“Perhaps the Grand Arbiter has granted us a blessing in disguise by bringing the Astraeyu’s Talon to Orsela,” Morgsten continued. “Having such a wild, unpredictable creature close at hand could work in our favor. If we wish to make Astraeyu Nouvi look like the true villain, all we have to do is provoke the Outlander.”
“That should be an easy task,” the Overseer said. “From what I have observed, the Black Talon has quite the temper, which raises another concern. Will you be able to insult the Black Talon and walk away to tell about?”
“Fear not,” Morgsten said. He hoped to sound more confident than he really was. In truth, he was terrified at the prospect of confronting the Black Talon, alone, and unarmed. “The Grand Arbiter will never allow the Outlander to kill the dean of the Institute of Thaumaturgy. Unlike the Outlander, Arbiter Sterling realizes what is at stake. Offending the Board of Thaumaturgists would be like waking a sleeping giant, a consequence the Grand Arbiter would want to avoid for the sake of the people she has sworn to protect.”
“Yes,” the Overseer said. “If the Black Talon does try to kill such an important figure in Kalvat society, Arbiter Sterling will intervene. Such an altercation could also serve to drive a wedge between the Black Talon and the Arbiters, ending whatever alliance the two parties have with each other. I must admit, Morgsten, it is a brilliant idea, and one that will benefit the Coruscalli if you succeed.”
“I will not fail,” Morgsten said. “Why I would go so far as to say that my plan is foolproof. Instigating trouble with the Outlander savage takes little effort. We’ve witnessed how easily riled she is at the masquerade.”
“The Outlanders might be savages, but we mustn’t forget the dangers they pose to the Coruscalli,” the Overseer said. “An Astraeyu’s Talon would have in-depth knowledge of the Prophecy of Fire, knowledge that the Coruscalli would benefit from, if we could persuade the Black Talon to work with us.”
“Are you suggesting that we attempt to enlist the help of that savage?” Morgsten did not like where this was going. “That creature would never assist the Coruscalli. She would bite off her own tongue to keep from giving away any of Astraeyu’s Will’s secrets.”
“That remains to be seen,” the Overseer said. “Even a feral beast has its breaking point, but we currently don’t have time to hesitate. If the Black Talon is indeed working with the Arbiters, we must act quickly.”
“Fear not, my liege. By now, the Arbiters are likely too busy trying to track down the one who managed to infiltrate the Vermillion Temple and murder the assassin they captured. They will not cause us too much trouble, at least for a while.” Although Morgsten detested the Arbitrary Order of Lyth and all it stood for, it was times like these that he was glad he had people on the inside. Not all Arbiters were as dedicated to upholding justice and keeping the peace as others. Those individuals could easily be bought, and their betrayal was the perfect means for creating chaos in the Arbiters’ ranks. It could be days before the Arbiters were willing to admit that one of their own was working against them. By that time, Morgsten would be ready to move on to the next phase of his plan.
“I think it is time to employ the service of the Ignoble Ones,” Morgsten said.
“Those worthless upstart mages that were rejected by the Institute?” the Overseer asked. “Surely you don’t believe they would be of use to the Coruscalli?”
“They are fools, but it is time they served their purpose. With the Grand Arbiter visiting Orsela, now is the perfect time to act.” Morgsten was glad that he allowed the Ignoble Ones to stay in the capital. “I think it is time for the Ignoble Ones to march against the ones that offended them.”
“I’m beginning to understand.” The Overseer gave a low, menacing laugh. “The Ignoble Ones will stage one of its demonstrations, causing a state of panic around the Institute. When the Arbiters try to intervene, it will potentially become a massacre.”
“That is precisely what I hope will happen,” Morgsten said. “In fact, I believe it will, especially if the Outlander is present. She is a dangerous beast. If she suspects the Ignoble Ones are working with the Coruscalli, she will eliminate every last one of them. It will be the Grand Arbiter’s fault for bringing a savage to our fine city. Then the Arbiters will look like the villains for inciting violence at a supposedly peaceful demonstration. The Board of Thaumaturgists will not be able to overlook such an incident. The Arbiters could be busy for months trying to sort through all the details.”
