Instruction (3)

"… which is how my cute little Sapphire became Queen of the rabbits and escaped from the evil clutches of Baroness Morales and her mean lackeys." The children cheered while Nikolai waved his arms furiously in the air, miming a sword fight. "To this day Queen Sapphire lurks in the hills somewhere on the outskirts of my House's ancestral territories, waiting for a chance to enact her revenge on the people who took her away from my cozy arms and bed."

Jarek cast a strange look in his direction and Nikolai coughed, cheeks flushing faintly at the skepticism on his apprentice's face.

"'Ozy." Satalia agreed and hugged him once again, her sticky fingers gripping the grass rabbit doll he wove with Magic during the tale. He'd made one for each of the children and one for Terebov when he caught the longing in the librarian's eyes.

Seven's silent pleas and signs were ignored, which was why the Hand was bereft of a doll and sulked beneath the hammock, occasionally sticking his tongue out at Nikolai.

"Why didn't Queen Sapphire come back to you once she settled her people in the hills?" One child asked.

"The Baroness laid many a trap throughout the manor, and House Morales guards were constantly on watch for his return. With all the damage they caused during their escape, there was no-one, except maybe my father, who wanted the rabbits to come back. Since then, I wasn't allowed to keep any pets at home. My lessons were increased until I was old enough to leave for my apprenticeship." Nikolai smiled at the memories and rubbed Satalia's head a few times. The little girl giggled and grabbed at his hand.

"Did you see her again?" A small boy asked.

"A few times during my holidays." Nikolai replied. "I even went into the hills once and accompanied Sapphire on a long walk to survey her domain. It was a beautiful land, free of the oppression of the evil Baroness where all the little ones could frolic and play as much as they wanted without a care in the world."

"She didn't come with you to Konstanz?" Jarek tilted his head to one side and studied him, eyes shimmering with curiosity.

"She did." Nikolai chuckled. "Once I settled in I managed to summon her tribe and gave them some land on the outskirts of the city."

"Really?!" Jarek scuttled forwards a little. "Wait. You said 'to this day she lurks in the hills'. It makes no sense and if she was in Konstanz, how come you never took me to see her Khan?" He sounded hurt.

"Call me Master. That part of the story was embellished for the sake of my audience." Nikolai coughed at the blank stare from Jarek. "I mean its better for the story, but as for taking you. I never really thought about it. Most people aren't that interested in spending time with Magically enhanced animals. I know, I know you're not most people, Jarek. If you still want to, when we go back, I'll take you."

"Me too Me too!" One of the Suzdal children cried and Nikolai was suddenly swamped with clambering children demanding to see 'Queen Sapphire'.

"Fine fine, wait, don't grab my coat… Hey who pulled my hair!" He grabbed the offending hand and was pushed backwards as the child twisted his arm with surprising force. In a flash he was covered in silver haired brats refusing to let him go until he promised to take them to Konstanz to meet the 'invincible rabbit alliance'.

"Alright, I surrender! So get off me brats!" He roared. Victorious cheers filled the courtyard, and the children dashed away from him, chasing each other and squealing at the prospect of a trip.

Satalia remained behind, blinking at him with a thumb in her mouth.

"At least you stayed behind to comfort me." Nikolai said and pinched her nose, like he'd done to Elya so many times over the last few weeks. The little girl nodded and hugged her grass doll tighter. "Fickle apprentice." He growled, watching Jarek scramble around with the other children. [Now that I think about it, I've never really seen him with others his own age before. Most of the time he's with the Chieftains or lounging around in my Tower.]

"I'll forgive him this time." Nikolai declared, and settled his arms beneath his head, content to bask in the warm sunlight amidst the boisterous Suzdal brood.

"'Ood boy" Satalia said softly and patted his face. She stuck the now dry thumb back into her mouth and toddled away to join her brother, ignoring Nikolai's stunned expression.

"How much of that was true?" Terebov offered Nikolai a handkerchief and crouched down beside him.

Nikolai wiped the wetness from his cheek and chuckled. "I did move Sapphire and her 'dominion' about a year ago. To the discontent of House Morales. Mother wanted to find tigers to guard the new manor and my distant relatives weren't happy to find the top's of three hills missing from their lands."

"Why would you take the hills as well… wait. Master Morales, I meant how much of Teleth's story is true."

