Lia stood before shining iron gates to Lord Leran’s estate. It was made of iron bars, shining. A crest made of a side profile of a cat’s face ornamented the bars. The crest of the House Elvia.

They were a fairly new house compared to a millennia-old houses like the Rever, Ruiz or Arvad. Still, they were one of the richest ones, holding strategic trade routes connecting the Yrid mines on the east of the empire which only could be reached by sea, surrounded by the virgin forests of the Niph and the capital.

They had acquired that territory two decades ago after siding with the late emperor, Lia’s father’s sworn brother in the civil war forty years after the foundation of the family by a Reveran merchant called Elvia. Tales said that a black cat lead Elvia to a great treasury which the man used wisely to establish his house. The cat still watched over the territory, not still in flesh and blood but in the crest of the house.

On each side of the gate stood a two meters tall white brick wall that stretched around the gigantic territory of the house. They were on the highest circle of the Whitepeak, only ten minutes away from the great palace of the Saint Rever. This high on the hill, the dirt of the estate was probably worth more than gold in weight.

Behind the iron bars, Lia saw a few men walking around a cart dragged by two pale stallions. On the corner of the carriage’s roof, Lia saw a laying cat a figure carved in the same polished dark hardwood that made up the cart.

A butler approached the gate as Lia watched inside. He was an old white man, with a clean-shaved face and a receding hairline. The old man opened the gate, making way for the cart and asked the group to leave.

To this, Lia kindly asked the butler if she could talk to Elder Leran. Lad, however, was trying to rush inside the open gate. Lia would have held him down but Inni and Yel had already done that.

The butler studied the group, deciding whether to call the guards or inform the Lord about the guests. He quickly glanced at Lia, Yel and Lad but fixated on Inni a bit more.

Expensive silk, orange hair and amber eyes called for a single house, the Ruiz of the south. Children of the Saint of Fire. The house was founded by the mighty Flamebearer Ruiz, sister to Vaella’s beloved wife. He had given them a piece of the Eternal Fire that kept on burning since the beginning of time and the power of fire painted their eyes amber and hair orange, even after a thousand years.

Seeing a young lady from the Ruiz, the butler asked them to follow him and went to the cart that was waiting for him to give the sign to depart. Lia was content with not being recognized. That was the purpose of her attire. She looked almost identical to the old butler save for the black vest he had fashioned over his white shirt and the bowtie.

The butler knocked on the window of the carriage. A silky curtain was unveiled by plump brown fingers behind the glass. Soon, the man inside opened the window, still hidden behind the purple curtain.

“What are you making me wait for, Ortel?”

“A few guests are wishing to talk to you, Elder.” Leran was a Lord but also he was one of the Elders of Whitepeak’s council, the greatest authority in the city after the head of the House Rever, which was now dead. That made the title of elder a lot more precious than that of a simple lord.

“A young lady from Ruiz and her friends.”

“Hmm…” The deep voice weighed his options. “I suppose the council can wait for a few more minutes. Prepare a table and some tea for our guests. I’d like to listen to the young lady’s wish.”

***

The carriage quickly returned to the estate and followed the cobblestone path to the blue mansion that stood tall with four stories and dozens of windows on each floor.

The group followed the cart and waited for the Elder to get out as the butler went inside the mansion to prepare what the Elder had asked.

Soon, the door to the carriage opened and a plump Reveran man got down. He was a short man, the same height as Inni but shorter than the rest of the group. He had curly hair tied into thick locks that reached down to his waist. His hair looked a lot curlier than Inni’s, almost like they belonged to a and he wore a traditional purple Reveran’s robe with white stripes from one side of the chest to another.

Before the Nevra became a desert, Vaella ruled humankind from the northern continent. When the vile demons from hell attacked the heart of the empire that was Nevra and turned it into the crimson hell it was today, the people of Nevra migrated to the southern continent of Revera.

The Reveran people looked different from the Nevran. The cold hills and green steppes of the Nevra housed the pale people of the north, that looked like her and the warm mountains and the fertile river lands of the Revera were darker in skin just like Yel and Elder Leran.

The house of Rever was the reason the continent was called Revera. His kin would be called Reverî, the rulers of the Whitepeak and the northern territories, and his subjects would be the Reveran, the welcoming black people of the southern continent.

“How can I help you, young lady?” Elder Leran reached to Inni’s hand and gave it a kiss. “The doors of the house of the cat are always open to the Ruiz and its nice people.”

***

The servants quickly prepared a table of desserts and two cups of tea. Only two chairs to sit on. Lia felt like a storm that was the hubris of the man approaching.

Elder Leran quickly sat on one of the chairs like he despised using his legs to stand. He left the great blue mansion and the horde of servants behind his back as he sat and pointed at the empty seat.

“Wouldn’t you like to sit young lady?” The man smiled, with joy in his round cheeks. “I believe your grandfather the White Flame himself set at this exact seat as an envoy to Lord Faenall with my father U’tua just before he became a very rich man. I hope history repeats itself.” He laughed.

