After dismissing the priest of Teoh'ir'aen as well as that annoying otherworlder Santis d’Zaier had made his way off of the practice field bato the more fortable temperature of the temple proper.He was ahat Havengard had e, whining and snuffling, t him to something that did not need his attention — at least, as far as he saw it, nothing was stopping Havengard from ousting the Pilr priest off his temple’s grounds. Yet the spoiled third-born son of the minor noble family insisted upon d’Zaier personally intervening in this wholly unimportant matter.Santis would be lying, however, if he said that he felt no joy in doing so; the opportunity it afforded him was too good to pass up. In one fell swoop he no longer had to deal with the otherworlder who had turned out to be more trouble than he was worth, as well as the annoying cast-off half-breed that had been being trained as the ‘divinely chosen one’ of the Goddess of Light.He s the absurdity of the thought, walking dowiled hallway, his thick leather-soled shoes spping lightly, eg, off the walls. The sweet cream that topped it all off was now that he had divested himself of those two — no, three… he did not want tet the ‘aide’ he assighe otherworlder that turned out to be useless in keeping the summoned barbarian under trol — he could point out ter, when the half-breed failed in her ‘duty’, that it was obviously the fault of the inferior training she received from others. He could say that had she stayed with the Church Luminous she would not have failed.

  Hastening his step he made his way to his office — he had good o deliver to his stituents.

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  With the door to his office locked tight, and double-checked, d’Zaier settled himself down behind the thick top of his desk, made from a heavy wood that took at least four people to move.It was a hold-over from his predecessor whom, he was told, passed away rather suddenly from a previously unknown severe food allergy.Santis, of course, was saddened by their passing but accepted the promotion to the office regardless because, well, someone had to maintain order lest things fall into disarray because those grieving fot their duty. The only bck mark on that was that Vaunn was given station beside me…d’Zaier frowned. He had, admittedly, been reveling in the promotion, taking the First Temple of the Church Luminous under his and. While The Illuminous, and their seat of power as head of the try of Freiholm, had long since been moved to a more tral city, and temple, the First Temple was still a seat of power, and honor and d’Zaier had basked in it. That reverie came to a crashing halt when he found the shorter old clergyman whom he had goo the Theologium with was assigo the same temple at the same level of power he was. He tried not to show disappoi in seeing the bleedi after years of diverging paths.

  With a calming inhale he snapped his fiwice expetly.There ause where as he sat, waiting, he became more irritable and annoyed. He snapped his fiwice, again, looking at the curtains as they did not move as they should have — as the arkynik spell did not ‘catch’ and activate.His cheeks burned with embarrassed fire as he surged to his feet. That damn otherworlder! He cursed to himself as he stalked, as best a thin, old man as he could, over to the curtains and, by hand, pulled them tightly shut. He then stalked over to his other window aed the same. Cursed with that punishment of denial… The Goddess has been silent in my prayers, seeking ao that annoyance! He growled internally.Dropping bato the plush, cushioned high-backed seat and gripped at one of the desk’s drawers, curling his fingers around the metal handle, imagining it eytr’s ned yanking it open with all the strength he could muster.

