"Your proposal is rejected, Councilor Highfait. Next order of business is--"

Rubines couldn't believe this was happening. "Wait, please, you have to reconsider."

"We need do no such thing," barked Aragos Nelaragos, representative for the city nobility. He had opposed Rubines for months, every step of the way, and now was no exception.

"But I have found a safe passage." Rubines gripped the arms of his chair, struggling against the urge to jump to his feet. "The evacuation can move forward--"

"We don't need to evacuate, we need to prepare to fight!" Aragos was not the only one who believed in taking a more active stand against the incursion, but he was certainly the loudest. "Every single elf who turns and runs leaves us with one fewer defender to stand on the walls."

"Those walls won't save you," Rubines protested. He'd said it a hundred times, and still they didn't listen. "We've seen how well walls fare against dungeon swarms, they cross them as easily as you or I can cross a stream. Thrinedel didn't even last a week, and its fortifications are no less--"

"Councilor Nelaragos, Councilor Hightfait, please," interrupted Poro Aetherwilde wearily. He'd been one of Rubines' few allies in the discussion, but as acting arbiter for today it was his place to make the decrees. "The time for debate is over. I am sorry, Rubines, but this matter is done. The proposal has been rejected. Next order of business."

Rubines leaned back in his chair, breathing heavily as he struggled to hold in days of pent up frustration. Delarin had agreed to open a single escape passage, provided Rubines could provide the necessary ingredients. But that was the extent of the help Delarin promised. Once the spell was enacted and the passage stable, they'd have a very brief, very specific window of time - no more than a day, perhaps as little as half that - before the spell framework burned itself out and their opportunity was lost.

It was up to Rubines to ensure that the rest of the elven people were best poised to take advantage of that day.

Admitting that he’d brought Delarin on as an active participant would get him exiled or killed, banished from the council as a laughingstock if he was very, very lucky. But as things stood, unless he found a way to convince the rest of the council to agree to his evacuation plans, he'd have sold his soul for nothing.

The council had agreed to his initial proposal to search for an escape route a month previously, but now that he claimed to have discovered one they voted him down. It seemed they had only been humoring him to shut him up, without any intention of following through.

Rubines tuned out their voices as the next proposals were discussed, argued over, and voted on. When the moment called for it, he cast his vote with Othrelos Darholden, the representative of the merchant districts. From what little he heard it seemed to be an economic matter, and he'd need as much of Othrelos's goodwill as he could manage. The proposal was passed, and the council moved on.

Rubines only grew angrier as the discussions went on, the same as if the world were going to go on the way it always had been. As if the price of bread flour and the taxes on toll roads were of any significance whatsoever when they were soon to become the last remaining city of their people. As if the sun hadn't been eaten.

Perhaps Delarin's straightforwardness and cynical outlook were rubbing off on him. He usually didn't come this close to losing his temper.

"I fear that is all the time we have for the day," said Poro at long last, bringing the meeting to its blessed close. "A reminder of the agenda for tomorrow will be sent to you in the morning."

Rubines didn't wait around to dally in pleasantries, but bolted from the council chambers the moment the doors were opened. He ran down four flights of beautifully curved stairs, only slowing when he reached the ground floor. Even in these dire times, the open chamber was bustling with elves coming or going from the lower meeting chambers, and as much as he'd thrown away his instincts for dignity forced him not to run through the crowd like a madman.

The gardens beside the outer wall of the courtyard provided a relatively private spot to pace as he tried to decide on his next move.

He needed to think, to formulate a plan of attack that wouldn't result in a literal assault on his fellow councilors, and he needed to figure out where to get the necessary ingredients for the passage spell.

The evacuation passage would require many exotic ingredients for its construction, and to have a hope of completing it before the dungeons advanced too near for safe evacuation they'd have to work fast.

Othrelos crossed the courtyard and Rubines fell into his wake, lingering far enough away not to intrude as the councilor's many sycophants brought him their questions and proposals. Once the merchant representative became available he would make his own approach. He may have to make some personal concessions, but he no longer felt any guilt over whatever he had to do.

He'd gone past the point of no return, he had no way back or out. The only way to make his gamble worth it was to go all the way.

