Hold dreams in your heart as if time is boundless, for the future is shaped by those who dare to imagine. Yet, live each day with the urgency of finality, as if tomorrow is uncertain, for only in the present can true action and meaning be found. Balance hope with the wisdom of impermanence, for a life fully lived is one that honors both dreams and the fleeting nature of time.

  - The Book of Wise Tellings from the Land of Streams.

  Aelayah had gone to attend to the business of leading her House—briefing the mercenaries, and issuing her orders. She left me here, with Larynda and Vincenzio, the Necromancer. Pale as death, his eyes gleamed with a knowing that unsettled even me.

  “The stage is being set,” Vincenzio intoned, his voice a low rasp. “Losing the tournament was a setback, but this... this presents an excellent opportunity to strike a blow against the Adventurers' Guild without censure.”

  “And end Kaila, the Enchantress?” Larynda asked, her tone far too casual for such a deadly subject.

  Vincenzio's lips curled into a cold, thin smile. “Yes. That vile woman has spread her influence like a plague, her tentacles winding deep into the heart of Al-Lazarian society while you were trapped in the Long Dream. But I suspect her power moves in the shadow of another—a greater force behind her. The Guildmaster, Laidlaw. Whether he controls her or she controls him, that is the question.”

  The half-elf girl shifted nervously on her feet, her voice becoming a conspiratorial whisper. “Kaila... she has a way of making people do things... things they wouldn’t normally do.”

  “Her power is evil itself,” I hissed, “an abomination. I have felt its touch myself, tasted the bitter taint of her illusions. It’s not merely enchantment—it is something far worse. To twist someone’s will, to corrupt the very essence of a person… it is the gravest of violations. And, no matter how pure the soul, to wield such power and be free of temptation is an impossibility. Such power should not exist in this world. We do a great service in seeking her end.”

  I nodded solemnly, playing the part of the good man. “Yes... we do the greater good in ridding the world of this evil,” I repeated for effect.

  The words fell from my lips like stones, heavy and insincere, but necessary. In a world as twisted as this, conviction was just another weapon for me to wield. Anything to finally end this chain quest.

  “So... we are in agreement. Even if the city burns, we cannot allow someone like Kaila to live,” declared the Necromancer, his voice as cold as ever. “Her death would be worth the lives of everyone in this city. She is a horror that must be stopped no matter the cost.”

  “I’m not so sure about letting the city burn,” Larynda replied, a note of uncertainty in her tone. “But Kaila… yeah, she’s a monster. The song of Mana around her—it’s twisted, and... I don’t know, alien.”

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  “Then we press on, with Lady Aelayah and the Salahaem,” I declared, determined. “We need to make sure we win. Vincenzio, if this is going to turn into a serious conflict, I’ll need more than just words. I know you are busy brewing Aelayah’s batch, but I’ll need potions. We need every advantage we can get.”

  “The matter is already in hand,” Vincenzio assured me. “You’ll find some of my finest in your quarters. Aelayah’s request was ambitious—it revealed much about her true intentions. Be careful with her. She weaves truths and lies as easily as a tailor works thread.”

  I smirked, not missing the irony. “As do you, Vincenzio. Or so I’ve come to believe. Though you prefer obfuscation and half-truths over outright lies. Be careful not to paint others with the same brush.”

  Vincenzio’s sallow face betrayed a flicker of annoyance, though his expression remained mostly controlled. I had spent enough time with him to recognize his subtle tells. “Perhaps you’re right. But one has always remained true to one’s purpose and convictions. Some truths are more palatable when served in smaller portions.”

  Leaning back into the velvet of my plush chair, I sighed. “Still, we’re agreed. We’ll back the girl. We’ve come this far, storm or no storm, and we must see it through. As for Acanthio, I will face him, or whoever he sends in his place. A Guildmaster can appoint a champion, correct?”

  “That’s true,” Vincenzio confirmed. “But I doubt Acanthio will. He’s a fearsome warrior. The greater concern is the tricks he may bring to the duel. In Guild Arbitrations, anything goes. He may well come armed with a powerful artifact to tilt the scales in his favor.”

  “I’ve dealt with cheaters before,” I replied, bluntly.

  Vincenzio’s gaze remained steady. “By the rules of the Guild, it’s not cheating—it’s preparation. You’d do well to prepare carefully. Perhaps the Salahaem have treasures that could aid you.”

  Larynda chuckled, leaning forward. “Gil’s got it! You worry too much, Vince. Did you see what he did at the Festival? Now look at him, Gil’s practically wearing an armory’s worth of metal like it’s nothing…”

  “They are this way, good sirs,” came the muffled voice of the servant, Nur, from behind the heavy wooden door. Moments later, it swung open, and Elwin and Enkidu entered the room. Elwin gave me a casual shrug and a wink. Standing next to Enkidu, Elwin looked diminutive, almost childlike. Enkidu, towering over two and a half meters, had a way of making anyone nearby seem small.

  “I hear whispers that the Warm Lander Guild challenges your honor!” boomed Enkidu, his voice echoing through the room.

  “You’ve heard correctly, my old friend. I intend to set them straight,” I replied.

  Enkidu tilted his head back and let out a roar of laughter, like a lion before a feast. “Only a blind man wouldn’t see the treachery in such a challenge. You acted to save an innocent life, valuing it over the thrill of battle—a rare thing.”

  His eyes gleamed with hunger. “I’ve come to ask a favor.”

  “Then ask, if it’s within my power to grant,” I said.

  “I was robbed of the chance to face you in the Festival. Perhaps you’ll let me fight in your stead to defend and carry your honor. I’ve heard such things are allowed, and I wish to test myself against the so-called best these hot lands can offer.”

  Elwin looked pointedly at the ceiling.

  His offer caught me off guard. My mind began to work, analyzing the situation. As Vincenzio had warned, there could be trickery involved in the upcoming duel. The safest way to avoid it would be to sidestep it entirely. Larynda and I could keep an eye out for any arcane schemes that Acanthio or his champion might attempt. A few hundred experience points lost would mean little in the grand scheme of things.

  It felt like a dialogue option in a game to avoid a mini-boss encounter. The decision became clear.