Amanda trembled as she lay upon the soft grasses of the Circle. Her breath came in ragged pants as she barely held herself in check. Her concentration was breaking down. Her thigh muscles clenched, trying to draw her legs in. They would not budge, as two slave girls dutifully held them down and kept them spread apart. Nor did the third slave girl cease licking at Amanda's sex, keeping her constantly stimulated.

Amanda's pussy ached, both from the desperate need for release, and the tension on the muscles she was using to prevent that release. It was a losing battle now. Her muscles were tiring and her resolve was weakening. Two more slave girls that lay on either side of her where not helping matters. Each gently fondled one of Amanda's breasts, playing with the nipples in the exact way that drove Amanda wild.

But worse were the naughty whispers into her ears.

"Mmm, you want to cum soooo badly, don't you?" cooed one.

"Your cunny is so close, isn't it? Your little cunny wants to cum," purred the other.

"Yes, let your hot little cunny go."

"Oh yes, it will feel so good, won't it?"

"Cum for me, Amanda, just let go ..."

"Let your cunny feel good, Amanda ..."

Amanda uttered a keening moan, her eyes closing tightly. Her whole body quivered, the pressure on her pussy increasing as control slipped away from her. She was barely aware of the new voice now from above her. "Just a little more, Amanda, you can do it. You can ..."

Amanda let out a sharp cry as her pussy began to throb hard. Her hips bucked against one slave girl's face as she came. The slave girl dutifully pressed her lips to Amanda's sex and gave her womanhood long, firm strokes to draw out her pleasure. The first pulses through her cunt were so intense they seemed to pound through her body, making her gasp for breath. It quickly settled down to a more bearable rhythm, but it was still so strong that she could barely think.

When her orgasm slowly faded, she was aware now that the voice that had spoken to her at the last moment before her climax had been Sirinna. Now she was afraid to open her eyes and see the disappointment she was sure would be there.

Instead, when she finally cracked open her eyes, she saw Sirinna smiling down at her.

"That was good, Amanda," she said encouragingly. "That was very much on par with yesterday."

The other slave girls parted from Amanda after her orgasm wound down. They each gave her a friendly, supportive smile. For the first time Amanda managed to give a weak smile in return.

She knew that the other slaves were just doing their duty and were not trying to "torture" her. But it had taken her a quarter moon to get to that point since this part of the training started. She still had too many bad memories of Freya, and how she had used that magical thing on her that would drive her to the brink of orgasm but never grant her release. It had been horrible going through an entire day like that.

"You mean I didn't do any better than yesterday," Amanda said with some chagrin in her voice as she sat up.

"Not yet, but ..."

Amanda sighed despondently. "I'm sorry I disappointed you, Mistress."

Sirinna cupped Amanda's chin and gently turned her head around so that she was looking directly into Sirinna's eyes. Sirinna smiled. "You didn't disappoint me, Amanda. I mean that."

"But I didn't do any better."

"Yes, but you maintained what you can do. That's a good thing."

"But I'm supposed to be the one that can learn things quickly, right? I'm supposed to be getting there so much faster than any other slave, so ..."

"Amanda, shh." Sirinna paused and tilted her head slightly. "Is something the matter, love?"

"No," Amanda lied.

Sirinna stood, gesturing for Amanda to do the same. "It's the evenings, isn't it?"

Amanda gave Sirinna an odd look. "Huh?"

"You haven't had the time you wanted to look over more of those scrolls Roquan gave you."

Amanda was a bit surprised. Yes, that was exactly what was wrong, but she had taken great pains not to let even the slightest amount of frustration show. Obviously Sirinna knew her better than she thought. In a way, that was actually a comfort, and her expression softened a bit. She even managed a tiny smile. "I'm that obvious, Mistress?"

Sirinna smiled and stroked Amanda's hair. "I know you in so many more ways than just a Trainer to a Trainee, Amanda."

That frank admission had surprised Amanda, though it registered outwardly only as a slight widening of her eyes.

"So, yes, I do often know when you're upset about something. I just generally don't mention it until I feel it's affecting you in other ways."

"You mean when it affects my training."

"Yes, that is one concern. But not my only one. What I told you on the first day when you made your decision to stay is still true. I only want you to be happy."

Amanda nodded absently. She knew this. She simply was no longer sure whether being a slave was the path to that happiness despite her love for Sirinna. She had to find her own happiness somewhere within narrowly defined limits. The scrolls had helped with that, but now she felt like she was not being given the chance.

"If only Master Lanno would stop calling on me so many nights, Mistress," Amanda said in a low voice.

Sirinna nodded, then waited quietly, knowing that there was still more to that thought on Amanda's mind.

Amanda sensed this and lowered her voice further. "He's ... he's a little rough with me, Mistress."

Sirinna's face took on a note of concern. "Amanda, is he hurting you?"

Amanda shook her head quickly. "No, Mistress, he's not."

