Dawn came pale over Eldoria. The Sacred Mountain rose against low clouds that refused to lift. From the highest tower, Leelinor stood at the window watching the city wake below. His arms were crossed. His face looked older than it had a month ago.

  Thalion sat at the long table with papers spread in front of him. His hands rested flat on the wood.

  “The numbers are bad,” Thalion said.

  Leelinor didn’t turn from the window. “How bad?”

  “Recruitment for the Mercenary Corps and the Eldorian Guard is down sixty percent compared to last year.”

  Leelinor’s jaw tightened. “Zeeshoof confirmed this?”

  “He did. I checked the records myself. Five years ago we had lines of applicants. Young elves wanting to prove themselves. Human recruits from every district. Now they avoid us.”

  “Why?”

  Thalion picked up a sheet of parchment and set it back down. “I sent people into the districts to listen. The War of the Three Companies broke something. Families who lost sons and daughters are telling the young ones not to enlist. They’re saying Eldoria sends children to die for nothing.”

  Leelinor’s fist pressed against the stone sill. “For nothing.”

  “That’s what they believe.”

  “We fought to protect them.”

  Thalion leaned back in his chair. “They didn’t see the enemy. They saw the bodies that came home. They saw commanders who couldn’t explain why their sons died in ambushes that shouldn’t have happened. They saw us lose.”

  Leelinor turned from the window and sat at the table. “This kingdom is bleeding because of a traitor we can’t find. Now our own people won’t stand with us.”

  “They’re afraid.”

  “So am I.” Leelinor rested his hands on the table. “The armies we sent south. Did we bring them back?”

  “Yes. Small groups. Different routes. As far as I can tell, no one outside our circle knows they’ve returned.”

  “And Leeonir’s message?”

  “We received it three days ago.”

  Leelinor’s expression didn’t change. “You didn’t send a reply.”

  “No. You told me not to.”

  “You think I’m making a mistake.”

  Thalion met his gaze. “Leeonir won’t get a response. He’ll assume something is wrong and come back faster. But if something happens to him on the road because we didn’t warn him, you’ll carry that.”

  “I will.” Leelinor’s voice was steady. “But if we send ravens south and someone intercepts them, if they read that we’re pulling forces back and consolidating, we risk everything. Leeonir is smart. He’ll understand.”

  “You’re betting on your son’s instincts.”

  “I’m betting on his training.”

  Thalion nodded once and pulled another sheet from the stack. “My infiltrators haven’t found concrete evidence of betrayal in the Council yet. But they’ve seen Karg meeting with ogres.”

  Leelinor’s eyes sharpened. “Which ogres?”

  “Both kinds. Ogres who live in Eldoria—merchants, laborers, citizens. And ogres from outside. Travelers. Merchants from the southern trade routes.” Thalion’s tone stayed careful. “It could be nothing. Karg has always maintained ties with his people. He’s an ogre on a Council of elves and humans.”

  “Or he’s our traitor.”

  “Yes.”

  Leelinor leaned back in his chair. His gaze went distant. “I don’t want to believe it. Karg has served this Council for fifteen years. He’s fought beside us. Bled for this city.”

  “I know.”

  Leelinor’s voice flattened. “But I wouldn’t be surprised either. Increase surveillance on him. I want to know who he meets, where he goes, what he says. Don’t spook him. If he’s innocent, we apologize later. If he’s guilty, we need proof before we move.”

  Thalion made a note. Then he looked up. “What about Guhile?”

  Leelinor’s expression shifted. “What about him?”

  “My agents can’t get close. He’s either gone from the city or locked in his laboratories. The ARK research wings don’t allow entry without clearance. When he is seen, he’s alone.”

  Leelinor folded his hands on the table. “Guhile has been my friend since we were children. He’s difficult. He’s always valued knowledge over people. He’s also the reason we have ARK-forged blades. The reason our soldiers don’t burn as easily as they once did.” He paused. “My wife loved him like a brother. My children call him uncle.”

  “I’m saying I can’t see him. That makes me uneasy.”

  Leelinor nodded slowly. “Guhile is brilliant. When he’s working on something, the world could burn and he wouldn’t notice. It’s who he’s always been.” He paused. “You’re right to be careful. Do what you can. If you can get eyes on him, do it.”

  “Thank you.”

  Three sharp knocks sounded at the door.

  “Enter,” Leelinor called.

  The door opened. Caroline stepped inside. Her skin was pale, her black hair pulled back in a tight braid. She closed the door behind her and crossed to the table.

  “Forgive the interruption.”

  “You’re welcome here,” Leelinor said. “What is it?”

