Chapter 9

Azureus stood in a front of the huge, double door decorated by the golden sculpture portraying the eagle on the radiating Sun. Two men stood on both sides of the door, both dressed in an attire similar to the long-haired man's clothes, leather armor and white robes with the motive identical as the one visible on the door. One of the guards opened the gate seeing the approaching warrior and bowed before him with a great respect. Both men were knights of the Queen and Azureus was their superior. Long-haired man entered the throne room of the castle belonging to the Taranian Queen. The room was large and bright, because sunlight was coming into the interior from the huge windows. Richly ornamented ceiling with sculptures describing scenes from Scriptures of the kingdom was held by solid columns with images of legendary kings, the founders of the power of the state. There were many people inside: knights, advisers to the queen, priests dressed in white robes as well as colorful jester whom the Taranian queen adored the most. The queen residing in the castle was a fat woman with plump hands and legs, the short height and the face looking like the full moon. She had the white dress covering the large portion of her corpulent body. She was sitting on the throne looking at persons keeping her company with her rat's eyes. The mustachioed man dressed in the green came up to her and nodding, announced Azureus' arrival.

"Your highness, one of your bravest warriors has arrived. Commander of Legions of the Golden Eagle, Azureus has come back from his expedition." He said with undertone. The grey haired priest became interested in the arriving man and came closer to the throne. The queen looked at him reluctantly.

"Now? And where he had travelled so long! Let him come here quickly, because I have no free time to spare!" The woman ordered with a shrill voice. The warrior bowed the same as the man with a big moustache a few moments earlier and started telling his story.

"Your highness. I have arrived from distant mountains of Aranis island, where I tracked the very dangerous sect which could threaten the safety of our land. My expedition has ended with a success, I managed to find their hiding place in high mountains of the South islands, where they devoted themselves to forbidden magic practices..."

"And what?" The queen was made impatient with the long monologue of the man.

"The threat was neutralized. The witch looking after that place was executed and all objects of her charms destroyed. However we incurred severe losses, since..."

"And I don't care!" The Woman screamed at the long-haired knight.

"The filthy place was destroyed and this is all that counts! You deserve the award! But I don't have time to listen about what happened to your subordinates! You can replace the people! And now go away, because I have no time and I am hungry!" The queen became nervous very much, because Azureus came to her just in the moment when her dinner came near.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." The man answered diverging from the throne of the queen. When he went off few strides towards the exit door, the priest of The Church of Light joined him.

"Don't be upset by our Queen, Azureus from Tarania. She has much more important cases on the head than listening about the extermination of some sect unknown to her." He said smiling.

" But I will listen about adventures which came across you and your team during the expedition into the inhospitable Aranis' lands. I don't know details of your expedition, could you introduce me to them?"

"I don't have a lot of time too, because I have the arranged audience with the High Priest of the Church of Light. He is waiting for me today."

"Of course, the service for the Kingdom and the Temple is the most important, you are indeed a model for all candidates for Legionnaires of the Golden Eagle. But the High Priest won't suffer damage, when you reach him a few minutes later, right?"

Azureus stopped. He looked out of the window behind which one could see castle gardens turning green in the solar glitter.

"Amirius, I can see that you won't leave me alone until I tell you secrets of my expedition." He replied. The grey haired priest smiled although his face expressed embarrassment.

"Losses which you mentioned puzzled me..."

The man leaned against the stone wall covered by green creepers.

"When we captured the witch and destroyed the temple full of her forbidden magic... she cast a spell on us. She cursed us wanting that we didn't live to see the borders of our kingdom. We managed to capture her, overpower her and then shut her away in the deepest deck so that she could spend the rest of sea travel all the darkness. We were going to bring her to the temple, where priests would destroy the evil powers which entirely took control of her body. We didn't appreciate the power of demons from the Emptiness outside the Worlds and it was our biggest mistake. The witch summoned the terrible sea storm above our galleon. Over the half of my people was taken by waves or burnt in the fire which exploded aboard. The ship would smash against the rocks, if I hadn't managed to hush the witch up forever, with the sword..." Azureus told the version of his story intended for the court of the queen and priests from the Temple of the Light. He was very convincing and the older man keeping him company didn't guess the lie.

