“They’ve told me of the problem, and their demands.” Baila replied, standing before the battered members of the Gathering.  They had holed up inside one of the side-rooms of the house, securing it with Wards, and making what defensive preparations they could.  Felia, Drake, Laila, and several others watched Baila, listening to her words quietly.

 

“It seems that House Calenture is acting upon information from their network of informants.  Upon hearing the facts they presented, I fear that I would almost agree with their assault on this house.”

 

Felia gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.  Drake scowled toward Baila, but didn’t say anything.

 

“It seems, my dear friends,” Baila said quietly, “that yet another of your rulers have betrayed you.  As you know, we have been gathering a surplus of chakrams for our lone-wolf, Talon.  However, upon speaking with him, I’ve found that he hasn’t been receiving all of them that I had counted.  I had wondered where these surplus chakrams had been going to, but I simply assumed that, wherever they were going, they were being put to good use by my beloved family.” She said, smiling warmly.  Then, her face turned cold.  She glared at Laila.

 

“It seems that is not the case.  Your ruler Laila has been meeting in secret with the leadership of the Protectors of the Radiance.”

 

“Those warmongers?!” Drake gasped, turning toward Laila, whose mouth was hanging wide open.

 

“I… but I just…” Laila stammered.

 

“Do you deny meeting with the Protectors of the Radiance, Laila?” Baila pressed.

 

Laila closed her mouth, and composed herself.  She looked piercingly toward Baila.

 

“No, I do not deny meeting with them.” She said firmly.

 

“Would you care to tell us what that meeting entailed?” Baila asked, raising a brow.

 

“Hmph!  I don’t feel that it’s appropriate for a Freespirit to tell me to explain my actions as Ruler of a house!” Laila said indignantly.  “However, I will explain to my initiates.  They have had faith in my leadership before, and have never had cause to question it.  They have no reason to question it this time.”

 

She turned and faced Drake directly.  Drake’s brow was furrowed, and he stared piercingly at her.

 

“I met with the leadership of the Protectors of Radiance, with a two-fold purpose.” She said, formally.  “First, the Freesouls have become slightly aggressive lately.  I have felt that it might not be a bad idea to open negotiations between ourselves and the Protectors, just in case things take a turn for the worse.”

 

“Secondly, I wished to forge a teaching agreement between our houses.  They possess a great many teachers who are skilled in the arts of Willpower and Insight.  Our house’s strengths are Resilience and Dreamsmithing.  I felt that seeking to open further routes of knowledge for our members to be a worthy cause.”

 

“So you do not deny that you were speaking with the Protectors about warfare!” Baila hissed.

 

“Silence, freespirit!” Laila spat.  “Justaius questioned your motives for hanging around, and I see now that his worries were well founded!  I will suffer no more of your manipulation and trickery!”

 

Baila stepped backwards, gasping.  Her hand flew to her heart, and she leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.  Her cane fell from her hands, clattering to the floor.

 

“You will not speak to my mother like that!” Felia shouted, rising to her feet.  She stormed across the room toward Laila, and reaching back, slapped her soundly across the face.

 

“You have brought this pain upon our house, and I will see that you pay for it.” Felia hissed, her eyes narrowed.  “Mother.  Tell me the demands of House Calenture and the Dreamers of Light.”

 

“They demand, simply, that the problem be corrected.” Baila rasped weakly, still gasping for breath.  “They want her publicly denounced as a Ruler of the Gathering of the Entranced.  Likewise, they wish her essence.  When they told me why they were assaulting the house,  I knew that none of my beloved friends in the Gathering would betray the house in such a fashion, and I told them as much.”

 

“I convinced them to take their aggression out on the one that wronged them.” Baila said, casting a glance toward Laila.  “I cannot believe that a Ruler of a house would place their charges in such danger, without even warning them.”

 

“There was no danger, until you brought it!” hissed Laila.

 

“Brought it, dearie?” Baila replied, sadly.  “Why would I bring Calenture up here, to assault my friends?  My family?” Baila questioned, gesturing toward Felia.  “Why would I fight beside you against them, and try to go treat with them to end this conflict when it was obvious they would not listen to you?  The danger was already here, and I think we know who brought it.  I am merely working to end this danger, and protect my family.  Something I should think a ruler would know about.”

 

“I’ve had just about enough of you.” Laila growled.  Her hand darted down, and came up with a chakram.  She raised it to firing position, aiming toward Baila who stood her ground, unflinching, looking defiantly toward Laila.  Just as she aimed her blast, a blade came flying from nowhere, knocking the chakram from her hand.

