Happiness was a simple thing. It was a strong bed, comfortable food, and a hot drink. Or was it a comfortable bed, hot food and a strong drink? Sometimes Zel forgot. He\u2019d slept out in the open, through blizzards with not much more than a sleeping bag, or right behind the front lines as a battle continued into the night too many times to count. He was used to deprivation.<\/p>\n
So why was he so grumpy waking up in the morning these days? He had a soft bed with silk<\/em> sheets of all things, rooms heated with magic runes, and a breakfast that had been prepared by a [Chef]. But he didn\u2019t like it. Zel had grown used to waking up to the smell of pancakes cooking, walking downstairs and eating his food while a small white Gnoll peered at him over the table and stole scraps from his plate.<\/p>\n That was happiness. This? This was just a place where he lived at the moment. And yet, Zel knew it was his fault. He couldn\u2019t handle being under the same roof as the Goblins. Was he too old to change? Or perhaps he had taken the easy excuse. Living once again in Peslas\u2019 inn made it all too easy to leave.<\/p>\n Still, he\u2019d miss this city. Zel sighed as he strode towards the city hall for another interminable meeting with Liscor\u2019s Council. Like any good soldier, he was there right when he was supposed to be\u2014early, in fact. The other Drakes lacked military discipline. All except for one.<\/p>\n Ilvriss was reclining in one of the padded chairs he\u2019d insisted be brought in, covering his eyes and rubbing at his forehead. He winced as Zel closed the door with a soft click.<\/p>\n \u201cShivertail, don\u2019t think so loudly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been drinking again.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel looked disapprovingly at the Lord of the Wall. Ilvriss only shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cIncorrect. I hadn\u2019t stopped since we last spoke.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is your point, precisely?\u201d<\/p>\n The other Drake opened one bloodshot eye. Zel shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to stop this. I understand your grief, but giving in to it isn\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I ask for your advice, Shivertail, I will ask.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss turned his head away and closed his eyes. The conversation ended abruptly. Zel sighed to himself, but the [General] didn\u2019t try to continue speaking. What was the point? The Lord of the Wall had reached the end of his quest. He\u2019d found who\u2019d killed his lieutenant, Periss. Ryoka Griffin had told him.<\/p>\n Az\u2019kerash. The [Necromancer]. The thought that he\u2019d survived made Zel clench his fists together. He was a danger. Now he saw more fully the grand plan that had led him to meet Ryoka in the forest, and coincided with her being the target of undead assassins\u2014for that was what they had surely been\u2014in Liscor. Normally, the news would have Ilvriss alert and making plans to defend his beloved Walled City as well. But\u2014<\/p>\n Zel looked over at Ilvriss. The Drake was slumped over in his chair, cradling his head. Gone was the disciplined, arrogant front the Wall Lord had worn at all times. The truth of Periss\u2019 death might have been necessary, but it had snuffed the burning fire in Ilvriss\u2019 heart and left only mourning. He had drunk himself into despondency.<\/p>\n \u201cYou truly did love her, it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Drake\u2019s head rose slowly, not looking at Zel.<\/p>\n \u201cLove her? I would have married her if she didn\u2019t think it was beneath my station.\u201d<\/p>\n That surprised Zel. He would have expected any other confession to come out of Ilvriss\u2019 mouth. He waited as Ilvriss went on, speaking slowly in the silent room.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe she\u2019d died. I thought that Runner girl had to have been an [Assassin], one of my enemies plotting against me. I could have believed that she had been killed to hurt me, to hurt my city. But as an accident? She just followed that Human and died because\u2014because I ordered it? Over a petty incident?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n Empty words. Zel grimaced as he said them. Ilvriss\u2019 glance told him that everyone had said the same thing. The [General] tapped a claw on the table.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I mean to say is that her death matters, Ilvriss. We know who the enemy is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. The Necromancer. Holed up in a castle in the middle of nowhere, forming an undead army. Sending his\u2026servants out to eliminate his enemies under disguises.\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, reassuringly, Ilvriss\u2019 brows came together. He shook his head and winced.<\/p>\n \u201cPieces, Shivertail. It feels as though I can see part of the spider\u2019s web around me. I\u2019d heard of freak deaths, the disappearance of a good friend\u2014assassinations. All that is usual in our world, but now I think of every one and wonder\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Zel nodded. Was it Az\u2019kerash, weakening the Drakes? How long had his spies been moving? Looking at the history of Regrika Blackpaw, it truly did seem like she\u2019d sprung out of nowhere a few years back. Everyone had a story of her past exploits, but send a [Message] spell to ask for the source of it and there was no record of her ever being born to the Blackpaw tribe, or of her growing up. He\u2019d already begun to look into her travels and noticed the pattern of deaths or \u2018accidents\u2019 following her around.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to spread the word. Carefully. Miss Ryoka Griffin\u2019s life and the lives of other innocents are at risk if we do not keep the secret. Not to mention we might force the enemy into acting before we are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo not tell me my business, Shivertail. I will reach out to my allies. Which I have done. Subtly. But also do not presume to lecture me now. I am grieving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThrough the bottom of a mug?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I must!\u201d<\/p>\n The two Drakes glared at each other as Ilvriss half-rose out of his chair. The door opened. Olesm walked in, precisely on time, juggling a sheaf of papers.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, am I late? I was just receiving the latest reports from the Mage\u2019s Guild and the [Scribe] was delayed\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all. In fact, no one else has turned up.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel nodded to Ilvriss as Olesm hurried to a seat opposite the two Drakes. Olesm bobbed his head awkwardly to the two of them, looking intimidated at being alone with two famous Drakes. Zel knew better than to try and strike up small chat; instead, he leaned over towards Ilvriss and hissed at him under his breath.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least keep him out of your drinking sessions. Some of these young Drakes work hard for the future of the city and don\u2019t need you stepping on their tails and holding them back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI care about the next generation, Shivertail. Don\u2019t lecture me\u2014and besides, we were celebrating young Swifttail. He reached Level 28 yesterday!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo soon? That\u2019s impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a mind to recommend his name when I return to Salazsar. He\u2019s wasted here, and if he joins that army of sellswords he\u2019ll languish there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel grimaced at Ilvriss\u2019 jab at Liscor\u2019s army. He had been a close friend and student of General Sserys, former [General] of Liscor and leader of the famed mercenary army. He couldn\u2019t deny that the army had suffered in the decades since then, but it felt disrespectful to his mentor\u2019s memory to agree.<\/p>\n Changing the subject, he glanced at Olesm. The papers he was spreading out could only mean one thing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s news from Esthelm at last, Olesm?\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm jumped and nearly dropped the papers he was spreading around.<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir! It came in just as I was checking this morning. I brought it here right away and sent Street Runners to gather the Council. I hope I wasn\u2019t being presumptuous?\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss smiled at Olesm and waved a languid claw.<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all. I\u2019m sure that General Shivertail appreciates your forward thinking and quick action, as do I. But tell us, what is the news? I don\u2019t feel like waiting for the rest of the Council to drag themselves out of their beds.\u201d<\/p>\n He and Zel exchanged a grimace. The Council in Liscor was made up of various Guild heads and what passed for politicians in the city, but given Liscor\u2019s relative isolation, they were hardly a premier group of leaders. Liscor generally trusted to its natural geographical defenses and strong walls as well as its powerful army to deter threats, and hadn\u2019t suffered a real crisis since the last Antinium War. Olesm nodded and glanced towards the windows.<\/p>\n \u201cZevara, that is to say, the Watch Captain, seems to be delayed. I think she got a report and is relaying it to Klbkch, that is to say, the representative of the Hive\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He coughed, glancing anxiously towards Zel and Ilvriss. Zel suppressed any reaction and nodded mildly.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand. If you don\u2019t mind repeating the message, you can give us the short version now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly. To summarize, we finally received a message from Esthelm\u2026a day and a half since the Goblin Lord was predicted to have passed by its walls. It seems that delay was unavoidable\u2014every tail has been needed to tend to the wounded.