Ar'Kendrithyst

Erick, Teressa, Rats, and Kiri, appeared in a blip of white next to human-Jane; she had transformed back to human in the last second or five.

The clouds were ribbons of dispersing moisture, the ground wet, but drying. And in the sky, in a sunbeam of light, hovered the bright red Flare Couatl, its white wings spread wide. It hovered above several piles of ash, the land around those piles scarred with tracks of melted sand; dirty glass.

The monster was a hundred meters long and curled up in on itself, just hovering there, like a draconic deity, its flat-nosed, sleek boa-constrictor like body, in a state of repose, or contemplation, or rest. Its nose was pointed down, while its eyes, to the sides of its head, were orbs of fire, and completely focused on Erick’s group.

It was acting just how the reports said it would act.

Soon, it would—

“Greetings, mortals.” The Flare Couatl’s voice boomed out across the Crystal Forest, further rending the sky and Erick’s [Call Lightning]. It said, “You were under attack, and now you are delivered.”

Kiri whispered, “Holy shit it really can talk.”

Poi said, “It has to be a trained message.”

Jane said, “I want to eat it, but that’s a bad idea for a hundred different reasons.”

All of them spoke over each other, arguing about what was happening right in front of them, but Erick stepped forward from the group, calling out to the monster, “Thank you! You have saved our lives. Is there anything we can do for you?”

The Flare Couatl remained hovering in the air.

“This is different from the report. It should be moving on.” Jane stepped to stand beside Erick, asking, “Is it actually intelligent?”

The Flare Couatl shifted slightly.

Teressa sent, ‘Combat protocol.’

‘No one move, yet,’ Poi sent.

The monster gently slithered through the air, like the sky was water and it was inquisitive. The monster’s giant red head was the size of a wyrm's, but its head was sleek and healthy where a wyrm’s was jagged and rotten. The head slowly approached Erick. The beast moved like a cat, but its body was relaxed. Erick didn’t feel like it was going to strike, but that didn’t matter to Erick’s heart; the beating organ threatened to pound right out of his chest.

Erick sent, ‘Ophiel will take us out of here if need—’

The Flare Couatl stopped, twenty meters away, hovering like the sword of Damocles. Its scales glittered with fire. Its eyes were twin suns. Erick felt a wash of heat across the land.

“Do you know of the Cinnabar Hand?” Its voice was a calm thing, completely in line with the monster’s lazy, floating form. “I am looking for them. These were not them. They were common hunters.”

Poi said, “Independent hunter association.”

Erick spoke to the monster, “I knew of no Cinnabar Hand until now. I thought these people were assassins.”

“They were a group of common hunters, gathered to hunt uncommon archmage prey, but nothing more than that.” The Flare Couatl slipped backward, sighing, saying, “I would have known, otherwise.”

Erick quickly asked, “Did the Cinnabar Hand kill your Beast Master?”

The air thrummed with subdued rage. Erick might have just fucked up.

The monster roared, “They killed my VILLAGE.”

“Apologies,” Erick said. “I did not know.”

The monster breathed deep, then said, “No one knows, but now you do. Beware, for the Cinnabar Hand consumes the flesh of others, and hides in the crowd. They are skinwalkers who strike with the hands of neighbors you have known for years. They destroy, for they are happiest covered in blood, and I will see them put down.”

Erick felt the Flare Couatl’s malice, but it was not directed at Erick; it flowed across the land like an ocean of hatred, searching for enemies. Erick understood that hatred. This monster— No. This being. This Flare Couatl wanted people dead, for the crimes those people had committed and the pain they had caused.

In that bright second, Erick felt a kinship.

Poi whispered, “All true. No Cinnabar Hand sighted in Spur for years, though. We do routine random checks for that sort of thing.”

The Flare Couatl must have heard Poi, for it said, “There are none in your city, for they hide in the wilderness of this open country, preying on the young ones who try to tame the world. They are all over. Everywhere! And yet nowhere! MY SEARCH IS ENDLESS! If you want to help, then make a Particle [Scan] spell, and root out these evildoers from our midst!”

Erick spoke, as though to a colleague, “Is the Toxic Hydra on the same mission?”