"Please, don't be afraid to tell me if he is. Master Roquan does not care for people abusing his slaves. And ... I don't want to see you hurt, either."

"No, no, really, it's not like that. He doesn't hurt me. He ... scares me a little sometimes. Acts like he's going to hurt me, or that he could hurt me, but he doesn't. But the sex is still ... it still leaves me a little sore afterward."

Sirinna listened to this, her eyes fixed intensely on her charge's face as if looking for any evidence that Amanda might be covering for him. Satisfied that Amanda was telling the truth, she nodded solemnly. "Sometimes, Amanda, clients will have desires or fetishes that seem extreme to you. Or they like to play out a fantasy. It's the slave's duty to try to fill the role that the client wants."

"I know that, Mistress," said Amanda, exasperation creeping into her voice. "That's why I didn't say anything about it."

Amanda actually suspected that Lanno was not acting out a fantasy or a fetish. If it had been a case of that, she would not be so anxious about it. Instead, she worried that there was something more to his motivations.

It all came back to that infernal Draught. Ever since the Conclave, she had felt burdened by the responsibility of keeping that secret for Roquan. The fact that Sirinna could read her so easily was less a comfort in this area. What if someone else could read her as easily, and learn that she did not have the Draught? What if Roquan got into serious trouble for that? What if he lost the Manor? Then what would happen to her and Sirinna?

"Do you need to see Master Vanlo and receive something for the soreness?"

Amanda shook her head quickly. The last thing she wanted was for that to get back to Lanno. She wanted Lanno to believe that she was strong enough to take whatever he could dish out. She was not sure why she felt this way. "I'm fine, Mistress. I don't think it's affecting my training either. The soreness is generally gone by the morning."

"But it still cuts into your time."

"Yes. I know. Nothing can be done about it."

Sirinna nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Amanda. I'd have to talk to Master Roquan if you wanted Master Lanno to stop calling on you so much, but ..."

"But he'd just consider it valuable experience for me and want it to continue, I know. See why I haven't said anything about it, Mistress?"

Sirinna gave her a wan smile. "Maybe we'll talk about it some more later. I can't promise anything but ..."

"Ah, but might you excuse a brief interruption?"

Sirinna turned her head in mild surprise at the voice behind her. Amanda was not as surprised as she had seen him approach just as she had finished speaking to Sirinna. She carefully controlled her reactions in front of Sirinna. The last thing Amanda wanted was for Sirinna to get even a hint of what she might be feeling for him.

Sirinna nodded once, smiling pleasantly. "Of course, Master Jollis. What may I do for you?"

"I do apologize for this intrusion into your training session," said Jollis. "From the glances I received from the other slaves, I am most likely breaking protocol. I humbly apologize."

"Not at all, Master Jollis. You are not interrupting anything at the moment. Amanda was simply taking a short break between sessions."

Jollis smiled. "Yes, it was quite the pleasure to be privileged to watch her training earlier. She is quite talented."

Amanda blushed slightly and smiled. Normally she didn't care for people speaking about her as if she were not there, but she knew that Jollis was simply trying to adhere to proper protocol. And she did like hearing his kind words. She knew she could trust that they were sincere coming from him.

"You are welcome to continue observing her when we resume shortly. She will be learning more about pleasing other women."

"Ah, but I regret I will miss that. I have duties for the Overlord to attend to. Which is why I have come forward now, as I might not have time later. Might I request Amanda's services this evening in my quarters?"

If it had been anyone other than Jollis asking for her attentions, she would have lamented having yet another night with little time to herself. Instead, she felt a surge of renewed excitement. He had not called upon her for some time. She had started to worry that he had somehow lost interest in her after all.

Sirinna hesitated a moment. Despite her sense of duty to Roquan, she sympathized with Amanda's lament. She did not want to break the rules for Amanda, but she felt obligated to help in some way.

"Well, Master Jollis, that may depend on how much I work her today in training," Sirinna said cautiously.

Amanda jerked her head around and looked at Sirinna in surprise.

"Oh?" Jollis asked.

Sirinna picked her words carefully in case this got back to Roquan. "As her Trainer, I can assess how much my Trainee can handle. Sometimes if she's had a really intense day of training, I might not consider her up to any further sexual activity for the evening."

Amanda realized now what Sirinna was trying to do. On one level, Amanda loved her for it. Sirinna was breaking out of her pure Trainer mode again, like she seemed to do more often now. It was always just little things here and there, nothing that anyone besides Roquan might notice, and he was not a witness to most of them. This was the biggest thing that Sirinna ever tried to do for her.

But Amanda also felt frustration. She wanted to go. She had not been with him for so long that she was already looking forward to it on multiple levels. She was excited at the prospect of stimulating conversation, and she felt a tingle in her sex at the other possibilities.

"Ah, yes, that makes perfect sense to me," said Jollis. "I would not wish to overtax the young woman."

"I will see if she is up to it later this evening," Sirinna said.