\u201d<\/p>\n The two Drakes exchanged a glance. Zel frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cDire news. But the fact that there are<\/em> wounded seems to indicate they survived the Goblin Lord\u2019s passing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir. I have the full report here, but to summarize, the Goblin Lord assailed their walls with a portion of his force as his army marched by, was repulsed, and left Esthelm alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIntriguing. I wouldn\u2019t have thought he\u2019d leave any city standing, much less one as poorly defended as Esthelm.\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss frowned as he accepted a parchment detailing the battle. Zel frowned at it, but nodded slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it falls with what Olesm predicted, Ilvriss. Esthelm\u2019s citizens were ready to fight\u2014nearly all of them have combat classes now, and the Antinium repaired their walls. Add that to the fact that there\u2019s really not much for the Goblin Lord to take a second time, and it\u2019s a fairly unappetizing target.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm nodded and coughed again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt, uh, seems that way, General Shivertail. However, Esthelm had to prove that it wasn\u2019t going to be taken so easily. They had to fight off several waves of Goblins and make them pay for each foothold they established before the attacking force dispersed. The casualties\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA quarter dead and over half the population wounded in some way. I see.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel closed his eyes, imagining the carnage. The Humans had held their city, kept it, but at a terrible price. He pushed the parchment back and looked at Ilvriss. The Drake was grimacing, rubbing at his temples.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems we\u2019ll have a quick meeting. There\u2019s not much we can do but wait for reinforcements from Liscor\u2019s army and the second suppression force to arrive. And that will take a week at least.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll have to repeat that six ways before the Council\u2019s reassured, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel grimaced and Ilvriss growled some very insulting words about \u2018spineless slug-like lizards\u2019 under his breath. Meetings with Liscor\u2019s Council were never easy. But then Zel smiled as he thought of his news.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, perhaps the meeting will be long, but I will leave it to you and Ilvriss to sort out. And I must apologize in advance, because the Council probably will take a great deal of reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd why\u2019s that? If you\u2019re intending to leave, Shivertail\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid that\u2019s just it, Ilvriss. I received a letter earlier this day through Celum.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss broke off his angry snapping at Zel. The [General] stood up, and smiled. He controlled the trembling in his claws and tail as he looked casually at Olesm, who was staring at him with wide eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease explain it to the Council like this, Olesm. I\u2019m leaving. I have a meeting with someone further north. I\u2019ll be traveling to Celum, and then, hopefully, further north even than that. I\u2019m aware of the dangers of the Goblin Lord and the Humans, but it\u2019s a risk I\u2019m willing to take.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Both Drakes shot to their feet. Well, Ilvriss. Olesm had already been standing. The Wall Lord stared at Zel in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you go north, half of those damn Humans will interpret it as an act of war! A Drake [General] hasn\u2019t gone past Liscor since\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe last Antinium War. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel looked around the room calmly. He glanced towards the door and saw it open. Watch Captain Zevara strode in, looking breathless. She saluted as she saw Zel Shivertail.<\/p>\n \u201cGeneral Shivertail, I apologize for my delay. Is\u2014is the rest of the Council not here yet?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked incredulous and disgusted.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll send guardsmen to rouse them at once. My apologies\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Watch Captain Zevara. But please, you might want to wait a moment. I was just telling the others that I was leaving the city.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLeaving the\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Zel Shivertail smiled and straightened. The other Drakes were staring at him, and his heart was pounding wildly. But now he\u2019d said it. It was too late to turn his tail and make another choice. He looked around the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going. Don\u2019t worry Ilvriss; I\u2019m still concerned with the Goblin Lord\u2019s threat and\u2014other matters. But I\u2019m going to tackle it my way. I\u2019m going north. To meet with someone.\u201d<\/p>\n The room was silent. Ilvriss stared at Zel, and his eyes slowly narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake [General] grinned at the Lord of the Wall as if he were two decades younger. Zel turned and strode out of the room without replying. The room was silent for two thundering heartbeats after he\u2019d closed the door, and then all three Drakes charged after him. But it was too late. Zel was already running for the gates.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In Liscor, a Drake [General] ran towards an inn and reappeared in a Human city nearly a hundred miles north in moments. That was a small miracle of transportation. However, once in Celum, Zel Shivertail\u2019s ability to travel would be severely reduced. No other city had magical doors from a bygone era lying about, and if he wanted to travel with magic, Zel would find his options severely limited.<\/p>\n If you wanted to move fast, you had a few very improbable choices available to you. It was, in theory, possible to teleport people hundreds or thousands of miles, but only a few very high-level mages could do that. In fact, the most common use of teleportation was sending hand-sized parcels from one continent to another. That was the limit of most mages\u2019 abilities. If you wanted to teleport a person from Chandrar to Terandria, for example, you\u2019d need a group of skilled [Mages]. Or an Archmage.<\/p>\n And if you didn\u2019t have access to that many mages, there were only limited and ancient scrolls or magical artifacts that could help you. Scrolls of long distance teleportation were rarer than moon diamonds, however, and not to be used lightly. A powerful kingdom might hoard such artifacts for the most important of circumstances for generations.<\/p>\n So if there wasn\u2019t magic, how else could one travel? By horseback? Wagon? By air? It was true that there were species that could fly, like the Garuda in Chandrar, but such travel was dangerous and highly impractical for other species. As for horses\u2014yes, a [Rider] with high levels could travel at speed, and a [Caravaneer] might possess Skills that allowed him to travel at faster speeds, but the stark truth of it was that the size of Izril and indeed, the world, meant that travelling across a continent took weeks or months.<\/p>\n To move faster was an impossibility for almost everyone. Even famous [Mages] and celebrities would travel by carriage, where levels and magical wheels would allow them to reach up to a hundred miles per day. That was the limit of this world. Few could move faster. No one. Why, you\u2019d need a Pegasus to go faster, and they were all extinct! You\u2019d have to ride a Dragon\u2019s back, or cast the [Fly] spell. Or ride a magical carriage.<\/p>\n Far to the north of Celum, hundreds of miles north in fact, a bright pink carriage shot down a small road meant for foot travel. The carriage was large, grandly ornamented with gold and careful woodwork embellished by some long-dead master carpenter, and now, casually painted over with eye-searing pink. Four misty, semi-translucent horses pulled the carriage, running faster than any living horse in existence.<\/p>\n The carriage barreled down the dirt path, weaving to follow the curving road, almost soundless thanks to the magic enchanting it. And there was a lot of magic on the carriage. Without it, the vehicle would never have survived the speed of the journey, or managed to turn as nimbly as it did in response to the driver\u2019s movements.<\/p>\n A young man wheeling a handcart was heading down the road in the opposite direction, pushing a few sacks of produce or something else ahead of him and not looking where he was going. Why should he? Aside from monsters, bandits, or the uncertain nature of causality, he was perfectly safe. After all, there were no such thing as cars in this world.<\/p>\n The magical carriage drifted around a bend in the dirt road, shooting out behind a line of trees, a blur of pink death. The young man had only a moment to look up and see it coming at him, faster than thought. He put up his hands and screamed his last words\u2014<\/p>\n Seconds after the carriage had shot past him, moving off the road for a split-second and continuing its mad course across the countryside. The young man stood where he was, frozen in fear. He would later abandon his cart and suffer recurring nightmares and maintain a distinct aversion to all things pink for years afterwards. But he was only one obstacle in the road, one skillfully avoided by the magical carriage\u2019s driver.<\/p>\n And it was notable that this famed carriage, belonging to none other than Magnolia Reinhart, did not<\/em> routinely run over pedestrians. In fact, it was known for only being decorated with the blood of bandits or monsters. Aside from the heart-stopping fright it generated, people who had seen it travelling reasoned it was safe. After all, who would be so foolish as to enchant a coach to move that fast and not<\/em> give it the ability to avoid collisions?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBlood on my grave, that was close<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold muttered to himself as he turned the coach down the road, shooting past a quiet village. The world blurred around him, and the freezing wind blew hard at him as he sat on the driver\u2019s seat of Magnolia\u2019s pink carriage. Only the magical enchantments kept him from shivering in his butler\u2019s uniform.<\/p>\n \u201cReynold? We\u2019ve slowed. Is everything alright?