5 Finding a needle in a haystack

High council meeting hall:

"They left the island? That can't be true, they have remained there for centuries now! Why would they leave now?"

The high council was seated around a long table in a dark room. The ex-warden had just given his report on the recent prison break of the remaining six prisoners and left the council members in confusion.

The presence of these individuals in their prison had become so normal to them that they couldn't believe it had changed.

"Are you certain that they left?"

"No, more importantly, why did they leave?"

"Where did they go?"

"What are they planning?"

A gaggle of question broke out amongst the confused council. Each member had his own priorities and inquired as such.

"Silence! I'm sure all your questions are reasonable but for now, I think our priority should be to find them. Mobilize all available personnel and search all cities that are within traveling distance of the prison."

An old man seated at the top of the quelled the discussion by giving his verdict. He was the president of the council and here, his word reigned supreme. Using the ensuing silence the ex-warden foolishly gave his own opinion.

"Council President, I don't think that a wide search is advisable. They are all highly dangerous individuals and if confronted by a normal search team they will likely kill them and disappear before reinforcements arrive. I believe that it would be more prudent to gather an elite force and wait for them to give away their position."

The entire council drew a sharp breath in unison. No one had dared to contradict the president for the last decade and all who did before had come to regret it. The look on the president's face confirmed their predictions, he looked positively furious.

"You want me to just sit here and wait for those criminals to start a genocide? I didn't want to hold you responsible for their escape but now you even try to protect them. I suspect that you are a sympathizer of these criminals and aided in their escape."

"That is absurd. I wish to capture them as much as anyone. However, I have guarded them for some time now and they aren't the type to cause a genocide without reason. They wouldn't have escaped in the first place if Ken hadn't broken our agreement with them."

"My nephew would never have done such a thing! You are definitely in cahoots with those criminals. Seize him!"

Before the ex-warden could react a dozen guards threw themselves on him. His storage bracelet lit up for a moment but died down moments later. His body went limp as he surrendered to the guards and was arrested without resistance.

He was quickly chained up and his storage bracelet was taken from him. Before he could, however, be brought out of the room the president stopped the guards.

"Leave his storage bracelet with me, it could hold potentially dangerous items. I will personally inspect him."

One of the guards walked over to the president and respectfully handed over the storage bracelet. With a look of greed, the president swiped the bracelet from the guard's hand and meticulously inspected it. Seconds later he found what he was looking for and a glowing sword appeared in his hand.

The president wore an excited expression as he tried to activate the grade 6 weapon in his hands. As more and more energy was pumped into the sword the president's elated expression waned. The blade was rapidly heating up and he couldn't hold on to it much longer.

A slightly burnt odor wafted around the room and the president finally let the sword drop to the floor.

"Why is it rejecting me? Warden, what vile sorcery have you put on this blade?"

"No sorcery involved I'm afraid. The blade is bound to my blood and only me and my descendants can ever wield it. I specifically asked for this to avoid having it stolen by cowardly thieves."

As he was saying this, the ex-warden purposely enunciated the last part. The insult was clearly meant for the president and had perfectly found its mark. The president was furious but even he couldn't openly admit that he had tried to steal the sword. It would have been fine if he could have tamed the blade, he could have used some excuses to keep it. However, now that he had been so evidently rejected he would have to let go of his plans for that sword. At least for the moment.

After this brief intermezzo was over the ex-warden was dragged away and thrown into a prison cell. There he sat, listlessly looking at the white wall opposite him. No one noticed the small robotic spider that climbed out of his pocket and left through a small crevice in the wall.

A few hours passed, then a set of quick steps approached the cell. The owner of those steps didn't enter the cell and only leaned against a wall outside.

"A fine mess you've gotten yourself into my dear friend. The president is pressing some heavy charges against you and seems to be out for your head."

"I couldn't have known about the fact that Ken is the president's nephew. Nor that the president would be willing to put lives at risk just to cover up Ken's failure."

"Roy, I've known you since both of us joined here as recruits, tell me honestly how bad is it."

"Bad, very bad. I've seen the twins attack the barriers protecting the Island numerous times and they couldn't even put a scratch on the first one. And just of those six shattered all the barriers with just one spell, then they disappeared during a raging storm."

"Sure, but we all know that the gate is the weakest point of the barriers. They attacked there and used the storms as cover to escape."

"Who told you that?!"

"Deputy warden Ken."

"Damn him! They broke through the barrier without attacking the gate. Also, why do you think we need an enchanted steel cruiser and a squadron of water mages to cross the forgotten seas?"

"Then maybe they already died out there and we are making a fuss over nothing."

"Maine, I'm sure you won't believe me as will everyone else but there is something I left out in my official report. When asked about their mode of transportation I said I didn't know anything but I actually caught a glimpse of it during their escape. I saw how one of them transformed into a giant winged beast. He looked like a dragon from the legends."

"You are kidding me, right? How could a human do that?"

"We have no evidence of them being human. They claim to have been alive for millions of years but we only have documentation for several centuries. Some of them can create items that we see as priceless treasures while they see it as mere trash. Do you know what the blacksmith one told me when he gave me my grade six weapon? He told me that it would barely pass as a suitable weapon! They are all monsters, we can only stop them if we gather all elites of the country. Sending ordinary search teams after them is akin to sending them on a suicide mission."

"I'm afraid that has already happened. All coast cities are being places under lockdown and combed through."

"What's the threat level?"

"Rank one archmages."

"That's insane! Even if that were true the teams couldn't arrest them."

"Robot technologies have come far, those machines can fight high mages one-on-one, the body strengthening, and battle techniques of the police are far superior to those used by others."

"Maine, who do you think made the diagrams and programs for those robots, who wrote the manuals the police force is so proud of?"

"We don't know their origins, we were told they are confidential... Don't tell me!"

"Yes, all those things come from just two of those individuals."

"Shit, I have to inform my men!"

Maine ran off at a rapid pace, face filled with horror."