"This is our opportunity!" Lord Uras boomed, slapping the back of his hand against the map. "We may never get one again. Duric's army could be a match for them."

"I am sure there is a very good reason why Lord Duric has not marched yet," said Lord Tarras, his hands folded behind his back.

"Then why is he not here to explain himself? I have not seen him for three days now!"

"He is consulting with the other Lords. That takes time."

"With all of them? What could he possibly ..." Uras trailed off. His eyes widened, and he shook a finger at his fellow Lord. "He better not be giving any more credence to that ... that fairy tale Roquan told him!"

Tarras turned more fully towards him. "Have you not heard the latest, Uras?"

"I did not bother myself with it. The very idea that Portals could be opened without a focus is sheer madness!"

"I will take that as a 'no.' Allow me to enlighten you ..."

Tarras recounted what Duric had told him of his last contact with Roquan. The Overlord had conveyed everything that had happened with Jollis, and the subsequent proof that he had arrived without the benefit of a focus.

For a moment, there was genuine anxiety in Uras' eyes. In the next breath, however, he waved his hand in dismissal, though his voice betrayed worry. "Oh, now, that's just circumstantial. It has to be."

"Nevertheless, Lord Duric sees it as a viable threat, enough to warn the other Lords."

Lord Uras frowned. "And since when is he suddenly in charge of the other Noble Lords?"

"Since he became the heir apparent to the Oceanus throne. More likely, he did not want to deal with convincing you of the merits of the case." Tarras turned away and approached the window, which looked out over a small courtyard. The Lords had gathered in a small palace belonging to a lesser noble clan, one indentured to Tarras' clan. It was a half-day's travel to the base camp of Duric's army.

"He did not ... he ... oh, come now, Tarras! I am not some ogre that ..."

The door to the chamber opened. Lord Duric strode in, his booted feet echoing off the stone floor.

Uras immediately turned to him. "It is about time you showed up!"

"Uras, you seem to have made that your standard greeting for me now," said Duric with a tiny smile. "Perhaps that will start a trend towards a new formal protocol."

Tarras turned away from the window and did not both hiding his grin.

Uras looked between the two of them and shook his head. "How anyone can see humor in any of this is beyond me."

"Have you finished contacting the other Lords, Duric?" asked Tarras.

"Yes. They are less than enthusiastic about what I had to tell them."

"I can imagine."

"It doesn't help that the Mage Guild appears to be in the midst of an internal power struggle."

Uras frowned. "And just how do you come to that conclusion?"

"As I got to the end of the list, some of the first Lords I spoke with Farviewed me back," Duric explained. "They had tried to confirm it themselves with the Guild. Those that contacted Mages other than the Guildmaster got confused replies. Those that contacted the Guildmaster directly got a vehement denial."

Tarras' face darkened. "That is not good."

"Tell me about it. We need a united Mage Guild in case we need help in taking measures against this threat."

"And just what measures can be taken even if this were true?" Uras demanded. "If this enemy of yours can put a Portal anywhere they please, it hardly matters what we do."

Duric raised a hand. "Not quite anywhere, Lord Uras. Only in places that a slave has been."

"And that could be anywhere in the palace! I personally tend to have my slaves at my side wherever I go."

"Yes. Wherever you go in the palace." Duric sat down at the table and searched among the rolled-up map scrolls off to the side. "The places where Portals can be opened is limited. We know what those places are. We will simply not have the Noble Lords in those places."

"You cannot be serious!"

Tarras stepped forward. "I must admit, Duric, that asking the Lords to simply abandon their Palaces is hardly a long-term solution. While a Lord's power is vested more in his title than his location, the Palace is a symbol, and symbols are important as I have pointed out."

Duric took a moment to partially unroll a few scrolls until he found the one he wanted. He unrolled it completely and stood. It was a more detailed depiction of Imperial-held territories and the lands immediately surrounding them. "I know. And I am not asking them to abandon their palaces, not permanently."

"Would you care to speak a little more plainly?" Uras asked in irritation.

Duric looked up. "It's really quite simple. The claim is that this enemy can read the thoughts of people and use that to project a Portal to a place that those people have been. So we get the Noble Lord out of the place that slaves have been long enough to create places they have not been."

Uras frowned and turned to Tarras. Tarras considered but also came up empty. "I do not follow you," said Tarras.

"All they have to do is build something additional on the Palace grounds. Something easily defensible that can be isolated from the rest of the structure. The Lord conducts his business there. He remains at the Palace, and the power of that symbol is intact. Meanwhile, men-at-arms are stationed outside the Palace on around-the-clock shifts, ready to move in and retake the Palace if and when the strike comes."

