I followed Cognita down a hallway that I'd never explored before. I decided to abstain from planting spy cameras until she, or any other golems, weren't present. Ignoring tiny cubes in the walls, floors, and ceiling was one thing. Noticing a difference between one moment and the next was another. It would be a pointless risk to do so in the presence of the Truestone Golem.

"Here is your room, Archmage Pixel." Cognita motioned with one of her arms at a blank wall.

"I see." I did not. My notifications, Threat Sense, and Ears of Babel let me pick up on lots of things that a normal person wouldn't be able to. However, I did not have any innate active scanning powers aside from Observe - and that hadn't been particularly useful in this world so far. Was the wall an illusion? The location for a dimensional opening? Something else?

I ran my hand over it - mostly for show. My armor meant that I couldn't directly touch the wall, but the fact that it withstood any kind of pressure meant it was physically there and not just an image.

...Probably. Magic was just as bad at breaking the laws of physics as Shards were.

"And here is your key." Cognita turned and looked down the hallway as a large pair of golems trudged down it while carrying a statue between them. They were much slower than Cognita, and were only seven feet tall. So while they would dwarf most other creatures, they were still notably smaller than she was.

The statue made a loud thunk as the golems set it down. They then turned, and walked away.

"The statue is the key?" I looked at it, and then up at Cognita.

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is amused.

"Yes." A faint smile played at the edges of her mouth. "We have very few rooms fit for an Archmage in the lower floors. I thought you would prefer the one that is the most secure."

"Uh-huh." I wasn't sure if this was petty revenge, some sort of joke, or Cognita just being practical. I could easily teleport in and out of my room with no need to actually use the statue. "Then shall we?" I hefted the stone woman, which looked very similar to Cognita, herself, and poked the wall with it. A tunnel appeared.

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is satisfied.
**Cognita is smug.

"I was right." Cognita moved behind me as I entered the new corridor. "You are stronger than you appear."

"Hm." I grunted as I awkwardly walked down the path that had opened. The statue was heavy, but more than that, it was bulky. If there was space to lift it above my head it wouldn't be so bad. As it was, I'd only been able to tuck it under one arm. Its outstretched arms and leg kept bumping against the walls. "It could be my armor that grants me super strength."

"Oh, I think not." Cognita had to duck too, so there was that. "I've watched you enough to know that the armor you currently wear is your most basic one. While a [Mage] might enchant an item to give them the strength of an ogre, it takes practice to become accustomed to such an increase. Even walking is a chore at first. No." She shook her head. "You are at ease with that armor, and with the others you wear. I would be able to notice a difference in your movement if you were suddenly subjectively lighter."

"Possibly." The arm brushed against the wall, which caused the entire statue to twist around. "It's also possible that all my different armors grant me strength."

"No. It's not." I could hear her smirking. "While I do not doubt you could make such suits of armor, or adjust them so that they compensated for their different weights, I have seen you naked."

"What?" I spun around, but only succeeded in wedging the statue against the walls. "You have not." I most assuredly would have noticed with Threat Sense if someone was watching me when I changed clothing. Besides, Inventory let me do so in a heartbeat.

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is mirthful.
**Cognita is smug.

"Have you forgotten our walks?" Cognita's voice did a decent job of disguising her mirth. "You went without your armor then, yet your movements remained the same."

"Hmp." I gently unstuck the statue, as I did not want to break it. "That was a misleading statement."

"Was it?" She replied innocently.

I rolled my eyes and exited the tunnel into a gigantic mansion of a room. "This place is enormous!"

"Yes." Cognita straightened up. "It is the largest of the rooms on this level."

Velvet chairs. A mahogany desk. A twelve foot tall mirror. "I am no connoisseur of such things, but this room's furniture strikes me as being of far higher quality than... well... anything."

"Yes." Cognita nodded. "[Archmage] Nekhret enjoyed the finer things in life. She was an artisan of unsurpassed skill, though I doubt she possessed any [Classes] in that regard. It is recorded that she made all of her furniture herself, and with only the finest materials."

How long ago was that?

"And nobody took them out of her room?" I could see not using it, as the 'key' was impractical at best, but ignoring it completely?

"Few [Mages] knew of her quarters." Cognita slowly turned her head to take in the massive room. "Among those that did, I doubt they'd risk a [Necromancer's] wrath. Even beyond the grave, their servants remain." She gave a slight shrug. "I also imagine that it would be exceptionally difficult to move even the smaller items while carrying the key."

