-Tan'Thalon: Council Hall-
The Iron vanguard commander had chosen a path forward. They were to meet with the council and convey their reports about the battle with Kerryth Vaal there. If they were to continue their work with threats like these, they would need better protection. Lazulli engines. The works. Though navigating the council had never been Serenya's strongest suit. She was military driven and straight to the point. Varros and her had never even noticed how big the council hall actually was. The building was there for one thing, to impress. It's construction for acoustics. The archways and domes inside were a dead giveaway to that. Walls lined with tapestry and statues larger than any man. Serenya and Varros were on the taller side for a typical human. While Elira wasn't particularly small for a woman, she still had to give a few inches to her commander. But even they were dwarfed by the hall's impressive size.
Serenya swayed the large oaken doors to the council chamber open with the grandeur only someone of her status could get away with. Its hinges protested with a creaking noise, though heavy as the doors were, Serenya opened them with ease. She expected an audience with Maranth and Veyra, but what she found horrified her more than facing Kerryth Vaal again. Elira turned to her, lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper.
"Commander? What is this?"
Serenya looked over the courtroom. At the central pedestal beneath the mosaic dome, stood Maranth and Veyra indeed, seemingly in a frantic discussion with the gathered nobles. Serenya shook her head as realisation dawned on her.
"We all already know how this will end. Let's get this over with."
As they moved towards the gathered audience, Elira scanned her surroundings. She couldn't help it, such was her nature. Amongst the nobles she recognized one from her investigations. Standing in shining gold plated armor like a human beacon basking in attention. Eldarion. Immaculate as ever.
The three continued down the central path, up to where Maranth and Veyra stood.
Serenya leaned in close, keeping her voice down with military discipline. "I thought this was a private briefing. What is this Maranth?"
"So did I," Varros muttered beside her.
Eldarion rose to attention. His smile was polite. Too polite.
"...Commander Serenya," he greeted. "Captain Varros. Lady Eli..."
"Captain." Elira cut him off, visually annoying him greatly. "Captain Thane."
Elira had always been witty and quick to correct. Especially with annoying brats like these nobles. She exchanged a glance with Serenya.
"This wasn't the arrangement."
"No," Maranth admitted with visible annoyance. "It wasn't."
"The nobles invoked Article Twelve," Veyra explained evenly. "Any proposal involving the Lazulli reserves must be witnessed by representatives of the Great Houses."
"They heard about Kerryth Vaal?" Varros asked.
"THEY heard enough," Eldarion replied before anyone else could, his fingers drumming lightly against polished wood. "A report reached us this morning. An Arcanist capable of destroying an Iron Vanguard company." He smiled pleasantly. "It is... an extraordinary claim."
Serenya stepped forward. "It isn't a claim."
"No?"
"No."
The room remained silent for a while. Varros was the one who broke it.
"I watched him erase three shields with one spell."
Elira nodded. "I saw him stop arrows in the air."
"And crumble our armor to rust," Serenya added.
A murmur spread among the nobles. One elderly lord scoffed.
"Convenient embellishments."
Elira recognized Lord Halvek. The noble Eldarion had persuaded.
Another leaned forward. "If such power existed, where has it been all these years?"
"A fair question," Eldarion said.
Serenya's jaw tightened. "Because he was hiding."
"Hm." Eldarion looked almost sympathetic. "Or perhaps battle has a way of magnifying memories."
Varros took a threatening step. "Careful."
"I'm being careful." The noble spread his hands. "I merely suggest that extraordinary measures require extraordinary evidence."
Veyra finally spoke. "The commanders are not prone to exaggeration."
"No," Eldarion agreed. "But they are prone to exhaustion."
His eyes drifted across the three veterans. "You fought. You bled. You lost people." He folded his hands together. "It would hardly be the first time survivors believed they witnessed something impossible."
Elira's voice became ice. A rare occasion for her. "Are you calling us liars?"