\u201d<\/p>\n A voice came from the carriage behind him, and the sliding panel connecting him to the interior slid open a fraction. Reynold coughed and raised his voice to be heard.<\/p>\n \u201cMy apologies Lady Reinhart. We\u2019re passing by a village and I must navigate us over a river.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, bridges. How tiring. Thank you, I completely understand.\u201d<\/p>\n The panel slid shut. Reynold didn\u2019t have to look behind him to know that it had been Ressa who\u2019d both opened the panel and closed it. The silent [Head Maid] who accompanied her mistress everywhere was as quiet as a falling leaf when she wanted to be. In fact, she could be right behind him and Reynold wouldn\u2019t notice. It had happened before.<\/p>\n Part of Reynold wanted to turn his head, but he didn\u2019t dare look away as he guided the coach over a small footbridge that left bare inches on either side for the wheels\u2014all at a speed a bit faster than Ryoka could run. The horses and, indeed, wheels of the carriage turned precisely as he adjusted the reins in his hand\u2014moving as much from his mental orders as his physical motions.<\/p>\n Reynold cleared the bridge, scanned the road quickly, and accelerated to a velocity that would have left the average unladen swallow, European or otherwise, far behind in the dust. The world blurred into a tunnel once again and Reynold could only trust to his Skills and his reflexes to spot obstacles on the road ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cReynold?\u201d<\/p>\n The panel slid open as Reynold guided the carriage out of the forest and upwards towards a hill. He cursed as he spotted rocky terrain ahead and whispered a word.<\/p>\n \u201c[Flying Wheels]\u2014yes, Lady Reinhart?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have some delightful<\/em> pastries here, and Ressa tells me I\u2019m not allowed to eat them all in one sitting. Would you like one?\u201d<\/p>\n The carriage\u2019s wheels rose off the ground and shot over the rocks in front of them, climbing effortlessly as Reynold tried to find the best incline that wouldn\u2019t send them crashing into the hillside. His knuckles were white on the reins as he sent the coach upwards at dizzying speeds, but his voice was level and only a bit high-pitched as he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are most kind Lady Reinhart, but I, ah, am quite satisfied at the moment. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA pity. Ressa will have to eat them I suppose, or my other guests. Oh, we are travelling upwards, aren\u2019t we? Reynold, make us fly, won\u2019t you? I do enjoy that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Lady Reinhart.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold nearly screamed. Instead of decelerating as he crested the top of the hill, he willed the carriage to go faster. The pink coach shot over the top of the hill and flew<\/em> through the air for several heart-stopping seconds. Reynold heard a delighted laugh from the carriage behind him as he spoke a hurried word, activating another enchantment.<\/p>\n \u201c[Featherfall]. [Featherfall<\/em>]!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, he saw the world approaching below him. Reynold jerked the reins and the coach smoothly turned left, avoiding a rock and a lake, returning to ground, and finding the road again. He breathed a sigh of relief, and then spoke another word.<\/p>\n \u201c[Grounded Wheels].\u201d<\/p>\n There was a slight rumble and increased traction as the wheels met solid earth again. Now they were on a straightaway headed through some flat, lovely, open<\/em> plains. Reynold could have cried in relief. He turned, and nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw Ressa standing next to him. The [Maid] had climbed out<\/em> of the carriage\u2019s door and to the front without him hearing a thing.<\/p>\n \u201cReynold.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Miss Ressa?\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold\u2019s eyes jerked ahead of him as Ressa\u2019s low voice spoke in his ears. The [Maid] eyed the road ahead and nodded to the magical horses pulling them ever faster.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t use the [Flying Wheels] enchantment if Lady Magnolia asks again. It wastes magical energy and we don\u2019t have time to spend recharging the mana stones more than necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Miss Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpoilsport!\u201d<\/p>\n An indignant voice called from within. Reynold breathed a sigh of relief as Ressa turned and pulled herself back into the carriage. He heard them talking for a second.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re close to our destination. It looks like thirty minutes more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent. I\u2019m tired of sitting and I could use a chance to stretch my legs before the next trip. Also, I\u2019d like lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt should be ready by the time we arrive. Without tea, this time. You don\u2019t need to have that much sugar and we don\u2019t have time to stop and let you pee every fifteen minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat<\/em> was a poor batch of tea, Ressa. Honestly, it happened once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it won\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n The panel slid shut and Reynold breathed a sigh of relief. He guided the carriage onwards, spraying mud and snow as he travelled across the countryside. Not the roads\u2014even in winter, colliding with an errant traveler was too likely. He kept his head scanning the horizon for threats, points of interest, and to make sure he was going the right way.<\/p>\n This was his job. He was a [Butler], one of the many servants in the Reinhart employ. But he was also one of Lady Magnolia\u2019s personal aides, which meant that he had\u2026other\u2026competencies. One of them was driving this carriage.<\/p>\n No one else could do it at this speed, which is why Reynold had driven north to escort Lady Magnolia wherever she needed to go. Also, Reynold was a long-time servant to Lady Magnolia, and Ressa had personally approved his ability to be discreet in all situations. That was a very important quality to have, Reynold knew. Lady Magnolia\u2019s bathroom habits were the least of the secrets he sometimes heard.<\/p>\n The carriage eventually drew close to a large city, and Reynold was relieved to finally slow to something less than death-speed. However, he didn\u2019t have the luxury of driving into the city and being forced to obey the speed of local traffic\u2014no, Magnolia Reinhart was far too busy for that.<\/p>\n She had an estate on the outskirts of this city. She had estates everywhere, but this one was rather small and not meant as a place for her to stay in. Rather, a delegation of [Maids] and other servants was already waiting for the carriage as Reynold stopped it in the middle of the frozen road outside the villa.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we here? Good!\u201d<\/p>\n The door opened and Magnolia hopped out before Ressa or Reynold could open the door or lower the half-step. Magnolia stretched and Reynold carefully dismounted as well, surreptitiously stretching his tense lower back as Ressa emerged.<\/p>\n \u201cFood, fuel. Reynold will handle it. Now, are Lady Bethal and the Chevalier Thomast here? I trust they are being entertained.\u201d<\/p>\n Frightened servants parted like a wave before her, and both women strode into the villa. Reynold sagged for a moment, and then waved at one of the [Maids] hurrying towards him at the head of a small procession. He knew her; his job meant he was acquainted with most of Magnolia\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n \u201cJanica, greetings. Tell me that\u2019s hot bacon I keep smelling? I\u2019m half frozen and I could use a bite to eat. And I think the mana stones on the coach need replacing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can have it on the road! Not now, you glutton! You need to show me and the others how to replace the stones\u2014I can\u2019t remember how and you\u2019re the only expert.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Maid], Janica, slapped Reynold\u2019s hands away from the basket she was holding. The other servants nodded to Reynold deferentially\u2014he outranked them all as one of Magnolia\u2019s special [Butlers]. The [Manservants], [Porters], and generic [Servants] descended on the coach. Reynold sighed as he walked around to the back of the carriage and pulled out a large key. He unlatched a hidden compartment on the back and turned to Janica. She was an older woman with grey hair, but she peered keenly inside the inner workings of the carriage as if she were a girl seeing her first artifact.<\/p>\n \u201cIt always amazes me to see how it works! You say an Archmage invented this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApparently. It\u2019s all runes and spellcraft to me, but here\u2019s where the mana stones go. Hold on, are these all certified to have the maximum charge?\u201d<\/p>\n The large, hand-sized gems presented to Reynold on a soft pillow were some of the most expensive objects in the world. He tiredly grabbed them and popped the ones in the carriage out of their sockets with an experienced hand. The [Porter] with the pillow trembled as Reynold placed two of the nearly spent mana stones on the pillow. One was a ruby, the other one a perfectly cut emerald.<\/p>\n The process that turned perfect gemstones into vessels for magic made them expensive enough that Gold-rank Adventurers could only afford the smallest of them. The ones that Magnolia Reinhart used for her carriage were beyond the pay grade of most Named Adventurers.<\/p>\n \u201cHave them replenished at the Mage\u2019s Guild. Don\u2019t worry; they know how to do it, although I suspect it will take them a week or more. And these ones will last half a day if I keep travelling. Janica, take pity on me. I\u2019d rather not eat and drive at the same time if I can help it.\u201d<\/p>\n The elderly [Maid] was supervising the loading of the carriage. Reynold could see [Maids] carefully cleaning out any trace of dust or crumbs as platters and neatly-wrapped baskets were placed in the storage compartments above and below where passengers could sit. He coughed.