It was already close to midnight when Fidelia arrived at The Missing Helm Tavern but, despite the numbing cold outside, the atmosphere was as lively as ever. By candlelight, people were drinking and eating the tasty food that could be anticipated through the smells wafting through the air.

Conversation, laughter and the clinking of glasses mingled with the songs of a musical trio, which played happily in a corner, accompanied by the clapping of a group of tipsy old men, who were reluctant to let sleep overcome them. At some tables customers were gambling, at others business was being done, while a handful of sailors and strangers from the islands were exchanging anecdotes. Among them she recognized some colleagues from the merchants' guild, as well as some wizards she knew from her old life.

With no desire to talk to the latter, she crossed the space straight to the bar. Only one last drink, along with a piece of meat pie, and straight to bed, which was located in a room on the second floor that she used to rent from the tavern owner.

Tomorrow she was to sail early to fulfill an assignment from a light-stone manufacturer. While calculating how long she would be out of town, the tavern owner himself handed her a glass of mulled wine mixed with spices, along with her slice of pie.

“Fidelia... someone's been waiting for you for quite a while now,” he said.

He turned his head to one side, and she followed the movement to a dark corner where a hooded person was sitting, which did not promise anything good.

From the quality of the fabric of his sober dark garment, with which he was trying to conceal something he was not, Fidelia guessed that it was some nobleman who had come to ask her for a special favor. They thought that, because one had been expelled from the Council, she would have no other way to make a living but dishonestly.

“You'd better go and get it over with. I don't want any trouble here,” the tavern owner added.

In other words, if she didn't treat the matter carefully, she would be left without a room to sleep in. And it wouldn't be easy to find a room at that hour. Her name was known throughout Nemertya, and not for a good reason. There were many people who wanted nothing to do with her, some out of fear, as if she carried the infection of a contagious disease, others to maintain their reputation.

Still, she didn't want to please that person, so she took her time finishing her meal, and didn't get up from her chair until she had drunk the last drop of wine.

In all that time, the stranger did not move. He looked like a statue that wouldn't take his eyes off her.

Tired and irritated, Fidelia went to the table, standing in front of him.

“What do you want?”

“As direct as ever,” said a woman's voice she had not heard for years.

For a brief moment, Fidelia's breathing stopped, preventing her from answering.

“It's been a long time already, Master Fidelia Dabrus,” the woman continued, lifting her hood to reveal a thin face, with soft but aged features, framed by gray hair, held in a neat bun.

“Old age is affecting your memory, Rovenna. I am no wizard, much less a Master.”

“You are still a wizard. Your power is only sealed.”

“Sealed forever.”

“That... can be reversed.”

“Ah... the first signs of dementia are appearing as well.”

“Sit down and listen to me,” Rovenna commanded in a calm but authoritative voice.

“Or what? Everything worse that could have been done to me has already happened.”

“Let's not dramatize,” Rovenna patted the table gently. “You can throw me out once you finish listening to me.”

Fidelia didn't want to get into her games, but the tavern owner was watching them very closely, and she couldn't be thrown out of one of the few places that still welcomed her, nothing more than for provoking a confrontation she knew she couldn't win.

She sat down in front of Rovenna, who let out a sigh of satisfaction.

“It wasn't easy to find you,” continued the Master Arcanist. “My assistant has spent a few days scouring the entire city. We were afraid you had sailed to the islands.”

“I'm leaving tomorrow, so finish quickly.”

“They say you've gone into the invention business now.”

“I'm just helping a friend. I procure the materials she needs for her experiments.”

“Ah, yes, Korinna Franko. I've heard of her... her flying brooms... and that ridiculous carriage.”

“Are you here to talk about my business?”

“No... I need your help... for a mission.”

Fidelia couldn't help but laugh.

“Well, yeah, you're insane.”

“You're the only one I dare to trust.”

Fidelia's laughter died down as soon as she heard those words, and she couldn't help but punch the table which caught the attention of some people, including the tavern owner.

“Fidelia... Is everything all right?” he asked.

