A month had passed since I had burned the letter and I had no regrets about it. I had continued in my studies with Candor alternating between him teaching me and me assisting him in his experiments with new spells he had dug from tomes. It was a comforting rhythm we established and that first month was perhaps the most idyllic days of my younger life. Harrow would come by every once in a while so we could talk about our respective experiences and I would walk with him sometimes in the afternoons, deep in conversation over a wide variety of things. Those times were good to me.
It was that day, however, when visitors arrived from the Breach. The royal governor, Marsai, and his two daughters. His wife had died years ago, according to Candor, of medical complications and the governor hadn't remarried since.
"Never appealed to me, women." Said Candor after telling me the story, "What am I supposed to do? Talk to them for the rest of my life?" I had laughed at this not quite understanding the fascination with them either. Candor had been summoned to a council that had been called involving the arrival of the governor and Candor had suggested I stay by his side to get a look at statesmanship at work. It would be the first time I attended such a meeting though certainly not my last.
I saw Harrow come into the throne with two girls that I didn't recognize but I assumed they were the governor's daughters by their dress. Harrow had seemed to have acquainted himself with them already as they were laughing when they came in. Harrow notices me mid-laugh across the room and nodded in my direction. I tilted my head towards the governor who was standing near King Armin sitting on his throne with a question in my eyes. He held his hands up and shrugged, mouthing something I couldn't quite make out.
I turned to Candor to ask when it would begin but he was talking with an advisor I recognized from my first time here. Allant. He of course looked the same as he had before, a graying beard that traced his face from his chin to his ears and hard eyebrows that gave him an intimidating look despite his relatively shorter stature, standing barely taller than I was at the time. He looked up from his conversation with Candor to acknowledged me for a moment. He gestured his hand towards me.
"Tell me, Candor, this is your apprentice correct?" Candor nodded, his whole face brightened about to show off his new student.
"As a matter of fact, he is, Allant. He's very talented too. He performed his first spell just a month ago and had performed many more since then. I'm rather impressed, actually." Allant stroked one side of his beard.
"Is that so? Well," He shook my hand, "That is rather impressive, Viren. When did you decide to become a mage then?" This I was able to answer to his standards and we talked over these things for a few more minutes before Armin called the council together at the table map of the continent. Figures representing various kingdoms and Xadian forces were scattered across the map though there was a noticeable gathering of those pieces at an area known as the Breach.
I suppose then I should explain what the Breach is. Xadia and the human kingdoms as I have mentioned are split by a river of lava that splits the continent and is only crossable at the Breach. Both sides knowing this, of course, constructed defense on their side of the Breach. Both ends of it are some of the most well-defended places in the continent second only to perhaps the lair of the Dragon King.
King Armin pointed at the Breach and looked around at the people gathered around the table. Governor Marsai was leaned over next to him.
"The governor brings news that there may have been a slip in our defenses at the breach as for the first time in almost forty years." He looked around the table one last time before taking an elven piece and moving it to our side of the border.
"An elf has been spotted on Katolis' side of the border." There were murmurs around the table before Governor Marsai then spoke.
"We of course have witnesses to this event, a servant boy and," He gestured to one of the girls that had come in with Harrow, "My eldest daughter, Sarai." Sarai merely bowed and stayed silent. Armin put a hand to his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully.
"Is the servant boy hear as well?" Marsai nodded and gestured to a boy I had just noticed standing towards the back of the room. He was around my age and height and seemed rather bookish if ever that description fit someone. He had crooked lenses balanced on his nose and a wiry frame that was hunched from long nights of reading by candlelight.
"It's an honor to meet you, your majesty." The boy stuttered the words out as if he had forgotten how to speak for a moment. King Armin smiled warmly back at him.
"Thank you, young man. What did you see?" The boy swallowed nervously.
"It was dark, and I w-was with Sarai," He bumbled his words nervously, "Well not, with her with her but just-" Marsai snapped.
