The Citadel of Koestace, a massive castle-like structure that serves as a town in and of itself, was situated on the sheer face of a mountain, having being carved out of that side of the mountain many years past. Supported by heavy beams that were reinforced both with steel bolts and magical spells, it was both a masterful feat of engineering, as well as a popular tourist destination for those who could not afford to purchase houses within that castle-city. Heavily defended and considered one of the safest places in the world, Koestace houses not two, but three Gods of War, as well as being the headquarters of the Astopolian Grand Masters and the home of Knight Commander Farnor. Whereas the capital of Illiserev is drenched with riches, and the capital of Dansila is filled with knowledge, the capital of Astopol is a fortress that could only be considered impossible to break into after all its defenses are readied. White marble walls and silver ornaments were all around, giving the city a sense of purity that was coloured with mountain side vegetation. Birds made their homes in the tall spires of the citadel, while humans strode about with their daily tasks. It was in one of those towers that overlooked the city in which the most influential people in Astopol rendevoused. The High Priestess Cairyn and the Knight Commander Farnor, while the second-in-command of the Grand Masters, Savaniel Volduriaz, acted as a mediator and a recorder for the talks that were to ensue. Standing on the marble balcony, the priestess took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air to quell her thoughts about running out and simply pretending that none of this ever needed to happen. She looked down below at the people who were still going about their lives with no worries about the future. The news of the attack on Cykes would reach their ears by the end of the day, but for now, they could live without worry. There was no undercurrent of fear for now, even if there would never be any cause to fear for their wellbeing regardless. They lived in Koestace, after all. The Knight Commander, a man reaching his early thirties, leaned against the entrance of the balcony and saw something else. Those that were below were too content, too lax. And while all of Astopol's strongest forces were concentrated in this place, their other towns could be in danger. The witches have already started their attack on Dansila. The vampires, no doubt, will then have two options. They will wait and watch to see their rivals eventually become weakened in a prolonged conflict against Dansila, or they will choose to attack Dansila as well, to get rid of one of Astopol's allies. He had suggested the reallocation of the military forces many times in the past, but ultimately, the consensus remained the same: the public would rebel against such a decision. The High Priestess, though her heart was in the right place, was too kind. Or maybe it was because that was her role that she was so kind to the people. In the past, the Astopolian army was spread out so that there was a detachment that could guard nearby towns, quickly reacting to any outbreak of the rift-beasts. Now though, they had gone back to the time of heavily fortified capitals, leaving everything to the Monster Hunting Bureau and a collection of what were essentially mercenaries. Garrisons and mandatory military training had also been removed, cutting down on the percentage of the population who could fight when it was needed. Even more problematic was the reports from Sergeant Sarier Soutcrux, that of the birth of the Musphelheim demon. He had reported that it was still in an infantile state, but even then, Dansila would suffer heavy casualties if the Musphelheim demon chose to act on behalf of the witches. And then, there was the presence of Aiv Recourt, the traitor, who now fought for the witches. No matter how he thought of it, it would be best for Astopol to immediately attack the witches, wouldn't it? If Dansila and Astopol combined forces, even the Musphelheim demon should become killable. His eyes hardened. All decision-making power lied in the hands of the High Priestess, who had the support of the people. She would not be convincing him. He would have to convince her. [b]“Well then,”[/b] interrupted. Savaniel, bringing out a pen and a scroll, [b]“High Priestess, Knight Commander, shall we begin the discussion to decide the future of our country?”[/b] --- In central Talze Utera, the only true 'neutral' zone in the miasma-filled wilderness, there laid a perfectly circular pit, with a rectangular chasm extending from one side of it. It was above that massive pit that the four witchmothers, respected leaders of the covens that inhabited Talze Utera, chose to meet, every one of them coming with some sort of protection in one way or form. On that day alone, through the sheer presence of the four of them together, the black miasma parted ways, allowing the meeting to occur in bright sunlight. The Witchmother North was first to arrive, a woman in all black, with one sword strapped to either hip. Wearing practical, simple clothing, she bore the aura of a serious, militaristic leader, and there was good reason for that. Northern Talze Utera was closest to Astopol, as well as the Vampire Courts. It could be said that the most battle-experienced witches came from the North, forsaking the art of summons and mastering the usage of 'living' weapons instead. The bottom of her boots were lined with wood, the wood of her first wand, which she now used to levitate through the air. Below her, standing at the edge of the pit dauntlessly, were three members of the almost extinct werewolf race. They were powerful, savage warriors, and she was a powerful, skilled spell fencer. Second was the