“I want to thank you again for taking the time to meet us,” master Mar’Doug said, seeing Phylos to the door. “We will contact you should we have more questions.”

“Of course, master Mar’Doug,” the poor man rushed to say. “You can call for me anytime.” He almost stumbled over his own feet leaving the room.

Delia couldn’t blame him. For the last half hour, he’d sat across some of the most powerful people in Riadnos, answering questions about his god.

Also, he played an important role in preventing the spread of sickness and disease, Hygios wasn’t a major deity. The people honored him with the appropriate prayers and sacrifices to avoid plagues, but there were no legends about him. He was a minor god.

“That was interesting,” master Mar’Doug said, returning to the long table dominating the site of the Office. “We will add our notes to the board later, Elaiadoros.”

“Yes, master,” the scribe said. “Next you have the appointment with the builders. They have brought a first sample of the wheels you ordered.”

“Great,” master Mar’Doug said, taking his seat at the head of the table. “Show them the crossbeam in the main hall. I assume they brought ropes? If they haven’t figured out how to set it up, wait for me. Mistress Bel’Sara and I have to finish our discussion.”

“Yes, master.” Elaiadoros bowed.

Delia’s eyes followed him as he placed the small blackboard, he had taken notes on, on one of the desks in the backend of the room, before leaving with an empty one.

He’s truly enjoying his work, she thought. There was almost a spring in his step.

It wouldn’t have been such a bad thing, had it not stood in total contrast to the general mood in the city. As expected, the citizens hadn’t taken well to the news of the nightly attack on the palace. Their trust was shaken.

Memnostis had ordered the mustering of a large part of the male population. His experienced warriors drilled groups of men every day. It was a necessity and the anax hoped it would stimulate the people’s fighting spirit. Or at least keep them occupied and too tired to gather in crowds and come up with dumb ideas.

“So”, master Mar’Doug said, leaning back in his chair, “what do you think?” All eyes went to mistress Bel’Sara.

“This”, she said sharply, pointing at the doorway through which the priest had left, “makes no sense. We are delaying what must happen. Atissa has to face her destiny.”

“I had a look at the documents you sent me,” master Mar’Doug said calmly. “Thank you for that by the way. According to those different people produced ruffly the same prophecy at different times and places. Of course, they might just have taken over the stories, filling in their own gods. There is no proof that Atissa needs to travel south at this point.”

“Members of the Circle of Nemki have studied these prophecies for centuries,” Bel’Sara said. “Since long before many of the gods have made themselves known to the people that worship them today. In the far south are the holy sides of the oldest gods known to man. Gods like Nemki or Inashtar. The fight against the great upheaval will start there.”

Master Mar’Doug nodded as if he considered his fellow sage’s arguments perfectly sensible. “But isn’t the rapid ascent of the god Assan considered part of the upheaval by many priests and scholars?”

Bel’Sara hesitated.

Surprise.

Delia herself was surprised by how well-informed master Mar’Doug seemed to be. A couple of days ago, his questions had presented him as somebody ignorant about the wider world. Today, one could believe that he had just played a role.

She knew he hadn’t and so did Delios. Sitting to the master’s right, he followed the conversation with relaxed interest.

Since her father had told him to assist master Mar’Doug, she had barely seen him. If Delios wasn’t running errands for the sage, he spent most of his time in this room that was now referred to as the Office. Even her father had commented on it. Yet, there were no grounds for a reprimand. The administrative work Delios oversaw was running better than ever. And people had started to notice.

“Indeed”, Bel’Sara finally said, “this is so. Mel’Chor himself believed that to be the case.”

Master Mar’Doug searched through the clay tablets in front of him until he found the one, he was looking for. “According to a merchant from the city of Piro, Assan had only a minor cult until about fifty-sixty years ago. While being known by name for a long time, he was considered a demon living in the desert. Then he presents himself as a god to the grandfather of the current Assanaten sar Assanadon.” He tipped on the bottom of the table. “Less than fifty years later, this family leads an empire that can challenge Saggab.”

Master Mar’Doug looked up facing his fellow sage. Bel’Sara stayed quiet. Delia could see the muscles in her face working.

Concern.

You’re hiding something, teacher, Delia realized. Something significant. She decided to take a risk. “Master Mar’Doug, I apologize. I am afraid, I cannot follow. What exactly are you getting at?”

No surprise.

Master Mar’Doug looked back and forth between her and Bel’Sara.

