91st of Summer, 513AV
Sunset.
Sunset.
Soon. The moment of reckoning was so very, very soon. The eight men gathered inside the Lord of Counsel's office knew this. In a few bells, the Denvali, hobbled or not, would fall like a hammer upon Zeltiva. They were a mix of Wave Guard and former Martial Association members. Many seasons ago, an enigmatic figure warned them this day would come. Now they waited for his arrival.
One of them- a short, stocky fellow with a flat face and a few strands of grey in his auburn hair decided to break the silence. "So... What are you all here for?"
"Don't ask stupid questions," said a wolf-like man in his thirties. "You know why we're here."
"To split heads!"
Everyone stared at the speaker- Hroar Wulfgard, a warrior of some renown within the city. "We gathered here to crush the cowardly Denvali under our mighty boot!" he professed.
The man in his thirties blinked twice. "That-"
"Is almost correct!" quipped a new voice.
Ignotus Everto came into view, clad in his usual cloak and clothing. "Gentlemen." the Nuit drawled, offering the group a bow of his head. "I hope none of you had any trouble."
Hroar chuckled. "Of course not! Men like us, who single-handedly razed a slaver's camp and rescued orphans from a burning-"
"Home would surely have their equipment ready." Ignotus finished. "Our permission has been secured." The corners of his mouth twitched upward. "Shall we?"
He recounted the plan to them as they moved into their positions. Adarin would be coming here to bask in his newfound power, no doubt. He'd need to be in his new seat when the dust settled as well, if he wanted his rule to look legitimate. He would be guarded. This would make unseating him problematic- but only slightly. Hroar, the stocky man, and two others- both ex-Martial Association- would be lying in wait on either side of the door. They had been hand-selected for their prowess as warriors, and Ignotus had little doubt they would disappoint. Three of them were Trident Champions. One was a reformed highwayman. The other four were archers- two crossbowmen, two specializing in the shortbow. They would hide behind Maria's sizable desk. Ignotus would be with them. They didn't have the same pedigree as the fighters, but he had seen them training, and had been assured of their accuracy and speed. They would not fail him. And he was more than confident in his own skill as a wizard.
It was a simple enough plan. Adarin would enter with his soldiers. The door would be slammed shut, and his honor guard dispatched. Adarin himself would be brought into custody- two of the Wave Guard among them had been kind enough to supply irons and a blindfold.- and he personally would lead the call for peace. "And my rise to power will be assured." thought Ignotus. It was easy to follow, easy to execute, and above all, brutally effective.
The Nuit smeared the door to the office with Res- it would be closed remotely this way on the day of reckoning.- as well as the tips his archers' bolts and arrows. A little gift for them. It barely drained him, after all. What came next, however, did. Closing his eyes and focusing inward, Ignotus pulled Djed from his stomach up to his skin, then out beyond the confines of his body as a thin, electric blue vapor that rose and gathered at the ceiling. It took almost a bell, and several periods of rest, but when he was done the cloud hung over the entire room. The Reimancer grinned, then sunk into the Lord of Counsel's chair, turned to face his back to the door, and waited.
Night fell upon Zeltiva. In the darkness, nine shadows awaited the dawn of a brave new world.