"These wounds... they're also her fault?" Amirius asked showing the bandages on the warrior's hand.

"Yes. But luck was with me. Differently I would never reach the capital city and the depths of the Sea of Anxiety would be my place of the eternal burial."

"It's really tragic... perhaps next time you will listen to advice of priests and you will let such great dangers be destroyed by Riders from the Temple."

"If instead of our smaller group acting in the shadow, the high priest directly ordered Riders to attack the temple in the mountains, today he would have to send missionaries into the four directions of the world in order to search for new candidates for the Warriors of the Light. The smaller group had a chance to destroy this cursed place and we did it." Azureus said looking at the priest's eyes. His look was full of self-confidence and anger which appeared in him at the thought of warriors being on the services of the Church of the Light. Most clearly, some event which filled him with the dislike for white knights happened to him at one time in the past.

"And now forgive me Amirius, because I must go to the Church in order to present happenings which met me during my expedition."

Azureus walked away from the man dressed in white robes and came down along stone stairs to the small square where his horse, given him many years ago by one of caretakers from the Temple of the Light, waited for him. The man galloped towards the gate leading beyond the castle of the queen. When he was far away from the stone walls of the building being a symbol of the royalty, he came up on the hill from which a magnificent view on the land stretched out. The castle was surrounded by meadows on which villages appeared along with numerous farmlands and fields of gold. In the farther distance, one could see dark, gloomy forests stretching out until the horizon. Looking at the other side of the stronghold, more meadows were seen limited only by the walls of the city port, behind which there was nothing except the Sea of Anxiety which seemed to be boundless. Near the city a large building, looking like made from one piece of the white stone - the Temple of the Light, stood. The Sun's rays reflected from the surface of its walls as if they were emitted by it, as if the temple was an artificial sun shining above Tarania and only for Tarania. This building was the man's next stop of the journey and the meeting-place with one of his most hated people. Looking at villages and forests visible at the distance, Azureus thought about Tazia. He wondered where his companion was as well as what messages she was going to bring from the Oracle from Pylfiders. Eyes of the man gazed at the colorful gardens surrounding the temple which immediately shook him out of the reflection and reminded him about the visit the place he hated. When he reached up to the gate leading to the inside of building, two priests immediately recognized the symbol of the white eagle on his cape and rushed to him to help dismount from riding horse. The man ignored them and having get off the horse, he looked at two different persons dressed in white.

"Give him something to eat and drink." He said walking away towards the gate on which there was the large golden sculpture in the shape of the sun radiating above the entire planet was. Two nights, in uniforms identical as Azureus', greeted the guest and then the small and bald priest who examined red flowers growing close by, approached him smiling. The long-haired warrior looked behind at the meadow full of colorful flowers. In his thoughts, memories from the distant childhood appeared. It seemed to him that gardens he had remembered from those times were much bigger than the ones which he had before his very eyes in the present time.

"What is the purpose of your visit in our welcoming house?" The bald man asked.

"I'm coming from Aranis. I finished my duty as the Queen's knight and the apprentice of the Church of the Light. I'm bringing the report for the High Priest." Azureus replied. Simultaneously, he thought that if he didn't belong to the elite, doorsteps of the temple wouldn't be as hospitable for him as the priest standing before him convinced him.

"I understand... I must go to the civil service in order to announce the visit. In the meantime you can go to the city and rent the room in the inn..."

"I have no time. I must meet with the High Priest immediately!" The man announced being nervous.

"I understand... but the High Priest is a busy man... you can go to the administration department and submit your report, if it is very urgent..." The bald man replied feeling embarrassed very much.

