The sparring area of the castle was filled with brilliant displays of fire. Spirals of flame danced about the place in a beautiful rhythm. It’s somewhat of a shame, Sabina thought, that no one may yet see such perfections. Tullius once more went through the motions, imitating Sabina as best he could. But no one should see this until the time had come for Titus to be dethroned.

“I always heard that an Altum can never get far with spells.”

“The ways of Dasosan sorcery are unnatural for any Altum. But I learned of a way to control reality from a different source. Of course, the Altum will always have to work harder, but that is what made Lucium great, above the other nations.” Taking in a deep breath, she breathed out a stream of fire, which vanished the instant she closed her mouth. “Remember to fix all your thoughts upon the spirits that surround you. Open yourself to them. Breathe in their energy. Let them enter your soul and empower it. If you let them in, they shall come in through the breath.”

Tullius closed his eyes and breathed in as if he was trying to hold all the air in the room within himself. As he released his breath, steam flowed from his mouth. When he opened his eyes, he jolted back at the sight of it. “I don’t think I could ever get used to steam coming out of my mouth every time I breathe.”

As Sabina had become accustomed to doing around him, she vanished and suddenly appeared behind him. “Tullius, have you ever had a desire for power? To be a king?”

“What?” He responded turning to face where Sabina now stood. “No. I’ve never had such ambitions. In my village, I always had everything I ever needed.”

“And what of the people of your village?”

“What of them?”

She smirked. “Do they have what they need?”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“There are certain benefits to having power and connections. Benefits that many can only dream of. Obstinate fools, like that Lucullus, fail to see the whole picture. Not understanding that self-righteousness can’t protect those in your care. He did not even consider the power of his enemies, or that it could learned.” She began to slowly pace around Tullius. “The people live in fear. Not a proper fear, like that owed to a ruler, but a fear of savage raids upon their homes. The very thing Lucullus tried to stop is what will keep peace in this realm.”

Tullius began to get a little dizzy trying to keep eye contact with Sabina. “I only wish I could have convinced him to stop. But he wouldn’t listen.”

“If you truly wish for your family, your friends, to be secure, then you must ruthlessly climb your way to the top. For it is only from the top of the cliff that you may throw the rope down to those below. Anything less and you can’t guarantee the safety of the path ahead, nor can you get them to the top. Let your ambition grow.”

“I’m not the sort of man fit for the political life.”

She cackled. “My dear Tullius, I’m not asking for you to engage in petty politics. Your diplomacy is impressive, and your experience being captain of a village guard means that you are familiar with leadership.”

“Archduchess, where are you going with this?”

She sighed with a smile. “I’m asking you to be at my side when I dethrone Titus.”

“At your side?”

She nodded, and halted in front of him. “Agros would be exempt from taxes. Your dearest friends and family would be allowed to reside in the palace. I only ask that you be at my right hand.”

A terrible thunder echoed through the air. Streaks of lightning lit up the night sky. Rain beat down on the boat as if someone was pouring a whole ocean upon it. The winds whipped the vessel around like it was made of paper. It soon became hard to tell if any given noise was just the thunder and lightning, or if it was the boat falling apart. Lucullus pulled his blanket over his head. It seems the calm is always followed by a storm.

The waves crashed violently against the boat, and the winds continued to knock it off balance. The next crash caused Lucullus to be thrown from his hammock. He fell to the floor with a loud thud accompanied by the clamoring of his sword as it fell with him. His head throbbed from the tumble, and he rubbed it while grumbling under his breath. As if I didn’t have enough headaches. Rising quickly, he went to look outside. He almost collided with Johannes as he reached the stairs to the upper deck.

“Oh, it’s you, Lucullus,” Johannes gasped. “It seems the storm is worsening.”

Lucullus jolted at his next thought. “I must make sure Olivia is safe.” Not allowing Johannes time to even open his mouth, he darted off. In his haste, he tripped several times trying to reach Olivia, but eventually arrived to find her sleeping soundly. He shook her awake.

As she opened her eyes, she mumbled, “Huh? Morning?”

Lucullus shook his head. “A great storm has engulfed our boat.”

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She sat up looking dazed. “Maybe it will go away in the morning.”

“I doubt it. It’s already thrown me into the floor. Let’s move somewhere away from any windows,” he said while eyeing the one above her hammock.

Reluctantly, she got out of her hammock and followed him. “Where exactly are we going?”

“We should move to the back of the boat. I think there’s a supply room with no windows there.”

As they hurried to the stern, they encountered Johannes, who breathed a sigh of relief to see them. “Aela has already moved to a secure location at the stern. I assume you two are going there as well.”

Lucullus nodded. “The supply room. Do you have a torch or a candle?”

He shook his head. “I think Aela might have grabbed a couple, but with her Mystiko, I think we’ll be fine on light.”

They dashed through the cramped lower deck to the supply room to find Aela knelt down in prayer. Quickly they entered and closed the door behind them.

Aela briefly paused from her prayers to look up at the others. “If you three are ready, we can start the group prayers.”

