“Well... I've been dismissed as Leader of the Order,” Leander announced as he stepped into Barthra's cabin where Fidelia had chosen to stay since they had returned from the lake.

She was at the table sipping a cup of tea with cookies that old acquaintances of her parents had brought her in a basket as soon as they found out she was "paying a visit". When Leander gave her the news she set the tea aside, and reached for the small keg of mead that Guthran had brought her along with the news of the last few days that he had received from Rovenna.

Since the Count had asked them to return to the castle, she had been waiting in the hut and bored out of her mind, except when she received those visitors that had included some of the maids and cooks, as well as good old Harald, who made her remember anecdotes from when she was a little girl.

Apart from that, her other occupations had been fetching food, dusting the hut, and standing still in a corner waiting for one of the Elementals to think of visiting her. But despite all her patience, none had appeared.

Now that Rovenna and the rest had returned, she couldn't wait to return to Nemertya and her normal life.

“I'm sorry,” she said to Leander as she poured the drink into two wooden glasses.

He grabbed his, drank the contents in one gulp, and let out a snort.

“Never mind... it was too much... Besides, even the servants ended up outsmarting me... Now I'll be able to get back to my experiments without distractions.”

“Who will become the next Leader?”

“Uncertain. Alaric and Rovenna are currently discussing. It seems that Alaric doesn't want to reinstate the order.”

“I don't blame him. What about Zoran?”

“He's still in the dungeon interrogating the traitors... They keep talking about the chimera and Zoran still doesn't believe them.”

Fidelia lowered her eyes.

“I feel quite guilty...”

Leander's voice hardened.

“They betrayed the Order and conspired to kidnap Olivia. I don't feel sorry for them at all.”

Despite that, Fidelia couldn't help, but feel complicit with Zoran himself, as if she were also in the dungeon administering the torture.

“I betrayed the Council, too.”

Leander shook his head.

“That was different.”

“I was manipulated, just as they were also manipulated by Eldrin and whoever was working with him. What they are going through, I went through as well.”

This time it was Leander who lowered his eyes.

“I spoke without thinking, sorry.”

Fidelia waved a hand. The matter was over. She just had to be patient, and wait for Rovenna to communicate with her, but Fidelia didn't want to make the mistake of getting her hopes up. Even if Rovenna granted her permission to visit the island, it remained to be seen if the Archmage was indeed an Architect or nothing more than rumors.

“So...” she sighed eager to change the subject as she refilled the cups. “I suppose you'll be glad, at least, now that Cormac's back.”

Leander choked on mead, and his cheeks turned red.

“Don't tell me you're embarrassed after all these years,” Fidelia scoffed.

“It's not something I talk about with everyone...”

“Come to think of it, we shouldn't be friends.”

“Why?"

“Because you stole my first love from me.”

Leander rolled his eyes.

“He was not meant for you, also you were a little girl... Are you still in love with him?”

“Of course not!” although she had felt uncomfortable when she saw him appear in the lake running towards them with sword in hand ready to take action.

“And there's no one who...?”

“No. Especially since I got the seal.”

“If I had known...”

“You couldn't do anything. I didn't want you to get involved in that either. You had too much to lose, as for I…”

“There are many people here who love you, and got really worried when we heard what happened. I even went to the capital, but no one knew anything about you.”

“I didn't know that.”

“Eldrin was furious. He said you had become a shameful stain on the reputation of Shadowrock. Alaric gave me permission to leave. But, like everything I set out to do, it was a failure, and I came back empty handed, and disappointed everyone,” he took another sip.

“There was no way you could find me. I wandered around the kingdom for a long time, until I happened to meet Korinna again, and she told me that she had left the Council. That's how I joined her business... although I don't know if we can call it that yet.”

“I like her, she's a very cheerful gal.”

“Yes... now you mention it... I haven't heard from her and Myrius, where are they?”

“They are back to the castle, but have been busy talking with Rovenna.”

Fidelia began to feel uneasy.

“Why? Korinna was only accompanying me, and Myrius was coming as a decoy…”

“Rovenna found out about the chimera.”

“And you waited all this time to tell me?”

“I knew you'd be upset, but it wouldn't be good for Zoran to see you right now. He's very upset.”

“I'm not afraid of Zoran! I just hate to see him!”

“Still, they told me they'd come to see you as soon as they were free, so... let's wait... I have nothing to do right now... so I'll stay with you,” he said as he poured himself another shot of mead.

Fidelia knew it was only a matter of time before Rovenna found out about that, but she didn't see why she had to involve Korinna. The chimera had disappeared without a trace, according to Myrius. What was Rovenna's intention? To send that nervous wizard in search of the creature?