The Flare Couatl’s skin shimmered brilliant red. It spoke with a heavy voice, “Yes. And he has lost his way. Put him down, if you must, for I… I cannot.”

“Are you a [Polymorph]ed person?” Erick asked, “I too, would like to prevent hunters from preying on the young, but everyone thinks you are a monster.”

The Flare Couatl chuckled, a deep, resonating sound, then said, “I am not a mortal. I am not a monster. I am vengeance given flesh and function. Cast your [Withering], and prove it to yourself, so that you may call off whatever hunts your guilds have set.”

‘Get ready,’ Erick sent, then said, “Okay.”

Poi, Teressa, Kiri, Jane, and Rats, each stood straighter, or stronger, or ready to move. Six ‘Affirmative’s came back to Erick.

[Domain of the Withering Slime].

A sphere of white light flowed into existence around Erick, translucent, as thick air spilled up from the Crystal Forest, washing across the talking monster. And nothing happened. Crashing air touched the Flare Couatl, passing across and into the monster’s opening mouth.

The Flare Couatl closed its mouth, then said, “No [Weather Ward]s. No grand rad inside. No insanity. You have your proof. Take this proof back to your people, and call off your kill quests. Stopping the youngsters from attacking me takes up valuable time.” The not-monster added, “Though… Kill the hydra. If you can. He has lost himself. He has given himself to the mana, and the mana has taken him, transforming him into a Scion of Destruction.”

A blip of red filled the sky. When the light passed, the Flare Couatl was gone.

Just like that. A decree, and then a [Teleport], and he was gone. Erick felt loss, somehow. He wanted to talk more. To ask more questions. To find out what was really happening with the Flare Couatl, and the Toxic Hydra; to ask if any of the other ‘monsters’ in the Crystal Forest were not monsters at all.

Jane asked, “What the fuck was that?”

Kiri said, “I have no idea.”

Erick stared at the sky, saying, “A village destroyed. A path of destruction. Not-monsters from Nergal hunting for hunters. I need to talk to the Mage Trio.” Erick said, “But first, I should tell Mog about this.”

Poi said, “Silverite and Killzone are being briefed, right now.” He added, “Mog is in the loop now, too. [Witness]es will come, soon. We should wait for that to happen.” Poi pointed up.

Erick followed Poi’s finger. He watched as a silver [Scry] orb appeared in the manasphere next to Poi, followed by a blue [Scry] orb, and a black one, too. The orbs looked around. The black orb quickly vanished, while the silver lingered for a moment. Both the silver and the blue orb vanished at the same time. They were only in the air for five seconds.

After the [Scry] orbs vanished, Jane asked, “That couatl wasn’t a [Polymorph]ed person, was it?”

“No. I saw a part of its mind, and it was wholly a…” Poi looked at the blue sky, and the dissipating clouds, saying, “That was a monster. But not a monster. I don’t know what the fuck that was. I have never, ever, heard of anything like this, ever before.”

Teressa said, “A lot of dragon essence in that couatl. That’s the only way it could have gotten that big.”

“And a lot of other magic too, no doubt,” Poi said.

Kiri asked, “Why hasn’t another dragon eaten it, yet?”

“That’s a very good question,” Poi said.

- - - -

The next two hours proceeded very fast. Silverite, Felair, and Hera appeared in a blip of silver, on the sands in front of Erick and the group. While yellowscaled Hera and Silverite asked questions of everyone present, bluescaled Felair cast [Witness]. Staring into the sky with eyes fully blue, Felair began piecing together what had happened during the hunter attack, when Erick and everyone were forced to retreat.

The first thing Felair discovered was that all eight hunters had ties to a [Teleport] location four kilometers away, and that they had been watching since before the morning even started. They had noticed the carrion pile, left under a [Scent Ward], and knew that people would be using it to start a Feeding Frenzy, soon.

This instantly started an argument over ‘how come we didn’t take this into account’. The answer came from Jane, ‘Shit happens. We could have taken them. All they had was the surprise.’ Felair relayed what he saw, and agreed with Jane’s assessment. All eight hunters had the same ‘fireball’ ability, but not much beyond that. Each one of them looked like young rookies, out on the hunt to kill some high leveled people. They were actually talking amongst themselves about leaving, but then the [Ward] wyrm came, and they saw how beat down everyone was, and they decided that it was now or never. They chose to attack, and then the Flare Couatl showed up, as if summoned somehow, in some way.

