"You don't have to knock, you know," he said. "I already sensed you coming since you landed an hour ago."

A tall, beautiful young woman got in. She was wearing a steel cuira.s.s over brown leather armor. When she removed her helm, long auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders and all the way to her waist. Her olive skin, coupled with her fl.u.s.tered cheekbones made her look radiant, full of life. She smiled, and her eyes shone. 

"You finally gave me a mission worth my time," she said. "I hate sitting around, observing boring people go about their boring lives." 

Zedd returned her smile. "Good to see you still enjoy wars," he said. "How was your trip here Audrey?" 

"Your new friend's a handful, but nothing I can't handle," she said. "How was yours?" 

��I only saw clouds from up there," he replied. He was busy arranging chairs in a round table. There were only five of them, but he seemed to have great difficulty arranging them how he wanted. 

"Tristan tells me you asked for news," she said. 

"Audrey, you just got here," Zedd said. "Go have a bath, have a drink or something. We'll have plenty of time to speak about work." 

The young woman looked offended by Zedd's suggestions. "I enjoy the dirt on my face and steel on my hips, thank you very much," she said with puffed cheeks. "I'll leave perfumes and fancy dresses to proper ladies." 

Zedd chuckled. "Alright, let's hear it then," he conceded.

"Trebias is ready," she said in a formal tone. "After the ball, we'll be ready to move against the Prince." 

Zedd took a step back and inspected the chair he'd just placed. He looked like an architect making sure his design was flawless. "Is Heda coming?" he asked, not looking at the young lady. 

"The Contesse sent word to Teiro last week," Audrey replied. "Everything's in place." 

"Are you going to object like Tristan?" Zedd asked. He took the chair and moved it two inches to the side. He took a step back then observed it again. 

"I don't see why I should. You know better," she replied. "I only came here to report."

Zedd started walking around the table, inspecting every chair's placement carefully. "How's Cane?" he asked. 

"Seasick," she replied. "He asked to see you though." 

"Send him over to the solar," Zedd said then turned to look at his intelligence officer. "I'm done here for now." 

Audrey nodded then made to leave when Zedd called out to her. "Do you still have that pendant?" 

Audrey pulled a cord from around her neck then revealed a small silver pendant. Zedd approached her then put the thing in his palm. 

��You said a woman gave you this," he said. "Do you remember what she looked like?" 

Audrey frowned. "You believe in lucky charms now?" 

Zedd scoffed. "I just don't believe in coincidence," he said. A three tailed fox was engraved in the pendant. Everything, apart from its crimson eyes was portrayed perfectly. "What did the woman look like?" 

Audrey shrugged. "Like all crones do," she replied. "They all have the same wrinkled faces and abnormally large noses. It was just a gesture of goodwill. I helped her out. She repaid me the best way she could." 

"Yet you kept the thing," Zedd said, thoughtful. "No matter," he went on after a short pause. "Go take a bath. Put something nice and comfortable on for once. We're having an important ceremony tonight." 

Audrey's hazel eyes sparkled. She smiled at Zedd as she put the pendant away. "What are we celebrating?" she asked. 

"You'll find out soon enough," Zedd replied, meeting her happy eyes and smiling in turn. "Go now. Have some rest. You deserve it." 

An hour later, Cane came into Zedd's solar. He was tall, abnormally tall and large for any human. He looked like a bear that morphed into a human. Cane found Black Eyes holding a book by the fireplace. Cane faked a cough and Zedd suppressed a snort. 

"Come in friend, I was expecting you," he said. 

Only when Cane reached the sofa by the fireplace did Zedd put the book away. He stood and shook the big man's hands. Cane looked pale. Travelling by s.h.i.+p to Zedd's base was no easy task. 

There was a reason why n.o.body ventured too deep into the Endless Mist, a mandatory pit stop before anybody could dream of reaching the southern continent. Storms could start without notice. Big s.h.i.+ps had sunk during their attempts to reach the lost lands of Arkadia. 

"Audrey tells me your trip was difficult," Zedd said. Cane only observed the man in stubborn silence. "Please, have a seat. I had them bring some food over for you. I've been told you hadn't eaten since you departed." 

On a low table beside the fireplace, grilled mutton with a side of fried onions and potatoes awaited Cane. There was a bottle of a clear liquid and some cups as well. Cane sat and hurled himself at the food. Zedd poured them both a gla.s.s from the bottle then threw himself down a sofa opposite Cane. 

"Wash the food down with this," he said. "It's a rare wine I found in the cellars here. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." 

"Why'd you bring me here, Black Eyes?" Cane asked in between munches. 

"Things had spiralled out of control during the Hunt," Zedd said. "I lost one of my fairies, and you were there to witness it." 

