Grandmaster Aitercul Renosipe paced in front of the thick oak cell door, wanting to be done with the man contained within. Thanks to the royal torturer’s knife and his own healing magi the man had lost a substantial amount of pork. Though the scarring would never fade. Blackwood’s old clothes –once fit for a duke– now hung loosely over his frame, his belt so slack that they’d been forced to cinch it down and punch a half dozen new holes in it. Nearly wrapping the strip of leather around his waist twice in an attempt to make him presentable, an almost impossible task after the torturer’s expert blade had flayed his excess fat from his muscles.

“Blasted belt…” Mumbled Viscount Blackwood.

“Enough of this leather fiddling, let us be off! Pandora’s heart will take some time to adjust and we have mere days before the cataclysm!” Snapped Grandmaster Renosipe.

Action followed his words, waving his hand in a circular motion to form a ball of dark mana, a sphere that slowly expanded and flattened til it grew into a portal. Through the purple river they saw a door, one with multiple locks and heavy hinges. Blackwood swallowed and looked at the portal apprehensively.

“This is… safe… right?” He asked meekly.

“If I wanted you dead I would not have sued for your release! Now get in.” Hissed Renosipe.

Blackwood panted, closed his eyes and dashed into the portal, startling Renosipe with his decisiveness. One eyebrow raised as the man vanished from his side. Aitercul shook his head once before following the viscount at a more appropriate pace, regally striding across the continent and reappearing in the tallest tower of Blackwood Keep.

Around him stood a simple cylindrical room, gray stone walls greeted him from all sides, illuminated by the natural light of three barred windows. A pair of desks sat on his left. While two beds lay on his right hand side, one of his battle mages, a dark eyed youth by the name of Cedric met his gaze and dismissed the fireball in his hand. Visibly relaxing at the sight of his Grandmaster.

“Can’t be too careful these days headmaster.” Said Cedric.

“Speaking of… There should be two of you here at all times.” Prodded Renosipe.

“Ahem.” Said a voice behind Renosipe.

It was muffled, sounding like it came from the floorboards. Doing a one-eighty Renosipe searched for the voice, finding it attached to another one of his battle mages.

“How’s it going wren-o-snippy.” Called a thin man with sharp features.

His mocking tone matched the pronunciation –that a very drunk– Duke Hamilton had used at court. A jest that did not land with Renosipe.

“Orion. Does laying on the floor give you a sense of satisfaction? As if you finally found where you belong?” Questioned Renosipe quickly, glancing towards the fragment of a god that sat mere feet away from him.

“Ack! You wound me.” Chuckled Orion. “This is your fault! Your portal nearly took my arm off!” Answered the highest ranked battle mage from the college of wind. By merit of being the only battle mage from the college of wind.

Renosipe nodded approvingly to conceal his thoughts. Orion was a wildcard, all wind magi were. As headmaster of the college he was the honourary and defacto grandmaster of the college of wind in addition to his own college of fire and honourary master of shadows. In truth the college of wind was a single tower between the college of fire and the college of water. Its few occupants were the children of nobles and a couple of wandering magi who had returned from the elven lands. In short, a dump of lost children. Of which, Orion was the most fickle.

When he had called upon the tower, Orion had been the only available mage, the others too young or too old to muster up enough wind for a sneeze. Renosipe activated his [appraise] skill and once again found a sight that annoyed him.

Name: Orion “********************”

Title: Windcaller

Class: Sage

Affinities: Wind

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Additional details locked.

Wind mages, ugh. How do they all have a skill to avoid appraisal? Though his level must be high enough to conceal his last name and level.

“Cedric, how would you rate Orion’s talents.” Asked Renosipe, staring Orion in the eye as he asked the question.

Cedric was one of his most reliable shadow mages in his college, a pure level eight dark affinity mage. And more importantly, an umbraquin. One he could trust with Pandora’s heart. Unfortunately for them both, Orion was an insufferable mage, arrogant and unhelpful to others. Too self absorbed in his own magic to consider the feelings of others.