"Yes." I nodded. "I wonder how she did so."

"Magic. It would be simplicity itself for her to conjure servants to carry both furniture and the statue at the same time. I was told that she built the larger items inside."

"Ah." That made sense. "Like a ship in a bottle." I started to place the statue down, but hesitated. "Do I need to escort you back out?"

"No." Cognita shook her head. "I need no key."

"You don't?"

"I have plenty of experience opening the door when Zelkyr lived here."

So much for privacy, but I never really expected any. "Thank you for allowing me to stay in such a historic room." It was obvious that Cognita held ANYTHING related to Zelkyr in high regard. While I didn't have a reputation meter, I felt I was making good progress with her simply by being courteous and polite.

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is pleased.
**Cognita is happy.

"You are welcome, Pixel." A ghost of a smile was in her words. "However, there is another issue that needs to be discussed."

Oh?

"And what would that be, Cognita?"

"Students of Wistram shall have one room, one wand, and one spellbook." Her imperious gaze locked onto me. "Wistram is spacious, but allowing a single individual to occupy multiple rooms cannot be allowed, lest... unpleasantness arise."

"Is that so?" I stroked my chin. "But I only have the one."

"Not so." She shook her head. "You stated that I, myself, welcomed you to Wistram. Therefore, you already have a room." Cognita paused before continuing. "I would not think it would be unduly improper for you to 'share' your room with one of the other children from Earth. Or even all of them, if such was your request. The room is large enough for plenty of privacy even with dozens of occupants."

Ah. I got it. She wanted to know which of the new arrivals I was. While I trusted Cognita enough, it was better practice to not divulge secrets. Besides, I could always tell her later.

"I'm sure that's not necessary."

"I must insist."

I took a deep breath and thought. It wouldn't be suspicious to relocate the Earthers. I would have to bring Blackmage as well if I did such a thing. Maintaining my charade constantly in close contact with him would be... difficult. Besides, exiting and entering the room would be tedious. 'Pixel' could open and close the door at set times to let the other Earthers in and out, so it wasn't impossible. Simply teleporting myself would be far simpler.

"I agree with you that the rules of Wistram must be upheld." I bowed my head. "I also have told you, in confidence, that I have been masquerading as someone else. Thus, you are correct that I currently occupy more than one room." I paused and then smiled. "However, I am not a student. Not in any guise. The visitors from Earth are guests of Wistram, not students.

Cognita crossed her arms. "You speak of technicalities."

"True." I agreed. "But that does not make my statement false. Besides, I have no wand or spellbook. By your own rules, I cannot be considered a student."

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is annoyed.

"You bandy your words as well as a [Diplomat], Pixel."

I smiled and bowed to her. "A superhero must wear many hats, I'm afraid. While I do not care for public relation activities, that does not mean that I am unfamiliar with them either."

"'Public relation.' What an odd pairing of words." Cognita's emerald eyes drilled into me for a moment before she turned back towards the now vanished tunnel. "Very well. The rooms are yours, for now." She took a step forward, and placed her hand on the wall - which faded away. The passage was tall enough this time for her to walk upright. "Will I see you tonight for the patrol?"

"That, too, is an activity that every superhero is well versed in. I will find you."

"See that you do."

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is expectant.
**Cognita is happy.

It took a short while for her to traverse the magical passageway. Only after it had faded did Threat Sense tell me that I was no longer being watched. All in all, that went rather well I thought. I didn't have a reputation gauge to keep track of such things, but Cognita was clearly warming to my presence.

The fact that I was succeeding in becoming her friend without relying on Optimize putting its figurative finger on the scales made me proud. It was probably because I DID care for her - even if it was just because she reminded me of Dragon.

I Inventoried my armor and sat on one of the chairs that was placed around a table. Oh. Wow. That's comfortable. Like, REALLY comfortable. Accord level comfortable. It had to be magical, which was unsurprising considering the various [Archmages] who'd stayed in this room in the past.

It was time to review the rest of the plan. I think the meeting with the counsel had gone better than expected. I smiled to myself. Or better than Feor had anticipated. My plan had gone off without a hitch. Using Tongue of Babel to have a random mage shout for me to get my own arm cut off had worked perfectly.

