Part 5/5 of the Highborne Backstory Segment.

A'oraen is dead, his murderer is known to the entire Court yet those that wish to act cannot. Now they must carry out their former Lord's final order to save their people from not only tyranny, but the taint of the Fel.

Transcendence: Gaiden

We Do What We Must

Maluineth looked down at the shrouded body, unable to accept what had happened and what she had been told. Yet in a way she was almost hoping for it to be the case, deep down in her heart where that tiny smudge of darkness lay she was hoping the words given were true. Yet all logic did not say it was so.

"Mordent killed him?" Maluineth asked, looking to the shrouded body of A'oraen. His form has shrivelled and turned to that of a decayed mummy, so horrible it was that it had been forbidden to gaze upon it.

Maluineth did not doubt or disobey the order, for she could not bring herself to peel away the silk to look at the face of her former Lord. But the current Head Councillor came forward and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, she nearly jerked from his grasp when he touched her. But she resisted the urge and remained still, eyes never leaving the white cowl over the dead man's face.

"Yes, from what the survivors spoke of they were attacked by several mages, leading the assault was some foul warlocks that drained the power from his body." Mildreas replied, his words sounding heavy and for a moment Maluineth thought that he may have sounded guilty or even miserable.

"Were they captured?" Tylarwin inquired.

"No, they escaped when the guards went to apprehend the human for destroying the pylon in the Plaza below." Mildreas replied. "It was likely a distraction, as was the attack on the Sanctum. Both were attempts to leave A'oraen vulnerable to assassination. It seems that it was successful."

"What shall we do now?" Nytheas inquired, hands clasped behind his back. For someone that seemed to be mourning the loss of their former leader he appeared to be in good spirits.

"We hunt down the perpetrators, find them and kill them all." Mildreas replied, vengeance and hatred reverberating in his throat and spewing the bloodthirsty words to all.

Maluineth would have been excited at the prospect of having to go back on A'oraen's previous orders, yet she felt only hesitance to even look at the man that gave them. It was appalling to see him wearing the sash of the Head Councillor over his shoulders and the pendant that he gave A'oraen.

'You murder him and take his position without a second thought, friends and comradery mean nothing to you does it?' Maluineth seethed, before she looked away.

"I will see it done." Tylarwin replied, turning and moving off before gesturing to Maluineth to follow.

"My Lord, allow me the chance to find him. Repay Mordent for his slight against our former Head Councillor and the Shen'dralar." Maluineth said, letting the hate she felt seep into her words and give the new leader of the people a good idea on how angry she was.

"Go, find and have your vengeance." Mildreas replied, gesturing with his staff towards the doorway.

She quickly departed, exiting through the archway and into the hall where Tylarwin slowed his pace for her to catch up. They were silent for a time, moving through the halls and waiting till they were at least in relative safety to not be spied on.

"He murdered him, he actually murdered A'oraen." Maluineth said.

"But how?" Tylarwin asked. "A'oraen may not have had his magical reserves replenished but even he should have bested that upstart with no exertion."

"I do know, but we cannot speak here." Maluineth said, quickly leading Tylarwin down another passage and towards a balcony. "When I returned to the Sanctum I was told something of great importance."

"What is it?" Tylarwin whispered in reply.

"The artefacts that were taken, they are not the same one that Mildreas stole." Maluineth replied, shocking the Highborne captain.

It was something she had discovered when she had returned after the attack, with the place in ruins and most of the order incapacitated she was left to straighten things out. But first she had been told of a startling revelation, the artefacts she had been given my Mildreas were fakes.

They possessed the same magical signatures and powers of the original artefacts, in fact they were the very same ones in shape. But what was missing is the majority of the power they once had, it had been extracted and stolen. Mildreas had somehow been able to extract that power from the many artefacts and somehow embed them onto new items.

Likely he had somehow extracted them using the Handmaiden of Elune without breaking the artefacts. Then using the waters with the Brush and Chisel was able to imbue these properties into new artefacts. It was ingenious and something she could respect had it not been used personally against her.

While this was speculation she knew it to be true, as soon as she felt that hand on her shoulder.

When Mildreas paced his hand upon her she had felt it, that cloak he wore of black silk held a strikingly familiar signature. A signature that was identical to that of the Palangine. The cloak of the great Panther, Ashamane, said to be impervious to harm from all blades and magic. If he possessed that when facing A'oraen it was almost certain it had been the reason he defeated him.

"I am certain that he has taken the powers of the Thousand League Greaves, Wast, and the Tyet." Maluineth stated.

"Then he is in more durable, more powerful and all around faster than any of us." Tylarwin scowled, not liking the odds. "We won't stand a chance against him, not directly."

"Then we best make sure that we do not face him on even ground." Maluineth said, letting out an aggravated breath before she made her suggestion. "We need Mordent and his allies. They are the only ones that can be trusted to do this."

Tylarwin was silent for a few moments; the look on his face spoke of his incredibility in believing that she was suggesting such a thing. For her to say that they needed to ally with Mordent Evershade was akin to Mildreas saying they should cooperate and learn Primalism.

"Surprising that you wish to work with the man, considering your history I did not think you had the restraint to put aside your hatred for him." Tylarwin said.

"I haven't, I hate him as much as the day I did when my father was deposed and he took over the Shen'dralar." Maluineth said. "But we are facing a man just as tyrannical and power hungry as Prince Tortheldrin, and we must do all in our power to stop him."

Tortheldrin nodded his head, it was time they put aside their hatred and distrust to do what was for the benefit of their people rather than themselves. He had no animosity towards Mordent, in a way he was sympathetic towards the man in regards to what he had done.

Mordent had been someone that had to take up the mantle of leadership to preserve the Shen'dralar and those within it. After her father's betrayal of Prince Tortheldrin the entire order would have been in danger, Mordent's actions could have been a way to save it from suffering a fate similar to those in the lower wards of the city.

In fact, Tylarwin scarcely believe that Maluineth's father had a role in Mordent taking control of the order to protect those who did not side with him. After all not all within his own Guard believed in the orders given to exterminate the civilians in lower Eldre'thalas.

He knew that if they disobeyed and if they were caught that the rest of the Guard could suffer for it, and if he turned against Tortheldrin than they would have suffered. For the betrayal of the leader of either the Guard or Shen'dralar would have garnered an even more scrutinised eye of their mad Prince. That would possibly see them among the dead that day one thousand years ago.

"But we need to find them." Maluineth said, looking sour as she tried to figure out the one mystery that they had been unable to unravel.

Where was Mordent hiding?

He had evaded capture for days and no matter how thoroughly they searched it did not seem that they came any closer to locating him. Honestly it was getting aggravating looking in the same place over and over again and hoping this time they found him.

"Let us hope that something comes along." Tylarwin said, knowing that it was wishful thinking.

"Captain."

Tylarwin turned to the whisper, finding Ylannul standing behind him. That man certainly knew how to sneak up on people even when in full plated armour.

"What is it?" Tylarwin asked.

"The sentries you posted on the house near the docks, we have noticed someone entering it." Ylannul said. "It is Caelyb Greenearth."

Tylarwin and Maluineth shared a glance, both of them knowing that Caelyb was meant to be in the custody of Mordent and his allies. Had he escaped from his former teacher? Or had he been released? Now working for Mordent and his cause?

"Capture him when he leaves, we need him." Tylarwin ordered, brushing past Ylannul and planning to do it himself if he had to.

"Already done Captain, as soon as he comes out the men will apprehend him." Ylannul replied.

"Good, and after we get him we are going after Mordent." Tylarwin said, with Ylannul and Maluineth following after him.