Erick had an idea about that summoning, but did not give voice to his half-formed notion.

Felair relayed the entire experience of talking to the Flare Couatl to Silverite and Hera; Hera wrote it all down. And then Felair went over the scene again. And again. Just to make sure that they got everything. While they did all that, Erick and the group went over the bodies of the wyrms, giving a pass across the ones they had already checked, and then the red [Ward] wyrm, which they had not checked since they had been interrupted by hunters.

The total count of grand rads, at the end of the day, was:

Three head-sized grey grand-rads from the first grey wyrm. Two complete, dried-out red mother mimics. Two chest-sized purple grand-rads from the purple wyrm. A single, chest-sized grey grand-rad from the second grey wyrm. A nearly meter-wide long blue grand-rad, from the blue wyrm. The spherical head-sized grand-rad from the black wyrm. And finally, the brilliant, shining, torso-sized red grand-rad, from the red [Ward] wyrm. All together, it was maybe 12,000 gold, for just those items alone.

But they found seven guild badges inside the [Ward] wyrm, along with the crushed equipment of at least two groups of adventurers. That killed a lot of the joy of the evening.

This time, the loot was split evenly. There was a bit of a fight over the shining red grand-rad between Kiri and Jane, so Erick took that one as his sole loot from the day. Problem solved!

As evening came on, Silverite was still investigating the Flare Couatl with Felair’s [Witness].

Erick and Kiri ignited [Cleansing Flame] across the fields of bodies. White and green heatless flames consumed rotten flesh, transforming it to naught but air, quickly clearing the land of the ever present scent of carrion.

As the fires ate through the corpses, vanishing dead flesh, five more guild badges fell out of the red wyrm's body. Three guild badges lay shining on the sands, where the black [Stoneshape] wyrm was laid to rest. Two badges were found crushed against each other where the purple [Stoneshape] wyrm was put down. 15 badges were retrieved from the wyrm’s corpses, in total. Scouring the burn sites revealed another 1500 gold in various crushed and broken metals.

Feeling a heavy mix of emotions, Erick reconvened with the group, over the pile. Silverite joined them.

Silverite stood over the sheet where they had gathered all the objects they had found. Gold and grand-rads glittered in the twilight. The Mayor looked upon the spoils of war, and said, “You’ve saved a lot of future lives, today. No one will ever know it, but you should raise your heads high. You have ended threats against the world. Good job.” She smirked, and said, “And just so you’re aware, I’m counting up 20,000 gold here. Taxes are 10,000 gold. Fun times!”

Groans and grumbles started—

Erick barked a laugh. He joked, “I thought I was immune to taxes for at least a year.”

Silverite nodded, saying, “16,500, then. Which means 8300 in taxes for the rest of you.”

Kiri said, “Take whichever grand-rads you want. We’ll split the rest.”

“Nope!” Silverite said, “I don’t take bribes, Kiri. I honestly do mean taxes, for real. And you will pay them as normal, through normal channels.”

“Ha!” Erick said, “I’m sure she didn’t mean...”

Erick looked at Kiri and Silverite, as they looked at him, and then back at each other. Silverite just looked at Kiri, while Kiri paused, her eyes going wide.

“Oh?” Erick said, “That was… real?”

Kiri froze. She sputtered, out, “I didn’t mean to impugn upon your—”

“I would not have been able to remain the Mayor of Spur for 550 years, young lady, if I was willing to succumb to corruption, or take offense at every little thing. I understand that normal operating procedure is different in the Republic, but we tend not to do that sort of bribery around here.” Silverite looked south, saying, “Or rather, three thousand kilometers that way, anyway.” She added, “Don’t worry about it.” She said to the group, “Anyway! Those hunters? Felair was able to link the hunters here to other hunters reported in Vindin. That Flare Couatl cleared up a tidy mess, here.”

Erick asked, “What was that non-monster, anyway?”