"Thank you, dear Sirinna. But might I be so bold as to ask that I be given first consideration were someone else to ask between now and tonight?"

"Of course, Master Jollis. If anyone else asks, I will tell them the same as I told you, but I will also mention that another has requested her first."

"Ah, thank you, Sirinna, you are most kind and fair. It is little wonder that Amanda thinks so highly of you."

Sirinna smiled in obvious delight.

Jollis smiled in return. "I will not keep you from your duties any longer. I will check with you this evening when the sun has gone down. Good day to you."

"Good day to you, Master Jollis."

Amanda watched Jollis leave, a curious expression on her face. This was the first time that she ever recalled someone actually coming this early to request the services of a slave. Even when the merchants had been here during the Conclave, they would only watch training during the day. They waited until evening to request a slave to share their bed for a night.

She wondered now if Jollis were tired of Lanno monopolizing Amanda's time. If that was the case, Amanda felt rather flattered that he would risk breaking protocol just to ask for her presence that evening.

Sirinna turned back to Amanda. "When the evening comes around, Amanda, I can say that you are too tired to be able to service him tonight if you wish it."

"Mistress, thank you. I ... I really appreciate what you just did, but ... but I'll probably go through with it anyway."

Amanda was trying to downplay her enthusiasm. When Sirinna appeared to pause for a moment, Amanda thought she had failed and expected Sirinna to start questioning her.

Instead Sirinna smiled and stroked Amanda's cheek. "That's why I'm so proud of you."

Amanda relaxed and smiled in return. At the same time, she felt a twinge of guilt. What she was doing felt vaguely like "cheating" on Sirinna. It was not the first time this had come to mind. She didn't understand why. Surely there was a big difference between her feelings for Sirinna and her feelings for Jollis.

"Let's get back to training, then," Sirinna said. "We have a lot to cover before the midday meal."

Amanda nodded, satisfied that her "secret" was safe for now. "Yes, Mistress."

Vanlo turned and strolled down the path leading to his office, feeling refreshed from his midday constitutional. He recalled the first time he had done this, more years ago than he cared to remember, when he had felt too stressed to have an appetite for lunch. It had been a difficult case he had been assigned, long before his stint at the Manor. No one had thought the man would pull through. They had expected Vanlo to be nothing more than a caretaker for the man until his demise.

Vanlo had known that but fretted over it nevertheless. He was sure had he seen some improvement after he had tried something new. He had hovered over the patient, looking in vain for any more signs he was coming around. A more senior Healer had to finally push him out of the room.

Vanlo allowed himself a small smile as the door to the back of the office came into view ahead of him. He continued to play out the memory in his head.

The senior Healer had told him to get something to eat, as it was midday. He had no appetite for lunch, and took a walk instead. To his surprise, the walk had managed to relax him, and had offered him a new insight into his patient's condition. He had indeed been on the right track, and knew exactly what he had to do to save the man.

The final steps to the door always reminded him of that moment of revelation. It had occurred at the end of that first midday walk. It was what always made him feel relaxed by the time he stepped back into the office.

The man had made an excellent recovery. Since then, he had never once partaken of a meal at midday, and never missed his walk.

Vanlo stepped inside and into his lab room at the back of the office. It took only a few moments to unravel all his relaxation. A simple glance at the counter tops -- which to a casual observer looked as it had when he had left earlier -- told him what had happened in his absence.

His gaze slid over to the small apparatus at the end of one of the counters. Again, to another, it looked as it had been. Vanlo knew better.

He whirled around and leaned out the door into the examination room.

"Master Lanno!"

Lanno looked up from where he had been treating a cut on a slave girl's arm. He had just finished applying the last of the salve to close the remainder of the wound. He took a moment to check it and then smiled at his patient. After the girl rose to her feet, Lanno gave her a playful slap on the rear. The girl giggled and headed out.

Vanlo was fuming by the time Lanno casually turned and walked towards the older Healer, no sense of urgency whatsoever to his manner. "Yes, you wanted to see me, Master Vanlo?"

"In here, please," Vanlo said crisply, disappearing inside without waiting for an acknowledgment.

Lanno paused a moment and sighed through his nose before stepping inside. Before he could say a word, Vanlo rounded on him and gestured towards the counters.

"What is the meaning of this?" Vanlo demanded.

Lanno furrowed his brow and looked around. He looked back to the older Healer and shook his head. "Sorry?"

"What have you been doing in here while I have been gone?"

Lanno reacted with only mild surprise at this.

"Or are you astonished that I would know that things are out of place?"

The younger Healer managed a small smile. "Not really. Perhaps more surprised at your reaction to it."

"You were instructed to leave my research alone."

"Yes, I remember you instructing me on that," Lanno said coolly. "And I followed your instruction to the letter."

Vanlo paused and heaved a long, tired sigh. In a softer voice he said, "My apologies. That was a poor choice of words on my part. Forgive me."

