[hider=Collective Betrayal]
Lanaya considered what had occured since her rescue as she circled the Nyhem castle. She had taken to flying everywhere since then, or at the very least taking a carriage. She didn’t trust the streets anymore. If she could be caught off guard once, she could be caught off guard again. In this time of deepening intrigue and religious lunatics, she could not afford such a risk.

As she alighted on the castle battlements, she shed her bird form, returning back to her natural body. She winced as phantom pains became real again. Despite a visit to Nyhems finest magical healer, several of the deeper cuts and more severe burns were still present. They still caused pain, and beneath her dress she was still bound in many bandages. She felt like an embalmed creature from the northern desert tribe myths. She was sure that if Drevala had been there to help, she would’ve been better off.

Lana reflected, as she walked through the halls towards the council chambers, that she had still heard nothing from the Blackwells. Any of them. Despite everything, the man that claimed to love her had not rescued her, and had not even sent a letter asking after her following her sudden absence. She was beginning to wonder if Eli Blackwell had played her for a fool in the name of lust that night.

She questioned, as she entered the council chamber, if perhaps it was here, and not Alenius, that she belonged after all. She had not acted on her loyalties thus far, and so none here would be any the wiser if she returned whole heartedly to the Concord’s cause.

Entering the council chambers, she noted that Isabel De Reimer was already here, and looking decidedly - even unhealthily - pale. Lana did not react, too focused on refusing to show any weakness or pain in front of the high and mighty of the land. She took a seat, looking stoic all the way, as if nothing at all had been amiss and this was just like every other mundane council meeting.

Alasdair stared at Lanaya as she entered the Chamber. She walked in as if she hadn't endured the horrific torture only a week earlier. However Alasdair could tell she was only trying to hide the pain, she walked and acted almost too deliberately, as if she were someone else trying to imitate Lanaya. However right now Alasdair's concern was for his sister, she had recently fallen ill, very worrying given she was with child. He had enlisted the help from the alchemists guild who had provided numerous remedies, however it was currently unclear if they were working. He could only hope the symptoms would soon pass, for now he had to attend to the council. 

“Have you been successful in rebuilding your company since we last spoke” Alasdair said to Claus once Lanaya had sat down.
Looking up from his deck of cards, Claus gave Lanaya and Isabel a good observation before answering.

-”I have gotten about two thirds the way, finding recruits capable enough with the right mindset is hard considering the level of skill i demand. But the new mage detachment is ready and i’ll have to begin integrating them into the company. I suppose you don’t want war magic being practiced in the city so i’ll have to find a good abandoned spot to do it.” After answering Alasdair he gave Isabel another observation with a slight frown.

“The old watchtower south of Nyhem was used by the mages of the imperial army for training before it’s regiment was disbanded. It makes sense we use that again, it would save us the time and money of building a new training yard” Isabel said meekly. Normally she would have responded in her usual snarky and smug manner, but today she had neither the temperment nor the care to do so. She just wanted the meeting to end quickly so she could return to her bed chambers and rest.

Claus nodded, gave Alasdair a look and said.
-”Should she even be here? Look at her, it seems she’s dying or something, reminds me of when the some of the guys got dysentery.” He worded with his usual complete disregard for rank or manners, but with a hint of compassion.
Those who were observant would also notice his ruddy eyes and pained look hinting at sleep deprivation.

There was a sudden silence over the council as no one knew what to say or do in response. Alasdair, Lana and Cerlina gave Claus a disapproving stare, with Alasdair’s being particularly cold, while Alex awkwardly looked away in discomfort. The comment seemingly woke Isabel up a bit as she threw Claus a sharp stare as she wondered whether she had the vitality to argue. In the end she simply decided to answer Claus’s question herself

“It is a simple cold, not something that will keep me from my duties” She said with a sigh, she simply didn’t have the energy to be outraged “besides you yourself don’t exactly look your best at the moment”. 

Seeing her back to her usual retorts confirmed she was probably not that ill, alternatively she was just so accustomed to retorts and arguments that she would be doing them lacking half of her organs. Feeling beat Claus simply added.
-”That’s coz i’ve been up half nights writing reports and paperwork for the company, lots of changes to write down.” He was lying, more like a half truth, he didn’t let the comment linger for long.
-”We wouldn’t want any more new councilmembers, there’s been enough rotation on those lately… I’ll be using the old watchtower with your approval boss.” He ended by turning to Alasdair.

“You should start referring to him as your grace by now. You have been on the council for near three months now” Celina responded firmly. While she respected Claus for saving her homeland from the Alliance, she didn’t like how he seemingly was given free reign when it came to his etiquette in regards to his peers and even superiors. Even as the head advisor who still referred to everyone by their proper titles. 

