If there was anything more tedious than traveling from Nemertya to the Blue Dragon Lake, it was being escorted by a entourage of about thirty wizards belonging to the Control Division, who since they had left the capital acted as if they were going to be attacked at any moment. Rovenna had already lost count of how many times she had to avoid the detention of some innocent traveler who, according to them, could be an undercover wizard who had escaped from the lake.

They were not without reason because, according to the last report she received, Eldrin's whereabouts were still unknown, although it would be very foolish of him to escape in the capital's direction.

“Or so he wants us to think,” Zoran Wildheart, Master Leader of the Control Division, had told her when she had expressed her doubts.

The traffic on the roads had slowed down, but every now and then they came across a caravan returning from the lake telling different versions of the events. However, no one had seen how the fire had started. If it were up to Zoran, they would have questioned each of them, but time was pressing and they had already lost too much time with those ridiculous interrogations.

She also wanted to get there as soon as possible as it had been years since she had ridden a horse and her body was paying the price. The chilly nights spent outdoors didn't help either, and in the morning she woke up with a numb body and a pain in her neck that took a while to alleviate even with magic. She could have chosen any of the carriages available at the Council, but she did not want to give Zoran the satisfaction of seeing her as a feeble old woman who had to be carried around.

Once near their destination, the procession split up. Zoran and Rovenna, along with other wizards, headed for the lake, while the rest would go to take care of the traitors imprisoned in the castle of Shadowrock.

They arrived at the lakeside camp before noon. Rovenna expected a desolate scene, but the place was bustling with activity. Members of the tribe, humans and sirenians, as well as Shadowrock soldiers, were moving back and forth between the tents carrying wood and straw from dozens of wagons that had been piled up around them. It seemed that they had already begun the reconstruction.

As they alighted from their horses, the Count of Shadowrock came up to greet them, and stood in front of them with a simple nod of his head.

“Master Arcanist.”

“My Lord, I see you haven't wasted any time, as expected of a worthy Guardian of the Circle.”

“I had the good fortune to be at the lake when all this happened.”

“I see many wagons with wood and straw.”

“Donations from other neighboring villages, as well as from my own castle,” he raised his eyebrows. “We also expect to receive something from the capital any time now.”

“I regret to say that I was unable to take care of it due to the haste of my departure, but I am sure the Council will take care of the matter.”

Although the wagons would most likely arrive very late after the huts had already been rebuilt due to all the bureaucracy it took to get a single stick into a wagon and the Count knew that very well.

Zoran was getting impatient.

“It was very striking how you managed to stop the wizards. Your report lacked many details,” he said in an affected manner.

“In the face of the urgency, my last concern was to write a report for the Council,” the Count replied. “I owe it to the people who are under my protection. Besides, taking into account what has happened to my daughter...”

“I regret your situation, but above all you must answer first to the royal family and to the Council.

A murderous glint flashed in the Count's eyes.

“They were not here to deal with the mess caused by their own wizards.”

“Wizards who were trained by the Order of Shadowrock.”

“By a leader assigned by the Council itself.”

The two men, equal in both height and muscles, took a step forward as if they were going to duel at that very moment.

“Gentlemen,” Rovenna stopped them. “We will get nowhere with these accusations. This attack surprised us all, and we must now join forces to get to the root of the matter. Our first duty is to ensure the peace of the kingdom.

Zoran kept his gaze fixed on the Count, as if he wanted to ignore the words of her superior, but in the end reason prevailed.

“Where are the traitors?” he asked.

“The captain of my guard will guide you there. So far we have not been able to get much information out of them.”

The Control Leader smirked.

“It's either because you don't know how to do it or you don't have the guts. It's always necessary for us to come in and take care of things properly.”

As expected, Zoran Wildheart, a member of one of the five families, did not hide the animosity he felt towards the Shadowrocks, descendants of common humans who had rebelled during the war of the five wizards, and who later became Guardians of the Circle because the other races were opposed to the wizards taking on that responsibility.

In any case, the Council soon asserted its control when it forced all lords to admit an order of wizards in every castle, city and town, which limited the powers of the nobles. The Shadowrocks objected to this imposition, but there was little they could do about it if they did not want to risk a new confrontation with the royal family.

