"That will be all, Annison,”

the Grand Matron said,

as they entered her chamber.

"Wait outside."

“Yes, mistress," said the protége,

slipping out the door,

and pulling it closed

behind her.

Silence ensued

as the Grand Matron

and Zolantos

stared in each other's eyes.

The Grand Matron finally spoke.

"It has been a long time, Zol.”

"It has, Anni," he replied.

"Did you miss me?" she asked,

with a mischievous smile.

"Of course," he smiled back.

"Why has it been so long, Zol?”

"You know why," he answered.

The Grand Matron smirked.

"You certainly are

a great lover of women,

Zol."

"That is what they tell me,

he responded, not looking at her.

"Am I mistaken,

or should there be

a bell tolling right now?"

"Annison and I had to

silence it."

the Grand Matron replied.

"I see,” said Zolantos,

glancing at the ceremonial knife

hanging on the wall

as inconspicuously

as he could.

"You know why I called you here,”

the Grand Matron said.

"Do I?" Zolantos replied.

She narrowed her eyes.

"We all have our responsibilities,

Zol.”

Zolantos clenched his teeth.

"I have proven my loyalty

beyond question.”

"And you will have to prove it

once again,”

the Grand Matron told him.

“You demand me to do this,"

Zolantos said,

"'But you have told me yourself

You are not a believer.”

"No,”

Annison admitted,

"I am without belief.

I would kill the All-or-Nothing

if I had the chance.”

"That's heresy!"

"You would never betray me, Zol."

"Are you so sure of that, Grand Matron?"

"I still love you as much as I ever did,”

she said,

her fingers gripping her desk

as she implored him

with her eyes.

"We have never even touched.

Not once,”

Zolantos told her.

"I touch you with my soul,"

Annison Lake replied.

There was a silence.

Zolantos took a deep breath.

"I have told you

I regret what I said to you

when we were young.

I am a different man now.

I understand

there have to be rules.

It was wrong

for me to make such promises to you."

"You can still keep those promises,

Zol."

He could not look at her.

"You are as imprisoned

as l am,

and you know it."

"But we do not have to be!"

she protested.

Zolantos said nothing more.

Annison sighed, furiously.

"Find and retrieve the Spear of Time,”

she commanded.

"Take it to the Cave of Lies.

Fight the World-Dragon.

And impale it in the heart

with the cursed Spear.”

"And that's all?"

Zolantos asked facetiously,

raising an eyebrow.

"This is not a game,” she said.

"No one knows where the

Spear of Time is!”

"That is not true,” she said.

"You once told me

you can read and write?”

"Yes. I can.”

"There is a scroll" she said.

"Here, in the Castle.

A map.”

"Is that so?"

He was honestly surprised.

"My protégé will take you to the vault

where it is kept,”

she told him.

"And... you have read this scroll?"

he asked.

"Of course.”

"Where is the Spear?"

"Hidden in the Land of Thid”

"That is across the Feral Sea!"

he exclaimed.

"So? You have a lasercopter.”

"Have you not heard the legends?

There are as many monsters

in the sky above the Feral Sea,

as under its waters.”

“I am not concerned with monsters,”

the Grand Matron said.

"I am concerned with the Spear of Time.”

"I will never understand you,”

Zolantos said.

"You do everything

within your power

to protect the thing

you hate.”

"Are we really so different?"

she asked him in reply.

"Yes. You know I believe

in what I'm doing.”

"Then we are different," she said.

"But this is who l am,

and I cannot change that.

This is what I will

always do.

Forever.

And what about you,

Zolantos?

What will you do?"

He turned to open the door.

"I will do what | always do,

he told her.

"Be merciless.”

to be continued....