“Uhm… I’m happy to have him. He fights strangely, attacking with speed and mundane weapons, and zero defense.” Opined Cedric, unintentionally turning his compliment into critique.

“Ha! I’m more than your equal, but we do make a good pair. I kill, you keep the fodder out of my way.” Chuckled Orion.

Renosipe rolled his eyes, turning away from the man entirely. Cedric had given him a stamp of approval, that was all he needed –or wanted.

“Blackwood, now that you have returned let us educate my mages on the details of our plan.” Said Renosipe.

“Ah, yes of course grandmaster. I must send messengers and outriders to my cities and summon their soldiers-” Began Viscount Blackwood.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Already done, their outriders started arriving yesterday and we finally convinced the captain to start patrolling the roads towards Avignon and Petra.” Said Cedric, interrupting the lord.

“Only took a card game and six bottles of wine.” Laughed Orion, darkly alluding to the game he never seemed to lose at.

“Oh, excellent! Then uhm… Ahem… It is time for the slaves…” Said Blackwood slowly, pausing a bit too often as if the words physically hurt him to say. “Time for the slaves, to be, ah, neutered and set free…” Moaned Blackwood.

Orion chuckled at the man’s painful change of heart. Renosipe gave him a side eyed look, trying to shut Orion’s mouth before he said something foolish.

“By Taloc’s thunder, what did you do to him? Lord Blackwood, you need to find your spine before talking to your men! Lest they mistake you for Lady Blackwood.” Jeered Orion.

“Peace Orion! Or have you forgotten Lord Liam’s killing blow or Lady Nyota’s roar of thunder.” Counseled Cedric. “You are mad to think he would let any of us survive if we started snipping their bits now.” Said Cedric with a shiver.

Blackwood looked to Renosipe with a pleading look, his flaccid jowls making his pathetic puppy dog eyes look even more pitiable. Renosipe inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and shaking his head at the new information.

All according to plan… Thought Renosipe, speaking as though it was Blackwood’s fault.

“You haven’t freed the slaves yet? Your captain must be a halfwit, rejecting an order that bore the royal seal. Bah, this entire castle could be razed for treason.” Growled Renosipe.

“No my lord! I only just arrived! They shall be set free immediately! I- I’ll- ah- speak with the captain immediately!” Exclaimed Blackwood, cutting off the two mages to whom the question had been directed at.

“Put them up in the great hall, feed them to their heart’s content and bring their command crystals. I will be along shortly to discuss their futures.” Said Renosipe in a meaningful tone.

“Sir, they’ve been on three quarters rations since we arrived, that’s up from half rations. If Lord Liam is on his way then I would have them clothed and bathed with the utmost care. It would’ve already been done, but Lady Blackwood prevented the servants from assisting me, and I'm not about to bathe a hundred slaves myself…” Interjected Cedric, sounding almost apologetic.

“You’d never get the cat hair out of your robes.” Laughed Orion, only half intending to make a pun, “but we’d best get to it, at least then we can pretend to have treated them well.” Added Orion, musing on what Liam might do if he found the slaves in a less favorable position. Probably murder everyone, parrying lightning could be fun, it certainly comes with high stakes…

“Yes sir, I’ll do it now sirs.” Said Blackwood, fumbling with the multiple locks and finally escaping from the mage’s presence.

They watched him go, listening as he fumbled and tripped down the stairs in his rush to escape his mental tormentors.

“What in Taloc’s name did you do to him?” Asked Cedric.

“I” Said Renosipe, emphasizing the word, “saved him from the king’s justice. He should be kissing my feet for sticking my neck out for his worthless cock.” Sneered Renosipe.

Orion laughed, and Cedric’s eyebrows chuckled in surprise at their –normally unreadable– headmaster’s sudden outburst. He let them chuckle, waiting until they quieted to speak again. To his surprise Cedric cast a spell of darkness over the door, turning to Renosipe.

“Is it true?” He whispered.

“Yes, I appraised her myself, Lady Nyota is a Lightning lord in her own right, and a pure Eclipsiarch, her blood is equal to the Perun’s. I never imagined such a creature would come to be in our lifetimes.” Confided Renosipe.

