Prisus sipped at his morning tea while Iuna sat across from him happily eating her bowl of oats and maple syrup. Her disposition had turned quite sunny following the arrest of Ythnel. As much as Prisus enjoyed his daughter when she was in these good moods, he knew he would have to find yet another replacement. There was just no way he could run his business and raise Iuna.
There was a knock at the front door. Prisus continued to drink his tea; Leco would answer. Seconds after the first knock came an insistent pounding.
"Prisus Saelis? This is the city guard! Open up immediately!"
Leco hurried past the dining room on his way to the front door. Prisus sat up straighter and set his tea down, his brow furrowed in concern. Iuna glanced at him questioningly, but he motioned for her to stay seated. Prisus could hear heated voices coming from the living room. He dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin then stood up. Leco appeared at the entry to the dining room.
"Master Saelis, there is a Captain" A uniformed guard barged past Leco, cutting him off.
"Prisus Saelis? By order of House Karanok, you are hereby placed under arrest for the aiding and abetting of a witch."
"What?" Prisus's face paled at the charges. Several armed guards filed into the room and grabbed hold of Prisus and Iuna. Libia entered with a tray, saw the guards, and screamed. The tray slipped from her hands with a clatter as she crumpled to the floor.
"Papa, what is going on? We didn't do anything wrong," Iuna cried as the guards' hands closed around her arms and lifted her out of her seat.
"Don't worry, Iuna. This will all get sorted out," Prisus said as he was led out, trying hard to hide the strain in his own voice. As he entered the living room, he saw Leco being held by a couple of guards at the door; he had been dragged from the room while Prisus was being arrested. When Leco spotted him, he struggled violently against the men who restrained him. Somehow he slipped free and charged the guards escorting Prisus. Before he could reach them, though, one of the guards by the door recovered and knocked Leco's feet out from under him with a sweep of the shaft of his spear. Leco hit the floor with a groan but struggled to get up. The other guard stepped to Leco's side and kicked him twice in the side. Leco collapsed and lay still, though Prisus could still see him breathing.
The guards led Prisus and Iuna out into the courtyard, where an enclosed wagon waited, the door of iron bars at the rear hanging open. A guard stood at the back of the wagon like an usher. Another sat on the driver's bench, twisted around so he could watch the procession, a loaded crossbow set casually in his lap.
A bellow of rage echoed out across the courtyard. Prisus, one foot in the wagon, turned back toward the house to see Leco charging out the door after the last guard, a fireplace poker brandished above his head. He hadn't gone two steps when there was a loud twang and something flew through the air.
"No!" Prisus cried. Leco's bellow was cut off and reduced to strangled grunts. A crossbow bolt was sunk halfway up its shaft into his chest, a blotch of red slowly spreading across the front of his gray linen tunic. Leco took one more step before tumbling down the remaining stairs to lie in a motionless heap at their base.
"Get them out of here," the captain ordered, "and move that body back inside. I'll send somebody by to pick it up later." The door closed behind Iuna, and the wagon lurched into motion as Prisus watched his life disappear from view.
They were taken to the Karanoks' palace and escorted through a service entrance to a small waiting room on the first floor. A single table and some plain wooden chairs were the only furnishings. A solitary guard was left to watch over them. Iuna huddled next to Prisus while they waited. Every breath seemed like a candle, and with each one that passed, Prisus's nerves unraveled further. Finally, the door opened and a stern-looking woman with long, straight salt-and-pepper hair entered.
"My name is Kaestra Karanok," she said, wasting no time. "Do you know who I am?"
Prisus nearly cried. The fact that they were speaking directly with the high priestess of the church of Entropy did not bode well. He nodded in answer to her question.
"Good. You should know that there is a possibility you will be charged with aiding a known witch. Are you aware of the sentence for such a crime?" She continued without waiting for a response. "Burning at the stake." Prisus gulped, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
"But we didn't do anything," Iuna protested.
"Shut up!" Kaestra was right in Iuna's face. His daughter whimpered and tried to hide behind him.
