Tenth year of Emperor Archaldes (Three years before the Emancipation)

If the councilmen of Persunia were good at anything, it was holding a party. The sun was beginning to fall at the end of a week that had been filled with countless meetings and endless deliberations over trade agreements when the highest members of the society converged on the home of Councilman Ruskin, a particularly rich man who came from a long line of politicians. His estate was on a bluff some distance from the city overlooking the pristine waters of the bay. From here he could watch traders coming and going and look out over the vast ocean in all of its glory. At the right time of year, he could watch migrating whales and other monsters of the deep. It was a particularly dark night, the moon hidden behind dark clouds that seemed to echo much of the fatigue of the Council.

It would have been good hunting weather, but tonight Adrianna was attending the party at her father’s request. Even as a member of the Emperor’s Guard, her presence was expected at some social gatherings. Were she ever married, nothing would change. Her family’s position required that she marry someone of equal standing, though her father had wisely avoided arranging any such engagements. She walked behind her parents, her keen eyes seeing clearly past the burning torches that lit the stone path up to the ornate home of Councilman Ruskin. She was dressed in an emerald gown with a drooping neckline and black sleeves that fit snugly to her arms. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and held in place by a silver pin. A playful smile hung on her lips as she made her way past several groups of bachelors who watched her passing. Kane was nowhere to be seen, having claimed to be on an assignment. Adrianna had a feeling that he was spending the evening with some of his mistresses.

Ruskin met them at the door. He was at least fifty, though his hair was prematurely white. He was energetic, and bowed profusely at the arrival of Darius and his family. Adrianna smiled through the greetings but quickly separated herself and found a servant who passed over a glass of wine.

“Adrianna!”

She turned, smiling despite herself as Councilman Turig fetched himself a glass and bowed his head to her. She gave the appropriate curtsey and held out a hand for him to kiss.

“A lovely woman like you should not come here without an escort,” Turig said with a sly grin once he’d dropped her hand.

“Is that an offer, Councilman?” Adrianna asked, and raised her eyebrows suggestively. The sixty-year-old laughed, his wrinkles stretching.

“I am much too old for such foolishness, Adrianna,” Turig confessed. “Though many here would try.”

Adrianna returned his smile. Turig was a good man in a tough position. He was one of the few who pushed for gentler relations with the continent’s native peoples, much to the disgust of much of the Council. Still, he was a powerful man with many connections, and thus his seat was secure.

“I was pleased that you were granted your guardship,” he said, and raised his glass in salute. “None deserve it more.”

“You are too kind.” Adrianna played the game beautifully, much to her credit. Silvius, the councilman whose son frequented Adrianna’s bed, made his way over when he spotted the two of them.

“More news from the south?” Turig asked lightly. Silvius rolled his eyes and looked around for a drink. No servants were nearby, and he frowned.

“Some damned fool hired locals for security,” Silvius growled. “I have no desire for the company of elves, particularly those who are looking for a fight.”

“And did you at least learn anything?”

“The cultists are growing,” Silvius said, and waved his hand for a nearby servant to come. “Our mercenaries destroyed four encampments while I was east of the Svaletans. Ever since the Emperor declared them heretics, they have fled for the native lands.”

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“Nimura?” Adrianna asked. Silvius shook his head and dismissed the servant once had his drink.

“Thank the gods, no,” he said. “We already fought one war with those dwarves to keep them in their mountains. If the cultists find refuge there, I fear the carnage that would result.”

“Heretics come and go, my friend,” Turig said gently. “These Elkur fanatics will be no different.”

“You must not have heard the stories that they tell in the south, Turig,” Silvius replied. “They say that they can control minds, kill you with their thoughts.”

Turig rolled his eyes. “And they say the Ikari eat their young alive, every third child. The forest elves torture anyone with dark skin. It’s all nonsense, Silvius. Nightmares to scare children into listening to tired parents.”

“Perhaps,” Silvius allowed. “But the natives believe it. That is enough to make me concerned.”