<\/p>\n \u201cPut the written reports under the table. Just there. There\u2019s a compartment. It slides out\u2014hold on, I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n He clambered into the carriage and showed the others where to load some of the supplies. While it was true that Magnolia\u2019s personal carriage ran on mana stones, Reynold personally thought that it ran on two other things as well: food and information.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think she\u2019ll have a chance to read all of this while she speaks with her guests?\u201d<\/p>\n Janica frowned as she straightened a pile of papers before placing it inside the hidden drawer under the table in the center of the carriage. Reynold nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe Ressa will pull it out in the first fifteen minutes. You do know that Lady Reinhart eats and catches up with all her informants from here, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do\u2026but it\u2019s hardly what one expects of her. I mean, she could spend an hour or two in the villa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019d never waste time that way. We can be a hundred miles from here in an hour. Now, about the food?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Maid] sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you. Here. Bacon-wrapped pork loin. Careful with the wrapping\u2014you don\u2019t want to get grease on your suit.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Butler] could have cried as she presented him with a piping-hot delicacy. He did indeed take exquisite care to eat it while gripping the wrapping paper tightly, and to Janica\u2019s disapproval, he scarfed it down in minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly! Do you know how long our [Cook] worked on that, especially when it was requested specially by Lady Reinhart? You should consider yourself privileged that she\u2019s thinking of you, ordering such greasy fare\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs I recall, she wanted it for herself,<\/em> Janica. Is that fresh bread I see? And is there a chance for a drink?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think? Here, I\u2019ve hot spiced wine\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo wine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked taken aback. Reynold smiled at her apologetically.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t drink while driving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, not a drop?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt makes me slower to react. I\u2019ll have hot milk if you have any. Hot water, otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d be a poor [Maid] indeed to let you go off with hot water! You there! Hot milk for Mister Reynold, and be quick about it! I want the coach buffed and polished by the time the [Ladies] return.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold grimaced.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t bother with that. The first puddle we go through, it won\u2019t matter. And you don\u2019t have time for anything more than the milk I think; Lady Reinhart will be here in minutes, never mind her guest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Don\u2019t be silly\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Just as Reynold had predicted, he barely got a hot flask filled with goat\u2019s milk before Lady Magnolia was striding out of the villa, followed by Lady Bethal and the elegant Chevalier Thomast at her side. Forewarned by Reynold, the other servants were standing at attention and the carriage was ready to go. The [Butler] was already in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, thank you Reynold. Lady Bethal, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve met my driver before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have! Reynold, is it? Good day to you, sir. I trust Magnolia isn\u2019t keeping you too busy, what with how she\u2019s been travelling across the continent?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Bethal was all smiles and delicacy\u2014when she wasn\u2019t thorns and fury. Reynold bobbed his head to her politely, recalling the stories of her famous Rose Knights. Thomast nodded to Reynold but remained silent as ever.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my privilege to serve Lady Reinhart and you, Lady Bethal. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, but he is well trained, isn\u2019t he? I could just steal him away to be one of my personal attendants, Magnolia! Perhaps I will!\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s lips quirked up in a smile as Bethal let Thomast help her up into the carriage.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is. Well-trained, that is. I\u2019d take it amiss if you stole him, Bethal. He\u2019s one of the few servants I can rely on, the only one who can get me where I want to go fast enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou say that about all<\/em> of your servants, Magnolia. But I want a [Butler] who can keep up with me! You seem to have monopolized all the best ones.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll the ones with interesting talents, at least. My advice is to train them to be [Butlers], not train [Butlers] to be interesting. Now, let us be off. Reynold, I need you to drop Bethal off by the village of Neunham. You know, the one that was raided by Goblins yesterday? If you need a map, I think we have one. Ressa, where are the maps?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no need, Lady Reinhart. I know the way. We will be there in about two hours by my rough estimation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent.\u201d<\/p>\n The door slammed shut. Janica barely had time to bow with the other servants before Reynold accelerated the coach out of the villa\u2019s gates and into the snowy plains again. He sipped from his canteen, feeling the warmth in his cold body. With one hand, Reynold put down the canteen and fished around in the wrapped basket next to him. He felt something warm and pulled it up, sniffing at it.<\/p>\n \u201cHot rolls? With butter? You are a lifesaver, Janica.\u201d<\/p>\n He ate, carefully guiding the coach onwards. It was cold outside, and the food kept him feeling alive. Inside, he could hear the muted buzz of conversation. Ironically, for all the enchantments, there wasn\u2019t a spell of silence within the coach, so Reynold could pick out bits of conversation.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026had my Rose Knights head out two days ago, and I sent them a [Message] spell to gather at that village. Of course, I hardly want to camp out longer than necessary, so I was relieved you were picking me up.\u201d<\/p>\n That was Lady Bethal. Reynold listened with half an ear as he drove westward and south. One of the things that made him a capable driver was his knowledge of the continent. He could plot a route to Neunham in his head. He heard Lady Magnolia laugh lightly and reply, sounding slightly muffled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the least I can do, Bethal. Especially since you\u2019re doing me a favor and sorting out that problem. But you don\u2019t have to go with your knights in person.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense! If I\u2019m not there, how will I know if they\u2019ve done their jobs? Besides, it is a mission of gallantry and I wouldn\u2019t pass up the opportunity to see my Thomast fight for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs you wish. I have to attend to business, but I will send a carriage to pick you up whenever you are done. Please do stay in touch via [Message] spell, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. But isn\u2019t that large army you\u2019ve gathered north of here? I\u2019d have thought you would have stayed north to lead them towards the Goblin Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hardly feel the need to lead an army myself. That\u2019s what officers are for. The soldiers are heading this way on their own. I\u2019ll meet them when they arrive, and I have business in Invrisil\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? What about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm. I had a report from one of my servants that troubles me. Ressa, do pull out the reports. Anything from Sacra?\u201d<\/p>\n Sacra? Reynold frowned. He knew Sacra\u2014she was one of Magnolia\u2019s special servants, like him. Only her specialty was undercover work. She\u2019d trailed Ryoka back in Invrisil and he hadn\u2019t seen her in the mansion after that, so he\u2019d assumed she was carrying out one of Lady Reinhart\u2019s requests. She was very good both in combat and in disguising herself; she\u2019d been furious that Ryoka had managed to identify her so easily.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing else, Lady Reinhart. Although there is a report about the, ah, adventuring group you\u2019re patronizing and Esthelm\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEsthelm?<\/em> Dead gods Ressa, forget the children. Tell me, is the city standing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBarely. It seems the Goblin Lord was repulsed a day and a half ago, but casualties are high\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSend gold and more help through Celum if possible, and add that to my list of things to discuss with Liscor\u2019s Council. I will have to do that today\u2014ah, how infuriating. At least there is the door. Bethal, have you heard about this? Some adventurers found a magical door<\/em> of all things, and you\u2019ll never guess what it does. It teleports people, so they somehow managed to create a link between Celum and Liscor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy word! And the Drakes allowed it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe they had a choice. It\u2019s in an inn, you see, just outside of the city\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold mumbled to himself around another mouthful of bread. He nearly choked and washed the food down with milk. He drove on, half-listening as the voices talked on of plans. But in time, he stopped listening. There were some things he preferred not to know as a butler, and the rushing world around him was peaceful. Reynold sat as the wind howled silently outside of the carriage, feeling the cold around him, hovering on that delightful edge where warmth and cold made him appreciate every layer he had on.<\/p>\n He felt alive.