“We should kill Blackwood and be done with this plot then! Our queen is here, time to overthrow the king and slaughter the humans!” Snapped Orion, speaking with such furor that he accidentally revealed his umbraquin teeth. Somehow biting through his wind illusions.

“Silence you fool!” Snarled Renosipe, slapping the wind affinity umbraquin across the face.

Orion was caught off guard by the slap and flopped awkwardly onto a nearby desk.

“What can a few dozen magicians do? Overthrow the whole kingdom? There are MILLIONS of humans! We’ve been slain, neutered, and vivisected! You bloody imbecile. There must be a champion to awaken all feline savagery. One who will bring us out of slavery and onto even footing with humanity. Think! Bah, expand the width of the portals, start opening gates in the surrounding baronies, and be sure to give Duke Hamilton a few nasty surprises on his way here. We must empty Pandora’s heart first! Once the blood of Blackwood and Hamilton’s armies water the viscounty’s namesake, then the tides of night will be in our favor. Then and only then can we safeguard our brethren under Lord Liam’s reign. And watch your tongue Orion! If you endanger Lady Nyota with that title again, I'll kill you myself.” Swore Renosipe, his tone as serious as the grave.

“But sire! She carries the book of lies! She wields god’s own lightning! Surely the time is now?” Sniveled Orion, unable to let it go.

“We have only the one book and no copies! Patience! We must fight alongside humanity now, but survive them. We are but one pride, messages have been sent, but the others need time to cultivate their plans. Besides, Lord Liam said something that concerns me, he said he had seen his own death, and that it would soon come to pass.” Advised Renosipe.

“I heard him say it as well, but we are here! Surely we can prevent a flippant prophecy. It won’t be the first such prophecy we’ve disproven.” Pleaded Cedric.

“No, Master Rhendal saw Perun Taloc’s great serpent issue the prophecy. We must assume this is the divine will. Though I cannot fathom why we must lose our greatest champion.” Said Renosipe, giving Pandora’s Heart a suspicious glance that disproved his words. “Lord Liam will fall, and soon. We cannot allow the last of the pure blooded Eclipsiarchs to be slain or neutered. Cedric, free as many as you are able, but do not allow the heart to run rampant.” Said Renosipe, dismissing his favored scion.

Orion watched silently as Cedric left the room, turning towards his adopted –and estranged– father with rage in his eyes.

“You would serve another generation of humans!” He hissed, narrowing his eyes at Renosipe.

“Shut your whoring mouth Orion. Do not think we are equals merely because you can hide your levels from me. I was there when you dropped from Nyota’s womb. We are umbraquins, failed mutants born to serve, do not forget your place. You owe your life to me as well as to her. If she has chosen Liam to be her lord then we will follow. Now begone, warn the captain to rally his men, tell him that portals will start appearing in the courtyard tonight.” Warned Renosipe.

A confused look crossed Orion’s face.

“The dragon’s portal is not yet ready, why summon lesser portals here? Why endanger our brothers and sisters?” He asked.

Renosipe smiled, finally baring his own filed-down incisors to his distant relative.

“Pandora’s heart could overrun Lord Liam’s fiefs. If we pull monsters away from his lands to here, then Blackwood will pay the bloody price. We will lure them into the courtyard with promises of weak monsters and controlled portals for a week until the dragon portal opens. Let them spend their strengths fighting a hundred small battles.” Said Renosipe his smirk dripping with malice.

“Exhaust them before the real battle begins. I apologize for my ignorance Grandmaster.” Whispered Orion, eyes growing wide at the suggestion.

“Indeed, I doubt anything in Blackwood could stand against it, but Duke Hamilton is the kingdom’s best general. We must summon a monstrosity capable of slaying him.” Grumbled Renosipe.

He turned and touched Pandora’s heart, manipulating the cursed icon with his dark mana. The large gem was mounted on a pedestal of black granite and gold. A fitting setting for the tool of humanity's downfall.

Yet, within the heart, Pandora smiled.