“If they were a threat, the Guard would be mobilised,” Adrianna pointed out. Both men went silent as she spoke. “We have received no warning orders.”

“There you have it, my friend,” Turig said, a joyful note in his voice. “The Emperor sees no reason to fear. So relax a little. You’re home. Enjoy your wife. Enjoy some of the forbidden fruits of Persunia. But stop stressing over inconsequential matters.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Silvius admitted. “Perhaps I could take Alexander out hunting…Kleos!”

Adrianna turned as the bald, bright-eyed priest followed the Councilman’s summons. He gave the three of them a curt nod and folded his arms across his chest, not in defiance but in the traditional stance of his Order.

“Adrianna, this is Kleos, a priest in the Hunter’s Temple.”

“We have met before,” Adrianna said, her mind drifting to the ritual that they had performed two days ago. Kleos nodded.

“It is a pleasure to meet you again, Adrianna,” he said. His voice was lighter tonight, with a youthfulness that Adrianna found surprising.

“Of course you have.” Turig glanced at Silvius. “The Guard has always had a preference for Falkar.”

“We are hunters, after all,” Adrianna told them, but her eyes were locked on the priest.

“Indeed.”

“Kleos, you know of these Elkur cultists,” Turig said tiredly. “What is your opinion?”

“Any opposition to the Arcane is a threat,” Kleos replied. “How serious is something yet to be seen. I have the utmost faith in the Emperor’s Guard to destroy them should the need arise.”

Adrianna nodded her thanks. “Councilmen, you have nothing to fear from heretics. Only your alcohol consumption.”

Silvius laughed. “Yes, indeed. Turig, I must introduce you to someone. A senator from the capital arrived this morning.” Silvius led the older councilman away. Kleos didn’t speak, but his eyes seemed unusually alert.

“I had hoped to see you,” Adrianna said quietly. “I would like to speak about the…gifts…that we received.”

“Not here.” Kleos glanced around, then waved for her to follow him. They made their way through the crowd and out a side door. There was a paved path leading into the bush, and Adrianna followed him down it, nodding at other guests who were coming back up that way. The path led downwards, and after a few minutes they found themselves standing on a small outcropping a few yards from the water. The dark night had brought the deeper inhabitants of the sea to the surface, and their bright lights of blue and green made intricate patterns below the waves. It was a beautiful sight, Adrianna had to admit as she leaned on a wooden post and faced Kleos.

“It has only been two days since your initiation,” Kleos said, his voice low. “Sometimes it takes a while to realise the full blessing that Falkar has given.”

Adrianna bit her lip and looked out at the ocean. “No time was needed, Kleos. I can hear the wolf speaking to me. And my…desires…are heightened.”

“That is normal, though it does not usually happen this fast.” The priest had a hint of a smile on his face. “Falkar selects his Chosen for the traits that he respects and honours. He heightens those desires as a reward, a means for them to enjoy the benefits of service to him.”

“Is that your experience?” Adrianna asked. Her eyes were still on the ocean and its vibrancy, but she could sense his heart quicken.

“Being Chosen has many benefits,” he told her. “I do not have the beast within, I am only a conduit for Falkar, but he gives great rewards to his conduits.”

Adrianna turned and put her hands on her hips. “What kind of rewards?”

His eyes were locked on hers as he smiled. “The kind that only another Chosen can fulfil.”

Adrianna glanced back out to sea, then pulled the pin from her hair and shook it out, letting it fall across her shoulders. She took a step forward and ran her hands along his arms. Though he still wore the robes, she could feel the strength of his muscles beneath them.

“Show me,” she whispered. “I want to know what Falkar has given to me.”

His hands slid up her sides, coming to rest on her chest. “You do not know what you ask. Come back and dance with me tonight. Tomorrow is a new day. If you feel the same, then I will be yours.”

Adrianna studied him for a moment, then nodded. She felt a connection with him, one deeper than she had felt before. She would wait.