"You mean the creature I thought was you?" Cane asked. He took another mutton stick and got busy devouring it. 

"You're not a good liar, Cane," Zedd said. "If I told you about my plan, Utar would have found out." 

"Did ya have to destroy the whole thing?" Cane asked, frowning. 

"Ulmir died a long time ago," Zedd said. "There was no need to keep his grotesque domain alive." 

"Yer full o'c.r.a.p!" Cane snapped. "Ya only wanted that flying s.h.i.+p." 

"And you wanted to fulfill your destiny as Ulmir's chosen," Zedd retorted. "We're all selfish and full of c.r.a.p. How does it feel to be Ulmir's Champion now?"

"A lot's changed," Cane said. Zedd's answer had somewhat calmed him down, "not thanks to Ulmir, or to you for that matter." 

"Your Fragment's gotten stronger," Zedd observed. "You even have some new powers in you. What happened back then?" 

It took Cane the rest of the evening to recount everything that happened during the Great Hunt. Zedd listened intently. He needed to know what happened to Myles, his fairy. If anybody was capable of severing his link to his familiars, it had to be either a Celestial or a Primordial. When Cane finished his tale, Zedd began laughing. 

"What's so funny?" Cane asked with a heavy frown. "Ya got me into Ulmir's Domain, only to send me to h.e.l.l!" 

"You've met the Lord of Death and survived, Cane," Zedd said, wiping a few tears that run down his cheeks. 

Cane's frown got even heavier. "Ya mean that strange man was speaking true?" he asked. 

Zedd nodded. "The world is full of terrifying powers we cannot comprehend," he said. "You're making my life easier though, I won't have to explain the existence of the Primordials to you tonight." 

"I only came here to give ya the gold," Cane said. "I don't wanna work with you." 

Zedd expected as much. He'd just destroyed the man's faith in front of his eyes. He didn't expect him to join his crusade without some persuasion. "Where will you go?" he asked.

"I dunno," Cane replied. He took a handful of fried potatoes and filled his mouth till it expanded. "Fa'away." 

"What about the nightmares?" Zedd asked. "Do you think going far away will get them to stop?"

The questions took Cane aback. He almost choked on the mouthful he was already struggling to munch through. He swallowed the cup of wine Zedd handed him in one go. "How d'ya know about that?" he asked after clearing his mouth. 

"I didn't," Zedd truthfully replied. "I had a hunch, and you just confirmed it." 

Cane's nostrils flared as he let out a strong "humph!" 

"Doesn't matter what I told ya," he said. "What d'ya know about the dreams?" 

"You met with Qil'Al, I only a.s.sume that you dream of the hors.e.m.e.n," Zedd replied. 

"Go on," Cane said as he took the last piece of mutton.

"The short answer is that Qil'Al saw something in you," Zedd said. "You won the Tribulations. You own a strong Fragment." Zedd leaned in and met Cane's eyes. "I say Qil'Al gave you another one, didn't he?" 

Cane took the wine bottle and drained half of it. He looked at Zedd then let out a defeated sigh. "Yeah," he said as he wiped his beard. "You understand why I gotta leave then, yeah?" 

"If you go out there without mastering your Fragment, you'll die in agony. You'll kill a bunch of innocent people on your way to your doom too," Zedd warned. "The G.o.ds are not kind, Cane. They use us like puppets for their own entertainment. Qil'Al only wants to see you lose your mind. He'd add a frightening soldier to his army then." 

"I'm no one's soldier," Cane said through gritted teeth.

"Oh yeah?" Zedd retorted with a disgusted smirk. "Tell that to Qil'Al when he comes to collect his due. That Fragment he gave you is both a curse and a blessing. You either use it well to become one of the deadliest people on the planet, or you lose your mind and join Qil'Al's puppet army." 

Cane inhaled sharply. "What wouldja do if ya were in my shoes, huh?!" he was frowning heavily. His chest inflated and deflated at quick intervals. "I got these urges Black Eyes... Like right now, I only wanna strangle ya, bash yer head against that window then toss yer friggin' body in the fireplace. 

"I'll only tell you if you accept to join our ceremony tonight," Zedd calmly replied. "This war I've started, I intend to see it through. I need partners, people I can trust if I were to finally get to the bottom of things. I need you by my side, Cane. Accept to work with me – not for me – with me. Attend the ceremony tonight. I'll explain everything then. Even your struggles with the Fragment will get easier after that." 

"What if I still wanna leave after that?" Cane asked. 

"I won't stop ya," Zedd said. "All I ask is that you hear me out. If you don't like what I have to say then by all means, go be an adventurer or a mercenary. It's your life after all, your choice to make." 

