A week passed before Segi and her team of Mages were able to leave Aku'anda. This was mostly because of Mullam.

It turned out that he didn't have a lot of battle spells at all, Segi decided it was dangerous to let him go on a mission without binding dozens of them, especially after what had happened to Lakan in Saymor, so she delayed the expedition by one week.

When the time arrived, they all met at Hall Bolak. Segi was the first person there, She entered and found a seat in the empty hall. A few minutes later, Lakan walked in. They greeted.

"How are you doing? How's your injury?" Segi asked.

"Good as new." Lakan said. "What are you doing here?"

"Today's the day we're going after Ganz. I'm waiting for the others." Segi replied.

"Nice. Finally." Lakan remarked. "Binko, Hark, Regar and I are going down south to Kanam."

"To neutralize the occupation?" Segi asked.

"yeah." Lakan replied. At that moment, Mullam and Royi arrived, They greeted one another. After that it was a steady stream of Mages. Binko arrived, then Deyion, Then Kalum, Then Regar and Hark, then Kalum and Lara. Segi decided to give a little talk.

"Fellow Mages," She began. "Some of us will be going north west to Saymor to track and eliminate Ganz for good, Some of us are going south into Pirun Kingdom to liberate the strongholds he's started to gather.

"Be careful out there, be alert. Stick together, We can do this." She finished.

"That was a terrible talk, Segi." Lakan Joked. "I felt nothing."

"That's not surprising, you've had your entire insides ripped apart." Segi shot back, smiling. "I bet you don't even feel love anymore." Some mages laughed.

The two groups of mages split off and discussed privately their strategy. After a few hours, they both left Hall Bolak in hired hover caravans. Segi's team headed North west from the gates of Aku'anda, Making Directly for the Kingdom of Seyrule. Lakan's team headed Due east into Pirun territory, once there, they would turn south and head straight to Kanam.

---

Less than an hour passed when Segi received a wave prod. She accepted the prod, it was Keri, They were only twenty miles away from the city.

"Hello, cousin" Segi said.

"Segi, How are you doing?" Keri asked.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" Segi asked.

"You asked me to wave at you if anything strange happens." Keri said.

"Well, yes..." Segi said, sitting up. "What happened?"

"My dad was just invited to an overnight gala tomorrow at Lord Cepher's house." Keri said.

"Lord Cepher? who the hell is that?" Segi asked. Keri gasped.

"Oh come on, you know I never cared about all of that." Segi protested.

"You're an Arabambi, it's important to know people." Keri complained.

"For goodness sake Keri..." Segi exhaled.

"Okay, okay... whatever. Lord Cepher is a Navon Official, he handles the water supply or something, I don't know." Keri said.

"Er... okay?" Segi said in confusion. "Okay your dad got invited by some official. So what?"

"For crying out loud, Segi!" Keri exclaimed. "Use your brain! Ganz has taken over Vembu which is where almost all the aristocratic wine is made!"

Segi started nodding, mostly in confusion. "Okay, okay, go on...."

"Dark red Vembu is like..." Keri started, and then paused. Segi could hear her scribbling. "It's three hundred and seventy thousand jowons a bottle now!"

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Wow that sounds really... expensive." Segi said.

"You have no idea what the original price was, do you?" Keri asked.

"Look, Keri I really don't know about wine and noble politics, could you get to the point?" Segi replied tiredly.

Keri took a deep breath.

"Okay, So Vembu wine is three times as expensive as it was two months ago because Ganz took over the entire place. it would be financially ruinous for any noble to hold a gala right now. How would they afford the wine?" Keri asked.

"What?" Segi laughed. "They can just buy cheap wine, what is this Keri?" Segi laughed.

"Who the hell buys cheap wine and invites an Arabambi?" Keri asked. "He invited my Dad, Segi. And chances are that he invited uncle longbeard too"

"So what's your theory here?" Segi asked.

"He's getting cheap wine from Ganz." Keri concluded. Segi burst in laughter.

"That is an insane amount of reach there, young woman." Segi said.

"Then why don't you attend the gala yourself and find out?" Keri said.

"Keri, I'm on my way to Saymor to come get Ganz." Segi said. "I don't have time for galas."

"Ganz? Ganz isn't here. Neither him nor his men have been spotted anywhere here for days now" Keri said. Segi was shocked.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Seyrulans?" Segi exclaimed in frustration.

"Could you not have told me this earlier??" Segi exclaimed.

