48 Clandestine's Dawn

Chrion looked at the view of Stormfall over from his abode in the Ice-Shard Peaks.The strong blizzards in the mountains kept him from seeing clearly but he could still make out faint images of the Magistrate Sanctum and the Arc Tower. An uneasy feeling had been bothering him ever since the visit of High Magistrate Thoran. The older man had brought him a message from the Lord Magistrate, asking him to build a device.

Ever since Chrion was an apprentice at the Arcane Watch, his intuition was a bit more advanced than the others. Now, as he stood looking at the Arc Tower from a distance, he knew something was wrong. 'Maybe there was some malfunction in the Nullifier…', he thought blankly, trying to reason out. If that was the case, he was the only person that could fix it.

Chrion finally decided to go check for himself and so he started packing his things. 'This is going to be a looooong way down...', he sighed, but immediately smiled. 'Nah, who cares. Maybe the Watch will give me a grand welcome this time.'Chuckling, he adjusted the strap on his bag and started his trek down the Ice-Shard Peaks.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Oooof"

Agaven grunted as he started getting up, a sharp pain shooting up the back of his neck. Reaching out to it, he felt his nape had grown numb and swollen, but,otherwise, there seemed to be no other complications. He looked around himself and saw the other Clandestine Order members slowly rising to their feet. Rhael was still on the floor, and Agaven immediately rushed to her side.

"Rhael! I…"

"I'm fine, Agaven.", Rhael spoke, her eyes still closed. "I'm just resting."

"Oh.", Agaven replied, relieved that his wife is fine, and sat down beside her.

"What happened here?"

"It was them; from the orphanage."

"Are you sure? From what I saw, our attackers were some sort of hooded figures shrouded in black. That doesn't seem very 'religious' to me."

"I thought so at first. But I saw her. It was the young nun at the orphanage."

"Hmmm." Agaven did not want to doubt his own wife. "Maybe she was the daughter of Juron. I've heard rumors…", he thought out loud.

Rhael was not getting up, and Agaven, noticing, stood up and supported her.

"Alakdan!", she called.

A limping man came running towards them. "I'm here, Rhael! I'm here!". There was much excitement in his voice but upon seeing Rhael holding on the Agaven to support, his face became sour. "Oh, man!"

"We don't have time for silly jokes.", Rhael snapped. "We need an assessment of our current situation. Once you're done, meet us at the Eternal Chamber."

"Gotcha, madam.", Alakdan saluted and made a short wink.

Agaven stared at the man coldly, but Rhael pulled him aside. "Let's go, Agaven."

---------------------------------------------

Agaven and Rhael silently walked down the halls of the Arc Tower. Both were deep in thought but they couldn't help but notice the bodies of the dead, from both factions, strewn across the cold floor. Most of them were familiar faces, but what's done was done. They were the sacrifice needed for the Order to rise.

The heavy doors of the Eternal Chamber were still wide open, blasted off by the Clandestine Order's assault. Duke Elethorne still kneeled at the entrance, his head tilted back to an awkward angle, and blood caked at his neck. His fingerless hands dangled at his sides, gently swaying from an unknown wind. As the couple entered the Chamber, they both felt a strange feeling. It chilled them but it also gave them warmth unlike any other. The first time they entered the Chamber was during the battle but they never felt this unnerving feeling due to the chaos. Now that they were alone, they began to appreciate the balance it offered.

Agaven and Rhael looked at each other and smiled. It was the fitting place to put their throne.

Agaven helped Rhael take a seat at the council table. 'Five seats for the five members of the Conclave.' Agaven smirked at the thought. 'Well, now there's only the need for two.", he said as he knocked down the other three chairs. He took his seat beside Rhael and they started to plan their next move.

"The intervention of the people from the orphanage has made things complicated for us. If the remnants of the Arcane Watch had the chance to regroup, we might have another battle in our hands."

Agaven nodded in agreement. "Be that as it may, we still have an advantage over them: The Arc Tower. In here lies all the information we need to beat them when the time comes. What's bothering me is the Nullifier. If they were to use it against us, it could turn the tide to their favor. We have to find it immediately and destroy it. Besides, where the Nullifier is, I'm sure the Arcane Watch will be there too."

"It's like hitting two birds with one stone.", Rhael finished, her lips curving into a smile. "I'll send someone immediately to the archives. Perhaps we'll find clues as to where these rats are hiding."

Suddenly, a man came running from the outside, as he tried to catch his breath.

"Ah, Alakdan. That's sooner than I expected. Good for you.", Agaven mockingly praised the man. "What's the status report?"

"Status repo--? No, no, no. I'm not done with that. But I think you needed to hear this."

Rhael noticed the seriousness in his tone. He wasn't always like this, so it really must be urgent. "Speak."

"It's the Stedore Estate… your house… it's gone."