  She placed a sealed letter in front of him. “From Isaac. Arrived this morning.”

  Leelinor broke the seal and read. His shoulders loosened slightly. “He’s at Dragon God Village. Toumar has recovered. Edduuhf is healing. Isaac is working with their smiths to produce modified Hoo-stone armor. Lighter and more flexible than what we have now. He estimates two weeks before they return to Eldoria.”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Thalion straightened in his chair. “That’s good. We need them.”

  Caroline nodded. “It is. But I’m still afraid.”

  Leelinor looked up. “Of what?”

  “That we’re always one step behind.” Her hands were clasped tight. “We haven’t found the traitor. We don’t know when the next strike will come. Every time we think we’re gaining ground, something shifts. The War of the Three Companies—you marched thinking you’d break the enemy. It was exactly what they wanted. We’re always reacting.”

  Leelinor set the letter down. “I know.”

  “So what do we do?”

  Leelinor’s voice hardened. “We stop reacting. We’ve pulled the southern armies back. We’re consolidating. We’re watching the Council. And we’re waiting for one more piece.” He looked at her. “I sent word to the desert. To the First Peoples. If they respond, if they send support, we’ll have the strength to go on the offensive again. With strategy this time. With allies.”

  Caroline’s expression was uncertain. “And if they don’t respond?”

  “Then we fight with what we have.” Leelinor stood. “But I believe they will. Luucner and Ziif are there. Kooel went to meet them. The First Peoples respect strength and honesty. If anyone can convince them, it’s those three.”

  Thalion rose as well. “And in the meantime?”

  “We prepare. We train. We watch.” Leelinor’s gaze moved to the window. “When the enemy comes again, we’ll be ready.”

  Caroline stood. “I’ll coordinate with the district captains. Make sure supplies are distributed. Make sure people see us moving.”

  “Good.”

  She moved toward the door, then paused. “Leelinor?”

  “Yes?”

  “The people are scared. They need to see confidence. They need to believe we’re fighting back.”

  Leelinor nodded. “Then we give them that.”

  She left. Thalion lingered a moment longer. “You’re gambling a lot on the desert’s response.”

  “I am.”

  “And if they say no?”

  Leelinor’s expression was unreadable. “Then we find another way.”

  Thalion studied him. Then he nodded and left.

  Leelinor stood alone in the chamber. Pale sunlight spilled through the window. Outside, Eldoria woke to another day. He closed his eyes and breathed. Then he turned back to the table and began reviewing the reports again.

  ?

  The Council chamber was carved into the mountain. Torches burned in iron sconces. A circular table dominated the center.

  Leelinor sat at the head. To his right sat Zeeshoof, the oldest elf in Eldoria. White hair fell past his shoulders. His eyes were still sharp. To Leelinor’s left sat Abhoof, his eldest son. Broad-shouldered and serious. Caroline sat across from them, her black braid stark against pale skin. Thalion occupied the seat nearest the door. Karg sat with his massive frame hunched forward, gray skin marked with old scars, his tusks filed smooth in the Eldoria custom.

  The seat reserved for Guhile was empty.

  In his place sat Peehef. Younger than the others. Thin, with ink-stained fingers and restless eyes. An elven engineer who worked in Guhile’s laboratories. The Council knew him. Seeing him in Guhile’s seat was strange.

  Leelinor spoke first. “Guhile sends his apologies. He’s deep in research and asked Peehef to represent the engineering wing. We’ll proceed.”

  No one objected.

  Abhoof opened a leather folio and pulled out several sheets. “Agriculture reports from the outer districts show improvement. Grain yields are up twelve percent compared to last quarter. Trade routes to Zao have stabilized. Merchants are moving goods again without armed escorts.”

  Caroline nodded. “The villages are responding well. Tensions between Eldoria and the outer settlements are easing. People are returning to the markets. The riots in the lower districts stopped three weeks ago.”

  Thalion leaned forward. “Security in the capital is holding. Patrols report fewer incidents. The guard is maintaining order without reinforcements. Zao sent word yesterday. Manifestations there have decreased as well.”

  Karg’s deep voice rumbled through the chamber. “The same among the ogre communities. Families who lost sons in the War of the Three Companies are still grieving. The anger is fading. They’re asking for assurance it won’t happen again.”

  Leelinor’s hands rested flat on the table. “Good. We’re here to understand the threat.”

  Zeeshoof stirred. He picked up a rolled parchment and unrolled it carefully. “I’ve completed the research Deehia and Abhoof brought to the last Council. The collars. The runes. The method of enslaving dragons.”

  The others waited.