Tarras slowly smiled. "Brilliant."

Duric grinned. "Yes, I rather thought so, too. It's just too bad that the Mage Guild is not a source of assistance. With their help, we could put these measures in place much more quickly than with manpower alone."

Uras snorted. "I cannot believe that any Lord would wish to give up the luxury of his suite inside his own Palace!"

"Perhaps not. So I suggested some other courses of action as well. Tunnels could be built to allow a quick escape. Or even just rearranging the interior walls may be sufficient to make the location look different enough that the Portal will fail to open."

"That is a rather big assumption to make," Tarras said.

"But it's all I've got to work with. Either way, we're covered. So, yes, an invasion might catch a few Lords off guard, but hopefully not many."

"If Mage help is needed, perhaps Overlord Roquan could Farview his contact again and request assistance that way. One assumes that there is some faction in the Guild that is both 'in the know' and willing to assist."

"I'll do that just before I leave. But as long as the Noble Lords heed the call to leave their Palaces for a short while, we will be okay, perhaps until this war is over and we no longer have that distraction."

"And are we actually going to have an end to this war?" Uras demanded.

Duric looked at him squarely. "That's the part you'll like, Lord Uras. I will be ordering the army to move out in the morning."

"So you are to attack?" Tarras asked.

"Yes. I've already given the orders, so I must make for base camp shortly in order to arrive before dark."

"It is about time!" Uras declared.

"I've had a good reason for waiting, Lord Uras, and if it were not for what Roquan had told me, I would be waiting still. I am very suspicious of the way this new attack to the north is being conducted."

"Why is that?" Tarras asked.

"Because he is moving two legions instead of one."

Tarras considered. "He cannot sustain the incursion very far with only one. Does it not make sense for him to use two?"

"Not from the pattern we've seen. The Emperor would never compromise his strength. And the man commanding the Imperial forces to the north is shrewd. It would be unlike him to leave the Imperial lands weak, despite how badly he might wish the firepower to conduct the attack he truly wanted to perform."

"Oh, now, hang on!" Uras said. "How do you purport to know the mind of this Lord General?"

Duric pointed to some annotations on the map. "Because he originally had three legions arranged in a classic knife-thrust and moving-flank arrangement, perfect for a long term campaign."

Tarras smiled. "So you did read those scrolls I recommended."

Duric nodded and smiled in return. "They were quite helpful, yes." He slid his finger across the map. "So then he disrupted this arrangement to attack Talrad Pass instead, but intelligence showed that he was not with that contingent. He stayed behind and let a lesser Commander handle it. Good in his own right, yes, but he was no Rithas. Thus I conclude that this was not Rithas' doing. Most likely the Emperor ordered the attack against the Overlord Manor, and the Lord General wished nothing to do with it, as he wanted to stick to the original plan."

Uras looked dubious, but Tarras nodded enthusiastically. "And it appears you also read the scrolls on the psychology of war. That is some very fine reasoning, Lord Duric. Perhaps the Lord General's pride got the best of him, and thus blinded him to the danger of taking both legions."

"Yes, that's certainly true. But if that was the case, would he not have arranged both legions side-by-side? Not as effective as three, but still better than one."

Tarras frowned faintly. "You mean he isn't?"

Duric shook his head. He pointed to a red "X" on the map just to the north of the Imperial territories. "The Emperor's forces have engaged the Appalanchian Lords' defending army here, at this town. But only one legion. The other ..." He slid his finger below the "X" and made a circle. "... is here somewhere."

Both Tarras and Uras leaned and peered at the map. Uras was not sure of the conclusion, as he was not at all versed in military matters, and the frustration showed on his face. Tarras, by contrast, observed with a thoughtful look.

"I don't like it," said Duric. "Rithas may be up to something."

Tarras looked up. "So why are you attacking now and not waiting any longer?"

"Why not attack now?" said Uras. "He has four full legions in play to the north. That is one too many to keep the Imperial lands properly defended. That much I understand."

"Did you not hear him? He is not sure about that last legion."

"But I am sure that if we wait too long, those two that went through Talrad Pass will return!"

"Those legions are scattered about the countryside searching for someone or something. It will take them two or three days to form ranks again. They have also taken heavy casualties and will be low on supplies. They are likely understrength and not worth more than one legion in firepower. And it would take them nearly a half-moon to march back to Imperial lands and cross over to the east to protect the Imperial Palace. And they will be exhausted when they arrive."

"Still, Lord Tarras, one might be enough to tip the balance," said Duric. "So Lord Uras has a point. I refuse to let the war descend into a battle of attrition, not when we have this other potential threat."

