It seemed to Amanda to be the strangest day of her new life on Narlass.

If Marisa's surprise had not been enough, Sirinna had another for her when the afternoon session started. It was the first time in weeks where Amanda would not be having sex with any of the other slaves. Instead, it was a lesson on pleasuring herself.

There was a difference, she learned quickly, between masturbating for oneself and masturbating for an audience. An audience expects a performance.

It had not been hard for her to learn. In fact, she took to it more easily than any of her other sexual skills. She understood more of what Sirinna meant when she said that Amanda was a very sensual girl. All she had to do to comply with what her mistress wanted was to let herself go. All the little sighs and moans that someone watching her would expect came easily after that. Then it was just a matter of teaching her how to spread herself properly and allow for a complete view of her pussy, and how to vary her ministrations to make it interesting.

But the strangest part of the day by far came as dusk turned towards night.

The Manor was quiet as she walked along the path towards Roquan's quarters under a velvet sky. The air was finally cooling, but the breeze carried a hint of moisture. Overhead, the silvery rays of the moon faded in and out as clouds blew across the sky from the west.

Amanda had a brief flashback to her first day. She remembered how scared she had been along this very same path. It was a little different now. She was no longer frightened, at least not at the prospect of sex with the Overlord. If her training had accomplished anything, it gave her the sense that sex was something perfectly normal to her. Having so many partners in the span of a single afternoon was no longer given a second thought.

Amanda heaved a small sigh. For the first time she was forced to admit that her training had indeed changed her. She was not the same person she had been when she had first arrived on Narlass. She could not begin to think about how she might cope were she to suddenly be sent back to Earth for whatever reason.

If Amanda felt anything that evening, it was anxiety.

No one had said as much, but she knew this was a test. Yes, the Overlord had the right to call upon any of his non-contracted slaves -- even the Trainees -- to please him sexually. But Roquan was so interested in her training that testing her only made sense.

She wondered what would happen if she "failed".

Not a word was spoken as they arrived at the Overlord's quarters. Sirinna did not bother waiting for permission to enter, as they were expected. Indeed, Roquan was already seated in his chair near the inner chamber entrance, wrapped in his satin robe.

Sirinna remained completely silent as she snapped the chain to bring Amanda to a stop in the center of the room. Amanda felt her heart race as the Overlord regarded her with a cool, even gaze. Her restraints were removed, and then the chain. As soon as her mistress backed away from her, she lowered her head and carefully dropped herself to her knees and took on the submissive posture that was expected of her.

Again, without a word, Sirinna quickly exited and left her alone with the Overlord.

Roquan regarded Amanda for a long moment before rising to his feet. He was rather surprised at himself. He was already quite aroused just by the girl's presence. Normally it took him a short while to arrive at that point. He was already engorged, and it tented the robe when he stood.

Roquan walked a slow circle around Amanda. He could hear her breathing hard. Yet it was not fear this time. Nor was it sexual excitement. She had not yet reached that point, where anticipation of her master's desires being made known to her was arousing in and of itself.

He stopped and let his gaze fall on her hair. Early in Amanda's training, he had suggested to Sirinna that it no longer be cut. It had not had time to grow out very much yet, but what she already had looked very lovely. In a year's time, she would have a long, beautiful fall of raven tresses. He decided that long hair would look very good on her. He wondered briefly if it would smell as nice as Sirinna's did after a light rain.

Amanda's body had changed as well.

The girl had been very pretty when she first arrived, but when Roquan first saw her naked, his trained eye could see the vestiges of baby fat on her body. Now, after spending almost two moons in the tropical heat, much of it had melted away. It had smoothed the curves on her body, and transformed her. Before, she could be described as beautiful. Now she was a step beyond that. Now she was truly sexy.

"Stand."

Amanda swiftly rose to her feet. Roquan watched her take a deep breath and let it go. She was nervous. He could see her wanting to flick her eyes over to him where he stood by her side, just out of her vision. He could see her body trembling just a bit. He leaned to one side and dropped his eyes to her pussy.

