Dawn broke in subdued, misty splendor behind the mountains that rose to the east. As the morning fog lifted under the beams of cool morning sun, the valley stirred.

The road was alive. A twisting column of armor, weapons, and flesh marched as one, each booted foot coming down at the same time, each lifting to take the next step with mathematical precision. The constant, staccato tread of this serpentine entity echoed well in advance of its march.

Birds took flight and animals scattered in its path. The larger predators, which would relish picking off someone from the rearward ranks, slinked away into shelter until this terrifying thing had passed.

The Emperor's legions emerged from the valley. The road ran straight and true across wide, grassy fields and low hills. As the fog burned away, a tiny community of low-lying buildings appeared, shimmering in the distance.

Jollis watched impassively as the Portal shuddered, then collapsed upon itself. More true to Inonnus technology, the closure was a sedate affair, the energies bleeding off in a far more efficient manner. It became a bright point of light that hung in midair for a moment, then vanished with a muffled "thump," blowing out a weak gust of wind that ruffled Jollis' clothes and hair.

There had been no time to align the large-capacity Portals to produce the effects common to Oceanus Portals. The illusion was maintained solely by the first Cohort, who stood nearby holding a fake focus pearl. He lowered it and dropped it into a pocket of his robe after the Portal had closed.

"Was that the last of them?"

Jollis turned and faced Gronnus. "Yes, Overlord, that was the last. All the slaves have been accounted for and are safe."

Gronnus nodded and looked around. It was eerily quiet. The Manor had the appearance of a ghost town. It sent a small shiver up his spine. "This is so unfair. Unfair! I did my best for the Emperor!"

"I would suggest that you delay your recriminations," said Jollis. "There is little time. The Emperor's legions are less than a candlemark away."

Fear shimmered in Gronnus' eyes. He swallowed and nodded. "I started powering my Portal yesterday. Did you link the focus to it?"

"Yes. You need only activate it and step through. The focus pearl will be de-spelled once you are through so that the Emperor cannot learn of your whereabouts."

"And why can I not simply follow you when ..."

"I am going elsewhere in Inonnus. You cannot follow me there. Someone will meet you to take care of your needs."

Gronnus frowned. "Then at least remain long enough to insure that my Portal is functioning properly!"

The Cohort folded his hands before him demurely, but his eyes darted between the two men.

Jollis smiled. "Certainly, Overlord. I would not want you left behind. Please, lead the way."

Gronnus glowered at Jollis one last time before he headed down the path. Jollis and his Cohort -- the latter reluctantly -- fell into step behind him.

As with most Overlord Manors, the Portal device at the D'yoran Manor was housed in a small building set apart from the rest of the grounds, like a small shrine dedicated to the Overlord way of life. Yet it was clear that his had been neglected. Several of the high-standing torches were out. Weeds dotted the clearing. A climbing vine had taken over one section of the outer wall. When Gronnus pulled open the door, its hinges squealed with rust.

But inside, the Portal heart still throbbed with power. Golden energy surged and pulsed. A reverberating thrum sent vibrations through the Overlord's feet. Gronnus let out a relieved sigh. He had feared he would be greeted by a dead Portal.

Jollis stepped forward and examined the device with an apparent critical eye. "It appears to be functioning very well, Overlord. You should have no trouble whatsoever."

Gronnus nodded. He managed a weak smile. "Jollis, thank you. I am sorry for any sharp words I have used with you."

Jollis turned to his Cohort. "Call for our Portal to Inonnus." The first Cohort bowed his head quickly and headed outside. Jollis gestured towards the Portal. "Salvation awaits, Overlord. Perhaps I will see you again soon."

Gronnus laughed. "Perhaps you can help me found a new Manor! It could be quite lucrative for you."

"I will remember that. Good day to you, Overlord Gronnus, and good luck."

Jollis walked away at a sedate pace and emerged into the sunlight. Before him, the Portal to Inonnus swirled and throbbed. The Cohort turned to him. "Shall we ...?"

Jollis raised a hand. "One moment."

He looked back. Gronnus had just gestured at the Portal device. There was a crack of bright white energy as the Overlord's Portal opened. Jollis watched with a dispassionate gaze as the Overlord stepped through and was gone. He turned back to the Cohort as the Portal collapsed with a ground-shaking boom. "Now we may go, before we are discovered."

"I am most distressed that we have done this to him, Wanderer."

"Yes. It is distasteful, but he is a liability. We do not judge him. We have simply provided for others to render judgment. He has made his own bed, not us. Now, come."

Jollis and his Cohort stepped into the shimmering sphere. They became shadows racing off into the distance. The Portal closed, a blast of air scattering the dust and the sand. It was silent once more.

Gronnus was a bit surprised to find himself in wilderness of golden autumn quiet when he stepped onto solid ground. Trees soared on all sides and fallen leaves crunched under his feet. His eyes spotted something glowing on the ground. It was a blue pearl, lying among the dead leaves.

