Dogewa: I better not say anything, right?

Yalishandela: Lorlen betraying Akkarin to the Higher Magicians - You give me ideas... Maybe I'll come back to this in another fanfic sometime. If I ever manage to finish writing it in 500 years. Even if I need time rather than inspiration - or a good programme that converts speech into writing so I can drive and write at the same time. And yes, I have a plan for how it will go on.

Enigma: Haha, your rant about the possibilities of plants and black magic really cheered me up. Especially because my thoughts were similarly rambling - and I'll come back to it later. After all, they still have some planning and practicing to do...
Well the hospital thing is mutual. The cottagers aren't too keen on the guild either. And as long as they are not forced to approach each other it will always be difficult to run the hospital. Haha, I like biology and would help in a heartbeat (Well, strictly speaking, I probably would have become a healer if I had joined the guild. And I would have been ogling Akkarin and his half-smile at least half the time while doing so. Whereas Lorlen is probably more relationship material after all.) *cough* I've never thought about such things before, of course *cough*.
What I find most exciting is that she has invented so many new things and at the same time her magic system is so immature. Let's take the arena for example - it's practically a big storage stone, and at the same time magic is supposedly only storable in exactly that. So how exactly does the arena work? How exactly do you build with magic? Do the houses have to be regularly charged with magic to last? So many unanswered questions. But: at the same time, it gives me the freedom to add and develope so many new things.


One hand tightly wrapped around his wine glass, the High Lord made his way through the nobles at court. His mind, however, was elsewhere that evening: the spy he had been chasing seemed to have disappeared. It had been more than two weeks since the thief had found the last victims and Captain Barran had not found any new murder victims either. The Sachakan had disappeared off the face of the earth. In all these years, this had never happened. Something was different and it worried Akkarin. It started with the fact that more slaves had entered Imardin in the last six months than the years before. Normally Kariko did not send more than two slaves a year, but now it was the third in half a year. But the sudden disappearance of the last spy without a trace also made Akkarin uneasy. He could not have died, he must have changed tactics.

The High Lord worried that he might see the hospital as a new branch of information, there was rarely more than one mage there. On the other hand, no one had dared to attack a mage before, apart from the slave a year ago who had followed Lord Dannyl when he had made contact with the thieves. It had been pure luck that Akkarin had found him that night. But now with the hospital in the cottage quarter, it was much easier to ambush a mage. Kariko had to realise that as well.

His thoughts continued to wander to Sachaka. What was Kariko planning that would make him change his strategy? Something had to have happened with the Ichani, the High Lord was sure of that. But what? He would not know as long as he did not find the spy to read his mind. And even then, it was doubtful how much Akkarin would learn - Kariko was very careful not to give any valuable information to the slaves he sent.

"What a brooding expression, High Lord," a familiar voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Something that would not hurt you, Yvain of Beldan," Akkarin returned impassively, grinning at the young man before him. He and Yvain had practically grown up together until Akkarin had joined the guild. Some of that friendship had followed them into their adult lives. Unlike the High Lord, however, Yvain had not grown up much. As a not particularly magically gifted second son, he had no reason to.

"Ah, I'm afraid it's too late for that," Yvain chuckled, raising both eyebrows. "Though a little more effortlessness would suit you. How about a woman to distract you?"

Akkarin shook his head and became serious again. "Yvain, we had already settled that subject."

The young man sighed theatrically and rolled his eyes. "Whoever she is can't really be worth it now" all at once his eyebrows drew together and he became serious. "Or is there something to the rumours about your pretty novice, High Lord?"

Akkarin preferred not to answer, instead raising an eyebrow and piercing Yvain with glances.

Yet the latter had completely hit the mark with his assertion, at least with the former. Back in Sachaka, he had loved a woman. The relationship had been doomed from the start - Kela had been Kariko's slave. When his master had discovered their feelings for each other, he had not hesitated long to use them against each other. Then Kariko had killed her in the attack and Akkarin had sworn never to love a woman again. Since his return, the High Lord had stayed away from women, at least until Sonea had come into his life. But his self-imposed celibacy had another reason: the danger of revealing information involuntarily was too high. The only woman who knew enough about him to risk such a thing was more than forbidden for him.

In a dismissive gesture, Yvain raised his hands. "Never mind, I won't ask any more"

Akkarin took a sip of his wine while he sorted out his thoughts. If the rumour that he and Sonea were having an improper relationship had reached the court, he should probably pay more attention to them than he had done so far. For a high lord who did not abide by the rules did not portray the guild in a good light. With a dismissive gesture, the High Lord inquired what exactly the rumours meant.