"Legs apart."

Amanda swallowed and slid her feet outward. Her breath quickened a bit. Yet the Overlord saw no telltale glisten of moisture on her mound. Would she moisten if he touched her? Or if he made her recall her deflowering? She likely would. But he decided to take the opportunity to try something else.

"Remain as you are, and keep looking straight ahead."

Amanda heard the Overlord step away from her. It took all her willpower not to turn her gaze towards him. Her eyes widened briefly when she heard a noise over by the wall, where the implements of bondage and discipline were kept. Her heart leapt into her throat, but she remained still.

Roquan noticed her reaction. She was extraordinarily perceptive. Now as he returned to her, he tapped the flat of the small paddle against his palm, and observed her reaction. Yes, she knew what he held, and her body was quivering now.

He stood to her side, and touched the paddle to one cheek of her ass. She flinched, and let her breath go as a ragged sigh. He slid the paddle over her skin, caressing it with the smooth wood. Amanda closed her eyes briefly, and took more deep breaths.

He stopped, then drew the paddle back and gave her a single stroke.

It was light. Not enough to cause even so much as a sting. There was no real pain associated with it. It barely made an audible slap against her soft skin. Yet Amanda's reaction was noticeable. She was panting.

He gave her several more of these light strokes, five in all. None were any harder than the first. They left only the barest shading of pink on her cheek. Yet when he looked again, he saw that her pussy was now quite damp.

"So it is not the pain, is it?" the Overlord said softly.

Amanda blushed. She had no idea why she was responding to this. She couldn't give him an answer.

Suddenly Roquan gave her another stroke, this time harder. She yelped softly before she could catch herself. Now her ass burned lightly with pain, though it was already fading. Several more strokes followed, until she let out a small moan. Her pussy ached, and her blush deepened.

Five more strokes followed, back to the light, painless ones. Her pussy throbbed dully.

"No, definitely not the pain," Roquan said. He slapped her backside with his bare hand a few times. She moaned again. "Perhaps it is the vulnerability. Or the anticipation of reward afterward. What do you think, Amanda?"

Amanda shuddered. She had not expected him to ask her directly, but now that he had, she was compelled to answer him. "I-I don't know, master," she said in a shaky voice.

"You are excited?"

"Y-yes, master."

"Are you expecting reward from me, Amanda?"

She swallowed hard. "I ... you give me what you wish to, master."

Roquan smiled. "Yes, that was the 'correct' answer, were I your contracted client. You do not need to be such with your Overlord. You may answer me honestly. So I ask again: are you expecting reward from me?"

"I'm expecting you will do with me as you please."

"And are you hoping for anything in particular?"

He tapped her on her buttock with the paddle again. For a very brief moment, she hated him for taking advantage of her like this. She did not understand what happened to her. She never felt anything like this after Roquan had spanked her that time before she became a slave. What had changed inside her to make her grow aroused at this? What had they done to her during training that made her like this?

Or worse: was it simply something that was always there, and the training had nothing to do with it, other than to bring it out? No, it couldn't be that. She refused to believe she had that particular fetish.

Whatever the reason, she could not deny the fact that it had made her very horny. And he was going to force her to admit it.

Her cheeks deepened to scarlet. "I need relief," she said in a tiny, breathless voice. She felt both excited and mortified to reveal this so openly to him.

Roquan stepped in front of her. She lifted her gaze to him. Her eyes shimmered, and uncertainty briefly flickered across her face. "Kneel."

Her heart beating rapidly, she dropped back down to her knees. The tented bulge in his robe greeted her as she leveled her gaze.

"I will give you relief," said Roquan as he opened his robe. "But first I wish you to show me what you have learned."

Amanda actually felt some of her anxiety fade. This was something she could do, and do well.

