I didn’t get invited to join the procession, so much as I just tagged along. Procession might be the wrong term. It wasn’t like the King and all his Court proceeded down the main streets to the docks with all due pomp and circumstance. There were no bands, or cheering crowds— the streets were still empty except for patrolling adventurers and the monsters they were hunting.

But when the King decides to go down to the docks, he doesn’t get to just stroll out the front gate on his own. So when he announced his intention, called for his arms and armour to be made ready, and strode off towards his inner apartments, I just waited around where the rest of the entourage was starting to form up. They weren’t going to let him go on his own after all.

I got a few puzzled looks, but I was already in the private part of the palace. No one really had the authority to tell me to get out, and I gave a stern glare to anyone that looked like trying.

It looked like he would be travelling light, not more than twenty people all told. Most of them were guards. They were lower level than me, but not that much lower. The worst of them could probably take me in a straight fight. There were a few scared-looking officials with low levels and lower importance. I think they were there in case the King wanted something sent for. The most important official was the Steward of Dorsay. I hadn’t talked to him before, but I knew who he was.

At the last minute, an important-looking figure dashed up to the group. I didn’t recognise him, so I buttonholed one of the lesser officials and asked him who the man was.

“The Harbourmaster, Kimlet Athean,”

Oh, Okay. That was where we were headed. The man himself looked like a foreigner, with dark, slicked-back hair and sallow skin. He looked about as nervous as the other officials. My reluctant informant looked like he was about to say more, but at that moment the King walked in.

He was dressed for battle, wearing some very fancy plate mail. It wasn’t as… elaborately complete as I’d seen in documentaries back home, making me think that armour hadn’t quite developed as far here as it had in Europe. Needless to say though, as it was made from magical metal, and enchanted, it was far more protective than European armour would have been. I imagined it could stop a tank shell.

He glanced at me as part of his survey of all those that were coming with him, but he didn’t say anything. I assume he knew that the difference between him giving me permission or not was about forty metres of distance as I tagged along, invisible.

He brought two more people with him, squires, or stewards or something. I felt that there were a number of people missing here. Military or magical advisers, who would have been part of the party that headed out to Risurn Island. He didn’t say anything about it though, just nodded and strode out towards the front gate.

We all fell into line behind him, the guards spreading out to form a perimeter. As protection, they were fairly nominal. Perhaps the squishy court officials needed defending from wandering monsters, but the King could take care of those fairly easily. Perhaps the idea was that he was too important to be bothered by lesser threats.

That was how it proved as we headed down to the docks. The two monsters that we saw were immediately engaged by a squad of guards. The King didn’t even glance in their direction and just kept walking. The officials followed, huddled in the centre.

We started to feel the chill as we got closer to the lake. Not that it was a particularly warm autumn day, but there was an icy breeze brushing past us. As we got closer we could finally see what it was.

Someone — one guess as to who— had parked a mountain of ice in the lake. Black Ice. Seeing it for the first time, I now knew why they called it that. It was actually clear, just like regular ice without cracks or bubbles. Maybe not perfectly clear. I wasn’t sure if it was darker than regular ice, or if just the sheer thickness of it was enough to absorb the sunlight. But the edifice before us seemed to drink in the light, leaving only shadows beneath the cold surface.

I’d called it a mountain, but it wasn’t quite that high. Perhaps fifty metres or so. Flat topped, with some kind of structure on top. Columns all around, supporting a roof of ice. A huge stairway ran all the way from the top down to one of the piers, encasing it in ice, and possibly anchoring it in place.

The King held his silence until we had made our way to the very edge of the ice. Even then, he kept silent and just glared at the person standing at the foot of the stairway. Manuela Fisher.

“Your Majesty,” she said, bowing. “My Master is ready to treat with you.”

The King took a long look at the ice staircase stretching above us. It looked slippery.

“I think not,” he said and drew his sword. I blinked, and almost missed my chance to [Identify] it.

[Identification]: - Shattering Sword - Quality: Perfect - Properties: Unknown - Origin: Lair of the Spider Queen

He took one swing, and the stairway shattered. About twenty metres of ice, pulverised as if he’d struck it with a club big enough for the Forsaken Giant. The sound of it was like an acre of fancy glassware getting smashed.

Manuela winced from the blow, even though it came nowhere near her. So did the officials and stewards of our party, cowering back in fear. I was pleased to count myself, along with our guards, as someone who didn’t take a step back. I think I would have normally, but the physics here was a little weird. It was magic that shattered the ice, not kinetic energy, so there wasn’t actually the sort of blowback that I instinctively expected from such a mighty blow.

“If your master wishes to threaten us from behind his portal, he will have to shout,” the King said wryly. With a quick movement, he sheathed his sword again.

