The Game Begins Anew (TT Jygust 30)

[Andolin]

Leaning back in the padded chair at his desk in his private office, Andolin awaited the arrival of Erwin. The man had wanted to see him about the University of Magic and its move to Sierra. Not willing to offend the powerful Duke of Dort, the Caesar had agreed to see him readily.

Depending how one counted votes on the Council, Erwin held a half dozen or more. Isis held several, and Silk several more. Andolin, one by one, was gaining key votes on the Council. Apart from his vote as Caesar, he had his vote as being the Lord of the Chamber and now a third as Admiral. Three votes in his own right, plus the promised votes of the UoM and Kitya as Master of Scouts. That gave him the equivalent of five. Add to that the vote of his potential bride (the Kona), Eilish of Pan, and the Queen of Kislovan, and he was gaining a powerful coalition to give him the needed votes to pass measures. Erwin was not a foolish man and would have noted these advances. Perhaps that was why he did not give a daughter to wed Caesar. He had suggested Vlast instead, which was fine by Andolin, for it would give him Gulandor's vote potentially too.

Let the others at court think I am just a womanizing orator, and little else, he thought in a satisfied way. Within the year, he planned to control a majority of the votes on the Council. In five years he would control all of the votes. He would, thereby, leave a powerful throne to the child of his choosing. Anochrim was a fool. Andolin was not (at least in his own mind).

Picking stray lint from the silver silk shirt he wore, Andolin awaited the arrival of the Duke. Once this was done, he had to meet Drakkendor's daughter. She was due to be introduced this eveningtide. The Duke of Dragons Keep had the best claim on the throne of the West, and he planned to use his daughter to gain control of Dragon's Keep and the Western Kingdom ultimately. Not satisfied with merely uniting the Citadel, or the Empire. Andolin's ambitions knew no bounds. He would be Lord of the West, and the East, before he died. The planet would be his. It was just a matter of time. In the meantime, he would appeal the most conciliatory of men. Any one else would have been daunted by such grandoise plans. Andolin, on the other hand, was certain of his victory. The play was already written. Now, he merely needed to act his part.

His mind wandered to what he was going to do to amuse himself in the late evening tide. He had felt like some proper lord, bedding only Ashari, and the occasional others that caught his fancy, or the likes of Ygraine who threw herself at him to secure her own power. One day soon he would have more wives and mistresses than he could handle. But for now, he was keeping his attentions concentrated.

[Meridiuz]

Andolin waited for the duke to arrive, who was late as always as a sign that even the Caesar wasn't that important to him. He had become quite accustomed to his office and as such, he didn't notice the icy blue shade that slowly appeared on the wall to the right, until a small layer of frost appeared in the center the wall and small snowflakes started to fly away from it.

The amount of snowflakes increased rapidly and as Andolin followed one of them, which landed in front of him on his desk, he heard a familiar voice, yet one he hadn't heard in a long time. "Hello there, Caesar." There was an icy, mocking tone in the female voice. As Andolin looked up he now saw a woman standing in front of the wall, the spot behind her completely frozen. The woman was wearing a white fur cloak and her hair was silvery black. She stared at him with her green eyes, a smirk on her pale face as she knew he would have a hard time recognizing her.

[Andolin]

To see frost forming inside the palace in the midst of summer was not an every day occurrence. Lifting his shields mentally, Andolin knew this to be the work of magic ... and no ordinary magic. It was most likely the work of the divine, so he readied himself. The last time this had happened, it had been almost a yahren ago with the Ice Queen. She had cursed the Citadel with a period of cold weather. He had summoned her to negotiate the release of the chill and it had been a most interesting encounter, needing the intervention of Pan to send her away ... satisfied.

Adopting a calm expression, Andolin crossed his leg and waited for the woman to fully manifest. Once she appeared, he scrutinized the face and then took to his feet. It was only polite to stand when a lady entered the chamber.

"To what do I owe this honor?" he asked politely.

[Meridiuz]

The woman chuckled. "An honor indeed. I am not even sure you are worthy of it. But we shall find that out soon enough." She continued to approach him, stepping up to the desk. As she placed her icy fingers onto it, a thin layer of frost immediately formed around them. Andolin had readied himself, his shields fully up and running. He didn't sense any magical attacks on his person however, the woman seemed to be doing not much more than standing there and watching him with high interest.

