Vell looked through a few books and scrolls in the hall of records.

Both the works of great scholars and complete nonsense were present. The Irathy noted down every single detail of history, magic, and anything else, collected everything, and made copies of the things they couldn't keep.

It was their obsession.

As he flipped through one particularly old and tattered book, something caught his eye.

Old maps of Irath and its surrounding land, with markings and symbols that seemed familiar to him. He traced the lines with his finger, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind them.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. Vell quickly closed the book and stood up, turning to face the High Councilor.

"Have you found what you were looking for, Dread Mage?" the councilor asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I believe I have," he said confidently. "But I will need more time to study it further."

The councilor nodded, his expression impassive. "Very well. Take all the time you need. But remember, all knowledge obtained here belongs to Irath."

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Vell nodded in understanding and watched as the councilor left the room, leaving him alone with the ancient maps. But he was sure they kept an eye on him. They could be watching him right now.

The maps may not be useful for his goal or Sonder's right now, but they would give him a better understanding of Irath. Something not many people had.

He'd memorize them and later redraw these maps for himself, just to have them.

As Vell continued to study the maps in detail, he noticed a pattern emerging. There were certain symbols and markings that repeated throughout the different maps, pointing to specific locations within Irath. He furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of the connections between these locations.

After some time, Vell began to realize that these markings were not random. They formed a network of ley lines that crisscrossed through Irath, connecting places of power.

And the palace lay directly in the middle of the network.

He was convinced that this knowledge was important somehow.

But he knew he had to be careful. Any wrong move could spell disaster for him, Sonder, and her family if they were still alive.

He made a mental note to keep his discoveries hidden, at least until he had a solid plan in place.

Placing the book back where it belonged, he took out another one, one that wouldn't raise as much suspicion, sat down by a table, and then thought about what he should do next.

That was what he was best at.

Maybe he should wait for Sonder? No.

The mages here would keep her busy with monotone work as she was theirs now, but they wouldn't go into the extreme with them as long as he was here.

If he wanted to get results quickly, he needed to do something drastic.