"I'm suggesting trauma clouds certainty."
Maranth exhaled heavily. "Enough."
The chamber quieted.
"The request before this council is simple." He looked toward Serenya. "You seek authorization to activate the Lazulli engines."
"Yes."
"For what purpose?"
Serenya answered immediately. "If Kerryth Vaal survives—and I believe he did—we cannot defend Tan'Thalon without them."
Another noble laughed softly. "So displace the engines from where they are needed most because one enemy frightened the Vanguard?"
Varros rounded on him. "Frightened?" His voice echoed through the chamber. "He sent an entire battalion to the hospital." He took another step. "He tore stone apart with his bare hands." Another step. "He burned men inside enchanted armor." Now towering at full height before the noble, fists shaking with barely contained anger. "He nearly killed us all."
Silence followed. Even the skeptical nobles shifted uneasily.
Then Eldarion spoke again. "Yet he did not."
Varros stared. "...What?"
"He nearly killed you. But he didn't." His voice remained calm. "So here you stand."
He folded his hands. "I do not deny your battle was terrible. I question only your conclusion."
Maranth rubbed his temples. "Eldarion..."
The older noble inclined his head respectfully. "My Lord Speaker."
"If the Lazulli engines are awakened unnecessarily..." He paused with practised theatrics. "...we diminish our greatest strategic reserve." Another practised pause. "...we expose their workings....and we risk depleting crystals that cannot simply be mined anew."
Several nobles nodded, one after another. Serenya could almost see the tide turning. Not that she didn't expect this outcome. Maranth saw it too. He looked genuinely frustrated.
"I cannot overrule them." The admission hung heavily. "The Charter requires consensus where the Lazulli reserves are concerned."
Varros muttered something decidedly unfit for the chamber. Veyra ignored him.
"What would satisfy the council?"
Eldarion answered before anyone else. "Proof."
Elira crossed her arms. "What kind of proof?"
"Substantial proof." He rose slowly. "A recovered artifact. A surviving construct. Records. Captured witnesses. Something beyond testimony." He looked directly at Serenya. "If this Kerryth Vaal truly possesses the power you describe...there will be evidence. If the Iron Vanguard can present it…" He paused again, practised for maximum effect. "...I will personally support reopening this discussion."
The nobles murmured their agreement. Maranth's shoulders slumped.
"It is... a reasonable compromise."
Varros looked as though he might punch the nearest pillar.
Serenya simply nodded once. "When do we report back?"
"Whenever you have your proof," Eldarion replied with a smile that never reached his eyes. "But I would advise haste."
He glanced toward one of the high windows, where the setting sun cast long crimson beams across the floor. "If your enemy is as formidable as you believe… he may not wait for our debates to conclude."
The meeting dissolved shortly afterward. As the nobles filed out, Eldarion lingered just long enough to meet Veyra's gaze. There was something unreadable there. Not triumph or doubt, but calculation. Veyra watched him leave. Only when the great doors shut behind the last noble did she speak quietly enough that only Maranth heard.
"He wanted this delayed."
Maranth frowned. "You think so?"
"I know so."
-Tan'Thalon: Selvara's Salon-
The Moon-Glass Salon had had a strange attraction to Eldarion lately. Was it the rich adornment that decorated the inside? Tapestry in all shapes and sizes and different shades of purple and bordeaux. Or the candlelit secluded spaces where he could enjoy a drink in peace. Though he was usually joined by the blonde lady with the violet eyes. He found her intriguing. She made him feel strong and just. Proud. Wanted.
Her advice had proven fruitful to him. His position in the council was now stronger than ever. He had even stood up to the Vanguard Commander and won his point. This double scotch he had earned. And he intended to savour every drop of it. With a content sigh he leaned back in his secluded space.
"Lord Eldarion. What a pleasant surprise." A voice as sweet as honey said.