He stepped forward towards it. Behind him, the Portal closed with a boom, startling him and sending a flock of birds into raucous flight from the canopies. The glow of the pearl died. He was about to touch it when it cracked and charred before his eyes. He snatched his hand away and stood.

He looked around. "Um, hello! Good day to you! I am Overlord Gronnus D'yoran! Surely I was expected?"

His voice echoed into the forest and went unanswered.

Gronnus swallowed, his heart pounding. Was there some mistake? Had the Portal not been opened to the correct place? His eyes scanned the ground. He spotted what appeared to be a narrow path through the trees.

The Overlord followed it, stepping over deadfall and clumps of wildflower in increasing annoyance. Finally, the trees began to thin, and a structure loomed ahead. It was round and domed. He could see the slim pole of a high-standing torch just beyond it. It looked like a Portal building.

Gronnus let out a windy sigh of relief and rushed forward. "Thank the gods ... Whoever is running this place, you should know not to drop your focus pearl wherever you wish it. As an Overlord, I should be shown some respect! Perhaps you do not understand that I ..."

He trailed off as he emerged into the clearing. He had expected to see people. Instead, it was just as empty as the forest had been. And it was in a shocking state of disrepair. Some of the torches were no longer burning. Weeds dotted the ground. A climbing vine had claimed ...

Gronnus' eyes widened. The door of the building stood open, the Portal device inside winding down from an obvious recent use. He staggered and shook his head, his lower lip trembling. Finally he turned and burst into a run.

He rushed down the path, wheezing from the effort and his growing fear. He emerged at the convergence at another path and stumbled to a stop as he stared in horror at his own empty Manor. His Portal had delivered him no more than a league from his starting point.

"J-Jollis?" the panicked Overlord called out. "Jollis! Jollis, it didn't work! It didn't ...!"

He stopped. The focus pearl had been right there, in the forest. The Portal had worked. It was simply the destination that had been willfully changed.

"JOLLIS, YOU BASTARD!" Gronnus screamed, raising his shaking fists to the heavens.

There was a sound. It was faint at first, but steadily rising in volume. A staccato cascade of thuds against packed earth. As it approached, the rattle of metal could be heard with each thump.

And then, in the distance appeared the first plumes of dust from the encroaching legions.

Gronnus ran off whimpering like a frightened animal, looking for a place to hide. Sanctuary denied him, he had to find his own.

Jollis was momentarily struck speechless.

It had been so long since he stood upon the verdant fields of his homeland. Everything was both alien and familiar to him. How he had longed to see this again. It was a blessing that his new plans had forced his return.

Ahead of him, the temple rose from atop a small hill. A stone path meandered to it through beautifully manicured gardens of flowers surrounding neat stands of cherry trees that were only now entering full fall splendor, a burst of color against the fading green of the wispy stalks of grass.

Behind the temple, the sky was ablaze with the glory of ruddy-orange sunset. The last fading rays of dusk cast the distant rising majesty of the holy mountain in a glow of reddish-purple against its white, snow-capped peak.

From the temple, a low, mellow bell sounded, the call to evening prayer. People in robes and billowing cloaks walked past the ornate but subdued columns that flanked the entry into the temple. Torches lighted themselves at the tops of the columns and at regular intervals along the path as the day faded.

The Cohort lifted his hands to his hood and pulled it back. Now that he was back in his homeland, he no longer had to hide his face. He looked with reverence and eagerness towards the temple before turning to his Master. "Wanderer, I would like to attend evening devotions. I need to cleanse myself of some of the acts I did in the name of our plan."

"Of course," Jollis said. "And as the one who asked of you these things, I share in the shame and absolve you. May the gods reflect on this and be kind towards you."

The Cohort bowed. "You honor me, Master. Thank you." He turned away and headed up the path.

"And I, Jollis, absolve you in turn."

Jollis turned around and smiled. "Master Kyllos."

Kyllos stepped forward. "It is good to see you home again, Jollis."

Jollis bowed. "Thank you, Master Kyllos, you honor me. I wish it were under different circumstances."

"It cannot be helped. Things go as fate decrees, and we simply need to know how to work with it." He glanced towards the temple. "Will you avail yourself of devotions this evening?"

"Not yet. I ... it is a shock to be home. I need time to acclimate."

"Then attend with me in the morning, if you would."

"I will ... consider it."

Kyllos smiled. If he had noticed the slight hesitation in Jollis' voice, it was not obvious. "As for tonight, do you wish to avail yourself of a Companion?"

"I will not have time, unfortunately. I need to return to Oceanus briefly when it again becomes night there. I have unfinished business concerning Overlord Freya."

"Ah, so you have not taken care of that yet."

Jollis bowed his head. "Forgive me, Master, but I could not carry out my original task. I have ... I have done so many distasteful things, that I could not ..."

