Seated on his throne Valard read through a sheaf of papers, looking up he said to Corvus who stood beside and slightly behind the throne, “Are these figures correct? The production from several sites seems to be excessively low compared to just a few tendays ago. Why are my farms not producing as much as they have been?”

“Master… I do not wish to even think to tell High Fae Chanar what they should do but your brethren should perhaps be restrained. Apart from Toixnae and Marloff, none have abided by your rules and restrictions and a wholesale slaughter of your workforce is taking place. Many sites are down to less than half their usual complement of workers and some are entirely depopulated.”

“They slaughter my Fae?”

“Yes Master.”

“Which are the depopulated sites?”

“Glorianna, Demenses, Golden Fields and Boghole but that last was on your orders. Some of those that were at these sites fled from Harran. I cannot blame them he was the was the one who killed all the other workers.”

“Pah! That fool’s death was too long in coming. It’s just a shame he had the stupidity and weakness to be killed by Fae in my lands. Ignore them, which are the next worst affected and by who?”

“That would be Grao Tree, Ireen and Lynoba killed more than two thirds of the sixty odd workforce while questioning them. From reports I’ve heard from Fae who were present there was less questioning and more violent slaughter of the defenceless.”

Looking annoyed but only a little Valard said, “I am not particularly surprised, that pair were always going to use this as an excuse to attack me. Do you know where they are? I think it is time my brethren and particularly those two leave my lands, they are clearly useless in finding the actual perpetrators.”

“Their last reported position was the mining sites in the mountains around Olive Grove.”

Nodding he said, “We’ll need ‘Nae and Marloff, get Evesian as well. I would much prefer the greater strength on our side when facing Ireen and… you’re slipping again, do we need to have another session to remind you just who is your Master?”

Swallowing Corvus said, “No, not at all Master. The memory is quite clear, I apologise and thank you for the reminder.”

“See that you do. Go get Evesian, by the time you return I will have Toixnae’s location and you can teleport us to her.”

Bowing from the waist, Corvus said, “Your will, Master.”

He walked from the throne room, down the stairs and across the great sigil into the animal smelling wing of the Tower Valard’s menagerie lay in. As he walked past the wards the calls of the many beasts Valard kept as experimental subjects and raw materials sounded out, loud and raucous.

Most of the intelligent beings in their barred enclosures at the front of the wing watched him with sullen hate-filled eyes as he walked past but some raved, screaming obscenities. Others cowered as far from the barred entrances of their enclosures as they could.

He hated seeing this now but for most of his time as Seneschal he hadn’t given the plight of any of them a second thought until Elsilai had made him take a closer look at the pointless and sadistic misery Valard was inflicting on Pif. That was the start of his awakening but there was nothing he could do, not yet. It was much too soon.

Walking up to the keeper’s station he said, “Derriyn, Blainff. Any issues?”

Derriyn said, “No major issues Seneschal. I mentioned we needed resupply of the food for the zellorgs, fussy bastads that they are. It just became critical though, we only got two good casks left. The other three are tainted.”

“Supplier or storage?”

“Supplier for sure, there was bits of bugs mixed into it and them zellorgs won’t eat feed with any sort of creature stuff in it.”

“Very well, I’ll bring our next delivery forward and I’ll talk to the supplier in person”

Blainff said, “Should warn you, Evesian’s been a bit frisky lately. Caught him chewin’ on the bars a couple times yesterday. Had to replace two of them.”

Corvus smiled and said, “Well, probably a good thing to get him out of his cage then. Get ready to catch him, he’s probably going to run as soon as I open the door.”

“We’ll be ready, just like always.”

As he walked down the long well lit corridor past the barred archways behind which the menagerie beasts lived, they reacted the same as the intelligent creatures had. Some charged at the bars aggressively while others whimpered and hid.

At the end of the corridor he reached a wide age darkened door of massive timbers in the middle of an archway blocked by wrist thick iron bars spaced less than a palm’s width apart, two of which gleamed with fresh oil. Many of the others showed signs of gnawing and teeth marks marred their surfaces.

He called out, “Evesian!”

From deep within the gloom of the cell he heard the thumping of very large feet.

The creature who ran into the pool of light the glowglobes threw into the cell was a Goblin but one that was four times the normal size and heavy corded muscles bulged across his grey skinned frame.

He was no living Goblin rather he was a construct of necromantic magic, his eyes were milky white and lines of neat stitching ran along his lambs and trunk. He grinned vacantly at Corvus showing the implanted metallic teeth that had marked the bars. He was no beast to be in the beast wing but this was the largest cell and also the only one with a door he couldn’t chew through.

Corvus said, “Hello Evesian. How about we get you out of there and go for a trip?”

He nodded and grinned wider.

“Good. I’ll open the door and you won’t run off will you?”