He swirled his scotch around and took a sip before looking up to see Selvara's accompanying sweet smile. An thinly veiled attempt to mask his enthusiasm at seeing her again. She had been a great help in strengthening his position in the council.
"Salutations Lady Selvara. May'Jahan's blessing."
"May I?" Selvara asked sweetly while already being in the process of seating herself.
She knew Eldarion wouldn't refuse. Or rather, couldn't. She'd made sure the scene was perfectly set for that. The servant who had been making his way toward the alcove with another glass suddenly paused, frowned as though remembering another errand, and turned away. A pair of merchants laughed loudly nearby before drifting toward another corner of the salon, leaving the secluded booth wrapped once more in comfortable silence. Selvara folded one leg over the other with effortless grace, showing her carefully selected stockings. Elegant and designed to show curves without looking desperate.
"You seem pleased with yourself."
Eldarion allowed himself a restrained smile. "I have reason to be."
"I heard." Her fingers idly traced the rim of the untouched crystal glass before her. "The Vanguard's request was denied."
"Postponed."
"Of course." She smiled. "The distinction matters."
"It does." He lifted his glass. "They wanted Lazulli reserves released on the testimony of three soldiers."
"They are more than soldiers."
"They're emotional." He took another sip.
"They fought a difficult battle. I don't doubt that. But..." He shrugged. "I doubt their conclusions."
Selvara's smile widened almost imperceptibly. "And Maranth?"
"He couldn't overrule the Charter. Exactly as you predicted."
She inclined her head graciously. "I merely informed you of the council's procedures."
"You informed me of far more than that."
For a moment, she simply watched the candlelight dance inside his whisky.
"I gave you information. You decided how to use it."
He found himself smiling again. "A useful distinction."
"I find most truths are."
Silence settled comfortably between them. At length, Eldarion leaned forward.
"There is one thing I don't understand." He said, stroking his fingers over his imaginary beard.
Selvara looked up. "Oh?"
"Why delay them?"
Her fingers stilled.
"The Vanguard." He lowered his voice. "If Kerryth Vaal truly exists..."
"If."
"...if...then surely time is against us."
He searched her violet eyes. "So why encourage me to block their request?"
For the first time that evening, Selvara did not answer immediately. Instead, she reached for her wine. The candle beside her flickered. Its flame stretched unnaturally high. For only an instant. The violet of her eyes caught the light—
No. They produced it. A pulse of brilliant amethyst radiated from her irises before fading as though nothing had happened. Eldarion blinked. Had he imagined it?
"Tell me, Lord Eldarion..." Her voice was softer now. "...what happens to a commander who is given everything she asks for?"
He frowned. "She succeeds."
"Perhaps." She tilted her head. "And what happens when she asks...and is proven wrong?"
He considered it. "...he loses credibility."
"And what happens when another councillor remains calm...asks for evidence...protects the city's greatest resource...and is later proven right?"
The answer came almost before he realised he'd spoken.
"They become indispensable."
Selvara smiled.
"There." She lifted her glass. "You answered your own question."
Eldarion sat back slowly. "So this wasn't about delaying the Vanguard."
"I never said it was."
"It was about strengthening my influence."
She said nothing. The silence itself felt like agreement. His thoughts raced. Of course. If the Vanguard returned empty-handed, the council would remember who had kept Tan'Thalon's reserves safe. If they returned with proof…
He would be the reasonable councillor who had demanded evidence before committing priceless resources. Either way… He won. A smile crept across his face.
"You're remarkably perceptive."
Selvara lowered her gaze modestly. "I simply dislike haste."
Another flicker. Again those violet eyes glowed. Longer this time. The shadows around the alcove seemed to deepen, swallowing the distant conversations until the rest of the salon felt impossibly far away.
"Power," she murmured, "is rarely taken."
Eldarion leaned in unconsciously.
"It is offered. It is entrusted. It is earned." Her eyes shone like polished amethyst. "And once people believe you indispensable...they stop asking who placed you there."