Lana was beginning to look annoyed at what she deemed extraneous chit chat. “Please. We have all been through difficult times of late. Let us move on to more important topics quickly, that we may all get the rest we sorely need.” She mostly looked at Claus through this stern talk, but also threw an annoyed glance Celina’s way.

Claus simply gestured toward Lanaya in an approving way.

“In which case let us start with today's most pressing issue” Alasdair stated, he too wanted to move on with the meeting. If Claus wasn’t going to use his proper title by now he never would. “I have recently received word from my Cousin Rosita De Reimer from Cawaport. It seems High Magister Alice Budwin is a blood mage and responsible for numerous heinous crimes. Furthermore our sources in Alenius confirm that she has defected to the Blackwells after her crimes were discovered, making her a traitor as well. She is an enemy of the Empire and a dangerous one at that”. 

Lana watched the Emperor as he spoke, her expression slowly becoming more and more dire as he continued. Her mind raced, trying to run through all the potential ramifications of the news. But beneath that, she felt incompetent and blind. How could she not have noticed? How could such a terrible, immoral thing as blood magic have passed her by? Worse, she had brought Alice, a Magister outranking herself, into the Mages Collective. Lana could only hope that Alice had not been able to sway any of them to her views thus far. Such was the mental chaos invoked by the many possibilities, that she remained silent a fraction longer than might’ve seemed appropriate.

-”Blood mage?” Claus’ words interrupted her thoughts and brought her back to the present. -“Doesn’t seem like a job for the fist.”

“Indeed it is not.” She replied. “This is dire news. I will ensure that the Circle is notified as soon as possible. They have contingencies in place for this… to an extent.” Lana did her best to keep her feelings from her voice, but under the circumstances it was difficult.

“Unfortunately the Circle, by recent decree of ‘King’ Eli Blackwell, are no longer allowed to operate within Blackwell territory. It seems that both he and Alice plan to create their own mage Circle, using the Collective as their flagship” It was here that Alasdair turned to Lanaya with a look of severity on his face “Which brings us to another matter. During your absence, High Magister Budwin, with help from High Magister Barden, took control of the collective. They managed to convince a large majority of the organisation to join them in defecting to the Blackwells”. 

This time, Lana was rendered entirely speechless, the blood draining out of her face as Alasdair delivered news of yet another severe setback to her plans. She could feel all of her hard work over the years slipping away through her fingers like so much sand. The betrayal of those who she believed to be her closest allies struck deep. That Eli had condoned their actions and barred the Circle from interfering without a single word to her of it only confirmed in her mind that he never loved her at all.

It was all she could not to simply break down in tears or fly into a furious rage on the spot. Instead, she simply sat, still and quiet, focused intently on a blank spot on the table.
Alex began to rummage through some papers mumbling something about.
-”Wait, they can’t do that, or can they?” Picking up his closest lawbook and checking up on different paragraphs.

“You might as well put that book away.” Alasdair said as he gestured to the book Alex was holding. “The laws of the circle were made under Remonnet rule. Now that the Blackwells are their own sovereign state they can pass any law they see fit. To make matters worse Eli has gained the support of Glarmion much quicker than expected. It seems through distancing himself from the circle he was able to use them as a scapegoat for the peoples problems. Not that it took them much convincing given how much they hate magic and its users. And through riling up the Glarmionian population against mages, magic users from that area are running straight into the arms of the collective for protection.”

Lana continued listening through the haze of shock that filled her mind. It seemed Eli Blackwell’s sins against her and her ideals only deepened. The more she heard, the more it felt like a personal attack - a coordinated campaign to drive her away. She focused on this, using the anger to cut through the haze and the crushing despair.

“That peasant bastard!” She snapped, her features twisted with rage. “This is not what the Collective was for. Him and those traitors are corrupting my work!” She fumed for a moment, trying to think of a path forward. Her options were few. “I will go to the circle and have them all stripped of their titles. Their names will be dirt in the Mage world. No more will fall to this treachery.”

A silence fell upon the room as everyone including Alasdair himself were taken aback by Lanaya’s sudden rage. While her feelings on the matter were to be expected it was very unlike her to lose her emotions in the company of others. 

“I am afraid that may not be enough” Alasdair said “Now that the Blackwells have both the collective and Alice’s ‘blood gems’, they pose a far bigger threat than previously expected. While we still hold a tactical advantage over the south and Blackwells, our advantage is slipping away, particularly with most of Uzgob now being in open rebellion. More than ever we need the circle to pick a side. We need them to become an integral part of the empire, for too long magic has been neglected in formaroth and as a result given the Imperium a significant advantage over us. It seems King Eli knows this and we would be fools not do the same”. 

-Blood gems? Never heard of those before, I assume they are bad news? Claus questioned.

