Golnar sat in his room in a large chair, holding a large, old book. It had been in a forgotten room in the great library in Aurumist. Some of the text was in a language he could not understand. The part he could understand was interesting. It talked of the great plague of the times before King Nathin.

Golnar had always assumed the plague was naturally occurring. It was taught that the Ancients sent it as judgement against the non-gifted. a way to eradicate the non-gifted from the kingdom. Golnar didn’t know how much of that he believed, but he did not expect to learn what he had learned from reading the book. The plagues were not naturally occurring. They were caused by a group of magical blooded folk, who believed as Golnar did, that non-gifted folk were a curse in the kingdom.

Non gifted folk took up resources. Allowed to flourish, they could gain power and riches. They could become more influential than those who should rule, those with magical blood. Golnar refused to live any longer in a kingdom where those with magical blood would suffer. It didn’t matter than Golnar’s own magical abilities were lacking, he still had magic in him. He would use it again at some point.

There was a knock at his door. He put down his book and walked to the door., answering it to find Philo Quick staring at him.

“Good morning, Philo. Please come in,” said Golnar letting Philo inside.

Philo walked over and sat down in a chair in the middle of the room. Golnar followed him and sat across from Philo. Philo crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair, looking expectantly at Golnar.

“How are our numbers in our army? I know you lost a few folk during the escape of our guests,” said Golnar.

“We lost a few. We still have a sizeable force in the city. I am hoping to gain some new recruits as soon as the gatherings in the fourth and third rings begin.”

“Yes,” said Golnar nodding. “Would you have enough soldiers to do some containment and aid of the folk? If we had a tragedy happen, would we have enough soldiers to go out in the kingdom and keep the peace? Maybe help with care of sick and injured if needed?”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” said Philo looking confused. “Can you be clearer?”

“If we had a plague in the kingdom, and we wanted to set up central locations for the sick to go for aid, could your soldiers set up those locations? Could they keep the peace if some tried to get out of line? Could some give out medicines and elixirs to the sick?”

“It would be possible,” said Philo slowly. “Is there a sickness spreading in the kingdom? Has there been reports?”

“Not yet,” said Golnar smiling slightly, “but I am looking into possibilities.”

Philo raised his eyebrows at Golnar. “I think you are going to have to tell me what you have planned if you want my help.”

“In a second. I’m expecting Till in a moment. I want him here for this. My plans have changed, and I will need his help in the city.”

Philo nodded. There were a few moments of quiet.

“Where do you stand on your son, now?” asked Golnar.

“He’s an idiot. I can’t believe he came to rescue that boy and that Keene woman. Maybe he is a loss cause, but I don’t want to give up, yet. If I could just get him here, I could convince him.”

“How do you think you could arrange for him to join you here?” asked Golnar.

“I might have to take him by force. If I could find him outside of Abscon or the Valley, it wouldn’t be hard. He is weak.”

“You always mention what a foolish, weak idiot he is. Why do you want him at all?”

“He is my son, my only child. My wife wasn’t able to have another. I need someone on which to pass my name and legacy,” said Philo.

“Why not find another wife to give you more children?” asked Golnar.

Philo looked at Golnar with narrowed eyes. “I am rather fond of my wife. She has been good and loyal to me. Marriage for magical folk isn’t the same as other places in the kingdom. It is a magical bond you share with someone. It’s not as easy to break as one you might be familiar with.”

“Interesting,” said Golnar. “I never had much reason to find someone to marry. It seemed a burden and an obligation I did not need, another person to worry about besides myself,”

“Marriage can bring many comforts and pleasures. If you choose the right partner with similar interest, it can be very beneficial. Do you not get lonely, at least at night?”

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“If you are talking of carnal pleasures, I do not need them. I have tried them. They were not to my taste. I am content by myself with my work.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Who is there?” called Golnar.

“It is Till. I came as soon as I got your message,” answered Till.

Golnar stood up and Philo gave him an odd look. “Would you like me to answer the door, Golnar?”

Before Golnar could answer, Philo raised his hand. The door swung open, allowing Till inside. Once Till had entered, Philo waved his hand and the door slammed shut. Golnar stared at Philo and slowly sat down. Till walked over and sat near Philo.

“So, what news do you have, Golnar?”

Golnar sat in silence for a moment staring at Philo before turning to Till and answering him. “I have a change in our plans. It will mean you will need to take more responsibility for the gatherings in the city.”

“I’m already working non-stop dealing with questions from both gifted and non-gifted folk in the first ring. I also have questions constantly about Kedan. How do you expect me to handle the fourth and third ring transformations?”