His manhood was larger than she had remembered it. It was not overly long, but wide in girth, and the head was swollen and nearly as hard as the rest of him. She reached up and curled her fingers around it and began stroking him very lightly, just a teasing, soft touch. She was in no hurry. If he truly wanted to see what she had learned, she intended to show him. If he had ever believed her untrainable, she wanted to do well if for no other reason than to prove him wrong.

Even if it meant acting like a "good slave" should.

She leaned forward and gave the plump head of his cock furtive licks with her tongue. Her fingers slid back down the shaft, gripping him more firmly. She pumped him slowly, keeping clear of his more sensitive spot so as not to drive him upwards too quickly. Carefully, sensuously, she deepened her tongue strokes, sliding it sinuously down and up the underside of his shaft. She paused to tease him with the very tip of her tongue just under the head.

She returned her mouth to the head, and pressed her lips to the crown in a gentle kiss. She held this for a few moments as her fingers deepened their strokes of his shaft. She leaned forward, urging his cock teasingly past her lips. Her fingers slid back to the base of his cock and down to his sack as she let more of him past her lips. She fondled his balls lightly with her fingers as her head bobbed back and forth in a very slow, deliberate rhythm, her tongue and lips clamped around him tightly.

Great gods, Roquan thought with some amazement. I should never have doubted Sirinna's skills as a Trainer.

The Overlord was impressed. What Amanda was doing was worthy of a slave with much more experience. It was remarkable. Submissiveness and discipline were difficult for her, yet sexual skills came easy. Whenever he had a problem slave, it was usually the other way around. He had a few slaves that were very loyal, very obedient, and very willing, but were unimaginative in their sexual skills.

Amanda quickened the pace. Her fingers pumped at the base of his cock as she used her mouth for the rest. She made him rise now, though still in a very controlled manner. She never let herself get impatient or too eager. When she first heard him utter a very low and soft moan, she simply drew a deep breath through her nose to keep her calm and steady despite the renewed heat in her sex.

That was something she knew had now been trained into her. Sirinna had managed it without Amanda realizing it. When her partner grew excited, so did she. It wasn't limited to just those she liked anymore.

She began drawing him deeper into her mouth. She squeezed her tongue against his shaft, stroking him hard. Her fingers found his balls drawing upwards. Carefully, she teased them back, and closed her fingers around him to prevent them from moving upwards any further.

Roquan had thought of stopping Amanda as soon as he was aware of her skill level at this, but he was enjoying it far to much to want her to stop. His rise was as it should be: slow at first, then a little faster as the pressure built, then briefly leveling off to enjoy the sensations at the heightened stimulation. Now she was letting him continue unimpeded.

His breath grew short. His muscles clenched. Amanda's mouth and fingers now pumped his cock furiously to bring him to the final crescendo. Roquan's head tilted back and he uttered one long groan, his manhood straining for a last moment before letting go inside Amanda's mouth.

He panted hard as his cock pulsed, spurting his seed copiously inside Amanda's mouth. She was ready for him, letting his cum pool against her tongue as he throbbed, lips milking him and drawing out his orgasm for a few more seconds. His climax was slow to fade, and she let the last of his seed dribble over her lips as she paused to swallow. Quickly she licked her lips and then the head of his manhood, spilling not a single drop. She gave it one last small kiss before leaning back from him.

Roquan needed a moment to calm down before he could speak in his usual, even voice. "That was quite excellent."

"Thank you, master." Amanda's voice was slightly husky. Without him to concentrate on, she was keenly aware of her own need again.

The Overlord bid her to stand, and he took her hand once she was on her feet. Amanda's heart raced again as Roquan led her into his bedchamber. She was actually excited. There was no fear, and very little anxiety. It was as if she had already proven herself, and now all she needed to do was reap her reward.

Like a good little slave, she thought, and it was greeted by mixed feelings in her mind.

Within the inner chamber, Roquan stepped to one side and gestured silently towards his bed.