Tarras nodded. "I believe I see your approach. You want to take the throne quickly and unite Oceanus against this threat."

"Yes, exactly."

"And the unknown factor? The remaining legion unaccounted for?"

"A chance we'll have to take. I have already contacted the Appalanchian Lords and requested they do a 'fighting retreat.'"

Uras glowered. "And I thought we were done with this nonsense of giving up land to them!"

"Notice I said 'fighting,' Lord Uras," Duric said. "I simply want to draw the Emperor's forces further north, and hopefully that 'mystery' legion with it."

"How long do you estimate it will take your army to reach the Imperial lands?" asked Tarras.

"A little under a quarter moon. I am hoping to maintain the element of surprise. Since the war officially started, we were able to sweep the lands of most Imperial patrols and agents. We hope to get within a day or two travel of the border before being discovered. We have paid the merchants handsomely to keep information of our movements quiet."

Uras let out a windy sigh of relief. "A quarter moon and this nightmare will be over. Well done!"

"Lord Uras, it will take longer than that to actually storm the Imperial lands and take the Palace," said Duric. "But we cannot take more than another quarter moon after that. So yes, it will not be long."

"But this is our last chance, is it not?" Tarras asked. "We are committing everything to this campaign."

Duric nodded solemnly. "Yes. All or nothing. If we fail, our forces will be too weak to attempt this again anytime soon. We may stave off a new Imperial offensive, but it will leave Oceanus split. Neither side may gain the upper hand for the foreseeable future."

"That will not happen!" Uras declared. "This will be the end of it. No more! Z'haas will be finished. He will be no more than a footnote in history."

Tarras turned to him. "On the contrary, Z'haas should be well-remembered. His reign should be taught to the generations that will follow us. If people do not learn history, especially the mistakes that have been made, they will be made over and over again."

"So long as there is a history to be told, Lord Tarras," said Duric. He rolled up the map and gathered the other scrolls as well. "I must be off. I will Farview you as soon as I have the chance."

Uras clasped him hard on the shoulder. "Good luck to you, Lord Duric."

Tarras walked up to him and clasped his other shoulder. "Good luck, Duric. Let us be calling you Emperor Z'garon the next time we meet."

Duric smiled at the two Noble Lords before he exited.

This corridor in the Mage Guild was rarely used. The last time any footfalls were heard here was over a century ago, when Guildmaster Torrusa "Mad Mage" Q'rostan was called to task for his bouts with mental instability that he refused to have treated by the Guild Healer.

Yet the corridor was pristine. The marble floor shone as if it had just been polished. Not a speck of dust nor a strand of cobweb could be found. A preservation spell kept this place in this perpetual condition of neatness, just for such occasions.

Guildmaster Q'ixanna marched down this corridor, a scowl etched into his ancient face. His eyes blazed, small and narrow, focused on the great double bronze doors ahead. Small, heatless lamps flickered dimly beneath portraits of past Guildmasters, going back to before Oceanus even existed. Each one cast his or her dour look into the sepulchral atmosphere.

Those that had been brought to Oversight but were exonerated bore a sash of blue silk across his portrait. Those that had been removed from office, a red sash. Then there was the extremely rare purple sash. This one represented a Guildmaster that had been removed, refused to recognize the authority of the court, and eventually was taken down by another in a Mage Duel.

Q'ixanna ignored them until he came upon the doors. He stopped and turned his head, and gazed upon his own visage captured in paint and oil canvas. His bore a white sash, which it would remain until his fate was decided.

The Guildmaster's eyes narrowed to mere slits. He turned towards the doors and gestured. The doors blew open violently, swinging on their great hinges and smashing against their stops with reverberating clangs like two gongs slightly out of tune with each other.

Q'ixanna stepped forward and beheld the Great Tribunal Hall. A high, vaulted ceiling soared over head. From long chains hung great and ancient lamps of wrought iron. Mage-light glowed within them, casting a muted blue-white light.

Ahead of him, just inside the door, was a huge chair. It was carved from marble and sat upon a small dais, much like a throne. It had no cushioning whatsoever. It was symbolic. It was grandiose and opulent to indicate respect for the title borne by the one that sat upon it, and hard and uncomfortable to sit in to represent the scrutiny to which the office of Guildmaster was about to be subjected.

A single, low marble table ran in a semicircle about throne. It merged with the walls on either side, diving the room in two. On the other side, facing the throne, sat the twenty-three Mage Elders, the ones that would level the charges and decide the fate of the Guildmaster.