“No rad, so it’s not a monster, means it’s not a Beast Master’s pet.” Silverite said, “My guess is someone created a being through summoning magic, then gave it some dragon essence. The beast’s intelligence smacks of necromancy, though. It would have had to have been in that form for a very long time for Poi to not pick up on a humanoid intelligence. This is the work of a powerful necromancer.” Silverite said, “This is nasty business, Erick.”

Erick asked, “You know the Oceanside Mages have been hunting a necromancer in the forest, yeah? This has to be related, right?”

Silverite said, “This is my feeling, too.”

“I want to help them.”

Silverite asked, “The mages? Why?”

“Not the mages. The Flare Couatl.”

Jane groaned. Kiri frowned. Teressa and Rats both went ‘tsk’.

Silverite frowned.

Poi said, “It’s not a person, Erick. If that is a necromancer’s work… It’s a soul in a monster’s body. The Toxic Hydra went monster. I… I am sure this one will, too.”

“That is my feeling as well.” Silverite turned to Erick, adding, “But if you wish to help this Flare Couatl, then make your case, Erick.”

Jane turned to Silverite, saying, “What!”

“Erick.” Silverite said, “Your thoughts?”

Erick breathed in the twilight air. It was clean, and bright, now that the wyrms had been burned away. The moons hung in the sky, crescents on the horizon, as stars began to appear in the deeper purples of the eastern heavens. A cold wind blew from the north, like always.

He said, “I think we should reconvene with Ramizi, Maia, and Eduard, then continue this conversation.”

Silverite pursed her lips, then said, “Fair enough. But you and I are going to have a private conversation before all of that.”

- - - -

The journey back to Spur took minutes, once Erick got his Opheils on everyone and secured the loot.

Blip. Blip. Blip. Then one more, semi-complicated blip, for 9 people to split into two groups. Jane, Kiri, Rats, Teressa, and the loot, went home. Silverite, Hera, Felair, Poi, and Erick, blipped onto the steps of the Courthouse.

In a few more minutes, Erick stood alone in Silverite’s office, with the door shut.

Silverite leaned against the front of her desk. Erick waited for her to begin whatever it was she was doing.

She started, “I’m gonna be honest with you. We have approved necromancers in Spur. They’re not that bad of a people, when they employ their abilities correctly. In public, I say that I kill necromancers, because I do. Often and with extreme violence. But only because necromancers usually seek to conquer and enslave. I think I even know the necromancer that they’re looking for, now that I’ve seen that Flare Couatl up close. But this is not about her. It’s not about them. It’s about you.” Silverite asked, “Are you looking to become a necromancer?”

Erick stood there, and with complete honesty, said, “No. I am not. But the Flare Couatl is not an evil being that deserves to be put down. It’s not even a monster that deserves to be pitied! I don’t understand how any of you can talk like it needs to die. It is a good being, doing good work, saving people from murderers.”

Silverite looked at Erick. She said, “In this instance, with this necromancer, Poi was wrong about the Flare Couatl turning monstrous. That beast will stay out there, hunting hunters, killing killers, until the necromancer finds the Cinnabar Hand they are looking for.” She added, “If this is the necromancer I’m thinking of.”

She continued, “If I were you, I would kill the Toxic Hydra, ignore the necromancer’s request for a [Scan] spell to root out the Cinnabar Hand, and train every single day, using every tool at my disposal, to get better.” Silverite stressed, “Because the only time that Flare Couatl broke its normal speech, was when you spoke to it. And then it handed you a task. Make no mistake, Erick, this not-monster is undoubtedly still connected to its master, and this [Scan] spell is not a high priority for her. At least for right now. This does not mean that her request will remain a low priority.”

Erick listened, and he heard what Silverite was laying out. He understood what she was saying to him, deep down, but this understanding did not bring him comfort. It brought him pain. Because it meant—

Silverite said, “You are weak, Erick.”

Yup. He was. There was no arguing against that point.

Silverite said, “I say this with kindness, but I say it again: you are weak for your position. A real archmage would have killed those hunters the second they decided to attack.” She stressed, “Decided to attack, mind you. A real archmage would have seen those hunters plotting and positioning, throughout the entire day. Poi is about the best detector a non-archmage is capable of being. If it weren’t for him, you would have all died.”

Silence filled the room, weighing entirely on Erick.