Kyllos stepped forward and placed a hand on Jollis' shoulder. Jollis looked up. "No need to explain yourself. I trust you will resolve this."

"But is my resolution a sound one, Master?" said Jollis, his eyes holding the anguish that he fought to keep out of his voice. "Please, give me guidance. I do not wish to err again. Here is what I wish to do ..."

Kyllos listened. He nodded slowly. "It is very clever, Jollis. It is indeed risky, but the spiritual benefits outweigh the practically of other methods."

Jollis relaxed. "Thank you, Master Kyllos."

"And when you have finished, please avail yourself of a Companion," said Kyllos. "You have earned it. Seek one from the temple if you require spiritual fulfillment as well."

Jollis nodded and smiled faintly.

He was not sure he could ever make use of a Companion again. He would always compare them to Amanda, and Amanda would prove their better. He so wished she could be spared her role in the great task. He wished he could have taken her to Inonnus himself, now, where she would be safe, and free to pursue her talents as she wished.

Instead, she would have to come to Inonnus the hard way. And by that time, it was unlikely she would ever wish to tryst with him again on any level.

It takes a typical Overlord many years to build a Manor fully. It took the Emperor's legions a single morning to tear it down.

A soldier marched up to the Commander. He pounded his fist against his chest over the heart in salute. "Commander, still no sign of anyone."

The Commander sighed and glanced to the side, where other soldiers were kicking in the door of yet another slave quarters, searching chamber by chamber. "Not even any slaves?"

"Nothing, my Lord. The Portal device shows signs of recent use, but it could not possibly take away that many slaves."

The Commander nodded and frowned. The men had grumbled about it the moment they had set foot onto the Manor grounds. Now it was getting increasingly ugly. Men were taking out their frustrations by being as destructive as possible in their searches. The Overlord's office and quarters had been ransacked several times. "And no sign of the foreign agent?"

"No, my Lord. Though we ..."

There was a sudden shout and a ruckus from one of the slave quarters. A soldier barked an order. Someone pleaded for mercy. There was a dull thud and a crunch.

"Where are they?" a soldier shouted. "Where did you hide them?"

"No, please, they're not here! They're gone! I ..."

"You liar!"

Another thud and a cry of pain. The Commander ran for the slave quarters just as two soldiers dragged a stumbling, struggling, and bloodied Overlord past the door.

"Hold!" the Commander shouted. One of the soldiers rammed the butt of his crossbow into the Overlord's gut, making him fall to the ground. "I said HOLD, gods damn you!"

The soldier had drawn his weapon back, intending to ram it into the back of Gronnus' head. The Overlord coughed, and flecks of blood spattered the fallen leaves. "Sorry, Commander, but the Emperor did order that the Overlord be executed."

Gronnus whimpered and collapsed onto the ground, shaking.

"And when is 'execute' the equivalent of 'beat to a bloody pulp,' soldier?" the Commander snapped.

"Then shall I ...?" the soldier said, drawing an arrow and placing it into the strung crossbow.

"Not yet."

"But the Emperor ..."

"His orders were contingent on finding and capturing the agent Jollis. You will keep him alive until I have spoken with the Lord General. I must have clarification of my orders. You and the other men will cease assaulting him, is that clear?"

The soldiers answered in the affirmative, though reluctantly.

The Commander sighed and shook his head as he withdrew a Farviewing pearl. If the men would stop thinking with their cocks and start thinking with their heads, we would be better off, he thought.

"Where is he, Lord General? Where?" the Emperor bellowed.

"As I have stated several times, my Emperor," said an exasperated Rithas over Farview. "He is nowhere to be found on the Manor grounds."

"Then search beyond it!" shouted Z'haas, spittle flying from his mouth. He bolted to his feet. "Search the lands around it! Search the nearby villages! Raze them if you have to in order to drive him out! But find him and bring him here!"

"I will inform the Commander of your orders."

"This is why I wanted you there to command them. The men would not be acting like the lazy, uninspired louts that they are."

Rithas visibly bristled at this assessment, but the Emperor was too wild with fury to notice. "Begging my Emperor's pardon, but I have my own problems to deal with. This morning, my legions at the border were subjected to a sneak attack by catapult and crossbow."

The Emperor blinked uncomprehendingly, as if the import of such matters as the conduct of the war had suddenly escaped him.

"The attack fortunately caused little damage, but was patterned to kill as many of my men as possible. It is fortunate that we changed the schedule for meals in lieu of more war exercises."

The Emperor staggered back, horror-struck. "They're invading? From the north?"

Rithas paused. "Yes, my Emperor, it could well be a prelude to an invasion to take pressure off the ..."

"Attack at once!" Z'haas shouted. "Don't give a handspan of territory to them! Push them back!"

Rithas struggled not to smile. "Yes, my Emperor, it will be done."