Just beyond the table stood a podium, for those that were called to testify before the court. Beyond the podium, in straight rows at wooden tables, sat any Mage that wished to attend the proceedings, or that might be called to testify. This was the one egalitarian event at the Mage Guild. Every Mage from lowly Apprentice to High Master was allowed to bear witness. Yet the Traditionalists and Empiricists had self-segregated themselves, the latter occupying their own table.

Uroddus was among them, sitting quiet and still.

The echo of the doors faded. Q'ixanna stared at the Mage Elders, as if daring them to justify their actions. He knew that once a court was called, he was bound to suffer its proceedings. All the Elders looked impassively at him.

The Guildmaster let out a long sigh. He gestured in irritation behind him, and the great doors swung shut with a deafening thud. Glowering at the Mage Elders, he lowered himself into his seat.

A Mage near the center of the semicircle rose. "I, Tristo Q'land, have been chosen to be spokesperson for these proceedings. If I may?"

"Get on with it," Q'ixanna growled.

Q'land slipped on a pair of tiny spectacles and unrolled a scroll before him.

"We, the Elders of the Mage Guild of Oceanus," he began in a clear, ringing voice. "Do hereby sanction and convene this Court of Oversight in year two-one-seven After Founding against Guildmaster Wytho Q'ixanna, for actions in possible violation of the Mage Guild Charter. The charges are as follows:

"One: That he forced a competent and healthy Mage Elder into retirement against his will and for no justifiable reason.

"Two: That he willfully withheld information critical to both the business of the Guild and to the security of Oceanus.

"Three: That he acted in an exceedingly authoritarian manner well beyond what is prudent and expected in running the Mage Guild." Q'land peered over his spectacles. "Guildmaster, how say you as to your belief in the merit of these charges, yea or nay?"

"Nay!" Q'ixanna shouted. "To every last one of them!"

"Very well. According to the Rules of Oversight, each charge will be debated and a vote taken. A unanimous vote is required for a charge to be accepted. It has been agreed that the results of these votes will be as follows ..."

Q'land dropped his eyes to the scroll.

"With no charges accepted, the Guildmaster is fully exonerated.

"With one charge accepted and two negated, the Guildmaster will be censured and must provide a redress against the charge.

"With two charges accepted and one negated, the Guildmaster will be censured and suspended from his duties for a period not exceeding one moon. At that time, the Court will reconvene and decide whether to remove the Guildmaster from office permanently or restore his power fully.

"With three charges accepted and none negated, the Guildmaster will be removed from office permanently." Q'ixanna glowered as Q'land closed the scroll and looked up. "Before I open debate on the first of the charges, do you wish to make a statement?"

"Only to refute these ludicrous charges and call for an immediate Vote of Cessation!" Q'ixanna declared. "This is nothing more than a twisted attempt to gain political power at the Guild. Blatant and poorly executed. And I hardly need to answer the first charge. My supposed accuser is not even here! If Q'yros is so enamored of retirement that he would not bother to attend these proceedings, I cannot be expected to be called to task for it."

"It is my understanding that Q'yros is ill, Guildmaster," said Q'land.

"And perhaps that is all the more reason for his retirement."

Several Mage Elders nodded as if in agreement.

"Your first charge is that I forced a healthy Mage Elder to retirement. And now you tell me that he is ill. Your very words contradict the charge!"

"Here, here!" called out another Mage.

Q'land sighed as he peered at the others. "Respectfully, Guildmaster, fellow Mages, debate has not opened yet." He looked at Q'ixanna. "Please continue with your statement."

"And as for the second charge, it is I that has the most experience of everyone in this room concerning the Portal device artifact."

Uroddus coughed. Next to him, Katla jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"I shall not have others presuming that they know more than me on this subject and hence presume they can tell me what I can or cannot do with this information!"

Again, a few Mage Elders nodded, though fewer this time.

"And as for the third, and the most ridiculous of all of them, I am granted whatever powers I see fit in discharging the duties of my office. Republicanism did not work for Oceanus and it does not work here."

Q'land nodded. "Thank you. As per your demand and your right, I will call for a Vote of Cessation among the Elder Mages. Indicate 'aye' if you agree to cease these proceedings and exonerate the Guildmaster now, 'nay' if you do not."

He called each Mage in turn, added his own vote, and tallied. Uroddus frowned as he heard more "aye" votes than he cared to, but the end result was satisfactory.

"The final tally," announced Q'land. "Nineteen 'nay,' four 'aye,' no abstentions. A supermajority of sixteen or more deny the request and thus wish to proceed. Vote of Cessation is not carried."

Q'ixanna glowered at the court and clenched his teeth. "Very well. We will continue to waste time."