Silverite said, “Leave this necromancer work to the professionals. Learn how to see the assassins and the hunters and the dangers coming. There’s magic for all of that, out there. And you seem to be pretty good at that sort of thing. So get better.”

Erick frowned, but there was a heavy truth to Silverite’s words. He could still imagine where his ear had been burned away. Erick steeled himself, and said, “You’re right.”

“I know.” Silverite said, “And it’s awful that I am.”

- - - -

Erick, Mog, Zago and Silverite, sat on one side of a long, heavy wood table, in a conference room of the Courthouse. Ramizi, Maia, and Eduard sat on the other side. Introductions and initial questions had already been exchanged, though Zago had said that she wished to speak to Erick afterwards; alone. Erick agreed. And then Poi gave his detailed report of the Flare Couatl, with telepathic imagery of the event, like it had been recorded with a camera, except the camera was Poi’s own eyes and ears.

Poi stood at the head of the table, ending his report with, “It vanished with a [Teleport].” He sat down.

Dozens of half-hidden emotions had already been thrown across room, as Poi’s testimony and imagery unfolded. No accusations, though; not yet. Ramizi had been mostly miffed and quiet. Maia, miffed and loud. Eduard, cold and calculating, his eyes furrowed, a slight frown upon his face. As for Erick’s side of the table, Mog just sat listening, while Zago and Silverite sat poised, ready to verbally attack, if needed.

Eduard started with, “You know our necromancer?”

Silverite said, “Yes. But to answer the question you really wanted to ask: we are not harboring her. And to throw our own accusations across the table: you know her, too. Or at least the Headmaster does. She never comes out of the jungle. Ever. She is a storm and she destroys by her very presence.” She scowled, saying, “And to level yet another bit of disgust— What the fuck were you thinking! Not telling us that she was here! We find this out, weeks after the fact, through no help by you, after she’s already infested the Crystal Forest with her monsters!”

Silverite’s words permeated the air, a damning accusation.

Maia and Ramizi’s demeanor shifted to professional. Eduard sat straighter.

Eduard spoke with authority, saying, “She has violated the agreement she constructed with the Headmaster three hundred years ago. She has left her jungle. Messalina has forfeited her life.”

Zago sharply inhaled, but kept outwardly calm.

“Thank you, for dropping the act.” Silverite asked, “Who wants to explain to the rest of the group?”

Erick just sat there, listening, as a silence filled the room.

Maia broke the silence, saying, “Messalina is also known as the Life Binder. She is an unparalleled necromancer. She has kept to her jungle, the village the Flare Couatl mentioned, for the last three hundred years. The story goes, that if you seek a fresh start, the Life Binder will give you that, in exchange for all that you are. What she actually does is she creates a monstrous body, then she puts a petitioner's soul into that body, in exchange for 25 years of service in protecting her village.” Maia said, “A month ago, a group of the Cinnabar Hand murdered that village.”

“We’re not sure how they managed to accomplish something which should have been impossible, or where they are right now.” Ramizi said, “But what we are sure of, is that the Cinnabar Hand has always had a presence in the Crystal Forest, and that Messalina knows this.” Ramizi looked to Erick, saying, “That the Flare Couatl actually asked you to create a Particle [Scan] spell, cinches it. She wants to eradicate the Cinnabar Hand, but even the highest tier [Scan] magic cannot uncover the vast distances and other bodies that the Cinnabar Hand utilizes to hide itself.”

Erick scoffed. “Really? No magic can do this? Surely someone would have invented this spell by now?” He turned to Zago and Silverite, asking, “Can we get Opal in on this? Isn’t she really good at detection?”

Silverite said, “If she wanted to be a part of this, she could. But she doesn’t. I can safely say, though, that this magic that [Scan]s even a small part of the world for specific people, no matter who they currently look like or what precautions they take, simply does not exist. If it ever did, then the hidden dragons of the world would murder anyone who had such a power.” She added, “Conversely, if one of those same hidden dragons had access to this spell, we would quickly find one more dragon in this world who could match the Headmaster for power, and threaten his position as Second.”

Erick said, “These ‘hidden dragons’ people keep mentioning haven’t gone after this Flare Couatl. Doesn’t that thing have dragon essence in it? Or…?”