  Inside ying on a soft small cushion was a being no bigger than some children’s dolls, a dozen iall at most and possessing a figure that only a supernatural being could keep and maintain; fit, slim ahy, smooth and shapely, its feminine curves covered with a gauze-like robe.As the light hit her bright red, cat-slit eyes tracted in annoyance. Looking up at the human and brushed some of her bright, summer grass-green hair from her small, brang, deer-like ao get it out of her eyes. The double pair of diaphanous wings on her back buzzed as she shifted, crawling from her pillow to the wooden portion of the drawer now that she had room to stand on her long, thihat ended in deer-like hooves as she stretched her arms above her head, flexing her hands aending her cat-like cws as she did, her short-haired equally green tail swishing behind her. ?What need do you have of me, tract??d’Zaier sneered for an instant, lips curling slightly, “Do not speak that tongue in my presence. You know that nguage is forbidden.” “As you wish, tract.” Her voice was slightly rough, but light, and she hopped out of the drawer, taking flight on her dragonfly-styled wings to nd on the desktop, her small hooves clopping lightly as she adjusted her tissue-thin dress. Again she looked up at him, her cat-like eyes in their rich red had always bothered him and she took mild amusement in that, “What need did you have of me?” “I require the special unicator.” He answered tersely.With a sniff she sighed, snapping her fingers and making the requested item appear: it appeared as a pnt bulb, tightly ed, ending in freed vine-like roots that were etched with athyrik is and sigil that glowed a slight pink in the dimmed light of his offibsp; “You had better work…” He muttered. “What was that?” She purred iion, head cocked and tail shing.d’Zaier snapped, “I was not speaking to you, PICsie.”She stomped a little hoof, wings buzzing in irritation. She hated being called that; it souhe same as her actual race, pixie, but humans, with other mortal races following their lead, called them PICsies because one human got it into their head that they were nothing more than Portable Iory Creatures. “Return to your pce.” He waved dismissively, “I have a private call to make.” “As you requested that one, I assumed so, tract.” With a buzz of her wings, she rose a st bit off the ground, dropping herself bato the drawer, with d’Zaier absentmindedly shutting the drawer.

  However…Being as distracted as he was, fog ohyr-linked bulb before him, he did not realize that the drawer was not pletely shut, allowing a small crack of light into ‘her’ drawer and allowio listen more clearly than the usual muffled chatter she heard. “Focus.” He sighed, speaking to himself as he held a hand over the bulb.It had to work; the bulb used ambient athyr as its power source but it still required a spark to activate. And while he was uhe denial from The Goddess he couldn’t cast spells… surely juring the barest spark of athyr ossible. If he had no athyr he would be as good as dead, a hollow husk of a man — and he was feeling that just from being old already. It had to work.

  Shutting his eyes he recalled his lessons from years and years bygone, his fiwitg, palm itg. He called upon the well of athyr he held in his core, imagining it as a slow, low, bubbling spring, drawing up the ‘water’ into his hand. It was… heavy.That was the best way he could expin it.Or, perhaps, it was akin to scraping the bottom of a barrel for the st dreg of liquid — maybe trying t out a washrag of the st drop of whatever moisture remairapped in its woven fibers.

  He did not uand why She let that happen, why She did that to him. Santis growled, doubling down on his efforts to scrap the meager athyr he had to spark the damn bulb. Santis was faithful, and loyal… yet she allowed this indignity to happen.Anger fred, his athyr fshing he briefly before he heard shifting, opening his eyes to see the petals of the bulb bloom, opening and revealing the stamen within. “S-Show…” He coughed, far more drained by this effort than he felt he had any right to be, “Show me… the forest for the trees.”A stupid passcode, but security was needed. d’Zaier pulled a handkerchief from within his robes and mopped at his brow, a sheen of sweat formed upon his wrinkled, aged brow from the, thankfully successful, attempt.Repg the handkerchief in his hand was a small fsk filled with a thick, syrupy elixir that was cut with a sharp, acrid tincture. The cloying nature of the one did not mix well with the brackish ‘fvor’ of the other on his tongue, and Santis found himself coughing.

  The stamen of the bulb began to glow, casting athyr upwards like pollen on a hazy day, the motes of energy coalesg into six shadowy, but distinct, forms.It annoyed him, that shadowy-ness, while he was told that it was, like the inane passcode, it was for security yet he was not afforded that same secrecy — the six figures before him could see him as clearly as they could if they were face-to-face with him. “Make it quick…” One of the six shadows ‘greeted’, “…I have something important to do in dek minutes.” “How dare—” d’Zaier started, but was cut off by another cough — that damn medication he was forced to swill like it was cheap drink. “Careful now, Santis.” Another said, though their voices were masked like their faces, d’Zaier could still tell the differences from oo the other.Sadly it didn’t help him identify them beyond these ‘meetings’ — how useful that would have been if he kheir true identities. “Choice of words aside—” spoke the one who usually mediated these ‘meetings’, d’Zaier certain that they were the leader of this little cabal, “— What news do you have for us, Shepherd.”