The words settled somewhere deep inside him. He felt taller. Stronger. The uncertainty that had haunted him since the council chamber evaporated like mist beneath the morning sun.
"You think I could lead them."
Selvara's smile warmed. "I think Tan'Thalon needs someone willing to make difficult decisions."
"And Maranth?"
"He grows tired. Old"
"Veyra?"
"She grows cautious."
"And the Vanguard?"
Her smile lingered. "They grow desperate."
She leaned back, and with that simple movement the strange pressure around the alcove vanished. The candles burned normally once more. Conversations drifted back into earshot. It was as though the world itself had resumed. Eldarion finished the last of his scotch.
"I must admit..." He looked at her curiously. "...there are times I wonder how you always seem to know what will happen."
Selvara laughed—a soft, genuine sound that carried just enough mystery to make him wonder.
"Oh, Lord Eldarion." She rose gracefully from her seat. "I don't know the future."
She brushed an invisible speck of dust from his shoulder.
"I simply know people."
She offered a courteous bow before turning to leave. As she disappeared into the sea of velvet and candlelight, the faintest smile touched her lips. Eldarion never noticed the small shimmer of violet that lingered in the air where she had stood. Nor did he notice that, from the moment she had sat down until the moment she left, not a single patron had once looked toward their secluded alcove. It was as if, for a little while, the Moon-Glass Salon itself had forgotten they were there.
Out of sight, the servant came up to Selvara with a glass of wine in hand. He went to offer it to her, but before she accepted, brought to his lips and took a sip. With a smug smirk on his lips he savoured the flavor. Then, after a moment of silence.
"What was that all about Selvara?".
"Careful now.. Your arrogance will end you one day." Her violet eyes squeezed to slits like only housecats could do.
It was just that this cat had amethyst light shining through the slits. Just like that the world around them seemed to stop and the servant saw himself impaled by arrows. His tunic soaking red in blood. He didn't seem amused by it.
"Very funny.. You'll have to do better than that to affect me." His expression remained blank.
After another flash of amethyst light, his appearance changed slowly as the veil Selvara had placed on him was lifted. The servant's posture changed first. His back straightened. The submissive smile disappeared. Even the way he held the wineglass became deliberate.
Then the face began to ripple. Slowly but surely he took his original shape once more. Kerryth Vaal.
"Don't forget Vaal. I know who you are. Who you were.." Selvara warned.
She showed a genuine smile, with a flash of violet. Though with an illusionist as skilled as her there was no telling when a smile was actually sincere. A painting on the wall warped to show an elementalist losing control during a surge and killing three bystanders. Kerryth remembered the scent of burnt flesh. It was almost as if he could smell it again. The elementalist was consoled by everyone. Next it showed a young Kerryth weaving a lazulli construct. It destabilized and injured an observer. The smell of burning Lazulli flooded his nose. He heard the screaming again. Felt hot crystal shards tear through his hands. Heard the council's verdict.
Reckless. Irresponsible. Unfit.
He was scolded for it, the elementalist praised. That hit a nerve with him. He closed his fists, squeezing so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Like I told Eldarion. I know people." She took the glass of wine from him and sipped. "Useful, isn't he?"
"He's stronger than he was." Kerryth replied flatly.
Selvara smiled. "People are remarkably eager to hand power to those who tell them what they already wish to believe."
"He has no idea he's being used."
"Neither do most kings." Selvara made an indifferent shrug of her shoulder.
"You almost sound fond of him." Kerryth almost squeezed his eyes in contempt.
"I don't need to be fond of a chess piece."
She made a graceful turn on her heels, letting her skirt follow the flow, before looking over her shoulder one final time.
"Thank you for your contribution. It was invaluable."
As Selvara disappeared into the crowd, Kerryth looked around the salon. The patrons laughed. Musicians played. Glasses clinked. No one looked at him. Had they truly never seen him...or had Selvara decided they hadn't?