Ash would have accepted the Emperor’s request without hesitation if it wasn’t for the continued presence of Rohaan. All she wanted to do was find out what exactly had happened within Durgan, and save anyone that she could. She’d never claim to be altruistic, but these were the people that she had grown up with, and whatever was happening to them, she knew that they didn’t deserve any of it. Of course, she had no reason to believe that the Emperor had any interest in the lives of those within Durgan Fortress. Ash had no way to know that for sure, but what interest would he have for the people that she cared about? No, it was entirely about something else - and she was even seriously doubting it was about her either. If she had to believe that the Emperor was her true father, then the only reason she was learning about it now was that he had no other choice than to bring her into the fold. He needed her, that much seemed to be obvious. That only left her with a single question: Did she need him?

The other problem that she would have to be facing was that of Rohaan the Vokurian. To put it most simply, she was conflicted about him. Based upon everything that she had seen so far, the Shifter hadn’t lied to her at all, which made her wonder how she had earned such a courtesy. Due to a lack of information, she’d just have to chalk it up to her own personal theory that he had yet to have a reason to use deception. He was a thief after all. Ash was also appreciative that he had chosen to speak with her rather than use force, though that could have been due to a desire to avoid taking such a risk. Ultimately, none of that immediately mattered. Rohaan was performing mercenary work for the Emperor, and there was absolutely no doubt that he had been paid handsomely to find her. That’s why she’d be a fool to place any amount of trust in him.

“Yet you managed to find my daughter with the information that I provided. I will always tell you whatever I believe that you need to know. Nothing more and nothing less.” The words that came out of the Emperor’s mouth seemed to be honest, though they could certainly be taken as condescending. They did, however, make Ash even more resolved to squeeze out any answers out of the Emperor that she could. She wasn’t interested at all about being left in the dark.

“Titles are titles. Anything to inspire lesser men.” The Emperor shrugged off Rohaan’s insult. “I do have to say that neither of you will need to worry about the return trip. I’ll have that covered.” That only served to annoy Ash further. It was yet another thing that the Emperor was hiding from them. She was beginning to think that he had every intention to tell them practically nothing.

Ash rose to her feet after Rohaan presented his terms to the Emperor, clearly more than just a little annoyed and furious. “Am I to stand by as the two of you fucking negotiate? I’m going into Durgan no matter what happens. I just need to know what exactly is going on.” As Ash said this, she looked directly at the Emperor, expecting much more than the cryptic answers that he had been content in giving so far.

“Ha! Let none doubt that the blood of the north truly does flow through your veins!” For a moment, the Emperor was making light of Ash’s outburst, but before her eyes the Emperor’s demeanor completely changed. She had never felt so small and insignificant as she did in this exact moment. “If nothing is done, everyone within this region will die.”

“I didn’t only instruct the Vokurian to retrieve you. I also asked him to find out what was underway at Durgan, though I was being misleading. I’m very much informed about what is happening there, but I was requiring another set of eyes within. From what I’ve heard so far, it seems to me that the situation is progressing much faster than I had previously thought that it would.” 

“If you know what’s going on, why did you do nothing!?” Ash had regained her composure, overcoming the previous intensity that the Emperor had forced upon her. If anything, she was passionate about this.

“If I had done nothing, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. Neither would I have enlisted the services of a Vokurian.” The Emperor replied matter-of-factly. “There is a magical aura that surrounds Durgan that keeps Men within its grasp complacent, and prevents those outside of it from entering the aura. That means I can’t simply send a contingent of troops.”

“Vokurians are much more resistant, which was a consideration when I acquired his aid. It is odd that you were able to overcome it.” As he said that, it didn’t seem that he was all that surprised that Ash had managed to do what other humans would find to be impossible. “This is evident to me since I had the aura developed by an Elven occultist named Thoburas. I intended the aura for a different use, but he’s the only one who could have put it into use so masterfully.”

Ash wasn’t entirely sure what to make of all the information that had been revealed so far. “Are you saying that he betrayed you?”

“Thoburas specialized in forbidden magics, which allowed me to acquire certain magical artifacts and items that I found an express interest in. Most of what he was an expert in is outlawed within the Empire, but I often required a specialist so I could be better informed against certain magical threats.”

“The elf is ambitious, possessing a nearly unquenchable thirst for knowledge and power. It was inevitable that he would try to betray me. Of course, I recognized this and had nearly come to a point where I could neutralize him, but he managed to play his hand before I could. That forced me to be much more aggressive than I normally would be. Still, it's quite embarrassing for me, really.” It was rather obvious to Ash that the Emperor would take no greater pleasure than exacting his revenge on the wayward elf.

“Kill him and his followers will scatter. It’s as simple as that.” Ash regarded the Emperor’s words carely. It was true that it would be simple, but he had avoided answering what Ash considered was the most obvious question.

“What exactly is Thoburas trying to accomplish?” If people were dying due to this one elf, then she had to know what it was all for. Additionally, it couldn’t possibly hurt to know what exactly they might be dealing with. And that wasn’t to say whether or not she’d be able to do anything about it. She would try, because she knew that she was beyond the point in which she could choose.

Emperor Karl Valdemar paused for a moment, as if he was considering whether or not he should reveal what ungodly magical ritual Thoburas was trying to perform underneath Durgan Fortress. “Have either of you ever heard of Malachor the Betrayer?”