Ramizi said, “An average dragon could not kill that Flare Couatl, so they leave it alone.”

“False.” Mog said, “That Flare Couatl was 30 meters long at last report.” She said, “I bet some dragons did try to kill it, and they failed.”

“Oh,” Erick said.

Ramizi amended, “Or that, yes. That could have happened, too.”

Zago said, “Don’t make this spell, Erick. You already have a large enough target on your back.”

Mog said, “Aye.”

Erick said, “I wasn’t… I won’t. But…” Erick paused. He said, “Tell me if I have something wrong, here. I want to help the Flare Couatl, now that I know it's not a monster, but instead someone who volunteered for a new body. The necromancer is not some murder-y necromancer, but someone out to kill people who kill others the world over. We should be helping this Messalina. And then when she’s gotten her revenge, she’ll go back to her jungle, and we’ll be less a few dozen Cinnabar Hand.” Erick added, “They steal people’s faces, right? With [Polymorph]? That means they have to eat the person’s heart and brain, to do that, yes?”

Eduard’s face went red as Erick spoke, but he held his tongue. Maia frowned. Ramizi just sat back, dispassionate. Mog sighed, while Zago was expressionless. Silverite just looked at him.

When Erick finished stating his piece, Silverite said, “I agree—”

Eduard erupted, “What the FUCK!”

“— but for none of the reasons you have stated, Erick.” Silverite turned to the Trio, continuing, “The Headmaster hates Messalina for personal reasons, and whatever he said to you three, is not the full truth. But this is not my truth to tell, so I will leave it at that. Messalina, for her part, is a hedonistic, power hungry cultist, who is the head of a cult all about her. When you get her angry, she is one of the most vicious women I have ever had the displeasure of knowing.”

Erick paled. Shit. He had made the wrong call.

Silverite continued, “But she is not evil. Her methods of ‘helping’ people are illegal in the vast majority of the world, but not where she lives. She treats her people with dignity, and respect, and gives new lives to those who would be dead otherwise. When their 25 years of servitude are over, she makes those that desire such a thing, new, young versions of their old bodies. Most of them choose to live the rest of their natural lives in that village, in a speck of paradise surrounded by some of the most dangerous jungles on Veird. The Messalina I know does not use mind control, despite history claiming otherwise; she just provides a wonderful life.”

Maybe… Erick... hadn’t made the wrong call?

Eduard said, “It sounds almost as though you approve of her and her actions.”

Silverite ignored Eduard’s taunt, saying, “Due to this new information, Spur will quietly start a Cinnabar Hunt. I don’t know what happened to cause the Toxic Hydra, but Erick will put that monster down, and then we will let the Flare Couatl hunt Hunters for as long as Messalina desires.”

Eduard practically growled out, “Messalina needs to die for her crimes against Civilization.”

“If you can find her, go ahead. It’s your funeral.” Silverite said, “You three are great additions to this town, and let’s not forget the magic you have invented because of what you have learned here.” She scoffed, “But not telling me that Messalina is outside the city? That is a major mark against you. We will protect you against Messalina if you should find and fail to kill her, because it is the duty of civilization to protect its people from the monsters outside the walls. But keep in mind that citizenship in Spur demands my constant approval.” She added, “Don’t make this situation here more difficult than it has to be.”

Eduard countered, “Messalina killed hundreds on her rampage to Eidolon. She tore apart a school. She murdered a church of people in the middle of worship. She performed acts of necromancy in the streets, ripping souls from bodies only to trap them into decaying earth and wood elementals, as punishment for imagined slights. Those people died multiple deaths, over and over again, until an old woman stood up to her. That old woman died, too.” Eduard seemed to cool, somewhat. He said, “And then Messalina came up here. So, since the three of us are already here, it falls to us to put this monster down.” Eduard said, “We could use your help.”

Silverite listened, then said, “I never said she didn’t deserve to die. I just said that Spur will not step into the fight when she’s killing killers. If that changes—”

Eduard interrupted, “The Toxic Hydra is killing all sorts. Messalina brought that here.”

“I’m going to kill the hydra.” Erick looked to the darkened windows of the conference room, saying, “I can do it tonight. I just need to find it. I’ve already got a list of terrible monsters that need killing, thanks to Mog. The Toxic Hydra is on that list.” He added, “I could actually use your help doing that, if you’re interested.”