Amanda hesitated when she looked at it. She realized that this would be the first time she would have ever actually had sex in a "traditional" setting like this, with the exception of her trysts with Sirinna. In a way, it suddenly felt very different to her, and a little daunting as well. Some of her confidence waned.

"Is there something wrong, Amanda?" asked Roquan. His voice was not unkind.

Amanda shook her head. "No, master."

"If you are concerned about your performance, there is no need. You have done what I asked of you. I wish now to pleasure you in return."

Amanda looked at the Overlord. He sounded very sincere. There was an oddly subdued look in his eyes. It was not just the softness that he showed to a slave that he liked. There was something else to it.

She turned away from him and approached his bed. She heard the soft sound of satin against skin as Roquan shed his robe behind her. She climbed onto the bed and rolled onto her back.

The Overlord approached her. She swallowed once, her eyes widening. Like before, everything about him now seemed larger than life. It was very different from her deflowering. She doubted she would have managed to quell her fear had he chosen to deflower her like this.

Her eyes flicked down to his crotch. He was still spent from Amanda's skillful oral play. Yet when he climbed onto the bed, his hands played along her thighs. Her breath quickening, she obeyed his unspoken command and spread her legs. Despite her need, her cheeks flushed at exposing her naked pussy to him.

He descended on her, her breath catching in her throat as she realized what he was going to do.

The moment his tongue touched her, she threw her head back and shuddered. For that one moment she lost her composure and control and cried out. "Uhhhn!"

She caught herself the next second and fell silent, but it was difficult. His tongue swirled around her swollen and slick womanhood, initially driving her upwards quickly. She panted heavily as she soared. Roquan sensed her sharp rise and relented. He touched just the tip of his tongue to her, and licked slowly and methodically down her slot, probing the entrance to her tunnel.

She still has much to learn, however, Roquan thought with amusement to himself. He would be most interested when Sirinna started her on muscle control.

Amanda felt herself level off. She quivered with desire as he kept her at that heightened level, teasing her very lightly with furtive licks or light strokes. She moaned deeply and writhed on the bed, her hands clenching and unclenching.

It was not at all the same as what Marisa did to her. This was different. Marisa would drive her to the excruciating edge and then back. Roquan held her steady, and not at such an intense level.

Yet the need for release became greater as time passed. Her pussy ached for relief.

She felt him ease a finger into her cunt. It was all she could do not to raise her hips and impale herself on it. A second finger followed, teasing its way into her tunnel. It squeezed around his fingers as he licked at her once more, sending her upwards again.

Roquan noted how tight Amanda was. She had been back at her deflowering, but she was even more so now. Even though she had not had formal muscle control training, having sex multiple times every day had strengthened some of the muscles naturally.

Roquan smoothly slid his fingers in and out of her, his tongue moving faster against her clitoris. Amanda rose faster, her moans rising in kind. She strained, uttering a single, strident cry as her cunt spasmed hard around the Overlord's fingers. She crested, her pussy throbbing intensely, making her utter a staccato "uh! uh! uh!"

Her noises dissolved into pants as she descended. Roquan slowly withdrew his fingers and his mouth from her still wet pussy. Amanda moaned, her head lolling to one side. She was forced to turn her head back towards him when his body slid over hers.

She looked at him in puzzlement at first. Her heart beat rapidly as she felt his weight upon her, pinning her down under him. She wasn't sure what he was going to do until his fingers sought her breast. They closed around it, gently squeezing her orb in his strong fingers. Her soft and pliant flesh yielded easily to him.

Roquan descended on her breast, and closed his lips around it.

Amanda gasped loudly. Her nipples was still tender from earlier in the day, and the touch of his tongue to it sent a shock wave through her body. He suckled at it gently and skillfully, drawing it into his mouth a little at a time. Amanda moaned, softly at first and then inexorably louder as her body quivered in renewed desire.