“A damn cockroach!” exclaimed Fidelia, without turning to look at him.

“There are no cockroaches in my establishment!”

“Well, there's one in front of me! I'll take care of it, don't worry.”

“Why don't we get some air?” Rovenna suggested, getting up from her chair.

They both walked out the front door, finding themselves facing the serene banks of the Yorgad River, whose dark surface reflected the silvery glow of the moon and the abundant lights on the other side, where the wealthiest part of the city was located. From there, they could see the highest towers of the Royal Palace, as well as the dome of the Great Temple belonging to the Council of the Wizards.

They began to walk along a deserted path that bordered the river, enveloped in the whisper of the stream and the leaves of nearby trees that were shaken by the night breeze. The cold had forced everyone to take shelter, and they did not come across anyone.

After a while of silence, Rovenna started talking:

“I'm glad your temper...” said she, when suddenly she saw a fist coming at her that almost hit her face, if she hadn't reacted in time, and with a movement of her hand blocked the unforeseen attack, which made Fidelia shriek in pain when her knuckles hit the shield.

Rovenna waited for the other to stop cursing.

“I spoke too soon.”

Still holding her hand in pain, Fidelia gritted her teeth in reply.

“The last time we met I was on the ground, my chest open, bleeding, and you were there, standing, doing nothing, saying nothing!”

“You betrayed the Council, and you betrayed me... under my nose... You were not just any wizard. You were specially chosen by me. How do you think that made me look?”

Fidelia spat on the ground.

“You came out of this well, Master Arcanist. My little misstep didn't cause you the loss of your precious position.”

“Just barely. But I have not come to scold you, but to offer you a chance to redeem yourself.”

“It's too late, even if I did...”

“Don't you want your power back?”

Fidelia let out another laugh, that sounded more like a scream.

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“No one can remove a cross seal! I've tried, did you think I just sat on my hands all this time? I visited countless potion makers that nearly left me in the flesh. I caused myself wounds of all kinds. I didn't go any further because I didn't want to die either. Not even a Master can undo it. That is the point. An exemplary punishment. A mark that remains forever, and reveals the dishonor.”

“There is someone who can do it.”

“Who can do it?”

“An Architect.”

Fidelia almost scoffed again, but remembered something she had heard not long ago.

“Ah... So are the rumors true? Has the Archmage of the Island reached the level of Architect? Or is it simply nothing more than another hoax of yours?”

“I have never lied to you. In fact, I have taught you everything I know. I prepared you to be my successor, until you threw it all away.”

Fidelia felt a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

"Yeah, yeah, I never live up to anyone's expectations... You remind me of..."

"Eldrin? Well, coincidentally, the mission involves traveling to your old home."

"What for?"

"At least listen to me. You don't want to be left curious."

Fidelia reluctantly agreed, and, as they walked to the end of an empty dock, Rovenna whispered her plan to investigate the strange happenings in Shadowrock.

To the powerless wizard, it all sounded like nonsense. During her time on the Council, she had carried out all sorts of plans, hatched by her former Division Leader, but she had never gone to such lengths.

Now the Master Arcanist was going to risk everything to send a dismissed wizard, who he thought had not been dismissed, but, on the contrary, promoted, although no one else on the Council could know that. That wizard would have to pretend in front of Eldrin that he was going on an official visit, although in reality the Leader of the mission, who was not really the Leader, thought that he was going to dedicate himself to protecting chimeras, when, in reality, there were not even suspicions of any chimera, but that Fidelia herself, a wizard without powers, although knowledgeable about the Circle, would be in charge of investigating on her own what had happened with a group of deranged Elementals.

“Why didn't you just tell him the truth?”

“Because otherwise he wouldn't be able to perform his role naturally.”

“Won't Eldrin find it strange that I am part of a Task Force?”

“Myrius will explain that he has hired you as a guardian. The real Leader of the mission will be you. And no one but you, and my informant, will know the real reason for your expedition. He will meet you before you reach the castle.”

Fidelia meditated in silence watching the ripples of the water.