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n An hour and a half later, Reynold slowed and Lady Bethal and Thomast left the carriage in front of a village that had clearly seen fighting. Reynold knew combat, and he could see a story in the way the gates had been smashed open. But there was even more of a story in the dead bodies hanging from the roofs of houses. The villagers had managed to cut some down, but a few bodies remained and the ropes showed how many had been there.<\/p>\n \u201cTroubling. I hope Bethal can sort it out.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia murmured to herself as she stared into the village with angry eyes. Ressa looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou doubt she can?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think she might grow bored if she can\u2019t find the attackers within the next few days. If she does, they die. If not, we add this group to the list of targets. Reynold, take us away. To Invrisil.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Butler] had been staring at the carnage and remembering the past. He broke out of his trance and grabbed the reins.<\/p>\n \u201cAt once, Lady Magnolia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Invrisil was a hop and a skip away from Neunham in terms of distance, but the journey was extremely taxing given how many people filled the roads even in the winter, even with Goblins about. Reynold had to slow the coach and work hard on avoiding hitting anything. His driver\u2019s job was mentally and physically exhausting, and so he was very, very grateful when he sped into the grounds of Lady Magnolia\u2019s mansion.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re back!\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia was all smiles as she walked up the stairs to her estate. There was no welcoming line of bowing servants as was customary in the main Reinhart estate; Magnolia and Ressa were of the opinion that it wasted time for everyone involved, and was particularly unkind in the cold weather.<\/p>\n Reynold parked the carriage in the stables, rubbing his hands together as the cold caught up with him. He hurried through the back entrance and found one of the stable boys waiting.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the mana stones need replacing, Jefry. They\u2019re fairly new, but if Lady Reinhart has me driving about, I don\u2019t want to have to rely on the spares or hope that we pass by one of her estates.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m on it.\u201d<\/p>\n The young boy slipped into the cold without fear of the chill, something which the older Reynold envied. He hurried further into the mansion, greeting maids, and heading towards the kitchens. He dearly wanted something hot to drink and something to snack on while he sat and rested. He was exhausted from driving; it took a high toll on his nerves.<\/p>\n He never got there. One of the [Maids] he knew well\u2014a Gnoll named Bekia\u2014was just whispering to him that Sacra had come galloping back towards the mansion with important news she dared not send by [Message] spell a week ago when he heard Magnolia\u2019s voice echoing from her personal sitting room.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a what <\/em>living on my continent!?\u201d<\/p>\n Every servant in the halls winced and some ducked. Reynold and Bekia hovered closer to the door Magnolia was shouting from behind. They heard her voice and Sacra\u2019s muffled reply.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a small village? Riverfarm?<\/em> Where is that?<\/em> How long ago\u2014what\u2019s this about Lady Rie? Why didn\u2019t anyone mention\u2014this morning? How long ago?\u201d<\/p>\n The door burst open. Reynold saw Lady Magnolia striding towards him, Sacra meekly following behind, and Ressa following back after both of them. Magnolia snapped at Reynold as he was bowing.<\/p>\n \u201cTo Lady Rie Valerund\u2019s estate, Reynold. Quickly!\u201d<\/p>\n Another trip. Reynold groaned inside, but raced out into the stables to get Jefry to prepare the carriage. In minutes he was driving out into the cold again. He hadn\u2019t even gotten a chance to sit down.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHere we are, Lady Magnolia.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold was cold and sore from sitting for so long, and very tired despite it being only just past midmorning. But he\u2019d been driving since before dawn, so that was excusable. Magnolia burst out of her carriage and took one look around the destroyed town and then turned towards the mansion at the top of the hill.<\/p>\n \u201cDamaged, but intact. I assume Lady Rie is alive. She had better be, or I will hold every adventurer here accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a large group of Silver and Gold-rank adventurers present, many still on horseback. They had prevented Reynold from getting any closer to the mansion, but as they turned and saw Lady Magnolia, they parted like the sea as she strode through the town.<\/p>\n Reynold followed, after finding a place to park the carriage. Sacra hopped down from the front. At least he\u2019d had company on the drive here, and she\u2019d caught him up with the incredible story of her undercover mission to find out exactly who the stranger that Ryoka had met with was. Reynold could hardly believe it. An [Emperor]? Here?<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure he\u2019s not some [Lord] or a\u2014an [Earl] or something, right Sacra?\u201d<\/p>\n She glared at him. The woman who called herself Odveig and pretended to be a simple Silver-rank adventurer looked completely different from the austere [Maid] dressed in her uniform who strode after Lady Magnolia. Her voice was waspish as she replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure. I don\u2019t make mistakes and it\u2019s not like he concealed the fact, Reynold. And you met him as well\u2014didn\u2019t you feel he was special?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but, well, an [Emperor]?<\/em> Truly?\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold shook his head. He could remember the urge to bow before Laken Godart, but as for the rest\u2026he picked up his pace as he heard Magnolia shout in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is Lady Rie Valerund?\u201d<\/p>\n Hands pointed. Magnolia strode up to the damaged double doors of the mansion. The enchanted wood that had held back hordes of Goblins parted in an instant before her. Reynold strode inside after her and saw a woman in a gown overseeing her servants. They were packing everything of value in the mansion.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rie! A word.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia walked towards her and the other [Lady] turned. Servants, curious adventurers, and the guards who had followed her froze in place. They couldn\u2019t help it. Only Reynold, Sacra, Ressa, and Rie herself could move. Magnolia studied the preparations for flight and smiled at Lady Rie.<\/p>\n \u201cMy apologies, Lady Rie. I did not receive your message until just now. I am delighted to see you well, but what is all this? You are leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLady Reinhart.\u201d<\/p>\n Rie\u2019s voice was cool, but Reynold had met enough [Lords] and [Ladies] to tell that Lady Rie was pressured by Magnolia\u2019s appearance in person. She was a low-level [Lady] and Magnolia was the biggest shark in the ocean. She gestured to the frozen people around her.<\/p>\n \u201cI regret to say that I no longer consider my home safe after the Goblin attack. I would have been dead but for the intervention of a certain man. Have you, ah, heard of an individual known as Laken Godart?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia\u2019s smile was sharp and bright.<\/p>\n \u201cI have just now. I would love<\/em> to hear about him. Why don\u2019t we sit in what is left of your parlor and talk? Ressa, find us some chairs.\u201d<\/p>\n She swept Lady Rie towards the parlor, and only now did the people around her find the ability to move their legs again. Ressa headed after the two [Ladies], but a man broke away from the crowd, seemingly determined to go after them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou there. Refrain from interrupting Lady Magnolia.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa interposed herself between the man and Magnolia in an instant. The big man, who was bald and wearing armor, slowed. He ducked his head.<\/p>\n \u201cPardon me, Miss, but I am Lady Rie\u2019s Captain of the Guard. I should be with her if\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t finish the thought, but left the rest unspoken. If Lady Magnolia, famed for her temper, decided to do something. The Reinharts were feared not only for their power, but for their role as arbiters and enforcers of their law across the continent. Ressa frowned at him and looked towards Reynold and Sacra.<\/p>\n The two servants leapt into motion without a word. Reynold intercepted the Captain of the Guard, adroitly pivoting the big bald man out of Lady Magnolia\u2019s path before the man quite knew what was happening.<\/p>\n \u201cPardon me sir. May I know your name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, Geram. But I have to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy apologies, Captain Geram. I am Reynold, a [Butler] in the employ of Lady Reinhart. I assure you that she intends only to speak with Lady Rie on a number of pressing matters. Such discussions are best left to the nobility, however, without personal interference.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you sit here, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Sacra didn\u2019t quite kick the legs out from under Geram, but he found himself sitting, and, suddenly, holding a cup of tea. Reynold and Sacra hovered around him, and the [Maid] whispered to Reynold.<\/p>\n \u201cReynold, I have to go to Lady Reinhart. She\u2019ll probably want my opinion. Can you handle him?\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded and Sacra briskly stepped into the mansion. The big man, Geram, bit his lip.<\/p>\n \u201cI should be at Lady Rie\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurely not for a simple discussion, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Geram hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cShe and Lady Magnolia are uh\u2014I\u2019m sure Lady Reinhart is well thought of, but Lady Rie is a bit\u2014bit\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Frightened of her. And for good reason. But you\u2019d only cause more trouble, going in.