The two great leaders of the elven people stared at each other for an exceptionally long time. Crown and Religion. A battle as old as time itself.

“What do you want Urgost?” she said with disdain.

The King replied with just as much disrespect. “To discuss.”

There was always an air of tension between the two, both vying for ultimate power but with entirely different tactics. Urgost tried to rule with fear and order. Lianna vowed for the more peaceful approach with love and openness. They were polar opposites of each other, but if for whatever reason they decided to join forces, the entire world would tremble in their wake.

“I guess you better come inside then,” she replied after a considerable pause.

Urgost barely uttered a word as his men stood down at the same time as her temple guard did. He followed her up the remaining path and through the large dark oaken doors leading into the grand interior of the temple. The floor was the colour of fresh snow, an elegant blue rug ran from the entrance to the other side of the main chamber, a yellow patterned trail along each edge.

“It’s been an age since you’ve prayed Urgost, perhaps a quick one before we proceed?” she offered. Pointing her hand around the room to lots of small shrines before stopping, facing towards the section for the main gods. One for each of their deities: Tchuria, Ishjaak, Aesha and Yurin.

Urgost ignored her, he hadn’t prayed in a long time and didn’t feel the need to. Where were the gods when the elven people needed them anyway? They were absentee figures, even if he still believed in them to an extent. But he would never endanger the lives of his people to that of false hope.

Urgost noted that every single elf in the room turned to bow their respects to the High Priestess. Most of whom averted his gaze and returned to praying as soon as he looked towards them.

They continued along a corridor and then through a side door towards a grey marble staircase. The bannister was created from a dark metal that twisted and turned, leading up the spiral stairs in a flower design.

She was a formidable woman in her fifth century. She wore a simple blue dress which ran down to floor level, it was rather wide revealing not even a wisp of what lay underneath. Lianna wore no weapons or armament, her sharp wit and wisdom was her weapon. Not forgetting about her extensive magical abilities that she always gloated were handed down from the gods themselves. Urgost scoffed aloud at the thought. She merely cast a glance in his direction as she pushed the door inwards.

A basic room greeted them as the door swung inwards without as much as a groan. A large rug encompassed most of the floor space. A small library section with a table and two chairs set off to the far side. It was the only place in the entire city that was lit by sunlight, none of those elvish lamps in sight. It was the only part of Athaldris above tree level.

“Take a seat,” she said to him, as she walked over to the cabinet to retrieve a pitcher of water. Two glasses were poured and brought over to the table a moment later. “So, what do you want?” No niceties.

Urgost picked up the glass and twirled it in his hand with as much casual grace as he could muster. “After the incident at the theatre, naturally I did some investigating.” He took a sip before placing the glass on the table. “As it turns out. You instigated this.”

She glared at him, a whisper of a threatening smile. “Do you think me so naïve, Urgost?”

“Not at all. But what I’d like to know is why someone is trying to set us against each other, and especially at this time?”

To her credit, she did look deep in thought a second later. Who would have the most to gain out of a war between these two?

“Have you…interrogated this person,” she shuddered at the word.

Urgost knew it was forced, he also knew that it was false information he had been receiving as it was too forthcoming. “As of yet, no. That’s what made it to easy, he gave you up within a heartbeat. Poor spy.” Urgost stood and walked towards the window. “I was considering the caves, but they don’t yield results unless you intend to destroy their minds, which isn’t as pretty as it sounds.”

The view outside was stunning, trees as far as the eye could see, his eyes wandering towards the towering waterfall. He couldn’t see an inch of the city underneath the foliage, minus this monstrosity. It was a peaceful sight as the birds flew in their groups over the island. His elven eyes could see far, but it was still an endless sea of green. He much preferred the view from within the city.

She took a sip from her own glass and placed it down with barely a thud. “Who else knows about your thoughts?”

“Only Emirial knows. He is currently missing.”

“Ahh, your friend, The Butcher. Perhaps he shall get his comeuppance.”

King Urgost shot her an evil warning glare. “Careful.” It was enough to make anyone quiver, but she would have none of it. She wasn’t afraid of him in the slightest.

“No. I won’t be silenced by the likes of you.”

A flicker of power surged from Urgost as his anger built and he continued staring out of the window. The high priestess took a drink of her water before speaking. “Do you need assistance tracking this culprit down. I can spare my own men or put my word out.”

“I would rather keep this quiet. I will find out who it is.”

“So, if you didn’t come for help, then your reason for visiting was to see if it would create a chain reaction somewhere else.”

“Yes.”

“No doubt you intend to leave here and create a scene, try to flush out the worms. If they think we are against one another,” she smirked. That devious smile framed perfectly by her golden hair. “At least that’s what I would expect you to do.”

“We know each other all too well, dear Lianna,” he returned a grin.

They both watched each other for a long while. Both thinking of the best way to go forward and form a plan to find out who was responsible. Urgost had slouched back into the seat as Lianna grabbed a scroll and pen and began scribbling down thoughts and ideas.