That was why Rovenna had felt alarmed when she heard rumors that Eldrin had become the mentor of the heiress of the Circle, already betrothed to the prince by direct order of his majesty. It was obvious that Eldrin wanted to have some influence over the future queen, but she couldn't explain how the Count had allowed it.

“I find it hard to believe that your soldiers stopped the wizards,” Rovenna said to the Count as Zoran and the rest of the Control Division moved away. “Which makes me believe that not all of the them betrayed you.”

“There was only one exception: Master Leander Kalas.”

“And Master Leander faced them all alone?”

“He had help. Perhaps you already suspect who I am talking about.”

Rovenna, in fact, suspected it.

“Did you really think there were chimeras in my castle?” the Count asked with a mocking look.

“That's confidential, my lord.”

“I see. Anyway, Myrius Sentos has explained the situation to me so to save you the embarrassment of Zoran finding out... we will say that both Korinna Franko and he were looking for work in my castle. As for Fidelia Dabrus, she just wanted to pay a visit to her old home.”

Impertinent man. Though that made things easier for Rovenna. She didn't feel like explaining to Zoran why she had sent three wizards of dubious skill to investigate about non-existent chimeras.

“That's why I asked Fidelia and Leander to go to the castle,” the Count added. “While Myrius and Korinna have stayed behind to answer any questions you may have.”

This did not please Rovenna, but she said nothing. She had hoped to meet Fidelia sometime in the evening when Zoran had retired to rest, but now she was going to have to wait for her business at the lake to be finished. Neither Sentos nor Franko were of any use to him.

They approached the edge of a hill and looked out over the lake shore. The wind had already blown away most of the ash, although there was still evidence of the horror that had occurred days before. On the sand, humans and sirenians were raising the remains of charred huts and in other clean areas they were beginning to place the first piles. It felt strange not to see the promontory, and it was much more difficult to imagine how they had managed to bring down such a huge structure to its very base.

She asked the Count to take her to the tribe's chiefs, and he guided her to a huge tent that served as headquarters to organize the reconstruction. Inside were several people who, far from greeting, stared at her as if she was not welcome.

“Master Arcanist, it's been a long time,” it was Thalassa, a sirenian whom Rovenna knew since her time as an Acolyte. “It is an honor to see you again, though one would think that someone of your importance would join our celebrations.”

She had better things to do than make a pilgrimage every spring to the lake to see a few lights moving in the water. Having seen it a couple of times was enough for her.

But she couldn't say that.

“Maybe next year under better circumstances if we can get all this sorted out.”

Thalassa gave a wide smile showing all her white teeth.

“As far as we know, they were misguided wizards. My partner told me so himself.”

“Did he see the attack starting?”

“He can tell you in his own words. He is still recovering from his injuries, but he is feeling much better.”

“What about the rest of the chiefs?” Rovenna asked when she saw that the others turned their backs on her.

“They don't want to talk to you. They have asked me to speak on their behalf.”

They led her to another tent where the wounded were. On the ground, on blankets, lay several humans and sirenians bandaged in various parts of their bodies while being tended to by others who laid their hands on their bodies or helped them to feed.

Thalassa's partner, Mantok, lay stiff on the ground, bandaged from head to toe. He was accompanied by a couple of young men, perhaps sons or grandsons.

“Well, Rovenna, how long has it been?” Mantok asked, rolling his eyes at her.

“I asked her the same question,” said Thalassa.

“My duties prevent me from leaving the capital,” Rovenna excused herself. “Perhaps next...”

“A disaster has to happen before you deign to come, doesn't it?” said Mantok in a stern tone that Rovenna, knowing him for years, knew was unusual for him. “Balance between the races will not be achieved by strategies and manipulations alone if they are not accompanied by genuine actions that encourage mutual understanding. We are familiar with the rivalries that exist between the followers of Nemertyss and those of the Blue Dragon. You should be an example.”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Rovenna sighed.

“I will try to be better... Believe me it was not my intention to offend the tribe, but what you have just described to me is nothing compared to what is brewing both within the Council and the palace.”