"They will not compromise the Imperium. I will not allow it. They will be crushed."

"I will do so, my Emperor. But the Commander wishes one more question answered. He wishes to know what to do with the Overlord."

"Did I not make my orders clear? He is to be executed!"

"But if they fail to find Jollis, would you not want him for questioning?"

The Emperor paused. He nodded slowly. "Yes, Lord General, you are right. Have the Commander send the traitor to me if he cannot find the agent. But I want that agent, Lord General. I must have him. He is the key to everything!"

"I will relay that to the Commander. I will contact you again soon."

"Do that, Lord General, and it better be with good news next time!" Z'haas waved his arm and terminated the Farview. He fell heavily into his throne. His hands gripped the hand rests.

He would have Jollis. If he could not be found, the wretched Overlord will lead Z'haas him. If the Overlord valued his life.

Freya smiled in satisfaction as she watched her Portal begin its initial start sequence. The gem heart, spinning slowly inside its metal cage began to glow brighter. It sent out pulses of energy in rings around the golden column, rippling towards the reflectors in floor and ceiling and rushing back, feeding upon itself to build up the power needed to breach the dimensional gap.

Beside her, the Overlord's newest acquisition looked on in wide-eyed wonder. Freya turned to her and smiled. "Isn't it pretty, Eveena?"

She nodded. "Yes, Mistress, very. May I ask a question?"

"Certainly. What is it?"

"Is this the thing we're using tomorrow to go to the other Manor?"

"Indeed, it is. You'll be stepping through it with me."

"It doesn't hurt or anything like that?"

Freya smiled. "Not at all, but I'll make sure you won't be scared."

"How, Mistress?"

Freya's lips curled into a wicked grin. She reached between Eveena's legs. "You'll be far too distracted."

Eveena gasped, then let out a low moan as she shivered in pleasure. Her pussy became wet at once. She closed her eyes and rode her hips against her Overlord's hand.

Freya flicked her fingers against Eveena's womanhood until she was panting hard and trembling, then withdrew her hand. Eveena whimpered and looked imploringly at her Overlord, her pussy aching.

"Not yet. Come back to my quarters and show me how much Taya has taught you so far."

"May I lick your pussy, Mistress?" Eveena said eagerly, her voice still husky from her arousal. "Please? I really like to do that, and Taya says I'm good at it."

"Well, I'll have to put that to the test now, won't I?" She lifted the chain and gave it a snap. "Come along."

"Yes, Mistress!"

"You lied to the Emperor, my Lord."

Rithas looked up from his map and gave Foron a level look. "Did I, now?"

"You told him we were being invaded from the north."

"No. He said that. I simply chose not to dissuade him." The Lord General straightened. "It matters not. We have what we want."

"I still don't care for how we are going about this, Lord General."

Rithas smiled and stepped forward. He clasped the young man's shoulder. "I understand. But this is the war we really wanted, not this useless excursion to take an Overlord Manor with two whole legions."

Foron did not look convinced, but he nodded anyway. "Very well. Have you decided on a Commander for the forward legion? Since you will be staying with the rearward one at the border?"

"Yes, I have. You are to take command of it immediately."

Foron's eyes widened. "Begging my Lord's pardon, did you say me?"

"Yes I did. I am conveying on you a field promotion. You are now Legion Commander."

The adjunct stared. His lips tried to twitch into a smile but did not quite make it. "My Lord, are there not people that have been waiting longer for promotion? I don't even consider myself career military, just ..."

"Nevertheless, I base these things on qualifications. You did a very fine job of arranging that little 'attack' on the camp without a single life lost. It was so believable that even the few in the know were confused as to whether it was real."

"Really? I don't know what to say."

"Just remember that this time you're attacking the enemy to the north and not us," Rithas said with a grin.

The newly-minted Commander laughed weakly. "Very well, my Lord. I will leave at once. Thank you!"

Commander Foron saluted, fist against breastbone. The Lord General returned it, and kept smiling until Foron had left.

There were indeed others more qualified than Foron. He would not be a bad Commander, so Rithas thought, but he was not the best that the Lord General could muster. But he would be a liability if he were to continue questioning everything Rithas did. It was better for him to be away when Rithas put his own plan into motion.

The Lord General waited a short while, then called in another of his adjuncts. "Once the new Commander of the forward legion is gone, tell the men to pull up stakes and ready the legion for travel."

"Travel, my Lord? Are we not to remain in order to provide support to the rear?"

"We will provide that support, but I wish us in a more mobile posture. We will be traveling only a short distance across the border. It is better to show the enemy that we intend to meet them in force. War is about psychology as much as it is about men, armor, and weapons."

The adjunct bowed his head. "As you wish, my Lord."

Rithas nodded in return, and the adjunct left. The Lord General turned back to his map and pondered.