“It’s the word that Alice used to describe the magical power source she has created” Cerlina explained “For obvious reasons she never used the word outside of her own notes”. It was at this moment that Cerlina eyed Lanaya, or rather eyed the necklace that hung from her neck. “Which brings us to a matter we cannot ignore, you were working on the project alongside High Magister Alice, weren’t you Lady Dionisa? And I cannot help but notice that the gem that hangs around your neck looks very similar to what has been described in Lady Rosita’s report to us”. 
All eyes were on Lanaya now.

Instinctively, Lana’s hand went to the gem that hung about her neck. She felt a sudden surge of paranoia, as if everyone around her was plotting to take it from her. “This is unique.” She snapped. “Alice gave it to me to test. It has proved quite potent, and with no downsides.” It glowed gently.

“Why have I not seen these notes yet?” She suddenly went on the attack, glaring at Cerlina. “Why is this report a surprise to me? Am I not the Magisterial representative on this council? I should have been first to receive any news related to the practice of Blood Magic.” Her eyes narrowed then, and she looked at the others in turn. The Gem continued to glow. “Unless you suspect me… Go on then. Accuse me. Go over my notes. Go over Aurelia’s notes as well. She helped Alice too.” With that she looked straight at Alasdair, the implications of her statement hanging clear in the air.

A look of surprise and confusion fell over Alasdair’s face. This outburst was unlike Lanaya and seemed very similar to what had happened during the riot. 

“You are being informed right now at this very moment. Lady Dionisa please calm yourself” Said Cerlina taken aback by Lanaya’s sudden outburst “This outburst is most unbecoming for a lady of your status”. 

“Is that so?” Lana replied bitterly. “I cannot help but notice that Ladies of my status are not being treated particularly well of late. First Aurelia is killed, then I am abducted and tortured, all under the nose of the guard in the capital city. These are dark times Lady Cerlina, and my mood is similarly gloomy. Who knows which of us will be next.” Though still clearly agitated, Lana had calmed somewhat from the all out rage of before.

Claus had just been silent and smugly amused himself with a fine lady going all rabid in front of him when she mentioned her being tortured, where he got a sudden serious look on his face and spoke up.
-”You were tortured? And the old magister was killed, in a few months, two mages on the imperial council. I say the security here is worthless! I suggest two corpsmen on each council member as bodyguards, since there is an obvious threat here. Who agrees?” Claus suggestion was done with broad gesticulations aimed at everyone but his eyes stopped at the emperor.

Alasdair looked away from Claus’s gaze “It is true that I have been doubtful of the castles security as of late. Two council members assaulted, a prisoner escaping and many other questionable ongoings happening. Now that you have finished setting up your barracks, I think your next order of business would be to sure up the keeps security”. 

Lana calmed as the two men talked. She felt gratified that at least Claus seemed to be taking her seriously. Still, when she replied there was sarcasm mixed with her sincerity. “Unless your corpsmen can fly, I doubt they’ll be much good to me. I have resolved to move between this castle and my house in bird form, and travel inside the city only when necessary. My Houseguard should suffice at home, though I would feel safer seeing more guards in the castle.”

Claus eyed Lanaya briefly before responding.
-”Then i guess i’ll have to order a few mechanical wings so my men can flap along.” A smirk betraying his humour, no one laughed. He coughed once.
-”Anyway, then i’ll just have them follow you around in the keep. As for the rest of the security i will make sure to look it over. Can’t get much worse than it already is.”

Alasdair simply rolled his eyes at Claus’s joke “See that you do, at this moment I for one will feel safer with a couple more guards on my door at night” Alasdair turned his eyes back to Lanaya, he briefly paused wondering whether he should continue to pressure her after her last outburst. However he wouldn’t let Lanaya off so easy, particularly considering how defensive she got. “Now Lady Dionisa, back to the matter at hand, Do you believe that red gem is linked to High Magister Alice’s blood magic”? Alasdair was pretty certain he already knew the answer. He was more interested in whether Lanaya would tell him the truth or not.

Lana looked defiantly at the Emperor still unhappy that this had become an impromptu trial. After a moment though, her expression softened. She knew that she had very few friends left, and she wanted to keep Alasdair as one of them. “I…” It was clearly painful for her to admit this. “Do not know. Alice gave me a great deal of research on conventional methods to create it, but given recent revelations… I am not sure I should trust anything she has said to me.”

“Come to think of it.” She said, her expression now thoughtful. “Some of Aurelia’s later notes on the research seemed… sceptical… about the entire affair.”

“Sceptical…?” Alasdair trailed off. He fell silent for a moment as he put the pieces together. His face became pale as he finally came to a realization “Alice killed Aurelia” He said aloud, his voice almost a whisper “Aurelia found out and Alice murdered her”. The magister who had worked for his family for decades, who he had invited into the city and keep personally had killed the woman he loved. 