She did not want to return to Shadowrock. On the day of her departure, she had sworn in front of the entire castle that she would never set foot there again. Then she joined the Council, thinking she had accomplished what Eldrin had told her she would never do. For a while, it looked like her life was starting to get better, until she made a mistake, and the most precious thing she had, and the only thing she felt she was fit for, was taken from her.

“Depending on how the mission goes,” Rovenna added. “I will ask the Archmage of the Island to remove your seal. If I break my word, you will have enough evidence to accuse me before the Conclave, and my fate will be the same, or even worse, than yours. Is that okay with you?”

Perhaps she was stepping into the lion's den, although there was a part of her that wanted her powers back. For years she had convinced herself that she could go on living, as if it were nothing, but that night she realized that she was fooling herself, and deep down inside she was longing for the person she had once been.

But she wasn't going to make things so easy for Rovenna. The Archmage thing could always go wrong, and even if she exacted her revenge, she could be left with nothing in the end.

“I have another condition,” she said.

“What is it?”

“Korinna will go with us... as a driver.”

“No way.”

Fidelia ignored the refusal.

“For that, we'll need a permit approved by Registry, as a matter of urgency.”

“I can't do that.”

“Come on, Rovenna, you've already broken a lot of rules with all this stuff you just told me. What does it cost you to pull your influence to get a simple parchment delivered to us? Besides, if you want us to accomplish the mission as quickly as possible, the carriage is the best option.”

Rovenna sighed in surrender.

“Fine, but try not to kill anyone. You'll draw enough attention to yourselves. And brooms will not be included in the permit.”

“Deal.”

“I don't understand what everyone sees in them. They look so uncomfortable. Just looking at them is starting to make my butt hurt.”

They continued walking, until they found a barge manned by a man who helped them cross the wide river. Once on land, they went to Rovenna's house, where they continued talking until dawn to finalize the details of the plan.

A couple of days later, as agreed, Myrius Sentos showed up at the workshop of Korinna Franko, inventor wizard, where Fidelia was also waiting for him.

The workshop had once been a warehouse for shipbuilding materials that Korinna had once received as payment for her services as a shield-making wizard. Now she had left the magical professions behind to devote herself to the invention of new artifacts, so the place was filled with sketches drawn on parchment, shoe leather, wooden boards and wheels, bundles of straws for the brooms Korinna dreamed of one day starting to make work, and metal plates on which the seals were engraved to make her inventions work.

“Welcome, Master Myrius, my name is Fidelia Dabrus, and this is my partner Korinna Franko.”

“A pleasure!” exclaimed the cheerful voice of Korinna, a young woman with smooth skin and honey-colored hair, dressed in colorful clothes. She contrasted in almost every way with her austere friend, who preferred dark colors. The only thing they had in common was that they both wore tunics and work boots.

“Pleased to meet you...” Myrius bowed his head slightly, and then began to observe the place around, before asking in a frightened tone. “And the others?”

Listening to him, Fidelia could not believe that this was the man Rovenna had deemed fit for such responsibility.

“The others?” she asked in a surprised voice, although she did know what he meant.

“The rest of the team,” answered Myrius.

“Ah,” Korinna replied with a wink. “Budget problems, Master Leader. It will just be the three of us.”

Fidelia was not allowed to explain all the details of the mission to her friend, and she also thought that the less she knew the better it would be. Korinna was only aware that they were to transport a Council wizard to Shadowrock, and that this was nothing more than an excursion.

In fact, Fidelia herself was convinced of the latter, for, although she had not told Rovenna, to her, the Elemental story seemed like a hoax, perhaps an invention of Eldrin's for who knows what elaborate scheme born of the rivalry between him and the Master Arcanist.

“Ah, I understand...” said Myrius, after Korinna's explanation. “It would be too much to take advantage of the Master Arcanist's already overwhelming generosity.”

Poor man. Fidelia felt sorry just looking at him.

“There is something else you should know, Master Leader,” she said in a more serious tone. “I will be honest with you. I cannot do magic.”