Lanno simply nodded.

"But I do know you have touched my experiment."

"Nothing more than rotating it briefly to examine it in more detail. I did nothing to affect it. Though I am curious as ..."

"But what of the rest, Master Lanno?" Vanlo asked, keeping his voice calm despite the edge to it. "You have obviously been doing something in here while I was gone."

"Yes, and I did not believe I needed to seek your permission for that."

"No, you do not. This is your office as well as mine. But when someone specifically performs research in here while I am gone and makes pains to be clandestine about it ..."

Lanno looked faintly amused at this. "Clandestine? I fail to see how wishing to return the room to the neat state it was in before I began is clandestine."

"Yet I saw my own experiment disturbed. I can only make the connection that you did something else while you were here."

Annoyance crept into Lanno's voice when he spoke next. "Yes, but it had nothing to do with your experiment. Whatever you're working on is out of my league anyway."

This gave Vanlo pause. It was the first sign of any humility from the young man since he had arrived.

"Now ... are you perhaps interested in exactly what I was working on?" Lanno said with a grin. "Since it's not a secret at all, really. I just knew you might be upset seeing me work on it directly."

Vanlo paused to compose himself. He realized that he was getting more angry with the younger Healer than the situation truly warranted. Had it been someone else, someone with a more palatable attitude, he was sure he would have conducted himself with more decorum than this. He took a deep breath and drew himself up, folding his hands behind him. "Yes, please, I am interested to hear."

Lanno smiled and reached into his tunic, pulling out a small vial filled with an oily fluid.

Vanlo raised an eyebrow and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "A salve of some sort?"

"Yes. For Amanda's scar."

Vanlo's hand stopped in mid-motion. He endeavored not to lose control of his temperament again as he had done before, though there was still a bit of a strain in his voice when he spoke next. "Hmm ... indeed ... well ... how do you know it will work? Unless ... you have tested it ..."

Lanno sensed the darkening tone at once and shook his head. "You said no experimenting on the slaves. So therefore, I did not." He paused and took a deep breath himself, as now it was his turn to control himself and force out the next words. "I wish you to give your blessing to it."

Vanlo's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. "Do you?" he asked, expressing it as a bona fide question.

"Yes, I do, as I respect your experience."

Vanlo gave the man a very tiny smile. He could hear the tension in the man's voice. He could even spot the tightening of the young man's jaw muscles. Old age had affected many things on his body, but fortunately not his eyes.

He took that as a small victory.

He reached out a hand. Lanno hesitated just a moment before placing the vial in it. Vanlo brought the vial up and turned it in his age-spotted fingers, eying it carefully. He popped the cork and sniffed, raising an eyebrow slightly. Finally he placed a finger over the top and tipped it briefly to let a drop sit on his skin. He rubbed it thoughtfully between forefinger and thumb.

"Hmm ..." Vanlo mused. "Interesting choice of ingredients. Unorthodox, definitely. As is the technique."

Lanno looked askance at Vanlo. "And you can tell just from that?"

"Hmm? Can you not do the same?"

Lanno furrowed his brow, then smirked.

"Ah. I see. You do not believe me. Well, then ..." Vanlo placed the cork back on the vial and held it up. "Aloe. Essence of elderberry, but a smidgen only. Frunalla root, and a rather generous amount at that. I do hope you left me some. Anyway ... a few drops of lemon juice. Saroola leaf, concentrated. Some binding magic, level 3, applied by gently stirring an enchanted blue pearl, first three times clockwise, then four times counter-clockwise." He paused. "There are admittedly a few trace ingredients I cannot readily identify, but those are the most important."

Vanlo carefully kept to himself his enjoyment of the look of shock on the younger Healer's face.

"That was rather amazing," Lanno said in a carefully controlled voice. The truth was that he was indeed very impressed. "You're right about the main ingredients and the Magic. But unorthodox?"

"Yes. Unorthodox." Vanlo handed the vial back to Lanno. "I did not necessarily say that it would not work."

"But I cannot use it, since you don't want me testing it on the slaves."

Vanlo drew in a deep breath and let it go as a slow sigh. "Yes, well ... perhaps if I supervised ..."

Lanno smirked. "Of course, Master Vanlo."

Vanlo was disappointed. If it had not been for that smirk, he would have actually shown a little more tolerance towards the young man. As it was, it irritated him instead. Nevertheless, he bit back a retort. Vanlo decided to let the young Healer have his little victory over the more experienced Healer. Truth be told, he was growing weary of sparring with Lanno.

"Amanda will be having an appointment with me in less than a quarter moon," said Vanlo. "Standard procedure for Trainees in this part of their training."

Lanno grinned. "And what part is that?"

Vanlo had to contain himself again. From the gossip among the slaves, he knew Lanno was bedding Amanda quite often. There were rumors about his rather arduous treatment of her. Vanlo secretly intended to check Amanda for damage in her next examination. "Muscle control. All too often a young Trainee strains herself in her zeal to impress her Trainer or the Overlord. Those types of strains are tricky to heal, so it is best to see the warning signs early."

