Nero blinked as he realized what Koal was getting at.
"Julian," Nero said simply. Koal smiled. "Did you really think I'd let that creep near me, or, more importantly, near my daughter, if there weren't a good reason?"
"I've already noticed that something's off, but what exactly are you planning?" Nero asked curiously. "After all, you can't just ask him nicely and expect him to answer your questions. Unless…" He looked at Koal searchingly. "No," he answered his own unspoken question. "You'd never trade Christina for that."
Koal's eyes flashed dangerously. "Nero… of course not. Everything I do is for Christina. I'd give my life before I'd hand her over like a prize to that repulsive, inferior creature!"
Nero paced slowly back and forth in the library, absentmindedly studying the books. "Then what is your plan?"
Koal never took his eyes off Nero. "You're right, Julian will never just come clean about it, but we won't just ask him outright," he nodded toward a small door. Nero followed his gesture. He walked to the door. It was a heavy, solid metal door that stood slightly ajar, which he opened carefully. He took a candle and held it into the room.
The room was completely empty, with heavy chains attached to the wall.
There was nothing else to see in the room, so he closed the door behind him. He turned around, his dark gaze fixed on Koal. "You want to lock him up in here?" His tone sounded skeptical.
Koal nodded, "That's the plan, but there are a few difficulties."
Nero laughed, "Of course, there are a few difficulties! How do you even plan to get him down here? After all, you can't just ask him nicely. And if he sees the chains, he'll kill you before you can react, expose your cult, and ruin everything."
Koal growled, "That's what we're working on right now. I'd hoped you could be more helpful than just pointing out flaws I've long been aware of."
There was no trace left of the friendly Koal; instead, ever since Nero had arrived down here with him, he had transformed into a stern leader. Nero sighed, "All right, all right. It's actually not impossible to lock him up, because we do have an advantage."
Koal raised an eyebrow, "Enlighten me!"
"We're mortals! He'd never expect us to betray him, to lure him into a trap, or to be planning a rebellion. Why do you think there are no active magical guards, except for the few mortals in the task houses? They don't believe we're capable of doing anything against them. "That is our advantage, that is our one superiority; our greatest weakness, if exploited well, could become our greatest advantage!" Nero began to speak, "But of course, the mages also have a reason to underestimate us. In a fight, we are unquestionably outmatched. To kill a mage like Julian, it would have to be an ambush, but he is a wind mage. "On my long journey, I once encountered a wind mage who was completely blind and could perceive the world around him only through the slightest change in the wind," said Nero, which was only a half-lie. It wasn't he who had encountered this mage, but Fril, his former assassin, who had tragically passed away.
"Do you know how powerful Julian's magic is?" Nero asked, addressing Koal, who was listening intently to Nero's words. "Unfortunately, not; he never really used his magic when we were together."
Nero thought for a moment, then clicked his tongue. "Have you ever seen him fly? Ever, when he was coming or going?"
Koal thought about it briefly, then shook his head. "He always arrives in a carriage, or sometimes even on foot."
Nero grinned, "Good. A man like Julian would never walk among lowly mortals if he had the chance to fly over them, and as a wind mage, flying comes very naturally to him. That's pretty good proof that he's very weak, but unfortunately, I still can't say for sure. We have to find a way to figure it out."
Nero's dark eyes flashed as his thoughts raced. "When will he come to visit next?" he asked Koal.
"I don't know exactly. He usually comes every two months, but sometimes he comes sooner or later," the old man replied.
Nero thought about it. "He's getting impatient. He's demanding what he thinks is rightfully his: your daughter. He won't stay away any longer; I'd bet my life on it, if I were into gambling."
Koal growled at this statement, but said nothing as Nero continued, "Until then, we need to create a situation where he'll be forced to use his magic. No matter how, as long as I can observe him doing it, I can probably figure out for sure just how powerful he is. If I then decide he's not too strong, we can capture him."
Nero fell silent as his thoughts raced ahead; Koal was also lost in thought.
"We'll need other kinds of chains," Nero muttered, his gaze drifting toward the dungeon door, "These won't be enough. Is there a way to have something special made?"
Koal nodded, "Of course, I have some talented blacksmiths in the cult; you just have to tell me what you need!"
"Very good!" Nero stopped, his black eyes fixed on Koal, "Then I truly believe we can do this!"
Koal laughed as he stood up and patted Nero on the back, "I knew from the very beginning, when I first saw you, that you were a special young man, but now you've exceeded my expectations a thousandfold."
Nero returned the laugh with a broad grin, "Let's see just how far we actually get!"
While Nero and Koal talked late into the night, two other people, only a few meters away from them, were also engaged in a heated conversation. One of them was a tall man named Uriel, who was very old but still muscular. Long gray strands of hair hung from his head, and a long white mustache adorned his lips. Sitting across from him was a middle-aged woman with red hair, dark skin, and blue eyes. She was Magalea, the leader of the Fourth District.
"...it's only a matter of time before it comes out, Magalea!" the old man snapped. She snorted, "So we'll have to leave this camp by then!"
Uriel laughed, "How do you plan to do that? The cult leader has been planning this for four years, and you want to pull it off in less than nine months. Don't make me laugh. How do you plan to do that? Just walk right out?"
"Of course not!" Magalea snapped, "But I can't let them take her away from me. Not again!" There was sorrow in her eyes. Uriel snorted, unmoved, "You should have thought that through before you risked it. I don't understand how you could make such an obvious mistake."
She slammed her fist on the small wooden table, "HOW DARE YOU!" she roared, "CALL IT A MISTAKE!"
Uriel growled, "Because it clearly was one, Magalea! You know what happens to newborns; we all know it, yet you still let yourself get pregnant. What do you plan to do now? We need you; the Cult needs you."
She waved him off, "You'll manage without me, Uriel, so don't overreact. But if Koal doesn't finally manage to carry out his plan in the next few months, then… then I don't know. Maybe I'll use all my credits to get myself elected."
Uriel stared at her in disbelief, "Are you crazy? You know full well this will end in your death! You might as well just take your own life right now!"
"What do you know, old man? You're just a madman who's lost his way, unable to think clearly about anything but revenge!"
Uriel slowly stood up. "You've lost your mind." He shook his head sadly as he walked toward the door. "Don't forget your mission! We're all counting on you. Are you really willing to sacrifice us all for the sake of your child's life?"
Tears welled up in Magalea's eyes as Uriel slowly walked toward the door. He looked at Magalea, but she did not answer. Uriel sighed sadly, "Without you, we won't make it," he repeated before stepping through the door.
He walked slowly along a long path. He opened a secret door and walked along a winding path, down the middle of which flowed a swift river. The whole time, Uriel thought about everything. They had to escape; he had already lost too much. He didn't want to see any more loss.
"Why did you give me this task?" he asked into the void.
A voice, the voice of a young woman, echoed softly through the room, whispering, "Because you are my chosen one, Uriel of Tragen. Never forget that!"
A faint golden shimmer ran through the underground tunnel, emanating from a figure that seemed to be right in front of Uriel and yet infinitely far away. His eyes widened with longing as he tried to reach out for the woman, but his hand grasped at nothing, and the light vanished again, leaving him completely alone.
Nothing more than a mortal man and yet entrusted with a merciless, impossible task.