I un-Inventoried my chopped off hand and looked it over. It wasn't much material - I couldn't even make a full shirt out of it, but it was something. I was sure I'd find a use for it. If nothing else, it could be turned into food or a potion.

Proof that my potions of regeneration worked was one of the main benefits. Wistram's [Mages] had no idea that I could regenerate without them, and that they would work slower on other people. After all, I was effectively advertising them at double strength, as they stacked with my Rapid Regeneration Perk. Still, from my research I'd learned that healing potions were a staple of this world's modern society, but they weren't perfect. Rapid healing verses Rapid Regeneration.

Plus, there were any number of situations - like infections, missing limbs, or old age - where a healing potion was useless. Potions that did similar things to mine had existed in the far past when people were higher level and magic was stronger. I could effectively create artifacts on demand, and the [Mages] of Wistram knew that. I had successfully cemented myself as an invaluable ally.

Additionally, by forcing them to cut off my arm I'd established my personal strength. I was hoping that such a thing would deter any... unpleasantness. Of course, it had cost me valuable information. If someone did decide to attack me, they probably wouldn't use any half measures after bearing witness to my durability.

I sighed.

It was a price that had to be paid - not for intimidation, but for my own knowledge. I needed first hand experience with how much Gamer's Body could resist magic. Sharing such knowledge was an unfortunate necessity in obtaining it in the first place. Still, it was better that Wistram had it than say a country like Roshal or Ailendamus.

The good news was that Gamer's Body wasn't completely bypassed. As a rough estimate, I'd say it was about half to seventy five percent effective. The level of spell and the amount of mana used was doubtlessly the cause of the variance. So while I wasn't immune to magical fire, it couldn't burn me as much as it would a normal person. Plus, I had a LOT more HP than a regular human, and they had to go through all of it before I was actually wounded.

The downside was that half of infinity was still infinity. Disintegration or death effects would still need to be avoided. I supposed I couldn't complain too much, I was still in a far better position than anyone else - even if I wasn't invincible.

So... yeah. I'd made an impression, got a seat at the table, demonstrated my personal strength, and learned a lot more about how magic could hurt me. All it cost me was some details that would've emerged in my first serious fight anyways. Not bad for a day's work.

I leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. So what's next?

I needed to stay in Wistram long enough to establish a basic level of safety for the Earthers. Well, for Blackmage right now, but I suspected Cara would be fine with sending some other survivors she'd found since I was here. That shouldn't be too hard. All I needed to do was to make myself indispensable. 'Cross the Earthers, deal with Pixel.'

In time, I wouldn't even be needed. Once there were more of them, and they established themselves as useful members instead of unskilled guests...

Yeah. It should be fine to leave after a while. If worse came to worse, I can come up with a teleportation method to my undersea base. The tricky part would be only allowing Earthers access. Keying in individual people wouldn't be hard, but making it robust enough to recognize people from Earth without me?

I COULD use the list of names I'd gotten from Dragon alongside Observe, but that wouldn't help those that had been taken from Earth Iota after me.

I shook my head. I'd think about it more later.

The second most important goal was to do something for Cognita. I wondered if I would be as invested if I didn't have my notifications blaring to me non-stop while I was in her presence. It made it hard to ignore her plight. I'd like to think I'd be just as motivated without the constant reminder of how manipulated she was, but I wasn't sure.

Regardless, turning a blind eye now would be unacceptable. Plus, I had a vague outline of a plan. The problem was that I couldn't in good conscious attempt it without experimenting first. That was a difficult proposition given how... protective Cognita was with the Wistram golems.

Additionally, I couldn't confide or ask the assistance of any other people. The [Mages] would be more than happy to use me to destroy Cognita. That level of animosity could have unexpected consequences.

Eh, it wasn't like I was planning on REALLY involving them on most matters anyways. Their help was mainly relevant to my third goal: understanding magic.

I ranked it third in my mind, and I had the suspicion that it was the least likely to see any meaningful progress. I'd been able to learn [Light], but I hadn't been given a [Class] for it. Understanding mana was important, but without leveraging my Perks I had no special advantages. People smarter than me had studied magic for far longer than I'd been alive.

Still, it would be wasteful to not try and learn from them while I was here.

That left the final goal, or at least the final goal that could only be accomplished at Wistram: Amerys.

