Saphus took several hours to get to Fiora, traversing Garnoth's portal network. After killing Raiks, she now had a perfect cover story to get into the Black Legion, and hopefully into the inner circle. But there was a small problem: she had no credentials, and no real way to directly get an audience.

So, she followed her gut, and decided to do something outrageous. Rather than talking to the gate guards normally, she launched herself over the city's inner walls and into the courtyard. That immediately drew attention from all sides.

A siren went off, followed by various cries of alarm. Guards aimed weapons in her directions, and immediately called for her surrender, a demand that she immediately complied with.

She hadn't considered the possibility that someone other than the apprentices would do the interrogation. Luckily, the apprentices seemed to have nothing better to do, and had her brought into the tower to be questioned directly.

She was escorted onto a platform in the center of the tower's ground floor. A series of runes were laid out on a pedestal nearby. One of the guards pressed a series of buttons, and then stepped back onto the platform. A few seconds later, they were engulfed in white, before emerging in the middle of a large chamber. The guards stepped away to the sides, leaving Saphus alone to face the apprentices that were seated on top of the balconies, surrounding her. There were thirteen of them, and they were all indistinguishable from each other.

"So, you jumped past our walls, and then immediately surrendered? " One of the apprentices asked. "Surely, you must have a reason."

"I am Saphus Garm, one of your agents. I had been hired in Arexia by one of yours," Saphus said, a bit of a lie. "But then, the Event occurred, and I was captured." The general public simply didn't have a better word to describe a city-wide sleeping curse.

"Do you know what the Resistance has been doing with our captured military?" An apprentice interrupted.

"They've deposited them all on an island," Saphus said, "and given them supplies to be self-sufficient. They were planning to simply build them up to become part of Garnoth's trade network, but they've recently shifted to recruiting them. They're claiming one of you launched a terror attack against civilians, and it's convinced most of them. It's a lie, but it's a lie that's working on your former troops."

One of the apprentices seemed to duck away after she said that, as if he was a guilty party.

"How did you escape?" one of them asked. They clearly didn't want to discuss that atrocity.

"I convinced Raiks that I was going to defect. Then, after he gave me enough clearance, I killed him and left before they even realized what happened."

"Wait. You're saying you killed the leader of the Resistance?"

"Yes."

That really got their attention. They immediately began a hushed discussion. Saphus managed to pick up a few fragments of it.

"-Is he really-"

"-What does this-"

"-Doubtful-"

After some time, the discussion quieted down. Then, Saphus felt an enchantment tingling at the edges of her mind. She knew it was a truth-detection spell, both because she had felt a similar sensation when exposed to the Resistance's orb of truth, and because it was the most likely thing for the apprentices to use when faced with an incredible statement.

"Please repeat that statement," one of the apprentices demanded. They didn't outright state that they had a truth spell on her, but they were making it so obvious that even a moron could figure it out by now.

"I killed Raiks Strike-Hammer, leader of the Resistance."

"She's not lying," several apprentices whispered.

"But, will he stay dead?" An apprentice questioned. "Did you happen to have a soul trap on you when you killed him?"

"Soul trap?" Saphus asked innocently, even though she had some idea of what they were.

"An arcane device that absorbs the soul of those who die near it, ensuring that they do not reach the afterlife. And, more importantly, that they cannot be resurrected."

"I think the individual I was talking to brought them up, but he didn't give me one before the Event. He likely expected me to receive it when I was initiated here."

"So, this killing had little if any effect on their chain of command," an apprentice realized. "The Resistance's healers likely resurrected him within the hour."

"So, I did nothing of value?"

"Yes. You caused a minor waste of time, nothing more. If anything, you've negated any chance of a future agent getting in and doing the job properly."

"I also know that he is likely preparing for a direct attack, a decapitating strike as he claims. He wanted me to gather that intelligence." She had to be careful with that statement to avoid giving away the game.

"Just as planned," an apprentice said. The same one who ducked away earlier, in fact.

Saphus decided to use telepathy to send the bastard a message.

I know what your friend did. The only reason I'm still on your side is because I know that bastard is dead.

That apprentice was a bit stunned by her message. Saphus managed to pick up a bit of panic from him.

