A letter with the seal of House Avarus. He seeks the one who gives life to the desert… The letter seemed as if it had seen her dreams. It was as if the sender shared her dreams. But who sent this letter? She took the letter, and made a brisk walk to Cicero’s chamber. She knocked on the door, and waited in silence.

“Who is it?”

“Olivia.”

In a few moments, the locks on the door were unlatched, and the door cracked open. “What brings you to my chamber, Olivia?”

She fidgeted with the letter. “I needed to ask you for some advice.”

He looked down at it. “I assume it has something to do with that.”

She nodded.

He opened the door all the way. “Come in.”

She politely glided into the room.

He closed the door and latched the locks. “What exactly is so important that you must interrupt me at this hour?”

She looked down, unsure of how to approach it. In fact, she barely thought past what to do after she knocked on the door.

“Do I need to look at the letter?”

She nodded. “I think that would be best.” She handed him the letter, and waited with anticipation as he opened it.

“A letter from House Avarus?” He began to read the letter. “Seems very cryptic. What is the meaning of this warning at the end?”

“It seems the sender may have been having the same dreams as I have. They speak of someone who can make dark things light, and bring life to the desert. These same things were revealed to me in a dream.”

He gave her an inquiring look. “These things were also told to you in a dream?”

She eagerly nodded. “Yes, Cicero. A man’s voice told me these things in a dream. And now I receive a letter from House Avarus affirming what I was told.”

He took a moment to study the letter. “What else was in your dream?”

She began to rattle off the same things she told her father, barely taking a breath between thoughts.

“So you say it was a dragon that you saw?”

She nodded. “A very large dragon. Like the ones you see on the Emporikos banners.”

“This is certainly troubling news. If these dreams are a sign of something, it could mean even more strife between the Dasos coming across the border, and the citizens of Lucium. Worse still, the citizens with Dasos blood in them will be the target of persecution. Many ignorant people of Lucium will strike at them, like the Archduchess.” His heart began to beat faster. “I can only hope that these dreams are simply a coincidence. But somehow, I don’t think they are.”

“I was thinking of going to House Avarus, and seeing if I can find who sent the letter.”

His gaze darted over to her, and it screamed of disapproval. “I think you already know my thoughts on that idea.”

She sighed. “I’ve already made my decision to do it.”

“Why? What does it matter to you?”

“They may know more than what they sent in the letter. That, and they can talk more openly face-to-face.”

“Assuming you don’t get killed. The king’s daughter shouldn’t travel alone.”

“But I’m not traveling alone. I’m taking two guards with me.”

He shook his head. “I wasn’t concerned with the average brigand or vagabond. There are far more dangerous predators out there; ones that can kill a man without lifting a finger.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Cicero was never one to exaggerate. “You mean those sorcerers from the west?”

“Not exactly. They are sorcerers, but not from the west. Though some of these sorcerers currently reside in the west, they come from the south.”

She hesitated for a moment. “Perhaps you could come with me.”

He chuckled. “What good would I do?”

“You seem to know a lot about these sorcerers.”

“Anyone can read books about magic.”

She smirked. “I don’t know of anyone else in Lucium who has access to those books. Besides, I’ve heard father’s talks with you. I know that you can do what those sorcerers can do.”

His knees nearly went weak. “Careful with how loud you say those things.” He sighed. “I can use Mystiko, but what they use is of a dark nature. Indeed, they are servants to a dragon, or a Savra, as the Dasos call it. But theirs is a wicked one; one who twists everything to his dark purposes.”

“So, will you come with me?”

“I can’t.” He returned her the letter. “Any such sorcerer could detect me from the other end of the city. It’d draw too much attention, and paint a bigger target on your back. Besides, I still don’t want you to go.”

She turned toward the door. “I must go see this person. Isn’t there anything you can do?”

He sighed. “I can cast a few wards on you before you leave, but that’s the only defense I can provide. I still think you should heed the advice of the mystery sender. They told you that those who seek them will die, and that trying to seek them is danger.”

“I know. But this is a prophecy I can’t ignore. I must investigate it further.”