The current situation was unacceptable, it was as simple as that. The 'Archmage of Lightning' might be handling it far better than anyone else could possibly be expected to... but it was still torture. At the same time, I could understand Wistram's point of view as well. I'd read up on the King of Destruction's rise, and it was interesting.

A young Flos Reimarch had gained leadership of Reim when his mother had died. The death of a monarch was a bigger deal in this world than on Earth. In addition to the confusion and ambition that plagued countries without clear leadership, there was a very pronounced effect of losing a high level [King] or [Queen].

[Rulers] had skills that benefited their entire kingdom. Losing these skills meant that a period of vulnerability was unavoidable. So, it wasn't a surprise when the neighboring country of Hellios invaded Reim.

In fact, the entire area of Chandrar was composed of relatively small kingdoms. That continent's countries were either small or massive, and I didn't know why the lesser kingdoms hadn't been annexed a long time ago. I supposed that they had, far in the past, but there were limits to what I could find out by reading books.

Flos won his first war by counter attacking Hellios' capital and dueling their [King].

The conflicts that occurred after that continued to paint him in a good light: defeating a [Warlord] that had overthrown another kingdom, conquering a neighbor that was raiding him, destroying the Order of the Black Judgment after they became [Bandits]. Battle seemed to breed battle and Flows kept winning. He also proved popular as he treated his subjects well, and allowed other countries to surrender and swear fealty instead of destroying them - despite his nickname.

However, there comes a time when 'I'll invade this country to help it's people' starts to ring hollow.

The book I'd read was by a [Historian] who'd tried to identify that exact moment. When Flos stopped fighting justifiable wars, and instead conquered for the sake of conquering. They hadn't reached a solid conclusion.

Flos did become king of all of Chandrar, which was a monumental feat considering its sheer size. However, he did not stop there. He set his sights on other continents, and even tried invading two of them simultaneously. That was what lead to his downfall.

His armies were driven off, and he lost some of his highest level allies - one of which was Queravia. She was Flos' [Strategist]... and his lover. Her loss stopped his ambitions and seemingly his interest in anything.

And thus the King of Destruction's tale ended, with him issuing no commands and his conquered lands gradually splitting off again. He did not die. Other [Rulers] didn't make attempts on his life. Flos was too high level, and no one dared to make any moves that might rouse him once again.

Amerys was quite up front about returning to him once he 'woke up', so preventing her from doing so was understandable.

But...

There had to be a better option than keeping her bound head to toe, killing her, or allowing her to return to Flos' side and letting her kill who knows how many people.

Nailihuaile slithered back and forth in her room. She HAD to speak with Pixel!

The other Earthers were a novelty. Sure, they were interesting and were the result of some great magic, but ultimately they were children. She'd let Feor play with them for a reason. If they couldn't offer anything, then it wasn't worth the hassle.

Pixel...

Pixel was different.

He was a true [Artisan], if not in [Class], then in spirit. She HAD to get a closer look at his armor! It was so beautiful, so intriguing. She had been going in circles all night trying to think of how he'd made it.

The answer, obviously, was with 'technology' and not magic. A great work that didn't have to deal with resonance or mana leakage. But how?

More importantly, how could she accomplish the same thing?

She couldn't just enchant a bunch of scales individually... Or could she?

If she had some 99.9999% pure magicore, then it MIGHT be possible. Might. Such resources could not be found in Wistram any longer, except, perhaps, on the upper floors. If she had something like that, then she could craft an enchantment with no leakage.

Or at least a negligible amount.

It would have to be small, but do so much. Movement. Durability. Coloring.

If she was successful, it would be amazing protection. Aside from the base enchantments that all the scales would need to act in such a uniform way, a specialized defensive [Spell] could be added to each scale. A white coat to protect from the cold. Red to shield her from fire. Yellow to block lightning!

Hah! With such a suit of armor, she could take on Amerys without any other help!

She HAD to speak with Pixel!

Surely the same... ideas, concepts, and planning that he'd used to make his armor could be... adapted.

And that wasn't even taking into account his personal enhancements!

How had he strengthened his skin so much? Nailihuaile prided herself on being an [Enchanter] without peer. Furthermore, she was the best in the world at physical enchantment. She could make her scales harder than mithril. She could allow herself to run faster than a bird in flight. She could grant herself the strength of an ogre!

Yet...