The three of them looked at the Count who remained unperturbed, understanding very well what she was referring to.

“I suppose you have come to ask me what happened,” said Mantok and after seeing that Rovenna nodded he began to explain. “Well... we were celebrating the Return as we do every year with our special guests, the Count and his daughter, when suddenly we heard explosions.”

He went on to narrate that the wizards led by this Eldrin Caedos had suddenly appeared. There was no time to do anything. The huts had begun to burn, and everyone had to be evacuated. The Count's soldiers were camped in the hills, and it took them a long time to reach the shore where the attack had taken place. In the midst of the commotion they realized that Lady Olivia had disappeared along with Eldrin. It seemed that his goal all along had been to abduct the young woman. They were fortunate that just about four wizards, arriving from nowhere, appeared to confront the traitors and capture them. That was how it had been in general terms. Everything had been very confusing and the smoke prevented from seeing everything clearly.

“I was caught in an explosion, as you can see,” finished the chief.

There were some things that didn't add up. If Eldrin had wanted to kidnap Lady Olivia, why had he waited so long? Why not kidnap her when she was already in the castle? Eldrin was the Leader of the Order, it would have been so easy. But then again, why abduct her, did he not agree to the marriage? Rovenna knew that the Count had tried everything he could to delay the marriage, but it seemed extreme to her that Eldrin had kidnapped the girl. Did that mean that he was currently on his way to Nemertya as Zoran had suspected? Was the royal family involved in the abduction?

She felt twinges in her head. She still hadn't recovered from the journey on horseback. She needed rest to deal with the whole mess.

But there was one question missing.

“What about the promontory?”

Thalassa and Mantok crossed eyes so quickly that Rovenna barely had time to see it.

“No one is sure. It was very dark, there was a lot of smoke. We couldn't see who the culprit was”, replied Mantok.

Someone with so much power could not go unnoticed by the sirenians, but Rovenna did not want to force them. Any excuse could serve them to request the help of the League of Pirates. Captain Jasper Gloom had assured her that they would take no action for the time being, but his presence in Misty Dream, as Theo had told her through the elven mirror, was too much of a coincidence. Perhaps they were planning a surprise attack?

“I regret everything that has happened,” said Rovenna, lowering her head. “I take full responsibility for this heinous act, and I assure you that all those found guilty will be severely punished. I request a meeting with all the chiefs so that I may offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of the royal family and the Council.”

“We both accept your apology. I will see what can be done with the rest of the chiefs,” said Thalassa.

Mantok began to complain that he felt tired, and Rovenna left the tent along with the Count who escorted her to another one set aside especially for her where a bed had been placed along with a couple of chairs and a desk as well as writing materials.

The young wizard she had taken in as Theo's temporary substitute approached with a plate of food. She then lay down for a while, but forced herself to get up to begin dictating to her assistant the reports she was to address to the Conclave.

That took her most of the afternoon and just as the sun was beginning to set Zoran appeared in her tent looking rather unfriendly, which meant that the interrogation had not gone well despite the desperate screams she had heard in the distance. She had forgotten to tell Zoran to go as far away as possible as there were children everywhere, and besides the sirenians hated that kind of practice.

She also despised torture, but there was nothing she could do about it. The Conclave had given the direct order to Zoran by stepping over her. But even if they hadn't, it was well known that Control Division wizards were experts in that method, and lost their patience very easily.

Nor was the Conclave's decision unusual. After all, it was tradition that the next Master Arcanist would be the current Leader of the Control Division, just as Rovenna had been in her time. Whoever was in charge of that Division was known to be considered the most powerful wizard in the Council, of course after the Master Arcanist and the Archmages. Fidelia had been so close to becoming a candidate to replace Zoran when the time came, but she had messed it all up by letting her impulses get the better of her.

During her time leading the Division Rovenna had avoided torture as much as possible, but there were times when she must have been forced to accept it if she didn't want the rest of her subordinates to consider her weak, an argument that was used daily to get her out of the way, and let Zoran replace her once and for all. It was going to happen at any moment, her detractors said, so why wait any longer?