His body shifted atop her. Her legs were nudged apart. She willingly spread them further, and was rewarded by his fingers in her cunt. Amanda was panting again as he suckled at her other breast, twirling his tongue around her nipple in a way that drove her mad with lust.

Roquan lifted his head from her bosom. She looked up at him with dark, sultry eyes. He smiled down at her, surprising her with a look of genuine affection in his face. His body slid up and more fully over hers, and soon she drew in her breath at the touch of his hardness against her pussy.

As skilled a lover as Roquan was, he did not even need to reach down to position himself. Seconds later, she felt the swollen head of his renewed erection against her tunnel. Shortly, she felt it push into her and slide tightly inside her.

"Uhhhnnn!"

Amanda did not remember him being this thick! She had no way of knowing that part of it was her own muscles that were tighter this time. The fullness inside her was incredible. Yet as wet as he had made her again, he slid into her like oil.

His hips rocked against hers. Amanda closed her eyes and moaned, her legs spreading as wide as she could for him. He slipped into her more deeply with each thrust forward, his girth enough that his shaft stroked the tip of her still-sensitive nub as it slid back and forth.

Amanda rose like a rocket. She wanted desperately to slow it down, but she had no idea how. She soared up and over, cumming hard, her hips threatening to buck under him. He pressed his body down to hers a little more to hold her steady. She wrapped her arms around him, clutching at him as he pumped his hips faster against her.

She heard him groan, much more urgently than when she had his cock in her mouth. It only made her all the more excited, and her hips rose to his. He slapped against her harder, sending her climbing upwards again. She heard him pant in her ear.

Amanda rose and hovered, straining. Roquan shuddered suddenly, and his cock pulsed hard against the walls of her tunnel. She let out a cry as she crested, each throb making her body jerk, intensified by the fullness inside her.

He withdrew when his manhood began to flag, a few lingering pulses reverberating through Amanda's pussy. When Roquan embraced her, she accepted it gratefully, hugging him back tightly.

"Hopefully that was sufficient relief for you, Amanda," Roquan said softly, still a little breathless.

Amanda was still panting lightly. "Yes, thank you, master," she gushed in a sighing voice. She had enjoyed that very much. She understood now why Sirinna was always so happy when Roquan summoned her to his quarters in the evenings.

Roquan gently rolled onto his back, taking Amanda with him, so that he lay atop his body. Amanda went limp against him, lying with her head tucked under his chin, his chest rising and falling steadily under her. She could hear the powerful beat of his heart. She felt Roquan stroke her hair and found that she enjoyed that simple, affectionate touch. She snuggled against him contentedly.

Amanda was quite surprised at this turn of events. She had never seen herself becoming this comfortable with the Overlord, or seek his presence like this, or find it anything other than intimidating and cool. Like the day of her deflowering, she had seen another side of him, one that was less the Overlord and more the man. She wished he would show this side more often. It would have made dealing with him so much easier.

Amanda closed her eyes. She felt at ease, and even began to drift off to sleep. It was only when Roquan's voice rumbled in his chest that she was jolted back to full alertness.

"Amanda, there is something I need to discuss with you."

Her eyes blinked back open. She started to rise, but his arm tightened around her. She relaxed and remained lying against him. "Yes, master?"

"It concerns the Conclave."

Amanda tried to ignore the small twinge of anxiety in her stomach. "Mistress Sirinna has told me I am to be Presented."

"This is what I wish to speak to you about."

"I can do it, master."

Roquan paused. He had not expected that response. "Do you truly believe you can, Amanda?"

Amanda nodded, then thought better of it and said, "Yes, master."

"Can you act properly submissive? Can you do what you are told without question and with the proper attitude? Can you properly please those you are given to?"

Amanda could not suppress the tiny smile that came to her lips. "I thought I pleased you rather well," she said in as unassuming a tone as she could muster.

It worked. Roquan did not see her smile and could not quite tell if she were trying to be cheeky with him or not. "Yes, you did indeed please me."