Ramizi spoke up, “We are. We’re interested in the other targets on that list, too.”

Mog frowned, looking at the mages, saying, “None of those targets are safe for anyone except at a hundred kilometer range. If you [Teleport] near them, you will die. That is why Erick is cleared for them, and they’re not on the boards.” She added, “You’re not cleared to fight them, and I won’t clear you. If you attempt this, your adventuring license in Spur will be rescinded, at the very least.”

“We won’t fight them, then.” Ramizi said, “But allow us to help. Please.”

“Why?” Mog asked.

Silverite sighed, saying, “Answer the question, Mage Fieldsend, and then back to the topic, everyone.”

Ramizi glanced from Silverite to Mog, saying, “You likely have a Desert Rose on that list. I want its heart, and its seeds.”

Mog breathed in, then huffed out. “If you can use your [Familiar]s to assist in clearing the list… If you can prove that you won’t go actually fight them. Then I can give you a copy.” She added, “These are uncommonly terrible monsters, you understand. They will kill you, most of them by just being near.”

“We will abide by your ruling.” Ramizi smiled, then schooled his face. He said, “Thank you.”

Maia spoke up, “Our [Familiar]s have run into the Toxic Hydra twice. We have tried to kill it once, but we were completely unsuccessful. We won’t be trying that again. Our voluntary report of that monster should be part of the packet you got, Archmage.”

Erick looked to Mog.

Mog said, “One of five, but still true.”

Maia spoke to everyone, saying, “So you see? We come to you when we know you will help. But in this specific case, with Messalina, the Headmaster forbade us from disclosing the full amount of our knowledge, but since the dragon is out of the cave: The Headmaster would like you to know that your reluctance to do what needs to be done has been noted.”

Silverite glared, saying, “You still should have come to us.”

Erick just looked around for a golden [Scry] orb, or whatever.

Maia saw Erick looking, and said, “He’s already [Cleanse]d himself of this situation." She looked to Silverite, saying, "The extent of his words just now are the last he will to do with any of you, regarding Messalina.”

“Good.” Silverite said, “He still should have told us.”

“Why?” Maia asked. “You’ve said yourself that you won’t do anything against her.”

“There’s nothing to be done, Mage Rokva.” Silverite said, “She is outside of Spur. She has not attacked the city. She is somewhere only Rozeta knows, and we are not imperialists! I have enough problems already. Chasing after the Headmaster’s vendetta is what you signed up for; not me, and certainly not Spur.”

Eduard said, “The Headmaster has no doubts that Messalina will escalate her monster creation if she cannot find the Cinnabar Hand and track down the people who killed her village.”

Silverite said, “If we find any members of the Cinnabar Hand in Spur, using conventional methods, we will execute them, then dump their corpses on the sands to the north in a suitably noticeable way. Messalina will take these corpses as gifts, and as an incentive to leave. If she does not, we might be having a very different conversation in a few weeks.” She added, “But I doubt we will find the Cinnabar Hand in Spur, anyway.” Silverite stood, saying, “I can tell you still have objections, but I have no time for them. We’re done here. Good luck on your hunt.” She added, “Please be on your way.”

Eduard stood up, starting, “Messalin—”

“Good night, Mage Rokva,” Silverite said.

Eduard went silent. He nodded. Ramizi and Maia stood up. Eduard led the way, as the other two followed him out of the Courthouse meeting room.

Ramizi turned at the door, looking at Erick, to say, “We’ll look for the Toxic Hydra. We have a rough idea of where it is, so it shouldn’t take us more than an hour to find it. We’ll come over when we have its location.”

Erick said, “Sounds good to me.”

- - - -

Everyone cleared out of the room, back to their own duties or lives, except for Zago, Erick, and Poi. Silverite was the last one of the others to leave. When she left the room, she looked to Erick and Zago, saying nothing, as she closed the door behind her.

Zago sat in her chair, with her hair pulled back in braids, and small gold rings on her small upturned horns. Her dress robe was almost white it was such a faint purple; much lighter than her violet skin. She did not look angry. She looked curious. And then she noticed Erick trying to figure her out.