<\/em> Reynold bit his tongue on the rest of the words and smiled politely.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sure Lady Rie will rise to the occasion, Captain Geram. But while I have you, may I ask what transpired here? I see you have fought off an attack. Was this all the doing of Goblins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoblins? Uh\u2014yes. Yes they were. We would have been got by them surely as I\u2019m sitting here, if not for Emperor Laken.\u201d<\/p>\n Emperor Laken.<\/em> Reynold winced internally. Lady Magnolia would not<\/em> be happy about that. And true enough, she wasn\u2019t. In fact, she began shouting.<\/p>\n It took some doing to restrain Geram\u2014Reynold succeeded mainly by getting the man to have a drink and telling him that if he did<\/em> interfere, Magnolia Reinhart would put him into a box and leave him there. Whether in pieces or intact would probably depend on her worsening mood.<\/p>\n After about an hour\u2019s time, someone came out of the parlor and headed straight for Reynold as he was miserably drinking water while Geram slowly finished a third cup of strong spirits. Reynold stood up at once as Ressa approached him. The [Head Maid] was holding a [Message] scroll and scowling, which never boded well.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Ressa, is something amiss?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded curtly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a problem, Reynold. You will have to take the carriage and head south. Towards Celum.\u201d<\/p>\n Celum?<\/em> If it hadn\u2019t been for his [Butler] class, Reynold would have groaned aloud. That was a day\u2019s journey and a hard drive even if he was full of energy, which he was not. He was hungry, cold, tired, and his butt hurt. But Ressa was clearly impatient. He hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cAm I to understand that I will leave you and Lady Magnolia behind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s correct. We will send for another form of transport and make the journey back to Invrisil where we will await you.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cBut surely we could send the other carriage\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia Reinhart possessed two magical carriages, where most kingdoms didn\u2019t have one. Her personal carriage was maintained at all costs; the other one was powerful, but often suffered from a lack of resources and [Mages] of the caliber needed to fix it. Either one was far, far faster than any other form of transport, however, which is why he was surprised he had to take Magnolia\u2019s personal carriage. But Ressa just shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cThe other carriage refuses to start. There must be something wrong with the enchantments.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Butler]\u2019s heart sank.<\/p>\n \u201cAgain? I could drive back and see if I could\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. The carriage was supposed to pick up a very important guest. You need to drive to Celum and pick up the traveler\u2014he will be waiting with a red cloak and you will recognize him on sight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Miss Ressa. But the trip will take hours. I won\u2019t be back until late in the night and I\u2019ve been driving since this morning. I am\u2026slightly exhausted, Miss Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n He knew complaining to Ressa was a dangerous idea, but Reynold had to say it. He hesitated as the [Head Maid] glared at him and pushed his luck further.<\/p>\n \u201cCould I not drive back to the estate and switch drivers? I believe it would not take\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReynold.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared at him and Reynold shut up. Ressa shook her head briskly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. The carriage should have left this morning<\/em>, and I was not informed until now.\u201d<\/p>\n She gritted her teeth and Reynold cringed and knew that heads would roll when they returned to the mansion. Ressa went on.<\/p>\n \u201cOur guest requires the fastest driver to get him here. Time is of the essence, and the route goes past the area where the Goblin Lord is said to be marching.\u201d<\/p>\n That was true, too. Reynold knew he was the best driver for the job, but the world was swimming and he was just a bit angry. He tried one last time.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Ressa, I understand, but my condition now\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa looked at him, and put a hand on Reynold\u2019s arm. She didn\u2019t grip his arm or pull out one of the daggers he knew she carried. It was a soft touch, and so intimate and unlike her that Reynold froze in an instant. Ressa looked into his eyes and lowered her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cReynold. This is important.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He fell silent, and realized Ressa was telling him that there was no time to argue, or even switch drivers. After all, the next best driver was Alkran, and he had broken his arm when the assassins had attacked. It still hadn\u2019t healed properly. So Reynold straightened and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease forgive me, Miss Ressa. I will return at all speed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Go. And Reynold\u2014please hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n He had seldom heard Ressa use that tone. Reynold turned and ran <\/em>for the carriage. In less than a minute he was on the road, and driving as fast as he could. But even going as fast as he dared, it would be six hours to Celum. Well, maybe five if he drove fast enough to really <\/em>be dangerous.<\/p>\n He did. He drove for hours, until he came across the Goblin Lord\u2019s army. They swept across the landscape like a horde of green locusts, burning and destroying anything without walls in front of them. Reynold drove wide of them, until he saw the people.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This is the despair of [Butlers], the despair of the man who sees all and can do so little. Reynold knew it. He was not a powerful man; he was a servant in the employ of a powerful woman. But he could do little more than assist her. That was his role.<\/p>\n So why did he have to see this? The carriage slowed as he saw the scene. It was the same scene you saw on battlefields, from the safety of your home. It was the scene that was universal and yet always unique.<\/p>\n It was tragedy.<\/p>\n They were refugees perhaps, a village that had evacuated in the face of the Goblin Lord\u2019s armies. But this one had moved too slowly, or the Goblins had moved too fast. Whatever the case, the wagons and stream of villagers had been caught by a group of Goblins.<\/p>\n Not just a group. The advance force of the Goblin Lord\u2019s army. Reynold had driven to avoid them, but the Goblins were spread out in a huge wave going north. They filled the horizon, and Reynold shuddered as he\u2019d driven away from them. He was staring at war, a terrible army capable of sacking a city. How many Goblins were there? Tens of thousands.<\/p>\n And part of their force had decided to attack the villagers. A group of Goblins riding Shield Spiders rode ahead of a whooping mass of Goblins, charging at the villagers as they screamed and fled from their wagons, running towards the hills where they might find safety.<\/p>\n But too slowly. The Goblins were closing. Reynold saw it all as he drove past, and knew there was nothing he could do. Nothing. If he tried, he would surely be overwhelmed by the mass of Goblins. Running over a group of [Bandits] was one thing and dangerous enough, but this? There were hundreds of Goblins streaming towards the villagers and thousands more behind them. Tens of thousands behind them.<\/p>\n And yet, the villagers saw him. Some ran towards him, screaming and waving their hands, only to be cut down by arrows. Others were lifting children in their arms, turning, trying to get his attention. Reynold cursed them as he drove. Why were they stopping to get his attention when the Goblins were right on top of them?<\/p>\n \u201cRun, run you idiots!\u201d<\/p>\n It was too late either way. The Goblins were too close. They were already beginning to cut down the villagers from behind. Reynold saw it all so clearly. Even if they got to the hills, it was too late. Even if they had a lead, the Goblins would just track them down. It was too late to help, too late\u2014<\/p>\n They were cutting down men and women, children. Laughing. The red eyes of the Goblins turned towards Reynold as he drove past them. Some loosed arrows, but he was going far too fast for them to ever hit him.<\/p>\n It was his duty. He couldn\u2019t risk the carriage or even himself, no matter what. Reynold tried to close his ears to the screaming. He told himself he was doing his job. He was just a [Butler].<\/p>\n A [Combat Butler].<\/p>\n Reynold\u2019s carriage crashed<\/em> into the first group of Goblins, scattering bodies. The ghostly horses trampled the Goblins in front of him to the ground; others bounced off the sides and front of the carriage. Reynold shouted as he drove towards one of the Goblins who looked like a leader. He was mounted on a Shield Spider. He snarled as Reynold unsheathed the sword he carried everywhere.<\/p>\n \u201c[Sickle Cut]!\u201d<\/p>\n A blade flashed and lightning crackled. Reynold\u2019s sword beheaded the Goblin and the electricity earthed itself on the Goblins around him. The [Butler] snarled as he drove into the Goblins and turned the carriage.<\/p>\n \u201cDrive, drive!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019d lost momentum as he crashed into the Goblins, turning their advance party into a mass of broken bodies. The ghostly horses surged and Reynold felt the carriage regaining traction. The villagers were running, but the Goblins were right behind them. How much time could Reynold buy? A minute? Five?<\/p>\n One was too many. The Goblins were loosing arrows at him. Reynold dodged one and shouted.<\/p>\n \u201c[Burst Speed]!\u201d<\/p>\n The carriage shot out of the mass of Goblins, avoiding the rest of the arrows. Reynold turned the carriage. Not yet. He had to get their attention, buy time! He drove at the Goblins again and they scattered. But his control was precise. Reynold hit another group.