  He sat straighter, frowning.d’Zaier khere was no respe his title from the ‘mediator’ it was just a word to him, a form of address for someone lesser than him.It made Santis’ stomach roll and roil. “My news is simple.” d’Zaier expined, “An update on the pn to summon a Champion to help keep the ‘Chosen One’ in line.”One of the shadowy figures shifted in their seat, sitting straighter — Again, d’Zaier didn’t know who they were but they had been pushing for this course of a. d’Zaier himself was against it as otherworlders were always more trouble than they were worth and this time was no exception and annoyingly so.He holy couldn’t wait to reveal this one’s ‘pet project’ had goo pot. “While the summoning was, in fact, successful and an otherworlder ulled to our world… He ended up being more trouble than he was worth.” d’Zaier waved his hand dismissively. “And what, exactly, does that mean, cleric.” The anxious, excited one leaned fripping the sides of their seat. “I don’t see how that could be taken any other way thaly as I said it.” d’Zaier shot back, “I warned you from the moment you first suggested it; you did not heed my warnings.” “Details.” The anxious one demanded, “I mean I waails, damn it.”Giving a tired sigh, d’Zaier sat back, “Very well. Since you o have everything expio you—” “Don’t get snippy with me, cleric…” the figure warned. “At first he seemed slow, stupid. But that was, apparently, some sort of teleportation ‘g’ as he soon became more talkative, izant, and, annoyingly, opiniohe first shadow-court member ughed rudely, chiding d’Zaier, “AHAH!” He ughed, “In other words, he didn’t kiss your ass or stroke yo enough.” “He was given simple orders, and was expected to follow them.” d’Zaier pointed out, “Instead he kept thinking and speaking his mind. He was summoo keep … that child… quiet and in-liil she had fulfilled her part in your pn.”

  Inside of her drawer, the pixie gasped as she heard this.A child?! He would dare such a thing?!Dearly she wished she could see whom Santis eaking to. She reized the voices, Santis would often talk to them — getting angry at them after they had eheir ferences because they did not ‘give the respect due’ to the holy man.

  “Speaking of the child…” Another voice spoke up, a female this time. “As agreed she was getting enough training to way-y any questions she might have had. Basieuvers and the like.” d’Zaier waved his hand, “As well as learning the Litany of Heroes by rote.” “Well, that’s dour and depressing.” Another of the shadowy figures spoke, “Nothing makes you chipper like listing those that came before you and how they died, after all.” “Not that it matters…” A sed oke up, “It isn’t like she’s the actual chosen one.” She waved her hand loosely like a buzzing i was annoying her, “Speaking of…”

  The moderator spoke up as the sed of the female shadows addressed him, “That one is doing fine.” Was all he said, turning to face d’Zaier, though it was hard to tell sihey were all cast in darkness, leaving only a vaguely humanoid shape, “Surely you have more to report.” “I am not rep to you like some underling or minion.” d’Zaier snapped. “It’s cute you think you’re an equal in this.” The first one who spoke up, the ohat usually, and stantly, antagohe holy man, sneered with a syrupy sweet voice, “You aren’t, though, as if that hasn’t been clear enough.” He expined, equal parts bored and exasperated, “You are, at best, ve. And only just.” “You… dare…” “Spare me the indignant rage.” He antagonized further, “You are, at best, a pawn in the game, perhaps a soldier. You think yourself the Monarch, though.” He snorted. “So—” The mediator spoke, his sharp tone sileng the two, “— aside from some ‘annoyance’ with the summoned Champion—” “Annoyance is a polite way to put it!” The antagonistic shadow ughed raucously, “Surely you heard what happehe other day.” “Nothing happened.” D’Zaier snarled, “The otherworlder is nothing but a cast-aside annoyanow! So, too, that child!” He crowed triumphantly. “What?” “Xtha’s tits!” “Expin yourself!” “What do you mean—”The mediator smmed his fist down oable, making everyone… including the pixie pressed up against the drawer’s ‘wall’, jump, “Quiet!” He poio the antagonizing shadow, “What do you mean? Speak.”