"I tried very hard. I always do."

"Yes, I know you try. It is succeeding that concerns me."

Amanda felt the need to defend herself, but she chose her words and her tone of voice carefully. "I have been doing better. Mistress Sirinna tells me this. You have seen me for yourself at the Circle, master."

"Careful, Amanda. Do not assume too much about what I am thinking towards you."

"I'm sorry, master."

A pause. "I will trust that you will handle yourself properly at the Conclave. I can do no less at this point."

Amanda let go a relieved sigh. "Thank you, master."

"But there is one thing I need you to do. It concerns the Draught."

"The Infertility Draught?"

"No. The Draught of Forgetfulness. You have not had it."

Amanda's mouth fell open. Roquan felt her tense against his body. "You told me that it is too late for me to have it, master."

"Indeed it is. That has not changed."

Amanda slowly relaxed.

"Have you ever told anyone you never had the Draught?"

"Um ... no, master. Well, Tanyee knows. And Master Vanlo."

"But you have told no one else since you were collared?"

"No, master."

Amanda had not purposely suppressed the information. It simply never came up in conversation with the other slaves. No one had ever asked her about it, so she had never volunteered the information. She had never heard Sirinna speak of it, either.

"You must continue this," Roquan said, urgency edging his voice. "You must not reveal you never had the Draught. If you are asked about it directly ... you will tell them that you have indeed had it."

Amanda blinked. He was ordering her to lie?

Not that it was difficult for her to remember or carry out. It was the easiest thing she had been asked to do. Yet she was very curious as to why he wanted her to keep this secret. And why he was so adamant about it. It was almost as if he were worried about this.

"Do you understand this, Amanda?" Roquan asked when she did not respond immediately.

"Um, yes, master. I understand."

"It is very important that you do. You must obey me in this."

"Yes, master, I will."

She waited, hoping he would reveal why. She silently cursed when he did not.

It was obvious to her from whom he wished to keep this information. He would not have prefaced this command by mentioning the Conclave if he had not intended her to keep this secret from the other Overlords. Would he get into trouble over it if it were revealed?

Now she was now growing more curious about the Conclave and exactly what it was all about.

Emperor Z'haas stepped out into the cool night air, flanked by his honor guard. Next to him, a distinguished-looking man with a thin frame and graying hair stood in flowing Mage robes, awaiting his sovereign's order. Before them, the rich expanse of the gardens of the Imperial Palace stretched across the massive courtyard, illuminated by both flickering torchlight and silvery moonlight.

The Emperor lifted his hand and held it before him. Balanced on his palm was a blue pearl, glowing faintly.

"Lower the wards," Z'haas said.

His wizard nodded once and lifted his arms. He uttered a short but loud incantation. The moment he uttered the last syllable, the pearl burst into near blinding light.

A bolt of lightning was summoned from the skies and struck the ground a short distance before them. As it reformed itself into a large glowing sphere of coruscating energy, the guards took up a defensive stance, swords unsheathed, as was standard protocol for an arrival by Portal.

The Emperor looked on calmly as the orb appeared to fall back upon itself and turn inside-out, a whirling tunnel opening up into the distance. There was a blur of impossibly swift motion from the distance, and the next moment the Mage Q'yros was stepping onto the Imperial grounds.

The guards retained their stance until the Portal endpoint fell in on itself and disappeared with a deep, resonating boom. Satisfied that no unexpected visitors would show up along with the wizard, the guards resheathed their weapons and resumed their normal vigil.

The Emperor's Mage reestablished the wards with a wave of a hand as Z'haas put the Portal focus away and stepped forward. Q'yros dipped his head respectfully. "Good evening to you, my Emperor."

"There is little that qualifies as 'good' these days," Z'haas said stiffly. Without taking his eyes off the old Mage, he made a quick gesture with his hand. His wizard and guards swiftly departed, leaving them alone in the courtyard.

