The teleportation circle dropped them on the side of an old elven road, not far from the city's main gate. The dawn tinged the sky with shades of orange and purple, filtering through the canopy of ancient trees surrounding the palace walls.
The silence was thick there too—not the sa as that of ruin and combat, but a different kind. A tense silence, as if the kingdom itself were on watch.
Kael walked ahead, his cloak torn from battle and his gaze harder than it had ever been. Exelia followed him with her shoulders straight, her eyes always moving, alert to any movent. Liora ca right behind, still showing signs of exhaustion, but with her mind on fire—she morized spells of restraint, spells of truth, and everything else that might be necessary.
As they rounded the last bend in the path, already close to the white marble watchtowers, Kael stopped suddenly.
Soone was waiting for them.
The figure was kneeling on the ground, between shadows and light. A woman. No, sothing that took the form of a woman. Her skin was a deep wine color, almost black in the rising light. Her wings were folded behind her like velvet cloaks, her eyes half-closed, golden like blades of liquid gold.
A succubus.
Exelia was the first to react, quickly drawing her sword. Liora imitated her, a mana spear glowing in her palm.
"Stay away from her, Kael," Exelia growled. "She's that crazy woman who tried to kill us several tis!"
Kael, however, raised his hand, signaling them to stop. "Wait," he said, his voice calm but firm.
Exelia hesitated, but did not lower her sword. "Kael..."
He ignored her, taking a few steps forward. The gravel crunched under his feet until he stood before the succubus, a few feet away.
She lifted her face, and a slight smile ford on her wine-colored lips.
"Welco back, master," she said, with a bow that seed genuine—or perfectly trained.
Exelia and Liora exchanged alard glances.
"Master?" hissed Liora. "Kael... what have you done?"
Kael did not answer imdiately. His expression was neutral, but his eyes burned silently. He stared at the succubus for a mont, as if assessing his own reflection in a dark lake.
"I don't have to tell you everything, right?" he replied at last, without taking his eyes off her.
Exelia lowered her sword half an inch, but no more than that. "It depends on what you're hiding, Kael."
"Then it's not necessary, just know that I... bought her with a few things," he lied with a smile, before turning back to face the succubus.
"What is your na?" he asked.
She smiled, this ti more softly, almost sadly. "They call Sazhara in my plane of origin. Here... no one dared to na ."
"Sazhara," Kael repeated. The na seed to stick to his tongue like heavy fog. "Are you free, Sazhara?"
The succubus lowered her eyes. "Not exactly. My original pact was broken when the source of the ritual was destroyed. But the residual bonds... still connect to this world. And, it seems..." she raised her golden eyes again "...to you."
Kael nodded slightly. "How did you end up here?"
"I was summoned. A deep, ancient circle. Blood of innocents, pure elven souls. Sacrifices made in the na of absolute power." Her voice was almost a whisper, but each word carried a cruel weight. "High Elves. Consecrated mages. And it wasn't the first ti they had done it. Just the most recent."
Liora paled.
"What did they summon you for?" asked Exelia, her fists clenched.
"To dominate... and to spy. To offer power in exchange for influence. I wasn't the only one. There were others—incubi, specters, silent horrors. But I was the most decent, the most... useful. Until the bonds beca fragile, and the ritual was undone by the destruction of the altar."
Kael crossed his arms. "I see, so you're not the first..."
Sazhara smiled. "Many demons are summoned and return to the demonic world when everything goes wrong, as has happened here. I, however... because I have powers of dreams and mind manipulation, am much more useful than all the others."
Kael stood still for a mont, deep in thought. Then he sighed. "All right, stay hidden." Kael spoke, and she literally beca invisible. "Great."
Kael turned away without saying another word. Exelia and Liora followed him in silence, their minds swarming with questions they knew they had no right—or courage—to ask now. The succubus had vanished as if she had never been there, and the feeling of unease she had left behind lingered in the air like the sll of smoke after a fire.
The main gates of Elen'Thalas opened without being touched, as if the city itself recognized the blood and pain brought back by its guardians.
Inside the walls, the grandeur of the palace contrasted with the mood of those who inhabited it. Towers of enchanted glass, floating gardens, and corridors of bright light—none of it hid the tension on the guards' faces, the stiffness of the mages, or the red eyes of sentries who had not slept in days.
Kael climbed the stairs of the main hall with determined steps, his boots still stained with dried blood. Exelia wiped the dust from her face, trying to compose herself for the audience. Liora clutched the grimoire to her chest as if it were her last link to sanity.
The golden gates of the crown hall opened with a deep sound. Inside, the crystal throne glowed under a do of lunar energy. And upon it, Queen Aelirenne watched them in silence.