“You are a devious man, Morgsten.” Despite the somewhat insulting remark, the Overseer sounded pleased. “Go through with your plan. Keep in mind that I expect better results this time.”
Morgsten knew he had to deliver on his promises. After the failed assassination attempt at the masquerade, the Overseer’s patience with him was growing thin. Morgsten had no doubt the Black Talon would attack the mages and play right into his plan, but facing the prospect of another failure, and the consequences of such a failure, was terrifying.
Chapter Twelve
TALON STILL DID not trust Niercel, even though Jan thought it best to work with the Kalvat Arbiters as they investigated the events of the masquerade. It was slow going, especially since the assassin they captured was found dead in his cell before the Arbiters had the chance to question him. Talon found it odd that someone would be able to infiltrate the Vermillion Temple and kill one of the Arbiters’ prisoners. It was without a doubt an inside job, another reason why Talon did not want to accept help from the Kalvat Arbiters. Someone in the Vermillion Temple was not what they seemed. She wondered how many of the Arbiters were susceptible to corruption by Morgsten and the Coruscalli.
On the bright side, at least Jan had the sense not to confide any details of the Coruscalli to Niercel, although Talon suspected Jan’s reasons for doing so differed from her own. Kalvatin was a political powder keg. From what Talon understood, the rest of Lythril trembled in fear before Kalvatin’s arcane wisdom and unfathomable might in the ancient arts. To the Mainlanders, Kalvatin was a sleeping giant. They tread softly around it lest they awaken the beast. Talon scoffed at the idea. From what she had seen, Kalvatin was in its infancy stage when compared to Astraeyu Nouvi. Perhaps that was why the Mainlanders feared Astraeyu Nouvins so much. If Astraeyu Nouvi was viewed as a magical threat even worse than Kalvatin, it was little wonder why the Mainlanders shunned Astraeyu Nouvins as they did.
Talon was growing impatient at the Vermillion Temple. She did not understand what there was to investigate about the night of the masquerade. Morgsen deployed agents at the party to instigate trouble, mainly to divert attention away from his true objective: the assassination of the Grand Arbiter. Jan had survived in no small part due to Talon’s keen eye. It was still difficult for Talon to accept that some viewed her as a hero, including Jan. The attention was oddly thrilling, but Talon was not so easily distracted. Morgsten was still free to plot his next move. It was foolish for Jan to remain in Kalvatin when it was obvious that Morgsten was aware of her intentions to expose him. Another attempt at Jan’s life would be made, Talon felt sure of it. No one knew when and where the next assassin might strike, especially if Morgsten had agents planted among the Arbiters. Jan was not safe, not even in the Vermillion Temple, but she refused to leave Kalvatin.
“I can’t turn back now,” she had said when Talon confronted her. “Not when we’re so close. Morgsten will slip up and reveal his true colors. I want to be in Orsela when that happens.”
Talon was left with no choice but to accept that they were staying in Kalvatin, at least for now. Meanwhile, the Coruscalli were laying low, lurking in the shadows doing Astraeyu knew what while the Arbiters kept coming to dead ends. Talon almost wished for something to happen. Not anything as tragic as the assault on Sonastra, but something to break the monotony, something to give them some clues as to what the Coruscalli were doing. It felt like the quiet before the storm.
Talon was on edge. It was difficult for her to concentrate on any
thing, even her sketching. There were plenty of interesting subjects to draw in the gardens outside of the Vermillion Temple, but it felt like her heart just wasn’t in it. Talon studied her latest sketch, one of a small, brightly colored bird native only to Kalvatin. Legend was that the bird was once not so colorful, but that it was magically altered by the sorcerers that favored them as pets. The sketch was not one of Talon’s best. It looked as though it was done hastily, lacking the attention to detail her usual work possessed.
Talon closed the book with a loud sigh and stretched her legs out as she leaned back in the chair. Ornate paintings adorned the ceiling of her room, just like every other area she had seen in the Vermillion Temple. Talon wondered if the paintings were enhanced by magic, as well, just as so many things seemed to be in Kalvatin.