Q'yros' crinkly eyes shifted to one side and the other as he watched the others being summarily dismissed. "How much longer do you believe can you retain the veil of secrecy?" he asked with a sly smile.

"As long as is necessary. The ability of the Imperium to keep sensitive information quiet is vastly underestimated."

The Mage sincerely doubted this, but kept silent on the matter. "Have you learned anything new about our little problem?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, Q'yros. My intelligence is now limited, thanks to that infernal Overlord Gronnus. I am sure now he has alerted the other Overlords to my spying."

The Mage's mouth drew to a thin line. "I have little to tell you, either, my Emperor. I have learned only that there was at least one Portal opened to the island of Roquan's Manor, and possibly another one, earlier, on a nearby island."

"And that is all?"

"Sadly, yes."

Z'haas' face took on an indignant look. "Surely, Q'yros, you can do better than that!"

Q'yros frowned. "And what would have me do? Attempt to search every being on those islands for a focus? I have told you before, we do not have control over such things. It is impossible to track every person who owns a focus."

"Where were the Portals opened to?"

"The one on Roquan's island was somewhere in the forest just off the main road. The earlier one we're not sure. Possibly near Lord K'laarn's Keep."

"Then perhaps he is the cause of this," said the Emperor. "He is the only one on the islands of sufficient means to purchase such a thing."

The Mage was already shaking his head. "I highly doubt he is the culprit. He would need to purchase it through the Guild, and there is no record of such a transaction."

"But you just stated yourself you have no control over such things. Could he not have obtained it by other means?"

Mage Q'yros sighed. He hated explaining these things, even to his Emperor. Like with the Overlord, he again wished that his statements would simply be taken as truth. "He would not risk such a thing. The Guild frowns on Nobility that attempt to import magical goods of any type from outside Guild auspices. He would risk being blacklisted by the Guild if he did such a thing."

"Unless he were sufficiently motivated."

Q'yros grinned with amusement. "Ah, you mean to support Overlord Roquan's foolish notions?"

"Do not treat this lightly, Q'yros," Z'haas said in a warning tone of voice.

"If you knew the Overlord as well as I did, my Emperor, you would not be half as worried as you are. The man is a buffoon. It is surprising that he has lasted as Overlord for as long as he has."

The Emperor's voice rose. "You say this, yet someone is opening Portals into Oceanus territory without your knowledge or control!"

"I wish an answer as much as you do!" Q'yros thundered, shaking his staff at his sovereign. "But I have none to give!"

"This could be an attempt by the enemy to infiltrate. For all we know, it could be a means for them to transport their horrible new weapon into our very midst. You cannot tell me that the Mage Guild has no answer to this."

Q'yros sighed. He hated having an Emperor on the throne that believed everything could be made to happen through sheer force of will. At the same time, he was just as deeply concerned. The Guild could sense things that the Imperium could not. They understood the gravity of the situation perhaps more than the Emperor did.

In fact, had the Mage been able to explain to the Emperor exactly what they had sensed so that he could understand it given his very limited knowledge of magic, he would likely be even more worried than he was now.

The Mage Guild knew of the odd perturbations in the natural flow of magical energies that circulated over the face of Narlass. They were subtle and frustratingly fleeting, but they were there. They were very small and, taken just by themselves, harmless. Yet they were not supposed to be there, and the patterns that were emerging from observation of these energies were alarming.

Something of great power had been engineered to the Far West, well past Colos and the ocean beyond. He had confirmed the Emperor's suspicions that far. Yet he was dismayed at Z'haas' obsession over Roquan. He felt this was a distraction. Roquan did not, in his view, possess the intelligence to deal with an enemy of the state.

"We hope to have answers soon, my Emperor," said Q'yros in a voice of forced calm. "We will be watching the island very carefully now. If another Portal opens, we will learn of it."

The Emperor cast a hard look at the Mage and folded his arms. "Can you trust the Guild, Q'yros?"