"The High Priest will find the time, if he learns that the expedition concerned people who examined the real nature of disks of the light in the place far away from the temple!" Azureus was made impatient. Eyes of the priest became large from amazement.

"Of course... I will immediately lead you to the chamber of our great father. " He said. He ordered guards to open the doors and let the man into the interior. Azureus went inside the walls of the temple, where also the garden was located, full of trees of the different shape and artificially irrigated streams and lakes. The place was unusually calm, but the atmosphere which was there didn't fill people with optimism the same as the area of flowers growing in the front of the gate, perhaps because the place was overshadowed and surrounded from every side by walls. After the short walk along the stone pavement, the warrior reached the door of leading straight to the part of building in which living chambers of important persons were located, including the one belonging to the person heading the organization. Azureus waited for his superior in the huge, richly ornamented entrance hall with wooden furniture, portraits of the former high priests hanging on all walls and symbols of the sun in the form of low relieves on the ceiling. On the central wall of the room the portrait of the founding father of the order the Great Laurenius was hung, the man who, as legend told, knew personally the terrestrial demonstration of the God of the Light who loomed from the Bright Disk in order to change the entire land forever. The wooden door opened with a characteristic creaking and a grey haired man in the white robe appeared. The gilded locket in the shape of the sun hung on his neck.

"Welcome Azureus." The priest said.

"My secretary told me that you had important information for me. Enter my study, don't wait outside. " He suggested with joy. When they both were inside, Azureus sat down on the chair made with soft material and the priest took the place opposite him, leaning his hands on the surface of the dark-brown table.

"Do you want me to call the service to give you the food and the beverage after a long journey?" He asked.

"No. My mission didn't end and I am here only fleetingly."

"Mission. Always mission... it's no wonder that you went so far. You are one of our best pupils, dear Azureus."

" I'm performing duties to my kingdom and the Church of the Light."

"I understand... so let us go to the business..." the Priest laid his body in the armchair comfortably, carefully watching the long-haired knight.

"Information we had regarding the forbidden research planted on Aranis island turned out to be true. During the expedition we discovered the witch who had found the temple from times before the arrival of the Light in our land. As it turned out, she possessed the knowledge and magical abilities forbidden in Tarania and all lands connected to our kingdom."

"My secretary recalled something about bright disks. Did somebody..."

"Yes, I was a witness of the peculiarity. The witch strode between disks, drew the power from them to her charms, she was able to predict where they appear... there were tens of them at the church in rocks, even hundreds of disks..." Azureus said and his eyes betrayed that he was becoming fascinated by the subject. The priest was alarmed by the reaction of the man. He was afraid that the visit in such an unusual place could push the man to conclusions not very favorable to him. He looked at the sculpture of the sun standing on the table and at the window behind which were green trees from the garden.

"I hope that the evil magic of this woman didn't influence your mind. I hope that you remember that the never-ending well of goodness beneath the church is the only real place in which the light of the divine love turned up. All other disks are a mystification or charms of demons living in the emptiness between worlds which are waiting for us to become inattentive and unreasonable enough to invite them to our world."

"Of course. When I and my companions tried to capture the witch, she preferred to destroy her hiding place than to surrender." Azureus answered gladly. The priest seemed being sad.

"Have she succeed?"

"Yes, the entire hill which contained the temple and false disks collapsed, burying the evil magic forever. We managed to capture the woman, because she lost her abilities after her church was buried under debris of stones."

The priest rose from his desk, then walked to the window.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Her sinful body is resting on the seabed of Anxiety Sea."

The grey haired man was silent for a moment and then he turned to his companion.

"Could you not get her here for interrogation?" He asked.

Azureus showed the bandaged hand.

"No. The witch recovered the power over the magic when we were at sea. I managed to kill her, but the elemental storm which she summoned took the life of many companions."

"Oh... it's a real loss. Did somebody from our knighthood die?"