At some point Lianna had called for some dried fruit to be brought up, he didn’t see her ask or make any movement besides continuing to write, it was impressive for one so young.

They sat in relative silence, enjoying the snack before Urgost turned to her. “Do you think they are still alive?” he asked, removing a small decanter of wine from a hidden pocket in the air, clearly trying to show off his own power too.

She shot him a disapproving look, believing it unnatural to use the world in such a way. She knew who he was speaking about, they had been the forefront of most conversations for weeks. “I feel it in my blood that they do. The gods will watch over them all, including Emirial.”

He looked at her, his face turning sour. “What do you know?”

Her responding grin was nothing short of remarkable as she gloated over the information she held. She had long built a delegation of supporters and spies and seemed to find out everything, no matter who you told, like she could pry the information out of every mind she passed. “He was spotted sailing in one of your warships to the East through the great storm. The ship returned not two days past with everyone accounted for…but one.”

Urgost raged as he thudded a fist on the table. Raising his voice, he shouted. “So, you found out two days ago?”

The high priestess sneered at his anger. “No. I found out when he left a fortnight ago.” She watched as his nostrils flared in silent rage and couldn’t help the excellent feeling emanating within her. Her enjoyment quickly faded as the look on the King’s face turned from anger to, was it grief? She hadn’t seen that look on him before.

Lianna had worked too hard throughout her life, working against him at every turn. She couldn’t afford to feel sorry for him now. “I will never forgive you for what you did to Terandriell.”

“I don’t expect you too, and to be frank, I don’t particularly care,” he said, regaining his composure and taking a drink from his container.

She laughed long and loud. “This is why your people hate you. You have no remorse, and you show no emotion.” Not entirely true.

“My people…My people can say what they like, it’s because of me that they are all alive today. That you are alive today.”

“Don’t you ever imagine who you could be, how great a King you could have been, if you only imagined.”

“Some people don’t have the luxury or time for imagination, Lianna,” he said, emphasising on her name with a sly grin.

“Do not mock the gods under my own roof Urgost,” she threatened coldly.

He swore the room darkened as she spoke the words. But it was all over in an instant, maybe it was nothing or the sun passing behind a small cloud. He narrowed his eyes but said nothing. “Whoever this is, expects us to fall apart and the ties between us to splinter. For me to make a scene.”

The high priestess stood, her chair scraping back across the floor as the notes she had been writing incinerated quickly. “Then lets,” she said, putting the entirety of their past behind her as she held her fist to her heart and bowed her head. Urgost reluctantly repeated the gesture as they began planning.

~

The high priestess stood at the main doors to the temple as she began shouting. “Get the hell out of my temple you heretic.” The guards around her jumping to attention as they pointed their pikes down the ramp leading from the grounds.

Urgost let out a deep, relentless laugh. “Like I want to set foot in this. This place anyway.” The look of disgust written on his face.

“You are completely insufferable. It’s about time your reign came to an end, wouldn’t you agree?”

The phrase caught Urgost by surprise as he blinked before regaining his composure. They hadn’t gone over their planned insults with each other. It had to invoke emotion. “You’re but a child. If you even consider coming after me, I will destroy all you hold dear, including your precious gods.”

The same look on Urgost’s face passed to her at that point as he stormed down from the temple and back towards the city, all but two of his guards following behind him. Two were ordered to stay and report back any movement. A show of growing discontent.

There were around thirty elves within the temple that would soon spread talks of the dispute. The High Priestess was against the plan initially, especially since she would be lying to some of her followers, but there wasn’t anything they could do that was more believable.

Urgost walked through the centre of the city, taking a slight detour as flicks of his power flowed around him in purples and blacks. The elves in the streets moving out of his way as fast as possible as the very shadow of the great tree was wreathed in darkness.

“Let them talk,” he whispered to himself, and talk they would. It would hopefully spread in time for the council meeting in a few days, so he could watch everyone. Judge the reactions to the situations.

He was back in his home before long resting on the armchair in his study, the seat of power within the city. He couldn’t count how long ago he had owned an ordinary house within Saskinar. This had been where he had lived most of his life now.

“Daiyra!” he shouted, waiting to hear the patter of footsteps as she came to answer him. None answered. “Daiyra!” he shouted again, this time much louder.

The distinct sound of footsteps started coming up from the bottom floor. They were too thick and far spread to be hers, it was one of his guards. The young female opened the door to the study, looking almost frantic. She had clearly lost whatever bet it was to come up here and give him the news. She continued shifting awkwardly on her feet, not muttering a word.

“Well?” Urgost asked.

She swallowed, the sound of her gulp resonating around the otherwise silent room. “She hasn’t turned up for work today, my King.”

She stopped speaking, and Urgost didn’t utter a word, staring at her with those depthless ageless eyes, a silent beckoning to continue.

