At the base of what seemed to be a mountain lay a small, but heavily fortified mansion and a wide flat field of dark granite surrounded on all sides by high stone walls without any crevice as though they had been formed from solid stone. The only way to approach the building was along a wide and straight cobbled road that led to a single, metal gate.

This place thrummed with deep, primordial magic.

Beyond the manse lay fields upon fields of carnivorous giant aconite. The guards at the top of the gate tossed over a haunch of meat and the nearest plants snapped at it, smashing leaves, vines, and teeth-like spikes against one another, their blue and white flowery heads attempting to devour.

"I will have the guards disciplined, sire." His weedy voice unimpressed, Chancellor Fajor, Summoner Class, Tier 6 - High Summoner of the Kingdom, narrowed his eyes at the guards.

Prince Almir, Conjurer Class, Tier 6 - High Lord of Funnel Science and Heir Apparent to the Throne of the Kingdom of Infundi chuckled. "No need Fajor. Let them blow off steam. This galdr has taken much longer to inscribe than all previous years. Everyone is over anxious for it to begin."

High on the stone wall, the two men could see everything below them. Almir watched indulgently as the runic inscriptions of multicoloured sand were poured out into elaborate weaving strokes and whorls by Fajor's handpicked Summoners.

"This will be momentous for all of us." Though Fajor's tone was placating, there lay a hint of pride underneath it. Almir knew that if this succeeded, it would be also the greatest triumph of Fajor's life; for Almir had promised to marry Fajor's youngest daughter and make her the future Queen of Infundi. Fajor would no longer just be a Chancellor, but also the Queen’s father. That would make him one of the most powerful persons at Court.

"Too long, Chancellor, the Funnel has been a danger that went unchecked. Tell me again about this Realms of Infaneli and Earth. In fact, we have a few minutes. Show me the Programmers."

"Let me take you to see their Raid Dungeon first and the Computers. They are curious machines borne of a world without magic." Fajor's face twitched just enough that Almir knew he had something to hide and was trying to distract.

Years at Court and intrigue with his siblings taught Almir when to strike at a weakness or at a crack in someone's demeanour. "What happened to the Programmers?"

Fajor hesitated, but said, "There was an escape attempt. Some made it to a Teleportation Circle and disappeared while two sacrificed themselves by running into the aconite. We have their bodies in the morgue. They are —" Fajor took a moment and then said, "— Unrecognisable and bloated. Death by monkshood is extremely disconcerting."

"Nevermind that. Did they ruin the Expansion?"

Fajor shook his head. "No, sire. They did not. The Betrayer assures us that the Expansion will drop, we will get the Funnelers from the best stock of this Realms of Ifaneli. He was there when it happened, sire. We also tested his words against a Telepath and she echoed the truth of his words. Besides the Teleportation circle had not been used in awhile. It may have sent them to their doom."

"Good. Good. Give the Betrayer what he wants then. He has proven useful."

Chancellor Fajor nodded and then he looked at the field below to see his Summoners were just finishing one last inscription. Some more sand poured into fine scrollwork, then all Summoners stepped away from them as a deep thrum of magic made the ground tremble.

Both men looked up at the mountain. Bright multicoloured lights blossomed from the Summoning Inscription and veins of power lit, rushing up the mountain and along its edges to climb somewhere near the apex. That primordial magic exalted, poised to awaken the great Funnel itself.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"It is already time, your highness. Should I have a Teleport made to send you back to Court for the Funnel's Eve?"

"No." Almir placed his hands on his hips while looking up, way up toward the summit of the mountain. From this view, the Funnel looked so ordinary. So unremarkable. Underneath that facade, however, lay great power and a centuries long alliance that only slightly chafed.

He would be the first royal to appease it without undermining his own people.

"This year I have more invested in being right here, right now. I will return in Court in due time. But, for now allow me this grace. I would like to give a speech as I always do just before you catalyse the Summoning."

"Of course. This way." Fajor led him down circular stairs built into a corner watchtower of the wall and then out into the dark granite field. They stopped just before the glowing lights of the inscriptions. Almir recognised some of the symbols, but not all. There were so many that the lights dazzled and left purple spots in his vision. He turned around, facing a crowd that had gathered while he climbed down the stairs.

"My people. The ones who have sacrificed greatly to ensure the future of Infundi. I speak to you tonight not just as a Prince of the realm and Heir Apparent, but also as a scientist just like all of you. Tonight will be a night of triumph for our people and it's all of you I have to thank."

"The Funnel's history is one of oppression and fear. It is also a history of great wealth; in knowledge and skills pulled from Its depths. And It is one of great sorrow as there are few who remained untouched by Its greedy maw."

"It was not long ago, that each year the Funnel took indiscriminately from our masses. No person of any age was safe. No person of any class or breeding was safe."

"But my great-grandfather and the Summoners of his time discovered a way to narrow the focus of the Funnel's gaze. To — force It — to pull from only a portion of the populace. In their research we can see some of the inscriptions used this eve.

“With such control given by selective Summoning, we could even convince the masses to volunteer to fill the numbers of those sent to sacrifice in Its hunger by offering respite to the families of those who won the Funnel — or at least came close to the end."

"Of course we all know that nobody has yet to exit the Funnel. The futility of the exercise was not lost on any of us."

"I digress. At first, the focus seemed to work. We could pool our power and keep those we did not want in Its grasp out of It. Progression beyond previous years! Glorious results! Still, the Funnel hungered and the magics that kept It at bay grew weaker with each successful cycle."

"When last year, this Funnel," he swept his arm up to the mountain before them, "took even those whose immunity was protected by our wards — including my own beloved brother — my purpose was clear: the Kingdom of Infundi had to come up with a solution."

"You, the best magical minds in our land, came up with that solution. Using the initial research of our ancestors and some modifications, we expect that by midnight tonight, the Funnel will pull not from the people of this land, but from people of another land. Multiple other lands. Funnelers who will not be missed."

"As my grandmother brilliantly said on the night of her father's triumphant Summoning, the Funnel is our greatest weakness, but is also our greatest strength. She would be proud that we are using her father's knowledge to protect you, my people."

"So, I salute all of you. Tonight, with success of this Expansion, Funnelers will be sent who understand the meaning of what the Funnel is. They will go further and deeper than we have ever done. Most importantly, they will feed the Funnel. This may not be a lucrative Funnel year, we have no idea if these foreign Funnelers will understand what is needed to be done by them, but we will win so much more in protecting the lives of our own."

"Oh and don't worry. We will still send our undesirables there, of course." There were a few chuckles, enough to placate his ego.

"Here. Here. To the Funneled."

All gathered around him applauded except for the High Summoner who began to catalyse the inscription and one other man. This man stood alone and caught Almir's eye. Unlike his subjects who knew not to look him directly, the man's glance met his and with a nod, the man acknowledged him.

The Betrayer. Almir had not met any of these Earth people so he was surprised to see that the Betrayer looked very much like anyone he would meet at Court. It was astounding that a lone man had conspired to betray his own kind, all for what? A class, some power, and his own life.

Almir nodded back because deep down, he would let the world burn just for his class, some power, and his own life too.

In fact, he thought as the mountain began to rumble as the Funnel awoke for another year, he already had.