“If we go by the various sources”, he said, when Bel’Sara didn’t speak up, ”the rapid ascent of the Assanaten empire and their patron deity is clearly part of this coming Great Upheaval. Cities and their gods disappear and are replaced by others. A time of chaos. Heroes will rise to challenge said chaos.“ He pointed to the stack of clay tablets sitting next to him on the table. “The stories pointing to Atissa being a champion of the gods, often mention a beginning in tragedy. Family and loved ones killed. Homes burning. A people enslaved.”

Delios leaned forward. “That matches what happened in the Half-Moon Valley, does it not?”

“Maybe,” Master Mar’Doug said. “But there it was just a small village that burned down. Not an entire city.”

Delios’ eyes widened and both siblings stared at Bel’Sara.

“This is pure conjecture,” she said, her face becoming guarded. “Prophecies are often exaggerated over time.”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

But you a very unsure about that, Delia thought.

Master Mar’Doug nodded. “It might be that the prophecies only foresaw the events in the Half-Moon Valley and the authors embellished them. Or they might refer to the destruction of Riadnos.”

Atissa’s people, the inhabitants of the Half-Moon Valley, were Helcenaean from Riadnos. In a wider sense, enslavement of her people could refer to all Helcenaean at the tip of the continent.

“This speculation”, master Mar’Doug said, “is of course based on only the very small number of sources, we had access to here. I assume mistress Bel’Sara has a more comprehensive picture.”

Bel’Sara glanced at Delia and for a moment their eyes met.

You can’t lie to me, Delia thought.

Her former teacher closed her eyes and sighed. “I am not as knowledgeable on the prophecies as others. From my study of the records…I would say there is an even chance that the fall of Riadnos is foretold.”

Delios groaned, falling back in his chair. Delia kept her face carefully neutral. Inside she felt a surge of desperation.

Their situation had been dangerous, but not yet desperate. She had to admit to herself that, with the Assanaten army still hidden behind the mountain reach, she hadn’t really contemplated that they might actually be conquered.

Mistress Bel’Sara raised her hand. “If this should really come to pass, it is even more urgent for Atissa to be brought away from here.”

“Wait!” Delios said, jumping to his feet. “Shouldn’t a champion be where the evil is? We should…she should participate in our fight against the Assanaten.”

Mistress Bel’Sara shook her head vigorously. “No, she is not ready yet. The prophecies describe the journey she must go on to grow. She must prove herself to the gods. In turn, she will be bestowed with powers to challenge the chaos.”

“The gods make it quite difficult, considering they have an invested interest in the hero succeeding,” master Mar’Doug said dryly. “Many of them won’t make it if this Great Upheaval comes to pass.”

Bel’Sara almost glared at him.

Once more Delia was astounded by the strange relationship the sages had with the gods. For most people gods were to be worshipped and feared. They were existences far above ordinary mortals. And yet, people’s lives depended on the gods’ goodwill and protection in nearly every aspect.

There were only very few who had a special relationship with the forces that controlled this world. Priest and rulers. Legendary heroes who were either championed or opposed by gods. Not seldom both as the gods were constantly quarreling with each other.

Of all of these, the two sages seemed the strangest to Delia.

One was constantly overhearing the god’s chatter. Mistress Bel’Sara herself had once described it as standing in the middle of a busy marketplace. The young Delia had smiled over the idea of the great goddess Rehala haggling over the price of fish.

The other was even stranger. Master Mar’Doug showed the same detached attitude a senior scribe might display when reporting an issue with a particular obstinate basileus - just another problem that had to be solved. According to the servants, he didn’t even wear a single amulet for protection.

“Look, there is no need for us to argue about this issue,” master Mar’Doug said. “Atissa won’t go anywhere. She has family and friends on the other side of those mountains. Even I”, he raised his hand, forestalling Bel’Sara’s objection, “would not be able to convince her to go on a ship and sail south. Further, I am not convinced of the inevitability of the city's fall.” He looked at Delios who nodded.

“The first basileis have started to arrive,” Delias' brother said. “If everything goes according to master Mar’Doug’s predictions, we will present a plan for Riadnos' defense to the great council.”

Her brother spoke with a conviction that surprised Delia. Something had changed. The past few days of working closely with the sage had moved something in her brother. She would have to find out what as quickly as possible.

Delia hoped that Bel’Sara would demand to hear about this plan but she was disappointed. After considering the two men sitting across the table for a couple of heartbeats, the sage rose.