"Ah, yes, I will be very interested in seeing this."

"Hmm. No doubt you will."

"I am glad we came to something of a middle ground, Master Vanlo," said Lanno, his tone growing more serious. "I really don't want to antagonize you."

Vanlo was trying hard to give the young man's statement the benefit of the doubt. Surely he did not think Lanno vindictive. He was simply young and brash, and filled with a desire to prove himself. Vanlo failed to realize that he was providing the reason himself for the last one.

Vanlo simply nodded, feeling that if he tried to voice anything, it would come out wrong.

Lanno smiled and slipped the vial into his pocket. "Now, I believe turnabout is fair play."

"Come again, Master Lanno?"

"I've told you what I've been working on." Lanno jerked his head towards the experiment in the corner. "You tell me yours."

Vanlo drew himself up. "Hmm. I believe you stated it was over your head."

"Yes. Which is why I am asking. Though I do know it has something to do with behavior modification."

Vanlo paused. "Indeed? My, my. Now why would I be doing something like that?"

"Same question that crossed my mind as well, to be honest."

Vanlo allowed himself a smile. "I am afraid I must 'pull rank' on you."

Lanno's smile faded and one eyebrow arched.

"You are a young man, I am a stogy old curmudgeon and intend to act as one. I will keep the purpose a secret for the time being."

Lanno actually gave a short bark of laughter at this. "All right, all right, I get the message. But you will have to tell me eventually. I'm very curious as to what sort of research you would be conducting here at the Manor in an area very much unassociated with the Manor."

"You make sweeping assumptions, Master Lanno. Very sweeping. I thought they warned against that in the Guild Hall teachings, hmm?"

Lanno eyed Vanlo suspiciously for a moment, but there was a tiny smile on Vanlo's lips. Lanno gave the man the benefit of the doubt and returned the smile, though it was a little tight. "Very well. I will look forward to Amanda's next examination." He smirked. "Though I daresay I will see her much sooner than that."

Lanno dropped Vanlo a wink before heading back into the examination room.

Vanlo almost bristled at that comment, then sighed to himself. He wished he did not feel so protective of Amanda. He was not even sure why he felt this way. Perhaps because the girl almost died on him? Yet he had had other slaves with extreme cases of trauma. They were rare, but accidents did happen.

He turned from the door and headed back to his experiment. Perhaps working on that would get his mind off his worries.

The Emperor remained apparently unmoved by the words he had just heard. He continued staring straight at the shimmering Farview image before him in his private audience chamber, arms still folded across his chest. Finally, after watching the Overlord grow increasing flustered and nervous, Z'haas said, "Is that all you have for me, Gronnus?"

Gronnus stared at the Emperor in shock. "Is that all? But ... I gave you a name!"

"Yes, a name. A single name. No list of his cohorts? His co-conspirators? The other traitors that have rallied to his clandestine banner?"

Gronnus looked stricken. "That's ... that's all I could get for you, Z'haas. The other Overlords are very tight-lipped about everything! Roquan is barely giving any information to any of them either! He ..."

"Yes, yes, fine. I will take this under advisement."

The Emperor passed his hand quickly over the pearl. The Farview image of the Overlord vanished, the glow within the pearl dying as well.

Z'haas appeared to pause a moment, staring into the space formerly occupied by Gronnus' visage. He finally stepped forward and snatched the pearl from its receptacle before turning around. "Well?"

Q'yros stood under a skylight where the morning sun bathed him in an ethereal brilliance, appearing almost as an aura about his body. He contemplated for a moment, hands swaying back and forth atop the end of his staff. He took the staff in one hand as he replied. "If the Overlords are as reticent to give out information as he seems to imply, it was rather amazing that he came up with any name at all in just a short span of days."

"I already know that," the Emperor snapped, brow furrowed as his hand closed tightly around the pearl. "But Gondas Ze'yassa is indeed one of the few remaining at the Imperium suspected of harboring traitorous sentiment."

"And your comment to him about wanting more information?"

"I simply wished to observe his reaction."

Q'yros looked thoughtful. "And what do you think, my Emperor? What does Z'haas think of the man and his words?"

Z'haas took a breath and let it go through his nose, his jaw clenching briefly. "You are quite sure of your observations the night before?"

"That a Portal was opened into or near his Manor? Yes. There is no doubt of that whatsoever. The Mage Guild would not collectively make an error of that magnitude. A Portal was opened to that location, and it had the same energy pattern as the others."

"And now he conveniently has a name for us."

Q'yros nodded. "You suspect his veracity?"

"What am I to think, Q'yros?" Z'haas demanded in frustration. "He gives us a name. It happens to be one I suspect of anti-Imperial leanings. Yet he summoned a Portal from our enemy into his midst. Had I not already know of Gondas, I would have dismissed his information as a ploy, an attempt at misdirection."