With a small smile, Zago said, “I’m glad you made it back safely. I am not… mad, at you, for killing a Breach Demon. Is that what you think?”

Erick said, “With all due respect, I honestly don’t know.”

Zago lost her smile, as she nodded. “The Quiet War is messy and complicated. It’s hard to know what anyone on the other side is thinking.” She sighed. “But the incani of Spur are happy that a Breach Demon was not summoned. All out war has been avoided. Maybe there won’t be a retaliatory Converter Angel loosed in the lands of our extended families. But praying for that is like planning for rain in the Crystal Forest; a fool’s endeavor.” Zago added, “Though. Perhaps. Maybe Koyabez’s priests will see this one coming, too, and put blocks on the release of that inevitable tragedy, too.”

Erick listened; he heard what Zago was saying.

He answered her directly, “If it happens, I will… if I am able to help, I will.”

Zago sat with poise, a tiny smile on her lips, but a sadness in her eyes. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Erick nodded. He changed the subject. “So I was thinking of taking some formal magic classes.”

Zago flinched. She said, “Maybe… Coming to the Guildhouse… right now? This might be premature. I know I said that we’re happy that war will not come. But happy with that, and with you, are two different things.” She added, “I’m… Sorry. Erick. I just don’t want my young ones to be consumed with the fact that there is an archmage in their presence. At least not right now. In a month things should have settled.”

Erick smiled sadly, saying, “That’s okay. The Headmaster offered me classes once. I had considered to ask him, too. But with this new development… Did you know about Messalina?”

“I did not know she was here. It’s slightly terrifying, truthfully. She’s in several old stories.” Zago spoke with false reverence, “Messalina the Life Binder, the greatest necromancer of Nergal. Half of the greater monsters running around that jungle are attributed to her, though the actual number is likely much less. Flare Snakes were her creation. The original hydra was not, though she added dozens of varieties, and I think we can safely say, now, that the Toxic Hydra is her creation.” She added, “And if you can kill this toxic hydra, there are many more of those monsters that prowl the Kingdoms, that need to die. The Kingdoms would pay handsomely for this service, too.”

“Maybe.” Erick looked to the dark window, and the night sky outside, saying, “I won’t go there until I can defend myself, though. This hunter attack...”

“Yes. It looked quite bad.” Zago breathed, then looked away, then looked to Erick, saying, “You should go to Oceanside. The Headmaster will try to maneuver something out of you for your ‘temerity’, tonight. He doesn’t like being told ‘no’.” She smiled softly, adding, “But you did threaten to recreate a [Gate] network in this modern era. So maybe he’ll just want you to get going on that.”

Erick winced. “How big of a splash did that make?”

“Very large, and very wide. Anhelia has been thoroughly occupied as of late.” Zago chuckled. “Barely at her desk!” She said, “Though, if you do decide to go forward with this idea, you simply must get some proper help. Which, again, brings us to proper arcanaeum training. I am glad you are seeking this out. Your methods of spellwork are greatly successful, but there is much you simply cannot know, and cannot prepare against; at least as you are, right now.”

Erick nodded, then altered the subject. “Did Sizzi make her [Familiar], yet?”

Zago’s eyes lit up. “Yes!” She laughed. “She didn’t tell you? Oh that poor child. She must have lost her nerve.”

Erick smiled, asking, “She made one she likes? That’s great!”

Zago waved her hand through the air. “It took her a few days, but what are days of rapid progression compared to years of stagnation? She made this whole big production of it, too. A stone stage out in the Crystal Forest, carved in imagery and light. She got Anhelia to play the harp while I tapped away at a drums. I’m not very good at music, but all I had to do was keep a beat. When everything was set, we went out there at noon, and she sang at the sun.” Zago grinned, saying, “[Telepathy], [Scry], [Lightshape], and [Conjure Force Elemental]. [Summon Rokkel]. It’s a three meter tall fractal crash of light, and also a tiny bunny. Perfect [Familiar].” Zago said, “Thank you, Erick. Sizzi is thrilled.”

Erick smiled wide, saying, “I’m glad it worked.”

“I’m going to have to tease her about being unable to tell you, though.”

Erick laughed.