"Please, Guildmaster, your opening statement is over. We will now open formal debate ..."

Lord General Rithas was not looking forward to this moment. He bowed towards the Farview image. "My Emperor, I have news from the Commander of the legions near the Overlord Manor."

"I would hope so, I have waited far longer than I should," the Emperor snapped. "They should have found him well before this."

"I regret to inform you that they have not found Jollis."

Z'haas' eyes bulged, and for a moment, his fury prevented him from speaking. When he finally did, it was a shout that made the adjunct waiting outside Rithas' tent turn his head. "And what excuse do those incompetent fools have this time?"

Rithas frowned. "With all due respect, my Emperor, these men are not at fault. It could very well be that Jollis is simply nowhere to be found."

The Emperor's face was red. "No, Lord General! He must be found! Have the Commander interrogate the Overlord. He has colluded with the agent. He will know where Jollis is."

The Lord General did not fancy having the Overlord tortured any more than the Commander's men had likely already done. But the longer that the two legions stayed in the field, the less chance they could be recalled to assist the Imperium. "I suppose that is the most prudent course of action, my Emperor. I will let the Commander know."

"I will be ordering my Portal powered at once. I give the Overlord one more day to cooperate. If he does not, I will have him sent back the Imperial Palace, and I will have him interrogated directly."

Rithas did not care for the predatory gleam in the Emperor's eyes and did his best to ignore it. "But the legions should continue to scour the countryside and villages for this agent, I assume?"

"Yes, of course. I do not want them to stop until they have found him. He is there, Lord General, hiding and plotting against the Empire. I will stop him. I will see him brought to justice. And then I will declare an end to this war and reunite Oceanus!"

"Of course, my Emperor."

The Emperor terminated the Farview with a slash of his hand.

"Come," the Lord General called out.

The adjunct entered the room. "Lord General, the other legion is moving on now. Commander Foron has secured the key crossing points on the river and is ready to continue the incursion."

Rithas raised an eyebrow. "He is ahead of schedule."

"Yes, the defenders broke more easily than expected despite initial reports of their numbers. They were in full retreat by midday."

"Foron was lucky. They are likely falling back to a defensive line anchored in the wetlands to the east. We will meet more resistance there."

"Shall we assist, then?"

Rithas shook his head. "Not yet. It is well in hand at the moment. Keep us behind the others. Support and supply only for now."

The adjunct looked disappointed but nodded. "Of course, my Lord."

"Now, see here! While I submit that Q'yros is the eldest of all of us, that does not imply that he is past his prime. Why, I have seen feats of magic from him only last year that ..."

"What he can or cannot do with his magic is not the point, and you seem to miss what the point is. A Mage can sustain his body only for so long. The very fact that he was so vim and vigor for so long means he was heavily drawing on magical energy to sustain ..."

"Oh, now, listen to yourself! Now you claim that because he appeared so healthy he must be decrepit!"

"Ah-ah! You're putting words in my mouth again. I never said decrepit. I am simply pointing out that there is room for doubt as to the state of Q'yros' health. Why, hardly anyone has seen him for the past quarter moon, and he refuses to let the Healer see him."

Uroddus sighed and folded his arms. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs.

An Oversight court -- or any similar formal meeting at the Mage Guild -- proceeded in distinct phases. Uroddus was witnessing the first phase, which was open debate among the Mage Elders. An Elder would be picked by lot. He would stand, pick a side, and begin presenting arguments. At some point, another Mage would challenge and the two were allowed to debate with few restrictions. Or, if no one challenged him, the Guildmaster could challenge and debate him directly.

So far, to Uroddus' dismay, Q'ixanna had not had to say a word in his defense. He had enough supporters among the Mage Elders to do his arguing for him. He looked alternately bored or smug.

There was little that Uroddus could do. Unless someone called him as a witness, he would have to approach Q'land and specifically request to be called. All he could do was confirm the Guildmaster's claim that Q'yros was of poor health. He could not mention the Oath, for that would be a serious accusation with no proof.

He doubted this first charge would gain any traction, yet it would likely lead to debate that would rage all day and perhaps into the next. Every Mage Elder had to be given a chance to speak on the charge. Then it was on to the second phase: calling witnesses.

In this case, it appeared there were none. It was the Guildmaster's word against the Mage Elders. Without a witness, Q'land would let the debate go on as long as possible to insure a fair hearing of all opinions before calling for a vote.

Suddenly, Uroddus thought he had heard someone call his name. He had glanced at his fellow Empiricists when he realized that he was being summoned to Farview by Roquan. Uroddus politely excused himself to his immediate cohorts. Katla gave him an odd look. Uroddus mouthed "Farview" at her and quickly exited the chamber through the door opposite the one the Guildmaster had used.