So, Lord Duric, how far do I have to go out of the Imperial lands before you will take the bait? he mused.

Uroddus hurried into the unused classroom on the heels of his compatriot. "Katla, what is it? Several very strong Portals were opened near the Overlord Manor that ..."

Katla whirled around and thrust a parchment angrily at Uroddus.

The Journeyman blinked and adjusted his spectacles as he took the parchment. His eyes scanned the page. "This is from my notes I took about ..." He stopped and narrowed his eyes. "No, wait ... this is not my handwriting ..."

Katla snatched it from him. "So you don't know anything about this?"

"My surprise in seeing that it was not my writing should be answer enough. What of this, Katla? Where did you get this?'

"This and copies of your other notes have been floating all around the Guild Hall, Uroddus. And you know nothing about it?"

Uroddus shook his head. "This is the first time I am hearing about it, but this does explain some of the odd things I have been overhearing. I had hoped that it was the Guildmaster that had decided to begin disseminating more information."

"No, and it is precisely because the Guildmaster has not released it that has the other Mages up in arms about it."

"They are?" Uroddus asked, surprised. "I have not overheard anything of that."

"Because they are being careful not to alert the Guildmaster. We calculated the probabilities, Uroddus. We think the Mage Elders will be calling an Oversight Court very soon."

Uroddus pondered for a moment as he sought to remember what he had read about that in the Guild Charter.

The Guildmaster tended to be given much leeway in running the Guild. He wielded near-absolute power in this regard, but there was a check on that power. If a supermajority of the Mage Elders -- that is, two-thirds of the Mages that have been Master level for at least thirty years -- chose to call the Guildmaster to task, they could hold an Oversight Court and force the Guildmaster to explain his actions.

The Guildmaster was bound to honor it. Ultimately the Guild Charter was the highest law, and not even Q'ixanna could violate it. But it had to be proven that he had violated it first, and that ultimately required a unanimous vote.

"But what charge will they bring against the Guildmaster?" Uroddus asked. "I am not sure exactly what rule or law he violated."

"Does it matter? The fact that enough Mages are upset enough about both Q'yros' forced retirement and this ..." Katla brandished the parchment. " ... does not bode well."

"Or does it? Do we not wish the Guildmaster's power lessened?"

"But this means we will be pulled into it."

"No, I will, as I am the only one of us that has been associating with Q'yros."

"Uroddus, get your head out of the clouds!" Katla hissed. "The Empiricists are distrusted by nearly all the Mage Elders. The Guildmaster will surely try to claim that we're part of some plot to wield undue influence at the Guild Hall by compromising Q'yros' Traditionalist principles."

"You truly believe he will do that?"

"I calculated the probability near eighty-six percent."

"That cannot be more than a rough estimate at best, Katla. Besides, there is little we can do about it. The Mage Elders will do what they will."

Katla looked forlorn. "I guess I'm trying to convince you to stay out of it as much as you can."

Uroddus took the parchment from her and looked it over again. "Much of this is mine. It is my thoughts and theories. If I am called to defend them, I will. I refuse to hide the truth."

Katla's eyes glistened. She shook her head. "You're so gods-damned stubborn, Uroddus."

He had not expected that soft, subdued tone, or the look to her eyes. He was not sure what to do. Fortunately, Katla decided for him as she drew him into a hug.

"Uroddus, please," Katla whispered. "Don't get hurt. That's all I ask."

Uroddus hesitated, then gently hugged her in return, feeling a bit flushed. His heart was thumping loudly against her body. "I'll try, Katla," he said softly.

Katla let out a shaky sigh before she broke off the embrace. She gave him a tiny hint of a smile, her cheeks faintly pink. "Anyway, how did the Farview with the Overlord go?"

"Not as good as I would have liked. I am not sure I accomplished the goal."

"He did not believe you?"

"No. But I suppose I cannot fault him for that. To an outsider -- even to our fellow Mages -- it sounds fantastic."

"Q'ixanna is trying to find out who sent the courier," Katla said. "So far, he does not seem to be turning to the Empiricists."

"Good. Perhaps that will pass, or he will be too distracted with the Oversight Court."

"This is insane. We never wanted to be involved in these political squabbles."

"Katla, I feel that things are about to move far beyond mere politics."

Jollis was given pause once more when he walked into the Portal chamber.

Everything he saw brought back memories. He remembered stepping into this chamber for the first time, when he first traveled to Oceanus to join the band of merchants on their way to the Overlord Manor. He had been so full of promise and enthusiasm for his mission.

He slowly smiled. Seeing it all again rekindled that passion. He was going to accomplish his goal after all. He had come full circle, and sometimes such a thing was considered auspicious.

He stepped forward. The Portal was already charged. The heart looked similar to an Oceanus Portal. A gemstone at the center sent pulses of energy through a golden shaft. They moved at a furious pace with a low thrumming noise.