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As Leander had said, at sunset Korinna and Myrius arrived at the hut, although Fidelia did not expect them to appear smiling and carrying a small barrel of beer as if they wanted to celebrate something.

“We've been promoted!” Korinna exclaimed when Fidelia pointed that out.

“Congratulations!” exclaimed Leander, already drunk after having downed most of the barrel of mead all by himself. “I've been dismissed! Cheers!”

“What do you mean, a promotion?” asked Fidelia. “You don't work for the Council!”

Korinna's face showed a guilty look.

“Rovenna has reinstated me.”

Fidelia banged the table, and got up from her seat.

“What? What about our business?”

“I'm going to take a break... Before I continue I need to reformulate my calculations.”

“But you hate the Council!”

“I don't hate it... I mean, I couldn't stand working there, but it didn't feel right to resign either... If only I had been allowed to continue my experiments…”

“Exactly! You're an inventor!”

“I'm not going to stop being one... it's just a pause along the way…”

“And what the hell has Rovenna asked you to do?”

“Actually... the promotion went to Myrius... I'm just going as a helper.”

“To where?” Fidelia asked, grabbing her own head. Where the fuck did Rovenna want to send those two?

Myrius had purposely stayed out of the conversation, but at the look on Fidelia's face he was forced to speak up. “Well…” he said in a timid voice. “I'm not sure if we can call it a promotion… After all, I was already Master Leader of the Chimera Protection Task Force.”

“That was a lie!” Fidelia protested without caring about the wizard's feelings.

“Well... Now it turns out that it's true…”

“What?!”

“Remember when you asked me about the chimera?”

“You told me it was gone,” Fidelia gave him a murderous look.

“Ah... yes... well... that was actually a lie…”

“Myrius…”

“The truth is that the chimera and Lady Olivia escaped together.”

“Then Eldrin…”

“He escaped alone, but that doesn't mean he won't try to go after them…”

Fidelia turned her head towards Leander.

“Did you know about this?”

Leander had laid down on the bed, and was slowly shaking his head from side to side.

“Of course…” he let out a hiccup. “My friend Alaric told me... because he's my friend, and friends tell each other everything... Not like Cormac... who is not my friend... and…”

“Why didn't you tell me? I'm your friend!”

“We asked him not to tell you anything,” Korinna interceded. “We wanted to tell you in person.”

“Where did the chimera go then?”

“Silas, his name is Silas,” said Myrius more confidently. “And at this moment he must be traveling across the sea with the young lady towards the Isle of Demons.”

That appeased Fidelia.

“Perfect, I'll go with you once Rovenna…”

“We are not going to follow them,” Miryus interrupted her.

“What do you mean?”

“If we follow them,” Korinna explained. “We could draw attention to them. There are spies all over the kingdom. Neither Rovenna nor the count want to take a risk.”

“Besides, it wouldn't make sense,” Myrius added. “Let's suppose we find Silas. Then what?”

“I have no idea, you're the expert,” said Fidelia. “What's the alternative then? Where is Rovenna sending you?”

Myrius and Korinna exchanged glances before answering.

“To the mountains,” they said at the same time.

Suddenly, everyone had gone crazy. She couldn't believe any of that. It was unthinkable. They probably were just mocking her.

But Myrius kept talking about Sila's story, which he had learned about from the Count’s own words.

“There is no other alternative,” he explained. “It is the only place where we're likely to find at least one pack. The same one that abandoned Silas.”

Fidelia felt some pressure in her chest. He really was serious.

“Do you have any idea how extensive that mountain range is?” asked Fidelia.

“No one knows…”

“Exactly!” she snapped. “Because no human has ever dared to cross it!” Those who tried barely survived, and returned after a few days. Ask the hunters around here!”

“We'll be the first!” exclaimed Korinna, raising her glass of beer. “We are wizards after all!”

“You, really! Even if you are, human magic has its limits! You are not bloody elves!” Fidelia felt a tremendous urge to grab her by the scruff of the neck, and drag her all the way to Nemertya. “Are you going to abandon all your projects just to chase chimeras in the mountains?”

“I've needed a break for a long time.”

“This isn't a break!”

“No! It's an adventure! Something that could change history!”

“It's suicide! First of all finding the chimeras would be like finding a needle in a haystack. But let's pretend you are successful. What are you supposed to do? I don't think the chimeras need or want our help.”

“We are emissaries,” said Myrius proudly. “Rovenna is sending us as representatives of the Council to demonstrate our good faith and establish a bond of trust. The chimeras have lived in isolation for too long. It is time they know that not all humans are a threat.”

“She also wants to prevent a confrontation,” Korinna added.