As she suspected, he had something to do with that horrifying incident. Either he supported the apprentice who did it, or-

Or he was that apprentice, brought back from the dead. It was an unlikely thought, but maybe Daraken wasn't the only one who had been resurrected.

One of the apprentices covered Saphus in a dome of silence, and then they began to discuss the matter privately. Saphus tried to figure out what they were saying, but their masks prevented her from even attempting to read their lips.

After a long discussion that Saphus wasn't privy to, the silence field dropped, and they made a final announcement.

"While your story is accurate, a few of us still doubt your trustworthiness."

So, they were smarter than they seemed. Luckily, Saphus had a few plans to trick their lie detector.

"We have a mission for you. The Resistance still has control of several cities. Your objective is to eliminate the leader of one of these cities to disrupt their support. You can choose which one, as long as they die."

That would be a complication.

"And this time, do it properly," another apprentice added. He pulled out a strange device, a container made of reinforced glass and metal. "This is a soul trap. When someone dies in close proximity, their soul will be absorbed, preventing their resurrection. Without one of these, assassinations are pointless."

"…I understand," Saphus said, after a bit of hesitation. She was about to say that she would attempt to complete the mission, but she was unsure of whether she would, or whether saying that could count as a lie if she ultimately failed to follow through.

"Do not return without his soul."

That would be a real complication, as it was likely designed to be. She had several options from here.

Her first thought was to just complete the assigned task, killing and trapping her target to gain a key position. It wasn't any different from any of her other missions, and the benefits of inside information could outweigh the cost of a single dead agent. But it was still one person killed in the service of evil, and the Resistance might not trust her information after she did it.

If she was the more unscrupulous sort, she could kill a random civilian and hope that they couldn't tell the difference between the target's soul and a random civilian's soul. But she couldn't go after a civilian like that. And, she would still have to kill the leader off to avoid too much suspicion (though they would be able to be resurrected). And she might have to dodge a truth spell again.

Or, she could abandon the scheme entirely, without killing anyone. Maybe she could even leave this area before stuff went down, or try to do some more conventional spying. But conventional spying wouldn't get any information on the core of the tower.

She had a crazy idea involving sticking the soul of that evil apprentice in the soul jar and feeding the bastards their own soul. She immediately dismissed the idea for being near-impossible to make work.

But maybe, she could find an appropriate victim. Preferably someone who was either a horrible criminal, or who was complicit in the Black Legion's actions. It would still be a risky plan, but it was the best plan she had.

**********

Raiks returned to the world of the living fifteen minutes after he left it, courtesy of Lunima's fast action to resurrect him. His body was severely weakened by its recent death, and he was barely able to move, but he was alive.

"I knew something was up with her, " Lunima said. "But somehow, I thought she was on our side."

"I… let her kill me, " Raiks admitted.

"You WHAT?" Lunima was suddenly outraged. "But- you wasted my-"

"No, I used your ability to gain a.. tactical advantage."

"I want an explanation, now."

"If I hadn't intentionally left myself open to her attack, " Raiks explained, "I would have easily been able to defeat her. Or, at the very least, survive long enough for help to arrive."

"That's also why it only took one stab to kill you, " Lunima realized. "In normal circumstances, you're tough enough to survive that. But even so-"

"My sacrifice gave a key agent a cover story at a key moment."

"You do realize that she isn't necessarily our agent?"

Raiks had his doubts too. "Yes. But I could not determine any better way to get someone inside their tower."

"It's a gamble the rest of the council would never authorize," Lunima said.

"Yes. Yes it is."

Raiks tried to push himself up to a sitting position, but Lunima stopped him. "You need rest right now. It'll be at least a few hours before you'll be able to walk on your own."

"I can still command the Resistance from a hospital bed, if that's what's necessary."

"I suppose you could," Lunima admitted. "But I think the Resistance will be fine for the next few hours."

Raiks sighed as two healers came in to carry him off to the infirmary on a stretcher.

**********

At the gates of Fiora, a delegation arrived. Julia, high priest of Helios, was present, alongside eight heavily-armored Crusaders acting as bodyguards. Julia didn't exactly need the protection, but they were good for appearances if nothing else.

"Halt! Announce your business!"

"You should know who I am. Get out of my way."

"You are a neutral power here. Do you wish to negotiate an alliance, or do you wish to declare war against Daraken?"