"Hey don't give me that. You Aku'andans didn't tell us you were coming either." Keri shot back.

"Where do you think he is now?" Segi asked.

"I don't know but you know where you'll get a good lead?" Keri replied. "The gala in Navon."

"Navon is in the opposite direction." Segi complained tiredly.

"Then turn back." Keri said.

"I swear if you're lying to me" Segi began.

"Come on Segi," Keri interrupted. "come on."

Segi sighed. She was right, the chances that she was lying was pretty low.

Segi called for the caravan to stop, then she gathered the mages together and told them what she had heard.

"Someone still needs to go to Seyrule, just in case." She said. "Royi? Can you go off to Saymor, check if Ganz and his men are truly gone from there?"

Royi nodded.

"Well then, the rest of us have a Gala to attend." She said. "And we're going to crash that party."

---

Murik Sterno and Rubric Makon, The two known survivors of the Sungan Mage massacre met on top of Catul Froca, A large government hall in Kamado, the capital of Navon. it was already quite late, about three hours after dusk, but the city was seemingly getting brighter and more active.

"That a city should become noisier as the day draws to a close... It baffles me." Murik remarked to Makon, looking down at the street as they both perched on the gray clay tiles that were used to roof the building,

"Aku'anda is even worse." Makon replied. "Their city is quieter than deep sleep during the day, at night it becomes loud, rowdy and bright."

The two men remained in silence for a while, and then Makon began.

"I have a lead." He said. "One of my sources informed me of a secret movement to the city yesterday morning."

"Human or cargo?" Murik asked.

"Possibly both. It was a hover caravan." Makon replied.

"Where did they go." Murik asked.

"South Kam Jetcoach station." Makon replied.

"So one of the Nobles then?" Murik asked.

"It's Cepher." Makon said.

"Oh... the bastard." Murik chuckled. "We've got him now."

"Do you remember any of the men we fought at Pirun?" Makon asked.

"Hmmm... I'm afraid not. I didn't pay that much attention to their faces." Murik said.

"I remember every single one of them." Makon said. "If we encounter them, I would love for you to remember them this time. living enemies are too dangerous to be forgotten."

"Indeed." Murik said softly. Makon observed him. Both of them were clad in the black loose clothing that Sungans used for infiltration, Murik was perched on the roof in a crouching position, looking down at the street, he was an incredible fighter, a good mage, one of his best, and above all, he survived, Makon smiled and nodded in relief. If Murik survived, then maybe some others did as well.

"Do you at least remember Ganz?" Makon asked.

"Certainly." Murik replied. "Such a man is not easily forgotten." Makon nodded.

"There's no time to waste." He said, it was alright full night. "Let's go."

They headed to the jetcoach station called South Kam station. Most of the Jetcoach riders were preparing to round up for the day, even though most of the city was bustling during this time, Most Nobles would have retreated to their homes or already left to attend events at other people's floaters.

Nevertheless, Murik and Makon found a jetcoach driver willing to carry them to Lord Cepher's house. The jetcoach soared into the sky and moved towards Lord Cepher's house, when the jetcoach got close enough to the floater, they latched on and launched themselves on to the it, the jetcoach veered away as they safely landed just under the flat rock, close to the edge.

They looked at each other and activated their wave spells.

"Can you hear me?" Makon asked?

"Yes," Murik said in return.

They moved quickly, climbing on to the surface of the rock. And making for the bushes behind the house.

There was loud music coupled with the voices of several people, laughter, conversations, clinking of glass. Murik took a glimpse from behind the house.

"He's having a party." He said to Makon.

"Roof." Makon said, and both men climbed up the house, which was a storey masonry structure, using the stones as climbing holds. they met on the roof, which was made of clay tiles. They laid down on their bellies and crawled towards the front of the house, just far enough that they could glimpse down at the party.

"Do you recognize anyone?" Murik asked Makon.

"Wait." the general replied, looking down intently at the crowd, After about two minutes, he shook his head...

"These are all Navons, or otherwise strangers..." He said.

"Hmm, So Ganz isn't here." Murik said.

"Nor his men." Makon said, moving away from the light and sitting on the roof. "But I'm still..."

"Concerned about Cepher?" Murik asked. Makon nodded.

"The man is very shady, but I'll admit, he knows how to cover his tracks." Murik said, Makon nodded.

"He can't hide forever." Makon said. He glanced over the roof ridge at the party on the ground.

"It will last all night." Murik said.

"Let's wait and observe." Makon said.