"You seem to be a fine, upstanding citizen, Master Saelis." She paused, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "I understand you own your own business. And you have a lovely little girl here." Kaestra reached out to stroke Iuna, but she ducked away. Kaestra's face hardened.
"You will be called to testify against the witch you brought into our city. If you cooperate, I may be able to petition my father for leniency on your behalf."
"of course, we'll cooperate," Prisus stammered, desperate to grasp at any chance of coming out of this situation intact.
"Good. You will wait here until summoned. Remember what's at stake here, Master Saelis." Kaestra smiled, but it did little to comfort Prisus. She stalked out of the room, leaving them alone with the guard.
Prisus patted Iuna, hoping to reassure her. He, on the other hand, felt only an empty pit growing in his stomach. He started to chew nervously on a fingernail. There was nothing else to do but wait.
"Hey! Wake up in there! It's time." The shouting was joined by a loud clanging. Ythnel opened her eyes to see the guard Kaestra called Corporal Urler banging on the bars of her cell with a cudgel. He grinned when he noticed her stirring. "Lord Karanok's ready ta see ya." He unlocked the cell and swung the door open for two other guards who entered and flanked her. Corporal Urler trailed them, the keys in his hand. At a nod from him, the other two grabbed Ythnel by the wrists and ankles while he unlocked her manacles. They yanked her to her feet then wrenched her arms behind her back. Corporal Urler circled round and clamped something to her wrists. The guards relaxed their hold, but her arms were still bound behind her.
"She's all yers, boys."
Ythnel was led out of the dungeon to a flight of stairs near the secret entrance they had brought her in by. It was an unpleasant climb. Her legs had not regained their full strength, and the muscles in her thighs were burning by the time she reached the top of the flight. She paused for a moment and got a shove in the back from the guard behind her.
"Keep moving," he grunted. Unable to respond because of the gag, Ythnel glared over her shoulder before continuing.
After the stairs, they followed a hallway that curved to the left. The lead guard opened a door at the end, and they all filed through into a grand hall with an arch-vaulted ceiling that ran the length of the palace. She got little more than a glance before the guards were pushing her toward a set of wood doors decorated with some sort of metal inlay. At a knock from one of the guards, they swung inward to reveal an immense audience chamber at least one hundred feet across and more than half that distance deep. A dais dominated the side of the room opposite the entrance. Five chairs sat upon the second and third tier of the raised platform, one slightly higher than the other four. All but one were occupied.
To Ythnel's far left sat Naeros, fidgeting in his chair until the man to the right of him laid a hand on his forearm. That man Ythnel had never seen before. A square jaw, blunt nose, and bushy eyebrows all fought for dominance under a mass of dark, curly hair held back by a thin circlet of gold. There was some resemblance to Naeros, but this face was older, both in years and wisdom. It could only be his father, Jaerios Karanok. That made the elderly man sitting in the middle chair above the others Maelos Karanok, and to the right of him sat Kaestra. The last chair was empty.
The guards halted a few feet from the bottom of the dais and took up flanking positions slightly behind Ythnel. Kaestra got up from her chair and stepped down to the main floor, stopping in front of Ythnel.
"You are here because an accusation of witchcraft has been brought against you," she said in a stiff and formal voice that echoed back louder than she had spoken. "Is there anything you would like to say before judgment is pronounced?" Ythnel nodded.
"Know this, then. Should you try to cast a spell once your gag is removed, you will be killed before you complete the first syllable." Kaestra waited, her eyes locked with Ythnel's. Ythnel did not waver, and Kaestra looked away first, motioning one of the guards to remove the gag.
"I am innocent," Ythnel croaked. It was the first time she had used her voice in… she wasn't sure how long.
"Innocent? Lies will not help your case. There were witnesses. Lord Naeros saw you cast a spell in the marketplace."
"No he didn't. In fact, your brother and your sister both know that I am a handmaiden of Loviatar."
The smug look on Kaestra's face vanished. Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly, and she turned to look at Naeros. He returned the look with a shrug of his shoulders.