 

“I think there’s been enough violence on your part, my ruler.” Drake said, solemly replacing his ceremonial sword into its sheath.  “Might I suggest that you either prepare to go speak with Calenture’s leadership and apologize for this misunderstanding, or we will have to begin taking steps to meet their demands.”  He finished, staring firmly at Laila.

 

“I will NOT apologize for something I did not do!” Laila shouted, her face flushed.  “You’re taking the word of this ‘Freespirit’,” she continued, spitting the word, “over me, your ruler?  Don’t you all see what she’s doing?”

 

“Lady Laila,” Drake said, quietly, “Lady Baila has acted nobly in my eyes.  She has sought to help this house out several times, and has always acted in its best interests.  Were she a member of the Gathering of the Entranced, I would gladly support her rise to rulership.  In this incident alone, she has made much more progress toward resolving the conflict than you have, or even could have.  Yes, she is a Freespirit, but she is one that has earned my respect.  I suggest that you treat her with respect.”

 

Laila’s eyes narrowed toward Drake, then looked around the room at the gathered house members.  Everyone’s eyes regarded her coldly, distantly.  Laila’s lip curled up in a sneer.

 

“Fine.  Denounce me.  I can go to other houses.  Houses that actually rule themselves!” she declared, ripping off her crest of rulership and throwing it to the floor.  “Throw away all your diplomatic channels and offers of protection.  We’ll see what happens the next time House Calenture, Dreamers of Light, Union of the Covenenant, or the Alliance of the Eclipse gets a burr in their shorts and wants to attack someone!”

 

“But for now, adieu.” She hissed, turning sharply and heading toward the portal.

 

“Laila,” Felia said, stepping up behind her and tapping her on the shoulder.  “you have forgotten something.”

 

“What?” Laila growled, turning around.  Her snarling grimace turned to a look of shock, as Felia’s blade sunk into her chest.  She shrieked in pain as her avatar dissipated, slowly becoming transparent and nebulous.  Her ghostly image sat atop a small pile of dreamsoul, the blade still hovering through her chest.  She smirked at Felia.

 

“Yes, right.” She said, her voice echoing hauntingly.  “The essence.”

Mefis walked along the path.  The floating orbs of light suspending his cloak seemed dim and pale in the open light of the dream.  His cape billowed behind him, trailing off into a pale shadowy cloud.  His buckles and straps jangled with every step.  His eyes were closed, the marks across his eyes forming two perfect crosses.  His arms were folded behind him.  A scowl was etched into his face.

 

He turned the corner on the path, and paused.  He sensed someone nearby.  He opened his eyes, and looked around.

 

From a bend in the path ahead, came a man in a very distinguished jacket.  Mefis recognized him; that fop of a diplomat that followed Felia around like a lost puppy.  What was his name, Drake?  Mefis smirked.  If this loser was looking for him, then perhaps his plan of igniting a war hadn’t been a complete loss.

 

He had heard when House Calenture and the Dreamers of Light had withdrawn from the Gathering of the Entranced, but he hadn’t found any more information about that yet.  In fact, he was just on his way up to House Calenture to speak with that fool Ravage to find out what happened, and hopefully get him to convince his house to go back up there.

 

Drake stopped four steps in front of Mefis.  He looked Mefis up and down, and frowned.

 

Mefis blinked, as well.  From a distance, he hadn’t noticed the abyssal crest resting on Drake’s chest.  When had he been promoted to Ruler?  Mefis felt a sinking feeling in his chest.

 

“Perchance, sir, is your name Mefis?” Drake asked politely.

 

“Why yes, yes it is my dear chap.” Mefis replied with a smirk.  “What of it?”

 

“I come as a favor to a friend of mine.” Drake said, ignoring the sarcasm.  “She wished me to deliver a message for her.  She would have done it herself, but she is rather old and it’s much easier for us to get around than her.”

 

Drake reached into the folds of his dress jacket, and pulled out a small scroll.  He extended it toward Mefis. 

 

Mefis scowled, and snatched the scroll from his hands.  He unfurled it, and read through it.  His scowl deepened, and he growled darkly.  Turning quickly, he stormed away from Drake, leaving him standing, looking extremely confused.  The scroll dissipated into motes of dust as it hit the ground.

 

The words on the scroll, however, still glowed in Mefis’ mind like burning brands:

 

“I thought the last warning I gave you would have sufficed, but it seems that it didn’t.  I will warn you one more time: The Gathering is mine.  Mess with what is mine again, and you will pay.

 

That includes Felia.”