"No. The captain and members of his hired crew died. In the mountains, I lost many volunteers from Aranis who joined me when they had heard about sanctity of my mission."

"Let us hope that the Lord of Light will let them stay in his grasp healing the soul for eternity." The Priest said simultaneously looking out of the window at the Sun moving all over the sky and hiding behind the clouds.

"They were buried into the sea according to the laws of our kingdom."

"Well..." The grey man replied, although he was still lost in his thoughts.

"Let us talk about your important task... do you have some information about heretics for me? Did you learn more about the activity of the Clan of the Night?"

The man retained an inscrutable expression, although recalling the underground organization to which he belonged worked to him stimulatingly.

"No. I haven't traveled across roads of Tarania for weeks. Where would I be supposed to get any information from?" The High Priest was silent then again he started looking out of the window.

"Alarming news are reaching my ears... supposedly some person named Azureus is seeking some enchantress with golden hair. Is it possible that it is you who want this person?"

"It's some nonsense. My name have many men in our lands. Why would I be supposed to search for some witch? One almost killed me on the raging sea!"

"I don't know what your purpose is... remember not to take the justice into your own hand and to inform us of everything what you know about the treacherous group of people who wants to harm the stability of our state so much. You don't have to take everything in your own hands and hunt for witches."

"Honorable father... I said I don't have anything to do with any enchantress. I would like to go to the castle, where I will be able to devote myself to my duties to the Queen. Can I walk away already?" Azureus asked rising from the armchair. The priest wasn't pleased with the course of the conversation, but he also didn't want to prolong the meeting, which didn't bring him any information about persons which he was afraid so much.

"Yes. You can walk away. And let the light of our Lord enlighten your road."

"Let the light of our Lord always enlightens your decisions, The most honorable father." The long-haired man left the study of the most important person in the church.

Azureus stood in the middle of the huge entrance hall and deceased eyes of all priests, holding the highest office at the Church of the Light over the centuries looked at him from portraits hanging around. The man had one, the most difficult meeting before him: the meeting with members of the Inner Circle of the Clan of the Night and with Master Asanar himself. He left white walls of the temple right after the bald priest had opened the entrance gate and said goodbye with blessing for the further travel to him. Azureus had to come back to the port, where he had left his sword with a sapphire. He could not carry the magic artifact having trails of the Well of the Anti-Light to the areas belonging to Priests of the Light, because he would be detected and unmasked immediately. He had to be careful, particularly after he learnt that the High Priest had known about the search of the traveler with golden hair, even if he completely didn't guess the real reason of this search. The tavern "The Wailing Mermaid" was the top one spot into which the long-haired warrior came after crossing the municipal gates. This place was very dangerous to the casual passer-by, because all scum chased by the law not only from Tarania but also from all nearby lands met inside it. It was perfectly suitable for concealing the sword, since no priest or the knight belonging to the Queen would ever look there. When the man went to the back of the room, a few heads turned in his direction and followed him with their eyes. Azureus could not stop even for a moment, because somebody of those people could take it as the moment of hesitation and the chance for robbing the warrior. The plain coat on the back hid his membership to the elite of the kingdom. There were thugs from crossroads and pirates expecting the good weather for sea hunts in the tavern and a man dressed in black with the hood rested in the corner of the room. Hands as white as snow betrayed that he probably had been an Arillon resident, driven out beyond Emerald Gates for some gruesome felonies. The warrior of the Clan of the Night knocked three times at the door deep inside taverns. Some bearded man opened and recognizing the person for which he waited, invited him into a dark interior.

"How was the meeting?" He asked making sure that nobody eavesdropped on them.

"The queen didn't ask too much, she was completely uninterested in the result of my mission."

"It was predictable. And at the Church?"

"The priest is pleased with destroying the place of the creation of luminous disks. As it turned out the disaster which Ariana caused worked to our benefit. But he started suspecting something, he questioned about the Clan of the Night and my attempts to find members of this organization. I must be more careful now."