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the way. Scatter them. He chopped downwards as he passed by a Hob and felt the shock of his sword cutting into bone. It was the same feeling as being on horseback, of charging the enemy.<\/p>\n He had been a soldier, once. Reynold shouted something as the blood thundered in his ears. He saw an arrow speeding at his chest and twisted<\/em>. It cut across his side, a line of fire. More Goblins. They were everywhere. How long had it been?<\/p>\n Seconds. Reynold spun the carriage, throwing Goblins off as they tried to climb on. He rode the horses over a Hob as it tried to grab the carriage. A small Goblin landed on the roof and Reynold stabbed it, the electricity shocking the Goblin\u2019s skin, making it let go.<\/p>\n He had to get away. Circle for another charge. There were so many arrows\u2014one hit Reynold\u2019s arm but glanced off the cloth. Bad shot. Another\u2014hit him in the shoulder. Reynold pushed the horses and then saw something black flying at him from the left. He spun the coach and felt it shudder<\/em> from the impact.<\/p>\n He\u2019d run over Trolls and not felt anything. Reynold turned his head and saw part of the pink carriage\u2019s woodwork was splintered<\/em>. What had hit him? A spell? Who shot it\u2014<\/p>\n Black eyes. White pupils. A distant face. Reynold\u2019s blood ran cold. He saw a Goblin standing in the distance, raising his hand as black magic swirled around him. The [Butler] shouted.<\/p>\n \u201c[Invisibility Field]!\u201d<\/p>\n The carriage vanished. Goblins snarled as they jumped for where he should be, loosing arrows, trying to slow the coach\u2019s momentum with their bodies. Reynold spun away as more black bolts of magic flashed by his head. A Goblin clung to the carriage door\u2014he cut it off. One stabbed him from behind and he threw it off as he fought with the reins. Where were the villagers? Gone?<\/p>\n Reynold burst out of the group of Goblins as more arrows shot after him. He reached for the potion that he kept in the compartment under the carriage. His world was growing dark. He found the bottle, and looked back.<\/p>\n The villagers hadn\u2019t made it to the hills yet. They were nearly there, but the Goblins were reforming, coming after them. Quick! Reynold gritted his teeth. One last time. He turned the coach.<\/p>\n Blood was sticking to its sides, making it visible despite the spell. Reynold drove it onwards. He saw the Goblin with black eyes raising his hand, felt the black bolts of energy make the carriage shudder and groan. He drove into the Goblins. A duty.<\/p>\n He had a duty\u2014<\/p>\n An arrow slammed him back in his seat. Reynold turned and saw a Hob leaping towards him. He raised his sword\u2014<\/p>\n A duty.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The sun was low in the sky, as a traveler in a red cloak stood by the gates to Celum and waited impatiently. He had waited all day<\/em>, and it was practically night time already. He was considering leaving\u2014in fact, he\u2019d tried to several times, but something drew him back.<\/p>\n The first was the knowledge that this meeting had been arranged, and that Magnolia Reinhart was not one to break her word. The second was that he knew that it was a meeting worth pursuing. Still, the lack of any vehicles on the horizon had left him worried, and so he was debating stepping inside the city limits for food or a drink and sending another [Message] spell when he saw it.<\/p>\n On the horizon, a shape. Something moving incredibly fast down the road, headed towards him. The traveler stepped forwards in relief as he heard [Guardsmen] call out a warning on the battlements above. But that relief turned to alarm as he saw the carriage approaching in more detail.<\/p>\n It was pink, or it had been. But red splatters of blood had dried on the front. The carriage was damaged in multiple places, and the driver\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cDead gods.\u201d<\/p>\n As the guards on Celum\u2019s walls shouted the alarm, the traveler saw the carriage heading straight towards him. It turned and drifted for a moment before stopping in a shower of mud and snow which barely missed the traveler. The driver paused and leaned forwards over his reins as the ghostly horses stood in the cold. He was covered in blood and an arrow was sticking out of his leg. He turned his head towards the traveler, and smiled weakly.<\/p>\n \u201cI presume you are my guest for this trip? I do apologize for the delay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAncestors, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever better.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold pulled the arrow from his thigh and splashed a healing potion onto the wound with shaking hands. He glanced at the traveler as he pulled back his hood and froze.<\/p>\n \u201cYou? <\/em>That is to say, er\u2014I am delighted to be driving such an esteemed personage, uh, sir\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure you\u2019re alright? You look like you\u2019ve been through a war!\u201d<\/p>\n The traveler seemed more concerned with his health. Reynold straightened.<\/p>\n \u201cNot to worry, sir! I merely had a run in with a few thousand Goblins. I assure you, I will be taking an alternate route on the return trip. If you will step into the carriage?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure you don\u2019t need a [Healer] or another healing potion? What happened <\/em>to you?\u201d<\/p>\n Professionalism. Reynold gave the man his best smile as he sipped from the healing potion.<\/p>\n \u201cGoblins, sir. Nothing to worry about. There is a cheese platter in an overhead compartment, I believe. Please help yourself and accept my deepest apologies for any mess that may have occurred. I would also like to render my sincerest regrets for the delay, which was caused by errors of my colleagues. And for the blood.\u201d<\/p>\n He stared down at the traveler as guardsmen on the walls and gates shouted at him. The traveler hesitated. He looked around and realized that there were only moments before they were surrounded by Humans. He looked up at Reynold.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me, young\u2026man. Are all of Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s servants like you?\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold grinned a bit manically at the traveler. He laughed, which was a serious breach of etiquette, but given the circumstances, understandable and worth it.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the best of us, sir. Only the best. Shall we go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose. Yes, I suppose there\u2019s no backing out of it now, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n The traveler hesitated at the doors, but eventually stepped in. Reynold heard the carriage doors shut, and turned the carriage. Guardsmen shouted at him, trying to get him to stop. Reynold brushed hands away and flicked the reins. The carriage shot into motion, leaving the shouting people behind.<\/p>\n \u201cI regret to say that our journey may be delayed by an hour or two, sir. Damage to the carriage has reduced our speed, and I must drive out of the way of the Goblin Lord\u2019s army.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean you\u2019ve seen them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe parts of them are still stuck to the undercarriage, sir. May I take this moment to inform you of our wine selection?\u201d<\/p>\n There was no response. Reynold laughed to himself. He was\u2014was a bit disoriented himself. As he sped away from Celum he saw little black spots swimming in his vision, and felt his body swaying. He was\u2026tired.<\/p>\n But he kept driving. He was a [Butler]. And a butler never abandoned his post. He owed Magnolia Reinhart too much for that.<\/p>\n Slowly, one of the wounds that hadn\u2019t completely healed opened up again and spattered blood onto the front of the carriage, mixing with the rest. After a while, Reynold sipped more of the healing potion and the wound closed.<\/p>\n \u201cDear me. My attire is ruined. I should get that cleaned\u2026as soon as I stop to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed, and kept his eyes on the road. The last of the daylight burned away, and Reynold felt his body freezing. He was cold. It was dark. He reached for more energy, more fire, and felt himself drifting lower. But that was just his body. At the moment Reynold was full of life. He\u2019d rest when it was over. For now he drove.<\/p>\n And inside the carriage, the traveler watched the driver through the panel. He stared anxiously at the man, but saw Reynold driving without faltering. And perhaps it was the unfamiliar sensation of riding in the carriage, or the instinctual understanding that Reynold wouldn\u2019t stop until he\u2019d completed his duty, but the traveler soon felt himself growing tired.<\/p>\n He slept. And then he dreamed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It was the past the traveler dreamed of. It was a memory that surfaced in his mind, an old conversation between him and a friend. It was ancient history, decades old, but it came to mind because of what he was about to do. He recalled a tent, the smell of wine, a slightly rough chair, and\u2014company. He sat down, not remembering what the joke he\u2019d just laughed at was, and saw his friend sitting across from him.<\/p>\n His friend. A long-dead face swam into focus in the traveler\u2019s dream, and a voice spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I met a monster today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, really? What kind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHah. Not a real monster. I was speaking metaphorically. I met a Human girl. A young one. You might know of her. Magnolia Reinhart.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know the first name, but I recognize the last one. Well, well. One of the scions of the Five Families has come to our aid?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems like it. She\u2019s responsible for that army. And this is the scary part\u2014I\u2019d swear she\u2019s not even seventeen years of age. Maybe less; I don\u2019t know Humans that well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, all of that army? Is she some kind of [Commander]?