Foro had a huge grin on his face in spite of the shackles, made of the same suppression material as the ballista bolt he had shot into Zag’s chest what seemed like eons ago, around his wrists. He was ‘leading’ a procession of the officer, who walked behind and to Foro’s left side with his hand on his shoulder, and his men who had shown up at Foro’s base of operations and ‘arrested’ him.

It was a magnificent farce, one the officer was playing to the hilt.

Foro had taken a moment or two to remember who the officer was when he had opened the door to confront him. He was someone Foro had trained back before he took his position to aid Thea with her command. In fact, most of the officer's men were also men that Foro had trained, and he recognized the other as a son of someone he had served with when he was younger.

After the officer had loudly proclaimed that Foro’s men were not on location, right in front of most of them, he asked Foro to come with him as he was to be brought before a special convention of the council.

Foro had, of course, asked him to explain which bore no fruit whatsoever.

The officer simply repeated that Foro was under arrest and must be taken before the council. This was odd enough, on top of the officer telling Foro’s men that they weren't there, to pique Foro’s curiosity. In the end, after the officer repeated his insistence and vague hints, Foro agreed to go.

He had to tell Ketai not to follow him three times before she frowned and sulked back into the building. The smirk the officer gave him over that, Foro felt, was very punchable.

The officer, after cuffing him, had promptly placed his hand on Foro’s shoulder and started to gently guide him in the direction of the council buildings.

He talked in a voice the civilians they passed by would not hear and told Foro several interesting things.

“Fotismos dying has set off a war in the frontier amongst his relatives for the throne. The council is ignoring it as long as it stays out there since there are so many issues amongst the city to deal with.

They are planning on confronting them with force which is why so many former members of the legion have been recruited into the new army.

You have been ignored for so long because nearly everyone in the new army has some connection to you and a significant portion of the council. Some of them are even pushing for you to be the next duke since there are some serious concerns about the dragon’s involvement with Lady Annagenisi.

There is someone here from Neter, they’re the reason the council actually issued a warrant instead of continuing to ignore you. I do not know who it is.”

Foro muttered an indication of understanding as he smiled and waved his restrained hands at the very confused civilians.

The officer continued to quietly feed him information until they reached the door leading into the council chambers.

Foro was ushered in and announced with full honors, an act he was sure was meant to irritate the guest form Neter.

When he was finally in front of the council members Foro squinted and surveyed the room, straining his eyes to take in everything his phoenix enhanced vision could show him.

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There were two beings that were obviously not phoenixes in the room. One was a bald man with a large black beard who looked about as interested in proceedings as someone would be in a plain gray rock. The other was an annoyed looking woman with long blue hair, Foro couldn't tell for sure if her annoyance was directed at him, the council or something else.

Suddenly he saw something move, it was like a silhouette, invisible aside from a vague human shaped outline. It shot straight for him at such an incredible speed he had almost no time to react.

The silhouette stopped in front of him as the last bits of his shackles melted off and plopped in the floor. The halt wasn't because of anything Foro did, nor was it voluntary. The figure shimmered to reveal a man with gray peppered throughout his hair looking down at a sword stuck partway into his gut.

Foro had just summoned his crimson laced yellow fire and stood staring at the young woman holding the other end of that sword along with everyone else.

“I knew I smelled dragon,” the stabbed man hissed before he turned into a blur and escaped the sword back to the two other non-phoenixes Foro had identified before. He bellowed out, “What is this, another one of his spawn?”

“Why are you here?” Foro asked Ketai after he recovered from the shock.

She looked down at the bloody sword she was holding with her, now, golden draconic eyes and shrugged. She looked up at Foro with an expression that could almost be called apologetic before turning back to the man she had just stabbed and glared.

“I see,” Foro replied to her before adjusting his attention to the man. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m not the one who needs to answer here!” The man continued to bellow out as the blue-haired woman healed him up somehow. “Especially not to the likes of someone that willingly consorts with the enemy!”

Foro turned to the nearest counselor whose face he recognized, “Why is he here?”

“He wants an army to take Tiantang from his son who he claims is in rebellion against The Covenant,” the counselor answered without hesitation.

There were some grumbles of various tones throughout the room origination from other counselors.

“Then why am I here?” Foro asked after hearing the explanation. Everyone was beginning to get nervous over the ball of fire he kept floating above his hand.

“He specifically requested you,” the same counselor answered again.

“Why?” Foro looked over at the man who refused to say anything and was looking angrier by the second.

“He did not elaborate.”

“I see,” Foro sighed. “I will not be making any moves outside of removing the shadow wielders from Proelefsi until the Duchess returns.”

A few counselors grumbled in dissatisfaction and the now healed up man glowered at Foro. His bearded escort looked as tense as a coiled up spring, obviously treating the situation as being surrounded by enemies.

“I am not her minister or sitting regent, so I, of course, cannot order the council around,” Foro continued. “Whatever you decide is fine, however, my men and I will not be leaving this city as we no longer consider us covenant forces after his son tried to murder us all and assassinate Lady Thea.”

The counselors were veteran enough to catch the emphasis on ‘my men’ and most of them knew quite well how many ‘men’ Foro could bring to his side with just a few words with the state things were in.

“This is a matter of life and death for The Covenant you fools!” the man yelled.

“Sacrificing the entire Duchy to save the Celestial Domains will just leave us in the same situation we are in right now!” Foro snapped back at him. “Why don’t you get troops from Neter?”

The man looked away from Foro and refused to answer.

“Did you fall out of favor?” Foro prodded with a disdainful tone. “Is Neter still even in Covenant hands?”

The man still refused to respond.

“That should give you enough to make a decision,” Foro told the counselors. “I wouldn't think letting him run loose would be good for anyone but that is your decision. May I leave now?”

“Lord Foro, we will deliberate on what to do, wait in the hall as we may have need of you,” the council leader spoke up for the first time. His eyes glinted and gave away that he had thought of some scheme.

Foro frowned at him but only got an amused smile back. Foro put out his fire and wrapped his arm around Ketai’s shoulders before turning on his heel and marching out of the chambers.