Q'yros considered this as the Emperor returned the pearl to its rightful place in a bed of velvet atop a large, ornate desk. "It could still be as such," the Mage ventured cautiously. "If the enemy is not aware that we can detect their Portals."

"How can they not be, Q'yros? If they are advanced enough to create a Portal that you told me can be energized faster than a normal one, surely they know we can detect them. Perhaps they do not need to care whether we can detect them or not."

Q'yros was silent for a moment. He had detected a note of fear in the Emperor's voice. Z'haas was doing his best to mask it, but Q'yros could sense it. "Nevertheless, something must be done about his information."

Z'haas turned from the desk. "I can simply purge the lot of them," he said darkly, his eyes intense like those of a predator. "Gondas and the others like him. I can rid the Imperium of that rabble and be done with it."

"But you will not know whether Gronnus speaks the truth or not."

"Perhaps that is no longer my concern!"

Q'yros forced himself to remain patient. "Very well, my Emperor," he said, a slight edge to his voice as his hand gripped the staff a little more tightly. "But I will remind you that he is your only link to the Overlords, no matter what your personal feelings are."

"A link that may be tainted by the enemy!"

"Yes, I am aware of that possibility. Perhaps we should put it to a test before condemning him outright and losing a valuable resource. You need all the support you can get, my Emperor."

Anger flared in Z'haas' eyes. "I will tell you the same thing that I have been telling the Nobility. I am not looking for support. I know what needs to be done and I intend to do it."

"But you cannot do it if you are no longer on the throne!" Q'yros exclaimed, a hint of exasperation to his voice.

Despite the offense that Z'haas might have chosen to take from the Mage's tone, his eyes simply blazed at Q'yros for a few moments before he turned away. "I cannot afford any more delays in preparing to move against Colos."

Q'yros forced his voice lower when he spoke again. "To simply watch this man Gondas and see what he is up to should not be too taxing to the Imperial Guard. If he is going to make a move, it will be soon. Then you will know whether Gronnus gave us true information or not."

Z'haas gave the Mage a level gaze. "And if he does not?"

"Then you can write off Gronnus if you wish."

"I will do more than that. I will have him executed."

Q'yros thought that move was insane. It would be much better to string Gronnus along and see what other blunders he made. They could learn a lot about their adversary that way. But he was unlikely to gain that concession from Z'haas. It was hard enough just to get what he already had.

"That is your prerogative as always, my Emperor," Q'yros said with a respectful bow of his head.

Z'haas' mouth tightened to a thin line. "If I had my prerogative all this time, Q'yros, the matter would have been resolved by now. My army would be marching on Colos now and reducing the threat to the west. Instead, we play these tiring little political games. How I wish I could rule this nation as intended, as one man, one law. As an Emperor."

Z'haas turned on his heel and left the audience chamber in a huff.

Q'yros closed his eyes and took a deep breath to force himself to remain calm. The Emperor was becoming more infuriating every day. He was blindsided by this threat to Oceanus and refused to see anything else.

The Mage agreed that there was a threat and that it had to be dealt with, especially if it were the same one behind the Portals. He was even coming around to the idea that taking some form of action against Colos was also correct. If someone were creating Portals into Oceanus, they had to be colluding with people in Oceanus in order to provide blue pearls with focusing spells on them. Colos was the most likely route for such infiltrators.

He simply did not believe that time was so critical that the Emperor could not pause to secure the support he needed.

Q'yros sighed and shook his head. At least this proved to him what he had thought the morning he had heard of his new appointment. He was sure he was going to hate it with every fiber of his being, and he had been quite correct.

A single lamp burned, its light barely dispelling the gloom that the dark hue of the walls and furniture seemed to impose upon the room. Many scratches stood out in sharp relief atop the ancient and weathered desk, so much so that the clerk had to use a smooth wooden board under his parchments to prevent missteps in the stroke of his quill.

The pen scratched incessantly across paper, the latest of the Emperor's many decrees being dutifully copied into absolute law. While Z'haas believed that his words became law as soon as they were out of his mouth, in reality it required that they be written down before they could take effect. Thus was his burden to reproduce the Emperor's words in as timely a fashion as possible.

On the surface, it sounded like important work. But the current Emperor had rendered his work moot. Where Z'haas would surely kill a man for refusing an Imperial decree regardless of whether the parchment containing it had been completed or not, what difference did it really make?

But it did give the Emperor an excuse to hound the clerk if he chose to.

Gondas Ze'yassa finally slumped his shoulders and sighed. He put down his quill and shook his aching hand as he leaned back in his seat, the chair creaking loudly. He hated this job. It was where he had started, but back then there had been so few decrees coming from the Imperial seat of power that he had plenty of time to socialize, make connections, and thus help him climb the ladder.

Until Z'haas and his dreadful purges happened.

