Chapter 47

Jollis' footsteps echoed as he walked into the shrine. It was there he found his Master just as he had on that day the Great Task had begun. Kyllos knelt before their patron deity of war. Whether he was asking for further guidance or for an end to the hostilities, it was hard to tell, and Jollis did not feel it was his place to ask.

Kyllos lifted his head at Jollis' approach. He stood as the Wanderer stopped behind him. His eyes lifted to the soaring statue before him. "Have you truly ever looked at this representation, Jollis?"

Jollis lifted his eyes reverently as well. "Many times, Master, especially in the days leading to my task in Oceanus."

Kyllos nodded once, not taking his eyes from the statue. "It is an interesting symbol. Note how he holds a weapon of war in one hand, yet it is lowered and his other hand is extended as if he wishes to end the conflict. Yet here, around his feet, a pool of blood."

Jollis said nothing in reply. There was simply no words that would soothe his Master's conscience.

Kyllos sighed and turned, folding his hands before him. "It tells us that no matter how gentle we believe we can make war, no matter how 'tame' an approach we take, there is an inescapable conclusion. Men die."

"It is most unfortunate, Master, but I hope to bring you better news today."

"I truly hope so, my Wanderer. I did not imagine that there would be such casualties. On both sides."

"You could not have foreseen the Oceanus Mage Guild achieving the breakthrough, Master. Ultimately, it is too late. We will be bringing this conflict to a conclusion, perhaps as soon as today."

Kyllos nodded, looking interested.

"The loss of two Manors to Emperor Z'garon's legions was not as large a setback as we had thought. They were minor players, and the loss of their slaves will thus not matter. Eventually, once we have control of the Empire and its legions, we can take those slaves and their Overlords. But more importantly, our Mages have reconstructed most of the burnt D'ronstaq records."

Kyllos let out a slow breath. His lips managed a faint ghost of a smile. "Yes, indeed, that is a bright moment in my dark outlook."

Jollis thought it ironic. Barely a quarter moon ago, it was Jollis that had despaired and Kyllos the source of solace. Perhaps it was simply a restoration of balance. "We already have somewhat more than half of the Noble Lords captured, and hence their provinces are under our tacit control. With the D'ronstaq records rendered useful again, we can take the remainder and infiltrate the Palace."

"What of the Overlords, Jollis? Have we accounted for all of them?"

"All but Trennan, Rennis, and Doran. Trennan and Rennis managed to escape. They had been warned by Roquan but decided not to stay and defend the Manor."

"Can we not locate them using their slaves?"

"Trennan was very selective about the slaves he bedded. There are not enough to gain a clear focus. Rennis had been so busy the past few seasons that he spent more time away from the Manor than in it."

Kyllos nodded. "We thought there might be some like that. But what of Doran? Surely he was not in a position to escape given his health."

Jollis' face darkened. "Doran is dead, Master."

Kyllos looked momentarily stricken. "How?"

"It was not caused by our warriors, not directly. The stress was simply too much for him, and his heart gave out. He apparently had a heart condition but did not take proper care of it."

"I will still feel that death on my conscience regardless. How soon will we move against the other Noble Lords?"

"Preparations are already under way. Most of slaves have been calmed now and have accepted their new 'owners.' With one possible exception."

"Ah, you refer to Amanda."

"No, Master, not Amanda. I did not include her as we knew she would not accept it. I speak of Sirinna."

Kyllos' eyebrows rose. "Indeed?"

"It appears that the Overlords were indeed on the verge of understanding that their Draught of Forgetfulness only repressed memories rather than erased them. Thanks to Amanda exercising her lover's mind, Sirinna is recovering her memory and her intelligence, and along with it, some degree of independent thought."

"This is remarkable, Jollis," said Kyllos. "I would not have expected it of them, or to allow it to happen once they did understand."