"You must pay attention to your words. Come to the main room and listen to the people. Supposedly some Azureus from Tarania is seeking the witch and the traveler with golden hair. He promises the highest reward for her."

"Did information get through here so quickly?"

"If somebody is using magic messengers in order to spread it... I'm sure that there are a few mercenaries preparing the weapon for your traveler with golden hair. Who is she?"

"Ariana's assistant. The witch taught her many spells which can be useful to our matter."

"And what about the minder of the stone temple? Wasn't she enough for you?" Azureus became irritated with the final question.

"You have too short memory? I told you exactly what had happened to Ariana when you asked me about these wounds!" The man demonstrated the bandaged hand.

"I must find her assistant, because she is the only person knowing secrets of that place."

"Somehow I can't believe that such calm and loving nature person as Ariana could try to sink your ship with spells. I remember her very well from times, when I didn't have to hide in dark taverns... she wouldn't kill those sailors, even in the self-defense. She'd rather rush into the embrace of sea waves" The bearded man was unusually curious about the fate of the woman which he remembered from former years.

"Right. I will tell you the truth. She went crazy when the Immortal Rider touched her with his darkness."

The bearded man turned away from Azureus. He was shocked by his reply.

"Immortal Rider in the Darkness? How he..."

"He received my message about the award waiting for the one who will find women who escaped from the stone temple. He wandered through Aranis then... he brought Ariana to me in the following day." Azureus said smiling victoriously.

"Did you talk to him? Did you experience his magic?" The bearded man asked, looking for something behind the table.

"I gave him the part of the award. He carried out my job, so he earned it."

"You are crazy. Do you realize what you have done?"

"I didn't see him again after he brought Ariana to me."

"You know very well what his look causes! His curse destroys everyone who were unlucky enough to meet him on the road! You've already experienced its power... attack on the ship... that's all his magic... the first step to enslave your mind and join you to his procession of undead mercenaries!"

"Your superstitions will bring death to you one day."

"And your death will be brought by your cynicism and self-confidence! But I won't be the witness! There are borders which one isn't allowed to cross, even if Tarania's future is the price! Take your sword and never come here again!" The bearded man gave the warrior his weapon decorated with sapphire. Azureus looked at him with the anger in the eyes.

"You are a coward not deserving to carry the name of the member of the Clan of the Night. Sit here in your burrow with the worst scum of this world, hide behind rows of barrels with a wine and drunk dwarves kissers. When the wind of changes comes, there will be no place for you amongst winners!"

"I'm sure that even Windan wouldn't be crazy enough to use the help of this demon to achieve her purpose. " The bearded man said.

Azureus didn't listen him. He left the dark room banging the door and very quickly moved from the dark inn. Although he could not say it directly, because he considered himself better than bearded owner of the tavern also in terms of the courage, he also knew very well, that his life was almost annihilated thanks to the black magic of the Dark Knight and Ariana was only a tool of fulfilling the curse. However he wasn't going to escape or hide like others, even the powerful Church of the Light. Hey decided that when changes come, he will free the lands from the terror which had attacked them for centuries. He decided to free the land from the terror which aroused great fear in everyone, from the drunk sleeping in the ditch to priests getting to know the secrets of bright disks. He promised to destroy the Rider striding in the Darkness. Simultaneously, he was disgusted with the behavior of his acquaintance whom he personally invited to the Clan of the Night. How was the long haired man supposed to change the world, if it was occupied by cowards?

The mysterious man dressed in black examined the jewel lying before him on the table. He looked at it with bored eyesight musing about something, spinning plans of the further action. When he touched the surface of the jewel with the bony hand, an image of Azureus and the traveler from distant lands with golden hair appeared on it. He smiled and then got up and left the tavern.