“You will have to find a way. Camelia and the queen will help you in a few weeks. They will do the real work. You will need to make sure to make appearances and that the city soldiers do their jobs to those who get out of line.”

“You want me to control the city soldiers? Why can’t Philo do it?” asked Till.

“Philo will be helping me with something else. It will be a much larger operation. He will take half the city forces with him.”

“Half!” exclaimed Till. “You will leave Aurumist vulnerable. The magical folk have already proven they can infiltrate our palace with no problems. What if they decide to attack while half our forces are gone?”

“The magical folk will have other problems to deal with,” said Golnar.

“What problems?” asked Philo.

“I have found a way to expedite things in the kingdom. The goal is to thin the non-gifted folk from the kingdom. I have found an interesting book that outlines the plague that happened before King Nathin took the throne by force from the true gods and leaders of the kingdom. The plague was not a naturally occurring sickness. It was created by magical folk who knew they were meant to truly rule the kingdom,” said Golnar excitedly.

“You are thinking of unleashing this sickness on the folk of Regventus?” asked Philo looking at Golnar with confusion.

“I am. It will take some time, but it will be a very effective way of eliminating many of the non-gifted folk. It is a potion. We will need to find a place to send it. We will need to find a way for people to drink it. Once it is in the population, it can spread in other ways.”

“What does the city’s army have to do with this?” asked Till.

“Once the sickness spreads, we will need to show compassion, Till. We will need a place for the folk to go for help, somewhere they can gather in peace. We will need the army to make sure they are not bothered by anyone who might offer them a false hope of a cure.”

Philo nodded his head. “I think I understand you.”

“Will this sickness only make those with no magical power sick? What if it spreads to magic blooded people?” asked Till.

“I don’t see how it would. I have read everything on it. It only worked on those with non-magical blood. You need not worry for yourself or any of your non-gifted friends. We will keep it far from the city.”

“Are you sure this is the best way to go?” asked Till. “You are talking about killing thousands and thousands of people. People who have families, some with magical blood. People who perform services.”

“Not all non-gifted folk will die. The disease isn’t always fatal. There will still be plenty who will live on to do whatever work needs to be done. This way will assure we have enough resources for all in the kingdom, especially those the Ancients deem worthy. We will be doing the work of the gods.”

Till looked at Philo. Philo looked at his nails. “I will do whatever you need, Golnar. You do realize there will be trouble when this starts. Do you really think the powers of Abscon, and the Valley will let this go unchecked?”

“No,” said Golnar with a small smile. “I expect them to act. They will not be able to engage us in a full out war with so many vulnerable, sick people around. I think we might have some opportunities come up to solve many of our problems.”

“Do you think they would actually be foolish enough to let their queen out of Abscon when you unleash this?” asked Till. “Surely, they will pull back and protect their leadership.”

“You didn’t spend much time around Miss Keene while she stayed with us, Till. What’s your opinion, Philo? Will the queen stay in the safety of Abscon?”

Philo chuckled. “No, Gryphon will not stand by while folk suffer in the kingdom. How many she can convince to help her is another matter.”

“Like I said there may be opportunities. That is why I believe the first place we will start is The Great Surrounding. I will brew the potion. It can be added to supplies the villages get from Aurumist. We can set up a place for the sick in Clarton and another village or two. We will bring the plague to the queen’s front door,” said Golnar happily.

“You will want me to stay with the army in Clarton?” asked Philo. “I could be gone for some time from Aurumist. I don’t know if I want to do this.”

“I can offer you something for your service,” said Golnar. “Our King Kedan is too far gone under the influence of the magical folk. His child is too young and will not be able to reign for many years. We will need a regent. Someone to help our king learn how to rule the kingdom.”

“You want Philo to do this?” asked Till incredulously. “He hasn’t been in the city for a year. Why him?”

“He has skills that we don’t, Till. If you aren’t happy with this plan, I hope you remember the last time you faced the wrath of powerful magic user. We have no hope against the magical folk without Philo. If he does as he is asked and does it well, he will be our regent.”

Philo grinned. “Fine, start working on the potion. Keep me updated on its status. When you are ready for the army to move to Clarton give me notice.”

“Very good,” said Golnar.

“One more thing. If I can dispose of Gryphon Keene for you, you will name me and my lineage as first advisor to the King of Regventus.”

Golnar looked at Philo and nodded his head. “Yes, if you find a way to get rid of the queen, I will gladly give you what you ask.” Golnar would love nothing more than finding an easy to way to dispose of Gryphon Keene. He would be happy to never set eyes on her again.