They all nodded.

“Then let us begin,” she declared with her hands together. “Therapevo, Aeras, Fotia, Nekrotomeio, and Fantasma. Grand Masters of the Savra. Bring our vessel to safe passage through the turbulent waves of the sea. Let this storm pass from us. Strengthen our faith and this vessel to withstand the attacks of Chaodis and this storm.”

Olivia struggled to follow along, but attempted to keep up with the group prayer. With each prayer, the boat was rocked by the waves, but they did not falter in their prayers. After several repetitions of their prayers, a sailor barged in. They all looked at him, startled by his sudden entrance.

“Der steuermann andert den kurs.”

“What?” Lucullus asked.

Aela sighed. “Our course has changed.”

“Mahjur. Westkuste.”

As Aela was about to translate, Lucullus shook his head. “Don’t bother. I got it that time. I don’t care if we have to make a stop. I just want us to make it through this.” Lucullus turned to the sailor and nodded. The sailor nodded back and rushed back to his post.

As they were about to continue the group prayer, the thunder rumbled with a deafening noise, and lightning crackled, sending violent tremors through the ship. With one last rock of the ship, and they were all thrown about. Lucullus tumbled out of the storage room and crashed into the wall on the opposite end of the little hallway. Time seemed to slow as his head slammed against the wood. He tried with all his might to move, but his eyes began to close, and the last thing he saw was Olivia being flung into some barrels.

Where am I? Lucullus wondered to himself.

“I will tell you…” A female voice echoed.

Lucullus frantically looked all around him. “Who are you? Where are you?”

From the darkness, a robed figure appeared. “Why are you tense? Have you forgotten our past meeting already?”

“Past meeting?” he echoed with a hint of agitation.

The figured pulled back its hood, revealing the face of a woman. A face familiar, yet that of a stranger. “Lucullus. I had hoped you would’ve heeded my warning.” She stepped closer to him. “Your mistakes will cost you greatly.”

“I have never met anyone who could read my thoughts. Who are you?”

“Who I am is not important.” Suddenly Multa appeared behind her. “Lucium’s crown will be usurped soon. I tried to warn you, but you did not listen.”

He scoffed. “I already knew that Lucium was in danger. That’s why I saved Olivia to begin with. I’ve only ever known one spirit to be reliable. I don’t know his name, but I know he has only spoken the truth. If a spirit needed to chastise me, why not him?”

The spirit’s voice echoed from behind him, “I have not come to bring you chastisement.”

“Then what?” he shouted.

The spirit returned in front of him, and behind her appeared Agros. “Saving Olivia will not bring peace to Lucium.” The spirit continued to move closer to Lucullus, her eyes becoming more mesmerizing as she approached. “There is only one way to save it.”

“Cease this! My mission has been given to me by a divine visitor. The spirit instructed me to accept Titus’s offer. Why promise a man something, but not keep my word?”

“It was because of your foolish choices that you had to accept it. You were warned to not pursue your own selfish desires, but you did not listen.”

“If you have a point, I urge you to get to it. I shall have no more of these games.”

Suddenly, the area around them both became black. “Your arrogance does you no good. You may not have realized it, but I can keep you here for as long as I wish.” Now, the spirit was inches from his face. “You have left nothing but destruction behind you.”

“If you only came to criticize my methods, then I suggest you depart from me at once. If this is a dream, let it end, for I shall have no part in this nonsense.”

“You are perceptive to have realized the dream you’re in. But you fail to recognize how little power you have here.” The spirit, still sounding like and appearing as a woman, began to cycle through many outfits in seconds. Many images flashed in front of Lucullus just as fast. Every kind of temptation was shown. “Do you understand, now?”

Lucullus thought he was about to fall, his head pounded and his knees were weak. But no matter how weak he felt, he baffled himself by continuing to stand. “If you do not tell me who you are, then I shall prove to you that I have absolute control over my dreams.”

The woman cackled. “I’m doing you a favor by keeping you here. You would be horrified to know where you truly are.”

“And you think berating me over trifling matters is better?”

“I do.”

“I ask you a final time: who are you?”

The woman disappeared. “I want to offer you a way to save Lucium, but you will not listen.”

Lucullus yelled as the pain in his head intensified.

“What you feel now is but a fraction of the pain you will feel when you wake up.”

Lucullus took several labored breaths. “O Hikma, source of all grace, protect me from the snares of my enemies, and lead me always on the path of Thy holy light.”

At once, many shrill screams echoed in Lucullus’s ears. Among them was the voice of the woman. “Fool!”

He laughed. “You have finally said your name. Did I not tell you that you held no power over me?” He laughed again. “O Hikma, source of all grace, protect me from the snares of my enemies, and lead me always on the path of Thy holy light.”

Again, the shrieks came. The spirit began to hiss like a serpent as it spoke, “You should have listened to my offer while you had the chance.”

“Your threats are empty.” He cleared his throat. “O Hikma—”

The spirit shrieked to impossibly high pitches. So high, Lucullus winced in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could, and slowly opened them.