One thing she noted about the Kalvats was how they relied on the use of the arcane for almost everything. In Astraeyu Nouvi the ability to use the arcane arts was a gift and was not to be misused or abused. Arcane training certainly wasn’t intended for such mundane tasks as the Kalvats employed it for. The images above her depicted a glowing figure riding into battle on a white steed that shone almost as brightly as its rider. Talon wondered what the halo of light surrounding the mounted figure could represent. As far as she knew, knowledge of Astraeyu’s Light was unheard of in the Mainland, but the image brought to mind the strange, glowing scar left upon Jan’s chest during their adventures in the Labyrinthine Archipelago.
Was it truly the gift of Astraeyu’s Light? Many priestesses and wise women spent their entire lives in prayer for even a trace of such power. That it would be bestowed upon a Mainlander woman, seemingly by accident, was a mystery to Talon.
Astraeyu makes no mistakes, a voice chided her from the corners of her mind. Talon believed the words to be true. If by intercepting the mysterious power before the Coruscalli could obtain it Jan had been blessed by Astraeyu, it was no accident. Jan must have a role to play in the Prophecy of Fire. Talon only wished she knew what that role was.
AS THE DAYS went on, Talon noticed that Jan was behaving strangely. The change was subtle at first, but Talon soon noticed that Jan almost went out of her way to avoid her. It was puzzling. Once, Jan was so curious as to the ways of the Astraeyu Nouvins, always so full of questions. Now, she barely spoke to Talon at all and only then when it was necessary. Had Talon done something to offend Jan? She could think of nothing. At first, Jan was only too grateful to Talon for saving her life, but as time went on, she seemed to think less of her actions. Talon supposed she should expect as much. The actions of one woman would not be enough to change the Four Kingdom’s view of Astraeyu Nouvins, in general, no matter how daring and heroic those actions might be. Too many centuries of fear and mistrust was ingrained in the Mainlanders’ minds for them to so easily alter their beliefs. What Talon found odd was that only Jan seemed to exhibit this cold demeanor toward her. Since the masquerade, Rhys and Beatrix had come to accept her as an ally. Even the Kalvat Arbiters respected her for her heroic actions. Jan had never struck Talon as the sort of woman to be prejudiced. In fact, she came across as quite the opposite.
Jan’s vexing behavior should have been the least of Talon’s concerns. If the Coruscalli were left unchecked, they might actually succeed in unleashing the Firebringer upon the world. Then Jan’s opinion of her would matter little. Not only did Talon have the Coruscalli to contend with, but Morgsten’s intentions were still vague. If Morgsten revealed to the people of the Four Kingdoms that the Firebringer was an Astraeyu Nouvin device, the fate of her homeland could change in a matter of days. With the combined might of the Four Kingdoms aimed toward one common enemy, Astraeyu Nouvi might actually fall. Talon could not allow Morgsten to endanger her people. Some secrets were meant to be forgotten. The Firebringer’s true purpose was unknown to the modern world, just as it should be. It was a grave mistake for the Will of Astraeyu to allow the Coruscalli to ever learn of its existence. If it fell upon Talon to spur the Arbiters into action, she would not hesitate to take drastic measures.
Chapter Thirteen
JAN KNEW HER companions were getting impatient and wanted desperately to take action, to force Morgsten into a corner and get him to confess his crimes. But she knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Whatever Morgsten was planning, he was treading carefully and leaving no traces of his involvement with the Coruscalli. Likely, he’d had years of practice of avoiding the Arbiters. He could afford to wait a little while longer while the Arbiters were going in circles.
Jan worried as the mark on her chest began to glow brighter. There was still no pain or discomfort, but she saw that as no reason for her to lower her guard. The scar was definitely like no magic she’d heard of before, and it seemed to be getting stronger.
Concerned, she called on Talon. No one knew more about the strange magic than Talon, not even the Kalvat Arbiters who were doubtlessly accustomed to dealing with all sorts of arcane devices and powers. Talon was still adamant in her belief that the mark was Astraeyu’s Light, but Jan followed the ways of Lyth. As an Arbiter, she was one of Lyth’s earthly servants. Why would Astraeyu bestow her favor on one such as her?
