuilding after the devastation the War against the Dark Lord had wrought upon their continent. The peaks of the far west of the Dark Continent contain Harpies, Wvyerns and Griffins.

She asked them if they would open a Portal to the middle City of the Free Orc cities where the majority of those Orcs who lived there were Fey Orcs. They obliged her, and she invited a shaman from the Fey Orc City to join the Tea Party, and he did so accompanied by Paladin Patience. Theria updated them both on what had happened in the disputed Vale, and the Paladin shared that they had agreed to a provisional mutual defence agreement waiting for formal consideration and ratification by the High Marshall of the Theocratic Protectorate; this might require a visit from the High Marshall to check the changes were true. The two Wizards offered Non-Agression Pacts with the two representatives to take back for consideration and asked to open trade links. The Shaman updated on changes to the five free Orc cities. The Paladin and Shaman were anxious to see inside the empty Wizards Tower before returning through the Portal. When the Paladin returned, he wrote an update message to the High Marshall, and a Fey Orc Runner agreed to take the Paladin's message to the Theocratic Protectorate as a goodwill gesture. At the same time, the Free Orc Cities Shaman met in Council and discussed the fast-moving events.

Theria asked the two Wizards to open a Portal first to see Thomas, where she left him an update on what had happened in the South and that she was investigating Portals. She drafted a note to pass on to Countess Threadstore that one of those behind the assassination of the King was now dead, and she might need a while longer. A second message she drafted for Sideswipe about the two new staff incoming from Grey Isle. The Portal was then closed, and she asked the Wizards for one more Portal to the Baria Mountains, where the tribe of Goldenrift Dwarves lived, as they were her next port of call. She said goodbye to the Wizards, and Theria and the DireBear stepped through.