Then there were additions that were quintessentially Inonni. At each reflector lay secondary gemstones, which allowed for much faster charge time. The crystal cage that held the gemstone was infused with certain metallic elements, providing greater focusing ability and eliminating coordinate drift.

All these were within the grasp of Oceanus knowledge, but the last change was not.

Surrounding the gemstone's cage was a set of highly polished gold plates, held in place by a ring of lesser metal. From the back of each plate came a clear fiber, a tendril of Mage Glass spun into a cable like rope. The fibers joined and traveled a short distance to the back of a slim, cylindrical booth comprised of the same crystal-and-metal mesh that housed the gemstone heart of the Portal device.

Inside the Portal was a scantily clad young woman.

Jollis recognized her at once. She was the slave that Roquan had contracted to the Far West so long ago before the Emperor had cut off that trade route. She wore what little clothing she could tolerate, which was no more than a sheer, flowing skirt and two simple triangles of similar material to support her breasts. The outlines of her sex and her nipples could be seen faintly through the fabric.

An attendant was speaking to her. The young slave smiled, nodded, and closed her eyes. Another attendant gestured at the Portal device. Some of the energy pulsing along the golden shaft now flowed over the glass fibers and back. The booth glowed softly.

The attendant turned and approached Jollis. He bowed his head. "The Portal is ready to be opened whenever you wish it, Wanderer."

Jollis nodded. He reached into his tunic and pulled out a blue pearl and a parchment, examined them, and put them back. He took a deep breath and let it go, his eyes misty. He so wanted to see Amanda again. It would be painful to be so close to her knowing that he could not.

"I am ready," Jollis announced.

The attendant nodded. He turned towards the device and gestured. In a flash of light and a low rumble, the Portal formed, far faster than an Oceanus one would.

"May the gods offer you their wisdom on your journey, Wanderer," said the attendant.

"You honor me with your words," said Jollis, completing the ritual. "My journey will be prosperous indeed."

They bowed their heads to each other. Jollis stepped through the Portal.

The D'ronstaq Manor lay in quiet nighttime calm. A cool breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. Small, nocturnal predators slinked through the gardens in search of prey, keeping them free of pests that would otherwise mar their beauty.

The calm was disturbed as Vanlo suddenly jerked awake and bolted upright in bed.

He raised a shaking hand to his forehead, his chamber spinning around his head for a moment. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths until the dizziness retreated.

He frowned. It was still dark. Normally his body was tuned to wake just at the approach of dawn, as it had for a great many years. He winced and rubbed his temples. A headache? Anxiety crept over him. Another sign of a final reckoning with his old age?

Vanlo lowered his hands. No, it was not old age. He was still getting used to having his Portal sense back. It became a bit sharper each time. Yet he already knew that the Overlord was powering his own Portal, so why did it wake him?

And why did it seem to come from two directions at once?

Vanlo's eyes widened. "Oh, good heavens!"

The Healer rose from bed and threw on a robe, his joints screaming at him as they were forced to move without a prerequisite warming up period that he so dutifully gave them in the mornings. He clenched his teeth at the discomfort and rushed out into the night.

Jollis opened the door far enough to slip into the Portal chamber, then let the door close behind him. He was quite fortunate. The Portal was already being charged. He could not have asked for a better arrangement.

He could have worked with a deactivated Portal. He would need only to apply minimal power to do his work. His changes in either case would not affect Roquan's use of it. However, he needed to slow the activation process of the Portal for a few moments. Fortunately, since it was being charged overnight, no one would notice.

His hand hovered over the gemstone's crystal cage. The pulses of light radiating through the shaft slowed as the Portal device stopped charging and maintained its current power state long enough for Jollis to perform his work.

Jollis produced the pearl and held it before the crystal cage. He waved his hand over it, and began the incantation that would transfer the magic from the pearl into the Portal matrix, allowing it to serve as a temporary focus for another Portal. With luck, he would be done very shortly, and no one would be the wiser.

Roquan burst from his quarters, Vanlo stumbling as he struggled to keep up beside him. "Are you sure of this, Vanlo?" the Overlord demanded.

"As sure as I can be, your Lordship," said the Healer in a strained voice. "I briefly sensed two Portals, yours and another. The other is gone, and now I sense only yours."

"But where was it, Vanlo?"

Vanlo sighed and closed his eyes. He raised a shaking hand to his face. "I am sorry, your Lordship, I need a moment, please."

Roquan nodded and forced himself to remain patient.

Vanlo sighed and shook his head. "I am not sure, your Lordship. I am terribly sorry, but my Portal sense is simply not back to where it was."

"Do you at least have an approximate idea?" said Roquan, exasperated. "Somewhere we can start looking?"

"I don't believe I can without having that Portal open again. I only know it was inside the Manor. I would need another detection to more precisely ..." Vanlo trailed off, an odd look coming over his face. "Your Lordship, is there a problem with your Portal?"