"Get to the point, boy!" Candor leaned over to whisper in my ear.
"He was not made governor for his patience." The boy swallowed deeper, readjusted his glasses, and went on.
"While we were walking towards the governor's house, I saw… a shadow with wings that came out through a window on the left side of the mansion." He looked around, giving his best impression at innocent speculation before mentioning, "I think he may have come out of Lady Sarai's room, my lord." Candor gave a laugh before smothering it in a cough after Marsai stiffened in his direction.
"Then he flew away sir," He hesitated for a moment, perhaps having trouble believing his own memories.
"His arms were wings like a bird and he flew back over the border. He carried no weapons that I could tell and I believe he was a Skywing elf, sir, that means-"
"Enough of that, Endor!" Thundered Marsai at the boy who gave a jump at Marsai's tone. King Armin raised his hand.
"Calm yourself, Marsai, the boy has said what I asked of him and that is enough." He turned to Endor and softened his tone.
"Did you see anything else, Endor?" Endor shook his head, still a little shaken from Marsai's outburst.
"No, your majesty, that is all I saw that night." Armin nodded.
"Very well, thank you, Endor." The boy only nodded shakily before taking a position somewhere near me. I inclined my head to him in an attempt to calm his frayed nerves and he gave a quick smile in response. I wondered what had happened to him to make him as he was. I shook my head out of my thought as Sarai was called forward at the table for her story.
"Lady Sarai?" King Armin tilted his head toward her, "What did you say that night?" She hesitated just as Endor had, but her hesitation was of a different kind. The ignorant are unsure of what they see, those who know are unsure of what to say. Sarai was the latter. I could see it in her eyes and her stance. She was about to hold something but. What it was I wasn't sure.
Candor leaned over to me again somehow sensing my observations, "I'm glad to see you're paying attention. There certainly is something different about her right now. But I'm sure you'll find out." Allant next to him was also peering curiously at Sarai but he let the expression slide off his face after a moment.
"It… was very dark that night." Sarai began, her voice unsure at first.
"I couldn't see where they came from or…" The table waited with bated breath for her next words. This was where it would change from the servant boy's tale, I was sure.
"Or if they were even an elf." The table erupted into noise.
"How would it not be an elf?"
"The boy says he saw it fly away!"
Sarai had a tinge of panic in her eye as holes were poked in her witness until the voices were silenced by Allant who undoubtedly had his own suspicions but kept them hidden for now.
"Let her speak," He lowered his hands to calm the table, "So that we may listen." Silence restored, Sarai continued.
"They were too far away and hidden away in the shadows, I couldn't be sure by their face that they were an elf." Her face turned resolute and my doubts in her began to crack.
"No, it must have been a common thief. When I returned, I lost two rings that had been sitting on my nightstand. They had been stolen." The table was silent. The voices had been quieted with no counters.
An advisor whom I didn't recognize raised an opinion against her story.
"What of the boy's account that the figure had wings?" Sarai turned her gaze at that man, willful even at her young age.
"Endor," She began slowly, I felt Endor perk up his ears at her mentioning his name, "Is a poet." I was curious where she was going with this.
"Because of this," She continued, Endor strained to hear her words, "He tends to exaggerate what he sees and hears to make it like poetry." Endor lost some of his enthusiasm as she went on.
"He sees a girl look his way and thinks he's in love, he sees a shadowy figure on a roof jump and thinks they fly. I would not trust his words as a full reality." She gave Endor a cold look that I couldn't quite understand before finishing.
"He's not always in touch with reality." The table was silent for a moment before King Armin spoke.
"It would seem… that perhaps Endor was mistaken…" He looked to Endor who was spaced out glumly after Sarai's testimony.
"Unless," Armin raised an eyebrow to Endor, "You have anything else you have to add?" Endor opened his mouth to say something before glancing at Sarai and then shaking his head. King Armin breathed out.