"I am here to talk," Julia replied. "But I am not here for an alliance."

Daraken (or his apprentices) had pushed too far. Sending an assassin into Dustreach's main compound was a breach, but one that they could ultimately overlook. After all, nothing came of it, the target was a group they technically weren't allied with, and Daraken's power discouraged a direct conflict.

But the attack in Enos was different. Not only was it an atrocity horrible enough to cause a rapid shift of public support, but now Daraken was weakened, if not dead. Now, Dustreach had reason to mobilize for a war.

"I will send word for the apprentices," the gate guard said. He called out an order, and Julia could see a messenger running off to the capital.

However, a private audience was not what they were seeking. If this plan was to work, they would need to make a public announcement.

"If you do not open the gates now, you will regret your decision in the afterlife," Julia threatened. She was unsure if it was an empty threat or not. Though Helios did grant the worthy an eternal reward, it wasn't clear how he treated those opposed to him.

At the very least, this random guard seemed to believe it. "Yes, but if I open this gate, I will lose my job, if not my life."

"I will also extend an offer of asylum," Julia added. "Travel to Dustreach and we will treat you well."

That seemed to be what the guard wanted. He opened the gate, and then immediately deserted his post.

Julia and her delegation walked through, and set off for a public square. While they were travelling, Julia used a bit of magic to send a message back to Dustreach to inform them of the asylum seeker who would be arriving soon.

Their arrival quickly drew attention. By the time they reached the square, a sizeable crowd was gathered.

Julia began her announcement with a ceremonial display. Her Crusaders formed up in a ring around her and assumed a kneeling stance, as Julia began an incantation that took the form of a prayer. Several glowing yellow rings manifested on the ground, and Julia herself began to glow in the center. Then, her body rose a few feet into the air, levitated by divine power.

"Daraken is dead," Julia announced, her voice echoed and amplified by divine power. "What remains is a group of rogue apprentices. Apprentices who have shown their true colors, without a strong leader to keep them in line."

This was the same news that had been given multiple times, but now that a major religious figure was sharing the news, it suddenly seemed more believable.

"Daraken would never authorize such a deliberate atrocity against civilians. And, if the apprentice acted alone, he would be quick to punish them. Thus, as the entity in the tower is not Daraken, our treaties with Daraken no longer apply."

Julia looked in the direction of the tower. The apprentices did not make an appearance yet, but this next announcement would force their hand.

"Twenty hours," Julia said. "Whoever controls the tower, they have twenty hours, one day to hand over the apprentice that is at fault. Failure to do so will result in a declaration of war, as will any future attack on civilians."

She suspected that apprentice was still alive, given that Helios was also incapable of confirming their death (even if their soul was going to stand out less than the soul of the number one threat to Helios's divine power). And if that apprentice truly was dead, then she would have the leverage to force out a different demand.

"We will not rest until the mage responsible for this action faces justice."

It took ten minutes before the apprentices responded.

"You are lying!" Five apprentices stormed out of the crowd. Julia's Crusaders stood up and assembled in a defensive formation in front of Julia, as if to shield against an attempted magical barrage.

"In what way?" Julia demanded.

"The mage responsible for the atrocity on Enos was killed in battle. We cannot give him to you because he is already dead."

"And yet you continue to hide behind masks," Julia replied. "If you want us to believe that, you will all have to submit to interrogation."

"That is an outrageous demand," one said.

"And the perpetrator also claims this to be a new policy of the Legion. If you truly believed his actions were wrong, you would have disavowed him the day after."

The apprentices did not reply.

"Do you support his actions, or will you take this chance to surrender him?"

At that moment, Julia received some sort of mental message, from an unknown source.

I know that the apprentice who did this still lives, the voice claimed. But I do not know who.

Who are you? Julia replied.

Someone on the inside.

Someone, most likely one of the apprentices, wanted her to cause some strife in their ranks. And, given what the stakes were, Julia felt obliged to help.

"It seems that one of your number knows what is right," Julia commented. "They have informed me that you are concealing the murderer within your number."

"You're lying!" One of them immediately said.

"And my demands still stand. Either surrender one of your members for judgement, or submit to interrogation."

"Never," one of them declared.

"You have one day to reconsider," Julia said. "After that, it will be war. If Daraken is truly alive, I hope he reigns you in and listens to reason."