“I still don’t understand it,” Jan said to Talon as they strolled through the gardens. Like Fort Solitude, the Vermillion Temple had a courtyard for the Arbiters to enjoy. The flowers here were more exotic than anything Jan saw at Fort Solitude, and the bright red color adorning the inside of the temple spread to the gardens. “Lyth was an enemy of Astraeyu,” she continued. “Lyth fought to tame this world, to make if safe for her followers to settle. The Phoenix, Astraeyu, was the embodiment of this world’s wild spirit, soaring free on wings that seemed to set the sky afire.”
“Lyth sought to slay the savage beasts,” Talon finished for her, obviously familiar with the tale. “In order to make this new Lythril suitable for her people, Lyth vowed to hunt Astraeyu and her wild brethren.” Talon laughed softly. “I have heard this version of Astraeyu and Lyth before, yes, but there is another tale, one that is untold by Mainlanders.”
“I don’t think I have ever heard of another tale of Lyth and Astraeyu,” Jan said.
“As I said, this tale is popular in Astraeyu Nouvi. I don’t think it would enjoy the same popularity in the Four Kingdoms, however.
“Ah, how do I begin? I confess I’m not much of a storyteller.” A look of uncertainty passed over Talon’s features before she settled in to tell the tale. “A long time ago, in an age that many know as the Forgotten Era, the world was wild and untamed. After the fall of the Ancients, their advanced civilization crumbled to ruins and the rest of the world descended into an era of darkness and fear. It was a time of war and chaos. The descendants of the proud Ancients had become little more than animals, living in the wilds and fighting with other clans over food and territory.
“One day, a great bird came to this world, a bird with plumage that lit up the entire sky. The Phoenix, Astraeyu, served as an inspiration to the clans and they worshipped her as a goddess. The shared reverence of the Phoenix brought some peace to the warring clans, and after a time they became more organized, eventually rebuilding the civilization of their ancestors. Of the primitive clans, twelve continued to grow and thrive. These twelve became the Great Houses that still exist today, but that is another story.” Talon cleared her throat before continuing.
“The time of peace and prosperity was not to last, however. Another came to this world seeking a new home for her people, a warrior who saw the current inhabitants as a threat.”
“Lyth,” Jan said aloud. “Teachings of Lythrillian faith say that it was savage beasts that Lyth drove from the world.”
With a wry smile, Talon said, “Many people today still think the Astraeyu Nouvins are no more than savage beasts. There is no need to feel guilt, Jan. All this happened centuries ago. We cannot be held responsible for the actions of our ancient ancestors.”
Jan knew what Talon said was true, but she still could not help fee
ling disconcerted at learning that the “beasts” Lyth fought to exterminate were actually the people of Astraeyu Nouvi.
“Back to the story,” Talon said, getting Jan’s attention. “Astraeyu watched in horror as the people that were so kind to her were hunted and executed by this newcomer. She knew that if nothing was done, the Huntress would successfully eliminate every last Astraeyu Nouvin.
“Astraeyu is usually depicted as a Phoenix, and that is her true form, but in order to get close to Lyth, she needed a disguise. She needed to be human.”
“Astraeyu was a Shifter,” Jan mused. “I never would have guessed.” She then recalled that Talon had once told her that Shifting was a revered ability in Astraeyu Nouvi. No wonder, if using it would allow the student to feel closer to the Phoenix.
“Perhaps that is why Shifters are so feared in the Four Kingdoms today,” Talon said. “Although this tale is not widely known outside of Astraeyu Nouvi, fragments of it might be remembered, such as Astraeyu, the dreaded enemy of Lyth, being able to change shapes.”
“I’ve never heard of it, but you could be right.” Jan wondered if there were things the High Council kept secret, even from the Arbiters. Some of the information revealed by Talon regarding Astraeyu Nouvi and Lyth would certainly qualify as knowledge that should be kept secret from the general populace, but as Grand Arbiter, Jan thought she had a right to be allowed access to this information. Maybe the circumstances surrounding her promotion had delayed the High Council’s actions. There was no time for Jan to be sworn in ceremoniously. The investigation into the disaster at Sonastra was the top priority.
“So not even the Grand Arbiter knows of Astraeyu’s ability to change into a human?” Talon asked. She appeared a trace disappointed. “To be honest, I had expected you to be more familiar with this tale than you initially let on.”
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