Eight years ago

'I don't care! Your research is far too slow!' the King roared and smashed his fist at the table. The glass of wine close to him rattled dangerously at the edge of the table.

'Your Highness, I assure you we are doing all we can,' the old man with an elegantly cut white beard and glasses said. He smoothed his elaborately decorated robes nervously. 'I have all the Mages working different ways to amplify our magic day and night. But it is not something we can rush. There are certain risks that....'

'That's enough!' the King cut him off. 'All I hear are excuses! Egraria is gathering soldiers at our borders as we speak! Do you want me to tell them to hold off their invasion because you are not done with your research?!'

'My lord, I understand the urgency of the situation, but still...' tried the Mage again.

'No! I don't want to hear any of this. You said there is a way to gain more power, so now I expect you to deliver that promise! Egraria is an enormous country, and they have thousands upon thousands of soldiers! We are no match for them when it comes to the army. We need this magic, and we need it now!' His voice was strained from all the shouting, so he grabbed his cup and downed the wine in one gulp. The servant immediately refilled it. The King wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his silk shirt and pointed the finger at the Mage. 'I want to know what we can do to strengthen our magic. Speak now, or I will arrest you for treason and find someone more cooperating to replace you!'

There were nervous murmurs around the tables, and all advisors shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The Mage paled and considered his options for a few seconds, eyeing bulky guards at the chamber's door. Everyone knew the King was short-tempered, and he never pulled his punches. And now, with the threat from their neighbours looming over their heads, there was no doubt he would not hesitate to use his power.

'There might be a way,' the Mage finally said, his voice small.

'It wasn't that hard, eh?' The King perked up visibly. 'Go on.'

'There is a ritual that we could try performing. However, I would not consider it unless it was vital.'

'And why is that?'

'Because the main point of this particular ritual is to draw the power from the Lord Sun himself.'

'That's preposterous!' the elderly man in priest robes shouted. He looked as if he just woke up from a nap, which was entirely possible. The role of the Head of the Church in the royal councils was primarily out of tradition. The current official was content with just participating and indulging in food and drink provided on such occasions. And now, his sudden outburst earned shocked glances from all other advisors. The priest tried to straighten his hunched back and continued, his pale eyes full of righteous fury. 'You shall not even entertain such abominable thought! This is an attack on our God!'

'Don't be ridiculous, churchman,' the King scoffed. 'I want more details.'

'The ritual aims to create a bond between participating Mages and Lord Sun himself,' the Mage continued calmly, although his face still looked rather pale. 'If such connection is established, that would allow said Mages to draw the light directly from the Lord Sun, not only his reflections. And that would be an unlimited source of power.'

'And why is that the first time I hear about it?' the King asked, annoyed, narrowing his bloodshot eyes. 'That is our solution right there!'

'I haven't mentioned it yet, because we're still not done with assessing all the risk involved with this ritual,' replied the Mage.

'That is unbelievable!' the priest shrieked again. 'This is our God we are talking about. If Lord Sun wanted his faithful to have this kind of power, he would bestow it on us. What you're planning to do is to rob God of His power! Only madmen would do such a thing! Grand Inquisitor, you have to support me on that!'

The man sitting next to him grunted and shifted in his chair. He was tall and bulky. His broad shoulders indicated he was a warrior once, but now his chin was dropping, and his belly was far more impressive than his once muscular arms. 'The Head of the Church is right,' he said. 'This ritual of yours sounds convenient, but I'd say if you try to pry the power from God, the consequences might be more than we can handle.'

The King smashed his fist at the table again. This time it rattled so violently his cup fell to the floor with a loud clang. The servants rushed to clean the mess right away, providing their lord with a new glass. 'That's enough! Grand Inquisitor, can you assure me that your knights will handle the incoming army if Egraria chooses to make their move?'

'We'll do everything in our power to stop them. Although...' the Inquisitor hesitated, knowing the King would not like what he had to say. He had to proceed anyway. 'If we are severely outnumbered, there's only so much we can do.'

'That's what I thought,' the King scoffed. 'And knowing that you dare to challenge the only advantage we can get?'

'I didn't mean to undermine the method, only issue a warning. Our role as Inquisition is to keep the Order of Mages in check if they are about to abuse their powers. And this what you're planning to do right now? That sounds a lot like stepping over the boundaries of what's safe. Did you even consider the repercussions if this ritual of yours backfires?'

'We are still weighing the risks, as I said,' repeated the Mage glaring at the Grand Inquisitor. There was never much love between the two orders. 'I would not reveal this method so soon if not for His Highness... insistence.'

'And you won't do this! I forbid it!' the priest shouted, standing up so abruptly his chair crashed to the floor.'

'Guards!' The King waved his hands. 'Take the priest back to his Church now. He seems tired.'

'No, my lord, you can't do this!' the elder protested.

'And do be gentle. I don't want you to break him in the process.'

When the guards escorted the priest out of the room, the silence fell. The King emptied his cup again and looked over his advisors. 'Master Talan.' He pointed his finger at the Mage. 'I want you to proceed with preparation for this ritual. How soon can it be done?'

'But Your Highness, there's still so much we need to check before...' protested Mage.

'How soon?'

'In two weeks,' Talan said with resignation.

'Very well. See that it's done. The meeting is concluded.'

The King stood up and left while all the advisors gathered their things and returned to their duties. The Grand Inquisitor sighed and left the chamber, followed by the younger man, sitting at his side the whole time. He did not speak, but his grey eyes were focused on what was happening the entire time. His mouth formed a thin line, his brow furrowed.

'You have something to say, seneschal?' the Grand Inquisitor asked when they were away from others.

'This ritual... it's not a good idea.'

'You don't have to tell me that,' the Grand Inquisitor scoffed.

'Should we not protest more fiercely then?' the younger man asked. 'If this goes south, no one can say what catastrophe might it bring to our heads.'

The Grand Inquisitor sighed and stopped. He looked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation and turned his gaze on his subordinate. 'Look, Cassius. I know you are young, and you don't have much experience with royal politics. The thing is, our King is not the smartest man. With a threat from Egraria he's more desperate with each passing day. But he is still our King, and there is nothing we can do to change his mind. Master Talan gave him hope, an easy way out, and he took it. All we can do is hope for the best while preparing for the damage control when this whole ritual thing blows up into our faces.'

Cassius opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it again. Something shifted in his cold grey eyes - anger and disbelief - but it was gone in seconds. He only nodded. 'Understand, sir.' 

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