  “W-Well…” the antagonizing shadowy figure coughed, stammering. He had pushed too far, it seemed, and drew the ire of the mediator, “The other day, the otherworlder that Santis was just so retly pining about called upoirety of the Family—” “What would possess him to do such a thing?!” One of the two female shadow figures asked, gasping. “How could he do such a thing!?” Another of the shadows asked, “I thought you were searg for someone easy to trol, and would be magickly i!” “I… tried…” d’Zaier admitted, “I searched for a pliable soul. A trusting soul that could easily be led dowh I wanted.” He frowned, “Naturally someone i at arkyn manipution would make that easier.” “How did you mess that up?!” “I don’t know!” d’Zaier snapped, “I heard about how he kept mewling that he didn’t know how to fight or use magid things of that nature!” He wished he could stare at the figures, but being all shadow he could not meet their eyes, “But then he was able to use the energy bde spell. And this… energy bolt spell I don’t recall.” He frowned, “I don’t know how he got the lessons for it.” “Perhaps the Goddess of magic…” One of the voices proffered. “No. She would have said something at the trial…” the antagonistie spoke.The mediator fixed d’Zaier with a gre, “What do they mean trial, d’Zaier?” “That… otherworlder…” d’Zaier hissed, “Called upon all of the Family. Including…” He swallowed, “Including Na’at.” “All dek…” One of the dy shadows hissed, “No wonder you said he was no longer an issue… calling down one god is hard enough, but all dek?” She cackled, “I bet he disied right before everyone’s eyes. Using that muergy must have instantly destroyed him.” “No, he didn’t.” The antagonistic shadow member shook his head, “By what I was informed… he made an impassioned plea to the gods and goddesses because he had spent the st week bei up against. What should have been training partners were sent to be thugs by a weaselly little snot of a man with mo than brains.” d’Zaier didn’t speak out against the insult to Havengard — why would he, at least this time that shadowy member of the cabal before him was right. “So what happened?” The mediator shadow asked. “He allowed the Family to search his soul, judge his words, and decide his fate.” The antagonistic shadow expined, “Moreover, even though it sounded like this otherworlder kneas to bme he actually asked the gods and goddesses to not do anything.” “A fool, then.” The one dy shadow ughed, “He should have crushed that little sot where he stood.”Again d’Zaier said nothing, clearing his throat. “Then what happened?” The mediator asked.tinuing, the antagonistic shadow member shifted unfortably, “By all ats everyohought him dead when his very shadow rose up and tched onto his arm, dragging him to the ground.” He shook his head, “However… everyone. Santis included, was mistaken. It was a sword, from Xtha’leri’gath herself.” “… You will provide me with a full report.” The mediator spoke to the antagonist shadow, not d’Zaier, however, he did fix his gaze ba the cleric, “You said he was taken care of. And the child too?” “Yes.” d’Zaier sat a little straighter, “Though he somehow survived… I saw him the m when Havengard came whining to me about a visiting priest from the local Pilrs temple.” “Why was one of their priests at Your temple.” “Apparently they wish to traiwo of them.” d’Zaier waved a hand, like the thought was not worth pting.The mediator sat fripping the sides of his seat, “And how is this a good thing?” “The st five years have bee ‘training’ your little scapegoat.” d’Zaier sneered, “Even if she was training up to the very st minute before the vergence she would have no ce against the DaiMaou.” His lips curled cruelly, “She has bee sequestered this whole time. No one will believe she is the Divinely Chosen one of the Goddess of Light.” He said simply, “Just a child pying pretend, at best, and a lunatic at worst.” The old man shrugged, “The same be said for the otherworlder. No amount of trainiween now, and then, will do anything to save him from what awaits.”

  Inside of ‘her’ drawer the pixie gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.She knew d’Zaier was cold and greedy. He dismissed everyone around him as lesser, including herself. She had kept her things, by tract, and summohem as he bade her but she had been sneaking peaks, reading, learning… there was much that… if it got into the ‘wrong’ hands could ruin a man like Shepherd Santis d’Zaier.