"No matter. My brother may not have seen your wizardry, but I have other witnesses." Kaestra waved at a guard standing near a door on the wall to Ythnel's right. The door was opened and two figures shuffled out. Their hair was matted and their clothes were in disarray, but Ythnel could still recognize Master Saelis and Iuna. They were escorted up to the front of the dais and halted a few feet from Ythnel. Kaestra strode over to stand before Iuna. She bent over and cupped the girl's face with her hand, lifting it up until their eyes met.
"You saw this witch casting spells, didn't you, little one?"
Iuna bit her lip and tried to turn her head to look at her father, but Kaestra kept their gazes locked. "Uh-huh," Iuna mumbled. "Speak louder, child."
"Yes," Iuna quavered. "I saw her casting a spell in-"
"She doesn't know what she's saying! Be quiet, Iuna," Master Saelis interrupted. "The woman is a Loviatan. I hired her as a governess. Do you think I would bring a wizard into this city, into my home? I know the penalty. I don't want to die. Please, you have to believe me. This is all a big mistake." Master Saelis's voice quickly rose in pitch as he spoke faster. "I don't want to die. If you don't believe me, you can search through her belongings. I'm sure you'll find something that verifies what I'm saying."
"Silence!" Lord Jaerios's voice boomed out as he rose from his seat. "I've had enough."
Kaestra looked questioningly at her father as he approached, but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She bowed out of the way and took her seat. He reached into his robe and produced something hidden in his fist.
"Is this yours?" He opened his hand to reveal Ythnel's scourge medallion. She nodded, a wave of relief washing over her. They knew who she really was. Now they'd have to set her free.
Lord Jaerios closed his fist and tucked the medallion back into his robe. Ythnel looked up to see his face twisted in contempt.
"The cult of Loviatar and its practices are as degenerate and corrupt as those of wizardry. I will not have it in this city, and those I find involved in it I will execute." He returned to his seat.
"I order all three of you to be burned at the stake," Lord Jaerios pronounced. Master Saelis moaned, and Ythnel's heart sank. She could see a smirk forming on Kaestra's lips.
"But I didn't do anything wrong," Iuna wailed. "I tried to tell Daddy to get rid of her, and… and I turned her in. It's not fair."
Maelos Karanok leaned forward in his seat and whispered something to his son, who nodded.
"You are correct, child. You did your best to root out this disease and should be rewarded. For your efforts, I will spare your life. You shall be made a slave to the Temple of Entropy, and attend to my daughter personally."
Kaestra beamed.
Lord Jaerios stood and helped his father down the dais, signaling the hearing was over. Naeros followed them out while Kaestra gave instructions to the guards to deliver Iuna. Master Saelis was brought alongside Ythnel, and the two of them were escorted back out of the chamber. They passed by Lord Jaerios in the hall, who had stopped to talk with a palace servant.
"Find Therescales, and bring him to my study," he told the young boy. "Tell him I have a change in the plan that should take care of the mages once and for all." The servant scampered off out of Ythnel's sight as the guards led her and Master Saelis back down into the dungeon.
There was a young woman behind the desk when Therescales entered the warehouse this time. There were no antiques either. In their place were racks of weapons: swords, maces, axes, and some exotic-looking things that Therescales wasn't even sure how to use, though he imagined it would probably be quite painful if he found himself on the wrong end of one of them. They all appeared to be of fine craftsmanship, many with intricately decorated hilts. One particular dagger, with a gem embedded in its pommel, caught Therescales' eye, but he was not here to shop.
"A fine piece of steel, imported all the way from the Moonshaes. I'm sure you'll find its balance to be near perfect." The young woman had come up on Therescales unawarea sign of how nervous he was. One misstep and he could burn at the stakeor worse if he gave himself away to the mages.
"Actually, I'm interested in a black staff. It was once owned by a shadowy sage who carved symbols all over it."
The hungry light in the woman's eyes dimmed, and her shoulders slumped as she realized she would not be making a sale.
"Yes, of course. If you'll follow me, I believe you'll find what you're looking for over here." She led him to the door behind her desk and unlocked it with a key from her belt pouch. Therescales strode through as soon as it was open.