"Most of it as far as I can tell." Nikolai shrugged. "I've only heard the tale from one side so I can't say much about the reasons for their fight or why the Red's prayed after millennia of isolation from the Heavens, most of Teleth's memories are fragmented beyond repair. Or so he says."

Terebov took a shuddering breath. "You've met him?"

Nikolai shot him a confused look. "Who do you think the Great Dragon the Dragon Lords talk about is?"

"A superstition." He replied quickly. "At least that's what most Scholar's declare."

"Typical Imperial Scholars. Only our beliefs are facts because we've dealt with the Gods directly. The rest of the world doesn't understand the Divine."

"No need to be so sarcastic, Master Morales. So you've met Teleth?"

"Stubborn old fools deserve nothing but sarcasm. As for Teleth. Yes, I've met him. He really is a broken shell. Kept alive by the faith of the Dragon Lords and Magical constructs from an age even older than his."

"I thought the Dragons came about with the dawn of time."

"Now that's a superstition which only the young Dragons born in the last two three thousand years believe. No. The dawn of time is so far in the past I don't think anyone has a handle on when it was. The Azokarri and Avarians kept searching, but every time they thought they had an answer some new researcher would stumble upon even more ancient remains or a Divine Oracle would appear to aid them in their efforts."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Nikolai's thoughts turning to the Great Dragon Teleth and his shattered remnants.

[["You stink of the Divine, Imperial." The Dragon's rumbling voice reverberated from the tubes which kept his mortal form alive, and the Will of the True Imperial hissed in defiance at the accusation, subdued in the face of the ancient beast.

"That…" Nikolai choked at the noxious fumes and cast a minor spell to clear the air going into his lungs. "That is an assertion I dispute. I could even say the same of you, oh Great Dragon." He sneered.

A roar burst from the Dragon, shaking the entire cavern, and Nikolai's head spun. "Do you think I will tolerate your insults Mage?!"

"Is it an insult or the truth? You were once the greatest Gold, Teleth. Now. Now these unknown artifacts keep you breathing and you rage at those beings who sit on their thrones and live blocked by your Shroud and my ancestor's sacrifice. Do you not hate? Do you not want revenge?" Nikolai shoved Nezgrom at the Dragon's ravaged face, heart thumping as the Dragon's massive golden eye swivelled to stare at him. He could see the insanity deep in the broken orb, tempered with the brilliant light of Divine corruption.

"And what can you do puny Imperial that I could not?" Teleth's head snaked closer. The mechanical tubes rattling as he moved, hissing gouts of steam and acrid smoke pouring from vents around the cavern. "What's your special plan that you subdued my people and entered these sacred halls."

Nikolai told him.

"… and they called me insane." Teleth's eye spun madly in its socket. "No one has truly severed their Divinity before… the consequences would be… unimaginable." A whine rose from the Dragon's throat, a terrifying keening that made the very air tremble, and Nikolai fell to the floor, baffled at the realisation Teleth was laughing. A Dragon's delight was so… alien. "Oh Imperial, if you succeed, those fools would never leave you be. Or me if I become a part of this, but this is worth it if I can be free. Tell me Imperial what do you need of Teleth for your scheme."

A sly grin flickered across Nikolai's features [I told the Emperor it would work]. With a flourish of Nezgrom, he tapped the Dragon's snout, ignoring the burst of noxious air raised by Teleth's snort.

"I need you." He declared grandly. "Well. What's left of you."]]

[With this Divine blood I've taken five steps back, but it's also opened up some new options which I have to discuss with the Emperor when I see him next.]

"…Morales. Are you ok Master Morales?" Terebov's voice woke Nikolai from his memories and he blinked, turning to face the tense librarian.

"Sorry. Was lost somewhere. You were asking something?"

"I was saying the Grand Duke summoned you and you need to hurry." He gestured at a young page wearing the silver livery of House Suzdal. Nikolai sat up, eyebrows shooting up at the boy anxiously hopping in place.

"What happened?"

"There was an attempt on Korozhev Orlov's life." Terebov said, face twisted in confusion. "He's survived, but the Capital is on fire. The Fourth Prince is demanding an investigation and Grand Duke Orlov is declaring he will march an army into the streets of the Capital to hunt for the assassin. The news just broke, but the Count's letter came along with it. He suspects foreign influence. Senroan influence specifically. Border posts are on alert and the fourth legion has been deployed to the east already."

Nikolai sprang up and followed the page quickly. [Who's mad enough to assassinate a Tribune-Elect. Have they forgotten the Blood Count?]