Azureus reached old ruins of the house standing far outside the city limits, in the vicinity of thick forest separating Tarania from the neighboring land. The place looked like abandoned for many years and the Nature slowly picked up the piece of the world taken away from her somewhere in the past. The man waited a few minutes making sure that nobody tracked him and then he walked towards the door. He took his sword with the sapphire jewel out and raising it overhead he removed the illusion from the part of the building. A door appeared, leading straight to the real place, hiding under the mask of ruins, place of the Clan of the Night. The man went along the corridor lightened up by magic torches passing silent Charmers who obediently created spells protecting that place from detecting by the magic users from the Temple of the Light. Their iron masks in the shape of heads of different animals granted them terrible and at the same time very depressing appearance. Magicians recognized the member of their organization in Azureus, letting him go farther. The man was soon in the long entrance hall also lighted by the magic of the torch with flames similar to the will-of-wisps deluding travelers on Aranis' bogs. As it turned out, he wasn't alone there. The witch Windan went out to meet him, leaving the dark chambers of her magic chambers. The woman had the black dress with a cape and her wrinkled face was seen from under her long and black hair.

"You don't know how I am looking forward to meet with you Azureus." The woman announced going up closer. The warrior wasn't pleased with her presence, he didn't like to talk to her after Tazia told him in how Windan treated her students.

"And where is shadow your?" She added.

"Windan, I arrived here for the meeting of the Clan of the Night. Should you not sit in the Chamber of Twilight now?"

"You always live in the constant hurry. Master Asanar hasn't come back from his meditation in the Well of AntiLight and Arleth'Er and Kai'Tra have not arrived yet. I can see that you are not with Rerik. Probably only we turned up at the right time."

"We don't have to wait for Rerik." Azureus answered coldly.

"Why?" Windan was surprised.

"Rerik died during the attempt to get priestess Ariana. He is now buried in the Aranis mountains."

"It is sad... Roughriders don't have the leader now..."

"Rerik knew very well what could happen to him, when he offered his help."

"Yes, let us not talk about the deceased. You didn't answer me to the question, where is your shadow? Where is my best pupil?"

"Tazia is a woman of her own life rather than my shadow. She can stay where she desires. She was injured in Aranis, just like myself, therefore she is now resting and building up her strength."

"Failures of the expedition certainly won't appeal to Asanar, or anybody from the Circle. Your participation in the activity of the Clan can be subjected to the voting, I hope that you are aware of this. Come with me Azureus, I will show you the future you deprived Tazia by taking her from me. I will show you whom she could become staying with me and getting to know her real, magical nature."

"Tazia decided what she wanted to do, I didn't force her to anything." Azureus said and then unwillingly went after the woman to her chamber. In the room, there were many bookcases filled with books from faraway lands and on the walls, there were hanged objects with inscriptions in languages from times before all states on the continent, swords, magic wands, talismans of different kind and pieces of stones taken from ancient temples. A large mirror with the smoked out surface stood in the central part of the room.

"I will show you what my girls achieved. Of course none of them reached such a high level as Tazia, because she has a magic in blood. The magic is something natural for her and it is coming as easy to her as the respiration, she is after all, a daughter for the powerful witch. My girls are different, each of them was able to take control of only one attribute or to control only one magic object. But each of them achieved perfection in it." The black-haired woman moved her arm over the surface of the mirror showing the scene from the distant fortress in which she trained her students. Six young women appeared in the front of eyes of the long-haired man.

"The girl with the brown clothes and the curly hair is Arisha. She is able to control desert spirits of the wind living in her urn. The blonde in the green dress is Sira who leant the art of the control of plants and animals as well as the healing magic of the nature. Her black-haired friend is Galiera, being able to create elementals in all, even the smallest water tanks. Alcuna which you can see standing in secluding in the brown dress and auburn hair, she controls frogs and other marsh lice as well as learns how to bring epidemic and rot to the people, animals and crops. Cali'Etr is the dearest daughter of Arleth'Er and Kai'Try from Arillon. Apart from that she has natural magic abilities of her race, she decided to become the Summoner. Can you see the green ball in her hands?"

