"Hmm," Baron Howser Longcross stroked the hilt of his sword as he listened to his son's recollection of events. "You said he defeated all five of them without cladding?" he asked again to make sure he didn't mishear.

"Yes father," Gale said as he held his head low.

"And why did he spare you?" Howser asked.

"I'm, I'm not sure father. I believe he may be the assassin we are looking for, maybe he's the person Lord Rhodes had us look for."

"It's impossible. Our records show that Khal Dor has been cooped up in the Dor Castle for years. He rarely showed his face. Maybe Marcus has been training him in the castle, no one knows. His journey this time is because of the passing of Lord Tommel. The assassin must have been one of the Black Recluse but losing house Stigs may still work in our favor." Howser sighed deeply before he removed a scroll from his robes and began writing. "The Vulcan must have headed towards the Capital. While the Raven's Council kept House Dor eating the crumbs they set, they must have expected the Capital to be a safer option." Howser sneered at the notion. He had hoped they would choose the harder option. Political warfare had a certain appeal that even a sword couldn't reach.

"What do we do with Khal and his men?" Gale asked as he stared at the scroll he was just handed.

"Nothing, whatever reason the Stigs were killed was already taken care of by Matrus. Although he inherited none of the martial talents of his older brother, his way with words is a considerable boon to Dor House. He had convinced not only Duke Braxton but also the other Great Houses that Lady Stigs and the Baron were both at war with each other. His description of the events was sound, even Lord Rhodes had no choice but to agree with him.

"Then why did we need to refuse them access to the inn?" Gale asked in confusion.

"Even the impossible needs investigating, I've lived through many impossibilities," Howser said with a smile as he patted his son on the head. "Send the report to Lord Rhodes, the mysterious boy is nothing more than a good swordsman. We have nothing to fear from House Dor."

---

Khal rode through the night until he was directly next to Crystal Lake. It had bothered him greatly that Baron Longcross had prevented him from sleeping on a soft bed. The closest inn was now Emory Inn, but Khal dare not go the Rhodes establishments.

"My apologies," Jasper eventually said. The quiet journey had left him feeling guilty for his display during the fighting.

"There is no need Jasper," Khal said eventually. I brought you for your information gathering skills, not your sword arm." The rest of the journey forward was even quieter, Khal opting to follow Kaiser's method by saying little and observing a lot.

It carried on that way only for a few days until Lowel felt like he had enough. Khal didn't mind though, Lowel's presence had served to cut a lot of the tension he felt. Two more weeks passed before Khal's journey to Sydenham Town was finally over. The town looked no different than he remembered. Even the old watchtowers were the same. Khal appreciated it though, too many changes left him agitated. He entered the northern gates slowly, appreciating the subtle changes that made the town flourish within the last five years. Majority of the guards were new to him. He simply passed them straight without any interruption to the flow of traffic. The inn and tavern stood out the most to Khal. They were both new and livelier than anywhere else in the north that he'd ventured to so far. Even Elfheim city was lacking when it came to entertainment.

"Milord, Sydenham Town is beautiful," Jasper said as his eyes shifted from one interesting thing to the next.

"Errr, Lord Khal, not many times some lad of me stature drink Gutrot," Lowel said as he stared at the tavern and licked his lips. Khal simply waved his hand to shoo the man as he continued to stare at the changes. Khal knew his appearance had caused a lot of people to stare at him. Jasper's armor didn't fail to reinforce any thoughts of him being highborn.

Khal continued on horse until he was directly in front of Lord Tommel's old manor. Now, it was an orphanage for the homeless children, something Erik had wanted to do a long time ago. Lord Tommel was a sentimental man, he had managed to gift Erik an entire Town with everything he had ever wanted before his death. Khal knew that at least Lord Tommel had died peacefully, without any regrets.

Khal then dismounted Windcrest and followed him towards the stables. Although the horse had only been here once, Khal's rudimentary communication was impressive enough for Windcrest to know exactly where he should go. Jasper followed on foot as his armor noisily vibrated with every step.

"The Burgans that invaded had allowed Lord Tommel to overcome his status as a commoner. He set the precedence for people like Baron Longcross. He will forever be known as a pioneer of his time. He's a man worthy of respect," Khal finally said. "He deserved every accomplishment he had."

"Aye milord," Jasper said as he tied his horse at the stable before paying the stableman. "Do we head straight towards the mansion?" Jasper asked as he looked at the fork in the road. One lead to the mansion while the other towards the Inn.

"No, head towards the inn, I will call you after I pay my respects."

"Milord!" Jasper said as he saluted and left. The man had come a long way from an underground information broker.

Khal continued on foot towards the top of the winding road. The bronze gates in front of him were sturdy but rusted by the cold weather of the north. Khal could see two guards at the gates, diligently patrolling. He noticed one of them, Nick, who had fought the Burgan invasion with him. "Nick!" Khal shouted as he ran up to the gate. It earned him a few suspicious gazes from the two guards until the one named Nick turned from bewilderment to joy.

"Khal?!" he asked as he ran up to the gates.

"It's me!" Khal said, reverting to his old goofy self. He smiled from ear to ear as he measured himself against the man. "You're a bit shorter than me now," he teased as the gates were opened and they embraced each other.

"You've just arrived?" Nick asked as he looked on for any others.