He shook his head.

“Now is that ‘No, I won’t run off’ or ‘No, I will absolutely run off’ hmmm?”

The undead abomination dropped his eyes.

Corvus nodded and said, “Yeah that’s what I thought. Are you going to run off?”

He nodded enthusiastically and if he smiled any wider his face would split at the seams.

“If you run off, once I catch you I’ll have to put you straight back in here instead of taking you for a trip. And you want to go on a trip don’t you?”

The great grey abomination frowned then nodded.

“Ok, good. I’m opening the door and you won’t run will you?”

Corvus reached over and very carefully from opposite the door swing slid the three thumb thick bolts from their staples as soon as the third was clear the door was flung open violently, slamming into the stone of the wall and adding fresh chips to the hundreds already there as a huge grey shape bolted down the hall.

He just shook his head and slowly followed.

When he got close to the keeper station he could see Evesian caught tight in a huge web which stretched across the corridor, a web made up of thigh thick strands. He was struggling, twisting to bring his teeth into contact with them and one was already severed.

Corvus walked up and rapped him sharply on the back of the head, “What did I say? Now I have to put you back in the cell and you don’t get to go on a trip.”

Stopping his struggles the huge creature’s face fell and he whined like an unhappy child.

“Don’t whine, I told you what would happen if you ran.”

Big fat tears rolled down his cheeks as he sobbed, clearly his heart was broken.

“Oh alright, stop crying you can go on a trip.”

The crying stopped so quickly it was definitely fake and a huge grin lit up his face.

“You faker, I’ll release you and you’re not going to run are you?” Looking at the Fae who was smiling at a scene he’d seen played out hundreds of times, Corvus said, “Let him loose.”

The webs strands dissipated in a flash of green light leaving him standing there unrestrained.

He tensed and green energy swirled around Blainff’s hands but after a glance at Corvus the goblin settled and waited to be led out of the bestiary.

“Good boy. Come on then.”

They walked up the corridor and into the room of the great sigil, Evesian snarled at Valard when he saw him but cowered when the Fae Chanar looked at him frowning. Valard said, “Enough of that. Save your ire for my enemies. Corvus, I’ve contacted my brethren and as expected Ireen and his group have failed to leave, my other brethren have already left or will be shortly. Toixnae and Marloff are waiting on us so Seneschal port us out.”

Corvus located the teleport beacon Toixnae was powering then with a crackle they appeared staggering slightly as they landed in soft sand under a blazing noonday desert sun.

Which was odd, Valard’s lands held no desert within it’s borders.

In the centre of the anomalous patch of desert a large white pavilion made of heavy silk sat with Marloff’s lion resting in the shade of a tasselled awning along the open front of the tent, inside Toixnae and Marloff lounged on richly embroidered cushions around a low table.

The lion raised it’s head, it's amber eyes fixed on Evesian and as it came to it’s feet it gave a huffing growl. Taking a couple of steps forward.

Evesian growled back at it, large muscles flexing under his dull grey skin.

Corvus laid a hand on his shoulder, “Steady, it’s master is an ally and we don’t need you killing his mount.”

The Goblin grumbled a bit but subsided.

Marloff called from inside the tent as he stood and approached, followed by Toixnae, “That thing may have trouble with that, Sunfire is not easily killed.”

Valard said, “That thing is called Evesian and I'd back him against any mere beast. Toixnae has explained what we are to do?”

The bandage wrapped and turbaned High Fae Chanar nodded, “We are to force any of our brethren who have remained after your instruction to leave out of your lands."

Valard said, “Correct. The only ones who have not complied are Ireen, Lynoba and the Twins, they didn't even bother to respond to my contact.”

Toixnae said, “Do we know where they are?”

Valard nodded and said, “Yes, we know exactly where they are. Up in the mountains where unfortunately Lynoba is at his strongest, all that stone and ice for his golem shaping. I’d suggest we let Evesian keep him busy while we convince the others to leave, if the Goblin is destroyed it is of no matter also he's immune to Lynoba’s mental control if he manages to get a control spike to bite. Which is not something the rest of us can say. Corvus will transport us as close as possible as soon as your camp is broken.”

Marloff held up a hand. The pavilion and all it’s furnishings were sucked into a large ornate ring on his left hand, “Done.”

“Hrrmph and how long will the patch of desert last?” Valard asked a little peevishly.

“The magic which brings the heat of my home here will fade within days, but the sand is forever. All lands become sand with time.”

“Really? You’ve left patches of sand all over my lands?”

“Yes, but there is no need to thank me for the improvement. I only wish I could have had enough time to extend them further.”

Valard shook his head frowning then said, “Before my lands are utterly ruined, shall we Corvus?”

They disappeared with a muted crackle and roll of thunder and only the patch of sand was left. Empty and baking under the fierce sun.