The pieces came together for Lana almost as quickly as Alasdair. His conclusion had to be right, especially in the light of all the other heinous acts Alice was committing. “Alice murdered one of the brightest magical minds of this generation over this?” She mused, stroking the gem. “Is there no limit to her depravity? What else has been concealed from us? We must investigate this further.”

With an almost snarky response, Claus added.
-”Or, you go and nab her and toss her in a mage prison. You can hold a proper trial later since this lass sounds a bit dangerous to have moping around.”

Lana turned her gaze on Claus as he spoke. When he finished, she replied with a sarcastic, almost dismissive tone. “While I appreciate your confidence in my abilities… I am not skilled enough to ‘nab’ Alice on my own, and after my recent ordeal, I am certainly not prepared to engage in such an attempt. This will require Circle intervention.” She turned back to Alasdair then, smoothly following on from her comment.

“In fact, this need to bring Alice to justice, more than anything else, will likely serve to bring the Circle to our side, at least in the short term.”

In the time since his revelation Alasdair had managed to snap out of his shock and turn his attention back to the meeting. 
“Good. This will be a good excuse to appeal to the circle without seeming we have a ulterior motive. Hopefully this will be a good start to a lasting relationship with them. Lady Dionisa you have far more connections in the circle than anyone else in this room. I want you to head the talks with the circle”. 

“That is very generous.” Lanaya begun, her tone measured. “But I am not sure if I am the best person to do that. I am not particularly popular with the Circle… It was me who begun the Mages’ Collective movement in the first place. If they sense my hand in this, I do believe it would be quite detrimental. Especially so soon after the Collective has…” She inhaled sharply, the pain of the subject matter still very raw. “Slipped… From my grasp.”

Never shy to voice his opinion, Claus butted in.
-”So, if you aren’t good enough for it, who do we send? What other mages are there? That guy in the party? One of my new guys?”

Alasdair was the first to voice his response “We need someone with good diplomatic skills, or at the very least someone who has a good reputation with the governing body of the circle. Meaning no disrespect to you Lord Claus but I doubt we will find such a person within your ranks. Sadly along with losing the collective we have also lost both Alice and Barden, our most influential magisters. Lady Lanaya do you have any suggestions on who we should have represent us?”

Lana considered what was said. In a very short time, they had managed to lose all of their politically minded Magisters entirely. Indeed, this was quite the disaster in general for the Circle. Perhaps that turmoil might encourage them to see her in a better light, being the only remaining loyal magister in this part of the world…

“You raise a valid point. There are few others remaining who might even begin to have the necessary expertise and loyalty. In the short term, the way may be smoothed if we make use of Tidemaster Zerrikan, but she will not be capable enough on her own. I will go to represent the Empire. With luck, the circle will understand that I never intended any of this, and that I remain loyal.”

“We can only hope, I trust you will be able to take care of this matter for us. Was there anything else that needed to be discussed” Alasdair replied hoping that he could conclude the meeting there and get on with his duties. The room remained silent and Alasdair continued to talk “very well, in which case the council is dismissed” As people got up from their seats Alasdair signaled his hand at Claus for him to wait “Lord Claus, you will stay, I wish to discuss something else with you”.

Slightly surprised, Claus turned and stood at attention with his hands on his hips.
-”What up boss… sir.” Claus asked the emperor of the imperial concord.

Alasdair resisted the urge to put his head in his hands “At ease, I simply had a question for you regarding the gift the steel fist gave me during my coronation. Namely which smith you had construct it”?
A bit of confusion made itself obvious in Claus face before he answered.
-”Funny, Alenius asked the same thing, thought she would have told you… perhaps she didn’t want to remember our last encounter...” Pouting his mouth to the side in wonder.
-”Regardless. I think it was a Watt, Watt smith. Runs this fancy foundry in town you have doubtlessly heard of him.” It was obvious Claus wasn’t sure and Alasdair could easily pick up his doubt.

“I have not, I often don’t waste my time with the names of commoners” Alasdair said “Only the exceptional ones” Alasdair quickly added as he remembered that Claus himself was not of noble birth “Ask some of your men to bring him to the keep, I have some questions I wish to ask him”.

-”Sure thing, what do i tell him. Just that the emperor wants to ask him about....” Claus was all for this, he lost his momentum and began to motion with his hands as he looked to the side trying to come up with a reasonable scenario.

“His craftsmanship, he doesn’t need to know more than that” Alasdair replied
Making a half hearted salute, Claus acknowledged the task and asked.
-”Anything else?”

“That will be all” Alasdair replied, with a halfassed bow Claus simply left to do his work.

[/hider]

By [@TheDuncanMorgan] [@Sundered Echo] [@Klomster]