Having said that, she pulled down the collar of her tunic to reveal the symbol that so many years ago the Conclave had cauterized in the middle of his chest with a knife passed through fire: a red scar in the shape of a circle within which a countless number of lines bent in various directions like the inside of a labyrinth, forming a cross in its center.

It looked as if the man's head was about to catch fire, although the pain emanating from that atrocity was reflected in his eyes.

“I... I... I see... Master...”

“I am not a Master... just call me Fidelia.”

“Miss Fidelia would be appropiate.”

“Rovenna told me not to tell you anything, but you must know, as your safety depends on me. I will be your guardian, but, in case I need magic, I am useless. That's why Korinna will go with us as a driver, and then someone else will join.”

“Yes, yes, everything was explained to me by the Master Arcanist.”

“But... Don't worry,” Korinna added to ease the tension. “It will be a quick trip, because... we have this!”

With a dramatic gesture, she uncovered a large artifact that had caught the wizard's attention when he couldn't identify what it was.

Myrius stared in confusion at what she had so eagerly discovered.

“A carriage...”

“Aha... And what else?” Korinna encouraged him.

“A carriage... without horses?”

“Exactly! You're brilliant!”

“I'm afraid I'm missing the point.”

Korinna then went on to explain. That was her latest and most cherished project: the magicar. Although the name was still under discussion. It was, in appearance, an ordinary carriage, but on the back, it had a seal engraved in metal and fastened with screws. Through the pattern code that made up the seal, it manifested the force necessary for the carriage to move forward without the use of horses.

“It moves by itself? How is that possible?”

“Well... it's not that it moves... rather it is driven by the force manifested by the seal. The problem is that we Masters cannot modify the forces that exist in the environment. We can identify them, and chart a path for them to follow, but we cannot increase or decrease their intensity. That is why the seal must be as accurate as possible. It is very easy to make a shield, because the greater the force, the more resistant it will be... The problem here is... finding the right speed... which has not been easy. I've had to spend on a lot of metal creating an endless amount of seals. You can't imagine how many of these magicars crashed into a wall and shattered.” Korinna's voice, which had become serious, returned to its usual cheerful tone. “But have no fear! We'll be safe, we've tried this one several times, and survived!”

“Although this is the first time we take it out of the city,” clarified Fidelia. “Luckily, it seems that the snow is starting to melt.”

“Ah...”

“Too bad it can't go faster. Imagine what it would be like to be able to get to a place in a matter of hours instead of days. Oh... if I were an Architect, the wonders I could do... But well... if the journey from Nemertya to Shadowrock takes ten days on horseback... we should get there in half that time using this beauty.”

“Anyway, Master,” added Fidelia. “You are the Leader of the mission and the one who must choose the best way for us to travel.”

“If you don't like the magicar...” Korinna ran to a corner of the crowded warehouse. “We also have flying brooms!”

The broom had a small seal embedded in the stick. Korinna sat on it, and activated the seal. It soared over the ground before Myrius' astonished eyes, but the inventor's joy was short-lived, as the broom spun out of control, flipping upside down and falling to the ground. It was Myrius who saved her from the blow by summoning a restraining shield that kept her briefly in the air, just a few centimeters above the ground, which prevented her head from breaking.

“It's still in process...” she apologized embarrassed. “Another thing that might come in handy are these hydro-walking boots,” she held up a pair of boots that looked like ordinary boots. “I've tried them out on the river and they've held my weight quite well for several minutes. So far I haven't drowned!”

“Korinna... don't get too carried away, they'll only give us permission to use the carriage...” Fidelia reminded her, rubbing her forehead.

Myrius' gaze oscillated between the two women.

“Well... I don't think it's bad... the magicar, I mean. The brooms and the boots... well... it seems too much to me,” he finally said.

After that first meeting, they had to wait two more days for the permit to be approved. In the meantime, the two subordinates had long conversations with Myrius, who instructed them in everything he knew about chimeras, and what would be the best strategies to find one near the mountains.

And so, after all these preparations, one bright sunny morning, the magicar that transported the Chimera Protection Task Force left the city to set out on its journey to Shadowrock Castle.