She could not have created an enchantment as... durable as Pixel's. While it was true that their combined efforts had eventually succeeded in removing his hand, it had taken a long time. Far too long for an actual fight. Not to mention how effective it would be at stopping [Assassins].

The real question was, 'was it permanent'?

She realized it was a demonstration - not only of his potion of regeneration, but also of his defenses. A gauntlet thrown down to demonstrate his capabilities. His... impressive capabilities.

Yet, it had been a last minute change in the script he and Feor had obviously colluded on. No one would've expected such a thing if someone hadn't shouted for it. No, the most realistic ending was for the counsel to accept his claims and not wasting such a valuable potion.

Who was it that called for such drastic proof anyways?

She shook her head and continued to slither in a circle. It didn't matter, and it didn't help her draw any more conclusions about Pixel's talents. He would obviously enchant himself before such a meeting. Nailihuaile always did before leaving her room.

Well... she might forget on occasion, but for a gathering of the counsel?

It did gall her that her specialty had been surpassed, but it had taken the greatest champion of another world to do so. She supposed she could live with that - especially if she got to level from it.

"You wish to do WHAT?" Feor stared at Pixel in his un-armored form.

"I wish to visit Archmage Amerys." The newly appointed Archmage repeated himself.

Feor clenched his wand. "WHY? She has nothing to do with you or the other Earthers."

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that." Pixel leaned back, seemingly perfectly at ease. "Blackmage is collaborating with her. Electricity is very important in a lot of technology." How did he know that? "Putting that aside, she is still an Archmage of Wistram, and as such, she is an important person."

"True. True." Feor eased his grasp. "She is also dangerous." He wasn't sure if it would be a good or a bad thing if she killed Pixel. The man was dangerous, but valuable. Although it wasn't like Amerys was capable of such an action while chained up.

"All the more reason I should see her for myself." Pixel's eyes gleamed. "Any potential danger to my wards must be addressed."

Feor swallowed.

"I suppose I could arrange for you to meet her in say, a week?"

"I was hoping for it to happen much sooner: today. Right now if you have the time."

"I don't know..." Feor tried to stay still instead of fidgeting. He kept replaying the sensation of being stabbed in his mind over and over again.

"If you are not available, then I shall have to speak with Nailihuaile." Pixel leaned forward and put his hands on his chair's armrests. "Or, perhaps, Cognita."

Cognita. Could he maneuver Pixel into challenging her? That would solve one problem no matter the outcome.

...Or it could make things worse if the two of them collaborated. Wistram wasn't special to Pixel. In time he might seek the higher floors, but for now? The chance of him conspiring with the golem to rule all of Wistram together was small, but not small enough. He couldn't allow such an association.

"No." Feor stood up. "I will escort you." He also needed to be on hand to witness their meeting. Secrets were secrets.

"Very well." Pixel gave a short nod before also standing. His armor blossomed around him. "Let us be off then." He patiently waited for Feor to walk out from behind his desk before following him out of the room.

...

It did not take long to pass through the safeguards around Amerys' cell. Well... room. Despite her allegiance to the King of Destruction, the [Mages] of Wistram were not [Barbarians] or [Slave Masters]. They treated her with respect, care, and dignity.

Or at least as much as they could while still making sure she didn't hurt anyone else.

Her yellow eyes glared at them with unabashed hatred.

"You keep her bound and gagged?" Pixel asked, but he didn't seem that surprised.

"It is necessary to restrict her magic." Feor replied.

"So she can cast [Spells] just by speaking them, despite the magical shackles?"

"What?" Feor looked up at him. "No. The chains drain away her mana."

"Then what does the gag do?" Pixel's head swiveled towards him.

"It keeps her from biting the people that try and feed her."

"What?" His retort sounded incredulous. "That makes absolutely no sense. She must use her mouth to eat, so at that time the gag must be removed anyways. The only use for it right now seems to be to prevent her from speaking."

"And?" Feor glared back. "What is wrong with that. A small amount of discomfort is of no real concern."

"'A small amount of discomfort is of no real concern'? Perhaps I should tie you up one day, and see how you like it." Pixel's threat didn't sound like much, but it still chilled Feor. "This is torture. Plain and simple. There might be an argument for the necessity of the chains, but the gag?" He shook his head. "That is purely for the benefit of the [Mages] standing guard."

"No!" Feor frowned. "Her very spit is lethal."