The corridor on this side of the chamber was narrow and ran perpendicular to the entrance. Doors to smaller chambers for private consultation lined the other side of the hall. Uroddus ducked into one of them and closed the door behind him. "I accept the summons."

The image of the Overlord shimmered into view.

"Yes, Overlord, what may I do for you?"

"Before I answer that, I wish to inform you that the doubts that I had expressed at our last meeting have been put to rest," said Roquan in a contrite voice. "Please accept my apologies for any accusations or implications of duplicity that I had leveled towards you."

Uroddus did not bother hiding his relief. "Of course, Overlord, I accept it most graciously. I am simply happy that you are taking the situation seriously."

"And so is Lord Duric, which is my reason for contacting you. He is in command of the Noble Lord armies pitted against the Emperor. He sees merit in your warnings as well, and is moving to insure the safety of the Noble Lords."

"This is excellent news. I thank you both. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Yes," said Roquan. "Duric has some ideas to safeguard the Noble Lords without resorting to abandoning their palaces, as that would cause more problems than it would solve. But to perform these activities quickly enough, he needs magical assistance."

Uroddus gave Roquan a look of chagrin. "I am sorry, Overlord. I am afraid that will not be possible."

To the young Mage's wonder, Roquan did not look surprised, and even nodded. "Lord Duric suspected as much, but I needed to ask. He is of the opinion that the Mage Guild is engaged in a political power struggle at the moment."

Uroddus paused. There was no specific rule in the Guild Charter about what a Mage could or could not say about the Guild Hall. It was simply an accepted practice that sordid details were not shared with the outside world. But he neither cared for "accepted practices" any more, nor had any use for them. "Yes, Overlord, this is unfortunately quite true. Recent actions of the Guildmaster are being questioned before a formal Oversight Court."

"I see. Do you have any idea how long such proceedings will take?"

Uroddus turned his head as he heard a commotion in the hall. The court had recessed for evening meal. "I will take measures to expedite the process. If you would, Overlord, please Farview me each night after evening twilight. I will attempt to give you a status report."

Roquan looked surprised but appreciative. "Thank you, Mage Q'garra. You are being far more helpful than I had expected. I again apologize for making assumptions."

"Do not be. I am not exactly what would be considered a ... traditionalist ... among my fellow Mages." He glanced at the door again. "I am afraid I must terminate this Farview. Please contact me tomorrow night."

"I will. Good day to you."

"Good day." Uroddus turned away as the Overlord's image faded.

He quickly exited into the hall. By this time, the Mage Elders had begun to file out of the chamber, the two that had been debating still embroiled in a battle of words. Q'land strolled out of the chamber behind them and started briskly down the hall.

Uroddus jogged after him. "Master Q'land! A moment, please."

Q'land paused and turned. "Yes?"

"Debate on the first charge appears to be stalled, it would seem."

"An astute observation, yes," Q'land said cautiously. His eyes flicked over the young man, his brow knitting as if in disapproval. "Do you have something else to tell me, Journeyman?"

"Would a witness help bring debate to a quicker end?"

Q'land's eyebrows rose. "Witnesses always help, yes."

"Then I wish to be called to the podium when the Court reconvenes."

The guards opened the great door to the situation room and stood at attention as the Emperor swept past them. He stepped up to the stone table and peered at the map upon it.

Z'haas was never seen without a scowl darkening his face. It varied little, like a mask. The eyes, however, told a different story. They vacillated wildly between anger, determination, and panic. Now as he stared at the lands to the south of his realm, his eyes alternately glistened in fear or burned in anger. Nearby, a clerk dutifully leaned forward and updated the map, moving a single legion marker further north into the Appalanchian provinces, representing the vanguard of Rithas' incursion.

Or, to the Emperor, the only legion so engaged. The marker for Rithas' legion still lay at the border. He gripped the edge of the table tightly to hide his shaking hands. His eyes betrayed fear once more until his Mage stepped forward.

"Nothing yet to report from the south, my Emperor," said Q'holan in a carefully subdued voice.

Z'haas' head jerked. He straightened and shook his head. "No, Mage. He is out there. Waiting for a moment of weakness." He looked at the map again, this time at the Imperial legions arrayed at the southern border. He swallowed hard, another brief but intense wave of fear passing over him. His hand clenched. "We will not be weak."

"I am sure that your defenses ... that our defenses ... are quite strong, my Emperor. Surely if they had not, Lord Duric would have already ..."

"We will not be weak!"

Q'holan fell silent at the sudden shout.