  “You’re supposed to be a holy man.” One of the shadow cil snorted, “You’d so easily send an i child to her doom believing the fantasy that was woven for her?” “I child. She is nothing but a half-breed whelp.” d’Zaier snapped, “And don’t act so shocked or surprised. sidering how soon you tacted me after taking my predecessor’s pce, I long knew you had a hand in my position here.” “Then you realize what you owe us.” “I owe you nothing. While I thank you for the assistance, I could have gotten this seat easily on my own. You just expedited the process.” d’Zaier waved off the not-so-vague threat, “This was your pn, start to finish. I pyed my part in it, true… but you are not the only oh pns. The long and short of it is simple: They are no lo the temple. As they are uhe care of the Pilrs, with their training, ohey fall in their attempt to seal the DaiMaou… it will be an easy thing to bme the Pilrs.” He said, “She was a delusional half-elf orphan who dreamed herself to be the Divinely Chosen Hero of the Goddess of Light.” He motioo the mediator's shadow, “The true chosen hero, however, has been out doing work i to prepare for the vergehanks to the iude of the Pilrs thinking a child is the Holy Hero… I must raise up an army of faithful to join the hero itempt to seal the DaiMaou.”

  The mediator shifted, steeple-ing his hands in front of his fa thought.After a long moment he sighed, “We will tihis versation at aime, d’Zaier. We of the sortium must vene and speak on this news you gave us.” There ause, “You would do well to keep your aeasured and low-key for the little while.”

  Then… the call ehe shadows disappeared and the flower bud folded itself up tightly once again.

  d’Zaier frowned and gripped at the drawer handle, yanking it open and causing the pixie to spill to herself, “PICsie… I am finished with this. Stow it away.”With a huff she rose out of the drawer and nded on his desk, toug the bulb and, in a fsh, putting it away as ‘ordered’. “Did you mean it?” She asked softly. “Mean… Mean what?” He asked, frowning at her words, then, slowly, it dawned on him, “So, you heard my versation, did you?”He shifted in his seat, dropping one hand over the armrest to the side. In truth, there was a dagger hidden in the seat, just in case, and it seemed today would be the day he would have to use it. Firag over the hidden pommel he kept the foot-tall creature talking to distract it. “You didn’t shut the door all the way.” She informed, wings buzzing, “So I heard, clearly, what you spoke of. Usually, it’s just muffled mumbles and mutterings.” She fixed her crimson slits upon his, b deep, “You pn to allow an io be hurt?” She asked. “What i?” He asked. “The child.” “The half-breed?” He scoffed, “She is but a means to an end.” “She is a child, Santis d’Zaier.” She stomped her hoof down oable, gouging into the wood, “And you have made your choice.” “What are you bthering about, PICsie.” “Pixie.” She snarled, “I am a PIXIE. I am more than a walking, flying, magical ste system for you big mortal oafs!” She stomped her hoof again, gouging deeper.With a snap of her fingers, she made a scroll form, as wide as she was tall, and kicked it to unroll it. It spilled off the desk onto the floor and underh the desk.

  This made d’Zaier stay his hand — he had pressed in on the hidden dagger, the pixie not notig the click as far as he could tell while she raged on. “What is this?” He found himself asking, the words spilling out before he could halt them. “Our former tract.” She growled, “Broken the instant your mana was suppressed by Ilin’mam’kana.” “That… broke… our tract?” He asked, dumbfounded. “Arkynik Manipution - 203.” The pixie shrugged, “It’s an advanced cept but not that advanced. Plus there’s this.” She motioo the tract, “This paragraph…” “…” d’Zaier pulled out his spectacles aled them on his nose, “… The party of the sed part, upon breaking the …” He muttered, reading onward, “… wait…” He looked at the pixie, “You’re joking…” “Always read the fine print…” The pixie giggled, snapping her fingers and discorporating the tract, “Your tract was broken when your mana was suppressed, like I said. Your as, however, have made any ce of renewing that trace you earn it baull and void.” She shook her head, “What you and those others pn to do to that dear little girl…” “Null and void…”The pixie nodded, “And since you broke the tract thusly… you have relinquished any right to any items and stock you have entrusted to me.” She giggled, “I believe you call it an ‘asshole tax’?” “You… little i!” d’Zaier moved, drawing the hidden dagger, but the pixie moved quicker and flew up, off the desk and grinned. “And since our tract is broken…” She faded from his sight, “You ’t see me anymore ~!”

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