“I searched her home myself, there was no trace of her anywhere.”

She had been in his service for years, never once been late or skipped a day. Always prompt and properly presented, and now this? First Terandriell and the StormBlades, then Arianna and her men. Emirial left, and now Daiyra has gone? His circle was growing smaller by the day, and from any outside perspective, Lianna would be the obvious culprit.

“Summon Lady Eilen.”

The elf noticed the anger building on his face and quickly bowed, scurrying off trying to put as much distance between them as possible before the volcano erupted. Urgost had always been known for his build-up of rage, and with everything going on, it was a wonder it hadn’t happened yet.

He was standing over his desk, gripping the wood tightly in his hands. The wood was groaning and creaking in response, threatening to buckle at any moment. Urgost took a deep breath, then another. Willing himself to calm down. He wanted nothing more than to summon the elf he held within the dungeons to torture him, anything to release this fury. His left eye twitched, and his nostrils flared in a rhythmic state as the pressure within continued to build.

He erupted.

Urgost barely had time to register what happened before the desk was thrown into the far wall and broke into large chunks. Those large chunks were obliterated into splinters with a quick release of magic, a purple wind to be specific.

A knock on the door sounded a second later. Lady Eilen was standing looking at the ash around her.

“I’m redecorating,” he managed to say with a sheepish grin.

Her face was blank as she replied. “Perhaps wait until after I’ve gone before you continue...redecorating.”

Urgost looked around the trashed study. At least he felt better, the rage was no longer eating at him for the moment. He wanted to offer her a seat so they could discuss, but after looking at what he had done, he decided on a different approach. “Let’s take a walk.”

She merely nodded, her silver hair shimmering in response as she headed to the door. The pair had descended the stairs quickly and began a quick stroll to the edges of the city. Ten minutes after that, they were walking down a small woodland trail having barely uttered a word to each other.

Like most of the Elven lands, the trees here blotted out most of the sunshine, although a few brave scraps made it through the foliage above. Urgost never got bored of the evergreen. Something was soothing about it, come winter or summer, come peace or peril, the forest lived on unperturbed by the rest of the world.

“So, why did you summon me?” she asked.

“As you know, Emirial has not been present at the recent council meetings. He has gone to the human realm also, leaving not many I trust.”

Urgost continued his casual pace watching the world. The birds singing merrily in the treeline. The rabbits and squirrels running at his feet. She walked alongside him listening intently. “I do not have many around me I trust as well as I do you. There is a plot amidst us to force Liana and myself apart, and I don’t know who is instigating it. At our next council meeting, I need you to watch, to listen to what goes on. Anything that seems out of place and report it to me after.”

Her long-tanned fingers grazed a daffodil as she passed it. “The news everyone is talking about. It’s fabricated?” she said surprised.

Urgost couldn’t help but let out a sly smirk. “Yes. All for show. Trying to flush out the spy or whatever this is.” He paused, violently shaking his head. “A thousand years and nothing like this. An elven traitor.”

She turned to face him, the forest seemed to be silent, listening as they spoke. “I can’t believe it. You have both made it very believable, the city is in an uproar,” she laughed, a beautiful harmonic sound.

Urgost looked towards her, her green eyes were so full of life. Perhaps in a different time, they would have been together, but she was young, in her third century. “I’m getting too old for this.”

A soft smile graced her lips. “You can’t give in now. Our people need you even if they don’t know it.”

Urgost had walked over to lean against a nearby tree. “What do you think about this entire situation? Do you believe I’m doing the right thing?”

“I can’t answer that for you,” she said. “Only you can decide if you are doing the right thing.” The diplomatic approach.

“Oh, Lady Eilen,” he smirked. “You have been at court far too long. That’s not remotely close to what I asked.”

She looked closely at him. She hadn’t seen him ever look this old. Like the weight of the entire world pressed down hard upon his shoulders, his hair was greying, and yes, he was old even for Elvish standards, yet no wrinkles graced him. “I think my friend. Is that the court can talk and talk about what they could do, or that they would do in your situation. But none of them has a clue on what ruling takes and how much you have suffered to keep us safe.”

She grasped his hands in her own. “You have gone to ends unimaginable to protect us, sacrificing so much, like part of our precious magic for the storm around our island. I don’t know what that power has taken from us, none of us do, but you do. You feel it in your blood and bones what has been lost. You led an unbeatable war a millennium ago to save us. Overthrew a King that would watch us all perish. So, you ask if I think you are doing the right thing, then my answer is yes, because you are one of the few that knows what it takes. One of the few that witnessed these terrible deeds before and the only one that will carry us through it again.”

He looked up at her with his grey eyes almost sparkling before she continued. “Yes, I will keep watch in this council meeting tomorrow, and yes I will find out who is plotting to drive our people in two. I will always trust and rely on you.”

Urgost smiled, the first genuine smile in a long time. “Thank you.”