Reluctantly, Rovenna invited him to sit down, and his huge body completely covered the chair. In the candlelight Rovenna noticed a splash of blood that had dried on one of his prominent jaws.

“What did the traitors say?” she asked.

Zoran shook his head and began tapping annoyingly on the table with his blood-soiled fingernails.

“They have shown a loyalty to Eldrin that would be commendable apart from the disaster they have caused," he replied. Let's hope for better results with the others in the castle.”

“So you haven't been told anything then?”

“It's not that,” he looked thoughtful. “It seems incredible, but they have all managed to agree to tell the same story.

In spite of herself, Rovenna felt interested.

“What story?”

Zoran went on to tell her the ridiculous story with which, according to him, the traitors were trying to trick them.

“They really... think we're fools...” the Control Leader clenched his fists. “Tomorrow we will double the torture until they reveal Eldrin's whereabouts.”

“It's a story too incredible to be true,” said Rovenna.

“It has no head or tail. I even feel insulted that they think they can fool us like this,” he banged the table in such a way that he could have broken it in half. “About the flying carriage.... I already saw one crash with my own eyes when Master Franko tried to do a demonstration that was a complete failure. As for the other two. Sentos is delusional, and Dabrus is utterly useless thanks to that cross seal. I made the cuts myself, you know.”

Rovenna's stomach turned.

“I remember, I was there...”

“It's a seal like no other. I designed it especially for her. Not only does it block her power, but at the slightest attempt it causes indescribable pain. She will never forget her betrayal.”

“What about Master Leander?” Rovenna asked, wanting to change the subject.

“I have not heard very good things about Kalas. He is nothing more than a friend of the Count.”

“And yet it was they who...”

“Let's suppose they were lucky. I can accept that... They came at the right time, and found them weakened for some reason I still don't understand... But about the chimera? Really? It makes my blood boil just remembering it. And then blaming an innocent young girl for causing all this.”

“Did they explain how she did it?”

“They say they don't know... please. The only one who could explain it all would be Eldrin Caedos, but he happens to be missing...”

“So you think he really did abduct Lady Olivia? Even though he...”

“You never know with people. Besides, an Initiate couldn't do anything of the sort. The Count is putting all his efforts into finding Eldrin... The locals told me that they have seen him very affected by everything that happened even though today when he received us he appeared calm...” Zoran jumped out of his chair. “Maybe I should go back now and continue... the longer we wait, the less chance we have of finding the future queen.”

Rovenna dismissed him with a nod, and with a shout called his assistant who was outside the tent.

“Bring Master Myrius Sentos to me at once,” she ordered.

A few minutes later she had the trembling wizard in front of her.

“Master Arcanist,” he greeted her, lowering his head.

“Myrus Sentos... haven't you heard anything about any chimera?”

“Chimera, Master Arcanist? Not really...”

And yet Rovenna knew he was lying. The man didn't know how to do it. He avoided her gaze, and rubbed his hands together as if he wanted to tear his skin off. He must have heard about the story of the chimera, but instead of looking happy, as Rovenna would have expected, he seemed to want to hide it.

“The traitors have talked about a chimera that was captured in the castle of Shadowrock, and then released by the Count's daughter. According to them, the two were at the lake when they arrived together with Eldrin.”

“Is-is that so? It's... it's... un-unbelievable...”

“Don't you have anything to say about it?”

“Well... well... it sounds like a most... most wonderful story. I've always wanted to see a chimera.”

“So you didn't see any chimera when you came to the lake?”

“If-if I had, you'd be the first to-to know... about it. It-it was you who... who gave me the mission... to look for chimeras. How-however, Master Arcanist, I have... have failed in my mission... I have found no chimera. Nothing, nothing. Not even a single creature that resembles it.

Rovenna frowned. Everything the wizard was telling her was logical, and yet he was hiding something from her.

“Do you know what happens to wizards who withhold information from their superiors?”

“Well... well, of course I know.”

“Because if I find out that you're hiding something from me, I'll drop all my kindness, and I'll personally stamp the cross seal on your chest.”

The man began to tremble even more.