Roquan frowned. "No. Why?"

"Its energies have plateaued. It was charging steadily when I first awakened, but it appears to have stopped, and is simply holding steady."

Roquan's eyes blazed in fury. "My Portal is being sabotaged! This fantastic story about Portals and slaves was a distraction as I had suspected. Q'yros is at my Portal right now. I will kill him myself if I have to."

"Your Lordship! No! Wait!" Vanlo cried, rushing to catch up and wincing as his body protested. He was panting by the time he came around in front of the Overlord. "Do not face him alone, if this is truly who the perpetrator is. Please, for your own safety!"

The Overlord took a deep breath and forced it through his nose. "Very well. I will summon the guards. But I will kill him, Vanlo, if I suspect he is playing with the lives of two Overlords by damaging my Portal."

Jollis was nearly done. The pearl glowed as it transferred its energies to the Portal matrix. As it did, his sharp hearing caught the sound of running footsteps outside.

He sighed, having to wait another moment for the transfer to complete. There would be just enough time for the others to arrive and cause a complication. Nevertheless, he smiled. It would be good to see the Overlord again, despite the circumstances. It was better than leaving an impersonal parchment note as he had intended.

The glow faded. Jollis lowered the pearl and turned just as the doors opened. Two loaded crossbows were immediately leveled at him. Jollis smiled and faced a very surprised Overlord bringing up the rear. "Good day to you, Overlord. It is good to see you once more."

It was clear to Jollis that Roquan was not expecting to see the Wanderer. He was curious as to who exactly the Overlord did expect to see, but he suspected he would never know. He decided to take advantage of the moment. "I am sorry I cannot stay. I came only long enough to borrow your Portal as a focus."

"Borrow ...?" Roquan said, uncomprehending. Finally his thoughts caught up with him, and his face twisted into an even bigger mask of rage than before. "Jollis, you bastard. You have the unmitigated gall to sneak into my Manor on a mission of sabotage and ..."

Jollis shook his head. "No, Overlord. No sabotage. Observe."

Jollis turned his back towards them. The crossbows twitched, fingers tightening on the triggers. One of them glanced back at the Overlord. Roquan narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly.

The Wanderer looked up at the Portal, just as he heard another stumble into the room, panting and wheezing. "Ah, the good Healer Vanlo, is it not? I suspect you are the cause of my discovery. Well done!"

Vanlo blinked and looked on in both shock and anxiety. Jollis raised a hand. The guards tensed.

"Hold," said Roquan in a low voice. "For now."

Jollis gestured at the Portal device and incanted. The energies slowly rose and began to pulse once more.

"Vanlo?" Roquan said tightly.

"It is ... powering again ... your Lordship," gasped Vanlo as he gripped the door frame. "But ... I do not have enough ... finesse with my returned sense ... to tell if there is anything odd with the energies."

"Thank you. I will not be using this Portal again until I can verify it is working properly. Whatever you had planned, Jollis, it has failed."

Jollis turned, still smiling. "On the contrary, Overlord, I have very much succeeded, and you will be happy that I did in the morning."

"I do not have time for these games."

"Then I will get to the point. You have a fellow Overlord doing most unspeakable and distasteful things. You have engineered a most clever ruse to stop her, but it will only delay her. I have completed the task for you. She leaves her Manor in the morning. She believes she will travel to Wotan's Manor. I have adjusted her Portal to deliver her to another focus. Your Portal."

"And why in blazing hellfire do you believe I would wish that woman here?" Roquan demanded.

All the humor disappeared from Jollis' manner. "So you can keep her here and prevent her from perpetrating her crimes again. Is that not what you and your fellow Overlords would want?"

Vanlo had managed to catch his breath. He stepped forward and looked from Jollis to Roquan. "Your Lordship, if there is a chance we could stop ..."

Roquan shook his head. "I do not know what you are playing at, Jollis, but I suspect this is yet another distraction. I am tired of being played for a fool. You will not succeed in whatever you are planning."

"Your Lordship, please," Vanlo implored. "Perhaps he is telling us the truth. If there is a chance ..."

Roquan turned his head. "Vanlo, I have had enough of this! It appears that everyone is willing to be gullible and to believe every fantastic story that they hear! Why is no one willing to listen to reason? Am I the only reasonable person around here?"

"It is said, Overlord, that the wise man pursues reason," intoned Jollis. "But he becomes the fool when he believes his reasoning is the only one."

"I have had enough of this. You claim you wish to mitigate the crimes of others yet you have your own to answer to. And you will answer to them. Justice will be served."

"Ah, but what exactly is justice, Overlord?" said Jollis with a smile. "Is it absolute? Or is it, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder? Only time will tell. There will be a final reckoning, Overlord, when these questions will be answered. But not now. It is not yet time."

He closed his eyes and folded his hands before him.