"Now, come on, Andi. I know my appearance has changed dramatically, but don't tell me I've lost all of my charm?" Her long black, silvery hair rested on her cloak as she looked at him with a playful smile. She stroked the desk with one of her long nails, generating a path of frost across the desk. "Where was it where we last saw each other, remind me, Andolin. Was it at the Basilisk? Was it there? Where I taught you most of what you know now?" The smile widened, knowing that she just gave away the hint. Her eyes were focused on his face, curious to see what his reaction would be.

[Andolin]

It was not the Ice Queen, but the one cursed by her. It was his old mentor, Thorkatla. His eyes reflected his surprise.

"Since when have you mastered teleportation?" he asked with an impressed voice. "I see that the Ice Queen has not released her grip on you; but, you seem strong and in control. It is good to see you again. How is Naoisi?" He acted calm in her presence. She had never been a threat to him before.

[Meridiuz]

Thorkatla smiled as she recognized the surprise. Pleased with the results of her entrance, she toned down on the mysticality of her appearance. The frost on the desk and the wall disappeared and the sorceress sat down in one of the more comfy chairs in his office. "I have learned a lot since we last met. In both good and bad ways. " She scanned Andolin with her eyes. "I see you have learned a lot as well."

She didn't react to him mentioning the Ice Queen. "I haven't seen Naoisi. I wonder if he is still alive, having seen no trace of him since he disappeared." She smiled with a soft snort, remembering what had happened to her in the past yahren. "Anything is possible though. Which is part of the reason why I am here. I have come to you because of our friendship and because of your position. I have heard that you have sent troops to Trothgard, correct?"

[Andolin]

It was curious that she had lost contact with Naoisi. The two of them had been inseparable at the Basilisk Stare. He said nothing further on the subject, taking her word for the matter.

It seemed that she had come in search of help. It was not an unusual thing for persons to approach Caesar looking for assistance; but, Thorkatla was a different matter. She had always seemed the type that would have rather died than ask for help.

"I am happy to help," he offered his old mentor. There really was no other way to answer a request from her. "Yes, I sent troops to aid the Kona. We have struck an agreement." He said no more, waiting to hear why she was so interested.

[Meridiuz]

A smile played on Thorkatla's lips, which were still a little icy blue from the cold. Even though she had toned down on her magical appearance, apparently her look had changed in a more definite way. "This isn't a request, dear Caesar. I have come here to inform you of the situation. There is a lot going on that has been hidden from your eyes." The playful smile went as quickly as it had come. She placed her arms on the armrests of the chair, her long white nails nicely curving down toward the floor. As she started her explanation, her gaze went distant.

"You have heard the reports about what is happening in Trothgard. About the attack on Rimmerhold and it's destruction by the Dreki. The Kona was killed and then the city was destroyed. The White Ones were spotted, summoning the Dreki. But who was behind it all? The White Ones would never do such a thing on their own. In fact, they haven't been seen active in those area's in ages. So who would have the power to command them? Ina da'Yrsa suspects Skaali did it, as he was the one who attacked the temple. Hex da`Bergliin and Eyrekra da' Waelkyrige were two eyewitnesses and they both claimed that Skaali did it as well. Skaali. The one male child who had the gjof and was left alive. Yes, he must have been the one. The Covenant agreed on that. But they were all deceived. Even Skaali himself. And the Covenant...is failing." Her gaze now focused on Andolin, once her student and now, the Caesar of the Seven Isles. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper. "And your men Andi...are already dead."

[Andolin]

Thorkatla had not brought welcome news. But then, she rarely did. Why else would she call upon him?

With a worried look he listened to hernarration. There was no reason to feign a neutral look in her presence. She would likely know his mind anyway. His rune medallion against mind readers had been crafted by her, after all. She was one of the few experts on runes in the world.

"Skaali is a puppet for someone else then," he mused aloud. "The demons have been returned to their plane. So, who could it be? Some errant dark god perhaps? The gods and demi-gods play their own games with mortals. In such games we will need the aid of the gods of light, no doubt," he postulated.