“I... I will... keep it in mind...”

Rovenna sighed. It was frustrating to see such a transparent man who posed no challenge to her.

“You and Korinna Franko.”

The wizard's eyes widened, and Rovenna knew she had caught him.

“Korinna? Why?”

“She's part of the team, isn't she? I can't do anything to Fidelia anymore. She doesn't work for the Council, and she's already been punished.”

“You... you should only punish me!”

“Ah... And why should I punish you?”

The wizard gulped so suddenly that he choked and started coughing.

“You became a Leader of your own task force because of me. Otherwise, I would have already...”

The tent fabric flapped and the Count of Shadowrock came rushing in like a gale. He gave Myrius a stern look, which did not go unnoticed by Rovenna, before addressing her.

“I have come to tell you that I do not need the Order to be reinstated,” said the Count.

“What are you saying?” asked her with a tired voice.

He shook out a parchment he was holding, and dropped it on the table.

“Zoran has come to give me a list of candidates. I guess you already know about it.”

No, Rovenna did not know. Zoran had acted on his own. In such cases, it was up to the Master Arcanist to take charge, but again he had ignored her.

That was a declaration of war.

“At the moment there is only one wizard I trust, and that is Leander Kalas,” the Count continued.

Rovenna shook her head.

“Master Leander will be dismissed. His mistakes have led to this disaster.”

“Remove him from the Council if you wish, but that does not mean he will not continue to work for me.”

“The Conclave will not accept that.”

“The Conclave can stick their orders wherever they want.”

“They will remove your title.”

“So be it, I have men who are loyal to me anyway.”

Rovenna rose from her chair, slamming both hands on the desk.

“You are the Guardian of the Circle, Protector of Peace! Your actions will lead to war!”

The Count did not lose his cool.

“It was the wizards who started it. Since the first humans arrived in these lands you have been the protagonists of almost every confrontation. Perhaps it is time to get rid of you.”

“I can have you arrested for treason right now!”

“Then there will be a battle.”

“Your men can do nothing against magic.”

“Try us.”

It was like talking to a wall.

“Count... you and I never had an honest conversation. We have always been constrained by the presence of others or by the very demands of the positions we both hold. Let me take the first step. I am totally opposed to the marriage of your daughter to the prince. It has always seemed nonsense to me, but I have no say in the matter. That was all His Majesty's plan in conjunction with the Conclave. I cannot understand what drove them to it, though I suppose you know. If you tell me that your daughter has fled to avoid the wedding, I will do my best to make that a success.”

“My daughter did not run away! She was kidnapped.”

“There are contrary versions.”

“Versions of traitors who will say anything to stop their torture.”

“I also know that before coming to the lake you were away from the castle because of an made-up illness, and that you did not take your daughter with you. I also know about the attack of the Elementals, and that you then went to Serenity Glade. And from the looks of you... Master Myrius, you are also aware of it since you don't seem at all surprised.”

Myrius reacted with a spasm. As Rovenna had not dismissed him he had stood to the side listening to the whole conversation not knowing what to do next.

“Fidelia told you everything, didn't she?” Rovenna grimaced as she received no answer. “That child never learns.”

“And what do you intend to... ?” the Count began to say through gritted teeth, but she didn't let him finish.

“Neither Zoran nor the Conclave know about this. The proof is in the fact that he continues to interrogate the traitors, and has not requested your capture as you well know he could do if he found out about all this.”

“You want to bribe me?”

Rovenna shook her head.

“I want to make an alliance. Neither of us want Zoran to become Master Arcanist. If that happens, he would be one step away from becoming a candidate for Archmage. My commoner origins prevent me from doing so, but he is a Wildheart. It's almost guaranteed. I don't want to imagine what the Council would be like with someone like him in charge. Can you imagine?”

The Count did not answer.

“My duty is to maintain the balance, and this arranged marriage threatens to break it,” Rovenna continued. “Our goals are aligned. If I am removed, you will lose your best ally.”

The Count and Myrius looked at her in silence, but she knew they were hesitating.

She sat back down, and interlocked the fingers of both hands.

“So... gentlemen, who would like to begin?”