Roquan frowned. "Guards, take him to an unused slave quarters, then ..."

"Roquan!" Vanlo yelled. "Get back!"

Momentarily startled by the Healer's shout, the guards' crossbows wavered, and Roquan turned around. There was a bright bolt of light that seemed to come down through the ceiling of the chamber, and a peal of thunder that sent all four men staggering back. One of the guards recovered and leveled his weapon, even as the sphere of Inonni Portal energy expanded between Jollis and the others.

"No, wait!" Roquan shouted, and lunged for the arm that held the weapon.

Before the Overlord could grab the arm, the crossbow fired. The arrow flew straight towards Jollis, but the Portal was in the way. It plunged into the sphere and was gone.

A moment later, the sphere collapsed as the Portal closed, and Jollis was gone as well.

The attendant rushed up to Jollis. "Are you all right, Wanderer?"

"Yes, I am quite fine," said Jollis as the Portal closed behind him. "I am more concerned for those here. A guard may have fired ..."

"Yes," said the attendant, pointing.

Jollis turned. Embedded in the back wall of the Portal device was a crossbow bolt.

"He must have fired it into the Portal from the other side you entered," said the attendant.

Jollis nodded. "Yes, he did. Thus it came out the opposite side from which I emerged. I am grateful no one was hurt."

"Though it just barely missed striking the heart of the device. I would not wish to think what would have happened then."

"Do not worry about it. The wise man accepts that fate has spared him and continues on with life. Only the fool frets over it."

The attendant nodded. "Agreed. Though in the future we may take precautions, such as a shield behind the Portal entry. Was your task a failure then, my Wanderer?"

Jollis smiled. "No. In fact, it may have been more successful than I had intended."

Roquan poured a generous amount of wine into his goblet and collapsed into the chair. "This is turning into a nightmare, Vanlo," he muttered.

The Healer looked on warily. "Your Lordship, is it wise to discuss ... ah ..."

Roquan lowered his goblet and planted it on the desk with a thump, splashing wine over the side. He yanked open his drawer containing his Farviewing pearls. He snatched Freya's from its place in the velvet and hurtled it out the window. "I am tired of not being able to speak my mind in my own quarters!"

Vanlo looked out the window for a moment. "It is unlikely she is listening anymore, and if what Jollis said is true ..."

"I do not trust a word he says, Vanlo. He had not exactly earned a reputation for honesty."

The Healer acknowledged with a reluctant nod. "But would it not be prudent to have someone watching your Portal in the morning?"

Roquan sighed and leaned back in his chair. He picked up his wine and stared into it. "I have already given orders as such," he said in a low voice.

"Thank you, your Lordship."

Roquan looked up. "I want the truth, Vanlo. Do you believe him?"

Vanlo considered. "Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"Because if I am to believe three impossible things before morning meal, I need to hurry. This is my second. I still need a third."

Roquan frowned. "And your first?"

"That the young Mage you contacted was correct."

Roquan was about to retort but stopped himself. Instead, he looked at his Healer warily. Vanlo was never one to believe anything without some small degree of proof. "Why?" asked the Overlord cautiously.

"Simply this: Jollis arrived in the middle of the night. His Portal opened well inside the Manor. He was alone. No one in the Manor would or could abet him. Who provided the focus for his Portal?"

Roquan remained silent for a long moment, staring. Finally, he put down his goblet and let out a tired sigh. "This is insane. None of this was supposed to happen. I do not even recognize what the situation has become."

Vanlo stepped forward and placed a hand on Roquan's shoulder. "Do not take this burden on yourself, Roquan. You have enough to worry about. Please, let the Noble Lords deal with it."

Roquan stood. "If they can deal with it."

"There may be time yet. If Jollis were working towards this end all along, there were ample opportunities for him to exploit it, but no invasion came. And it is possible that the Mages' basic assumption is wrong, that simply having a Portal that can be targeted in this manner does not necessarily mean that it could be used in a military fashion within a guarded Noble Lord Palace, especially one that has been alerted to the danger."

Roquan frowned. "You have no way of knowing that, Vanlo."

"I submit that neither do you, your Lordship. Please leave it to the people that do."

The Overlord picked up his goblet. He peered into it for a long moment, then put it down without taking another sip. "I will inform Lord Duric at once, then, and leave it in his hands."

The Healer nodded in approval. "That is for the best, I think."

Roquan shook his head and gave Vanlo a heartfelt look. It was a rare moment. Even in the presence of his confidante, he rarely let down the emotional shield that was his normal persona. "I can be sure of nothing anymore, Vanlo. I do not even recognize the world I am in now."

Vanlo nodded. "It is said that a good merchant can sell anything. He could bundle sunlight and sell it at profit in the middle of summer, or collect rainwater and fetch a high price in the middle of a deluge. I suggest Jollis has done better. He can buy and sell chaos."

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