He looked down in defeat. “I shall cast a few wards on you before you depart, but you should know that I must tell your father about this.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I understand.” She went to open the door, but realized all of the locks on it. “Could you open the door, Cicero?”

He pulled out his cluttered key ring, and undid each lock. “When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Then, I ask that you come by here tomorrow night before you leave, and I shall cast my wards. They should at least keep the sorcerers from acting too quickly.”

She gave him a brief hug, curtsied, and left.

Broken, and in decay, the outer ruins stood as a testament to a bygone age that’s nothing more than folklore and legends to the people of Lucium, and by extension the rest of the world. Some say these are the ruins of the first city ever built; that it was out of this city that man was expelled and divided into the various peoples of the nations, today. Rumors have surfaced from foreign merchants in the ports of Admare that near the ruins of the ancient city are ruins of a once-great tower; a tower which was built up to the heavens, but was leveled by a great tremor. The mystery surrounding the tower was the source of many wild stories and rumors. Some of the more embellished and elaborate stories claim that the gods pounded the earth, which the tower rested upon, like a big drum, because they feared these people would use the tower to usurp their power. Other stories claimed that the gods accidentally destroyed the tower as they were moving the continents into place.

There wasn’t a sign of any life, aside from the occasional rabbit hopping along. The place certainly didn’t look like anyone had made any sort of home here. The three men kept their swords drawn, and scanned every speck with scrutiny. The snow made anything not part of the existing ruins stand out, but that wouldn’t stop someone from hiding in the snow.

As they ventured further into the ruins, they were ambushed by several robed men with spears and bows, all scattered on various elevations. Tiberius assumed a defensive stance, and waited for their next move. Lucullus and Cato were about to charge in for an attack when the apparent leader of the group put his hand out.

Tiberius motioned for Lucullus and Cato to halt.

“Who are you? And why have you come to our home?”

“We mean you no harm. We’re just startled by you, that’s all.”

The man chuckled. “I find that hard to believe,” he said as he glanced over at Lucullus and Cato.

“They’re young and impulsive. They see people come out with weapons, and they want to strike.” He cleared his throat.

“We’ve come to speak with the Dracones.”

Tiberius glanced back. “Lucullus! Have you no discretion?”

The man smirked. “Straight to the point, I see.” He returned his focus to Tiberius. “You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“I’m aware.”

“Why exactly do you need to see the Dracones?”

Lucullus stepped forward. “You know where they are?”

“Of course we do. Now, tell me why you need to see them.”

Tiberius studied the robes of the man. “We seek to form an alliance with them. We know some people who could make great use of some things the Dracones have.” He smirked. “I suppose we should go see your boss, then. That is, unless the Dracones are closed to any deals.”

The man flipped his hood back. “I’m sure the boss will hear you out. But first, I must know your names. The boss doesn’t like to make deals with a bunch of no-names.”

“I’m Tiberius. The bold one is Lucullus. He’s not even out of his teens, I don’t suspect. The other one with me is Cato.”

The man motioned for some of his men. “I’ll take you to see the boss. But first, I must ask all three of you to relinquish your weapons.”

Cato scoffed. “You’re afraid of three men with swords?”

The man howled with laughter. “Hardly. We just like to keep things civil, and prevent you from doing anything ill-advised.”

Tiberius dropped his sword into the snow, and motioned for the other two to do the same. “We expect our swords to be returned when we leave.”

“Of course.” He eyed the hunting knives they had. “Those little blades also need to be thrown into the pile.”

The three did as asked, and were led deep into the ruins. The inside was a sharp contrast to the outside. Many halls and rooms weaved throughout the structures, many of which looked to be restorations of the buildings within the ancient city. The decorations were minimal, but there were several small crude statues of a foreign origin. Many of the choices indicated a western origin, likely Emporikos. Lucullus kept a watchful eye as they were led through the ruins. Though his trust in Lucium’s authorities was almost completely broken, his reservations about anything from Emporikos, dragon imagery included, were still present.