"I will not let the battle reach the Imperial Palace, not like last time. I will not!"

Q'holan nodded quickly. "Of course, my Emperor. There is no need, not with ..."

"I want a fleet."

The Mage blinked. "I beg your pardon, my Emperor?"

"A fleet of warships. I want it at my command, off the coast, here," The Emperor pointed, sweeping his finger over a swathe of coastline from the southern border of his realm downward.

"But ... what for, my Emperor? Surely Duric's forces come by land only."

"And warships cannot bombard land?"

The Mage's eyes widened. "But that far inland, my Emperor ..."

"Are you saying it cannot be done? That the finest navy in Oceanus cannot send Mage Fire past the coast?"

"No, I ...!"

"So who is it that is incompetent in your view, the sailors in my Navy or the Mages that designed the artillery? Tell me now who you blame!"

"No one!" Q'holan cried in desperation. "My Emperor, please. All I meant is that such a barrage with no clear target would likely destroy as many peasant farms and villages as it would soldiers in Duric's army."

"And so what? So they die! They die for their Emperor. They die for Oceanus. I will hail them as heroes." The Emperor turned on his heel and rushed past his Mage, his cloak billowing behind him. "I will contact the Lord Admiral now. I will have him send his finest and most powerful warships. I will pulverize Duric's army before it even gets here!"

Q'holan watched anxiously as the Emperor tore past the guards and out of the room.

Q'land rose. "The court is again in session."

The two Mages that had been debating so vociferously earlier immediately rose as well.

"I call for a suspension of debate on the first charge. I have a witness to call to the podium. I beg your indulgence, fellow Mages."

The two exchanged a glance, then slowly sat back down.

"Once the witness has been heard and questioned, debate will be reopened. Journeyman Uroddus Q'garra!"

"What?" Katla suddenly gasped. Several of her Empiricist cohorts also appeared shocked.

Uroddus rose sedately and stepped out from behind his table without a backward glance at the others. As he walked to the podium, the other Mages looked at him as well. Their reactions ranged from puzzlement, to curiosity, to outright disdain.

From his stone seat, Q'ixanna narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Uroddus stepped behind the podium and assumed a mask of stoicism.

"Journeyman Q'garra," said Q'land in a crisp voice. "State your purpose as witness."

"I have information concerning the state of Master Q'yros' health that is pertinent to the first charge."

"His current state, or his state prior to his forced retirement?"

"Both, Master Q'land."

A murmur went through the assembled Mages behind him, and a few of the Mage Elders exchanged glances, a few nods, and some words of curiosity.

"Very well," said Q'land. "The floor is yours."

Uroddus paused to collect his thoughts. He avoided looking directly at the Guildmaster. He slipped off his spectacles and folded them. "I wish to first state that the assessment of his current health was correct. He is indeed ill, and very much so."

The Guildmaster straightened up in his seat and gripped the sides of his chair tightly. Louder murmuring eddied around Uroddus like a wave.

"Has he seen a Healer?" Q'land asked.

"Not to my knowledge. He is refusing to see anyone."

"But not you, apparently."

Several Mage Elders scrutinized Uroddus carefully.

"No," said Uroddus. "Apparently not me. And as for his state of health before his retirement ..."

He paused. Q'ixanna narrowed his eyes.

"Before his retirement ... he was not well, either, and seemed to be getting worse."

An exasperated sigh arose from the Mage that had been so ardently debating Q'yros' side earlier. More conversation droned from the observers. Q'land held up a hand and gestured. A sound like a mellow gong reverberated through the entire room. The conversation subsided. "Would you say that his state of health could have affected his ability to carry out his Mage duties?"

Uroddus sighed softly, and tried not to hate himself. "I can safely say that, at the present moment, he is not in a condition to conduct his normal duties."

Q'ixanna rose triumphantly from his chair. "And now the court will see how frivolous and baseless this charge is! I make decisions on the suitability of a Mage's performance on hard facts, like this Journeyman has just presented to you, and not on a whim as you would erroneously have the good Mages of this Guild believe."

"Guildmaster, please," Q'land called out. "Do you have a question for ..."

The Mage that had debated on Q'yros' side bolted to his feet. "I have a question!"

"I call for a vote!" the Guildmaster shouted. "We have heard enough!"

"The Mage Elders will be the judge of that!" the Mage bellowed back. He turned to Uroddus, fixing his eyes hard on the Journeyman. "I find all of this odd, quite odd, that Q'yros of all people, one of the most resilient of the older Mages, would come down with a sudden ailment that he refuses to have diagnosed let alone treated."

"He suffers from old age!" the Guildmaster shouted. "There is no cure for that!"