"Roquan is far more progressive than an average Overlord, Master. And there is more to the story. Vanlo, Roquan's Healer, has formulated a potion to neutralize the Draught at once. He has already used it to reverse the effects of the Draught used by Freya on the Narlassi peasants."

"Incredible. Even our own Healers had not risen to that challenge despite understanding the theory." Kyllos hesitated, and in the space of a breath, his joy evaporated. "And now what will we do to these poor victims of the Overlord system? We sell them into yet another system of slavery. One that is worse!"

"Yes, Master, we knew from the start how distasteful this would be. But now, with this new knowledge, we can give them hope for a better life when everything is finally done."

Kyllos closed his eyes and remained still, as if meditating. He slowly nodded and spoke in a more serene voice. "Yes, Jollis, you are right. You are the wise one it would seem."

Jollis beamed at the praise.

"However, it is important that we secure this formula. While it is not part of the original plan, it will make our task easier in the end."

"Yes, of course."

Kyllos opened his eyes. "And what of the Mage Guild? That has become an unexpected problem."

"True. We did not anticipate them advancing so far in their knowledge."

"Nor did we expect such a radical change in leadership. Q'ixanna would have worked with us. We cannot openly move against the Guild or we risk a Mage War."

Jollis nodded gravely. The last Mage War was in the days of antiquity when Mages once ruled entire empires. There was a natural revulsion of such a thing now among modern Mages regardless of the circumstances, but Uroddus Q'garra was an unknown to them. "We wish to contact some of the so-called 'Rogue Mages' and persuade them to allow us to tap their memories to help us neutralize the Mage Guild, either by targeted raids or capturing other Mages that will give us greater access."

"But until then their Guildmaster will still have relatively free reign. He will be able to travel across Oceanus unwatched and unimpeded."

"This is unfortunately so. We have plans to correct this, but it will take time."

Kyllos smiled gently. "If you are the one coordinating such plans, I have no reason to worry that we will succeed in the end."

Jollis bowed his head. "You honor me greatly, Master."

"And now, my Wanderer, are you ready for your hardest task of all? Are you ready to confront your own fears and doubts for one last time?"

Jollis' heart pounded, a rarity for him. He had tried his best not to dwell on this day or its implications since the invasion began. "Yes, Master, I am ready."

Kyllos gestured towards the entrance. "The Portal awaits you in the Field of War. And remember this: there is no shame in leaping into the unknown as a fool if one is willing to learn and become the wise man."

Jollis bowed to his Master and turned to take his leave.

"Jollis, one moment, there is one other matter," said Kyllos. "In light of this news about the Draught in general and Sirinna in particular, I would like to suggest a small change in plans for her fate..."

Jollis listened. He slowly smiled. "Yes, that is a most wonderful idea. Apparently some of the memories of her homeworld are most unpleasant. This will allow her trauma to be dealt with properly. And it will serve to help Amanda acclimate once the time comes."

"Can you make this happen?"

"I can. It will need to be done clandestinely, as we have already announced that we have no designs on any of the slaves being auctioned. But I feel the end result justifies the deception."

Kyllos smiled. "Very good, my Wanderer, very good. Now go, and bring this first phase of our glorious task to a successful end."

Amanda wiped her hands on the towel and smiled weakly at the slave, sending her on her way. She heaved a tired sigh and leaned heavily against the examination table.

The past few days had been the busiest ever in the Healer office, and never had he felt such little enthusiasm for her job. It had been little more than medical examinations and Kaylaxxa treatments. The Inonni dictated this regime for each slave, but no one would tell her why. Just like they would not tell her Roquan's whereabouts or what was going to happen to them.

Sirinna, too, was busy. She spent much of her time identifying each slave's particular talents and skills, since not everything had been recovered from the burnt records. She was also told to give remedial training to any slave that she deemed required it.

Amanda could figure out for herself what was about to happen. She had to pause to collect herself before she burst into tears yet again. It wasn't getting any easier to accept as the days wore on. She could only hope that the Inonni were being defeated elsewhere in Oceanus, and rescue had simply not yet come to this Manor.

