Lara and Segi were, coincidentally, discharged from the hospital on the same day. Both ladies decided to treat themselves to lunch, get away from all the business.
Lara was almost ten years older than Segi, who was just a couple of years older than Binko and Lakan's set. She was married but her husband was a long distance trader, he'd come to visit her only five times while she was in the hospital, and he wasn't around when she'd left.
The two women headed to a restaurant at inoko, where they had had lunch and talked.
"How are you feeling about going on field mission, Lara?" Segi asked.
"ugh... I can't wait." Lara replied. Both women laughed.
"You know I thought you would just avoid any field work after what happened to you." Segi said. "How long were you in the hospital?"
"It's been almost two months." Lara said. "But you know me, I'm an adventurer. Being stuck in that hospital bed for that long was genuinely one of the worst experiences of my life."
"You know, that's actually great." Segi said. "Because I'm actually going after Ganz, and I need a partner. Are you in?"
"Definitely." Lara said. "I'm ready when you are."
Segi chuckled. "He's in Saymor, of course. And he's been planting his men into their society. That's how they got me. We'll have to be extra careful this time."
"I guess he learned that outright violence wasn't a great strategy." Lara said. "So he's resorted to being a sneaky boy."
"Well, Lara, it's time to sniff out our sneaky boy and give him a good spanking." Segi said. Lara smiled and nodded.
---
The Lord Mages had attempted to form an overwhelming force of war mages like they'd agreed in their previous meeting, but they quickly learned that war mages were not pack hunters. Despite the pleas of Lord Fugap, Daron, and others, Once there were four mages on the team, no one else wanted to join.
"That's enough people, Daron, don't be ridiculous." Sir Manjun had said, when Lord Daron contacted him.
"But we need an overwhelming force to completely crush whatever they have going on there." Lord Daron said.
Sir Manjun laughed, a deep laugh that made him cough.
"Daron, four Elite war mages is an overwhelming force. It's a town in the middle of nowhere! Don't you have any faith in us at all?"
"Not at all—" Lord Daron began.
"Then send the four people you have," Sir Manjun said. "In fact two is plenty, but since you're so scared, you can send four."
"Okay. Thank you." Lord Daron said.
"By the way, Daron. I'm thinking of retiring." He said.
"Really?" Lord Daron exclaimed. "But you're our oldest active Mage!"
"Exactly, My colleagues have all retired. Some of them retired twenty years ago. I'm almost seventy and I feel like I've left my mark, you know?" Sir Manjun said.
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Lord Daron sighed. "Will you at least come on the Lord Mage council?" Lord Daron asked.
"Not a chance." Sir Manjun said, both men laughed, it was common knowledge that not even retired war mages were interested in joining the Lord Mage council. In fact most of Aku'anda's retired Mages didn't live in the city, a vast majority of them lived in small picturesque villages, off their retirement money.
Lord Daron thanked Sir Manjun and dampened the wave spell. Regar, Binko, Lakan, and Hark would have to do. He felt a wave prodding, it was Segi.
"Lord Daron, In two days we're going hunting after Ganz. I've already assembled a team of five mages."
"Five mages!" Lord Daron exclaimed, slightly jealous. "How did you get five mages to go along with you?"
"Ganz is an existential threat, Lord Daron. We all want him gone." She replied.
"incredible, so who's on your team?" Lord Daron asked.
"Kalum, Lara, Deyion, Royi and Mullam." She said.
"Mullam??" Lord Daron asked, feeling a twinge of shock. Mullam almost never ventured outside Aku'anda.
"Well yeah, he's interested in seeing if Ganz and his men really do have multi connected wave links." Segi replied.
"Ahh, I see." Lord Daron said. Segi soon faded off and Lord Daron, for the first time in several days, smiled widely and relaxed. Things were finally starting to go well.
---
General Makon, within a week, had developed a sophisticated spy network all throughout Navon. Using human moles that he paid in food: little boys on the streets, servants that worked on floaters and royal houses, it was hard, he had to conceal his identity, select the perfect targets, and follow up on his promises. Roe spent all day cooking large portions of delicious food, which he then distributed to over twenty people every night, after finishing his day job, in exchange for information.
He learned a few things. First, about how Ganz's imagery had spread rapidly through Navon but had quickly disappeared. He also learned that a particular Navon official, Lord Cepher, had been receiving large amounts of visits from a new but relatively unknown merchant from Saymor. He decided to investigate.
It was night time when he donned his usual attire, having a quick biscuit from Roe's oven, he jumped out and made straight for Lord Cepher, who lived on a floater, three hundred meters high in the sky. He found a nearby jetcoach station, and entered, alarming the jetcoach pilot who was getting ready to go home.
"Not so fast, my friend." He said through his mask. "I need you to take me up to Lord Cepher's house."
"Who are you?" The driver asked, partly scared and partly annoyed.
"I will pay you three times the normal fare." He offered. The driver, after a short hesitation, took the offer. Makon paid him and got on board.
The Jetcoach soared to the sky, and started to float towards the Mansion.
As the jetcoach approached Lord Cepher's house, Makon told the man to open the door to the coach.
"Are you insane? we're in the middle of the air! Are you trying to rob him?" The Driver exclaimed.
"No, I'm investigating him for his crimes." Makon said.
"Are you a war mage?" The man asked in shock.
"Yes." Makon said. He opened the door and jumped out of it using his speed. His jump arched over the floater and he landed with a thud in the middle of the courtyard. The Jetcoach driver frantically shut the door to his coach and drove away from the floater.
He was immediately noticed by three servants working on the garden on the floater. He moved quickly, using the speed, he knocked all three out and tied them to the fountain in the center of the garden.
He groundskeeper was next, Makon laid ambush near the front door. As soon as the groundskeeper, a woman in her mid fifties, came out of the house, he grabbed her and knocked her out. Grabbing hold of her limp body, he climbed up to the roof and dropped her body there. Then he found Lord Cepher's study and peeked into it. It was empty. He entered through the window.
He started looking through the documents there, Searching for anything suspicious. The table was clean, so was the shelf, and the couch. He was about to check around the fireplace when the door to the study opened quickly and a figure dressed in all black with a black mask and a brown bag slipped in. Makon stared at the figure in shock, who stared back at him, He was a few inches shorter than Makon, but the similarity in style was unmistakable.
"General...?" The other figure ventured. Makon was in shock... it took him a few minutes to collect himself.
"Sungan mage?" He asked quietly.
"Yes sir!" the other man said. saluting after hearing the voice. "War Mage Murik Sterno."
Tears welled up in Makon's eyes.
"Murik...I thought you were dead." he said.
"I thought you were dead too, General." Murik said. Both men sniffed and wiped a tear. They shook hands.
"I was investigating Lord Cepher. He's been having strange dealings with Seyrulans, who are housing Ganz right now." Murik said.
"I was doing the same thing." General Makon said. "Glad to see you still pursuing your duty, War Mage, we have a lot to discuss."