"A power that can destroy an army is not easily bested by ... conventional means. What of the current Kona ... Aesa?" She was to be one of his wives. Now, it appeared that her own hopes for survival would be small. She was a creature of martial arms. Martial arms had failed when his army had failed. Now was a time for magic and the will of the gods, he supposed.

"What is it that you would have me do?" he asked bluntly. Thorkatla was not a creature of oral niceties.

[Meridiuz]

Thorkatla snorted. "A puppet indeed. More than he could have ever imagined. He was a student of Xermetria. She told him to go to Rimmerhold and destroy the temple and kill the Kona. But then she set him up. She sent the White Ones after him with a Dreki. The Dreki should have destroyed Skaali together with the rest of the city. But he managed to get away." She scratched her nails along the armrest of the chair.

"Through his escape we now know who was behind it all. It was Xermetria. Her power is growing and she is looking to expand it even more. What happened to Aesa is unknown to me. Perhaps she is still alive. All I know is that the forces which had set up camp in the ruins of Rimmerhold have been diminished."

After his questions and thinking out loud, Andolin had come to the basic and most urgent question. The reason why she had came here. The sorceress smiled, recognizing the special bond that they still had in some way. "Things are stirring here in the Citadel as well. You say that the demons have been returned to their plane, but things are moving. Someone is trying to bring one back and it is waiting, waiting for the right person, for the right power to bring it back into this plane. You need to stop it."

[Andolin]

"Xermetria?" The shock on his face was plain to see. "You told me she died long ago in a rising in the Citadel," he uttered with a puzzled look on his face. His father had sent him to Xermetria to study, but found that she had died and Thorkatla took her place as his tutor. There had even been fancies that Xermetria was his mother. Lucienda had told him that his mother had been Xermetria's maid; but then, she had said it in a way to make him feel small. Both Lucienda and Thorkatla knew of his secret past. It was one of the reasons he had marked Lucienda for death.

"Lucienda told me that my mother was Xermetria's maid," he disclosed quietly. "What do you know of this?" Thorkatla had been a student of Xermetria, as had Lucienda.

"Who is trying to summon the demon?" he asked softly, wondering whether it was Lucienda and her brother Eisolf. "And, you have come to me as Caesar to have this person arrested?" he queried aloud. "It can't be my sorceror's ability you need," he added. "I am a bare apprentice. You are far superior to me. So, I wonder why you have come to me to stop this person." There was no reason to beat around the bush. Thorkatla was a practical creature to whom he could speak bluntly.

[Meridiuz]

Thorkatla sighed as Andolin mentioned all that she and Lucienda had told him in the past. "Yeah. Listen. A lot of what we told you back then were lies. I'm sorry to tell you this now, but there is no time to explain all that right now. You need to get over it." She was practical indeed and she too, spoke bluntly.

She continued with explaining why she came. "I do not know who is working for the demon now. I do know that it's power has been growing and there has been quite some Netheric activity here in the Citadel." She grinned. "I don't think you will be able to arrest this person though. The book will have full control over him or her. The book is in control and it won't let anyone take it. Unless it sees a good opportunity. I need you, as the Caesar, to be aware of the danger. Things are moving and they are moving fast. I don't know if Lucienda is working for Xermetria, but I do know that Xermetria is after the book and she is too busy in Trothgard right now to come here to get it herself. Which is another reason why I can't do it myself. I need to return to Trothgard. But you need to prepare. The Empire will be attracted from various directions and in various way. Be prepared, Andi."

[Andolin]

Need to get over it? Lies about his parents? These were not lies about what their favorite foods were, or what color looked best on him. These were lies about his past, something hidden from him by his amnesia. His frown was evident.

"I know it may not seem important to you, but my past is important to me. Likewise, you want me to deal with Xermetria, when all you tell me about her is a lie? You don't see a problem with that? Balik trusted Xermetria to teach me in his absence. Now, why would he do that if she was just some random evil sorceress? That does not add up."

"And, what's this about the book? Which book is this? Is it the Liber Maleficious, or whatever? Because, I looked for that already, and it was nowhere to be found. Lady Rioja already told me about the book," he explained. "So, what is it that I need to be prepared for? A swarm of dark sorcerers coming looking after the book? The return of Xermetria? And what should I do if I find this book? Lock it up, I suppose." He found himself sighing at all the questions that remained while Thorkatla seemed impatient to leave. "And, how might I contact you?"