Somehow, despite her isolation from current events, she knew it was a false hope.

Amanda stepped away from the table. She gathered the empty vials of Kaylaxxa and stepped back towards the counter.

"Hello, precious one."

Amanda whirled around. She let out a shocked gasp, the vials falling and shattering against the floor.

Moments later, Vanlo and Lanno were at the doorway. Lanno still bore evidence of his aborted battle. While all the gashes had been knitted and healed over, he had refused to have the same done to his bruises. He wore them like badges of honor. Now, when he saw Jollis standing just across the threshold between treatment room and reception area, his hands clenched into fists, and raw fury burned in his eyes.

Lanno started forward, but Vanlo's placed a hand on his shoulder. "No."

Lanno shook in his growing rage. He finally turned and slammed a fist against the wall near the door frame, cracking one of the wood planks. "Fine! We'll invite him for some wine and pastries instead!"

"Lanno..."

"I want to know what in blazing hellfire that bastard is doing here! Look around you, Vanlo. He's the cause of all this. He's the reason why Roquan is gone. And yes, I know perfectly well if I attacked him I would most likely be dead. It just might be worth it!""

There was an awkward moment of silence. Amanda barely noticed Lanno's tirade. She stared at Jollis with first surprise, then fear, then anger. She lingered on the last, her eyes two darkly burning points.

Vanlo shifted his gaze to Jollis, his eyes taking on a steely look reminiscent of Roquan. "What is it you want of us? I must tell you that if it is anything but Healing services, you will not find it here. The presence of your people's soldiers forces me to accept this occupation by matter of circumstance, but I am not obligated to render any aid to you."

"I do not wish to impose upon you," Jollis said politely. "I wish only one thing: to speak with Amanda."

"No," Lanno said.

Amanda blinked and looked at him.

"Respectfully, that is for her to decide."

"And what makes you think she'll want anything to do with you? You lied to her. You tricked her by pretending to be something you're not. You..."

"Lanno, stop it," Amanda said, her voice quavering.

Lanno stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, you're not actually considering giving this clanless wonder the time of day, are you?"

"I want to decide for myself," Amanda said. She turned her eyes accusingly back to Jollis. "Since I probably won't be able to do that for much longer."

Jollis met her gaze with a level one of his own. Sympathy and pain shimmered in their depths, but it could not change his thoughts or intentions. "I wish to speak with you alone, precious one."

"Don't call me that!" Amanda cried shrilly. "Don't ever call me that! I asked one of the other Inonni what that means. You don't have the right to call me that anymore!"

Hurt appeared in Jollis' eyes, but he bowed his head. "I will abide by your wishes."

Amanda clenched her teeth. She wanted to tell him to go to hell, even if that expression did not have the same connotation on Narlass as it did back home. She knew she should not treat with him. Yet her curiosity was stronger than her hatred, or perhaps because of her hatred as well. She wanted the right to confront him.

"All right, I'll talk to you," said Amanda.

"If you would be kind enough to step outside with me, please."

"Vanlo, we can't let her leave with him!" Lanno pleaded to the elder Healer. "Do something! Stop them! Stop her!"

Vanlo uttered an exasperated sigh. "Amanda knows her own mind, Lanno. It is not for me to say who she may or may not associate with."

Lanno glared at Vanlo, then stomped back into the other room.

Amanda cast a lingering glance at Vanlo before following Jollis outside. She had to pass between two Inonni guards flanking the entrance. It was the same thing everywhere in the Manor. They were a constant reminder of the disaster that had befallen them.

Jollis took her a short distance down the path. He stopped and turned to her. Yet before he could speak, Amanda leapt to the attack first. "Why, Jollis? That's all I want from you. I want to know why your people did this."