Gondas stared down at the document he had been transcribing. Yet another attempt by the Emperor to dictate the minutiae of life in the Imperial City. Ultimately, it mattered not if the parchment were ever finished. Z'haas would expect every word to be obeyed regardless. Yet Gondas feared that were the Emperor to demand to see the document and it was not available, he would join the others in death or imprisonment.

He rose from his chair. His thin frame shuddered, and he wiped at his lightly mustached face with his hand. His eyes were bleary under a crop of unkempt dark brown hair. He had not been sleeping well lately, not since getting the message from the Overlord through the merchant.

Gondas turned stiffly and headed out of his office in the Imperial Hall of Records. He passed by other offices similar to his own, many populated by other clerks busily scratching away writing other documents of import to the Imperium.

The futility of it all was so staggering that it was incomprehensible.

We're all expendable, he thought ruefully as he left the corridor and entered the main rotunda housing the Imperial Library. Every last one of us. The Emperor is already a dictator in everything but name only.

Gondas was passing through the center of the rotunda, occasionally dodging around apprentices ferrying books and documents to officials and researchers holding impromptu meetings at one of the many round tables dotting the room. He glanced over at a predetermined spot, just near the aisle to the agricultural records archive. A rather somber-faced man stood with a book open in one hand, his eyes peering down almost imperiously through slim spectacles, his other hand in a thoughtful gesture along the side of his head near his temple.

After a long moment's pause, the man turned his head and made eye contact with Gondas, then turned back to his book as if ignoring the clerk.

Gondas averted his eyes a bit, keeping the man in his vision but not looking at him directly. The man turned a single page in the book, paused, then snapped it shut and proceeded to put it back on the shelf.

Gondas took a deep breath and let it go. His heart pounded as he headed out of the rotunda and into the bright sunlight of early afternoon.

He squinted and shielded his eyes with his hand. His skin looked pale. He worked such long hours in this thankless job that he rarely got outside when it was still light. He arrived early in the morning just before dawn and left just as the sun set. He was taking a chance being away from his desk for just this short span of time.

Gondas strolled along the walkway that circled the rotunda until he found a stairway leading into the lush gardens below. His lifted his eyes nervously towards the spires of the Imperial Palace on the other side of the gardens.

I'm expected to help wrest control of that from the Emperor, he thought, trying hard not to shudder as he passed under the watchful gaze of two guards flanking the bottom of the stairway.

Gondas tried to take a leisurely path through the trees and bushes that at least gave some semblance to the idea that he was out for no more than stroll. Yet his nervousness made him impatient, and he quickened his steps until he found the small bench far from any of the guards.

He looked around as he sat. There was a couple sitting on another bench nearby, a young lady and a middle-aged man. The lady looked rather refined, attired in an elegant dress. She carried a fan in one hand, which she waved at herself despite the fact that the air felt cool that day. She smiled at the man, occasionally giving a tittering sort of laugh at something the man said to her. After Gondas looked away, her eyes flicked over to him, held the gaze for a few moments, then shifted back to her would-be lover.

Gondas clasped his hands together, trying not to fidget. He felt a chill as a shadow passed over him. He tensed, expecting to hear the sound of a sword sliding from a scabbard.

"Really, Gondas ... I am quite displeased with you," said the voice of the shadow in a rather loud tone.

Gondas sighed without looking up, trying to sound despondent even though what he really felt was relief. "Were not my reports to your satisfaction, Master Huris?" he asked, elevating the volume of his own voice in kind.

"They were passable. But passable is not good enough."

"I am terribly sorry."

"Apologies are unacceptable. Better performance is. Now ... since you insist on loitering about the gardens instead of doing your work, you will attempt a better summary to me here and now. Do not think you can escape your work!"

"Yes, Master Huris."

The man that Gondas had seen in the rotunda, one Huris Ze'touson, Master-level clerk, took his seat next to Gondas and glowered at the underling over his tiny spectacles. "You know I hate doing that, Gondas," he said in a much softer voice. "You have far more years experience than I do. I should be addressing you as Master."

Over on the next bench, the young lady laughed and snapped her fan closed. She gave the man a knowing smile and a dismissive wave. Huris glanced past Gondas warily for a moment, but then returned his attention to Gondas without saying a word.

As Gondas began to speak, the young lady leaned forward and slid the arm holding the fan over the man's shoulders, smiling softly at him.

"It cannot be helped, Huris, but I appreciate the sentiment. Now, please ... don't dawdle and tell me ..."

"Should we move perhaps? There are others nearby."

Gondas shook his head. "No. Too suspicious. We'd look like we have something to hide."

Huris paused a moment, but then nodded. "Very well. I do bring you news, Gondas. We have a candidate."

Gondas' eyes widened. "A-are you sure? Yesterday you told me ..."

"Yes, I know. That was before Bennis returned from abroad."

Gondas' mouth fell open. "Bennis? Bennis J'riis? But I thought ..."

