17-year-old Avera Ibori is a girl who has always longed for a life of adventure, but when her father mysteriously vanishes, she gets more of it than she can stand. Thrown into a hidden world of magic, intrigue, corruption, and kings, Avera must choo...
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Blackridge smiled as he gazed upon the astonished faces of his colleagues. 'And now the performance turns to me.'
Zephyr lunged forward. "Is that-"
"Blood," Blackridge proclaimed with a triumphant grin. "You see, Master Kallida, the arrow which hit the man wounded him severely. The shard which pierced him was covered in blood, and the man lost a lot of it. Had we pursued him, we would have run the risk of him dying, and he is far more valuable to us alive. Additionally, this blood sample can be scanned and referenced against our databanks so as to avail us to the identity of our mysterious visitor. This way, they won't know that we know who he is. We will be able to track and capture them all, rather than merely apprehending one of them. This is much bigger than an Armorial in a tree, Inquisitor. This is a matter of the future of this kingdom and its people, and that is why I prevented the advance."
"Well done, Lord Blackridge!" King Zephyr proclaimed from his place on the throne. "Yes, this may be just the opportunity. To think... after all this time... we may finally have them."
'Lord Blackridge, eh? Is that truly praise or is it merely a provocation?'
Kallida looked to the King before turning his attentions towards Blackridge. He glared at him with wild eyes, his sights focused on him intensely in a jealous rage as his body trembled. Blackridge smirked, returning Kallida's maddened gaze with a look of fierce determination while Zephyr reclined in his chair. The King smiled, flipping a coin between his fingers as he admired his work.
'It seems that Kallida's obstinance is not so easily forgotten as it might have appeared.'
"I am at your service, sir," Blackridge assured him without turning his eyes from Kallida. "Master Kallida, is there anything further?" Blackridge asked.
"Yes," Kallida responded grudgingly, "there is the matter of the girl."
"Say on," Blackridge invited.
"How could you say she's not one of them!" Kallida spat at him.
"Kallida, she doesn't know anything," Blackridge replied sharply.
He glanced towards Zephyr, looking for his approval. A fiendish grin covered the King's face with a look of amusement.
"Oh!" Kallida exploded, pointing a finger at Blackridge and starting a march towards him. "I'm sorry, Lord Blackridge! How foolish of me to have thought that if someone's father were found to be involved in conspiracy and espionage and then that certain individual should happen to disappear for days in the very same area where his conspirators are known to dwell, only to return wearing the very garments of those same conspirators, it might be that the person in question is guilty of treason, also, or at the very least able to supply us with some information regarding these enemies of the state!"