"Surely you know from the history of your own homeworld why men go to war. Why men conquer. Why men take by force what belongs to another."

Amanda considered, then shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense."

"Why is this?"

"It's hard to tell. Something just feels different about it. Even the way these soldiers carry themselves. It doesn't feel like a typical conquest and occupation."

Jollis smiled. "Ah, but you continue to show how clever you are."

Amanda clenched her fists. "Stop it. I'm sick of hearing how 'clever' I am, especially from you. Lanno was partially right. Maybe you didn't outright lie to me, but you did trick me. You tricked me into thinking you cared about me. That's what really hurt, Jollis, more than maybe you'll ever know."

Jollis knew exactly how much it hurt. It hurt as much as hearing Amanda's harsh words. It hurt as much as his own thoughts about what must come to pass. It hurt knowing that even after it was all over, she would never be endeared to him again.

He did not try to push the hurt away. He accepted it in the scope of the grand plan. He would not beg for her affections.

"I cannot hope to find the words that would make you understand," Jollis began. "I can tell you only that my feelings for you were and are real. Whether you choose to accept it I must leave to you."

Amanda swallowed and shook her head. "No, you don't do things like this when you care for someone. I can't get myself to believe that. You can't have it both ways, Jollis. You can't both claim feelings for me and justify what your people did. You had a hand in both of them."

Jollis let out a heartfelt sigh.

"What is it you want from me?" Amanda demanded. "You want me to tell you everything's okay? You want me to tell you not to worry about it? You want me to try and rationalize all this just because you said a few kind words to me? I'm sorry, but that's too much to ask."

Amanda's eyes teared. She wiped them in annoyance and fought to keep her voice steady.

"If you were just a bystander ... i-if this was a case of you just happening to be part of the same people that did all this ... then maybe I could accept it. But that's not it. You had a hand in all of it. Lanno was right. You caused all this. You're the one that d-destroyed my life."

Amanda stopped, her throat too tight. She choked back a sob and swiped her cheeks, where several tears had trickled from her eyes.

Jollis' heart ached. As much as he believed that the ends were right and just, it made the means no less painful. "I am sorry. I am truly sorry."

"Y-you can keep your apologies," Amanda said sharply, her voice shaking. "Just tell me the truth. Just for once, Jollis. We're ... w-we're all going to be sold, aren't we? That's what's been going on. You're getting ready for an auction. You're d-dissolving the Manor."

Jollis said nothing. He could not reveal even the smallest detail of the task, even to those that had already guessed what was to transpire.

Amanda's eyes blurred. She sniffled once as she struggled not to completely break down in front of him. "Can't you even have some sort of mercy and make sure Sirinna and I stay together?"

"I am sorry, Amanda. I cannot answer these questions. I do not want to cause you this pain. I cannot prove my words to you, except to tell you that I still keep your Farviewing pearl with me at all times, just so I know that you are well and..."

He trailed off as she extended a trembling hand towards him, her palm up. Jollis simply stared at it, then gave her a confused and pleading look.

"Give it to me," Amanda said, her voice now shaking with rising fury.

Jollis looked stricken. "Amanda..."

"Give it back! I don't care what you think you feel for me! You don't have any right to know how I'm doing!"

Jollis slowly reached into his tunic, moving as if his hand suddenly weighed a ton. He extracted the pearl, cast a lingering look at it, and held it out tentatively to her. Amanda snatched it from his palm and clenched her fist around it. She cast a final look of despair and anger at him before fleeing into the Healer office.

Jollis turned away, feeling as if a hole had been torn in his heart. Yet he survived, as had his ideals and his dedication to his task. He had passed this test.

"The incursion caused no damage that we can see, and all members of the Guild are accounted for," said Q'kollan in a tired voice. "But it was jarring to say the least. It was fortunate that the only location they had managed to target was an unused Mage Elder quarters."

"Which speaks volumes about their hypocrisy," said Katla sourly.