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. She\u2019s a [Lady]. And she\u2019s certainly no warrior\u2014I caught her throwing up after battle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019s she come, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause no one else would come to our aid otherwise. She came herself and brought an army capable of ending this war with her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll drink to her, then. Why\u2019d you say you met a monster? Surely she\u2019s not that <\/em>hideous\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be a hatchling. I was being serious. I thought she was a monster when I met her. Now\u2026I\u2019m convinced.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve lost me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me say it another way. She\u2019s a\u2026Demon. You know, the ones from Rhir? Or maybe she\u2019s something else. What I\u2019m saying is that she scares me. She\u2019s not like other Humans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? She must be outstanding to lead an army so young. She\u2019s high level\u2026so what? I\u2019m not following you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm. Perhaps I could say it like this. She\u2019s like\u2026a god.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe gods are dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but you know what I mean, don\u2019t you? She\u2019s like a god, or the opposite of one. Does that make sense?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps\u2026she frightens you and she\u2019s that different from her kind, is she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Perhaps that\u2019s the easiest way of saying it. It was the look in her eyes. I won\u2019t forget it. She was throwing up when I saw her, but when she finished and turned\u2014she was the one who rallied the Humans. All by herself, I\u2019m sure of it. And they followed her. A coalition army of Humans to rescue us, the Drakes. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think I do. But surely that\u2019s not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust listen. I had a chance to talk with her. Just a short moment\u2014you know how politics are. But it was when we had a chance that she really frightened me. I asked her what had prompted her to come to our aid when our species have been enemies for so long. And you know what she said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know I\u2019m no good at guessing. Tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the same thing they said long ago. The same thing that the Five Families, the original Five Families said that they wanted as they were invading us, driving us back the first time. The same word, and I\u2019ll wager, the same look of conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know that word. So you\u2019re saying she\u2019s some kind of leader? A dangerous one for the future?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. All I know is that I\u2019m as wary of her as I am of the Antinium. That look in her eye, the way she speaks\u2014it\u2019s not that she\u2019s not charismatic or a natural leader. Other people are\u2014you and I lead. But it was the look, you see? The look and the conviction. She believes wholeheartedly in what she\u2019s doing, and that\u2019s what scares me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust tell me the damned word already, will you? What does she want?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeace?\u201d<\/p>\n Zel Shivertail paused as he sipped from his cup and raised his head incredulously.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake sitting across from him nodded. General Sserys, hero of the First Antinium War, smiled crookedly.<\/p>\n \u201cA little girl leading an army to fight the Antinium. For peace. To save the world, she said. And you know what? She looked like a child then, with vomit dripping off her chin, but when I asked if it was possible, she just smiled. And then she looked like\u2026I don\u2019t know. Not a [Queen] or a [Lady], but something more. Like the opposite of a god, if they were alive. She stuck out her hand and said that I should join her. Together we could end the war and save the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what, did you take it?\u201d<\/p>\n Zel waited. Sserys shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t get the chance. We were interrupted by some other Humans\u2014[Lords], you know. But it stuck with me. Her offer. I felt like she was sucking me in, that she could see something I didn\u2019t. I was afraid, Shivertail, and I won\u2019t ever admit that to anyone else. I was afraid of her peace, of what she saw.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfraid of a little Human girl. General Sserys, [Spear of the Drakes]. Afraid of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n General Sserys looked at him, and Zel Shivertail paused for a second before bursting out laughing. The other Drake grinned in acknowledgement of the joke, and then he filled Zel\u2019s cup. The two Drakes raised their cups in a silent toast and Zel raised it to his lips\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cReynold?<\/em> My goodness. Ressa! Get him healing potions and help him off of the carriage, quickly!\u201d<\/p>\n A voice woke Zel Shivertail from his slumbers. He jerked awake in the carriage and realized he\u2019d stopped. And then he realized who was speaking and froze. He sensed people rushing towards the carriage, and heard a sharp voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWas it [Assassins]? How badly are you injured? Is the guest safe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo attack\u2014just Goblins. I do apologize, Lady Reinhart\u2014I made a decision to protect a group of travelers\u2014I have also bloodied my uniform, Ressa, for which I apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever mind that. Ressa, get the man inside. He\u2019s frozen<\/em>! Why is he so cold? Are the heating spells on the carriage broken again? And what about\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The voice stopped as Zel opened the carriage door. The Drake [General] stared out into a dark world illuminated by bright mage lights and blinked down at the figures clustered around the [Butler] who was being held up by two servants. They were all Humans\u2014well, all save for one of the [Maids] who was a Gnoll. And they stared at him with a mixture of awe and fear.<\/p>\n They knew him as a legend. One of the [Maids], a tall woman, moved slowly backwards towards a shorter woman, keeping her eyes on him. It was too dark for Zel to make out details, but the way she held herself, and her voice\u2014he had never met her, and she had never met him.<\/p>\n But they knew each other. Zel Shivertail lowered his head slightly as he stepped from the carriage. Magnolia Reinhart moved past Ressa\u2019s protective body and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cGeneral Shivertail. I\u2019m glad you decided to come. My apologies for the delay.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel paused and nodded to Reynold. The [Butler] was still on his feet, being fussed over by two [Maids].<\/p>\n \u201cYour man looked like he\u2019d driven through a war and back to get to me. I commend his spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHappy to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold mumbled. Magnolia glanced at him, and then at Zel. Cautiously, slowly, she held out her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have never met, but I hope we can speak freely, Zel Shivertail. I have long wanted to meet you, as you are no doubt aware. I hope we can set the issues you put forward in your letter right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no doubt we can. But I have one question to ask you first. Something I have to know.\u201d<\/p>\n Zel didn\u2019t take Magnolia\u2019s offered hand. He looked her in the eye and sensed Ressa staring at him warily, felt the prickles on his spines that told him the other servants were dangerous. But it was only Magnolia\u2019s face he searched.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me why.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2026what, precisely?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy you\u2019ve gone to all this trouble. Why you\u2019re willing to help. Why all the things you promised me. What\u2019s in it for you?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia lowered her hand and tapped her lips.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing, perhaps. But it is my mission, shall we say? My ambition, most definitely. I have one dream, General Shivertail.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is?\u201d<\/p>\n Zel held his breath. The world did. Magnolia Reinhart smiled, and in her eyes was a bright light. She held out her hand once more.<\/p>\n \u201cPeace. To save the world. I will do anything for that goal. Will you help me?\u201d<\/p>\n Zel Shivertail looked into her eyes. For a second he saw what Sserys had, decades ago. That light, that certainty. The other Drake had called it the look of a devil, a monster, or a god. And then he blinked, and saw something different. He hesitated, and then his claw rose. Gingerly, somewhere in the past of what might have been, the Drake [General] shook the Human girl\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n And then they were back in the present, in the now. Zel looked into Magnolia\u2019s eyes and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s save the world then, Miss Reinhart. Tell me, where should we begin?\u201d<\/p>\n She laughed lightly, in relief, as Ressa let out a huge breath behind her and Reynold fainted.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the Goblins, my dear Zel. With the Goblin Lord first. And then Az\u2019kerash. And then the Antinium.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled wider.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see. Now, shall we discuss this inside? Say, over a cup of tea?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Happiness was a simple thing. It was a strong bed, comfortable food, and a hot drink. Or was it a comfortable bed, hot food and a strong drink? Sometimes Zel forgot. He\u2019d slept out in the open, through blizzards with not much more than a sleeping bag, or right behind the front lines as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693084,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693133],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-4357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-4","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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