  Zeeshoof continued. “I worked with my students. We searched the archives. The records are old. They exist. Dragon enslavement requires access to the core essence of the Floating Mountains—the places where dragons nest and breed. The mountains produce a mineral unlike anything else. It resonates with dragon life force. A skilled mage can extract it, refine it, and forge it into bindings that override a dragon’s will.”

  Caroline’s expression tightened. “How difficult is this process?”

  “Nearly impossible. The Floating Mountains are unreachable to most. The storms surrounding them destroy ships. Even if someone reached them, extracting the core essence requires knowledge of ancient alchemical techniques that were deliberately destroyed. I know of no living mage capable of this work.”

  Peehef cleared his throat. The attention shifted to him. He spoke carefully. “Guhile’s research shows the collars use ARK-stone fragments. Elven magic doesn’t work that way. Someone combined the old alchemical methods with ARK reinforcement. It matches what we’re seeing.”

  Leelinor’s gaze sharpened. “You’re saying this is the work of someone who understands both ancient magic and modern ARK engineering.”

  “Yes.”

  “Who?”

  Peehef’s fingers tapped the table once. “Either a mage of extraordinary skill. Or Ithelmar himself.”

  Karg shifted in his seat. Abhoof’s jaw tightened. Caroline looked at Zeeshoof.

  Leelinor’s voice stayed level. “Ithelmar isn’t confirmed dead. If he’s alive, he’d be older than Zeeshoof. He was my father’s friend. Ecos told me Ithelmar left Eldoria and refused to teach magic anymore. My father spent decades purging the corrupted practices Ithelmar’s generation had used. The magic we allow now is limited. Controlled. The schools in Eldoria don’t teach anything close to what we’re seeing.”

  Zeeshoof nodded slowly. “Ithelmar’s departure was deliberate. He saw what his methods had done. The cost. He walked away.”

  Thalion leaned forward. “And if he’s returned?”

  “Then we’re facing someone who knows more about magic than anyone alive.”

  Abhoof set down the reports he’d been holding. “I saw what’s happening in Morthul. The corruption there isn’t random. It’s organized. Fanatic. Whoever is leading this knows our weaknesses. They know our mistakes. They’re strengthening themselves with everything we fail to see. They’re always ahead of us.”

  Leelinor stood. His chair scraped against stone. His hands pressed flat on the table. “Then where are we failing? Who is deceiving us? We need answers now. We can’t keep moving blind while they plan the next strike.”

  Thalion’s voice cut through. “We need to stay calm. Losing control doesn’t help.”

  Caroline leaned forward. “The statistics are improving. The kingdom is stabilizing. Maybe we should look for new allies. The centaurs across the ocean—”

  Zeeshoof shook his head. “The centaurs will never join us. They consider themselves superior. They’ve always believed elves and humans are beneath them. They won’t fight our battles.”

  Karg leaned forward. His massive hands pressed flat on the table. “Their messages have been favorable. They honor the treaty we signed. I’ve maintained correspondence with their envoys for years. There’s no reason not to try.”

  Leelinor sat back down. “The voyage would take months. We don’t have that kind of time.”

  No one spoke.

  Peehef broke the silence. “Our enemies use portals. Enhanced soldiers. Energy weapons. Dragons. We fight with swords and hope.” He paused. “Why not match their methods?”

  Every head turned toward him.

  Leelinor’s expression went cold. “You don’t understand what you’re suggesting.”

  “I’m suggesting we stop limiting ourselves.”

  Leelinor’s voice hardened. “You’re suggesting we become like them. They don’t care if they kill children. They don’t care if they wipe out entire races. If that’s evolution, I want no part of it.”

  Zeeshoof’s voice was firm. “We don’t even possess that knowledge anymore. Our ancestors fought to destroy it. Ithelmar himself documented the corruption it caused. The power doesn’t evolve. It destroys.”

  Peehef raised his hands slightly. “It was only a suggestion.”

  Leelinor stood again. His chair scraped louder this time. “It will never be considered while I lead Eldoria.” He looked around the table. “This Council is dismissed.”

  The others rose slowly. Chairs scraped. Papers were gathered. Karg was the first to leave, his heavy footsteps echoing down the corridor. Caroline followed, then Abhoof. Thalion lingered near the door, watching Leelinor, then left.

  Zeeshoof stopped beside Peehef. “Be careful what you suggest in this chamber.”

  Peehef nodded. Zeeshoof left.

  Peehef remained seated. He stared at the papers in front of him. Then he stood, gathered them, and walked out.

  Leelinor stood alone. The torches flickered. He sat back down and stared at the empty chairs. He pulled the reports toward him and began reading again.