Unconcerned, Yvain shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, nothing worth talking about. My uncle told me this hair-raising story some time ago. No one here talks about it."

"Lord Kerrin?", Akkarin reassured himself. Yvain nodded in confirmation. A little more relaxed, Akkarin took another sip from his wine glass. Rumours about himself and Sonea were the last thing they needed right now. Especially since things were pleasantly normal between them right now. Sonea was busy with her studies most of the day and in her free time she either dealt with the hospital in the cottage district or she immersed herself in the preparations for her plant experiment. During their last dinner together, they had discussed possible ways to put their idea into practice and developed resulting set-ups for their experiment. Takan had not been particularly pleased that they had almost forgotten about his excellent meal. It had finally degenerated into a cold midnight snack and Takan had spent almost a whole day talking only the most necessary things to him. Only her fighting skills still worried him. Lord Yikmo had come up with an interesting theory about that: Sonea was so used to fighting physically that she resorted to these reflexes first and foremost. At the same time, she had inhibitions about attacking with magic for fear of hurting someone. As always, guilt spread through Akkarin when he thought about it. The death of the boy during the purge had been an unfortunate accident that should not have happened. But that she herself had had to kill with magic, that was his fault alone.


Sighing, Akkarin leaned back in the carriage. It had been a long, exhausting evening. After Yvain had left to grab one of the unmarried women - or perhaps one of the married ones - Akkarin had withdrawn a little, observing the people around him and listening to one or two conversations. It was always amazing how unobserved many felt in a room full of people. It amused Akkarin how easy it was to learn almost everything about the private lives of others. At the same time, all the scheming, the backstabbing, the dishonesty that went on at court was hard to bear. Nothing in the houses was what it seemed. All the more Akkarin longed for the peace of his own house.

At least as long as Sonea slept he could take off the mask he presented to the world. The mask that even the king fell for. The mask of the silent, emotionless and aloof High Lord. Takan alone knew the depths of his character. He might have confided a small part to Sonea, but she still did not know the big picture. Akkarin had no intention of letting her in on it. He had given her enough information to make her his accomplice, had manipulated her and made her stop hating him. Only to hate herself all the more for it now. He had made himself better than he was in her eyes by concealing part of the truth from her.

Outside the carriage windows, the lights of the city blurred into a blur as Akkarin tried to shake off the memory of his promise: to teach the traitors healing magic in return for them teaching him black magic to kill his master. The rebel group had kept their promise, unlike himself.

Akkarin shook his head slightly to dispel the memories. The disappearance of the spy had clearly triggered something in him that caused the carefully laced memories to come flooding back. In a tired gesture, Akkarin rubbed the root of his nose. These memories also returned to him in his sleep in the form of nightmares. He was used to dreaming about Kela's death over and over again, but at the moment he was dreaming other things. Sometimes everyone in the hospital had been brutally murdered, then again he only found Sonea's desecrated and mutilated corpse. All in all, he hardly found any sleep, although he desperately needed it. All in all, he was on the verge of once again roaming the alleys of the hut district himself to find the spy himself. He would probably not find peace any other way. Perhaps he would already start that night.

But this plan was thrown overboard when Akkarin entered his house.

"Master," Takan greeted him. "I trust your visit to the court was pleasant?"

Akkarin knew the undertone, but he bridled. "Ah, pleasant until Vilem molested me," he explained, then eyed his servant. "What happened?"

"Lady Sonea fell asleep in the library over one of her books" Takan's disapproval was unmistakable. His servant had been telling Akkarin for some time that Sonea was overworking herself, and the signs had not escaped Akkarin's notice either. It was not the first time Sonea had fallen asleep over one of her books. it had also not escaped his notice that she was pale and inattentive.

"I'll take care of it"

Instead of nodding, Takan continued to stare at him promptly. Laughing softly, Akkarin shook his head. "And then I'll get to work on revising her timetable. Satisfied?" Satisfied, his servant nodded and then disappeared towards the kitchen.

With long strides, Akkarin crossed the stairwell and quietly entered the library. Sonea sat in her favourite armchair, a book on botany in front of her, a stack of books on medicinal plants beside her. Most of them must have come from the mage's library, at least Akkarin didn't remember ever buying them. Carefully he removed the book from Sonea's grasp and looked at her. Even in her sleep she looked exhausted. Her already pale skin had an unhealthy grey tinge and deep shadows lay under her eyes. Old familiar feelings of guilt rose in Akkarin. He should have known that this would all be too much for Sonea.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, Akkarin picked her up and carried her to her bed. All at once he realised that Sonea had long been more than his novice. She had become his confidante, his accomplice. And suddenly the High Lord was afraid of what was developing. Because no matter what, it would not end well.