“Very well,” she said. “I shall see you there.” She turned around and left, closely followed by Omiri.

Delia quickly considered her options and decided on her brother.

Need to talk.

Delios gave no indication that he'd noticed the signal invisible to anybody but him. They had years of experience in this form of communication.

Delia turned to master Mar’Doug and bowed. “Thank you for your consideration, master. We are grateful for everything you are doing for our city.”

Master Mar’Doug smiled friendly. “Of course.”

I don’t care, Delia read. Pay me.

He acknowledged and reciprocated their courtesies as a necessity. Below that he held no attachment to any of them. He expected to be compensated. A magus thinking like a mercenary, no, a merchant, she thought. It continued to confuse her.

She left the Office through the main entrance. On the other side, she found more than a dozen people waiting. A scribe stepped forward. “Can we go in now, Delia?”

“Yes, the discussion has ended.”

She had barely finished her answer before the crowd flooded past her into the room. Some remembered to greet her in passing.

Immediately, the sound of busy work filled the room. Looking back, she could see that master Mar’Doug had taken a seat at the most central desk at the back of the room. Some of the scribes were occupying the others.

Messengers came and went. Interestingly, only a small number approached the sage himself. Everybody seemed to know what they were doing as if they’d been working together for a long time. Observing the scene, Delia realized how the Office had become a term in the palace in only a couple of days.

Delios finished his conversation with a messenger in a priest’s robe and came out to her.

“I’ve only a moment,” he said. “I must meet with the craftsmen.”

“How many people are working for the Office now?”

“I’m not sure,” Delios said, looking back. “The first day, master Mar’Doug and I went around recruiting. Then he assigned areas of responsibility and told the men to put together teams. In the beginning, we accompanied a couple of them to ensure everything went smoothly.” He scratched his chin. “Maybe a couple dozen? A hundred if you count the different craftsmen, laborers, and so on.”

Delia raised her eyebrows. “Is father aware of the extend of this?”

From her brother’s expression, it was clear that he hadn’t even thought about that.

With Delios by his side, representing the anax’s support, master Mar’Doug had created his own organization within the palace. Nobody complained since all the regular work was still done. It wasn’t a time when anybody wanted to be found negligent in his duties.

“You’ve to stay close to master Mar’Doug,” she said.

“I know,” Delios said. “I’ve learned a lot in just these couple of days. If our plans work, there is so much more we can do after this war has ended.”

Delia looked up sharply. At heart, Delios had never been a warrior. Of course, he’d been trained just like their older brother, but it was administrational work where he excelled. Invisible behind his father and brother, he’d been an integral part of the palace economy for a long time.

What she’d always worried about was his lack of standing with the warriors. They and the basileis were the foundation of the anax’s rule. But maybe whatever master Mar’Doug was planning was an alternative way to ensure Delios’ succession.

She needed him to succeed. Or I will never get what I want, she thought bitterly.

Realizing she’d been quiet for a while she touched her brother’s arm. “Delios, do you know what a man that is about to kill another looks like? What his face shows?”

“Anger, perhaps,” Delios said carefully. “Hatred?” He frowned, not seeing where she was going.

“No,” Delia said quietly. “They look disgusted.” She moved her hand from his arm to his face, touching his temple with her index finger. “I believe, killing others doesn’t come naturally to most men. Hatred isn’t enough. In their minds, they must turn their victims into something less than a person.”

She had observed this early, and it had been a valuable lesson. It had saved her father on two occasions.

Delios frown deepened. “Why are you telling me this?”

She took her hand away. “Because it’s a good thing to know. Something you should look out for in others.” She paused for emphasis. “And because it’s what I saw in master Mar’Doug when father touched the boy on the balcony.”

“You think master Mar’Doug is a danger to father?” Delios asked alarmed.

He doesn’t understand, Delia thought. She had to be patient. Her Gift had taught her about man’s nature early. More than a child should know.

“No,” she said, looking back to the Office. “The sage is a rational man, as much as man can be rational. He wouldn’t allow his feelings to get in the way of his goals. But he wouldn’t be sorry to see the anax go if it doesn’t affect him.” She looked up into her brother’s eyes emphasizing her next words. “Or if it serves him.”

The two siblings stared at each other for a long moment.

Delios looked away first.

“I must go,” he said turning around. After two steps he stopped. “I’ll heed your advice,” he whispered over his shoulder. Then he straightened and walked back into the Office.