Huris smirked. "That he has no desire for the throne of Oceanus? True. But he loathes Z'haas. He's willing to use his influence to initiate the coup ..." His voice fell to a barely audible whisper at the word. "... and then turn over the reins to someone more willing to fill the role."

"So he's only interim ..."

"You sound disappointed. Don't be. It is a wise ruler that does not want the power, Gondas. He will be an excellent interim leader. He'll stabilize the Imperium, smooth the ruffled feathers of the Overlords, and put an end to this Colos nonsense. The Nobles will fall in line and support whoever he puts forward as the next Emperor."

Gondas swallowed. "But ... we have to get him in there first."

Huris nodded somberly. He placed a hand on Gondas' shoulder. "We can do this, Gondas. The Emperor does not know everything. We've advanced further on this than we ever thought we would."

"I admit, I underestimated the amount of anti-Z'haas sentiment." A small shiver went through him. Even now, after over a quarter-moon of talking about the overthrow of the Emperor, it was hard to mention it so blatantly without feeling anxious. "B-but ... I don't know if it's enough ..."

Gondas felt another shiver up his spine. He glanced about as if he expected to see someone standing nearby listening to them. His eyes briefly alighted on the couple on the other bench. He could not hear them talking, though it was obvious the young lady was speaking. The fan lay draped against one of the man's shoulders, pointed in his general direction. He hardly noticed it.

"We need to meet with the others, Gondas," said Huris. "Tonight."

Gondas whipped his head around, staring at Huris in shock. "What?? That soon? But ..."

"We cannot keep passing cryptic messages to each other, or have these one-on-one meetings. We need everyone together to coordinate the coup. We're ready, Gondas. That's our advantage over the Emperor. He's still looking to root out conspiracies and doesn't know one is already at fruition. And he has not noticed you."

Gondas' heart pounded so hard that his chest ached. "Great gods, Huris ... we have so few people ... so few connections in ..."

Huris kept nodding. "Yes, yes, I know. Which is why it is even more crucial for all of us to meet. The timing will be critical, Gondas. We can't afford even the smallest misstep."

"And if we're discovered?"

Huris gave him a humorless smile. "That was always the worry up until now. All we need is one more night of secrecy. One more night to remain unnoticed. If everyone agrees, and we can get Bennis there, then we can execute the plan while it is still fresh in everyone's mind. By morning, Oceanus will have a new Emperor, and this nightmare will end."

Gondas swallowed hard. His throat clicked, and he winced at how raw it felt. He could scarcely believe it had come down to this so soon. He had thought Overlord Doran insane to call on him to perform this task, regardless of the debt that his clan owed. It was only the fact that he had already entertained the notion himself and had some like-minded friends that he could agree to it.

But Huris had helped. He had more connections than Gondas did. All of Gondas' connections were dead. He shuddered at the thought. Sometimes he thought it would have been better to have been killed -- no, to have been murdered, he had to remember that -- along with them, rather than suffer the Emperor's shadow over every step he took.

"I wonder what the history scrolls will say about us ..." Gondas said in a haunted voice.

Huris smirked. "Most likely nothing at all. No one remembers those behind the scenes that initiate change like this. Once Bennis J'riis becomes Bennis Z'riis, we'll cease to be more than cogs in the new machine of state. Oh, you'll get your rank and position back, but beyond that? You'll be surprised how fast they can forget about those that brought them into power."

Gondas listened intently to this and nodded. "Good."

Huris slapped Gondas on the shoulder. "You know something, Gondas? I feel the same way, too. By this time tomorrow, I want to be having lunch at that little inn by the river like I always used to in better days, safe in the knowledge that I no longer have any hand in events to come."

He stood up and swiftly rounded on Huris, puffing his face out and bringing an angry glare to his eyes. He raised his voice to a near shout and wagged an admonishing finger at his underling.

"And do not force me to do this again! You will toe the line like every other clerk! You will do your reports as I wish them done! Do I make myself perfectly clear?!"

Gondas shot out of his seat. "Yes, Master Huris! I will not slacken again!"

"See that you don't! I have enough problems as it is!"

Huris huffed and stalked away, throwing his hands up dramatically and muttering darkly to himself.

He plays the part almost too well, Gondas thought. I felt like cringing when he did that.

Gondas glanced back at the couple in the other bench. The young lady had her head draped against the man's shoulder, her eyes closed and a contented smile on her face. One arm still remained draped over his shoulders. The fan remained in her hand.

Gondas' gaze lingered over them for a moment before he left.

The couple remained still until Gondas was out of sight. The young lady then lifted her head from her lover's shoulder and cast her dark eyes towards the rotunda. She withdrew her arm from around the man's shoulders. She turned and nodded to him once, her expression more serious. She stood and started away.

As she turned, the fan changed from one of her hands to the other. As it did, sunlight briefly glinted off something shiny and bright blue concealed in her hand.

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