“Now she's afraid that chimeras will attack us?” Fidelia scoffed. “Are you sure she's not fooling you again?”

“It's a preventive measure... We don't know what they've been doing in this last century…”

“And she's sending you two alone! It's more like a punishment!”

“Actually no... she said we'll be part of a larger group…”

“You can't survive in the mountains! Just a few days ago you were trembling with fear at the thought of fighting other wizards!”

“Fidelia!” Korinna looked at her defiantly. “You are my dear best friend, but don't tell me what I can or can't do. I'm sorry you feel left out, because we won't be able to continue with our business for some time, but this is something I want to do now. We will go to the mountains, end of discussion.”

“This does not end here!” Fidelia walked through the door of the hut, and closed it hard behind her.

As she started walking towards the castle, she heard Myrius and Korinna following her.

“What are you trying to do? You can't do magic!” Korinna shouted at her.

“I don't care! There are many other ways to kill a person! And stop following me! I'm furious with both of you! You're insane! I'll go back to Nemertya, sail to the islands, and forget about you ever existed!

A few minutes later Fidelia crossed the castle's great iron gate alone, ignoring all those who looked at her with curiosity as she advanced across the parade ground with such determination.

“Fidelia!”

That was Cormac who was just there giving instructions to the soldiers. His tall, stocky figure stood in front of her. When she looked up, she saw that his red hair, dotted with some gray, had taken on a golden hue under the last beams of sunlight streaming over the castle walls. His big, shiny smile was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Stupid Leander didn't deserve him.

“Cormac…” she sighed, but to her regret she couldn't stay and chat. “Where is the Master Arcanist?”

He told her that Rovenna was alone in the quarters that usually were assigned to the Master Leader of the Order. Fidelia refused to be escorted as she knew the castle like the back of her hand since she was a child, even the passages that were later blocked at the Count's request.

“Rovenna!” Fidelia shouted as she kicked the door.

Rovenna was unfazed, and continued to browse through the scrolls she was reading from behind her desk.

“Are we under attack?” she asked in a calm voice as if she had been waiting all this time for her visit.

“You know why I'm here! I knew you wouldn't keep your word! I knew it!” Fidelia was ready to jump on Rovenna, but stopped in her tracks when the old woman held out a rolled-up parchment.

“Here it is.”

“What's this?” Fidelia asked as she began to read it.

“A permission signed by me for you to appear on my behalf before the Archmage of the Isle. There is also a sealed letter,” she handed Fidelia another parchment, “in which I ask him, as a favor, if it were in his hands, to remove your cross seal.”

Fidelia was speechless.

“You're welcome,” said Rovenna. “You can leave tomorrow if you wish. Your services are no longer required here. Besides, your unfounded suspicions already irritate me. I have always kept my word.”

“But... the mission…”

Rovenna shrugged her shoulders.

“Ah, well, that's none of your business. You just had to find out what was going on with the Elementals. Well, you've done it, and now you're free.”

“But Myrius and Korina…”

“They'll be fine. They've both proven to be very competent. Who knew the Chimera Protection Task Force would turn out to be one of my better ideas.”

“We already know of a chimera heading to the island. Why the hell are you sending them to the mountains?”

“A young chimera that can barely handle his power, as the sirenians have told me, is no urgency for me at this time. But if there is one chimera, there may be more, and those are in the mountains.”

“It is a suicidal plan!”

“They will be accompanied by people I trust. Besides, the last time we faced chimeras we almost exterminated them. We have spells to defend ourselves... although this is a peace mission. I do not intend for them to fight, unless, of course, they are attacked.”

“Myrius is part of the Council, but Korinna…”

“She has volunteered. Talk to her and convince her not to go.”

“I've already tried!”

“Then that is all.”

Fidelia kept looking at her with murderous eyes, but the Master Arcanist didn't even blink.

“You knew…”

“Knew what?”, asked Rovenna in a tired tone.

“You knew I couldn't go to the island knowing that they would go into the mountains!”

“Are you saying that I can manipulate you so easily? Do you really hold yourself in such little esteem?” Rovenna shaked her head. “No, that's not it. The truth is that you are too arrogant for believing that your friends, who, unlike you, can use magic, won't survive without you.”

“That's not the point! How could I go just like that if I know they will face a dangerous situation?”

“I don't understand your anger. You got what you wanted. No one is holding you back. It's your decision.”

“Of course it's my decision, you cheating bastard! But you're forcing me to choose!”

“It's not my fault you profess this ridiculous sense of loyalty to your friends. Act like the adult you are, and own your choices.”

“I hate you, you damn woman!”

The last thing Fidelia heard as she left the room slamming on the door was Rovenna's farewell.

“Have a safe journey. Don't let a chimera eat you.”