Witchmother West, a demure young lady who rode on a simple broom, dressed in a dress of dark greens that accentuated her tawny hair. Shrouded in a veil of light, it was obvious that she was a healer, less of a witch and more of an apothecary who dealt with enchanted potions and the growth of magical plants. Though she brought no one to protect her, there would be none who would try to do anything. They were in direct sunlight, and she was one who specialized in nature magic. It would be extremely foolhardy to do anything in such situation, against someone who could survive being stabbed through the heart. A healer, a salvemaker, and one who, through magic, attained invincibility. Soon after, aboard a sea-faring vessel that now flew through the sky, the Witchmother South, attired her in her flamboyantly decorated dresses, appeared at the helm of that galleon. Abroad the ship were a number of other species that had pledged their allegiance to the witches. Sirens, gorgons, lamias, fishmen, goblins, ogres, wyverns, a whole menagerie of different beasts were aboard the ship of the Explorer Witch, who, unbothered by the politics of the world, chose instead to map every inch of it. Her magic glyphs glowed an ember-red with the usage of such quantities of mana, but she showed no sign of exhaustion. Instead, she simply smiled her pirate-like smile at North, a sign of not-all-so friendly greeting. And finally, the Witchmother East arrived, an impossibly large snake with a dollhouse on its head. With a ripple of muscle, the snake extended its head over the chasm, holding itself there. With a quick turn of the knob, the dark-haired witch and her escort exited the dollhouse, stepping on the soil-covered scales of the snake. From below, the werewolves growled at the scent of a familiar nemesis, but a quick glare from North silenced them. There were hostilities within the group, but for now, there will be nothing but words that shall be exchanged between the four. “Good day, sisters,” began West, the only one who could say such words without any hidden meanings, [b]“As you've all should know, it appears that one of our own has instigated an attack on the capital of Cykes, and now Dansila has begun quite a harsh persecution of all Talze Uteran students within their boundaries. Is there any among us who could provide any more facts regarding this?”[/b] North coughed once, before replying, [b]“Such an attack will most definitely not be done by one from the North, and I doubt that you would have something to do with it as well, West. While East would be the most suspicious, considering how she currently holds two very dangerous...people in her realm, my council and I find it more suspicious that the attack was done so flawlessly. It appears that it happened while the more prominent members of Dansila's guard were out, and the two Gods of War were on patrol elsewhere. As a matter of fact, it appears that every person who may have minimized casualties from that attack was elsewhere. Perhaps East could shed some light onto this, seeing how you're the to Dansila?”[/b] [b]“My my,”[/b] East said, a coy smirk on her lips, [b]“I must say that you should be more courteous when describing my guests, North. But I'll humour you and your paranoia for now, my dear. There was no sign of any magical interference that caused those individuals to leave. Either the attackers were lucky, or they were someone who had significant sway over Dansila.” “Then, the source is from someone in Dansila? One of the Sidosa Board?” “I'm more curious as to why you didn't ask a more important question, North. The attack happened simultaneously as two rift-beasts also appeared. Doesn't that remind you...” “The Bakery Town incident, was it? The one in which two Talze Uterans arrived just as a rift-beast had. It does seem like it's occuring too quickly and too often to merely be a coincidence.”[/b] Adjusting her seat on her broom, West suggested, one hand pressed against her lips in thought, [b]“Then it's a witch that has learned how to control the appearance of rift-beasts?” “Or maybe not a witch at all. I would imagine that, if they could summon rift-beasts, it would be easy for them to summon normal beings as well. Which...reminds me, North. Weren't you looking into what that Cygna woman was doing?” “No, from what I've gathered, East, her summons do not relate to the creation of talentium after those summons are slain.” “Ah, well, a dead end then. And South, why are you so quiet? Mind imparting some knowledge of the great explorer to us ordinary witchmothers?” “Oh, East, West, North, I like how you're all so...simple. Or perhaps, linear? Nevertheless, it should be simple, shouldn't it?”[/b] The Witchmother South pointed towards the East, towards the ruined city of Cykes. [b]“We track down the summoned rift-beasts, hunt down the location in which they were summoned, use the magical residue there to get a sense of the person that summoned them, find that person, and then thoroughly slaughter them for ruining that fine land of education.” “It would also prove our innocence and prevent any losses, now wouldn't it?”[/b] --- Surprise surprise, the cursed elf was crazy enough that Lenz decided that he should actually just ignore her for the time being. It wasn't like she was the main reason for him being here, after all. [b]“Not a prison, mi'lady. The captain is correct in his assumptions that Vance is in an obscure location. More specifically, he's in the bottom of a hole, on a mountain that no one lives in. Death by existence, they call his punishment. It's not heavily guarded, to keep the actual location unknown, but I would wager that they DO have many spells that function as alarms to warn guards whenever someone gets too close to that 'prison'.”[/b]