Cane stood. "Thanks fer the food," he said. "I'll come tonight, but you gotta promise..."

Zedd raised his right hand and placed the other on his heart. "I'll help you out. You have my word." 

Cane nodded then headed for the door. 

"I left you some clothes in your quarters," Zedd called out to him before he left. "Make sure you wear them for the ceremony." He picked up his book and put his legs on the table. Plates rattled as they fell and broke. Zedd let out a "humph!" shot a glance at the bottle that remained intact then flicked his fingers. 

The bottle immediately jumped to his hand, as though pulled by invisible threads. "So Qil'Al liberated Myles..." he said after draining the bottle of its liquid. He smashed it then against the wall, his forehead heavily creased. His pupils changed from golden to deep crimson. 

"f.u.c.k!" He kicked the table and broke it into tiny pieces. 

"Bad time to pay you a visit?" a voice spoke behind him. Zedd jumped to his feet and activated an invisible s.h.i.+eld around him. In front of him stood a man clad in a golden armor. Laugh lines creased the edges of his clear blue eyes. He looked at Zedd as though one looks at an old friend. 

"Smith!" Zedd hissed. "What is this? Did I open my castle's gates and invited everyone to pay me a visit now?!" 

"You told me your friend will be watching me," he said. "What does he want?" 

Zedd relaxed. Smith would never speak to him first if he was here to fight. He deactivated the s.h.i.+eld then collapsed onto the sofa. "They found the Pathway," Zedd said. "They think you have something to do with its appearance." 

The old man snorted. "What do they plan to do with it anyway?" he asked. "I don't mind helping some puny humans learn about the cosmos." 

"They don't care about your f.u.c.king cosmos, Smith," Zedd said in a mocking tone. "That crazy scientist wants to open that Pathway no matter the cost. Sam is on board with the plan too."

"What do they want then?" he asked. "Omega's sniffing around too, you know. This world is on the verge of total collapse, Zedd." 

Zedd inhaled sharply. He pressed his closed eyes with his fingers, as does someone with a strong headache. "Sam came up with this plan long ago," Zedd said. "He wants to reach the Primordial Plane and destroy it. He thinks he can end the age of the G.o.ds." 

"Tsk!" Smith scoffed and Zedd squeezed his fists until all blood rushed out of his hands. "I'd love to see that happen!" He took a seat beside Zedd and the latter heaved an annoyed sigh. 

"I could help them do it," Smith said in a condescending tone Zedd was oh so familiar with. "Or I could seal it forever."

"I've had a long day old man," Zedd hissed as he ma.s.saged his temples. "Just tell me what you're here for." 

"The Mothers.h.i.+p," Smith said with twinkling eyes. He didn't seem to notice Zedd's annoyance, or perhaps he just didn't care. "I'll take it, and the Pathway will remain shut forever." 

"I need that s.h.i.+p," Zedd retorted. "Once I'm done fighting my war, it's yours. How about that?" He hoped the old man would take the deal and leave him alone, but he knew better than keeping his hopes up.

"I wonder what the Emperor would think if he knew who you were," Smith said in an amused, thoughtful tone. "Or should I say, what you are! What if Theolonius Stalwart found out?" 

"Some people would freak if they heard you utter that name," Zedd warned. 

"Pffft, please!" Smith said. "I've smitten people who uttered his name before. He even made it fun for us upstairs, that sly old man. Come now, give me the Mothers.h.i.+p, I'll even teach you how to make a better weapon. I mean, let's face it, that lightning rod you carry will soon break. I can hear it moan from here. Where are you keeping it, in the vaults beneath the keep?" 

"I'll give you the Mothers.h.i.+p..." Zedd opened his eyes and looked at the old man, "after the war is over." He leaned in forward and gave him an amiable smile. He had to change tactics if he wanted to get rid of him. "I've only begun my offensive, and look what I found. Imagine what I can dig up if you don't let them use the Pathway." 

Smith didn't answer. Instead, he scratched his chin. A thin streak formed on his forehead. "Tsk!" he was biting his lower lip and Zedd was highly tempted to punch the man in his old fake face. 

"Alright, I'll bite," he said. "You have until the Blond Moon. I don't wish to linger here until the Wars." He stood and walked away from Zedd. "Oh and remember, if Omega gets wind of our alliance..." 

 "Yeah I know of the b.l.o.o.d.y consequences," Zedd retorted. "Can you go now?" 

The old man's body turned opaque then slowly vanished as he approached the solar's largest window. Zedd let out a relieved sigh then turned his sight toward the castle's barracks. 'Tristan,' he mentally called out to his partner. 'Whatever preparations you have to make here, make them quick. This base is compromised. We depart tomorrow.'