It wouldn't be hard to procure a few of the more commonplace requirements himself, but even as a councilor his reach and means were not so great. If an Archaen like Delarin couldn't find a way, then he'd have to resort to less traditional means to obtain the items in question.

A half ton of silver wasn't the kind of thing you could simply walk to the market and purchase, unless you were Othrelos Darholden. Three bricks of incendite would be simple enough to obtain, if expensive, but where on earth was he to find a thousand dragonscales, let alone afford them all? Again, Othrelos would be his best chance.

Perhaps if he'd known more about dimensionalist practices, he could have proposed alternative ingredients to obtain the same effect. But while it was... well, not exactly easy, but at least possible to imagine standing up to Delarin Shadowcalled and having a serious debate about the merits of maidenwhisper versus nightbloom, Rubines wasn't fool enough to try. Assuming either of those had any use in dimensional passages whatsoever.

The extent of his knowledge on the subject was limited to the half-forgotten warnings of its danger in his long-ago education. Rubines had embraced those warnings, while Delarin flouted them. At the time he'd admired the man's strength of will. He later ended up cursing that same trait, when it led Delarin down a shadowy path of madness which Rubines didn't dare so much as approach.

Until now.

Now he'd sworn himself to Delarin's service, to pursue his aims as though his own, and he had yet to learn what that oath would truly demand of him.

"Good day, Councilor Highfait," greeted Othrelos as Rubines finally approached. "How may I help you?"

"Half a ton of silver and a thousand dragon scales would be a good start."

Othrelos raised an eyebrow at the quantities. "A thousand? What, do you plan to build a house with them?"

"Do you know where I can get them, or not?"

"Dispensing with the pleasantries, I see. I'll see what I can find. Give me three days."

"Two. I need it before the end of the week."

"Impossible. You know how shipment has been these days. Nothing's come in for weeks, and what goes out doesn't return."

"There has to be some way."

"Like I said, give me a few days and I'll look into it, but you're probably going to be disappointed. A hundred, sure, it'll be pricey but I can do it. A thousand? That's the kind of order you only see when an Archaen feels like showing off." Othrelos's voice trailed away, and Rubines could all but see the suspicion cementing itself in his mind. "Where did you say that miracle passage is located?" he asked, slowly.

"In the forest, south of Medhart Glen."

Othrelos paled. "Shadowdell." He took a step away from Rubines, hands coming up seemingly involuntarily, the word spoken in a bare whisper laced with fear. "You've either convinced The Shadowcalled not to interfere somehow, or you're planning to hijack something of his for our use. Either way, you're utterly mad, and I want no part of it."

Rubines slumped in resignation. Deception would be of no use, Othrelos was too canny. "He agreed to open a passage in return for exotic ingredients he can't get for himself. I didn't want to tell the council, because... well..." he gestured to Othrelos.

Othrelos's expression changed to one of pure shock. "You convinced him to help? This isn't a naturally-occurring passage?"

"He agreed to open it for one day. I have to get the components he demanded, but as long--"

Othrelos held up a hand. "I want no part of it. And you're fortunate I'm the only one to put the pieces together, because if anyone else finds out you've been to Shadowdell, it will not go well for you."

"You won't tell anyone, I trust?"

"Moons, no. I keep out of this sort of thing for a reason."

"The silver, the dragonscales..."

Othrelos stood silent for a long minute, considering his options carefully before speaking.

They were both in incredibly precarious positions, Rubines knew. If Othrelos took his side and it came out, the consequences could be dire. But one did not lightly cross Delarin Shadowcalled, and by acting as his agent Rubines was now someone worth thinking twice before refusing.

"I will see what I can find," Othrelos conceded, "but if you do anything to attract the wrong sort of attention, I will throw you under the carriage so fast and hard you'll leave a crater. And don't expect any sort of discount. Even getting market rates in this kind of circumstance is going to be a challenge, and that's without it being a rush order."

Rubines exhaled gratefully. "I'll find a way to repay you," he promised.

"I don't need to be repaid, just paid in full." Othrelos turned to leave.

"Thank you."

Othrelos turned back one last time, a faint smile on his lips. "Don't thank me before you see the bill."