"How dangerous can she be with no mana?" Pixel raised his voice. "If you cannot stand to hear the words of the person you have imprisoned - Then. You. Are. Cowards."

"How dare-" Feor sputtered his response as the [Mages] on guard duty did the same.

"Quiet." Pixel strolled over to Amerys and towered above her.

Feor watched in anticipation. Would he try to remove her gag? Amerys biting his hand would accomplish nothing. He had yet to see how effective Pixel's armor was, but given the durability he'd enchanted his own body with, it could not be a flimsy defense. Even if it was, Amerys couldn't bite through it anyways. Despite her actions, she was no [Berserker]. She had no [Skills] to enhance such a desperate assault.

He smiled. This would show Pixel just what he was dealing with. How feral Amerys truly was! There could be no better demonstration. It would put the Earther and his moral denouncement in his place! Pixel looked down for a second, raised his hand...

And Amerys' gag simply vanished!

Feor felt his mouth fall open.

What was that? What sort of [Spell] was that?

No. No, no, no. That was no [Spell]. It was his 'technology', or perhaps a [Skill]. It wouldn't do to forget the nature of Pixel's abilities.

"Greeting, Archmage Amerys." Pixel's voice seemed to echo through the room. "I am Pixel - the Archmage of Cubes, and I would speak with you."

She coughed before speaking with a dry voice. "Pixel." She smiled and her yellow eyes seemed to flash with restrained power. "Are you here to free me?"

"Yes. You will not spend another minute in your chains."

Feor stared blankly for a second before processing what he'd just heard. "No!" No! No! No! She couldn't be let free! Not now! He drew his wand and started casting. "Attack him!" He felt his heart hammering inside of his chest as an image of his imminent death refused to leave his mind. He had cast [Greater Lightning Ward] on himself, but AMERYS COULD GET AROUND THAT! His focus on the [Spell] he was crafting wavered, and Feor shut his eyes for a moment to center himself. He'd practiced this spell hundreds of times before - he could cast it now! He forced himself to look at his targets and take a deep breath. It would take a while to gather and shape the necessary mana into each missile, but the other [Mages] followed his lead with a quicker onslaught.

"[Wave of Seething Acid]!"

"[Aerial Burst]!"

The green liquid was propelled by a concentrated orb of air, but a shimmering field interposed itself between them and their targets. The barely visible ripple of the later attack spell faded to nothingness, and the acid fell to the floor and sizzled.

It hadn't even gained purchase on the [Wall of Force], or the equivalent that Pixel had summoned.

A glowing cube appeared in the armored man's hand, and he held it above Amerys' head as her smile grew wider and wider. He seemed to be placing it precisely as he moved his hand up and down several times before freezing. The cube then exploded. A visible ripple burst from it that slowed and stopped several feet away - and right as it would've impacted the floor.

There seemed to be no other effect.

"[Acid Orb Volley]!"

"[Arrows of Lightning]!"

The guards unleashed another volley of [Spells], that proved to be as equally ineffective as their previous attempt.

"[Valmira's Comet Storm]!" Feor wasn't finished with his [Spell], but he'd managed to form a dozen projectiles so far. It would have to be enough. They couldn't let Pixel free Amerys! Without the other Archmages as backup, she would kill them all!

His blazing comets impacted Pixel's barrier, and it visibly shuddered as lines of glowing cracks appeared... but it held.

Pixel, in turn, walked away from Amerys and held up his hand. "Cease your attacks. The deed is done."

Feor's eyes went wide and he looked at where the imprisoned Archmage... still sat. He blinked. Amerys was still in her chair, but she wasn't moving. She wasn't even breathing. What's more, her brilliant yellow eyes and green hair were both now gray. "What?" He swallowed and motioned to the guards to lower their wands. "What did you do?"

"I have frozen her in time."

"So... It was just a lie then?" Feor sighed. "But why? To put her at ease?"

"No." Pixel shook his head and the shimmering field faded. "It was the truth. When I free her from my temporal stasis, I shall also free her from your chains." He held up a hand to stifle any protests. "In the meantime, she will feel no discomfort. It is a far more humane way to treat her."

"You could have told us before hand!" Feor ground out through clenched teeth. "I've lost years of my life from the stress you just put me through."

"Yes." Pixel tilted his head. "I could have, but a small amount of discomfort is of no real concern. Wouldn't you agree?"