"I beg your pardon, Mage Q'yoona?"

"There are no Rogue Mages as old as the Mage Elders. Rogue Mages tend to go Rogue at a relatively early age. Do a little math and you will find that the Mage Elders were bedding young female Rogue Mages right inside the Mage Guild. So much for our non-tolerance policy towards Rogues."

"It is quite possible that they were not yet Mage Elders, or even Mage Masters before..."

"We're getting off topic," said Uroddus. He took off his spectacles and rubbed his eyes. None of them had much sleep over the past few days. "What are the implications, Mage Q'kollan? Surely they realize that any sort of true incursion could initiate full-scale magical combat."

"I do not think their intention was to precipitate a Mage War, but to show that they could. Also, they could bring the war to us, and we are powerless to strike at them."

"There's something else," Katla said. "If they can find their way into more private quarters, occupied ones this time, and bypass all the usual security wards on them, they could kidnap Mages and use their memories to access more of the Guild, and finally figure out how to strike at you directly."

Uroddus admired Katla for maintaining her professionalism. He could hear the slight nervous quaver, but it was clear she was trying not to let her feelings interfere. Uroddus was walking a tightrope himself. Everyone in the Guild now knew of the affair between he and Katla, and many were expecting him to lavish favor and privilege on her. It was something nearly every Guildmaster did at some point in his reign and was once tacitly accepted. But Uroddus had set the bar higher, and now the other Mages would hold him to that higher standard.

"Guildmaster, have you been able to contact Overlord Roquan?" Q'kollan asked.

"Only very briefly, before an Inonni guard forced him to sever communications. He was alive and well, but under some sort of incarceration. Before he was silenced, he managed to tell me the names of some Overlords that he had warned. It is possible some may have escaped."

"What good will that do us?" Katla asked.

Uroddus put on his spectacles. "Because we will need allies. We risk Mages being captured if we send out too many of our own. We must remain free to continue researching the Portals."

"That will be difficult," Q'kollan said. "If we keep having to guard against these incursions."

"Understood, but we must try. And if we can make contact with those that escaped the Inonni invasion, we can at least know what is happening in Oceanus. Which brings me to my next point. I wish to void the no-tolerance policy against Rogue Mages and enlist their aid."

Katla stared. "You can't be serious."

"The Mage Elders will never accept it, Guildmaster," said Q'kollan.

"You can't do that," Katla said. "They're Rogue for a reason, because they refuse to work for anyone but themselves."

"That is the commonly held view," said Uroddus. "But I suspect it is not the whole story. I did some research late last night. According to my statistical analysis, the number of Mages going Rogue increases with periods of political turmoil in the Guild. Thus if the reason for many going Rogue is political in nature, they may be enticed into rejoining the Guild."

"That is a long shot if I ever heard one," said Q'kollan gravely.

"Yes, I know. But at this point, we need to take whatever advantage we can get. I am willing to take the risk."

"The rest of the Guild may differ."

"Then they will differ with me, and they are free to debate the issue, and I will take their opinions into account. But they must back up their arguments with clear logic. I will not accept objections based purely on emotion or the 'this is the way it was always done' mentality."

Q'kollan sighed and leaned back in his seat. He finally nodded once. "As always, you have my complete support, Guildmaster, even if I think it will be like trying to push a boulder up a mountain."

"Thank you. Katla, I need you to find out who we might contact outside the Guild Hall. I am hoping that some Noble Lords also escaped."

"The Guild has already heard from Lord Tarras," said Q'kollan. "He is apparently one that managed to elude them thanks to his sparse use of slaves."

Uroddus nodded. "We may also wish to contact Ne'land Clan Leader Uridon."

"I'll try," said Katla. "The merchants have been keeping quiet since this started."

"Do what you can," said Uroddus. "That is all I can ask of any of us."

Not long after his confrontation with Amanda, Jollis took command of the final part of the military action against the Noble Lords.