The Mage ignored him. "Journeyman, you appear to have inside information about Q'yros that we do not. Perhaps you can also enlighten us to the nature of his illness, or its cause."

"And why should that matter?" the one that he had debated called out.

The first Mage yelled back to him. "I was not talking to you!" He turned back to Uroddus. "Well, Journeyman? Can you tell us what caused this sudden illness?"

"That is not part of the charge!" the Guildmaster exclaimed. "Inadmissible!"

"Guildmaster!" Q'land cried. "I am to judge what is admissible and what is not. I will allow the question."

Uroddus hesitated. This time, he did look at the Guildmaster, and while his stance and his demeanor did not change, his eyes burned with pure hatred. "No. I know not the cause."

A wave of indignation swept over the Empiricists, punctuated by cries of frustration and banged fists on the table. Q'land's hand shot up. A much louder gong sounded, this time focused specifically on the Empiricists' table, as if it had hung right above their heads. "That is quite enough."

Q'ixanna glanced towards the table in the back, and then at Uroddus. His lips curled into a small smile. "So, Journeyman ... you are an Empiricist, are you not?"

Several of the Mage Elders frowned and glanced between Uroddus and the Guildmaster. Uroddus' jaw tightened. "I am."

The Guildmaster nodded. "Very good. Very good indeed! You have put your facts and figures and calculations to good use. Certainly if someone like you cannot find issue with me, with your meticulous attention to every little number, certainly there is no cause for anyone else to."

Uroddus gave the Guildmaster a look of pure venom. "That is all I have to say."

"Does anyone else have questions for the witness?" Q'land asked.

The Mage that had put the question to Uroddus glowered, but shook his head. He fell heavily into his chair. Other Mages took no interest.

"Very well. You are dismissed."

Uroddus put on his glasses and turned away from the proceedings.

"Does anyone wish to carry forth this debate?" he heard Q'land behind him. It was followed by silence. "Then I close debate on the first charge and call for a vote."

Uroddus did not raise his eyes to his fellow Empiricists. They looked on with expressions ranging from confusion to anger.

"The tally is," announced Q'land. "Sixteen 'aye' for merit, seven 'nay.' The first charge is hereby negated. It is so recorded. As it is now nighttime, we will adjourn for the day and resume in the morning after the morning meal. That is all."

Uroddus rose and headed out of the chamber. Not far into the hall, a hand grabbed his arm and spun him around.

"What in hellfire was that, Uroddus?" Kalta hissed.

Uroddus sighed. "Katla, please ..."

"Don't 'Katla, please' me! If you're going to involve yourself, why did you come down on the Guildmaster's side? Why did you lie about ...? Wait, what did you just ... let go of me!"

Uroddus had grabbed her arm, his fingers glowing with a faint blue aura for a moment as he cast a weakening spell. It caused her to lose body strength just enough for him to drag her out of the corridor and into one of the side chambers with little resistance.

The spell was broken as soon as Uroddus let go of her to close the door. Katla staggered as her limbs tingled in pins-and-needles. When Uroddus turned back around, Katla flicked her hand and slammed Uroddus against the door.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Katla cried.

"I am sorry, but I needed to get you out of the corridor before you said too much about Q'yros' condition."

"You mean before I told the truth like you should have done."

"Katla, think for a moment. You are reacting out of emotion and not logic. What I did was necessary."

"Necessary? How?"

"This first charge had no traction. Q'yros is not as universally liked by the Mage Elders as he is by the lesser Mage Masters. While they are united in their grievances with the Guildmaster, they are not united in their support of Q'yros. The debate would have raged on and still would not have gained merit for the charge. Meanwhile, precious time is wasted."

Kalta frowned. "Time for what?"

"The Noble Lords are taking measures to protect themselves against the possible threat posed by the Portals, but they need Mage help. The sooner we get the Guildmaster out of the way, the sooner the Guild can assist. Arguing over a charge that will not carry weight does not help this endeavor."

Katla folded her arms and leaned heavily against the wall. "I hate it when you're right."

Uroddus offered a faint smile. "And that is definitely not born from logic."

Kalta sighed and shook her head. "Gods damn it, I had the other Empiricists lined up to support you. Now I don't know if they will even return to the proceedings tomorrow."

"It matters not, Katla. This is more important than Empiricism versus Traditionalism. We don't have that luxury right now. We must get the Guildmaster out of the way and deal with this crisis."

Katla frowned. "Right. The only problem is, who will we have to convince of the merits of this threat now? Who will be the next Guildmaster?"

Uroddus adjusted his spectacles. "Yes. Who indeed."

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