The illusionary box was in the same place. Therescales descended into the secret passage and inscribed the burning rune to open the hidden door. The others were already filing in to the meeting area, so Therescales slipped into place at the rear of the line.
"It's about time you showed up," the mage in front of him whispered over her shoulder. The hood she wore hid her profile. "Especially considering you were the one who called this meeting."
He ignored the comment as the mages took their seats around the table. Therescales was pleased to see everyone present. An expectant silence hung over the room until Brother Hawk cleared his throat.
"You called the gathering, Brother Asp. Please tell us what was so urgent that you risked our discovery with another meeting so soon after our last."
Therescales blinked at the lack of formality, unsure of what it meant. He glanced at the faces around him, trying to detect if he had somehow been found out. It was rare that councils were ever held this close together, but every member had the right to request one at any time.
Should they be on to him, though, he was ready. He had procured a scroll of invisibility and cast the spell on his dagger, which now hung unseen on his belt. He had also imbibed a potion just before entering the warehouse that would protect his mind from controlling enchantments.
Unfortunately, the various disguises made it almost impossible to accurately read anyone's expression. With no recourse but to press on, Therescales stood. He had rehearsed what to say a thousand times before tonight. He sent a silent prayer to Cyric that they would believe him.
"Brothers, I apologize for the inconvenience, but know that I would not have done so if I did not think the news I have to share was of vital importance." He paused for a moment to be sure he had everyone's attention. "I have learned from a source in the palace that the wizard Brother Hawk was prepared to meet with has been captured and will be publicly executed at dawn, two days hence." Murmurs and gasps sprung up as soon as he finished.
"I've heard nothing of the sort from my contact," Brother Frog bellowed, springing up immediately.
"I'm not surprised, seeing as how your contact couldn't even confirm whether or not the victims of Saestra Karanok were even wizards." Therescales raised an eyebrow, and Frog frowned but sat down.
"How do you know it's even Brother Hawk's ally?" Sister Rat's voice trembled. Therescales turned his head slightly to l
ook at her but watched Brother Hawk from the corner of his eye. This was the catch in the plan. No one knew where Hawk's wizard was from, except maybe Hawk himself. Therescales had been forced to make an educated guess, hope that Hawk did know, and that the guess was right. If he was wrong, at best Hawk would simply reveal that the Karanoks had the wrong person, and the bait would be impotent. Then Therescales would have to find some way to keep Jaerios from burning him at the stake.
Or Hawk could suspect Therescales, and he would find himself at the mercy of the mages.
Therescales trusted he held the right cards, however. There were only so many wizards with the resources and motivation to aid an overthrow of the Karanoks. It was time to play his hand.
"My informant told me that a squad of House Karanok guards had stumbled upon the wizard's camp while patrolling the road up to Mordulkin. It appeared that the wizard had been on his way down from there and was waiting to meet someone." From the periphery, Therescales saw Brother Hawk's shoulder's sag. He forced himself not to smile as triumph welled in his chest.
Therescales took his seat, and everyone looked to Brother Hawk. The leader of the mages stood slowly and leaned on the table.
"Brothers, it appears that Brother Asp's information is correct." The concession was met with more murmurs and gasps. "Please, I'm not finished." Brother Hawk motioned for silence. "In light of this development, we need to immediately begin planning a rescue."
Cries of protest and shock erupted. Therescales was not surprised. He knew the bait wouldn't be taken readily by all. He waited to see how Brother Hawk would do his work for him.
"Order, order! You will be quiet," Brother Crocodile roared.
"I know this isn't how we planned things to progress, but if we can't be flexible, then we're no better than the Karanoks."
"Flexible has nothing to do with it," Brother Fox retorted. "Attacking the Karanoks is suicide."
"It would not be a full-fledged assault. We could hit them on the way to the execution yards. Please, you must see that this is the only way. If we do not at least try, how can we show future allies that we are even worth supporting?" Stone silence met Brother Hawk's plea, and he sat back with a sigh. Therescales decided to risk a little push.
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