"Black Throne is how you flash bags branded it in their stupid stories." The lips of Uragar's host curled up in a proud smile. "Its real na is the First Tower, or, if you prefer, the Forbidden Tower."
"A cursed mage tower?" Akhton's eyes widened.
"Forbidden Magic is often referred to as the beginning of all magic because it makes things much, much easier." Jorl nodded. "According to the legend, the first mage tower on Mogar was crafted by Rudath Fhen with Forbidden Magic.
"After witnessing its wonders and realizing that such artifacts were possible, the Awakened tried to replicate the Black Throne with conventional ans until they succeeded."
"If it's the First Tower, then it must be incredibly old." Akhton said.
"It is." Uragar nodded.
"Also, it's a cursed object! Jorl already told you he has no intention of bargaining with a lost city. Why should he bond with an artifact even more outdated?" The Bastet asked.
"That's where you are wrong." Salanoth shook her head. The Black Throne was crafted with Forbidden Magic, but it's no cursed object. You can't bond with it even if you want to. Also, it's ancient, but its enchantnts are not outdated.
"The last ti I visited the Black Throne 500 years ago, it had already incorporated Bytra's modern runes into its structure."
"That's impossible!" Akhton said.
"It's not." Jorl replied. "It matches what my mother told about the Black Throne."
"What did she tell you, exactly?" Uragar took care never to speak Tyris' na lest she hear him.
"Not much." The Storm Griffon shrugged. "The Black Throne predates the Guardians, and Mother never saw it with her own eyes despite following every rumor she heard about its sightings.
"Yet she found many records of its existence and even t a few living witnesses. All testimonies about the Black Throne agree on the fact that it needs no master and its enchantnts change over ti."
"Then it's a priceless treasure." Akhton said. "Why did your mother call it a mortal danger to Mogar?"
"Because it loves chaos." Salanoth replied. "Fehn created the Black Throne to assist him in his work, and after its master passed away, the tower inherited his quirks. Many tis in the course of history, a young mage stumbled upon the Black Throne.
"If they prove themselves worthy, the tower will grant them access to its knowledge and power. It shouldn't be hard for you to imagine what happened when an angry or ambitious runt got their hands on such a mage tower."
"Carnage." Akhton pondered. "Empires must have been toppled and entire Awakened Councils exterminated. Countless wars must have been waged to dispose of the mage and seize the Black Throne."
"All that and more." Uragar nodded. "Every ti the Black Throne appears, rivers of blood are spilled, and the mbers of every race and magical community turn against each other. And the worst part is that it's all for nothing.
"As soon as the current guest of the Black Throne dies, no matter if to old age or murder, the tower disappears again. The Black Throne has no interest in Mogar. It only seeks power and knowledge."
"It can move?" Jorl was flabbergasted.
"Yes." Salanoth replied. "It's unclear how, but it's certain it can. Maybe it can run on chicken feet like Baba Yaga's tower, or maybe it can fly faster than a Dragon. What matters is that it can appear anywhere at a mont's notice.
"That's why calling it a threat to Mogar is not an exaggeration."
"Why haven't I ever heard about it?" Akhton asked.
"Because after Tyris beca a Guardian, the rare appearances of the Black Throne beca rarer." Uragar replied. "With each new Guardian who took over a continent, the Black Throne showed itself less and less often until it beca a legend."
"Is it scared of the Guardians?" Jorl asked.
"Of course it is. The Black Throne was born out of Forbidden Magic, and you know what the Guardians think about those like us." Salanoth snorted. "But that's not the only reason. As I told you, the Black Throne is after knowledge and power.
"Once it collects the information about the most recent magical developnts, it has no interest in ddling in the worldly affairs. You can consider the Black Throne like a Lich. Incredibly powerful, nigh-immortal, and unpredictable."
"How can the Black Throne escape the Guardians' notice, yet you t it in person?" Jorl asked.
"We cursed objects have our channels." Uragar refused to elaborate. "The Black Throne put out a request for a specific piece, and I took the job."
"Can you find it again?" The Storm Griffon started planning all the things he could do with such a tower and how to use it to get rid of Orpal for good. "More importantly, do you think it will help us?"
"Vurdalak, Upyrs, Tiamats, and the elusive art of Void Magic." Uragar smirked. "We have many baits to get the Black Throne's attention, or I wouldn't have ntioned it in the first place.
"On top of that, if we add Night's crystal to the pot, the deal is as good as done. Knowing the Black Throne, it would kill to get its… whatever it uses to grab things on one of Baba Yaga's masterpieces.
"Especially now that Night holds Dusk's crystal as well."
"The Black Throne would steal their secrets, and we'd get its help in reaching our goals." Jorl pondered. "Sounds fair to . Do what you must to find the Black Throne, but be quick.
"Once the Dead King exits seclusion, we might not have another opportunity to make our move unnoticed."
***
Griffon Kingdom, city of Lutia, a few hours later.
After buying the groceries and visiting her old friends, Elina insisted on returning to the Verhen House.
"Are you sure you don't want to eat in a restaurant, Mom?" Lith asked. "You don't have to cook. We can just sit back and relax."
"Nonsense." Elina's tone brooked no argunt. "I already feel guilty for leaving Ryla and Garrik alone at the Mansion. If I wanted to eat fancy food, I'd have remained in the Desert.
"Besides, didn't we co back to Lutia to spend a bit of ti in our ancestral ho? Don't get wrong, the Mansion is great, but it feels… uptight. I need to cross long corridors to get from one room to another, and all I can see from the windows is landscaped gardens.
"In our ho, instead, every room is just a few steps away from the others, and there's the real world out the door. Not topiary beasts and flower beds, but cultivated fields and farrs.
"There are people all around us, and the noise the cattle make keeps us company. It makes feel alive."
"I'm sorry, Mom." Lith felt his heart tighten at Elina's bright smile as she talked about Lutia. "I never considered you might feel isolated at the Mansion. I should have been more mindful of your needs."
"I'm sorry too, Mom." Aran hugged her. "I should have kept you company more often."
While Lith enjoyed the silence and the privacy of the Mansion to practice his powers away from prying eyes, Aran loved the freedom and the space that its vast garden offered to him and his friends.
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