“I would be delighted to take a seat.” Inni bowed slightly. “But I’m afraid there aren’t enough seats for all of us.”

“Oh.” The man interlocked his fingers, palm touching palm. “Forgive me, young lady. Your servants must be tired too.” He looked at one of the servants as Lad giggled. “Vemra!” Leran shouted, fast and irritated. “Lead young lady’s servants to the annexe and feed them well.”

To this one of the servants, a tall Nevran man in long robes replied.

“Yes, master.”

“They are my friends. Not servants.” Inni furrowed her orange brows.

“Oh, how kind of you. Of course, they are your friends.”

“We are here for business Elder Leran.” Lia picked the wooden coin from the pocket of her trousers and showed it to the mage in robes. The mage nodded at Leran, confirming the authenticity of the artefact.

Doing that was quite easy as the coin contained Levise’s mana. It was faint and was hard to detect if one didn’t know where to focus but seeing it plane open one couldn’t help but notice the serene aura of the Saint.

She wasn’t going to resort to the coin but seeing Inni squirm as she talked with the Elder, she felt like she needed to.

“We are working on a mission under the order of her holiness. I am Lia and these are my friends Yel and Inni. And this is our master, Lad. We would like to have some of your time if you would permit.”

“Forgive your highness.” Leran jumped out of his seat as understood who Lia was. Lia hated every second of this encounter already and it looked like it was going to get only worse.

“Please, take my seat!” He brought the chair over to Lia.

“It wouldn’t be proper to sit while my friends and master stood up.”

“Of course your highness.” The man turned at the mage instead of the servants. “Bring our esteemed guests their seats.”

“Aye, master.” Vemra rushed back to the annexe behind the mansion and brought some fine chairs.

Everyone finally sat, except for Lad who took a stroll around the estate without telling anything. Leran told the butler to accompany Lad and the butler followed after their master.

“I am honoured by your visit, your majesty.” Lord Leran bowed his head slightly, now sharing the table with the trio.

“Would you like some wine? Or something to eat perhaps. Vemra! Go fetch them something to eat.”

“Thank you for the generosity, Lord Leran. A glass of water would suffice. We are on duty as I have mentioned. We…”

“What are you waiting for, Vemra? For our guests die of thirst? Fetch her a glass of water.” Lord squinted his eyes and hissed at the poor guy with a smile as he cut Lia off.

“As I have mentioned, we are on a quest. Hunting for a rogue mage that we believe to be interested in a piece in your treasury.”

Yel was too tired to care about the political play and the noble quarrels. Instead, he grabbed a cookie and sipped the tea that was prepared for Inni.

“Oh, dear.” Leran laughed, his whole body wobbling in his giggle. “There are always some petty thieves after my wealth, he glanced at Yel. “It should not concern someone of your stature.”

“I believe they are, Elder, but this one is quite capable. You shouldn’t underestimate him, especially in these…”

“No worries, honey.” He turned back, looking at the mage who poured water into the crystal glass on the table. “Vemra!” He shouted. “Young lady is thirsty! Be quick. Anyways.” His deep voice softened again. “What was I saying dear.” He turned back. “Oh, yes. There is no need to worry. The whole premise is under protection. Not to mention that we have this great mage with us!” He looked at Vemra, standing like a servant with a glass carafe in his hands.

“He is supposed to be fairly strong, though he needs to learn how to be quick with his hand too or else he’ll be a waste of money.”

Vemra then gave Lia the glass, to which she thanked him.

She wanted to spill the water over the Lord’s face, or just smack him with the glass itself. Instead, she took one sip and put the glass on the table. This was not the day.

“I was going to offer our help. We are after the thief like a said and four mages would offer you quite the security.”

“I wouldn’t dare to make you work in my estate! You are free to stay as long as you want. We are already preparing a chamber for you as we speak.”

“That won’t be necessary, Elder. We believe that the thief will strike tonight. We’ll be gone by the sunrise.”

“How sad.” Leran’s face soured. “I hoped you would stay longer. I’d like you to meet my son.” A wide grin Leran failed to suppress appeared on his face.

Here were go, Lia thought. She was surprised it took this long.

“He is on a vacation and is to return to Whitepeak a few days later. He takes lessons from Vemra too, and I believe he is going to be very famous soon. I believe he could help you on your quests and be a wonderful friend.”

“I don’t doubt it, Elder.” Lia surpassed the urge to sigh and passed the responsibility to Lad. “But that choice is up to our master.”

There was no way Lad would approve of Leran’s son. The man refused to be around the Elder and went off to some faraway corner to laugh his ass off. There was no way he approved the son.

“I’ll talk it to your master then.” He got up. “But I’m afraid I have to go to the council now. We shouldn’t make the delegation from your father wait so much. You are welcome here as far as you’d like and can ask anything you want from Vemra or Ortel.”

Elder Leran later went to the carriage that was waiting ready for him the whole encounter and left the estate.

Both the servants, the mage and Lia took a deep breath after the guy left. All looking at each other in understanding.