"I sent them towards the Inn," Khal informed the man as the gates closed behind them. "I would have come sooner if I had known," Khal said as the gloominess took over.

"We know," Nick said as he brought Khal towards the front door. "The mansion is nicer than our first visit, right?" Nick asked with a smirk. It had been five years since Baron Black forced them both to have dinner with him. Thinking of it now, it was a creepy notion that the old Baron had tried. Khal giggled as he entered the building. "I'll notify Erik," Nick said as he rushed upstairs.

It didn't take long for a young man to rush downstairs. Khal recognized Erik instantly. His short brown hair and pointy nose were only second to his more noticeable Darwin peaks. Even for a Katarian, Erik's ears were prominent markers of his birth. It was only when he was closer that Khal realized how short he was. At five feet and nine inches, Erik was shorter than most warriors but still taller than most scholars. He was more of a balance between the two, something that Lord Tommel had spent his life trying to mold.

"Well met Lord Khal," Erik said with a mocking bow.

"Well met Lord Tommel," Khal said with an even more exaggerated bow. Both men laughed at their twisted fates while they hugged each other.

"You've grown Khal, whoever you've eaten must have had it coming," he joked as the maids scurried around to prepare for the guest.

"Ha, I hope your year at the academy has been better than mine," Khal said as he winced at his memories.

"Hmm, nothing I couldn't handle. I didn't need you to protect me if that's what you're insinuating."

"Hmm, have you kept up your sword training?" Khal asked with a raised brow. Although Erik did his fair share during the training sessions when they were younger, he had always preferred his pen over the sword.

"More or less. Come, let's eat! We can catch up after our bellies are filled." Khal smiled and nodded as both men entered the dining room.

Wine and various fruits overwhelmed the table as they both sat and chatted. Erik had prevented anyone else from entering the dining room so that he could catch up with Khal in private. The mansion was dispelled of all melancholy as their facial expressions changed from surprise to fear then to wild laughter. It had been a long time since either had taken a break from the grueling world and all its problems. Now, it was as though they were both back in the manor, stealing food and enjoying their youth.

---

"The Raven's Council..." Erik mumbled as he ripped into a chicken leg. The juice had already stained his robe, but he paid it no mind. "So, who do you suppose this Charles might be?" he asked Khal as he chewed with the lowest of manners.

"No idea, I was hoping you could tell me," Khal said. His face was covered in grease as he threw a piece of meat into the air and caught it with his mouth.

"Hmm, I couldn't begin to name all the nobles in the capital nor do I know any by the name. Is it a given name or a House name?"

Khal shrugged as he washed the food down with a glass of wine. "Well if you don't know the name then it's probably not a House name. Anyone who could control the Great Houses of Seabo has to at least be a prominent figure in the Capital." Khal sighed as he stood up and grabbed the cloth that laid next to him.

"Hmm, maybe. This Jasper person may be able to shortlist a few of the prominent figures and we can start from there. I intended to buy a small plot of land in the capital. Let us take what we need and head there. There is no rule that suggests we should stay at the academy after the first year."

"I will be in the first year..." Khal said as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry my junior, the academy isn't such a bad place." Erik couldn't help but laugh out.

"The Hive is a better teaching institution," Khal said angrily as he held a chicken bone towards Erik.

"Ok, ok," Erik yield. "Graduate or die just isn't really my sort of thing."

Khal became quiet at Erik's joke. "Grandfather knew I would survive."

Erik's mouth stiffened as he silently nodded. They both knew that Marcus had made a huge gamble. It was only now, after leaving the Hive, that Khal realized it was for the sole purpose of making him a Vulcan. Whether Marcus was power hungry or not had yet to be seen. "It would be out of his character to risk your life for something as fleeting as power. There must be a reason," Erik said under his breath.

"Whatever it is, we will find out soon enough. A Vulcan is a powerhouse than many would wish to control," Khal said resolutely. He had always hated to be controlled or have his future dictated. At least his family hadn't tried to restrict him in any way so far.

"There are two persons claiming to know who you are," Erik finally said as he reclined in his chair. "I had them monitored just in case they were trying to find information on your whereabouts."

"Oh right, Ewin and Arzela," Khal said. He had intended to go looking for them after he finished his meal with Erik.

"So, you do know them?" Erik asked with a bit of regret. Had he known he would have been more hospitable.

"Yes, they're the survivors from the Hollows that I mentioned earlier."

"Oh," Erik said with an awkward smile. He quickly rang a bell and a petite maid came rushing into the room. Erik quickly sent her away with instructions before he turned back towards Khal. "Grandfather was buried a few nights ago on Tempest Hill. We should go pay our respects to your mother and grandfather," Erik suggested as he stood up.

Both men cleaned their faces before taking a small stroll up to Tempest Hill. The journey was shorter than Khal remembered. The various gravesites looked pretty with the different flowers that ornamented the tombstones. Even Baron Black's grave was adorned with flowers. Khal was surprised to see how clean his mother's gravesite was. A few meters away from her, Lord Tommel's grave looked like a miniature garden with the number of flowers that surrounded it. Khal smiled, Lord Tommel was well loved. Khal closed his eyes and took a moment of silence. He had done this so many times in the past, but it was never easy. His mother and now Lord Tommel were gone.