"And where is the second half?" Azureus asked.

"In forests of the south continent tropics. Some flying merchant from Ganatia agreed to throw it there for high payment."

"Nobody knows exactly what kind of monsters live there. She can summon something really atrocious."

"And her power lies in it. Fear will strike our enemies." Azureus fixed his eyes on figures appearing on the gleaming surface of the magic mirror, he tried to guess their thoughts and desires, wanted to know what was covered under their sad look.

"I'm thinking how much of the free will remained in these girls after they went through your hell." He announced turning his back on the surface. The witch smiled maliciously.

"I wouldn't believe in everything what this small viper says. Don't forget who is her mother. Like mother, like daughter." She announced looking into the eyes of the man. Azureus didn't want to talk with Windan anymore and the appearance of two new persons in the magic chamber brought him the end of conversation.

"I can see that our daughter finally found her attribute." The tall man with a pale complexion, pointed ears and long grey hair turned up at the door of the chamber. He looked with the interest at images on the surface of the mirror. The woman with the similar appearance kept him company. Arleth'Er and Kai'Tra, representatives of the Arillon race arrived for meeting of the Clan the Night. Both were dressed similarly in dark uniforms resembling light armors. The man had additionally a grey cape hanged on the back.

"The time of the meeting has come. Other members of the Inner Circle are waiting for us in the Chamber of Twilight." Kai'Tra spoke.

"I agree." Azureus replied walking away from the room.

All living members of the Clan of the Night belonging to the Inner Circle sat around the black, round table and a blue lighting of magic torches fell on their faces. Master Asanar eyed all assembled company in a silence, particularly Azureus to whom he had a plenty of questions. He was a man with grey, short hair and blue eyes. He had a black dress and a locket with sapphire hanged on the neck. Arleth'Er and Kai'Tra sat by themselves resting hands, attired in gloves with attached noble stones of the Clan of the Night, on the table top. Azureus and Windan took the opposite places by the round table and the man in the brown robe with the iron mask on the face joined the group. He was a representative of charmers guarding the hiding place of the Clan of the Night from detecting. An oath of the silence applied to him therefore he was only a silent witness of the meeting, without the possibility of the participation in the conversation. Rerik's the Bald, the wizard and the leader of Wywern Roughriders, place was empty and it was supposed to stay empty forever. Asanar spoke first asking the long-haired man questions.

"We gathered here in order to hear directly from your mouth about how your mission on the Aranis island came off."

"Unfortunately I don't have good news for you Master, I have not good news for any of you, dignified members of the Inner Circle. Mission of acquiring Ariana's, keeper of the temple forged in Aranis rocks, help ended in failure. The witch preferred to destroy the place which she looked after than join our group."

"Do you say that the sanctuary in which the phenomenon of luminous disks was manifested has been destroyed?" Asanar said with raised voice. Two Arillon residents looked at each other and Windan only smiled.

"Yes. The temple and disks, which presence I was an eyewitness, were buried under the pile of rocks."

"So many years of learning... knowledge how to open and close disks... all is lost." The grey haired man spoke the undertone. How did it happen? Ariana was a supporter of revealing the truth about the Church of the Light."

"She regarded our methods too radical. She wasn't ready for changes. She was able only to dream of the new world instead trying to create it by her own hands." Azureus replied coldly.

"Did the punishment come to her?" Asanar asked.

"I tried to bring her to us by force. But unfortunately she turned out to be too shrewd. She used the magic to bring the raging storm above the royal galleon, in which I came back to Tarania. Many didn't survive the fight with the element and my wounds are evidence that I am telling the truth."

"Our losses?" Arleth'Er asked.

"Rerik was killed by the witch. A few fell in the mountains and at the sea. Many taranian sailors including the captain of the vessel."

"It is your another failure Azureus." Asanar announced.

"Where is Tazia? She kept you company during the expedition." Windan asked. Azureus looked at her with the eyes overfilled with anger.