It was a good line, but I wasn’t sure his point was entirely made. Looking at it, he’d destroyed a good amount of stairs, but that was only the surface. The bulk of Aghen’s construction was still intact. Even as I watched, the ice started to flow, reshaping itself.

“You’re Majesty, I—” Manuela started, but she was interrupted.

“Never mind, Manuela, I can accommodate His Majesty’s fear of heights.”

The voice came from above, but we couldn’t see exactly where. That was soon rectified, as what could only be a portal gracefully slid down the icy slope towards us.

It was encased in ice. Clear, dark ice enveloped what looked like a golden arch, big enough to pass through. Within the arch, an oval-shaped ring of blue energy hung, free-floating in the air.

Behind the ring, was someone I could only presume to be Aghen Shadth. He had dark, coffee-coloured skin, and black hair with the tips dyed green. His face looked… overindulged, and he was wearing makeup— obvious greens and purples around his dark brown eyes. He was sitting on a chair that looked a lot like a throne.

“So,” the King drawled. “The criminal finally reveals himself.”

Aghen’s voice was deep and rich, and he spoke slowly, ponderously. “To call me a criminal is to claim that your laws affect me in any way. I am beyond them, as much as any nation is.”

“You come to my city, assault it, and claim immunity? You will find that you are not immune to my law, or my wrath.”

“Oh? Step forward through the portal, and see how far your wrath reaches.”

Looking closer, I thought that I could see that it wasn’t just empty air between the two of them. Behind the portal, I thought I could see the sheen of more black ice. I wondered if Aghen might not be really there, and we were just seeing an image reflected, or somehow magically projected from the ice.

Whether or not he shared my suspicions, the King was not so stupid as to pass through the enemy's portal on his own. He just snorted in derision.

“Just tell me what brings you to darken my docks,” he said.

Aghen smiled. “Why, greed, your Majesty. Yours and mine. You’ve managed to accumulate more mana in one spot than many countries would think safe. Small wonder that someone would come looking to share in that bounty.”

“Naturally, you think it’s greed. Dorsay’s dungeons make this country strong and secure. That mana is for the good of the whole country, not whatever self-aggrandising project you have in mind.”

The King gripped his sword, looking like he wanted to use it against the portal.

Would that work? I wondered. Maybe that’s what the ice is for, to protect it.

I took a look using [Mana Sense], but there was a lot of powerful magic there that I didn’t understand. It wasn’t all [Ice Magic] I was pretty sure.

“You say that,” Aghen continued, “but you’ve proved unable to handle the demands that come with such a concentration. Really, I’d be doing you a favour.”

“We’ve found your sabotage,” the King said. He held up the enchanted amulet I’d given him. “Your tricks aren’t going to work any more.”

Aghen didn’t lose his smile, but it slipped a bit. “How unfortunate. It seems that your city won’t be paralysed for much longer. Still, you seem to be quite helpless right now.”

“Anything but, you wretched parasite,” the King snarled.

“You’re handling things adequately at the moment,” Aghen admitted, “But how will you fare once my agent strikes a third time? Do you think you can repair your connections before that happens?”

“Of course we can,” the King said. I knew that was a bluff. Did Aghen? Probably.

“You’ll lose a dungeon if that happens,” he warned, still wearing that smile. “Or perhaps I should cause another Break? Have you been enjoying the one you have?”

It seemed that Aghen wasn’t quite up to speed on the local news. The King didn’t speak to correct him, just glared some more.

“I should have known that was you. Underhanded, cowardly—”

“Come, come,” Aghen said smarmily. “All is fair in such conflicts. And there’s no need for further action. Just agree to my terms, and we can—”

“There will be no agreement!” the King yelled and struck out again. With one swift move, he drew and swung at the portal. Once again, an invisible force flashed out, shattering the wall of ice behind the portal. The ice holding the artefact though, was made of sterner stuff.

“You had to try, I understand,” Aghen said smugly. Some of the force had gone through the portal and had cracked the ice there. But even as Aghen spoke, it reformed itself. The image of Aghen, though temporarily distorted, did not go away. “But your physical force is useless. I was going to give you more time to come to terms with your situation, but under the circumstances, I will have to accelerate my timetable. You have until tomorrow at noon to give me your answer.”

Aghen’s smile grew wider. “At that time, if you have not submitted, I will release another of your precious conduits. I’ll also do so if you actually manage to fix one of them. Just to keep you on the edge.”

The King snarled and looked over at Manuela. “I can at least—” he said, raising his sword again.

“If you harm one of my Agents,” Aghen said icily, “My terms will not be anywhere near so generous.”

The King thought about it… but lowered his sword. “Tomorrow, then,” he said and turned away.