In the woods south of the capital, a man born of magic wakes after a long sleep to experience his first taste of tragedy. Broken by the loss of one who cared for him, he becomes a monster he's never transformed into before. When he wakes up, a small...
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Sefu opened the door of the Cerberus Mansion and smiled at the sight of his little sister. Manjeet grinned back at him and then stepped into his arms. She sighed and gave him a squeeze. "I'm glad you and Noarwin are safe," she said.
"It won't surprise you to learn he gave me the most trouble," Sefu said. She chuckled, though he didn't think she would if she knew in which way Noarwin had frightened him. He never wanted to see his friend that close to death again.
Manjeet stepped back, and Sefu nodded to her company. Along with a handful of officers, she'd brought Marshal Vestri and Captain Streldin, a newly promoted young man with a promising background and future. His no-nonsense approach made him uptight, but one always knew what to expect from him.
"Come in, please." Sefu stepped aside and gestured them into the house. They followed him into the front room where he motioned for them to sit. Silas and Noarwin already waited at a long table as Sefu had asked. Feri was still asleep and Asinis stayed in the other room pouring over new books with a hot pot of barley to keep him company. Sefu glanced at Dar, who stood in the archway between the room they occupied and the one beside it.
Manjeet greeted Noarwin before sitting with as warm an embrace as she gave Sefu, though shorter as they were ready for business. She sat in between her companions and straightened. "First things first," she said and nodded to the guard who had accompanied them inside. He lifted a small chest and set it on the table. It looked and sounded heavy with the jingling of what lay within. Sefu and the others turned from it to Manjeet. "Your reward for last night," Manjeet explained with a graceful gesture at it.
"Thank you, dove," Noarwin said, sending her a smile.
"Of course. It is your job now to protect the crown and its citizens from the terror creeping into our land," she said.
"That being said," Marshal Vestri said, eyes on Silas. "Have you given any thought to my request?"
"I have," Silas said, and Noarwin presented her with a stack of papers as if he'd turned into a secretary.
"We drew these up this morning," Noarwin said. "Though the threats opposed us are not limited to only what we have here, they are the most likely to be connected to our current troubles. Anything beyond must be left to you and your advisor's imagination."
Marshal Vestri nodded as her dark gaze scanned the top page. "This is quite detailed."
"The stag is quite knowledgeable," Sefu replied. "Any news from Captain Fairwind concerning his infiltration of the Crow's Cathedral?"
"None," Captain Streldin said. "It's likely that he has only arrived if they made it that far yet."
"Don't worry, Noarwin," Manjeet said when his brow creased.
He flashed her another smile, but his brow still had a ticking furrow. A groan behind Dar prompted the meeting to look that way. Feri had appeared at the bottom of the steps leading into their rooms. She winced, a hand on her side. She spotted them, and her ears drooped as she stepped back. Silas stood.