The Mage's eyebrows shot upwards. "I beg your pardon?"

"Are you quite sure everyone in the Guild can indeed be trusted to remain loyal to their Emperor? Do you have a united front in this?"

"I should be insulted, my Emperor, to hear such things," the Mage said loftily.

"That does not answer the question."

Damn this man! He is not satisfied unless he has control of everything!

Q'yros allowed himself a small feeling of triumph, however. He was aware that the Emperor believed himself to have "tamed" the great Mage Guild of Oceanus. Nothing of the sort had happened. The Guild simply believed it was currently in their best interest to remain loyal to the Imperium for the time being. Truly, the Mages were much like the Overlords, in that they operated by their own agenda.

In fact, it had taken some convincing on Q'yros' part to persuade the current Guild Master to accept this collusion with the Emperor in the first place. It was this which had resulted in the failed attempt to bring Roquan's best Trainer into the palace. Now, it was only these disturbances of the magical weave that kept their lot thrown in with the Emperor.

"No one in the Guild would actively work against the Imperium," Q'yros declared loudly. "To do so would be to work against the Guild. They would be no better than Rogue Mages, and I need not tell you what we do to them when we find them!"

Rogue Mages were an anathema to the Guild. When found, they were immediately "stilled", which was a process by which the Mage was cut off from access to the magical energies. Unfortunately, this often had the side effect of causing brain damage. The Guild had little sympathy in this regard.

"Yet it would be well within the resources of the Guild to do such a thing."

"You would suggest that a Guild member has turned Rogue?"

"Not necessarily. Simply that he would see an opportunity for himself in supporting a Noble or Overlord against the Imperium."

Q'yros seethed quietly, but admitted to himself that the Emperor had a point. The political maneuvering in a Guild to achieve the ultimate post of Guild Master was far more ruthless than anything that happened at the Imperial Palace. Yet he would find it hard to believe that anyone would go to this length.

And certainly Z'haas would understand how supporting someone of influence against the current sovereign would operate. After all, it was how Z'haas himself came to power.

"I shall keep my eyes open for anything unusual back at the Guild," Q'yros rumbled in annoyance. "But I expect I will find nothing!"

The Emperor nodded once. "If another Portal does indeed open, Q'yros, what are we to do about it?"

"Watch and wait."

Z'haas frowned. "Wait? For what? For them to bring their weapon into Oceanus and turn it upon us?"

Q'yros was quite at his wits end. Foolish man! Magic does not work that way!

The Mage took a moment to calm himself so he would not snap at the Emperor. "If they have developed something of sufficient power, my Emperor, and they intend to use it at such a distance as the islands to usurp the throne, there will be sufficient time to sense the buildup of magical energies. It is a myth that a Mage, no matter how powerful he is, can simply wave his hand and cast spells of great power, regardless of what dewomers he may possess. Such magicks require days, sometimes a full moon, of avid concentration."

"I hope you are indeed correct in that assessment, Q'yros."

"As sure as you are that Roquan is in league with the enemy, my Emperor," the Mage said smoothly.

"He is, Q'yros! The signs are there! I daresay I can predict that we will indeed detect a Portal being opened to the D'ronstaq Manor in the days to follow."

Q'yros sincerely doubted this, but held his tongue.

"Now, if you have nothing else for me, I will have a servant show you to some quarters for the night."

"Most kind of you, my Emperor," the Mage said in a largely perfunctory manner. "I am weary from all this travel. We can discuss the strengthening of your wards in the morning."

Though against what, the Mage wondered, they were warding was yet an unanswered question.

Feedback

Did you like this story? Hate it? Printed it and lined the birdcage with it?

Please take a moment to send me some comments about this story. Your comments may remain anonymous if you prefer, or you can include an email address in your comments if you wish a reply.

Since this is a multi-part story, you may wait until the last chapter to send feedback about the story as a whole if you wish.