"The free time of my assistant isn't an subject important enough to talk about it at the meeting of the Inner Circle." He answered.

"Why? Perhaps what she is doing is very essential for us?" the Witch asked.

"She is treating her wounds. She deserves a moment's peace after all of this." The man tried to finish the conversation about the black-haired girl as soon as possible.

"Azureus, what happened to her? You are also wounded and yet you appeared here before everyone of us." Asanar joined the conversation.

"Well. If you want so much to know then I will tell you... Tazia is treating psychic wounds because at the sea she rescued my life and the entire crew, by killing Ariana, her own mother!" Azureus announced being upset very much. Asanar didn't say a word, similarly to the couple from Arillon. Windan smiled widely.

"I have always known that she is my best pupil." She said.

"Let us finish the topic of the young witch. She is completely unimportant for this meeting." Arleth'Er stopped the conversation about Tazia.

"I agree." Kai'Tra added. The magus with the face covered with the iron mask raised the hand in token of agreeing with predecessors.

"Have somebody from the court or the Temple of the Light suspected something, Azureus?" The Leader of the Clan of the Night asked.

"No. I talked to the queen and the high priest. I think that they believed the version of the events which I told to them."

"At least it didn't turn out to be a failure." The grey haired magus sighed.

"What our plans are now, after this crushing defeat in Aranis and destroying the temple of luminous disks?" The long haired man with pointed ears asked. Asanar fell into a pensive mood.

"I cannot make decisions now. I am ordering the adjournment for the time of one day." He replied rising from the armchair.

"Meanwhile, go rest to the guest rooms." He added after a moment. He left through the decorated door at the end of the chamber. Two elf also left the room, as well as to the wizard in the iron mask. Windan and Azureus stayed in the room one-on-one. The black-haired woman approached the man. She again smiled maliciously.

"At the moment your words got you out of the trouble, but remember that at one time I will find something on you and you will finally understand what happens when somebody takes my best students from me."

Meanwhile, the ship in which Illyana and Agnar had travelled, reached the harbor in Tarania. There was already a night above the city and everything around was plunged into the darkness and glitter of torches burning in walls of buildings surrounding narrow city streets. Guardian from Aranis and his companion slowly walked away from the ship. The girl had veil covering her hair. There were no blondes in Tarania, therefore the boy advised her not to stand out from the crowd and not to arouse an suspicions. Illyana looked at the landscape surrounding her with the thrill of emotion and at the same time with a huge curiosity. She looked at dwarf selling axes to somebody in the dark backstreet, prostitutes standing before entries to taverns and travelling circus performers exercising performances and showing off the art of swallowing the fire. The face of the port at the night was different than daily, more mysterious, but simultaneously much more dangerous. Soldiers of the Queen walking here and there weren't any protection against thugs, thieves, madmen and perverts hiding in gutters.

"We must go to some tavern as soon as possible. I know a few in which we will almost safe." Agnar said.

"Almost?" The girl asked.

"The harbor is the worst part of Tarania. It is the place in which trails from many faraway lands are crossing. Therefore it is possible to meet literally everyone here."

"The same is in New York. I have experience."

"But in spite of it don't grow apart from me. Unaccompanied young women don't walk here after the dusk. Unless they are prostitutes like those three. But not everyone will dare to attack two travelers."

" Great. And I am supposed to search such a place for this Azureus..."

"There are many beautiful safe places here, tomorrow I will lead you to gardens near the Church."

"Now let us find some accommodation, because e some repulsive fat person is looking at me." The girl announced pointing at the hunchback lurking behind the stone building.

A woman with the face hidden behind the brown hood got off the ship which arrived from Aranis. She looked around noticing suspected people gazing at her, some two slobbering drunks waiting for inattentive travelers. She quickened the pace to come closer the guards of the city and not to become a victim of some crazy killer. Arletta arrived her to look for of the Clan of the Night full of hope for the change of the situation prevailing on her island.