The hall leading up to the boss’s chamber was simple, yet awe-inspiring. The walls were covered with pictures painted onto them, depicting encounters between some ancient people and dragons. As they entered the room, they were met with a man wearing ornate robes, who was facing a massive stone altar. They could faintly hear him praying as they approached him.

The man leading the three into the room dropped to one knee as he reached the foot of the altar. “Master, three men have come to see you: Tiberius, Lucullus, and Cato. They seek to offer a trade.”

The robed man finished his prayers, and turned around to face them. “Very well. You may leave, then. I shall see to this matter in private.”

The man bowed his head, and left.

“It’s not often, in fact almost never, that we get a visitor, let alone three.” He stepped down from his spot next to the altar. “Why is it that you have sought the Dracones?”

Tiberius cleared his throat. “We’ve come on behalf of Unus-Oculus to offer an exchange of favors that would benefit both of us.”

“Unus-Oculus? I haven’t heard his name for quite some time. Why is he looking to strike deals? I’ve never known the Insidiators to be diplomatic.”

“The times call for it.”

“We need to find dirt on House Luctus. The Count has become too bold, and is encroaching on the Insidiators.”

Tiberius shot a look of disapproval at Lucullus. “Mind your manners, Lucullus.”

The robed man chuckled. “Very blunt. I can respect that.” He walked over to Lucullus. “Tiberius’s name sounds familiar. But I don’t recognize you. Perhaps a new recruit?”

“You could say that. Though my mission is a bit more personal, and goes beyond the Insidiators.”

“I can see that fire in you. It’s a certain spirit I only see in the young men. But you’ve got a lot to learn.” He observed Lucullus for a moment. “So you say you’re here for a deal. I assume it has something to do with House Luctus?”

Tiberius nodded. “We need some way to keep the Count from doing anything too drastic; something to threaten him with. But we’d prefer to not kill anyone in the process; at least, nobody critical to the power structure.”

He chuckled. “Insidiators being too scared to kill. Now, I’ve seen it all.” He let out one more chuckle. “It would seem that our goals are somewhat intertwined. You see, my people have eyes and ears in most of the major courts of the north. Hardly anything goes by without my notice. But recently, my people have been a bit restricted in our movements. The Archduchess has been waiting for my downfall for a while, and it seems she is constricting my people more with each passing day.”

“What exactly do you want us to do?”

“I’m getting to that, Lucullus. House Luctus hasn’t just been a source of trouble for Unus-Oculus. The Count has a man I can only describe as being a Chaodite working in his court. This man may be close to assassinating my informant within the court. I need you to remove this Chaodite from his office.”

Tiberius scrutinized him. “Our orders were to avoid killing anyone, if at all possible.”

Lucullus wagged his head. “Don’t forget: this may be necessary. If the Dracones lose that spy of theirs, then our time spent coming here is wasted.”

“Your boy has a point, Tiberius. Besides, one Chaodite wouldn’t be enough to disrupt the power structure.”

“I say we do it, Tiberius. I don’t know who these Chaodites are, but if they serve the Archduchess, then they’re our enemies.”

“I’m with Lucullus on this one. Besides, if it’s an agent of Sabina, then killing them will weaken her grip on her own province.”

Tiberius sighed.

“Looks like it’s two against one, Tiberius. Your boys have spoken. What say you?”

“I suppose we don’t have much of a choice. Just as long as you help Unus keep House Luctus off of his back.”

“Oh, I suspect our alliance will be quite fruitful. I have an informant stationed by the docks in Apud Incipere, who is called Stolam, a man wearing a red cloak with a purple hood. He will provide you with what you need to infiltrate the castle. Once inside, how you go about completing the mission is up to you. I suspect going in with swords swinging will probably be the style for your boys, Tiberius.” He almost turned back to the altar when a thought came to him. “Oh, and if Stolam asks: tell him that Draco sent you. He shouldn’t need any further inquiry into your credentials after that.” He returned to the altar. “Now, away with you. Retrieve your confiscated equipment, and be on your way. You have a lot of work ahead of you.”