Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, click-clack… A wooden pendulum bobbed back and forth filling the endless emptiness of the dark hall with a cacophony of clicks and clacks. Devoid of its occupants and the noise they made the place surrendered onto the hegemony of clanking clicks. Every swing of the pendulum brought another click and yet another clack sending it alongside the corridor where it bounced against a black granite wall to return with a different pitch. Fenella stared daggers at the hellish contraption mounted next to the door of her master’s office. The little click and clacking box ridiculed her while a regiment of sledgehammers danced under her skull. Restraining her temper she pressed her fist against her forehead, hoping to lessen her headache. It did little to ease her pain. Her temples burned with pulsating agony while the queen mother of all migraines fucked with her brain. All in the rhythm of clicks and clacks. The torture device they called a clock. Devised and build by the academy’s newest push boy, it supposedly showed the current time of the day. And it wasn’t even magic. Well, whatever. Fenella did not care. The damn thing clacked too much for her temper. She pushed herself off the couch and in one bout of speed traversed the corridor meeting face to face with the clicking box. Her fist went straight through the clock, embedding itself in the granite wall of the corridor. In clattering agony, pieces of wood and wall rained all over the floor where the broken pendulum came to the eternal rest.
“Damaging government property is strictly forbidden. Cost of fixing the corridor shall be deducted off your salary.”
A cold voice announced next to her face. Magistrate Inspector, Vernilly von Hertel stood in the crack of the opened door. The ice queen of the Magistrate and the right hand of the grandmaster. Also one of the most scorned upon people of the whole empire. Imperial law forbid her any use of magic without magistrate authorization while challenging, attacking or threatening her would warrant an instant death sentence. Nobody knows how this came to be but the ice queen was untouchable. Maybe because of her position as the sole auditor of the judge magisters? Or maybe because something hidden deep inside her scared even the grandmaster? Fenella did not care as long as the master kept that whore on a tight leash.
“You may come in. Master shall hear you now.”
At least she did not mention the dreadful contraption littering the floor. Gods knew how much that thing was worth since it came from the academy. Unlodging her hand from the wall, the judge magister entered and let herself be led towards the man awaiting her report. Even though she had walk through these doors countless times, the experience always unnerved her. The creaking of the ancient oak floor, the heavy mana pressure and the man waiting in the brightly lit study hidden behind a set of double doors that separated his office from the space occupied by his assistants. Garbannel von Melleroy. Adopted son of Emil and Fearnice von Melleroy. Grand master of magic, sage of the everlasting empire, lord judge magister. A man to be reckoned with. Over the centuries emperors raised and fell yet he thrived. Unchallenged, undisputed. Most powerful man of the entire empire and yet, known only as the shadow of the emperor. An advisor. No ordinary man could grasp the scale of this misunderstanding. On the surface Garbannel presided over the magistrate and their judge magisters. Part law enforcers – part magical handymen in the service of the emperor. Often regarded as imperial lapdogs and ridiculed throughout the noble society. In truth Garbannel’s power reached much deeper. As deep as the darkest shadows and as far as the imperial borders or in special circumstances, as far as it was necessary. Oh yes. The man had ways and her life and the life of countless many others often depended upon his words or strict and swift execution of his instructions.
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Closing a second set of doors behind them, Vernilly gave her another stern look. It was her way of saying ‘wait here or I’ll kill you’. Fenella stopped and waited. Again. That’s why she hated the capital and its constant need of dramatic power shows. People living here were locked in eternal dance of power struggle where everyone from fish traders and whores to nobles and politicians were bent on showing whose more important. The same was true for her master so she stood there waiting while the auditor traveled the remaining several steps and whispered something to the man standing there , bent over some papers.
“… Did she?”
The man reacted, not yet acknowledging Fenella’s presence. Without breaking his concentration, he waved his hand dismissing the auditor. In the remaining silence only her footsteps creaked against the wooden floor. Fenella waited. Garbannel had little love for interruptions.
“Judge Magister Tirsten. I am glad you could join us.”
“Grandmaster.”
She did the official bow greeting even though the man still had his back turned on her. At the same time her migraine bumped the game a notch, sending sparkling stars over her vision.
“I wished to congratulate you upon completing your mission however if my memory serves me right, have I not send another five along with you?”
“Six.”
“Ah, yes. The apprentice in training. ”
Garbannel drummed his fingers against the table he’s been leaning over.
“How?”
“Cultists ambushed us once we arrived within the village. We’ve lost Judge Dashi and Judge Holter during initial fighting as we struggled to stop the ongoing ritual. Judge Femri and Judge Gor were slain by branch cult leader before he was neutralized as we took the village. Acolyte Jalea assisted me with sealing of the non-focused portal we discovered on site of the ritual, surrounded by the remains of missing villagers. As the portal dissipated, an unknow force manifested and took hold of acolyte Jalea pulling her in. At that time the portal became unstable. To prevent any further damage to the surrounding area in the event of critical collapse, I have forcefully shut it down. The strain of this action has rendered me unconscious for eleven days. The last remaining Judge Magister Bonefar with dispatched magistrate warriors battled and subdued present cult forces eliminating two of the four known cult lords. Severely wounded, he died before help arrived.”
“That much I’ve been made aware during my recovery. General Vakari submitted a detailed report of the battle of the Lasti village and the cleanup operations. Currently the whole village is under the jurisdiction of Judge Magister Falloni, pending investigation.”
Fenella went silent. There was nothing else she could add.
“Have you ever been to Crovellem?”
The question came out of nowhere.
“No. Not that I know of.”
She had no memories of her earlier childhood. A little price to pay for the power she received.
“Good. You are leaving tomorrow. I have written you a letter of introduction, my nice Aeritha should be delighted to meet you. You may as well get aquatinted with the scarlet witch that is currently recovering under her care after a run in with a dragon. A curious tale I’ve been told.”
“A dragon? Here in the empire? Impossible. People always exaggerate. Most likely a wyvern burned a village or two.”
For the first time since she arrived the grandmaster looked at her. There was pity in his eyes.
“Child, do you know why people call her the Scarlet Witch?”
Red eyes, red hairs, pale red skin. Not to mention that shedding red pelt draped around her. That’s enough to tip one off. Fenella thought but remained silent.
“She had single-handedly slain hundreds if not thousands of wyverns. Their blood stained her body. The red pelt she adorns so much belonged to a ten tailed daemon fox she flayed with her bare hands.”
“I say this because I know this for a fact. I saw her gnaw at the fox’s bones, sucking the marrow out of it. Even in my prime I would think twice about measuring against her. If the witch said it was a dragon then it was a dragon. Most likely an ancient one at that. Nothing of the lesser kind would force her to abandon her tower.”
“A supposedly dead dragon as of now if luck smiled upon us. I want you to make sure the said dead dragon stays dead and won’t go floating around the Long Lake.”
“I’ve prepared you a package, you will find it in your quarters. Use any means necessary. ”