Tall, ethereal, with eyes like frozen lakes and silver hair that floated even without wind. Her face was of a beauty that inspired devotion—and fear. When she rose, it was like seeing a star detach itself from the sky.
"Kael. Exelia. Liora." Her voice was calm, steady, like the sound of water falling on stones. "You return... at last."
"It seems you have completely recovered." Kael looked into her eyes, followed by the other two. "We have much to discuss."
Aelirenne descended the steps of the throne, her dress flowing like living silk. She stopped before Kael, and her eyes pierced his.
"You carry the scent of hell, Warlock. And sothing else..."
Kael looked even deeper into her eyes. There was no ti for beating around the bush.
"We found evidence of demonic rituals in ruins to the south. Sacrifices. Summoning circles. Magical traces of energy from lower planes. They were hidden beneath ancient shrines, where elven magic was purest. They have been corrupted."
Aelirenne frowned. "This is serious. Too serious to be a coincidence. Who would be responsible?"
Kael hesitated for a mont. "We know nothing beyond that they are High Elves. Consecrated mages, to say the least. I don't know how well your elves are doing, but..."
The hall fell silent. Aelirenne slowly returned to her throne, her hands clasped in front of her chest.
"And why would they do that?"
"To gain power. To control the minds of others. To infiltrate demons into positions of influence. The war against the dark elves was just a pretext. The real enemy... is within our walls."
Liora stepped forward. "I saw the fragnts of the circles, Your Majesty. And the psychic remnants in the fallen soldiers. They weren't fighting of their own free will. They were bewitched. Dominated by voices that did not belong to this world."
Aelirenne narrowed her eyes, absorbing the words as if weighing each syllable.
"And that would explain... the erratic behavior of the regional councils. The silence of the arcanists of Ossiriand. The disappearances in Sylvaran."
Exelia snorted. "It explains everything, if we accept that the corruption cos from within. And that our allies... may be the greatest traitors."
Aelirenne stood up again, and a sharp gleam ignited her silver eyes. The room seed to bow under the gravity of the mont.
"And you, Kael..."—her voice carried more than authority: it was the echo of ages—"what else have you seen?"
Kael held her gaze for a long mont. He took a deep breath. Part of him wanted to tell her about Sazhara right then and there. But no. Not yet. The hall was not safe—not all ears there belonged to those who served the truth.
"Frankly?" he said, his voice low but firm. "I think it's only a matter of ti before a demonic war breaks out within your kingdom, Aelirenne. And if that happens, no elven wall will be able to contain the spread. We can no longer accurately distinguish who is an ally... and who has already been corrupted."
Aelirenne did not respond imdiately. She walked slowly to an arcane mirror beside the throne, the silk of her robe dragging a whisper across the crystal floor. When she touched the silver surface, the dormant runes awoke with a ghostly glow, sending pulses of energy across the edges.
She did not look at Kael as she spoke:
"Then we will have to do the unthinkable. Suspend the councils. Silence the ancient nas that hide behind arcane privileges. Revoke the titles of magic until each one is examined. Even the oldest ones."
She turned, her gaze piercing, now more sober than imperial.
"And perhaps... perhaps I must ask for sothing even more unthinkable: to request the intervention of the human Inquisition. Not out of weakness—but because they have faced this before. They know the thods. The traces. And they do not hesitate in the face of corruption."
Exelia held her breath. Liora's eyes widened.
Kael just looked at her for a mont, then crossed his arms. "You know what that would an. Human inquisitors in elven territory? You'll cause chaos among the nobles and raise suspicion in neighboring kingdoms. And the demons... they'll use it against you."
"I care little for politics when the very soil of Elen'Thalas burns with infernal sorcery," replied Aelirenne. "I prefer scandal to the silent destruction of my people."
Kael nodded slightly. "As long as you don't try to drag into your command structure. I do not act under crowns. Not even ones that shine like yours."
A slight smile touched the queen's lips. Not one of pleasure, but of respect.
"I know very well who you are, Kael. You are not my subject. You are an ally... and perhaps the only one with enough courage to speak the truth to without reverence."
Kael took a few steps closer. "Then accept this truth as well: there are demons loose in your kingdom. And there are elves who do not want to banish them... they want to use them. And those are the most dangerous."
Aelirenne nodded slowly, her eyes now distant, as if she could already see the fire on the horizon.
"You will have unrestricted access to the Arcanists' archives. And freedom to investigate whover you wish. But be careful. Those who conjure shadows within the walls also have eyes. And they know their ti is running out."
"That's why they'll act before we do," Kael said. "They won't wait for the purge. They'll strike first."
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